Game Grill

Hellgate: London relaunching as an F2P.

2011-06-28T10:33:00.004+01:00

Remember when I mentioned that the only MMOs I was ever interested in were EVE or had closed down due to lack of interest? Well, one of them's coming back. Hellgate: London (click the link to download the client) is relaunching as a Free 2 Play, the open beta starting this Thursday (30/6/11). Now, for those of you who don't remember, or are too young to have been there the first time, Hellgate is set in an alternate reality where some sort of cataclysm has befallen the world, and demons are EVERYWHERE.

It was plagued with problems, but it was pretty fun. Now, as long as I can actually sign up, I'll be getting myself an account. I don't know why it's telling me all my email addresses are unavailable.

If anyone manages to fathom the email system (two separate boxes with an @ between them, and a "check availability" button), do let me know.

Edit: I've worked it out. It doesn't like GMail accounts. Hotmail works fine, though.

Until next time,

CSquared

http://gamegrill.blogspot.com

Zygor Guides Review – Is It Just Another Scam? Not So Much!

2011-06-27T14:06:00.005+01:00

As all of you out there may already know, A lot of the World of Warcraft Guides that are floating around the net do not exactly live up to the their bold claims of being able to help you level from 1-85 in a small amount of time.

But what about Zygor’s Guides, are they worth it? Are they a scam? Or does Zygor do the impossible and actually give you what you want. Well, after trying the guide myself a couple of months ago I can reassure you that Zygor Guides are definitely not a scam and there actually pretty good. Not the best however, but acceptable.

If you go to Zygor’s sales page you’ll see that like most of the typical scam guides out there, Zygor makes the claim that his guide is the best, and that it’ll help level your character from 1-85 in only a few days, and even though their sales page is very pushy and this is sometime enough to make anyone believe they are about to be scammed. I am pleased to say Zygor Guides are legit,
you CAN level your character from 1-85 in only a few days with these guides and what’s more is you’ll have fun doing it. Because like most of the guides that are out there in which you need to Alt-Tab out of the game to go scrolling a load of pointless information. With Zygor Guides you get a fully World of Warcraft integrated piece of software that shows in game and gives you all the information you need to get to level 85 in the smallest amount of time. There’s even a cool little waypoint arrow, which is awesome.

So what makes Zygor Guides worth what you pay for it?

Optimized levelling path: Zygor Guides mainly focus on the quests that will bring you the most experience so you can level up in the shortest time possible. It also leaves out all of the junk quests that in levelling terms are pointless.

Level 1 to 85 in just 7 days: Just 7 days. With this there’s no need to say anymore because that’s impressive in its own right.

Very flexible: Zygor’s Guide is incredibly flexible and you get given the option to completely customize the guides interface. So you can show only the stuff you really want to see.

Auto quest tracking: Each time you complete a quest the guide automatically updates by telling you exactly where you need to go next.

All classes and starter areas supported: No matter which class you choose, Zygor Guides have a custom levelling path for you. You can also level your existing character by setting the guide to start 2 levels below your existing level.

Full map exposed: Once you’ve installed the guide and launched the game you’ll notice the entire map is revealed to you! It doesn’t even matter if you’ve never been to an area, the map will show it to you as fully explored.

Waypoint arrow: Does exactly what it says on the tin. The waypoint arrow will point you to where you need to go, every step of the way. So all you need to do to get to level 85 in the shortest amount of time possible is follow the arrow.

Easy to install: The guide is incredibly easy to install and comes with everything you need to know to have the guide working perfectly in no time at all.

For PC and MAC: Fully compatible with both PC and Mac computers. Which is good to know

Will NOT get you banned: The best thing about this guide is that it is completely World of Warcraft legal. Meaning you will never get banned for using Zygor’s Guide in WoW.

Okay so now you know what’s good about the Zygor levelling guide, I suppose I should tell you the bad parts about it as well.

Still finding bugs: Now this isn’t too much of a problem as you can simply head over to the forum and let the Zygor team know about it. Any bugs/glitches are usually fixed within 24 hours.

Some tough fights: Sometimes you end up fighting enemies a few levels above you. For most wow players this won’t be a problem, but can be challenging for some beginners.

Pushy sales page: To be honest I got sick of reading… “You need to buy now, you need to buy now”. And the so called “limited bonuses”, give me a break, they’ve been there for months!

Now before I go any further I should tell you as I mentioned before that the Zygor levelling guide IS NOT the best guide out there. It definitely comes in a close second but the best World of Warcraft guide on the net has to be The UltimateWoW Guide. Which if truth be told stands a head taller than Zygor Guides for some pretty important reasons, these include:

Faster Levelling: Not by much of course but the Ultimate WoW guide definitely levels your character a little bit faster than Zygor’s Guide

More Gold: With the Ultimate WoW guide you make a hell of a lot more gold than what you make in the Zygor’s Guide.

Updates: The Ultimate WoW guide is updated more often than Zygor’s Guide, so you very rarely come across any bugs of glitches and even if you do all you need is report them and there usually fixed almost instantly.

Professions: Unlike Zygor’s Guide, the Ultimate WoW guide has a fully integrated professions levelling guide which will tell you how you can level your professions to the highest level in the shortest amount of time possible while you level your character.

Bonuses: The Ultimate WoW guide has a s**t load of bonuses that come with it when you purchases. There are too many to talk about them here so just go visit the page and check them out.

In Conclusion

As I said before The Ultimate WoW Guide comes out on top. It’s faster, updated more often, makes you more gold and overall is a more complete in-game guide for World of Warcraft. But don’t count Zygor’s guide out just on what I’ve got to say because as you can see by the review above, the Zygor Guides are definitely worth what you pay for them, and even though The Ultimate WoW Guides are better than Zygor's Guides there isn’t that much of a difference between them. I'm sure whichever one you choose to get (lets be fair if you’re viewing this page then you’re considering getting a guide) you will not be disappointed with either of these.

