UPDATE 02/2010

At the moment testing MORTAL ONLINE BETA AND ALIEN VS PREDATOR.

Also if you play games from the last few years but haven't certain games to try out remember you can install free demo's of single and multiplayer games.  You can get demo's from a lot of websites,  a good one to try for fast downloads is

http://www.filefront.com/

They have a long list of good demo's.

Some i have as i don't have the games anymore or never tried them are Quake 4 mp demo, FEAR MP, FRONTLINES FUEL OF WAR, GHOST RECON 2 MP.  They don't have many online players but if you want a game on one give me a shout.

NEW UPDATE TO FREE MULTIPLAYER

F.E.A.R.  What was released a few years ago has had the multiplayer offered free for a download with all the mulltiplayer maps and options.

When you download it you also need a valid email address to be sent a serial especially for the multiplayer, i'll admit i had forgotten about this, i did used to have the game many moons ago.

Go here for your free download.

http://www.joinfear.com/

ITS HERE !! REDFACTION GUERRILLA

 

Publisher:THQ Genre:Shooter Developer:Volition ESRB:M # of Players:1 player Release:Jun 1, 2009 Platforms: PC 360 PS3 Game Description:50 years have passed since the first Red Faction war. Finally, the Red Faction has been able to re-establish itself with insurgent fighters. Join their cause as they battle for their freedom from the oppressive Earth Defense Force! Use guerrilla tactics, improvised weaponry, and modified vehicles to choose when and how you battle. You can lead attacks the way you want and take on missions in any o...rder you choose. Decide how destruction of the unforgiving Martian landscape will work to your advantage, including blowing holes in walls or floors to surprise or evade your enemies. Carve your own path and win the game on your terms using your own style of play!

Get Your Ass to Mars

Apparently, still in the open-world bliss after Saint’s Row 2, Volition felt the world needed yet another game for the now-flooded genre. Red Faction is an open world, third -person action game with plenty of missions and amazing opportunities for rampant destructive tendencies. Yet, beyond that, there are several key differences between it and the average GTA clone.

The biggest difference is the story and nature of your character. Just as with the original game, you play an average guy named Alec Mason who has come to Mars in search of opportunities. His brother is there, but it's instantly clear that things are bad on the red planet. The Earth Defense Force (EDF) has an iron grip on the place, and are rounding up and executing rebels where ever they can find them. The action has barely even begun when Alec's brother is killed by EDF troopers, and suddenly Alec finds himself a rebel in a war he never knew about.

A Man, A Plan, A Sledgehammer

The set-up is pretty basic, but the gameplay is amusingly bent on destroying things for scrap. Scrap is the currency on Mars, and you get it by demolishing buildings, vehicles, and any other structure you find. Explosives are a great way to make a building collapse, but your trusty base weapon, the sledgehammer, is the real workhorse. It's a silly premise for gameplay and nowhere within the realm of reality, yet there's a palatable joy in hitting something until it falls over.

Aside from hitting things with a big hammer, there are plenty of missions across the huge Martian landscape. Mars is divided into five huge zones and the object is to remove the EDF's hold over each zone before the Red Faction rebels can safely move on to the next. In reality, you can drive around all you want through the enormous world, although until a zone is opened, you can't get any missions there. Missions include a lot of destroying EDF property-type goals, but you'll rescue hostages, race against time to stop informers, protect civilians, and discover the secrets of the pirate marauders who haunt the outskirts of the planet.

As you destroy EDF property and complete missions, the morale of the oppressed population will improve, and--provided you don't go around killing them--civilians will take up arms against the EDF. While the AI of both friend and foe is certainly not outstanding, it adds a nice layer of depth to see random inhabitants suddenly fighting by your side.

