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Braving the elements in Company of Heroes 2
There's a panicked struggle at the heart of every engagement in Company of Heroes 2's multiplayer mode. While a lot of real-time strategy games will emphasize squad matchups as a primary means of success in force, Company of Heroes 2 has a much more dynamic environment constantly providing interesting variables to every skirmish.Much of my own success was ensuring my squads were pressed up against a wall or moving from building to building – staying out of the open. Most real-time strategy enthusiasts and really anyone who's seen a war movie in their life will tell you that's basic stuff, but what makes it feel so special in Company of Heroes 2 is just how rewarding it is to see it impact gameplay. A squad with good cover can take on several adversaries and still live to tell the tale.%Gallery-173116%
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.
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.
New Heroes & Generals trailer shows gameplay, community
We told you earlier this week about Heroes & Generals, the new World War II strategy/shooter mashup from Reto-Moto. Today the devs have a released a new promotional trailer called Come Out to Play, which is a tongue-in-cheek mixture of real-world footage and clips from the game. Reto-Moto invited a few of H&G's most active community members to pal around with the dev team at various locations near the firm's Copenhagen studio. The new trailer is the result, and Reto-Moto says it's a nod to the fact that the game really is built with its community in mind. "We wish to create a living and breathing game universe, where we deliver the setting and the scene, but the real star is the community who plays out all the active roles in a persistent war and helps us tweak the experience into the game that they want to play," says game director Jacob Andersen. [Source: Reto-Moto press release]
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?
GDC 2012: Wargaming.net on World of Warplanes, clan wars, and taking over the world
Wargaming.net had a huge presence at this year's GDC, and why not? The firm is growing at an exponential rate, and we're not just talking about the fact that it has World of Warplanes and World of Battleships coming down the pike. CEO Victor Kislyi told me that over the past year the firm has expanded to include 700+ employees and a global presence that features development centers in Kiev, Ukraine, and Russia. The firm's flagship World of Tanks title currently boasts 18 million players worldwide, and it is paving the way for the second and third entries in a World War II trilogy. Its clan wars mode is also the starting point for a grand vision of military combat at the squad level.
World of Planes renamed, evolves 'beyond pure aerial combat'
Gaijin has renamed its forthcoming aviation-centric World War II action MMO. The title was formerly called World of Planes (not to be confused with World of Warplanes), but will henceforth be known as War Thunder: World of Planes. The official website has been redesigned to reflect the change, and most interestingly, Gaijin states that aviation is no longer the title's sole focus. "This name change is significant because the online multiplayer universe Gaijin is developing has evolved beyond pure aerial combat. The massive historical battles featured in War Thunder cannot be fought with aviation alone -- World of Planes is only the beginning," the site says. What this means is anyone's guess, since Gaijin has not offered any details regarding ground- or sea-based combat as of yet. The company has released a new screenshot gallery, though, and you'll find that and more at the new official site.
