This Week's Most Viewed Games Tagged 'core' on The Great Games Experiment This Week's Most Viewed Games Tagged 'core' on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/css/logo.jpg This Week's Most Viewed Games Tagged 'core' on The Great Games Experiment en-us Alternate Reality: The City
]]> 20 Sep 2007 12:33:09 Last Scenario Last Scenario is a game made using the popular RPGMaker XP that could possibly rival Aveyond's level of professionalism, perhaps even surpass it. Tiles, music and sound effects are standard material that is included with the package, but most of the character portraits, sprites and backgrounds seen in this release were created by the developer.

The C key is used for most interactions and menu selections. Press the X key to access the inventory screen or to cancel any choices. A medium length RPG with over a thousand rooms, side quests, a unique spellcard system and even a collectible board game, it's quite unlikely that any fan would complete this production in a couple of sittings

(from Indy Gamer)
]]> 26 Jun 2007 12:16:14 Cortex Command Mine precious gold from the deformable terrain in order to buy better weapons, digging tools, and deployable defenses. Use these assets to defend your disembodied brain and bankrupt your opponent!

Old-school 2D sidescroller pixel graphics coupled with an extremely detailed physics simulation makes for a mix of nostalgia and surprising gameplay.
]]> 12 Nov 2006 03:44:39 Blockland The game where you build stuff.

An open-ended, non-competitive, multi-player construction game. You build online with bricks.
]]> 09 Oct 2006 01:38:19 Far Cry 2
]]> 13 Aug 2007 10:28:02 Robotech: Battlecry
]]> 17 Sep 2007 07:52:14 Unreal Tournament 2k4
]]> 20 Sep 2007 10:48:21 Kingdom Hearts: 358!2 Days
]]> 20 Sep 2007 11:00:15 Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Samus enters the Wii in late 2007.
]]> 11 Feb 2007 02:22:51 BioShock
The idealistic surroundings and grim reality are constantly at odds.

Often touted as the "Spiritual successor to System Shock 2", BioShock is a long awaited fps in development by Irrational Games, with lead designer Ken Levine promising to advance the definition of first person shooters.

As a likely 2007 release grows closer more screenshots and trailers are being released, and one thing that's apparent is a gorgeous environment, seemingly inspired in great part by the art deco period of the last century.

Game overview and features as reported at the official site
BioShock is a revolution in the shooter genre that will forever change the expectations for the FPS. Going beyond "run and gun corridors," "monster-closet AIs" and static worlds, BioShock creates a living, unique and unpredictable FPS experience. BioShock is the Shooter 2.0.

After your plane crashes into icy uncharted waters, you discover a rusted bathysphere and descend into Rapture, a city hidden beneath the sea. Constructed as an idealistic society for a hand picked group of scientists, artists and industrialists, the idealism is no more. Now the city is littered with corpses, wildly powerful guardians roam the corridors as little girls loot the dead, and genetically mutated citizens ambush you at every turn.


Features:

  • Take control of your world by hacking mechanical devices, commandeering security turrets and crafting unique items critical to your very survival.
  • Upgrade your weapons with ionic gels, explosives and toxins to customize them to the enemy and environment.
  • Genetically modify your body through dozens of Plasmid Stations scattered throughout the city, empowering you with fantastic and often grotesque abilities.
  • Explore a living world powered by Ecological A.I., where the inhabitants have interesting and consequential relationships with one another that impact your gameplay experience.
  • Experience truly next generation graphics that vividly illustrate the forlorn art deco city, highlighted by the most detailed and realistic water effects ever developed in a video game.
  • Make meaningful choices and mature decisions, ultimately culminating in the grand question: do you exploit the innocent survivors of Rapture...or save them?

Developer: Irrational Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Released: currently targeted for August 2007 release!

System Requirements
To be announced.

In motion, the water effects are truly amazing. In fact, Irrational has someone on staff whose sole job is to handle water effects - everything from the fountains and ripples to the distortion of the fish beneath the surface.

]]> 25 Dec 2006 12:58:07 PlaneShift PlaneShift is a cross-platform, open source, and free MMORPG in development.