Straight and Narrow

Although each zone has a sizeable number of missions, including random missions that pop up on the fly, where Guerrilla really deviates from GTA, InFamous, and Saint's Row is that there's really not much in the way of moral choices here. Alec is a freedom fighter simply trying to help people while getting revenge for his brother's death. You can kill civilians, but aside from that, you can't really be a bad guy. And while there are plenty of routes to success and a ton of missions to pick from, your ultimate path is dictated by the overarching plot.

Another issue is the cartoonish nature of the action. The driving in the game is pure arcade, with bouncy, exaggerated physics. There's a wide range of vehicles, but most of them control like crazy dune buggies. Knocking a building down around you would seem to be a tactical error, but Alec seems mostly immune to wreckage, though he'll bounce around like a pinball when hit by a car. Finally, the missions can often overwhelm you with attackers and when combined with the wonky physics, lead to a lot of frustrating reloads.

Rounding the package out is the great multiplayer. The third-person action, fun weapons, and building deconstruction translate perfectly to a deathmatch or team game. Sneaky snipers now have to worry about the very floor beneath their feet. Campers beware. Players can also strap into a number of backpacks that allow for more destruction or protection. The Rhino, for example, allows you to barrel though walls, supporting structures, and fleshy opponents. A number of multiplayer modes also support constructing as a way to take over areas. It’s a crazy mash-up of tearing down and building up just to win the game.

Now i will have more of a dabble on multiplayer. 

UPDATE !! 

This game is brilliant in multiplayer, from the physics engine to the action,  to see a structure you bring down to the ground in realtime is cool but be warned you need a good graphics card and decent cpu.

RESIDENT EVIL 5 REVIEW 

Resident Evil 5 was released on the consoles around 6 months ago and it was positively received by both critics and more importantly the public. It brought together some of the franchise’s classic characters and combined a few of the best elements of previous releases for the finest release to date. The addition of cooperative mode increased the overall enjoyment and ensured healthy sales. Today we look at the PC version which has been much awaited.

If you missed our previous review of the console version let’s recap on the storyline - Chris Redfield, one of the survivors of the Arklay Mansion disaster in the first Resident Evil has joined up with a new faction called the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance, an organisation who are trying to stop the spread of biological weapons from being used. Chris is then sent to a region of Africa to deal with a possible outbreak and is joined by his new partner Sheva Alomar who lends her support. As the game progresses they find themselves against other characters from the past and they discover a plot which could destroy the world as we know it. Dramatic as always.


The game is obviously much the same as the console version however there are some changes which certainly enhance how the game works within the PC environment. For instance the shared inventory of Chris and Sheva is easily accessible via the 1 to 9 keys. If you press any of these then you will equip the item which reduces the amount of time wasted during tricky situations - something which annoyed me slightly regarding the console version.

The major difference is the support for both mouse and keyboard however the title does support the Xbox 360 controller as well which is a nice option for those who hate the keyboard methodology. That said playing with the 360 pad is not really my option of choice as the keyboard offers up quite a few shortcuts ... for instance there is a quick turn button available which immediately rotates your characters 180 degrees which is immensely handy when being charged down by enemy. There is a larger aiming reticule for the mouse which allows the gamer to ready a firearm with the right mouse button and then fire with the left. This makes aiming at targets a much easier proposition and works great. Additionally the developers have added a knife attack button which allows you to immediately swing to attack anything in your path. This can be used a little as a last means of attack in a deadly situation.

The game fully supports Games for Windows Live - you can hunt for players online or invite others to join your game. If a player leaves the game then the AI immediately steps in and takes over .. this is identical to the console version. I must say it is very good and simple to play with another player, very smooth too.


So what is new in regards to content? Well once you have the game finished you will notice two more extras which weren’t in the console version. You get two costumes which are an urban combat setup for Chris and a business suit complete with short skirt for Sheva. This is a pretty frivolous addition which will not add anything long term to the experience however the other extra is a little better. You unlock Mercenaries game mode and the feeble ‘Versus’ option has been replaced with a ‘No Mercy’ Mode. This is a solo only mission in which you take on three times the number of enemies for every one you would be presented with in the standard Mercenaries mode. Be aware that in some of the more insane situations, the screen looks like something from Dawn of the Dead and unless you have a very capable modern day gaming PC then the frame rate will plummet.


