Gamepressure.com Staff Picks 2011

Akcji 18 October 2011

A sequel to the 2009 Batman: Arkham Asylum. Just like its predecessor, the game was produced by British studio Rocksteady in cooperation with Warner Bros. Interactive. The story campaign in Batman: Arkham City is set several months after the events of the first game. An old district of Gotham City was walled off and the most dangerous criminals were put inside. Afraid that the situation is getting out of control, Batman tries to stop the wrongdoers before it is too late. Gameplay mechanics combines elements of action with beat’em up game. As compared with the first installment, Batman: Arkham City gives players much greater freedom when it comes to exploration of the game’s open world and carrying out the missions.

X360

RPG 11 November 2011

A heroic action RPG and the fifth main installment in the popular The Elder Scrolls franchise. Bethesda Softworks once again takes the players to the fantasy continent of Tamriel. The plot of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is set 200 years after the events depicted in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The main character is the last of the Dragonborn (Dovahkiin), a human (or a member of one of the several other available races) able to wield the powerful magic of dragons. With the arrival of the last Dragonborn, an old prophecy heralding the return of Alduin - the dragon god of destruction - is set into motion. The game combines elements of dynamic action with Bethesda-style cRPG, featuring a complex system of character development and a vast, open world. High quality visuals in the game are generated by the Creation Engine, Bethesda's original graphics engine.

PC

RPG 20 December 2011

An MMORPG set in the Star Wars universe and a spiritual successor to the Knights of the Old Republic series. It was created by a seasoned RPG developer, BioWare Studios, also known for such cult titles as Baldur’s Gate, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect. The game lets you choose between the dark or the light side of the Force and create a unique avatar, selecting from 8 available classes. Gameplay focuses on exploration, combat, and developing your hero’s skills, although much emphasis is put on the story presented in the distinctive BioWare style. It is possible to play solo, but the game’s essence is about playing together with friends. The game lets you join a team and either complete story-related missions together or compete against others in one of PvP modes. A great deal of vast locations – both well-known to the Star Wars fans as well as brand new ones – await to be explored.

PC

RPG 17 May 2011

An action RPG game and the second chapter of the adventures of Geralt of Rivia. Similarly to its predecessor from 2007, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings was developed by CD Projekt RED. The game follows the foiled plot to assassinate King Foltest. With the appearance of a mysterious man called Kingslayer the titular witcher becomes entangled in a complicated political intrigue, in which the fate of several kingdoms will be decided. The developers tried to faithfully recreate the world known from the literary works of Andrzej Sapkowski while enriching it with new elements. Great emphasis was put on moral choices leading to one of 16 possible endings, and on the completely rebuilt, dynamic combat system. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is distinguished by excellent visuals powered by the developer’s proprietary REDengine.

PC

Przygodowe 18 November 2011

A sandbox game that defies classification, developed by the independent Mojang AB studio. Minecraft has been developed with the intention of unleashing the creativity of players, who can freely change the game's virtual world made from voxels (cubic blocks). The gameplay concentrates on terrain transformations, building structures, crafting items, and creating your own adventures. The game consists of two modes: a classic one, which allows for unending experience, and survival, in which we have to prepare to fend off monster assaults at night. In addition to single player, Minecraft also offers online multiplayer. The game from Mojang AB is distinguished by its unique retro visuals.

PC

Akcji 17 March 2011

Action-adventure game with stealth elements and the second major installment in the best-selling Assassin's Creed series. The game, created by Ubisoft Montreal, is the second part of the so-called Ezio trilogy. Players can follow the adventures of a Renaissance assassin, Ezio Auditore da Firenze (the protagonist of Assassin's Creed II). Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is set in Rome - the city of conflicting interests of influential houses and the seat of the villainous Templar Order. The sandbox gameplay structure, well-known to fans of the series, was enriched with a new element – managing local structures belonging to the Brotherhood of Assassins that allow you to recruit and train new members, who can be ordered to aid you in combat. For the first time in the franchise's history, the developers decided to introduce an online multiplayer mode.

