Crysis: Warhead

8/10

Take on the fight as the volatile Sergeant “Psycho” Sykes in a new parallel story taking place during the events of Crysis. Psycho’s secret mission will take him to the other side of the island on a ruthless pursuit of a North Korean general hell-bent on obtaining powerful technology.

With the versatile powers of his Nanosuit and an arsenal of fully customisable weapons and vehicles at his disposal, Sykes will do whatever it takes to carry out his top-secret objective.

Action on the other side of the island is more intense, the battles are fierce, and the mission protocol is no longer “Adapt to Survive.” As Sergeant Sykes, now you must adapt to dominate the battle. Twin SMG’s blazing, seizing new vehicles, or going stealth, the action and the victory is on your terms.

Crysis: Warhead is the latest pulse-racing instalment of 2007’s PC Game of the Year. This time round you play as Sergeant Sykes, with a vital mission to recover the technology that an enemy general wishes to own, at any cost.

This time round there are more dynamic gameplay elements, customisable weapons, new vehicles, more locations and a fully interactive war zone to dominate – whether you want to play in a guns-out way or you’re more of a stealth merchant.

Warhead is an extremely clever and very exciting stand-alone expansion pack, meaning that you don’t need the original Crysis in order to play it. What makes it even better though is the reverse-engineered and altered graphical engine – it will now play on more machines than the original Crysis (which, let’s face it, even with a hugely powerful PC, you might not be able to crank it to full settings graphically).

This should mean that a wider audience can access the fun of Crysis – and it really is a lot of fun. The physics aspects remain (picking up soldiers, throwing them into rocks, other soldiers etc, punching vehicles and so on) and the nano-suit remains integral in the battle scenario.

Exactly how do you want to target that Korean base up ahead? Go stealth like the predator, sneak up and take them out? Or would you rather engage your strength suit to neutralise any weapon kick-back and go all out? Ii really does make a difference to the strategic play.

Unfortunately, the game suffers from being extremely short – there are perhaps only around six hours gameplay to be had here. However, there are a bunch of multiplayer options (that now brilliantly includes team deathmatch), with some new online modes and 21 maps – seven of which are new.

Perhaps the only real gripes that I have with the game are that firstly it can be a little too linear (I actually found places in Crysis where you couldn’t access and these became more apparent in Warhead) and the enemy AI – which at times reacted a little too oddly to what I was up to. Nonetheless, Crysis Warhead is an absolutely solid title and the parallel storyline adds to the original game if you’ve played it.

If you liked Crysis, or even if you like first person shooters in general, then you’ll probably want to play this. It’s well worth a look.

But it looks like this is just another unfounded rumor, especially in light of the fact that online distribution is the direction that the Xbox 260 wants to take. Until I see an actual BD add-on on display I’ll most likely believe these future add-ons as just hokum.

Take for example this wonderful space saving solution to setting up your racing wheel. The RennSport Wheel Stand can be used on all Fanatec wheels as well Logitech’s G25 and Driving Force series wheels. It is also compatible with the Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel. The stand allows you to clamp your wheel on the gizmo while giving you a place to anchor the pedals to the floor. The stand is adjustable in terms of height, angle, and pedal position and there is even a convenient Fanatec Porsche Wheel shifter mount. There is also an add-on accessory that can turn the stand into a full racing cockpit.

The stand costs $129.95.

The PRS-700 has new features not present in other models. For example, it has a touch screen that allows readers to swipe their finger in order to turn pages. This is a nifty way of turning virtual pages and is more intuitive and natural. LED side lights have also been added to the screen to make reading easier in low light conditions.

RedOctane has announced that a deluxe version of the game will be made available on the launch date. Priced at $239.99, this edition will be made available for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. The deluxe editions for the Wii and PS2 will be priced at $219.99.

The deluxe edition bundle will have the game itself, a usb mic, 5-pad drum set with pdeal, guitar and drum wireless receivers, drum sticks, GHWT guitar faceplate, sticker pack, guitar strap, T-shirt, dual recharge kit, dual gig bag and key chain.

The deluxe edition will cost $50 more than the regular bundle priced at $189.99. And apparently, the price difference will only be for the addition of the shirt, keychain, recharge kit, and gig bag. Only the die-hard fans and the rich would probably spring for this bundle.

As for me, I’ll settle for the regular guitar bundle.

Until last week, that is.

MTV Games and Harmonix has finally opened the sign-up site to redeem the 20-song free offer. Buyers of RB2 will be required to enter the redemption code that is found on the back of the game manual along with their email address and date of birth.

No announcements have been made as of yet regarding when the songs will be made available or what the songs will be but the opening of the site is a good enough way to quell the impatience of RB2 owners.

Fallout 3 - PC DVD

Frankly, I can’t wait to get my hands on the game, so roll on October 31st (or 28th for you lucky Americans) for this brilliant game. If you remember the SPECIAL setup from the previous games, then you’re going to be in for a treat here. Not only that, but it looks as though they have the ‘world-balance’ just right, by making some areas deliberately tough until you have the required kit/level.

If you haven’t heard about the VATS targeting system, then let me fill you in. Essentially, you can trigger the VATS to move from real time combat to the targeting system, that assigns actions (such as aiming and shooting a head shot) points – of which you only have a limited number. Don’t run out, whatever you do! There’s also going to be radiation damage (a la S.T.A.L.K.E.R.) in the game, and bottlecaps make a welcome return as cash.

