Video Games

Arkane Studios, the developer of Arx Fatalis, has been working on a new game recently, a game that is steeped in the fanciful tradition of Might & Magic, a game that is called Dark Messiah.  To make such a game, they used Valve’s Source engine, thus rendering the absurd not only plausible, but also compelling.  Please note that this also means that Steam is required to play DM.  At the E3 convention of ‘05, “G4TV awarded Dark Messiah their Best PC Game for E3 2006.  In addition, G4 also nominated Dark Messiah for Best Overall Game.”  You can view the video here.  Three trailers, Assassin, Warrior, and Wizard, exist, but they all require Steam installed to view.  Go here to access the trailers.

The main features and characteristics of DM: Wizard are:

• Cutting-edge technology: the power of the enhanced version of the Source TM engine from Valve, makes it possible to create extraordinary special effects and environments. Discover an innovative first-person view, while handling the entire body of the character, its realistic animation and impeccable physique, which makes this game the leading heroic-fantasy game with a complete first-person combat system.
• Never-ending action: fight the forces of Evil in 12 huge levels, with the help of over 40 different weapons and dozens of devastating spells. Engage in hand-to-hand combat with swords, bows, staffs and other daggers, or summon magic to combat the legions of darkness and sneak in the shadows to attack by surprise wicked creatures. Hardcore action, where your future depends solely on your combat skills.
• The dark side of the Might & Magic® universe: explore the secluded region of Ashan, where fearless orcs, wild goblins, dreadful undeads, elusive trolls, gigantic dragons and many other creatures stunning in both size and depravity. This is a new and darker than ever side of the legendary universe of Might and Magic®, where the forces of evil are stronger and more cunning than ever.
• A rich and deep heroic-fantasy storyline: to prevent the prophecy of the Dark Messiah from coming true young Sareth was trained by a powerful magician, who taught him the art of magic and war. But some unexpected revelations about his past could change the course of events and reveal an unexpected destiny for our hero.
• Subtle touch of RPG: by gaining experience through combats, the player will unlock new powers or equipment to improve his general performance (health, speed, resistance, injuries, etc.) and to broaden his possibilities during combat: perform awesome combos or deadly attacks, summon new spells.
• A revolutionary and fascinating multiplayer mode: join the humans or the undead and choose from four categories of characters. Participate in combats involving up to 32 players, in various game modes, from deathmatch to the revolutionary “Evolution” mode, which enables the player to accumulate experience and gather new equipment across dynamic online campaigns.

This weekend is the second DoD: Source free trial weekend that Valve has sanctioned.  The free trial period for Day of Defeat: Source features all the new content added for summer, “including the new gameplay type (Detonation), new missions (Jagd, Colmar) and gameplay and technology enhancements”.  If you have Steam already, then follow this link to take advantage of the free trial; there are no strings attached.  If you are Steam-less, then go here to download Steam so you can give DoD: Source a spin at no cost to you!  Please note that if you have a Steam account, you can also view loads of promotional media, including some DoD sketches and trailers, here.  If you are new to the whole Half Life franchise, this is definately the time to give it a spin!