PC

Akcji 15 November 2011

An open-world action game played from the third-person view. It is another installment in the Assassin's Creed series. In terms of the plot, the game ends the so-called Ezio trilogy, which comprises of Assassin's Creed II, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and AC: Revelations. The game is set mainly in the 16th century, though in-game flashbacks reach as far as back to the 12th century. The protagonist - Ezio Auditore da Firenze follows the traces of Altair - both his ancestor and the master of the Assassins. The trail leads to Constantinople, where the Templars are gathering a powerful army. The creators combined successful mechanics of the previous installments, enriching them with an ability to create bombs or with a modified system of gaining control over particular city areas. Apart from the single-player story campaign, the game offers a fully functional multiplayer mode.

X360

Akcji 01 November 2011

The third installment of the very popular series of action-adventure games created by Naughty Dog. The story of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception tells another tale of the treasure hunter Nathan Drake. This time the main protagonist must find the legendary city of Ubar. A group of thugs led by Katherine Marlowe is standing on his way. The basic fundaments of the gameplay haven’t changed. The developers from Naughty Dog wanted to combine elements of adventure game, action game, shooter and even beat’em up genre with a cinematic feel. In comparison to previous installments of the series, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception offers much more advanced multiplayer mode and visuals that push the PlayStation 3’ power to the limit.

PS3

RPG 04 October 2011

An action RPG set in a dark fantasy world. It has been developed by the Japanese From Software studio, known from e.g. Ninja Blade, Demon’s Souls, and the Armored Core series. The story of Dark Souls takes place in a grim universe, greatly resembling the medieval age. The plot in scarcely depicted, and the players take role of an undead character, whose actions will shape the fate of the world. The game is a third-person perspective hack-and-slash. In a manner befitting a sandbox game, players are given a lot of freedom at exploring locations and undertaking various tasks. The game stands out with its high difficulty level and complex multiplayer mode.

X360

Strategiczne 13 October 2011

The sixth main entry in one of the most popular turn-based strategy fantasy games, started by the legendary developer New World Computing in 1995. To refresh the series, the development has been entrusted to the team at Black Hole Games, known from highly-rated RTS games Armies of Exigo and Warhammer: Mark of Chaos. The game takes place 400 years before the events depicted in the previous entry and revolves around an intrigue of Angels trying to re-instill a long-forgotten war. The only ones able to stop its outbreak are the members of the House Griffin, who went separate ways a long time ago, all of them now leading their own factions. Gameplay is a classic combination of turn-based strategy with RPG features, supplemented with some new solutions, like the reputation system, lack of separate screens for each town or the option to convert enemy cities into our own type of stronghold. As per new trends, the game offers astounding, three-dimensional visuals and social options.

PC

RPG 23 August 2011

The third installment in a series of cyberpunk action games with RPG elements. The franchise was launched in the year 2000 by Ion Storm, led at the time by Warren Spector. The reactivation of the series was made possible by the Eidos Montreal studio. Story-wise, the game is a prequel to the original series, taking us back to the year 2027, when Sarif Industies only begins to explore the possibilities of biomechanical augmentation of the human body. You assume the role of Adam Jensen, the company's chief of security, who gets seriously injured when an unidentified armed force suddenly attack the company HQ. Saved by a series of surgeries and mechanical implants, he decides to investigate the puzzling truth behind the events. Gameplay boils down to combat, exploration, and interactions with the environment. Of course, there are the also series’ landmark features, such as sneaking and hacking mini-games. Depending on the augmentations you choose to implant in the hero’s body and the skills they provide, each in-game problem can be solved in several different ways.

PC

Bijatyki 19 April 2011

A brutal fighting game and a reboot of the Mortal Kombat video game series - one of the most popular fighting-oriented franchises, launched back in 1992. The game was created by NetherRealm and the works were supervised by Ed Boon - the father of the series. This new installment is based on the best mechanics of its predecessors, both improving and modernizing the classic Mortal Kombat experience. Thus brutal fighting is the core of the game - fights are filled with spectacular special attacks and creative ways of finishing off the enemy. The players received a massive number of both well-known and completely new fighters. The new X-Ray system was introduced as well, allowing the player to launch special attack sequences. New game modes were also added, including challenges, Story Mode and Tag Team, which allows two teams of two players to fight against each other. Combining classic elements with the new can be also observed in the visuals that combine 2D and 3D elements.