PlaneShift is has a classic medieval fantasy setting, with a slight twist. Instead of a generic planet, the game is set inside a gigantic stalactite named Yliakum, divided into eight levels, of which the lower two are flooded.
]]> 06 Feb 2007 02:44:47 Bonk 3: Bonk's Big Adventure
]]> 20 Sep 2007 03:52:18 Soldat Soldat is a unique side-view multiplayer action game. It takes the best from games like Liero, Worms, Quake and Counter-Strike and gives you fast action gameplay with tons of blood and flesh. Soldiers fight against each other on 2D battle arenas using a deadly military arsenal. This is what multiplayer was invented for.

Most important features:
  • It's free to play
  • Game environment based on real physics rules
  • Over 18 weapons available: - guns like MP5, Ak-74, M79, M249 Minimi, Barret M82A1, XM214 Minigun
  • Multiplayer network game over the Internet or LAN
  • Intelligent bots
  • 7 game modes:
  • - Deathmatch
  • - Pointmatch
  • - Teammatch
  • - Rambomatch
  • - Capture the Flag
  • - Infiltration
  • - Hold the Flag
  • 51 different maps
  • Editors: Soldat Map Maker and Interface Maker
  • Lobby server and dedicated server for Windows and Linux
    • * Large community creating mods, maps and tools
    ]]>     02 Dec 2006 05:17:22     S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
    Man made hell...

    S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow Of Chernobyl takes you into a near future where nuclear disaster has taken place. When a strange second explosion at the old Chernobyl site rocks the landscape, it leaves a vast "Exclusion Zone" plagued with deadly energy disturbances in its wake. The quarantined Exclusion Zone expanded over time, and by 2012, specially equipped poachers, known as S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s, venture into the Zone to claim radioactive artifacts for the black market. You are a new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. battling for survival among rivals, soldiers and mutant creatures while trying to discover the true nature of Chernobyl's dark past and horrific future.
    ]]>     07 Jan 2007 09:06:28     Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail is an educational computer game about American pioneer life that has a long history in North American school districts and homes. The game was inspired by the real-life Oregon Trail and was designed to teach school children about the realities of 19th century pioneer life on the trail. The player takes the role of a party of people, of a selected profession, traveling across the Oregon Trail in a Conestoga wagon. The success of the game has spawned numerous sequels such as The Amazon Trail and The Yukon Trail.

    The first version of the game, simply entitled "OREGON" was made in 1971 and was designed for the teletype machines operating on the TIES system at Carleton College. The original coder was Bill Heinemann. One of the original developers, Don Rawitsch, was a history teacher who later began working at the state-funded Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium (MECC) in 1974, where the game would be further developed. Oregon Trail was distributed through the consortium to educational institutions and the code (written in BASIC) was published in Creative Magazine allowing users of Commodore PET and other early home microcomputers to input it into their own machines to play.
    ]]>     30 Jan 2007 06:35:07     Pokemon Colosseum Pokemon Colosseum for the Nintendo GameCube is the sequel to the popular Pokemon Stadium series on the N64. Connect your Game Boy Advance to your GameCube in order to battle with over 200 detailed 3D versions of Pokemon from the Sapphire and Ruby GBA games. As well as uploading characters into Colosseum, players are able to load exclusive Pokemon from the GameCube game and take them on the go with the Game Boy Advance. In addition to the tournament battle mode, Colosseum boasts a full adventure mode with a storyline. In this mode, players follow the scent of a mysterious organization that has been turning Pokemon into Dark Pokemon.

    Check out the group for Pokemon Fans of the World!
    ]]>     04 Mar 2007 09:27:41     Deus Ex The year is 2052 and the world is a dangerous and chaotic place. Terrorists operate openly - killing thousands; drugs, disease and pollution kill even more. The world's economies are close to collapse and the gap between the insanely wealthy and the desperately poor grows ever wider. Worst of all, an ages old conspiracy bent on world domination has decided that the time is right to emerge from the shadows and take control. No one believes they exist. No one but you.
    ]]>     22 Nov 2006 09:26:12     The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time After a nightmare involving a certain young princess and the evil thief Ganondorf, series hero Link wakes up in his home village tucked away behind the mysterious Lost Woods. The only Kokiri without a fairy, Link soon meets up with his new traveling companion, the winged Navi, and sets out on the adventure of his life. The quest, which inevitably turns into a rescue mission for Princess Zelda, leads players through dark dungeons, picturesque villages, into the heart of a volcano, to the bottom of a lake, through a haunted desert, deep into a magical forest, into a giant tree, the belly of a beast, and even through time.
    ]]>     25 Nov 2006 10:02:58     Quake 3: Arena Welcome to the Arena, where high-ranking warriors are transformed into spineless mush. Abandoning every ounce of common sense and any trace of doubt, you lunge onto a stage of harrowing landscapes and veiled abysses. Your new environment rejects you with lava pits and atmospheric hazards as legions of foes surround you, testing the gut reaction that brought you here in the first place. Your new mantra: Fight or be finished.

