Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Budget Gaming PC Specs - The Frames per Second, Performance, and Bang-for-Your-Buck Dillemma

So after years of playing classic games, I've finally gotten tired of my procrastinating and bought a budget gaming PC. For a setup bottlenecked by a monitor that's capped at 1024 resolution, this thing can eat up any game thrown at it and crank it up to ultra-high settings. I'm in gaming nirvana.

The strange mix of euphoria (FPS: take that Tribesman!) and fugued contentment (RTSs: Oooh, beautiful foliage!) has been elevated to another level when I recently bought a back issue of PCGamer. Their recommended budget gaming PC components are as follows:

PSU: Generic 450W PSU
CPU: Core 2 e7200 2.53Ghz
Motherboard: MSI P43 Neo3-F
Memory: Corsair 2Gb DDR2-800
Videocard:8600GT

My budget gaming PC components and why I chose them after the jump.

With graphics like this on a budget gaming PC you know you want to click "Click here to read more..." So go ahead. Click.




What I bought:

[Updated: corrected a typo; it's not an "MSI P45 Neo4-FR."Apologies for the confusion.]

PSU: Generic 550W PSU
CPU: Core 2 e7400 2.80Ghz
Motherboard: MSI P45 Neo3-FR
Memory: Kingston 2Gb DDR2-800
Videocard: 9800GT

It's a tad bit powerful than what they recommended nearly a year ago and I'm very happy with what I have. Ran Red Alert 3 and the thing can crank up the highest graphic settings no problemo. F.E.A.R. runs at a minimum of 42 FPS at maximum CPU and video settings. This budget gaming PC swallows and practically spits out Tribes: Vengeance (another game in my collection that I'm very fond of); it can throw out Ultra-high graphics at smooth framerates every time I go out to hunt Phoenix rabble.

Reasons why I chose the above components:

PSU: Why generic? I plan to sell this thing in 2.5-3 years. Buying a $100 branded PSU doesn't fit with the plan. Why the 550-watt rating? Any PC hardware enthusiast knows that generic PSUs can't supply their specified wattage. Buying a 550W PSU is safe for my setup.

>>>
See my article about keeping a PC well beyond the 2-year mark.<<<

CPU: It has only been in recent years that developers have started taking advantage of quad-core CPUs. Even now, only a very small percentage has optimizations built into them. I'm a retro gamer and
my target bracket---games that have been made in 2005-2008---only requires a modest CPU to run them; I've no need for the Quads. It's interesting to note though that I was going to buy a 2.6Ghz CPU but local shops told me that there's only a negligible price difference between the e7300 and the e74 so I bought that.

Why 2.6Ghz? There's an article that showed that after the 2.6Ghz mark, improvements in frames per second isn't worth shelling out the extra smackers needed for a better CPU. I bookmarked it in another computer. I'll post a link to it when I get back from the holidays.

Motherboard: Now here's one component that I shelled out more than I wanted to. The board has several features that I won't be using. For one, I don't need RAID. And what with the video card of my choice, going for an SLI setup would have been folly (better to buy a more expensive card than going for an uber expensive setup that's going to deliver a relatively insipid markup in performance). I don't even overclock so I don't need
MSI P45 Neo3-FR's heat sinks. Bummer. I was going for the no-frills MSI P45T-C51 but sadly, I couldn't get a hold of it. The black-and-blue budget motherboard should have been nice to look at. Instead I got a motherboard that's amazing to behold:



Why a P45 motherboard?

The P55 is still very expensive here and to wait for prices to go down would mean waiting for the next Ice Age. (It would have made more sense though --- overclock-friendly climes going with a new PC. Yum --- and brrr.)

The P35 has only PCIe 1.1 (compared to P45's PCIe 2.0). Sure, there's only an infinitesimal (2%-10%) difference but hey, it's there so I'm taking it. (There's also the irrational, dejecting feeling of buying a board with a chipset that's three generations behind mwehehe.) No P35 for in my drawing (and budget) boards thank you. But that's just me; P35 motherboards perform well and they are cheaper.

Read more on P45 vs P35 performance gains: Tom's Hardware's PCI Express 2.0 Graphics Cards Tested and NeoSeeker's Intel P45 & G45 Launch


Memory: I've read time and again from numerous forums and sites that buying 1033Mhz RAM modules isn't worth it. 800Mhz is still the sweet spot for gamers on a budget. I'm using a 32-bit OS so no 4gig kit for me. A tip though: do some research, understand the dangers, and tweak your RAM modules' latency settings in your rig's BIOS. I dropped mine from the default 6-6-6-18 SPD settings to 5-5-5-12. The performance increase is, again, negligible but every little tweak counts.

Videocard: It has only been recently that the 8800GT showed signs of finally retiring from the gaming scene. It's doing this slowly though ---- the 9800 videocards are essentially revamped designs of the powerful 8800GT. I don't have a titanic display at home so purchasing a video card that can run most games at 1680 resolution is the perfect solution for someone who only has a 17-inch AOC monitor --- the extra juice can be used to bump up those shadow and anti-aliasing settings. I'm planning to buy a new display in the months ahead though.


>>>Click here to read more...

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Red Alert 3 Gameplay Video (9800 GT; 1024 resolution; High Settings)

So I bought a new PC. Tinkered around with the Red Alert 3 demo, Gamecam, and VirtualDub and ohboy, you gotta see it for yourself:


All settings maxed out at 1024 resolution. This thing is a monster. I need a new monitor...

Part 2 of 2 after the jump.







HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! :D


>>>Click here to read more...

Saturday, December 12, 2009

League of Legends Tips and Strategies

[UPDATED: Dec 12, 2k9]


This is by no means a complete guide. I've posted this as a list of things that I keep forgetting ingame. Hopefully others will find this useful as well.

