Birds of Steel – A March Release

Birds of Steel, a combat simulator game for PS3, has been announced by Konami, the Japanese game publisher and developer. The game, likely to be released by the end of March, 2012, is an attempt at blending the first-person shooter action with the flight simulator combat.

Order Birds of Steel

Birds of Steel has been developed by Moscow-based Gaijin Entertainment who also brought out IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey. The game presents some of the most crucial and decisive air battles of World War II, the battles of Guadalcanal, Midway and the Pearl Harbor attack to name a few.

Expectations from Birds of steel

There are a great many things that you can expect to be offered from Birds of Steel:

• Twenty historical missions
• Loads of fictitious missions spread over eight popular campaigns
• 100 famous planes belonging to the Axis, Japanese or the Allied forces
• You can choose a plane as befits the campaign; you have the classic Spitfire or the P-51D Mustangs and many others to choose from
• Accordingly, you can choose to fight for either of the forces
• Play coop missions along with friends
• Play the huge multiplayer online campaigns to see who dominates the skies
• Create your own custom missions
• Varied gameplay (100 planes-remember?)
• Huge haul of rewards from completing the missions
• Different difficulty levels with most of the players finding the level with simple controls easy to handle
• Excellent sense of speed
• Impressive environments that look authentic and real

The developer, Gaijin Entertainment, has paid great attention to detail and has succeeded in bringing the World War II (WWII) environments to life in this game. It is so realistic though none of us may know what the land of the olden days looked like.

Gaijin claims that all the locations that you visit in the game are exact copies of the WWII territories. This has been made possible thanks to satellite photography. The historical missions are also authentic and this has been aided by maps that were used by commanders of the WWII participating countries. We have to wait till the game is released to see if the players feel transported to the WWII locations.

Are you familiar with IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey? This is one game that maintains its reputation of being the best flight game to date. It is said that Birds of Steel is similar to Birds of Prey in most aspects.

General Manager at Konami, Martin Schneider, says "For far too long, first-person shooter fans have been tied to the foot soldier point of view, but Birds of Steel aims to bring "the seat-of-their-pants skill and daring of dogfighting and aerial combat to a wider audience."

FPS in mid-air? Isn’t the whole idea amazing? Let’s wait and watch.

Pre-launch of Mass Effect 3                                                                                                                                                      

Mass Effect 3, Bioware’s latest game is all set to create waves in the gaming world as it awaits release in early March this year. With the pre-launch of the game today (February 14, 2012), Mass Effect fans are anxiously looking forward to watching the demo and getting a feel of the exciting game.

<<Buy Mass Effect 3 now>>

Mass Effect 3 has been voted the Most anticipated Game of 2012 at the Spike Videogame Awards, so the expectations from the game are even more. When you start playing, you find yourself at the center of a celestial war and fighting the war is entirely up to you.

You start off with the single player game on a dangerous note as the Earth comes under attack by the Reapers. When you see a little boy killed in the early part of the game, you feel personally responsible for his death and this feeling makes you harder and stronger to face the long and bitter war ahead. Soon, you find that you are actually involved in an action-packed adventure battle fighting against intelligent and merciless enemies.

What you can expect from Mass Effect 3

• Effective and interactive story-telling
• Game play gets your adrenaline pumping
• The co-op multiplayer game is integrated and full of fun and action
• Be prepared to fight against unflinching and intelligent enemies
• You can customize the arsenal as per your preferences

Being able to customize your arsenal is the most singular feature that places Mass Effect 3 above the rest of the games and makes it a must-own game. Not only the weapons, but overall customization has been improved to a great extent in this game.

As soon as you complete the single-player game, you enter the four-player co-op missions and fight our planet’s enemies. Your characters get to earn a huge number of rewards and upgrades.

For a general discussion of Mass Effect 3 multiplayer gaming, you may visit this forum here.

Bioware is clearly getting better at developing a great third person shooter and you can see this in the well-designed combat mechanics that actually complement the deeper RPG experience.

Bioware claims that Mass Effect 3 is harder than its predecessors but this aspect has to be confirmed by gamers after the game’s release in early March. I’m quite sure that all Mass Effect fans who have played both the earlier games are waiting with bated breath to see how this game has evolved and the impact it is going to have on them.

Choplifter HD is a 2D action arcade game that makes you think. The idea of flying a chopper as a rescue pilot that belongs to an international helicopter rescue team is really challenging.

You are trained to fly different kinds of helicopters, some of them with  missiles and mini guns at the same time commanding a vocal co-pilot. With varied settings of the jungle, desert and urban environments, there are more than 30 missions to be completed.