The graphics are significantly improved when compared with the Xbox 360 version thanks obviously to the higher resolutions available with a nice monitor and suitable graphics card. The game is fully optimised for Core i7 processors as well as Windows 7 and it is certainly the best platform to enjoy the game at higher resolution. We tested the game on an AMD Phenom and it was just as enjoyable - however we noticed that a Quad core did give some benefits when the action got really intense. Interestingly as well we found out that Resident Evil 5 is optimised for Nvidia’s 3d Vision which supports a 120hz monitor (which we didn’t have at hand to test with unfortunately).


If you are lucky enough to own such a configuration then please be sure to post your results - we have heard that the depth of vision is very good and that the characters will pop out of the screen in a very realistic manner. Nvidia have stated that the perception of the depth can be adjusted to your personal tastes so it should hopefully be a great immersive addition to the title.


Resident Evil 5 on the PC is a solid conversion which benefits from the various tweaks, as well as support for higher graphics quality in combination with some capable modern day gaming hardware. If you didn’t get the console version then this is a highly recommended title, for those who already have it however it might not be such a strong purchase, unless you fancy playing through it all again with a higher level of graphical finesse.

NEED FOR SPEED - SHIFT REVIEW

The Need For Speed brand has become synonymous with illegal street racing over the years, but it's worth remembering that the series originally broke ground as a much purer racing experience. Arcade elements have always been part and parcel of the NFS games - even the original had police chases and traffic on its tracks - but the first games were much more about unfettered supercars competing in closed circuit races than they were customised Subaru Imprezas cruising the roads of open world cities.

And so the series returns to its spawning grounds, although this time with its focus exclusively on the legal world of motor racing. Licensed circuits are plastered throughout this title, from Silverstone and Spa Francorchamps to Laguna Seca and Brands Hatch, while the cars are blended between a wish list of factory-line production cars (a la Gran Turismo) and stripped down, racing spec variants of these original models. Make no mistake, Need For Speed has gone legit, although not without retaining the staples of car modification and drift racing that gamers now expect from an NFS title.

Candid Camera

Much like Codemasters' Race Driver: GRID, Need For Speed Shift is a much more enjoyable experience when played from the cockpit view rather than the above-and-behind camera angle that most racers lend themselves to. In fact, viewed outside of the cockpit, Shift becomes a much blander racing experience - not bad but decidedly run-of-the-mill. This isn't necessarily a criticism though, as the gameplay when viewed from inside the car is nothing short of a landmark in the production of racing games, where Slightly Mad Studios' inspired camera work has built the most adrenaline-fuelled racing sim we've ever played.

There are a number of nifty camera tricks that SMS uses to do this, such as employing motion blur at high speeds; shaking the camera up in accidents before disorienting the driver with a blurry, greyscale filter; lurching the camera angle forward under heavy breaking, and veering it to the right/left in the corners. The result is a thoroughly convincing depiction of G-forces and high impact crashes that the racing game genre has rarely seen before. It is by far and away the most impressive element of the game, without which the other standout features would fail to shine.

Of course, this all makes a lot of sense given SMS' heritage. Its involvement with the critically acclaimed GTR series of PC games and the experience drawn form this is evident throughout Shift, although EA's production values mean that it's not quite the fully authentic sim that GTR2 was - 24 hour endurance races are hardly a game selling feature here. At the same time, SMS has not forgotten its roots. Endurance race events do feature in Shift, it's just that they're denoted by 10 laps of Spa for example, while regular races are usually between 1 and 3 laps long.

