Reported on IGN, Conquest is a bit like Star Wars: Battlefront with players able to fight it out Rings style in battles taken from Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies and combat grounds created especially for the title.

Judging by the info, Pandemic's aiming to have every man, dwarf, elf, orc, troll, good guy, bad guy, hobbit yadda yadda you can think of the from the story and chuck them into mass confrontations that can support 150 on-screen characters.

However, we're scratching our heads over the news that only eight players are supported in head-to-head online multiplayer, and four in a co-op mode rampage through two campaigns on offer.

Does this mean the vast majority of on-screen fighters will be AI controlled? Presumably that's going to be the case, with you caught up in the thick of things.

"We'll freely admit that we're rabid fans of The Lord of the Rings fantasy," says Josh Resnick, co-founder and general manager at Pandemic Studios.

"Our experience creating massive, rich, action-packed games means that The Lord of the Rings: Conquest will give fans exactly what they want: full control of the blade, bow and magic to fight its epic battles any way they want - even if they choose to play from the evil side."

Lord of the Rings: Conquest is out on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 in the autumn. Check out some screens�here.

Courtesy of CVG

May 8, 2008

Reported on IGN, Conquest is a bit like Star Wars: Battlefront with players able to fight it out Rings style in battles taken from Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies and combat grounds created especially for the title.

Judging by the info, Pandemic's aiming to have every man, dwarf, elf, orc, troll, good guy, bad guy, hobbit yadda yadda you can think of the from the story and chuck them into mass confrontations that can support 150 on-screen characters.

However, we're scratching our heads over the news that only eight players are supported in head-to-head online multiplayer, and four in a co-op mode rampage through two campaigns on offer.

Does this mean the vast majority of on-screen fighters will be AI controlled? Presumably that's going to be the case, with you caught up in the thick of things.

"We'll freely admit that we're rabid fans of The Lord of the Rings fantasy," says Josh Resnick, co-founder and general manager at Pandemic Studios.

"Our experience creating massive, rich, action-packed games means that The Lord of the Rings: Conquest will give fans exactly what they want: full control of the blade, bow and magic to fight its epic battles any way they want - even if they choose to play from the evil side."

Lord of the Rings: Conquest is out on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 in the autumn. Check out some screens here.

Courtesy of CVG

May 8, 2008

The Lord of the Rings: Conquest will be an action-packed game created by the Pandemic Studios team behind the best-selling Star Wars Battlefront™ and Star Wars Battlefront™ II titles. Set in “The Lord of the Rings” universe players will finally fight the entirety of these epic battles any way they want. In addition to crusading as the heroic forces of good, for the first time ever in a ‘The Lord of the Rings’ action title they’ll conquer Middle-earth while playing as the legions of Sauron’s evil army,

The game is set for a global release in fall 2008.

Bye

Les créateurs de la série Star Wars Battlefront investissent désormais les Terres du Milieu où ils comptent implanter le même modèle de combats ouverts. Eric "Giz" Gewirtz, directeur de Pandemic Studios, nous présente en exclusivité The Lord of the Rings : Conquest, un jeu d'action qui permettra de revivre les grandes batailles de la saga de Tolkien en choisissant son camp et sa classe de personnage. Aussi bien sur PC, Xbox 360, PS3 et DS, le jeu offrira aussi la chance de contrôler les troupes de Sauron en imaginant que celui-ci ait réussi à s'emparer de l'anneau.

Source : http://www.jeuxvideo.com/news/2008/00025920-le-prochain-jeu-seigneur-des-anneaux-devoile.htm

Une excellente nouvelle pour un fan fini comme moi ! Le jeu devrait être en magasin dès l'automne 2008.

Now if only Simon would complete his side of the equation, we can battle.[gallery]

Joe Review: 10/10

Peso total: 2.89 GB

Contenido del torrent:
BattleFront_2.part001.rar (47.6 MB)
BattleFront_2.part002.rar (47.6 MB)
BattleFront_2.part003.rar (47.6 MB)
BattleFront_2.part004.rar (47.6 MB)
[...]
BattleFront_2.part063.rar (5.3 MB)

Next up I'll get him to do the Panzer IVs and the remaining two Henschel Tigger IIs. I'll probably end up doing the dappling for the ambush schemes myself as I'm avoiding the dot version and going for the tickmark variant which I prefer the look of, plus you can get away with fewer tick marks compared to the tendency to overdo the spotted ambush look - sometime one sees a KT looking more like a refugee from the measles ward.

With regard to markings, well I may actually have the KTs as part of sPzAbt 506 Hummel of Arnhem infamy just because they're a Wehrmacht unit rather than the SS types, and I've got enough SS troopers to to do some 10th SS grenadiers to accompany them.

August September means the autumn scheme for the Germans which suits me just fine, I don't like the look of the bright greens of the spring version, the russets and browns work better for my eyes.

And because it's Arnhem, I suppose I better think about grabbing some Para Recce Jeeps - Peter Pig or Battlefront? Probably a mix of both, depending on what sort of deal I can get from Martin at Peter Pig if I buy enough, as I'd like to do a comparison between the two without the input of some of the more virulent PMTers like Hodge or Cartwright.

I can also go ahead and finish off my old Panzer IIIMs (okay they've got schürzen which the ones in Then and Now didn't have) but they'll at least be more use than a Kursk army I'll never end up completing.

Funny that I'm painting the BEF again though, maybe the idea of having the infantry ready to go might get me making a move with the Armour, it's only been 5 years since I considered painting the BEF.

