Yep, just as we predicted in yesterday’s post, going off nothing but the Team Fortress 2 blog’s not-so-cryptic post, Team Fortress 2 hit Steam clients on Macs everywhere today, around 4:30PM EST.

For anybody who has purchased it in the past for Windows, or has purchased The Orange Box for PC, this will be available for you as a free download, just as with any other cross-platform Steam games. If you have yet to pick up this wonderful game, you should do so now. There’s a 50% off promotion going on, making Team Fortress 2 only $10, of which it is worth every penny and much, much more.
And hell, if you just want to check it out without spending a dime, hop on it. Now. TF2 is having a free weekend for both Mac and PC, making it freely available for anybody at all to play until… Well, Monday, I presume.

As an added bonus, anybody who logs on from a Mac by Monday get a free pair of in-game headphones that look suspiciously like Apple’s headphones that come with iPods. You could think of it as a neat little gift for your character, or you could think of it as a way to separate yourself from the heathens of the PC world. (Or, alternatively, the PC players can view it as a reason to make you a prime target. Wear with caution.)

As an ADDED added bonus, there’s also now a training mode, to allow you to make yourself familiar with the game without making yourself look like a fool online. There’s also an offline practice mode that allows you to play with bots, which is a pretty awesome addition and can help you get in some artificial experience before hopping on the servers.

Regardless of your OS or situation at this point, this is definitely something to check out. There’s new stuff in store for both PC and Mac users alike, and it’s free to play until Monday.
Here’s to hoping we get Counter-Strike next week.

EDIT: Sorry for the delayed post. Pretty sure I published, but for some reason it had saved as a draft. A few days late on posting this, but it was all written the day of release.

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The upcoming seventh game in the Call of Duty series (entitled Call of Duty: Black Ops) was announced a few days ago, for release on November 11th this year. It’s being developed by Treyarch (of Call of Duty 3 and World at War infamy). Let’s hope they don’t screw up this time.

Well, the trailer was revealed last night (first on Spike TV, then a few hours later on the official Black Ops website). The short video clips in the trailer show several different locations as well as a variety of weaponry. It’s a bit hard to really tell what’s going on most of the time, as everything happens very quickly. However, in the beginning of the trailer, it looks like you’re in some sort of operating room. You hear a man say “This should help you remember everything…” And then you see several clips of warfare.
This leads me to believe that the bulk of the game is in flashback form. You’re just controlling the memories of this person (sorta like Assassin’s Creed, kinda).
It’s an interesting theory, and I’m looking forward to seeing how accurate it is.

On GAME’s webpage for the game, they had a description up (now removed) that may have jumped the shark in a huge way. It said,

Now you will witness the birth of the Elite Special Forces and take part in off-the-record missions using unconventional weaponry to get the job done. From Cuba to the Arctic and the jungles of Vietnam, Call of Duty: Black Ops features stunning cinematic graphics and intense gameplay that puts you right at the heart of the action!

The way the last sentence is put makes me believe that this game may not just be a copy/paste of Modern Warfare 2 with a different setting, like World at War was to the original Modern Warfare.
While I am looking forward to this game… Keep in mind, this is Treyarch. Don’t get your hopes up too high for anything game-changing or really significantly different from the last iteration at all.

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Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Fans of the Metal Gear Solid game, are in for a pleasant surprise, because Sony will be launching a brand new Metal Gear Solid bundle, in June 2010. This “Peace walker Entertainment Pack”, will consist out of a PSP 3000 in a completely new shade of green, for the United States, called Spirited Green. But that is not all, it will also come with special in game extras like uniforms, logos  and special features that are exclusive to this bundle. The extra content, can be unlocked early on, while playing the game.

The entertainment package will include: The Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker game, that was hand-crafted by series creator Hideo Kojima, a downloadable cinema voucher for a yet unknown movie (valid for citizens of the United States only), and a 2GB Memory Stick, for saving game scores, images and the likes, to free up the memory of the PSP itself.
The game itself will start where the previous PS2 game: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater ended, and will deliver a brand new story line and scenario, based on the developments that unfolded in Metal Gear Solid 3 .

There will be two entertainment packages released; one for the US and one for Japan, that are certain to be totally different from each other, like always was the case with other bundles, Sony has released before, but looking at the US package its promising to be a hot item for fans of the Metal Gear Solid series.

