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Wednesday, October 19, 2011
In-House: Might & Magic: Heroes VI Review
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Check out our in-house review of Might & Magic: Heroes VI - the latest in the classic line of turn-based strategy games. I cover all of the changes that Ubisoft made to the classic formula, the DRM, and what to expect from the campaign.

Check it out!

Norwegian Gaming Sites Concerned By EA's Battlefield 3 Review Questionnaire
- 12 Comments
According to a report at Norwegian based NRK.no, a questionnaire was recently sent out to several outlets that reached out about review copies of Battlefield 3. Among some of the more troubling inquiries were requests for details on the reviewing editor's previous scores of Bad Company 2 and Black Ops, information on any past experience with previous Battlefield titles, and if the editor was a fan of either franchise.

The situation has caused some to speculate that EA Norway is attempting to control review scores in the area, by potentially denying editors that may not meet standards in their eyes. Per a Google translated page of Pressfire.no's coverage of the situation, an apology has since been issued by an EA spokesperson for the situation, in which the questionnaire itself was declared the result of human error. According to the spokesperson, the questionnaire should not have happened, nor will the practice continue.

In the US review copies of Battlefield 3 seem pretty locked down, at least from anyone but the major networks and magazines. It currently appears that the odds will be slim that we'll have the opportunity to have a day one review of Battlefield 3 up, whereas Modern Warfare 3 shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks to Quicksurfer for the tip!

Pro Persians Coming Soon To Age Of Empires Online
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Persia, the very first "Pro" civilization scheduled to hit Age of Empires Online, is on the verge of release. By going "Pro" Persia players will be able to jump straight to level 20, and gain access to unique units, a fully geared army, higher level quest content, and star techs.

I tried my best to get into Age of Empires Online at launch, but I couldn't muster up the strength to grind past level 10. Perhaps Persia will bring on some of the excitement I was looking for.

Race For Your Life In Need For Speed: The Run
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I still can't get over the fact that The Need For Speed: The Run is build off of the Frostbite 2 engine, talk about unexpected. Now that the demo is out I'm definitely going to have to take a peek, especially to see how the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 holds up.

Blah... "Too Many Games!" Edition
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It feels like time has kicked into overdrive with all these game releases lately. Seriously, new games are flying in at warp speed. In the next few weeks we're going to see the release of: Battlefield 3, Uncharted 3, Modern Warfare 3, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Arkham City (PC), Anno 2070, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Silent Hill: Downpour, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Saints Row 3, Take On Helicopters, and Need For Speed: The Run. HO-LEE-SHEET.

Of course there are some other games that I forgot to mention, but those are the titles on my hot list. I'll probably have to wait on a number of those games until they get a bit cheaper, and for when I've got more time. I've learned my lessons in previous years where I'd buy up all the biggest releases all at once. It's best to tackle them one at a time, and usually if you wait a little bit there's a better deal to be had.

Of course if you're on a super tight budget, you could always stick to freebie titles like Enviro-Bear 2000 (see video), or stick things out here at VE to see if we've got any holiday game keys for you guys. You know Ohmey Clause loves hooking you all up, and I'd really like to make 2011 a year to remember. I'd like to think we could get Activision to give away some MW3 keys at launch, and who knows, maybe EA, Ubisoft, Valve, and Blizzard would like to join in this year. Keep your fingers crossed!

So tell us guys, what games are you definitely picking up this holiday season?

Tuesday, October 18, 2011
League of Legends Goes Holiday Themed With The Harrowing
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Get ready to bust out those Riot Points because a slew of new Halloween themed content is on the way!

Hardware & Tech Roundup
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Gaming

3D

Graphics

Cases

Cooling

Motherboards

Storage

Memory

Other

Aspyr Would Really Like It If You Visited Their New Website
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Aspyr, which is best known for porting windows games to Macs, would really like for you to vist their newfangled website. In fact, they are offering you a chance to win an ipad2, just by visiting the site. To enter, you need to search the site for images of Michael Rogers, Aspyr's President. Full details are here.
Toki Tori 2 Announced
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Two Tribes has just announced that they are working on a sequel to Toki Tori, which should be hitting Steam in 2012. What is most interesting about the press release is that they are going to employ an "open development model." Players will have direct access to the developers through twitter and the Toki Tori 2 Development Blogs. You may also sign up for a free steam development version of Toki Tori 2. Send an email to tokitori2@twotribes.com if you are interested. Don't tarry. They only have a couple hundred copies to give out.


Batman: Arkham City PC - Save 20%
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Pre-order for Batman: Arkham City is now available on Steam. If you already own Batman: Arkham Asylum OR Lego Batman, then you'll save 20%. The release date for the PC version of Arkham City is November 15. The regular price of the game is $49.99, so you'd be saving almost $10 if you can score the 20% discount.
Heavy Fire: Afghanistan's Release Draws Nigh
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Mastiff, LLC has announced that it will be releasing Heavy Fire: Afghanistan this November for the PC, PS3, and Wii. The previous iterations in the series were on-rails arcade shooters developed by Teyon, a Polish software company. The new one is also an on-rails arcade shooter developed by Teyon. The main difference, beyond being available on platforms other than the Wii, is that the new one is set in Afghanistan. So what can you look forward to if you pick this up in November? Read on for bits from the press release (and some screens).
"Heavy Fire: Afghanistan is a super fast playing, high-intensity experience set in modern-day Afghanistan. Whether fighting up close and personal with guns and grenades, raining down fire from a helicopter or laying waste with a main battle tank, Heavy Fire: Afghanistan is all about constant, edge-of-the-seat action and beautiful graphics combined with straightforward, intuitive controls to give hardcore gamers and novices an immediately fun, pickup-and-play experience."
Additionally, the press release promised the following features.
  • 24 high-action missions
  • More than 60 awards, ranks, and equipment upgrades
  • Leaderboard to see how you stack up
  • 1-4 players, cooperative play
Here is a trailer to help you envision the imminent edge of your seat action.

