Author - Ripper71

DARK Preview

2013/05/02

News, Previews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Preview, Xbox 360 News, Xbox 360 Preview

Since Kalypso Media and RealmForge got our blood pumping to get our hands on Dark this June, we figured it was a good time to revisit this exciting new title to keep our appetites whet. If somehow you have been in the dark for the last several months, here is one of the new exciting titles we are looking forward to this year.

Storyline:

In the world of DARK, you play as Eric Bane, a newly “born” vampire, must uncover the secrets of this world, and the mysterious GeoForge Corporation by stealthily exploring a variety of modern environments, while using your unique vampire powers to dispatch all those who dare oppose you.

The game starts off as you are trying to find initial answers knowing that you used to be Eric Bane of the M17 Special Forces and now you are a target of that very same group. Also, you are attempting to save yourself from becoming a mindless killing machine by finding one of the master vampires. Without giving more away, Dark is filled with twists and turns and promises to be as interesting to see unfold as it will be to play.

Graphics And Sound:

Dark is a game of dark (no pun intended) themes and dark (again) environments, but the game uses a 3D cel-shaded visual style coupled with some excellent lighting so that it still features great color and rich contrast. The environments vary from office buildings, alleys, and casinos to put the graphics to great use. Kalypso also plans to make advanced graphic settings for the PC version of Dark, giving the greatest visual experience your system can handle. As it turns out deadlines for the Xbox 360 platform requires the games to be done at a certain time for physical production – which allows more time for PC graphic adjustments. Dark’s cutscenes are designed to match the action graphically, which helps maintain the suspension of disbelief and the flow of the experience. As far as I can tell so far, the sound is excellent and the music, amazing.

Gameplay:

The most beautiful game with the best story in the world can still be unplayable if the game mechanics don’t work right. Luckily, even though they are being adjusted every day the current gameplay builds, both mechanics and options, are not just playable but solidly defined. So much so, in fact, that if the game were to release tomorrow based on the last build I played, it would be great fun! This makes it look easy to be optimistic that once the final version is released this summer, hopefully in June, Dark will be a great game in many aspects. The control choices are intuitive to the third person genre and are easily picked up and mastered so that players can concentrate on play rather than on learning to play.

The gameplay style itself is a different take on a well-established formula. This game heavily involves the use of stealth, misdirection, and strategic approach. It is not a “run and gun” experience by any means. As a matter of fact, you don’t use a gun! Many enemies are just better off being avoided completely and the whole area of a level should be considered from a safe spot before moving out. One of the vampiric talents you get is the ability to sense blood around you as well as sensing if you are being observed. This enables you to have an infrared-style look at a level, showing glowing red figures of your enemies and whether or not they already see you. This is a great way to keep you from stepping out from behind some crates into a six man crossfire which I saw plenty of when people weren’t being cautious during hands-on play.

Another vampiric trait that helps is called “Shadow Leap”: A teleporting ability showcased in the teaser trailer that has been released. It is based on line of sight and makes it so that you can teleport to any location you see regardless of obstacles between you and the destination. This can prove great for moving quickly across rooms to escape guards, teleporting past fences to prevent pursuit – heck, this is a great way just to cross a room, period. The best use of this, however, is teleporting right up next to an enemy and feeding on them or dispatching them in some other way. There is a definite feeling of satisfaction when you appear in a puff of black smoke and sink your teeth into an enemy. Remember, this game is a third person stealth/actioner, not a third person shooter – so you have to rely on techniques that let you pass enemies or let you get up close and personal to them fast.

To help with this there is a skill point system with skill trees and experience-gathering. There are multiple trees and multiple traits on them that are at this time designed to make significant improvements to your play. Also, they vary enough to allow player’s customization in how they play the game. Off-hand examples would be trying to complete a level without killing guards or half-vamps, another would be killing everyone in sight, another would be teleporting through as much as possible as fast as possible. There will also always be those who want to just run in and kill like crazy and only retreat to cover when they are about to die. The developers have taken all these styles and more into account and have already built in great replayability with just these trees and traits since you can play through a different style each time. Add to this the variety of environments and replayability should not prove an issue.

Second Round:

The more I get my eyes and hands on Dark, the more I salivate to play it. I want to be playing it so badly that I think I am becoming Renfield-mad! Dark should run about 8-10 hours for each play when it comes out, but with so many options of skills, I know I will be playing it more than once. I just wish I could start tonight! Dark is a nightmare of a game that should be a dream to play.

Gallery:

StarDrive Review

2013/05/02

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Review

The “strategy” game category tends towards vagary, covering such a diverse range of play from tower defense titles to micro-managing empire sims. They can be turn based or real time and “real time” can be warped to mean quite a few things too – the only fundamental guarantee on a real time game is that it’s not turn based. With other genres, such as first-person shooters, you generally know what you are getting into. There will be a weapon in your point of view and you will negotiate various maps and levels, shooting bad guys. Even those who argue how good a first-person shooter usually base that argument off the comparisons to other FPS titles – since they all have close similarities. When it comes to “strategy” games, though, you never know how much mental muscle you are going to have to strain to win or simply survive because even winning isn’t necessarily a guarantee in a strategy game. With this in mind, I will try to tell you about StarDrive, a “4X space strategy” game and try to point out what kind of strategist will enjoy it.

