Rise of the Argonauts closer look

Developer Liquid Entertainment has ambitions. According to CEO Ed del Castillo computer games are still not commonplace, but Liquid's action-RPG title Rise of the Argonauts need to change this.

Games should be as popular as movies and they should be just as accessible and compelling as the average Hollywood production, says Del Castillo. Although there is still a long way, but according to the makers a step in the right direction put. With Rise of the Argonauts A major problem in the average rpg, according to Del Castillo, the action continues to be interrupted. Are you good at chopping, the game should be shut down to repair a weapon or exchange, or to drink. Magic potion Furthermore, there is an ugly hud in the way that distracts from what really matters: the adventure. Del Castillo wants statistics play a less prominent place, therefore, Rise of the Argonauts gets no hud which is visible by default. There is a hud, but it must be turned on if the player wants to see him. The in-game footage to give as much information about the strength and health of protagonist Jason and his opponents that health bars are unnecessary. The characters in the game will be visible injuries, where a player may result if he is on the winning or losing. Detract


* Greek myth

Rise of the Argonauts is an RPG in which the Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts is reenacted. Thinly The search for the magical sheepskin is central, but otherwise gives Liquid its own interpretation of the myth. The game begins with the wedding of Jason. Before the ceremony is consummated, the bride - Princess Alceme - murdered, however. They can be brought to life with the help of the Golden Fleece again and so is Jason for looking. For those who do not know the myth: this film is in fact a mythical sheepskin.

Race Driver Grid

Codemasters has long been one of the best racing series in the world at home. For years wore DTM, Formula 1 racing cars under the banner. The developer-cum-publisher chooses to Race Driver Grid for another way. More arcade and more variety to ensure a larger audience. For although the Race Driver series always stood a better chance in the media, the sales figures were often disappointing. The question is whether the change of course no loss of quality.

In my first encounter with Grid I was skeptical. The game did mostly think of games like Project Gotham Racing and Need for Speed, while I'm racing on circuits where Codemasters clear so is stepped down. Precisely charmed A first hands-on took some of the doubts. Still, the fear remained, in the Grid variation where Codemasters looking for, would be found in the paste as many different types of races in succession. A rather uninspired method.

This fear is unfounded strange and actually, when it comes to Codemasters. The British show for years to make. Outstanding racing Moreover underwent another successful game series, Colin McRae, the same evolution. The last part, Colin Mcrae Dirt, was very well received. The game offers a variety of new forms of rallying, elaborated as racing with the World Rally cars. With the same depth Codemasters Dirt provided as additional depth, put a brand new engine in, and promised that engine can also be used for Race Driver Grid.

Overall, the change in Codemasters Colin Mcrae Dirt carried through very similar to those in Grid. In Grid mainly on the expansion. No longer are only races on the official circuits key, also street racing and drift races make their appearance in Race Driver.

Big Brain Academy - Wii Degree, Wii Review

General: The goal of Big Brain Academy is to train your brains in a fun way. You do. Dissolve increasingly small puzzles as quickly as possible There are puzzles in five categories: - Recognize - Remember - Analyze - Count - Visualizing The game consists of two parts, one solo and multiplayer part. The solo part you can puzzle out the different categories of exercise you can do a test. In a test you get 10 puzzles by category, you need to solve. Approximately 5 seconds per puzzle At the end of the test, your brain is "weighted" and you will get a score. The nice thing about the test is that you can compare your high score, you can see results, so if you improve. Also you can see how well you performed in each category. So you can practice your downfalls in the practice area, and then look in a test or your improves. In multiplayer you can do the same test, but against each other. Here are also some puzzles in that are not in the solo part. Gameplay: To play big brain academy you only need the Wii remote. This is used as a wireless mouse, to point and click. I believe it is an excellent choice to keep the controls. Simple It is finally to train your brain in this game and the simple use of the Wii Remote allows you to not have to think about control. A drawback of the game is that the questions are in English. For most of the puzzles is not a problem, because every time the same (eg search the differences). In a few puzzles however, the question every time varies. For people who do not speak English it is difficult. A second disadvantage is the narrator. If you have created a test tells "the professor" your score and what you've done. This is not necessary, and an irritant. He has included a lot of phrases that you need to click away unread post 2 times. Pity. Ultimately, you are still only interested in your items, which are does, however, very nicely displayed in a graph. Personal opinion: I like big brain academy a very fun and addictive game. The nice thing is that exercise really helps. After a while you'll really remember things better, or at least in the game. The puzzles have enough variation even after quite a few times to still be challenging. For me, a must!

