combat posts

This trailer for Quantum of Solace demonstrates the cover combat system players will be using to help dodge fire and take down enemies with style. The game hits store shelves tomorrow (Nov 4) and the movie will launch on next week on November 14th.

Download HD Quantum of Solace Cover Combat Trailer (42 MB)
Check out all Quantum of Solace downloads

This video illustrates how combat will be handled in Dragon Age: Origins. From the looks of things, combat sticks very close to the Baldur's Gate roots but with some very nice streamlining.

Download the Dragon Age: Orgins Darkspawn Combat HD Video (40 MB)

The last Big Ideas focused on the idea of identity, and what it means to see yourself truly represented in a video game. In this installment, we take a look at gender portrayals for both men and women and try to shine a light on some invisible assumptions.

To begin with, it used to be a commonly-held -- and trumpeted -- belief that "girls don't play video games". Certainly, the Boys Clubs that most video arcades became in the 1980's managed to make video games unattractive by sheer atmosphere. Dimly-lit, smoky, and raucously loud, is it any wonder that gaming might not have been a draw to females until it entered the home? Peering over the shoulder of a big brother as he played Combat on his Atari 2600 might have sparked some interest in a dormant gamer if she weren't brusquely told to go away.

Similarly, the rise of media coverage of the pastime perpetuated the stereotype of video games as a male-only pursuit, bolstered in the main by the focus of its advertising. Typically featuring sexy female models clad in ridiculously fetishized fantasy costumes, these ads titillated pubescent males into buying games based solely on the perceived value of the model. Sadly, content in the games themselves followed suit.

Have you ever spotted information about a game floating around the Internet, practically waving its hands and jumping up and down for your attention? Did you ignore that friendly, lonely information asking you to just give it a chance? Shame on you! Well, sorry, not shame on you, since you're obviously reading this Fallout 3 preview. Actually, calling this a preview would be a bit misleading. Instead, think of this as a look into the reasoning for you to love Fallout 3.

In the spirit of Fallout 3, we've created our own mutant rats. We call them love-rats, which are foot-sized rats possessing shockingly tiny front-legs and disturbing large hind-legs. We hope that you're highly resistant to love-rats, because we're about to unleash them unto your face so they can skitter and nibble you with their filthy infected love-maws!

Download the latest Fallout 3 HD Trailer

DICE's first-person action-adventure game Mirror's Edge is one of the wild cards of the 2008 lineup for all platforms (assuming it actually does come out in 2008). So far, we've had to rely on clues from a lone gameplay video and a recent story trailer. Now we have a bit more to work with; an interview and a few new screenshots. It's not much, but it's something, right?

In an interview at the EA3 (no, not E3!) press event, Mirror's Edge Senior Producer Owen O'Brien described the game design philosophy behind DICE's new game. The idea is that everything -- including combat -- is grounded in a free movement mechanic that is easy to learn but difficult to master. In fact, the combat controls consist of two buttons -- attack, and disarm. Exactly how those work depends on how you set up the action with movement beforehand.

Watch the interview for more, and be sure to check out the screenshots as well.

Download the Mirror's Edge Gameplay Video from Big Download!
Download the Mirror's Edge Story Trailer from Big Download!

We have two new trailers for Eden Games and Atari's upcoming reboot of the Alone in the Dark franchise. The videos couldn't be more different. One features gameplay footage and commentary by producer Nora Paloni about the various enemies, weapons, and combat strategies in the game. It's a continuation of an earlier video that focused on fire.

The other video is a more traditional trailer -- a montage of cinematic and gameplay moments expertly cut together with some pretty sweet post-rock music. There are some new tidbits about the storyline and the main character in there. You'll also get a sense of the voice acting; we think it sounds okay, but not great.

You'll find the videos after the jump along with links to download the hi res versions.

Every Friday to come, we'll present to you some of the biggest downloads at Big Download. Sometimes they'll be the most popular, sometimes the best rated. Sometimes they'll be our own personal favorites! There's a little of each in today's inaugural round-up. Thanks to the launch of Mass Effect, the huge Ubidays press event, and all the other exciting stuff this past week, there's a lot of great stuff to check out. Here are the Big Downloads!

	Beyond Good & Evil 2 Teaser Trailer Ubisoft dropped the bomb on everyoneat the Ubidays press event: the esteemed Beyond Good & Evil is getting a sequel! Here's the first trailer, our most popular download this week.
	Doom 3 Classic Mod Relive the 90s in the Doom 3 Classic Mod. It's a remake of classic Doom in the more modern Doom 3 engine.
	Prince of Persia Ubidays 2008 Teaser Trailer Also from Ubidays, the Prince of Persia trailer shows off the next installment's colorful, gorgeous visual style.
	Mass Effect Combat Video 3 We can't let this week slip without featuring arguably its biggest release, Mass Effect. Here's a combat video depicting zombies and worse.
	Get a Life Half-Life 2 Mod The Get a Life mod for Half-Life 2 has been popular in the Big Download offices these past few days. It's a full-length single-player affair that has you uncovering the mysteries of the protagonist's past.

The expertly ported PC version of Mass Effect hit store shelves shelves today. Whether you still haven't picked it up, or you've already bought it but want to peak a few hours ahead, we have a new video for you, in "glorious high definition," to borrow what has by now become a cliché!

The 720p video depicts a female Colonel Shepherd and her team purging an underground lair of zombie-like Thorian enemies, inching closer to eliminating a sentient, mind-controlling plant hidden beneath the ramshackle homes of tragedy-stricken human colonists.

We won't spoil any of the finer narrative details for you, but check the video out; it offers a glimpse of the game's excellent third-person, tactical combat system.

Download the Mass Effect Combat Video 3 from Big Download.

Three new videos for Mass Effect PC have parked themselves in our Big Download servers today. Two of the videos feature the much improved user interface in various combat situations. While the third video uses a cutscene to show off the noticeably improved graphics of the PC version. From the looks of the two combat videos it seems like the group who ported the game onto the PC took much into consideration in terms of interface. It really tickles us to see the mysterious player in these movies pause the game and deftly select abilities without any trouble at all.

If you've been on the proverbial fence about getting Mass Effect for your PC, these videos should help make up your mind. At least they'll give you something incredibly pretty to watch, if nothing else. Seriously, we've never seen Krogan skin look so good!

• Mass Effect Combat Video 1
• Mass Effect Combat Video 2
• Mass Effect Tenuous Diplomacy Video

GameSpot shared some initial impressions of Fallout 3 with the world at large, and noted that XBox 360 owners aren't the only folks who will get to senselessly grind -- err, heroically work -- towards Achievements. PC users will be able to earn Achievement points via Games for Windows Live.

Note that you can acquire Achievement points with a free Silver membership; you don't need to pay $50 for a Gold one. In fact, since Fallout 3 has no multi-player, there's no need to invest in a Gold membership at all, unless you've got the money to blow for no reason. If that's the case, more power to ya!

The article also goes into detail about Fallout 3's immersive character creation process, combat, user interface, and the different ways you can use your canine companion Dogmeat (a throwback to the first Fallout) for various tasks. Apart from the Achievements bit, though, most of the content is old news. Then again, a fresh perspective is always nice if you just can't get enough Fallout.