Here’s a screenshot I took of the Crysis demo. The demo size is pretty large at almost 2 gigs. The computer I played it on just barely meets the minimum system requirements, but I have to day it actually still looked good. If you have a descent gaming machine you must download this single player demo. Not only is this game a showpiece of what games can look like, but it actually plays really well. The guys at Crytek have done it again. They sure do love them some tropical islands. Can’t wait for the full game.

Link: Download Crysis Free from FileFront

Boom!

Capcom’s big announcement is finally here. It’s a new Street Fighter game. Street Fighter IV (4) isn’t coming until late next year but that can’t stop fanboys from drooling now. Capcom has a trailer of the game here.In addition to the new Street Fighter, Capcom has also said they’ll be bringing Lost Planet to the PS3 (including all the downloadable content and extras the PC and Xbox 360 version have). Also, a new game franchise called Dark Void, a sci-fi action/adventure game. And the old Nintendo game Bionic Commando is getting a next-gen remake.

Boom!

This maybe the coolest thing i’ve ever seen.  A life sized X-wing.  Its 21 feet long with a 19 foot wingspan.  On Oct 10 they are gonna launch this baby to a galaxy far far away!!!  It will be launched like a normal model rocket but……….. wait for it………….. it has a motor on it that will make the wings go into attack position.  They are hoping to be able to recover this thing after it lands softly thanks to 4 parachutes.  Can’t wait to see the videos from this.

OMG never mind don’t strap me to this. What a sad ending to such an amazing feat of Star Wars geekyness.

The next big sci-fi shooter isn’t coming out on Xbox 360, and maybe that’s a good thing. I don’t know how much more the console can sustain. Haze is a very promising first person shooter set in a sci-fi universe. It’s “gimmick”, what sets it apart, is what the developer has termed “Nectar” which gives your player temporary special abilities, similar to some of the force powers seen in many Star Wars games.

Hopefully, at least for Sony’s sake, provides something different in the genre, or if nothing else gives players a reason to finally own a Playstation 3. The biggest problem is the same one with most titles on the PS3, it doesn’t come out until next year.

Check out the complete extensive hands-on preview at Bit-Tech.net

Let’s get this out of the way first off. Should you buy this game? The answer is yes… if you want a great, fully featured multiplayer experience. However, if you’re looking to “Finish the Fight” with Master Chief and friends I’m gonna have to give this a pass, and here’s why.

The Single Player Campaign

OK, I am one of the many that played the first and second Halo games and got completely wrapped up in the epic sci-fi story presented through a wonderfully addictive action game. As many people who played through Halo 2 know, the ending was kind of a let down. I was very much looking forward to the next chapter in the Halo canon. Boy was I sad when that story was told in an experience lasting less than six hours long. Really Bungie, six hours? I don’t know how many of you out there still play single player games, but I do, and I’ve sat through movies longer than that, and they didn’t run me $60. The real problem isn’t even the length of the game, it’s the story. Without giving too much away, let’s just say, the end of this story goes the way of the Matrix series. All throughout the experience your game is temporarily interrupted when Cortana or the Gravemind talk to you for a few seconds, this gets very annoying, seeing as how it adds nothing to the overall story and pauses gameplay. Look, I really wanted to like this game, and I do, it’s just not the amazing single player experience it should have been. The co-op is a great addition, however, it can greatly reduce the time taken to finish the game and why I don’t know but only one person can be Master Chief while the rest of the players are stuck being the Arbiter and two nameless Elites, which really ticks me off, not only because your a stupid alien, but you start out with crappy alien weapons instead of the human ones Master Chief gets. The first two games let both co-op players be the Chief, who cares if it doesn’t make sense i’d rather be Master Chief. Because Master Cheif is the reason this game is so cool. Much of the levels are basically the same as halo 2 with the same feel and look, albeit the look is sharper. The amount of backtracking is exhausting and really drags the game down. It took under 6 hours to finish and would have only been 4 without the backtracking. Where this game really shines is in the multiplayer area where for some reason everybody can be Master Chief if they want.

The Multiplayer Game & Matchmaking

Here is why you should buy this game. The multiplayer aspect of this game, starting with Matchmaking, is superb. The shear number of options is staggering. You can change everything including the newly added gravity options. There is a lot of new options for customizing your emblem, colors, and now even the armor on your player model. These and other multiplayer goodies must be unlocked in various ways throughout the game. Getting into a game couldn’t be easier. You select what type of game you want and you can even filter how you want it to search, quickest or best match type options. You get into games fairly quick and they’ve added a “veto this map” option while you wait for it to find players and load the map. Once you start the match you’ll notice how good this game looks and runs in multiplayer. While some of the levels have very basic architecture very reminiscent of halo 1 & 2, most of the maps look lush and pretty. The gameplay is extremely fast, much faster paced than Halo 2, kind of similar Unreal Tournament. Most of the weapons have been upgraded and a few new ones have been added, including the new fan favorite the Brute’s Gravity Hammer, which works kind of like the sword but has a large area of damage that can take out a few people in close proximity with one swing. The big new addition is the equipment. This includes useful new items like the bubble shield which temporarily protects you and whoever jumps into it. Parties are still available and work well. Once you’ve finished a match you have a plethora of stats to look through. If you’re registered on Bungie.net, which is completely free and quick to do, you will have access to even more stats about any of the matches you’ve played. You even have access to screenshots you can take from a match in Halo 3. That said, one of the big new features are the Saved Films. After you play a match or level of the campaign you can watch a full 3D video of it. In it you control a camera and fly around watching the battle from any angle, fast forward and rewind to see exactly how you were killed or take a screenshot of some freakin awesome, impossible shot you made to win the game. You can also send the videos to a friend if you want to rub in just how great you are. The last part of the Halo 3 multiplayer experience is a map editor called Forge. It’s really more of a map re-arranger than editor, as you can only place items in level and move them arround. The difference with this one and so many others on the PC is that this can all be done while you and your friends are playing the level. It’s fun, but feels more like a novelty that’ll probably be rarely used by most players. That said, this game has legs, it won’t soon be sitting on a shelf somewhere collecting dust. Much like it’s predicessor Halo 2, this game is probably going to keep gamer’s attention longer than the consoles lifetime. As far as multiplayer gaming is concerned, it doesn’t get much better.

Boom!