Equally, the sense of progression throughout Shift is clearly where EA's associate producers have had a strong influence. Soon after starting a new career, gamers will come across the Driver Profile, which charts your performance on the track by dishing out points for either 'Aggression' or 'Precision' driving. The former includes trading paint with another driver or slip-streaming them down a straight for example, while the latter awards points for mastering the driving line through a turn or performing a clean overtaking manoeuvre. These points are then dished out via a combo meter during races, which then builds up your profile as a precise or aggressive driver accordingly and increases your Driver Level, while rewarding you with 'Badges' for certain achievements.

It's a lot like the sort of production sheen that was once added to a certain racing series by developer Criterion. EA's involvement with Burnout 3: Takedown was essentially what lifted an aspiring series of games into arguably the best arcade racer on previous-gen consoles and, as much as racing purists might scoff at how Shift's racing sim elements have been watered down in some areas, EA clearly knows what it's doing here. While the mesh between EA production and SMS development might not be quite as flush as it was with Criterion and Takedown, there's no denying the fact that this EA sheen does make Shift more accessible to a broader market of gamers, which is no bad thing (after all, this is a Need For Speed game).

Car customisation has been integrated into Shift in ways that aim to please both sim and arcade fans. Custom paint jobs can be applied to the cars you purchase, while a wide range of rims and body-kits for each model can spruce up their appearance and this will no doubt appeal to the typical Need For Speeder. Simulation fans will then enjoy the incredibly deep car setup options (which include downforce, gear ratios, tyre pressure, differential, and steering camber to name but a few), while racing liveries are available to doll factory-line cars up like GT racers, and everything from drivetrain to cockpit upgrades can be made to increase performance. The all important nitrous injections haven't been forgotten either, although admittedly their effects are a lot more subtle than in previous NFS games.

EA's influences extend beyond these more cosmetic areas and into the gameplay as well, with a range of race types that retain shades of previous NFS games and the Burnout series. Shift's events extend far beyond standard, closed circuit races with timed events such as the 'Hot Lap' and 'Time Attack' competitions, as well as two different types of eliminator events, Driver Duel's that set two cars against each other in single-lap gladiatorial battles, and the previously mentioned endurance races.

Without a doubt though, the most refreshing change of pace comes from the drift competitions, which are played out in sanctioned events across world motor racing venues. Cars modified for high revs are used and must then be guided across a series of turns. Hitting the markers and extending the drift for as long as possible is the critical skill required to ratchet up the points, so the events are not too dissimilar to their illegitimate cousins from the NFS: Underground games and their offshoots.

These events continue up through four tiers, with each tier introducing a new range of more powerful cars and a considerably steeper learning curve with this added performance. Vehicles range from common road going vehicles in tier 1 (e.g. the Ford Focus and BMW 135i), to the most powerful supercars in the world at tier 4 (e.g. the Bugatti Veyron, Mercedez-Benz SLR McLaren, and Pagani Zonda), while the likes of Ford Shelby GT500s and Lamborghini Murcielagos in-between are more than enough to keep things interesting. For a full list of the tracks and cars in the game you can click through here, but suffice to say there are more than enough to keep the game fresh and exciting all the way up to its conclusion in the Need For Speed World Tour invitational event.


It's this sense of progression and achievement in the game, coupled with a challengingly steep learning curve, which ensures that its level of appeal doesn't drop at any stage. Equally, the content held within Shift's four tiers and the NFS World Tour will keep gamers beavering away for hours. If you simply want to progress through the tiers to the World Tour as quickly as possible, then it'll take you a good 15 hours. On the other hand, if you want to win every event that's available on your way to the tour, then you can add another 10 hours on top of that. Playing the game until you've achieved every star that's available on all of the events (achieved by completing additional tasks such as mastering all corners), then you could be playing for around 35-40 hours, possibly more.


What's The Damage?

