Not too much time to post just now, on account of “real” work, so I’ll make this quick. I got a new computer recently. It’s not great, but it’s lightyears ahead of my six-year-old laptop. As such I’ve been downloading plenty of games that my old hunk-O-junk could never run. To my great dissatisfaction, the F.E.A.R. demo does not run well, even on the lowest possible setting. Oh, well.

Which led me to the only other benchmark I could think of: “Well, can it play World of Warcraft?” Now, mind you, I don’t particularly want to play WoW, but it serves as a valid test of my computer’s ability to play a game that is fun. I am somewhat suspect of my ability to stop playing once I’ve started. However, I think that base is covered by my limited trial period. It’s my hope that I won’t be addicted enough to start paying for it.

Which reminds me, anybody know any decent—and free—MMOs I could try?

This has been out for a while and I’m actually surprised there hasn’t been more coverage of it. This PSU trailer shows off the online aspect of the game. I’ve talked to some people that saw the game at E3, and it looks like the single player is going to fall short of its lofty promises. That’s unfortunate, but I doubt anyone will cry about it for long when they start playing online. In short, the online aspects of PSU look more robust in every way. The player hubs—entire cities now, not just a lobby—look very cool. There’s also some trading going on. The combat also looks much more dynamic, and the addition of two more players just makes everything look much grander. But, you can see all that for yourself. Find the video after the break.

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Behold! A screen from Command & Conquer 3! I found it on Kotaku! Exclamation!

The chaps over at Eurogamer are batting 1000 today. They have a preview of both the upcoming F.E.A.R. port for the 360 as well as the PC expansion, Extraction Point. This is one that I’m really waiting to play. As I’ve mentioned before, my PC is woefully inadequate for games that came out since, oh, 2000. Suffice it to say, it’s probably time for me to upgrade.

My computer’s shortcomings aside, it’s a nice little preview. It allays some—ahem—fears about the game’s graphical quality compared to the PC. The preview also details some of the new single player content, most notably the Instant Action mode which has players blasting through as many enemies as possible. High scores will be posted on LIVE. Be warned, there are spoilers for those of you who haven’t finished the original. There is a warning though, so you can read up to a certain point without worry. Check it out right here.

IGN has posted a short interview with Huxley developer Webzen. While it doesn’t divulge too much new information about the project, I am so thirsty for any info regarding this game that I will post anything. Anything. The juiciest bit in the interview is the statement that there will be massive 100 vs. 100 battles. That’s a lot of players in a single battle. Also, when asked about the cross-platform play between the PC and 360 versions, the developer failed to answer with a simple yes or no, saying that it goes “beyond mere connecton.” I don’t know what that means, but it’s good, I guess.

There is a (somewhat lengthy) article over at Gamasutra about level design. The article focuses solely on the evolution of first person shooters, but is nevertheless a good read. It’s a pretty good chronicle of the progress that has been made in computer graphics over the years. Some of the key games mentioned include Doom, System Shock, Duke Nukiem 3D, and of course Half-Life. The article details how each successive game added new features and graphical/physical capabilities. Of all the great features that have been put into games over the last 15 years, it fails to mention the greatest feature of all: giving money to strippers in Duke Nukem 3D.

Be warned, this is an academic paper, citations and all. It has more than a few typos, too—do they not have editors at Gamasutra? You can find the article here:

Part 1
Part 2

1-up has posted new info on the MMO FPS Huxley. I’ve been waiting for this game for some time. Of interest is that there will be marked differences between the 360 and PC versions. Namely, each version will have a different hub city exclusive to one platform. These hubs act as the neutral zones outside of battle, much like the lobbies in Phantasy Star Online or the towns in Diablo. Other tidbits include:

• The 360 version will have a traditional single player campaign
• Graphically, the PC and 360 versions should be “roughly equivalent”
• Online play will be cross-platform, allowing PC and 360 players to share the same game space
• Huxley will feature a quest system. Main quests and side quests can be obtained from NPCs

Exciting news for sure. Check out 1-up for more screens.

-via Evil Avatar. Image from Wikipedia