Official Description:

StarDrive is a 4X Action-Strategy game where the goal is to build a space empire. Starting with a single planet and a small number of space-worthy vessels, you forge out into the galaxy, exploring new worlds, building new colonies, and discovering the StarDrive universe. Colonize or conquer new planets to expand your interstellar empire. Specialize your colonies and design trade routes to stimulate growth. StarDrive follows a classic 4x model in that Food, Production, Research, and Money are the primary resources to gather. Find special resources by exploring planets and anomalies to unlock bonuses, or to unleash terrors…

The heart of StarDrive is its ship design and combat engine. StarDrive takes a module-based approach to ship design, allowing the player to create custom ship designs where the composition and placement of ship modules really matters to the performance of a ship in combat. In combat, if your portside armor is taking a beating, then rotate around and show them the starboard side! Hide behind a friendly capital ship’s shields, warp into and out of the fray, launch fighters, lay mines, and so much more.

Official Features:

Customize your Race by selecting from a large list of physical traits, socioeconomic traits, and traits relating to your history and tradition
Lead your forces into battle with your own flagship that you control like an arcade shooter; command your fleets like you would in a real time strategy game with simple mouse commands
Tactical ground combat to take over enemy planets
A deep research tree with many dozens of technologies
Rich diplomacy options, allowing you to make and break treaties with alien races; trade technologies and artifacts, sell ships, declare wars, and design joint operations with your allies
StarDrive is easy to modify, and modding will be actively supported by the developers
Design every ship in your empire, or choose from stock configurations
Create platforms and space stations to deploy in deep space
Carefully plan your ship’s power grid, fuel capacity, ammunition storage, thrust, mass, and more
Organize your ships into fleets and give your ships custom fleet behaviors in an easy to use fleet editor
Set your weapon facings on turrets, or line up your fixed guns on spinal or broadside mounted

Gameplay:

Those of you that play a lot of strategy titles know that managing to accomplish and implement all the details above is a massive undertaking and most-likely prone to breakdowns in one place or another. It sounds like they are simply trying to accomplish too much, but StarDrive actually manages to pull it off! StarDrive is a hardcore strategy game, a major mental muscle twister that requires micromanagement skills performed in a real time on a galactic scale. If nothing in that last sentence appealed to you, this is probably not a game you should buy. At one point, I was trying to figure out why a power conduit wasn’t working properly between a reactor and some engines so that my colonists on Mars would stop starving and start biospheres or terraforming Jupiter while also trying to get enough money through industrialization and taxation to fund research without crushing the populace. Fun times!

Oh, then a race of cybernetic insectoids arrive and I had to decide whether or not to declare war with their fleet because our planetary defenses were very weak and they had already detected that the ships we were fielding did not have adequate shielding to take them on, even as I am building up new starships from the hull up – but, my power conduits aren’t set properly… and that was entirely on an easier difficulty setting, with certain management automated, using some pre-made ship designs and allowing the colonies to build by programmed models!

I was just getting a feel for the controls and game systems – and my game which lasted about 5 or 6 hours was a complete “do over”. Simply, the precursor to a galactic, planetary empire that will be measured in weeks and months rather than hours. That is, of course, if I don’t get into the modding aspects first. Both building mods and playing other player mods already in the community. The StarDrive community is not very large but, instead, fiercely dedicated and motivated to see just what this game of details and limitless possibilities can do!

It is currently single player, but I could easily see it sometime in the future getting online play the game’s design seems to lend itself to a persistent world fairly easily. With future modding, there could be countless persistent galaxies – each one unique.

Graphics And Sound:

Graphics are as you need them for a game like this: Simple when you want to see a whole, universal empire at a glance and beautifully detailed when it comes to up-close ship battles. Most of the species you encounter are rendered in a stylized, yet pleasing fashion. The sounds are crisp and follow the action well and the music is great and fits in well with the gameplay.

Last Call:

This game was obviously a labor of love where the developers wanted to see just how much they could do with it. I have seen plenty of excellent, hardcore strategy games over the years but few with such amazing scope of micromanagement combined with real-time macromanagement. Great strategists, this is your new challenge – your new standard to hold other strategy titles to. So sally forth as your empire is depending on you and eventually so will the whole galaxy!
[easyreview title=”StarDrive Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]

Trailer:

Gallery:

Razer StarCraft II: Heart Of The Swarm Peripherals Review

2013/05/02

Ripper71

News, Peripheral Review, Peripherals News, Reviews, seal of excellence

I try not to be biased towards a company when it comes to reviewing their products but it seems like Razer is one of those companies which takes great pride and love in their products that it can’t help but be contagious. I was at one of their new distributors in town getting some work done on my PC when they brought out a NAGA gaming mouse to use as a display model. I must have restated my entire review of the Naga gaming mouse the staffers there and even game some possible suggestions on the best way to display it. During CES, I got several hours of hands-on time to fall in love with their new Edge gaming PC/tablet. I also got to know some of the Razer staff and experience their love and awe of gaming first-hand. Knowing I am a rabid StarCraft II fan, sometime after CES our Editor-in-Chief and Razer got together to gave me the opportunity to experience it at in the best possible way: with the complete StarCraft II: HOTS Peripheral System.

Each part of this system works great as an individual peripherals that improve your gaming experience as well as your gameplay. If you can get the whole set of these peripherals, you will find yourself fully immersed in the game so much so you will feel like you are in the commander’s cockpit. First, I’ll do a quick breakdown of the features of each peripheral then how the “APM system” works with video of yours truly getting his ass handed to him while improving his game.

