MMO Updates

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• Rise and Shiny: Star Sonata
• One Shots: Slumbering death
• The Daily Grind: What's the most insulting quest you've ever done?
• Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin announces official soundtrack release
• Wings Over Atreia: Laying the smackdown on RMT in Aion
• The Game Archaeologist: EA's Majestic
• SOE's Smedley and Higby on PlanetSide 2's e-sports evolution
• The Tattered Notebook: Decisional paralysis in EverQuest II
• TERA outlines free-to-play restrictions in a new chart

Rise and Shiny: Star Sonata Posted: 27 Jan 2013 09:00 AM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Screenshots, Bugs, Game mechanics, Previews, PvP, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-play, Casual, Humor, Rise and Shiny, Livestream I first intended to use this article as a list of things to avoid if you are an indie dev, and I was going to use Star Sonata, an indie, twitch-based space MMO, as the prime example on that list. The game works, sure, and it obviously has a playerbase that seems to enjoy itself, but I am not sure how long it might take a normal, new player to achieve the same level of happiness. I literally had to re-do this visit to the game because the first attempt was hijacked by a glitchy livestream and other issues. Luckily, the first attempt had primed this second one a bit more, but I have still spent most of the week confused. The worst part about being so lost in a game like Star Sonata is that it's very easy to see just how much potential the game has. Hopefully, this article -- combined with input from the players -- might just help the developers fix some of the very basic issues that are hurting this game. Continue reading Rise and Shiny: Star Sonata Rise and Shiny: Star Sonata originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Jan 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

One Shots: Slumbering death Posted: 27 Jan 2013 07:00 AM PST Filed under: World of Warcraft, Screenshots, Culture, Guild Wars 2, One Shots, TERA, Miscellaneous Reader John's going to get me to actually say something nice about TERA. Are you ready for it? Because this doesn't happen often. Here's my compliment: It's a beautiful-looking game. Really. I can't deny that there's a special level of polish and eye when it comes to its visuals. Anyway, John sent us in this captivating picture of a place that might look pretty in the daylight, but you probably don't want to be loitering after nightfall. "I just started playing TERA upon hearing about the F2P conversion. This is my Amani Berserker traveling through the low-level Valley of Titans and stopping behind a pair of rock giants. These rock giants are all over the place here -- I wonder what will happen if they ever wake up?" Dance party? That's my guess. See John's full-color photo in all its glory after the break in addition to other terrifying vistas. Continue reading One Shots: Slumbering death One Shots: Slumbering death originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Daily Grind: What's the most insulting quest you've ever done? Posted: 27 Jan 2013 05:00 AM PST Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Humor, Miscellaneous The other night, a friend of mine took to Twitter to express her displeasure over an EverQuest II mission. "I have to do something called Jenni's Stained Pants," she said, nonplussed. "This may be the most insulting quest I've ever done." While the actual mission turned out to be more benign than she'd anticipated from the title, I could relate. There have been so many quests in MMOs that aren't just beneath my stature but outright mocking my status as a hero. How many times have we had to pick up poo on the whims of a developer? Or pluck flowers for Elves? Or run extremely pointless errands because an NPC has a deadly case of fat butt and doesn't want to stop watching Honey Boo Boo? So let it out today: What's the most insulting quest you've ever done? Vent! Lance that wound! Rebuff those devs who think it's OK to make a monkey out of you! Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind! The Daily Grind: What's the most insulting quest you've ever done? originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 27 Jan 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin announces official soundtrack release Posted: 26 Jan 2013 05:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Final Fantasy XI, Expansions, News items, Consoles, Music Final Fantasy XI has always had wonderful soundtracks, and the upcoming of Seekers of Adoulin promises to be no different. We've heard a few of the tracks from the expansion that's due out at the end of March, but if you can't get enough of the songs from the game even before it launches, then we have good news. The official soundtrack album will be released on March 27th, complete with cover art by Yoshitaka Amano. At this point, the album is confirmed for release only in Japan, meaning that game music lovers will have to jump through a few importing hoops to acquire it. All of the tracks on the album are composed by Naoshi Mizuta, who is also responsible for the arrangement and production on the final release. It's unlikely that this will see a full American release, but if you're willing to make the effort, you can have the in-game music follow you around as you like. Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin announces official soundtrack release originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: SoA Soundtrack Announced

