Update: Downloadable Full Version Free FPS PC Multiplayer Shooter Game Alien Arena Version 7.31 is Coming

I just received a letter from the devs of the downloadable multiplayer shooter Alien Arena that Version 7.31 of their full version free FPS PC is coming soon.

A list of the features to be implemented---and a link to my review of the game; as well as gameplay videos I've made---after the jump.

According to the devs features that Alien Arena 7.31 will tout include:

• callvoting,
  
• improved shadow volumes,
• updated and improved sound code,
• graphical tweaks and of course,
  
• bugfixes

>>>See more downloadable free PC FPS full version shooter games HERE

>>>See gameplay videos and my review of Alien Arena HERE

>>>Click here to read more...

Xtreme-G Nvidia GeForce 190.62 Video Card Benchmark Test Results

As usual this tweaked Xtreme-G Nvidia GeForce video driver delivers crisper colors than its WHQL counterpart.

Details after the jump.

This tweaked Xtreme-G Nvidia GeForce video driver is a keeper: it performed better than the WHQL 190.62 in synthetic benchmarks and F.E.A.R.'s built in benchmark test. However, I still remain disappointed with the 190 drivers. What's up with the Nvidia boys? I hope they pick up the slack with their GeForce 191 drivers, which recently have been leaked.

>>>Click here to see the video card benchmark test results of the Xtreme-G Nvidia GeForce 190.62

>>>Click here to read more...

My YouTube Gameplay Videos of the Downloadable Free PC FPS Full Version Horror Shooter The Suffering

I've begun recording and uploading gameplay videos of the downloadable free PC FPS full version horror shooter The Suffering. I'll be posting my review of the game in the next 4-7 days.



Gameplay videos of the downloadable free PC FPS horror shooter after the jump.

Warning: may not be suitable for children

>>>See more downloadable free PC FPS full version shooter games HERE

>>>For a broader list of downloadable free PC full version games, click HERE

>>>Click here to read more...

Leaked Nvidia GeForce 191.00 Drivers

See the download link after the jump.


The download link can be found in the forums of Tweakforce. Please take note that this will take you outside this site. The leaked Nvidia GeForce 191.00 are not mine. It's leaked so it might not be stable for your system. Install at your own risk.

>>>Download 190.62, the latest Nvidia GeForce WHQL release (as of 09192009) from HERE

>>>See Nvidia Graphic Benchmark Software test results HERE

>>>Click here to read more...

Review: Downloadable Full Version Free FPS PC Multiplayer Shooter Game - Alien Arena

(It was late when I made this; might update it tomorrow afternoon.)


"Do not run! We are your friends!" so the goblin sappers of Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne are fond of quoting. While millions of gamers may be reminded of Blizzard's diminutive green imps everytime they hear this quote, nothing resembles Mars Attacks! more than Alien Arena. This downloadable full version free FPS PC multiplayer shooter game from developer COR Entertainment has taken Quake 2-style gameplay and fused it with a 1950s alien invasion design theme that warps players back into the years of yore.


The review of this 1950s-themed downloadable full version free FPS PC multiplayer shooter game (plus a video of me against "Hard" difficulty bots!) after the jump.


Jolly, fragile-looking devils with MASSIVE guns

Right from the get-go when you fire up the game and see teammates and opponents alike in bubble helmets and goofy martian skins, you'll know that this game tries hard to have a retro sci-fi feel.

And it succeeds. Brilliantly.

From Martian Enforcers to rusty, one-eyed cyborgs, Alien Arena has all the trappings of a 1950s alien invasion film. Cylindrical bodies; segmented, tubular metallic arms; bulbous helmets --- the design at first might strike you as uninspired but after a few minutes of gaming, you'll realize that the graphical aspect of the game is intentional---and considering that all shooter games nowadays are going in the opposite direction of the timeline design-wise---brings a breath of fresh air that reeks of ingenuity.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

From the high-pitched whine of death rays (yes! green ones!), the otherwordly pew-pew of the default Blaster to the electric crackle of the Violator (the game's lethal, close-range weapon), the game's audio effectively captures what film directors of the 50s thought martian energy weapons should sound like. And while Alien Arena might be full of the pew-pews of that decade, it pulls out all the stops when it comes to the powerhouse armaments. When you hear the SKRAAKT! of the Chain Gun's alt fire or the guttural rumblings of the Flamer, you know you're holding a bad a$$ something of alien manufacture that should be bound to numerical keys above five.