The Peace Walker entertainment pack is going to cost $199.99 and looking at the demo of the new installment to the Metal Gear Solid series it is well worth it, not even taking the extras into account.

So if you are a fan of the Metal Gear Solid series, June is going to be an exciting month for gaming.

See larger image Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker (Video Game) List Price: $19.99 USD New From: $10.00 In Stock Used from: $4.99 In Stock Release date June 8, 2010.

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As one of the greatest shooting games ever made, Call of Duty Modern Warfare seemed to have it all; great graphics, an exciting story line, awesome gameplay, and cool multiplayer features. Now after high anticipation and much excitement Activision has finally brought us Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 which has completely blown away the original Modern Warfare game. Modern Warfare was full of dramatic moments, action packed scenes, and intense game play, Modern Warfare 2 has brought this back and made it 10x better. The graphics are amazing, the story is awesome, and the multiplayer gameplay is to die for. Also newly added in Modern Warfare 2 is a new campaign mode called “Spec-ops”, which has received a lot of attention since the games release, and is a great new mode for the game.

Storyline

The storyline of Call of Duty Modern Warfare pretty much starts off where the events of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare left off.

Even though Zakhaev, the ultra-nationalist Russian leader, has been permanently dealt with, his lieutenant, Vladimir Makarov has managed to get control of Russia’s military forces and is now an even bigger threat to the world then his predecessor ever was. International intelligence agencies have received credible, actionable intelligence that Makarov is aggressively extending the reach of his influence well beyond the borders of Russia.

This has caused a huge dilemma in the international community, resulting in the deployment of an elite multinational task-force codenamed “Task Force 141″, consisting of Navy Seals, Delta Force teams, CIA and British SAS units. If playing the single player campaign mode, you play as Sergeant Gary “Roach” Sanderson, whose mission is to eliminate Makarov and his henchmen at any cost, regardless of where the battle takes place.

Cooperative “Special Ops” Mode

Special ops features independent missions similar in design to the “Mile High Club” epilogue mission from Call of Duty 4. These are “campaign inspired” missions which are not directly related to the story of the campaign itself.

This great new mode allows you to pay in solo mode, split screen with a friend, or go online for the full experience in two player co-op warfare, giving you and your friend a chance to go on many challenges together. Special ops mode encourages you to learn tactics and maneuvers to successfully complete your challenge.

There are five special ops mission groups with a total of 23 missions, each of which can be played at different difficulty levels of regular, hardened, or veteran. One to three stars are assigned after successful mission completion, with the number of stars awarded based on the difficulty level chosen. More missions are unlocked as the player earns more stars.

Some of the Special Ops scenarios include capturing an enemy compound, one player providing air support from an AC-130 gunship while the other player conducts ground operations, seek and destroy operations and even a snowmobile race between the two players.

Multiplayer Mode

The multiplayer mode in the 2nd version of Modern Warfare is outstanding, with the only downside being on the PC version of the game since dedicated server support was removed, thereby eliminating the ability for mods or user-created maps to be used, which has angered many PC gamers.

What I love the most when playing in multiplayer mode are the Kill Streaks. Everything is pretty much the same as in COD4 when it comes to kill streaks with the exception of several hot new features. There are new Killstreak rewards which unlock weapons drops and air strikes. To be exact, there are 15 different kill streak rewards which can be unlocked by the player. Some of these new rewards is the ability to receive a supply drop after achieving four kills in a row, calling in a missile strike after five kills, you can even call in an AC-130 gunship to strike death from the skies after achieving 11 kills.

Players also are given substantially more options when it comes to customising their multiplayer experience with new character classes such as Ranger and Overwatch, as well as some bonus unlockable classes like Riot Control. In addition, you are now able to unlock the option to create your own classes, which opens up endless possibilities of new ways to enjoy this great mode.

Since COD4 some of you may have noticed that you are walking around like you have a huge bag of rice on your back, well, this is because the great developers at Infinity Ward have added more realism to the game; this way you would walk and run at a more realistic pace, but after about 5 minutes you will probably get used to this and won’t even notice it. Another thing which has added quite a bit more realism is Frag Grenades, which are my personal favorites. The explosions have been toned down a bit compared to COD4 but this really does make it much better, it also means no more spawning then dying.

