Baldur’s Gate was released in 1998 and set the standard for single-player team-based role-playing games. Four years later (give or take a couple of months), BioWare released Neverwinter Nights – a game that picked up the flag that Baldur’s Gate had set as the benchmark and moved it forward. In 2007 The Witcher entered the RPG scene and gave the genre a more-adult feel, but that was very much a solo-character effort. When it comes to the concept of the team format, of tactical combat, nothing has really moved the genre forward … until now.

Dragon Age: Origins does not merely move that flag forward a few feet, it scales the mountain of RPGs, raises a new banner, a new high bar, and then challenges the genre to play catch-up. It is a lofty achievement, full of twists in the plot, building on a dynamic rarely seen in gaming at all, and telling a story that is amazing in its scope.

Dragon Age Origins Game

Dragon Age Origins Game

The story begins 400 years prior to the events depicted. A group of mages, intent on expanding their base of power tried to breach the gates to heaven, where the Maker resided, to tap that power base. They were repulsed and cast back down to the lands of Ferelden, becoming twisted and malformed in the process, and finally became known as the arch-demons. In their wrath and rage, they cast a Blight upon the land, dredging up creatures created and twisted by dark magic, known as the darkspawn. The army of foulness swarmed across the lands of elves, dwarves and men. As the victory of the darkspawn seemed at hand, a new force made its presence known – the Grey Wardens. These warriors, selected and trained from the ranks of all of the peoples of Ferelden, turned the tide of the war and defeated the darkspawn.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Related posts

Halo 3: ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) is the coming addition to the Halo series for the Xbox 360, and is set during the Halo 2 timeline within the city of New Mombasa. You will first be playing as an ODST known as “the Rookie”, trying to locate your five squadmates who are scattered throughout the city. Any fans of the show Firefly may be interested to know that Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, and Alan Tudyk all lend their voices as ODSTs.

Halo 3 ODST Orbital Drop

Halo 3 - Orbital Drop Shock Troopers

The game will feature an open world environment where the player is free to explore the city while trying to find his squadmate’s beacons. This is a noteworthy change of pace from the very linear gameplay the Halo series has had thus-far. That being said, there will be  “flashbacks” during which the player switches to one of the other squad members and is funneled through areas with foes aplenty and guns ablaze.

Where’s My Energy Shield?

Since you’re not playing as a genetically enhanced several ton cyborg supersoldier, you will no longer have a rechargeable energy shield, or radar for spotting enemies. But Bungie is looking out for us, and has added a new feature to the heads up display: The VISR(Visual Intelligence System, Reconnaissance); Turn on VISR, and all enemies will be outlined in red, all friendlies will be outlined in green, and important items will be outlined in yellow. This will come in handy, as it can highlight enemies that might not otherwise be visible in the game’s darker environments. Oh, and the HUD’s got a nifty compass now, as well.

This.. Is My Boomstick!

Okay, don’t freak out, but those crazy cats at Bungie went and took out duel wielding for the campaign mode. Another result of being a mere human, I suppose. But there is some good news: Halo junkies will be glad to know that the original Halo magnum is back, in all it’s zoomy, headshotty goodness; though a sound suppressor has now been added on for extra sneakiness. Also, the smg has been upgraded with tighter shooting, an increased zoom level, increased damage, and a silencer. Covenant carnage has never been so quiet.

Face Certain Death With Friends!

One feature that has a lot of the Halo 3 crowd buzzing is Firefight mode, in which up to four players play on one console or join through system link to face off against Covenant forces that increase in both number and difficulty after each wave. The first wave may see you facing off against grunts, but eventually you will be pitted against a group of Brute Chieftains. And the rounds in between are made up of randomly selected opponents, so trying to plan your way through may prove impossible. Oh, and I should mention that skulls are activated at random as well, making for an even more insanely intense fight. See how long you and your friends can survive! Maps for this gametype are unlocked as you progress through the campaign mode and total ten in all.

The Future of Gaming  or Something.

Overall, this game looks like an interesting addition to the Halo collection,  with some changes to gameplay that could freshen up a series that’s becoming stale to some. And I almost forgot to mention, as an added bonus every copy of the game will come with an invitation to join in the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta, about which Bungie has been quite hush-hush.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Related posts

‘ WoW - World of Warcraft Cataclysm Release ‘

Blizzard has now opened BlizzCon 2009 and already the news that has come out has been truly amazing. The most exiting announcement has to be the news of a new expansion pack for World Of Warcraft called Cataclysm. The only thing that gamers are now interested in is the release date of the new WoW expansion pack, but Blizzard is not giving anything away just yet, well maybe just a trailer.

According to a recent article in The Telegraph, Blizzard’s Chris Metzen has said that World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will change the face of the WoW online multi-player game. This latest and what is thought to be the best expansion pack yet boasts a host of new features, these include increased players, now up to 85.

World of Warcraft Cataclysm Release

World of Warcraft Cataclysm Release

Other new features include seven new playing zones, two new playable races for the Alliance and the Horde factions, new monsters, new character classes and hundreds of new quests for you to play.

The most exciting thing to come from the new expansion pack has to be the revamped environments. This is because the new storyline has had a huge impact on the game itself. While at BlizzCon 2009, those who attended were treated to a trailer of what they can expect from World of Warcraft: Cataclysm.

Tags: , , , ,

Related posts

‘Do download , a abounding playable audience of FIFA 09 or FiFA 2009′

Editor’s Comment/ Enjoying football activity on, Wii is now easier with aesthetic gestures point and play controls with one button actions. Play 8 vs. 8 in a absolutely different, approach with your Mii characters captained by one of our FIFA 09 awning athletes.

FIFA 09 image

fifa 2009 image, image for fifa 09,

View Larger

Freeware - Demo

OS Windows XP, 2000, 98, Me.

Download Now (787.1MB)

Homepage http://www.ea.com

Tags: ,

Related posts

‘Do download, a arrangement analogous lath and addle bold with Tic Tac Toe appearance graphic’

Editor’s Comment/ CmeanGame Promo bold is an avant garde lath, and addle bold of the Cmean Game Series. Click and drag: Token is adaptable central of its acceptance row or column. All tokens are amphibian in one individual band over the bold board.

Game Board: Accomplishments, fields are abiding in altered CMean arrangement of 3×3 fields. Arrangement, consists of 4 pathways that are corrective by altered colours.

Tokens are disconnected, in 4 altered sets area one set is agnate to one pathway.

Yin Yang is the token, the accomplishments acreage, and the missing allotment of anniversary one set simultaneously. YY is a addled affiliation, amid the ahead band -tokens- and the aback band -pathways-.

CMeanGame 2.2 image

CMean Game 2.2 image, image for CMean Game 2.2,

Freeware - Free

OS Windows XP.

Download Now (10.6MB)

Homepage http://www.cmean.com

Tags: ,

Related posts