Beyond the impressive camera work mentioned at the top of this article, Shift's visual prowess varies depending on the platform. The PC version is superior to consoles by quite a margin with better motion blur effects, more detailed car models, improved lighting across the environments, and better heat hazing effects. The added details are particularly noticeable in Shift's stunningly detailed cockpits, which are probably the most accurate and well designed interiors ever seen in a racing game.


The console versions then obviously run at a lower resolution, while the textures aren't quite as smooth as they are on PC. Damage modelling is another area where the PC comes off better than consoles with more detailed panel crumpling and damage effects. Additionally, the modelling on consoles uses muddier textures and appears to be less dependent on the scale of a collision. However, SMS has previously indicated that Shift's development has been led on the PC platform, so we're inclined to take the PC version's graphics into account when considering scores.


Exactly how well this damage system is used by SMS is another question though. Gamers are offered two damage options in the difficulty menu: 'Visual Only' and 'Full'. However, when set to 'Full', the worst thing that'll ever happen to your car is that it will veer off to the left or right a bit. You can't total a car, regardless of how heavy an impact is, which seems a bit cheap for a developer that prides itself on realism. Similarly, the physics behind crashes are a bit questionable as your car has a bizarre tendency to scoop up opponents like a pie slice whenever you rear-end them, even at relatively low speeds. It's this that often leads to the more spectacular crashes in the game, such as cars going airborne or rolling across the tarmac multiple times, although it doesn't always look that convincing when it happens to be honest.


However, it's hard to think of many more criticisms than these and there are many more good things to say about it that we haven't had the time to go into great depth about here. The AI is superbly dealt with and produces opponents that are not only very aggressive, but will also make believable mistakes when you're not interfering with their race. We often saw opponents getting into tangles ahead of us, which adds another layer of realism to the races beyond what most other racing games can muster.


The online multiplayer is also well accounted for, with ranked and unranked races for up to 8 players as well as the ability to organise Driver Duel Championships (similar to the single-player event listed above) and check out your friends' fastest lap times and scores from the single-player career. The sound won't disappoint either, with engine noises that would make Jeremy Clarkson gurn, although it has to be said that the soundtrack is a touch generic. There's also the occasional voice-over from a member of your pit crew, who often does his best Murray Walker impression with a "Go, go, go!" at the start of a race before comically reminding you to "Have fun".

 

 

SAINTS ROW 2

Thankfully this is one imitator that turns out to be much more than a straight carbon copy. In fact, Saints Row 2 takes GTA's gameplay, turns it on its side and sends it rolling down a mountain filled with land mines, roving monster trucks and ninjas. Lots and lots of ninjas.

What does that translate to in terms of quality? A crazy good time. Saints Row 2 may not be as pretty or have the production values of Rockstar's rock star, but it does offer hours of zany entertainment that will please fans of open world gangster gaming.

After you complete the first few tasks, the game really opens up. There's no unlocking of islands or other boroughs. Instead, the whole city of Stilwater is available to you from the get-go. And with that freedom comes a plethora of activities and diversions to try out. There's the all-new Trail Blazer and Septic Avenger or you can try out the analog stick-based sex mini-game. They're all just as fun and outrageous as the next.

It's in that ridiculous nature that Saints Row 2 really finds its niche. Driving down the highway on a flaming ATV, exploding cars to extend your timer or throwing your limp body into oncoming traffic to rack up a medical bill are things that you just don't see in other videogames. SR2's activities are more outlandish than in the first game, but they're also more varied. There's still the more mundane racing and helicopter assault, but having the option of going outside the box a bit is great

The story follows your quest to take down three gangs: The Sons of Samedi, The Brotherhood and The Ronin -- with the Ultor Corporation coming in at the end. Each gang involves a different one of your three recruited lieutenants, thus pulling the player a bit deeper into each of the storylines. Characters die, there are emotions that flow from your character and there are cutscenes that help build the dramatics. The production values aren't at the level that I'd like to see, but every so often I would be impressed with what I was watching on-screen.

