Since the release of Team fortress classic and counter strike, undeniably, two of the most played online shooters of all times, producers of MMO games have taken quiet and interest in the genre and over the last several years, there have been a number of games which easily fit into the genre of both worlds. Essentially, the marrying of these two facets of gaming results in the MMOFPS and is apparent in titles such as Wolf Team, Combat Arms, C

When embarking on the adventure that is 4 story, the question all gamers should ask themselves is whether they should be saying wow, or WoW, for indeed, this game, in every sense, resembles Blizzards titan mmorpg the World of Warcraft. However, this is not to say 4 story is not without its own unique features, for there is much here gamers will find enjoyable.

The games character creation is set between three di

The path of the King; the epic story behind one of this year’s biggest games and a tribute to the author, Robert E. Howard, master of fantasy and father to both the Hyborian age and the genre known as sword and sorcery.

Set in the lands of Hyboria, Robert E. Howard’s epic series documents the many adventures of Conan the barbarian as he ventures across the lands in search of battle, fame and glory. As if as natural as the changing of the seasons, the vast lands and many kingdoms in which the stories take place are born of the ruins described in his previous series, Kull, the exile of Atlantis.

In creating the series, rather than fashion a world devoid of all reality, Howard, instead sought to re-write history and creates what he saw to be the ancient races predating those which would later dominate much of Europe and others of more exotic lands, including those of Egypt, Africa, South America, Arabia and the exotic lands of the far-eastern orient. Though, in reflection to the times of the Atlantian and Pictish wars, the Hyborian age was a relatively civilized one, with many of the great nations constructing  grand cities of towering castles and seeking ad

For the past few months I, like many other gamers, had been eagerly awaiting the closed-beta release of Warrior Epic, which, in announcing itself to gamers, had been described a suggested to be a fast-paced, action-based MMORPG. Undeniably, with a description like that, you can easily see why so many of us would have been hanging out to play it, especially in consideration of the disappointments brought by the end of 2007 and the first few releases of 2008. However, rather than presenting gamers with what was promised, Warrior Epic instead served up yet another disappointment. Not only was this game anything but fast or action based, it can hardly even  be described as an MMORPG, considering the fact the game is actually stage based with a specific amount of monsters and timed NPC events. I mean yeah sure, later on you can pitch your group of warriors against those held by other players, in the game’s Warrior Hall feature, but still, I can hardly call this action based, when the combat is simply the same old roll-of-the-dice and mathematic hit rations that gamers and the MMO community has seen time and time again. However, to be honest, the fact this game was mundane was

Wind Slayer, the new MMORPG, released and distributed by Game and Game is, at first glance, just another Maple Story clone in the guise of other games such as Ghost online. Yet, don’t be so quick to judge, I mean any game which has you beating up smiling turds with a lump of wood has to be something a little unique… or obscure to say the least. However, like the other side scrolling MMORPG games such as Maple Story, Ghost online and Pi Story, wind player does feature bright Anime influenced graphics, happy looking characters, strange stereotypical NPC characters and an array of some of the strangest, unreal monsters I have ever seen in a game.

When you first log in, you create a character, choosing between either male or female and a range of facial expressions and hair colours. Yet, for some reason, this game seems to offer fewer options for players in the fields of customisation of their avatars. Nevertheless, as you progress in the game, you will be able to deck out your character as you see fit. So don’t worry too much, you will only feel like a sheep for the first 10 levels or so. Beyond that, once you’re in the game itself, like with both Ghost and Maple Story, you begin your

Well, with one more assignment out of the way and about another five to go, before the end of the University semester, I decided it was time for a break and thus began searching for a new MMORPG to test out. Fortunately, the past few weeks have seen a slew of recent releases, some good, some not so good and some… well, let’s just say I wouldn’t even play them if you paid me. Anyway, being in a rather strange mood, I was looking for something new, something completely different and fortunately, after a little digging around on the net, I came across Aeronauts, developed by JCE entertainment and currently being hosted by Game and Game.

From the website, the graphics and screen shots looked pretty sharp, much sharper than previous flight combat MMO games such as Space Cowboy, now known as Air Rivals, Flysis and several another names. Nevertheless, I tried not to expect too much, as lately I have been rather disappointed with the games coming out. However, I am happy to report that for the first time, in ages it seems, I was pleasantly surprised with this little air combat game.

Like most action based MMORPG games, Aeronauts play is broken into several sections, allowing players to exper

Undeniably the living dead, specifically zombies, have played a major part in the construction and continuation of the horror genre and have influenced countless novels, movies and in recent years, videogames. Though beginning much earlier, one of the most memorable of such games was of course Resident Evil. However, unlike other one hit wonders and novel concepts, Resident Evil went on to enjoy a number of sequels and a trilogy of rather impressive action flicks, starring many flesh devouring fiends. But please, don’t let me make you think that it ends there, because it surely has not. Nevertheless, it was only a matter of time before the zombie concept was manipulated and formed into something of an online game.

Though I’m sure many of you know what I’m talking about by now, for those that don’t I am of course talking about the new online, flash based game, Dead Frontier, which, all things considered, is not bad at all and can actually give you a fair bit of fun, especially for those of you who enjoyed old-school top down RPGs such as boulders gate.

Essentially, the game sees you, as the player, thrust into the role of a lone individual who has survived a terrible onslaught and no

“What do I know of cultured ways, the guilt, the craft and the lie?
I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky.

The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when broadswords sing;

Rush in and die, dogs – I was a man before I was a king.” (Robert E. Howard, 1929, p.35)

So what is with the poem, I hear you asking. Well, my friends, the answer is simple. This week I have been slashing guts, casting spells and unleashing deadly and devastating spells. However, it would not be right for me to start my Conan review, without giving a nod to the man himself. That’s right; Mr. Robert E. Howard was the one who first penned the epic saga of Conan the barbarian. Sadly, Howard left us at the age of 31 after having committed suicide. Thus, it is too this mans great works, I would like to dedicate this review and thank him for all the glorious literature which he left for all as fantasy obsessed fans. Truly, if I were to have one, he would be my hero.

Essentially, Conan is a massive game and rightly so. Taking place throughout the lands of Hyboria, the game’s map and geographical layout holds true to how Howard had described and envisioned the savage lands of Barbarian rule, Ancien

 Undeniably Japanese Anime, specifically those now considered to be cult classics, have had a profound impact upon the video gaming industry and have even lead to the construction of several much loved genres. Therefore, this article shall be examining the influence of Anime upon video gaming whilst keeping a specific focus upon the new wave of Anime influenced MMORPGS, specifically those having been derived from what is often described as Neo-punk or Mecha.

Before we begin delving into the complex relationships and intrinsic connections between Anime and video games, it is important to first gain an understanding of the historical foundation and to examine the philosophical ideologies underpinning several classic Anime features.

 In a historical context, one of the most controversial and yet influential Anime of all time was first released in 1988 and was of course, the featured length, cyber-punk themed Akira. This film, despite its highly philosophical and complex storyline, was a masterpiece of script writing and was quick to become known as one of the greatest cult classics of all time.

Several years after its original release in Japan, Akira began to make its way towards the US,