Video Games

Valve Hammer Editor Overview

With the release of Portal 2, many people, especially PC users, have decided to revisit the freely available editor (to anyone who has purchased a Source-based game) that allows players to construct maps used in the Valve library. Whereas previous versions supported GoldSrc, Quake and Quake II, the current version of the Valve Hammer Editor can only be used in conjunction with Source titles. It remains one of the most accessible and easy to use editors on the market, with large icons, help files and tooltips to get a beginner started without much trouble. Exemplifying the concept of ‘simple to learn but hard to master’ the Source engine is being constantly improved upon with new tools and additions that accommodate technological breakthroughs in the industry.

Mortal Kombat (Xbox 360) Review

Even
though the Mortal Kombat series has never really left the gaming world, it’s
certainly had trouble finding its place since the days of the arcade. This new
release takes the gameplay back to that era with a 2D fighting arena and
bringing back the traditional fatalities along with what has to be the greatest
Mortal Kombat roster ever. This isn’t a total throwback game though, the
fighting system is completely new and encourages you to use the moves available
to create your own custom combos.

This entry
completely reboots the entire series; the game begins at the end of the events
of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, with Raiden
sending a message to his past self before the first Mortal Kombat of what would
happen if he does not act. The story mode in Mortal Kombat is by far the best
in any fighting game, the game constantly shifts from cut scene to fight at a
break neck pace that manages to actually keep you interested. I played the
entire thing from start to finish in one sitting. The difficulty of the story
mode can be pretty messy though, especially when you’re faced with multiple
opponents that are followed by incredibly easy 1v1 battles. That being said,
the story mode does a great job of introducing you to some bread and butter
moves of all the characters, which is great once you have finished it.

Hi-Rez Studios Announces SMITE

Hi-Rez Studios first gained recognition through their Tribes-styled MMORPG, Global Agenda. While Global Agenda
was quite good when it launched, it has changed significantly since
then with the game getting a major overhaul in the Sandstorm updates and
even more recently when Hi-Rez changed the game to a free-to-play
model. Hi-Rez Studios is also working on the new Tribes games, the MMO shooter Tribes Universe and Tribes: Ascend.

The Fancy Pants Adventures Review

Side-scrolling action games seem to be a staple on the Xbox
Live Marketplace. From Contra to Earthworm Jim to even original titles like
Alien Hominoid, the marketplace is filled with them. It seems as if there is a
new one every month, and this month it’s The Fancy Pants Adventures’ turn. Is
Fancy Pants Adventures just another side-scroller that will be thrown by the
wayside or can it be something that requires your immediate download?

The Fancy Pants Adventures is based off the flash game
released by Brad Borne, which I had never played until starting my review of
its XBLA counterpart. One thing that definitely carried over into the new Xbox
Live version of Fancy Pants is the cartoon look that adds a very unique visual
style to the game. It has a recently hand drawn look, but not in a bad way.
Colors pop and more importantly, the animations are fantastic. Watching Fancy
Pants do backflips and then transition into a quick sprint up a winding loop
can drop your jaw in a heartbeat.

Section 8: Prejudice Preview

Section 8 was a bit of a missed gem of 2009 to me. It was a solid objective-based FPS with some really cool new mechanics that hadn’t been seen before. Prior to this, Timegate wasn’t really a big name in the gaming industry, sure they had released the Kohan RTS games and some F.E.A.R. expansions but Section 8 could be seen as their play for the Science Fiction FPS market that Halo was exiting. The sequel Section 8: Prejudicelooks to build upon those fun mechanics of the original but is also going to add truckloads more content and slice the price of the game down to $15.

Hydrophobia Sequel Coming?

The slightly divisive yet mostly terrible Hydrophobia,
released last September, has been thrashed violently ever since its release and
now Dark Energy Digitals seems to want to make another one Hydrophobia. This
one being called Hydrophobia: Prophecy, the game has not been announced yet but
it has appeared on a classification database out of Australia. While this is an
odd place to find an unannounced game, it seems to be legit.

If you don’t remember, Dark Energy Digital released a free
update to Hydrophobia a few months ago called Hydrophobia Pure. I played it and
I have to say, it wasn’t as horrible as the original game was. Though that is
like saying shit smells better than puke. It improved on some of controls which
is nice but it’s impossible to change the horrid voice work and pitiful story
in just an update. We can hope that in this possible sequel, they’ll fix every
issue. I’m not holding my breath until they do though.

The Sounds of “Human Revolution”

Denying
the importance of a solid, well-composed musical score in modern
games is blatant ignorance. Soundtracks and scores have become one of
the most imperative and vital components in today’s video games.
Audio is key to setting the right mood for a game, and without it
players can feel disconnected from the experience. An otherwise
silent game trailer or scripted sequence can be brought to life with
a fitting symphony and in-game events can be heavily influenced by a
myriad of sound bytes or audio clips. Needless to say if you’re a
true gamer, one who appreciates a well-written story and a
carefully-crafted visual design, then you are probably grateful for
the amount of time and effort that goes into creating a rich
atmosphere through sound. This is no easy task of course, as today’s
game composers must traverse many obstacles while remaining as
original as possible.