Matt Keller
04 Dec, 2005
Christmas Buyers Guide - PC
PC Feature | Prefer your mouse and keyboard to those pesky controllers? Take a look at PALGN's picks for the PC this Christmas.
Ah, the PC. Large, costly to run, and almost always needing maintenance, but also offers gaming experiences you're not likely to encounter anywhere else (as well as serving a ton of other, more productive purposes). PC gaming fans were especially spoilt last year with some triple A releases in the lead up to Christmas, but 2005 won't disappoint, offering up plenty of variety for fans of the mouse and keyboard combo. Say goodbye to your loved ones, darken the room and get ready for a new monitor tan.
F.E.A.R
Release Date: Out Now
RRP:$89.95 (LE: $99.95) | Also on: NR
D: Monolith | P: Vivendi
OFLC Rating: MA15+
PALGN REVIEW: 8.5 | BUY NOW: Standard Edition | Limited Edition
Monolith have long been at the forefront of the first person shooter market with titles such as No One Lives Forever, Shogo, Alien vs Predator 2 and Tron 2.0. Their latest title, F.E.A.R. continues Monolith’s dedication to producing unique, high quality shooters. As a new member of First Encounter Assault Recon, it is your duty to assist in disrupting a terrorist takeover of a multi-billion dollar research facility. Unfortunately, the proverbial hits the fan when a paranormal force begins to interfere, wiping out team members one by one. F.E.A.R. is not for the faint of heart, nor for the weak of bladder.
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Half-Life 2: Game of the Year Edition
Release Date: Out Now
RRP:$99.95 | Also on: Xbox
D: Valve | P: EA
OFLC Rating: MA15+
PALGN REVIEW: NR | BUY NOW: CD | DVD
Released in November of 2004, Half-life 2 pulled in a record 35 Game of the Year awards from various outlets, and made Valve even richer. This year, Valve have joined forces with Electronic Arts to release a Game of the Year edition of their opus, which includes the latest version of Half-Life 2, Half-life Source, Half-Life 2 Deathmatch and Counter-strike Source. The game holds up well after a year, which should please gamers who’ve just recently upgraded their PC. PALGN also recommends getting Day of Defeat: Source from Steam – you might even see our own Brendan on there.
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Age of Empires III
Release Date: Out Now
RRP:$99.95 | Also on: NR
D: Ensemble Studios | P: Microsoft Game Studios
OFLC Rating: M
PALGN REVIEW: 8.0 | BUY NOW: PC
Everybody has to have played the first two Age of Empires games by now – heck, it was free with boxes of Nutri Grain for a while. The third game continues the fine tradition of the series, but moves the action forward into the 15th century. Gone are the catapults and castles of the first two games; cannons and trains are now the in-thing. Age of Empires III offers a lengthy single player campaign where players compete to take control over the New World. Of course, there’s also full support for multiplayer over the ESOnline service. Highly recommended for the strategy buffs this Christmas.
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Rugby League 2
Release Date: Out Now
RRP:$89.95 | Also on: PS2
D: Sidhe Interactive | P: HES
OFLC Rating: G
PALGN REVIEW: NR | BUY NOW: PC
The long awaited sequel to 2003’s Rugby League promises to bring the sport of rugby league up to the level of videogame representation we see from EA Sports’ Madden, NBA Live and NHL games. Fully customisable AI via the use of sliders, online multiplayer support and a full franchise mode with a full representative schedule should solve most of our grievances with the original game. The game has had a couple minor difficulties with bugs resulting in a few delays, but we should expect Rugby League 2 to break the line on December 8th.
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Call of Duty 2
Release Date: Out Now
RRP:$89.95 | Also on: NR
D: Infinity Ward | P: Activision
OFLC Rating: MA15+
PALGN REVIEW: NR | BUY NOW: Standard Edition | Limited Edition
Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty made a big splash in the final days of 2003. While it wasn’t exactly a gaming revolution (not in the slightest, actually), it was chock-full of atmosphere, and as a result, gamers everywhere volunteered for yet another re-enactment of the second World War. Call of Duty 2 takes players back to the 1940s and puts them in some of the most chaotic battles of the war with the odds stacked high against them. Better graphics and sound should add even more to the series already brilliant atmosphere. Call of Duty 2 is also packing a mean multiplayer component for those that wish to get their war on with a few buddies.
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Civilization IV
Release Date: Out Now
RRP:$89.95 | Also on: NR
D: Firaxis | P: 2K Games
OFLC Rating: PG
PALGN REVIEW: NR | BUY NOW: PC
Sid Meier’s baby has been the darling of many strategy gamers for almost 20 years now. The fourth game promises to take the series to new heights, offering a plethora of new gameplay options, refinements to the core game and a powerful 3-D graphics engine which makes one’s civilisation really come to life as a living, breathing world. Much to the joy of lonely wives and girlfriends, Civilisation IV is a lot friendlier towards burst play, so some time with loved ones can be salvaged, though we suspect the game is likely to consume the lives of all who dare install it.
