Visit: pcwizkidstechtalk.com for more details and pricing. The PNY XLR8™ geforce® 9800 GT graphics card powers next-generation games. With 1Gig of DDR3 it will keep demanding game requirements met and also allow you to overclock it for faster performance. This NVIDIA card is SLI-Ready with full support for the latest standards such as directx® 10.

Technorati Tags: 1024MB, 9800, Card, Gaming, Review, video, XLR8

Week In Review: 02/27
Another week, another game conference: Nintendo’s Q1 Media Summit saved us from having nothing to report on this week, while gamers had little other than Heavy Rain to look forward to – unless you are shamelessly in love with Sonic, like Tim Turi. In case you missed any of the latest news, here’s the Week in Review. As mentioned in the intro, this week saw the release of Sonic & Sega All-Stars …

Read more on Game Informer

Technorati Tags: 02/27, Review, Week

Visit pcwizkidstechtalk.com for more tips. Sapphire Technology comes back with an upgraded version of their HD4870 Toxic Edition, this time with 1 GB of GDDR5 memory. NOTE: To clarify in the video where it is mentioned about the vapour chamber being in the aluminum heatsink, it is actually all in the copper module in the middle, then the aluminum heatsinks and heatpipes take the heat away from the vapour chamber surface and the memories. Part 2 of the review will involve benchmark results both temperature cooling and gaming benchmarks. Stay tuned.

Technorati Tags: 4870, Overclocked, Review, Sapphire, Toxic

Review: Parallels 5 (build 9308)
Parallels 5 is a feature-rich and speedy virtualization solution that does an excellent job with DirectX and OpenGL video acceleration.

Read more on Macworld

Technorati Tags: 9308, Build, Parallels, Review

About This Game STALKER: Clear Sky is a survival FPS game for PC based on a ‘what-if’ scenario of the second Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. The game is created as a warning to mankind against mindless play with technologies. STALKER: Clear Sky is the official prequel to the renowned STALKER game by the Ukraine-based GSC Game World studio. The game is set in 2011 and brings forth the events to have preceded the third campaign of Strelok to the Zone center. STALKER: Clear Sky …

Technorati Tags: Clear, games, Review, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., video

Satellite TV for PC users now get over 3000 satellite tv stations on your PC! It has never been easier to turn your pc into a satellite tv system. Review thousands of direct satellite tv stations on your home pc system! Simple Pc Satellite TV software.

Satellite TV for PC Article Links

1. Satellite TV for PC Software

2. Satellite TV for PC Website

Download an extra tv now – Do you have to fight for the tv remote? Do you wish you had another TV? Now you can literally download an extra tv and instantly turn your computer into a Super TV, over 3000 satellite stations on your PC or Laptop for free!!

Many pc users are now watching hundreds of LIVE worldwide tv channels on their PCs, free of charge using Pc Satellite TV software, you can watch: Sports, News, Movies, Music, Weather, Kids Channels, Educational, Shopping, Clips + satellite Radio Stations and much, much more!

You can also watch the Big Games LIVE without any additional fee or subscription!

Tired of missing the Big Game because your tv company doesn’t carry it? Are you a sports fan who wants LIVE coverage daily? With a pc tv satellite system you are likely to be satisfied by the large range of tv events/games covered by global satellite networks. You could be anywhere in the world, with a pc it doesn’t matter, watch pc satellite TV on your pc in English, Spanish, German, Arabic, French, Italian, Russian, Dutch and more! You may also browse world satellite TV on pc by regions or by country name.

Interestingly, no extra hardware or tv card is required for a pc satellite tv setup. There is no need to buy extra hardware equipment or a PC TV card because the pc satellite TV channels are streamed through your internet connection. You just need an internet connection (the faster your internet speed the better picture you will get). It even works with a 56k connection. (A Broadband connection will deliver superior audio and video quality).

Technorati Tags: 2007, Review, Satellite, Software

Role playing games or RPG, became popular ever since their invention due to the fact that people have fun playing them, for the most part people who play these games are not winners or losers because this type of game was not designed to win a particular hand such as board or card games, however there have been some hybrid game versions created which borrow elements from several styles, such as the case of World of Warcraft.

