GC: Operation Flashpoint 2 - Dragon Rising

There are games that years of hiding and then as a devil out of a box appear shoot. Shortly after Operation Flashpoint appeared in 2001, it was already clear that the game would get a successor. Seven years is the sequel coming, and at the Games Convention in Leipzig showed developer Codemasters for the first in-game footage of Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising.


Operation Flashpoint 2 is set on the island of Skira, which is north of Japan. Skira is often changed hands over the years, and especially China and Japan have thereby leapfrogged. However, a real conflict arises only when it is discovered that just under Skira a large oil well is that the country has control over the island billions of dollars can deliver. Some powers will result to stand diametrically opposed to each other and it is not long before all hell breaks loose.

Codemasters has not at all been busy the past few years, according to a first look at the game. The island on which everything happens looks stunning. The chosen style vegetation remotely resembling a watercolor, but up close it's almost photo realistic. According to the producers present at the Games Convention is due to the engine, specifically for next-gen consoles is written. This is at a partial explanation for the long development time of the game. The new engine shines especially in efficiency. If you're in a car or helicopter and you are moving quickly on, you will see considerably less detail in the landscape than when you propels your foot. A conscious choice to perform at the game, as well as possible so confident Codemasters media present in Leipzig. If we are not impressed, then we had to add, especially to bring that more than a half million trees on the island are five kilometers and you can certainly look far. In itself does not say much, but it's nice to know.


The code in Leipzig was shown incidentally was anything but smooth. The framerate take a shit regularly and even racing through a forest looked not very stable. That is understandable, the game only comes in 2009 and Codemasters still has time to optimize everything. You may be wondering whether the engine is a bit too heavy, even for the powerful Playstation 3. At the same time, we found that the quality of the graphics was fine. If the game looks on a console already so great, it will only get better on a powerful PC.

Far Cry 2: The Dunia engine

Who gets the chance to speak, as Technical Director is responsible for the internal studio Ubisoft for the engine that drives shooter Far Cry 2, Dominic Guay shows that obviously do not ignore it.

Developer Crytek was working with Ubisoft responsible for the first part of Far Cry. The game was made by Crytek, based on the self-built Cryengine. The marriage between the publisher and the developer would be shortly after the appearance of the shooter go wrong, which Crytek teamed up with Electronic Arts. Ubisoft held to break the name of Far Cry, and the company could continue to use the technology used in the game. Use Based on the Cryengine is the development of the Ubisoft Dunia engine built where Far Cry 2 runs.

*Leftovers

The question is what Ubisoft has added to the engine and what the Cryengine still in the code is to be found.
Dominic Guay: "We wanted to Far Cry 2 on the basis of our own technology development and so we knew that a new engine had to make. It is much more difficult to build than to start with an existing engine and it gradually to replace parts. an engine from the ground up, it is possible, but then we would from the beginning at the same time important components such as physics and rendering to program. Hence we have used as a basis. Cryengine Far Cry That gave us the opportunity to continue to focus on our part, completely and are all parts of the engine to be replaced. Moreover, we are not taken lightly. In April 2005, we started the project, we have done the necessary research first. We wanted to know what the capabilities of the Cryengine are, what we wanted to achieve with the Dunia engine and where competition with was busy. We wanted to advance above have clearly how we would deal with the day-night cycle and how we would build. Dynamic lighting We have also gone into the trees and vegetation in the game. "

Far Cry 2
"Our research has lasted until the end of 2005 and beyond, we are going to program., We have spent on pre-production, until early 2007, so the conversion of the engine. Early 2007 we were as far as the rest of the team with the engine could go to work. We were not totally done with our work, but the editors that the rest of the team must play with it were ready, so when we started the actual production of the game. We started all textures, models and develop animations and were the first parts of the game world to build.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 Wii Review

The Wii comes with a simple golf game, however, as a start just fine. Due to the limitation of only one job is the challenge quickly away. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 would get a chance to improvement. There are many options and settings, but ...!
The game is clearly not meant for the Wii. There is no adjustment to the lower resolution avn Wii with the result that text and symbols readable, or not at all readable.
, the starting instructions to learn are understandable what the words are concerned, but in practice the strokes not work to master. For example, if you want to do a draw then the result is completely random even run the whole of description from. Strokes are sometimes performed while you are still working on the backswing.
Setting characters is a crime. Why not make use of the already established characters in the Wii.
Wii-ers are people who want some action and not sit with a game controler on a chair. Using a golf club is also obvious, but the program responds poorly (unreliable) with the Wii remote in a Wii golf club.
EA apparently has to do with a game that may work better and better on other platforms, but some quick cash My idea if Wii fanatic is certainly "never an EA game." After 3 weeks of frustration, the game landed in the bin with a touch shot.

