Month: January 2016

Texas-based game studio HiTech Creations have announced they have opened a free public beta of their next generation online combat simulation multiplayer game for the PC, Aces High.

Aces High is a versatile multiplayer World War 2 simulation game which combines hard core combat flight simulation elements with ground-wars and naval battles. With vast amounts of user generated content, a vibrant community and regular free updates, this is an addictive game for anyone who likes intense dogfights and beyond.

The free open beta version adds many major new elements to the long-running game. A completely new graphics engine and a new sound engine headline the new version. New features of these engines include:

• Continuous Level-of-Detail shift
• Real-time environment mapping
• Atmospheric light scattering with realistic haze effects
• Award-winning SpeedTree® vegetation rendering system on an unprecedented scale.
• Terrains as that can exceed a quarter-million square miles.
• Large-scale terrain smooth self-shadowing gives life-like vistas
• Upgraded DirectX 12 compatible shaders
• Completely new ships, airfields and ground objects
• New high resolution terrain mapping
• FMOD® Sound System
• Completely new sounds including multi-channel recordings of real World War 2 aircraft
• New environmental background sounds
• Greater sound realism using new blending, cross-fading, and filter effects

In addition to large-scale open arena play and historical re-enactment scenarios, a new mission system can put players right into the start of air battles ranging in size from 1v1’s to huge air battles with hundreds of planes in either player-vs-player, or player-vs-AI configurations. New alternate game play modes such as Capture-the-Flat and Last-Man-Standing are also supported. The open beta can be downloaded for free from the official Aces High website.

About Aces High
Aces High was released in the last quarter of 1999. Since its initial release it has been continuously updated and maintained. Now the best supported game just got better. Through all the major revisions of the game, continuity has been maintained. Adding new features, augmenting others, adding and updating content has kept the game fresh for the thousands of players who play Aces High.

In Panzer Corps: Soviet Corps you will have deal with a dangerous enemy, who is overpowering you across multiple fronts and striking directly at the heart of your Nation. Only by counting on the unshakable will of your people and fighting a delaying action, you might be able to prepare yourself for the counterattack and save the Motherland from destruction!

But this will be a long path. Discover it with the Panzer Corps: Soviet Corps Campaign Tree viewable here!

Can you resist Operation Barbarossa with defensive actions before counter-striking to relieve and encircle Stalingrad and start the reclaiming of Soviet soil?

Get more information about the game from its Product Page.

Panzer Corps: Soviet Corps will be available on 18th, February!

Source: Blue’s News

Peter Stormare reprises his role as The Replacer in a new trailer promoting Call of Duty: Black Ops III and celebrating the coming of the Awakening expansion for the shooter sequel. Word is:

“Don’t let those pesky day-to-day distractions get in the way of your time with the Awakening DLC Pack. The Replacer is back, and business is booming.”

More game info available at the Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 official website.

Today, Ubisoft revealed early details on the post-launch plans for Tom Clancy’s The Division including what players can expect in the Season Pass. As an online open world RPG, the game is designed to provide a max-level experience and keep players entertained after the main story arc is completed.

The development team has a complete post-launch plan to keep the experience fresh for all players, including several free updates, new features and functionality, as well as 3 major expansions to provide a renewed gameplay experience after launch. The free updates to be released for all players will add new game modes such as challenging group-oriented operations to test players’ abilities in co-op mode and win unique rewards.

The three paid expansions are included in the Season Pass and will be released over the course of the year. Each expansion builds on The Division, continuing your agent’s journey and progress with new content, gear and gameplay as you fight to take back New York:

• Expansion I: Underground
  This first major expansion opens a new territory to players as they explore the uncharted underworld of New York City with up to 3 friends for intense co-op action.

• Expansion II: Survival
  In this expansion, the whole map turns into a Dark Zone for a hardcore multiplayer experience. Stay tuned for more information.

• Expansion III: Last Stand
  Stay tuned for more information.

At launch, Season Pass owners will also unlock the exclusive sawn-off shotgun, a unique sidearm customized for short-range destruction. Season Pass owners also receive a set of exclusive outfits and weapon skins, as well as access to special monthly benefits including exclusive content drops and special events.

The Season Pass is included in the Gold Edition and Sleeper Agent Edition of the game. Players can also sign up for the beta program starting January 28th on Xbox One and January 29th on PlayStation 4 and PC.

Tom Clancy’s The Division will be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on March 8th. For more information about Tom Clancy’s The Division, please visit the games official website.

By Thomas Soderstrom @ Tom’s Hardware

Today, ASRock gets another bite at the value-supremacy apple with its Z170 Extreme4, the next model down from the Extreme6. The Extreme4′s largest downgrade appears to be its loss of the add-in SATA controller in Extreme6. We’re even treated to the same I/O panel configuration, with its six USB 3.0 ports, two USB 3.1 ports, triple video outputs, full array of digital and analog audio connections, and handy CLR_CMOS button. ASRock’s Z170 Extreme4 is cheaper than the previously tested Extreme6, but is it also a better value? We examine the features and push our overclocks to find out!

