Portal 2 – Perpetual Testing Initiative Preview

Portal 2 – Perpetual Testing Initiative Preview

Although an incredible story, I couldn’t help but feel that the puzzles in Portal 2 lacked a certain finesse. Abandoning the streamlined approach of the original Portal might have provided Valve with the ability to tell a remarkable tale, but some fans, myself included, believed the difficulty of the puzzles had been reduced to increase pacing. On May 8th, Valve is due to release the Perpetual Testing Initiative update for Portal 2, at which point the internet will probably explode.

The Journey Down Preview

The Journey Down Preview

As the Reticule’s self-appointed Ambassador for Pointing and Clicking, I would be remiss in my duties if I failed to draw your attention to up and coming releases in the adventuring genre. This time it’s independent developer SkyGoblin’s turn in the spotlight, as I poke The Journey Down with my ambassadorial poking device.

The Witcher 2 – (Nearly) A Year On

The Witcher 2 – (Nearly) A Year On

The Witcher 2 has been out on the PC for nearly a year now (May 17th 2011 was the release date) and the game has come a long way since the initial release with big updates coming in September last year with the 2.0 release and last week the Enhanced Edition was released at the same time as the very well received Xbox 360 version. When I originally played The Witcher 2 at release last year, I was impressed by what the game was attempting, but I was left aghast at the difficulty of the Prologue and a poor hints and tips system which left me unsure how to use traps and bombs and little understanding of the different spells Geralt can cast. Nearly a year on and my experience of the first few hours is now much more enjoyable. Early game spoilers after the jump.

The Best Of Free Online Gaming – Tribes: Ascend

The Best Of Free Online Gaming – Tribes: Ascend

Welcome to the fortnightly series of articles that is to hopefully become a record of The Best Of Free Online Gaming*. We here at The Reticule know that not everyone has the spare cash to spend on every AAA or indie release, or to sign up to monthly payments for all the latest MMO’s. Trouble is, if your looking for some free gaming there are literally hundreds of games taking up the free-to-play structure nowadays and trawling through them all…

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Scania Truck Driving Simulator Announced

Scania Truck Driving Simulator Announced

As you might know, I am a bit of a fan of the upcoming European Truck Simulator 2 from SCS Software, but while we are patiently waiting for that we have the prospect of Scania Truck Driving Simulator coming out in May.

It is a title which promises to be deeper than last years disappointing Trucks and Trailers. This release will feature a basic driving school series of tasks, a map for free driving and a variety of scenarios to work through. The most exciting bit though must be the segment based on Scania’s Young European Truck Driver Competition (watch them in action here) which promises to be a very, very challenging sequence of events. You can find more details on the SCS Soft blog. Am I the only one who is interested in these games?

The Witcher 2 Gets Enhanced On PC

The Witcher 2 Gets Enhanced On PC

The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition might have been released as a full new release on the Xbox 360 today (read Kevin’s Red Mist rated review here) but us PC gamers aren’t being left out as a massive 11GB update for the epic RPG is now available through Steam and GoG.com.

I haven’t found the final definitive patch list just yet, but you can expect to find four hours worth of new quests, cut-scenes and cinematics and over 100 other improvements over the original release.

This is all free, which in a time when such big updates normally get labelled as DLC and require a few pounds to access is a brilliant example of how customers should be treated by developers and publishers. I’m still downloading my update, but I can’t wait to get back into the game from the start once more.

Crysis 3 Announced – Release 2013

Crysis 3 Announced – Release 2013

EA have today announced that Crysis 3 is definitely coming and will land next year on the PC, 360 and PS3. There is no mention of a WiiU release, which is a likely indicator of the below-par performance of Nintendo’s next machine. The third game in Crytek’s series will put you in the boots of ‘Prophet’ in New York city in 2047, though as you might be able to tell from the screenshots, New York isn’t quite as it seems.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition – The Verdict

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition – The Verdict

Geralt of Rivia, the White Wolf, is a Witcher. Witchers are warriors who possess magic powers and superior abilities due to being taken in as children and given potions and martial training for most of their young lives. This special training can cause adverse side affects and sometimes even death, the result of this is that only 40% of children survive the final trial and go on to become Witchers. Once fully trained Witchers use their unique abilities to make…

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Theme Hospital on GoG – Everyone Must Buy This Now

Theme Hospital on GoG – Everyone Must Buy This Now

For those of us of a certain age, Theme Hospital is most likely a game we have either played or heard about. It was developed by Bullfrog, one of the most influential British developers of the 90s. Theme Hospital came from a team which produced hits such as Theme Park, Populous and Dungeon Keeper. Still, this humble hospital management game is one of my most beloved titles of my youth. To see it available on GoG.com for only $5.99 has made my day and has become an instant purchase. Dear reader, you really must try this game.