But what have I not mentioned about Modern Warfare 2 yet?      Guns… Now no need to get overly excited, but I love the guns in this game, for primaries there are: 9 assault rifles, 5 sub machine guns, 5 light machine guns, 4 sniper rifles, and the Riot Shield. All of the primaries (except for the sniper rifles) have 10 different weapon customizations (scopes, gear, etc..) to choose from. There are even more, secondary weapons, we have: 4 machine pistols, 6 shotguns, 4 handguns, and 5 launchers!

Now that is a hell of a lot of fire power for one game, and all you bad ass gamers love it! This gives you so many ways to customize your profile (weapon and perk preset) and then gets straight into the game and start killing that one guy who complains all the time.

We all know that COD4 had some networking issues, these have all been resolved by now, and something much better has been added. Remember in COD4 when a guy couldn’t take being killed over and over again and left the game, only to find that he was the host and the entire game ended for everyone?
Well no more, the new in-game host migration feature gives you a small pause while it looks for a new host, you than get a 5 second countdown so you can get ready to start exactly where you left off!

Now as maps are concerned in Multiplayer get ready to be lost, many of the maps are very big, but great fun to explore and find all your new sniper spots, but do not worry as with the large number of players that can fit into a match (up to 18) you will never find yourself on a corner with no enemy’s.

Campaign Mode

We have covered the cooperative and multiplayer modes, and now it’s time for the long awaited campaign mode! The campaign mode takes you through several exotic area’s including Rio de Janeiro’s favela’s and through the cold terrain of Russia. Campaign mode still had me dazzled with the falling ceilings, exploding walls, and other scripted events. Not only where they well timed, but the graphics where absolutely impeccable. Infinity Ward and Activision decided to keep co-op out of campaign mode this time, and honestly, after playing through I couldn’t agree more. The dialogue is best suited towards 1 person and not 2, for example, on one of the first levels Makarov betrays you and ends up shooting you after you have helped him through the entire level. That one moment would only suit one person, if you deployed another player into that scene it would have ruined the atmosphere it had created.

Campaign mode only takes around 6 hours on average to complete, but since the very first Call of Duty game, the campaigns seem to be getting shorter and shorter. With multiplayer mode, however, I think we can forget that one downside about the game, because the rest of it is so well done, even if I did complete it in a day or two Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 still stays within my top 3 games for my console.

Bottom Line

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 easily gets into the must have category of video games as it is the finest game in its genre. It offers an unmatched first person shooter experience, an excellent story mode, slick mini missions and an unparalleled multiplayer experience. Anyone who considers themselves a fan of first person shooter has definitely got to pick up a copy of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2.

See larger image Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Video Game) List Price: $29.99 USD New From: $16.99 In Stock Used from: $10.00 In Stock Release date November 10, 2009.

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3. Review: Battlefield Bad Company 2 Demo

Now, I know that this is just a demo, so it doesn’t really deserve a review, but it’s a pretty hyped-up game, so I figured I’d give it one anyway.

The demo hit the Playstation Network today, and I grabbed it as soon as I could. After the long download, and the short-but-seemingly-endless installation, I jumped right on in.
I’m actually playing as I type this up… Taking breaks in-between sentences. I can’t put this controller down.

Alright, match over. Time to take a break.

As you may know, a beta for this game hit PSN a while back. I participated in the beta, but only played one round and put it down because of how terrible the map was. I really didn’t like the map, and it ruined the beta for me.
Luckily, the demo has a much better map to play on, so I was able to give it a better shot.

One great thing I noticed right away was the simple system for the online play. I think one of the main reasons the Modern Warfare series is so successful is because of how straightforward and simple the online system is. There’s not much to figure out, and it’s easy to jump in and play.
Bad Company 2 matches the simplistic system, and it works out amazingly well. I was parachuting into the battlefield in a matter of seconds.

The graphics in this game are outstanding. I personally feel that they’re better than the graphics in Modern Warfare 2, especially the lighting. (Please excuse all the comparisons to MW2, but… Well, that will happen.)
One thing that I know is better is the sound design. The sounds in Bad Company 2 didn’t disappoint me… They were amazing in the first game, and they’ve gotten even better. All of the sounds are incredibly crisp and unique, and really help with the overall immersion of the gameplay.

Speaking of gameplay, you’ll be happy to know that it’s… Well, it’s great! Everything feels responsive, the controls are sometimes a bit irritating when you spend so much time play MW2, but not too difficult to get used to.
There’s a very nice feeling of satisfaction with just about any kill in this game. It takes more than it does to take someone down in MW2, and I feel very accomplished every time.