The missions include rescuing captured military prisoners and viral outbreak survivors. You, as a pilot, need to  be  very skilled to accomplish a rescue mission by hovering and touching down and also shaking off any zombies that attack the chopper.

I would love to say that Choplifter HD is one of my most favorite games but not without mixed feelings. Some aspects of the game are very cute while some others are annoying. For instance, it is total fun in the first part of the game but in the later missions, the game becomes very slow making it dull and boring.

Returning to base to repair (because you don't want to die again and again) slows down the pace of the game further, so you lose interest. The 'escape' mission is the most irritating part of the game where you have one shot to race through a huge number of enemies. One wrong move and you are dead and you have to start all over again.

It is in the escape mission that you lose all patience due to continuous failure to complete it. At such times, one definitely feels that such missions could have been removed or modified to suit the game better.

Nevertheless, Choplifter HD is certainly worth checking out because it's simple yet challenging; old-fashioned and ancient yet incomparable to any other game on the market in the recent times. It has its own fun elements, especially the 'zombie' level that is really cool.

I do feel that you should put this game on your 'to buy' list if you are the cool-headed, chopper-flying maniac. The only requirement for the players is a lot of patience as things can be most annoying sometimes.

All said and done, I must admit that the developer inXile entertainment has taken care to see that you have a good time playing Choplifter HD. What more can you ask for in a game? Forget the annoying elements that are not too many and learn to enjoy the varied missions offered and the great sense of humor displayed throughout the game.

I couldn't help but feel mesmerized by the stunning visual environments. These beautiful and colorful vistas give the game a fairy tale appeal. Be it the forests, the caves or the beaches, every scene is detailed and displays amazing lighting effects. They look like the pages of a beautifully illustrated story book. The forest looks awesome with its bright foliage and shining snails. The sunset on the beach is stunningly breath-taking.

The three heroes, a wizard, a thief and a knight, anyone of whom you can choose to play the game with, make the game more flexible and entertaining. Each of the heroes has a specific set of powers. The knight has a shield and sword for fighting and a war hammer for smashing anything that poses a threat.  The thief has a bow and arrow and a hook. The wizard has the ability to make things float in the air and can also draw boxes and planks from thin air.

The game is very similar to its predecessor though there have been improvements in the already perfect and beautiful game. When playing solo, you play with only one hero but you can easily switch between the three heroes. In a local or online multiplayer game, you can have up to two players joining you locally or online. This feature is a cool addition to Trine 2.

Boss fights are few and not very impressive. But these shortcomings are shadowed by the wonderful visual effects that you get to see in each and every level. On the whole Trine 2 is all about a glittering, fancy world that has to be saved by the three fun characters. If you are a puzzle game fan, you'll surely not be disappointed.

It is no big surprise that ign.com has rated the game as 'Amazing' and has given it a score of 9 out of 10 and says "A delightfully open-ended sequel that shouldn't be missed by any puzzle fan" about this colorful entertainer.

Popularity Quotient

When I played NBA 2K11, I felt that it was the best sports game I could get my hands on. 2K Sports has succeeded in disproving this by developing a more thrilling game in the series, NBA 2K12.

The most popular basketball game couldn’t get any better what with so many improvements over the earlier one. These changes to the most essential aspects have made a lot of difference as you experience it while playing the game.

All of us know that presentation has been at its best in all the NBA games and this aspect has been taken to a whole new level in NBA 2K12 that makes it all the more special.

Changes to the 2K11 Version

• Terrific presentation
• Improved menu screen
• Addition of new modes
• Better gameplay
• Players’ movements are more refined
• Faster loading time
• More control options
• New animations

2K11 had 2 two main flaws namely cheap defensive AI and the unimpressive appearance of the players. In 2K12, both these aspects have seen tremendous improvement but still they have not achieved perfection.

In 2K12, you are given full control of the game that it’s up to you to take care of the defense. You’ll be amazed by the amount of control you have.

As for the players’ appearance, still a few players do look alien and it is most annoying to see a few of them like Jarret or Nash with awful looks.

While Michael Jordan dominated the 2K11 scene, you find the Greatest mode taking over in 2K12. Of all the game modes, the Greatest mode where you find several greats such as Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Julius Irving, Hakeem Olajuwon, Scottie Pippen, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal is the best.

‘My Player’ mode is awesome and more challenging in this game than 2K11. Trying to achieve the feat of entering the Hall of Fame is one of the most thrilling aspects of the game though it does take a longer time and requires a great effort on your part.

From the main page you can gain access to any and every game mode from Quick Play to Create a Player. You get to see games featuring these legendary players and other legends such as the ’93 Hornets. Playing as and fighting great heroes of the last four decades is really awesome. I have not experienced such a thrilling feeling anytime before I got to play NBA 2K12.