Similarly, games such as Magic Stones have taken the best of mythological creatures and fused them with a complex game of cards, in some way this setting will remind people of animations such as Yugioh where the player uses monsters and plays with cards in order to defeat the opponent.

Magic stones is an role playing game which uses creatures found in Celtic mythology and fuses the great elements of card playing games in the whole mix. The game takes place in the land of Aravorn and the player controls a duid as well as the powerful creations, the player needs to battle opponents in order to find new artifacts, runes and discover new challenges throughout the land. The player also needs to compete in the annual druid tournament which is hard to pass, this tournament takes place in the black tower where the characters will fight to the death against 16 enemy druids.

The game has over 20 different avatars available for the player to choose, according to the selection a player could be part of a noble druid which excels in intelligence or a wild druid which excels in willpower. There are several specialties such as air, water, earth and fire.

Besides going into “battle mode” or challenge druid, you can choose to gather artifacts which are spread throughout the entire kingdom of Aravon, you will go into enchanted forests, cursed islands, etc. and a player will find hidden objects in each place that will increase the powers of the druid and increase its level as well.

There is also one more mode which is exclusive from the guys at WinterWolves, with this quest mode a player can go on different quests where he will be able to choose different avatars and creatures from the realm of life and spirit. Overall, this a great RPG game with a card playing twist which is guaranteed to keep you entertained for hours.

Technorati Tags: Game, Magic, Review, Stones

This movie to video game adaptation is done very well. It is a mmorpg (massively multiplayer online role playing game) that has a unique combat system where you attack directionally instead of click and lock on like most mmos. You perform combo by hitting the directional attack buttons in sequence. This can lead to cool fatalities and more damage.

It is set in the Robert E. Howard universe which has its own races and cultures besides that of Conan’s Cimmeria. You can choose to start in Cimmeria; a barbaric cold world. Stygia; an Egyptian like world with Pyramids and snake worshipers. There is also Aquilonia which is like an advanced society like the Romans or Byzantium.

There are many guilds in the game some with over 300 people others with 50-60 people. They are going to add Guild Alliances and Alliance Battle Keeps. There are plenty of servers to choose from as well. They have PvE (player vs environment) or PVP servers or culture PvP where you fight different race classes.

The leveling system goes as such; from 1-20 you play in Tortage a pirate island so you can learn the game and system. Then from 20-80 you essentially play in the full world and can engage in PvP anywhere outside of cities. There are some solo instances(zones) where you can only fight by yourself against monsters. There are also raid instances where you need large groups to defeat epic monsters. Sometime you need from 6-12 players depending on the instance. These zones will yield better loot such as swords or armor with better stats.

The game’s initial release had so much hype that it had trouble living up to it in the first few months. Now, they have PVP (player versus player) experience and have fixed a lot of the errors and bugs that occurred in the early months. They have ironed out almost all of the bug and game play problems. They have smoothed over some of the class differences as well. There may still be a gap between some classes, but each one is needed to fill out a good team.

You can siege other player made Battle Keeps or fight in other PVP skirmishes and mini games. There are catapults and War Mammoths that can take down the enemies walls. You can defend you keep with Archers and guards from inside and out. The graphics are very good so make sure you have the latest requirements before buying the game. I give it a 9/10.

Technorati Tags: Conan, Game, Review, video

Left 4 Dead

Score: 5.2
 
PoweredUpGamers

www.poweredupgamers.com

Genre: Survival Horror, First-person shooter

Single-player length: 4 hours
Multi-player length: infinite

Difficulty: 3

Developer: Turtle Rock Studios

Publisher: Valve

Release Date: 11/18/08

Pros

- Co-op gameplay implemented well to require teammates to stick
together

- You can play as one of the monstrosities online

Cons

- You’ll only fight 6 different monsters the entire game
 
- Very basic weapons used for uninspired gunplay

- Very old graphics and sound engine

by Rabid Rabbit

Sometimes developers clearly rest on their past successes and just cart a game out to the stores with very simple ideas and assume people will buy it. That’s what Valve, the excellent and imaginative developers behind the Half-Life series, has done with Left 4 Dead. The only interesting part of the game is that it is set up to require teammates to stick together to survive the onslaught of various infected creatures. Beyond this feature, the game presents an extremely basic shooter that fails to create anything that hasn’t been seen in countless other bland shooters.

