PC Gaming

Apparently Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic IS Coming to iPad, Now Available

A couple of weeks ago there was a supposed leak found in the header of an Aspyr newsletter pointing to the release of the iPad version of the classic Bioware RPG Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR for short). Since we don’t do rumors here I just fished through my .Mac mail to see the evidence (I hadn’t noticed it at first), then filed it away under OHPLEASEOHPLEASEOHPLEASEOHPLEASEOHPLEASE … This morning we got everything but the final official confirmation, with a full review up at gaming site IGN. The review notes that some text is small, moving around…


Heavy Gear Assault Multiplayer Game Launches Kickstarter Campaign

The Heavy Gear world dates back to the 90s as a tabletop boardgame and card combat game, and came to the PC after Activision lost the rights to the Battletech/Mechwarrior series. There were two games introduced that brought the Heavy Gear world to gamers, with the second game being very well received as the best game in the genre at that time … but then the franchised remained dormant until last summer when Stompy Bot Productions announced they were bringing back Heavy Gear in a new game based on cutting edge Unreal Engine 4 technology. Now they are seeking help…


Classic RPGs Wizardry VI, VII and 8 Come to GoG.com!

When you look back at many of the classic moments and structures in gaming, the name Wizardry comes up all the time. It is the basis of all western RPGs from Ultima to Mass Effect, and its impact in Japan was key in the development of the Final Fantasy franchise. In short, all RPG roads lead to Wizardry. Now GoG.com has updated these classics (Wizardry VI came out in 1990, Wizardry VII in 1992, remade for Windows in 1996, and Wizardry 8 arrived in 2001) Here are some details on Wizardry VI and VII: – Includes Wizardry 6: Bane of…


Dungeon of Elements Game Launches Kickstarter Campaign

I continue to be amazed at the crazy-cool ideas that indie developers come up with. Years after being declared ‘dead’, PC gaming remains the most innovative source of new gaming styles. Take Dungeon of Elements – this game looks like a dungeon crawler, yet has a 3D Tetris element mixed with things like crafting and so on. Intrigued? I know I was, so I immediately checked out this new Kickstarter! Project Title: Dungeon of Elements Status: Active Closing Date for Funding: Wednesday Jun 19, 10:03am EDT URL of the Project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/frogdice/dungeon-of-elements From the developer: Here are some key features:


Cognition Episode 2 The Wise Monkey Slashes onto Mac and PC!

A few months ago I reviewed the iPad version of the first ‘episode’ of Cognition, the adventure game series from legendary developer Jane Jenson and Phoenix Online Studios. Now we have Episode 2 of Cognition, and are on the case of the Wise Monkey. Let’s take a look! Type of app: Adventure Game Platform/where to buy: Mac or PC; available in the Phoenix Online Studios Store Developer: Phoenix Online Studios LLC Description: Here are some of the features: – Play as Erica Reed, FBI detective – Solve a deep and intriguing mystery that involves your twin brother – Investigate crime…


Jagged Alliance Kickstarter Closes in On Goal During Final Hours

Anyone with a history in classic PC gaming is familiar with the Jagged Alliance franchise. Going back to the 90s, the tactical strategy games defined the ‘thinking man’ style of gaming for many. Now in the last 36 hours, the Kickstarter campaign is very close to hitting its goal – but needs your help! Project Title: Jagged Alliance: Flashback Status: Active Closing Date for Funding: Thursday May 23, 5:59pm EDT URL of the Project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2079547763/jagged-alliance-flashback From the developer: Here are some key features: Jagged Alliance: Flashback is our vision of returning a once critically acclaimed franchise back to its roots,…


Neverwinter Enters Open Beta Testing – My Hands-On Impressions

The realms of Neverwinter and the Sword Coast are beloved by all fantasy RPG gamers, and they have been featured since the very earliest days of Dungeons & Dragons. Some of the most famous games set in this universe are Baldur’s Gate 1 & 2, Icewind Dale 1 & 2, and Neverwinter Nights 1 & 2. Though its main campaign was criticized by some in 2002 as lacking depth and excitement compared to the Baldur’s Gates games, multiplayer and player-created content have kept Neverwinter Nights and its sequel popular for more than a decade. So when Cryptic Entertainment and Perfect…


Strategy Game Machines at War 3 Launches!