    Quake 3 is a multiplayer arena-style first-person shooter. Quake 3 follows in the footsteps of Doom and Quake in providing a frantic and exciting deathmatch experience.
    ]]>     14 Dec 2006 02:36:57     Starsiege: Tribes Starsiege: Tribes a first person shooter set in the Earthsiege universe. It was developed by Dynamix and published by Sierra Online in Nov. 1998. It's the first in a line of Tribes products which include Tribes II in 2001, Tribes Aerial Assault in 2002 (for PS2) and Tribes: Vengeance in 2004.
    ]]>     15 Nov 2006 01:51:38     Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic It is Four Thousand years before the Galactic Empire and hundreds of Jedi Knights have fallen in battle against the ruthless Sith. As the last hope of the Jedi, you must lead a band of freedom fighters in an epic struggle to save the galaxy. Can you master the awesome power of the Force on your quest to save the Republic? Or will you fall to the lure of the dark side?
    Hero or villain, savior or conqueror...you must choose wisely as you alone will determine the destiny of the entire galaxy!
    ]]>     25 Nov 2006 04:18:12     Half-Life Named Game of the Year by over 50 publications, Valve's debut title blends action and adventure with award-winning technology to create a frighteningly realistic world where players must think to survive. Also includes an exciting multiplayer mode that allows you to play against friends and enemies around the world.
    ]]>     25 Nov 2006 04:10:36     Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Step inside the most richly detailed and vibrant game-world ever created. Oblivion is the latest chapter in the epic and highly successful Elder Scrolls saga and utilizes the latest PC and next-generation video game hardware to fully immerse you into the experience.
    ]]>     25 Nov 2006 06:28:05     Cave Story - Doukutsu Monogatari Cave Story is a freeware sidescrolling action/adventure/platformer title with leanings towards Wonderboy and recent sidescrolling Castlevania titles. You control a little amnesiac who runs around helping out these rabbit-ish creatures called Mimigas while trying to find your way out of the giant cave inside the floating island which makes up the game's setting.

    This is a free game made by one man:

    Pixel said,
    It's been five years since I first thought to myself, "Hey, why not try making a game?" I developed Cave Story at my own pace, taking my time, and while doing so I released a few other smaller games as well.
    ]]>     26 Nov 2006 01:38:13     Final Fantasy VII A giant energy manufacturing company known as Shinra Inc. is harvesting the sheer life energy of the Planet as a simple fossil fuel. Processed and made into products known as Mako and Materia, these materials can work miracles, granting the wisdom of the Ancients to the user. However, this substance, like all other fuels, is finite in supply, and the Planet's lifeforce is being malevolently drained by the constant explotation of Mako by Shinra. Though aware of the harmful effects, they function without remorse.

    However, the real battle lies not with a corporation, but a force much more competent from the distant past. A long-thought dead warrior bent on becoming more and more powerful, coupled with the Planet's drained energy, threatens the very existence of everything sacred.

    Now a small rebel group eminating from the slums must quell the various dangers toward the innocent, and one mercenary for hire must look amidst the lies and deception and find the man he is within.
    ]]>     30 Nov 2006 03:34:46     Chrono Trigger The 32-meg Chrono Trigger utilizes time travel, science-fiction, and fantasy adventure to create one of the best role-playing games ever. The game's hero, Crono, is transported into the past and ends up altering the course of history, and with it the future as well.

