Anyone who has played at least a few hours of Dragon Age: Origins knows that over the course of the game certain areas become overrun with Darkspawn and are no longer accessible. The announcement of the first DLC since the launch of the game pretty much tells you that Ostagar is once such place. Read on for more details!

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Context is everything. I hadn’t touched SiN since replaying SiN Gold when it was released for the Mac in 2000. Then they released the first ‘episode’ of SiN Episodes, called ‘Emergence‘ in 2006, which came with a Steam copy of ‘SiN 1′ as it was called. Naturally I played some then as I waited for the release of the episode, but didn’t make it all the way through. Since it is now more than ten years since the original release, I thought it only appropriate that I should do a Retrospective for a franchise that has spent its’ life in the shadow of Half Life. Continue Reading

Welcome back to the GearGames weekly video game release feature here at Gear Diary! Now we begin the ‘post MW2 period of the season. But while many games were moved to get out of the way of the big release, we still have good stuff, most notably Left 4 Dead 2. This game was the subject of a big boycott effort because some felt not enough DLC was released and the sequel came too soon. Have they never played Madden? Anyway, the game looks great and personally I can’t wait for an excuse to get back to more zombie-killing madness!

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Welcome back to the GearGames weekly video game release feature here at Gear Diary! This we get the game claiming to be ‘the most pre-ordered game of all-time (not coincidentally by folks who make money off pre-orders!) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The early word is that this is a fine addition to the franchise for console gamers, offering a similarly short single player campaign, but loads of fun in multiplayer. I say ‘for console gamers’, as the PC version has been ’stripped for parts’, with the multiplayer neutered, the ability to modify the game in classic PC style removed, and the price increased. Bleh. But for fans of console shooters, this is considered a ‘must have’.

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One of the most anticipated and overly-hyped games of the year has finally arrived – Dragon Age Origins from Bioware. Like any other game ever made, there are good and bad points. For fans of role-playing games (such as me), the facts that it was made by Bioware and was being called the ’spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate’ was enough to get me to pre-order as soon as it was possible. But there were several things that made me very wary – in particular a puerile advertising campaign that focused on blood spray, heavy metal, gore and sexual overtones to the point I thought the game might well have been called ‘Dragon Age: Blood & Boobies’. Now that the game has been released, I have already played ~30-40 hours and wanted to share a few quick thoughts. Continue Reading

Welcome back to the GearGames weekly video game release feature here at Gear Diary! Anyone who is a fan of role-playing games (RPG) is very excited for this week as perhaps the biggest RPG release of the year (we can debate whether Risen is bigger in the comments) – Dragon Age: Origins. The folks who have brought us the Baldur’s Gate series, Neverwinter Nights games, Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, Jade Empire and more are back – with the ’spiritual successor’ to Baldur’s Gate. I am rushing to finish everything else on my plate so I can be ready for this one on Tuesday. Recently it was announced that the PS3 version was un-delayed, which is nice since it means everyone gets it this week!

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So how are you spending you Halloween? If you are planning to spend it staring bleary-eyed at your computer monitor playing the 2008 online first-person shooter Combat Arms, now you can do it without missing out on the Halloween festivities! Nexon America has announced that their Halloween Update will include Pumpkin Head uniform pieces as well as other items. Read on to find out what is included!

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Welcome back to the GearGames weekly video game release feature here at Gear Diary! OK, you might be wondering why this is the only place NOT highlighting DJ Hero for this week. Well, while that game looks amazingly fun and will sell millions, I chose the expansion to one of the absolute best games of 2008 that got relatively little attention because it is a turn-based strategy game – King’s Bounty: Armored Princess. Of course, since we are in the midst of the Fall Gaming Avalanche, those are but the tip of the iceberg!