Wings Over Atreia: Laying the smackdown on RMT in Aion Posted: 26 Jan 2013 03:00 PM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Aion, MMO industry, Opinion, Free-to-play, Wings Over Atreia Sports don't have a monopoly on pregame rituals. I know for a fact some folks have their own sets of customary actions that are performed before logging into Aion. These routines are as varied as the players themselves; some may grab a drink or snacks before settling in, while others may put on their lucky PvP socks. I'm acquainted with at least a few people who lock the door to keep pesky interruptions (i.e., roomies) from dog piling on them. Me? Well, I'd like to say I have a cool routine, but I don't... yet! However, regardless of what you do before you log in, there is one ritual most of us share once we get in: block the RMT spam. As much as I can understand and even encourage a wide array of gaming rituals, this particular one really needs to go. But it's out of our hands; in order for it to happen, kinah-selling must be seriously curtailed in Aion. Some players have questioned whether NCsoft even cares about the kinah-selling problem. I think the answer to that came in the studio's announcement this past week. In a bold new move in the fight against illicit RMT, NCsoft is poised to piledrive the kinah-selling population. Continue reading Wings Over Atreia: Laying the smackdown on RMT in Aion Wings Over Atreia: Laying the smackdown on RMT in Aion originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Jan 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Game Archaeologist: EA's Majestic Posted: 26 Jan 2013 01:00 PM PST Filed under: Puzzle, Real life, Sci-fi, Culture, Browser, The Game Archaeologist, Miscellaneous "This is not a game. Or is it?" Conspiracy theories and paranoia were hot with pop culture in the 1990s, largely thanks to movies like The Net and TV shows like the X-Files, which had the tagline of "I want to believe." With the rise of the internet during the decade and the fantastic leaps and bounds technology had been making, people were not only experiencing new ways to play games but also growing suspicious that these tools could have a sinister side. It was into this niche that EA stepped to create an ambitious $20 million project that would fuse massively multiplayer interactivity, the growing variety of technological mediums, and conspiracy theories together. The project was Majestic, an alternate reality game (ARG) that would be the most expensive and highest profile attempt to date. It generated great amounts of interest and publicity, had a promising start, and then flared out hard by the end of 2001. Considering how ARGs and MMOs have crossed paths since, most recently with The Secret World, I wanted to take a closer look at an attempt to develop a game that would run parallel in many ways with the industry that we love today. Continue reading The Game Archaeologist: EA's Majestic The Game Archaeologist: EA's Majestic originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Jan 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

SOE's Smedley and Higby on PlanetSide 2's e-sports evolution Posted: 26 Jan 2013 12:00 PM PST Filed under: Sci-fi, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, MMOFPS, Massively Event Coverage, PlanetSide 2 Yesterday we told you about SOE's new PlanetSide 2-focused partnership with Major League Gaming. Following the announcement, Joystiq scribe Mike Schramm managed to corner principals from both companies at Friday's PlanetSide 2 Ultimate Showdown event in LA to ask what, exactly, is in store for fans of Auraxian e-sports. Join us after the break as CEO John Smedley, creative director Matt Higby, and MLG's Sundance DiGiovanni give us an early look at PS2's competitive evolution. Continue reading SOE's Smedley and Higby on PlanetSide 2's e-sports evolution SOE's Smedley and Higby on PlanetSide 2's e-sports evolution originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Jan 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Tattered Notebook: Decisional paralysis in EverQuest II Posted: 26 Jan 2013 11:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Classes, Game mechanics, MMO industry, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-play, The Tattered Notebook So the last time we talked EverQuest II, I confessed that coming back to the game felt a lot like coming home. That's still true, in more ways than I first realized. I don't know about you, but when I return after a lengthy absence I have an overwhelming urge to get things done. As I look around the place and figure out what's changed, what needs fixing, and what seems like fun, I tend to get overwhelmed, too, because there's just a lot of stuff that needs doing. That's exactly what happened to me in Norrath over the past two weeks. I logged in with my 92 Sage and my 92 Shadowknight, surveyed their vast array of abilities and possibilities, and promptly threw up my hands. Continue reading The Tattered Notebook: Decisional paralysis in EverQuest II The Tattered Notebook: Decisional paralysis in EverQuest II originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