Used in conjunction with:
Wii game console

GC: Empire - Total War

The Creative Assembly proved years ago that it knows how a good strategy game should be made. The Total War series from this studio dominates the strategy genre since Shogun: Total War was published eight years ago. The half-English, half-Australian company introduced the time-scale battles, with thousands of soldiers went to attack each other simultaneously. That massive character has always been one of the trademarks of the game series, like the strong variation between turn-based and real-time gameplay. Fans of the Total War series will be delighted that the Empire to be published in February 2009: Total War herein the line of the series follows.


Empire of The Creative Assembly has again set a step on the timeline of history. Earlier in the series, the Japanese ancient times, came the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages discussed, and in Empire we find ourselves in the eighteenth century. A time when trading was rampant and maintaining profitable zeelijnen was as important as winning battles. The developers present at the Games Convention of The Creative Assembly hinted that to properly maintain your economy is indeed very important in a campaign, but they were not yet there continue to. Information about the campaign mode will follow later, she argued. The list of playable countries is not yet published. Only a few countries, including the United States, Britain and Prussia have been confirmed, and it is obvious that nations that played a major role in the 18th century, such as France and Spain, will be playable. The developers left open the question whether the same is true with any certainty Netherlands. "We do not comment on it yet, but it's very likely," came the explanation that we have to work with.

The studio members of The Creative Assembly wanted to do something about the real-time portion of the game. The largest, known for some time, innovation in this section is that it becomes possible for the first time in the game series to fight. Naval battles These battles were previously simulated on the basis of calculations, but now you can own your boat control. In addition, various elements play an important role. First, it is important that you have enough ships and that the ships have firepower. If you do it with a few small boats up against ten galleons, it is a short battle.


Further technical and tactical aspects also play a role. For sailing wind is of course essential. The wind determines whether fast or slow speed at your opponent. But the wind also often determines whether you have a chance to flee when you risk losing a stroke. Good wind can therefore be helpful in battles. But your tactics is important. An important consideration here is related to the type of ammunition you use. There are standard bullets boat 'just' take damage, but you also get ammunition to injure people and there is ammunition that is more suitable for the downing of a mast, so the speed is achieved. From an enemy ship

Far Cry 2: make your own maps on the console

Self-Assembling of maps for games has a long tradition, but it takes place almost entirely on the PC and not on consoles. There Ubisoft wants to change that with Far Cry 2, for both the Xbox 360 - if the Playstation 3 version comes an editor that allows you to get started. We could start practicing on the Xbox 360.

The editor only maps can be made for the four multiplay modes of the game. So no single play maps with the editor can be made, let alone an entire mod could be made with. Furthermore, you can use all objects and textures in the game, but add to it myself. You can only reuse what the developers have created. Fortunately, that's a lot, so it does not currently pushing the fun. Ubisoft has devised an elegant system for sharing made maps. Who is satisfied with a custom map, can upload via the console to the Ubisoft servers. Everyone who plays the game online homemade maps show and free. Could Who plays a zelfbouwmap, can then assess with up to five stars. Those looking for homemade maps, will appear first with five star rated and then the maps with a lower assessment. Maps

*For consoles

The editor that Ubisoft with the shooter makes is specially designed for consoles. The editor is obviously based on the software that the creators themselves use to make the game, but the controls are adjusted. The editor can be fully controlled. With the controller of the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 The menu structure consists of two elements. In the middle of the image is a large circular menu visible, are the main components of the editor can be selected. If a topic is selected from the menu, a menu that detail their settings can be changed. Appears on the left of the screen There is even help information available within the detail menu. With one stick, the camera can be operated while the other stick the cursor over the terrain can be moved.

Looking GTR Evolution

Lovers of the serious race work looking forward to a new game from the Simbin team. Later this year, Race Pro comes out, but that game is being developed exclusively for the Xbox 360. PC drivers will have to make do with Evolution, an extension of last year's race 07.


