Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 6:20 PM

Category: Mod Tools

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 6:01 PM

Category: Hardware

To date I have reviewed 8800 GTS 320MB graphics cards from XFX, BFG, and Foxconn. The important difference between the other cards I have reviewed and the PNY 8800 GTS 320MB graphics card I am looking at today is that all three of the earlier reviews featured cards that were overclocked from the factory whereas the PNY card is using stock clocks. The clock speeds for the PNY 8800 GTS 320MB are 500MHz on the core, 1.6GHz on the memory and 1200MHz on the shader clock.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 5:16 PM

Category: General

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 10:23 AM

Category: Hardware

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 7:48 AM

Category: Action

Thankfully, Crystal Dynamics seems to be on track with Lara's new outing, wafting its customary design magic all over the place a second time around. At least, that's the impression we got when we had chance to sit down with Eidos and explore the previously unseen, completely reworked Egyptian level - dragged kicking and screaming into 2007, replete with angry mummy cats and great big dinosaurs.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 6:53 AM

Category: Role Playing

Alexandra Constandache: We have created a huge continent for players to discover. They will find forests, snow-covered mountains, rivers, deserts and even a sprawling underworld. The raw numbers are approximately 30 square kilometres of surface space and roughly 25 kilometres in the dungeons.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 7:31 PM

Category: General

Eidos Interactive, one of the world's leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, and Valve® today announce the availability of an additional seven games via Steam, a leading platform for the distribution of PC Games.

The latest wave includes games from the highly-acclaimed Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and Thief series of games. Plus catch the Eidos Action Gang, a limited-time collection featuring Just Cause, Snowblind, and Rogue Trooper together for just $59.95

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 12:51 PM

Category: Massively Multiplayer

Jeff: We haven't actually announced what the follow-up plan is for Guild Wars. This is the first Guild Wars expansion but we certainly haven't said that this is the end of Guild Wars 1. Regardless of our product release strategy, it goes without saying that even after Guild Wars 2 ships we have no intention of shutting down servers or ending support for Guild Wars 1. At this point we just don't know if there will be Guild Wars 1 releases after Eye of the North... we're not closing our doors to the idea, but we can't say anything definite about it one way or the other.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 7:48 PM

Category: General

Box art has long been one of the surest ways to market a game. A great cover can illicit a purchase even from a knowledgeable gamer. Cover art has evolved over the years and so there aren't nearly as many choices from modern games.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 7:29 PM

Category: Hardware

As we've come to expect, HIS has done away with the reference cooler and added its third-generation IceQ 3 heatpipe cooler instead. The IceQ coolers are usually very quiet, and this third version of the HSF is no different. It remained quiet and offered good cooling through all of our tests.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 7:48 PM

Category: Role Playing

March 27, 2007 (Rockville, MD) — Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax Media company, and 2K today announced that The Elder Scrolls® IV: Shivering Isles™, the official expansion for the award-winning The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion®, is now shipping to retail stores throughout North America for Windows. Shivering Isles is also available today on Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft via Xbox Live® online entertainment network.

Shivering Isles features more than 30 hours of new gameplay and allows you to explore an entirely new plane of Oblivion – the realm of Sheogorath, the Daedric Prince of Madness. Shivering Isles adds to the existing world of Oblivion so you can continue playing with your existing save game/character, or create an all new character just to explore the new content.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 7:36 PM

Category: Hardware

The technique, developed by a team of scientists at the IBM Zurich Research Laboratory in co-operation with Momentive Performance Materials, formerly GE Advanced Materials, overcomes a barrier in chip cooling by improving the application of the "glue" that binds chips to their cooling systems. The new technology could allow for faster computer chips to be cooled more efficiently.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 6:29 PM

Category: Role Playing

We wanted a completely fresh look to everything. So we created all new art for the Shivering Isles. The ground, the trees, the rocks, even the sky is new. All the creatures, clothing, buildings, even the water is new. When you first step into the Shivering Isles, it's quite breathtaking.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 6:41 PM

Category: Action

Tomb Raider follows the adventures of Lara Croft after she is hired by a powerful syndicate to retrieve a mythical object called the Scion. After discovering that she has been used as a pawn in some larger scheme, Lara takes matters into her own hands deciding that she must uncover the mystery behind this ancient artefact.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 3:51 PM

Category: Role Playing

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 7:31 PM

Category: First Person

idSoftware is now accepting applications from active clans for entry into the Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Multiplayer Closed Beta. If your team is interested in helping us improve our product, please send an email to etqwbetatest@activision.com with all of the required information shown below. Thank you and good luck!