Now, I’m a sniper. I love sniping… It’s what I tend to stick with most of the time in first-person shooters. I’ve become so used to the sniping in MW2 that Bad Company 2′s sniping is just… Incredibly easy.
I haven’t decided yet whether that’s good or bad, but it’s definitely fun. This game takes out the realism of breath patterns and holding in your breath to get a good shot. It’s always just like your rifle’s being suspended perfectly in the air in front of you. It’s an incredibly steady shot. And while it is easier than in MW2, it’s still very satisfying to get a good headshot.

And if you don’t get a headshot? Say you shoot a guy in the chest, and he manages to get away. Some other guy comes up behind him and blows his brains out. Now, he had barely any health at that point… You did most of the work. In Modern Warfare 2, it doesn’t matter; you get a standard assist no matter what.
Now, this is something that I am loving about BC2… So far, I’ve come across two assist severities. That’s probably all there are, but I’m not sure. There’s a standard “Assist,” for which you get 10 points (a kill is 50), and a “Critical Assist,” which is when you do more damage to your enemy, resulting in you banking 30 points. While you still don’t get credit for the whole kill, you’re definitely treated better as an assist killer here, and it feels nice.

Speaking of things feeling nice, nothing feels better than blowing the cover from in front of an enemy. This game brings with it the brilliant destructible environments from the first iteration, and they feel even nicer.
I’ve seen several buildings actually collapse in on themselves entirely, swiss-cheese walls buckling under the pressure of the roof they’re supporting, and just giving way to the force of destruction. This was not possible in the first game, and it adds a whole new sense of realism and “Oh my god, that was awesome” moments to the game.

This game feels very polished. I’m enjoying the demo so much that at this point, after spending less than a day with it, I know for sure that this is a must-have game of 2010 for any first-person shooter fans. How it stands up to MW2? It’s too early to tell right now, but it’s looking good. And this is coming from a huge Modern Warfare fan.
To sum this review up, I’ve gotten several messages from friends of mine on the Playstation Network, asking “Is it good?”, as they see that I’m playing the demo. I’ve replied to every one with “Dude, amazing.”
Download. This. Demo.
I’m not going to give this game a score out of ten yet, because… Well, this is just a demo, and I don’t want to be mistaken as judging the entirety of the game. But I will tell you again and again that this game is a freaking blast. This is worth your time.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 is due to be released on March 2nd. Pre-order your copy today, I know I did.

See larger image Battlefield Bad Company 2 (Video Game) List Price: $19.99 USD New From: $15.49 In Stock Used from: $4.15 In Stock Release date March 2, 2010.

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EA Montreal, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced ARMY OF TWO™: THE 40th DAY. The ultimate two-man private military team of Salem and Rios return in this epic sequel where they must survive and prevail in a city under siege. EA Montreal is once again leading the next evolution in co-op shooter games, offering a fresh, innovative and fluid co-op experience with a deep arsenal of customizable weapons so players can team up with their friends online for the fight of their lives.

“With ARMY OF TWO: THE 40th DAY, we’re pushing the tactical two-man military team into new battlegrounds offering a completely organic and rich co-op experience to deliver an action-packed co-op shooter this winter,” says Reid Schneider, Executive Producer, EA Montreal. ”As chaos blankets Shanghai, China, you must rely on your partner to survive as you weave through a broken city left devastated in a mysterious wake.”

When a disaster of epic proportions strikes Shanghai, China, Rios and Salem find themselves right in the middle of it all—the wrong place, the wrong time, but the right team. A carefully orchestrated series of mysterious catastrophes is dragging Shanghai to the brink of ruin, and now the Army of Two must fight their way through ravaged city districts as they try to beat the odds and uncover the secret of the 40th Day.

ARMY OF TWO: THE 40th DAY features a bigger playbook of new co-op moves that either player can use at any time, opening up new strategies and countless choices for both players. The result is a bigger, better, more organic and immersive co-op experience that lets gamers put their best two-man tactics to use whenever and wherever they want.

ARMY OF TWO: THE 40th DAY will be available for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) this winter.

For more information on ARMY OF TWO: THE 40th DAY please visit: www.armyoftwo.com. For more information on EA Montreal, please visit www.eamontreal.com or www.ea.com.

See larger image Army of Two: The 40th Day (Video Game) List Price: $19.99 USD New From: $16.95 In Stock Used from: $6.93 In Stock Release date January 12, 2010.

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