>
News

News

Valve announce 4th annual Saxxy awards, opens floor to Portal submissions

Tom Sykes at

The Saxxy Awards, Valve's annual Source Filmmaker competition, is now in its fourth year, and to shake things up a bit they're encouraging players/directors to make films about something other than Team Fortress 2 - namely Portal. All of Portal 2's assets (minus, er, the portals and a few other things) can now be downloaded into SFM as free DLC, enabling that Spy vs Wheatley crossover animation that (probably) hasn't been able to exist until now. That isn't the only content pack headed to the program either: Puny Human are offering up select assets from Blade Symphony too.


Read and comment >

GTA 4 iCEnhancer creator taking break from modding after years of abuse

Tom Sykes at

Today on Internet Jerks Ruin Everything: the creator of Grand Theft Auto's impressive iCEnhancer mod has decided to hang up his modding boots and head for pastures less horrible, at least for a while. In a Facebook post, Hayssam Keilany announced that he's taking a break from modding thanks to a vitriolic community "trying to bring me down constantly". iCEnhancer 3.0's installer and downgrader tools are both on the way, but after that Keilany is "done for a while".


Read and comment >

Blizzard reveal WoW: Warlords of Draenor's new Tauren women, could maybe have left their clothes on

Tom Sykes at

There are few things more disturbing than a cow wearing a bra, and Blizzard just made me look at a whole bunch of them in order to write this news post. Upcoming World of Warcraft expansion Warlords of Draenor is giving the MMO a bit of a graphical overhaul - I mean, just look at how slightly different the Draenei will look in a few months' time. Now it's time for the Tauren to go under the knife 3D modelling programs, and it seems Blizzard have made them a bit more human. WoW's resident cow-people will boast a bigger range of facial expressions, more detailed hair and hooves - as it turns out, this makes it extra creepy to see them strolling around in a bra and pants.


Read and comment >

Lego Batman 3 trailer goes beyond Gotham and into deepest space

Tom Sykes at

In case you missed it: Lego Batman 3 is totally a thing. Except it's less Lego Batman and more Lego DC Comics, what with it including Superman and Wonder Woman and The Flash and all their many pals and enemies. Adam West is also in the game, because wishes do come true after all. This latest trailer shows a decent chunk of action, including Supes being his traditionally smugly indestructible self. Keep an eye out for robots and even scrolling shoot-'em-up bits too.


Read and comment >

Rust studio announces Riftlight, an arcade shooter with RPG elements

Shaun Prescott at

Survival simulation games are pretty serious. Sometimes you just want to shoot things without any serious repercussions. To sate these urges, Adam Woolridge of Rust studio Facepunch Studios has just announced Riftlight, an arcade shooter with what he describes as ‘light-RPG’ elements. According to the game’s first development blog, Riftlight will also feature looting, abilities and talent trees.


Read and comment >

MLG suspends Call of Duty star Patrick 'Aches' Price due to 'repeated harassment'

Shaun Prescott at

As pro gaming becomes more mainstream, game studios and e-Sports organisations are making more concerted efforts to clean up the sport's image. Case in point is the suspension of Patrick 'Aches' Price from four MLG CoD Pro League Matches, as well as the NA 2K Tournament. Aches is part of the renown Evil Geniuses team, and is known for his combative and outspoken personality. Evil Geniuses boasts endorsements and sponsorships from the likes of Razer, BenQ and Monster Energy drinks, among others.


Read and comment >

Project CARS system requirements will put your PC to the test

Shaun Prescott at

Project Cars studio Slighty Mad has claimed that its racer is "the most technically advanced racing game on the planet", so it makes sense that you'd need a technically advanced PC to run it. With the release of these system requirements, you'll be able to make sure your PC is up-to-scratch before the game's release on an unspecified day in November.


Read and comment >

Rise of Incarnates beta sign-ups now open; new Comic-Con trailer released

Shaun Prescott at

Bandai Namco's free-to-play brawler Rise of Incarnates will enter its beta phase soon, and while there's no specific date for when that will happen sign-ups are now open.


Read and comment >

Payday: The Heist goes free for one day in October

Shaun Prescott at

If you fancy a free game about robbing and defending banks, then here's good news: Payday: The Heist is going free for 24 hours on October 18. This is happening thanks to the hard work of 1,050,000 fans, who undertook the laborious task of joining the PayDay 2 Steam group. It's part of Overkill's Crimefest promotion, which rewards loot to those who join the group, providing the studio reaches a series of membership milestones.


Read and comment >

Dominions 4 diary, part one: one monolith's struggle to become top deity

Tom Senior at

Dominions 4 is a turn-based strategy game about warring gods. Each deity commands a nation of beings ready to fight and die to secure their lord’s ascension, and each is borrowed from recognisable mythology. Greek centaurs battle the dark creatures of Nordish Helheim. Atlantean troops wrestle with the Lovecraftian beasts of R’lyeh. It’s as though a literature professor and a history professor got drunk together and started asking “who would win in a fight between this ancient cultural belief and that dark fantasy monster?” And then made a game to find the answer.

I’m going to win Dominions 4 as a giant stationary hunk of rock. Or try to, anyway. I could have been a monster riding a giant grey ape. I could have been one of three dragons. I could have been lots of things, but none have the charm and comedy sprite of the noble, silent obelisk.


