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Patrick Stewart will narrate Holocaust game 'My Memory of Us'
My Memory of Us was teased early last year, a heartfelt game with touching animation, based on real events that occurred during the Second World War. Now its creator, Juggler Games, has revealed an expanded trailer and announced that the game will feature narration from an appropriately revered individual: Patrick Stewart. Juggler Games CEO Mikołaj Pawłowski notes that Stewart's "talent and skill provides the right mixture of gravitas and hope, and his performance resonates perfectly with [the] game."
'Call of Duty' goes back to what it does best: historic warfare
After Infinite Warfare, I was ready to give up on Call of Duty. I just didn't think the futuristic space setting was very compelling and couldn't bring myself to finish the campaign. Just when I thought I was out though, Sledgehammer Games has pulled me back in. For the next installment of the franchise, the title is going back to its roots: World War II in Europe. To me, the historical Call of Duty games are the best ones, and this year's installment looks very promising.
Heroes in the Sky brings out another WWII arcade battler
World War II fighter games, both in simulator and arcade format, have been on the scene since approximately 1946. Well look out below, because here comes another one: Heroes in the Sky. Heroes in the Sky looks to provide a streamlined combat experience, as players will jump into PvE and PvP aerial battles with a mouse-and-keyboard setup. Dogfights can happen in the various WWII theaters, including Europe and the Pacific. It's been around for several years now but is only now making itself available worldwide. If you're curious about giving it a try, you won't have to wait long: Heroes in the Sky will launch globally on February 5th with various in-game events. We've got a trailer for you after the break.
Heroes & Generals vidlog details new guns, tanks
Heroes & Generals is getting fairly frequent updates these days, and even though the free-to-play MMO shooter is technically still in beta, developer Reto-Moto has a polished and playable game on its hands. The latest Videolog, number 12 if you're keeping score, summarizes content additions from the last two "Patton" updates, including an extensive list of new tanks and infantry weapons. You can watch the full seven-minute clip after the cut!
Heroes & Generals gets a huge update
We haven't heard from Heroes & Generals in a while, but that's because the devs at Reto-Moto have been working like dogs to update the F2P FPS. What's Heroes & Generals, you say? It's a nifty blend of massive online shooter and strategic persistent elements that gives you the ability to fight in the trenches, in the air, or as a campaign mastermind. If you'd like to know more about it, see our various hands-on articles, or just go to the game's website and play it for yourself. The latest update, codenamed Oster, adds plenty of new weapons, more campaign battlefields, improved weapon handling and avatar behavior, the ability to steal vehicles, and more. Click past the cut for the update vid.
Dieselpunk turn-based March of War storms Steam
Tired of the same-old World War II video games that seem to add little new to the genre? March of War may be the fresh approach that will revitalize your interest in the era. The multiplayer strategy game is set in an alternate 1940s timeline when dieselpunk powers war machines fight on the front lines for five factions. It's also episodic, free, and available right now through Steam's early access program. The game's isometric view puts you in the commander's seat as you fight against other players in a turn-based format. The first episode, World Aflame, is the core game; further episodes will be released on a monthly basis. Steam players who jump in right now will receive a welcome pack with infantry and special command abilities. March of War will eventually be released on multiple platforms this summer, including PC, Mac, iOS, and Android. We've got the release trailer after the break.
Battle of the Bulge teased for iPhone
Developer Shenandoah Studio has teased an upcoming release of Battle of the Bulge for iPhone via Vine, of all things. You can watch the full (six-second) video below. As you can see above, the studio's great strategy is definitely coming to the iPhone. Shenandoah notes that the update will make the game universal, so if you've already bought this great World War II strategy title on the iPad, you'll be able to play it on your iPhone as well. Battle of the Bulge is an excellent title (there's a free version to try, if you haven't played it yet), and we'll look forward to seeing what differences, if any, the game has on a smaller screen.