Even though the Star Wars Battlefront games are built on the first person shooter design, they feel more like a cross between an amusement park ride and playing men with yer chums when you were a little tyke.

Rebel Soldiers and Stormtroopers litter the field of combat like table scraps as a seemingly endless supply of replacements continue the battle for supremacy. The second Battlefront game introduced space combat, something that I suffered a deep learning curve from, but in the end got through it and now can show my enemies a few maneuvers like a pro.

While gamers anxiously await the next installment for nexgen systems, this new version for the handheld Sony PSP is more than ready to sate that hunger for excitement.

Trailer

Taking place directly after the Battle of Yavin from Episode IV (or Stah Waughs as the kids in my neighborhood always called it), the game follows the adventures of an elite commando squad lead by the unlikely rouge Han Solo. Assisting Solo in the formation of this rag-tag group is a former compatriot of his, a brand new character named Col Serra (pictured right).

Unlike the two previous games, this version of Battlefront allows players to fully customize their character right down to uniform colors and insignia.

In addition to the single player story mode, there is the ever popular instant action mode and of course multi-player which allows for 8 vs. 8 over both Galactic Civil War (original trilogy) and Clone War (prequel) eras.

Also new to the franchise in the vehicle combat arena are two battle tanks, a TIE Defender, plus the Millennium Falcon and Slave-1!

Players will spread havoc over all the familiar classic trilogy territories including Endor, Hoth, Yavin and in instant action or multi-player mode the maps of Saleucami (for the first time ever), Mygeeto, Mustafar, Naboo, Geonosis and Kashyyyk are available.

Interview

A special bundle is available with a Darth Vader image imprinted on the PSP itself, bundled with a copy of the Renegade Squadron game. It looks pretty sweet, doesn't it? Already I'm anticipating having fun at the bank, doctor's waiting room or doing husband duty as my wife shops for clothes, fighting the republic as best as I can.

I owe General Dodonna that much, don't I?

On Amazon:

Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron
PSP/Battlefront Bundle

Check out the real pic on the left !

The Star Wars PSP is available only in a bundle with LucasArts Star Wars Battlefront Renegade Squadron which is only available on the PSP.

The bundle is officially available on Oct 9th and the initial pricing has it at $199.

Steps

• Spawn as a sniper.
• Find a good sniping spot. The best spots are not necessarily on a high point, but you need to be able to see a decent portion of the battlefield. Just try to find a place that is remote from the battle, preferably a distant CP (Command Post), or any other place where you can find ammunition and health.
• Place an auto turret behind you to defend your back. It will probably not kill incoming enemies, but it will at least give you a warning of their presence (sound must be turned on).
• Choose your targets! In order to support the rest of the army, you will need to kill the enemies that are the largest threats to the rest of your team and yourself. Therefore, start by eliminating the snipers. Many of them will be in predictable sniping spots (see the Tips section). If your team is using vehicles, then try to aim for the anti-tank units. If the battle is close-quarters, you should aim for the engineers. Otherwise, simply eliminate enemy soldiers.
• Try to avoid aiming for the heads of moving units. It's true that it kills most enemies, but the reach of the weapon decreases drastically. This means that the sniper can no longer fill it's position on the battlefield: long-range shots.
• Use your pistol primarily if you are planning (or have to) go in to close-combat. A good tactic is to point the cross hair at your enemy, then quickly switch the weapon to the sniper and fire. This is good since there is no cross hair when using the sniper. Eventually, you will learn where the cross hair should be.
• Remember that the auto turrets are good for defending key locations, not for doing damage.
• Get headshots on units that are standing still, or sitting in a slow-moving vehicle.

Tips

• Move after firing. There is a large trail following the shot that easily gives away your position.
• If possible, aim for people in turrets and people in vehicles. You may not be any match for an AT-RT, but you can easily snipe the driver out and take it for yourself. (Just be careful they don't snipe you out too!)
• Move under cover when reloading; you don't want to get fired upon when you can't defend yourself.
• Breathe slowly when taking your shot and don't worry if you miss. There's always a next shot.
• Good places to snipe:
  • Mos Eisley, As a Rebel or Droid spawn at the round sail barge hangar, and climb the scaffold to the top of the circular hangar. You can run around the whole circle and fire from up high.
  • Kamino, be the droids and spawn at base 4. Strafe left and you will see a turret platform. Walk behind the turret and snipe at the center platform.
  • Geonosis, spawn as the droideka and go to the base on the cliff. you go up faster if you roll. Take over the CP, then change to a sniper and go to the left of the area (looking off the edge). You will see a downward path, take that and use the teeth-like things on the floor as cover.
  • Kashyyyk, spawn as the rebels, and on the base that is closest to the beach. Go up to the platform above you and hide behind either turret(short one is better). Also (only in galactic conquest) a good spot for sniping is here is when you go towards the platform suspended in air climb up the stairs and go forwards. You will reach a end and climb up the side of the hill. This is a good spot because it will let you hide in the bushes.
  • Hoth, spawn as the rebels and on the base farthest from the hanger. Just snipe the stormtroopers as they try to reach your base. Really hard.
  • Death Star, the two long narrow tunnels are nice sniper locations. The tunnels are too narrow for enemies to dodge your shots and you can crouch just inside the doorway to one of the prison cells for cover.
  • Naboo, on the balconies that are right in front of the river. There's a range all the way to three, maybe four CPs.
• To know exactly where you're aiming without the scope, you can fire once, and draw a dot with a dry-erase marker on the screen, where the shot ended (must be glass).
• Make sure you are at a high location. This way you won't get shot by a soldier below.
• Keep low for a while, make sure you do not expose yourself too quickly as this can attract the attention of a soldier and you might get shot.

