We’ve known it was coming for quite awhile. Star Trek Online officially launched as a free-to-play title today. Following other similar free-to-launch titles, Star Trek Online allows all players access to a basic version of the game. Customers still hoping to make an investment in the title can use real-world cash to purchase premium upgrades for their account, including advanced ships, extra team slots or items, and extra personnel for your crew. There’s also a premium subscription that offers a ton of features otherwise unavailable to non-paying customers, such as a monthly credit stipend (which can be used to purchase items in the premium store), priority login, a larger inventory, and a veteran rewards system. You can find a full breakdown of the features for each type of account here. If you’re a regular or lifetime subscriber, your account will be rolled into the premium account, so fret not.

Cryptic has released a pretty substantial F.A.Q. about the conversion to F2P, which you can find here. They’ve also set up a forum to address questions not found in the F.A.Q.

If you’re interested, head on over to the game’s official site to get set up. I played the Beta many moons ago and, though I did enjoy my experience, I chose not to migrate away from World of Warcraft at the time. Now that it’s F2P, I’ll definitely be revisiting the game to see what changes have been made in the years since my first encounter with it. If you’re a Star Trek fan dissatisfied with the current state of the film franchise, then I suggest giving the game a shot. The plot takes a place in the early 25th century and has little connection to the J.J. Abrams franchise (the common element being that Romulus has been destroyed). If you’re green to the whole MMORPG experience, a F2P game like Star Trek: Online, which is light and accessible, unlike other popular MMORPGs (I’m looking at you, Eve Online), will definitely make for a great introduction to the genre.

Leave some love in the comments if you’re a player, or if you sign up. I’d love to run into some readers on my adventures through the Alpha Quadrant!

Tags: comic booked, Cryptic, F2P, Free MMORPG, Kyle Black, MMORPG, Star Trek: Online, STO

About the Author

Written by Kyle Black

Kyle is the Assistant Managing Editor for all of Comic Booked! He’s also the Team Lead for the entire Video Games Division and a member of the Tabletop Division, writing exclusively about Magic: The Gathering.

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Article source: http://www.comicbooked.com/star-trek-online-is-free-to-play/

It used to be that licensed video games for Batman were “meh” at best. I remember being so excited to play Batman on the NES as a kid, to experience the 1989 movie in a new way, but it was just another side-scroller that happened to have Batman in it. As the years passed and game companies tried to create the definitive Batman video game experience, we got games like Batman Vengeance and Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu, which were definitely moving in the right direction. Then Rocksteady Studios hit it out of the park with Arkham Asylum and again with Arkham City, giving Batman fans the games they’ve always wanted.

I’m pretty confident in saying, however, that the best Batman game ever is Gotham By Gaslight.

Gotham By Gaslight takes its name from an alternate reality story, the first to usher in the Elseworlds brand of DC Comics that takes established heroes and gives them alternate histories and settings, where Bruce Wayne takes up his fight against Gotham City’s criminals in 1889. The original tale featured Batman versus Jack the Ripper as written by Brian Augustyn (The Flash, Impulse) with artist Mike Mignola (Hellboy), and Augustyn wrote a sequel called Master of the Future with art by the late Eduardo Barreto. The setting was brought into standard comic continuity through Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer, and that world’s version of Batman appeared again in Countdown: Arena. It says something for the quality of that original story, first published back in 1989, that DC Comics has revisited it so often and made it a part of the 52 alternate Earths within standard continuity.

All that said, Gotham By Gaslight has never been envisioned as a video game… until now.

Thanks to concept artist Julie Farrell, we have our first look at this revolutionary game that takes the Caped Crusader everyone knows and loves and gives him a thoroughly steampunk twist. “I had a blast creating the menus for this game, as steampunk is really quite unique, interesting and something I love to design,” Farrell writes. “I created the bat logo from scratch and used a variety of different clockwork pieces and other metal pieces to construct it.” Her detail work is incredible and hints at the wealth of potential contained in the project. For instance, the main menu contains our first look at this version of the Dark Knight, along with a letter addressed to “Inspektir Gordon” from Jack the Ripper, tying it immediately to the original story. The item selection menu shows us some of the weapons our steampunk Batman utilizes in his war on crime, including an archaic batarang and grappling hook launcher, and another menu displays a gadget that looks very much like a steam-powered jet pack. Other images include a title screen that looks like a leatherbound casebook and a “bat-gauge” that looks like it could be used to track Batman’s health level. Each design is beautifully crafted and evokes a hauntingly dark Victorian atmosphere for us to explore through the world’s greatest detective.

Sadly, you’ll never get to play this game because it only exists as concept art. Farrell explains, “This was a game I was really looking forward to working on. Unfortunately it was just a pitch.” Apparently, the concept wasn’t steamy enough for Day 1 Studios and Warner Bros., who passed on the project without realizing what a creative gold mine they were giving up. Steampunk as a genre has been building tremendous steam (pun fully intended) in recent years through books, music and fashion, and a project like this would play perfectly into that growing market. I know I would love to have a game that plays like a steampunk Arkham City, and I can’t be the only one. And while the aforementioned companies have asked Farrell to take down the art from her online portfolio, despite giving her the OK to display them publicly, nothing ever disappears from the internet. Her artwork, and the concept behind it, will live on in this article.

What do you think, readers? Would you play Gotham By Gaslight? Why, or why not? Leave your comments below, or take it to the Comic Booked forums!

Tags: Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, Batman, Brian Augustyn, Day 1 Studios, DC Comics, editorial, Eduardo Barreto, Elseworlds, Gotham By Gaslight, Jack the Ripper, Julie Farrell, Mike Mignola, R. B. LeMoyne, Rocksteady Studios, Steampunk, Video game, Warner Bros

About the Author

Written by R. B. LeMoyne

R. B. LeMoyne has way more comics than boxes to store them in, and
more action figures than shelf space to display them, and he keeps
buying more of both. He spends his free time blogging about his life as a writer
at rblemoyne.blogspot.com or gaming with friends.