Also you can try both of these guides out for free with their free trial guides which give you everything you need to get from 1-20 in hardly no time at all. So check them out, I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

For Zygors Free Trial Click Here
For The Ultimate WoW Guide Free Trial Click Here

I hope you found what you were looking for in this review.

Peace Out

Shadows of the Damned Launch Trailer

2011-06-23T16:22:00.000+01:00

Shadows of the Damned, officially abbreviated as Damned or DMD, is a 2011 Survival Horror Game developed for the PS3 and Xbox 360. The game follows the story of Garcia Hotspur, a demon hunter who goes to Hell to battle its evils in order to save his true love. (I’m beginning to have Dante’s Inferno flashbacks). The game is the result of collaboration to quite distinct gaming genres and style, these being Punk Rock and Psychological Thriller. Check out the Official trailer below.

Genre: Shooter
Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platform(s): PS3, Xbox 360

Tags: shadows of the damned, punk rock, thriller, action, dantes inferno,xbxo360, ps3, DMD, damned, shooter, grasshopper manufacture, EA, electronic arts

Google wants a piece of the Gaming Industry’s Cake

2011-06-23T15:36:00.002+01:00

So it would appear that according a new job listing posted by Google, they are planning to break out of the apparently constricting world of search engines and into the delightfully bright world of video game development.

Yes, that’s right. If they didn’t have enough power already Google now want to make games. This is only speculation at the moment, well speculation with a bit of proof of course because there could be some other weird reason for them wanting to recruit a “Product Manager”. Just read the listing below for yourself and see what you think.

We are looking for a strategic, technical and game-loving Product Manager to drive Google's gaming strategy. You will design strategies for game distribution and discovery,
player identity, game mechanics, and more. In addition to designing a great user experience and building out key partnerships, you will be significantly influencing Google's social platform as you work directly with a critical set of early adopters, game developers. Interesting and impactful decisions involving social gaming, privacy, virality, business, and technical APIs await you and the strong, passionate team of gamers you will work with.

True this job listing doesn’t exactly give a great deal of info on what Google’s plan’s for the future are within this sector, but Engadget seem to believe that they are planning on developing games for the social gaming crowd.

Engadget said this:
"Obviously, with just a job posting to work with, details are scant, but we can tell you that the gaming platform will boast some social features -- an area where the Goog has struggled mightily,"

Now it may be premature to say for definite that Google are setting up their own gaming division but if rumours are anything to go by, and rumours usually have an ounce of truth to them. Then Google have teamed up with SEGA and are working on the Dreamcast 2. Oh yes, the Dreamcast 2. Again this is only speculation and here say but there is a lot of evidence to point toward this as the truth. Just check out this video posted on YouTube which catalogues the evidence pointing toward the release of an heir to SEGA’s exceptionally under appreciated console.

In truth, of course is non existence, but a hope for the rumours to be true. Now that’s burning brightly.
Peace Out

Source: Google, via Engadget

Tags: Google, engadget, Sega, SEGA, dreamcast, dreamcast 2, gamers, next generation, gaming industry, social gaming, product manager

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Has Finally Got A Release Date In China

2011-06-23T15:01:00.000+01:00

Seven months after Cataclysm was released in the Western world, and China are finally getting their chance to play the new expansion (new to them at least)

As we all know China isn’t exactly the easiest country in the world to get a video game approved, and it’s especially hard to get an MMORPG into the country. I’m sure people remember the fun they had with the second expansion “Wrath of the Lich King”. This took almost two years from the time it was released over here for it to be approved in China. So I’m sure it comes as a great surprise to all the Chinese players that it has only taken 7 months for Cataclysm to finally make its way across the border.

Mike Morhaime, CEO of Blizzard Entertainment said this
while speaking about the news. “We've always appreciated Chinese gamers' passion and support for World of Warcraft, and we're excited that they'll soon be able to enjoy all of the great new content this expansion has to offer."

Hopefully, I'm talking on behalf of all the Chinese players in the world, this news will mean that the next expansion to the most popular MMORPG in history will only take a couple of months to be approved, and the one after that may actually be released the same time we get. Here hoping for you China.

Source: GamesIndustry.biz

Tags: mike morhaime, WOW, world of warcraft, cataclysm, pc gaming, games, MMO, RPG, MMORPG, china, lich king, blizzard entertainment

Win A Copy of Gears of War 3 - By Answering 1 Simple Question

2011-06-23T00:20:00.002+01:00

Hi Guys and welcome to the GGR Entertainment & gamegrill.blogspot.com’s official Gearsof War 3 competition page.

GGR Entertainment is giving all of its readers the chance to win a brand new copy of Gears of War 3, delivered straight to your front door on release day, and all you have to do to win is answer 1 simple question.

As I stated before this competition is only open to readers and followers of GGR and Game Grill Entertainment. Either through the blog itself, our YouTube channel, or on our Facebook page. So if you’re a member of the GGR Entertainment page on any of these platforms then you can be in with the chance of winning a copy of Gears of War 3 upon release.

But if you not a supporter of GGR, don’t worry because theirs no time like the present to sign up and get involved in this fantastic competition.

What’s more is, the more platforms you’re supporting GGR on, the more entries into the competition you get. So let’s break it down.

