10
Dec
2009
Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West
Paradox Interactive revealed today that the company is set to make an explosive entrance onto consoles with Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West. The team-based third person shooter, which will transport players directly into the heart of the gun-slinging drama and action of the Wild West, is locked and loaded to hit the console market during 2010.
Developed by Fatshark, Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West features intense gunfights in beautifully rendered Western settings. Incorporating the unique Synergy system, which encourages co-operation and team tactics to achieve a maximum gameplay experience and rewards, Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West calls upon players to band together and relive the excitement, danger, and mystery of the Wild West.
“We’ve been able to closely observe the success Paradox Interactive has achieved as a global publisher over the past years and we feel they are the perfect fit for our titles, which have already generated so much buzz and interest,” said Martin Wahlund, CEO of Fatshark.
4
Jun
2009
The Sims 3
If you’re reading this, there’s a very good chance that you’ve heard about The Sims. It’s been difficult to escape the popular franchise’s web, what with two full games and a seemingly endless stream of expansions. The first thing you may be asking, then, is whether The Sims 3 is worth playing, or if it’s just more of the same. Well, it most certainly is worth it, and yes, in some ways it is more of the same. But in this case, that’s a very good thing. For anyone who’s played The Sims or its first sequel, this familiarity will let them ease into it, feeling like a welcomed guest rather than an outsider. But this doesn’t make The Sims 3 a simple rehash of what’s come before. Instead, returning elements have been energized and extended by a number of terrific improvements, such as expanded customization tools, additional tools for interaction with other sims (and other players), and more tangible goals and rewards. Most importantly, the free-to-explore town makes you feel like part of an entire virtual society–a feature approximated but never fully realized in the previous games. By blending together the old and the new, developer Maxis has created the best, most charming game yet in the series. Read the rest of this entry »
4
Mar
2009
Street Fighter IV
It’s obvious that each iteration of the long-running Street Fighter series has been carefully tuned and tweaked to the finest degree, and nowhere is this more apparent than in Street Fighter IV. The lessons learned in the franchise’s 20-plus years have been used to prune back the core fighting experience to create something truly special.Street Fighter IV is a resounding success not only because it’s one of the most technically complex 2D fighters ever made, but also because it’s also wrapped inside a layer of absolute accessibility. Never has the old “A minute to learn, a lifetime to master” adage been truer than it is here.
The Street Fighter fundamentals have remained consistent over the years; your job is to knock out the other guy or gal. All 12 of the classic world warriors–Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Blanka, E. Honda, Zangief, Guile, Dhalsim, Balrog, Vega, Sagat, and M. Bison–are back and playable from the outset, and they’re joined by six brand-new and diverse characters. Abel, a mixed martial arts grapple-style character; Crimson Viper a female fighter with sweeping, airborne fire attacks; Rufus, a rotund fighter whose body makes him a bit of a sight gag despite his deceptive speed; and El Fuerte, a pro wrestler whose rushes and air throws make him a slippery foe. Ryu and Ken’s sensei, Gouken, also makes his playable-character debut in Street Fighter IV. Naturally, he didn’t teach the boys everything he knows, so when they meet again he has a few tricks up his sleeves, including a horizontal and vertical fireball EX move. The game’s new end boss, Seth, fills the last spot and joins the list once you’ve unlocked everyone else. Character balance is spot-on across the roster, and as a result, you should never feel that you can’t compete simply because you’ve chosen one character over another. Read the rest of this entry »
