Gamepressure.com Staff Picks 2008

Akcji 29 April 2008

The fourth installment in a best-selling action game franchise. The title was developed by Rockstar North Studios under the supervision of Chris Sawyer. The protagonist of Grand Theft Auto IV is Niko Bellic, an immigrant from Eastern Europe who recently came to America, where he starts a career in the criminal underground. The sandbox gameplay model gives the player much freedom in exploration of Liberty City, a virtual metropolis, where you can move around using various vehicles (cars, motorbikes, and helicopters, among others). How the story unfolds depends on the player’s choices regarding order in which the missions are completed. Apart from single player gameplay, Grand Theft Auto IV offers online or LAN multiplayer for up to 32 people.

X360

RPG 28 October 2008

The third installment in the popular series of post-apocalyptic cRPGs. Bethesda Softworks, best known for The Elder Scrolls series, took the reins of the production. The main story arc focuses on the search for our character’s father. During the journey, the main protagonist, called the Lone Wanderer, learns of Project Purity, which could provide water for the inhabitants of the Wasteland. The developers have designed several variants of the main campaign's end, depending on the choices made by the player. They remained faithful to the extensive system of character’s attributes, S.P.E.C.I.A.L., known from the previous games in the Fallout series. The gameplay, however, is characteristic of action games, and features dynamic combat sequences. The three-dimensional visuals of Fallout 3 are generated by the Gamebryo engine.

PC

Strategiczne 28 October 2008

After the success achieved by the third installment in the Command & Conquer series, EA Los Angeles began to work on a sequel to the Red Alert subseries developed in parallel with the franchise's main installments. Again, the players are thrown into an alternative reality, where the leaders of the Soviet Union decided to travel back in time in order to make Russia great again. However, apart from the Allied Forces, standing in their way this time is a new superpower established in the eastern part of the globe - the Empire of the Rising Sun. Each of the three entities involved in the conflict received its own story campaign consisting of 9 missions. Importantly, the campaigns can be played both in the singleplayer and co-op modes. Depending on the faction chosen, the player takes control of different, but also unusual, combat units falling into three categories: ground, air and naval ones. Among them, the player will find floating islands, transformable tanks or armed animals, such as dolphins or bears for example. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 once again utilizes the SAGE engine, providing the players with high-quality visuals.

PC

Akcji 21 October 2008

A first-person shooter and a sequel to the groundbreaking hit released in 2004. Far Cry 2 was developed by Ubisoft Montreal, who took the mantle after Crytek Studios. The plot of the game revolves around a civil war in a small African country rich in diamonds. The player becomes a mercenary sent with a mission to eliminate Jackal, a dangerous weapon dealer whose illegal activities led to the escalation of the conflict. The task becomes much more complicated when the protagonist becomes afflicted with Malaria and finds himself in constant need of medications. The gameplay retain its sandbox style and provides the player with almost complete freedom when it comes to completing objectives and world exploration. In comparison to the first installment in the series, Far Cry 2 offers improved enemy AI and graphics that fully utilize the potential of DirectX 10 libraries.

PC

RPG 28 May 2008

A science-fiction action RPG developed by BioWare, the creators of such cult games as Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights. The story takes place at the end of the 22nd century. The players assume the role of Commander Shepard, the first human Spectre agent, tasked with the mission of stopping a rogue Spectre - Saren Arterius - after the protagonist discovered that his opponent had allied himself with a terrifying foe: an ancient race of intelligent machines called the Reapers, whose only objective is to wipe out all sentient organic life in the galaxy The game skillfully combines classic RPG elements with the premises and gameplay of a modern action game. Apart from exploration, numerous dialogues, various quests and moral choices, the game features dynamic, tactical combat, where we lead a 3-member squad. The game awards us with experience points to develop our characters and enhance our arsenal of futuristic weapons and gadgets.

PC

Akcji 11 November 2008

A spectacular first-person shooter (FPS) set during the Second World War. The game was developed by Treyarch, Activision’s subsidiary. It’s three-chapter campaign spans across the years 1942-1945, being set on Southern Pacific and the Eastern front. We observe the events from the perspectives of three soldier (two Americans and one Russian), and we get to take part in such military operations as the defense of Stalingrad or the Battle of Okinawa. As usual in the Call of Duty series, the missions are heavily scripted to make the action seem more cinematic. Gameplay boils down to shooting sequences, in which we use a variety of historical weapons. In addition to a single player campaign the game also includes online multiplayer with new game modes: co-op and Nazi Zombie.

