Quick Look: Angry Birds Star Wars (Gameplay Video Included)

It’s hard to believe that the whole Angry Birds phenomenon started with an addictive mobile game and quickly took the world by storm, spawning sequels, tie-ins, merchandising, and quite a lot of money for developer Rovio.

After the recent Angry Birds Space, the studio continued exploring the universe and has now released Angry Birds Star Wars around the world for both mobile devices as well as for Windows-powered PCs.

Angry Birds Star Wars practically combines two of the most popular franchises on Earth into a single package that can either rule the galaxy or disappoint with its lackluster Force tricks. Is this the great game we’re looking for or should it be frozen in Carbonite? Let’s have a quick look.

Angry Birds Star Wars impresses right from the get go not just with the hilarious splash screen, that shows the famous birds as characters from the TV series, but also with its theme song that smoothly combines the classic Star Wars theme with the more playful tunes of Angry Birds games.

After that, once you actually start the game, you begin a sort of retelling of the events from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, where a plucky young Luke Skywalker (the red bird) under the guidance of Obi Wan Kenobi (the black one) start their journey against Darth Vader and the forces of the Empire (the pigs).

You’re then treated with a pretty classic Angry Birds experience, as you need to fling birds at the unlucky pigs who made their homes on some very unstable structures.

As you progress, you unlock special powers for your birds, like a lightsaber for Luke, as well as special bonus levels with only R2D2 and C-3PO that take place in space and feel, as you can imagine, like stages from Angry Birds Space.

Overall, the whole game is quite fun and a treat for many Star Wars fans, not just Angry Birds ones. Check out a gameplay video with the first few stages above.

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Weekend Reading: Season Passes and Taking Risks

Image comment: The first DLC included in Borderlands 2's Season Pass Image credits: Gearbox

In the last week we’ve posted a variety of stories concerning Season Passes, either ones that have been confirmed for upcoming games, like Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 or Forza Horizon, or ones that are now coming into effect, like the one for Borderlands 2.

Season Passes are a pretty new strategy in the gaming industry as they’ve only been around for a year or so and are quickly becoming more and more popular.

In case you’re not aware of them, they represent access to all of the DLC that’s going to be released for a game, and can be purchased for a smaller amount of money than the actual add-ons separately.

In theory, the passes represent a great deal both for developers and publishers, as they receive money early which can immediately be invested in the DLC, and for gamers themselves, which rest assured that they’ll receive the add-ons for a lower price.

In practice, however, a lot of risk is involved with selling and buying a Season Pass.

First up, for developers, the existence of such a thing practically forces them to create the content they promise to customers. Creating a game, even an expansion for it, can be a tricky thing that doesn’t always end up like planned.

Max Payne 3 is a great example, as Rockstar sold a special Pass and posted a release schedule for the DLC included in it. Sadly, it couldn’t stick to it and is now bundling together items in new add-ons like the Hostage Negotiation pack.

Secondly, for gamers, it represents an unknown risk, as you can't know for sure if the add-ons will be any good. You can end up with some impressive expansions, like Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty for Borderlands 2, or you can get some rather short ones, like the Genkibowl VII one for Saints Row 3, which was fun yet felt a bit tedious.

My current strategy is to wait for a few expansions to appear for a game and then decide if I’m going to get its Season Pass. What about you? Do you get the pass right alongside the game or are your more cautious?

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Halo 4 Launch Trailer Now Available

Microsoft has just released the official launch trailer for its upcoming Halo 4 game, produced by David Fincher and directed by Tim Miller, which hints not just at the core conflict of the actual title, but also shows off footage with the origins of the franchise’s hero, Master Chief.

Halo 4 may have been leaked weeks ahead of its actual release on November 6, but Microsoft isn’t affected by this problem and the company has now released the official launch trailer for the long-awaited first-person shooter.

In the footage above, you get to see not just Master Chief facing the “ancient evil” promised by the game’s story, but also glimpses from his origins.

From standing on the beach with his mother when he was a child, to the intense training he received before his powers were augmented in the Spartan program, Master Chief’s life hasn’t been an easy one and, as you can see in the video, even he can make mistakes.

Check out the trailer above and get ready for the release of Halo 4 on November 6, only on the Xbox 360.