There really isn’t much to Left 4 Dead’s gameplay. It is a game solely made for people that like to play co-op games. You are part of a team of 4 survivors trying to make it through slightly different environments against a never-ending onslaught of infected monsters. The only part of the game that distinguishes itself is the manner in which the game requires players to stay together or suffer the consequences.

It’s basically cooperate and stick together or die. Each of the basic set of weapons, including an assault rifle, sniper gun, shotgun, and semi-automatic gun, has limited ammunition that won’t last you through an entire level. You are frequently faced with large hordes of enemies that you will easily empty a clip on. Therefore, it’s imperative that you stick together to cover each other as you reload. If a member gets overcome and knocked down by the infected, his teammates need to run over and help out or they will easily die. If someone needs to heal himself, he can’t shoot so he will need some cover fire for the 3-4 seconds it takes to bandage his wounds. It’s all constructed to prevent people from straying off on their own as a one-man army, and require people to stick together and work as a cohesive unit.

So you’ve got a group of friends that are willing to work together in the game. Now what? Well, you’ll be facing an army of the same enemies over and over for as long as you can take it. The game simply sends the same enemies at you for as long as you can fight the urge to yawn, put the controller down and put a better game in your console or PC.

The vast majority of the game is spent fighting the Horde of your basic of run-of-the-mill zombies. The only nuance to them is that they happen to be on crack, or whatever they are taking to run like cheetahs even thought they are dead. The Horde of infected zombies will run at your team in large droves in an attempt to over-run you. Most of the levels are spent fighting these guys with 1-3 points in each level spent dealing with some of the more specialized infected enemies.

One of these unique infected monsters is the Boomer who will attempt to sneak up on you. If he gets close enough to you, he will vomit on a team member a secretion that attracts large droves of the horde. Smokers lash out their tongues to pull a team member from the fray and incapacitate him until someone kills the Smoker. Once killed, the Smoker leaves behind a lovely parting gift of green smoke that injures anyone that ventures into the remains.

The Hunter will lunge at team members and pounce on them to deal large chunks of damage with melee attacks. The Witch will leave you alone unless she detects you, which sends her flying at someone’s throat to inflict large chunks of melee damage. Tanks are huge infected monsters on steroids that will bound towards and punch you for large chunks of damage. They can take a lot of firepower to down them, so it’s important for the entire team to focus their fire on them.

Each of the monstrosities will try to sneak up on you, so it’s important to listen for some key sounds they make to ensure you are ready to deal with them. The Boomers will make burping sounds as they lurk in the darkness waiting to pray to the porcelain god or one of your teammates – whichever he finds first. Witches can be heard crying and can be avoided by turning off your flashlights and avoiding their areas. The thuds of huge Tanks moving around can be heard in the distance as they approach.

Besides shooting these same enemies over and over, there are a couple of contraptions that you will need to activate during each mission. Don’t worry; it doesn’t involve a puzzle or anything complicated that will add depth to the gameplay. You simply flip a switch or lever to raise a platform so you can gain access to later sections of the level. Every time you activate a machine, a large group of the infected horde will swarm your team until the next area is made available. It’s a very predictable sequence that is repeated on each level with different machines. There are also a few alarms that can be accidentally shot or activated that will send the enemies flocking your way as well.

The entire goal of the game is to reach the safehouse at the end of each level and eventually reach a story’s arc’s end where you need to hold off the infected masses until help arrives to jettison you away to safety. You can pick one high-powered secondary gun with limited ammo to wade through the never-ending infected swarm. If you run out of ammo, you have a weaker pistol with unlimited ammo. You can also carry one grenade and pipe bomb that actually attracts the infected before it blows them all up into little bit-sized chunks of zombie goodness.