X360

Przygodowe 17 May 2011

A noir detective action adventure game developed by the Australian studio Team Bondi in cooperation with the veterans from Rockstar Games. The game invites you into Los Angeles of the 1940’s, a city filled with corruption and drug dealing organizations. You assume the role of Cole Phelps, an ex-soldier who becomes a police officer after the war. The game lets you experience the key moments of Cole’s career, starting from the traffic police all the way through murder and drugs department. Gameplay is mainly about examining crime scenes in search of clues and evidence, as well as interrogating witnesses and suspects. The game also offers multiple action sequences, including pursuits (either on foot or by car), fist fights, and spectacular shootouts. When it comes to graphics, the most noteworthy feature are the realistic face expressions that allow you to judge the reactions of interogatees. The game overflows with a noir atmosphere characteristic of the 1940’ and 50’ movies.

X360

Akcji 22 March 2011

Crysis 2 is a sequel to the science fiction FPS created by Crytek studio. The game is set three years after events of the first installment and takes place mostly on the streets of New York City, where we face members of an alien civilization and hostile soldiers of the C.E.L.L. corporation. In the title, we control a completely new character – a commando named Alcatraz who dons the sane suit the hero of the first part did, drawing attention of opponents. The authors expanded solutions known from the predecessor, including a special nanosuit 2.0, which can be improved by obtaining alien catalysts. In contrast to the previous episode, individual missions take place mainly in closed locations and during gameplay there is much more emphasis on the story. The game is complemented by an extensive multiplayer mode, in which through successive skirmishes we gain experience necessary to unlock new weapons and nanosuit extensions.

PC

Akcji 25 October 2011

The third core installment in a popular first person shooter series. Battlefield 3 was developed by Swedish studio DICE, an Electronic Arts subsidiary. The game is set during a modern-day conflict and the events are presented in the form of flashbacks as remembered by Henry Blackburn, an American soldier who tries to stop Islamic terrorists from detonating a nuke. The game features three playable characters, as well as various weapons and vehicles. Single player campaign consists of several missions, serving a complimentary role to the expansive online multiplayer mode, in accordance with the series’ long-standing tradition. Technically, Battlefield 3 is powered by Frostbite 2 engine, featuring high quality audiovisuals and realistic physics.

PC

Akcji 25 January 2011

The sequel of the 2008’s Dead Space, a survival horror game. It was developed by Visceral Games (formerly EA Redwood Shores) and published by Electronic Arts. The plot of Dead Space 2 continues the storyline of fighting the parasitic race of necromorphs. The action takes place three years after the events of the original Dead Space. Isaac Clark arrives at a mining town of Sprawl which is located on one of Saturn’s moons. The protagonist has to face the alien life form that starts to spread there. In the sequel, the developers decided to put greater emphasis on dynamic action and expand the bestiary. The game also features a multiplayer mode that allows us to assume the role of both humans and necromorphs.

X360

Sportowe 27 September 2011

The next installment of one of the most famous and valued football simulation series. The game was created on the basis of an official FIFA license, thanks to which we can watch the players known from the league struggles on virtual fields.

X360

Sportowe 04 October 2011

Basketball simulation prepared by Visual Concepts and 2K Sports studio. In addition to a number of rights compared to the previous edition, it introduces the NBA's Greatest mode, which allows you to play with fifteen historical teams with the greatest legends of the American basketball league.

X360

Logiczne 19 April 2011

The second part of an outstanding first-person logic game from Valve Software, powered by the improved version of Source Engine, mainly known from Half-Life 2. The story starts a few hundred years after the events of the original game. Once again you play as Chell, who is awaken after having spent a long time asleep in a hibernation chamber. Trying to find her way out of Aperture laboratories, she gets stopped by an artificial intelligence that manages the compound. The AI puts the protagonist against new challenges. In order to deal with them, the heroine has to prove her knowledge of the laws of physics and make a good use of a special device able to move objects and open worm-hole portals. In the sequel, the developers gave the players much more freedom of action. This not only enriched the gameplay, but also made it much more demanding. Portal 2 features a co-op mode, offering an additional campaign with a separate storyline.