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Mark of the Ninja for PC Gets Another Update, More Bug Fixes

  - Mark of the Ninja for PC

The folks over at Klei Entertainment are working hard to iron out the recent issues that have been plaguing their Mark of the Ninja title since its launch three days ago.

Some of the these bugs might have been brought by the previous update, which was pushed two days ago via Steam, but that has yet to be confirmed.

All in all, the latest update for Mark of the Ninja patches lots of the bugs that have been reported in the last 48 hours. Some of these bug fixes are listed below:

-Fixed issue in "Breaching the Perimeter" level where Ninja would sometimes be killed instantly when restarting a particular checkpoint.
-Fixed potential hindering issue where a vent would not unlock in “The Trail of Shadow” level.
-Fixed issue where fuseboxes would not reset in the Challenge Room of "An Ancestral Home" level.

For the full list of changes included in the latest patch for Mark of the Ninja head over to the official announcement. Check out our quick look (video included) here.

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Guild Wars 2 Tops United Kingdom Chart

Image comment: PC wonder Image credits: ArenaNet

Guild Wars 2, the MMO created by ArenaNet, has managed to get the number one position in the United Kingdom, becoming the first PC-only game to do since 2010, an impressive feat considering the competition that the game was facing.

Guild Wars 2 is unique because it only asks gamers to pay for the retail package and it then allows them to play for as long as they want without any subscription.

Sleeping Dogs, the former number one, has slid down one position to second spot while the last place on the podium is occupied by New Super Mario Bros. 2, from Nintendo, which is able to keep the same position as during the previous week.

London 2012: The Official Video Game, from SEGA, continues to stay put in fourth despite the changes at the top, showing that the effect of the real-world games continues to influence the virtual world.

LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, the brick-powered video game from Warner Bros. Interactive, has managed to gain one position in order to reach fifth place while the biggest drop of the week was linked to Darksiders II, the action and adventure title from Vigil Games and THQ, which has gone from second place to sixth.

Madden NFL 13, from EA Sports, is the other new entry in the United Kingdom top ten chart, but despite the rising profile of American football in Europe the game has failed to get higher than seventh place.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, the mech-based game from High Moon and Activision, has also slid down from fifth in order to occupy eighth place, followed by Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, another title that seems to be on its way out of the top ten.

Tenth position in occupied by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

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Fortnite Is Epic Games’ First Unreal Engine 4-Powered Title, Arrives Only on PC

Image comment: Fortnite screenshot Image credits: Epic Games Next >>

Epic Games has finally started detailing Fortnite, its next big game, confirming that it would be powered by the all-new Unreal Engine 4 technology and that was going to be released only on the PC next year.

Fortnite was presented late last year at the 2011 VGAs through a short trailer. Since then, Epic Games has been silent, opting to focus on presenting other projects like the Unreal Engine 4 technology, which received a stunning demo back at E3 2012 last month.


Now, during the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, Epic Games has re-revealed Fornite, which will be a co-op sandbox survival game with dynamically generated levels. Most importantly, however, is that the game is powered by the all-new Unreal Engine 4 technology, which means it’ll only appear on the PC.

According to Epic Games’ Design Director, Cliff Bleszinski, Lead Artist Pete Ellis, and Producer Tanya Jessen, Fortnite will combine elements from games such as Minecraft, The Walking Dead, or Team Fortress 2 and is composed of three basic mechanics: scavenging, building, and combat.

Scavenging tasks players with exploring the dynamically generated levels and gather up items and materials. These are then used to build fortifications of various shapes and sizes in order to protect against the evil monsters. During the combat stage, players rely on their fortifications to keep the monsters at bay and on their skills to eliminate them as soon as possible.

According to Epic, Fortnite will bring a much needed change in terms of gaming for players but also for its own internal team.

"This is not just a game for people who like shooters or RPGS," said Jessen. "It's a game for everybody."

Bleszinski quickly added that, “It's been really fresh for us. We've had like six years of Gears and we've perfected the art of killing. Fortnite is serving as a fresh change of pace for us."

According to the three developers, Fortnite started off as a gritty experience, much like Epic’s previous Gears of War franchise, but the whole premise became “depressing,” so the decision was made to give the whole game a more upbeat visual style with cartoonish monsters and stunning graphics in order to show off the Unreal Engine 4 technology.