- Subscribing to GGR Entertainment on YouTube = 1 Entry

http://www.youtube.com/user/GGRentertainment?feature=mhee

- Becoming a friend of GGR Entertainment on YouTube = 1 Entry

http://www.youtube.com/user/GGRentertainment?feature=mhee

- Following / Linking GGR Entertainment on Facebook = 1 Entry

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Game-Grill/149877351747302

- Following the blog directly using Google Friend Connect = 1 Entry

http://gamegrill.blogspot.com/p/support-ggr.html

So, if you’re a part of all four of these platforms you get 4 chances to win that copy of Gears of War 3 on release day. Awesome Huh?

To enter into this competition all you have to do is answer the 1 simple question and submit your answer to the following email address.

ggr.entertainment@gmail.com

Also, you need to prove that you are indeed a supporter of GGR. So in the email could you please give the URL address to your profile on your chosen platform, or all four if you want multiple entries.

- For Facebook please supply you profile page URL

- For YouTube we need your channel URL

- For Google Friend Connect we need you Google profile URL

We only need this information for verification to prove that you are who you say you are and that you are honestly entering into this competition and not just trying to rip us off.

So now that you understand how this all works, lets get on with the question:

What game character from a popular First Person Shooter series is famous for the phrase

“I’m gonna kick ass and chew bubble gum, and I’m all outta gum”.

Is it: A) Master Chief

B) Duke Nukem

C) Alex Mercer

Simple. Even a monkey could get that right.

If you think you know the answer to this frankly embarrassingly easy question. Get over to you email account and email you answer to:

ggr.entertainment@gmail.com

And remember you need to provide proof as mentioned above that you are a supporter of GGR Entertainment & gamegrill.blogspot.com within the email. If you do not provide the appropriate proof your answer will NOT be valid and you will NOT be entered into the prize draw.

Also if you want to take advantage of our multiple entry offer so you can get all the possible chances to win the prize then you must provide the URL of your profile page for every platform you support GGR Entertainment on.

If you’ve forgotten where we do our thing or you just didn’t know then the appropriate GGR Pages are listed below. So sign up and enjoy the benefits.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/GGRentertainment?feature=mhee

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Game-Grill/149877351747302

Google Friend Connect: http://gamegrill.blogspot.com/p/support-ggr.html

That’s pretty much it, we will do everything we can to respond to your entries and give you confirmation that you have been entered into the prize draw. If you participate and get the answer right that is. But depending on the popularity of this competition, confirmation could take up to 3 days. So be patient with us. Also multiple entries will not be accepted and spamming us with entries WILL get you banned from all future GGR competitions and events.

The Winner of this competition will be announced on the website on the 10^th of September 2011, that’s 10 days before the release of Gears of War 3. So it gives us plenty of time to get the winners delivery details and have the game shipped out to them. The winner will also be announced via a YouTube in which we will draw the lucky winner or winners for the world to see on our YouTube channel, URL below.

http://www.youtube.com/user/GGRentertainment?feature=mhee

So that’s it, you’ve really got nothing to lose. So sign up to GGR Entertainment if you want your chance of winning that copy of Gears of War 3.

Good Luck all & Peace Out.

Terms and Conditions of Entry

GGR Entertainment has the right to refuse entry into this and any competition we administer to anyone at any given time, also we reserve the right to ban users from using the site and its features if it is deemed that fowl play is at hand by a user.

GGR Entertainment also reserves the right to cancel any of its competitions without warning or without reason at anytime, if GGR believe that the credibility and sense of fair play of the competition has been compromised.

By entering into this or any competition run by GGR and supplying GGR with your email address, you are agreeing that you accept that GGR will very occasionally send you information regarding future offers and competitions that it feels you may be interested in. As a side, GGR will NEVER intentionally give your email address to any third party companies. But if this ever were to happen you agree that you would not hold GGR Entertainment and its owners responsible.

GGR will only ever ask for your personal information i.e. full name, address, phone number etc, if you are the winner of any of the competitions or events that GGR coordinates. Also, we will NEVER ask for any of your personal financial information EVER with the exception of PayPal address for transferring winnings. Any correspondence from GGR Entertainment asking for this information is most certainly a scam, so we advise that you do not divulge any information to the sender and report this suspicious email to GGR using the comments sections on any of our pages.

Currently GGR is a UK based company and therefore does not guarantee that participants from other countries will be able to receive the offered prize upon winning in the desired competition. Users from overseas are however welcome to participate but accept that if they win their prize will be delivered by other means i.e. a cash prize via PayPal equal to the prize value.

By entering into any competitions coordinated by GGR Entertainment and or gamegrill.blogspot.com you are agreeing to the terms and conditions outlined on this page.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker - E3 2011 Gameplay Demo

2011-06-21T23:10:00.003+01:00

Big Boss is back, and by the look of things hes cooler than ever. Check out some gameplay footage of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker HD Edition.

Genre: Action
Developer: Kojima Productions
Publisher: Konami
Release Date: TBA
Platform: PS3

Tags: action, metal gear solid peace walker, ec, ps3, 2011, demo, kojima productions, konami, raiden, snake, big boss

Grand Theft Auto V (GTA5) – Under Development, So Say “Sources”

2011-06-21T22:27:00.001+01:00

So, it’s official, well sort of official, well as official as we can get at the moment. Yes Rockstar Games are working on the new Grand Theft Auto game as we all expected. Although this information was not actually announced by Rockstar Games, so as it stands it could be all bollocks, but I doubt it. GameSpot got the first scoop from a reliable source when Take-Two Interactive told them that the next instalment of the blockbuster is “well under way”. According to this reliable source is in the final stages of development and is having the final touches like mini-games put into the game.

