NEW Adidas Live Season For FIFA 09

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced a new premium service for EA SPORTS™ FIFA 09 called adidas Live Season that will redefine the football videogame experience by dynamically updating player form in-game on a weekly basis so that player attributes mirror real-world performances. FIFA 09 will now feel and play differently throughout the entire 2008-2009 season matching the weekly rhythm of football. The new service will be available for Barclay’s Premier League, La Liga BBVA, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Serie A and Mexican Primera Division on the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and PC.

FIFA 09 is now powered with dynamic real-world data and analytics, lifting the game to new heights of authenticity for football fans and gamers connected online. The adidas Live Season service is based on how real players performed in the most recent real-world matches. Gameplay will change dynamically as the performance of players and football teams in the real world experience the highs and lows during their campaigns.

“This is an ambitious and completely unique feature that has never been attempted before for football videogames,” said Andrew Wilson, Vice President & Executive Producer for the franchise. “The game will feel and play differently each week. With adidas Live Season if Ronaldinho has a great match on the weekend you’ll feel the difference when you pick up the controller as his in-game attributes increase.”

A global network of football scouts will monitor every player in the adidas Live Season leagues throughout the season to supply accurate and in-depth player and team data each week. Player attributes will be impacted and player performance will change dynamically. The adidas Live Season service is downloaded into FIFA 09 each week and will run from the launch of the game to the end of the 2008-2009 season. Gamers will have access to one league of their choice for a free* trial from the moment they activate it to the end of the 2008-2009 season.

Today, EA also announced it has secured an exclusive licensing agreement with the Spanish Liga BBVA and Adelante. The exclusive partnership with the Spanish La Liga grants EA SPORTS sole rights to include every Spanish La Liga club and enables the EA SPORTS FIFA franchise to deliver the most realistic and up-to-date game with current kits, squads and player likenesses.

"La Liga is widely regarded as one of the most exciting league in the world and we’re delighted to have been able to secure this deal," said Romain Rossi, Marketing Director, EA SPORTS. "The FIFA franchise has always delivered the most authentic game experience and this relationship will enable us to maintain the high standards fans have come to expect from EA SPORTS."

A FIFA 09 demo will be available for download on September 11 worldwide on the PLAYSTATION®Network and Xbox LIVE™.

This year FIFA 09 delivers unique, platform specific experiences that takes advantage of the hardware specifications of each available platform— the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii™, PC, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and mobile.

Reference
Ea.com

Metal Gear Solid 4 - Guns of the Patriots

Guns of the Patriots is a visual gem - but after playing, I’m still not sure - is it a game or a movie? I have played the entire MGS series, and I thoroughly enjoyed them all up this this point. Which is not to say I didn’t like this game, but there wasn’t a lot of “game” to it. It was more like a movie with some interactive segments.

A heavy load of critics and gamers alike are calling this “the best game of all time”. My reaction is, “Huh?” It’s certainly not a bad game by any means, and I would even go so far as to call it really-good, but the best game of all time? No sir, not for me. While I enjoyed the storyline, and the cut scenes truly are visual gold, they are simply way, way too long and frequent. We’re talking approximately an hour of cut scenes! So, if you’re looking to buy this latest metal gear solid installment, and want to avoid disappointment, do yourself a favor and go in with the knowledge that you are going to be as much as a spectator as a player. Oh, and if you don’t watch the cut scenes, you might find yourself a little confused towards the endgame.

Now, onto the premise: Guns of Patriots takes part six years from where we last left off - and the world is in blazing shambles. War and chaos are rampant, and no one is safe. Violence can break out at any time, as the world’s economy is now war-based, with mercenary companies competing for a share of the pie.

Snake, who was no doubt happily chain smoking himself to a short-lived retirement, is called back into the front lines by Col. Campbell for one last mission, to save the world once again. Now, Snake is no longer the young stud we once new, and is, in-fact, referred to frequently as “Old Snake”, as he is aging rapidly due to some genetic mismanagement. He’ll need to rely on advanced technology more than ever to get this one done - and there’s plenty of it for us to feast on, as always.

The gameplay itself is straightfoward, pure and classic MGS. You know there’s nothing quite like sneaking up on an enemy to cut his throat. But you’ll have to endure the cutscenes to experience it.

