Archive for September, 2010

Win a copy of Civilization V

Come one, come all! To celebrate the launch of Civilization V (and yes, it’s worth celebrating), we’re handing out a free Steam download code to one lucky reader. To enter, leave a comment on this post – reminisce about your favorite Civ memories, or just tell us why you love the game. We’ll draw a random winner tomorrow (September 22). Good luck everybody!

Update: We have a winner! Congratulations to ElSenorDelFuego!

Civilization V: 8 things you need to know before you start

Civ V is going to be out in just a couple of days. It’s really, really good. We’ve been playing it for weeks now, learning the intricacies of its systems, the importance of economy, and the hilarious consequences of nuclear stockpiles. We have some advice to impart. Here goes.

Civilization V demo out on Steam: so long, world

Civilization V is out today in the US, and the demo is already up on Steam and ready to play. It limits you to one small map, with 6 civilisations and 12 city states: small factions who can’t expand, but can be useful allies or victims. Three leaders to choose from, and all eight difficulty modes available. Combine this with our Civilization V review, and you should have all the appetite whetting you need. For those of us in the UK, we have two more days to wait until the full game launches. Because the world would end if a game came out on a Tuesday here.

Guild Wars 2 will let you track your friends on an iPad

ArenaNet have revelead have revealed details of what they’re calling the ‘extended experience’ for Guild Wars 2. What this means is that you’ll be able to follow your friends’ in-game actions and interact with them via apps for smart phones and generic digital tablets. They’re offering functionality far in advance of Blizzard’s mobile armory and auction house – allowing you to track a friend’s every move in-game. Read on for details.

James Bond: Blood Stone trailer shows manly punching

Remember the days when Bond would solve his problems with a raised eyebrow, a quip and a couple of rounds from his silenced PP7? Forget about that guy. The old, Martini-sipping cad is dead, and has been completely replaced by Daniel “I am a tank but also a man” Craig’s more impersonal brand of man-punching. The latest trailer for 007 Blood Stone only serves as another nail in the coffin for the roguish old Bond.

This is it – Michael Jackson MMO coming soon. Wtf?

I think I might be dreaming, or in some sort of weird nightmare, but a company called See Virtual Worlds have just announced plans to release a free to play Michael Jackson MMO later next year called Planet Michael. The game promises that “Michael’s longtime fans will feel at home as they find themselves in places that seem familiar and yet unknown at the same time”.

So just like a weird nightmare, then.

Read on for a list of features that we at PC Gamer would like to see from the Michael Jackson MMO, along with the first screenshots.

Eve Online launches Pakistan flood charity drive

Eve Online has launched a charity drive to help victims of the Pakistan floods. Players are able to donate 30 day subscription cards to the cause, and CCP will convert these subscriptions into their equivalent cash value and forward them to the Pakistan Red Crescent Society. Read on for details on how to donate.

StarCraft 2 1.1 patch imminent

If you’re logging on for some early morning Starcraft 2 tomorrow morning, and find that you can’t get on to Battlenet, don’t panic! Starcraft 2 will be receiving its first big balance update. Read on for what we know so far about the expected changes.

StarCraft II’s weakpoint: a mediocre story (spoiler-free)

I’ve just finished StarCraft II’s single-player campaign. I know I’m late to that party, but between slogging my way through the game on Hard difficulty (earning all the achievements along the way) and the constant harassment over Battle.net to quit playing the single-player and join in a multiplayer match, it took some time to complete.

Having now finished, it’s astonishing to me that, after so many years in development and so much masterful game design, the story of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is so pedestrian. Don’t get me wrong—it’s far from the worst thing I’ve ever seen (action movies set a very low bar when it comes to intelligent writing), and everything is beautifully presented, so that makes up for a lot. But with all the effort that Blizzard went through to create the high-quality cinematics and adventure game-style story mode, and the studio’s huge budget and proximity to all the writing talent that Hollywood has to offer, I was expecting something grander than a giant helping of bland action cliché.

Bioshock Infinite in Minecraft

A crew of talented Minecraft builders have build an inspired recreation of Bioshock Infinite’s floating city in Minecraft. The city has been adapted from the glimpses seen in the trailer, and comes complete with flying flags, propellers and blocky interpretations of the skyrails that link the floating buildings of Columbia.

You can play Plants vs. Zombies in WoW: Cataclysm

Blizzard have unveiled the latest move in their incessant quest to make sure PC Gamer does as little work as possible. They’re putting a Plants vs. Zombies mingame into World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Video below.