• 1. Clan name
• 2. Number of 'active' members
• 3. Games played regularly
• 4. Games played competitively
• 5. Clan website
• 6. Clan IM details
• 7. Clan email

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 6:31 AM

Category: Role Playing

NEW YORK, NY, March 22, 2007 – Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR), one of the world’s most recognized brands and leading third-party video game publisher, today announced that Silverfall®, a dynamic 3D action role-playing game (RPG), has arrived at retailers across North America. Developed by Monte Cristo Games, Silverfall is rated T for Teen and is available for the Windows platform at a suggested retail price of $39.95.

Silverfall casts players into a world torn between science and nature, forcing gamers to choose between the two in order to save the principal city from total destruction. The player must take on quests and defeat slews of opponents during the journey through the fascinating world of Nelwë. Two non-playing character (NPC) companions accompany and assist the player throughout the Silverfall adventure. Decisions made during each quest will be key as choices impact storyline, environment and accumulation of skills.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 6:15 PM

Category: Role Playing

The Shivering Isles features a bizarre landscape split between the two sides – Mania and Dementia – filled with vast, twisting dungeons mirroring the roots of the trees they are buried within. You'll encounter more than a dozen new creatures including hideous insects, Flesh Atronachs, skeletal Shambles, amphibious Grummites. Throughout your adventure, you will discover all new items, ingredients, spells, and more, and have the talented craftsmen of Crucible and Bliss forge new armor and weapons just for you.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 6:00 PM

Category: Massively Multiplayer

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 2:34 PM

Category: First Person

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a First Person Shooter with big open areas divided into a range of zones. Take Oblivion and change the background and you have a pretty good idea of how it works. You are free to go anywhere you please, but certain areas are closed until you are ready to get closer. Each zone consists of rather large areas inhabited by humans and animals, all living their own life. You often bump into people moving from zone to zone, and armed conflict between the different factions is not uncommon.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 4:38 PM

Category: Role Playing

ROCKVILLE, Md., March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax Media company, announced today that the latest version of its blockbuster role-playing game, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion®, for PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system has begun shipping to retail stores throughout North America and will be in stores as early as Tuesday, March 20.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 10:47 AM

Category: Action

Tomb Raider follows the adventures of Lara Croft after she is hired by a powerful syndicate to retrieve a mythical object called the Scion. After discovering that she has been used as a pawn in some larger scheme, Lara takes matters into her own hands deciding that she must uncover the mystery behind this ancient artefact.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 9:22 PM

Category: Role Playing

One of the coolest new additions is the new Dream mastery skill set. This is a very versatile set of skills that permits players to dish out lots of damage to groups of enemies. The Psionic attack is a great boost to your basic weapon attacks and the Distortion power is an awesome ranged attack that can hit multiple enemies at once. Teleportation powers add lots of mobility options and a range of new trance effects act as running buffs that can hurt your enemies and heal you.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 5:56 AM

Category: Role Playing

Two Worlds is the very epitome of the Western approach to RPGs, featuring a skill-based character development system that lets players customize their character in a way that reflects their own personal approach in the game. Single-player characters tend to be human warrior types due to the story constraints of the campaign. The single-player mode calls for the player to be a human mercenary searching for a sister who disappeared in a mysterious attack, but that is, of course, just part of a much larger and more epic struggle.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 8:35 PM

Category: Role Playing

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 8:20 PM

Category: Movies

Jake Gyllenhaal may soon collect an awfully big paycheck as America's latest superhero. We hear New Line execs are keen to have the "Brokeback Mountain" hunk play Captain Marvel in "Shazam!" Based on the DC comic, the movie is New Line's bid for a franchise on the order of "Batman" and "Superman." "They're ready to spend up to $200 million to get it started," an insider tells us. Sources say director Peter Segal and his fellow producers want to nab Gyllenhaal before "Spider-Man" director Sam Raimi does - with "Spider-Man 3" due to open on May 4, star Tobey Maguire has said he may let someone else play the web slinger.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 7:46 PM

