Kalypso Media has announced that its upcoming dictatorship-sim, Tropico 4, will be released on August 30. The game is being developed on the Windows PC platform but will also be released on the Xbox 360 come mid-September.
Author - Jerry Paxton
When Saitek/Mad Catz announced their new partnership with Cessna to market an additional line of Pro Flight gear, we were very impressed to see they were including a trim wheel. So many times in a flight simulation, trim controls are difficult to get to and make realistic. It is usually done with a wheel of some kind and requires a lot of turning and fine-tuning to trim just right – something most gaming peripheral makers don’t want to tackle. We got our grubby, geeky mitts on the Trim Wheel and are happy to bring our review to you fine readers.
Unboxing the Pro Flight Cessna Trim Wheel, I was happy to note that it is a very durable-feeling device, and fits in with the rest of the Pro Flight light nicely. Even if you did not go with the rest of the Cessna-branded peripherals, it still would fit in with your standard Pro Flight-equipped cockpit. Featuring a large, black matte wheel, the unit is very different than anything I have ever seen made for the PC flight simmer – it really has to be seen in context to get the full effect. Using a 2-position clamp, the Trim Wheel can either be mounted on top or in front of your desk. This makes the unit very easy to place inside a home cockpit. In terms of construction, the only thing that would have made the Pro Flight Trim Wheel better would have been a braided cable. There is a bit of setup to be had in the Trim Wheel – the mount needs to be screwed on to the back or bottom of the unit. The screws are a Phillips head (I am unsure as to why thumbscrews were not included instead, but I digress).
Setting up the peripheral is easy – just plug it in! The device is seen as a generic USB game controller and you can also use the included SST programming software if you like. Going into Microsoft’s Flight Simulator X and Ubisoft’s IL-2 Sturmovik, assigning the controller was a snap. Before I knew it, I was trimming my aircraft for easier take-off’s and landings as well as sustaining straight and level flight mid-route. The action of the wheel itself has just enough friction to not free-wheel on its own, and plenty of movement room for minor corrections.
Saitek has really hit a peripheral class that has been overlooked by many companies, and the Pro Flight Trim Wheel is an exceptional purchase for about $50 dollars.
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Pro’s
- Price at $49.99 is ALMOST TOO reasonable
- Durable construction
- 9 revolutions means fine-tuning is easy
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Con’s
- No braided cable
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Until recently, the only affordable rudder pedals out there were based on general aviation designs or even hybrid flight/racing game designs – not conducive to combat flight simulation. Saitek has released their new Pro Flight Combat Rudder Pedals to the cheers of armchair pilots everywhere. The Saitek Pro Flight Combat Rudder Pedals feature a di-cast metal construction and sturdy base station which won’t go slipping out underneath your feet during use. They feature an independent right and left brake axis in addition to the standard rudder axis.
Setting up the Combat Rudder Pedals is very simply – simply get the pedals into position, route the USB cable to an available USB 2.0 port, and install the software. The CD installs not only the rudder pedal drivers but also Saitek’s SST programming software. This software suite allows you to chain key presses together based on controller input – not so important for a peripheral like rudder pedals, but still useful. Thankfully, the pedals are usable as a USB controller without the SST software, so if you don’t want to program it via that system you can always assign axis and brakes through your flight simulator of choice.
For our review of the Combat Rudder Pedals, we hooked it up to our ‘pit and ran in both Microsoft’s Flight Simulator X as well as the new, and highly-realistic, DCS: A-10C Warthog. Flying various airframes in Flight Simulator X, both CivAv and heavy, the pedals performed very smoothly and I did not have to do any axis curve alterations at all. In the new DCS: A-10C Warthog, the pedals performed equally-well, but I had to adjust the curve of the pedal axis to 30 in-game and also add a dead zone of 20 as they were a bit too responsive by default (they needed a bit of “squish”). Additionally, the brake functionality of the pedals worked great, and allowed for far easier taxiing than I had previously-experienced. In DCS, I had to adjust the brake curve and dead zone to 20. Otherwise, I would get some brake stick – which is probably more of an issue with that simulation than the peripherals as FSX had no brake stick.
For about $200 dollars, the Saitek Pro Flight Combat Rudder Pedals are the perfect pedal choice for the armchair fighter jock. With rock-solid construction and great performance, more higher-end models cost greater than double its price point – making this the best game in town for consumers not wanting to put a torn-out F-15C Eagle cockpit in their office as a sim-pit.
The Combat Rudder Pedals are available now at Saitek/Mad Catz/Gameshark’s online store.
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Pro’s
- Strong
- Durable
- Great performance
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Con’s
- Price is not cheap during an economic down-turn
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2K Games and Gearbox Software have released the world premier teaser trailer for their upcoming Borderlands 2 – enjoy… and welcome back to Pandora!
2K Games has laid out their PAX Prime plans, including their panel announcements. You can checkout their full games lineup, panels as well as locations, and more below!
2K Games @ PAX PRIME
The Darkness II (Booth #3317)
The Darkness II video game is the sequel to the million unit-selling 2007 title, The Darkness. The title brings a unique new combat mechanic through Quad-Wielding™, which will allow players to slash, grab, and throw objects and enemies with two Demon Arms while simultaneously firing two weapons. The game is layered with thematic elements of dark versus light, steeped in deep and twisted storytelling, and maintains the stylistic violence visualized through a graphic noir technique, true to its comic book origins. The game will be available on February 7, 2012 in North America and February 10, 2012 internationally for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.