    The integral time travel element of the game enables players to alter the game by changing the past, give players multiple endings and excellent repeat game play value. There are mini-quests, a huge cast of characters, realistic time travel, non-linear game play, and more active and interactive battle scenes than Squaresoft's 1994, highly acclaimed, role-playing game Final Fantasy III.
    ]]>     06 Dec 2006 11:26:30     Starcraft An excellent RTS. Control one of three races to battle and destroy the opponents. The three races have different properties and abilities, but the balance in gameplay is superb.

    Made by Blizzard, creators of Warcraft.
    ]]>     07 Dec 2006 01:22:55     Diablo 2 Since the beginning of time, the forces of Order and Chaos have been engaged in an eternal struggle to decide the fate of all Creation. That struggle has now come to the Mortal Realm...and neither Man, Demon, nor Angel will be left unscathed...

    After possessing the body of the hero who defeated him, Diablo resumes his nefarious scheme to shackle humanity into unholy slavery by joining forces with the other Prime Evils, Mephisto and Baal. Only you will be able to determine the outcome of this final encounter...

    In Diablo II, return to a world of dark fantasy. As one of five distinct character types, explore the world of Diablo II -- journey across distant lands, fight new villains, discover new treasures, and uncover ancient mysteries, all in the quest to stop the Lord of Terror, once and for all...

    Game Features

  • Five all-new character classes with unique attributes and abilities

  • Four different, fully populated towns complete with wilderness areas

  • Multiple dungeons, caverns, and crypts in every town for players to explore

  • Expanded world, filled with all-new quests, weapons, spells, armor, monsters, and non-player characters

  • Advanced combat system, incorporating class-specific fighting techniques and spells

  • Full Multiplayer support, including Internet play over Battle.net®

  • Optional 3Dfx and Direct3D support
    • ]]>     07 Dec 2006 12:38:51     Hellgate: London Notice: In production

    London, 2038. The once great city lies in ruins. A massive, sinister gash in the fabric of our reality gnarls and churns, dominating the horizon as it blends into a permanently darkened sky. The unspeakable cataclysm that befell London threatened to engulf the world as the shadow of the demons fell across the face of mankind.

  • Introduction

    • According to legend, when the ravens depart the Tower of London, it will crumble to rubble and disaster will befall England. As man became more dependent on science, ancient lore and rituals were lost to the antiquity of time.

  • Classes

    • Mankind is a race of survivors. A rebellious few survive in the shadows of their former dominance, combining the holy, ancient, and arcane rites with the fringe sciences of the modern era.

  • Demons

    • Emerging from the swirling chaos of the Hellgate, the demons overwhelmed humanity's defenses. The Hellgate writhes and seethes like a living thing, a tornado of eldritch energies through which the minions of the netherworld surge forth.

  • Mods

    • Some equipment can be modified through the introduction of various technological and magical elements, commonly called Mods. These Mods are typically integrated into pre-defined slots or hard points on an item through a simple procedure that can be performed by any adventurer.

    Bill Roper said,
    Success should be based on skills, level, items, and so on. So it's really based on what makes you successful in an RPG. That being said, it certainly isn't going to hurt a guy if he's good at shooters.

    Additional Game Features:

    • First person perspective!

    • Dynamically generated content and levels including tons of weapon and item drops for scavenging.

    • PvP will be included, although it is likely that it will be for Elite members only. PvP modes may include duels and arena matches

    • Has some combat aspects of a shooter, but is first and foremost an action rpg. Players will not need to scavenge for ammo. The only mention of "ammo" refers to a type of modification.

    • Quest driven story, yet with a lot of freedom to adventure and treasure hunt in hopes of finding the best of the randomly generated goodies, as was so popular in the spiritual predecessor Diablo!

    Proposed Subscription Details (thanks Hellgate Guru!) These are just a few of the features discussed, visit the Hellgate Guru links for more info:

    • Free player accounts as well as "elite" optional subscription play options that are currently stated as $9.95 per month for U.S. players.

    • Free players can access all initial content and play with free or elite players, but elite accounts will receive regular content updates.

    • Elite players can access premier 24/7 customer support via phone and email, and will have priority in case of player ques.

    • Free players may create 3 characters, Elite players up to 12. Elite players will have a 40 item "swap stash" versus 20 items for free players.

    • Elite accounts can access additional play modes.

    • Elite players will have enhanced graphical options for characters.