Burnout Paradise Launches on PlayStation Network

Criterion Games Introduces PLAYSTATION®3 Trophy System and Motorcycles

Criterion Games, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced that the Platinum-hit driving game Burnout™ Paradise will be available to download from the US PLAYSTATION®Network via the PLAYSTATION®Store this Fall. Winner of over 55 awards worldwide, the downloadable version of Burnout Paradise will incorporate all of the recent updates that Criterion Games has delivered directly to consumers.

Burnout Paradise offers hours of intense, high action driving in a stunning open-world that can be experienced both in single player and socially online with your friends - but the fun does not end there. Earlier this year, Criterion Games kicked off ‘The Year of Paradise’ at http://www.criteriongames.com The Year of Paradise is a year-long direct-to-consumer program where Criterion Games regularly releases new game-changing downloadable content that is designed to evolve the game beyond its initial retail release. The first update is available now (August), free of charge* through the PLAYSTATION Network and Xbox LIVE® Marketplace, and includes three new game modes, new cars and 70 new multi-part challenges, extending the game with hours of new gameplay. The download pack also introduces a live news page where players can track their game progress and find out news on upcoming online multiplayer events. More game-changing downloadable content is coming this Fall for Burnout Paradise, including trophy support and motorcycles free of charge* through the PLAYSTATION Network and Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

Fiona Sperry, Studio Manager for Criterion Games said, “Our mission at Criterion is to provide the most entertaining gaming service possible. In order to do that, it’s key that we have the ability to deliver content to players in ways that work for them – through quick and easy download or via traditional bricks and mortar. For us, the fun is in playing the game with friends and constantly discovering new surprises in the world. Download packs with meaningful new gameplay are the perfect way for us to keep entertaining fans and keep them playing, even months after launch.”


for more info cheack out
http://www.electronicarts.in/en-in/news/burnoutparadise/

NBA Live 09

Dynamic DNA

NBA LIVE 365 takes the statistical data of Dynamic DNA and brings it to life. NBA LIVE 09 is now constantly evolving and authentically reflects what you see on the court in your virtual experience. Just like the real NBA game, players get injured, free agents sign late, great players go cold and no-names breakthrough.


Dynamic DNA - The brain behind the game is powered by the premier analytics provider using NBA data for over 20 NBA teams, which evaluates Player DNA that breaks down how a player scores, Team DNA that rates how the players on the floor play as a unit and Tendencies that refer to the percentage a player drives left, right or shoots from each spot on the floor.

Made Fresh Daily All Season Long - NBA LIVE 365 takes it to a whole new level of connectivity, providing you an unprecedented level of authenticity and realism. Now every game truly is different powered by Dynamic DNA data updating daily.

Quickstrike AnkleBreakers - Force your defender to step up and guess what you’ll do next. Trigger the turbo button and use the right analog stick for bold, responsive ball-handling moves to fake out your defender and create scoring opportunities.

Signature Playcalling - Introducing an accessible in-game playcalling system that pushes on-court visualization to guide you through the play. Linked to LIVE 365, this feature will suggest authentic plays for NBA’s stars to run on the court.

NBA Academy - Get the most out of your game and hone your skills when you jump into game with an all-new practice facility.

Quickstrike AnkleBreakers - Force your defender to step up and guess what you’ll do next. Trigger the turbo button and use the right analog stick for bold, responsive ball-handling moves to fake out your defender and create scoring opportunities.

Lockdown Control - A new risk reward system to lock in your check on defense. Get in tight on a strong shooting guard to take away his shot, or play back to keep a quick point guard from blowing by you.

FIBA Expanded - With 24 national teams to choose from, you can compete in an international tournament using authentic FIBA rosters and teams, including, the United States, Spain, France, and more.

5 vs. 5 Online Team Play - All 10 players on the court can now be controlled by users on 10 different consoles around the world. Now the game outcome can be completely dependent on how you play as an online team.

Be A Pro - Feel what it’s like to be a part of a team and lock in as one player – online using Online Team Play, or offline in single player mode. Let NBA LIVE give you feedback and track how well you are playing your position.

Extend your Game with EA SPORTS World - Create your own highlight reel then upload the video to EA SPORTS World to prove your passion to the world.

