MI-80 De Oppresso Liber

The demo for LucasArts’ latest entry into the Star Wars videogame franchise landed on Xbox LIVE yesterday, and fan results are mixed.

For anyone who has avoided the recent marketing blitz, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is an action/fighting game developed and published by LucasArts for a number of platforms. Slated for release on September 16th for North America, the demo includes an early level of the game in what is considered its final, or near final, state. The game has been positioned as a darker slice of the classic saga, positioning the player as a secret apprentice to Darth Vader set on eliminating the remaining Jedi. The game itself takes place in the timeline between the third and fourth movies.

Well, it's that time of year again, E3. The biggest and baddest video gaming expo ever certainly appears to be loosing steam though. Booth babes are being cracked down on, and less and less unique or original stuff is appearing each year. The PS3 is coming and it'll be crazy expensive. Nintendo's new console looks great but no one will buy it, and Microsoft is happy in their flight pattern circling rehash valley. What about those games that really deserve new life, back in the days when most games were unique and full of original ideas? Well, let's look at what I call the top 10 of em.

First off, why would I want sequels? I'm always bashing them after all. Well to be honest I have nothing against a good sequel that surpasses the original in every way, while remaining true to its roots. What I do have issues with is when someone like Electronic Arts (EA) takes one game engine and starts releasing a slightly rehashed version of a game series every 8-12 months. These games don't excel, improve, or in any way really separate themselves from the pack. It just gets annoying because what was once a great series such as Ghost Recon is just...okay now. O the newer one has slightly higher polygon counts, woohoo! The new one has 3 more weapons, woohoo! I can pay for PREIMUM content on top of the $300+ console and the constant stream of $60 rehashes, huzzah! You get my drift. If a sequel takes 3-5 years, then I'll check out out because in my own experience that's how long it takes to make a truly brilliant game.

System Shock 2

System: PC
Developer: Looking Glass Studio
Release Date: 1999
Genre: FPS
GameSpot Said: System Shock 2 both retains the best attributes of its predecessor and provides a fresh experience in its own right.
GameSpot Score: 8.5

Since I hold originality and uniqueness in such high regard it's surprising that a sequel would even make this list, but sometimes a sequel really can improve upon an original across the board. System Shock 2 took the Sci-Fi horror theme the original practically invented and improved the game play by streamlining the interface and controls, jazzed up the graphics to make gamers jump in their chairs, and basically just raised the bar for video games all around.

System Shock 2 surprised a lot of people. It was held almost without exception as one of the best games of all time, and many gamers still feel so today. It received stunning reviews and everyone thought System Shock 3 was guaranteed, especially given that first person shooters have only exploded over time. Unfortunately the System Shock title was sold to Electronic Arts when Looking Glass went under, making a future incarnation highly unlikely. Since it's purchase the only mention EA has made regarding the series has been in the form of Cease and Desist letters sent to gamers making mods and high-def theme packs to bring some new life to their long beloved game.

Well the big article on Wifi is almost done. It's basically a compilation of everything I've learned over the past few years in one place.

In the meantime I just wanted to let everyone know Penny Arcade is getting going with this years Child's Play. Basically each year around Christmas Penny Arcade, some of the biggest names in the gaming community, raise funds from gamers and geeks for patients in children's hospitals around the world. I can't think of a better way to spend $10-20. Items on their wish lists range from $10 games and movies to consoles that say an office could come together to get. Especially with all the Jack Thompson stuff over this past year gamers and geeks need to show the world at large what we really believe in!

Click any of the links above or the giant logo to the left to head straight to their site. I strongly urge anyone with a site related to gaming or geekdom consider tossing up one of their banners, or if you have spare time in the real world, some of their flyer's. Feel free to grab the banner to the left. I had to modify their stock banner since it broke the CSS layout of the site, so I hope maybe someone else will find it handy.

Rule the Battlefield!

From 1939 to 1945, the largest and most terrible war ever fought raged across the world. From the deserts of Africa to the jungles of the Philippines, from the icy waters of the Barents Sea to the sweltering islands of the South Pacific, millions of soldiers fought under the flags of dozens of countries. World War II's stories of heroism, valor, determination, and sheer military daring still inspire sixty years after the guns fell silent. This introduction to Axis and Allies Miniatures quickly makes it clear what the goal of this game is, fun but authentic miniature combat like never before. How well did Avalon Hill and Wizards of the Coast do? How does the new miniatures game compare to the long renowned board game? Well, read below.

Gen Con '05 was a blast - four fun-filled days of crazy outfits, total gaming immersion, and using our press clout to get secret info and special treatment. The highlight, however, came on Saturday, when we were lucky enough to have an interview with Sam "Meridian" Johnson of Wolfpack Studios. It should be said that, this being our first big one on one interview, we didn't know quite what to expect from the Loremaster for Shadowbane, not to mention the man who unleashed vampires on the world. We certainly had all sorts of questions to ask: From Call of Cthulhu to Shadowbane(2?) and the Lore Server.

So it was with wobbly knees that we made our way up the escalators to room 262, where we were to meet. As we made our way towards the door, we heard "Ah, that must be them" come from the hallway to the side (You just can't get the jump on people when you wear your organization's name on your shirt and hat, I suppose). We looked over as Sam finished up conversing with a friend and wished her luck in the upcoming game.

Much to my delight, he was easy-going and very eager to talk, and quickly assuaged my trepidations about this whole thing. We certainly had all sorts of questions to ask, luckily for us, Sam was chock full of answers.