But what's really satisfying to fire is Alien Arena's Vaporizer (no, it's of martian make; it's not Nick's invention). That weapon is pure evil. Compared to it, Doom 3's BFG is ghey. When you fire it, for a full second, it gives out a keen wail as its electronics charges the thing --- and then it punches out a bar of blinding blue light that totally dismembers, destroys, and disintegrates anything it lances through. It's like you have a mini-Son Goku or Lews Therin Telamon in there throwing kamehamehas and balefire.

Wait. Did I tell you my Logitech sub-woofer goes postal when I fire that thing?

It does.

Audio and graphics --- no other downloadable full version free FPS PC multiplayer shooter game has a visual and aural design cohesion that's so seamlessly tight as to give it an atmosphere so tangible and immersive as Alien Arena. Throw in Quake-style gameplay and you know you can't go wrong trying this one out.

Me against "Hard" AI opponents. Cyborgs, martians, and Terran soldiers! (First part of a two-video series)

Part two of the series.

>>>Get the downloadable full version free FPS PC multiplayer shooter game from HERE

>>>See more downloadable full version free FPS PC multiplayer shooter games from HERE

>>>Click here to read more...

UPDATE: Battletech - MechWarrior 4 Downloadable Full Version Free FPS PC Game Release

MekTek.net, the site responsible for the release of two of the MechWarrior 4 games, has announced the development of a desktop application that will be the "centralized distribution and patching point" for all MekTek products, including the soon-to-be downloadable full version free FPS PC game releases (MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries and MechWarrior 4: Black Knight). According to the post, the software has reached beta status two weeks ago.

(The image is not mine. It is from MekTek.net and is displayed here for promotional purposes only.)

Details and the link to the post after the jump.



MekTek X, the software, has been developed by MekTek.net as a centralized patching and dissemination hub for the ever-expanding list of software they are developing, including the singleplayer campaigns for MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries, MechWarrior 4: Black Knight.

It will, of course, be the point of release for the upcoming downloadable full version free MechWarrior FPS PC game releases.

Features of MekTek X include:

• 
  

Bootstrap Installations

Incremental Delta Auto-Patching

Torrent or HTTP Downloading from an exclusive MekTek Tracker

Custom Web Browser

News Updates from MekTek and Partners

Online Help

Community Chat Lobbies

Network Diagnostic Tools

• 
  

>>>See MekTek.net's update to the downloadable full version free MechWarrior FPS PC game releases HERE

>>>See a video---and and overview---of the upcoming downloadable full version free MechWarrior FPS PC game HERE

>>> See more downloadable full version free FPS PC games HERE

>>>Click here to read more...

Future-Proof Upgradeable Motherboards - Bad Idea for Budget Gaming PC Owners?

It was all a blasted mistake.

Last Saturday, my PC DVD rewriter finally died. I couldn't believe it. My budget gaming PC's on its last months and the son of a gretchin of a DVD rewriter died! One more component to buy for my obsolete gaming rig! It dawned on me then that maybe this whole idea of "next year I'm going to buy a souped-up system that's going to last me four-five years. This way I'll save a lot of cash" isn't so good after all.

The reason why---and how much I've spent for my obsolete PC after its second year---after the jump.



Last weekend's meltdown (yes, even my stupid ISP went into a digital stupor over the death of my DVD drive) convinced me that people on a budget shouldn't hang on to their budget gaming PCs after their machines' second year.