For More Info Lof on to :
www.electronicarts.in/en-in/games/xbox360/nba/nbalive09/

FIFA 09

GAME INFO : PC

Game info - PCStep onto the pitch and play professional football your way in FIFA 09. Experience the most authentic football simulation EA SPORTS™ has delivered on PC as you live the fantasy of playing as a professional player.

FIFA 09 on PC has been customized and designed exclusively for the platform. The gameplay engine features year-on-year improvements, delivering the detail demanded by football fans.

FIFA 09 also features new customizable mouse and keyboard controls that deliver deeper, more intuitive command over your squad for more fluid football action. Now utilize the mouse as a point-and-click tool to send teammates on runs, make pin-point accurate passes, and blast powerful shots on target. Plus, you have the tools to draw up trick moves using the mouse or perform one of 32 skill moves in your arsenal, including new scoop turns, rainbow flicks, heel-to-heel knocks and ball rolls just like Ronaldinho. More than 17 customizable actions in all enable you to design the game to suit your style of play.



FIFA 09 on PC now features new, leading-edge visuals that deliver graphics that exploits the power of hi-spec gaming PCs, as requested by PC gamers. Star players are featured in photorealistic quality with remodeled likenesses that show off skin tones and muscles in greater detail for ultra-realistic action.

FIFA 09 also features customizable widgets that can now integrated into the menu system to connect you to the FIFA community and real-world football so you stay connected while playing.

The online feature set of FIFA 09 includes the EA SPORTS Interactive Leagues, where you represent your club online* against rivals around the world and 61 tournaments. An additional major feature will be announced in August at the Leipzig Games Convention in Germany.

Key features - PC

• Detailed, authentic gameplay — Gamers will be able to enjoy gameplay that has enjoyed years of improvement and innovations. Details such as quick freekicks, hidden throw-ins, updated collision animations and shielding delivers a complete football experience.
• Leading Edge Visual Quality — FIFA 09 on PC now delivers the jump in quality demanded by PC gamers around the world. The latest shader and visual techniques leverage hi-spec graphics cards for a visually spectacular recreation of the beautiful game.
• PC Specific Controls - Customizable mouse and keyboard control configurations deliver PC-specific control unique to sports games. Determine exactly where you want the ball played with a click of the mouse button. Furthermore, send your players on pin-point accurate runs using similar commands.
• PC Connected Experience — A unique, fully customizable widget design integrated into the menu system. You determine what information you receive directly through your game from online rankings and the Interactive Leagues to real-world football news.
• Pro Skill Moves — Use your mouse to draw trick plays or perform one of 32 skill moves, including new scoop turns, rainbow flicks, heel-to-heel knocks and ball rolls.
• EA SPORTS™ Interactive Leagues: – Represent your club online in the Barclays Premier League, Bundesliga, Italian League, French League or Mexican 1st Division. Play and knock–off rival clubs more often in new-to-PC Rivals Match-up option.
• Manager Mode – New options for pre-season friendlies, and the ability to create formations to customize your club for each opponent.
• Tournament Mode – Play 61 tournaments, including 42 officially licensed ones, or create one of your own.
• Challenge Mode – Take on the challenge of overcoming a variety of difficult scenarios to earn rewards and unlockables.
• Complete Authenticity — Featuring over 500 licensed teams and 30 leagues accurately represented with correct kits and badges.

SCREEN SHOTS

Uberclok Ion [game machine]

The folks at Uberclok are in the business of taking solid components, overclocking the processors and then putting them through their paces to produce high-quality desktop PCs. GameZone had the opportunity to play with the Uberclok Ion, one of two new machines from the company. Uberclok has a pair of new machines, the Ion and the Reactor. Of the two, the Ion has the lower price point, starting at about $1650 according to the Uberclok Web site.

Notable is that the machine GameZone received, which was stated to be a bit above the base price, but gave the company the chance to strut its stuff with a machine that would not break the bank of the average consumer looking to upgrade to a powerful machine without having to wipe out the kids’ college fund.