Who thinks only in racing series such as Need for Speed ​​or Midnight Club has a serious battle on games from Simbin garage. Instead of pimped bins and street racing with nitro boosts, are meticulously recreated circuits, super-realistic driving physics and competition rules from the official booklet central. The Simbin team, born from a group of enthusiastic modbouwers, a few years ago, takes racing seriously. Very seriously.

Soon the seventh title of the Swedish studio, a publishing contract with Atari appears. Simbin games usually do not provide huge surprises. They build on what the studio has released previously have a constant - high - quality and are usually considered simulations. Newcomers to this genre should be patience and efforts to communicate to get pleasure from Simbin although less experienced racing gods usually a few handles empowering. The newest Simbin title, GTR Evolution, will certainly not be any major surprises, because the game is an extension Race 07: Official WTCC Game. In the Netherlands, Atari gives the game only as a stand-alone title of which is taken up in Race 07. Who wants to buy Race 07 to do well for a few weeks to wait. In most stores, the game is still 'full price' sold, and for the same money you will soon buy the extended version.


For Race07 players GTR includes: Evolution so familiar content, but also who GTR 2 has on his PC will experience déjà vu moments. Besides a few new features, additions to the existence Race 07 mainly from cars and tracks from GTR2. Concerning the latter looking Race 07 players mostly from the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife. A beautiful but dangerous circuit in motor racing is not the "green hell" is mentioned. For nothing

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 PC Review

A boxshot of PES 2008 for PC
Fig. 1. A boxshot of PES 2008 for PC.

Introduction to
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (abbreviated as PES 2008) is a soccer simulation game made ​​by Konami. If you have any of the previous games played something similar, you may determine that the name change. Probably, the PES series now on through life with "Pro Evolution Soccer" followed by a year, as the competing Fifa football series. This indicates that Konami may be feeling the hot breath of Fifa in the back. A little note before I had already written a review late last year about PES 2008, but I was not very satisfied with the review. It was one of my first reviews and also my first review on a game. I realized that a game can not review everything and to tell what I was trying to do. In addition to the text and the way I wrote the review, I was not entirely happy about my feedback given. Perhaps this review is now a lot less relevant, but the previous review, I could not let that stand. So I removed the previous review and I have largely rewritten him, even just before the release of the next PES part as usual will take place in the autumn. Installation In case you find next to the game a short user manual. The installation is not too difficult and without problems. What's even more important is that you (actually before) equally to the minimum and recommended system requirements check. For those who want to know what those are, I have them as literally Packaging acquired:





System requirements (minimum)
Microsoft ® Windows ® XP
Intel ® Pentium ® IV 1.4GHz or equivalent processor
512 MB RAM
4.0GB free hard disk space
4X DVD-ROM drive
NVIDIA ® or ATI ® RadeonTM GeForceTM 3 8500 video card with 64MB VRAM DirectX 9.0c &
DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
DirectX 9.0c or higher
4GB of free space on the hard disk
Online play via broadband
System requirements (recommended)
Microsoft ® Windows ® XP
Intel ® Pentium ® IV 3GHz or equivalent processor
512 MB RAM
8X DVD-ROM drive
NVIDIA ® or ATI ® RadeonTM GeForceTM 6800GT/GS x1600 graphics card with DirectX 9.0c & 256VRAM
DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
DirectX 9.0c or higher
6.5GB of free space on the hard disk
Online play via a broadband Internet connection
Supported chipsets:
NVIDIA - GeForce 8800.8600, 8500, 7900, 7800, 7600, 7300, 7100, 6800, 6600, GeForce FX (5950, 5900, 5800, 5600, 5200), GeForce4 Ti, GeForce3.
ATI - Radeon HD, HD2400, X1950, X1900, X1800, X1650, X1600, X1050, X1550, x850, x800, x700, x300, 9800, 9700, 9600, 9500, 9200, 9000, 8500 No support for GeForce MX series Laptop versions of These cards May work but are NOT officially supported.