Follow me on Twitter | Find me on Facebook

Article source: http://www.comicbooked.com/the-greatest-batman-game-youll-never-see/

There was enough research for 2012 out there to know that this year will be summed up in one short word: Chaotic.

Mid-Summer there will be a movie coming out called Abraham Lincoln:  Vampire Hunter, a movie where a stoner is on a quest to find wood-glue, and a board game comes to life in the form of an alien invasion.  The Elections are coming to fruition and are already as bash-inducing as ever. The end of the world is supposedly going to come in December, though probably not since even the people who are descendents of the Mayan People disagree as of today.  Plus all the prophecies from people of the past suggest it is going to be either very hot, or very cold.  Trust me, just look up their future weather forecasts yourself.

But, to say the least, it’s going to be an odd year for all of us, including Video Games at least.  Granted, after a discussion with individuals on the Escapist, there will be a few video games that will peak anybody’s interest.  For me, I was originally going to tell you about my top Five…but then realized that I needed to up the scale a bit and move the number up.  So here we go folks, the top ten games that I hope to get a hold of before the end of the year and I spend many hours watching thirteen dwarves make a mess of a hobbit home, which is coming out in December.

10. Let’s bring in the heavy hitter first, the one that everyone seems to want to talk about, though Mass Effect 3 is probably one of the only games on this list that I have little interest in. It’s mostly just because after hours on end with the first game, I suddenly realized I just went in one big circle, and the map I had didn’t seem to help me figure out where I needed to go.  Granted, I could probably play now but after a few hours of trying to tell the difference of who’s the friendly metal floating object and what’s not, I figured that everyone who enjoys it must mesh well with it and I’m not one of them.

I do understand the appeal, hence why I’m going to toss this in as a game that is most well deserved recognition, since it is one of the few that Everyone wanted to talk about how it’s going to be amazing…in 2011.  It’s a year off, but it still remains as the most favored out of the public.

Release date:  March 6th for North America, and like a 9 day wait for the rest of the world…so odd.

 

9. Prey 2 is a sequel to a rather small franchised game that came out in mid-2006.  It was a game that was slow to gain popularity, having its millionth copy sold by October (when games like Modern Warfare receive that many overnight).  Nevertheless it was an appealing game, one that I myself find it worth getting a hold of sometime.  The fact was, I was surprised to find that it carried a sequel, though after reading about the storyline, a sequel was meant to be made.  I’m glad to see Human Head Studios make another game, as it truly was one of the few that shined like gold but people ignored it like it was bronze.  I’d say give this one a chance, folks!

Release date:  Summer 2012

 

8. Okay, yeah, I dodged this one like the plague, but let’s face it.  When I first started to get back into gaming in the early 2000s, I found myself getting swarmed with people often telling me that I should try this game..or try this one, then show me something that usually turned me off.  The Grand Theft Auto series was the big one, as people tended to show me the ‘get prostitute, kill them and take back your money’ deal.  Max Payne was another, as it tended to baffle me with its ‘getting shot a thousand times but then that’s okay, here’s some painkillers’ (of course, I never met a Modern Warfare fan until like..three years later?).  As of today, I look back and find my irritation for the logic of Max Payne to be rather silly, and will honestly start picking up the game as soon as I have the time for it.  That way, I can play all the way through so I can play Max Payne 3 and know what’s going on.  From all the features I’ve seen of it, if you’re a Max Payne fan, then this game will be right for you.  If you’re not, please, join me in my epic crusade to cleanse my sins in avoiding this game.

Oh, but I’m still against the prostitute thing in GTA, you fellows annoyed me from ever doing that….ever…

Release date: March 2012

7 and 6.  Granted, these two have completely separate identities, and heck, completely different styles of game play.  But, they are both hopefully going to be released by 2012 and…well folks, it is indeed Blizzard.  When they say April of 2011, what they mean is November 2011, or January of 2012, then suddenly there’s no date.  It’s sort of a situation that they seem to always have, and if you’re a gamer that loves any series by Blizzard, you’ll know that the only Video Game that wasn’t cancelled or came in late was World of Warcraft, and that was only because nobody knew about it until Blizzard threw us that bone.  I’m not saying that I hate Blizzard, in fact I love their games.  They should just not put any release dates until they’re sure they have it set.  Which they seem to have for these two, but regardless.

Heart of the Swarm is the second episode to Starcraft II, in which we will get to play as Sarah Kerrigan, leader of the Zerg Swarm.  Only, this time you’re not exactly ‘evil’, though you can be, as far as I can theorize from all the detail I’ve seen.  This time though, you’re gathering up the swarm to fight the man that destroyed Sarah:  Arcturus Mengsk, as well as fight the darkness that’s coming that was saw a bit of in the previous chapter. We will be seeing aa return of Rayner, Mengsk, and maybe Zeratul, and hopefully we will be encountering the evil being named Duran once more.  Which of course will be awesome.

Diablo III is…well, the third in the Diablo series that is basically the same RPG/Adventure/Hack-n-Slash game that it has been in the previous games in the series.  You will be seeing some familiar faces, including Diablo himself, though where they will be going with the series is still up in the air. Unlike the first two games, you will have new classes to choose from.  The return of the Barbarian and Wizard isn’t too surprising, but seeing the new Monk, Demon Hunter and Witch Doctor is.  Graphically, it looks great, though after some research, it was found that Blizzard could have had an earlier game, but threw it out to try to rework all the pieces and bits, hence why it took as long as it did.  Still, just watch all the game play yourself, trust me, it’ll be worth it.