Here's what I bought after my PC's second year (yes, I know the Nvidia video cards are ancient but I've undergone two relocations in a two-year span and they have not been friendly to my pockets):

BFG 6600 GT OC - 7,500 PhP
Palit 7300 GT - 4,300 PhP (after the BFG died)
2GB RAM upgrade- 6,000 PhP
2 keyboards - 900 PhP
2 DVD Rewriters - 4,600 PhP
---------------------------
23,300 PhP

The morgue (the games are very much alive though! Except for F.E.A.R.'s Alma. Yes, she's very much dead.)

Egad! That's about $485! I can nearly buy another low-end, budget gaming PC with that amount!

This is a lesson for me --- keeping a low-end budget gaming PC well after its second year is a bad idea. Three years should be a stretch.

After your PC's second or third year, you can sell it for 50% off, save for the other 50% of the amount, and then buy a new one again. This way, you won't buy for parts for an obsolete system once its components begin dying from age. If you sell your old one for 10K-12K PhP, I'm sure a lot of people will dive for it (tip: to prevent lethal brushes with the Angel of Conscience, don't overclock your components if you plan to sell it to your relatives).

Of course, do check what the PC gaming industry has to offer you if you're on the second year and want to upgrade. Buying another system on a particular year may or may not be a good idea. Take this year for example. Here in the Philippines, X58 motherboards are VERY expensive. If you're an owner of a budget P35 gaming system, it might not be a good time to upgrade --- buying a P45 motherboard will only bring you minimal gains (unless you're going for a Crossfire setup) and buying an i7 PC system will be too expensive (if you're going for a budget gaming PC). It's better if you wait for prices of the next-generation X58s to go down rather than buy a new rig. (Of course, if you can afford them, knock yourself out and go on a splurge! :D)

Me? I'm abandoning all the fancy dreams I have for a "high-end low-end" gaming PC and buying the cheapest the PC gaming industry has to offer. After two-three years I will---the gods of gaming willing---ditch it and buy a new budget gaming PC.

Trust me, from my luckless experience, this path is cheaper --- not to mention you get a shiny, brand-new relatively kick-ass PC gaming rig!

>>>Can't run the newest games yet? Click here for downloadable PC full version freeware games!

>>>Click here to read more...

Downloadable Full Version Freeware Turn-Based Strategy Games Update: UFO: AI August Development News

This downloadable full version freeware turn-based strategy game may be a WIP but nonetheless I'm actively following the development of UFO: Alien Invasion v2.3 --- being an X-Com inspired game, it hammers flat most of the retail games out there in the gameplay department.

The August progress report and what this X-Com-inspired free, turn-based strategy game is all about after the jump.

Some of the changes/tweaks/fixes:

• Fixes and improvements to campaign, including research fixes and balancing, transfer system, pilot assignment and large scale economy balancing.
• Lots of UI fixes and improvements, including widescreen related fixes, battlescape UI fixes, smooth 3D geoscape, transfer & hire UI fixes and improvements, updated geoscape layout, aircraft equipment screen fixes and improvements and Ufopedia improvements and fixes.
• Battlescape fixes and updates, including several crash fixes, electrolaser damage fix, actor centering, updated radar, improved performance and interactive radar.
• Geoscape updates and fixes, including installation fixes, base defence fixes, fired projectile displaying fixes, more informative messages, improved selected UFO indication in 2D geoscape, multiple crash fixes and more messageoption categories.
• AI fixes.
• New textures, models and model skins, battlescape radar images, particles and sounds.
• Simplified battlescape radar map creation process.
• Implemented UFO yards.
  

>>> More details about this sci-fi turn-based freeware strategy game

>>>More downloadable freeware games here

>>>Click here to read more...

The Harmony Gold (Robotech) vs Fasa (Battletech) Conflict - A Ghost From the Past Floats From its Unmarked Grave

A MekTek administrator publishes his thoughts about the Harmony Gold (Robotech) vs Fasa (Battletech) conflict in light of the former's recent protest about the MechWarrior 5 trailer using one (? 'Not sure) of its tabletop war game mech designs.

A quote and the link to the editorial post after the jump.