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More computer peripheral deals courtesy of GearSponsor Logicbuy. This time there are savings on Microsoft branded peripherals such as this Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 keyboard/mouse combo for $55 (normally $100) and this Microsoft LifeCam Show for $46 (normally $100). If you’re in the market for replacement Microsoft keyboard, mice, webcam or any of their SideWinder gaming components – have a look at the list of links compiled by Logicbuy.

Microsoft Keyboards, Mice, WebCams & Gaming Devices

Given that my first love of gaming is first-person shooters (FPS) based on my love of the original Castle Wolfenstein back on my Apple ][+, it is somewhat surprising that I was ‘late to the party’ on Unreal by nearly a year. But hey, gimme a break – I had a three-month old colicky baby when it was released in late May of 1998. Yes, that is right: Unreal is well past the celebration of its tenth birthday … but in terms of my ownership it has just passed the decade mark, so I guess that counts for something! You know what that means? Netbook Gamer Retrospective time! I am going to take a look at the original game and also touch on the other entries in the series as it has moved to being one of the premier online shooters. And as usual I will put it all into the context of how it works on my netbook.

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Welcome back to the GearGames weekly video game release feature here at Gear Diary! Last week was strong … but this week is just crazy! Some highlights include Borderlands, a hybrid FPS / RPG / Co-op / open world / post-apocalyptic shooter that hits PS3 & XBOX360 this week and PC next week. Also huge this week – albeit with a younger audience – is Bakugan Battle Brawlers, the first game based on the very popular ‘catch em all’ style game featuring magnetic balls that transform into monsters.

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There are few names more closely associated with hardcore PC RPG games than Bioware, and in particular their classic Baldur’s Gate series. Over the past several years the excitement and anticipation for the so-called ’spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate’, called Dragon Age Origins, has been building. In August EA and Bioware announced both the pre-order program and also the Collector’s Edition contents. For PS3 & XBOX360 gamers this meant 3 choices … but for PC gamers it is like navigating a maze! Read on as I try to figure out how to get the most stuff for the least money!

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Feel the Need for Speed? Buy two games at Amazon and you can pick up that game (or any other eligible title) free. This offer is valid for all platforms (PS3, XBOX 360, Wii, PSP, Nintendo DS) and ends 10/17. There is a very wide selection of popular games included and most of them are already discounted.

Amazon Buy TWo Get One via GearSponsor Logicbuy

If you ask most gamers to think back to ‘that one game’, the one that captures their imagination to this day, that they can play again and a gain – and do replay every year without fail, they will quickly come up with one. Perhaps not their first, nor their favorite, it is a game that holds a very special place in their heart for some reason or other.

So I consider myself fortunate that I immediately have two games that spring to mind. Star Wars Jedi Knight 2 and Gothic 2. It is interesting that despite gaming for over 30 years now, my ‘touchstone’ games are both from this decade. As with most things, we always hope that new games will recapture that same feeling – but neither Jedi Academy nor Gothic 3 lived up to their predecessors, and I particularly remember the community disappointment over Dungeon Lords, a game that promised to deliver an experience that the developer claimed was ‘born out of inspiration from classic RPG’s and modern classics such as the Jedi Knight and Gothic games’.

So it was with some trepidation that I invested a significant hope in the new release from Gothic developer Piranha Bytes called ‘Risen’. While I will be providing a full review in the coming weeks, Risen is a huge game that will take me dozens of hours to finish – and likely more due to my ‘completist’ mentality and need to replay as all three main class types, so I wanted to give some initial thoughts. Read on to find out more.

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Welcome back to the GearGames weekly video game release feature here at Gear Diary! This week has a ton of games, but is actually rather thin on the top level blockbusters. First and foremost is Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which we featured in a beta code contest here, and has already been receiving sterling reviews. The other obvious one is Brutal Legend, the delayed-by-legal-wrangling game which is from Tim Shaeffer (famous for LucasArts adventure games and recently Psychonauts), and is a tie-in to the movie of the same name. Also, there is a game that looks like a load of fun called A Boy and His Blob, which I have featured in the headline picture.

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