Yearly Archives: 2014

Warframe PS4 and Xbox One Get Update 14.5

Warframe Update 14-5 Consoles

Today, Digital Extremes launches the next content patch for Warframe®, the wildly-popular AAA Free-to-Play game, available now on both the Xbox One console and PlayStation®4 Computer Entertainment System.  Warframe, a launch PS4 title and the first Free-to-Play title released through the ID@Xbox Program, boasts an aggressive and regular content update schedule!  Set in an evolving sci-fi world, the third-person action game challenges players to fight across the Solar System and master the power of their Warframe.

“From new customization options for your Warframe and Kubrow to a chilling event mission for you to test out some new weaponry, Update 14.5 has plenty of content to keep fans busy,” said Pat Kudirka, associate producer at Digital Extremes.  “We’re excited for players to chill out with the cool new content.  Boots are not optional!”

Update 14.5 introduces an improved Mod card system, which has received a serious facelift, allowing players to scroll through a larger list of Mods in the Upgrade and Mod station that more clearly displays rarity and ranking; the new system also includes multiple configurations for each weapon and Warframe to allow players to compare builds directly against one another.  Elemental Mods will also now display their polarities and effectiveness in a more concise manner.

A new game mode arrives, called Excavation, which will eventually replace the current Survival-type missions.  Slap on your winter boots and get ready to dig for riches, because the first Excavation event, Operation Cryotic Front, is here!  Players will now gather power cores from specially marked enemies in order to fuel a Scanner. Once the Scanner has located an area to drop an Excavator it’s up to you and your fellow Tenno to reach the dig site, power the drill, and defend it while it searches for the rare resource, Cryotic.  To match this chilly atmosphere, new weapons and upgrades requiring Cryotic are now available for those who can successfully build them.

Prime Access has also received a refresh, with a new Prime model for Nyx.  Don’t mistake this Warframe’s delicate appearance for anything other than hidden steel – players can now kick serious butt AND look good while doing it!  Five new pieces are available instantly for purchase, or adventurous hunters can hunt down the pieces within Tier 4 Void missions and build them for free in the Foundry.  Good luck!

Underworld: Drug Lords

Underworld: Drug Lords is a crime and drug-dealing MMO created for Android and Mobile phone devices. Step into the shoes of an up-and-coming dope dealer and build the most powerful criminal empire in the Underworld of illegal trade. Hustle deals with live people around you and make big bucks by moving merch. It’s all about RISK, MONEY and POWER.

Features:

Start small and build the empire: Begin as a small-time pusher at the corner and grow your multi-million global operation deal by deal.

Upgrade equipment, expand your crew: Buy vehicles, warehouses and weapons to boost volumes and reduce the risk. Hire suppliers, accountants and runners to access new markets and step up your enterprise.

Compete or cooperate with friends: Cut-throat free-for-all and nothing personal? Or careful and fruitful collaboration for the good of both of you? It’s for you to decide!

Dominate location-based leaderboards: Become the best hustler in your city, expand to take over the country and rise to the top to rule as the most notorious kingpin of the global scale!

8-Bit Studios: ‘Is making a quality F2P game possible for next gen?’

8-Bit

Bit, the independent development studio based in Barcelona, Spain and London, UK, today confirmed their attendance of EGX 2014 and also announced two developer talks which are scheduled to take place at 11am on Friday and Saturday morning of the show at the XboxOne booth (ground floor, zone 4).

8-Bit are currently working on a revolutionary F2P multiplayer online versus (MOV) third person hack n’ slash em up, ‘SKARA: The Blade Remains’ which utilises Epic’s Unreal4 Engine and is already looking triple AAA quality.

“We are constantly getting compared to big name games at the moment which is a little daunting as we’re only a team of 10!” commented Pablo Rodriguez, Creative Director at 8-Bit. “Having said that, we are very confident that our title will be top quality and we feel that we can perfectly balance F2P mechanics while maintaining a high quality game experience, it’s going to be ‘triple III’ rather than ‘triple AAA’ though, we are determined to break the stigma that F2P games seem to attract”
Pablo Rodriguez along with Cesar Ortega (Executive Producer on Skara) will be giving both talks at the show this week, the team invite attendees to participate in the discussion.

For more info, visit http://skarathebladeremains.com/

Rainbow Saga Closed Beta Test Launches Today

The latest addition to the popular Game321.com portal, Rainbow Saga is an arcade-style 2D fantasy browser-based game packed with anime-style characters, stunning scenery, and a compelling world brimming with adventure. Players journey across the colorful Troonmill continent as they fight to protect the sacred land from the evil Demon Lord. Explore exciting dungeons and a variety of wacky locations filled with mystical mysteries. Meet and team up with new characters and friends to tackle fun challenges!

Rainbow Saga’s anticipated closed beta phase launches today, September 24th at 9:00pm CDT (GMT -5). The testing is scheduled to run for 10 days, closing midnight October 4th.