MekTek's Supermike has this to say about the Marauder mech design (and several other mech designs) that is soon to be taken out from the upcoming MechWarrior video game (if the PC first-person shooter mech simulator is to see the light of day):

For many years I was upset over, what I perceived as, Harmony Gold's "tyrannical" protection of their intellectual properties. How many people's favorite 'mech was the Marauder? After speaking with a couple of people "in the know" on this subject, I have come to change my views significantly.

The first thing to remember is the artwork in question was NOT created by FASA. It was the work of the people that created Robotech. Why shouldn't they want credit and the rewards generated through their work?

Right on Supermike! As much as I like the Marauder and one of the Land-Air Mechs, I innately have this aversion for "crossovers," regardless if whether they are legit or not. As a digital artist myself, I feel keenly for stolen concept art.

Besides, the Harmony Gold conflict forced Fasa to take on battlemech tabletop figurine designs that wildly deviated from the "anime super-robots" feel. This deviation evolved their mechs into grittier, "more plausible" designs that IMHO, proved to be a boon for the company.

>>>The MekTek article

>>>Click here to read more...

Where to Download and How to Use Daemon Tools Lite

Several of my posts here are about PC full version downloadable freeware strategy games and FPS singleplayer and multiplayer shooter games. A few of my friends though, have expressed reluctance in downloading the games as some of the PC games' installers come in ISO files, which need a disk image emulator to work. (Examples are MechCommander Gold and Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn.) The concept is so alien to them that they don't download the games, even though I know a lot of them are strategy and shooter freaks. :D

For some users, spending hours downloading a downloadable freeware PC game and then staring dumbstruck at the resulting ISO file on their desktop is a very frustrating experience. OmgomgomgwhatdoIdowiththisitwon'tinstallthe#$^@gamewhenI2xclickonitomgomgomg!!! Fear not! here is a guide that will transform that infuriating, mysterious ISO file from that of the above to this:

Don't know what to do with ISOs and Daemon Tools Lite? A step-by-step illustrated guide about where to download and how to use Daemon Tools Lite after the jump.



DISCLAIMER: While I have used this freeware for years now and have not detected any malware, it doesn't erase the possibility of the download site being hacked, etc. Furthermore, Daemon Tools Lite---and any other software reviewed/discussed here---is NOT a property of this site. I will not be held liable for any damages that may occur to you or your system while using the freeware. Install at your own risk.)

1. Go to the Daemon Tools official site. It's located HERE. Then go to their "Downloads" page.


2. Choose the "Lite" version. It's free.


2a. If the software doesn't download, you can go to FileHippo to get the latest version. It's located HERE.

3. Scan the installer with an updated anti-virus program. (I always do this no matter where I get software from.)

4. Install Daemon Tools Lite.

5. Right click on the Daemon Tools Lite icon. Navigate to VIRTUAL CD/DVD-ROM > DEVICE 0: [E:] NO MEDIA > MOUNT IMAGE.


6. Browse to where you've placed your ISO file.


7. The installer should launch.


(Don't forget to temporarily disable your anti-virus when installing software. Re-enable it/them after the installation.)

8. After installing the game, I usually burn the ISO file to a DVD and delete the one on my PC. I do this to conserve space. However, if you don't like the idea of popping in a DVD everytime you want to play the game, you can leave it on your PC. Regardless of your preference, everytime you want to play the game, repeat steps 5 and 6. (Of course, if the latest version of the freeware removed the copy protection of the CD, you can just click on the game's icon on your desktop or in the Start > Programs menu.)

If feeding DVDs to your player every time you want to play a game doesn't bother you, you can burn the ISO to a DVD and delete it from your PC to conserve space.

If not you can always leave the ISO in your system. Either way works.

So you see Dave, it's easy. ;)

>>>Click here to read more...

Downloadable PC Full Version Freeware Real-Time Strategy (RTS) Game Battletech - MechCommander Gold

A few weeks back I discovered that MechCommander Gold has been released as freeware. I checked out several screenshots and reviews about the downloadable PC full version Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game, and found out that the game doesn't involve any base-building.

