S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Lost Alpha [ModDB page], the fantastic free standalone mod inspired by bits of Shadow of Chernobyl that appeared in alpha versions but were cut for the final release, is now properly out. Craig adored the version released in 2014, so a big update is fantastic news. You might remember Dezowave reluctantly released 2014’s unfinished (but still great) version after scamps leaked a rough development build. Now they’ve launched what they’re calling the Developer’s Cut of Lost Alpha, fixing bugs and making it even bigger. Have a look: … [visit site to read more]

Update: Yup, it’s now official. THQ Nordic have announced that Darksiders 3 is coming in 2018, made with the former Vigil Games folks at Gunfire Games.>

It seems a Darksiders 3 [official site] will indeed rise from the ruins of THQ with more Apocalyptic action, as listings for it have unexpectedly popped up on Amazon. This time, Fury will be the Horseman riding out to duff up monsters. This is not officially official yet, mind, as Darksiders owner THQ Nordic haven’t announced any such game. But the Amazon listing is right there and doesn’t look like a prank. THQ Nordic have said for years that they wanted to make a third Darksiders, so here we go? … [visit site to read more]

Have You Played? is an endless stream of game retrospectives. One a day, every day of the year, perhaps for all time.>

Pew pew pew pew pew! That s nothing like any of the sounds that happen in 2006 real-time strategy game Company of Heroes. I just like pretending to shoot you. … [visit site to read more]

Make War Not Love [official site] – Sega’s cross-game point collection event which aims to stick it to Valentine’s Day while also raising awareness of their games/rewarding fans – has returned for a fourth outing. This year it technically started on Valentine’s Day but the real meat of the event kicks off yesterday and involves Company of Heroes 2, Endless Legend, Dawn of War 2 and Total War: Warhammer. … [visit site to read more]

That story about word of a new Metro coming in 2017? Yeah, the publishers have responding with a statement saying that sure, they’re planning another one but nah, don’t expect such a thing next year. Where a site for the original Metro novels once said 2017 would bring a new game following on from Metro 2035, it now talks about “An untitled Metro project” due in “?”. Gosh, what ever could that be? … [visit site to read more]

We’ll be revisiting the subways of post-apocalyptic Moscow next year, it seems, according to a website for the book series first-person shooters Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light are based on. With the English edition of Dmitry Glukhovsky’s trilogy-capping novel Metro 2035 coming in December, the site has added of a timeline of the series with a little note saying yup, another game will follow. … [visit site to read more]

OOGILY BOOGILY BOOGA BOO!

I apologise for shaking you , leaving you with fingernails bitten as you sit in , but it’s important that I prepare you for Hallowe’en shocks. And for this next surprise: Darksiders: Warmastered Edition [official site] has been delayed. The revamped rerelease of Vigil Games’ 2010 Apocalyptic action-adventure was due on October 25th, in time for the day we all know as The Big Spooky, but publishers THQ Nordic have pushed it back by one month. … [visit site to read more]

In 2001, Band of Brothers was still airing on HBO and Canadian developer Relic Entertainment was finishing up development of Impossible Creatures, its freaky animal RTS. Space and sci-fi had been its muse for years, but it found, in the increased cultural interest in World War 2, another setting and the impetus for Company of Heroes.

Relic celebrated the game’s tenth anniversary this month. It remains one of the most acclaimed RTS games of all time, lavished in 2006 with glowing reviews and heaps of awards. I ll mostly remember it as the reason I got chewed out by a lecturer for dozing in class, after a long night of liberating Europe.

We ve talked four of the original developers into taking a trip down a potholed, tank-lined memory lane with us.

… [visit site to read more]

Today, in news I didn’t think I’d be writing: peachy-keen action-RPG Titan Quest [official site] has received a huge update, more than ten years after its release. Everyone who owned Titan Quest on Steam is now upgraded to the Anniversary Edition, where performance is improved, bugs are fixed, balance is tweaked, GameSpy guff is cut, and oh, the Immortal Throne expansion is included free too. Cripes! The game’s now sold on GOG and all. Unlike the terrible creature wearing the skin of Atari, the creature that’s trying on the skin of THQ seems quite friendly so far.

… [visit site to read more]

THQ is dead, long live NordicTHQ. The world’s greatest purveyor of Good 7/10 Action Games sadly succumbed to bankruptcy and closed down in 2013, but most of its assets, studios and franchises were bought up by various other firms. Gearbox got Homeworld, Sega got Relic, Deep Silver got Saints Row and young Swedish publisher Nordic Games got Darksiders, Red Faction, Supreme Commander and a bunch of other stuff left among the ashes. As well as, it transpires, the THQ name. Nordic is now to be known as ‘THQNordic‘. … [visit site to read more]