Read The Review Here

By David Yee @ Legit Reviews

The PC sound card selection has been pretty sparse for years, dominated by the likes of Creative Sound Blaster and ASUS Xonar cards. Today we have something from someone else who many of our readers should recognize. PowerColor is well established as a major AMD graphics partner and have become known for their distinctive top-end Devil line of products. Thus the PowerColor Devil HDX sound card we are reviewing here is a new enthusiast offering and we should expect some great audio.

Read The Review Here

Check out these latest hardware announcements for today from around the web. Also included are some hardware news bits, and on some days, a few rumors tossed in for good measure. Click on the links below to read the official press release, visit the products web page, or to an independent news source.

• G.SKILL Announces New DDR4-3200MHz 128GB (16GBx8) Memory Kit
• BIOSTAR Announce RACING H170GT3 Motherboard
• Alphacool Intros Eisplateau Anti-Static Work Mat for Liquid Cooling Enthusiasts
• Samsung to Release 144Hz 3440×1440 Monitors in 2016
• AOC I2481FXH and I2781FH Are Minimal Small IPS Displays
• Synology Releases Its New DiskStation, The DS216+
• SilverStone Unveils the Strider Titanium Line of Power Supplies
• Icy Dock Unveils ToughArmor MB993SK-B Space-Saving Enclosure
• Iiyama Outs another 23.8-Inch Full HD Monitor With AMVA Panel
• EVGA Bundles Bombshell with Select GeForce GTX Graphics Cards
• Iiyama Lev-C010-i7-TMVM Gaming PC Launches

New Arms Dealer and Much More Coming February 11

Developer Obsidian Entertainment and publisher My.com are pleased to unveil details about the highly anticipated 0.13 update of Armored Warfare launching on February 11. Rising new arms dealer Zhang Feng and his roster of dangerous vehicles will then become available for all tank Commanders. Not only will players be able to interact with Feng’s arsenal of tanks, but they can also access a new competitive gameplay map, changes to Player versus Player matchmaking, and a complete rework of the rewards for the popular Player versus Environment.

Watch the Armored Warfare video here.

Armored Warfare’s newest character originates from China. Feng showed a knack for working with technology and electronics from early in his childhood. Later in life, he started working with a handful of classmates to build a military technology business, where he once held a position as the head researcher. Players will start with access to seven new Chinese vehicles, with more vehicle lines from other well-known nations set to arrive in future updates.

Arms Dealer Feng’s roster of deadly Chinese vehicles additions include:

• Type 59 (Tier 3)
• Type 69-II (Tier 4)
• Type 80-II (Tier 5)
• WZ-1224 (Tier 5 Premium)
• Type 85-IIM (Tier 6)
• Type 90-II (Tier 7)
• Type 98 (Tier 8)

New features introduced with 0.13 update:

• New “Coastal Threat” PvP map: Coastal Threat, a map featuring a town on the Mediterranean coastline, primarily focuses on mixed movement, enabling players to find plenty of routes to flank enemies or set up ambushes.
• PvE Reward System rework: Changes will be made so rewards in PvE function are similar to PvP in order for the systems to be equitable and beneficial.
• Matchmaker 2.0: Updates to the matchmaking system will provide an overall better experience and more balanced matches.

Read details of new content coming to Armored Warfare at the games official website.

After the incredible success of the wargame Order of Battle: Pacific and its free DLC Battle of Britain, the developers from The Artistocrats studio have raised the level of the challenge!

With their new expansion Order of Battle: Morning Sun they have switched the focus onto the Second Sino-Japanese War, which started few years before the attack on Pearl Harbour in World War II.

In Order of Battle: Morning Sun you will take control over the Japanese forces in their attempt to take advantage of the Republic of China. But you will soon discover that better equipment and training could be counteracted by force of numbers and by fierce resistance in the backlines!

Watch the launch trailer here.

Discover new iconic units and face the vastness of the battles employing tanks, air fighters, amphibious assaults, and even war horses!

Grab the game now!

Do you want to know more? Follow the Twitch Stream today at 20:00 CET / 19:00 UTC / 2:00 PM EST on our official Twitch Channel!

Order of Battle: Morning Sun is an expansion for Order of Battle: Pacific and requires the base game to be played.

A brand new battlefield has been added to Total War: Arena, Gergovia is the largest and most detailed map to date and joins Thermopylae, Marathon, Salernum, Alps, Rubicon and Germania in the map roster for the Total War: Arena Closed Beta.

By fighting through the twisting streets of the town, Gergovia is rife with tight corners and hiding spots that allow for devastating encounters with often little room to escape. Getting cornered can lead to a swift demise. With the Roman siege garrison on one side, and the Gallic reinforcement camp on the other; win control of the town and it’s a clear downhill push towards the enemy encampment.

Check out the Gergovia Map Spotlight Video now for further details on this new battlefield.

Alongside the new map update, a new patch has been released for Total War: Arena – full patch notes can we viewed here.

Key updates include:

•  Players can no longer place deployables (stakes, caltrops) inside enemy units.
•  Militades rebalanced to make him more effective as a commander.
•  Further optimised matchmaking.

Total War: Arena is a free-to-play, team-based strategy game, putting players in the middle of epic-scale battles. Using key elements of award-winning Total War design, it is made from the ground-up for multiplayer realtime strategy fans, with players going head-to-head in 10v10 battles.

It is easy and quick to join the Closed Beta, sign up here.