Warnings

• If you "miss" and land too many head shots, you may get the award permanently. This effectively reduces your sniping capabilities (at least in Single Player).
• If your location is being overrun by enemy units, fall back to a safer location and snipe from there, or quickly change unit class to deal with the threat.
• While you are sniping you may lose command posts. Remember this when playing alone.
• You can win or lose a battle with snipers. Effective snipers remove enemy threats such as drodiekas and heroes. Bad snipers are a nuscience to their team.

Thanks Wiki

Thank you for checking out my blog!

I plan to talk about Star Wars, A LOT!!!

If you like Star Wars like I like Star Wars, you're in a good place!

Watch for upcoming posts about Battlefront, Lego Star Wars, Rouge Squadron and other Star Wars games.

zach

That title might not mean alot to you at first.

"Oh, a new Lord of The Rings game you say? How interesting. Maybe I'll play it sometime down the road."

But then you start to find more information out about the game from people writing about it on awesome gaming blogs featuring amazing writers that have last names similar to metals you're familiar with and you suddenly become torn, not sure how to take the good with the bad!!

Well, I'll try and break the good and the bad down for you, as well as telling you why you should feel torn.

THE GOOD:

• Its being made by Pandemic!
• It's going to take the "Battlefield" approach and have 150 characters on screen at a time battling each other!
• Obviously those characters will be made up of the many types of Lord of The Rings races and creatures.
• It'll feature co-op with up to four people, SPLIT SCREEN ON THE SAME CONSOLE, which seems to be a dying thing or just 16 players across PSN or XBL.

• 3 single player types. Campaign: Following the events you saw in the first 3 movies. An alternate campaign: if Sauron had gotten the ring, and a skirmish mode where you're just fight through missions for fun.

THE BAD:

• Pandemic is calling this game the "spiritual successor" to the Star Wars: Battlefront games...and we all know what that means; They don't plan on making a new Battlefront anytime soon.

So as you can see, it leaves you torn with so many emotions you're not sure what to think!

Should I be happy because Pandemic knows how to make these kinds games and it'll basically be a more ambitious version of Pattlefront but set in LotR? or Should I be angry because that means I won't be seeing one of the GOOD Star Wars video game franchises returning anytime soon?

Tough call. Very tough call.

-(MS)Mike out.

 "Advanced Tactics: World War II",

Advanced Tactics is a versatile turn-based strategy system that gives gamers the chance to wage almost any battle in any time period. The first module in this series is Advanced Tactics: World War II, which allows gamers to hop into a Panzer and storm across Europe. Complete with a streamlined interface and an addicting style of gameplay, Advanced Tactics offers a unique and infinitely replayable experience for any strategy fan.

"Across the Dnepr: Korsun Pocket Add-on",

Across the Dnepr - Add-on for Korsun Pocket is a new campaign scenario for the Korsun Pocket game. It recreates the events of July 1941, when Operation Barbarossa was in full swing and German armies were poised to enter the heartland of Russia. Army Group Center is aimed at the vital objective of Smolensk, located on the Dnepr river and defending the shortest route to Moscow.

"American Civil War – The Blue and the Gray",

AGEOD’S American Civil War - The Blue and the Gray is a historical operational strategy game with a simultaneous turn-based engine (WEGO system) that places players at the head of the USA or CSA during the American Civil War (1861-1865).

"Banzai! : For Pacific Fighters",

With this unique expansion pack for the combat flight simulation "Pacific Fighters" you will experience the most thrilling dogfights between the Japanese, Australian and American air forces!

"Battlefront",

Battlefront features the power of battalion-level combat in some of this period's most bloody and intense conflicts: Saipan, Market Garden, Novorossisk, and Gazala. Players will have realistic control over their soldiers, with a tactical scale just large enough to make a telling difference in the strategic picture.

"Battleground Europe - World War II Online",

Report for duty to the first-person, online action game where players choose to fight alongside and against thousands of other players on the battlefields of western europe. Grab a rifle and experience heart-stopping infantry action or choose to advance your skills in one of dozens of accurately modeled combat vehicles, naval vessels or aircraft. Succeed and help the cause of the Allied or Axis forces. Fail and watch your side get pushed back and struggle for a foothold. Volume one in The Virtual Battlefield Series, Battleground Europe features the armies, vehicles, weapons and equipment found on the battlefields of Western Europe 1939-1942.

"Battles in Italy",

Battles in Italy brings to you the award-winning Decisive Battles of World War II system and some seriously intense gameplay. Choose to take the Allied side and you're faced with establishing a foothold and control of Italy. Or, select the Germans and face an overwhelming Allied army that is making a run for Axis destruction!

"Battles In Normandy",

Battles in Normandy brings to you the award-winning Decisive Battles of World War II system and some seriously intense gameplay. Choose to take the Allied side and you're faced with the overpowering burden of locking into mortal combat with some of the German Army's most vicious and experienced Eastern Front veterans. Or, select the Germans and face an all-consuming Allied army that has a near-endless pool of reinforcements and supply to draw from, intent on your complete destruction.

"Birth of America",

From Colonial wars to American independence in Birth of America, you control one of the major contenders of the 2 conflicts that shape America trying to achieve military and political victory in either the French & Indian Wars or the war for Independence. Immerse yourself in Birth of America for the PC. Birth of America, gives you command of the military forces vying for power. This includes such activities as drafting forces, building forts and depots, sieges and blockades, raiding enemy set.

