Gamepressure.com Staff Picks 2009

Akcji 17 November 2009

A sequel to Assassin's Creed, an action game released in 2007. Just as the original, also the second installment was developed by Ubisoft Montreal studio. Assassin's Creed II tells of the new adventures of Desmond Miles. This time the protagonist uses the Animus to relive the memories of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a young noble from Florence living in the Renaissance period. The hero decides to join the Brotherhood of Assassins in order to take revenge on the Templars for killing his family. Just as in the first Assassin's Creed, gameplay combines elements of third-person action game, adventure, and stealth. The world’s open structure offers much freedom in terms of movement and the order in which you complete the missions. Once again, the developers skillfully enriched the fictional story with historical facts and figures (e.g. Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli).

X360

RPG 03 November 2009

A classic cRPG developed by the famous Canadian studio BioWare – the creators of such iconic RPGs as Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and Mass Effect. The game is set in a typical fantasy universe inhabited by several non-human races. Long ago, in response to a demonic Blight, the elite brotherhood of Grey Wardens is created to fight the spreading evil. Now, as the Blight returns under the reins of an arch-demon, you have to gather an army and personally take command of up to 4 characters to stop it once again. Gameplay is built around real-time combat with active pause and story quests, featuring many dialogues, interesting characters, and moral choices, whose consequences become evident later in the game. While playing, you can choose between the classic isometric view – typical of earlier BioWare games – and modern third person perspective.

PC

Akcji 05 March 2009

A TPP action game, another entry in the popular horror game series. Resident Evil 5 takes place 10 years after the destruction of Racoon City. Main hero – Chris Redfield – travels to Africa to investigate origins of the mysterious T Virus that changes humans into zombies. Gameplay combines dynamic shooting sequences with gory horror, as the player has to deal with hordes of enemies using various weapons: from pistols, shotguns and machine rifles, to knives and grenades. Resident Evil 5 offers several modes, including multiplayer cooperation for two players.

PCPS3

Akcji 15 September 2009

A dark action game starring the popular comic book superhero. Batman: Arkham Asylum was made by the Rocksteady developer studio, makers of Urban Chaos: Riot Response. The game's story revolves around Batman's struggle against the Joker. After capturing the villain, Bat transports the captive to titular psychiatric hospital. After they arrive, everything turns out to be a part of the Joker's intricately hatched plan, and the hero has to face the most dangerous thugs imprisoned there (Victor Zsasz, Killer Croc, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and others). The gameplay consists of fighting using several spectacular combos, as well as clever bat-gadgets. Batman: Arkham Asylum is powered by the Unreal Engine 3.

PC

Akcji 10 November 2009

A sequel to the 2007’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and the sixth major entry in the Call of Duty franchise. It was developed by Infinity Ward, a subsidiary of Activision. The players witness the continuing struggle against Russian ultranationalists whose actions resulted in a war against the United States. Similarly to the previous game, the story campaign of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is linear and the numerous in-game events follow a predetermined course. Available missions let the players assume the role of several playable characters and visit different corners of the globe. As befits an FPS, the gameplay is based on dynamic shooting sequences. One of the game’s strong points is the extensive multiplayer mode.

PC

RPG 02 October 2009

An action role-playing game from the fathers of the Gothic series – Piranha Bytes from Germany. The plot of Risen takes the players to Faranga, an island full of valuable artifacts as well as dangerous creatures. The player assumes the role of a nameless hero, whose ship sinks near the island's shore. The character gets involved in a complicated intrigue of three competing fractions: the Inquisition, the bandits, and the Mages. The gameplay consists of exploration, completing quests for NPCs, and fighting enemies. Experience and money gained during the game allow your character to develop his skills and acquire new weapons and equipment. Risen's attractive visuals are powered by the Ageia PhysX engine.

PC

Strategiczne 03 March 2009

The fifth installment in the popular strategy game series created by Creative Assembly in 2000. This new game is set in the 18th century, focusing on key events of the period, such as the American Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, and the rivalry over the Eastern trade routes. Although the core concept of the gameplay remains the same, the mechanics went through some major alterations, mainly due to the introduction of sea warfare. The game lets you command entire fleets as well as individual ships. Moreover, external factors, e.g. weather conditions, can affect sea battles. Additionally, the game offers improved advisers, as well as new options of trade, diplomacy, and espionage. Due to the widespread use of firearms in the period, new combat tactics have to be used. However, the key elements of the series, the turn-based strategic layer and large-scale battles, remained unchanged.