Panel – Video Games and Comics: A Natural Partnership? – Friday, August 26, 2011, 11:00 a.m., Unicorn Theater
Marc Silvestri, CEO of TopCow and Creator of The Darkness; Sheldon Carter, Creative Director at Digital Extremes; and Ron Davey, lead environmental artist at Digital Extremes will discuss how the blockbuster comic has taken on a new life in video games and the inspirations behind The Darkness II. Ten limited-edition Darkling statues will also be given away to panel attendees.
XCOM (Booth #3417)
Featuring a bold new origin story told from a new perspective, XCOM pits Special Agent William Carter and his team against the threat of human extinction from an insidious otherworldly force. But every enemy is an opportunity – players will strike surgically against the alien menace, capture their technology, and by the science of desperation – turn the invaders’ weapons against them. Armed with these lethal new tools of war, players will command their squad on XCOM’s front lines: Main Street, USA. The game will be available on March 6, 2012 in North America and March 9, 2012 internationally for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC.
Attendees at PAX will be able to step into Citizen One’s Seattle bunker as he recruits new agents into Citizen SkyWatch to expose the government’s attempts to cover up the unknown threat invading our skies.
Borderlands 2 (Booth #3417)
Currently in development at world-renowned developer Gearbox Software and coming to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC during Take-Two’s fiscal year 2013 beginning on April 1, 2012, Borderlands 2 is the ultimate four-player Role-Playing Shooter loot fest. Combining invention and evolution, Borderlands 2 features all new characters, skills, environments, enemies, weapons and equipment, which come together in an ambitiously crafted story. Players will reveal secrets, and escalate mysteries of the Borderlands universe as they adventure across the unexplored new areas of Pandora.
Panel – Inside Gearbox Software – Sunday, August 28, 2011, 3:00 p.m., Pegasus Theatre
Gearbox is back with their yearly panel at PAX Prime! Get a behind-the-scenes look at all the Gearbox Software titles, including Borderlands 2, Duke Nukem Forever® and more. And, what is a Gearbox panel without exclusives, surprises, and of course pizza!
Tecmo Koei has announced that its upcoming DYNASTY WARRIORS 7: Xtreme Legends is due out on November 15, 2011 for the PlayStation 3 platform! The game is a stand-alone expansion to Dynasty Warriors 7 and features the following enhancements:
· New characters join the battle!
Brand new characters Guo Jia & Wang Yi as well as returning hero Pang De bolster the ranks of Wei kingdom.
· Secret Weapons
New ultra-powerful versions of DYNASTY WARRIORS 7 weapons can be unlocked by fulfilling certain conditions in the game. New weapon types are added to your armory and weapons such as the Dragon Spear, Sai, Battling Stick & Scimitar will further increase the variety of ways players can decimate opposing armies.
· The new “Legend Mode”
Newly implemented “Legend Mode” allows players to tackle battles from both the past Dynasty Warriors series and brand new scenarios with all their favorite characters. In addition, players are able to make their castle town prosper and also employ a lieutenant from their favorite military commander. The lieutenant affects how the castle-town flourish in many different ways.
· Challenge Mode
The Challenge Mode allows players to tackle various missions that allow them to fight for world-wide rankings. This mode is backed up with online leader boards which allow players to fight for the world no. 1 spot in the Dynasty Warriors universe!
· Mixjoy
With this game, by reading in the original Dynasty Warriors 7 disc, the player will be able to experience a powered-up verson of the original Dynasty Warriors 7 Story mode and Conquest mode.
· Japanese Voice-Over
DYNASTY WARRIORS 7: Xtreme Legends will feature a Japanese voice-over option.
You may remember the lovely Laura Vandervoort from TV shows such as Smallville. Now, Vandervoort is voicing the character of Mary Jane in Activision’s upcoming Spider-Man: Edge of Time.
Kalypso Media has released some new screenshots from its upcoming Airline Tycoon 2. The game puts players in charge of their very own airline once again in an effort to dominate the industry and is scheduled to land in October for the Windows PC platform.
Official Features:
- Build your ideal fleet of planes – use the in-game editor to craft inexpensive mass-transportation “Greyhounds in the sky“ or unique, luxury jets that spoil the elite
- Jump into the action as one of four playable avatars with unique strengths and weaknesses
- Explore your home airport in full 3D, while bossing your employees around and expanding your blossoming airline; you might even meet VIPs at the airport lounge
- Random events bring variety to the game — The Pope wants a special flight? Civil unrest in a global hotspot? Volcanic ash clouds above Europe? If you act quickly, you can profit from these events!
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Team17 Software have announced that they will be combining the beloved Worms franchise with the sport of golf in the upcoming Worms Crazy Golf. The game is to be released later this year for PlayStation®3 from PlayStation®Network, for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, and also for PC via Steam™. The game will feature power-ups, varied course design, and multiplayer gameplay.
“Who could have known that two of our favourite things would work so well together?” says Team 17 Head of Design John Dennis, in his finest chequered trousers and snazzy sweater. “While probably not an obvious combination, Worms™ Crazy Golf is an irreverent mash-up of our own turn-based strategy game “Worms” and everyone’s favourite turn-based game of ‘hitting little balls with sticks’.”
Screenshots
No, Arnold is not returning as Mr. Freeze in the upcoming Batman: Arkham City game. We just love to reminise about bad movie-making decisions. Regardless, the CHARACTER of Freeze will be in the game (just not with Arnold). Enjoy the reveal trailer and stay frosty!!! (doh…We know that was bad…)
Batman: Arkham City will be available beginning Oct. 18 in North America for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Games for Windows PC and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.