"Blitzkrieg: War in Europe 1939-1945",

Introducing the FIRST game from Matrix Games for the Pocket PC and Palm OS! Command Soviet, Axis, or Allied troops in 20 different scenarios ranging from the German Invasion of Poland (1939) to the Soviet Winter Offensive and their attack on Berlin (1945). Blitzkrieg: War in Europe 1939-1945 features 45 different units of land, sea, and air and all of the hex based tactics that would go along with it. 

"Campaigns On The Danube",

Players may command historic, powerful armies as they face off against each other in a clash that would be destined to defeat Austria but prove for a brief time that Napoleon could indeed be stopped. Players will be able to take command of the French forces under Napoleon or Austrians under Charles and strike at each other over a large hex-based map.

"Carriers at War",

Carriers at War is a simulation of fleet carrier air and naval operations in the Pacific theater from 1941 to 1945. The game focuses heavily on carrier fleet command strategy. Other units are represented and play a part in battle, but as the title suggests the queen of the sea is the focus.

"Case Blue : For IL-2 or Forgotten Battles",

Case Blue™ is an add-on for IL-2 Sturmovik that is unique in its variety and depth! You will see IL2-Forgotten Battles in a completely new light. Over 1000 different missions offer almost infinite replayability and bring the World War II era to life with dogfights, escort-missions, bombing runs and more!

"Chariots of War",

Control the Cradle of Civilization…

4000 years ago in the Cradle of Civilization, mighty Empires fought for water, resources and the arable land in the Fertile Crescent. Play as the Egyptians, the Babylonians, screaming Nubian warriors, or the Assyrians. Develop your county by producing commodities and selling them to you neighbors. Raise glorious armies and wage wars of conquest. Roll over the plains and seek victory in the Matrix Games re-release of Chariots of War!

"Close Combat - Cross of Iron",

The Return of Classic Close Combat… Based on the Atomic Games award winning Close Combat series of games. Close Combat: Cross of Iron, brings back the award-winning classic in new epic battles of the Eastern Front of World War II. 

"Close Combat - Modern Tactics",

Close Combat: Modern Tactics brings you classic top down real time tactical warfare with the excitement of multiplayer head to head gaming. You take command of either US or opposition forces and engage in head to head battle (with up to 5 players per side) using modern era weaponry and equipment on gorgeous hand drawn maps measuring 1km square up to giant 4km x 1km maps. Air and artillery support are on-call but the objective can only be secured by Close Combat. You are in command!

"Combined Arms: World War II",

(Formerly Battlefields!) "Combined Arms: World War II™" is a 1km hex-based battalion-level simulation of World War II combat that puts the wargamer in the role of the operational commander. Combined Arms: World War II™ uses actual minutes and hours to track time and coordinate orders. Tell your combat and support units when to jump off and how to coordinate their plans. 

"Commander - Europe at War",

Commander – Europe at War is the first in a series of high level turn based strategy games. The first game spans WW2, allowing players to control the axis or allied forces through the entire war in the European Theatre. Can Germany’s rise be stopped or will the jackboots of the SS march through London?

"Conquest of the Aegean",

Prepare yourself for a wargaming tour-de-force! Conquest of the Aegean is the next generation of the award-winning and revolutionary Airborne Assault series and it takes brigade to corps-level warfare to a whole new level. Realism and accuracy are the watchwords as this pausable continuous time design allows you to command at any echelon, with smart AI subordinates and an incredibly challenging AI. 

"Crown of Glory: Europe in the Age of Napoleon",

Crown of Glory: Europe in the Age of Napoleon, the player controls one of the crowned potentates of Europe in the Napoleonic Era, wielding authority over his nation's military strategy, economic development, diplomatic relations, and social organization. It is a very thorough simulation of the entire Napoleonic Era - spanning from 1792 to 1820, from the dockyards in Lisbon to the frozen wastes of Holy Mother Russia.
Crown of Glory Proudly Supports The Napoleonic Alliance.

"Empires in Arms",

Empires in Arms is the official licensed computer version of Australian Design Group's classic board game. Empires in Arms is a seven player game of grand strategy during the Napoleonic period of 1805-1815. Playable either solitaire, by email or over the Internet. Corps level with full diplomatic options to allow players complete freedom to fight it out for control of Europe any way they want to. The map is divided up into provinces providing an attractive look.

"Flashpoint Germany",

Flashpoint Germany™ brings you back to the height of the Cold War, before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Massive armies of incredible power face off across the West German border. Your companies and platoons maneuver on realistic maps of the Germany countryside in 2 Tutorials and 17 Scenarios. Build your own scenarios, play against the AI opponent or against another player via TCP/IP or PBEM. 

"For Liberty!",

Hussar Games' "For Liberty!" is a turn based strategy game covering the American Revolutionary War from 1775 - 1783 and the Hungarian Rakoczi Independence War from 1703 to 1711. For Liberty! is a weekly turn based game covering North American east coast and the Carpathian Basin in Central Europe The map will change as the seasons go by. There are 16 unit types of 5 nations included, each in authentic uniforms. 

"Forge of Freedom: The American Civil War 1861-1865"

From the creators of Crown of Glory come an epic tale of North Vs. South. By combining area movement on the grand scale with optional hex based tactical battles when they occur, Forge of Freedom provides something for every strategy gamer. Control economic development, political development with governors and foreign nations, and use your military to win the bloodiest war in US history.

"Gary Grigsby's Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich",

Gary Grigsby's Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich have been updated and enhanced to bring you a much improved simulation of the air war over Europe during World War II. Gary Grigsby's Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich allows you to play the Germany air assault on Britain in 1940 and the Allies attack on Germany during 1943 through 1945.