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 Planes updates include screenshots, fan video, and interviews
Timing is everything, a wise man once said, and Gaijin's PR department surely knows this. That's why we've finally got some new info on World of Planes after weeks of silence. Yes, we said World of Planes, not World of Warplanes, and we're sure it's a big ol' coincidence that Gaijin has chosen to open the floodgates just after Wargaming.net released its first tech tree earlier this week. At any rate, there is some cool stuff to see if you're into World War II-era aviation. First up is a fan-made (and developer-endorsed) video that we've embedded for after the break. Then there is the new screenshot gallery on the official WoP website. Lastly there are a couple of noteworthy forum threads including a beginner's guide and the second interview in a series focusing on alpha testers who are real-world pilots. [Source: Gaijin press release]
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]
World of Tanks retail box coming to Europe in November
World of Tanks boxed editions landed in American brick-and-mortar stores last month, and a new press release indicates that European retailers are about to join the party. Deep Silver has secured the publishing rights to Wargaming.net's World War II-based action MMO, and the company will be bringing the game to the UK, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, Greece, Benelux, and Nordic countries in short order. The package features the game itself plus bonus content in the form of in-game currency, premium account access, and a premium German tank. The World of Tanks box will cost £7.99 and is scheduled for a November 15th release. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
Wargaming.net releases new World of Warplanes screens
The latest salvo in the battle between forthcoming free-to-play aviation MMOs has been fired by Wargaming.net. The company has released a fresh batch of screenshots detailing its new World of Warplanes title, which is the second in a trilogy of World War II-based action games that includes World of Tanks and World of Battleships. The screenshots show a small cross section of classic aircraft slipping the surly bonds of earth and engaging in various maneuvers designed to fill enemies full of hot lead. Wargaming.net's press release says that "every plane will feature multiple variations of ammo types, engines, and other crucial modules," and players will be able to guide their pilot avatars through a virtual career that begins in 1930s biplanes and culminates in the cockpit of Korean War-era jets. See the sights in the gallery below, and check out our exclusive interview with project manager Alexander Zezulin for more details on World of Warplanes' features and mechanics. [Source: Wargaming.net press release] %Gallery-130862%
World of Battleships website leaves dry dock
Anchor up and full speed ahead, first mate -- the World of Battleships website is fully operational! Wargaming.net's latest entry into the "World of" series is taking the battle to the sea, handing the wheel of classic 20th century battleships to players and waving liability insurance. The website allows us to get a better look at the fleet vs. fleet title, with information, videos and screenshots ahoy. Wargaming.net's Victor Kislyi broke the champagne bottle over the website's bow: "We're excited to launch World of Battleships' website. We want to make it home for all those in love with naval battles and WWII-era warships." The title was announced a month ago, and is the third entry in Wargaming.net's increasingly popular vehicle-based PvP MMOs. %Gallery-130714%
Wargaming.net publishes World of Tanks development plan
Wargaming.net has gifted World of Tanks fans with a development roadmap for the World War II-based action MMO, and a visit to the game's official website will give you a preview of what's coming down the pike over the next year. The post lays out quite a bit of information, most of it marked with vague release windows like Q3 2012 and so on. There's the standard "dates are subject to change" disclaimer, but it's nonetheless interesting to see what looks to be a fairly complete development schedule. What are the highlights? Well, more tank models, of course, followed by new game types including historical battle, escort, garage battle, assault, and company battle modes. There's also an expansion of the clan wars map in the works, as well as new customization options, vehicle physics, and more. [Thanks to Greg for the tip!]
Wargaming.net dangling World of Warplanes alpha tester carrots
Think you've got the right stuff to be a World of Warplanes alpha tester? Well, you may have it, but you'll also need to have a strong stomach when it comes to installing third-party apps on your computer. Wargaming.net has thrown open the application process for its upcoming World War II aviation MMO, and would-be testers will need to install both Overwolf and Xfire on their gaming rigs. A news blurb on the official World of Tanks website spills the beans, and Wargaming.net says that the aim of the test is to "discover how functional and comfortable these programs are for you." In addition to the alpha tester position, the devs are also dangling some sort of "special award" carrot. We're not sure whether it's an in-game title, ability, or other perk, but we do know that simply signing up doesn't guarantee you access to the testing phase. There's also a questionnaire that needs filling out, and "those of you who [...] provide [the] most detailed and descriptive answers will be awarded with the chance to become alpha testers [for] World of Warplanes!"
New World of Planes video shows off air combat, ground strafing, and more
Gaijin Entertainment has released another heart-pounding video from its upcoming World of Planes MMO, and the scene has shifted from the Pacific theater showcased last month to what looks to be the Kuban region of southern Russia. A gaggle of great-looking World War II fighters are on display, as are a few stomach-churning cockpit perspectives and some spiffy smoke, fire, and damage effects. There's a lot of air combat, of course, but there's also a brief glimpse of some target strafing and quite a lot of detail when it comes to terrain textures, buildings, and other ground objects. Flight sim fans will be happy to know that Gaijin was responsible for 2009's IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey, a console-based air combat title that followed in the footsteps of the venerable Sturmovik series on the PC. Gaijin also developed a PC version called Wings of Prey and looks to be using that expertise for its new free-to-play World of Planes MMO. Kick the tires and light the fires by checking out the new trailer after the cut.