In case you need even more information to believe that Fallout 3 (PC, Xbox 360 and PS3) is going to be THE purchase for this year’s gaming, then check out the information below:

DESCRIPTION:
Vault-Tec engineers have worked around the clock on an interactive reproduction of Wasteland life for you to enjoy from the comfort of your own vault. Included is an expansive world, unique combat, shockingly realistic visuals, tons of player choice, and an incredible cast of dynamic characters. Every minute is a fight for survival against the terrors of the outside world – radiation, Super Mutants, and hostile mutated creatures. From Vault-Tec, America’s First Choice in Post Nuclear Simulation.

STORY:
Vault 101 – Jewel of the Wastes. For 200 years, Vault 101 has faithfully served the surviving residents of Washington DC and its environs, now known as the Capital Wasteland. Though the global atomic war of 2077 left the US all but destroyed, the residents of Vault 101 enjoy a life free from the constant stress of the outside world. Giant Insects, Raiders, Slavers, and yes, even Super Mutants are all no match for superior Vault-Tec engineering. Yet one fateful morning, you awake to find that your father has defied the Overseer and left the comfort and security afforded by Vault 101 for reasons unknown. Leaving the only home you’ve ever known, you emerge from the Vault into the harsh Wasteland sun to search for your father, and the truth.

KEY FEATURES:
* Limitless Freedom! – Take in the sights and sounds of the vast Capital Wasteland! See the great monuments of the United States lying in post-apocalyptic ruin! You make the choices that define you and change the world. Just keep an eye on your Rad Meter!
* Experience S.P.E.C.I.A.L.! – Vault-Tec engineers bring you the latest in human ability simulation – the SPECIAL Character System! Utilizing new breakthroughs in points-based ability representation, SPECIAL affords unlimited customization of your character. Also included are dozens of unique skills and perks to choose from, each with a dazzling variety of effects!
* Fantastic New Views! – The wizards at Vault-Tec have done it again! No longer constrained to just one view, experience the world from 1st or 3rd person perspective. Customize your view with the touch of a button!
* The Power of Choice! – Feeling like a dastardly villain today, or a Good Samaritan? Pick a side or walk the line, as every situation can be dealt with in many different ways. Talk out your problems in a civilized fashion, or just flash your Plasma Rifle.
* Blast ‘Em Away With V.A.T.S.! –Even the odds in combat with the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System for your Pip-Boy Model 3000! V.A.T.S. allows you to pause time in combat, target specific body parts on your target, queue up attacks, and let Vault-Tec take out your aggression for you. Rain death and destruction in an all-new cinematic presentation featuring gory dismemberments and spectacular explosions.
* Mind-Blowing Artificial Intelligence! – At Vault-Tec, we realize that the key to reviving civilization after a global nuclear war is people. Our best minds pooled their efforts to produce an advanced version of Radiant AI, America’s First Choice in Human Interaction Simulation. Facial expressions, gestures, unique dialog, and lifelike behavior are brought together with stunning results by the latest in Vault-Tec technology.
* Eye-Popping Prettiness! – Witness the harsh realities of nuclear fallout rendered like never before in modern super-deluxe HD graphics. From the barren Wasteland, to the danger-filled offices and metro tunnels of DC, to the hideous rotten flesh of a mutant’s face. Protective Eyewear Encouraged.

Goto claims that Sony has begun studies on the possiblity of employing the present Cell Broadband Engine, the same processore used on the Playstation 3, for their next gen console. He said that although Sony could change its mind, the current atmosphere is that Sony will just upgrade the current PS3 chipset for the PS4. He further added that using different iterations of the Cell Engine has always been in the general plans of Sony. This is the reason why the company put so much money in its development. Another good reason for going in this direction is that Sony doesn’t have the time or the reserves to research and create a totally new chipset.

Using a new model of the Cell will ensure lower production costs for the PS4 as well as a shorter game development time. This can result in lower price for the system.

The new Nintendo DSi carries a number of new features, among them a more svelte form factor, a bigger screen that now measures 3.25 inches (compared to 3 inches with the first two DS handhelds), two cameras (one is 3.1 megapixels and the other one is a VGA camera), as well as new capabilities to handle images and play music. It is surprising that the Gameboy Advance slot has now been removed and replaced with an SD memory slot that will be used for storing images, music and downloadable content. And speaking of content, the plan is that Nintendo will develop a DSi shop where users can download games and other applications to the SD card. This is a similar concept to the one being used by the Nintendo Wii.

the DSi will be released in Japan this coming November for $179. There are no firm dates for its release in other countries only that it will be released by 2009.

The row began today after the legislation in the US threatened an increase of royalty payments for each track bought – moving from 9 cents to 15. This might not sound like much, but it’s actually a 66% rise – not exactly marginal I’m sure you’d agree. I know I’d certainly like a 66% pay rise!

The extra cost would be met by music services sites that would no doubt pass the expense on to the consumer – which makes Apple’s threat of shutting down seem extremely silly indeed. From a business point of view, whilst it probably wouldn’t help them make more money, the fact that they passed on the charge to the consumer would mean they don’t make losses from this move. The reason I say that is you’ll still have iTunes customers shopping there, it is, after all, only an increase of what ultimately works out as 6 cents per tune.

Some sites are of course reporting this wrongly and suggesting that iPods would be made redundant. This of course isn’t true. However, it may well see the number of CD albums sold rise – as people then convert them to the file format needed before they play on their iPod. Some would see this as a good thing for the music industry.

Apple may well have declined to comment but I hardly believe that their service that has more than 8 million songs is about to go anywhere, any time soon.