Gamener PREVIEW
WE’VE BEEN INSPIRED BY TV SERIES
like Lost, 24, and Prison Break,” says David Nadal, game director for Eden Studios’ upcoming survival-horror specimen Alone in the Dark. “We’re addicted to these series, and we wanted to capture that captivation
in terms of narration.”
Hence Eden’s novel approach to the trendy notion of episodic content: Unlike Ritual’s SiN
Episodes or Valve’s Half-Life 2 installments (see reviews on pgs. 80-81), Alone in the Dark will
be sold as a full ‘season’ of 10 to 15 episodes (roughly one hour apiece) right out of the box—all
of the recurring peaks and cliff-hangers, none of the annoying fi ve-month waits. “When you put
the game down and when you come back,” says Nadal, “you’ll be presented with ‘coming next’
and ‘previously on AITD’ clips. The beauty of the episodic format is that we have the option of
releasing ‘lost’ episodes after the game ships, as well as additional ones, in various formats.”
Hang in there, baby!
If you’re not convinced that the episodic structure (gimmick?) is any different from traditional
level structure, there’s more to AITD than that: Eden is trying to “evolve” past the genre’s
traditional awkward fi ghting and statue-andmedallion puzzles, citing the console (and PC,
come September) game Resident Evil 4 as the fi rst title to successfully break the mold that
its ancestor (and the original Alone in the Dark long, long ago) helped create: “When RE4 came
out, there were some aspects of it that were similar to what we’re doing in AITD, and this
comforted us…players do want an evolution, a renewal, even if it could be risky.”
As for evidence of evolution: AITD takes place in New York’s Central Park—Eden’s attempt to
take surviving horror out of endless hallways and out into the open. And in expanding the
stage, Nadal hopes to expand the arsenal. “We have your typical handguns and similar
weapons,” he says, “but we really want players to imagine, ‘What happens if the enemy can’t
be killed with bullets?’” Eden aims to make the environment your weapon, keeping players’
eyes on their surroundings to combat the scary things. “Elements in the environment are built
on real-world rules, so you’ll be able to interact instinctively with each situation.”
According to Nadal, “The best horror games in the past few years were Half-Life and Resident Evil 4.”
While that may sound like an alternate way to say “our game has physics and rolling barrels,”
Nadal offers up a car interior as a concrete example: “Imagine the front of the car is being attacked, and the player jumps into the backseat to hide behind and avoid the attacks…players can use the centralized locking system to lock the car doors, use the headlights to light up a dark
area—the car is fully functional, as one would expect in real life.”
Expect Alone in the Dark to make ample use of cliff-hangers at the end of episodes.
Other evolutionary evidence is a little more anomalous, including the howmuch- control- is-too-much- control ability to blink protagonist Edward Carnby’s eyes at will—to wipe away visions of Lovecraftian madness, we assume. But, as Lovecraft would tell you, assuming can get your face torn off by the Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath.
revolutionized its passing game—giving Madden NFL 06 the most groundbreaking and innovative offensive arsenal ever created. The new QB Vision Control lets you scan the field, look off defenders, and make perfect throws within your quarterback’s unique field of vision. QB Precision Placement will let you put the ball exactly where you want it. Lead the receiver into the open field or throw a jump ball and let your receiver go get it. Madden NFL 2006 will finally bring authentic NFL passing to video games!
with gamers able to play all the key characters, including the infamous Mr Blonde. Staying true to the original plot, this intense, third person shooter follows the progress and planning of the famed diamond heist while filling in some of the cliffhanger questions from the film: What happened to Mr. Blue and Mr. Brown? Where did Mr. Pink hide the diamonds? What actually happened at the heist? These questions and more will be answered as the game unfolds and according to the player’s tactics. The game also features the full and original soundtrack from the movie – those super sounds of the seventies.
ction within a vast and authentic universe. As Kayron Jarvis, the
youthful commander of the Darkstar One, players explore the immenseness of space, encountering a variety of aliens, both friend and foe as Kayron aims to bring peace back to the galaxy. Game play adapts dynamically to the player's preferences and allow both tactical and strategic decision-making to overcome the myriad of challenges presented.
game review: Congratulations! Champion Dreams: First to Ride admits you into the world-renowned Sycamore Riding School. Ride the horse of your dreams as you compete in dressage, show jumping, and cross country events against rising stars from all over the world.
game review: That shining is the addition of cult high-speed ekshena GTA: Vice City, indisputably leading in the race of original sikvelov. How about conducting of veselen'kuyu night in the familiar city, filled with the crowds of the bloodthirsty of zombi and to give a ride on that armored SandKing on that loved, bespattered by the blood, by highway? You will perceive itself in the main role of that freezing to the shower of the film of horrors, created in the best Hollywood traditions v prove, how you are tough nut. 25 unique skinov of zombi, are more than 20 missions gripping spirit, the newest stylish radio stations, bloodthirsty specials-effect and stunning special features of the play process v are ready to tickle your nerves! But the renovated specific forms of weaponry and transport, ground to the ideal of graph, the moved mini- regimes of game v is final Ldobit6? your nervous system! GTA: Long Night Zombie City V and of zombi here not quiet.
McQuaid, former EverQuest mastermind and current CEO of Sigil Games, developer of the upcoming unapologetically harder-core, highfantasy Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, thinks his game offers something that the Horde ranks don’t: “Freedom,” for one thing. “The ability to customize characters to a degree yet unseen in MMOs. Vanguard is more challenging, too— though challenge does not mean tedium.” So what to make of the fact that the corpse runs—EverQuest’s primary tedious fun-killer— are still a stubborn part of Vanguard’s design? “If you die in the depths of a dungeon, thepenalty should be higher than if you die on a
game review:
Game review: Once upon a time there was a land where man and magic coexisted with a menagerie of fantastical beings. All was not well though, for a great horror stalked the land. The kind folks of the lands attempted to smote Evil, and were able to defeat it, but Evil never dies ... The races, each claiming to have single handedly saved the world in the war against Evil, grew suspicious of each other. Each retreated to their own realms, content to spin tales of glory that rarely reflected the truth. And in this fractured world Evil returned, confident that the races would finally bow down and acknowledge their true master. Land of Legends is a turn-based fantasy strategy game where eight unique races vie for supremacy using a combination of cold steel and hot magic. Players will have to use their wits and each race's special abilities to bring defeat to the forces of darkness plaguing the lands in the thirty-two mission campaign. The game doesn't end with Evil's defeat though, as a built-in matchmaking service allows infinite replayability by giving players the chance to play against live opponents around the globe.
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