Release dates:  Heart of the Swarm TBA, Diablo III The first quarter of the year.

 

5. What do you do when you cross World of Warcraft with Cute creatures and the French?  You get Wakfu, a new Epic MMORPG that alot of people misinterpret it as a cartoon when in reality the french cartoon that is seen on the web is actually a premise to the Wakfu game.

Back in Comic Con, I was offered to step in and take a look at the series, and I must say that it is rather interesting in itself…though I will save all the great little detail of the game for my next article.

One thing I can tell you right now is:  It’s a new MMORPG that looks to try and integrate various games into one.  Be aware there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.

Release date: February 2012

4. Funny part is that I didn’t really hear about this game until somebody mentioned it to me.  Then I got to see the video of it..and to my amusement, I suggested that there was a lot of similarities to Mad World on the Wii, yet it was in color.  People laughed at me for a moment so I had to look up this new game myself…

Indeed Anarchy Reigns is the sequel to Mad World, and to make it a very odd thing indeed, this video game will be coming out to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and not the Wii at all…

Anyway, the game itself does indeed look fun, it’s like a fighting game, but with a more sandbox-y arena.  So if you were a fan of the tournaments in Kingdom Hearts, or think there should be more control over the camera in Mortal Kombat Deception/Armagheddon?  Then this is the game for you. It comes with a good number of characters from Mad World, with only one or two new chars..but hey, you get to *play* the characters now beyond Jack Cayman.

Release date: July 3rd in North America, with a three day waiting period for the rest of the world.

3. Sly Cooper is a series that I just never grew out of.  It’s a fun game that tells us that a series can be silly, dramatic, and all that rest between the two very opposing pillars, and still have decent enough graphics to make the most nostalgic individual to play over again. Thieves in Time is the fourth installation to a rather good series (even if the third ended on a place where it could have ended).  Graphically, it looks to have a similar, cartoony look like its prequels, but lets face it, if we were to test Sly Cooper on it’s graphics, then it probably wouldn’t be as popular as it was.  Still, looks really good, as if it got updated much like how Saints Row the third was to its older sibling:  Saints Row 2.  Game play, well, it just better be similar, because nothing is worse than to be stuck with new controls and having to relearn it all over again.  The only worry is that the original developers, Sucker Punch, will be replaced by Sanzaru Entertainment, though it seems they were the ones that helped revamp the series so you can play it on Playstation 3.  So we should hope for some good news…

Release date:  Mid-2012

 

2. Ironic as it is that Vigil Games continues its story about the end of the world upon the year when people mark it as the end of the world.  If you remember my previous article, then this article should not be nearly as much of a surprise than it should be.  You play as Death, brother of War from the first Darksiders.  As interesting as it is, you will be playing Death as War currently fights in the realm, so you may encounter some changes when War suddenly does something from the first Darksiders.

As far as I have seen, Vigil has altered Darksiders II slightly from its predecessor, but all for the better.  This includes seeing how much damage you’re dealing, as I had problems with knowing how much damage War was giving to an armored foe and such.  But, again, lets be honest, you can read the rest of my feelings on my Darksiders article.  Beyond that, it’s one of my top Awaited games that I’m looking forward to this year.

Release date: June 2012

 

1.  Well, I am a sucker for Steampunk, big monsters and a hilarious but crazy town.  The original Bioshock gave me that, though it did feel kind of constricted with the amount that I recieved in first games gameplay.  When the sequel came out, I thought ‘all right, this should make things interesting’ as you get to play one of the gigantic big-daddies….only to be torn away by the lack of detail in the story and was interested in some of the gameplay.  Plus I got tired of the fact that ‘obvious guy behind you is obvious’, though that was pretty normal in the first one.

When I first saw the trailer for Bioshock Infinite, I thought: “THIS looks like the actual sequel.”  Unlike the small, constricted town of Rapture, you are now in the sky town of Columbia, a place where it seems constricted only in the fact that they have racial intolerence (though that has yet to be revealed…save for the massive George Washington poster in the trailer).  Still, much like Rapture, people are going crazy and it’s up to you to try to figure it out though you are actually mostly protecting a gal named Elizabeth, who happens to have alot of power. However, we are not certain of her abilities, except for the fact that the head of Columbia wants her.

That, plus watching as your character races down a track and shooting at guys heading towards you, and you got one hell of a game that will keep you breathless the entire way.

 

That’s it, folks!  My list of the top ten games that I’ll be considering throughout the year.  Each one will be interesting…and you can tell my tastes are a little diverse in the feel to each game, even if they’re sort of similar.  Still, there are alot of games out there, and this doesn’t have to be your list.  Here’s a few that are coming out…

Trials Evolution, X Rebirth, MGS3D, Guild  Wars 2, Kingdom of Amalur, Journey, FFXIII-2, Borderlands 2, Far Cry 3, Syndicate, Assassin’s Creed 3,  The Secret World, Matro 2034, Devil May Cry, Silent Hill, Halo 4, Kingdom Hearts 3, Soul Caliber 5, Street Fighter X.

There are also suggestions that there will be Persona 5 as well, and there is suggestions that the Last Guardian from Team Ico may not come to be, though that has yet to be confirmed.

For all of you who want to throw in their top ten, or even top five, go ahead and leave them all in the comment page, or head over to the forums and tell us all why!

