Company of Heroes 2 Gameplay Footage Revealed.

CoH 2 Gameplay Footage Revealed.

Right now, THQ is in the news for all the wrong reasons. With the launch of the humble THQ Bundle late last week, there have been many rumours surrounding the death of the giants. We hope, for the good of the industry, the people at THQ and for us gamers that it doesn’t collapse. However, most people seem to be only concerned about the release of Company of Heroes 2.

The trailer highlights tanks sinking on thin ice, squads of infantry being ambushed by snipers, and strategically planted mortar strikes being used to deadly effect. It’s all the usual fare for the follow up to the massive, critically acclaimed real time strategy game, and it looks like Relic Games are ramping it up pretty damn well. Company of Heroes 2 still retains it settings in the world War II – era, this time focussing on the eastern Front of the war, which Wikipedia tells us was “a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945.”

It saw plenty of battles, loss, strife, and all that emotional and logistical baggage that comes with a tension of this magnitude. And holy mole, all I can say is that it looks like it’ll fit in with what I have come to expect of the franchise.

I can’t wait to use the Soviet Red Army as my faction of choice. Expect familiar campaigns like Operation Barbarossa and the Battle of Berlin. The game uses a modified version of the same Essence Engine that made the Original and its expansions possible, adding new line of sight technology called True Sight which will help “better emulate troop visibility in real combat”.

Definitely, looks like it’s the RTS title to look out for in 2013, along with Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm.

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Hitman: Agent 47 is Back

 

47 is back!!!!

The Original assassin returns for another round of merciless and efficient killing in Hitman Absolution.

Cold calculated and armed with his trademark silver-ballers. Who am I talking about? The one and only Agent 47 of Course.

For the first time, 47 lets his emotions get in the way and he disobeys orders. One would assume that throughout the journey you would learn more about 47 however that is not the case. 47 is as distanced and mysterious as ever in Hitman Absolution. The campaign literally takes you all over the place, from burning libraries to caves and hidden hi tech weapons factories. However, it’s all a bit blurry, a lot of times you will find yourself asking what the hell am I doing here. There are a lot of questions along the way, however only some get answered, so there is definitely room for another title.

Hitman Absolution’s greatest strength is in its brilliant game-play. Who doesn’t enjoy a dozen ways to kill a person? Hitman Absolution gives you so many options that something I find myself spending too much time deciding how to end that poor guard’s life. If you’re adventurous like me you can check out how that like me you can check out how that $10,000 paining on the wall will look on his face. The campaign constantly scores everything you do, an unnecessary kill, every detection, every hidden body, and of course every great headshot. All this adds up to your mission score for all your friends to see. So of course you will want to want to play every mission again, as who wants to be at the bottom of their friend’s leader board; and besides wouldn’t you want to see how agent 47 would fare in a gunfight dressed in a chicken suit? What I am trying to say is that the game has a lot of replay value, and mind you I haven’t reached Hitman Contracts yet.

 

Hitman Contracts lets players edit campaigns missions with their own targets and objectives for other players to complete. Getting every kill with a syringe, not getting detected, wearing the aforementioned chicken suit and what not!!!! A great way to give players something to look forward to even after the campaign.

Overall, Hitman Absolution is a great game. Its strength is in the gameplay rather than the story but the dynamic gameplay makes up for any shortcomings of the campaign. The contracts mode is a great addition and will; keep you occupied for hours and hours.

Strengths: 

      1)      Great Gameplay

      2)      Lots of Replay Value 

      3)    Contracts add new Dimensions

4) Weaknesses:

5)   Console version has framerate problems sometimes. 
6)  The story is a little confusing and leaves you with questions.

Overall Ratings: 8/10

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Medal of Honor WarFighter

Medal of honor has been around quite a while, one would hope that after 13 years the franchise would be going somewhere but sadly, that isn't the case. The franchise peaked almost 10  years ago with Medal of Honor Allied Assault and has been doomed to mediocrity ever since.

EA has made it a point to make every new game on the Frostbite 2 engine which, to be honest, does make the game look good but comes with a host of problems. The blinding bright scenes, sunlight in your eyes leaves you seeing spots and of course, the night missions where you cannot see people. You will go through sections of the campaign repeatedly because you won't know who killed you, and from where. 