    Ex-Blizzard employees Bill Roper, Erich Schafer, Max Schafer, and Dave Brevik--the men behind Diablo, are the heart of the development of Hellgate: London.

    Developers: Flagship Studios
    Co-publishers: Namco Bandai Games & Electronic Arts

    The game runs on a proprietary engine developed specifically for this game. The only other component that Flagship has licensed is Havok for physics.

    System Requirements: Pending!
    ]]>     16 Dec 2006 10:48:21     You Don't Know Jack

    You Don't Know Jack: the show where high culture and pop culture collide!


    You Don't Know Jack is a series of quiz show-inspired computer games which combine trivia and comedy. The games are known for their humor and challenge, as well as simple presentation. The games rarely use graphics, relying heavily on voice acting and text.

    The games have recently been revived at the YDKJ official website, where new episodes are released every weekday. These are developed in Flash and are available to play for free within your web browser.

    Category: Quiz

    Release Date: Varied

    Developer: Jellyvision
    ]]>     26 Mar 2007 11:13:20     Scorched 3D Scorched 3D is a game based on the classic DOS game Scorched Earth. Scorched 3D adds amongst other new features a 3D island environment and LAN and internet play.

    The gameplay remains much like in the original game. Aiming towards a certain opponent is earily done with the A button, and after that the aiming with angle and power is exactly as in Scorched Earth. However, some weapons will react differently when landing due to the three dimensional terrain.
    ]]>     13 Feb 2007 01:38:57     Pokemon Battle Revolution The first Nintendo Wii entry in the much-enjoyed Pokemon franchise. The game is a battle stadium-type game between Pokemon, and it allows you to import your Pokemon from the DS games Pokemon Diamond & Pearl to play on the big screen.

    Check out the group for Pokemon Fans of the World!
    ]]>     03 Mar 2007 04:49:21     Oregon Trail II This version of the game includes far more detail than the original. For instance, rafting down the Columbia River is a much greater challenge than it was in the original Oregon Trail. Whenever an accident happens, the game ceases and the player must decide what to do in response. Players are also able to talk with other settlers along the way and ask their advice when needed.

    This version also allows the player to choose between 20 years of travel (rather than 1 in the original) from 1840 to 1860. Travel is much easier in later years, as there are more towns and trading posts along the way to resupply your party.

    OCCUPATIONS: In the Oregon Trail II, you can also select a number of different occupations, many with different skills that can assist you in your journey across the west. Such occupations include banker, doctor, merchant, pharmacist, wainwright, gunsmith, mason, blacksmith, wheelwright, cappenter, saddlemaker, brickmaker, prospector, trapper, surveyor, shoemaker, journalist, printer, butcher, baker, tailor, farmer, pastor, artist, and teacher. (Occupations listed in descending order in terms of cash on hand in the beginning of the game.) Despite some occupations having more money than others, the low income occupations get a greater final bonus, which proves crucial in getting a decent score in the end of the game. For example, a teacher may begin the game with only $500, but receives a 5.0x score bonus. A banker starts off with $2000, but receives a 1x bonus (no bonus). If the banker uses his abundance of funds, he can buy most everything essential for the journey right away and would need to resupply very few times over the course of the trip. Let's say the banker makes it to his destination with a score of around 4,000. If the teacher does well over the course of their journey headed to the same destination and utilizes trading well because of limited money, they will most likely get nearly five times the score of the banker.

    LEVELS: Along with selecting an occupation for your character, you must also choose if you wish to remain a Greenhorn (a regular member of the wagon party, having no authority), an adventurer (Wagon train captain, elected to lead and choose different trails) and the trail guide (Navigator, paid well and allowed to choose paths at trail forks, but can be kicked off the wagon train if morale falls too low).

    STARTING TOWNS: There is a decent selection of starting points, including the classic Independence, MO, and newer towns like St. Joseph, MO, Kanesville/Council Bluffs, IA, and Nauvoo, IL.

    TRAILS AND LANDMARKS: The historical accuracy of the trails and landmarks is astounding. Famous trails other than the Oregon trail are also a part of the game, including the California Trail, Applegate Trail, and Mormon Trail.