Tags: Anarchy Reigns, Assassin’s Creed 3, Bioshock Infinite, Blizzard, Borderlands 2, Darsiders 2, Devil May Cry, Diablo III, Far Cry 3, FFXIII-2, Guild Wars 2, Halo 4, Journey, Kingdom Hearts 3, Kingdom of Amalur, mass effect 3, Matro 2034, Max Payne 3, MGS3D, Modern Warfare, playstation 3, Prey 2, Sanzaru Entertainment, Silent Hill, Sly Cooper Thieves in Time, Soul Caliber 5, Starcraft Heart of the Swarm, Street Fighter X, Sucker-Punch, Syndicate, The Secret World, Trials Evolution, Video Games, Vigil Games, Wakfu, X Rebirth, Xbox 360

About the Author

Written by Cousin Matt

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Article source: http://www.comicbooked.com/matts-most-awaited-video-games-of-2012/

Sony made a big splash back at E3 by officially announcing the latest handheld gadget the Playstation Vita. Since the announcment back in June, the device has actually been released in Japan and has sold over 450k units. The luke warm reception in Sony’s native land isn’t enough to stop the hype back here in the good ol’ US of A!

Despite the Vita’s relatively large 5″ OLED touch-screen first impressions seem to be that the device is surprisingly light. Looking like a sleeker and upgraded version of its predecessor - the PSP – Sony has chosen to give an update to an already modern design. Some other notable changes to Sony’s new device are the addition of the extra analog stick which gives it two (2) just like its big brother the PS3. As mentioned, the PS Vita will come with a touch-screen and, although not as responsive as an iPhone or high end Android devices, it is a more than serviceable option especially when considering that most of the gaming will be done will be with the physical buttons. The PS Vita will not share the XMB interface that the PS3 and PSP currently support, rather it will make use of the touch-screen and use a GUI that is called LiveArea.

The games for Vita will be distributed on a new flash memory card named the ‘PlayStation Vita Card’ rather than the UMDs used by the previous generation. PS Vita Cards will be available between the ranges of 4 GB – 32 GB, and the cards themselves will function in the same fashion in which we currently use SD Cards. Along with the download and purchase of PS Vita games there will be PSP, PS1, PS Classics, PS Store games, and the support of trophies. In addition to games, the PS Vita will allow you to connect to your social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Skype; all will be available to download from the PlayStation Store.

The Vita will be released in a WiFi and 3G options with the later being powered by the ATT network. The WiFi version of the device will come at an introductory price of $250.

ComicBooked will have a full review of the PlayStation Vita as soon as it is released stateside, which is slated to be on February 22, 2012. Stay tuned!

Tags: comicbooked, comicbooked.com, playstation, PS, PS3, Sony, Video Games, Vita

About the Author

Written by Jorgie

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Article source: http://www.comicbooked.com/playstation-vita-preview/

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City puts you back on the streets of Racoon City during the T-Virus outbreaks of Resident Evil 2 3. The game and genre as a whole have come a long way since its days on the original Playstation. With the growing popularity of zombies (i.e The Walking Dead) Resident Evil is poised more then ever to make a “comeback”.

Though Capcom has done a good job of keeping us entertained with the critically acclaimed RE4 RE5, it did receive some backlash due to its break from the traditional setting we were used to seeing in the first three games of the series. Now we take a trip back in time to where it all began, and we are given an opportunity to view the mayhem from root of all the evil, Umbrella Corporation. Now, just because they are taking the series back to its roots, it does not mean that the game play has not gotten any face lifts.

In this iteration you are part of Umbrella Corp’s elite security team, and are tasked with eradicating the city of any evidence of an outbreak at all costs! Both humans and zombies alike who get in your way are fair game. Capcom has also taken a page from Gears of War and Dead Space as RE now has a much more run and gun feel to it this time around. It also includes melee attacks, class specific ability kills/perks, and 1-4 player Co-Op. Details about the available online modes are still under wraps.

The expected release date is 3/22/12.

In the meantime check out this new trailer for the upcoming Resident Evil: Operation Racoon City!

Tags: capcom, comicbooked, comicbooked.com, PS3, Racoon City, Resident Evil, Trailer, Triple Impact, Xbox 360

About the Author

Written by Jorgie

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Article source: http://www.comicbooked.com/resident-evil-operation-raccoon-city-triple-impact-trailer/

The Asus Transformer Prime was the most pre-ordered Android tablet in history (admittedly short history, but history nonetheless!). After some manufacturer delays, setbacks, and being given the run around from Best Buy, I finally got my Three Kings – er – Christmas gift this past week and boy was it worth the wait!

Disclaimer: Nerdgasm ahead!

The Prime is the second tablet of the Asus Transformer Series. The tablet comes packed with extra high-end hardware, toting a Quad-Core Processor with 1 GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear facing camera, and a Micro-HDMI port with 1080p output. This beast and all its glory is also powered by its most impressive spec, which is a 12-core GeForce Tegra 3 GPU. This video card is head and shoulders above what the competition has to offer on any handheld device. NVIDIA claims the video card enables ‘desktop-like gaming’ and while we won’t be running Skyrim on Ultra-High settings anytime soon, the graphics are a sight to behold. The device comes in two flavors:  32 GB or 64 GB internal memory; both can be expanded to support an additional 32 GB via the micro SD slot.

Out of the box The Prime feels powerful, its lightweight and sleek-metallic design adds a regal quality to the device and what’s inside does not disappoint. The Transformer Prime is running Android Honeycomb 3.2 out of the box, but Asus has confirmed that as early as January 12th we will be able to get our hands on the new Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS).

Anyone who has used an Android device will feel right at home with this tablet. What truly separates it from the competition is not the OS (as all Androids all relatively the same) but the quality of the experience. Switching between apps and screens inside of the tablet is seamless. I am the type of person who likes to have everything at their finger tips and the 10.1″ screen allows me to do just that. My screen is packed with weather updates, social network and news feeds, and a few dozen widget powered apps. At no point is there any lag or latency.

