Two New Dota 2 Heroes Added

Announced officially on the Dota 2 website, today's game update added the classic heroes Disruptor and Undying to Valve's take on the action-RTS / MOBA genre. Disruptor is an Intelligence hero that focuses on blasting away at his opponents with electricity, while Undying is a Strength-based hero who uses plagues and the undead to unleash hell upon his foes.

The update also fixed numerous bugs for specific heroes, including quite a few changes to wisps. Also updated are the ways that bots work, with some specific bots like Crystal Maiden being  made "even more timid." To get a full breakdown, check out the latest update's notes.

To learn more about Dota 2, you should check out our Wiki, as well as our numerous character profile videos. Rest assured we'll be covering the heck out of Dota 2 leading up to its 2012 release.

Source : ign[dot]com

Endless Space Review

I'm caught in a dilemma. I know that I should be telling strategy fans that Endless Space is a great new take on a classic genre, but I'm worried that if people buy this game they'll all but disappear of the face of the earth, their friends reporting them as missing persons. Amplitude Studios might as well have called their game Black Hole, because it has the most incredible ability to suck you in, to trap you and to somehow warp spacetime around you so that, on the rare occasions you're able to tear your eyes from the screen, entire hours have been lost. I swear that my hair was noticeably shorter when I started reviewing this game. I've given up making hot drinks while I play, since they either grow cold beside me or I forget to even pour the kettle and I find I have to boil the blasted thing again.

Just like a black hole, Endless Space sucks you in by being so incredibly dense: by being absolutely packed with content, options and choices, all of which it offers up in fresh combinations with every new game. Even before you begin you're presented with a plethora of possibilities, a dozen different ways to tweak the game you're about to play. Want to alter the win conditions? To change the age, shape or make-up of your galaxy? Don't fancy any of the game's eight very distinct races and want to build a custom faction of your own? Sure, why not – there are scores of different race traits on offer. How many do I mean by “scores”? About ninety. That enough for you?

You open up the game's tech tree and discover that it isn't simply a single thread of interdependent technologies, in the style of Civilization. No, it's four completely separate categories, each an intricate, twisting vine of discoveries, and as you start to monkey your way up one branch you realise you're neglecting the others. You may well have made great leaps in economics or propulsion technology, but your military is backward and your colonists are struggling on dirty and decrepit planets that urgently need terraforming. Upset by their conditions, they're refusing to work, because it turns out that space is a pretty depressing place when you're stuck on a backwater desert world with a poisonous atmosphere.

“

The genius thing about this game is that it isn't simply a mess of chaotic, formless content, but it's actually very cleverly balanced.

Or perhaps they're not, because you wisely chose a race that can withstand the rigours of colonial life, so instead you get back to designing your latest battleship, carefully choosing from the dozens of different components you've developed. Is there enough room to plaster on another layer of armour? You might need it, because your new neighbours are a particularly warlike bunch, but hopefully you can buy them off by generously trading those rare minerals that are only found in your corner of the galaxy.

Or maybe what I just described will be nothing like the game you play, because Endless Space is a stellar sandbox entirely at your disposal. But the clever thing, no, the genius thing about this game is that it isn't simply a mess of chaotic, formless content, but it's actually very, very cleverly balanced. Tipping that balance one way or another will be the choices you make as you play, choices about who you are and what you want to do next. The default races all offer very different experiences tailored to particular play styles, while the various routes to victory require you to master different skills and, of course, every new game offers a completely different galaxy.

It's also remarkable that, for all its depth, this is a game that could teach its rivals a few things about clarity. Hover your mouse over just about anything and you're presented with an explanation of what it is and a breakdown of why it's behaving that way. Only occasionally does the game fail to serve up relevant information, but when this happens it's frustrating. Why can't I move my fleet to a nearby system? No explanation. Oh, I've conquered that alien world? A notification would've been nice. Perhaps it's biggest insult is in telling you you're at war, but failing to let you know who your enemy is.

“

It's also remarkable that, for all its depth, this is a game that could teach its rivals a few things about clarity.

Much as I want to continue exploding in a supernova of praise for this game, I do find myself coming back down to earth. While Endless Space is a great example of 4X strategy, it still suffers from a few of the genre's classic shortcomings. As your territory expands and the endgame approaches, it naturally slows and becomes somewhat mired in micromanagement, though not quite as much as some of its peers. Diplomacy is also rather bare and although each race might be very distinctive (and demonstrate some canny AI), they don't really have much to do with you beyond sliding contracts under your nose occasionally.

