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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Welcome back to the GearGames weekly video game release feature here at Gear Diary! After last week’s PSP Go launch, this week is filled with games, games, and more games! Among the big releases are Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes for every current platform, the long awaited Demon’s Souls for the PS3. But the one that will likely leave echoes across the entire holiday season – Wii Fit Plus.

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Arrgh! Here we are, matey … back for another episode of Tales of Monkey Island! While I can’t tell you where things stand at the beginning of the tale without potentially spoiling the first episode for those who haven’t played yet, suffice it to say that we can expect the events that were set in motion at the start of the first episode will be in play for the entire season!

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Welcome back to the GearGames weekly video game release feature here at Gear Diary! While one would think that the release of the first ‘no local media’ game system this week (i.e. the PSP Go!) would be huge news, my scan of the Sunday papers showed it as a side note in a few stores and not mentioned at all in most. Well, Sony seems to have corralled some folks into supporting the release, as we have a (for the PSP) huge list of games including the much-awaited Gran Turismo. I’ll have a review on that later this week, along with a first look at the PSP Go!

The game I featured this week is the PC game Risen (the XBOX360 version is delayed). This is from the makers of the classic Gothic series of games, and early looks at the game are very positive. Since Gothic 2 is one of my favorite all-time games, I am highly anticipating digging deep into this 80+ hour game.

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Remember my review of the excellent Tradewinds 2 for the iPhone? Well, in it I mentioned that the game is a port of a PC game … and today (September 25th) only, Amazon has the original for $0.98!

The game is loads of fun, here is a snip from the 2005 GameSpot review:

Tradewinds 2 is a whimsical take on the life of a privateer who sails the high seas, trades broadsides with pirates, and makes friends and foes in the Caribbean at the turn of the 18th century. The game is quite simple to play, and it’s easy both to buy low and sell high throughout the Caribbean isles, as well as to sink opposing ships seeking to do you in. Despite the relative lack of challenge and a fairly plain, cartoonish presentation, Tradewinds 2 succeeds at being surprisingly fun and addictive. Clearly inspired by the classic Sid Meier’s Pirates!, Tradewinds 2 is briskly paced and delivers the satisfaction of the process of earning enough money to afford bigger, better stuff.

Source: Amazon

Welcome back to the GearGames weekly video game release feature here at Gear Diary! Two big games and a whole lotta ‘other’ this week: Halo 3: ODST for the XBOX360 and Shin Megami Tensei: Persona for the PSP. Persona is the PSP remake of the the highly regarded original entry in the franchise, and has gotten very positive early reviews. Halo 3: ODST is the follow-up to the original XBOX360 game and is destined to sell heavily despite getting merely solid reviews.

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