Apparently the game may be due for a 2012 release if all goes to plan, but don’t hold your breath as Grand Theft Auto is a vast game,
"It's the big one," they said. So this could mean we may not get the new one until 2013 but that seems unlikely given the success and release patterns of the previous games.

According to the GameSpot sources, the new game may be set in a Los Angeles style city as there have been reports that talent agencies have received recent casting calls for a motley crew of California-esk characters. But as always Rockstar games are keeping a tight lid on the whole project and refuse to comment on the casting calls, the game’s setting, or even whether the a new Grand Theft Auto is even in development.

What we can be sure of though is that there will be a new GTA, given how popular the previous instalments in the series were, and how Rockstar games & Take-Two announced in March 2011 that Grand Theft Auto 4 had sold nearly 20 million copies. Meaning it has earned itself a place within the best selling games of all time list. So we can see why Rockstar games are being all hush hush about the new GTA 5, hell wouldn’t you be if you had that kind of a reputation to live up too.

Tags: gamespot, GTAV, GTA, 5, grand theft auto, rockstar games, xbox360, xbox, ps3, Take Two, casting call, 2012 release, under development, gta, grand theft auto 5

Source: GameSpot

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition – Now on Kinect?

2011-06-21T19:47:00.001+01:00

By now all Halo fans must of heard the news that Microsoft have decided to take Bungie's first Halo game and recreate it for the Xbox360 as some kind of celebration of its 10^th anniversary. That’s fair enough, right. But that’s not where Microsoft intends to stop. Their now saying that the new anniversary edition of Halo: Combat Evolved will have Xbox360 Kinect support, WTF. Yes I will agree that the Kinect is a fun little way of getting the player more immersed into the game, but with Halo, seriously. How the hell is that going to work?

While talking about Kinect, Microsoft Game Studios' Phil Spencer told GameSpot: "Even games like Halo Anniversary have Kinect integration." Admittedly that was all he said on the matter and he didn’t seem to keen on elaborating, so as it stands, there are a total of 0 details on how the new Halo anniversary will take advantage of the Kinect.
I would like to think that if their going to do it then their going to do it right and we’ll be able to fully control Master Chief using only our bodies and the Kinect sensor. But as most things in life go down the drain, that dream probably will too. Because I doubt Microsoft are going to put the funds into the redevelopment of Halo to make it that revolutionary. So if they are going to make Halo: Anniversary Edition Kinect compatible then I’m pretty sure (and I’ll chew off my own foot if I'm wrong) that all you’ll be able to do with the Kinect is throw grenades, melee and jump.

After this news was announced 343 posted on the Halo Waypoint forums, assuring players that Kinect support would be fully optional. "Just to let everybody know, the Kinect features we're exploring with Halo: Anniversary are optional and won't affect your core gameplay experience," which just acts to give substance to my argument that the Kinect support for Halo: Anniversary Edition will be nothing more than a poor attempt to integrate Microsoft latest toy into something that for all intensive purposes has no need for it.

But, despite my suspicions behind this slightly pointless piece of information, Halo anniversary is not being released until late 2011, which gives Microsoft a decent amount of time to work on the Kinect’s ability to deliver a hardcore experience like Halo. So well just have to wait and see what happens, because I may have to chew my own foot off.

Tags: gamespot, 1up, halo, anniversary edition, new halo, Microsoft, kinect, xbox360, xbox, halo waypoint, Microsoft games studio, phil spencer, combat evolved, 2011

Source: GameSpot, via 1up

Ninja Gaiden 3 E3 2011 Trailer

2011-06-20T15:23:00.005+01:00

Check out the new E3 2011 trailer for Ninja Gaiden 3. Team Ninja say that this installment will be more bloody than anything we've seen so far, and by the looks of this trailer their not wrong.
Watch Ryu Hayubasa lets loose and spill even more blood.

Genre: Brawler
Developer: Team Ninja
Publisher: Tecmo Koei
Release Date: TBA
Platform(s): PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U

Sony Not Bothered about Wii U Being A Threat (Dont Be So Sure Sony)

2011-06-20T14:44:00.001+01:00

So as everyone knows Nintendo has officially revealed their next console, the successor to the Wii, and with this news all eyes are on the other console manufactures in anticipation for any announcements regarding their next machines. Seeing as Sony has not made any indication as to the existence of a Playstation 4 or whatever they want to call it. Then we would be foolish to expect anything out of them anytime soon, so it looks as if Nintendo is winning the hardware race. Or are they? Sony’s Jack Tretton reassured people that he hasn’t seen anything about the Wii U that PS3 has to worry about.

"PlayStation 3 is really just hitting its stride," he said. "I wouldn't look for any discussion of a next generation PlayStation for quite some time." He continued with "Technologically, I don't think it's possible to provide any advancement beyond what we have now." Very confident words indeed from the Sony spokesman.

He went on to point out that Sony’s competitors being the Xbox360 and the Wii are now trying to develop and add features to their consoles that have already been available in the PS3 for quite some time, and that high-definition gaming and multimedia features were in the PS3 as early as 2006. So in terms of Nintendo beating Sony when it comes to multimedia and functionality, they have nothing to worry about as Nintendo have decided not to include DVD and or Blu-Ray capabilities in the Wii U’s feature’s list.

We all know having DVD or Blu-Ray capabilities is cool, but what we really want to know is how the games will look on the Wii U. So far all we’ve seen is footage taken from other platforms shown on the Wii U. So even though it would seem that Sony are pretty confident about being able to stay ahead of the technological curve. With a little under a year until the expected release of the Nintendo Wii U, I doubt that we have seen everything the Wii U is going to throw at us when it finally hits the shelves. So this expectant observer is positive that Sony will change its tune and take this hardware race a lot more seriously when they finally get to see what the Wii U is capable of.

