FiringSquad: What will the single player modes be like in the game?
Ahmed Boukhelifa: The single player mode in Test Drive Unlimited starts you off by throwing you on the island of Oahu with basically nothing to your name. Your first task is acquiring a house and a car so you can travel around the island. Cars can be quite expensive, and you start off with pretty limited funds so your first vehicle will be just enough to get you from point A to point B and win a few small races along the way, earning you extra cash. You’ll need to buy a house next; this is where you’ll be storing your car/s and it will serve as your base as you get more acquainted with the island. As the single player mode progresses, you’ll be able to unlock more parts of the island, compete in more races, buy newer and faster cars and buy newer and bigger houses. The island of Oahu is huge and the single player experience is very deep. There is a lot to explore, unlock and purchase and this is where you’ll get the majority of your vehicles and upgrades that you can then take to the multiplayer mode of the game.
FiringSquad: What sorts of multiplayer options will there be in the game?
Ahmed Boukhelifa: As stated earlier, multiplayer will allow you to meet up and race with other online players, create clubs, trade cars and make friends. Also in multiplayer is the option to create single races or whole tournaments based on your rules and specifications. When players are free-roaming the island, all other online players will be indicated by red dots on the main map. Only eight cars (yourself included) will be shown on the screen at any give time, so if there are more than seven other players in the area at one time then only those who are the closest match to your skill level and racing preferences will be visible onscreen. This way, you can arrange to race with a fellow online player who matches your level on the fly.
FiringSquad: What other unique gameplay options will Test Drive Unlimited have?
Ahmed Boukhelifa: Test Drive Unlimited will also allow players to purchase houses (65 houses are available in all) all over the island. Players will also be able to customize their characters by purchasing clothes from trend-setting designers like Marc Ecko and Ben Sherman.
FiringSquad: What can you tell us about the graphical features of the game?
Ahmed Boukhelifa: As you can probably see from the screenshots that have been released so far, the graphical quality of Test Drive Unlimited is very impressive. Everything, from the cars to the environments, is being modeled with the closest attention to detail and lifelike realism possible. As the game progresses along the development cycle, it becomes more polished looking and more stunning graphically. The goal of Test Drive Unlimited is to create a world where the cars and the landscapes look so breathtaking that the player is able to totally immerse him/herself in the gaming experience.
FiringSquad: Finally, what is the current status of the game's progress and when will it be released?
Ahmed Boukhelifa: Beta shown at E3, released in September on Xbox 360 and PC.
Mass Effect 3 PC Demo Impressions Mass Effect 3, EA/BioWare's third iteration in their series of sci-fi action RPGs and one of the most anticipated titles of the year, is fast approaching its March 6th release. This week, though, they released a playable demo on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 that offers a glimpse into both the single-player and multi-player portions of the full game.
Whether you're waiting impatiently for your download to finish or don't have the time to check it out yourself, go ahead and read some impressions of the demo from resident FSers Synch and Vandy in today's article!
Batman: Arkham City PC Review Batman: Arkham City is the sequel to 2009’s smash-hit action game Batman: Arkham Asylum. As the name suggests, you will be reprising your role as the Caped Crusader and going against an even larger 'prison' filled with Gotham's criminals and villains. A textbook example on how to do a proper sequel, Arkham City takes what worked in the original, excised or improved upon what didn’t, and elevated everything to an even greater scope. The PC version suffered from a few months of delay, but in that time, Rocksteady worked closely to NVIDIA to implement some familiar technologies from the last game, such as PhysX and 3D Vision, along with new DirectX 11 optimizations. But how well was the whole package executed? Read on to find out!
Saints Row: The Third PC Review Saints Row is one of most unique series of games to build upon the open-world action template forged by Grand Theft Auto, and has met with plenty of critical and commercial success since it began on consoles back in 2006. This latest iteration, titled Saints Row: The Third promises the most outlandish fun and freedom of customization of them all, and in a much more PC-friendly package than its predecessor. Does it live up to those expectations and, more importantly, is it worth the price of admission? Find out in Will's latest review!
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim PC Review The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is Bethesda Softworks’ latest offering in their series of epic fantasy RPGs, as well as one of the most highly-anticipated PC titles of 2011. As the Dovahkiin, or Dragonborn, prepare to take the fight to the mythical beasts that have returned to the realm after centuries of slumber, all the while exploring a huge and highly-detailed open world.
The PC version of the game promises enhanced graphical fidelity, standard RPG trimmings such as hotkeys and quick-save, as well as unbridled mod support, something we’ll all be thankful for once they release that SDK. Skyrim has already sold millions of copies and set records for play-time on Steam... Find out why in today's review, which happens to be one of the biggest and most in-depth articles on the subject out there!
L.A. Noire Complete Edition PC Review L.A. Noire, as the name clearly states, is a video game built on the tropes of one of the greatest periods of American cinema: film noir. Developed by the now defunct Australian developer Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games, this title has been out on consoles for a full six months before finally making its way to the PC. This “Complete Edition” of the game features improved graphics, keyboard/mouse controls, and every bit of previously-released DLC for free. But was it truly worth the wait? Read on and find out!
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Xbox 360 Review
The self-appointed "most anticipated game in history" launched worldwide this past Tuesday. Why, it's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, of course (of course), what else? Unsurprisingly, the military FPS debate between this and Battlefield 3 rages on, but now that both have been released, surely we can take a look and objectively evaluate them both? Luke's taken the Xbox version of MW3 for a spin this week, so to find out what he thinks of it in today's review!
Stronghold 3 Review
The latest sequel in the long-running real-time strategy franchise from FireFly Studios, Stronghold 3 is all about building your dream castle and defending it against sieging enemies. Almost exactly one decade after the first game was released, this new title promises a return to the classic and well-received gameplay that has been strayed so far from in more recent iterations. Does it live up to those expectations? Will (AKA Synchronous Failure) tells us all about it in his first official FiringSquad review, so read on!
Battlefield 3 PC Review - Single-player Impressions
One of the most highly-anticipated PC games of the year is upon us; Battlefield 3 is now available in North America! EA/DICE have finally delivered a sequel to the core Battlefield franchise, a proper follow-up to BF2. Having played through the game's single-player campaign already, ahead of the multiplayer festivities kicking off around midnight, I figured I'd share my impressions ASAP. Is it really a worthy addition to the core Battlefield series, or just another bullet point on the back of the box? Read on and find out!
Wrecked: Revenge Revisited Supersonic Software Interview
Following up on our hands-on preview from earlier this month, here's an interview with Supersonic Software, creators of Wrecked: Revenge Revisited. The game's coming out on XBLA and PSN in a matter of weeks, but for now, Luke chats with the developer about its predecessors Mashed and Micro Machines, how difficult it can be to get an indie game published, the closure of Codemasters' Guildford branch, and more!
Orcs Must Die! PC Review Orcs Must Die! is the first release from an independent developer named Robot Entertainment. Fans of classic real-time strategy games may have heard that name before, as the outfit is comprised of many veterans from Ensemble Studios, creators of the Age of Empires series.
Equal parts action and strategy, this is a tower defense game that not only puts you in command, but on the front lines of combat, as well. Slaughter thousands of orcs, ogres and other vile creatures of fantasy that invade your fortresses through 24 levels of the story-based campaign. With high levels of replayability thanks to its scoring and leaderboard functionality, multiple difficulty levels, and various styles of play, it sounds a steal at only $15. Does it deliver on all that’s promised, though? Read on and find out!
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More on Test Drive Unlimited's MMO like features.
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