The real negatives for Saints Row 2 come in the technical department. From graphics to AI to the sheer inner-workings of the game, SR2 has blemishes in every area. First, graphically, it isn't as attractive as the competition. Character models and environments aren't as detailed as they could be, the framerate drops every so often (with a v-sync option included), and the collision detection is wonky at best. I constantly got pedestrians stuck in the grill of my car (no joke) or sometimes even stuck inside my car.

While driving on the streets you'll also notice a good bit of draw-in and fade that includes cars that downright disappear in some places. I've been chasing people on a hitman mission and had their car completely disappear from sight and radar. Not cool. I've also had helicopters warp to the basement of a barge when reloading a game and other open world wackiness that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Toss in the fact that I've actually had the game lock up on two separate systems a handful of times, and I can't help but feel that Saints Row 2 could have used some more time in the shop.

That's not say that Saints Row 2 always looks bad, in fact, more often than not it looks good (shoot the four-car train with a rocket to see what I mean), but when things go wrong they go seriously wrong and sadly that lessens the immersion of the experience.

The artificial intelligence is a bit more hit or miss. Sometimes enemies will take bystanders as their hostage while firing at you while other times they'll stand there, mid-firefight and not react to your presence. Every one of their friends is trying to kill me, yet they could really care less.

 

 

RIDDICK : ASSAULT ON DARK ATHENA




Good news for the PC gamers among us .. ehm yeah .. all of us ;) EA CEO John Riccitiello stated during a quarterly earnings call that the PC is rapidly becoming the largest gaming platform in the world. The game publisher also unveiled sales from digital game distribution were up 60 percent to $80 million in the company's fiscal 2009.

"In terms of distribution, the way we look at a lot what's happening in the future is, we've got probably a billion PCs out there in the world," he continued. "Very rapidly the PC is becoming the largest gaming platform in the world, just not in a packaged-good product."

"As you look at what that means in terms of distribution of product, we think that's incredibly exciting because it's going to open the market to new demographics, new countries and new types of gameplay," he added.


STREETFIGHTER 4




It is well known that pc doesn't get hardly any ARCADE style two player fighting games made for it.   The console market is more suitable for it,  computers are more known for their FPS games.  So it was a pleasant surprise to get a new streetfighter game from the on running streetfighter franchise from CAPCOM,  one of the worlds biggest game makers.   RESIDENT EVIL being one of the biggest money makers for them,   a classic HORROR game on all formats.
Anyhow back to streetfighter 4, for decades now the streetfighter games have been colourful and fast with lots of mad combo's from each character.    The film was a major flop but that was a different case for the games.   There has been 2D and 3D versions made on different systems,   myself i prefer 3D fighting games,   this new addition to the franchise is a well worthy addition ! It is very colourful with some nice effects, dazzling and bright !  The gameplay is very fast and fluid,  it is 2D with a little element of 3D mixed in.   This is a fast pick up and play game,  very simple to play.  There is also online multiplay in it via WINDOWS LIVE,  this is handy if you want to play against humans around the world and not a computer controlled character.
In all i think it is a good game and worthy addition to pc.   About time we had another good fighting game.
Here are a few screens........




CALL OF JUAREZ BOUND BY BLOOD



The first game was a good solid first person shooter,  i did like the multiplayer mode.    Now the sequel has come out with and i must say can see the graphics difference from the first one.  It is much the same but looking all spruced up !
The multiplayer is what i have tried,  it's pretty normal case scenario much like the first one.
Bound in Blood's multiplayer includes multiple modes and maps. Multiple characters are unlocked for team-based objective modes or the straightforward team death match. A Bounty system allows players increase the bounty on their head with more kills. Getting rid of the deadliest among the players increase your bank roll.  You then can upgrade to better weapons in your class.
The visuals have some very nice textures and effects and it is very good to play.
Heres some screens of the multiplayer side of the game.