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The Movies
Release Date: Out Now
RRP:$89.95 | Also on: NR
D: Lionhead | P: Activision
OFLC Rating: M
PALGN REVIEW: NR | BUY NOW: Standard Edition | Limited Edition
Peter Molyneux and his cronies up at Lionhead have always been innovators when it comes to tycoon style games, and The Movies shows real dedication by the Guildford gang to create new and exciting experiences within the genre. The Movies is broken into two parts; a sim title, much like Molyneux’s Theme Park and Theme Hospital efforts at Bullfrog, where the aim of the game is to produce movies, keep your stars happy and become the #1 studio. The other part of the game is a moviemaking component, which allows players to create their own movies using the sets and scenes in game, and add all sorts of effects to them in post-production, like voice acting, subtitles, music and such. These movies can then be shared with friends or uploaded to Lionhead’s online community. The Movies hould keep any budding director and/or tycoon fan busy for a couple of weeks.
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Football Manager 2006
Release Date: Out Now
RRP:$79.95 (LE: $99.95 | Also on: NR
D: Sports Interactive | P: Sega
OFLC Rating: G
PALGN REVIEW: NR | BUY NOW: Standard Edition | Limited Edition
Wives and girlfriends; say goodbye to your loved one, because Football Manager is about to steal him away again for another year. The most realistic and addictive soccer management title has returned for another season and offers a whole bunch of incremental updates, as well as a new game engine, referee tracking table, and the new rosters for 2006. A nice accompaniment to the A-League season, Football Manager 2006 should keep any soccer fan busy for months to come.
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King Kong
Release Date: Out Now
RRP:$89.95 | Also on: PS2, Xbox, GC, NDS, PSP, GBA
D: Ubi Soft | P: Ubi Soft
OFLC Rating: M
PALGN REVIEW: 8.0 | BUY NOW: PC
The videogame based on famed director Peter Jackson’s version of King Kong promises to deliver unprecedented atmosphere and a level of quality never seem before from movie tie ins. Take control over Jack Driscoll and the great ape himself through the key points of the movie. King Kong is also chock full of extras, including exclusive interviews with Peter Jackson and the cast of the film. A high definition version of the PC game is also available on direct order from Ubi Soft, but demands a very hefty spec – 2gb of RAM minimum.
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Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Release Date: Out Now
RRP:$99.95 | Also on: PS2, Xbox
D: Rockstar North | P: Rockstar
OFLC Rating: MA15+
PALGN REVIEW: 9.0 | BUY NOW: PC
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas may have been available for over a year now, but the PC version of the game is easily the best to date, offering significantly enhanced graphics and greatly optimised control (our biggest gripe with previous ports) as well as the ability to modify the game as you wish. Join Carl “CJ” Johnson on his quest to put Grove St. back on the map by any means necessary. San Andreas features all of the fantastic open ended gameplay the series has been renowned for, and adds an absolutely massive map (now an entire state), customisable cars and characters, new vehicles, weapons and missions for all to enjoy. Only available on DVD-ROM.
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Battlefield 2
Release Date: Out Now
RRP:$99.95 | Also on: NR
D: DICE | P: EA Games
OFLC Rating: M
PALGN REVIEW: 9.0 | BUY NOW: CD | DVD
Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield Vietnam weren’t entirely bad games – the foundation was there, but the execution just wasn’t as good as we’d hoped. DICE went back to the drawing board, built a new engine, re-designed the game for the era of modern warfare and ended up with Battlefield 2, which just happens to be the best military shooter you’ll play this year. Go online with up to 63 other players and fight battles on a variety of maps, from confined urban settings to open marshlands. As you play more and increase your skill, the game will reward you with new weapons and abilities to take into matches. Battlefield 2 is a definite must buy for any multiplayer junkie this Christmas. The latest repackaging of the game also includes a copy of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault for more offline, World War II European Theatre shenanigans.
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Fable: The Lost Chapters
Release Date: Out Now
RRP:$89.95 | Also on: Xbox
D: Big Blue Box | P: Microsoft Game Studios
OFLC Rating: MA15+
PALGN REVIEW: 8.0 | BUY NOW: PC
Fable was the second most hyped game of 2004, and while it didn’t deliver quite as much as the developers promised, it was still a pretty solid adventure title. The Lost Chapters brings back a few sections cut from the original game, as well as a bunch of new quests, new weapons and new characters to interact with. The expanded version of the game also marks the first appearance of Fable on the PC, and as such boasts enhanced graphics and load times over the Xbox version. Best for those who didn’t experience Fable the first time around, though big fans of the first game may get something out of it as well.
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