NBA 2K11 was considered the best so far but the 2K12 version has made it even better and gives the gamers a wonderful playing experience.

While Stilwater was the b ackdrop for the first 2 games of the series, you find yourself in the new city of Steelport in Saints Row: The Third.  Although three gangs enjoying local domination are well established in the city, the Third Street Saints wouldn’t accept it. Their only job is to pose a stiff competition to their rivals and make sure that the city belongs to them.

Your objective is to destroy as much as you can before time runs out. The best thing I loved about this game was that I was able to customize the character in the game in any way I wanted. Your cars, your clothes, just about everything can be changed according to your fancy. Nevertheless, you do get a feeling that the earlier Saints Row games had better customization options.

What impressed me

• Graphics show a lot of improvement over the previous games
• Driving feels good
• Excellent game design
• Visual effects are great
• Useful weapon upgrades
• Better shooting power
• Mini games are great fun
• As you play, you can buy real estate assets and make money every few minutes; this really helps in purchasing weapon upgrades and player skills and this gives you the satisfaction of being rewarded for simply playing the game
• Wrestling is new and interesting

What disappointed me

• Side missions are few and far between
• You have no control over the wrestling moves
• Customization of clothes, vehicles, facial expressions and the walking style is far less than in Saints Row 2 (SR 2)
• Zombie uprising of SR 2 was far superior to that in SR 3
• You actually start feeling that SR 2 had more soul though you do enjoy playing SR 3

To conclude

All in all, the game is most satisfying in so far as the stuff is concerned and hooks you to a great extent.  It is an entertainer and it does its job well. It is true that some things in the preceding games that needed change have not been amended; and the few changes that have been made are disappointing, however, you find that playing SR 3 is sheer fun and it is not meant to be taken seriously.

There are several flaws in Saints Row: The Third when compared to its predecessor, but, in spite of all the setbacks, the game has been able to win the hearts of gamers, thanks to its great entertainment value.

The King of Fighters XII left the gamers wondering why things weren’t perfect in the 2009-released predecessor despite the solid mechanics. Now the game has made a big comeback with lots of new content which I loved. It’s because of these great additions and the proper handling of all the issues of the older game that has made The King of Fighters XIII eligible for comparison alongside all the other popular fighter games.

The Storyline

The storyline is pretty simple with the presence of two teams having three members each. When one fighter goes down, another fighter replaces him and so on until the entire team is exhausted. The game offers great movement options and once you master them you become proficient in smart positioning and timing. The movement options comprise four kinds of jumps and a roll which you have to perfect by continuous practice so that you can move across the battlefield quickly.

You have three main gauges to be handled in the game:

• The Hyperdrive gauge controls the stylish movements; with this gauge you get to activate Hyperdrive mode and also change certain special attacks into others
• The Power gauge concentrates on the offensive with emphasis on desperation moves
• The Guard gauge runs out changing you into a crumpled form as long as you are on the defensive, so you better watch out

Strengths of The King of Fighters XIII

• The game is flexible
• All the characters have the same amount of strength and capabilities
• No worries if you are a beginner because you have a lot of instructional tools to help you get started
• Well-planned combo trials
• Addition of several modes such as the story mode and the mission mode
• Detailed environments
• Fantastic online experience
• The color edit mode that gives ample scope for customizing your fighter’s color patterns as per your choice
• Solid fighting mechanics
• Excellent presentation
• Detailed and well-defined stages that are aplenty
• Most of the issues of the KoF XII have been fixed successfully

Concluding Note

Agreed, a few flaws like the cheap boss characters and the same old music that has been playing over the last several years (though the sound effects are good) do exist. But one has to admit that there have been a lot of improvements in the online play and addition of modes over KoF XII and with that said, I’m sure you are in for some good entertainment when you experience this 2D fighter game.

Fight vs Fun

Over the last few years gaming seems to have lost its innocent charm by the domination of shooting games and zombies threatening to destroy the whole world. But I breathed a whiff of fresh and cool air after playing Rayman Origins due to its innocent display of comic adventures that thrill you to no end.

Recapturing the Magic

Thanks to Ubisoft, it has been possible for a game of the modern age to recapture the magic of the olden times when the gaming industry made its beginning. It amazes me to no end to realize that Ubisoft has given us the most aesthetically integrated package with a wonderful visual treat that makes gamers happy from start to finish.

It is such a joy to see your wacky characters slapping each other around as you see lush greenery of the Jibberish Jungle as well as avalanches in the background. I found myself feasting my eyes on the colorful chaos created by these characters throughout the game.