PC

Akcji 20 October 2008

A third-person survival horror action game developed by EA Redwood Shores. The plot of Dead Space is set in the distant future. The main protagonist, Isaac Clark, is given a task of investigating the situation on a mining ship that has just sent a distress signal. Upon arrival, he discovers that the entire crew is dead and the bodies of the dead miners are possessed by a parasitic race of necromorphs. Contrary to typical TPS games, the gameplay of Dead Space is primarily focused on building tension and the atmosphere or danger; shooting sequences that take place in zero gravity are of secondary importance. The terrifying atmosphere is empowered by the dark audiovisuals.

PC

RPG 02 October 2008

A continuation to a successful cRPG from 2004. Sacred 2: Fallen Angel was created by Ascaron Interactive - a German studio popular mainly for the Port Royale series of strategy games.

PC

Wyścigi 30 May 2008

A racing game which is a direct continuation to the TOCA Touring Cars and TOCA Race Driver series developed by Codemasters. Contrary to the studio's other flagship franchise, DiRT, this game is focused on street and speedway races in which we sit behind the wheel of the most popular cars of the world, all of them licensed. The fun takes place in three different locations that offer us slightly different kinds of competition. With progress, we unlock new tournaments and vehicles. In the United States, we mostly race on the asphalt streets of American metropolises. In Europe, we compete primarily on speedways in such places as Donington, Silverstone, or Nurburgring. In Japan, drift is the most popular kind of races, taking place in cities and winding mountain roads. One of the title’s highlight is the realistic driving model. The game also features the DiRT series' replay system which allows us to rewind and retry a failed fragment of a race.

PC

Sportowe 03 October 2008

FIFA 09 is the next installment of a series of football simulations, placed next to Pro Evolution Soccer at the forefront of sports games. There is a Canadian EA Sports studio behind the creation of the product, and the title is present on as many as seven platforms.

X360

RPG 01 August 2008

A classic RPG developed by Radon Labs, based on the narrative RPG system Das Schwarze Auge (The Dark Eye). The game takes place in a fantasy realm called Aventuria, where an epic adventure awaits – during the game the player will visit not only the center of the continent called Middenrealm, but more exotic areas as well. Before the beginning of the game, the player first creates his character that is described by various traits and parameters. These parameters later impact the ways the player can interact with the surrounding world. The protagonist’s skills are supplemented by the abilities of his allies, who can be recruited during the game – they are especially helpful on the battlefield. The battles are played in real-time and the game offers an active pause. The success is determined based on the traits, skills and weapons of party members. Drakensang: The Dark Eye puts great emphasis on conversations with NPCs and on completing quests. The title features colorful graphics that are nice to watch, and a climatic soundtrack.

PC

Przygodowe 02 December 2008

Another installment in the bestselling Prince of Persia series, developed by Ubisoft since 2003. In terms of plot, the game is independent of the previous installments - it tells a completely new story. The protagonist has to face Ahriman - a Persian god of evil and darkness. The prince has to save the mythical Tree of Life by healing subsequent parts of the land poisoned by Ahriman and his allies. The protagonist is accompanied by Elika - daughter of the antagonist. She is a skilled magician and offers help during exploration, puzzle solving and combat. The gameplay emphasizes platformer elements - a typical aspect of the franchise. The protagonist can jump and climb almost anywhere, and he is capable of performing spectacular combos thanks to the improved combat system, useful especially when fighting more powerful enemies. The game offers an unusual art style, distinguishing it from its predecessors. This was achieved using the cel shading technique.

X360

Akcji 16 September 2008

A stand-alone expansion pack for the bestselling first-person perspective shooter developed by Crytek studio in 2007. The story of the game is based on the events that occurred in the original game but shows them from a different point of view, thus supplementing the story. In the game the player assumes the role of an ex-SAS soldier who is sent on a mission to reclaim what is feared to be a nuclear warhead. The North Korean forces are interested in the weapon as well. During the game the soldier faces not only enemy soldier, but merciless aliens as well. The latter are starting a terraforming process, turning the tropical island where the action takes place into an icy rock. The gameplay mechanics of the game are similar as in the original game, but the game is more focused on fights against bosses and enemy machines. The players can use two new weapons and previously unavailable vehicles. The multiplayer mode was enriched with new maps and team modes.

PC

Akcji 18 November 2008

A co-op-oriented FPP action game and a unique combination of a Counter Strike-type shooter and survival horror. Left 4 Dead takes place in the apocalyptic United States, ravaged by a deadly virus, which got out of scientists' control and changes humans into bloodthirsty monsters. You play as one of the few survivors immune to the virus, and your task is to get out of a series of locations overrun by the mutants. However, you can either choose to stand on the other survivors' side (where 4 different characters are available) or join the mutants (where you can play as one of the four kinds of monsters with differing abilities). While the strength of the mutants lies mostly in their numbers, the survivors must cooperate closely with each other to win.