Official Features:

Volume & Mic Control Buttons on the Headset
APM-Lighting System
10 preset EQ
Detachable Microphone Boom
Dimensions: 183mm(L) * 90mm(W) * 200mm(H)
Inner Ear Cup Diameter: 60 mm / 2.36”
Cable Length: 12.13 m / 7.0 ft
Approximate Weight: 297 g / 0.65 lbs
Frequency Response: 20 – 20,000 Hz
Impedance: 32Ω at 1kHz
Sensitivity (@1kHz, 1V/Pa): >102dB at 1 kHz
Drivers: 50 mm, with neodymium magnets
Frequency Response: 100 – 10,000 Hz
Sensitivity (-42 dB ± 2dB @1kHz, 1V/Pa)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >58 dB
Pick-up pattern: Uni-directional

Hands On:

The headset not only provided a great sound experience with sound isolation, comfortable padding all around, and a StarCraft designed feel, but the lighting on the side also helps block your peripheral vision to immerse you in the game. This looks like it could have come right off the bridge of one of the battlecruiser Hyperion (all the peripherals do, for that matter). The lighting not only helps with gameplay with a 48 color palette and 16 custom slots but it also allows you to make your own visual statement, even going as far as lighting each of the three sections differently. I haven’t been able to bring myself to use regular speakers since getting them.

Official Features:

Lightweight, Fingertip-Grip 5 Button Mouse
5600 DPI Laser Sensor
Ultrapolling (1000Hz Polling / 1ms Response)
APM-Lighting System
Button Force Adjustment
Always-On Mode
Ultra-large Non-slip Buttons
16-bit Ultra-wide Data Path
200 Inches per Second and 50g of Acceleration
Zero-acoustic Ultraslick mouse feet
Gold-plated USB Connector
Braided 7 Foot USB Cable

Hands-On:

This is quite possibly the most comfortable mouse I have ever used. It took a little getting used because of the large right and left mouse buttons but, once I did, I felt I could relax my hand on my mouse much more than usual. Tracking is spot on and smooth with no issues whatsoever. Besides the standard buttons there are two thumb buttons all of which can be programmed to your specific needs per game. Working with the APM system, they can even represent macros. When you are playing a game where you are expected to do hundreds of actions per minute, the mouse had better be smooth working and extremely comfortable as one mistake could cost you the match.

Official Features:

Full Keyboard Layout with integrated number pad keys
Reduced Desktop Footprint
APM-Lighting System
Laser-etched Keys
Optimized Key Travel & Spacing
Ultrapolling (1000Hz Polling / 1ms Response)
Braided 7 Foot USB Cable
Approximate Size : 400 mm / 15.75” (Length) x 182 mm / 7.16” (Width) x 32 mm / 1.26” (Height)

Hands-On:

Of the three peripherals in the system, this is the one that took the most getting used to. Once I did, I found it difficult going back to a normal keyboard (we have three to five computers going in our household at any one time). This keyboard is designed for pure efficiency – possibly redundant keys are removed from it, bringing its size down greatly. This also makes the keyboard more compact for both travel and desk space but also for gameplay. With less space required to cross the keyboard, the hands can hit the necessary keys faster – without compromising key size. So, there are no individual arrow keys or delete button or keys that would normally be assigned their own space around the number pad – those are all gone. They have all been assigned secondary functions on the number pad keys. Most keyboards do this already, particularly laptops, but most have the separate keys as well. Razer understood that when you have to make hundreds of moves a minute the less distance you have to cross the better your play. It Actually kind of makes me wonder why more keyboards, particularly gaming ones, haven’t been designed this way.

Something else I liked, but also took a moment to get used to, was the texture of the keys. They all have a pleasant, rubberized feel to them. I have worked with A LOT of keyboards over the years and I think this might be the first one I felt like this. I can see this being a long term and travel measure, as with smooth keys, the letters and numbers can wear off. If the key label printing is molded into the key itself, the longevity should improve.

All three of the pieces are designed to last with metal-looking shell designs and thick joints, though extremely comfortable they are made to be rugged and travel. The keyboard is less than 16 inches across but comes in at almost two and a half pounds making its claim of “armored assault” feel quite believable.

The APM System:

The StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm peripheral system is not just designed to let you enjoy a game, it actually interacts with StarCraft II to improve it. It does this through its own custom configuration that detects events in the game and signals the player in customizable ways. For instance, maybe a player wants to speed up their gameplay to make sure they remain competitive. The system can detect how many actions-per-minute (APMs) you are making and let you know if you are falling below or exceeding the limits you choose by changing the lighting configuration. If you are new, you may want to make sure you are between 50 to 100 APMs, if you want to be professional tournament competitive, this will help let you know it you are running between the 250-300 APMs necessary.

The Razer APM system doesn’t even come close to being done there. You can also make it so that the system alerts you to when your base or units are under attack, building, training or upgrades are complete, resources are exhausted and many other options. Some might argue that the game already gives you in-game alerts about all these things, so why would you need the headset’s notifications? Because the headset, keyboard, and mouse gives you customized alerts using their lights. So let’s say you are listening to music while you are playing and your base gets under attack or maybe you have the game sound down because you are using a team talking program.

The system, all three pieces, can be designed to flash red 5 times, for example, to let you know that your base is under attack or flash green twice when one of your units gets produced. The lights are bright enough that you can see them flash next to in your peripheral vision and onto your computer and screen in unison – or individually to alert you to different events, each in a customizable way. Also, it shows you your APMs by the color it turns when there are no alerts. These colors can be changed but default set if you have a blue light to you are going less than 50 moves per minute and if you get it going white you are breaking 350 APMs.

So, as you play, you strive to get your system to change a different colors, thereby increasing your actions-per-minute and your game in general. It even can be set to let you know when your ally’s base is under attack so that you have better situational awareness and can come to their aid. All this makes it so that you can speed up your gameplay and improve your situational awareness dramatically. I hope that APM configurations may come out in the future to interact with other games, I would love to be able to tell by the color of the lights how much DPS I am doing or flashes telling me the healer is taking damage.

As promised here is some video of me trying to speed up my gameplay while taking in the system’s alerts. I am purposely clicking hard so you can tell how often you have to click to up your game and I am purposely dropping my defenses so the attack alerts will pop up. If you were watching the gameplay it isn’t pretty but I wanted to show the lighting. This really doesn’t show you how amazing immersive it makes the game, but it does show how easily I can tune out the world.

