Post by Zeli on Jan 10, 2007 8:40:45 GMT -5
Voodoo Extreme
ve3d.ign.com/articles/753/753728p1.html
2007 PC Games Preview
January 08, 2007 - It's an understatement that 2006 was at best a hit-or-miss year for PC games. Sure, there were a few hits, but most of the games simply missed their respective release dates. The good news is, all of the stuff we missed in 2006 spills over to this year (and perhaps beyond). Here are a few of our upcoming favorites:
Age of Conan
Massively Multiplayer Role-Playing Game
Developed by Funcom
Co-Published by Funcom and Eidos
Projected Street Date - May
The Scoop - There are a ton of things to like about Age of Conan. The first and most obvious boon is that the game is set in the same world as Conan. You can't be Conan, but you can make a character modeled in his image. The player-vs.-player combat feels fleshed out, crafting will be a huge part of the game, plus there's also a lot of single-player content if you don't want to get all massively multiplayer. Character customization will be big (you can even adjust the size of your avatar's arse) and the guild system looks to build some strong game communities. Age of Conan supports DX10, but doesn't look too bad on yesterday's video cards either (as seen below).
The Poop - As with all massively multiplayer games, connectivity and stability are huge issues to deal with. Funcom's last MMORPG offering, Anarchy Online, was the poster boy of bad launches. Hopefully, Age of Conan won't suffer from crappy launchitis.
BioShock
First-Person-Shooter
Developed by Irrational Games
Published by 2K Games
Projected Street Date - June
The Scoop - The spiritual successor to System Shock? Sign me up! Irrational Games is looking to put its name back on the map with BioShock, an ambitious first-person shooter with role-playing undertones set in the underwater realm of Rapture. Blending traditional combat with genetically enhanced special abilities, combat in BioShock should be interesting to say the least. Visually, Irrational has a good track record using the Unreal Engine (SWAT 4 was a marvel) and while the game isn't using the Unreal Engine 3, eye candy or lack thereof shouldn't be an issue.
The Poop - Just from looking at the previously released videos and screens, the interface looks very consolized. Also, the creepy little girl thing has been done to death in popular media.
Crysis
First-Person-Shooter
Developed by Crytek
Published by EA
Projected Street Date - October
The Scoop - Every few years, we have a first-person shooter that makes everyone's collective jaw drop. This year, it's Crysis, from the folks who gave us Far Cry. Taking full advantage of DX10, Crysis hopes to be more than just a benchmark hardware geeks use to measure how fast video cards perform, but rather an actual next-generation title in terms of gameplay as well.
The Poop - People with older PCs are bound to complain.
Hellgate: London
Action/Role-Playing
Developed by Flagship Studios
Co-Published by Namco and EA
Projected Street Date - July
The Scoop - The boys from Blizzard North are back with a new company called Flagship Studios. Its first offering is a game called Hellgate: London, which brings traditional Diablo-style gameplay to the next-generation. The setting is a little different (post-apocalyptic London) and the weapons are a bit more modern, but the cooperative gameplay is in there, and loot whores will be happy with the random drops. High replay value and DX10 graphics seal the deal.
The Poop - The gameplay mechanics in Hellgate are a tad more complex than what Diablo fans are used to.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadows of Chernobyl
First-Person-Shooter
Developed by GSC Game World
Published by THQ
Projected Street Date - April
The Scoop - Radiation once again escapes from Chernobyl, mutating the population and making the region unlivable. People known as Stalkers go back into the forbidden zone seeking to plunder its wealth and brave the dangers that await. A game very long in the making is S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadows of Chernobyl. As one of Wired's infamous Vaporware award alumni, the fact that it's about to be released boggles the mind.
The Poop - There's no way to pussyfoot around this. Eastern Bloc-developed games are usually bug-ridden messes. THQ needs to make sure this puppy ships in a state that we can actually play.