"Gary Grigsby's World at War: A World Divided",

World at War: A World Divided is a dynamic, turn-based strategy game of World War II that puts you in the role of some of the most legendary leaders of history. Four tutorials and three campaigns and five scenarios let you learn the system quickly and start fighting the whole war and beyond. 

"Gates of Troy",

Gates Of Troy™ offers both strategic campaigns and tactical battles. Lead your nation to victory in the ancient world's greatest battles! Capture the romance and adventure that lead over one hundred thousand Greek warriors to the far-flung shore of what is now modern day Turkey, to rescue Helen of Troy. 

"Guns Of August 1914 - 1918",

Re-fight World War I at a grand strategic scale. Includes the entire Western and Eastern theaters as well as Turkey. Production, Combat, Diplomacy, Research - Land, Sea and Air combat are all included! Step back to the early 20th Century and hear the Guns Of August!

"Harpoon 3 - Advanced Naval Warfare",

Harpoon 3 Advanced Naval Warfare is the result of decades of development and fan support, resulting in the most comprehensive, realistic, and accurate simulation of modern combined air and naval operations available to the gaming public. New features include, multiplayer support, third party databases, scenario editors, and more than 120 pre-built scenarios!

"Highway to the Reich",

The Airborne Assault™ system features a pausable real-time movement and combat system. This design allows the player to choose how much to delegate to subordinates and what to handle personally. The engine also integrates realistic command delays and supply procedures with meticulous order of battle and equipment research.

"Hornet Leader PC" ,

Command a squadron of the U.S. Navy’s elite F/A-18 Hornet Strike Fighters! You select the pilots and arm the aircraft based on real-world mission briefings. Once you reach your objective, you evaluate threats, and do what needs to be done to destroy the target!

"John Tiller's Battleground Civil War",

Relive the brilliance and excitement of John Tiller’s classic Civil War games in this updated compilation, John Tiller’s Battleground Civil War. Included in the compilation are the original titles that gave the Battleground battle system the fame that has endured over years and years of play. Gamers can refight famous battles like Shiloh, Antietam, Bull Run, and Gettysburg with the fantastic realism and intuitive interface many fans of John Tiller’s gaming systems have come to expect and love.

"John Tiller's Battleground Napoleonic Wars",

John Tiller’s Battleground Napoleonic Wars puts the player in command of the mighty armies of the Napoleonic era, combining the time-tested interface and turn-based game mechanics that made John Tiller’s original game designs famous. With the choice of 2D or 3D battlefield view, dozens of scenarios and more historical information then can be found in most public libraries, John Tiller’s Battleground Napoleonic Wars brings gamers some of the most exciting battles and campaigns from this era.

"John Tiller's Campaign Series",

The John Tiller's Campaign Series exemplifies tactical war-gaming at its finest by bringing you the entire collection of TalonSoft's award-winning campaign series. Containing TalonSoft's West Front, East Front, and Rising Sun platoon-level combat series, as well as all of the official add-ons and expansion packs, the Matrix Edition allows players to dictate the events of World War II from the tumultuous beginning to its climatic conclusion.

"Korsun Pocket",

Korsun Pocket places you on the Russian Front in January 1944 in command of the German or Soviet forces and masterfully re-creates the savage and desperate fighting in what historians have said could have been another Stalingrad along the Dnepr River.

"Larry Bond's Harpoon - Commander's Edition",

Larry Bond's Harpoon - Commanders Edition is the latest addition to the longstanding naval warfare simulation series that has brought dozens of awards and accolades from gamers and military personnel alike over the course of more than a decade. Like its predecessors, Larry Bond's Harpoon - Commanders Edition allows players to assume the role of a fleet commander, making the same type of decisions he has to make, using the same type and quality of information he might expect to get in wartime.

"Legion Arena Gold",

Legion Arena Gold combines the award winning Legion Arena with the Cult of Mithras expansion pack allowing you even more units to crush your adversaries with. Fire Demons, Shadow Warriors and Ghost legions are just some of the beasts at your control with the expansion pack. Organize your troops, give orders and unleash the fury of the legion!

"Mark H. Walker's Lock 'n Load: Heroes of Stalingrad",

The Lock 'n Load franchise comes to the PC with Lock 'n Load: Heroes of Stalingrad. Designed by Mark H. Walker and programmed by elements of the team responsible for bringing you Panzer General Online, Heroes of Stalingrad remains faithful to Lock' 'n Load's ease of play and immersive format, while incorporating all the advantages of playing on your office flatscreen. 

"Maximum-Football 2.0",

Maximum-Football 2.0 is the latest and greatest release from the acclaimed sports management video game studio, Wintervalley Software. Bringing a whole host of new features like full Xbox 360 controller support, full DirectX 9.0 utilization, and scores of other upgrades and improvements, Maximum-Football 2.0 delivers on gameplay and fun like a bullet pass through double coverage. Like its predecessor, Maximum-Football 2.0 allows players to experience the thrill of managing a team in any league!

"Napoleon in Italy",

Step back to the age of Napoleon and follow in the earliest footsteps of this military genius! Napoleon in Italy is a hex based strategy game that includes both the strategic level of movement and logistics combined with playable tactical battles. Lead the young Napoleon's French Army on his first campaign against the Austrians and Piedmontese in Northern Italy or try to stop Napoleon’s dedicated army and tactical brilliance with the mighty allied army of Austria.

"Norm Koger's The Operational Art of War III",

Norm Koger’s The Operational Art of War is a legendary title among wargamers. A masterpiece of flexible design, it allows you to play and create any battle from the entire 20th Century of warfare and up to the modern day. Now, Matrix Games together with Norm Koger and a new design team bring you the definitive release of this unsurpassed operational wargame – The Operational Art of War III.