PC

Symulacje 02 June 2009

The third major installment in a life simulation game series, The Sims. The title was developed by The Sims Studio in cooperation with Maxis and Electronic Arts. As per usual, The Sims 3 lets you take control of a life of a virtual character from the cradle to the grave. Your job is to provide for the needs of your family of Sims when it comes to their social interactions, family matters, and career. The Sims 3 introduces two significant novelties to the game: lifetime wishes and a personality system that attributes 5 dominant character features to each Sim. As compared with previous installments in the franchise, the game’s 3D visuals were significantly improved.

PC

Akcji 17 November 2009

A sequel to the popular 2008 co-op shooter game by Valve, in which you play as one of the four brand new characters and face hordes of virus-infected mutants, visiting previously unavailable locations in the American Southwest. Compared to the original, the mechanics remained mostly unchanged, while the biggest novelty is the introduction of several kinds of weapons to be used in close quarters combat. The game utilizes a new version of the AI Director system, up until now responsible for the direction the opponents were coming from and their spawning point. In Left 4 Dead 2 it controls also the weather conditions and some map elements, whose placement may vary in different playthroughs. The game features more maps than the first installment, both for the co-op campaign as well as the versus and survival modes.

PC

Akcji 13 October 2009

The sequel to the very enthusiastically received action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and released in 2007 on the consoles of Sony Company. In Uncharted 2, once again you play as the adventurer Nathan Drake. The story focuses on search for a powerful artifact which has the power to change the fate of the world. During the game, you will visit various exotic locations, accompanied by both the characters known from the first installment as well as some completely new faces. Since a ruthless warlord and his private army follow the trail of the artifact as well, the game is full of dynamic action elements and battles. As opposed to the previous game, the developers decided to make the gameplay more varied by increasing the number of Nathan’s abilities and available weapons. The puzzle system has changed as well, to solve many puzzles a cooperation with your allies will be required. The game is once again presented in a very spectacular, cinematic style and filled with witty cutscenes.

PS3

Akcji 17 March 2009

A spin-off to the bestselling Grand Theft Auto series, at first developed for Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable handhelds and later converted to mobile devices as well. The story takes place in Liberty City, a place well known to the fans of the series. As Huang Lee, member of a Chinese criminal group, the player is trying to prove his worth, avenge the death of his father, and reclaim a valuable sword that for centuries was the symbol of his family’s power. The gameplay mechanics are similar to previous installments in the series, except for the missions being slightly shorter and the fact that the player can repeat failed actions. Other important changes include an auto-aim system, simplified driving mechanics, and the necessity of destroying police cars. A new interface and various mini-games were added to the game as well. The graphics of the game utilize cel-shading technology, combining the classic top-down view and isometric perspective.

NDS

Strategiczne 25 June 2009

The fourth major installment in the popular series of economy simulators that began in 1998. It was developed by Related Designs, a subsidiary of Ubisoft. As the title says, the action takes place in the Middle Ages during the Age of Discovery, and the players assume the role of colonists who managed to reach the eastern coast of Asia. The gameplay mechanics do not deviate from the well-known standards of the series. Starting out with a modest colony established on a remote island, we have to develop it and transform subsequent cities into metropolises brimming with life. Anno 1404 offers a sophisticated economy model that involves creating complex production chains as well as effective trade and diplomacy. Among this myriad of lesser novelties, especially noteworthy one is the sandbox mode that allows us to play freely without any plot limitations.

PC

Wyścigi 03 February 2009

A complete edition of the racing game released in 2008 by Criterion Games. The title was a great success and received many DLC expansions during the months following its debut. The game takes place in the titular Paradise City which has open structure and across which the player can freely move while accepting various racing challenges. The title slightly refreshes the formula of the series but without resigning from its characteristic traits, such as the arcade driving model and spectacular traffic crashes. The mechanics of Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box are same as in its predecessor that was released one year earlier. However, the game contains all DLC expansions that were previously available only through the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. These DLC expansions introduce, among other things, motorcycles and night races to the game. The Ultimate Box is the first installment of this popular console series that was released on PC.

PC

Sportowe 02 October 2009

FIFA 10 is another part of the famous football simulator, produced by EA Sports. Again, we have the opportunity to play the famous players on the pitch of the world's most famous stadiums. Compared to the previous part, player behaviour, artificial intelligence, and new tactical development possibilities have been added. In addition, multiplayer mode has been improved and enriched with additional protection in online gameplay.

