Military Video Games, computer games - Air Force Times

New games come out swinging

Video-game announcements for Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s PlayStation 3 dominated most of the news from last week’s E3 Media & Business Summit in Santa Monica, Calif.

But there’ll still be plenty for computer gamers to get excited about in the coming months.

With “Bioshock” due from 2K Games and Crysis from Electronic Arts on Aug. 21 and Sept. 1 respectively (most PC titles are $50), “we’re seeing a couple of marquee titles that are going to show off just how good PC graphics can be,” says game journalist Steve Morgenstern, who covered E3 for “Popular Science.”

Each takes advantage of the advanced multimedia capabilities built into Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows Vista. “It is going to be a killer,” he says.

Among other PC games in the works:

World in Conflict

(Sierra, Sept. 16 for PCs, later this fall for 360, screenshots)

The story line, written by best-selling author Larry Bond (“Dangerous Ground”), posits that the Cold War didn’t end but instead escalated with the Soviet Union attacking Europe and the USA. “In this game, the war is coming home,” Sierra’s Greg Agius says.

You deploy forces as in a real-time strategy game and dive into the battle first-person style. The cinematic action is fast paced, and those with high-end PCs will be rewarded with graphics that outstrip new game consoles, he says. “It’s the next level of realism and scalability.”

An online beta trial started last week at http://www.worldinconflict.com.

Thrillville: Off the Rails

(LucasArts, October for PCs; also 360, PS2, Wii, screenshots)

This sequel to last fall’s game makes you more than just a roller-coaster tycoon; you can create and customize all kinds of carnival rides in addition to making coasters that make you say “Whoa!” Among the 20 death-defying stunts that can be included on your coaster is the Hotrod Stunt, which shoots the car across a broken track.

Other mini-games, 34 in all, include go-karts, miniature golf and Robo K.O. For those who prefer a plot, “Off the Rails” also has a Scooby-Doo-ish mystery to solve, says LucasArts’ Matt Shell. “But you play this game, it doesn’t play you.”

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures

(Eidos, Oct. 30 for PCs, screenshots)

This massively multiplayer online (MMO) game is based on the novels of Robert E. Howard, not the movies starring the Governator. In the game’s world, Conan is in his 40s and is king of Aquilonia. Players can become rogues, warriors, mages and priests in this bloody land of myth and magic. You can’t play as Conan, but you can “get to his palace and meet and talk to him,” says Erling Ellingsen of co-developer Funcom.

The fighting looks fluid enough to do the barbarian proud. “We’re trying to create an MMO world that feels very different ... with demons (and) drunken fighting.”

Legendary: The Box

(Gamecock, PCs plus game systems, spring 2008, screenshots)

This modern-day action-adventure being developed by Spark Unlimited (many staffers worked of “Medal of Honor” games and “Call of Duty: Finest Hour”) turns you into an art thief contracted to steal what turns out to be Pandora’s box. But the box opens, unleashing creatures such as griffins, werewolves and a golem, which wreak havoc on London and New York. “First-person shooters tend to be games where you advance yard by yard. We wanted a game of space,” says producer John Garcia-Shelton. “Often enemies feel like pop-up targets. We use (artificial intelligence) to allow them to come at you with different actions.”

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars

(Activision, no date, for PC, plus 360, PS3, screenshots)

An action-shooting prequel to Id Software’s “Quake” titles, this game caters to newcomers, too, with easily understood objectives and offline game play for training. It’s 2065 and the Strogg have invaded Earth; you help the Global Defense Force fend off the attack (or play as the Strogg).

“In this game, it’s actually possible to get rewards by being an engineer without firing a single shot,” says Paul Wedgwood, creative director of developer Splash Damage. “The game rewards heroic behavior, not just the guy who gets the most kill shots.” Online multiplayer awards include “newbie of the battle.”