I figured I’d put my toy to the test and downloaded the recently released GTA III: 10th Anniversary game to the tablet and it played and looked better than it did when it was originally released for the PS2. Now must of you are thinking “It is a 10 year old game!” and you guys are definitely right about that. But, to run this huge open game, at the resolution that the The Prime outputs, and never have any unreasonable lag or delay is quite impressive. Hopefully developers will look at the processing power of this tablet and begin targeting those devices for gaming as the technology becomes more prevalent.

Like its predecessor, The Prime has the ability to convert itself into a full keyboard with the keyboard dock. The dock has a track pad,  full keyboard, and doubles as both a cover for the tablet AND as an extra battery pack. When you dock the Transformer Prime you can have up to 18 hours of batter life!

Although I am happy to finally have my tablet in hand the wait was not exactly stress free. As the device (slowly) made its way onto the market it was plagued with WiFi and GPS issues. The Android community was also up in arms because of the locked bootloader that the device was shipped with. Asus finally responded via their Facebook page and broke the news that there is an update for the WiFi and GPS issues, and that the ICS update will unlock the bootloader. They did warn us however, rooting your device will void your warranty (what else is new?).

The Asus Transformer Prime comes packed with lots of power on a familiar operating system. I have always been in Apple’s corner in the battle between iOS and Android. Heck if I could find a way to attach my iPhone 4S to my hand I would! However, the power of this Android cannot be denied. It is by far the most powerful handheld device available to humans at the moment. Its beautiful design and power make a great bargain even at the introductory price of $499. With Asus promising to unlock the bootloader, ICS being released within the next month, and all the features you’re used to seeing on an Android now being displayed on a powerful 10.1″ tablet? This device simply cannot be beat and that is not excluding the iPad.

It is safe to say that The Asus Transformer Primer was “fashionably” late to this party.

 

 

 

 

Tags: android, Android 4.0, Asus, Games, Grand Theft Auto, GTA III, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, NVIDIA, Prime, Review, tablet, tablets, Tegra 3, Transformer

About the Author

Written by Jorgie

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Article source: http://www.comicbooked.com/asus-transformer-prime-better-late-then-never/

It’s amazing when you think about it.  There are a number of award ceremonies for each genre, including movies, films, and even video games have had a few in recent years.  We are often awarded with a show that tends to be rather long and tedious at times.  We get to see bands sweating halfway down their fronts, as they themselves wonder why they are at this particular ceremony at all (Some I’ve found rather comical as they had an obvious form of stage fright, despite being pros at singing to regular audiences).

Still, it’s long, and usually unsurprising as to who won the award (with the occasional surprise coming from an unlikely candidate), with the ceremony itself feeling like it was spread out far too long.   Also, to bring it up, it is often heavily influenced by the television station that they are a part of, so occasionally you hear a video game won the ‘best game overall’ and it usually feels a bit one-sided.

So when I heard about the In Gaming Awards, I was a little surprised to hear it was developed by Machinima, an online corporation that spreads itself through the internet (Though why am I explaining this, especially since everyone who’s reading my article would know everything about them.)

Nicci and I were invited, surprisingly, and even got to sit down at a table at the bottom floor, quite a feat in itself.  I was a little too excited by all the stuff that was going on around us, and Nicci even chuckled a bit as I was apparently listening to every audio that was being played right before the ceremony started.

To my amazement, Machinima and Inside Gaming didn’t want to prolong the ceremony (and trust me, 14 awards were given out in the process of roughly an hour)!  The majority of the awards given were surprising as well, as this was an award ceremony where the nominees were voted for by the people, and not by a group of delegates.

Best Sound Design: Dead Space 2

And we started out with a bang.  I did feel it was going to be as close call between Uncharted 3 and DeadSpace 2, but we all know that the sound of heads exploding is far more breathtaking than… well… two boulders sliding together.
Awards given to: Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer of Dead Space 2

Best Original Score: Bastion

I wasn’t totally sure who was going to win this, but I kind of hoped it was Bastion.  It had the most original music I’ve heard in sometime!
Award given to: Darren Korb from SuperGiant Games

Most Original Game: Rock of Ages

Holy Crap!  The game with a boulder as the main character is the winner!  I hope he didn’t over hear me make the comment about two boulders together isn’t an impressive sound!
Awards Handed to:  Rob Stone and Clayton Chan, producers of Rock of Ages

Best Downloadable Game: Bastion
Okay, you got me, I kind of figured Bastion was going to win this.  It was original, and amazing, and that was just seeing the gameplay footage!
Awards given to: Amir Rao and Greg Kasavin from SuperGiant Games

Best DLC: Fallout New Vegas – Old World Blues
Heh, behold, a good DLC to what I thought oddly was a DLC to Fallout 3 when it first came out.  How silly was I when I first thought that.  Doh well.  I am happy for the team of Fallout 3.
Awards given to:  Mikey Dowling and Jason Fader, Associate and Technical Producer0

Most Compelling Character – Wheatley – Portal 2
Heh, There was so much cheering for a lot of the characters that were on the list, except for Verric, it was like grasshoppers hit the room and scared everyone out o.o
Awards given to:  A Turret since Valve couldn’t show.

Best Indie Game – Bastion

Okay, yeah, this one didn’t surprise me.  All the Indie games here were all interesting and looked fun, but Bastion was the one with the biggest roar for approval from the audience itself.
Awards given to:  Amir Rao and Greg Kasavin  from SuperGiant Games

Best Game Cinematography – Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

I’m actually not surprised, at all really.  One thing that I can admit to when it comes to the Uncharted series, it was the fact that it had very awesome cinematography.
Awards given to:  Eric Monacelli, the Community Strategist at Naughty Dog

Best Animation – Batman: Arkham City

This category was hard to figure out, as they all had really great graphics and animation.  But, I’m glad to see that Batman: Arkham City won, as it did have great animation.
Awards given to:  Sefton Hill. Co-Founder of Rocksteady

Best Art Direction – Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Another hard choice, much like Best Animation.  I am glad that Deus Ex: HR did win, as it was only nominated for two categories, the same as with Batman: Arkham City.
Awards given to:  Jean-Francois Dugas, Lead Game Designer

Best Narrative – Portal 2

Heh, I must admit I thought the Witcher 2 or L.A. Noire would have cleared this one, but Portal 2 beat them to it.  Good going Portal 2!
Awards given to:  Valve could not make it unfortunately.