To celebrate, NGames has loaded the world of Rainbow Saga with a host of special events, which reward players for testing the game ahead of its launch. Players will receive prizes for everything from reporting bugs (the bigger the bug, the better the prize!) and sharing their Rainbow Saga experiences in the community forums, to completing gameplay tasks, such as levelling up gear and wings, and raising pets and mounts.

A full list of the exciting closed beta events can be found on the official Rainbow Saga website: http://rainbow.game321.com/information/activities/6759.shtml

Spacecom Launch Review – Minimalistic Magic

By Glenn Rodgers (Vagrant), Guest Writer

Spacecom Review Large-Cluster-Map

In the sea of real time strategy games, Spacecom branches itself from the rest by sticking to one theme, depth with simplicity.  Spacecom’s lonely atmospheric indie galaxy experience offers more than what most would come to expect in a 2-dimensional strategy game. 11 bit studios and Flow Combine’s Spacecom is an absolute example of a great game not being reliant on great graphics. Behind its simple user interface hides a system of mechanical strategic depth that not many games can seem to match, despite their higher development budgets and massive art teams.

Spacecom Review Choose-Your-Mission

Within the world of Spacecom you are a space commander taking control of a small fleet of ships and sectors within space that will have you carefully planning each step of your star trek. Each match will have you controlling multiple ships that consist of three different types: battleships, invasion, and siege. Battle ships are self-explanatory and best in combat situations for obvious reasons. Invasion ships are used to take control of sectors that will allow you to increase your resource acquisition, repair your fleet and construct new ships for your fleet. Siege ships destroy sectors, denying them to your opponents but also removing them for your use as well.  Every choice you make in Spacecom is crucial towards building into a cunning victory with one wrong move possibly resulting in a devastating defeat.

Spacecom Review Cluster-Selection

Not only do players control ships within Spacecom, but they must also manage each sector. Sectors can be fortified with kinetic shields that will withstand attacks for a period of time or battle stations that can defend the sector from attacking units. Each sector will also need to be invaded by invasion ships first to be acquired and then later grounded to finally take advantage of their perks such as extra resources or repairing stations. All of this must be managed while also trying to attack or fend off enemy players or AI. It might seem complex and overwhelming at first but soon it all falls into place in a very simple yet rhythmic way. The end result is a title that eases players in gently, but offers plenty of areas for intense mastery to make the most of your choices and assure victory more often.

Spacecom Review Learning-The-Ropes

Spacecom offers a small campaign of 13 missions each with side objectives which in total equal 31 optional missions that will have players replaying missions to complete these sometimes challenging optional objectives. The campaign serves as more or less a tutorial for players getting their feet wet with Spacecom as the campaign will take roughly 5 hours to complete or less depending on their skill level as well as number of side objectives they choose to complete. Spacecom also offers online multiplayer as well as a skirmish mode that can have 6 factions fighting against each other in an all-out battle of wits. This is where Spacecom shines as each match can be tuned to different difficulties, color representations of opponents, and galaxy sizes. Expect to spend hours upon hours within skirmishes fighting AI opponents tuning your skills and ultimately your critical thinking.

Spacecom Review Multiplayer-Mayhem

Spacecom’s multiplayer options were plentiful. Players can choose from player made lobbies that allow players to change cluster size, check ratings of other players and even add AI opponents to matches. Cluster sizes can range from having up to 6 players playing within a match to as few as 2. The size of the cluster will factor in how long it takes to complete a match or even how difficult it can be. Each match that you play will earn you experience towards your next ranking and will have you climbing the leaderboards towards the top. Your own statistics can also be seen within the main menu checking your own ranking as well as your friends.

Spacecom Review Leaderboards

The sound within Spacecom never grained on its gameplay unlike some real time strategy games. Moving units around the map will seldom feel like a chore as clicking within sectors and space will make the appropriate beep and blip as you explore space. Battles that break out within games will also make a tense sound that will alert you to when you’re being attacked as well as alert you when enemy units are moving so you can prepare your next move.

 

The few music tracks played in Spacecom are appropriate and are even catchy when playing during the right mood. Space battles can seem quiet at first but it gives the feel of the starry emptiness of space that your fleet is being commanded in and overall adds a sense of atmosphere when controlling your ships.

Spacecom Review Multiplayer-Fun!

Graphics within Spacecom are not its selling point. Everything is very simple right down to its gameplay, and it’s meant to be this way. Ships are represented by triangular sprites that are differentiated with stripes across certain parts of its body to represent what type of fleet it is. Clusters (Game Maps) will show systems represented by simple circles and rings to show captured or uncaptured territory as well as icons to represent system perks. Graphically the game is extremely simple but it works for what it attempts to accomplish, a deep yet simple space real time strategy game.

Spacecom Review Taking-Control

If there was ever a time to revisit the starry skies, Spacecom encourages you to take its simplistic nature to heart and break out your thinking cap. Flow Combine and 11 bit studios’ challenging yet simple space trek is a stunning example of doing a lot with little. If you’ve ever loved exploring space and the idea of controlling a fleet of spaceships tickles your fancy, give Spacecom a shot, it deserves your attention.
Rating: Great