PC

Akcji 15 November 2011

The third installment in the series of action games developed by THQ, combining mechanics known from the Grand Theft Auto franchise with absurd sense of humor. The main protagonist is the same character as in the previous Saints Row games. Together with a group of gangsters he tries to preserve the position of the Saints gang. However, a completely new force is trying to take over Steelport – an international syndicate, called Dawn, that specializes in extortion and racketeering. To make things even worse, many local gangs such as The Deckers and Luchadores are cooperating with the syndicate. The strong criminal element present in the city is being opposed by the STAG group, financed by the government. The game offers many varied missions that focus mostly on rivalry between the aforementioned factions. The game can be played alone or in cooperation mode. In comparison to the previous installments in the series, the developers went even further when it comes to the unique humor, implementing numerous funny costumes, weapons, and vehicles.

PC

Wyścigi 24 May 2011

The third full-fledged installment belonging to the incredibly popular racing-themed franchise developed by Codemasters. The DiRT subseries has cultivated traditions initiated in the late 1990s by the Colin McRae Rally series. After the previous game, which emphasized off-road competition, DiRT 3 constitutes a return to the original concept behind the main Colin McRae series, bringing back rally competition in its most classic form (the game uses the official WRC licenses). However, this third iteration still introduces a massive number of novelties, such as stunt arenas from the X-Games competitions, or a completely new type of contest, that is the so-called Gymkhana - it was popularized by one of the most famous drivers in the world, Ken Block. Gymkhana is all about being fast and showing off at the same time - a designated route has to be completed as quickly as possible, but the player is rewarded with points for performing various stunts along the way. As usual, a wide set of licensed cars is at the player's disposal here, many of them originating in different time periods. Also, DiRT 3 features buggies and pickups - those are typically used in off-road competitions.

PC

Akcji 22 February 2011

An insane, science-fiction FPS game developed by People Can Fly. The action is set in the 26th century, when one of the greatest world powers is the Confederation of Planets led by the cruel general Sarrano. The player takes on the role of Grayson Hunt, an ex-member of the Dead Echo elite squad. Having discovered the truth about his employer, the protagonist decides to act on his own and defeat the general once and for all. In terms of mechanics, the game is a dynamic and incredibly brutal shooter, featuring spectacular melee combat apart from a wide variety of sophisticated weapons and gadgets. Killing enemies in a stylish manner earns the player special points, which can be spent on weaponry upgrades. Apart from the story campaign, Bulletstorm offers the arcade Echo mode and the Anarchy mode allowing for cooperation between up to four players.

PC

Strategiczne 17 November 2011

Another installment in the popular series of economy strategy games developed cooperatively by Related Designs, the creators of the franchise, and the legendary Blue Byte studio under the watchful eye of Ubisoft. The fifth entry in the series, contrary to the previous ones, takes the players to the future, to the eponymous year of 2070, when climatic changes drastically raised water levels around the world, forcing humankind to move to higher ground. The gameplay mechanics use a number of characteristic solutions of the series but not without several novelties. A grand ship, called the Ark, is our base of operations that can be upgraded with each completed mission. There are three different factions to choose from, each possessing a different development tree. The first one offers advanced industry and aggressive expansion possibilities, the second focuses primarily on environmental protection, while the third one emphasizes modern technologies. The available game modes include a classical single player campaign, continuous mode as well as co-op and competitive multiplayer modes.

PC

Wyścigi 29 March 2011

A sequel to 2009's Need for Speed: Shift, the more realistic spin-off of the arcade racing series. Both games were developed by Slightly Mad Studios. Shift 2: Unleashed brings few changes to the gameplay mechanics of its predecessor. The game utilizes the same driving physics, combining simulation elements with the simplicity of arcade racing. The highly-praised driver seat view is back, allowing the players to experience collisions or shaking to their fullest. Apart from a new set of tracks and licensed cars brought by the game, the player can now also race at night. The graphics, lighting and camera work were all improved. Similar to Hot Pursuit, the game features the Autolog system, containing plenty of rankings and statistics, but also allowing us to play in online multiplayer mode.