Supreme Commander
Real-Time-Strategy
Developed by Gas Powered Games
Published by THQ
Projected Street Date - June
The Scoop - Total Annihilation-guru Chris Taylor is once again throwing his hat into the strategy scene with a grandiose new title called Supreme Commander. Huge maps, tons of units, and upgrades aplenty make this more than your standard rock-paper-scissors, cookie-cutter RTS. Advanced A.I. that scales with your CPU, DX10 graphics and solid multiplayer should keep Supreme Commander on your hard drive for years to come.
The Poop - Complex gameplay may intimidate the masses.
Quake Wars
Multiplayer First-Person-Shooter
Developed by Splash Damage and id Software
Published by Activision
Projected Street Date - June
The Scoop - Ah, nothing beats good ol' Quake for multiplayer mayhem. Unfortunately, the franchise has been in decline since Quake 3: Arena was released. Bigger, badder, team-based multiplayer games rule the servers these days. Splash Damage (developers of the excellent Enemy Territory multiplayer add-on for Return to Castle Wolfenstein) hopes to change that in Quake Wars, pitting armies of Marines against the Strogg on the virtual battlefield.
The Poop - Just how loyal are Battlefield fans? We shall see…but the online arena is a cutthroat market and hard to break into—maybe even for the people who invented it.
Unreal Tournament 2007
First-Person-Shooter
Developed by Epic Games
Published by Midway
Projected Street Date - November
The Scoop - Sporting state of the art Unreal Engine 3 graphics, Unreal Tournament 2007 looks to be the best installment of the series since the original debuted. Sheer amounts of content are the order of the day, as the map list in 2007 is expected to be the biggest of any UT yet. Single player is also included, in the form of a series of challenges against the A.I. This time around, Epic is putting in a story and branched campaigns, so it should be a little more beefy than just a bunch of bot matches.
The Poop - The game is also coming out on the PS3, so hopefully it doesn't suffer from consolitis.
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
Massively Multiplayer Role-Playing Game
Developed by Sigil
Published by SOE
Projected Street Date - February
The Scoop - Once upon a time, there was a game called EverQuest. At the time, it was the game to beat in the massively multiplayer gaming world, much like World of WarCraft is today. While it never achieved the mass millions of subscriptions WoW has, it was the benchmark to measure other MMORPGs against for many a year. Some of the original designers broke off from Sony Online Entertainment to form a new studio called Sigil Games. The aim has been to capture the spirit EverQuest with a new MMORPG called Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. Ironically enough, SOE is publishing the game after Sigil broke its relationship off with Microsoft. Will Vanguard capture the essence of what made EverQuest so popular back in the day? We shall see in a few short weeks.
The Poop - Feedback from the beta is all over the place. Many are worried the game won't ship in that great of a state, and it's just not ready for prime time yet.
Warhammer Online
Massively Multiplayer Role-Playing Game
Developed by EA Mythic
Published by EA
Projected Street Date - October
The Scoop - Comparisons to World of WarCraft are going to be inevitable, since the artistic inspirations are both drawn from the Warhammer universe. Rumor is Blizzard itself tried to get the rights to develop a Warhammer game. With that said, Dark Age of Camelot developer Mythic is looking to re-establish itself in the MMORPG scene with Warhammer Online, which is heavy in the player-vs.-player combat department. The visuals are very easy on the eyes, and WoW players should have little problem acclimatizing themselves to WAR. Dark Age of Camelot players might feel a little disappointment because WAR is nothing like it, but thankfully they do a good job supporting the game even after all of these years. It's a two-faction game, but maybe they'll add a third later on.
The Poop - Might look a little too much like World of WarCraft.
World of WarCraft: The Burning Crusade
Massively Multiplayer Role-Playing Game
Developed by Blizzard
Published by Vivendi
Projected Street Date - January
The Scoop - The first expansion to the most popular MMORPG ever is bound to top the PC charts in 2007. With two new races and class combos, a ton of new zones and more battlegrounds, The Burning Crusade has all kinds of stuff to keep World of WarCraft players happy for quite some time.