PC

Akcji 07 November 2008

A continuation of a 2006's third-person shooter by Epic Games. You play as Marcus Fenix, a soldier sentenced for desertion, and face a hostile race called Locust. The action takes place six months after the events of the first installment. Even though the majority of aliens have been crushed, the remnants are still hiding in the underground tunnels while Rustlung – a mysterious, fatal disease – spreads among humans. Soon after Locust implement a new technology allowing them to produce cave-ins that can swallow entire cities. Fenix and his team once again join the war effort with the intention of defeating the enemy once and for all. Mechanics are based on a well-proven formula utilized in the first part of the game. Gameplay focuses on dynamic action emphasizing the cover system. The title introduces a new, easiest difficulty level, new weapons, and a wider variety of enemies and NPCs around which the plot revolves.

X360

Towarzyskie 26 October 2008

A music game belonging to the popular Guitar Hero series. Allows you to become a guitarist, drummer or vocalist of the band. A separate controller has been prepared for each of these roles. Another novelty is the ability to create your own works and modify others' works.

X360

Akcji 23 June 2008

A first-person shooter game created for the users of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. It is a spin-off of the popular Battlefield series. Battlefield: Bad Company is set in 2014 and the game's plot is centered around a fictional conflict between the United States and the Russian Federation. In the story campaign, the player assumes the role of Private Preston Marlowe, who gets assigned to "B" Company of the 222nd U.S Army battalion. The squad, consisting of soldiers notorious for behavior considered inadequate for military service, gets assigned with missions nobody else is willing to take. Apart from the singleplayer mode, the game offers fully functional multiplayer component. The latter allows for online battles involving up to 24 players.

X360

Zręcznościowe 27 October 2008

LittleBigPlanet is a dynamic platformer, designed for PlayStation 3 owners. This item is the first on this console to allow almost unlimited interference in the course of the game. You find yourself on a small planet, the boundaries of which are constantly widening while you play.

PS3

Akcji 12 June 2008

The fourth full-fledged installment in a popular series of stealth-action games created by Hideo Kojima and Konami for the PlayStation consoles. Solid Snake is back again, unfortunately, his is also not at his best due to genetic experiments from the past. The story is set five years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2. It depicts a world of the near future where military corporations fight each other in the name of their bosses. The protagonist is sent to the Middle East to stop his officially dead sibling, Liquid, from gathering a huge army that could create a global threat if allowed to launched an armed insurrection. In terms of the gameplay mechanics, the game combines all the best elements of the previous installments with several new features, such as an improved combat system in confined space, a new method of camouflage or a gadget called Solid Eye.

PS3

RPG 18 September 2008

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is the first attempt to create an MMO based on the Warhammer fantasy universe, developed by Games Workshop since 1983.

PC

Zręcznościowe 13 October 2008

World of Goo is a logic-arcade game produced and published by Kyle Gabler and Ron Carmel, a two-person development team from the 2D Boy studio. The game, designed exclusively for one player, consists in building various constructions of gelatinous slurry balls, i.e. the title Goo, which is permanently disturbed by gravity and other laws of physics. The title, characterized by specific visual setting and original situational humour, was considered one of the most original games of 2008.

PC

Wyścigi 16 September 2008

Races of quads, or four-wheeled motorcycles. Strong emphasis was placed on the performance of impressive air acrobatics. The model responsible for simulating these risky actions is very complex, offering the possibility of performing many interesting tricks. The game is also characterized by a detailed audiovisual setting.

X360

RPG 13 November 2008

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King is the second addition to Blizzard Entertainment's best-selling MMO, which was announced during the BlizzCon 2007 event in the United States. It gives players the opportunity to further develop their heroes, receive new areas to explore, additional items, abilities and missions, as well as the ability to play as a powerful warrior-necrowd.

PC

Strategiczne 25 April 2008

King's Bounty: The Legend (formerly Battle Lord) is a relatively complex title that combines many different game genres, although strategic and cRPG elements come to the fore. This production in many ways resembles the cult saga Heroes of Might & Magic.

PC

Sportowe 14 November 2008

Football Manager 2009 is a continuation of a well-known and valued series of football managers produced by Sports Interactive, a company specializing in this genre. The publisher of this title is the SEGA Group.