So, be honest, how many of you are canceling your Battlefield 3/Modern Warfare 3 pre-orders as we speak?


X Rebirth Trailer
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One of our readers was kind enough to point out that the Gamescom trailer for X Rebirth, the latest in the X series of sci-fi space games, has been released. Presumably this one will involve tooling around the galaxy, discovering new and interesting peoples or aliens and then trading with them or blowing them up depending on your whims at the moment. There will probably also be a plot, but I imagine that will be optional. The last X game was 2008's X³: Terran Conflict. Watch the trailer below to see some of what the developers at Egosoft have spent the last three years doing.

The german language description of the video basically says that Egosoft developed a new graphics engine for XRebirth and that this trailer of alpha footage was filmed during a presentation at gamescom 2011. The trailer was posted by Golem.de, a German website devoted to "IT news for Professionals." "Viel dank" for the trailer, Golem.de.

Also, thanks you for the heads up on this, Mark.

TERA Fyrmount Flythrough Video
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There's a new TERA flythrough video out today, showing off the volcanic depths of Fyrmount, one of the zones in the upcoming action-MMORPG.

Dragon Age: Redemption - Episode 2
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The second episode of Felicia Day's Dragon Age: Redemption live-action series is now available for viewing.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - The Missing Link Released
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Deus Ex: Human Revolution - The Missing Link is now available for download, except for the PS3 version which will apparently launch tomorrow. New launch trailer below!

After being tortured by Belltower agents and having his augmentations disabled, Adam Jensen must rely solely on his basic capabilities to escape from a freighter, destined for an unknown location. While fighting for his survival on the ship, he uncovers another layer to the conspiracy that he never would have suspected. As Adam, gamers will befriend new, mysterious allies and fight ruthless enemies to discover what was happening in the shadows during the events of DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION!

FEATURES:

  • New layers of conspiracy unveiled
  • Sprawling new environments
  • Brand-new characters
  • Rebuild Adam’s augmentation set

Dungeon Defenders Developer Diary 5 - Game Modes
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Trendy Entertainment's Dungeon Defenders launches tomorrow, so there's still time to pre-order the tower defense / action-RPG to get 10% off. Check out the 5th developer diary for Dungeon Defenders, during with the Trendy peeps talk about game modes and replayability.

Dungeon Defenders is a Tower Defense Action-RPG where you must save the land of Etheria from an Ancient Evil! Create a hero from one of four distinct classes to fight back wave after wave of enemies by summoning defenses and directly participating in the action-packed combat!

Customize and level your character, forge equipment, gather loot, collect pets and more! Take your hero through multiple difficulty modes and challenge/survival missions to earn more experience & even better treasure. Join your friends with 4-player online and local (splitscreen) co-op to plan your strategies together or compete in PvP Deathmatch.

Transformers: Fall of Cyberton Debut Trailer
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No PC version coming, but here's the debut trailer for Transformers: Fall of Cyberton, the 2012 continuation of the epic war between the Autobots and Decepticons.

Bethesda Bombs In Court Vs. Mojang
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Eurogamer updates us on the Bethesda Vs. Mojang court case. Minecraft developer, Mojang, has won the interim injunction in the case of Scrolls Vs. Elder Scrolls. Mojang can continue to use the name "Scrolls" for its game. No word yet on whether Bethesda will appeal the ruling.
Notes From The Bunker
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Comrades, the importance of today's morning update has brought me before you. We are one step closer to our goals. Victory is almost upon us, but we must still push forward. Yes, there are problems. There will always be problems, especially in the current economic situation. The lack of video game related content in my Notes From The Bunker, about which I hear so much these days, is one of them. And it will be resolved, as will all others in time, as the global economy stabilizes.

I would like to talk to you for a moment about the so-called ATI Radeon HD 5700 video card. Because it apparently died on me on Sunday night, all of my recent efforts to post a review of a random video game have been thwarted. Still, as Generalissimoist, I have worked hard day and night--done quite a job to ensure my worth for the responsibility you have bestowed on me. I even picked up and played through most of Turning Point: Fall of Liberty so that I could talk about that awful FPS with all of you. Gracias amigos!

No one can deny the amazing development that has happened in the Notes From The Bunker within just one week! I have an even more astonishing future in store for all of you. As part of my reform plan for my next update I shall see to it that the readers of Voodoo Extreme live in an environment free of Tuesday morning updates that are not 100% computer game related. Our victory will allow me to finish the reforms!

By the way, the 5700 went kaput just when I was about to beat Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II: Retribution's Chaos campaign on the highest difficulty. Perhaps, the Emperor was punishing me for my heresy.

Now that is out of the way. Here is a picture of what happens when old hard drives are introduced to .40 (185 grain FMJ) Wolf steel case ammo by a SIG Pro 2340.