"Pacific War: Matrix Edition",

Gary Grigsby's Pacific War: Matrix Edition covers virtually every aspect of the war and includes just about every ship, aircraft, land unit, and important leader that took part in the conflict. The game has a steep learning curve and not for the faint at heart and has a lot to offer. If you every wanted to conduct the whole War in the Pacific now is your chance.

"Panzer Command: Operation Winter Storm",

Welcome to Panzer Command: Operation Winter Storm, a new 3D tactical wargame which combines a historical campaign with highly detailed models of both units and terrain and realistic gameplay.

"PureSim Baseball 2007",

Ever wonder what it would have been like to see Nolan Ryan pitch against Babe Ruth? To see the 1947 Yankees play against the 2000 Yankees? In PureSim Baseball 2007 anything is possible. You have complete control over the great American past-time. PureSim Baseball 2007 is the most robust baseball simulation and it lets you deal with almost any option, any design, and any player from 1900 to 2005. Now includes the fully licensed Lahman Database of historical players and teams from 1900 - 2005!

"Reach for the Stars",

Reach for the Stars is a re-release of the turn-based strategy game of epic galactic exploration, colonization and conquest. Reach for the Stars is considered to be one of the original 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) games

"Spartan",

Spartan is an Empire building turn based strategy game, where the focus is on building an empire through diplomacy, trade, research, and war, but less focus on the battles than you would find in a real-time strategy game. It is designed for people who are interested in the period and those strategy gamers who prefer to have time to think about their decisions. Can you unite Greece in time to defy the Great King and his mighty Persian Empire? 

"Starshatter - The Gathering Storm",

Starshatter™ represents the next generation of space combat simulation games. Starshatter™ extends the gameplay concepts of the classic sims by combining fighter and starship combat in a single game. Starshatter™ also integrates elements of real-time-strategy games by allowing fleet commanders to direct the battle on a tactical level.

"Starships Unlimited v3",

Heroic Starship Combat and Galactic Conquest! Unlike many other games of galactic exploration, conquest, economics and diplomacy, Starships Unlimited v3 focuses on a small number of unique starships, each with different crew mixes and different technologies. These ships and their crews are the heroes of this science fiction epic, boldly exploring the unknown, dealing with alien races and helping your people expand to new worlds. Outfit your ships with the latest technology and explore the galaxy, conduct diplomacy and espionage, raid your rivals' trade routes or invade their planets. The stars are the limit!

"Steel Panthers: World at War - Generals Edition",

Steel Panthers World At War General Edition includes all four Mega-Campaign games and a free v8.20 of SP:WaW. Steel Panthers: World at War is a tactical level, World War II era, historical wargame. Each Mega-Campaign has been specially designed to enhance the gameplay of SP:WaW.

"Supremacy: Four Paths To Power",

Supremacy: Four Paths To Power is the ultimate test of survival for sci-fi, turn-based strategists. Begin with a planet, a ship and a plan. The galaxy is stretched out before you, but you are not alone. The path to Supremacy is a puzzle with many pieces, from espionage and economic growth to planetary invasions and fleet battles. Play as one of four unique commanders, each with distinctive starships, ground units, abilities and strategies.

"The Last Days : For IL-2 Forgotten Battles",

The Twilight Struggle... Europe, Spring 1945: The Last Days of World War II claim countless victims on all sides. Victory for the Allies seems a foregone conclusion, but Germany fights on. The Last Days™ is an expansion for IL-2 Sturmovik that adds incredible depth, originality and playability!

"Tin Soldiers: Alexander the Great", 

Tin Soldiers: Alexander the Great™ is wargaming with a classic style. Easy to learn but difficult to master, it places you in the role of Alexander the Great during his conquest of the known world. Guide Alexander through his grand campaign from inheriting his father's legacy at the battle of Thebes to his conquest of Darius III and the Persian Empire through his last great battle at the Hydaspes, in the heart of Asia against the Indian army of King Porus.

"Tin Soldiers: Julius Caesar",

Tin Soldiers: Julius Caesar brings a completely new 3D engine into the battle, allowing users to zoom in, out, and rotate the map for a better view of the battlefield. The artwork overhaul features over 100 different replicas of hand-painted miniatures, including the fearsome legions of Caesar himself. On the inside of the game the AI has been overhauled as well to support a variety of battle formations while the legions of Caesar have been expanded from the normal block of four units to a more powerful block of six. This allows you to replicate the power and strength the Roman legions possessed.

"Titans of Steel: Warring Suns",

Matrix Games has teamed with Vicious Byte to bring you something new and challenging. Titans of Steel: Warring Suns™ is more than a combat game. It is also designed to be an open-ended role playing system for up to four battle squads using four separate races and pilots of either gender. All pilots have a full statistics sheet and earn experience points which players can use to increase seven attributes and nineteen skills. Each squad can have eight pilots and up to sixteen Titan-ATs.

"UFO: Extraterrestrials",

UFO: Extraterrestrials is a futuristic real-time/turn-based strategy blend set on the fictional planet of Esperanza in 2025. Having made a bloody first contact with a strange form of life from another planet, the player is thrust into the tough position of leading the defense of this isolated planet against the never-ending assault of these hostile invaders.

"Uncommon Valor",

Uncommon Valor™ is a completely new operational game covering the campaign for the South Pacific from May, 1942 to the end of December, 1943. Air, naval and land battles are modelled with detail never before achieved in a game of this scale, while a streamlined interface keeps micro-management to a minimum!