So PS4 on the horizon?

Probable and entirely possible.

Tags: jack tretton, Nintendo, ps3, wii, wii u, playstation 4, ps2, sony, xbox360, Microsoft, dvd, blu-ray, high definition,

Source: CVG

Sega Unveils Revolutionary New Urinal Console

2011-06-19T23:10:00.001+01:00

So as Sega announced all those months ago. Their new console system has finally arrived and it’s not quite what we were expecting.

When Sega first announced they were developing a brand new console that would revolutionise console gaming while at the same time violating public decency. I must admit I was a little sceptical, after the initial confusion, but that was back when I thought they were doing something serious! And they were! Pissing is serious, seriously boring business that is. But thanks to the good people at Sega that problem is now a thing of the past thanks to the new “Toylet”.

The system was unveiled at the Digital Signage gaming show in Japan where after being conveniently placed near the bathroom it enjoyed a lot of attention from the crowds (both genders).

Sega’s producer Hitotaka Machida spoke about the system and the concept behind it. In brief what he said was. “We guys like to aim at stuff when we pee, and even more than that, we like to compete with each other in totally juvenile ways, so hence the Toylet”.

The system comprises; the console itself, an LCD screen mounted just above the urinal, and a speed sensor (which measures the speed and time of the users pee). The system works by measuring the urine stream with microwaves, measurements are then taken from these microwaves and an overall volume is produced. These findings are then ranked against everyone else who has ever used the system (nothing like good old competition).

Sega stated that the “Toylet” opens the door and paves the way for the future generation of bathroom fitted gaming systems (future? I didn’t know there was a past?). Sega also stated that they plan to start selling the “toilet” commercially in November for the low low price of 14,000 Yen (that’s £1750). They predict that the “Toylet” will be very popular in bars, hotels and restaurants. They did not however mention anything about bringing the “Toylet” over to the western world. So it looks like if we want to give this a try we will have to GO to IT. So, Road trip?

Source: Topless Robot

Tags: casual gaming, sega, toylet, japan, digital signage, gaming show, hitotaka machida

Half-Life 3 finally on the way?

2011-06-16T15:56:00.006+01:00

Rumours have dropped that perhaps the fabled Half-Life 3 will finally be summoned from the depths, like the Cthulhu it really is. They're not confirmed - in fact, the official word is that the rumours are fake - but that doesn't stop us hoping.

The story goes that a few days back, Steam forums user Ryuuk posted the following:

Mike Dussault, a long time programmer at Valve, recently left the company. I didn’t know him until last week. Let me introduce myself.
I’m a freelance artist. I do contract work for a studio in Seattle, through the internet. They have a client access system on their site. I came across Dussault’s resume, while browsing the files section. Now, I know you’re all curious about Valve’s in-house development, but I’m only going to talk about the Half-Life series.
According to his resume, Episode Three was put on hold when Valve decided to move away from the episodic model in late 2007, right after Episode Two’s release. He was a techinal advisor on a cancelled Half-Life title, made outside of the company. Dussault’s work on Half-Life 3′s world programming, and the scripting system (between 2008 and 2010) is also mentioned in the resume.

Lending credence to the issue is that soon afterwards, the thread was deleted, and Ryuuk himself was banned from the forums. Since the story broke, Lambda Generation have been investigating further, which is where the official denials come from:

Update: Doug Lombardi has replied to our e-mail (Thanks!), and he’s crystal clear on this:

Fake.
Source

Along with:

Valve’s Doug Lombardi responded to this rumor in about as clear a way as we could hope for: “This is fiction (aside from the fact that Mike D is a real person)”.

Source

So, as it would seem, it's all a lie. But then, why the thread removal and the ban? Seems a little much for something someone's just made up. And some of it's definitely true - the man in question exists, he did leave Valve in a time period that matches the supposed dates involved, and he did then work with the non-profit mentioned.

My guess? There was enough truth to it that they needed to kill it, but not enough that actively saying it's fake would count as a lie. We all know how secretive games companies like to be with their flagship lines, and there's no doubt that Half-Life is that for Valve. Let's hope we find out soon.

CSquared

http://gamegrill.blogspot.com

Tags: Valve, Half-Life, Half-Life 3, HL3, PC, Steam, Gordon Freeman

Prey 2: E3 2011 Trailer - I think they may have missed the point

2011-06-07T18:33:00.002+01:00

Okay, so this year’s E3 was a fantastic event completely filled to the brim with exciting new games, and Prey 2 was no exception to this. Now before I go any further I will say that I found the trailer for Prey 2 to be very entertaining, in fact it even made me start to look forward to the release of it. But that’s when I stopped and remembered that this is supposed to be PREY 2, and I don’t know about any of you out there but I was unable to clearly see anything in this overly cinematic experience that could possibly link back to the original game. In fact the only thing I could think of while watching the trailer was “Mass Effect, Mass Effect, Mass Effect”
, because that’s what it looked like. People may disagree but this is of course just my opinion but what I can be certain of is that no one would think that this so called sequel looks anything like the previous game.

I have no doubt in my mind that Prey 2 will be a fantastic game, but it would appear that the developers have done away with almost everything that made Prey, well Prey. But in truth this probably isn’t a bad thing.

Anyway, keep an eye on the site for all the recent news to do with this title and in the meantime let’s keep waiting for Gears 3.

