Sandbox

Games that are coming out soon have a lot of unknowns that the average person might not know. Who is this character inspired by? Is all the talk of volumetric fog or cel-shaded graphics really worthwhile? Do the game mechanics really seem solid, or are they lackluster? In All You Need To Know we provide information to help you fully appreciate what these upcoming games have to offer.

Feed your head after the jump.

Check out our collection of The Saboteur related downloads here on Big Download!

Players with a knack for micromanagement and looking for a big power trip may be interested in Tropico 3. In this third installment, like its predecessors, players take the role of a national leader, El Presidente, of a tropical island. Under your direction, the tiny nation needs build up an economic infrastructure from practically nothing, tend to the needs of its citizens, and get out from under the shadow of influence of superpowers like the United States and the USSR. However, being a national leader takes more than tending the peoples' every whim. In order to get a high score, players will need to skim a little here and there to put away for a retirement fund. Balancing power between what's good for your nation and what's good for you will be a constant act as the game progresses.

Download the Tropico 3 Demo
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"Cities XL is the next-generation in city-building games, allowing gamers to develop cities on realistic 3D maps using an incredible collection of unique structures. Would-be Mayors are challenged to create the right combination of social services, leisure activities, special events and job opportunities within their cities in order to feed, employ and entertain their citizens.Realism will be pushed to the limit with cities that are bigger, more realistic and more sophisticated than ever before."

Download HD Cities XL Launch Trailer (54 MB)
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This update addresses a number of different gameplay issues in Dawn of Discovery (Anno 1404). Patch notes are shown after the jump. The Dawn of Discovery demo can be downloaded here.

[Update]: The v1.1 patch for EU, Middle East and Asian releases of Anno 1404 can be downloaded here.

Download Dawn of Discovery v1.1 Patch (214 MB)
Download Anno 1404 v1.1 Patch [EU/Asia/Middle East] (218 MB)
Download Dawn of Discovery Demo (1.67 GB)
Check out all Dawn of Discovery downloads

While the previous Cities XL gameplay video dealt primarily with covering the basics and a largely single-player experience, this one deals with the dynamics of building your dream city online with other players. Players will influence the development of neighboring cities in the online game by making an impact on the global economy. Additionally, players are free to socialize with each other and visit each other's cities. If that weren't enough, players can pool their resources and collaborate to build a mega structure, like the Statue of Liberty, and receive all the fame and benefits it brings, making Cities XL much more than just a city management game. However, features that don't appear to be included in the game are interplanetary trade (you can pick one, but you'll have to stay there) and raising a military to take territory or resources by force. Maybe that'll all come with the expansion.

Download HD Cities XL Multiplayer Gameplay Video (142 MB)
Download HD Cities XL Single Player Gameplay Video (126 MB)
Check out all Cities XL downloads

This patch addresses various gameplay issues in Majesty 2. The game demo is can be downloaded here.

Download Majesty 2 v1.0.97 Patch (48 MB)
Download Majesty 2 Demo (569 MB)
Check out all Majesty 2 downloads

Cities XL lets you build a city from the ground up and allow it to develop in whatever direction you want. This narrated video runs down some of the features players can expect from the game when it releases this month. Those who don't want to wait can get an early look at the game by trying out the demo, which can be downloaded here.

Download HD Cities XL Gameplay Video #1 (126 MB)
Download Cities XL US Demo (998 MB)
Download Cities XL EU Demo (1 GB)
Check out all Cities XL downloads

Gallery: Cities XL

The latest stop in the series of The Sims 3 World Adventures gameplay trailers takes to China, where the game combines a bit of mythology to go with the exotic location. It also looks like sims pick up a few extra moves with this expansion, so players can put together the martial arts fantasy they've always dreamed of. The Sims 3 World Adventures is expected to release in November.

Download HD The Sims 3 World Adventures 'China' Trailer (19 MB)
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Welcome to Freeware Friday, a weekly column showcasing excellent games that you can play free of charge!

Previously mentioned when we found it through an independent review, the Clonk series is a collection of sandbox games that focus around survival and exploitation of the environment. They are quite good, and all except the latest game are available for free through the official site. Clonk Endeavour is the predecessor to the latest title (Clonk Rage) and it's incredible. While it may not be as well known as other freeware independent titles, it certainly deserves to be, and it is a game that you can easily lose your life to. So maybe it's time that it gets the love it deserves.

Volition has been hard at work on their Saint's Row series for their past few years. They recently returns to one of their flagship franchises with a new game, however, and Red Faction Guerrilla is that game. By initial accounts and over-quick judgements, one might think that it is poor, given the delay in release as well as the knowledge that it is a port of a console game. Thankfully, Red Faction Guerrilla surpasses these two premature gaffes and sets itself as easily the best entry in the series. This is not jsut a console port, it's a vast improvement on everything that the original series set out to do, and is one of best times you can ever have in a sandbox game.

Games that are coming out soon have a lot of unknowns that the average person might not know. Who is this character inspired by? Is all the talk of volumetric fog or cel-shaded graphics really worthwhile? Do the game mechanics really seem solid, or are they lackluster? In All You Need To Know we provide information to help you fully appreciate what these upcoming games have to offer.

Feed your head after the jump.

Check out our collection of Borderlands related downloads here on Big Download!

Much like Order of War earlier this week, it appears that folks who purchase the upcoming island dictator simulation Tropico 3 via Steam will be getting some extras that are not in the regular edition of the title. According to the Steam site, the Tropico 3 Steam Special Edition will have two extra maps for use in the game's sandbox mode.

In addition to the two new maps, the special Steam addition will also give players two additional costumes that they can use for their dictator avatar that can head down to the island itself to check out its subjects. We just hope they are appropriately goofy and garish.
Download Tropico 3 Demo (1.10 GB)

This is the official playable demo for Majesty 2, the game where players build up and defend a fantasy kingdom. A gameplay trailer showing the game's enemies and how to fight them can be seen after the jump along with the system requirements. Majesty 2 is set to release on September 18th.
"In the world of Majesty, you are the ruler of the kingdom Ardania. At your service are your loyal and somewhat obnoxious subordinates, who have their own minds about how things should be done. In fact, Majesty is the only game where your heroes decide on their own what should be done and when, leaving you to try to control them through monetary incentives."

Download Majesty 2 Demo (569 MB)
Download HD Majesty 2 'Enemies and Fighting' Trailer (24 MB)
Check out all Majesty 2 downloads

Volition has been at it for a while now. Created from the ashes of Parallax Software, the folks behind Descent, they have had a rather convoluted history, going everywhere from space combat sims to open-world gang games. However, no game series has defined them quite as much as the Red Faction series. Despite all of their fooling about with other genres, it is this series which has established a sort of miniature continuity for them. With the latest entry having been on consoles for a while and being released to PC soon, it's a good time to take a look back on the first two games and just how much they are reflected in Volition's work. This is not a review of any kind, but rather a retrospective on the life of an extraordinary series.

This is the playable demo for Tropico 3, the game where you become El Presidente of a small tropical island and manage its development. The full game is scheduled to release in October. Full descriptions of the two demo scenarios and minimum system requirements can be read after the jump.
Download Tropico 3 Demo (1.10 GB)
Check out all Tropico 3 downloads