    DESTINATIONS: Also, there are four possible destinations. However, some destinations are available in different years: Oregon City (Earlier year the Willamette Valley), Sacramento (Earlier year the Sacramento Valley), Jacksonville, OR, (Earlier year the Rogue River Valley), or Salt Lake City.

    HUNTING: Inside the game is the classic hunting sub-game. In Oregon Trail II, you can choose between three firearms for hunting: the Pistol, the Shotgun, and the Rifle. The Pistol is the most basic hunting tool and is only really effective against rodents large and small, killing larger animals such as deer and bear take multiple shots. The Shotgun is effective against birds and other animals at close range, but doesn't have the range or power to take down buffalo, etc. Overall, the Rifle is the best firearm in the game. Usually killing an animal close and far with one kill, it is the "most for your money" firearm in the game.

    SUPPLIES: Especially in large towns, the selection of supplies is astounding. Dozens of medicines, clothing items, food items and other miscellaneous essentials (and not so essentials) are available for purchasing. During the beginning of the game, package deals are available up to six months of provisions. Keep in mind, however that the many perils in the game will cause many provisions to be lost or used for trade. It is still prudent to purchase the largest package deal offered.

    ANIMALS: Some various animal types are available during the game to bring along in your trek across the western territories, such as Oxen, Horses, Mules, Chickens, and Milk Cows. Different animals provide different uses, such as Oxen being effective in pulling your wagon to your destination and chickens laying eggs for consumption. In the end of the game, the more draft animals you have, the better your score in that category.

    OTHER: Some other unique aspects of the game include the California Gold Rush after 1848 and your ability to prospect for gold (If your occupation is prospector, you'll typically find more gold than anyone else). At the destination screen in the end of the game, you can also read a fun "What Lies Ahead" section which describes what happens to your character after they settle. Also, you are able to save your diary, which the computer keeps for you so you can reflect on the events of your journey.

    (Quoted from Wikipedia)
    ]]>     10 Jun 2007 01:08:07     Disciples III "Disciples III will feature more than 150 different "characters"--the war heroes, monsters, ghosts, and other beasties that can make up a war party in the game, and like in the previous games, the size of your war party will depend on your leader character's leadership skill. Apparently, some monsters in the game, such as dragons, will be absolutely huge, and will take up to 12 squares on the game's combat map, which has been retouched as a grid-based map divided up into two halves--yours and your opponents"

    (qtd. from Gamespot.com)
    ]]>     18 Jul 2007 01:20:25     Age of Time "Barbie horse adventure" is a fair description. Except you can kill the horses. And other people. And arrest people and beat them while they are in jail. And blow them up with dynamite.

    It's a persistent online fantasy action game.
    ]]>     10 Oct 2006 02:52:07     Fallout 2 The sequel to the greatest rpg of all time (I think so anyway) This one packs even more humor and gratuitous violence than ever before.

    You play as an ancestor to the vault dweller after he founded a tiny village. You must go on a quest to find a G.E.C.K or Garden of Eden Creation Kit.
    ]]>     08 Nov 2006 07:52:41     Doom The mother of all FPSes...

    Doom. Run around, blast demons, get weapons. Uncompromisingly intense, with no shortage of challenge, Doom ushered in a new era - the age of the FPS.
    ]]>     26 Nov 2006 06:16:16     The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Arguably the finest example of two dimensional gaming goodness, the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is the true inspiration behind the masterpieces that are Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess. The fine soundtrack is but one of the seminal areas of inspiration;in fact, a majority of the most prominent Zelda themes -such as Zelda's Lullaby and Kakariko Village tunes; even the name entry music-were directly lifted from A link to the past's musical score.

    Between the environmentally based dungeons, two distinct realms, hookshot and punt-able chickens, it's clear to see that the original Legend of Zelda merely provided the canvas and a rough sketch of the series whereas A Link to the Past served as a the charcoal and oil paints.