Best Multiplayer – Gears of War 3

Really now?  I am actually glad to hear that! I should probably try out the Multiplayer mode.  From what I saw in the commercials, it was already unusual from the get go.
Awards given to:  Cliff Bleszinski, Lead- oh hell, you know who he is.

Best Trailer – Dead Island – Offical annoucement Trailer
Okay, only thing that made me sad was the fact that they didn’t show the actual E3 Trailer for Saints Row the Third, as that was the reason why I drooled all over my desk.  Still, Dead Island’s Annoucnement Trailer truly did deserve the props, as it was the most memorable trailer.
Awards given to:  Peter Brolly, Developer from Deep Silver

Game of the Year - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

This had the longest list of them all, full of various games  that I did kind of feel like I should wince, while some others were at least noteworthy for being nominees.  But let’s face it, they started out with Skyrim, and seeing how much popularity there was within the first few days of its release?  Yeah, everyone knew it was going to win.  Odd though that it won despite barely being out for the month; but oh well, it does deserve its reward.
Awards given to:  The Skyrim Team.

 

And this concludes the award ceremony that Nicole and I got to see during the last month of 2011.  Thank you again Inside Gaming, as well as Machinima, for creating such an amazing award Ceremony.  It was an amazing evening, and something I would love to come to and watch again.

And for everyone that wants to see the show itself,  well, here

Tags: Bastion, Batman: Arkham City, Dead Island, Dead Space 2, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Elder Scrolls Skyrim, Fallout New Vegas, Games, Gears of War 3, In Gaming, Machinima, Portal 2, Rock of Ages, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Video Games

About the Author

Written by Cousin Matt

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Article source: http://www.comicbooked.com/inside-gaming-awards-2011-courtesy-of-machinima/

We’re gonna end 2011 in style: with an extra Throwback Thursday. Today, I have the unique pleasure of writing about one of my favorite games that I’ve ever had the joy of playing: Final Fantasy VIII. Now, there’s an old saying that gets bandied about plenty by gamers: you always love your first Final Fantasy  the most. That’s definitely true for me, and I’m very defensive of FF8. I remember playing FF8 shortly after its release. It was among the first serious RPGs I ever encountered, and it stays with me to this day. Really, there’s so much to love in Final Fantasy VIII: stunning visuals, a gorgeous soundtrack, a variety of characters, an intuitive combat and statistic system, and a dynamic, captivating story. So, while other FF games have done some things better than FF8, I would argue that no single FF game can stand up to the masterpiece that is Final Fantasy VIII. 

Plot Characters

Spanning four Playstation discs, FF8‘s story is massive. For the most part, the player controls Squall Leonheart, a brooding loner studying at the Balamb Garden, a military academy that prepares students to join the SeeD military force. The game begins as Squall is preparing to take his final exam before joining SeeD. After completing the exam, Squall joins SeeD and his squad is hired by a bunch of rebels, led by Rinoa, hoping to free the city of Timber from the control of the evil Galbadian Army. In doing so, Squall is ordered to assassinate Sorceress Edea, the leader of the Galbadian forces. Squall and his companions initially fail and are imprisoned by Edea. After their escape, they must part ways while they attempt to save Balamb Garden from retaliation by Edea and her Galbadian Garden. I won’t go much further, but the game’s fantastic story explores a wide variety of elements: a burgeoning romance between Squall and Rinoa, a mysterious past seemingly shared by some of the controllable characters all centered around a Galbadian soldier named Laguna, and complex time travel elements. The story has stuck with me for years afterwards.

The characters are all mostly enjoyable. Squall’s brooding nature is offset by the chipper Quistis, Zell, Rinoa, Selphie, and Irvine (the other main, playable characters). Each brings their own distinct flavor to the plot, and they’re all fairly well integrated. They all work together very well and have lots of hilarious interchange. Some other supporting characters, like Laguna, Seifer, Squall’s rival at Balamb Garden, and Edea, al bring a lot of diversity to a very large cast of characters. There’s bound to be a character that everyone can enjoy in this game. The dialogue, though not voice-acted, is hilarious and inviting.

Sound

It has been eleven years since the first time I played this game, and I can still remember most of the game’s soundtrack vividly. Created by legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu, the soundtrack has become one of the series most widely-beloved. Many of FF8′s songs are featured frequently in medleys and both Final Fantasy and game-soundtrack concerts. With such a diverse, dynamic story, Uematsu had a difficult task of creating a soundtrack that could help the player become immersed in the wide variety of emotional responses the game attempted to elicit. His soundtrack was a resounding success in this regard. Even the most “forgettable” pieces (background music in towns/zones) is thoughtfully crafted and wonderfully reflective of the environment. There are some fantastic, pulse-pounding tunes that helped increase the drama of the game’s most action-packed sequences; there are songs that strike the deepest, most profound emotional chords. Each song in this game reflects one moment or idea, and Uematsu’s attempt to create a dynamic unit of music to match an equally dynamic story paid off beautifully. Here’s one of my favorite songs from the game, “Love Grows,” performed by the Distant Worlds Orchestra:

Graphics

When I try and tell people about moments that make me happy to be a gamer, I always come back to the story of the first time I booted up FF8. Eleven years later, I can still remember watching the opening cinematic for the first time. I watched as a camera soared across a beautiful ocean and exploded into a colorful, vibrant field of flowers. The visual standard established by the opening scene was never lowered during the game. Unlike its predecessor, this game had the same visuals both in and out of combat. Cutscenes were beautifully animated, and the game has an overall realistic (relative to 1999 at least) visual atmosphere. Spell effects were wonderfully detailed, as were the characters’ “Limit Breaks” (this game’s equivalent of the “Overdrive Attack”). This entry’s adaptation of the summons, Guardian Forces (GFs), each had a unique summoning animation that really pushed the limits of what we could expect from a Playstation game.