This system is revolutionary and the practical applications once interfaces are developed are outstanding. It is also amazingly immersive in just about any game but particularly StarCraft II. With all the lighting matching and surrounding you it is easy to block out the outside world. When playing SCII it also lights up everything around you in ever changing colors as if you are in a cockpit and the alerts are coming in to your command. This makes me think that a first person mech game using this interface would be absolutely incredible as well, your screen being just a view out the cockpit window while all your peripherals are lighting up together. The only way to get more immersive would be an actual cockpit.

StarCraft II Razer Messenger Bag Zerg Edition:

If you really want to complete your Razer StarCraft II set you need the messenger bag as well! With the perfect size for a laptop or the StarCraft II: HOTS gear this warns other players they mess with you, they risk getting zerged. Inside the fold is additional printing of a zerg base and a zergling on the innermost flap.

Official Features:

Armored with a tear-resistant, weather-proof heavy duty 1680D ballistic nylon outer shell.
Water-resistant Ripstop nylon inner lining for added durability.
Single shoulder sling design for added mobility. Easy one-handed release chest clasp enables quick and convenient access.
Built in compartments for up to 15″ laptops, gaming peripherals and portable gaming devices.
Padded inner lining protects electronic devices and provides ample shock absorbency while on the road

Last Call:

The StarCraft II: Heart Of The Swarm peripheral system is the best and most unified system I have ever seen. It not only improves the game it is designed for but improves and helps with the immersion and it makes you a better player! If used correctly, it could help make you a professional-grade player. There simply isn’t a better system combination on the market right now – especially for StarCraft II. In fact, we at GamingShogun.com feel it deserves our Seal Of Excellence!
[easyreview title=”Razer StarCraft II: Heart Of The Swarm APM System Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

Dead Island: Riptide Review (PC)

2013/04/30

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Review

It’s seldom that a game review causes me trouble. I play ALL kinds of games so I can be called on at a moment’s notice give a review from the standpoint of an everyman. I’m not bragging, I am simply admitting that I am a video game addict and have used my addiction to the benefit of others. So, as Dead Island: Riptide was coming in I tried not to pay too much attention to opinions one way or the other, just looking forward to giving it a go. Then, like a real riptide, I couldn’t help but get dragged into reading scores of negative opinions on the game. This isn’t the first time I have seen such an outcry from gamers (you poor “Colonial Marines”), but its vigor and quick deterioration into name-calling and slurs of all sorts towards the game seems quite massive. I even read one article calling it a “colostomy bag” (well the more graphic “bag of s…”). So, after multiple play sessions, trying to be objective, I hope to quiet some angry voices out there. Or, at the very least lead them to thought-filled cries rather than simple, mindless yelling.

Storyline:

Dead Island: Riptide picks up where the original storyline ends: A helicopter ride to safety. This of course fails dramatically and the survivors wind up back on a zombie zoo of an island, fighting to stay alive. None of this is a secret surprise, it has been in the trailers and should for everyone involved be a pretty good sign of what to expect story and gameplay wise. If someone’s complaint is they didn’t want some of the same old gameplay as the original game they should have kept an eye on the media, it let you know you were going through this mess all over again.

Graphics And Sound:

I haven’t heard any complaints about this and don’t really expect to. Particularly on the PC with the setting cranked to high this game is visually-gorgeous. You could play the menu screen on as a relaxation/meditation scene if you wanted to while listening to the calming sounds of the water and wildlife. From there, the graphics are all gore and splatter and the music and sounds are intense and nerve-racking – but, that is what you want in a game like this!

Gameplay:

The game begins with some training missions in case you forgot how the game played or hadn’t played the first. It gives you some good weapons to start with – just don’t get too attached to them. Once you get back to the island you start out with some crappy weapons. This may have pissed off plenty of the players or the fact that this was definitely more like a continuation on the first game, back at the grinding away and looting to level, weapons upgrades coming at a slow pace.

“Grinding” is a process that some players feel like is earning their way in a game. Still, others see it just as a way to lengthen and dull a game in lieu of quality content. This can bring out fervent opinions in gamers and be the deciding factor if they love or hate a video game. For Dead Island: Riptide, I “shout” this: IF YOU DO NOT LIKE GRINDING, DON’T PLAY THIS GAME. I hate using all caps, especially for more than one word, but it really is an important and summarizing point. This game is designed to make you work your ass off so you can have a shovel with a burning rag wrapped around it. Don’t expect to come out of the gate loaded down with bombs and harpoons and who knows what else. This game is one of the biggest grinding games I have ever seen, and it can make the game painfully repetitive if that is not your thing, literally to the point that zombie killing might not be fun anymore! I know it i hard to believe that someone in a pre-zombie apocalypse society feels this way. However, grinding can indeed make some people get bored of using a baseball bat to crush an zombie’s skull in, hoping it will drop a nail or battery or roll of duct tape. Some have gone so far as to say they would rather bash in their own heads (Ed. Note: The GamingShogun.com legal team recommends you do NOT do this).

On the subject of repetition there did seem to be a bit too great of a distance for NPCs to register the player’s presence and start saying their lines. When you walk into Survivor HQ and almost every single NPC, regardless of distance, starts chiming in at you, it gets a little crazy. I found myself yelling at the screen for them to stop, which is a little embarrassing when you are wearing headsets and have no idea someone has walked in behind you and started laughing at you. If I hadn’t been using a headset, I am pretty sure I would have been kicked out of the house and been gaming on the porch – especially when meeting Pierre, oh Pierre… You did not help international relations and I heard you the first couple dozen times you yelled for help.