The most notable thing, right out of the box, is the look of the computer. Using the Antac 900 casing, this machine has fan screens all over it. Two in the front, one on the top, a ventilation system on the side and two in the back. With all that fan power, one might get the impression that this machine would have a sound similar to funneling the engines of a Boeing 747 through an outhouse. Not so. The machine was amazingly quiet. In fact, hands had to be placed over the fans to make sure they were working.

The case design also included two USB ports, a firewire port and jacks for headphones on the top, in a very accessible place.

Part of the challenge for the Uberclok team was to put together a machine that was powerful enough to run high-end games, but also keep the price down.

Here are the specs for the machine they put together that is the center of this review:

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Motherboard: EVGA 680i SLI
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CPU: Q6600
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Memory: 2GB DDR2 800
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Video Card: BFG 8800 GT 512MB
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Case: Antec 900
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Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 500GB
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Optical: Lite-On DVD burner
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Optical 2: Lite-On DVD-ROM
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CPU Cooler: Thermalright Ultima-90
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OS: dual-boot XP Pro 32-bit & Vista 64-bit
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Power Supply: Thermaltake ToughPower 650-watt
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Media Card Reader/Floppy Drive

Notice that this is a dual-boot machine. When you start the machine, you are given the choice of which operating system you want to use – XP Professional, or Vista (64-bit). Each runs off its own portion of the disk drive. What this translates to is if you install a game while on the XP operating system, it is on the XP part of the HD and available only when you load that OS. The same holds true for a program installed in Vista.

The hard drive is a Seagate 500-gig piece of hardware, partitioned to two 250-gig “drives.” This might not seem like a lot, but the interior of the machine has plenty of room for more drives and even more RAM. The dual-core CPU is cranked from 3.00 GHz to 3.70 GHz

In many ways a PC gaming machine is only as good as the video card powering the graphics. In the case of the Uberclok, it has a solid card that is very serviceable. The nVidia 8800 GTS card has 512 megs of video RAM, and is capable of running some of the top-end games on the PC gaming market. Age of Conan is widely regarded as a test title for the stability and power of the video card. With a cable connection that ran in the neighborhood of 5k Kbps (depending on the time of day and how many computers were running and what functions were being performed), and graphics cranked to the high settings, the game ran at between 45 and 60 frames per second, on average. This is not bad at all. That was in the XP version. The environmental texturing seemed a little softer or blurrier under the Vista OS, though the frame rate remained constant.

Other games were tested on the machine, some like The Sims 2, that is a processor hog, and some that should have run smoothly, and did. Every game challenge thrown at the Ion was answered – which is a delightful thing. Graphics programs, like Poser, were handled very well on the machine though the version of Photoshop would only work on the XP partition, not the Vista.

When it came to burning disks, the machine also ran smoothly with no noticeable hiccups. The fact that this machine takes several media types is a bonus as well. It just increases options for users. Also for those who feel they need to transition to Vista, but are not sure they wish to leave behind the comfort of XP as their OS, this machine is a great solution.

Overclocking a computer can be a risky affair. You take the chance that you will damage it, but the folks at Uberclok have this down to a science, and have made a good business out of presenting machines that are fast and work reliably. Now granted, this machine was running more or less 24/7 for nearly a month, and to fully appreciate the long-term ramifications of what overclocking will do to it, it should be used much longer. But the Uberclok machine was fast, efficient and a terrific value.

Review Scoring Details for Uberclok Ion

Pros:
Quiet fans, accessibility to USB ports, solid video card and a price tag that gives great value for the money. The computer also comes with a Logitech keyboard, and none of those annoying add-on programs that slow start-up times and mess with HD space for no apparent reason.

Cons:
If anything, with today’s games demanding more hard-drive space, 250 gigs (more like 230 after discounting room for the OS) can be eaten quickly. Also, if you get a bad hard drive, it crashes or simply fails, you do not have a back-up drive to allow you to jump to another OS and save anything of value. One HD simply does not seem like enough, but it is understandable when the idea was to keep the machine affordable. The restart to boot to another OS is a bit of a pain, but also completely understandable.

Overall: 9.0
Not everyone will need a dual-boot machine such as this, but for the price point and the value packed under the hood, this Uberclok system is a terrific machine. Sure there are a few stumbling points, but the machine is geared for maximum performance and maximum processing power for the minimum price tag.