Here’s the aforementioned opening scene. I’m willing to say that even now, eleven years later, these visuals still look pretty darn good:

Gameplay

Okay, here’s where fans can become bitterly divided: The Junction System. Each FF title has a unique combat/power-up system that really differentiates it from its siblings. Junctioning, arguably, is one of the most complicated systems. There is no “mana” in this game; instead, players “draw” spells from creatures and have a limited number of uses of that spell (e.g., you draw 5 “Fire” from one enemy, and then you can use those 5 yourself). You can then assign those drawn spells to certain attributes to help boost your stats. Initially, you only have access to basic spells like “Fire,” which just provides raw stat gain; however, as you encounter more diverse spells, you can assign them to all kinds of different categories, which are unlocked by leveling up your summoned GFs. For example, you can add a poison-based spell to your weapon in order to poison enemies on contact. As you max out your GFs’ levels, you gain a bunch of different stat conversion and assignment tools that provide for an unbelievable amount of customization. Yes, Junctioning is incredibly complicated. It takes a long time to learn the intricacies of the system; however, once you get the hang of it, you can do some really neat stuff to your characters and their stats.

Combat was turn-based, and pretty similar to FF7. The main difference is that characters’ Limit Breaks don’t slowly fill; instead, a character’s Limit Break unlocks when they reach the bottom 10% of their HP. Each character, arguably, has a class. They’re all very different, and most variations lie in their weapons and limit breaks. Quistis, for example, is a Blue Mage (i.e., she uses enemy spells for her limit breaks). It takes a lot of effort to acquire all of a character’s weapons and limit breaks (as it should), but in the end, you wind up with some very powerful characters that each fill a different role. Here’s the boss fight against the game’s toughest foe: the Omega Weapon. Don’t worry, there aren’t any spoilers (this is an optional boss fight that rewards you with some high-level weapons and items).

The last notable gameplay element that demands mentioning is Triple Triad, FF8‘s insanely addictive card game. FF8 is one of the only games I have ever 100% completed, and the madness I experienced while becoming a master of Triple Triad is something I will never forget. The premise is simple: on a nine-box grid, you and an opponent compete to take over each other’s cards, which have one stats in each of the cardinal directions. There is a card for basically every creature and playable character in the game; obviously, the cards for playable characters, bosses, and GFs are the best. Cards can also be converted into rare items if you have a GF with that ability. Some of the side quests for pursuing even one card are so insanely difficult and time-consuming that I’m wondering how twelve-year-old Kyle had the patience to do all of that. There are wide variety of rules that change based on when and where you play the game. The Card Club Group and Queen of Cards side-quests haunt me to this day. Players have been demanding a proper, real-life Triple Triad for years. In fact, Triple Triad is so popular that you have to go to the fifth result on Google to access that previously-linked encyclopedia entry because of all the online TT simulators.

Overall

See, FF8 brings a lot to the table, and there’s so much more that I’m forgetting. There are a bunch of side missions and subplots that only obsessive completionists would even think of attempting. The main story is a beautiful, if not complex, testament to the power of storytelling in gaming. The characters all have unique personalities and mesh together quite well. The game’s soundtrack is a further testament to the serious artistic potential that this form of entertainment possesses. The astounding visuals pushed the envelope for what we could expect from the Playstation. The variety of different gameplay elements, though maddening and perhaps needlessly intricate, invite many different types of gamers to explore this fantastic RPG. Give FF8 a chance if you never have – I think you’ll be pleased.

Tags: comic booked, FF8, Final Fantasy 8, Final Fantasy VIII, GF, Guardian Force, Junctioning, Kyle Black, Nobuo Uematsu, SEED, Throwback Thursday

About the Author

Written by Kyle Black

Kyle Black has been a gamer his whole life. Recently, he has decided to merge his love of gaming with his love of writing. The resulting product: a gig here on Comic Booked writing about, what else, video games!

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Article source: http://www.comicbooked.com/throwback-thursday-18-final-fantasy-viii/

Valve’s Half-Life 2 is still highly regarded as a near-critic proof game. Its re-release as part of the Orange Box, along with Portal and Team Fortress 2, ensured that a second wave of fans were won over by this dystopian fantasy’s clever innovations with linear gameplay. The influence of Half-Life can be seen not only in Valve’s continuing successes both creatively and commercially (Steam anyone…?), but even Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 owes it an obvious debt (as can be seen even in the original short). All this praise for a humble shooter? Let’s dive in to find out why.

“So, wake up, Mr. Freeman. Wake up and smell the ashes.”

Plot Characters 9/10: Protagonist Gordon Freeman is ‘inserted’ back into the plot of Half-Life following the disastrous events of the first game by the mysterious G-Man. Coming to in City 17, located somewhere in Eastern Europe and controlled by the alien empire known as the Combine, Freeman has reappeared decades after the Black Mesa incident and is now revered as a figurehead of the dwindling human revolutionary movement. Quisling Dr Wallace Breen has sold out humanity wholesale, the planet is being stripped of its resources and alien vermin (such as the persistent head-crabs) have overwhelmed the deserted city outskirts. Freeman encounters several colleagues from his former life, who encourage him to do his part to defeat the Combine and eventually storm the citadel. First though, there’s the small matter of surviving the wave after wave of Combine Overwatch soldiers, head-crab zombies and Ant-Lions.