TERA outlines free-to-play restrictions in a new chart Posted: 26 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Previews, News items, Free-to-play, TERA By this point, we're all familiar with how transitions happen from subscription games to subscription-optional games. There are usually three tiers of membership; subscribers get the most stuff, and former subscribers get a few extra perks. In TERA's case, however, the restrictions outlined in a handy new chart suggest that it's not just subscribers getting a lot of extra benefit out of the change, as anyone who purchased the game in the past will get hefty rewards. Founders (that is, players who had purchased a boxed or digital copy of the game) will have access to eight character slots, a special title, and a special mount. Subscribers who had not previously purchased the game will be limited to two slots with more purchasable. Of course, subscribers also get shortened dungeon cooldowns, more auction house listings, and several bonus daily items. Looking to get in on the Founder benefits? You'll have to move quickly; digital sales of the game will be discontinued upon free-to-play launch, and no further boxes will be produced, so you'll want to buy soon to secure your benefits. [Thanks to Justin for the tip!] TERA outlines free-to-play restrictions in a new chart originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 26 Jan 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments Source: Founder Status - Get It While It's Hot!

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New Games

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• Ace Combat: Assault Horizon finally available on PC
• Aerosmith Greatest Dimension Pack hits Rock Band Tuesday
• XSEED: No plans for a Pandora's Tower special edition
• Indie Showcase games at PAX East 2013 are revealed
• Cryamore: The stuff that 2D action RPG dreams are made of
• Review: Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes (iOS)
• Europe gets worse versions of Wii U Virtual Console games
• Mew Mew Train replaces Mew Mew Train as new Mew Mew Train
• Review: Westerado
• Counter-Strike 1.6 now available on Linux and Mac
• Reminder: Europe gets the MG Rising Gray Fox DLC for free
• Gamer crafts slave-era tropical plantation in The Sims 3

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon finally available on PC Posted: 26 Jan 2013 02:00 PM PST It's been quite the wait, but fans are now able to experience Ace Combat on their PCs with the release of Ace Combat: Assault Horizon: Enhanced Edition. What warrants the 'enhanced edition' tag at the end, you may ask? Well, according to Namco Bandai, the the PC version will come with "controls and graphics that have been optimized specifically for PC users" as well as "many of the DLC items released on the console versions of the game." You can pick the Enhanced Edition up from multiple online retailers including Steam for $34.99/€29.99. Personally, I look forward to seeing how Assault Horizon's most emotional quick-time event looks on PC; I mean, that thing deserves an award.

Aerosmith Greatest Dimension Pack hits Rock Band Tuesday Posted: 26 Jan 2013 01:00 PM PST Boston's hometown heroes Aerosmith have a six-pack of tracks hitting Rock Band this coming Tuesday, January 29th. This is the first time the hard-rocking, blues-influenced band has graced the RB platform, and the first time they've been in a game since Revolution X (or, rather the second time, but we'd like to forget the cash-grab attempt of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith). The track includes greatest hits such as "Walk This Way" and "Sweet Emotion" from the '75 album Toys in the Attic, "Back in the Saddle" from Rocks, and a live version of their hit, "Dream On." Rounding out the pack will be two tracks from the bands newest studio album, Music From Another Dimension!, "Legendary Child," and "Lover Alot." As always, the tracks can be purchased separately at $1.99 a track on PSN and $2 on Wii (or 160 Microsoft points on XBL), or together as part of the "Greatest Dimension Pack" for $9.99, with "Sweet Emotion" and "Dream On (live)" getting Guitar and Bass pro-upgrades for a dollar more. While I'm glad the track pack is coming out, I would have liked to have seen a wider span of tracks from each era of the band's career, not just the two albums from the 70s. What say you, music fans? A Six-Pack of Aerosmith Hits Come to Rock Band  [RockBand.com]

