world-war-2
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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 adds map, weapons, limited army resources
Heroes & Generals has updated with a new skirmish map, new weapons, a new battle briefing screen, a new messaging system, and more. The Village Skirmish map is located in rural France and boasts a chateau, a small farm, and a sunken ruin as objectives. New weapons include the German P08 pistol and the US M1917 revolver. It's also worth noting that players who favor the generals side of Heroes & Generals shooter/strategy gameplay will now have to "play smarter," according to developer Reto-Moto. This is because the new Spaatz update has introduced limited army resources for both factions. Reto-Moto has released a new Spaatz videolog, which you can watch after the break. [Source: Reto-Moto press release]
Gaijin on the creation of War Thunder's Victory is Ours short film
Remember that spiffy War Thunder short film that we watched earlier this month? Gaijin has published a blog post that gives a little background on its creation. The script came together rather quickly, and Ukrainian studio Postmodern was chosen to handle filming duties which were then completed near Kiev in "a record two-day shoot." Gaijin says that an additional half day was spent on a studio stage, and that the abbreviated process was helped along by the fact that the entire film was "pre-visualized and made in a 3-D sketch." The company also says that more details on the making of Victory is Ours will be forthcoming.
Heroes & Generals hosting free veteran weekend
World War II shooter/strategy hybrid Heroes & Generals is celebrating its first 30 days on Steam by hosting a free veteran weekend. Reto-Moto's title is free-to-play, but of course you'll progress faster and probably enjoy yourself more if you pony up for the game's veteran access. Starting Friday, August 8th, you can enjoy said access for free through Monday August 11th. Veteran membership grants a 25 percent XP boost, 50 percent credit and warfund boosts, a 25 percent ribbon XP boost, and more. If you're already a vet, Reto-Moto is adding 72 hours to your membership!
Heroes & Generals on Steam today
Did you know that Heroes & Generals was one of the first titles to ever be Greenlit by the Steam community? Yep, it was, and today developer Reto-Moto is launching the World War II shooter/strategy FPS on Valve's ubiquitous PC platform. But wait, isn't Heroes & Generals a browser game? Well, partly, but Reto-Moto says not to worry. "The browser version will also still be operational and both versions offer the same game and access to the same wars," the firm explains via press release. If you're already an H&G player, you can use your existing account with the new Steam version. Click past the cut to have a look at the Steam launch trailer! [Source: Reto-Moto press release]
Heroes & Generals adds paratroopers, new uniforms
Reto-Moto has released a new update for its World War II strategy/shooter Heroes & Generals. Codenamed "Quesada," the patch brings paratroopers to the game and allows players to jump out of C-47 Skytrains or Junkers Ju-52s and "perform surprise attacks" on the battlefield. Quesada also features new uniform variations for classes including US Recon, US Paratrooper, German Tank Crew, German Recon, and German Paratrooper. You can see the full list of tweaks and additions via the patch changelog. [Source: Reto-Moto press release]
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 trailer reminds you that wars aren't won by tanks alone
Reto-Moto already has one of the best-looking World War II combat sims on the market, but now it's firing a shot across the bow of its competition with Heroes & Generals' new "Wars Aren't Won by Tanks Alone" trailer. New weapons and vehicles are coming to H&G's live servers in short order, and Reto-Moto reminds you that "you need soldiers to win a war -- not just tanks and planes!" Click past the cut for the trailer and the full press release. [Source: Reto-Moto press release]
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.
Gaijin records real tank, artillery sounds for War Thunder's ground game
You may have heard about War Thunder's ongoing ground combat additions to its primary flight sim experience. What you probably haven't heard -- or seen -- is the Gaijin devs recording various real-world tank and artillery sounds that add to the game's authenticity. A new video released on the firm's YouTube channel says that over a dozen tanks were recorded "including 40 Stug, Panzer 3 and 4, Sherman M4A3, M4A1, and others." Click past the cut to see the crew and all the heavy artillery hard at work. And don't forget to check out the War Thunder website to see the newly released tank trees! [Thanks hilaryminc!]
The Daily Grind: What's the largest MMO battle you've experienced?