Ubidays 2008: Fallout 3

Fallout 3 was actually a stranger in our midst, while Ubidays. This promising action-RPG is in fact an external studio - Bethesda Softworks - made, and Ubisoft's "only" responsible for European distribution. It did not spoil the fun. Anyone that Fallout 3 was allowed to see behind closed doors was very enthusiastic about it. So excited in fact, that many Ubisoft titles at almost faded.


Fallout has a cult status, and the advent of the third part brings in a lot of players in Part 1 and 2 warm memories. The original development studios, Interplay and Black Isle Studios, no longer exist, and Bethesda bought a few years ago the license. Fans of the first hour were not immediately excited and wondered what Bethesda was going to do with their beloved post-nuclear role. Meanwhile, these fans can be reassured, because it seems that the dream combination of Fallout 3 Fallout 1 and 2 on the one hand, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is.

Boom Blox - Better throw and throw work

Film director Steven Spielberg called ever by publisher Electronic Arts, with an idea for a Wii game. EA picked up the concept and moved Spielberg then was baptized. During the development of the game, 'Boom Blox' A case of "do what you are reading?" Or is the man who changed Hollywood also write history in the game industry?

Spielberg's films are characterized by lots of action, fast montages and large amounts of special effects. His recipe is prominent in many of the cookbook director. Boom Blox is also full of action, but the game is still far less spectacular than the films of Spielberg. Maybe that asked too much from a game with a fat 3 + on the box. Given this age indication the game intended for children. But it is also suitable for older children?


* Jenga

For clarity, Boom Blox is primarily a puzzle game, not thoroughbred action title. Much should be moved, but to call it, an action game that's going a bit too far. Boom Blox has most resembled Jenga fall over, play with wooden blocks in which a tower is built players and a block from the stack draw one by one to the tower. Only involves removing the blocks in Boom Blox with something more violence associated, and are not made ​​all the blocks of wood.

The puzzles in Boom Blox know roughly two types: those in which you have to let the tower collapse, and that the tower where you just have to try to keep up. Your weapon in the battle blocks the Wiimote. With this move and lock a cursor on the screen, and then you make a throw motion with the controller. In that throw the detested wristbands with Nintendo Wii delivers prove particularly useful. You touch the blocks at the point where you have locked, and the speed with which you move the Wiimote forward determines the force with which you hit the deck. In the beginning it seems that the cursor hypersensitive response, and it is difficult to achieve the desired place to lock. But practice makes perfect, and over time this sensitivity is what makes it possible to specify where you want to hit a block. Quite accurately

Race Driver - Grid, PC Review

Introduction
In early May, I saw on TechPowerUp demo of Race Driver: GRID as zip stand.. Be downloaded but not installed in connection with school, etc. Then a few days later this article on tweakers.net. As a result, I became interested in Grid. since the end of May I have the demo installed and played. On 30 May this year, the full game is released and i after collecting the necessary money the following Wednesday without regret purchased. game Race Driver: GRID is a comprehensive racing game, which is easy to distill out the name of the game . The full game features different race modes, realistic damage model, several types of cars, different jobs and the ability to simply enjoy terrorizing. Race Driver: GRID on May 30 for the PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 released and will be sometime in August for the Nintendo DS by another developer released worden.Codemasters did the development of the first three and Firebrand Games, the development for the DS version taken by itself.








Replay screenshot GRID uses the Ego engine, this engine is based on the Neon engine used word in Colin McRae DIRT. , the engine has been rewritten so that he has less high computer system requirements and a realistic damage model.



Graphics
"That last hit just cost you a bumper."
Because I have a fairly high-end computer Grid takes a fairly high settings just smooth. In a twenty-two inch wide screen the game at the highest resolution runs just smoothly. On the computer of my brother, I also have put the demo running Grid significantly worse to not because he does not have a new generation of graphics card. Cars are realistically and consistent with their realistic image. Also, the new damage model to a kiss. If you're taking your car into anything pops it depends on your speed on how you wegstuitert, what breaks your car breaks down or remains half to your car hanging. Really everything is destructible.


For example, bang your full of your left front into a tire wall than you can if you are driving too fast, go total loss. Reed something less hard or you came to the 'good' angle riding it may be that you left tire is damaged and you a deviation to the right gets on a straight stretch. Whether there's nothing much you can neatly and continue driving.

Everything is broken

Also bump opponents can result in a damaged car by making your own fault must restart the race because you can not drive. Further in the worst case

Doughnuts run is fun The smoke that some people miss in Grand Turismo 5: Prologue is in abundance in Grid. Not only in drift races, where the intention is that wheels keep spinning, but also in the races on street courses, ciruits and mountain roads. If you accelerates full throttle or brake hard you want tires sometimes smoke.