XSEED: No plans for a Pandora's Tower special edition Posted: 26 Jan 2013 12:00 PM PST In case you haven't heard, Pandora's Tower is coming to North America and we're excited around these parts. The fact that the long-awaited role-playing game is getting localized is cause enough for celebration, but wouldn't it be killer if the game received a special edition similar to the one XSEED put out for The Last Story? The correct answer is yes. Yes, it would. Sadly, though, that just isn't in the cards. The publisher announced via Twitter that this will be a more "streamlined" release, but reversible cover and manual art might happen. And there's even a possibility, however remote, that honey badgers will come stapled to each and every case. Make it happen, XSEED. Pandora's Tower comes to Wii on March 26th, 2013 for $39.99.

Indie Showcase games at PAX East 2013 are revealed Posted: 26 Jan 2013 11:00 AM PST The Indie Showcase is one of the best parts of PAX; we already have a good idea what the big triple-A titles are going to be like, especially so close to their release, but the Indie Showcase is full of pleasant surprises.  Included in the showcase are Little Chomp, Major Magnet, Orion's Forge, Saturday Morning RPG, Spaceteam, Third Eye Crime, and Time Surfer. This year, all the games included are on mobile platforms, which is an interesting choice but I'm sure there will be plenty more console and PC indie titles to be found at PAX East. The only game I've played is Spaceteam which is great if you've got a few other players. Having everyone barking instructions into their iPhones whilst frantically trying to make sure their ship doesn't explode is super fun and I'd love to get a few games in at PAX East with some of you guys. PAX East Indie Showcase [Penny Arcade Expo]

Cryamore: The stuff that 2D action RPG dreams are made of Posted: 26 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST The Cryamore Kickstarter opened up a few hours ago and it's already made over $20K. The dev team roster reads like an all-star cast of indie developers who subscribe to classic game design principals, including Skullgirls animators Mariel Cartwright and Rob "Robaato" Porter. If you like 2D art, then you've probably already got your wallet out.  The game looks gorgeous, but that's not all it has going for it. The plan is for Cryamore to play like Legend of Zelda/Secret of Mana on steroids, with 81 different elemental attacks/abilities, multiple melee weapons, and "comedic tones and a thriving in-game clock system like Brave Fencer Musashi." As someone who thinks about the "action figure collection" music in Brave Fencer Musashi at least once a week, I wholeheartedly approve.  Speaking of action figures, Cryamore backers rewards include not one but two ridiculously well-crafted statuettes of the game's main characters. If the Kickstarter is over-funded, it may get full voice acting, new weapons, new areas to explore, and a lot more. Seeing all this stuff is giving me the "Nintendo 64 kid" feeling that I rarely get from the videogame industry anymore. Expectations are high, but I'm confident the team at NostalgiCO can meet them.