X360

Strategiczne 15 March 2011

Seventh main installment in the popular series of strategic games and the sequel to Shogun: Total War. Once again, the action takes place in the 16th century in feudal Japan. You take control of one of the clans and begin making efforts to be honored with the privilege of ruling the whole country as the new shogun. To accomplish that goal you need to manage diplomacy, military operations and economical development of your territories. Almost every aspect of game mechanics has changed since Shogun: Total War’s release (except of the basic foundations of the gameplay). Brand new AI algorithms made battles more realistic than ever. Statistics of generals and units are improving with player’s progress. Naval combat and multi-stage sieges have been added, and weather conditions have greater impact on battles than before. Main story campaign can be played in either single- or multiplayer mode (in cooperation with or against other player).

PC

RPG 11 January 2011

DC Universe Online is an action MMO, set in the worlds and locations of DC Comics comics. In the game we create our own hero and determine whether he belongs to a good or bad faction. Along with the performance of particular tasks, our character develops and acquires new skills. The game is distinguished by the high interaction of objects. Since October 2011 the game has been free of charge due to the transition to free-to-play model.

PC

Akcji 20 September 2011

The third installment in the futuristic series of shooters developed by Epic Games. The series is the pride of the Xbox 360 console. After the city of Jacinto, the last stand of humanity, is destroyed, COG coalition persists in its fight against the superior forces of the Locust. Marcus Fenix and his companions set out on a journey to find the protagonist's father, who has knowledge of what might be humanity’s last hope to defeat the enemy. The gameplay of the third game in the series employs similar mechanics as its predecessors while offering some new attractions such as never brand-new weapons and enemies. During the single player campaign the player can find almost 60 various types of collectibles. A new multiplayer mode called Beast Mode was added to the game and the cooperation mode was greatly improved, now allowing for up to 4 players to play by using a single console.

X360

Zręcznościowe 15 November 2011

A two-dimensional platform game, the gameplay of which references classic installments of the series. The story of the game takes place before the events told in the first installment of the series. The action of the game takes place in a fairytale realm called the Crossroads of Dream. When the world is threatened by an invasion of dark creatures called Hoodlums, the titular protagonist and his friends decide to save it. During the game the player will visit various fantasy realms, jump between numerous platforms (the action is shown from side perspective and the player can move in four directions), get past various traps, obtain new abilities and fight enemies encountered on the path. There is more than a dozen types of enemies, as well as much more powerful bosses. What's more, the game contains levels in which the protagonist mounts other creatures (for example a giant mosquito) and rides it through large areas. Cooperation mode is a novelty in the series – it allows the player to complete all levels while accompanied by up to three friends. The colorful, beautiful graphics generated by UbiArt Framework are a valuable asset to the game. Colorful locations are accompanied by neatly-animated characters and a catchy soundtrack.

X360

Zręcznościowe 07 December 2011

A sequel to a platform/puzzle action game developed by Frozenbyte. The story of the original game was set in a colorful, magical fantasy world. Trine 2 once again presents the adventures of the three characters bound together by the power of an artifact known as Trine. Amadeus, Zoya and, Pontius are brought to a fairytale land inhabited by goblins. Their task is to discover the truth behind the actions of the malicious creatures and to prevent them from achieving their goals. Similar to the original game, Trine 2 is a two-dimensional platformer. The gameplay features arcade elements (jumping, fighting, etc.) and puzzle solving. The main characters have gained new abilities and can also search for hidden treasures and bottles containing experience points. The sequel features also a new game mode, implementing cooperative online multiplayer.

PC

Sportowe 21 October 2011

Nineteenth installment of the most popular football manager. Our task is traditionally to manage a football club and perform various duties related to it. Compared to Football Manager 2011, this year's edition offers over 800 improvements that make gameplay even more realistic.

PC

Zręcznościowe 18 January 2011

The second part of the award-winning Media Molecule studio game. LittleBigPlanet 2 offers a powerful single player campaign and even more sophisticated tools for creating your own levels or even entire games.

PS3

RPG 20 July 2011

An action RPG developed by Supergiant Games - a studio established by Amir Rao and Gavin Simon, who both are former employees of Electronic Arts. In the game, the player assumes the role of a hero named Kidd, who one day wakes up in his bed drifting among the remains of the world, in which he used to live before. The young lad embarks on a journey to find other survivors and provide them with shelter. The world of Bastion that is drifting through the void is a very dangerous - it crawls with monsters that our hero has to face using an elaborate arsenal of both melee and ranged weapons. Moreover, since particular locations literally are hanging in mid-air, a moment of distraction might result in Kidd falling off the map. Bastion stands out from similar productions because of its method of delivering the story (the actions of the main protagonist are described in real time by a narrator) and the original visuals featuring colorful, hand painted, and highly interactive backgrounds. Interestingly enough, in spite of the fairytale-like style of the game, Bastion tells a grim story about the apocalypse. The game has been recognized with many prestigious awards.