"War in Russia: Matrix Edition",

War In Russia - Matrix Edition allows you to play up until July 1945, fighting for four years over the new improved map. Arnaud Bouis and his dedicated team have once again improved upon Gary Grigsby classic wargame War In Russia. Arnaud Bouis and team began this project back in May 2000, its aim being to fix the bugs to one of our favorite computer wargames and has done a great job. Please note that the version available here at Matrix Games is also the same version available at Arnaud Bouis site.

"War In The Pacific",

War in the Pacific: The Struggle Against Japan 1941-1945™” is a completely new strategy game, based on the award winning “Uncommon Valor” game engine. The scale is 60 miles per hex and losses are individual vehicles, aircraft, guns and squads. Since half the planet Earth is covered by the titanic Pacific struggle, the game is massive in scope, covering thousands of ships tens of thousands of aircraft. 

"War Plan Orange: Dreadnoughts in the Pacific 1922 - 1930",

World War 1 has come and gone and the world has settled into an uneasy peace. Fearful of the growing strength of Japan, the United States created a series of plans in case of a pacific war with Japan. Their name: War Plan Orange. 

"World In Flames",

World in Flames is Matrix Games’ computer version of Australian Design Group’s classic board game. Covering both the European and Pacific Theaters of Operations during World War II, World in Flames is global in scope while simulating each branch of service in detail. With 6000+ unique units, 250+ countries, and a global map of 70,200 hexes, World in Flames is the premier World War II grand strategy game.

"Matrix Games", 

Advanced Tactics: World War II, 

Across the Dnepr: Korsun Pocket Add-on, 

American Civil War – The Blue and the Gray, 

Battlefront, 

Battleground Europe - World War II Online, 

Battles in Italy, 

Battles In Normandy, 

Banzai! : For Pacific Fighters, 

Birth of America, 

Blitzkrieg: War in Europe 1939-1945, 

Campaigns On The Danube, 

Carriers at War, 

Case Blue : For IL-2 or Forgotten Battles, 

Chariots of War, 

Close Combat - Cross of Iron, 

Close Combat - Modern Tactics, 

Conquest of the Aegean, 

Combined Arms: World War II, 

Commander - Europe at War, 

Crown of Glory: Europe in the Age of Napoleon, 

Empires in Arms, 

Flashpoint Germany, 

For Liberty!, 

Forge of Freedom: The American Civil War 1861-1865, 

Gary Grigsby's Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich, 

Gary Grigsby's World at War: A World Divided, 

Gates of Troy, 

Guns Of August 1914 - 1918, 

Harpoon 3 - Advanced Naval Warfare, 

Highway to the Reich, 

Hornet Leader PC, 

John Tiller's Battleground Civil War, 

John Tiller's Battleground Napoleonic Wars, 

John Tiller's Campaign Series, 

Korsun Pocket, 

Larry Bond's Harpoon - Commander's Edition, 

Legion Arena Gold, 

Mark H. Walker's Lock 'n Load: Heroes of Stalingrad, 

Napoleon in Italy, 

Norm Koger's The Operational Art of War III, 

Maximum-Football 2.0, 

Pacific War: Matrix Edition, 

Panzer Command: Operation Winter Storm, 

PureSim Baseball 2007, 

Reach for the Stars, 

Spartan, 

Starshatter - The Gathering Storm, 

Starships Unlimited v3, 

Steel Panthers: World at War - Generals Edition, 

Supremacy: Four Paths To Power, 

The Last Days : For IL-2 Forgotten Battles, 

Tin Soldiers: Alexander the Great, 

Tin Soldiers: Julius Caesar, 

Titans of Steel: Warring Suns, 

UFO: Extraterrestrials, 

Uncommon Valor, 

War in Russia: Matrix Edition, 

War In The Pacific, 

War Plan Orange: Dreadnoughts in the Pacific 1922 - 1930, 

World In Flames,

I have to admit I don't care much about Team Fortress 2. The people who were most excited about its release have already given it up to the 13-year-old griefers.

Meanwhile, Andrew and I both just picked up Star Wars: Best of PC, and have been kicking plasticine armor and taking names on the original Battlefront.

Sure, it's old -- released first in 2004 -- but who cares?

Battlefront is all about Skyping screams of "close the blast doors!" and "open the blast doors!" while running around the rancor pit, lobbing proton missiles at an AT-ST, or zooming through Endorian forests on a speeder.

I've had the PS2 port of SW:B1 for years, but like so many casual gamers I've never hooked my console up to the net.

That's where you find the real action. Shooting AI rebels has its merits, I suppose, but these days MMOs have ruined me on the single-player experience.

My favorite part is that human players (at least the n00bs) have a blind spot. They rarely look up before it's too late, which makes finding a crow's nest to rain down fiery red laser death especially fun.

The PC version looks infinitely better than on the PS2, thanks to several things -- my new graphics card chief among them. The shadows and landscape are both rendered more smoothly and in greater detail, and there's the added bonus of being able to play in third or first person (PS2 only allows third, but I'm finding first is far, far superior).

On a side note, Andrew and I have both committed unparalleled heresy. Our screen names, respectively, are Jean-Luc and Riker (I've got the beard). I can only hope the screams of anguished Lucas fanboys distract them long enough for us to circle around and pincer attack with blasters.

So far, just Battlefront has justified the $35 box price for Best of PC. The bundle has four other titles -- Empire at War, Knights of the Old Republic, Jedi Knight II, and Republic Commando -- plus a two-week trial to Galaxies.