Review: Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes (iOS) Posted: 26 Jan 2013 09:00 AM PST Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes is one of the best puzzle RPGs to come out of a generation full of puzzle RPGs. Capybara Games had a huge hit on its hands when the studio combined the addictive qualities of Critter Crunch with a highly reputable existing IP, and added a few tweaks. Instead of focusing entirely on attacking the enemy, defensive capabilities were built into core gameplay, which forced you to think about multiple strategies on a constant basis. The departure from the one-sided style of gameplay wasn't the only ace in the hole, however, as the amazing artwork was also a huge plus. But now, that artwork is on a tiny screen, without the aid of a stylus for precision movements, without the direct developmental work of Capybara. The results...are a bit mixed. Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes (Android, iPhone [reviewed on an iPhone 4]) Developer: Tag Games Publisher: Capybara Games Released: January 24, 2013 (iOS), TBA (Android) MSRP: $4.99 Since Jordan already did a great job explaining the basic game mechanics in his full review, I'll mostly stick to the pertinent details of the mobile version here. For those who haven't experienced this franchise yet, but recognize the "Might & Magic" moniker, the setup is pretty simple. This game is a prequel for the game Heroes of Might and Magic V, which follows the Ubisoft continuity for the franchise, after they took over for New World Computing. To be clear, this version is not a full-on Capybara Games joint -- this is a port by the mobile developer Tag Games. For the most part, the actual content of the original is pretty much 100% intact. You'll find all of the dialogue, characters, story, artwork, and other happenings untouched. Combat functions pretty much the same, with players selecting units to switch up in battle, and tapping a button to call in reinforcements. While it's not a major issue for me, keep in mind that the game has to be played in landscape mode. Since the core gameplay is turned-based, control mishaps in this sector are a bit more excusable. Although it can be a bit difficult to grab and move units around at will, you have all the time in the world to do it, and for the most part, it works. It would have been nice if there were an "undo" function though, for people that have issues acclimating to the touch environment. The portion of the game where the controls are most frustrating is everything outside of combat. Simply put, the hitboxes for menus are extremely small. You basically need to take your nails (if you have any), and precision tap exact hitboxes to select menu options consistently. When you're moving around the map, and in just about every menu in the game, your taps are extremely inaccurate. One of the most frustrating things I encountered is the pause button, which almost never works in battles if you need to set your phone aside or exit your current game. Choosing options when starting up a game can also be a nightmare. You might also notice frame-rate issues from time to time, like I did on my iPhone 4. Although it's easy to blame a lack of the latest hardware, Clash of Heroes is supported as far back as iPhone 3GS, so it's just something to be aware of. Outside of the main campaign, there's also Quick Battle, Pass & Play, and online play options. Quick Battle is basically a one-on-one with the AI, and functions essentially the exact same as an end-game fight in the main story. Pass & Play is just how it sounds, and lets you rock out a 1v1 fight locally, Advance Wars-style. The game's online mode is about what you'd expect as well, but one has to wonder how long the mobile version's legs are compared to say, Xbox Live, or Steam. In typical mobile fashion, an in-game store is available where you can buy extra content for real money. Thankfully, it isn't really an issue of taking advantage of people through pay walls, as all in-app purchase options are for unlocking different factions in multiplayer -- which can also be unlocked entirely by progressing through the game. Additionally, this mobile version also supports Ubisoft's uPlay ecosystem, if you're into that. Although outsourcing to Tag Games was probably a smart business move, I can't help but think how picture-perfect Clash of Heroes would have turned out if Capybara had done it themselves. With a lot of polish in terms of the controls through a future update, this could be one of the finest games on the App Store. Otherwise, just stick to the other incredible versions if possible.

Europe gets worse versions of Wii U Virtual Console games Posted: 26 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST Well, this is ridiculous. Nintendo of Europe is releasing inferior versions of its retro games on the Wii U Virtual Console. As reported by Eurogamer, the European version of Balloon Fight runs at a refresh rate of 50Hz, rather than the standard 60Hz enjoyed by folks in other regions.  That difference makes for slower games with compressed graphics and borders. Sure, this is nothing new. Back in the day, PAL televisions had slower refresh rates than their NTSC counterparts. While that's no longer the case, Nintendo of Europe continued to release 50Hz games on the Wii's Virtual Console. Why they continue to force our friends across the pond to play lesser versions of classic games is beyond baffling. Nobody feels nostalgic for slowdown, Nintendo. Nobody.  Europe gets worse versions of Wii U Virtual Console games [Eurogamer]

Mew Mew Train replaces Mew Mew Train as new Mew Mew Train Posted: 26 Jan 2013 07:00 AM PST Hey guys, remember that classic videogame called Mew Mew Train? Well get ready to kill all memory of that sh*t, because there is a new Mew Mew Train poised and ready to take up full residence of the Mew Mew Train-shaped spaces in your mind. This new Mew Mew Train is about a skateboarding cat that touches fish and other cats too. You also have the means and the rights to swap out the skateboarding cat character for a person that looks like you (or someone else) who is dressed like a skateboarding cat as well.  Mew Mew Train. Mew Mew Train - trailer [GoNintendo]