There’s still a lot of work to be done on Fortnite, however, as Epic hasn’t even decided how it’s going to sell it. The studio can release it either traditionally or make it free-to-play and extract profits from microtranscations.

Expect to hear more of Fortnite in the future. Until then, check out some new screenshots of the game below.

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Gas Guzzlers: Combat Carnage Review (PC)

Image comment: Gas Guzzlers: Combat Carnage review Image credits: Gamepires

Gas Guzzlers: Combat Carnage by Gamepires

See editor's ratings

The good: +Decent combat mechanics +Good blend between arcade and simulation The bad: -Graphics aren't that great -No active multiplayer Final score: 7 / 10 Controller support: Yes

System requirements: MINIMUM Windows Vista / 7 2.0 GHz Dual-core Intel or AMD Processor 2 GB Available System Memory 7 GB Available Hard Drive Space 512 MB DirectX 9-compatible Video Card w/ Shader Model 3.0 (GeForce 8800 Ultra or AMD/ATI 4850) DirectX 9.0c RECOMMENDED 2.4 GHz Quad-core Q6600 or equivalent AMD Processor 4 GB Available System Memory 1 GB DirectX 9-compatible Video Card (GeForce 560, Radeon 6850) 3D-compatible Sound Card

Quite a few racing games have appeared in recent years but, unfortunately, there haven’t been a lot of combat racing experiences, besides the lackluster Flatout 3: Chaos & Destruction or the PS3-exclusive Twisted Metal.

Now, Gamepires has released Gas Guzzlers: Combat Carnage, a brand new game that offers a racing experience with both traditional competitions, as well as combat ones where cars are outfitted with various weapons and must take each other out while on the path to victory.

With the promise of interesting gameplay, polished graphics and a focus on pure racing, Gas Guzzlers definitely seems like a worthy contender.

Can the game make it to the finish line or does it break down before seeing the checkered flag? Let’s find out.

Choose your ride ...	... and customize it

Gameplay and Multiplayer

Right from the get-go you notice that Gas Guzzlers: Combat Carnage is the work of an independent studio, sporting the menu style and look reminiscent of Flatout 2, for example. Even so, once you start playing, you’re treated with a competent racer.

Its mechanics find a great balance between arcade and simulation, so you always need to be careful when handling your car, but you shouldn’t need to pay attention to hitting all the right apexes during corners or anything like that.

Controls handle relatively well and you can use a controller, but you must first bind the actual buttons because the game doesn't have native support for such devices.

Cars are quite varied and, as you progress through races, you unlock new ones, as well as new customization options, ranging from paint, to stickers or rims, not to mention new performance upgrades for your engine, brakes, tires, and more.

You can enter one of three types of races: Classic, Battle, or Knockout. The first is self-explanatory, the second entails cars being outfitted with weapons and shooting each other while racing to the finish, while the third one eliminates the last car at the end of each lap until only one remains.

Tracks are relatively varied, although prolonged play sessions might make everything feel a bit boring. Throughout the circuits, you can find different types of power-ups, ranging from ones that fill up your boost meter, to mines, oil barrels, or smoke grenades, which can be deployed behind you and offer your opponents a nasty surprise.

You can also pick up repair kits, as well as coin packs that you receive in addition to the money you get from finishing in one of the top three places. Your cash can be spent on upgrades for your ride, as well as on new cars that are rather slowly unlocked as you progress through the game. If you don’t want to partake in the campaign, you can engage in a quick race and simply try out your skills.

AI is relatively decent and there aren’t a lot of “rubber band” situations, but sometimes opponents can race on ahead and you won’t be able to reach them no matter how well you’re driving.

The combat mechanics are also decent, as you can fit weapons like shotguns, machine guns, or rocket launchers onto your vehicles, many of which can also fire backwards, in case you want to punish the opponent behind you. After enough damage, a car crashes and the driver is eliminated. As such, during such races, hunting down repair kits is essential, as is picking up bullet power-ups because you don’t have infinite ammo.