PS3

Akcji 30 June 2009

The second installment in the series of FPS games developed by Polish studio, Techland. This game is actually a prequel to the original title. We play the part of two brothers: Thomas and Ray McCalls, of whom the latter is known from the first game. Much like in the original Call of Juarez, the two characters play very differently – they have individual skills and equipment. While Ray uses two guns simultaneously and is a walking storm of bullets, Thomas is a sharpshooter who prefers bigger caliber and a longer barrel – he can also use a lasso that gets him to places unreachable to his brother. Apart from story campaign, where we can choose which brother to play in each mission, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood also includes a coop mode, and a competition-based multiplayer. The game runs on Chrome Engine 4, which ensures high visual fidelity.

PC

Sportowe 23 October 2009

The next installment of a series of sports games dedicated to football. Compared to the previous edition, several improvements were introduced in 2010. Artificial intelligence and realism have been improved. Managerial options have been added to the Master League mode. In addition, Konami has finally acquired the rights to the European League.

PC

Akcji 17 February 2009

The first major expansion for Grand Theft Auto IV - a sandbox developed by Rockstar Games. In order to launch it, the base game is required. Similar to the core game, the story of the expansion is set in Liberty City. This time, the player assumes the role of Johnny Klebitz, the leader of a biker gang known as The Lost. Apart from having to deal with a competitive group known as Angels of Death, the protagonist has to deal with internal power struggle and the insane former boss of The Lost. The player's base of operations is the hideout of the gang, where key figures can be met, and different mini-games can be played. The essence of the gameplay comes with the story missions however, the completion of which in most cases requires the player to reach a designated location, exchange fire with enemies or chase them in a spectacular fashion. As a biker gang leader, Johnny rides a bike for the most part, and he is often accompanied by other members of The Lost. Additionally, the expansion features several new vehicles, weapons, radio stations and multiplayer modes.

X360

Akcji 02 June 2009

A science-fiction TPP action game, which is a third installment in a series created by Volition studio in 2001. The plot of Red Faction: Guerrilla takes place on Mars, 50 years after the events of the first part. During the gameplay, we assume the role of Alec Mason, an engineer who leads a resistance army, hoping to overthrow the tyranny of an organization called Earth Defense Force. In view of the significant dominance of the enemy, the main hope of the partisans lies in guerrilla warfare and sabotage. In comparison with previous installments of the series, the gameplay mechanics have changed immensely: the first-person perspective was changed to third person, and the game world now has an open structure. An interesting novelty is gathering scrap metal, which is a currency used to pay for new weapons. The game retains the destructive environment mechanics, known from the previous games, which are a one of the distinctive features of the multiplayer mode.

PS3

Akcji 10 February 2009

A direct sequel to F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon – the warmly received combination of first-person shooter and survival horror, developed by Monolith Productions. This time you don’t play as the Point Man, the protagonist of the first game, but as Michael Becket, a member of the anti-terrorist squad called Delta. His main objective is to arrest the head of Armacham Technology Corporation. In the game you cross paths not only with various enemy soldiers, but also with Alma Wade – a young woman with paranormal abilities, who is directly responsible for the unexplained events taking place around you. The gameplay core in F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is combat. Skirmishes take place both inside buildings and across the devastated city. In battles you make use of a rich arsenal of weapons – from time to time you can even control a battle mech. What’s more, in order to give yourself a leverage, once again you can make use of the bullet-time mechanics. Apart from the single-player story-driven campaign, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin offers expansive online multiplayer. Another of the game’s assets is high-quality graphics.

PC

Akcji 07 April 2009

Riddick Chronicles: Assault on Dark Athena is a Swedish Starbreeze AB action game set in a dark, futuristic universe known from Pitch Black and Riddick Chronicles. As the title character, the player has to face the ruthless crew of the Dark Athena spacecraft. The game combines elements of first person shootout and sneaking.

PC

Akcji 29 October 2009

A dynamic third-person perspective hack-n-slash action game developed by Japanese studio Platinum Games led by Hideki Kamiya. The main protagonist, Bayonetta, is a sexy witch who, 20 years prior to the events depicted in the game, woke up in a chest at the bottom of a lake. She has no memories of how she got there or what happened before. Forced to fight against forces of Heaven that constantly attack her, the protagonist gradually learns new facts about her past. The gameplay focuses on traveling through subsequent locations while eliminating enemies and very original bosses. During the game, the player uses a mix of handguns and melee weapons (including items taken from fallen enemies). By using the power of her hair, Bayonetta can also summon powerful demons and hellish torture machines that allow her to eliminate her enemies in a very effective way. Witch Time, a very useful ability that slows time, proves to be an alternative key to victory in most cases.