Multiplayer on the PC platform was very hit or miss when it came to enjoyment. The “join” system brought a stranger into the game I was playing and they started a quest and completed it before I could stop looking in trash cans and get to the boss fight. This was amazingly frustrating. It got so that I felt I had to dodge every other player until along came a random, high level individual who took me under his wing and showed me around, including some secret spots. We laughed and had a blast and, at the end, he friended me so we could run together again. If there had been level screening I would never have met him and had so much fun. On the other hand, I also wouldn’t have had a quest ruined for me earlier, so it is kind of a hard call. Having friends to play with is the best option with an open slot, you can vote to kick someone if they are trouble so you might want more than one vote.

Last thing really to mention is that you find yourself on missions running back and forth between a base of operations over the same ground. I would kinda expect that to be the case when on an island, only so many places to go, so many places to do quests. I could see some people finding this as repetitive as the grinding, going over the same ground but much like the grinding it was no real surprise.

Last Call:

I tried to point out where people would have reasons not to like the game and these are a lot of the same reasons people would like the game. If you like grinding and don’t mind running over the same ground this would be a game for you, one you would probably defend fiercely. If you hate grinding you would probably hate it with a passion and all that stand by it. Me? Ask me over a pint if I like it or not. Good drink makes for good arguments, not message boards.

[easyreview title=”Dead Island: Riptide Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”3″ ] Our Rating Scores Explained

Edifier Predator 2.1 Speaker System Review (Tech)

2013/04/28

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

Most people, particularly us gamers and technophiles, labor under the illusion that we need a large, megawatt speaker system to enjoy our computer entertainment experience. We hook up lots of speakers with a gigantic subwoofer and some trademarked, proprietary sound experience then settle in our chair and get ready for the ride. What does that ride consist of in most cases? That sound system set to no more than halfway up and most of that experience lost. We live in an ever-shrinking world where we have to be considerate of the neighbors because so many of us live in apartments, condos, duplexes or houses with no side borders! We often work different shifts in the same household to make ends meet or cover childcare so consideration of disturbing others really plays into effect in the same house, especially if someone is watching television in the next room. So, more often than not, we probably can do just as well with a smaller speaker system that has excellent reproduction at lower audio levels and maybe a stylish flair. These are some of the best ways to describe the Edifier speaker line and the Predator 2.1 is a solid example of it.

Features:

Downward firing 5 inch subwoofer and one 2 inch front firing full-range driver in each satellite
One 2 inch passive radiator in each satellite for enhanced audio output
Angled satellites for enhanced sound projection
Auxiliary input port for versatile connectivity to external devices
Master volume and on/off dial located on the top of the subwoofer with blue halo indicator light
Separate bass adjustment control for bass output
All speaker drivers are magnetically shielded
Universal 100V-240V power supply

Hands On:

I was tempted to have a section called “Eyes On” because the first thing you notice about the Edifier Predator is its sci-fi looks. This look is something Edifier is really known for, if you do a search for “Edifier speakers” in the image section of the search engine of your choice, you will find some of the most unusual and diverse looking speakers on the market. If you are a nerd of the sci-fi variety, the moment you see the word “predator” you immediately think of the humanoid hunter who took some shots at our one-time “Governator”. The system does resemble the top head plate on the Predator armor quite a bit but it reminded me more of their nemesis species: the Xenomorphs, with their frontal dome (actually, most of H.R. Giger’s work which involved humanoids have this dome frontal feature). Either way, before you even get close enough to give it a listen, the Predator makes an impression of futuristic style – especially since it is designed to be on the desktop instead of under it like a lot of speakers on the market.

Of course, a speaker system can look amazing but without quality sound you might as well have bought an H.R. Giger art piece. Luckily, the system has excellent sound quality to back its looks. The reproduction of everything from music to video games to movies all come through clearly with the bass being very noticeable and clear at lower and above average levels without distortion. The speakers make up for not being a 5.1 channel system by being very directional. If the sound isn’t designed to be coming from the left or the right, it sounds like it is coming from right where you are at instead of all around the room. Cheaper sound systems send the sound everywhere – not only making the stereo separation less effective due to overlap, but it also creates noise pollution requiring you to turn the sound down even more. The Predator’s directional precision enables you to turn the sound up louder with less of a chance of disturbing others.

Last Call:

The Edifier Predator 2.1 speaker system is the perfect solution for someone who doesn’t live alone in a house in the middle of nowhere. It gives you the sound quality you would want or need in today’s ever shrinking world while maintaining a smaller space to fit in that world. It wouldn’t hurt to have a H.R. Giger print or two on the wall nearby to show off it’s style either…

Specs

Model Number: e1100MKII
Total power output: R/L: RMS 4W x 2 SW: RMS 12W
THD + N (testing level): 10%
Signal to noise ratio: ≥85dBA
Frequency range: 48Hz – 20kHz±12dB
Frequency response: R/L: 200Hz – 20KHz SW: 20Hz – 100Hz
Distortion: ≤0.5%
Channel Separation: R/L: ≥40
Input sensitivity: R/L: 1000mV±50mVSW: 850mV±50mV
Audio input type: 3.5mm Auxiliary
Adjustment: Master volume adjustment and on/off dial, bass adjustment dial
Speaker unit: Bass unit: 5 inch (131mm), magnetically shielded, 4ΩTreble unit: 2 inch (52mm), magnetically shielded, 5Ω
Dimension: Subwoofer: 186mm x 196mm x 278mm (W x H x D) Satellite: 85mm x 172mm x 94mm (W x H x D)
Weight: 2.8Kg (net) | 3.86Kg (gross)

[easyreview title=”Edifier Predator 2.1 Speaker System Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ] Our Rating Scores Explained

KingsRoad Review (PC/Browser)

2013/04/23

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Windows PC Review

Just as they are celebrating 100,000 likes, we thought it a good time to talk about the Facebook browser launching game KingsRoad. A dungeon crawler with surprisingly good graphics, it is definitely a game to consider.