I'm using Kayle the Judicator at the moment and usually equip her with tanker/support items. (Others break away from this usual build and use tanker-DPS items.)


League of Legends tips and strategies after the jump.

* This is the most annoying: people insisting on Champion kills when your team has already dominated the match. People overconfident in their powers continually go solo, traipsing across the maps and wiping the terrain with any enemy Champion they see. Oftentimes, the opposing group will then form up and push from multiple locations. They win, your team loses. KNOW WHEN TO END THE GLOATING AND PUSH! Two people pushing while the other three are playing Chuck Norris is a disaster. Someone will get ganked and/or they will outpush you. I've almost forgotten why I quit DotA a year back. Again: KNOW WHEN TO END THE GLOATING AND PUSH!

* Support heroes should not waste their time healing/tanking for newbie feeders. Stick with the heavy hitters of your team. You will ensure that they get more kills between shop trips.

* When using Kayle, remember that Reckoning slows down enemies while Divine Blessing speeds up you or your target ally. This is useful for chasing down dying enemy Champions or helping a dying ally flee.

* Don't even so much as touch an enemy Champion while you're in range of their turrets. Be careful of AoE spells and abilities --- if they harm your adversary, the turret will start to fire on you.

* When playing DPS Champions, don't invest too much on Health items. I once had a teammate who bought two Ruby Crystals for his first items. He was controlling Ashe.

* Use the ping feature (hotkey: G)! It confers a greater tactical advantage when used wisely. Ping if you need help. Ping to warn teammates they are in immediate danger of getting ganked. If an enemy hero goes into the jungle to escape/take a roundabout route to ambush one of your mates, ping the vicinity where he vanished or where you think he will appear.

* In a large battle, take note of who your mates mark (the ping feature can double as a target marker; simply ping the enemy champion you want focus fired).

* Focus fire! Enemies go down faster if your team does.

*If possible, go after the squishes (low armor and/or HP champions) first before taking care of the tanks. Tanks, by their very nature have enormous amounts of health. It takes a very long time to kill one. In RTS PC games, skirmishes are decided in seconds, not minutes. You may well lose a skirmish if you target a tank.

* For the love of God, don't try to teleport back to your base alongside or in front of your tower when low in health. I take absolute glee sniping low HP champs with a one-shot kill from a nuke. Really if this happened to you, you just gave the enemy a ROFLNuke moment. Get some distance between you and your enemy before teleporting.

* Above. Get some distance between you and your enemy before teleporting. Many times in mid/late games I've hunted down for teleporting enemies after a battle. When you're low in life after a battle, find a safe place before teleporting. Don't assume that a battle is over just because you've killed one or three champs. A zealous nuker might be hunting for you.

* Gank! Early game, try to see if someone's dying. At level 4 or so, if you an enemy on an adjacent lane who's hovering on the brink of death, mark that champion and arrange for a gank. The first team that goes on a ganking spree holds a great advantage for most of the game. I can gauge the chances of success for a particular match by observing teammates. Getting killed by towers a few times? That's fine, everyone makes mistakes. Everyone doggedly pushing separate lanes and ignoring pings even at level 6-8? Disaster. Expect your team to be owned. (Unless the opposing team is equally idiotic and mimics the same asinine behavior.)

* This tip isn't mine; I'll have to search who wrote this. Word to this effect: It's your responsibility to observe the minimap; if you're at the front lines (or worse, across the river) and the enemies have gone missing, don't wait for a warning from your mates. GO BACK. There's at least a 75% chance they're all playing Booboo and have brought their friends along. Your mates are not your babysitters.

* Play the babysitter. Ping and warn your mates of an impending gank if you sense it. Call out "MIA" whenever you notice enemies are missing.

I'll be adding more League of Legends tips and strategies here.


>>> The download link and an HD trailer of the game can be found HERE

>>> See more downloadable free full version real-time strategy (RTS) games HERE


>>>Click here to read more...

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Download Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne Patch 1.24c

Blizzard just released another patch again, bringing up Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne to version 1.24c.

Detailed information about Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne patch 1.24c and how it can be obtained after the jump.


Just login to Battle.net to download the Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne 1.24 update.

Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne patch 1.24c introduces changes to the Frozen Throne PC World Editor:

Warcraft III v1.24c Patch Notes PC World Editor Changes:
- Increased max map file size from 4 MB to 8 MB.
- Added the ability to store hashtable handles in a hashtable.
- Added GetSpellTargetX and GetSpellTargetY natives.
- Added a new base handle type \"Agent\" of which many types now extend from.
- Added a SaveAgentHandle native which can be used for saving most handle types.
- Added a JASS optimization dealing with global variable change events.

Fixes
- Fixed a few false positives caused by the \"return bug\" fix.
- Fixed a crash related to hashtable reference counting.
- \"Shadowing\" global variables with local variables no longer is possible.
- Fixed a type conversion dealing with operators (i.e. adding a handle with an integer).

>>>See more Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne resources (where to place NGL One professional map files to view Warcraft III: Frozen Throne replays, micromanagement resources, gameplay videos, links to important strategy articles, etc) HERE. (Scroll down to see more.))

>>>Download Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne Patch 1.24c from HERE (Gamespot)


>>>Download Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne Patch 1.24c from HERE (Blizzard Support)


>>>Click here to read more...

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Ancient Precursors: Before Borderlands There was S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl

I got amused that I totally forgot about one of the apparent inspirations for Borderlands. Released in 2007, the first-person shooter put players in the role of a mercenary-scavenger who has to delve into the ruins of Chernobyl, a radioactive "hotspot" that's spewing out mutants and creating paranormal activities. The game is a shooter-RPG hybrid in that it features an inventory system; players can fill this with loot they'll scrounge up in the course of the game.