    Yes A link to the Past is truly a Bob Ross inspired happy little tree in the corner of the masterwork that is the Legend of Zelda series.
    ]]>     28 Nov 2006 11:36:44     The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess When an evil darkness enshrouds the land of Hyrule, an ignorant young Ordonian farm boy named Link must awaken the hero within. When Link and his companions are attacked by a band of Moblins, Link is sucked into the Twilight Realm where he is transformed into a wolf. Link must scour the land in search of his friends and an answer for the ill-fated nation. With the aid of his trusty sword and shield, and a mysterious creature named Midna, only Link has the courage to save Hyrule from the twilight.
    ]]>     29 Nov 2006 10:30:09     Planescape: Torment Planescape: Torment is a computer role-playing game developed for Microsoft Windows by Black Isle Studios. Released on December 12, 1999, the game takes place in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Planescape campaign setting. Unlike other computer role-playing games, such as Baldur's Gate, Torment places emphasis on conversation and storyline instead of combat.

    The game begins in Sigil, where the protagonist, an enigmatic and heavily scarred immortal dubbed The Nameless One by the game's interface, wakes up in a mortuary with no memory of his identity and past experiences. Assuming the role of The Nameless One, players embark on a quest to solve the mysteries surrounding him.

    Torment received almost universal critical praise, and has since become a cult classic. The game was added to Gamespy's "Hall of Fame" in August 2004, and to Gamespot's "Greatest Games of All Time" list in October 2005.

    (from the Wikipedia page on Planescape: Torment)
    ]]>     04 Dec 2006 09:51:58     Ultima IV - Quest of the Avatar From the Moby Games entry:

    The fourth game in the now well-established Ultima series featured an improved game engine, with color graphics and better character interaction (you could now have actual conversations with NPCs). But what really makes Ultima IV shine is its radical departure from any other RPG made before or since in terms of the story and goal.

    Instead of building up your character by any means possible in order to face the Ultimate Evil in a big bang up showdown, in Ultima IV you were trying to become the Avatar, a role model of sorts for the people of the land. This meant upholding the "eight virtues" and basically trying to become a better person. In most RPGs you chose to be a just/nice hero because the people you'd help would usually provide you with some nice equipment for your services, but in Ultima IV you helped people not for a reward or to advance the plot but simply because it was the "right thing to do". The game actually frowns on behavior that was typical of most other RPGs, such as backstabbing fleeing monsters or picking up everything that wasn't nailed down even if it didn't belong to you. The game keeps track of all your actions, so if you went about killing and looting like in most RPGs, you'd never finish the game.

    This VERY different approach to the game's ultimate goal is what makes Ultima IV famous so many years later, and became the sort of design philosophy that made all the following Ultimas so unique in their genre.

    Of course, the game still has plenty of traditional RPG elements such as dungeons to explore and hostile monsters to kill, as well as a typical final "Holy Grail" type quest where you had to find the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom to complete your transformation into Avatarhood.

    In 1996 Computer Gaming World named Ultima IV as #2 on its Best Games of All Time list on the PC.

    The game was released for free to the public. The original MS-DOS version is available on many sites, and a game engine recreation is now available for for Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux.
    ]]>     05 Dec 2006 01:59:25     NERO Neuro-Evolving Robotic Operatives, or NERO for short, is a unique computer game that lets you play with adapting intelligent agents hands-on. Evolve your own robot army by tuning their artificial brains for challenging tasks, then pit them against your friends' teams in online competitions!
    ]]>     10 Dec 2006 05:23:36     Bioforge
    Take the starring role in Origin's latest Interactive Movie"

    Centuries in the future, a madman's interstellar plot is set in motion, and only you have the skills, the position and the armament to stop it. You are the Mondites' first success in creating the perfect warrior.

    Stripped of memory and enhanced with both human and alien technology, you are a primary element of their master plan - unless you can rediscover who you are, uncover your enemies' plans and make your break for freedom. But you'd better be quick - time and opportunity are running out.

    Game features:

    • Variable identity outcomes - your choices throughout the game determine your former identity from a list of experimental subjects.

    • Lifelike, fluid animation with 24 powerful combat maneuvers.

    • Interactive backgrounds - from ground-to-air weapons, to monitors and projectile-reflective surfaces.

    • 8-channel digital sound effects, cued by distance and camera location.

    • 3-D, texture-mapped synthetic actors whose images actually show the injuries suffered in combat.

    • Multiple camera angles and beautifully rendered alien environments.

    • 22 voice actors!

    • Believed to have the first single-skin, fully texture mapped, skeleton-based characters ever seen in gaming.