Genre: Shooter
Developer: Human Head Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Platform(s): PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Tags: shooter, prey, prey 2, xbox 360, xbox, ps3, pc, Bethesda, human head studios, video, trailer, action, adventure

Dark Souls E3 2011 Trailer – Prepare to Die

2011-06-07T17:35:00.003+01:00

Dark Souls is the sequel to the 2009 dark, hardcore, action RPG Demon Souls. As this trailer reveals the game will be released 4^th October 2011. Hopefully this sequel will be slightly better then the original and honestly that won’t be hard. Not that Demon Souls was a bad game, in so many words at least, it just had its problems, and I for one hope and I can imagine everyone that ever played it can only hope that From Software have fixed these little annoyances because Demon Souls was defiantly a game with potential that was let down by a poor execution.

Anyway Dark Souls is released 4^th October 2011, so it looks like well just have to wait and see whether the developers have lived up to the sequels potential.

Release Date: 4^th October 2011

Genre: Action Adventure
Developer: From Software
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Platform(s): PS3, Xbox 360

Tags: action adventure, dark souls, e3 2011, from software, namco, Bandai, ps3, rpg, trailer, video, xbox 360, demon souls

Metro: Last Light E3 2011 Game Play Trailer

2011-06-07T17:30:00.002+01:00

Now we all know what a great game Metro 2033 was… oh sorry, we all know what a great game Metro 2033 COULD have been. But due to a few minor details it just missed the mark and couldn’t quite make it into the great game hall of fame. But this didn’t deter THQ and thankfully they’ve decided to go ahead and make a sequel. The first thing you need to know is that this sequel will not be called Metro: 2034, that would just be silly, there calling it Metro: Last Light, a much less cliché name.
The second thing you need to know is that this addition to the series will begin with the assumption that unlike every other game in the world you slaughtered your way through Metro 2033 and got the bad ending. So with that in mind you can imagine that this game will not be all rainbows and roses and will be brutal. The third thing you need to know is that 4A Games seem to be doing a Crysis on us and will be trying to make this game a poster child for the most cutting-edge graphics card that comes out around about the time of release. So you should probably start saving now if you’re a PC and you want to get the most out this game.

THQ seems to want to reinvent the series and believe that the original game failed due to lack of marketing.
“We believe that Metro 2033 was a flawed masterpiece. It was a beautiful, original game that didn’t get the marketing support it needed,” said THQ core games head Danny Bilson. “We won’t make that mistake with Metro: Last Light. This game improves on the original in every way – it will have more polish, deeper and more sophisticated game play, and satisfyingly visceral combat, without losing what our fans loved about the original.”

Let’s just hope they get the formula right.

Genre: Shooter
Developer: 4A Games
Publisher: THQ
Platform(s): PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Tags: 4a game, metro, metro last light, e3, e3 2011, pc, ps3, xbox 360, xbox, video, trailer, shooter, fps, action

Darksiders 2 E3 2011 Announce Trailer

2011-06-07T17:28:00.001+01:00

So this is Darksiders 2, currently there is not much information on this title except of course for what we know from trailer on this page and even that in truth doesn’t really reveal a lot about the upcoming sequel to Darksiders. What we can surmise from this trailer is that this game is set directly after or possibly during the events of the first game and of course the most important thing we learn is that we get to play as “Death”, who is by far the coolest of the four horsemen. It would appear that Death has entered the game and is now on a quest to save his brother War from the fate laid upon him in the first game.

Its looks like were just going to have to wait until 2012 to find out more about Darksiders 2. But if the first game is anything to go by, then this second instalment in the series should be a rip roaring success.

Genre: Action Adventure

Developer: Vigil Games
Publisher: THQ
Platform(s): PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Tags: action adventure, darksiders, darksiders 2, pc, ps3, xbox360, xbox, xbox 360, playstation, thq, video, trailer, vigil games, e3, 2011

Duke Nukem Forever Launch Trailer

2011-06-03T09:08:00.006+01:00

GGR has now got its own hosting. So we’ve got a brand new site.

Check out this article on the new site using the link below.

http://gamegrillreviews.com/2011/07/05/duke-nukem-forever-launch-trailer/

Or go to the homepage at: gamegrillreviews.com

Hi guys, if you’re any kind of self respecting gamer than there is no doubt that your excited about the launch of Duke Nukem Forever (fucking finally). So to tide you over until launch day. Check out this new trailer. Share & Enjoy.
Just as a side note, keep an eye on the site around the launch day of Duke Nukem Forever because were getting hold of a slightly early copy of Duke Nukem and well be supplying you all with a full Review, Gameplay footage, A Lets Play session and much more.
So if you want the low down on the game of the generation then keep an eye on Game Grill.

Genre: Shooter
Developer: Gearbox
Publisher: 2K Games
Platform(s): PC, PS3, Xbox360

Tags: 2k games, duke nukem, duke nukem forever, gearbox, pc, ps3, shooter, trailer, video, xbox 360

Just a Quick Update

2011-06-02T17:10:00.002+01:00

Hi guys, just a quick update to keep you all in the know about what’s going on with the site. As you may have noticed there is now a new navigation bar at the top of the page. This is our new "Anticipation Bar". Here at Game Grill we try to give news and reviews on all aspects of the gaming industry, but as everyone can appreciate there are a few choose games that deserve their own space, Hence the Anticipation Bar". Here we will feature games that everyone is dying to know more about, in particular games that have not been released yet. So to save you dry hard fans of these games from searching here, there and everywhere around the site, you can simply click the link in the Anticipation and "BAM" you'll be rewarded with an archive on every piece of news Game Grill has published about whichever game your is in the bar. Pretty handy huh.

Currently the only game in the Anticipation Bar is Gears of War 3. But over the coming months well be adding games like Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Fallout Online, Halo 4 and many many more.

So keep your eyes on the Anticipation bar and enjoy.