Borderlands might offer unique cel-shaded visuals set in a post-holocaust setting but years before it got released, the first S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (yes, it is now a series!) rocked the gaming world with its immersive atmosphere, player-controlled plots, and---need I say it?---multiple endings. It must be the closest thing to Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion with guns.

(Borderlands fans: don't get me wrong. I play the game too. With teammates who revive you, coordinate with each other, Borderlands is a blast to play! This is just a tribute to one of the innovative "elders" of the gaming industry.)

Gamespot's video review (back when Jason Ocampo was still with them --- is he Pinoy?) after the jump.







>>>Click here to read more...

Monday, November 23, 2009

League of Legends - Wife Ownage

[Updated: Changed the title. Putting up posts when you're bleary-eyed is a bad idea.]

My friends and I played League of Legends this night. This was the first time the session was done in a cafe so we had some good fun. Add the fact that my wife killed me twice, it was a blast.

Click the pics for a more detailed view. (Read the lines haha!)


But even though the cold from your still beating heart....

...already killed me twice/And even though the cold from your eyes makes me freeze/all the time....


One more pic after the jump.

....I still carry on and/I still walk around and/I still feel the warming glow/Shining somewhere in the future, shining not so far away!


We won! Pikat to the love of my life. Beeeee! :D :D



>>>Click here to read more...

Saturday, November 21, 2009

League of Legends "Server UNAVAILABLE Are you Connected to the Internet?" Problem - How to Solve

One of the prime reasons I go out and buy a PC strategy game is if I see that the video game gets massive support from its developers. League of Legends, one of the best free PC strategy games I've come across, gets periodic patches from the Riot staff (whose ranks include the creators of the Warcraft strategy mod DotA). This downloadable freeware PC real-time strategy game gets balance tweaks, additional champions, and other doodads like skins from time to time.

Unfortunately, sometimes there are problems with its patcher.

So are you getting this?

It's downloading and the error message is driving you nuts.

The solution after the jump.




Select the launcher then press UP DOWN LEFT RIGHT UP UP DOWN DOWN. Enjoy the free PC strategy game. You also will have 30 lives and the megashells power up.

Contra never looked so good.

Seriously though, it works.

The solution was provided by the devs themselves.

>>>See more downloadable PC full version freeware RTS games HERE

>>>Still skeptical? Click.






>>>Click here to read more...

Downloadable PC Full Version Freeware Real-Time Strategy (RTS) League of Legends - Installers

Found out that there are two types of installers for the game --- US and UK. I alerted the LoL developers with a query.



I've also updated my previous post; I've added the download link for the US version.

The download links (to the US and UK versions and a tutorial video) after the jump.

>>>Click here for the download links.


>>>Click here to read more...

Friday, November 13, 2009

Downloadable PC Full Version Freeware Real-Time Strategy (RTS) League of Legends - First Victory!

So my wife was still cooking breakfast. I couldn't go back to sleep on an empty stomach. 'Decided to play a practice game online with nine other players.

So I finally got on a team where only one was feeding himself to the opposing group. We won:

I killed four enemy champions, made 12 assists and... didn't die. (Click on the pic. Check it out; 0 deaths. Way to go for a support champion.) Wooohooo! Kayle the Judicator's skills really make her one tough, metal encased mama.

The wonders of starvation I guess. :D :D :D

You rock girl.

Wanna know where you can download this free to play Warcraft DotA clone? The download link can be found after the jump.





>>> The download link and an HD trailer of the game can be found HERE

>>> See more downloadable free full version real-time strategy (RTS) games HERE


>>>Click here to read more...

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Downloadable PC Full Version Freeware Real-Time Strategy (RTS) League of Legends - First Impressions

Well I don't think now is the time for a review. Clearly, the game is not yet finished, given that the game has only two maps at the moment (one in beta phase) and that the Runes gameplay feature is still a "work in progress." Giving it a review right now will be unfair for the developers seeing how this Warcraft DotA clone shows much promise.

It's again downloading updates right now (a VERY good sign) so I can't play this free PC multiplayer strategy game. What with my shift coming up, I might as well sit down and write about my first impressions.


The impressions and download links after the jump.

League of Legends: Clash of Fates is a free-to-play real-time strategy game that is being developed by Riot Games. Part of the dev team are Steve "Guinsoo" Feak and Steve “Pendragon” Mescon, two people who were directly involved in the development of the highly-popular Warcraft: The Frozen Throne mod, DotA.

League of Legends: Clash of Fates is a clone of the original Defense of the Ancients, in it, two teams still defend their base, which are connected by three lanes that are lined with turrets. Just like DotA All-Stars, both bases continuously spawn a steady stream of minions. It is up to you and your team to help these minions destroy the enemies' base.


Whoa, this is turning into a review. Crud. Ok, first impressions:

  • Game has a retail version. Did you know that? Yep, it has. Buying the retail version speeds up the process of unlocking the game's various unlockables. Then again, I'm not sure if the retail version comes with all the unlockables unlocked. I have yet to check on this.
  • It has an account system. Playing more games grants you "Mastery" points that you can purchase to give whatever Champion you choose infinitesimal boosts like 0.66% Critical, etc. They may not be game-changing benefits, but they sure are handy.
  • Yes, your account "levels up."
  • No heroes here. Kidding. The game names them as "Champions." You are the "Summoner" of these champions.
  • There is also a Rune system. It's not clear to me yet, as I've got to do some reading (IT company work and gaming websites don't mix well lol!), but it looks like you can unlock certain Runes as your account levels up. You can then (I think) choose from your collection which Runes to use for a certain match.
  • The audio is awesome.
  • Oddly enough, while the audio is awesome, the game makes me feels as if I'm "floating" above it. It's not immersive enough like that of DotA's. With Warcraft, when I walk a character, it really feels like I'm there gallivanting across the hills and dales of the terrain. With this game, I feel detached. I don't know, but there's something lacking that I can't put a finger to. Let's hope they fix this.
  • The graphics are toony. This could be a good or bad thing depending on your preferences. It's not exactly a bad thing for "grit lovers" though --- at higher video settings, the game really shines. One can just look at all those Youtube League of Legends: Clash of Fates gameplay videos. At lower video settings, it reminds you of those cheapo, free-to-play MMO PC RPG games.
  • The game has recipes and items --- this massive collective absolutely swamps, floods, drowns, buries, and obliterates that of DotA. Newbies (wait. Edit: "Fellow newbies.") need not be alarmed however; the game presents suggestion weapon and items for your Champion of choice. Here's more: clicking those items will bring down, recipe trees, enabling you to easily see which items are needed to create them. Expanding on that innovative twist, the developers have even made the recipe trees interactive --- click on the components, and the "Buy" button lights up, giving you the option to immediately buy that item from the tree without going back to the main, relatively labyrinthine "Health-Defense-Critical-Movement" menu.
All in all, this is one of the greatest freeware release the free-to-play world has seen. Warcraft and DotA players, take heed: League of Legends: Clash of Fate is something you need to get into. Even in its WIP state, it's still is awesome.



>>> The download link and an HD trailer of the game can be found HERE

>>> See more downloadable free full version real-time strategy (RTS) games HERE



>>>Click here to read more...

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Downloadable PC Full Version Freeware Real-Time Strategy (RTS) League of Legends

[Placeholder post for my review of this game.]

This DotA clone is from Steve "Guinsoo" Feak, one of the creators of DotA All-Stars.



Download links after the jump.

The installer installs the latest DirectX components and Adobe AIR. After installation, the game automatically searches for updates. Cool.


>>>Get the downloadable PC full version freeware real-time strategy (RTS) game here (UK version)

>>>Get the downloadable PC full version freeware real-time strategy (RTS) game here (US version)

>>>Get the gameplay walkthrough movie from here


>>>Click here to read more...

Battletech - MechWarrior 4 Downloadable Full Free FPS PC Game Update

A few weeks back, I wrote about the impending release of several of the MechWarrior 4 games. The release was supposed to be timed with the 25th anniversary of the Battletech games. While it was not released in time due to the quintessential problem of free projects (real life financial demands imposing themselves on the dev team), MekTek.net has not reneged on their promise of releasing the games for free.


This week, the founders of MekTek will be going to Seattle to meet with Battletech and Mechwarrior officials. They will also meet up with one of the founders of the popular Battletech board game series, Jordan Weisman. Hopefully, the meeting will prove fruitful. The game should be released shortly after the meetings.

The details after the jump.



This is from the MekTek official site:

In just a few days, MekTek founders (VAM and WhiteFeather) will be converging on the Vancouver/Seattle areas to meet with both Mechwarrior and BattleTech officials. MekTek's first stop will be in Vancouver to meet with Piranha Games' president Russ Bullock for a friendly discussion about their Mechwarrior endeavors. Following a night in Vancouver, a flight to Seattle, home of the electronic Mechwarrior license holder Smith and Tinker, and its president Jordan Weisman. Here MekTek hopes to finalize the legalities surrounding the free release of Microsoft's Mechwarrior4 that was announced back in July simultaneously with the announcement of the Mechwarrior Reboot. After meeting with Jordan, MekTek plans to meet up with the BattleTech licensees at Catalyst Game Labs, the producers of the BattleTech board game and related novels. Pending success with Smith and Tinker Inc., MekTek will be releasing the free version of Mechwarrior4 shortly there after.


Read the rest of the news from MekTek's official site.


>>>Click here to read more...

Friday, November 6, 2009

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time HD Trailer

The video after the jump.




>>>Click here to read more...

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Battletech - MechWarrior 4 Downloadable Full Free FPS PC Game Update

So some days back, one of my readers posted on my chatbox (about my article about MechWarrior 4 being released as a downloadable full version free PC FPS game):

I felt a bit guilty --- with the Net's history of devouring legions of freeware, chewing them up, and regurgitating them as vaporware in its deepest, darkest digital cesspool, I did throw it away as simply that, vaporware. After all, the folks at MekTek did release version 2.3 of their Assault Tech 1: Battletech project, an effort to remake MechWarrior 2. A working project where you can outfit mechs! --- this is more than good enough for me.

However, the prodding of one reader forced me from my AT 1 stupor --- I sifted around the MekTek forums and found awesome news.

What this news is after the jump.



They have a tentative release date:

It will be shortly after November 10 people! Cross your fingers that this is going to happen. Me? 'Soon as I get the funds, I'm going to donate!

And oh, thanks for the push and the shove Will! Very appreciated!


>>>Click here to read more...

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

PC Gaming News: Dragon Age: Origin Gets a 9.5 From Gamespot and Dawn of War 2 Gets a New Campaign

Well I'm once again on a tight schedule so there will be no long-winded freeware game reviews until this Sunday. In the meantime --- exciting news! Dragon Age: Origin gets a 9.5 rating from GameSpot while THQ is now in the process of creating a Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War 2 expansion.

The reasons why I found these intriguing after the jump.

Dragon Age: Origin is from BioWare, the folks that brought us the Neverwinter Nights, Mass Effect, and the Knights of the Old Republic series. With this repertoire, it came off as natural that the game should get an Editor's Choice rating from GameSpot but a 9.5! That's a rarity! The last game (that I was interested in) that got a rating above 9 was Half-Life 2, way back in 2005!

About Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War 2's expansion, for me, it's enough said. I was a Dawn of War nut a year ago before I played the game to death. (Why, I even made an article about Dawn of War 2!) This series is first on my list when I get a new comp. (Yes, yes, procrastinating, classic game loving me still stuck with my old PC. Sue me. >)__) )

REJOICE IN THE COMING OBLIVION!


>>>Click here to read more...

Freeware Audio PC Utilities Updates: DivX 7.2.1 and K-Lite Codec Pack 5.3.0 Released

Enough said.

I'm going to have a heyday this weekend trying out my MP3s with these new versions. :D


>>>Click here to read more...

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

VLC Media Player 1.0.3 now out

Yay!

Why this news is important after the jump.

While Media Player Classic may be the most bug-free freeware media player out there, Videolan stands out as having one of the best audio output in the freeware arena. Version 1.0.3 has just been released. (I first heard of this news from TweakGuides.)

>>>VLC official site


>>>Click here to read more...

Monday, November 2, 2009

Glary Utilities - Best Freeware Registry Cleaner?

[UPDATE (Jan 30, 2010): Glary Utilities 2.19.0.800 has been released.]

Licensed registry cleaners are a dime a dozen in the Internet but numerous as they may be, they are really an indispensable part of PC maintenance. (While other friends of mine have their PCs reformatted several times a year, I usually run into serious trouble every 13 months or so. I believe these infrequent trips to PC shops is largely due to my relatively well-maintained registry.) Freeware registry cleaners however (those that are backed up by reliable reviews), are hard to find.

In all the years I've spent tinkering around PC software and hardware components, haunting PC tech forums, and reading freeware registry cleaner reviews, I've only come upon two that are worth mentioning: CCleaner and Jouni Vuorio's RegCleaner v4.3.

The topic today however, is Glary Utilities, perhaps one the best freeware registry cleaners I've come across.

GUI screenshots, errors detected, and the modules of this freeware registry cleaner after the jump.



NOTE: Tinkering with the registry is dangerous. Glary Utilities is not a property of this site. Moreover, I am in no way affiliated with that website. If something goes wrong with your PC after using the freeware, I cannot provide technical support. Install and use at your own risk.

My friend Soren (who was running the site FreewareBoy.com at that time) came across Glary Utilities and recommended it to me as one of his best freeware registry cleaners. At that time, I was leery of it, having never heard of the software. I was also using a trial version of TuneUp then but now with the trial having expired, I prowled across the 'Net and checked if experts do consider this Windows registry cleaner as one of their best freeware recommends. I came across a review of v2.6.1 of the freeware and it was a PCWorld article! Sweet, I thought, this might be worth a try after all.

I downloaded the free Windows registry cleaner and got a pleasant surprise:

It has updates! Noice.

And while it may appear---*ahem*---familiar (just take a look at this GUI):


...its suite does have modules that are very useful. Check out the "Empty Folder Finder":

It also has a registry defragmenter:


The true test however, is not the nifty interface and the modules----this is after all a "Best Freeware Registry Cleaner" post----but how well the freeware's registry cleaner finds registry issues. After cleaning with CCleaner, I gave it a spin and:

88 problems found! Awesome. I then clicked "Repair Problems" (after making a restore point with ERUNT, a freeware registry backup generator), rebooted, and---while actively listening for "Ach! My spleen!"exclamations from the PC---listened to some music tracks and played a 20-minute session of F.E.A.R. Windows ran without a hitch.

It may not be the definite best freeware registry cleaner out there, but Glary Utilities is a powerful package filled to the brim with indispensable tools.

>>>Download the freeware registry cleaner here


>>>Click here to read more...

Sunday, November 1, 2009

SITE UPDATE: Downloadable Free PC FPS Full Version Mod Black Mesa

Almost a year back, I made a post about Black Mesa, a mod that recreates the ENTIRE Half-Life one experience from the ground up using the more recent Source game engine. (Yes, apparently, the devs of this mod think that Half-Life: Source sucked big time too.) Well, three days back, I visited their site only to be greeted by a 404 error. Great, I thought, another vaporware that previously had showed much promise.

Well, "Well, I'll be..." is a phrase that seems to have developed a propensity from worming out of my mouth whenever I check on this Half-Life downloadable free PC FPS mod --- the Black Mesa site is back. And it has undergone a MAJOR overhaul.


Small screen aside, I still remember this. (The images are not a property of this site. They've only been posted for the sole reason of promoting the Black Mesa official site.)

Check the official link, and the HD version of their official trailer after the jump.





>>>The Black Mesa official site


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


>>>Click here to read more...

Saturday, October 31, 2009

YouTube Channel Update: Greatest Battles Playlist

Some days back, I launched my "Greatest Battles" playlist on my YouTube channel. I hope to populate it with videos showing me struggling against the baddest, meanest video game encounters.

I've already made one; my "FEAR - Nightcrawler Commander Boss Fight," which shows me against the Nightcrawler Commander in F.E.A.R.: Perseus Mandate. I hope to add my struggle (yes, it was that hard), against the last boss of the downloadable free PC FPS horror survival game "The Suffering" in the days ahead.



The video---if will be added---will be found after the jump.


>>>Click here to read more...

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Review: Downloadable Free PC FPS Horror Shooter Zombpocalypse

So you've just gone home from the office and all these numbers are swirling in your cranium. Cranium. Yes, to de-stress you want to bash some heads in. You can't do that to your neighbors --- the cops will get you. A game. Yes you want a game. One that involves simple mindless shooting and none of the banal complexities that games nowadays tend to force on their players. A flash game perhaps? You click the Mozilla Firefox ico---wait.

I've got something better.

It has got all the gore you want, the simple mindlessness of the catharsis that you crave for, all in one adrenaline-pumping package that recalls back the days of arcade yore. Layer this with advanced graphics effects like specular, lightmaps, dynamic shadows, muzzle flashes, and advanced shaders and you've got one hell of a zombie shooter.