Review: Westerado Posted: 26 Jan 2013 06:00 AM PST When I was still wee, I often found myself stuck in my grandmother's house, far away from friends and video games and left with little to do other than draw or read. Once I filled every piece of paper in the house with doodles and grown tired of reading the same comic or book for the umpteenth time, I'd start browsing my gran's large collection of videos recorded off the TV. Almost all of them were cowboy flicks. They've long since blended into one huge Western experience: grizzled men riding across the expansive, open plains of the untamed Old West, seeking justice, fortune, and adventure. They gambled, duelled, and frequently became sheriffs of small towns bereft of hope. I wished I could be like them -- just with better hygiene.   The last place I expected to relive these memories was on Adult Swim's website, but courtesty of indie developer Ostrich Banditos and their free flash game, Westerado, that's exactly what I've been doing. You should too, as it's one of the best Western games that you could hope to play. Westerado (Mac, PC) Developer: Ostrich Banditos  Publisher: Adult Swim Release: January 17, 2013 MSRP: Free  My kin are dead, my mother is a mutilated corpse, and I put my brother out of his agonizing misery. Nothing will bring them back, but that doesn't mean I can't put the black-hearted son of a bitch who murdered them in a shallow grave. With vague directions, I ride to the nearest town, intent on discovering the identity of the bandit who destroyed my life. Welcome to Westerado. Justice has long since fled the town of Clintville. More than a few residents, including the local sheriff, know the identity of the man I hunt; while others know what he looks like, or at least what color of hat he wears, or that he has a fancy belt. There's no such thing as free information, unfortunately, and I'll need to work to discover who I need to kill. This is a land of mercenaries, in both attitude and often career.   I gamble, I spurn the advances of women -- I'm that dedicated to my mission -- and I demand aid when there is none to be found. I know I need to swallow my pride and put my six-shooter to work on less personal business than hunting down my quarry. I don't like it one bit. The West changes a man. It chews him up, spits him out, and all that's left is a gun and a hat. I'm presently wearing my hat, and I'm pointing my gun at a crying rancher. He owes my employer money. I've come to collect it early. I won't leave until I have every last cent, and he's starting to realize this fact. As I cock my pistol, he finally breaks, giving me everything owed to my employer. Another job done. Another life ruined.  My employer pays me in information. It's the final piece of the puzzle, the end of my investigation, and finally I'll be able to end the pathetic existence of the monster who left my ranch ablaze and my family dead.  As I make my way through the bandit hideout, I put down 20, 30, maybe 40 cronies. They don't put up much of a fight. Then, in a cave lit up by a solitary camp fire, I finally lay eyes on my prey. I'd be lying if I told you it was about justice anymore -- this is vengeance, plain and simple. Round and round the fire we go, taking pot shots at each other before quickly pulling back to reload. I shoot his hat off, he puts a hole through mine; one of my bullets goes whistling through the air and into a wall (one of his ends up embedded in a crate.) Then, at last, a shot to the gut. He goes down like a sack of potatoes, and my sorry tale comes to a close.  