700K illegal copies of Asssasin's Creed. Ubi sues

The PC version of Assassin's Creed was released in more ways then one, it would seem. There was the official version published by Ubisoft in April, and then there was the stolen version, in February.

Ubisoft claims that Optical Experts Manufacturing, the company that was responsible for producing copies of Assassin's Creed, violated security measures that led to a copy of the game being stolen. An employee took a copy home with him and then promptly posted it on the Internet for all to download for free.

The publisher says that Optical Experts Manufacturing was guilty for "an extraordinary breach of trust and gross negligence." The employee who pilfered the game, released it on the Internet six weeks before the official version hit store shelves.

How did it happen? Optical Experts admitted that it ignored a host of security measures that could have stopped the software leak. Ubisoft said that the upload was tracked to the home of an Optical Experts employee. A copy of the stolen game was found at the alleged thief's home.

Ubisoft is claiming that more than 700,000 downloads of Assassin's Creed occurred from the illegally uploaded game and that this breach of security has cost the company millions of dollars in sales. In addition, the leaked copy had a crash bug in the game, which caused a number of negative reviews and hence, caused damage to Ubisoft's reputation. The bug was fixed before the official release date in April.

The lawsuit against Optical Experts Manufacturing will total about $30 million for copyright infringement, breach of contract, and negligence.

Art of Murder: FBI Confidential

It's not often that you get a chance to pull your hair out and laugh with glee while trying to solve puzzles in a game, but Art of Murder: FBI Confidential can certainly do this and more. This is a game made especially for mystery buffs, CSI fans, and people who love puzzles. Please be assured, you'll get plenty in this game.

AoM starts out with the mysterious murders of several prominent individuals from rather esteemed backgrounds. The method of execution is grizzly and grotesque and your job, as FBI agent Nicole Bonnet, is to gather clues and interrogate suspects to find a motive for the murders. You have to collect evidence of course, but the heart of the game is all about puzzle solving.

You'll globetrot for evidence and the simple point and click method of gameplay is classic. Anyone who is familiar with the Myst series of games will feel right at home with the mechanics. Get ready for some mind-bending brainteasers on how to get people to do what you want them to do as well as manipulating objects and devices to solve riddles.

Remember the hair-pulling aspect I mentioned earlier? As I played the game, I found out that certain things have to be done in a certain order. For instance, some objects I tried to use has Bonnet saying, "I don't need that right now," or the very irritating comment, "That's stupid." The game can sometimes slow to a crawl when you're trying to figure things out but there is a hint system in the game, which can lead you in the right direction if you get stuck.

In some instances, since the plot and direction of the game were uncertain, I sometimes found myself spending a great deal of time on puzzles that are unsolvable because the game isn't ready for these particular events yet. I realized later, that this is how AoM works, but during the early stages, this isn't entirely clear. The game is about learning how the game works as much as the puzzle aspect of it.

I felt as if I was in an actual episode of CSI because observational skills are crucial in advancing the storyline. I had to combine objects, use seemingly mundane things, and try to come up with unique solutions to try to get out of jams. When I couldn't, well, you already know about the hair pulling.

There are lots of colorful characters and there is a tremendous amount of dialog. You have to make sure you pay attention to the details, as they contain clues to what you need to do. The voice actress who plays the role of Nicole Bonnet, unfortunately, sounds stiff and awkward. There is little to convince you that Bonnet is a real person here. But after a while, I was able to filter out the bad acting and concentrate on how to play the game.

The graphics are nicely done in the Myst way of doing things while the main characters move within their relatively stationary world. Although this is very old school, it works. You'll visit the seamy side of New York locales to the more exotic places of Peru and the Amazon. These places are rendered well and the haunting music serves as a good backdrop for the game.

There are things that could definitely be improved upon in Art of Murder, but its charm, involving story and challenging play makes this a keeper for mystery and puzzle fans.

NBA 08 Review

It's no surprise that NBA Live 08 is a big improvement from last year's version, because quite frankly, it would be nigh-impossible not to be. What is a surprise, however, is just how much of an improvement NBA Live 08 is. With last year's abomination, it looked like 2K would officially take the title of Best Basketball Game and run away with it. This year's game takes steps to prevent that, and even contends in several areas.