Image taken from the Zombpocalypse official site. Posted here for the sole purpose of promoting the game.

And it's free.

The review after the jump.

Zombpocalypse is a downloadable freeware zombie survival third-person shooter. And while the game barely squeaks through to be called a "full version game," all its other aspects forcefully cut through skin, bone, and innards where presentation is concerned.

To be fair, FilePlanet does tout it as a "demo" and not a full version PC game. The game puts you in the role of a survivor who runs around a number of maps that you can select from, mowing ranks of undead down, gathering weapons that intermittently spawn at fixed locations around the tiny maps.

That's right, there is no progression, no storyline, no boss fights, just you running around killing dead things that had refused to die the first time.

But oh man, does it deliver; everything from the shadows, the lighting, the specular effects --- this is one game that impresses. The audio is superb in that guns are a joy to fire. The game's flamethrower is sick: it has got the right amount of hiss and basso effects to it while the game's magnum sounds so powerful you'll be grinning diabolically everytime you manage to snatch it.

And snatch everything you will. Every moment in this game involves you running. Take a hit from an infected, and the screen shakes and blur. Get your health level low enough and you'll begin to limp around.




Which is a bad thing. Pouncers and leapers anyone? How about huge zombies that can breathe fire?

Yeah, you need to run. Every. Single. Time.

It's just you and waves of undead circling around like the stark raving mad people that you all are in this game. And you are going to do this in tiny areas that barely can be called levels, such is their Lilliputian dimensions.

As much as I'd like to go on extolling the game, Zombpocalypse does come in a filesize that's as small as the levels it contains. The 39Mb filesize already serves as a caveat to first-time players of the game --- aside from the things I've mentioned, there really isn't anything to do in the game aside from running around blasting animated rotting corpses while picking up health packs and weapons.

However, if you think of it as an arcade trip with advanced graphics trappings, this free PC zombie shooter more than delivers. And for $0, it's well worth the price of bashing some craniums in.

Without harming your neighbors.


>>> Visit the game's official site HERE.

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


>>>Click here to read more...

MekTek.net Releases v2.3 of its Downloadable Mechwarrior 2 Remake - Assault Tech 1: Battletech

A few weeks back, I wrote about the impending release of several of the MechWarrior 4 games. The release was supposed to be timed with the 25th anniversary of the Battletech games. While it was not released in time due to the quintessential problem of free projects (real life financial demands imposing themselves on the dev team), MekTek.net has not reneged on their promise of releasing the games for free. Meanwhile, they've redesigned their site and released an open beta version of their Assault Tech 1: Battletech project.



Details---and a video link of the downloadable PC game---after the jump.

Mektek.net surely has gotten an overhaul yesterday --- the site now has a brand new interface; it even shows a short animation clip of a Vulture (if memory serves). It also has a link to its YouTube channel.


Latest update video of the project. Please take note that this is still only a tech demo release.

>>>MekTek.net

>>>Battletech - MechWarrior 4 downloadable full version free FPS PC game release update: MekTek post #1

>>>Battletech - MechWarrior 4 downloadable full version free FPS PC game release update: MekTek post #2

>>>See my review of the demo version of Battletech - MechWarrior 4 downloadable full version free FPS PC game HERE

>>>More downloadable full version free FPS PC games HERE


>>>Click here to read more...

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne 1.24b Replay: Night Elf Huntresses vs Undead Ghouls

What happens when you pull off a Night Elf Huntress rush and see it fall apart before your eyes? You get a counter rush in the form of an Undead ghoul rush of course. What to you do?

You run.

You run back to your base and hope your micro can save your failed onslaught and hopefully win you the game. Which was what happened.

The videos of me and my friend duking it out in Echo Isles in a Warcraft 3: The Frozen throne 1.24b after the jump.







>>>Click here to read more...

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

AMAI 2.54b Now Out (AI Mod for Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne 1.24b)

Since the recent 1.24b patch has rendered AMAI incompatible with Warcraft 3, its creator (a programmer who goes by the alias StrategyMaster) has released version 2.54b.

Advanced Melee AI is a third-party AI mod for the realt-time strategy game Warcraft 3: Frozen Throne. It greatly enhances Warcraft 3's AI's micromanagement abilities. While it's nowhere as good as Warcraft 3 pros, it does provide a sufficient challenge for casual players of the game.

See links to:

  • a video of me squaring of against the Advanced Melee AI
  • a guide on how to install the AI mod for Warcraft 3 version 1.24b


after the jump.

>>> See videos of how the AMAI behaves in a match.

>>> Impressed by the vastly improved AI but don't know how to install the AI mod? Click HERE.



>>>Click here to read more...

Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne 1.24b List of Aspects to Master

It's been a while. Typhoon Ketsana really effed up my ISP, dampening my desire to post the past few days. During this time I immersed myself once again in Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne 1.24b. Six years has passed since its release and I still have yet to master the game.

A friend of mine once said "Why play Warcraft? You can just play DotA. Why the need for buildings when you can just whale on each other a hundred ways until next Friday?" I feel sad that a lot of people feel this way. The Frozen Throne is one of the deepest games out there. You can't feel it if your opponent is one of those non-pro players (not that I am one) who mistakenly think that it still is the age of "let's-see-who-amasses-the-largest-army-first-while-we-all-turtle-in-our-bases."

Warcraft 3 is a flurry of bloodshed and an elegant theater of death all at the same time. The measured but rapid harassment strikes of pro players is beautiful to behold and one can't help but feel inspired to learn the ways of the gosus.


I've posted a lot of questions in the WcReplays forums and a lot of those people there are helpful. I've managed to pick up a trick or two and applied them in a LAN game with one of my friends.