Read and comment >

Telltale's The Walking Dead will be getting a third season

Tom Sykes at

There wasn't really too much doubt about this, but it's nice to get confirmation anyway: Telltale's The Walking Dead series will be getting a third season, as announced at Comic-Con (and on Twitter). No details yet, but I don't think it's way out of line to expect zombies, quick-time events, and for Clem to be replaced as protagonist by Bob from the increasingly rubbish TV series. Well, OK, probably not that last one.


Read and comment >

Mass Effect Comic-Con panel reveals N7 connection, return of the Mako for next game

Tom Sykes at

UPDATE: Footage of the panel has appeared online, along with a few more details, including confirmation that you'll be playing as a human character. You'll find it below.

It's natural to expect the big game-related news to emerge out of E3 or Gamescom, but BioWare just revealed a load of new details about the next Mass Effect in a panel at Comic-Con, which they reiterate is totally not called Mass Effect 4. The mighty Nerd Appropriate were on hand to take sneaky images, and thanks to their sterling work we now know that the first game's infuriating/awesome spacecar the Mako will be making a return - they even showed footage of the thing in action, although sadly video hasn't leaked of that yet. More details after the break, which may or may not include the letters 'N7'.


Read and comment >

The Best Free Games of the Week

Tom Sykes at

As ever, your humble guide to the world of free games has poked, prodded and evaluated the week's many freebies, shoving the best ones into a handy roundup for your consideration. Read on for ghost wheels, faceless wizards, GTA-style tplosjons (it's not a typo), oh and THE BEST PUN IN GAMES. Enjoy!


Read and comment >

The PC Gamer Hearthstone tournament

PC Gamer at

Hearthstone gets its claws into you. Blizzard’s masterstroke is the way the game rewards you for a win—the shower of fireworks that springs from the screen every time you land a killing blow on the enemy hero.

The moment you start craving more of that experience, Hearthstone’s got you—as it got us. Tim is almost entirely lost to it, spending his early hours researching deck compositions. Chris played played 50 hours when he reviewed the game, before bowing out mumbling something about mages. Andy booted it up for the first time when asked to prepare for this tournament, hated it, and then saw the fireworks—and now he’s been sucked in, too.

The inaugural PC Gamer Hearthstone tournament gathers up all of that emotional and psychological investment, and pours it into a crucible of hot, middling competition. We can’t claim to be the best players in the world, but everybody here wants to win: and everybody who gets knocked out is doomed to spend at least 20 minutes sulking in a corner.


Read and comment >

Battlefield Hardline's single-player sees you framed for a drug bust gone bad

Tom Sykes at

Can Battlefield Hardline's sudden delay to 2015 engooden a game whose beta wasn't terribly well received? Ignore the fact that I just murdered the English language there with the word 'engooden' and focus on these details about the game's story mode, which until now has been shrouded in mystery. Admittedly a mystery no one really cared too much about, like the premise of The Leftovers or what happened to Walt in Lost, but a mystery all the same. Hardline's single-player tells the story of two framed cops who bust out of prison to clear their names (by shooting lots of people, as is the custom). Actors from The Shield, Sons of Anarchy and, er, Nash Bridges are on-board to do the voices. Cheech Marin isn't one of them, disappointingly.


Read and comment >

Crimes and Punishments' latest trailer offers a lengthy look at Frogwares' Sherlock Holmes sim

Tom Sykes at

If you think I'm writing about Crimes and Punishments just so I can link to the best Sherlock Holmes song ever written, My Dear Watson by Thee Headcoats, then you're half-right. I'm also writing about it because a massive new trailer has just released. In its 23 minutes of footage, Holmes doesn't say the word "elementary" once, but he does look a bit like a Victorian Matthew Mcconaughey, so that's something I suppose. This latest 'narrated gameplay trailer' contains commentary by the guy what did that Styx: Master of Shadows one, which makes sense as both games share a publisher.


Read and comment >

Saturday Crapshoot: Gold Rush!

Richard Cobbett at

Every week, Richard Cobbett rolls the dice to bring you an obscure slice of gaming history, from lost gems to weapons grade atrocities. This week, can an enterprising soul make a fortune... specifically, by charging $10 for a 1988 adventure game with a remake already on the way?

Gold Rush! doesn't sound like it's going to be one of the odder games from the Sierra On-Line catalogue; the company that after all gave us games like Manhunter and Leisure Suit Larry 2. It actually just sounds like, well, a pretty good idea. What better historical adventure could there be than leaving one's life behind in an all-or-nothing gamble in the California Gold Rush at a time of great change and great fortune? The Oregon Trail was a staple at schools for a reason - the call of the frontier still loud and booming, even in an era of planes, trains and automobiles, and many other memorable comedy movies as well.

But then you play it. And in a word... whooooooooooooooooooooo!

Read and comment >

Rob Zombie's Assassin's Creed Unity short film is surprisingly good (and unsurprisingly gory)

Tim Clark at

So, you want to give gamers a quick primer to the historical backcloth of the French Revolution, but can’t afford to send them all a copy of Les Miserables. What’s the plan, hotshot? If you’re Ubisoft, the not entirely obvious answer is ‘hire Rob Zombie’.


Read and comment >

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor's newest trailer reveals the Wraith's identity, more story details

Andy Chalk at

Warner Bros. Interactive has revealed the identity of the wraith at the center of Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, and it's a surprisingly important character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The new trailer also sets up a lot of the game's story, including the Wraith's importance to the Dark Lord, Sauron.


Read and comment >

Shadowrun: Dragonfall is returning with a Director's Cut

Andy Chalk at

Harebrained Schemes has announced that Shadowrun: Dragonfall will be re-released in late summer in a heavily upgraded, standalone Director's Cut edition.


Read and comment >