Sound 8/10: The electronic soundtrack of Half-Life enlivens several brutal encounters, in particular a heart-pounding hovercraft chase sequence in the first section of the game when Freeman is still searching for the rebel base. But it’s the game’s atmospherics that stick in the memory. From the eerie head-crab zombie cries in Ravenholm, to the vertiginous, wind-swept underside of a bridge where Freeman must contend with Overwatch soldiers and gunships, the soundscape of this game is never less than totally immersive.

Graphics 8/10: The difficulty with recommending classic games like Fallout, or Planescape Torment to contemporary fans is that modern graphics often spoil players. Unable to see beyond the rigid isometric views to the narratives behind, some engaging storylines have a half-life of two years past their release date. This game was first released in 2004 and managed to impressively capture actual human facial expressions without a dip into the Uncanny Valley, all credit to Valve’s Source engine.

Gameplay 9/10: The groundbreaking use of physics in Half-Life 2 was not only part and parcel of the immersiveness of the game, but it also lends itself to many interesting ways of killing sundry opponents. The Ravenholm chapter in particular has Freeman enter rooms with numerous explosive barrels and saw blades scattered about, and him with a gravity gun to hand. What is a scientist surprisingly capable in a gunfight to do? The game even comes with a ‘Zombie Chopper’ achievement for beating the Ravenholm level using nothing but the gravity gun – certainly possible, but nothing feels better than shooting a zombie in the head with a shotgun.

Overall 9/10: Half-Life 2 is a classic of the genre that holds up years after its first release. It is a testament to how video games as a medium have achieved critical mass were a title can be returned to at any point after its release, which in effect is a handy definition of what a classic is. This game is to linear shooters what Watchmen was to superhero fist-fights.

Tags: comic booked, dystopia, Emmet OCuana, Gordon Freeman, Half-Life 2, Portal, Source, Team Fortress 2, The Orange Box, Throwback Thursday, Valve

About the Author

Written by Emmet OCuana

My name is Emmet and I have recently made the move to Australia from Ireland. I’m a freelance writer with experience writing about film and literature, online and in print media.You can find my portfolio on http://emmetocuana.blogspot.com/

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Article source: http://www.comicbooked.com/throwback-thursday-17-half-life-2/

As 2011 comes to a close, it’s safe to say that it has been a banner year for the comics industry and fans alike. Here at Comic Booked, we have always taken our comics pretty seriously, and after a stellar year of new material, we are pleased to present you with our awards for Best of 2011! For this year’s awards we asked each of our team members for their input and nominations to see who they thought were the best of the best in the comic book industry over the past year! After a few weeks of careful thought, consideration and deliberation, we’ve selected these titles as our choices for the best that 2011 had to offer!

On top of being big comic book fans, we’re also pretty into video games here at Comic Booked! The majority of our team members enjoy video games quite a bit, so we’re here to bring you the top video game offerings of 2011! Without further adieu, here are the nominees for Best Video Game!

• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. I used to nominate other games, but then I took an arrow to the knee! For anyone that has ever played an Elder Scrolls game, you will know exactly why this game is nominated for this award. Skyrim is, without question, one of the single best role playing games of all time. This fantasy epic continues Bethesda Softworks tradition of giant open world RPG’s that redefine the entire genre. There really isn’t much else that needs saying.  – Jordamus Prime

• Skyrim blew up the social networks like dynamite more than any other game this year. 100 hours of gameplay?  Uncharted 3 is also a viable choice.- Robb Orr

• This has to go to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Let’s count the reasons: It’s Zelda. Do you really need another reason?- Colin Bell

• I declare a tie between Mortal Kombat 9 and Saint’s Row the Third! – Nicole Sixx

• Arkham City! Why? Other than the fact that batman rules? The art is very good and the story is strong. I think the portrayal of the villains in the game though is what puts it over the edge. – Jason Padua

• Batman: Arkham City. If Arkham Asylum was the Batman game I’ve always wanted, Arkham City is the game I didn’t know I wanted but absolutely needed.- Robert LeMoyne

• Batman Arkham City, it offers so much replay value, not to mention the epic story. – James Halstead
• Batman: Arkham City. Wow, just wow. Take the greatness of the Arkham Asylum, crank it up 11 notches, and you’ve got Arkham City- Jeremy Boreske

• Limbo from Danish developer Playdead was the little indie game that could this year. Similar to the surreal Little Red Riding Hood title ‘The Path’, Limbo feels like half-puzzle adventure, half-arthouse game. Disturbing, a little bit creepy and representing a true alternative to mainstream gaming. Honorable mentions go to CD Projekt’s The Witcher 2 for not only being a great game, but adapting the novels of Andrzej Sapkowski. Let’s hope Cyanide’s Game of Thrones RPG next year is half as good. -Emmet O’Cuana

Winner, Comic Booked’s Best Video Game 2011-

Batman Arkham City

Congratulations to Batman: Arkham City‘s creative team for being Comic Booked’s Best Video Game of 2011! A special congratulations also goes out to all of the other nominees for being some of the best titles available this year!

Tags: Arkham City, awards, Batman, Batman: Arkham City, best of 2011, Best Video Game, Bethesda, comic booked, Elder Scrolls, Limbo, mortal kombat, Saints Row, Saints Row the Third, Skyrim, Video Games

About the Author

Written by Jordamus Prime

Born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia, Jordan DesJardins is what many would call a “Geek”. An avid collector of both comic books and action figures, Jordan can often be seen at comic conventions or scouring the city for the latest Transformers to hit the shelves. Contact Jordan at jordamusprime@comicbooked.com

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Article source: http://www.comicbooked.com/best-of-2011-best-video-game/