Also, a list of what I feel to be the areas in which I lack after the jump (this list will be updated as I continue playing).

  1. Spam clicking - They say it improves your micro. I'm a bit skeptical about this but hey, if a whole mob of ladder players say so, it must be true.
  2. Refocusing - oftentimes I focus-fire with my ranged units and the opponent dances it away, I don't shift targets, resulting in my formation breaking and the opponent's heavier melee troops collapsing into my ranged lines. Add the fact that the ranged units will chase their target around, wasting precious seconds not doing damage to the enemy ranks.
  3. Forgetting to upgrade weapons and armor - must group the Hunter's Hall (I'm an NE player) with the barracks (Ancients of War); doing so might fix this --- the presence of the HH icon everytime I call up the 'rax will be sure to remind me of uprgrading my army's doodads or claws, or the leaves that cover their.... nvm.
  4. Forgetting to buy items for my heroes - what's an NE hero without Boots of Speed? A staff of TP is also vital. Circlet is "situational" according to some WcReplays posters.
  5. Not abusing Staff of Preservation - self-explanatory.
  6. Switching teleportation items between heroes - "Help meee! I'm daieyiiing!" shouted the Panda. "Use your staff!" the DH shouted. "Oh sh-- it's with me." "I should have never joined you! I should have stayed with my bamboos! PETA will have your head for this! I ---*" Sploorch.


>>>Download Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne Patch 1.24b from HERE

>>>See more Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne resources (where to place NGL One professional map files to view Warcraft III: Frozen Throne replays, micromanagement resources, gameplay videos, links to important strategy articles, etc) HERE. (Scroll down to see more.))



>>>Click here to read more...

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Manually Cleaning Your Registry Can be Dangerous - Back It Up with ERUNT

So I was out of action for several days as I cleaned my registry beyond the usual norm --- I hunted down every trace of VLC, K-lite, and DivX and poof! My PC intermittently froze every time I tried viewing por--- I mean documentary and kid-friendly Pixar films. Luckily, I have a time machine in the form of ERUNT, a downloadable on-demand registry back up freeware. I made an article about ERUNT a year back.

The article on how to back up and restore your registry using ERUNT and why it is superior to Window's Restore Point feature after the jump.

See the article about the downloadable on-demand registry system restore freeware HERE.


>>>Click here to read more...

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Nvidia GeForce 191.07 WHQL Hang Crash Desktop Problems

Nvidia's latest WHQL video card driver, the GeForce 191.07 (they dropped the "Forceware" several months back), is not as perfect as its WHQL label claims it to be (one reason why I trust 3rd-party Nvidia-based video card drivers --- even WHQL ones have bugs so wth). Nvidia's latest offering seems to cause hang and crash problems in several games. There are also games that stutter with this Nvidia video card driver.

Links to forum discussions about 191.07 hang and crash problems after the jump.


Negative comment (Nvidia forums): "However 191.07 drivers are like malign cancer spreading metastases in OS here and there, so I am not sure whether driver sweeper kills them all."

Advisory (Sims 3 forums): "there is currently an issue with the NVidia 191.07 drivers and the Sims 3 game. "

Problem with the new GeForce 191.07 video card driver (techPowerUp! forums)


Stuttering issues (TweakForce forums under New Drivers > 191.07 WHQL thread): "
major stuttering during Artillery strikes in Call of duty WAW."

Of course, there are others who have not experienced any problems with this video card driver on their PCs but I've never encountered such manifold complaints about an Nvidia driver. I'm going back to Xtreme-G 190.62.

>>>Click here to see the video card benchmark test results of several Nvidia GeForce drivers


>>>Click here to read more...

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Nvidia GeForce ION 191.07 WHQL Video Card Driver Released

Nvidia just released their ION 191.07 WHQL video card driver. This one supports "GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, 100, and 200-series desktop GPUs and ION desktop GPUs."

Details after the jump. This Nvidia GeForce ION WHQL video card driver has the following highlights (info quoted from Nvidia's official site):

  • Adds support for OpenGL 3.2 for GeForce 8, 9, 100, and 200-series GPUs and ION GPUs.
  • Accelerates performance in several gaming applications.
  • Adds SLI support for several games including Need for Speed: Shift and Dawn of Magic 2: Time of Shadows.
>>>Download Nvidia GeForce ION 191.07 from HERE

>>>See Nvidia GeForce video driver benchmark software results HERE


>>>Click here to read more...

Nvidia GeForce 191.03 Video Card Benchmark Test Results

I finally found the time to feed the Nvidia Geforce 191.03 driver to my bevy of benchmarking software. Surprisingly for a stock Nvidia GeForce driver, this one displays clearer images; the image quality is nearly at par with with the 3rd-party Tweakforce drivers.

Details after the jump.This Nvidia GeForce driver performed even more poorly than Tweakforce's Xtreme-G Nvidia GeForce ION 190.62 in synthetic benchmark tests. It performed marginally better in F.E.A.R. and Nexuiz but presented an abysmal 38.8 frames per second in the Lightsmark 2008 benchmark test.

>>>Click here to see the video card benchmark test results of the Nvidia GeForce 191.03 driver


>>>Click here to read more...

Monday, October 5, 2009

Review: Downloadable Free PC FPS Full Version Horror Shooter The Suffering

The Suffering is a third-person horror shooter game from developer Midway Games, the maker of the Mortal Kombat series. In the game, you play as Torque, a man incarcerated for the massacre of his entire family. In an innovative gameplay scheme that uses the much-overused plot device amnesia, the player has direct control of how much truth lies in this allegation.

This game has an ESRB "Mature" rating. The review might be disturbing for kids.

The review of the downloadable free PC FPS full version horror shooter---and the download link---after the jump.