Daily iPad App: Battle of the Bulge is brilliant but obscure historical simulation
Battle of the Bulge is a really incredible game that I think a lot of people will overlook, unfortunately. In terms of war simulation games on the App Store, I haven't seen a better game than Battle of the Bulge. As you can tell from the title, it's a full-scale recreation of the legendary German offensive in 1944, the biggest and worst battle fought in World War II. This title is pure historical strategy gaming bliss, put together by a fledgling studio named Shenandoah Games. It's all turn-based gameplay and plays out like a board game, more or less, with you moving various troops and units around on a 2D game board, making strategical moves as carefully as possible and trying to complete whatever objectives the game throws at you. The depth here just can't be understated: Shenandoah clearly cares a lot about war games and the history of this legendary battle, and as you explore the title on your iPad, you'll be astounded at just what's included here, from a full tutorial to two different modes, full online multiplayer and even historical information and photos to fill you in on the real battle itself. The game itself is simple to play, but very hard to master, and as you can see from this gameplay video, strategy gamers will just plain love it. But therein lies the problem: The App Store is traditionally filled with casual gamers, and players expecting the shallow thrills of a game like Angry Birds will be hopelessly disappointed here. This is a real strategy war game, so there are no easy moves or simple decisions, and as you might imagine, a deep knowledge of the actual battle and how it played out is fairly important to being successful at this title. A lot of gamers, even strategy fans, will probably be turned off, eventually, given how slavishly devoted Battle of the Bulge is to portraying the titular battle itself. It's too bad, really, because the game's mechanics are terrific, and I'd love to see this really incredible core strategy game fleshed out into other maps or even settings. Shenendoah's not at fault here at all -- they set out to make a wargame based on the Battle of the Bulge, and they succeeded brilliantly at that goal. If you have any interest in that period of history (or the finer points of WWII strategy at all), the game's well worth the US$9.99 purchase. But it's too bad such great talent was used on a such a narrow focus. Hopefully in the future, we'll see the studio bring their expertise to something slightly more accessible.
Company of Heroes movie trailer traps soldiers behind enemy lines
The last time THQ got involved in the movie business, things didn't turn out so well for the associated game. But we have faith all will be good in the adaptation of real-time strategy series Company of Heroes. This first trailer has it all: Nazis, explosions and Tom Sizemore squinting at stuff.
Heroes & Generals' Eisenhower update tweaks features, network code
Heroes & Generals has updated its beta client to the Eisenhower build, and a new dev diary video features all the specifics. Chief among the additions are a new matchmaking system and ignore functionality as well as improvements to the in-game scoreboard and mounted machine gun handling. Reto-Moto also says it has "optimized the network code quite a bit," and the result is that each H&G mission can now handle 32 players. The devs are also "working on increasing that number." Heroes & Generals is a free-to-play browser-based World War II shooter featuring infantry, armored, and air combat as well a tactical mode and state-of-the-art production values. You can view the complete Eisenhower dev diary after the cut.
Reto-Moto partners with Square Enix to publish Heroes & Generals
It's been a while since we last reported on Heroes & Generals. The free-to-play World War II shooter is alive and well, though. As of yesterday, it's even sporting a new publishing arrangement with gaming behemoth Square Enix. Heroes & Generals is being developed by Reto-Moto, a danish firm founded by the creators of the ultra-successful Hitman series. The game mixes squad-based first-person shooter combat with a deep tactical mode, and it does so with state-of-the-art visuals and a browser-based delivery method. H&G is also renowned for the amount of community feedback its developers solicit (and act upon), and Reto-Moto says that partnering with a big publisher won't change that. "We'll continue to run a community-driven development [environment], and the main difference to how we've run things so far is that Square Enix will be handling marketing and PR. Oh, and we'll also be able to deliver a lot more content and expand the game a lot faster," the firm says. [Thanks to Reesracer for the tip!]
The Firing Line: Heroes & Generals dev talks planes, boats, and massive FPS action
I've become fairly obsessed with Heroes & Generals lately. The browser-based World War II shooter-cum-strategy game is still in beta, but it's wicked fun to play (and to watch). If you missed our previous coverage, you'll need to know that H&G is the brainchild of Reto-Moto, a firm composed of Hitman franchise veterans based in Copenhagen. Reto-Moto game director Jacob Andersen was kind enough to field a few of my questions regarding the title's claim to massive FPS action. He also talked at length about the merits of connecting with the fan community as well as the game's aerial, amphibious, and ground-based aspirations. Join us after the cut.