The best news is that there aren't nearly as many bugs, and I didn't notice anything gamebreaking. If you hated Live 07 because of all the little things, all of the little things are working and done right again (for the most part) in Live 08.

One thing that's been really improved is the defense. With the hold of a trigger button, you play tight man to man coverage, and the computer handles a lot of the little things like shifting weight and guarding the offensive player's strong side. For people who want complete 100% control over their player this may not be great news, but for most gamers it works wonders. Especially since it makes the game just look and feel more like NBA basketball; no more 20 steal nights for Mike Bibby.

If NBA Live 08 stresses one thing, it's just ensuring that the game plays well. There aren't a lot of amazing new features like other sports games hype. Instead, the developers went back to the core elements of NBA basketball and made sure their game lived up to those expectations.

On offense, it really is a team game, and players have their own signature styles and moves. For people like Kevin Martin this may piss you off (try shooting with him... It's just annoying!) but for the most part it adds to the spectacular presentation.

Much like last year, NBA 2K8 wins in the pure gameplay department. Where NBA Live 08 shines is in the presentation and authentic feel. NBA 2K8 plays like a good basketball game, but NBA Live 08 plays like a good NBA game. The announcers are MUCH better than 2K8 (Steve Kerr rules), the replays look better, the player models look more realistic, and the little touches like shooting forms, dribbling, player animations and more add up to a very real-feeling NBA experience.

There are some issues which still keep it from being a great title, though. For starters, the computer still makes a lot of stupid mistakes, and the team AI needs some work. It's very common to be shooting on the block and go up behind the backboard with a jumpshot, or to have the computer pass it to someone when their foot is on the sideline. Nothing too game breaking, but the little things add up enough to bring you back down to earth. Just when you thought the miraculous happened and NBA Live reclaimed its thrown as Best Basketball Game, Tim Duncan gets called for an offensive foul shooting a jumpshot.

The other things in the game are more hit and miss than the gameplay itself. For starters, the dynasty mode isn't much more than an extended season. The inclusion of the FIBA teams is a nice touch, but really, a game focusing on NBA basketball can't quite capture the feel of international play; dare I say it's time for an international basketball game?

My biggest gripe with the game is the incredible load times. While there's a nice trivia game to kill time, getting to the point where you see the same question for the third time before a game starts up is just frustrating. I've heard people saying it's due to defective discs, fixed with the cache being cleared, or just random whether or not the game loads fast or slow. At this point I'm not entirely sure what causes the issue, but hopefully it gets addressed officially by EA. Until then, consider it a possible issue you may or may not face.

NBA Live 08 is easily a gigantic step forward from Live 07. The game has far fewer bugs, the gameplay is much more solid, and the NBA-styled presentation is in full effect. There are three NBA games to choose from this year (two if you don't own a PS3). Get NBA 08 if you want the best NBA presentation but poor gameplay; get NBA 2k8 if you want the best core gameplay and worst NBA presentation; and get NBA Live 08 if you want both solid gameplay and an authentic NBA feeling.

thankx to Gamernode

Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor Review

I first encountered Galactic Civilizations with the release of Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar expansion. I’m normally not a big fan of space games, preferring fantasy themes, but this game really captured my attention. I especially enjoyed collecting all the cool junk lying around the galaxy. The game was very attractive visually; deep space had never looked so good. The only negative feature was the lack of direction on what to do on each turn. However, I found a good online tutorial that presented an outline of a “First Turn.”

The preview version of the expansion pack Twilight of the Arnor was also great fun to play. Some of the now-present features weren’t available, but there was still a lot of new content and I again enjoyed myself thoroughly. My preview version didn’t have the campaign mode, but did have the regular game mode.

Twilight of the Arnor is advertised to be the last expansion and to wrap up the Dread Lords saga in the campaign mode. This campaign mode begins with the return of a Terran ship from a tour of duty, whose captain is dismayed to discover all the horrific happenings of the last couple of years with the Drengin and Korath wars of dominance. Think Star Trek meets Battlestar Galactic. The campaign scenarios are unique from each other and require different types of strategic planning. There are tutorials for beginning players, with one entitled “First Turn,” which I found very helpful and informative (Thanks, Stardock!).