I have to confess that it was my intention to have a full review of Machines at War 3 for today, but I really wanted to alert everyone to the release of Machines at War 3. This is a real-time strategy (RTS) game with a deep campaign mode, skirmish and full multiplayer modes – and it is a true indie effort! As a RTS, you are constantly working against time and building bases, doing tower defense, navigating stealth subs, commanding gigantic mega units, and researching new technologies. I have played through the tutorial and some of the campaign on both…


Guns of Icarus Launches Kickstarter Campaign for Adventure Mode

The lengths that some developers will go to to see their vision realized amazes me, and with Guns of Icarus Online that was certainly true. They were almost bankrupted putting out the initial game, and have had a previous Kickstarter campaign to complete that effort. But they envisioned much more, including a Skirmish mode and a full Adventure. Skirmish was released as a separate game, but get ready as Guns of Icarus Launches Kickstarter Campaign for Adventure Mode! Project Title: Guns of Icarus Online—Adventure Mode (PC/Mac/Linux) Status: Active Closing Date for Funding: May 21, 2013 URL of the Project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/musegames/guns-of-icarus-onlineadventure-mode…


Divinity Dragon Commander is Available for Pre-Order or as an Original Sin Perk

I have written extensively about my love of the Divinity games from Larian studios, including the recent Kickstarter of the turn-based Divinity Original Sin. The company is simultaneously working on another game, a real-time strategy game called Divinity Dragon Commander. Now Divinity Dragon Commander is Available for Pre-Order or as an Original Sin Perk. This week Larian and GoG.com announced they were teaming up to offer a discounted pre-order for Divinity Dragon Commander, knocking 11% off the price and asking only $39.99 for this massive game that offers single and multiplayer campaigns, as well as real-time and turn-based campaigns. There…


The Ultimate Bioshock Infinite Review for PC and PS3

Ask any gamer and they know ‘that game’ – the one that is supposed to be ‘genre transcendent’, combining excellence in gameplay, technical aspects, gear, freedom of choice and action, story, immersion, multiple platforms, cinematic qualities, and so on. And while there are many games that have claimed to bring it all together, in 2007 Bioshock was perhaps the first one to truly manage the feat reasonably well. It was not the greatest shooter, nor did it have the best sense of freedom of choice, but it brought excellence in all areas to bear in a way that kept gamers…


Disney Kills Off LucasArts, Here Are Their Five Best Games

Game development studios, like any other company, are subject to the whims of their corporate masters. So when Disney bought LucasFilms and LucasArts last year I thought there were two potential outcomes – either rebirth or death. I just didn’t see them letting the studio continue to languish. And while it is a sad day, the reality is that LucasArts has been largely a publishing and licensing house for a number of years. But they remain the source of many of my favorite games, so as Disney kills off LucasArts, here are their five best games! For more specific details,…


Divinity Original Sin Launches Kickstarter Campaign

Increasingly developers are not just looking to Kickstarter for full funding of a project, but also to help get specific features into a game, deliver multiplayer or extended art or something else. Developer Larian Studios looked at what they could do themselves, and decided that with a successful Kickstarter project they could realize all of their goals for the game. Personally this was an ‘insta-back’ for me, as Divinity Original Sin Launches Kickstarter Campaign! Project Title: Divinity Original Sin game for PC (potentially also Mac/Linux) Status: Active Closing Date for Funding: April 26, 2013 URL of the Project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/larianstudios/divinity-original-sin From…


Mage’s Initiation Brings a Classic Sierra-style Adventure Game to Kickstarter!

There are various reasons to back a Kickstarter project: you might directly want to experience the product, or perhaps like the idea and want it to happen, or maybe the project is in an area you feel is underserved, or maybe the project is funded and you see benefits to the ‘stretch goals’. Whatever the reason, it is important to keep up with new projects as they come along … because there is some great stuff happening and you don’t want something to go unfunded because you forgot to check in for a month! I had heard about this when…


Sinister Design Re-Launches Telepath Tactics Kickstarter!