Description:

KingsRoad sets a new standard for gaming on Facebook! Embark on a journey across the kingdom of Alderstone to reclaim your land from the monstrous creatures that threaten it.

• Engage in brutal real-time combat, explore a robust loot and skill system, and battle towering bosses – all rendered in stunning 3D graphics!
• Discover powerful new skills as a knight, archer, or wizard. Switch between classes at any time!
• Team up with friends for 3-player co-op and defeat the forces of darkness together!
• The first action-RPG that fits your schedule – giving you a truly epic experience every time you open your browser!

Hands On:

There are certain expectations someone goes into a browser game with. I try to forget those because we should just judge a game not by it’s platform but on the game itself. That being said, when a game looks and acts much stronger than the platform it is on is known for producing, it should be recognized. That is definitely the case with KingsRoad, which has all the sophistication and visual quality of a standalone PC video game – albeit in a Facebook browser game format.

It is a solid dungeon crawler with nods to all the famous ones from over the years, complete with crafting systems and armor modification. It doesn’t really stand out from any of them in any particular way but it is a free browser based dungeon crawler and being able to play a Diablo like game on the go from any computer makes it stand out in its own way. The animations of the creatures are done very well, the voice acting is excellent, and the gameplay is smooth and completely lacking in glitches. KingsRoad is solidly built all around.

Now for the downside… In these modern days, players have gotten used to, and accepted, free to play/pay to win as a gaming model that is here to stay. Players decide how much a richer experience is worth to them and that is how much they invest in upping the quality of the game. In some cases this means purchasing simply vanity items such as a special mount or pet or silly hat. Then in other cases it means using real world money to get the best loots. KingsRoad is definitely in this last category. Opening chests in a dungeon crawler is a little like Christmas presents, you have waited to get to them and they often hold the best surprises and that is definitely true in KingsRoad. Unfortunately those chests all cost gems, which can be earned VERY slowly through the game or purchased with real life money. The chests can be as cheap as about 60 cents worth of real money or as expensive as over $10 each. When you consider the best loots come from these and each section of dungeon has at least one of these this adds up incredibly quick.

Then there are the “buy now” pop ups that happen constantly throughout the game. You get to a certain point and a pop up shows up that says “Buy this great deal now for this many gems! This is a one time offer, if you don’t buy it now you can’t later!” These are great deals if you want to spend money but, if you don’t, you will wish you had what if offered soon enough. Don’t worry though there will be another pop up soon to offer you something else for real world money. Don’t have much time to play? You can spend all your in-game gold to upgrade your smithing abilities only to find out it is going to take two and a half real world days before you can do that, unless you want to pay some real world money. There’s a theme going here and honestly I am not against developers making money and I understand supporting a game through microtransaction funding. There is a line where all the pop ups and real life money requests begin to detract from the game and it feels less like a game and more like an ad for a game and KingsRoad has done it more than any game I have seen.

Last Call:

If you are willing to pay plenty of money KingsRoad will be a great game to play, a standalone among browser based ones. If you are broke this game can still be fun but you have to look past lots of ads and ignore the chests you see along the road, especially the really shiny ones because those are not for you.

[easyreview title=”KingsRoad Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”2″ ] Our Rating Scores Explained

Vendetta Online Review (iOS)

2013/04/23

Ripper71

Mobile News, Mobile Review, News

For PC gamers this game probably rings a bell even if you haven’t played it. It has been around for about a decade and has been on my to play list for most of that time. I like a game with space battles, especially with ship customization, and Vendetta Online has built a reputation for this. Instead I got myself distracted by the games like Star Trek Online and the possibility of customizing my own Federation ship only to find their on-planet battles felt less exciting than the space battles. Fast forward a bit and the opportunity to try out Vendetta Online comes up, this time while I traveled on vacation with my iPad, and it is an opportunity I can’t pass up on.

Storyline:

The storyline is huge and rich, I don’t think it can be easily summed up into a couple of paragraphs but if you need at least a vague idea of what is in store there are different factions you can join, guilds you can join and create, all that developed over a long history. For the full chronicled storyline which details the fate of humanity from 2140 to 4432 follow this link and settle in for some nice reading.

Features:

Vendetta Online is a space MMORPG, including major gameplay elements of combat, trading, piracy, scavenging, and a variety of missions. As a pilot for one of the three major nations, you will control various space craft depending on the task at hand. An Atlas-class ship will allow you to carry large shipments of cargo to the best-paying customer, though you’d make easy prey for a pirate in a much lighter Vulture.

Gameplay:

The game first gives you two choices of controls, the thumb control setups that a lot of games use or motion control which can probably be as entertaining to watch someone play as it is to play itself. Long term the thumb control system is likely to give more end game PvP control but motion is much more fun to learn, a bit more challenging and feels more like a ships control. You quickly find yourself leaning and turning with the iPad and you need to be in a good sitting position with mobility otherwise this mode of gameplay will prove frustrating rather than entertaining. If you are resting go with the thumbs otherwise your rest will end quickly.

You are taken through a series of tutorials to give you basic understanding of running your ship as well as space battle and cargo collecting. To keep players learning the basics and getting a feel for the game there is very little customization to start with which is completely understandable though to a player somewhat familiar with the system model it is a bit frustrating. Having three different starship classes with very different builds on STO and then only being allowed to change out two sections of a single ship with only a couple of very small variations felt almost claustrophobic in gameplay. They just really want to make sure you master your gameplay before moving on and make sure that you feel you earned your new ships and upgrades but the process requires a decent amount of patience.