Most importantly, though it's almost painfully addictive, the game isn't necessarily exciting. In spite of all that it offers, all that goes on in a game, it's rarely a thrilling experience. Instead, it's simply pleasantly engrossing, somehow compelling you to play for one more turn, to inch your fleets a little further, to build yet another satellite array. This is how it swallows your time, your minutes, your hours.

Some players will take issue with the brevity of the fleet battles, but I think this is a strength. Each fight lasts for just two minutes, during which you don't directly command your ships, but instead issue them three sets of general orders that determine how they behave in long, medium and short-range combat. The idea is not just to avoid fleet micromanagement, but also to keep multiplayer games pacey. It's a smart and a simple idea that keeps you focused on the big picture, though those used to more control may be disappointed.

Amplitude's ambition was to develop a modern 4X space strategy that harked back to the cannily-designed classics like Master of Orion and Galactic Civilizations. They've succeeded and then some, creating a canvas across which we can paint all kinds of experiences. The game may not have the broader appeal or production quality of the Civilization series, but in many ways it's smarter. Strategy gamers would do well to set foot amongst its stars.

Source : ign[dot]com

Project Zero 2: Wii Edition Review

There aren’t many survival-horror aficionados who would dispute that the Project Zero/Fatal Frame games rank alongside the finest that the genre has offered over its bumpy-but-glorious twenty-year history. With its snap-happy combat, relentlessly sinister ambience and nightmarish narrative, Tecmo's series deserved far better than mere cult status.

That's fine, but why release a 2003-vintage PS2 title just before the Wii passes the baton onto the upcoming Wii U? Also, why only release it in Europe and Japan (no North American release date has been confirmed yet)? Well, there's evidently a method to the madness, with Nintendo now officially co-owning the IP to the ghost-busting series – perhaps it sees the excellent Project Zero 2 as the ideal opportunity to 'relaunch' the brand in advance of an all-new Project Zero/Fatal Frame on the Wii U. We can but hope.

Unlike so many games from our misspent youth, Project Zero 2 has aged remarkably well and arrives on the Wii feeling perhaps fresher than it did all those years ago. With classic survival horror conspicuous by its absence in 2012, going back to explore the murderous mysteries of the mist-shrouded All God's Village is a rare treat.

For the benefit of those of you who missed out on Tecmo's classic the first time around, the story focuses on the perilous journey of twin sisters Mio and Mayu, who stumble upon an eerie village where the tortured souls of the dead roam. But their misfortune is somewhat balanced out when they chance upon the Camera Obscura - no, not fey Scottish indie popsters, but an antique device that can take pictures of the undead and exorcise their spirit in the process.

“ The game's ghost-busting combat is endlessly fraught.

Armed with this one and only weapon, you work your way around the village and its various rickety buildings, zapping ghosts and finding objects that help you gain access to the next section. Structurally, it's classic survival horror fodder, albeit in a satisfyingly self-contained set of environments that keep annoying backtracking to a minimum.

The real star of the show, of course, is the game's endlessly fraught ghost-busting camera combat, and it's an element that's tailor made for the Wii's fluid point-and-click control system. During your travels, you'll inevitably stumble across a few tortured souls angling for some aggro, and - more often than not - the only way to progress is to put these screeching spooks out of their misery.

Rather than wee yourself and curl up in a ball when a ghost approaches, the answer is to whip out your mighty Camera Obscura and show this undead the power of exorcism. Loaded up with special ghost sensitive film, the action flicks to a first person viewfinder mode, whereupon you attempt to take a series of ghost-troubling snaps to literally suck the life (or death) out of them. By tilting the Wiimote, you can adjust your viewing angle, and by locking-on with the Z button, you can begin to charge up your shot. Once the reticule is fully filled, you're ready to loose off a shot with the B button, repeating the process until they're finally out of commission.

“ As a mechanic, it's deliciously nerve-wracking.

As a mechanic, it's deliciously nerve-wracking, with each ghost wriggling around with inconsiderate unpredictability, nipping in-and-out of shot, and often re-appearing right behind you to give you a welcoming hug. This being a Wii version, such moments of intimacy result in you having to flail for your life, so make sure pets and other loved ones are out of arm's reach before you wind up giving someone a black eye in a moment of uncontrolled alarm.

Nintendo has also managed to turn the simple task of object collection into a disproportionately nervy minigame, with ghostly hands often reaching in for a smooch just as you're about to pick something up. It's enough to give those of a nervous disposition a heart attack.

There’s also a new Haunted House mode brought to this special Wii Edition. Each of the Haunted House missions is curated by the sinister Kureha, who likes nothing more than to hear the piercing shrieks of the terminally afraid. Set in a sequence of on-rails missions, the basic premise of these short interludes is to walk slowly from A to B without keeling over with fright, as the game measures your jumps and terrified flailing through the Wii remote and nunchuck’s motion sensors.

