Jul. 15th 2009: “Remedy has a deep heritage in PC gaming and would love to see a PC version available to its PC followers, ultimately however this decision lies with our publisher.”

Feb. 12th 2010: “Some games are more suited for the intimacy of the PC, and others are best played from the couch in front of a larger TV screen. We ultimately realised that the most compelling way to experience “Alan Wake” was on the Xbox 360 platform, so we focused on making it an Xbox 360 exclusive.”

What a heap of bovine excrement. By what logic is it not preferable to have a more “intimate” experience with the game Remedy is billing as a “psychological action thriller”?

Hooray. Take a cue, Redlynx, and give us a PC version of Trials HD.

I’m not sure that the first Bioshock had color blind accommodation, but it definitely had gamepad support and (after a patch) proper widescreen scaling. How and why do you remove such functionality in a sequel built on the same technology?

This is a fascinating feature about the best character in Mass Effect 2. For some nice shots (and potential wallpapers) of Thane, check out my Mass Effect 2 screenshot collection.

Still bracing for disaster.

I’ve liked and used SteelSeries mice and mousepads for the last few years because of their quality and customer service; now their chief marketing officer is publicly decrying one of the most effective marketing terms in his industry? SteelSeries, be my Valentine.

Have $5 worth of fun for $0.

Now, go forth and recreate Baldur’s Gate. I’ll check back in 2015.

This doesn’t bother me because Rage isn’t an established franchise for which I have expectations. Besides that, in contrast with Modern Warfare 2, the multiplayer isn’t what interests me about Rage.

Cue warm fuzzies.

My contribution: *sigh*

That’s cool, I’m not overly concerned about buying their game.

As apprehensive as I am about the new focus on co-op, a whole new city sounds great. I still play Skate 2 almost every day, but San Vanelona is starting to feel a bit familiar.

If I hadn’t been fortunate enough to snag a code for it from Ben Kuchera’s Twitter feed, I probably wouldn’t be paying attention to Trials HD right now. I had written it off as a port-and-rename of the PC version, Trials 2: Second Edition, but there is actually more to it than that. There are a bunch of mini-games, unlockable bikes (with varying performance), and a level editor. The bike physics also feel markedly different — not necessarily better, but heavier. These heavier physics have made climbing easier, but it’s now harder to pull off flips and wheelies.

Although Trials HD’s features are a strong argument for choosing it over Trials 2, Trials 2 is no less of a good game than it was before, and it’s cheaper. There’s also the possibility that Trials HD will come to PC (where it would be HDer). A thread on the Trials 2 Steam forum has a developer response saying, “At the time is only for Xbox 360.” If I didn’t already win a free code, I would be waiting to hear more about that.

Unless “configure and run their own private servers” means mod support — which would be great news for players if true — I hope they have more than just private servers planned for subscribers. I say this because I want to see Quake Live succeed; it’s unfortunate that selling ads isn’t working out for them.

Don’t let them think crap like this is okay: stop using Digsby. I recommend Pidgin or Miranda IM as alternatives.

I skimmed this. Not because it’s so long, but because I realized that I don’t want to know everything about Rage before I play it. I don’t need to know anything else. No matter what happens, I’m going to buy it, and I’m going to play it. I did watch the trailer, though, and it made me happy.

Tutorials which introduce new mechanics are peppered throughout Chaos Theory’s levels. This applied-learning helps difficulty ramp up at a pretty even pace through about the first third of the game, but a close relationship with the “retry” or “skip” button will quickly develop thereafter. While solving levels is rewarding in its own right, there are also Steam achievements and a level editor bundled for enthusiasts.

Personal Notes

I have a love/tolerate relationship with Chaos Theory. On paper, I love it. During play, in a good session, I like it a lot and leave happy. During play, in an average session, I enjoy myself until suddenly a new level frustrates me into quitting. After one or two tries, I almost always know exactly what needs to be done in order to solve a level, it’s just a matter of if I’m physically and/or mentally capable of doing it. It reminds me a lot of Trials 2 in that regard, which I’ve had no problem recommending in spite of its difficulty.

Acquisition

Chaos Theory is available exclusively on Steam for just $4.99. A demo is available on the store page as well as from blurredvision’s website.

Created, developed and published by X-Out of Dark Castle Software, Gravitron 2 is a classically styled arcade shoot’em up where gravity and inertia are both your best friend and greatest foe.

For reasons which the developer could not explain, adware was detected within the original Gravitron. The source code was reportedly lost in a hard drive crash, so it was not available for the problem to be pinpointed and possibly fixed. As a result, X-Out ceased distribution of the game but later made it available again due to demand with the caveat that adware had been detected. These adware detections were, in all likelihood, false-positives. My own scans showed no infected files (using SpyBot S&D and ClamWin) and I have played it on a number of my own computers with no issues. I don’t hold anything against the developer or his games; as far as I’m concerned, the original Gravitron is safe.

Gravitron 2 gameplay is said to be inspired by retro games of yore such as Thrust and Oids, and rightly so. Manning a small lander equipped with thrusters, activated energy shields and a laser cannon, each stage starts just after your ship breaks atmo’, at which point you’ll immediately begin plummeting to the ground below. By engaging your thrusters and spinning your ship around you’ll be tasked with taking out turrets, dodging laser beams, descending into pits, navigating caverns and even rescuing the occasional scientist, all while on your mission to destroy the reactor(s) in each stage. If you’re going for a high score, you’ll want to do this as quickly as possible; a bonus score begins ticking down from the moment the level starts. Once all reactors are destroyed, you’ll only have so much time to haul ass back into space and on to your next objective. You’ll also have to keep an eye on your health and fuel gauges; you can refill each of these by rescuing scientists and hovering or landing next to fuel depots sprinkled throughout each level.

Achievement Unlocked!

Since I think that I’ve given adequate warning of the possibility (and improbability) of adware existing in the original Gravitron, I’ll point you to it. As I said, I’ve scanned it myself and no flags were raised. It’s free from the developer’s web page. Gravitron 2 is a clear evolution from this game, though, and should definitely be looked at despite its predecessor being free.

A free demo for Gravitron 2 is available from the developer’s website. Though the full game may be available elsewhere, I’m going to suggest you purchase it through Steam for the benefit of achievements as well as automatic updates for whatever free expansions X-Out may release in the future. It will cost you only $4.99.

[Update 11/21/08]: I just read a post on the Steam forums from X-Out. He says that there will be a map pack released just before Christmas, and the level editor will be released shortly after.

Version 1.08 of Trials 2 was delivered on September 18th with netbooks like the ASUS Eeepc and MSI Wind in mind, featuring a slew of graphics engine updates including a low graphics mode and VRAM usage optimizations. Trials 2 has also been certified for triple-display gameplay at resolutions up to 5040×1050 (somebody do that and send us pictures). Additionally, 14 new tracks were added for free. As a result of the graphics engine additions, changes and optimzations, Trials 2 also has a new set of minimum recommended system requirements. Those revised requirements as well as the rest of the lengthy 1.08 patch notes can be viewed at the official Trials 2: Second Edition forums.