Heroes & Generals brings persistent WW2 action to your browser
If you haven't checked out Heroes & Generals yet, what are you waiting for? Reto-Moto has just updated the game's beta to something called the Bradley build, and the devs have released an accompanying video diary that details all the changes. The update brings several weapon tweaks, new weapon modifications, and new town map layouts to the World War II shooter. And before you make the mistake of thinking that H&G is yet another FPS, have a look at the feature set as well as some of the other videos on display at the game's official website. The title is basically two games in one. You've got a massively multiplayer online FPS and a strategic asset management game, both of which affect the other via persistent campaigns. All of this happens in your browser, too, though how Reto-Moto manages the game's high-fidelity visuals and sprawling environments is part of the company's proprietary Retox engine secret sauce. Check out the dev blog after the break, and take a gander at our first impressions for further gameplay details. [Source: Reto-Moto press release]
The Firing Line: Hands-on with Heroes & Generals
During the first 10 minutes of my time with Heroes & Generals, I killed once, died twice, and drove a tank, a jeep, a half-track, and a bicycle (not necessarily in that order). I also rode shotgun on said tank and said jeep, manning a nifty vehicle-mounted machine gun in the process. I marveled at the visuals, took way too many screenshots of my squadmates looking at the blow-away badass in-game map (it's the little things, amirite?), and generally had a helluva good time. Did I mention that all of this happened in a browser?
The Firing Line: An early look at World of Planes
Today I'd like to expand on the World War II flight shooter theme introduced in last week's episode of The Firing Line. We've talked a bit about Wargaming.net's World of Warplanes, but there's another MMO in the works that features intense aerial battles, sexy 1940s-era aircraft, and a "World of" title.
Wargaming.net talks World of Warplanes features and functionality
Wargaming.net has published some new World of Warplanes info in part three of its ongoing community question-and-answer series. The free-to-play World War II aviation title is shaping up to be an action-heavy game with a casual playstyle that is similar to World of Tanks. Over the course of 30 questions, Wargaming.net covers a lot ground including joystick controls (available but not required), cockpit views (not available), and airborne vs. ground spawn points. "Aircraft will be spawned in the air at the beginning of the battle. As an option, you will be able to land the aircraft at the end of the battle and a successful landing will give you additional experience. An unsuccessful landing will break the plane and will [incur repair costs]," according to a post on the official WoWP forums.
World of Warplanes reveals American tech tree, new trailer
Today's a big day for World of Warplanes fans, as Wargaming.net is publishing a bit of info about some of the American fighters to be featured in its upcoming free-to-play aerial shooter. The initial tech tree features two branches full of famous aircraft like the P-51 Mustang, the F4U Corsair, and the F-86 Sabre. The American lineup also features a unique branch of carrier-based fighters that won't be available with the German and Soviet tiers that will ship with the finished game. World of Warplanes is currently in closed alpha testing and Wargaming.net tells us that the game is scheduled for a 2012 release. You can check out the American tech tree and a new teaser trailer after the break. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
World of Tanks 7.1 update to feature French armor
Wargaming.net has been trumpeting the 7.0 release for its World of Tanks MMO for a while now. Today the company dropped the first hint about what lies beyond with update 7.1, which it will feature the long-awaited introduction of French tanks. The new tech tree boasts 18 new French fighting vehicles (there's a pacifist joke in there somewhere) divided into light, medium, and heavy flavors. Wargaming.net also says that the French armor will "enrich the combat and bring all-new tactics into the game." We're not sure how the new tactics will work as of yet, but we'll bring you the very latest as the devs make it available. Finally, Wargaming.net says that French SPGs and tank destroyers are planned for a later update. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
Wargaming.net releases World of Tanks' 7.0 update
Wargaming.net has announced the official release of its seventh major update for World of Tanks. Crazily enough, it's called the 7.0 update, and it features a bundle of new content designed to make little tanker hearts go pitter-patter. First up are two new game maps, the Swamp and the Fjords, and there's also a bit of tank customization in the offing thanks to new camouflage and various horn effects. Tank company levels are also being tweaked, as are the game's visual effects (including smoke, shots, and explosions that have been tuned to allow for lower system requirements). If you've ever wanted to relive your multiplayer battles (and you don't have a copy of Fraps handy), you can now save and view replays at will. Finally, new technology will allow for users "to play on any cluster of the server group with same unified account." Head to the official site for more, and don't forget to fire up your patchers to start the update! [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
Google donates $850,000 to restore home of the codebreakers
Google has donated £550,000 ($850,000) towards the £15 million project to renovate Bletchley Park. The donation from Mountain View is part of a $100 million charitable program that's previously helped rescue Alan Turing's personal papers. The country estate is the former home of Station X and the British Government's Code and Cypher School, which was where the World War Two model of the Enigma Machine was decrypted. Turing, its most famous alumnus went on to pioneer computer science and artificial intelligence during his short life and the complex now houses the National Museum of Computing. Unfortunately the buildings are rapidly collapsing and enormous investment is still required to transform the site into a museum, attraction and fitting tribute to the work of the codebreakers.