Sounds
"'re currently in first place!"
With the sounds it should be alright. The sounds are not perfect, because every car realistic sound but the hum and deep bass in the low rpm miss. This is called 'adding' by turning your subwoofer full and the overall sound a little harder to turn, but if you make a crash or your pops against someone or something to vibrate the windows because the bass is so loud. The In contrast sounds of a crash or knock, also turbos from other cars behind you or beside you hear beep when they are within earshot. The tires of the cars vultures realistically all your sideways bend slips. Also you have an occasional remark about your position, your driving style or the status of your tires or car from the pits while driving. Later in the game, when you can hire a teammate in you hear comments from your teammate while driving. It's just that you've driven after a few races all quotes have heard from the pit. This can be irritating because the obvious remarks. Moreover, the public also contributes to the race atmosphere. Smash an opponent if there is a crash or cause you have one, you'll hear an audience sympathizes and scares. In contrast to make a pretty overtaking or you'll be the first on the straight, then you hear a cheering and clapping audience. Gameplay You start Grid as a driver without a car. You first need a few races for other teams to drive to earn money to buy. Your first car money after a race or 5 you have enough money to buy your first car to start. your own team From now are you racing for your own money and income. There are three areas where you can race: America, Europe and Asia. Each region has its own races. Muscle Cars in America, Europe Buses and Drift Cars in Asia. This is very roughly, you do not just drift races in Asia but also chase races. Also, you have at the end of each season, the 24 Hours of LeMans where you have to drive in the dark. Moreover, the AI where you have to drive smart enough too stupid to do about them. Occasionally spins an opponent of the track where you or others in the smoke just to ride along or in earnest. The computer runs on rails but they all drive their own line. If you take a wrong turn, popping into anything that could be or end up in the gravel or against a wall that prevented then there is the 'Flashback'.







The flashback menu Allows you to to 10 seconds back in the race, so just before you crash or gravel perils. Also you can flashbacken real time. During the race the enter key gives you the Flashback feature. Using the F keys at the top of your keyboard, you can control the flashback and you can rewind a few seconds ago, and ram your F12 and you can continue with racing .

The flashbacks are not infinite, and give you a limited jump back in time, but they are very useful when you accidentally in the gravel ended up where that could have been prevented. , the amount of jobs you are driving is very disappointing, or nearly the not, in the amount of cars that you can drive if you have purchased them. The jobs are always variations on each other where you have many different types and brands of cars. It they are not all available in the world of cars, but enough not to be too little.



Every car that you choose and buy rides unlike any other type. The more one slips, the other accelerates faster, which has a higher top speed and so on. how the car steers itself is partly to be determined. How easily a car pulls right or how fast he reacts to the input from your keyboard or controller is also set.

My forwarding settings

Figures
Graphics: 9.3
Sound: 8.2
Gameplay: 9.6 Grade: 9.0 Ingame Video Here's a video to show the damage model, the flashback feature and the smoke that is present in excess. Unfortunately no audio available because Xfire made ​​difficult.

Ubidays 2008: Brothers in Arms: Hells Highway

Gearbox Software is an ambitious studio. The American developer has 180 employees and operates preferably in as many projects at once. So the studio is working on Aliens: Colonial Marines for Sega, 2K Games Borderlands for and of course two Brothers in Arms games for Ubisoft. It seemed to be a matter of prestige to bring out all these games almost simultaneously but Borderlands has been postponed to 2009. Brothers in Arms: Hells Highway, however, appears already on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC in late August.

At a time when choosing virtually all major game series for a modern setting and the Second World War for what it is, Ubisoft's Brothers in Arms remains just stuck in that era. According to the developer still makes WWII story technically the most interesting topics. Brothers in Arms: Hells Highway follows the story of Matt Baker, a fictional soldier in a realistic setting. Baker was an officer in the 502nd regiment of the 101st U.S. Airborne Division.


Hells Highway does not take place on the beaches of Normandy or the barren plains of the Sahara, but mainly in the Netherlands. The game focuses completely on - largely unsuccessful - missions in and around the Dutch river area as part of Operation Market Garden were performed. So in various trailers we saw that Baker and his team include Eindhoven and Veghel do. It should be noted that Gearbox has devoted much attention to the identity of the Dutch towns and cities. Think of Dutch street signs, Dutch names above shops and realistic looking villages. In one of the first trailer of the game is even the Market Veghel recognizable.

See the soldiers are equally realistic. During a session of play on the Ubidays that much of what was shown earlier in the trailers was also well reflected in the gameplay. The movements of the soldiers are very realistic, thanks to the new cover system that Gearbox has introduced Hells Highway. Soldiers will automatically search for cover behind the nearest safe point. Yourself you with the push of a button, quickly find a safe shelter. The system for that matter anything away from the critically acclaimed cover system of Gears of War.