The main new feature of Twilight of the Arnor is the restructuring of the technical trees. Each of the 12 tech trees is now unique and offers different research paths for each race. The Drengin have techs that emphasize research through various levels of agony, and also have a tech path that ends with the ability to design artificial slaves. The Terrans have majesty and cultural domination. Some of the races have high morale enhancers, while others can upgrade their military quickly. Even the seemingly similar techs have subtle differences in application and the manner in which they are organized on the tech map for each race.

The technical trees are redesigned in a more logical manner and offer much more information to players than in previous games. There are icons of relevant attributes on the tech plate itself. There are pop-ups of the forthcoming techs when players pass the cursor over the techs, and right-clicking the mouse will offer up a list of improvements that will be unlocked with the tech. Besides the new tech trees, there are more improvements available for the planets, more ships and more differentiation with the ships. This, too, adds to the complexity of the game’s strategy. Some of the ships have animated moving parts, which I don’t remember from either Dark Avatar or the preview version of Twilight of the Arnor.

Player customization is always a large part of Galactic Civilization, and now there are even more ways for players to tweak the gameplay. New editors allow for customization of the technical trees, scenarios, improvements and more, for a total of six editors. Players can access these new features by choosing to design a new race when beginning a new game in the sandbox mode. There are more options for designing ships, which will please many. For the lazy/don’t care among us, there are also automated ship-building and improvement options.

Another improved aspect is the streamlined economic information menus. Pertinent economic information is displayed in a logical manner that is more cohesive than previously. However, I’m still a little confused about the planetary improvement contributions, but that is probably because of user obtuseness.

Galactic Civilization games are enjoyable because players like me can play as slowly as they want, concentrate on other things besides war, and collect all kinds of freebies around the galaxies. But, if they choose, they can spend all their gaming sessions fighting all their neighbors. The genius of Galactic Civilization II is the sheer amount of individual customization available for every type of player. Each game can be setup as to size, the amount of goodies available for picking through while traveling around the universe, the types of random events, the number of opponents, numerous difficulty levels, the races of opponents, and the victory conditions. I am by no means a strategy game guru, and prefer easier game sessions over the insanely difficult ones. I also don’t like constant fighting (except for turn-based battles in Heroes of Might and Magic). The beauty of Galactic Civilization is that I can have just as much fun playing as the gamers who grew up playing obscure European war board games and e-mail games, moved on to Master of Orion on the PC, then settled down with Dominion.

So, what does this expansion add to the overall game? Well, it improves the original so much that once played, you can’t go back. For me, the biggest improvements are the streamlined menus with better organized information and the new tutorials. The new and unique tech trees are great additions, but the improved game interface is what I love. The new graphics are also pretty neat, especially the ships and the planets. The love and dedication from the folks at Stardock really shows in their attention to fan requests. I absolutely recommend this expansion for owners of Galactic Civilization II and the previous expansion, Dark Avatar. If readers don’t own it, buy the whole shebang. It’s worth the money.

Review Scoring Details for Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor

Gameplay: 9.0
The improved interface definitely makes the gameplay enjoyable. All the deep strategy in the world isn’t any good if players can’t access or understand it. As it stands, this game offers such an enormous amount of design and gameplay choices, along with a complex strategy, it is a guarantee that players will spend months on this game. This expansion is more than a usual expansion. It changes the game, yet doesn’t change the game.

Graphics: 8.0
The graphics are much improved, although they still aren’t perfect. The galaxies are still as beautiful as ever.

Sound: 8.0
The music is suitable in theme and tempo.

Difficulty: Hard
Even on the easiest settings, the learning curve is steep. The excellent tutorials help, though.

Concept: 9.0
The presentation of new features is superb.

Overall: 9.0
This game just became elevated to my personal list of all-time PC favorites: HOMM II, Caesar III, King’s Quest 6, Day of the Tentacle, Monkey Island III, Quest for Glory IV, Civilization IV and now, Galactic Civilization II. I never thought I would enjoy a space game as well. It’s almost like playing HOMM in space. This game is probably not as well-known or advertised as some games, which is a shame, as it is a must-have game for any fan of turn-based strategy games. Oh, I also enjoyed the Reviewer’s Guide, which was written by Brad Wardell. Great reading! Missed the recipes, though.