Battlefield
Riesige Auswahl an Fahrzeugen, Flieger & Helikopter, Armeen. Battlefield ist Top: 10 Punkte!

BioShock
Durchgeknallter Wahnsinnstrip, ein Feuerwerk an skurrillen Ideen. 9 Punkte.

Brothers in Arms
Gute KI, Grafik und Performance. 9 Punkte.

Call ofDuty
Imposant inszenierte Aktion auf den Schlachtfeldern, definitiv die neue Nr.1 unter den Kriegs-Shootern. 10+

Counter Strike
Klasse Online-Game. 8 Punkte

Crysis
Hollywoodreif inszenierte Action. 10+

Doom
Dauer-Horrortrip - bislang einzigartig. 8 Punkte

F.E.A.R.
Sehr gute Gegner, tolle Gefechte. 9 Punkte

Far Cry
Far Cry ist der Vorgänger von Crysis und ist heute noch wert gespielt zu werden! 8 Punkte

Ghost Recon
Mit neuen High-Tech Waffen und neuer Ausrüstung geht es richtig ab. 9 Punkte

Half-Life
Tolle Grafik, Physik, Atmosphäre u. Story. Reales, direktes Spielgefühl. 9 Punkte

Hitman
Teil 4 mit Blutgeldsystem, Unfälle, Schmiergeld usw. 8 Punkte

Medal of Honor
Sehr schöne zeitgemässe Grafik, die Figuren wirken realistisch in Gestik u. Mimik. 9 Punkte

Metal Gear Solid
Die 'Subsistance'-Version ist das Remake von der PS2-Version 'Sons of Liberty'. 9 Punkte

Painkiller
Die Gegner sind zum schlapplachen, und in grosser Überzahl. 9 Punkte

Prey
Richtung der Schwerkraft veränderbar, Körper u. Geist trennbar - klasse
Idee. 10 Punkte

Quake
Grosse Auswahl an mitgeführten Waffen, tolles Leveldesign. 9 Punkte

Rainbow Six
Weißt viele (gute) Ähnlichkeiten mit 'Ghost Recon 3' auf...Klasse Online-Modus! 8 Punkte

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
Tag/Nacht-und Wetterwechsel. Gebäude u. Landschaft wurden in Handarbeit individuell erstellt. Kein linearer Spielverlauf. 9 Punkte

Soldier of Fortune
Wer gerne RTCW, MoHaa, BF 1942, Vietcong o. ä. spielt, kann sich SoF2 beruhigt zulegen. 7 Punkte

Söldner
Söldner macht riesen spass,schon durch das AGS. 8 Punkte

Splinter Cell
Splinter Cell steht für Stealth-Action, phantastische Grafik und alternative Vorgehensweisen. 9 Punkte

Star Wars - Battlefront
Das erfolgreichste 'Star Wars'-Game aller Zeiten! Klasse Online-Modus. 8 Punkte

Unreal
Grafisch baut das Spiel auf der hoch gelobten Unreal 3-Engine, welche für Next-Generation Konsolen und PCs entwickelt wurde. 10 Punkte

And now, here's my conclusion:

Star Wars: Empire at War
Genre: strategy
Individual Retail Value: $20
Value to me: $10

A big disappointment for me. I was actually expecting this to be really awesome, but in the end found too few units, battle scale too small. The land battle is as dry as it could get, although space battle is better. It tried to copy Total War series' land conquering system (think Risk), but only came up short. People who have been exposed to enough RTS games may find it too linear. Needless to say, I won't buy the expansion, and glad that I didn't choose to buy the expansion (I almost did).

Star Wars Republic Commando
Genre: shooter
Individual Retail Price: $10-20 max
Value to me: $10

I wasn't expecting much of it, since the demo didn't impress me much about 2 to 3 years ago. Nevertheless, the game is short. Very short. Still, it packs enough action that it is actually a bit fun. Too bad it's a bit buggy (missing AI squads, Ai teammates are retarded, etc.)

Star Wars: Battlefront
Genre: shooter
Individual Retail Price: $10-20 max
Value to me: $5

Originally, I wasn't going to bother trying this game, since I am a bit sick of Battlefield-style game. However, its single player campaign looks interesting, and I gave it a try. More fun than I expected, and could be a great online game. I won't try it online though, not to mention I am in India right now, and it is an old game.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Genre: role-playing
Individual Retail Price: $20
Value to me: $20

It is perhaps the only game that I feel completely worth the money. No need to say that it is the best in this package. BioWare always makes great role-playing games (NeverWinter Nights, for example).

Jedi Knights 2: Jedi Outcast
Genre: shooter (+ lightsaber whacking...  fun shit)
Individual Retail Value: $10
Value to me: $0 (have it and beat it already)

If you are looking for a good time whacking stormtroopers & co. with a lightsaber, this is where you can start (and you can try Jedi Academy after this). Just note that the first few levels are horribly bad, and you got no lightsaber until afterward. Since I have the game already, its value to me is 0.

Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
Genre: MMORPG
Individual Retail Price: monthly fee based
Value to me: shit

MMORPG with monthly fees are default FAILs to me. Fuck them (yes, that includes WoW). Not to mention that it wasn't that gread of a MMORPG too.

So, in conclusion, it is a great buy for Star Wars fans who haven't tried a majority of the games included. But for the rest of us, some consideration may be required. Based off my price calculation, it is worth the price, but if I had the chance to buy it again I wouldn't do it. After all, the only great games in the bundle to me is KOTOR1; I wouldn't miss out much without playing the rest (remember that I have Jedi Outcast already, which is a great game).