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Battlefield 3 beta impressions

Platforms:  PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Developer:  DICE (Digital Illusions CE)

Publisher:  Electronic Arts (EA)

Rating:  “M” for Mature

Written by Nick Cohen

From September 27^th through October 10^th, I got to sample the much-hyped “Call of Duty killer,” Battlefield 3.  Thanks to DICE, EA, and my Limited Edition copy of Medal of Honor—which granted me access to the beta two days earlier than most people—I got to sample two maps and modes from the most-anticipated FPS of the year.  Does Battlefield 3 look as spectacular as we’ve been led to believe?  How does it play?  What are the differences between the console versions of the game and the PC version? Will it be able to topple Call of Duty this holiday?  Read on to find out.

Being a Battlefield veteran (I first played Battlefield 2 on PC years ago and have played every installment in the series ever since), I kind of knew what to expect from the Battlefield 3 beta—huge maps with tons of vehicles, amazing graphics, and an extremely well-polished gaming experience…none of which I actually got from the beta at first.  Wait, what?

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Review–Gears of War 3

Platform:  Xbox 360

Developer:  Epic Games

Publisher:  Microsoft Game Studios

Rating:  “M” for Mature

Review by Nick Cohen

In 2006, during the early years of the Xbox 360, Microsoft was looking for a big exclusive game to move its new Xbox 360 system off shelves.  Call of Duty 2 and The Elder Scrolls IV:  Oblivion had proved to be hits, but neither game was published by Microsoft and neither did the sales numbers of Microsoft’s flag-bearing Xbox franchise, Halo.  With Halo 3 not releasing until the fall of 2007, Microsoft needed to give consumers a big reason to upgrade to an Xbox 360.  With Epic Games’ Gears of War, Microsoft found that reason.

The original Gears of War was a huge hit, bolstered by a huge marketing campaign, a surprise-hit multiplayer mode, and—let’s face it—a lack of competition.  Gears sold like crazy and gave Xbox 360 gamers a great shooter to play while they waited for Halo 3.  In 2008—facing stiffer competition from Halo 3 and the hugely popular Call of Duty 4:  Modern Warfare—Microsoft and Epic released Gears of War 2, the sequel to Microsoft’s biggest exclusive new game of this generation.  While initial sales were high, Gears 2 ultimately suffered from a disappointing campaign and a new matchmaking service for multiplayer that barely worked.  Consumer’s interest in the Gears of War franchise waned while series like Call of Duty attracted millions of new players.

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Review–Medal of Honor (2010)

Platforms:  Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Developers:  Danger Close, DICE

Publisher:  Electronic Arts (EA)

Rating:  “M” for Mature

Review by Nick Cohen

Platform Reviewed on:  Xbox 360

A summer with very few major game releases is a great time to dip into your back catalog of videogames and play the games you haven’t yet had a chance to.  With the impending release of Battlefield 3 at the end of October, I decided that now would be a great time to crack open my Limited Edition copy of 2010’s Medal of Honor and see if EA has already made a legitimate Call of Duty contender.  The fact that I can now get into the Battlefield 3 beta two days earlier next month doesn’t hurt, either.  Is Medal of Honor a Call of Duty killer?  The short answer is no, but I did enjoy some aspects of Medal of Honor.

Medal of Honor is really two games in one; there’s a campaign and there’s multiplayer.  The two portions of gameplay vary wildly in quality thanks to two different developers (Danger Close and DICE, respectively), making for an uneven experience.  There is, however, one element that is in both portions of Medal of Honor—it’s darn fun to shoot guns in this game.

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Gears of War 3 Pre-Order Bonus

With so many different offers from each store, find out which one has the best offer for you HERE

Conan is now F2P!

Read the full article HERE

Review – Catherine (360-US)

What do you do when a smoking hot chick walks into a bar and sits down next to you? You talk to her of course but how deep do you go into the conversation knowing that you’ve been seeing another girl for a long time? That’s Vincent, Catherine’s protagonist’s problem; he’s stuck in a love triangle and it’s up to you to help him find a way out. At least that’s what I thought…

Read more HERE

Diablo 3 Real Money Auction House

Blizzard recently announced information about their upcoming blockbuster Diablo 3, they talked about the beta that is now out, and the game is strictly online (the same as Starcraft 2). The big news is they will have a real money auction house.  There will also be a separate auction house were in-game gold is the currency.  This has some gamers enraged and others thinking how they can make some quick cash. Was this a good move by Blizzard or a way for them to make more money off a game without charging a monthly fee?

Read more HERE

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