Last fall Sinister Design, creators of the excellent ‘Telepath RPG: Servants of God’, launched a Kickstarter for its ever-expanding game Telepath Tactics that would allow Craig Stern to properly complete the game with all of the desired features. That effort failed to gain proper support, but Stern he had learned from the attempt and knew what to do going forward. Now he is back as Sinister Design Re-Launches Telepath Tactics Kickstarter! For a while now developer Craig Stern has been talking up the progress on his turn-based game Telepath Tactics – and now he has launched a Kickstarter effort in…


Avadon 2 The Corruption Prepares to Bring Epic Fantasy RPG Back to the iPad

Spiderweb Software brought us the first full-scale, hardcore RPG with Avadon: The Black Fortress, now Jeff Vogel with the announcement of Avadon 2 The Corruption prepares to bring epic fantasy RPG back to the iPad! The game is the middle of the planned Avadon Trilogy, and you return to the Black Fortress as a spy and warrior fighting those who are the enemies of Avadon. Your word is law and your power is great, but your foes are powerful as well and you will need to use all of your skill and cunning to thwart the threat. In Avadon 2:…


Neverwinter Nights 2 Mysteries of Westgate – a Retro Romp Review

Type of app: RPG adventure pack Platform/where to buy: PC; available at GoG.com Developer: Ossian Studios (full game published by Atari) Just over a year ago I looked at the Mac App Store release of Neverwinter Nights 2, which included only the core game without expansions. And while we still don’t have the expansions for the Mac, recently fans of the game got an unexpected treat – a DRM-free release of NWN2 Complete on GoG.com! Included in this is the single official third-party ‘adventure pack’ for the game, Neverwinter Nights 2 ‘Mysteries of Westgate’ from Ossian Studios. To celebrate the…


GoG.com Brings Greatest Shooter-RPG System Shock 2 Back!

Today we get great news with the announcement that GoG.com brings greatest shooter-RPG System Shock 2 back, and that it is playable on modern PCs! Many younger gamers know System Shock 2 as the ‘sprititual inspiration’ for the Bioshock games, but System Shock 2 does so much more. It is a masterpiece of writing, gameplay, timing, environment, design, music and more. What makes System Shock 2 such a milestone in gaming is the way it advances the entire state of gaming. You can play as one of three characters – the psionic power-wielding agent, the master hacker naval officer, and…


GoG.com Adds 10 New Mac Games for January!

The answer to the question ‘where do I get Mac games’ has changed over time. A few years ago you would answer ‘I’m sorry dude, really sorry’. Then along came Steam, then the Mac App Store, and most recently GoG.com. Now you can proudly answer that there are great choices and prices at Steam, GoG.com and the Mac App Store. And GoG.com is advancing at an amazing pace, today announcing the addition of 10 Mac games to their roster. And like every other game, you now get the Mac and PC version of the game as well as all the…


‘The Walking Dead: A Telltale Game Series’ Review

Ever since winning Spike TV’s 2012 Game Of The Year award, Telltale Games has been topping yearly ‘best of’ lists like crazy. Yet, with all the press, there’s still a fundamental question to be answered: what’s so good about the new Walking Dead game series? It’s just a tie-in, right? How can a licensed, downloadable title be anything more than a cash cow? As it turns out, Telltale Games had an answer. The studio, while previously known for its mediocre, licensed work (CSI, Back To The Future) has finally done something remarkable. They’ve crafted an episodic series that manages to…


Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition Wows on iPad, Adds Little on PC – Review

Type of app: Role Playing Game (RPG) Platform/where to buy: iPad; available in the App Store , PC version available through BeamDog Developer: Overhaul Games / BeamDog Description: * 80 hours of Epic RPG adventure * Over 40 classes and kits * Over 100 spells * over 150 magical items * New adventure: The Black Pits, a thrilling combat adventure * New character: Rasaad yn Bashir, a Calishite Monk searching for answers. * Available for purchase: New character: Dorn Il-Khan, a half-orc blackguard with a history of violence. * Available for purchase: New character: Neera the Wild Mage, a half-elf…