The Poop - Magic 8-balls predicts server downtime.
ve3d.ign.com/articles/753/753728p1.html
2007 PC Games Preview
January 08, 2007 - It's an understatement that 2006 was at best a hit-or-miss year for PC games. Sure, there were a few hits, but most of the games simply missed their respective release dates. The good news is, all of the stuff we missed in 2006 spills over to this year (and perhaps beyond). Here are a few of our upcoming favorites:
Age of Conan
Massively Multiplayer Role-Playing Game
Developed by Funcom
Co-Published by Funcom and Eidos
Projected Street Date - May
The Scoop - There are a ton of things to like about Age of Conan. The first and most obvious boon is that the game is set in the same world as Conan. You can't be Conan, but you can make a character modeled in his image. The player-vs.-player combat feels fleshed out, crafting will be a huge part of the game, plus there's also a lot of single-player content if you don't want to get all massively multiplayer. Character customization will be big (you can even adjust the size of your avatar's arse) and the guild system looks to build some strong game communities. Age of Conan supports DX10, but doesn't look too bad on yesterday's video cards either (as seen below).
The Poop - As with all massively multiplayer games, connectivity and stability are huge issues to deal with. Funcom's last MMORPG offering, Anarchy Online, was the poster boy of bad launches. Hopefully, Age of Conan won't suffer from crappy launchitis.
BioShock
First-Person-Shooter
Developed by Irrational Games
Published by 2K Games
Projected Street Date - June
The Scoop - The spiritual successor to System Shock? Sign me up! Irrational Games is looking to put its name back on the map with BioShock, an ambitious first-person shooter with role-playing undertones set in the underwater realm of Rapture. Blending traditional combat with genetically enhanced special abilities, combat in BioShock should be interesting to say the least. Visually, Irrational has a good track record using the Unreal Engine (SWAT 4 was a marvel) and while the game isn't using the Unreal Engine 3, eye candy or lack thereof shouldn't be an issue.
The Poop - Just from looking at the previously released videos and screens, the interface looks very consolized. Also, the creepy little girl thing has been done to death in popular media.
Crysis
First-Person-Shooter
Developed by Crytek
Published by EA
Projected Street Date - October
The Scoop - Every few years, we have a first-person shooter that makes everyone's collective jaw drop. This year, it's Crysis, from the folks who gave us Far Cry. Taking full advantage of DX10, Crysis hopes to be more than just a benchmark hardware geeks use to measure how fast video cards perform, but rather an actual next-generation title in terms of gameplay as well.
The Poop - People with older PCs are bound to complain.
Hellgate: London
Action/Role-Playing
Developed by Flagship Studios
Co-Published by Namco and EA
Projected Street Date - July
The Scoop - The boys from Blizzard North are back with a new company called Flagship Studios. Its first offering is a game called Hellgate: London, which brings traditional Diablo-style gameplay to the next-generation. The setting is a little different (post-apocalyptic London) and the weapons are a bit more modern, but the cooperative gameplay is in there, and loot whores will be happy with the random drops. High replay value and DX10 graphics seal the deal.
The Poop - The gameplay mechanics in Hellgate are a tad more complex than what Diablo fans are used to.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadows of Chernobyl
First-Person-Shooter
Developed by GSC Game World
Published by THQ
Projected Street Date - April
The Scoop - Radiation once again escapes from Chernobyl, mutating the population and making the region unlivable. People known as Stalkers go back into the forbidden zone seeking to plunder its wealth and brave the dangers that await. A game very long in the making is S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadows of Chernobyl. As one of Wired's infamous Vaporware award alumni, the fact that it's about to be released boggles the mind.
The Poop - There's no way to pussyfoot around this. Eastern Bloc-developed games are usually bug-ridden messes. THQ needs to make sure this puppy ships in a state that we can actually play.