Some test you in your ability to remain cool and calm while being subjected to various other worldly shrieks, moans, bangs, warped faces and generally unsettling nonsense, while others task you with collecting dolls while being chased by everyone's worst nightmare: a long-haired Asian goth schoolgirl. Turning around periodically stops her in her tracks, but if you allow her to get too close, you must suffer the indignity of an unwelcome cuddle. And we all know how that feels. Aside from this welcome-but-throwaway new mode, most other changes to the Wii Edition are subtle and cosmetic, with widescreen support, a new pulled-back third person camera angle, cleaned-up visuals, brand new voice acting and a slightly less cutesy look to Mio and Mayu - not that the latter point will be especially apparent if you've not played the original for a long time.



Source : ign[dot]com

Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers Review

Great game design teams can take a well-tread genre and throw in a change to make it feel new all over again. Portal exemplifies this, taking first-person shooter mechanics and tossing in brilliant and inventive elements from puzzle and platformer titles to make it about using your brain, rather than spilling those of your enemies. In the same vein we have the quirky indie-developed Tiny and Big: Grandpa’s Leftovers. While its challenge level and narrative are uneven, Tiny and Big nonetheless brings a unique twist to its platforming that, when paired with its fantastic aesthetic and personality, creates an endearing and delightful little experience.

Tiny and Big is the story of the two titular characters. You play as Tiny, a bookish little guy with a penchant for science, using your wits to overcome obstacles in your quest to find Big and recover your inheritance – a pair of underpants. Big’s a jerk, though, and will do everything in his power to slow you down, constantly running away and using his underpants-conferred magical powers to throw gigantic chunks of the world or levitate himself to the higher ground.

Not to be outdone by magic, Tiny’s got a few tools in his arsenal that make him deft at reaching the unreachable. If Tiny encounters a sheer wall he has no chance of jumping up, he can pull out his raygun and slice the world apart. With a few clicks of the mouse you can dynamically cut apart rocks and structures, shaving a column into a set of stairs that you can easily hop up. With your raygun it’s easy to cut up the world, then deploy a rocket booster, use your arms or a grappling hook to push and pull the stone into a configuration that allows you to progress.

At its most basic level, Tiny’s quest really boils down to a few environments you have to scale, but it manages to stay fun because each step is a little sandbox that lets you use your imagination to succeed. You could walk up to a wall and slice it into tiny chunks if you wanted, or you could just as easy do a gigantic slice that allows you to bring the whole wall down in one swoop. Sometimes I would cut stairs out of the world, still other times I might attach a rocket booster to a felled piece of stone, jump on top of it and then ride across a chasm. I died a whole heck of a lot, but forgiving checkpoints didn’t make it too much of a headache. Even when I did die, it usually was the result of hilariously poor planning, with a piece of a rock or wall coming down and crushing me.

It only takes a few hours to get through the entirety of Tiny and Big, but in this case that’s a good thing. Tiny and Big’s slicing mechanism entrances, but since you immediately have access to all the gameplay mechanics from the start, it’d grow wearisome if it went on much longer. The occasional boss battle might force you to be a bit faster with your cuts, but Tiny and Big doesn’t introduce anything new or tweak the formula throughout the story. In many ways it kind of feels like a really long tech demo with incredible aesthetics.

Really, it’s hard not to talk about Tiny and Big without spending time on its looks and music. The most valuable collectibles in each stage are cassette tapes that unlock phenomenal – and often bizarre – indie rock tracks. With so little done as far as the character’s voices -- they’re mostly composed of single sounds and grunts-- it’s nice to have fun and beautiful melodies accompanying your journey. The music feels right for the scenery, too. The look of Tiny and Big feels like someone took the cartoon Adventure Time and put it into the Borderlands engine. Along with its quirkily drawn characters, there’s just so much character in everything you see. Even the game’s menus are fun, and keep in step with the whimsical feeling of the story.

Like I said, Tiny and Big’s length is just about right for what’s included, but I’d really like to see the team at Black Pants Game Studio do more with their ingenious slicing mechanic and story. Some parts of Tiny and Big made me feel like I had to think to overcome them, but other parts felt a bit repetitive or so obvious that I wondered why the studio even bothered to put it in the game (cut a very conspicuously placed column to get across a gap? I’ve done this before…). Likewise I’d love it if the story went deeper. The funny in-game cut-scenes really show that the team has a knack for humor and making lovable characters, but in between all you have is the music to listen to. Games like this, where you spend so much time alone, need more witty banter between a companion and backstory to make the world interesting.



Source : ign[dot]com