City Life 2008

publisher: Paradox Interactive
Publisher 2: Ascaron Software Publishing GmbH
Developer: Monte Cristo Games
Category: Simulation

City Life 2008 is a combination of City Life and an expansion edition. The expansion brings new scenarios and maps to the game. As in City Life, the goal is to design the ultimate city around the interesting concept of social classes. This feature is still the same, and actually most of this expansion is exactly the same as the original game. The only new additions are the new scenarios and buildings. The editor has been upgraded to allow the addition of real maps and the graphics have been tweaked a bit, but that’s really about all that’s new.

There are two main modes of play, campaign and sandbox. However, the campaign scenarios aren’t very tightly goal-oriented. While there are certain criteria to meet, these goals aren’t very clear at first. It’s almost like playing in the free-play mode with just a few “suggestions” as goals. The free-play mode is of course, free-play. Design away, live free!

There is also a tutorial, but this is in name only. I have to say that this is the worst tutorial I’ve ever seen, and I don’t know why they even bothered adding it. It’s just a series of gameplay tips, which should have been offered as tips during the gameplay. In fact, there is a video component of this tutorial that runs in the bottom right of the screen, where it is helpful during gameplay as a tip pop-up sort of thing. For players who want to know the real deal on the gameplay mechanics, the online manual is a much better method of instruction. It is a very good manual and offers a nicely detailed “first move” type of description.

As mentioned, City Life 2008 incorporates the interesting concept of social classes into the general planning aspect of the game. There are six classes, each of which reflects rigid and typed cultures of money and class. Wealth and art, poverty and conservatism are some of the characteristics of these classes. These classes can only comingle with certain other classes; otherwise class tension arises and if not resolved, will soon erupt into riots and street battles. This lends a considerable strategic element to the game, as most businesses either require just one type of class, or a mixture of classes. As these classes often have to live separately from each other, the placement of these businesses can be a complex process.

While this cultural feature does add strategic depth, it isn’t an avenue I personally enjoy. I don’t like to have my citizens rioting and fighting each other every few minutes. Others may have different opinions.

Building the cities is fun and as the interface is easy to use and understand, there is minimal frustration during the building process. There is also a good amount of information displayed for each main menu item when the items are chosen. Sometimes there is a lag or delay in the display and removal of these menus, though, which can be a little annoying. Laying out the cities is very easy and the roads are automatically appended around the structures. There is a deletion icon, but no “undo” function that I ever found, a feature that should be present.

Each map offers a short description of the historical background of the location. This is interesting reading, but really doesn’t have anything to do with the city that is actually built. They all look the same, essentially, and the historical background doesn’t really change the game’s strategy any that I could tell.

Everything looks good! Players can play from afar, or zoom in and see everyone walking around. The neighborhoods are conveniently color-coded to reflect their cultural makeup. The music is also nice, but there aren’t a whole lot of sound effects. A city this size needs more noise!

City Life 2008 is an engaging simulation and will offer many hours of enjoyment to city sim fans. City Life 2008 is the edition to get if players don’t own the original, as it does offer gameplay tweaks and new scenarios. The small amount of new content, though, precludes purchase on the basis of adding to the original. City Life 2008 is just as good as the original and a little better. It is a fine choice for players new to the series. However, players considering this as just an expansion may want to wait until the next expansion or new edition.

Review Scoring Details for City Life 2008 Edition

Gameplay: 7
This game is pretty much the same as the original. That was fun, this is fun, too. Planning and building is easy and engaging.

Graphics: 7
The city looks good and so do the characters on zoom. It’s fun to walk around at street level.

Sound: 6
The music is nice, but there aren’t many sound effects.

Difficulty: Medium
The gameplay isn’t very difficult. There is a good and informative manual available, but in the download version is only available electronically. The interface is smooth and intuitive.

Concept: 6
There isn’t anything really new in this edition besides new scenarios and new buildings. It is well-presented, though.

Overall: 7
This edition of City Life is a good city simulation and it compares well to the Sim City series. The content is solid and the gameplay fun, and the inclusion of social strategy planning is innovative. However, for an expansion, there isn’t a whole lot new or different. Best for players who don’t already have the original.