Those who have played full dimensional flying or underwater games will get a feel for the movement quick whether thumb or motion, but players should still take their time to master it because many of the NPC ships are pretty tough and when it comes to PvP there are players that have been around a long time and have mastered the nuances of space battle and are more than willing to take your cargo rather than earn their own. Pirates, privateers and just plain killers are out there in the galaxy and they probably have ships a lot better than your starting junker. In the beginning you are better off running when you see another player ship coming, and probably most NPCs when you start.

One of the great things about this game is the variety of choices you have in what roles you take. You can be in a guild or you can be a lone wolf, you can be a transporter, a space trucker of sorts and just haul things around. You can be a miner collecting the most valuable minerals or you can be a miner’s bodyguard, keeping them alive while they get the goods. Or you can get handy with the guns on your ship and make a name as a fighter throughout the universe. Play style is limited to your imagination and fancy. All players regardless of their platform are in the same continuous universe too so you can take your same ships for a run regardless of whether or not you are on your computer, your iPad or even your Ouya when it comes out.

Last Call:

Vendetta Online is a great, long haul play. It takes a little warming up and a bit of time investment to really get your ships up and running but it is worth it. Subscriptions are “lite” with level caps, guild limitations and ship building limits and only run $1 a month. Full subscriptions range from $9.99 or lower depending on the length purchased and give you uncapped, unlimited play. Whichever choice you go with it is a good deal and allows you to play the account on any of the system choices which makes it an amazing versatile subscription that someone could easily get their monies worth out of in the great wide open of space.

[easyreview title=”Vendetta Online Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ] Our Rating Scores Explained

StarForge Preview (PC)

2013/04/23

Ripper71

News, Previews, Windows PC Preview

First thing I always have to say is when previewing a game still in its alpha form is that this game is nowhere near what it will finally look like and could drastically change – for better or worse. Luckily, StarForge is definitely making a good start of things, which really is the key to a good game. If you start off wrong, you will wind up spending most of your time fixing core issues rather than adding solid features and content. The solid foundation has enabled them to make one of the strangest building games that, at a glance, seems bizarre but after some thought makes you wonder why you haven’t seen games like it before.

Features:

StarForge was inspired by Halo, Warcraft 3, Borderlands, Terraria, and Minecraft. It borrows elements from the RTS, FPS, RPG, Voxel Builder, Tower Defense, and Physics Sandbox genres. We are building a dark and serious universe and want the player to live out their own unique story on the procedural planet.

Storyline:

StarForge is a game about gathering resources, building bases, crafting anything you want, and surviving on an alien planet. Earth’s star is dying and humanity transferred as much technology and resources as possible and left on a one way mission to populate another planet.

Gameplay:

The gameplay is single or multiplayer though in the end it really plays the same, just more fun and maybe a little less stress with friends to share the work with. You are a soldier with a sweet gun. You start next to a vaguely creepy hatchery that looks like it is full of Venture Bros. clones just waiting to be thawed out and released upon this new world. I’m sure there will be some story to explain colonization and the whole universal pioneering spirit but at this point I’m fine with just dropping me off with a gun and a place to protect.

Now that you have this basic scenario you have a couple choices on how to play it. You can play by yourself building a nice little building, collecting supplies, making fortifications, building defenses in case someone or something decides it is going to come along and eat your vat of clones. Then when you are all done building you can call in an attack and see how good you did! This is nice because it feels vaguely like Minecraft with the whole SimCity destruction feature. Build it up then see how it fairs.

Another choice is you get dumped on a map with your vat and supplies and weapons rain down from the sky. As it rains goodness, nasty critters will come a calling looking for a vat snack pack and it is up to you to build defenses on the fly to keep the vats safe while collecting weapons and supplies. It gets a bit hairy but can be vastly entertaining. The role of vat eating critters can be filled by other teams of players as well who want your stuff while protecting their own. Kinda like the Hatfield and McCoys with less trees and more weapons.

First Round:

This is all still in alpha so things may get changed or added as it goes. The graphics are nice, the gameplay is very interesting and unique and you can tell it is a game for gamers by gamers just by all the sources they drew from for their inspiration. This is a game to watch, it could be one of those sleeper games like Minecraft that just captures a huge collection of gamers’ imaginations.

Trailer:

Power2U AC/USB Outlet Review

2013/04/05

Ripper71

News, Reviews, seal of excellence, Tech News, Tech Review

Tired of wall warts? Does company come over and raise a nose at your power pimples? Well Newer Technology claims to have the answer for you! No more do you have to decide whether or not to plug in your lamp and gaming console or charge your phone. For the ladies, is a curling iron or hair dryer filling your bathroom outlets giving you no charging port for your block-rockin’ beats? You need to look no further than the team at Newer Tech for a new lease on electronic life with their Power2U AC/USB outlet.

All info-jargon joking aside (boo!) what I am talking about is actually what should for all intents and purposes become as commonplace as the three prong outlet in every office and cubicle in the world in a few years. This may been like an exaggeration but sometimes a small thing that seems like a simple idea winds up being the next game changer. This invention should start the ball rolling.

Official Features:

The Newer Technology Power2U AC/USB Wall Outlet is the convenient and energy-efficient in-wall solution for powering and charging USB devices. Now you can charge and/or power up to four devices at once when using the USB 3.0/2.0 ports and standard three-prong outlets, while eliminating unsightly clutter created by multiple cables and bulky power adapters.

Hands-On:

First off, you need to install the outlet, there is easy to follow documentation or an even easier to follow how-to video. Follow these instructions or have a person you trust follow the instructions to get the job done. As the instruction sheet says, permanent injury or death can occur and, as one who is a clutz, clumsy, and otherwise a danger to myself and others, I highly recommend you make sure to choose this person wisely. Once installed, anyone can use it and welcome the future.

