World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Updated Hands-On - Through the Howling Ford and Borean Tundra, Poster, Images, Trailers, Preordered, Interview and Private Server

We take a look at not one, but two new starting areas in the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion.

Logging into The Wrath of the Lich King feels just like logging into normal World of Warcraft. Things don’t start to get a little bit different until you travel to a major city for, what else? A shave and a haircut. When you see the red and white barber’s pole, you’ll think “Why not? I’ve had this mullet for 70 levels. It’s time for a change!” So you’ll sit down in the barber’s chair to flip through hairstyles, hair colors, and facial-hair dos just like you would in the character-creation screen; except that this time, your new look will cost at least a dozen gold. Now, before we go any further, we must warn you that this preview may contain spoilers on the expansion’s new content. Also, please note that our impressions are based on an unfinished beta version of the game, so all information here, haircut-related and otherwise, is subject to change.

This do is all the rage in the frozen north, ho ho ho!

Once you settle on a new look (Good-bye, comb-over; hello, red Mohawk!), you’ll be ready to introduce your new self to the new zones. You’re free to travel to either the Borean Tundra or the Howling Fjord, but you should definitely check out the Howling Fjord first. The quests here tend to run a level lower than they do in the Borean Tundra. They’re also more concentrated around their respective horde and alliance strongholds. Once you’ve gained three to four levels in the Howling Fjord, you’ll easily breeze through everything in the Borean Tundra for another quick and easy level or two. That’s the beauty of having two starting zones; you’ll always be ahead of the level curve if you complete them both.

The Howling Fjord is a zone dominated by the Vrykul–huge Viking men with terrible manners. Though there are many factions, none of them are friendly. As you make your way through the Howling Fjord quest lines, so too will you make your way through each Vrykul village. In many cases, you’ll simply kill a set number of them, but in others, you’ll burn their towers, blast their structures, and kill their dogs. Some of the best quests, though, involve a pirate stronghold known as Scalawag Point. The first two characters you meet are a Blood Elf-worshiping artifact collector and a beefy Tauren bookie. The quests of these two characters intersect because the collector owes the beefy bookie money; so don’t be surprised if, when turning in a quest to the collector, another player comes in and kicks his butt. Read more …

SIREN: Blood Curse

Siren: Blood Curse, known in Japan as Siren: New Translation, is a stealth-based survival horror video game developed by Sony Computer Entertainment’s Japan Studio for the PlayStation 3. It was initially released in Japan in BD-ROM format on July 13, 2008, followed by a worldwide release on the PlayStation Network on July 24, 2008. A BD-ROM version will be released in Europe in the Autumn. The game is a reimagining of the first installment in the series, Siren, with many alterations to structure and content.

The story begins on August 3, 2007 and focuses on an American television crew that arrives in Japan to investigate and document the legend of Hanuda, a “vanished village” where human sacrifices are said to have taken place thirty years prior. New gameplay features include an automated split-screen sightjacking mode that allows the player to see through the eyes of others while continuing to play normally. Over 50 weapons are available throughout, each with its own unique finishing moves.

The game is divided into a series of twelve chronological episodes grouped into four equal chapters available from the PlayStation Store, containing parallel and intersecting scenarios for multiple playable characters (seven characters in total). All twelve episodes are also available to download at a lower price. A playable demo containing a portion of the second episode is also available to download. Read more …

Doom 3: Game Guide, Cheat Codes, Walk-through, Cabinet Codes, Easter Eggs and More

By Doug Radcliffe
Design by Marty Smith

id Software’s Doom is one of the most influential games of all-time. It was Doom that put the term first-person shooter on the gamer map. After years of anticipation, id Software returns to Mars for a lone marine’s battle against the demons of Hell. Doom 3 combines the best graphics ever with the intense shooter action Doom fans were craving for. This game guide covers everything you need to know to conquer id Software’s latest creation.

This GameSpot Game Guide to Doom 3 includes:

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Doom 3 PC Game - Review, Images, Videos

Extremely impressive from a technical standpoint yet behind the times from a first-person-shooter design standpoint: This is the dichotomy that is Doom 3, the long-awaited sequel from well-known Texas-based developer id Software. Doom 3 is quite possibly the best-looking game ever, thanks to the brand-new 3D graphics engine used to generate its convincingly lifelike, densely atmospheric, and surprisingly expansive environments. At the same time, when you look past the spectacular appearance, you’ll find a conventional, derivative shooter. In fact, if you played the original Doom or its sequel back in the mid ’90s (or any popular ’90s-era shooter, for that matter), you may be shocked by how similarly Doom 3 plays to those games. The legions of id Software’s true believers will celebrate this straightforwardness as being deliberately “old school,” especially since Doom 3 is packed with direct references to its classic predecessors. However, the truth of the matter is that Doom 3’s gameplay structure and level design are behind the times and very much at odds with the game’s cutting-edge, ultrarealistic looks. Yet the quality of the presentation truly is remarkable–enough so that it overwhelms Doom 3’s occasional problems.

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