Speaking of the campaign...it's one big blur. You will find it hard to connect with what's happening or why you are doing  what you are doing. You will go from are doing. You will go from mission to mission with the sole purpose of getting to the next area without any idea as to what is really happening and how it affects the

larger picture. 

A feature prominent throughout the campaign is the breach sequences, however they aren't as engaging as  you would imagine. While there are almost a dozen different ways to start a breech, they all end in you kicking down the door and shooting people with either your primary weapon or pistol. The multiplayer is a different story altogether. As is the case with EVERY military shooter in today's age, the MOH multiplayer is its saving grace. 

While its nothing spectacular it provides a much needed change from Call of Duty. All in all War fighter is a decent game, but don't expect a good campaign or multiplayer. If you want an alternative to Call of Duty then this is probably the best.

Overall Ratings: 6.5/10

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Warriors of the North The best Kings Bounty

Warriors of North is a great game with a real concept. 

This game has a decent story that is set in a medieval fantasy world. If you're new to the genre, turn -based strategy games are divide into two phases. You begin on the adventure map where you can hunt monster for experience points, find treasure and collect resources.

The game shifts into battle mode on encountering an enemy unit. The series differentiates itself from other games on the adventure map. This style in the game leads to more open and relaxed exploration. Handling of army is also different. 

Recruiting is based on your leadership points which can be increased by leveling up or collecting banners scattered across the map.Your hero can unlock skills belonging to three different trees.

You get three types of Runes which can be spent on skill trees named Might, Mind and Magic. King's Bounty: Warriors of the north feels slightly dated. It doesn't change much from previous games and even though it looks bright and colorful, the graphics and the technology used in the game are obsolete. A decent storyline, excellent map design and beautiful sound track make it easy to recommend to fans and newcomers alike.

Overall ratings: 7.5/10

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Assassin's Creed 3 is Back

Assassin's Creed 3 has a succinct flavor, but lacks the subtlety that made its predecessors so enjoyable.

Assassin's Creed 3 is a more personal, extremely well told story that puts in a considerable amount

of effort to make you care about its world and its characters, spinning an elaborate back story told

in a panache we now associate unmistakably with the studio. Without delving deep into the details,

most of which would constitute spoilers, I guess it'd be safe to state that with plot elements generously sprinkled in between your stabbing and telling and exploration, you'd be hard pressed to find a dull moment in the main arc. 

There is so much content in it that you don't even realize you're consuming. Imagine my amazement, when after a three-hour session, I was going to bed and typing out a text to my friend describing all I'd just played through, and I ran well into more than a few texts.

The Desmond arc, the central link that binds the entire Animus skullduggery, especially, has been given a lot of thought and money. this was the first time actually found myself wanting to go back to present day---2012 just to witness how the Assassin-Templar encounter melded itself into the whole doomsday-scenario-thing. The Frontier, Boston and New York are great places to loiter about and mind your own bussiness that feel very alive and richly populated, even when they are empty.

There is always something to do around the corner of the building, always a deer to hunt, always a bear to fight with your bare hands, and nearly always a citizen to save and convert to your guild. Combined with the naval battles, it's pretty amazing.

Were it not for the frame rate/glitch issues and the slightly sketch redoing of the combat mechanics, then which come from the otherwise exceptionally built Anvil next Engine, I'd have little to complain about in Assassin's Creed 3. I just miss that instant feeling of belonging in the world and fitting in super naturally that I got from ACII to somehow make its way back into their release schedule.

Strengths:

1) Brilliantly told, personal tale with a great cast of characters.

2) The scope and quality of the engine is breathtaking- I recommend playing it on PC.

3) Sound design as always is exceptional.

4) Roaming around Boston and New York is like virtual tourism, two hundred years ago.

5) Strong multiplayer component with familiar, engaging gameplay mechanics.

Weaknesses:

1) Lacks the same spirit and charm as ACII; you can't feel it till you've played them both.

2) Connor's great, but his combat's a little wonky.

My Ratings:

Graphics: 8.5/10

Gameplay: 8/10

Singleplayer: 8/10

Multiplayer: 8/10

Sound: 9/10

Overall: 8/10

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