Okay, I thought, this must be like Ground Control, but without the 3D terrain. While I've no problem with sprite-based games, the fact that this one doesn't offer base-building left me kind of puzzled as to what it can offer to players. I mean a 2D real-time strategy game without base building? Maybe this game died and rotted under the sun as soon as it saw the light of day, I thought. Nevertheless, I still downloaded the game because of three reasons (one of which---hands down---dominates the other two):

1. It's part of the Battletech-MechWarrior franchise.

2. It's free!

3. It features a generous bird's-eye view of a MechWarrior's sweat-covered cleavage. In a full motion video. While she's in a cockpit, driving her thang.

I downloaded the game, and stars of Kerensky! The game delivers. This is unarguably one of the best 2D, sprite-based RTS games I've played.

MechCommander Gold is actually two games in one: the original MechCommander, and the "Desperate Measures" expansion. The original game has been tweaked, with it having several new features.

The download link and the full review---and yes, a picture of a sweat-covered cleavage--after the jump.

If my meager knowledge of Battletech/MechWarrior lore is accurate, the downloadable full version Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game transpires during 3060 when a massive Inner Sphere task force invaded the Smoke Jaguar's homeworld. (The game begins with an FMV that flashes the caption "The counterattack begins.")

The beginning of the end for Clan Smoke Jaguar

As stated, MechCommander Gold utilizes sprites, meaning its graphics are not rendered in 3D but instead uses pre-rendered images, including such effects as explosions, laser fire, etc. While this puzzled me initially as to how the game can entertain players---given its lack of a base-building apect---the game implements LOS (line of sight) and elevation benefits quite accurately; place a sensor-laded recon vehicle atop a mountain and huge chunks of fog of war vanish like - well, fog.

Zooming out provides you with a tactical macroscopic view of the lay of the land...

...while zooming in lets you see special effects in all their 2D glory. Here, W-Variant Commando-class light mechs fire their energy weapons at a hapless tank. Giving a command to use only energy armaments conserves missiles and ballistic weaponry.

While not as powerful as that of today's games, the game's audio still features bass-laden effects that are adequate enough to engross you as you lay waste to everything with what are essentially giant, walking tanks. The game's attention to detail also helps in creating a satisfying gaming experience, the turrets of tanks follow their targets, trees bend, and then break as your mechs walk through them, fires spread and burn surrounding trees (Hah! Take that Far Cry 2!), and explosions unleash light that affects the surrounding terrain.

Kabong! Explosions in the game are not too shabby.

What I like best about this game though is that it has taken what has made Battletech so popular --- the ability to tweak your Battlemechs. In this game, you can outfit your mechs with a wide range of short-, medium-, and long-range weaponry that encompass energy- and projectile-based armaments. From armor-shredding autocannons to the dreaded Extended Range PPC, nearly all the weapons of the earlier Battletech games are here.

You just can't go willy-nilly and slap on weapons to your mechs however --- mission parameters will dictate the total tonnage you are allowed to deploy. Also, your mechs come in the light, medium, and heavy classes. These tonnage categorizations ultimately limit what you can equip your juggernauts of war.

To further expand the diversity available to you, each---yes, each---of the mechs come in three variants:

1. A(rmor)-variant - extra armor, no jumpjets
2. W(eapons)-variant - more powerful weapons, no jumpjets
3. J(umpjets)-variant - with jumpjets, more mobile; less armor and weapons


The weapons too, have things you should consider, they each take up space; the more powerful the weapon, the bigger the space required. Medium and heavy mechs, needless to say, can easily shoulder the bigger guns, while the light mechs sport greater mobility; they can run around and attack the less protected parts of their larger counterparts.

Heat, another important part of the Battletech games, has been implemented into this game too. It doesn't appear as "heat" per se, but rather, each weapon has a "recycle" rate, which is the amount of time a weapon needs to "cool down" before it can fire again. It's not as good as that employed in the tabletop game, but the addition of this "recycle" aspect gives players something to ponder on and tinker around with other than the usual mission micromanagement and tactics.