X360

Wyścigi 08 September 2009

The sequel of the well-received racing game entitled Colin McRae: DiRT that set a completely new direction for the racing game series by Codemasters, labeled with the name of the tragically deceased Scottish racing driver. DiRT 2 focuses on dynamic off-road tournaments in which we can sit behind the wheel of several licensed cars. The new career mode was designed similarly to that of GRID — while traveling around the world, we take part in races and gradually build our reputation. As we progress, we establish friendships with other aces of motorsports such as Travis Pastrana or Ken Block who invite us to exclusive tournaments with valuable prizes. The game has a typical youth style, although it retains the class of its predecessors. From among the introduced novelties, the most notable ones are enhanced gameplay mechanics, the improved Flashback feature, and significantly expanded multiplayer.

PCPS3

Akcji 26 May 2009

Third-person action game set in a typical modern metropolis, in which we take control over the hero endowed with supernatural powers. The title was developed by Sucker Punch, an American studio known for their Sly action adventure series released on PlayStation 2. The action of the game takes place in an open world and apart from the main storyline it introduces sandbox elements, consisting of a number of optional side missions. The game focuses on completing tasks which include reaching a specific place or eliminating a group of enemies.

PS3

Sportowe 30 October 2009

The next installment of the Sports Interactive Football Manager series. Our task is to lead the selected team to the championship. For this purpose, we organize trainings, establish tactics for matches, buy and sell players and take care of the economic condition of the club.

PC

Bijatyki 12 February 2009

Street Fighter IV is the fourth installment of the extremely popular fighting series. The action of the game was set between the events presented in the second and third part of the cycle. Among the 25 warriors in which the player can play, there are both well-known (Ryu, Chun-Li, Ken and others) as well as completely new heroes. Developers from Capcom also decided to return to the roots of the series and although the character models and scenery are made in 3D technology, the action was shown in a characteristic two-dimensional projection.

PCPS3

Akcji 29 October 2009

The second major expansion for Grand Theft Auto IV - an action title by Rockstar Games set in the open environment of Liberty City. The expansion introduces a new storyline - the player assumes the role of Luis Lopez, a part-time gangster and an assistant of the legendary king of night clubs - Tony Prince. It turns out the protagonist's employer has earned himself the dislike of both Russian and Italian mobsters, and the player's task is to get Tony out of this troublesome situation. A number of new locations was created for the sake of the expansion, including night clubs, golf courses, an underground boxing ring and more. The expansion features mainly colorful story missions. During these, the protagonist not only drives vehicles or shoots enemies, but also performs such breakneck acts as blowing up a yacht, stealing a car from a moving train, or parachuting off a skyscraper. Additionally, the expansion offers a variety of side activities and mini-games, such as dancing at the clubs, and introduces new weapons and vehicles to the game.

X360

Sportowe 09 October 2009

NBA 2K10 is another part of basketball simulation prepared by Visual Concepts and 2K Sports studio. Players can both play matches by themselves and play in the team manager. In the latter case it is necessary to take care of player training, financial condition of the club, signing contracts and tactical planning. The authors introduced a lot of changes, updated their line-ups, increased realism and improved control.

PC

Akcji 25 February 2009

A direct sequel to the futuristic first person shooter released on PlayStation 2, created by Guerilla Games as an answer to the successful, and mostly Xbox exclusive, Halo series. Killzone 2 takes place on the home planet of Helghan, two years after the events shown in the first game in the series. This time, the player becomes a completely new character – Sergeant Tomas “Sev” Sevchenko – and is tasked with a counterattack against the enemy Helghan faction and capturing their leader, Visari, so he can be brought to justice. As the game debuts on next generation of consoles, the sequel offers great improvement in terms of visual quality, fully destructible environment, dynamically changing weather conditions and improved artificial intelligence – both of enemies and our allies on the battlefield. In comparison to the first Killzone, the number of available weapon types is larger and new vehicles were added.

PS3

Symulacje 17 November 2009

The first large expansion for the third installment in the bestselling The Sims series by EA Maxis. The expansion titled World Adventures allows your Sims to leave the noisy city for a while and relax in several fictional locations — although all of them were based on real-life places. During their exotic voyages, your Sims can make new friends and try a variety of previously unavailable activities, such as learning martial arts in a Chinese monastery, exploring Egyptian tombs, or taking a romantic walk in the French Champs Les Sims. Your Sims can also bring movies, photos, and souvenirs from their journeys. For the players who'd rather like to stay at home, there are new wallpapers, carpets and other furnishing elements, which bring a breath of fresh air to your Sims' lives.