Different modes of
PES 2008, again like previous PES share several game modes. So you can just play a friendly contest with "Exhibition". The "League" you can with a club team playing football and "Cup" you can play a tournament with the national team. Then you have the "Master League" which is similar to the league yet only here you can also buy and sell players, the players and older players can grow well if the player is in decline skills older. The "Master League" is the main mode of play in offline single player. You can also play online with the "Network" mode, which I still will later on. Furthermore, you can be in the "Training" mode to practice your game skills and "Edit" customize everything like putting players names and players at another club. Then there is a "Gallery" where you include the "Replays" can view but also a lot of statistics can be seen as how long you've played. Finally, there's "System Settings" where you customize your controller settings, display settings, sound settings, and language. Gameplay The gameplay of PES was good and is still good, but it could be better. The game runs quite well. For example, the feeling of a cheating computer controlled opponent is still present, as PES players often say. However, it is not that this really is confirmed. Konami Personally I think that it is not so bad, but some game situations are sometimes a bit forced. So it seems as if the computer think he should have scored necessarily and then suddenly very, very good. An example of such a situation is that you do not really come to the ball that is also actually remains only on your half. This can be quite annoying in the situation that you almost the entire match dominated but have not yet scored and where the computer opponent is very well suddenly. Where I am personally much more worse is the many goals that fall out of a game. From the "Track Record" in the "Gallery" is I see that I currently have an average of 1.01 goals against per game and have had an average of 3.24 goals per game've made ​​(on the hardest level Top Player). Results such as 3-1, 2-3 and 4-0 are so "normal" results. I personally find too many goals per game. It ensures that the realism that takes away the feeling of tension and also changed. By this I mean that when you are 3-0 in the first half, I advocate that you know that there are still goals to fall. However, as a side note here: you have to first be (quite) some experience with PES 2008 you would also notice this. If you've never played PES will therefore not really applicable. then the free kick. It's pretty hard to shoot. A free kick in a card in the target In my eyes little unrealistic, but it makes it a little strange that the computer controlled opponents they do, where you just can do about anything. The goalkeeper is in fact controlled automatically. I will, now I'm talking about the goalkeeper, which tell you more about the goalkeeper. His actions are reasonably realistic only sometimes he just let the ball very vague things like slip by hand shake. He seems totally working. Along with defenders So he sometimes comes out while there's still plenty of defenders standing. Conversely, it is also the case, the defender sometimes drove the ball hard while the goalkeeper could easily pick up the ball. further there are a reasonable number annoying in my opinion less well developed points in the game. So want a goalkeeper out when the pressure is in the penalty area sometimes get the ball but then grab wrong, however, this "think" the keeper if he has the ball but it is not. So he scribble slightly up and then realizes he does not have the ball, in my opinion this is a big bug in the game. This resul sometimes again in very wimpy goals, because you just do not have a keeper. Also the fact that you can bump into the funnel is annoying. Of course, it can also happen in real life, but it happens far too often in my opinion. The clash may also happen between other players, both between and within teams and often between players that are not on the ball. This often results in collisions silly turnovers, just shoot a missed opportunity or a problem in coverage. Am also in my opinion too quickly given yellow and red cards. Sliding making is not also advisable. The drop frame including at the repetition is annoying. With PS3 and Xbox 360 versions seems to be that if the pressure is sometimes there may also be of frame drops. Fortunately I have here during football does not really bother. much criticism is the gameplay not to mention just plain bad? I must say that this is a sampling of the downsides of the gameplay of PES 2008, there are more, but personally, the negatives that I have the most annoying content themselves. Besides negatives are also positives. Where numerous small positive extracting adjustments have been made. PES 2008 still gives me the feeling that you are playing a football game. The depth is there still. You have a lot of moves and tricks that you can perform with the animation often looks good. Many ways in which a goal or race may take place. The "Master League" has hardly changed since the last PES, but that you can still entertain so bad, at least I do, does not mean that it is very unfortunate that they are the "Master League" not improved and / or extended have . I'll just mention a few new features. Thus, there is now the possibility to adapt now. The number of players in the wall to Also, you can now select up to three players who come along to the fore in a corner or free kick. If you put pressure on the opponent, he will automatically pull on the shirt of the opponent (this does not have much influence, it is only a visual addition). Also is aware diving are now possible. Some features you will not use another as I have never seriously used the diving. It is perhaps somewhat difficult to articulate, but the gameplay is good but it could have been better.