In terms of multiplayer, you’re treated with the same basic race options but, unfortunately, you won’t find that many online races, as they rely on dedicated servers. You can set up a server by yourself and get others to join but there aren’t a lot of active players. This is too bad, as Battle races would’ve felt much more interesting if you were up to actual humans.



 
Graphics and Sound

In terms of graphics, Gas Guzzlers is pretty decent, as car models look good, although effects like the rain during certain stages look a bit bland. What’s more, this blandness spreads to pretty much all of the circuits as their colors look dull and lifeless even during the day.

There are some interesting effects here and there, such as the smoke screens, but the game’s visuals look quite dated overall.

In terms of sound, you won’t be treated with anything out of the ordinary. Cars sound relatively different, weapons feel powerful but explosions aren’t that impressive.

If you choose to give your driver a voice, you’ll also be treated with all sorts of remarks during the race that get annoying rather quickly.

Target your enemies ...	... and protect yourself

Conclusion

Gas Guzzlers: Combat Carnage is a decent game but, if you’re looking for a top-notch triple-A experience, you won’t find it here.

Still, considering combat racing titles are so few and far in-between, it’s worth taking it for a test drive, especially since the racing mechanics feel good and the combat stages are quite decent.

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Spec Ops: The Line Review (PC)

Image comment: Spec Ops: The Line PC review Image credits: 2K Games

Spec Ops: The Line by Yager

See editor's ratings

The good: +Interesting story +Great shooting mechanics +Varied environment The bad: -Dumb squad mate AI -Ambiguous ending Final score: 8.5 / 10 Controller support: Yes

System requirements: Minimum OS: Windows XP SP3 Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2Ghz / AMD Athlon 64 X2 equivalent Memory: 2 GB RAM Hard Disk Space: 6 GB free Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 / ATI Radeon HD 2600XT (256 MB memory) DirectX: 9.0 Sound: DirectX Compatible Recommended OS: Windows Vista/7 Processor: 2.4 GHz Quad Core processor Memory: 3 GB RAM Hard Disk Space: 10 GB free Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX/ATI Radeon HD 4850 (512+ MB memory) DirectX: 9.0 Sound: DirectX Compatible

The shooter genre, whether it’s first or third person, has become one of the most boring ones in the gaming industry, yet, as a complete paradox, it’s still one of the most profitable.


Thankfully, while it may not look like much from the outside, Spec Ops: The Line, the newest third-person shooter from Yager and 2K Games, manages to bring some much needed innovation to the genre, especially in terms of story.


Being set in a Dubai ravaged by sandstorms and with a desire to reveal the atrocities of war, Spec Ops: The Line is definitely looking like a breath of fresh air among dusty old shooters.


Does it succeed in making the genre relevant or does it fumble before reaching the objective? Let’s find out.

Explore a devastated Dubai ...	... and be wary of sandstorms

Story

Protagonists in shooters nowadays are as one-dimensional as they come, being able to easily mow down thousands of non-descript enemies without batting an eyelash. In The Line, however, you play as Delta Force Captain Martin Walker who, alongside his squad mates, Lugo and Adams, needs to head into a Dubai wrecked by sandstorms. Their mission is to find the remnants of The Damned 33rd, a battalion led by Colonel John Konrad, who was supposed to evacuate civilians out of the city before the storms hit.


While the premise may not seem that out of the ordinary, the actual narrative is heavily based on Joseph Conrad’s cult classic book Heart of Darkness and on its big-screen adaptation, Apocalypse Now.


Things quickly go haywire and Walker is forced to lead his team in fights against bandits, civilians, CIA agents, and even U.S. soldiers who are engaged in a bitter fight around the ruins of Dubai. There are no easy choices in this game as it becomes a battle of survival that usually entails choosing between the lesser of two evils.


Slowly but surely, the events take a toll on the physical and mental aspects of the protagonists and players are forced to engage in all sorts of actions.


To put it bluntly, Spec Ops: The Line is probably one of the most accurate depictions of warfare in interactive entertainment. If you pay attention to what’s happening on the screen, you’ll begin to care more and more about Walker and his team and wonder about what really happened to Dubai when the sandstorms hit.


The ending is ambiguous, to say the least, and you’ll most certainly want to replay it multiple times in order to choose different courses of action. While the actual conclusion may confuse some players and the game leaves a lot of things to their imagination, it’s still a great narrative.