PC

Przygodowe 26 March 2009

A humorous point and click adventure game, developed by the team of the German studio KING Art Games. The team consisted of developers who have worked on such cycles as The Black Mirror or Simon the Sorcerer. The action of the game takes us to the fairy-tale-like fantasy world and focuses on the mysterious artifact found by an archaeologist, giving us the power to influence the fate of the world. In order to prevent the realm from being taken over by the cruel Shadow Army, the alliance designates a team of three daredevils - a man, an elf and a gnome - who, accompanied by a friendly creature named simply the Critter, embarks on a dangerous journey. During the game we will visit 60 prerendered locations, solving puzzles, collecting and combining various objects and talking with a ton of original characters. During the game we can switch between the members of the group at any time, using their unique abilities.

PC

RPG 05 February 2009

A dark and brutal action RPG developed by the Japanese From Software studio in cooperation with Atlus. The story is set in the kingdom of Boletaria. The realm's overambitious king wished to obtain even more power and attempted to make a deal with dark forces. As a result, powerful evil has awakened. The player-controlled character is the land's only hope now, for the protagonist is the only one capable of defeating the hordes of demons that were set free by the king's greed. The game offers ten character classes, each having their own different skills and equipment. The game emphasizes combat with different kinds of weapons - each has their own special attacks and character animations. In combat, the player can cast spells and use miracles, based on the faith attribute. Whether the protagonist becomes a better warrior or a mage depends on the development choices made by the player. A prominent feature of the game is the multiplayer mode allowing players to leave tips and warnings for other players.

PS3

Wyścigi 01 October 2009

A pocket edition of the popular PlayStation racing game series, developed since 1997 by Polyphony Digital. At first, Gran Turismo Mobile was supposed to be a remake of the fourth installment, but eventually the game was slightly changed by adding new gameplay elements and extra vehicles. The new elements include i.e. previously unavailable Ferrari and Lamborghini cars and the legendary F1 racing cars. Apart from the tracks known from the original game, this version also features some brand new ones. Just like in the other titles in the franchise, you can play GT Mobile in one of the two modes—the realistic and complex career mode and the entertaining but quite challenging arcade mode. You can also extensively upgrade and modify your car and its components. The game is complemented by a multiplayer mode, allowing for races involving up to 4 players on local network.

PSP

Sportowe 25 June 2009

The next part of the boxing series, which once again presents an exceptionally realistic struggle in the ring. Even great masters of different times, such as Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, can take part in the duels.

PS3

Zręcznościowe 12 February 2009

Another innovative title from thatgamecompany, the authors known for the very original games such as flOw or Cloud. This time, the gameplay focuses on free exploration of your surroundings, as well as observing the changes caused by the forces of nature. In Flower, we are able to control the wind gusts, which allows us to interact with various elements of the environment. The game is divided into several different levels, between which we can watch simple introductory animations. Depending on the currently traversed zone and our progress, the game gives us various challenges that are mainly focusing on gathering the petals from titular flowers – which causes a number of changes in the game world. The developers put a lot of emphasis on using the gyroscopic functionalities of the Sixaxis controller.

PS3

Wyścigi 23 October 2009

The third installment of the popular racing games series exclusive to Microsoft platforms. In Forza Motorsport 3, the team at Turn 10 Studios decided to use tried solutions and introduce a myriad of enhancements and fixes. The game is focused on simulation, although beginners can enable a number of facilities. The fans of motoring can drive over 400 licensed vehicles from twenty manufacturers, including those from Forza Motorsport 2 as well as completely new ones. The most important novelties introduced in the game are, first and foremost, expanded tuning possibilities, enhanced artificial intelligence, a new camera mode set inside the car, improved editor, and rich social options. The title is powered by a new graphics engine which translates into slightly better visuals.

X360

Towarzyskie 09 September 2009

A unique release for every fan of the Liverpool four. In the production we can test our skills of playing imitations of guitars and drums and sing cult songs of The Beatles.

PS3

Towarzyskie 29 March 2009

Another game from the extremely popular Guitar Hero series. This time dedicated to the metal legend, the American band Metallica. The player plays the role of a crawling band whose greatest dream is to perform in front of their musical idol, that is Metallica.

X360

Akcji 26 February 2009

The third installment of a popular series of action games about the Japanese mafia. The story presented in Yakuza 3 once again focuses on the character of Kazuma Kiryu. The protagonist once again finds himself in the middle of the gangster accounts - this time in defense of an orphanage he founded, which attracted the interest of corrupt politicians associated with the title Yakuza.

PS3