Online
Online PES can provide a better replay value, but he does not in this part. Online was not good in the beginning, is now (after two patches) still do not always nice. The game is not smooth online regularly: players and the ball just jumps on the field. This makes the game not actually play online. That line does not go well with PES has often been on game sites and forums. In game magazines, Online can add much but Konami has not succeeded. Wanna play football online? I recommend this game do not, you will be disappointed. Hopefully Komani do better with the next part it. Picture and Sound The picture I do not really important at a football game yet this called in PES 2008. quite well Graphics has been clearly improved compared to the previous part. It is unfortunate that PES 2008 does what is hard at resolutions (selectable). So can only be selected between 4:3 resolutions, while 17 "and 19" all 5:4 resolutions (1280 x 1024) are. With the widescreen resolutions is the situation even worse, because they are not supported while there would be resolution with 16:9 ratio. Supposedly possible If that were true, is that also not done as smart as most widescreen TFT monitor for the PC have a resolution ratio of 16:10. You can finally solve the kitserver and use. Resolution patch from external parties Furthermore, you may suffer from frame drops as I have told you before. Fortunately, I have actually only in the scene when the players come on the field and in repetitions. During the football I did not really bother here. Additionally, there are players and / or their outfit is not displayed correctly. These are light gray / transparent-like. Players then seem like ghosts running across the field. The audience is slightly better than the previous part, but still not really pretty, but I really do not think it's real. How the players look like the actual player is varied, some look very different less. In addition, there are signs along the side like the real thing, but more than a little addition is not. Outside of the races has also undergone a graphical upgrade menu. It looks much better, but the user has not improved I think. Furthermore, the sound plays a minor role in PES 2008. The background music in the menus I turned. Not because it's so bad, but because I did not need it. Furthermore, sound field and sound public mention. Quite nice In contrast, the review reasonable. It is quite the same again. Furthermore, the biased commentator, he is always there for you, which I personally find somewhat remarkable. The comment is not so great, but if I turn it off for me, I miss feeling something. Therefore, I leave it to, but that's not because it sounds so great. The sound is enough to mention. replay value and price , the replay value is substantially achieved by the very moderate development of the online part down. There are even gamers who only buy one game for the online part. Which will therefore these PES particle what are disappointed. I can say of myself that I did not have such a hard time with it but it is a missed opportunity. I have now over 300 hours on the clock, and while I feel for me not finished. If you can entertain yourself with the offline part is it still has quite a high replay value, but the online part is definitely not where you should go buy this game. Pricing is reasonable depends on what do you think of the game. I think the game (despite all the criticism) pretty good and I (still) have fun with it and I have the 40 euros that I have to pay for it then all over. Now the game from 15 euros for sale. Whether that's worth more? The next part will already be out soon and this part still contains quite some downsides. It might be wiser just to wait until the next part.


Controls
have been about the same Control of PES in forever. The standard controls are fairly easy to learn, but especially the tricks and special moves are a bit spicier. If you want to get the most out of PES will definitely cost a few hours to get it mastered. In addition, the Piggy Backs guide can be a useful reference work. The guide that explain all movements, tricks and special moves, which even footage is. Furthermore, there are some more tips to get more from PES and also better at. For a pleasant way, I recommend a gamepad to control, at least for the PC version. This will make things easier because you can control the game. performance and stability In short, I think the performance, quality and stability of the game enough. When the performance is so that in my opinion is par for what some have asked. The system So I can not even play at the highest resolution while I clean to comply with the requirements. I have an example a Core 2 Duo (2.13GHz), 2GB of RAM and a Geforce 7900GS (256MB). I was with my Dell UltraSharp 1707FP up with a 1024 x 768 resolution games in which resolutions were still only in 4:3, because it selectable 16:9 resolutions were simply displayed as 4:3. Meanwhile, I have a 22 "widescreen TFT purchased ( Samsung SyncMaster 2243BW ) but PES 2008 does not properly support widescreen resolutions. With thrid parties programs I only normally play. widescreen resolution Moreover struggling play fairly with some bugs, however, fortunately this did not seek to major problems such as crashes or lockups. Yet it is not as it should be. Especially with the start I have some problems. In about half of the cases, the game crashes before it actually actually start. the task manager to close and start again, it often does well again. Similarly, the aforementioned "transparent" players during the game is really neat. Again real lockups during the game I do not have more than one experienced a few times, but still a satisfactory assessment. Conclusion PES 2008 is a soccer game that really could have been much better. There are quite a few errors and bugs in the game where the good points that late. less present Online is very modest to mention what a great loss it is. Other hand, it remains an entertaining football game offline, despite the negatives. The feeling of a football game, the depth, the so-called PES feeling is still there. A number of useful new features are nice, but major innovations are not there. The extensive track record, I find myself a nice addition, but it really adds nothing to a football game. PES 2008 is a pretty good football but with some downsides and online is very moderately developed.