Supreme Commander
Real-Time-Strategy
Developed by Gas Powered Games
Published by THQ
Projected Street Date - June
The Scoop - Total Annihilation-guru Chris Taylor is once again throwing his hat into the strategy scene with a grandiose new title called Supreme Commander. Huge maps, tons of units, and upgrades aplenty make this more than your standard rock-paper-scissors, cookie-cutter RTS. Advanced A.I. that scales with your CPU, DX10 graphics and solid multiplayer should keep Supreme Commander on your hard drive for years to come.
The Poop - Complex gameplay may intimidate the masses.
Quake Wars
Multiplayer First-Person-Shooter
Developed by Splash Damage and id Software
Published by Activision
Projected Street Date - June
The Scoop - Ah, nothing beats good ol' Quake for multiplayer mayhem. Unfortunately, the franchise has been in decline since Quake 3: Arena was released. Bigger, badder, team-based multiplayer games rule the servers these days. Splash Damage (developers of the excellent Enemy Territory multiplayer add-on for Return to Castle Wolfenstein) hopes to change that in Quake Wars, pitting armies of Marines against the Strogg on the virtual battlefield.
The Poop - Just how loyal are Battlefield fans? We shall see…but the online arena is a cutthroat market and hard to break into—maybe even for the people who invented it.
Unreal Tournament 2007
First-Person-Shooter
Developed by Epic Games
Published by Midway
Projected Street Date - November
The Scoop - Sporting state of the art Unreal Engine 3 graphics, Unreal Tournament 2007 looks to be the best installment of the series since the original debuted. Sheer amounts of content are the order of the day, as the map list in 2007 is expected to be the biggest of any UT yet. Single player is also included, in the form of a series of challenges against the A.I. This time around, Epic is putting in a story and branched campaigns, so it should be a little more beefy than just a bunch of bot matches.
The Poop - The game is also coming out on the PS3, so hopefully it doesn't suffer from consolitis.
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
Massively Multiplayer Role-Playing Game
Developed by Sigil
Published by SOE
Projected Street Date - February
The Scoop - Once upon a time, there was a game called EverQuest. At the time, it was the game to beat in the massively multiplayer gaming world, much like World of WarCraft is today. While it never achieved the mass millions of subscriptions WoW has, it was the benchmark to measure other MMORPGs against for many a year. Some of the original designers broke off from Sony Online Entertainment to form a new studio called Sigil Games. The aim has been to capture the spirit EverQuest with a new MMORPG called Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. Ironically enough, SOE is publishing the game after Sigil broke its relationship off with Microsoft. Will Vanguard capture the essence of what made EverQuest so popular back in the day? We shall see in a few short weeks.
The Poop - Feedback from the beta is all over the place. Many are worried the game won't ship in that great of a state, and it's just not ready for prime time yet.
Warhammer Online
Massively Multiplayer Role-Playing Game
Developed by EA Mythic
Published by EA
Projected Street Date - October
The Scoop - Comparisons to World of WarCraft are going to be inevitable, since the artistic inspirations are both drawn from the Warhammer universe. Rumor is Blizzard itself tried to get the rights to develop a Warhammer game. With that said, Dark Age of Camelot developer Mythic is looking to re-establish itself in the MMORPG scene with Warhammer Online, which is heavy in the player-vs.-player combat department. The visuals are very easy on the eyes, and WoW players should have little problem acclimatizing themselves to WAR. Dark Age of Camelot players might feel a little disappointment because WAR is nothing like it, but thankfully they do a good job supporting the game even after all of these years. It's a two-faction game, but maybe they'll add a third later on.
The Poop - Might look a little too much like World of WarCraft.
World of WarCraft: The Burning Crusade
Massively Multiplayer Role-Playing Game
Developed by Blizzard
Published by Vivendi
Projected Street Date - January
The Scoop - The first expansion to the most popular MMORPG ever is bound to top the PC charts in 2007. With two new races and class combos, a ton of new zones and more battlegrounds, The Burning Crusade has all kinds of stuff to keep World of WarCraft players happy for quite some time.
The Poop - Magic 8-balls predicts server downtime.