We've talked about the definition of the term MMO in this column on numerous occasions, and while it's completely subjective, most people generally take the number of concurrent players into account when having the discussion. I was having the discussion -- again -- with some friends the other day, and I kept thinking about the biggest MMO battles I've seen since I started playing way back when. I don't have exact numbers, but I do remember some engagements in both Battleground Europe and PlanetSide that involved several hundred people at a minimum. What about you, Massively readers? What's the largest MMO battle you've experienced? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
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.
Rise and Shiny: Heroes and Generals
Heroes and Generals is a new browser-based game set in the wonderfully bright and shiny world of... World War II. OK, so it's really a gritty game, and it's sluggish at best, but I have a feeling that combat during that amazing time was from the "two steps forward, one step back" school of warfare anyway. I tried to keep that in mind as I slogged through round after round of being shot in the head. It's not that the game is boring. It's fun-ish, but when I compare it to many other MMOFPS titles, I find it small and slow. It's an instanced-based lobby sort of design. That's not normally a bad thing, and we certainly cover that style of game here on Massively, but this one just sort of felt a bit too small. There's more coming, I hear, so maybe in the future, the game will feel larger.
Rise and Shiny: War Thunder
War Thunder, a new instanced-based WWII flying battle, uhm, thingy, didn't really seem that appealing at first. It looks nice, and yes, the planes can be controlled in a few different styles ranging from an FPS twitch style to a more "realistic" mode, but I was worried it would be just another slogging grind until I was able to have any fun. There's some truth behind my worry about the grind, but overall I had an incredible time in the game. The only real shame is that I didn't get to put as much time in it as I would have liked. The game had infrequent connection issues, but when they cropped up, they lasted a while. Even so, each match lasted long enough to give me a pretty good taste of combat. I stuck with the "arcade" style of gameplay. It's a simpler way to control the planes that allows players to point the mouse pointer for control. You might need to land for repairs and take off again, but it's as simple as slowing down until you touch down. I started to take the more realistic mode's tutorial, but as soon as it told me I had to manually control much more of the plane's controls, I gave up. Call me a wimp, but I just wanted to shoot planes.
War Thunder opens US beta server, starts development on mobile version
War Thunder, formerly World of Planes, has been soaring through open beta for several months now. Gaijin Entertainment decided that it's time to make a few flight adjustments, however, and announced that it has opened up a separate US gaming cluster to improve latency times for North American players. The developer also let slip that it has begun development on a mobile version of the game for both iOS and Android platforms. Gaijin said that War Thunder has attracted 1.5 million active users who have flown a total of 224 million missions since the start of beta. The developer recently put out version 1.29 for the flight sim; the patch makes a number of significant improvements such as four new aircraft, improved damage models, and a new economy. [Source: Gaijin Entertainment press release]
Navy Field 2 entering closed beta on March 27th
Is there a serious need for more games in your life based on World War II? There are a few options out there already, but very soon you'll have another as Nexon brings Navy Field 2 into closed beta testing on March 27th. Unlike many of the other options, this one isn't meant as an action-based game; it's an MMORTS focused on naval engagements and the more strategic pace of sending ships into confrontations. Players will be able to choose between 500 different ships from World War I and World War II to build their own fleets, entering huge engagements of up to 64 players at a time. The ships can also be customized with new weapons and armor. If this sounds like your cup of tea, check out the official trailer past the break and sign up for the beta, which will run until April 10th. [Source: Nexon press release]
War Thunder enters open beta, new trailer released
Gaijin Entertainment has announced that its War Thunder World War II-based online flight sim has officially entered open beta. The title, formerly known as World of Planes, has been in development for over four years. The open beta comes almost a year to the day after Gaijin's announcement that the game had evolved "beyond pure aerial combat." Gaijin previously developed Birds of Prey, a console-based entry in the long-running Sturmovik series. The company has released an open beta teaser trailer that you can view after the cut. You can also join the beta test via the game's official website.
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.
World of Warships classes, game modes hinted at in new dev blog
World of Warships information has been in short supply in the months since the title's official announcement. Fortunately there's Overlord's blog, which serves as a platform for various Wargaming.net personalities to share their insights regarding the firm's World War II action titles. Today's entry is a WoWS FAQ of sorts, and it contains a bevy of basic info on everything from ship classes (Battleships, Aircraft Carriers, Cruisers, and Destroyers) to maneuvering to game modes. As for initial alpha testing, Wargaming says to "expect Spring or even Summer 2013."
