Call Of Duty : World At War

Call of Duty: World at War is a lot like its predecessor, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. In most respects, this is a good thing. The guns are tightly tuned, the tone is gritty and mature, and the action is exciting and fast-paced. It boasts the same addictive multiplayer system as Modern Warfare, and even expands the multiplayer possibilities by allowing four players to play through the campaign cooperatively. Like every game in the series before Modern Warfare, this Call of Duty takes place during World War II. World at War does an admirable job of spicing things up, but between the well-worn source material and déjà vu game mechanics, there is a pervasive familiarity to the game.

The most salient difference between World at War and Modern Warfare is the WWII setting. In the campaign, you split time between two soldiers in two offensive theaters: the Russian push out of their homeland and into the heart of Germany, and the American struggle to wrest Pacific islands from the Japanese. Though you'll alternate between them every few levels, the campaign feels like one solid progression, thanks to the adept pacing.

World at War does make a leap for the Call of Duty series by offering two-player split-screen and four-player online cooperative campaign play. It's the same campaign as the single-player experience, though the number of enemies increases for every player that joins you. You can turn competitive scoring on and see who can earn the most points by killing enemies or reviving teammates, and this adds a bit of fun to the campaign and lightens to mood (it's hard to feel grim when there are point values popping up all the time). There are also special items called death cards in each level, and collecting these will allow you to enable a cheat for cooperative play (for instance, enemies die by headshots only or headshots cause enemies to explode). These add a little more spice to the pot, but the only tangible incentives are challenges. Completing these tasks (such as kill 100 enemies with pistols or take first 20 times in competitive co-op) will earn you experience points that go toward your multiplayer rank (co-op is not similarly ranked). Cooperative play is fun in its own right, but linking it to the addictive multiplayer ranking system makes it relevant in a whole different way.

By staying largely true to the formula that made Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare so successful, Call of Duty: World at War has ensured a proven level of technical quality, particularly in the multiplayer arena. On the other hand, one of Modern Warfare's strengths was its fresh approach, and by embracing a familiar setting and familiar mechanics, World at War achieves greatness but falls short of excellence. This is only a bad thing if you are expecting this game to top its benchmark predecessor. If, however, you are hoping for an exciting campaign, fun cooperative play, and engaging multiplayer action, then you'll find a lot to be happy about in World at War.

EVGA Announces Loaner Program for US and Canada Citizens

As of yesterday, EVGA is promoting its Loaner Program which gives you the opportunity to test out the latest EVGA hardware for two weeks right in your home for free. Here's how it works. First you need a free registration (free), then you need to choose the product you want to receive. The company will randomly select participants and then send out the product you wished for at no cost. Once your two weeks with the product are up, you simply pay the shipping cost to the next person on the list selected by EVGA. Sadly there's one more catch, you need to be living the US or Canada to be eligible for the program. For now the only two products available in the Loaner Program are the EVGA X58 Classified motherboard, and a 22" Samsung monitor with 3D Vision Glasses. If you meet the requirements, you can sign up for them at any time here.


Source: http://www.techpowerup.com/87941/EVGA_Announces_Loaner_Program_for_US_and_Canada_Citizens.html

Forza Motorsport 2

It's the best racing sim on Xbox 360, but is that really saying much?

Burnout is about speed; Project Gotham Racing is about looking cool; Forza Motorsport is about cars. No game has yet to take all three of these fundamental elements and merge them into one brilliant package. Though hopes were high for Forza Motorsport 2, it fails to give the sensation of blazing speed and there's almost no cool-like-the-Fonz elements in this $60 package. Like its predecessor, Forza 2 is about cars and in that area it does exceedingly well. So if you're a car nerd, prepare to have your tires popped by what Forza 2 offers.

If you love cars, you will likely love Forza 2. And if you're a wide-eyed child in the world of automobiles, Forza 2 may actually inspire a newfound appreciation for cars. With more than 300 cars included (and more likely to come through downloadable content), Forza 2 has a great variety of vehicles. Each class of car has its own unique feel, so that you can instantly tell the difference between racing in a muscle car or putting pedal to metal in a high-end plastic sports ride. There's a car for everyone.

So Forza 2 has brilliant physics, great customization options, and solid online play. So why isn't it earning greater esteem from IGN? As I said early on, a racing game is about more than just the cars. Much like its predecessor, Forza 2 lacks soul. The only personality you'll find in Forza 2 are the custom skins created by fans. While it's certainly an enjoyable and well-made game, it just doesn't have the spark of energy and excitement found in almost every other racer.