Peace Out
Skye

Gears of War 3 Limited & Epic Game Editions

2011-06-02T16:25:00.002+01:00

GGR has now got its own hosting. So we’ve got a brand new site.

Check out this article on the new site using the link below.

http://gamegrillreviews.com/2011/07/05/gears-of-war-3-limited-epic-game-editions/

Or go to the homepage at: gamegrillreviews.com

So its official, fans worldwide are gearing themselves up for the global launch of Gears of War 3 on September 20, 2011. To give people an even bigger incentive to be excited about the release Epic Games & Microsoft Studios released a special developer ViDoc entitled "Making Gears 3: Wicked Workshop" which shows the exclusive content that will be available with the Gears of War 3 Epic & Limited Editions

Below is a list of the goodies you will receive upon purchasing the Limited & Epic versions of the game upon release.

Limited Edition (RRP on this will be about $79.99, £49.99).

- Octus Award Display Box and Octus Service Medal—Replicas of the honours bestowed on Adam Fenix, Marcus’s father, for his work on the Hammer of Dawn

- Unlockable Adam Fenix Multiplayer Character—Each Octus Service Medal replica is engraved with a unique Xbox LIVE code that unlocks Adam Fenix in multiplayer.

- Fabric COG Flag—proud colours that once flew above the House of Sovereigns.

- Personal Effects of Adam Fenix—Includes his “Last Will and Testament,” the initial Hammer of Dawn schematic, and other Fenix family mementos.

Epic Edition (RRP for this will be around about $109.99). Well worth it if you’re a die hard Gears fan.

- Collectible Marcus Fenix Statue—the collaborative work of Chris Perna and the artisans at Triforce, this fine PVC collectible makes an evocative living room conversation piece for any true Gears fan.

- The Art and Design of Gears of War by Tom Bissell—through unprecedented access to the Epic Games team, acclaimed author Tom Bissell (Extra Lives) gives readers an incisive behind-the-scenes glimpse into one of the most celebrated sagas in video game history with 96 pages of interviews, photos, concept artwork, and more.

- The Gears of War 3 Limited Edition

- Infected Omen Weapon Pack -- Custom multiplayer skins for the game’s five starting weapons; Lancer, Retro Lancer, Hammer burst, Sawed-off Shotgun, and Gnasher Shotgun.

Check the video out below for the low down on what’s going on inside Epic Games.

Tags: gears of war, gears of war 3, action, adventure, locust, Marcus, fenix, xbox, xbox 360, September, epic edition, limited edition

L.A. Noire - Surely upholding the law shouldn't be fun?

2011-06-02T13:08:00.007+01:00

GGR has now got its own hosting. So we’ve got a brand new site.

Check out this article on the new site using the link below.

http://gamegrillreviews.com/2011/07/05/l-a-noire-surely-upholding-the-law-shouldnt-be-fun/

Or go to the homepage at: gamegrillreviews.com

First of all, let me just say that Rockstar have done a great job with L.A. Noire. It’s a well-thought-out, fun game with a lot of interesting things to do. Don’t, however, think for a moment that it’s perfect.

You play Cole Phelps, a decorated ex-Marine who served in the Pacific during WWII. He starts out as a patrol cop, and works his way up the chain.

The main feature of this game is the new facial animation software. And it IS good. Very good. The interrogation scenes are rendered in the game engine, so you know it’s not just mo-capping. Trouble is, it’s too realistic. For me, at least. I’m not really all that good at reading people. I’m also very good at lying. I have NO idea whether they’re lying to me or not. You get the hang of it pretty quickly, and get to recognise the kind of thing people are saying, but if you’re like me, you’re always going to have trouble working out what’s going on.

Given that it’s a Rockstar game, driving is a major part of the gameplay. You always have your partner with you, so you can happily tell him to drive and skip the intervening time, but it is, of course, more fun to do it yourself. This, unfortunately, is where the driving model comes into play. It’s a little too... unforgiving for my liking. It’s very similar (may even be the same one) to the model in GTAIV, which didn’t really feel like GTA to me - the fun was blasting around unrealistically, not having to worry about taking a corner properly. However, considering that in L.A. Noire you’re penalised at the end of the case for how much damage you’ve done to cars, the city itself, and most importantly, the people, it encourages you to slow down and take it easy. The missions aren’t going anywhere. The only time you have to hit the accelerator is if you’re in a chase scene - of which there are many.

AI cars, however, could use a little work. The siren does little. Where in GTA, other cars would strive to get out of the way when you were bombing down the road in a police car, in this it’s a little more haphazard. They don’t seem to care too much, and in many cases will actively drive in front of you. I’ve torn wheels off other cars simply because they drove into me while I was at speed. Ah, yes. There’s no handbrake, so you’re stuck with normal brakes. These are about as effective as clinging onto the wheel with your teeth to slow down. They’ve been the cause of many a crash so far.

The characterisation is good - cutscenes between the cases fill in background about Cole’s past in the Marines, something he refuses to talk about during the game proper. It really does make you start to understand why he’s the way he is. In the early game, I found myself wondering why he’s such a dick sometimes - he’s rarely polite to anyone, for example. When he calls in for assistance (to find an address, track a numberplate, etc.), he yells down the phone, being unnecessarily snippy. When he accuses someone of lying, he practically tears them a new hole. I have yet to actually complete the game, but I can already see the cutscenes leading towards explaining WHY he’s like that.

The cases so far have been believable and well-structured. People react the way you’d expect to events and the way you present them, and the investigation method is, while a little clunky at times, pretty good. The controller vibrates and there’s an audible chime whenever you stray near enough to something to investigate, and you close in on it to see it in more detail. The clunky comes in when you’re actually twisting objects around to look at them. There’s not a lot of freedom of movement in the wrist, and it can be VERY awkward finding the relevant details to zoom in on. Again, though, it vibrates when you see it, so it could be worse.