Category: First Person

The concept of Jericho came from Barker himself, whose dark thinkings were snapped up by Codemasters, who in turn happened to know that the technology Mercury Steam were tinkering with was running deep with blood. Specifically particle-based blood that can gush out of exposed wounds, or dissipate in clouds of red in high-intensity collisions. The engine's speciality in shiny body goo, murky lighting, life-like environment textures and overtly stylised, yet still somewhat real creatures, fit the bill precisely.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 6:44 AM

Category: Hardware

The NZXT Zero is part of the company's Crafted Series and is a full-tower aluminum case. One of the things that sets this case apart from most other cases is the huge amount of air cooling - this case comes preloaded with seven 120mm fans and one 80mm fan! This is pretty impressive as most cases only have about two or maybe three fans. But won't the almost ridiculous amount of fans make the case really loud? According to NZXT the case features quite cooling but that's something we'll obviously have to check while reviewing this case.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 1:57 PM

Category: Movies

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 3:52 PM

Category: Action

Using an enhanced ‘Tomb Raider: Legend’ game engine, the graphics, technology and physics bring Lara’s adventure and pursuit of a mystical artefact known only as the Scion right up to today’s technology standards and will offer gamers a completely new gameplay experience.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 10:44 AM

Category: Role Playing

It's the first proper expansion to Oblivion, and Bethesda are quoting "30 hours" of game. Even after converting from Bethesda Time to Actual Time that's still a succulent 18 hours or thereabouts. Even more succulent given the chosen subject matter: madness.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 5:47 PM

Category: Role Playing

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 3:21 PM

Category: Sega Dreamcast

Karous - which translates to 'Crow' in English - looks similar to Chaos Field and especially Radilgy, using many of the same gameplay mechanics of both games and featuring some of the cell-shading style used in Radilgy. The game is about a girl born of a union between an angel and a human. She gets firepower by gaining equipments like a sword, shield and guns. The graphics stick to the basics black and white palette of colours to give the game a gothic feel.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 9:11 AM

Category: Role Playing

An immortal named Modo has been sent to live a full mortal life on earth as punishment for his crimes in the Absolute, the realm of the afterlife. Angered by this humiliation, the mortal Modo is determined to not only reclaim all his previous power, but gain enough strength to destroy the Earth once and for all, so that he may never be punished in such a base way again. As the story’s hero, the player must stop Modo’s heinous plans and ultimately destroy him, or aid Modo in his quest to annihilate the Earth....

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 9:05 PM

Category: First Person

MOH: Airborne will allow players to experience 5, historically accurate, missions of the United States 82nd Airborne. It follows the evolution of U.S airborne forces, beginning with Operation Husky, the start of the Italian campaign and the very first airborne operation in U.S. military history, and concluding with Operation Varsity, in Germany, warfare's largest ever use of airborne forces.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 10:24 AM

Category: First Person

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 6:34 PM

Category: First Person

In it, we count down the best FPS games powered by those new-fangled 3D graphics cards. The order, or certain omissions, are sure to piss someone, somewhere off, so make sure to check it out for yourself.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 7:29 PM

Category: Gone Gold

The announcement was made this evening by THQ executive vice president Kelly Flock at the company's Gamers' Day event, which is currently being held at a nightclub location in San Francisco's SoMa district.

Posted by Darren 'Doom Dude' Finch at 2:56 PM

Category: Role Playing

The primary attraction is the protagonist, a moody, cynical anti-hero whose motivation is more mercenary than altruistic. He's feared by the people rather than respected or admired, and tolerated as a kind of lesser evil compared to the creatures he hunts for his living. He also exhibits vulnerabilities. For instance, his prowess with his fists is decidedly ordinary. When the game begins, his mortality is exposed; he regains consciousness feeling extremely weak, and is unable to remember how he arrived at his condition or much else.