When I mentioned “wall warts” or “power pimples” at the beginning of this review, I was referring the various types of USB charging adapters which vary in shapes and sizes. Almost all are ugly and they take up a lot of space – for that matter, some going as far as to block off two outlets worth of space! In offices, cubicles or just home computer rooms this outlet can revolutionize usage. Even in the case that you still need to charge more than two items, the outlets are now available to be used as you see fit. If employers don’t want devices plugged into the computer systems, this is a great solution. It also helps if the office or cubicle has limited outlet space that is already in-use. In the home environment, it may eliminate the need for outlet-splitters or light bars or, in our case, allow phones to be charged while playing on computers and tablets.

Last Call:

The Power2U AC/USB Outlet should, in the future, become a commonplace sight in offices and homes much like the three-prong grounded outlet replaced the two-prong variety. There may be some outlets located in places where it’s not entirely needed but deciding that when the plates become common would be like deciding whether to use three-prongs as opposed to-two: A non-issue. I look forward to extension cords or outlet covers that plug into both the outlets on the plate and add the USB slots and reviewing them when they arrive. This isn’t just “Newer Technology”, this is also the future of technology in the present day. Using this outlet was so effortless and it became a mainstay in my USB power needs – so, we are awarding it our Seal of Excellence. Congrats, Newer Technology!

[easyreview title=”Power2U AC/USB Outlet Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ] Our Rating Scores Explained

Anomaly 2 Preview (PC/Beta)

2013/03/21

Ripper71

News, Previews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Preview

While the game is currently in beta and still needs to get lots of work done to polish the mechs and oil the scales, 11 bit Studios has given us a taste of what’s to come with their Anomaly 2. I pride myself on playing real time strategy games – every one I can get my hands on and, for the most part, the differences between them tend not to be the game mechanics but, simply, the story that unfolds or, in some cases, the player create throughout the game. The games basically follow a formula as straight forward as a tower defense to a micromanaged economy with variations in between. Surprises are few and far between, so it is nice to preview a game that had me wondering what would happen next right up until the end.

Storyline:

In the years following the invasion of Earth in 2018, the planet is overrun by alien machines. Humankind is on the verge of extinction. Banded together in huge convoys, they search the frozen tundra for food and supplies. Since the war, the roles have been reversed: now our species seems to be the Anomaly on a machine-controlled planet. Your convoy, Commander, is called Yukon.

Features:

Anomaly 2 is a real-time strategy game that takes the tower offense concept from Anomaly Warzone Earth to a new level. Maintaining the core concepts of the original – tactical planning and the on-field Commander to support troops in combat – Anomaly 2 introduces a number of important new features:

Morph your troops into war mechs to discover the new face of strategy: each unit has a different mech form with various abilities to help you overcome specific combat situations.
Engage in a multiplayer experience unique to Anomaly 2: tower defense vs. tower offense. Play as the towers and destroy the humans or lead the humans to annihilate the alien towers.
Fight across a post-apocalyptic world in a new single-player campaign that offers a more intense strategy experience than the acclaimed original.
Carve your own path to victory and create your ultimate battle squad. With over million tactical combinations to build your squad, your options in combat are nearly endless.
Dive into a beautifully rendered world, thanks to the team’s new and improved visual engine.
Experience alternative endings dependent upon your approach to enemy machines in the campaign.

Hands On:

In the game’s official description, it mentions the on-field Commander that was introduced in the first game. If you didn’t play the first game, this will be a unique experience in and of itself. Normally, when it comes to command roles in an RTS, it boils down to clicking units on the screen and directing them where to go. In the tradition of tower defense games, the route through most of the levels is determined by carefully laid-out terrain and trails. Again in the tower defense tradition, these trailer are lined with proximity tower locations. One nice thing is that any location that can have a variation on path, any intersection or fork in the road you can determine which route your convoy will take right up until the moment they hit it, to the point of even creating a closed loop if you want to allow range weapons to work on an enemy such as circling a block with your artillery while hitting one of the enemies a couple blocks up. Strategy plays heavily into the routing aspect as well as the unit choice and unit form choice, everything from range to rate of fire affect the outcome. This strategy allows players to replay a map several times by selecting different units, different forms, and different routes to maximize speed, damage, and achievements.

The real difference in this game is in the on-field Commander and how he changes up the possibilities with his ever-growing variety of skills. For example, your units are cruising along through the rubble of New York City, fighting off mechanized insects as they pop up and attack on the side of the road. All the while, you have a unit known as the Commander running, yes running, through the debris and alleyways as fast as he can healing your units while messing with the enemy ones all controlled by you. To a degree, most tower defense games you set up your units and send them into the grinder but, in this one, you are constantly manually controlling the Commander around the field. Do you use your energy to throw a heal bubble on the road in front of your artillery that took damage in the last attack or do you sprint ahead and lay down decoys that will temporarily distract the enemies so they will delay hitting your forces? Do you spend your energy setting off an EMP to temporarily shut down an enemy unit or do you change to wide map, adjust your convoy’s directions to buy yourself time to repair them and transform their forms? Unlike most tower defense games where you have built what you have built and it is time to see how it faces the enemy, your Commander abilities keep you constantly making adjustments and changes. If you want a breather you need to either pause the game or route your forces through some undefended area because otherwise you are dealing with an unusual hybrid: A micromanaging tower defense game.

First Round:

I like this game already even with having only played the early build they provided. I was constantly looking forward to the next commander upgrade and to find out what I could do with it, thinking outside standard strategy to get things done in a unique way. My on-field Commander must have been on some serious energy drinks because I had him running all over the map and I was constantly popping from close map to wide routing map. I have always loved a good tower defense and RTS management game but this hybrid definitely had me coming back for more. Anomaly 2, this commander waits for your release impatiently.