X360

RPG 18 October 2011

The missing link is the first stand-alone addition to Deus Ex: Human Revolt. Players have the opportunity to discover more layers of conspiracy and find out what happened to the main character during Adam Jensen's three-day trip from Hengsha to Singapore.

PC

Zręcznościowe 14 September 2011

Inspired by classic shooters action game by Swedish studio Avalanche. Players are sent with a mission to defeat a dangerous terrorist as motorized commandos.

X360

Wyścigi 11 October 2011

Another installment of the popular racing simulation game series launched in 2005 and developed by Turn 10 Studios in cooperation with Microsoft. Forza Motorsport 4 introduces numerous novelties in terms of gameplay mechanics as well as technical aspects. The game features over 500 faithfully recreated cars that we can drive on 26 varied speedways at different times of the day for the first time in the history of the series. The career mode was enriched with the so-called World Tour which is a series of tournaments that takes place all around the world. The tuning and the social options (e.g. forming clubs) known from the title’s predecessor were also expanded. One of the primary novelties is the Autovista module, which utilizes the capabilities of Kinect—it allows us to examine the body as well as the interior and compartments of the selected car’s engine. The aforementioned features are complemented by a new version of the matchmaking system that searches for competitors online.

X360

Wyścigi 14 September 2011

Trackmania 2: Canyon is a continuation of the popular racing game prepared by Nadeo development studio. Players not only participate in spectacular competitions, but also design their own tracks where cars race. The advantage of the game is, among others, the ManiaPlanet system, which allows you to share the created routes with others.

PC

Akcji 22 February 2011

The third installment in a hit video game series started in 2005 on PlayStation 2. Killzone 3 is a science-fiction FPS game developed - like the previous Killzone installments – by Guerilla Games. The game’s story takes place on a planet inhabited by the Helghast, where two characters known from the previous games, Sev and Rico, have to fight their way through the members of the enemy faction. In the background, the players will get to experience behind-the-scene schemes at the top of Helghan Administration and a coup that might bring about catastrophic consequence for both sides of the conflict. Killzone 3 features very diverse missions, in which a player is not limited to elimination of enemies all guns blazing – also, one gets to operate various vehicles, assume the stealth approach and take down enemies by surprise, as well as travel to an orbital station and shoot at enemies from a space fighter. The game delivers improved weapon handling, diverse weaponry, and upgraded cover mechanics.

PS3

RPG 19 July 2011

Old World Blues is an addition to the post-nuclear game Fallout: New Vegas. The expansion offers new tasks to perform, related to the Think Tank group of scientists, as well as a new area to visit, consisting of a research centre, canyons, laboratories, etc. There are also unknown opponents, including mutated animals after brain lobotomy or atomic robots.

PC

Akcji 13 December 2011

An addition to the popular EA DICE shooter, which recalls classic maps, weapons and vehicles from Battlefield 2. The arenas from this production went down in the history of the genre and became the determinants for other games. Now we can play them again in a new version - each element has been reconstructed and tuned in Frostbite 2 technology.

PC

Akcji 06 April 2011

A sequel to Dead Samurai developed by independent studio Ska. The title is a brutal beat ’em up in which the player assumes the role of a samurai-dishwasher and his stepsister who are fighting dark forces. This time they must face vampires accompanied by robots and zombies. The developers implemented two scenarios that can be completed alone or in cooperation mode. The title also features fifty challenges in the arcade mode and the so-called “Dish Challenge” in which the players eliminate hordes of enemies. The gameplay of The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile focuses on the player constantly moving forward and eliminating dozens of enemies who sometimes are accompanied by stronger bosses. The player uses unusual weapons – the samurai can use a giant syringe and a “hammer of brutality” and his sister is equipped with a chainsaw. The title features unusual, comic book-like graphics and dark, psychedelic atmosphere.

X360