If The Suffering were a book, I'd say it's a good one but not a page-turner. Unlike games where the pacing presents plot hooks that elicit a deep curiosity to find out what happens next (Halo, etc) or games that present you with awe-inspiring firefights and/or foes that have superior AI (the F.E.A.R. series, No One Lives Forever, etc), The Suffering for the most part presents you with sequences that feel too drawn-out. For most of the game, there's not much in the way of story development; it feels like a dungeon crawl with you blazing and chopping your way through waves and waves of hellspawn. Fans of Serious Sam and the first Doom games will find action here that will prove satisfying but gamers who are looking for more depth may feel the game a bit bland for their tastes.

The monsters of the game come in many forms. They are also one of the most ingeniously-designed creatures I've seen in quite a while (except for the ubiquitous Slayers; the whole marionette-Hellraiser-Voldo fusion comes off as hackneyed). All of the monsters that skitter, burrow, glide, and lope across Abbott Penitentiary echo their former lives and the horrors of their deaths --- Marksmen are amalgams of rifles and the bodies of firing squad victims while Mainliners are ghastly imps that are impaled with multiple syringes that contain lethal poison.

Scare tactics: a Slayer drags one of its shivs on the floor.

While having limited AI, these creatures have varying attacks and maneuvers that more than immerse players in moments of sheer fright and frenetic life-or-death struggles; it's chilling to see a Slayer while its time, dragging one of the swords connected to its forearms along the ground; it's also sickening to see a Fester--in addition to its usual flailing attacks---open up its belly, disgorging packs of rats from its corpulent form, red layers of viscera showing through the flaps of meat that it peels back.

The Suffering also doesn't hold back with encounters. While most of the time the game hurls small mobs of undead at you, there are also moments where it opens the floodgates of Hell and you begin to wonder, "Gewd loards, am I doing this right? Maybe this scene has points that have infinite spawns and I'm not supposed to tarry here. GewdloardsheretheycomeagainI'mgonnadieI'mgonnadieI'mgonnadie" and just when you get buried under a wave of rotting, screaming, gibbering, snarling undead, the firefight ends and you're left there panting, "I'm still alive! That was impossible but I'm still alive!"

Of course, most of the time, you die --- save often.

Except for the aforementioned periods, The Suffering is not infuriatingly difficult (this coming from someone who finished the entire F.E.A.R. series at Extreme Difficulty without using SloMo; your experience with The Suffering might be different from mine) but it does ramp up the difficulty significantly in its later parts.

Tortured existence: the ground vomits a Marksman from its depths.

As mentioned, the game also grants players direct control on how the plot turns out. In various points of the game, players are presented situations where they can be good, neutral, or evil. Their choices in these key points will have a direct impact on the game's outcome --- kill everyone in sight and you get the "evil" ending; doing the opposite of course gives you the "good" one. I'm not sure on how to get the "neutral" one but a walkthrough reveals that killing everyone and not using Torque's ability to turn into a monster (you acquire this in the first part of the game) give you it.

What I don't like about the game is its color theme that's prevalent in most of the game --- it's too orangy, from Torque's pants to the surrounding terrain, the downloadable free PC FPS full version horror shooter is steeped in shades of orange. It may be in the realm of the subjective, but surely, isn't there a better color scheme than shades of orange? And no, it's not about the PC game's ancient game engine; Silent Hill or Resident Evil's surroundings look better in terms of color.

Yes, orange. Lots of it.

The free PC FPS' audio, with the exception of the voice acting, is a letdown. Firearms have a meaty feel to them and they have just the right amount of bass. However, they're kind of rough around the edges, making firing them not as appealing as shooting guns in say, Far Cry or Area 51, another game from Midway that has been released as freeware. It's not bad but it's far from perfect.

And then there's my issue with voices. They fade belatedly --- run away from a character who's talking and his voice will still have the same level of volume from three meters off.

Complaints aside, The Suffering does have several interesting characters. In order not to present spoilers, suffice to say I particularly like one escapee and one of the main characters, whose overall design, showman-esque voice, and frequent appearances imbue the game with a bit of the story immersion I've mentioned that this game is somewhat lacking. If this game had more of these interesting encounters, The Suffering would have been something else entirely. Sadly though, the non-player characters are few and far between, leaving you to run through the game alone (more so if you kill everyone in sight just to get the game's "evil" ending).


A malefactor flails away with hook-tipped chains. The monster is essentially a human body stuffed in a sack with chains for weapons.

Overall, The Suffering is a good horror PC game that, while feeling too drawn-out in the first parts, does boast of intermittent hair-raising encounters and frenetic gunfights that are reminiscent of the first Doom games. Fans of PC horror games that present mobs of helllspawn to cut a swath through should definitely try this one out.

When you get to the last battle, I wish you good luck: this game has one of the hardest, meanest final boss encounters I've ever been in. >)_)

>>>Download this downloadable free PC FPS full version horror shooter from HERE

>>>See gameplay videos of this downloadable free PC FPS full version horror shooter HERE

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


>>>Click here to read more...

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Update: Imbacore

It's been nearly four days since I last posted. Busy; office work and all. During my absence I've...

Quick doodle using GIMP 2.6 and a Manhattan graphic tablet

The list after the jump

  • Downloaded the latest Nvidia GeForce driver. I'll post my benchmark test results this Sunday.
  • Downloaded the latest version of my preferred audio codec pack. I'll post my observations this Sunday.
  • Learned that some company is releasing one of their game engines for free.
  • Beat a downloadable free PC FPS full version shooter. I'll be posting my in-depth review of the third-person shooter this Sunday or Monday.
Cheerio!


>>>Click here to read more...

Sunday, September 27, 2009

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...

Monday, September 21, 2009

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...

Saturday, September 19, 2009

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...

Thursday, September 17, 2009

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...