Why I love this Game

• excellent animation
• 2D platforming at its best
• aesthetically designed
• impressive soundtrack
• single player is fun alright, but multiplayer (4 players) is great fun
• insane level of variety is displayed as you travel through all kinds of environments that transform rapidly from one to another
• ever escalating player momentum
• precise and responsive controls
• fantastic sense of humor
• the multiple abilities that you unlock as you progress in the game from just jumping and leaping in the beginning to climbing walls and ceilings
• even the difficult levels towards the end are enjoyable
• loads of collectibles through all levels of the game
• great entertainer from beginning to end

The game does start with easy levels but gradually becomes tougher and challenging with dangerous death traps in the last few levels. All the same, going through these hazardous levels makes for a rewarding experience. Thanks to the provision of various checkpoints, you don't have to repeat the entire levels over and over again.

Closing note

The only downside of this game in my opinion is the disappointing boss fights but they can definitely be overlooked considering the other positive aspects of the game.

I'm pretty sure about one thing though. It's been a very long time since I've had so much fun playing a game. Why don't they make many more  of such side-scrolling 2D platformers as Rayman Origins so that we can explore and enjoy the finest points of the game?

Unique Feature

The most characteristic feature that catches your attention when you play this game is that the different iconic stages from the nine different Sonic games developed by Sega over the last two decades have been included  to give you a satisfying and entertaining game.

Storyline

The twin hedgehogs, Classic and Modern, battle against an unseen force that attempts to destroy time. While the new 3-D model of Sonic the hedgehog is a delightful character that amazes you to no end, the 2-D Modern Sonic displays a disposition that belies his age. Although senior and more experienced, he sometimes becomes a kid. His love for speed and his joy in destroying any enemy that crosses his path is incredible.

You may find a few pitfalls here and there but you’ll also be able to tell yourself that those are errors that are worth overlooking because the positive traits of this game are certainly more than the flaws.

Why I love this Game

• Presentation is impressive and you’ll find the game extremely enjoyable though the story line is not very strong and gripping
• Well-balanced game play
• Good graphics
• Sound effects are quite good with voice acting improved over the previous games
• Great examples of Sonic at his best displayed through two fantastic levels
• Short and sweet campaigns with loads and loads of unlockables  that push you to play the game over and over again

If you are a first-timer, you’re sure to bang against walls and all the other obstacles that each level puts up before you. But experienced gamers will enjoy the challenges the game provides and overcome them.

I really wish that Sega had included more number of boss battles (just four in this game two of which are very short) and made the Chaos Emerald levels more impressive and enjoyable.  Instead of giving away the Emeralds after the battles, there should have been an exclusive Chaos Emerald stage that would let the gamer ‘win’ his emeralds.

All said and done, Sonic Generations is a beautiful game that gives you ample scope for enjoyment and challenge.

Extraordinary Experience

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is a unique third-person action-adventure game that PS3 gamers would love to play. It includes an out of the ordinary Shooter and Platformer gameplay mechanics that leaves you asking for more.

The famed fortune hunter Nathan Drake returns to Play station 3 that marks the beginning of a gripping, action-packed adventure across the globe. The adventure and perilous dangers faced by Nathan in the new challenging environment takes the game to a whole new level.

Once you play the game, you’ll realize that it sets a new benchmark set for the entire blockbuster genre. You would not have found new innovative features in fire, sand and water as you see here. The story line includes a lot of dramatic action and a fast pace which is unique to the game.

While playing the game, you feel like watching a Hollywood movie packed with goodies in the form of a stirring sound track and wild action that are literally a treat for your eyes, ear and mind. Developer Naughty Dog has done a tremendous job by creating such a lovely game from start to finish.

What impressed me most in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

• The vibrant locales in Nathan’s Arabian Quest
• Excellent gameplay, sound, graphics and lasting appeal that has given this game a full ten on ten score
• The game's new narrative-infused co-op multiplayer mode is awesome
• The hints that give you helpful tips to unlock secret levels and unearth hidden treasures
• Like its predecessor, the game is a real marvel with pure entertainment and perfection to an incredible extent
• deep gunplay
• Experiencing the astonishing adventures of Uncharted 3 in stereoscopic 3 D amazes you to no end
• The game surprises you by its unpredictability
• The characters are very realistic
• There is nothing in this game that is not top notch-the characters, graphics, the story line, sound etc.

My most favorite game

Are you a hardcore gamer? If you are, don’t hesitate to buy this fantastic game that will keep you engaged for a greater part of your time. No wonder this is my most favorite game this season. I would like to call it a powerful experience rather than just a game because it surpasses all other games in its genre by many of its unique features.

Ign.com has been dead right in awarding a “masterpiece” 10 to Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.