PC

Strategiczne 22 September 2008

Colonization is a stand-alone addition to the fourth installment of Civilization, the award-winning series by one of the most recognizable people in the gaming industry - Sida Meier.

PC

Wyścigi 22 January 2008

The full-fledged sequel to the series of racing games started in 2001 by Criterion Games. The game takes place in the fictional Paradise City, which consists of an island with an airport, a bay with skyscrapers and hills that are free of any infrastructure. The game combines dynamical driving with impressive crashes and breaking the traffic regulations in a way that is typical for the series. Burnout Paradise slightly refreshes the classic formula of the series. One of the main novelties is taking the action to an open world across which one can move freely, completing various challenges. In contrast to the previous games, the gameplay concentrates slightly more on typical races while the Crash Mode (here called Showtime) known from the previous installments is only an addition which can be activated at any moment of the game. The title uses a completely new driving model and physics engine which is responsible for damage model of the vehicles.

X360

Strategiczne 13 June 2008

Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution was created specifically for consoles, though the game belongs to one of the most popular strategy game franchises aimed at PC players. The series made its debut in early 1990s, as initiated by a company known as MicroProse; the Civilization series have been developed by Sid Meier's Firaxis Games nowadays. Similar to the previous installments, Revolution is a turn-based strategy game requiring the player to develop a civilization they have chosen - the process lasts for entire in-game millennia. Each of the sixteen playable nations was assigned to a famous leader, such as Napoleon or Cleopatra. The player not only has to explore and expand their civilization, but also ensure its constant development (cities, technologies, creating trade routes, establishing diplomatic relations, controlling both internal policy and military actions). One is capable of achieving victory here in several different ways, such as military conquest, going beyond earth, economic or cultural domination for instance. Apart from a single player experience, the game offers an opportunity to compete against other players. The version for home consoles comes with colorful, three-dimensional visuals.

X360

Strategiczne 04 February 2008

A space real-time strategy game by Ironclad Games, a studio founded by former employees of Rockstar Vancouver. The plot tells a story of the war between the Trader Emergency Coalition and two aggressive nations known as the Advent and the Empire of Vasari. The players can side with any of the said factions which are characterized by different technologies, weapons, and strategies. The core of the gameplay involves exploration of the enormous space, colonizing planets, and acquiring resources, all for the galactic dominance of our faction. The game offers extensive trade and diplomacy options that allow us to form alliances and trading agreements with other players. We can also make use of an advanced technology development tree and the possibility of enhancing our units. Apart from the main campaign mode, the title features an extensive multiplayer mode that allows up to 10 players to fight epic battles at the same time.

PC

Akcji 25 March 2008

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is part of a large project called Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, bringing together virtual games (including Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII for PS2), films (e.g. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children) and novels related to the seventh edition of the cult Final Fantasy saga, originally released in the second half of the 1990s for the first generation PlayStation family consoles.

PSP

Akcji 04 March 2008

The next installment of the legendary God of War slasher series, which was prepared for PlayStation Portable. The authors use the power of the device to provide spectacular action and graphics that were impossible to achieve on competing mobile devices at the time.

PSP

Wyścigi 28 October 2008

Continuation of the popular racing game. The competition takes place in difficult terrain, and drivers use, among others, motorcycles, quads, off-road vehicles or trucks. The game is distinguished by detailed graphics.

PS3

Zręcznościowe 21 November 2008

LocoRoco 2 is a continuation of a fun 2D dexterity game published in 2006, for which the Japanese development branch of Sony Computer Entertainment is responsible. As in the original, the player directs the actions of friendly, gel creatures. This time they must save their planet from aliens.

PSP

Strategiczne 01 January 2008

The next installment of the popular series of strategic turn-based games. We command armies of different types of units, trying to take control of the world devastated by the catastrophe.

NDS

Akcji 03 June 2008

Ninja Gaiden 2 is the next installment of a popular series of action games, which was initiated at the end of the eighties by Tecmo. The product in question is a direct continuation of the programme issued in 2004 for the Xbox. As before, Team Ninja studio is responsible for its creation.

X360

Akcji 04 November 2008

Resistance 2 is a continuation of the popular FPP shooting, which hit only on PS3. The first part was the starting title of this console and met with a warm reception. The combination of World War II climate and the invasion of the space race Chimer on Earth was liked by the players, which is why a sequel was created, offering a significant development of solutions known from its predecessor.

PS3

Logiczne 06 May 2008

The Blox boom is a family logic game where you manoeuvre your structures. The most common goal is to collapse the building in the way indicated or with a certain number of movements. Its author is a well-known director - Steven Spielberg.

Wii