My short tale of revenge merely represents one of the myriad stories that can play out in Westerado. The main story is always about a lone gun man seeking to end the life of the man who slaughtered his mother and brother, but how I went about reaching that climactic battle between good and evil was entirely up to me, the player. This gorgeous pixelated facsimile of the Old West is ripe with opportunities for exploration, and everywhere I went, I found people looking for my help. Aiding folk is the only way to get ahead here, and my investigation would grind to a halt unless I was willing to get my hands dirty. There were wagons to protect, ranchers to aid, bandits to put in the ground, and even the occasional task that didn't require me to pull out my gun. Of course, pulling out my pistol at the drop of a hat is all part of the fun. During any conversation I could draw my weapon, and the result was often hilarious. Though, sometimes it's a tad darker, as it was in the aforementioned debt collecting scenario. Amid this classic story is no small amount of humor, laden with a lot of amusing pop culture references -- even Doctor Who's Tardis gets a mention. The juxtaposition of the hilarious with the gritty and grim makes Westerado a curious game, where drama and tension are just as likely as side-splitting silliness. Glitches and freezes happen far too often, halting progress entirely. The game only saves map progress. When I had to restart, I ended up right back at the beginning. Westerado can be completed in all of 15 minutes, so it may not seem like a huge loss. However, the expansive world begs to be explored, and a freeze can mean that a good hour of progress goes up in a cloud of smoke. Shooting can also be a finicky experience, requiring quite a bit of trial and error. Positioning myself in just the right spot to actually shoot someone was occasionally frustrating in the beginning, as there's no way to really tell if I had my foe in my sights. The permadeath system gives weight to these conflicts, but the poor shooting almost ruins them. The lack of any real enemy AI can be exploited, so it doesn't pose too much of a challenge. Bad AI shouldn't be a feature. Yet, the times when it's not falling apart at the seams are wonderful. The open world let me choose how to make my way through it, and the occasional moral quandary inspires multiple approaches to many of the title's scenarios. There's a depth here that surprised me a great deal, but for those just looking for 15 minutes of gun-toting, horse riding shenanigans, it caters to you all the same. Accompanying me on my adventures as a lone gun man was a memorable soundtrack that conjures up images of rolling tumbleweed, lined-up coffins, and tough men in ponchos. It is both catchy and stirring, and I've already started to miss it now that I've stopped listening. The music runs the gamut from up-beat tunes that spurred me to action, to more wistful, lonesome tones of the sort I might hear in my head as I eat some beans and remember the good old days before the ranch got burned down.  The soundtrack goes perfectly with the detailed, sun-soaked pixel art visuals that tap into one's nostalgia, while also creating a surprisingly authentic western look. Westerado's a very animated game, never staying still for a moment. The protagonist's poncho constantly waves away, chickens never stop pecking at invisible seeds, and dried out weeds endlessly dance in the ceaseless wind. Even if you are put off by the plethora of bugs, it's free and accessible at the click of a button. You'd be doing yourself a disservice by not checking it out at least once. No doubt you'll find yourself checking it out again and again, as I have been. Drape that knackered old poncho over your shoulders, roll up that cigarette, and strap on a rusty six-shooter -- it's time to hunt down a real bastard.