My first impressions, however, were ones of awe - it’s on three discs. Three. Assuming dual-layer DVDs, that’s 25.5GB of potential gameplay. Wow. This should really be epic. Of course, once I’d finished the first couple of cases, I noticed that my completion counter was already above ten percent, so maybe some of the discs are extras? I won’t know until I get there.

Ultimately, though, I’m really enjoying L.A. Noire. It’s an excellent game, and hugely entertaining. I’m at work at the moment, and I’m counting the minutes until I can get home and play it again. Now THAT is the mark of a good game.

I may also want to go and play Minecraft. But that’s another matter.

Until next time,

CSquared

http://gamegrill.blogspot.com/

Tags: L.A. Noire, Cole Phelps, Rockstar, 360, XBox, PS3, GTA

Ninja Gaiden 3: A Game as Bloody as a Thousand Kicks to the Face

2011-06-02T12:49:00.004+01:00

Now we all know of the widely popular platformer Ninja Gaiden that first debuted on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in the early 1990’s. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of the people reading this owned a copy. Now over twenty years later we finally get to see how far the series has some since those humble beginnings with these new screenshots from Team Ninja.

Ninja Gaiden 3 was actually announced last September but until now we have not had any solid proof to go on, except for here say and speculation, and as these screens prove were in for one hell of a bloody ride.

Info on this game is still very sparse, but Yousuke Hayashi, Ninja Gaiden 3’s producer, said that his concept for Ryu this time around is a "Japanese Dark Hero." He also stated that the unexplained scars on Ryu’s right arm will play a pivotal role in this latest instalment, which comes as some good news as I’ve always wanted to know what there all about.

At present Ninja Gaiden 3 is only about 30 percent complete, so that can lead us to believe it may be receiving a summer 2012 release. Fingers crossed.

Screenshot Source: andriasang

Keywords: ninja gaiden, ninja gaiden 3, ps3, tecmo koie, xbox 360, team ninja, action, fighter, brawler

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - 2011 E3 Trailer

2011-06-02T11:58:00.003+01:00

GGR has now got its own hosting. So we’ve got a brand new site.

Check out this article on the new site using the link below.

http://gamegrillreviews.com/2011/07/02/214/

Or go to the homepage at: gamegrillreviews.com

As CSquared mentioned in his Top 10 most anticipated games article, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is on the horizon and speculation says its going to be a very impressive game and by the looks of this trailer its not going to disappoint. Eidos and Square Enix may be onto a winner with this latest addition to the Deus Ex franchise. But lets hope Square leave the development solely in the hands of Eidos Montreal or we may be seeing another Final Fantasy XIII shaped train wreck in the future.

RELEASE DATES: North America: 23/08/2011. Europe: 26/08/2011

Genre: Action / RPG
Developer: Eidos Montreal
Publisher: Square Enix
Platform(s): PC, PS3, Xbox360

Keywords: dues ex, dues ex human revolution, action, aidos montreal, pc, ps3, xbox 360, trailer, video, square enix

Serious Sam 3: BFE let loose to the world in its first teaser trailer

2011-06-01T22:05:00.005+01:00

GGR has now got its own hosting. So we’ve got a brand new site.

Check out this article on the new site using the link below.

http://gamegrillreviews.com/2011/07/05/serious-sam-3-bfe-let-loose-to-the-world-in-its-first-teaser-trailer/

Or go to the homepage at: gamegrillreviews.com

The trailer for Serious Sam 3 has finally been released and my initial response is “shit, its come along way” who would have thought that this old school shooter could crack out another feather in the cap for this ridiculously over the top series.

Serious Sam 3 is actually a prequel to the original Serious Sam detailing Mental's invasion of Earth and the events that led "Serious" Sam Stone to enter the Time lock where he battles enemy hordes in ancient Egypt.
In proper Serious Sam style you are tasked with destroying your enemies by using a vast collection of overly destructive weaponry. There are of course new additions to the destruction and these come in the form of a Sledgehammer and some weird weapon called a "Sirian Mutilator". “The fight will take place across a range of environments, including city levels, underground tombs and the typical Egyptian locales, and while level sizes will be about the same as those in the earlier games, the biggest level will be about twice the size of the largest area in Serious Sam: The First Encounter.

The game will eventually be released on all platforms, but at first it was only be getting a P.C release. The development team said that they wanted to focus on getting the game onto the shelves rather than delaying the release with the technical mumbo jumbo that’s involved in porting to multiple platforms.
" Ribaric explained. "So we decided to concentrate on shipping a good game for the PC first, then catch up with the consoles afterwards. Not to say we put consoles completely aside. Xbox 360 versions of Serious Sam 3 are automatically built every day. But the bulk of the work involved with pushing it through the bureaucracy needed to actually ship it might add months to the release date. And the players are waiting..."

Lets all hope that we get as much fun out of this new addition to the series as we got from the previous games.
Serious Sam 3: BFE is released this summer so get ready for the fun.
Be sure to keep an eye on the site as we’ll be keeping you informed as to all the breaking news in the Serious Sam world.
Peace Out

More Serious Sam 3: BFE Videos

Keywords: devolver digital, pc, serios sam, roman ribaric, serious sam, serious sam 3, shooter, retro, trailer, video, action, adventure

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Trailer

2011-05-27T21:02:00.002+01:00

Hi guys, just a quick piece of news and ill keep this short and sweet because im on holiday and i intend to get back to pickling my liver.
The first official trailer to Modern Warfare 3 has finally been announced. Check it out below. Share and Enjoy.