    Origin Systems (An Electronic Arts Company) developed and published this single player adventure. It was released in the U.S. in April 1995. At the time the following system requirements were high end!

    Requirements
    MS-DOS: Intel486/50+ or 100% compatible PC system. Required: MS-DOS 5.0 or higher, 8MB RAM, 5MB Hard drive space (29MB recommended), 2x CD-ROM drive, MSCDEX version 2.2 or higher, Microsoft mouse , keyboard.
    Graphics: 256-color VGA.
    MUSIC: Ad Lib, Sound Blaster/SB Pro/SB 16/SB AWE, Wave Blaster, General Midi MPU-401 interface, or 100% compatible sound board.
    DIGITIZED SPEECH and SOUND EFFECTS: Sound Blaster/SB Pro/SB 16/SB AWE or 100% compatible sound board.


    Trivia: Spoiler warning! In spite of a highly detailed story that obviously was painstakingly crafted, the game ending is rather notorious for falling a bit short. The developers endeavored at one point to rewrite the ending, which then blossomed into a possible sequel, but at length the whole initiative was dropped.
    ]]>     14 Dec 2006 10:44:27     Final Fantasy III Final Fantasy III is the third game in the popular Final Fantasy Series. As with the rest of the games, this is an RPG. Four light warriors go and save the world from evil, similar to the story of the original Final Fantasy game. It has a job system where you can give a character a job, and then they gain the unique advantages and disadvantages of that job. It was recently released on the Nintendo DS as an enahnced remake, including new jobs, expading the storyline, 3d graphics, and being released outside of Japan for the very first time.
    ]]>     29 Jan 2007 09:19:47     Need for Speed Carbon Need for Speed Carbon delivers the next generation of adrenaline-filled street racing as players face the ultimate test of driving skill on treacherous canyon roads. What starts in the city is settled in the canyons as Need for Speed Carbon immerses you into the world's most dangerous and adrenaline-filled form of street racing. You and your crew must race in an all-out war for the city, risking everything to take over your rivals' neighborhoods one block at a time. As the police turn up the heat, the battle ultimately shifts to Carbon Canyon, where territories and reputations can be lost on every perilous curve. Need for Speed Carbon delivers the next generation of customization giving you the power to design and tweak your crew's cars in every way using the ground-breaking new Autosculpt technology. Represent your car class, your crew, and your turf in Need for Speed Carbon, the next revolution in racing games.
    ]]>     08 Feb 2007 09:41:25     Little Nemo: The Dream Master
    ]]>     02 Aug 2007 05:28:39     Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
    ]]>     20 Sep 2007 10:43:38     The Repopulation You awaken in unfamiliar surroundings to find that earth has been destroyed. You are part of a Repopulation effort on Novus Orsa, Alpha Centauri. This Post-Apocalyptic multiplayer RPG aims to break the boundaries of modern MMORPGs.

    Players can join or form societies in their effort to rebuild humanity. Innovative PVP systems will pit society vs. society while working together, and against one another at the common and conflicting goals.

    Unique features include a completely dynamic quest generation system that breaks the molds set in previous titles. Player created societal systems, tournaments and sporting events. We promise to show you things you have never seen before.
    ]]>     23 Nov 2006 08:46:24     The Legend of Zelda Ganon, the King of Evil, breaks free from the Dark World and captures Hyrule's beloved Princess Zelda. Before she is caught, Zelda manages to shatter the Triforce of Wisdom and scatter its eight pieces throughout Hyrule. Link swears to recover the Triforce pieces and rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon's clutches.

    With Zelda, Miyamoto wanted to take the idea of a game "world" even further. In his own words, the intent of the original Zelda game (and every Zelda title since) was to give players a "miniature garden that they can put inside their drawer." His inspiration came from the fields, woods, and caves outside Kyoto that he had explored as a boy, and he has always tried to impart this sense of exploration and limitless wonder to players through his Zelda titles.
    ]]>     25 Nov 2006 08:08:47     Quake Rage through 32 single player levels and 6 deathmatch levels of sheer terror and fully immersive sound and lighting. Arm yourself against the cannibalistic Ogre, fiendish Vore and indestructible Schambler using letal nails, fierce Thunderbolts and abominable Rocket and Grenade Launchers.
    ]]>     26 Nov 2006 04:48:39