Command your team ...	... and defeat your enemies

Gameplay

Spec Ops: The Line excels in terms of story, but its gameplay isn’t too shabby either, as it delivers one of tightest third-person shooter experiences since franchises like Gears of War or Uncharted.


While combat mostly relies on using cover and waiting for the right time to go on the offense, the whole experience is enriched by different mechanics, such as a squad command one. While you can’t order your squad mates around the battlefield, you can set priority targets to be taken down as soon as possible and even make them deploy grenades or flashbangs during certain moments.
Sadly, their AI isn’t that great and, when given a priority target, they easily jump out of cover and head right for the enemy, often getting shot in the process. When they’re down, you can go up to them and revive them before they bleed out or order the remaining squad mate to do that.


Weapons are quite varied and all feel great when in use. While you might end up with favorites early on, do try to use all of them as you might end up missing out on some great items. Most importantly, however, is that all of the guns, from the pistols to the machine guns, and even the grenades have a sense of weight and you can feel the impact of the bullets into your enemies.


Enemies are quite smart and, even on the normal difficulty setting, quite aggressive. They don’t die easily, unless you score a perfect headshot, and range from regular ones with rifles or SMGs, to heavily armored ones or nimble foes that run right at you with a knife. They always communicate on the battlefield and you can easily figure out their strategy if you pay enough attention.


Spec Ops: The Line also has a few other claims to fame, including the novel sand mechanics. During regular fights in buildings there are quite a few spaces filled with sand that, if shot at, spew it out and confuse enemies. If you’re actually fighting on the sand and throw a grenade, a big puff of sand appears after the explosion that also leaves opponents stunned.


During certain moments in the game, massive sandstorms appear, which makes navigation and combat quite difficult. Fortunately, they don’t last long and affect your enemies more than you.


While the game uses all sorts of environments, from giant aquariums and restaurants to sand-filled marinas with ravaged yachts, it can still feel a bit claustrophobic at times and you’re easily reminded every now and then that you’re on a linear path and can’t really deviate from it.


Movement is also a tricky area in the game as it doesn’t allow that much room for maneuverability when you’re in cover and feels quite clunky when you need to pull off some split second dashes, like when you’re running away from grenades.








Multiplayer

Spec Ops: The Line also has an online multiplayer that’s quite decent but a bit basic. While it won’t compete with the likes of Uncharted or Gears of War, the mode delivers a good experience, features different types of modes, from Team Deathmatch to King of the Hill, and has an RPG-like progression mechanic that lets players unlock different gear and items.


Sadly, after witnessing the atrocities from the single-player campaign, the multiplayer feels a bit tacky and doesn’t really feel that fun as you’re always reminded the consequence of your actions. Even so, it manages to deliver some entertainment and extends the shelf-life of the game, at least until the cooperative missions are released via DLC in August.

Remember the fallen ...	... and try to stay sane

Graphics and Sound

Spec Ops: The Line uses the Unreal Engine 3, but it manages to avoid quite a lot of its inherent issues, like texture pop-in and low quality character models. In fact, the in-game cut scenes and models are even better than the pre-rendered cinematics which are of an extremely low quality.


The game also changes settings in a flawless manner by taking advantage of the different influences seen in Dubai. As such, it offers harsh deserts one moment and in the other brightly colored dining rooms or giant aquariums.


In terms of sound, The Line once again shines as it uses a variety of licensed progressive rock tunes to highlight a variety of firefights at the beginning of the game, and slowly lets players engage in battles without any sort of audible distraction, letting them truly contemplate on their actions.


Voice acting is also top notch, with Nolan North taking the role of Martin Walker and truly selling his slow mental breakdown as he progresses through the story. The other characters are also quite believable even if a few clichés, like a crazy DJ, are present.

Travel through Dubai ...	... and survive against all odds

Conclusion

Spec Ops: The Line is a competent shooter, but its special story and tone manage to set it apart from the likes of Call of Duty or Gears of War. This is a story about warfare and all of its inherent brutality and grey morality.


While there are a few mistakes and the conclusion might not thoroughly explain everything that happened, it’s a great experience that will have you think twice as you mow down enemies in other shooters.

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