SRMs, Streak SRMs, Pulse Lasers, Heavy Flamers, you name it, they've got it.

The game also involves other war machines that aren't ambulatory --- there are sensor-laden recon vehicles, tanks that pack enough firepower to draw sweat from even the most skilled mechwarrior, and even minelayers/sweepers. They may not be awe-inspiring 30-ton death machines, but their mobility and their specialized roles make them indispensable components in most scenarios. Still, these are assets that shouldn't engage in protracted firefights with battlemechs and should only be used as support forces.

In a laudable design decision, the developers of this freeware strategy game have made it so that the paper-thin vehicles come with their own crew. This way, your veteran mechwarriors will only be driving heavily-armored mechs (as they should be). It conveniently streamlines the gaming experience in that you won't get headaches allocating precious manpower to conventional vehicles that easily crash and burn.


The game also allows you to hire additional mechwarriors. They also have skills (Gunnery, Piloting, Sensors, and Jumping) and these improve over time as they participate in missions.


You can all buy the above in-between mission from the Purchasing menu. It's the macro- and micro-management of tactics and resources, the tweaking of weapon configurations, and other planning-intensive aspects (should I call for fire support now? Should I buy that Hollander or repair my existing mechs?), that make this game highly addictive. Add the fact that you can instruct your forces to aim at specific parts of enemy mechs just so you won't damage their components so that you can salvage and reuse them later and you can see that this game has a lot of replayability and freedom to engross tweak-happy players for weeks.

You can also call in artillery support. These are, however, limited and you should use these only if the situation calls for some heavy bombardment.

Now for what I don't like about the game:

1. It's old and it's in 2D. Who cares though; X-com, for me, still remains to be the greatest game of all time. I just thought I'd mention this.
2. The AI, while not buggy, is not incredibly smart either --- badly outgunned vehicles make beelines for your mechs, instead of driving away and bringing reinforcements. (Like I said, the game is old.)
3. You can't save mid-mission. This is okay though as it's a game that presents players with limited resources. Still, for people who have limited time, this can prove to be a major pain.
4. The menu, at first, was confusing.
5. No tutorials.
6. No manual included with the full version RTS download. I had to google for it.
7. You can't see the radius of artillery strikes unless you commit to it and click an area for bombardment, making the whole affair tricky if there are structures lying around that you don't want damaged. For a PC RTS that's based on a tabletop game, it's odd they didn't see this. The devs should have used a more accurate "blast template" icon to let players readily see the area that a strike will encompass.
8. With games like this, you can just cheat by playing a recon mission, scout everything out, and then reload the mission. I don't do this though (unless I get wiped out) but still the knowledge that I can do it bugs me. Maybe in the future someone will think up of a game like this one with a random terrain generator. (Like the downloadable free full RPG game: Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall sans the pre-fab feel.)

Still, don't let the cons dissuade you from playing this one. If you like stats, tweaking, tactics, military science-fiction, mechs, and don't mind 2D, sprite-based graphics, this downloadable full version Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game is for you.

And oh, I nearly forgot:

I like her eyes, chin, and uhm, parts of her anatomy where you normally place Small Lasers on a mech...

(Read before clicking the download link below: DISCLAIMER: While I have played this game and have not detected any malware, it doesn't erase the possibility of the download site being hacked, etc. Furthermore, MechCommander Gold is not a property of this site. I will not be held liable for any damages that may occur to you or your system while using the freeware. Install at your own risk.)

>>>Download Battletech - MechCommander Gold, the downloadable full version Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game, HERE

>>>The installer is an ISO file. Don't know how to install an ISO file? Click HERE for a step-by-step guide (with screenshots) on where to download the latest version and how to use Daemon Tools Lite.

>>>See more downloadable full version strategy games HERE

>>>See downloadable free PC FPS multiplayer shooters HERE

>>>Click HERE for more Mechcommander Gold resources (map editing tutorials, saved games, etc)

>>>Click here to read more...