Counter-Strike 1.6 now available on Linux and Mac Posted: 26 Jan 2013 04:30 AM PST Following the initially quiet release of the original Half-Life on Mac and Linux the other day, Valve has decided to follow it up with the release of Counter-Strike 1.6 for both platforms. Much like with Half-Life, if you already have Counter-Strike on your Steam account, the game should appear on your list when you sign into the client for Linux or Mac. Keep in mind that it is in beta and some users have pointed out several issues -- but for the most, part it seems to be running pretty smoothly. If you've already given the beta a go, let us know your impressions. Counter-Strike 1.6 Beta Released [Steam Community]

Reminder: Europe gets the MG Rising Gray Fox DLC for free Posted: 26 Jan 2013 03:30 AM PST As a reminder, all Europeans will be getting the Gray Fox costume DLC packed into Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance for free. This is the same DLC that US folks are required to pre-order to obtain. This was revealed nonchalantly in the past, but Konami has just announced that you'll be able to upgrade the new weapon unique to the skin, the "Fox Blade." As I've said before, skins help me increase my replay value with action games, especially if they have extra abilities or weapons like this one. My playthroughs on the harder difficulties will be spent with Gray Fox, for sure!

Gamer crafts slave-era tropical plantation in The Sims 3 Posted: 26 Jan 2013 12:30 AM PST The work of a bored -- but seemingly quite dedicated -- Sims 3 player has been gaining a lot of attention this week, ever since the fruits of his labor were posted to Reddit. While user-created content in games invariably lead to the crafting of puerile and offensive things, this is a step above the usual penises and swastikas found in anything from LittleBigPlanet to Worms -- it's a finely detailed colonial-era tropical plantation. Reddit user BourgeoisBanana enjoys doing "Terrible things" when he's bored, so he designed and built the Gaudet Plantation. With its mansion, slave house, and workforce of disenfranchised black people lorded over by an affluent white family, it certainly leaves little to the imagination. He even went so far as to include a mixed race child with the slaves, something praised by another user as, "Nice attention to detail." BourgeoisBanana admitted to PC Gamer that the plantation wasn't 100% historically accurate, but that he did the best he could with the tools at his disposal.  "The house was more or less of my own design too, loosely based off several colonial plantation houses of the era," he explained. "My main inspiration for the exterior was the plantation house from a level in Hitman: Blood Money. Django Unchained certainly was a great reference too." While Reddit praised the detail and had a discussion about the hypocrisy of white men having sex with slaves, others were not entirely thrilled with the creation.  "Reddit is basically the worst," Tweeted Gameranx editor Ian Cheong. "They recreated a slave plantation in The Sims 3. Some nerdy suburban white kid thought it'd be funny to remake a slave plantation in Sims 3 and get some upvotes from his fellow nerds." All Complex Gaming could muster on the topic was a short, "That's fucked up." The plantation's creator doesn't exactly see it that way. Further in his PC Gamer interview, he suggests people need to "get over" sensitivity concerning racism and seek not to deny, but examine the controversial aspects of human history.  "I believe that to deny our history is to make it repeatable, and discouraging projects such as this one won’t prevent racism in the least. Not only gamers, but all forms of media should definitely get over this politically correct phase we seem to be going through so we can expose the brutality of our past, rather than covering it up and pretending it never happened." Is making a self-admitted "terrible thing" out of boredom really doing anything to "expose the brutality of our past," though? It seems more like it was played for laughs, with its creator adding the social commentary after the fact. Nevertheless, regardless of intent, some questions have been raised over whether or not topics like this could ever be ripe for discussion in a videogame. With movies still struggling to cope with the idea of slavery -- as seen with the controversy and accusations of racism surrounding Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained -- it'll probably be a long time before a videogame would dare approach such a topic with an iota of serious commitment. Until then ... this is the closest a game discussion's gonna get to it ... which is kind of sad.

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• Top 10 Bestselling Video Games Worldwide in Week 4, 2013
• Smite Beta Testing Starts
• Dust 514 Beta Testing Starts
• The Elder Scrolls Online Beta Testing Starts

Top 10 Bestselling Video Games Worldwide in Week 4, 2013 Posted: 26 Jan 2013 03:00 AM PST What are the top 10 bestselling video games in America, Japan, and Europe? Thanks to Amazon online sales data here are the video games that are the hottest worldwide right now. What follows is a listing of the Top 10 bestsellers per region, for all systems combined. North America’s Top 10 Games: 1. Ni no...

Smite Beta Testing Starts Posted: 25 Jan 2013 01:02 PM PST Hi-Rez Studios announced the Smite beta testing starts now for North America and Europe. The open beta program PC download has gone live after an eight month-long closed beta that 900,000 players tried out! Game description: “SMITE will be a free-to-play online battleground between gods. Players choose between a selection of mythical gods, join session-based...

Dust 514 Beta Testing Starts Posted: 25 Jan 2013 12:45 PM PST Sony & CCP Games have announced the Dust 514 beta testing starts now with beta program downloads gone live on the PlayStation Network Store and the Sony Entertainment Network Store! Dust 514 is a PS3-exclusive triple-A free-to-play MMOFPS (massively multiplayer online first person shooter), directly set in and connected in real-time with the science fiction...

The Elder Scrolls Online Beta Testing Starts Posted: 25 Jan 2013 12:23 PM PST Bethesda & ZeniMax Online Studios have announced The Elder Scrolls Online beta testing starts with beta program sign-ups this week! When will the first round of the beta begin? The answer doesn’t confirm a date. To quote: “If selected, you will be one of the first people to embark upon the newest Elder Scrolls adventure,...

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