To survive the swarms and swarms of never-ending repetitious enemies, you’ll need to explore side paths for additional first aid kits and ammunition. The on-screen item icons do a great job of cueing you into item locations after you’ve found the rooms they are located in. You can also click the control stick to tell your teammates that you’ve found some key items that they may need.

The game plays identically online and offline. The computer-controlled offline characters are very good at helping each other and you with first aid and reviving each other after getting knocked down. Your experience online will only be as good as your teammates are at sticking together and helping each other out if they get hurt.

In the Survivor vs. Infected mode, you can actually play as one of the specialized infected creatures. It’s actually about the only unique part of the game. When you play as the smoker, you can climb walls to find a key location to lash out your tongue at unsuspecting players that are trying to survive the onslaught. If you are a Boomer, your goal is to slowly sneak up on survivors while your burps clue them into your location. The infected creatures are actually very vulnerable to attacks, so it’s very important to find a nice dark space to hide in before springing your attack.

The game’s lackluster gameplay is matched with its poor presentation. The game runs on an engine that was patched together from Half-Life 2 with a few texture upgrades. While it runs very smoothly, all the levels are very unimaginative as you run through bland forests and airports to survive the infected horde that never ceases to chase your team. The sound is also nothing spectacular. For a game with a survival horror setting, the sound and music sure fail to capture an eerie mood or creep you out in any way.

For a game that solely focuses on its co-op experience, it’s pretty sad that there are far better choices out there to play with friends. Call of Duty: World at War and Gears of War 2 provide much better and varied gameplay to enjoy with people online or offline. Left 4 Dead simply asks you to stick together and shoot the same enemies repeatedly with the same weapons through boring settings. Simply adding more varied gameplay, enemies and abilities would have greatly enhanced the experience. If the game used abilities similar to the Diablo series and allowed player’s abilities to stack and help the team out, it could have been a much more varied and interesting game. Instead the repetitive gameplay fails to set itself apart from countless other shooters that hit the shelves every year and also aren’t worth playing.

PoweredUpGamers

 www.poweredupgamers.com

Honest reviews by gamers for gamers

Visit us to also view the game’s video review, gameplay videos and images.

Technorati Tags: Available, Better, Coop, Dead, games, Left, Review, there

War games is one of the most popular PC game genres due to the fact that players like blowing things up, this behavior is seen not only in war games but in RPGs and shooting games which incorporate weapons. There have been great games that incorporate all of these elements in one nice package such as Battlefield 1942, this game has been released in several formats, one of them being PC.

Another great PC game which deals with war and strategy is called “Machines at War”, this entertaining real time strategy game allows a player to control an army of forces across a battlefield, compared to other games which claim that an army of 10-15 tanks, Machines at War takes this statement to a whole new level by adding hundreds of these machines which will literally fill your screen.

The main goal of the game is to construct the ultimate machine which will allow your forces to take over the world, however this won’t be easy and you’ll need to take down several enemy troops to accomplish this task. This game is quite unique because it features a random map system which makes every mission different and the challenges change according to the new arrangement.

Machines at War players will often find themselves building defenses such as walls to defend their position, building bridges to cross fields which are divided by water and even hiding under the trees in order to execute an ambush attack, if you have played other war games then you know the drill; you basically need to use every trick on the book to stay alive and give your army forces a good shot at victory.

There are several strategies you can follow in order to win the game, however not all of them work perfectly, you can choose to build up your offensive forces in order to crush your enemies with unique weapons, this would make your your troops virtually unstoppable, if you are one of those players who thinks that the best defense is a good offense then you will definitively use this strategy to your advantage; another strategy you may use is to strengthen your defenses by building fortified walls and gates to shield you from any attack while you come up with a good plan to crush the enemy.

Machines at War players are able to build vehicles and aircraft in order to take complete control of the field and airspace, some of the vehicles and aircraft that can be built include: trucks, tanks, helicopters, jets, etc. The game also features full scale maps which let the player have a clear view of the terrain and how the units are organized, overall this is a very solid game which should keep you busy for several weeks!

Technorati Tags: Game, Machines, Review