Metal Gear Solid

Metal Gear Solid (メタルギアソリッド Metaru Gia Soriddo, commonly abbreviated as MGS) is a video game by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojima's early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. The game featured cinematic cutscenes rendered using the in-game engine and graphics, as well as voice acting in numerous codec sequences.
Metal Gear Solid follows Solid Snake, a soldier who infiltrates a nuclear weapons facility to neutralize the terrorist threat from FOXHOUND, a renegade special forces unit. Snake must liberate two hostages, the head of DARPA and the president of a major arms manufacturer, confront the terrorists, and stop them from launching a nuclear strike.

Metal Gear Solid was very well received, shipping more than six million copies, and scoring an average of 94 out of 100 on the aggregate website Metacritic. It is recognized by many critics as one of the best and most important games of all time, and heralded as the game which made the stealth genre popular. The commercial success of the title prompted the release of an expanded version for the PlayStation and PC, titled Metal Gear Solid: Integral; and a remake, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes was later released for the Nintendo GameCube. The game has also spawned numerous sequels, prequels and spin-offs, including several games, a radio drama, comics, and novels.

Despite a transition to 3D, the gameplay of Metal Gear Solid remains similar to its 2D MSX2 predecessor Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. The player must navigate the protagonist, Solid Snake, through the game's areas without being detected by enemies. Detection is triggered by the player moving into an enemy's field of vision and sets off an alarm that draws armed enemies to his location. This also triggers "alert mode" and the player must then hide and remain undetected, at which point “evasion mode” begins and once the counter reaches zero the game returns to "infiltration mode" where enemies are not suspicious of Snake’s presence. The radar cannot be used in alert or evasion mode.
To remain undetected, the player can perform techniques which make use of both Solid Snake's abilities and the environment, such as crawling under objects, using boxes as cover, ducking or hiding around walls, and making noise to distract enemies. These are carried out using the third-person camera, which often changes its angle to give the player the best view of the area possible, and an on-screen radar, which displays enemies and their field of vision. Snake can also make use of many items and gadgets, such as infra-red goggles or a cardboard box disguise. The emphasis on stealth promotes a less violent form of gameplay, as fights against large groups of enemies will often result in serious damage for the player.

The game's progress is punctuated by cutscenes and codec, as well as encounters with bosses. To progress, players must discover the weaknesses of each boss and defeat them. Game controls and play strategies can also be accessed via the Codec radio, where advice is delivered from Snake's support team; for example, the support team may chastise Snake for not saving his progress often enough, or explain his combat moves in terms of which buttons to press on the gamepad. The Codec is also used to provide exposition on the game's backstory. Completion of the title provides the player with a statistical summary of their performance, and a "code name" based upon it, typically the name of a common animal.

In a first for the Metal Gear series, a training mode, called VR Mode, is available in which players can practice hiding techniques, weapon use, and sneaking. In addition to the stealth gameplay, there are set piece sequences that entail firefights between the player and enemies from the third-person and first-person perspectives.

Combat Arms

Combat Arms is a multiplayer game, free-to-play modern first-person shooter developed by the South Korea-based developer Doobic Studios, and published by Nexon. The game uses the Lithtech game engine to produce its graphics.

Combat Arms gameplay is similar to commercial games such as CrossFire, Counter-Strike, Ghost Recon 2 and Call of Duty. The game offers many different modes of play, including One Man Army, Elimination, Capture The Flag, multiplayer co-op (known as Fireteam), Quarantine Regen, Elimination Pro, Search and Destroy, Seize & Secure, Spy Hunt, Bombing Run, and Hired Guns. During the 2009 winter season of the game, a special mode known as Snowball Fight was introduced, but was later removed. Combat Arms uses a player ranking system based on total experience, using common military ranks that players can obtain. Completing objectives, killing other players, and levelling up one's rank gives the player money in the form of Gear Points (GP), which can be used to purchase new equipment. Equipment includes weaponry, weapon attachments, and accessories for one's character. Players can also purchase equipment from the Black Market (previously known as the Nexon Cash Shop) using NX (Nexon Cash) that is bought with real-world money. Primarily, the Black Market equipment is cosmetically different from regular shop items and have no rank or level requirement that many of the free items require. In addition, some items may only be obtained through the Black Market. All items purchased have a time length of anywhere from 1 to 90 days,(some weapons can be purchased for a permanent duration from the black market shop), after which the gear is deleted from the player's inventory; however, players can buy most NX standard items for permanent with NX and can be extended with the Weapon Renewal Kit, and on the rare occasion, Gear Points.

Metacritic aggregate reviews place Combat Arms with an average of 71. Reviewers cite many bugs and glitches in the earlier versions.
GameZone's Michael Splechta reviewed the game on March 11, 2010, saying "Combat Arms is fun. Simple as that. If you can overlook the annoying players, then anyone looking for a competitive online shooter should look no further. This is free to play Fun-FPS at its best."

Modern Warfare 3 Hardened edition spotted

Activision hasn't been satisfied with just a single Collector's Edition option with its most recent installments in the Call of Duty franchise. Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops have each come in at three different price points: a $60 standard edition, a $80 Hardened edition, and a $150 Prestige edition. Now, it appears this November's Modern Warfare 3 is continuing the trend.

Infinity Ward creative strategist Robert Bowling recently tweeted an image of the Hardened edition of Modern Warfare 3. The picture was accompanied by text, which reads, "Hardened Edition, literally on the factory line."

Additionally, Bowling said that more details concerning the Hardened edition of Modern Warfare 3 will arrive at Call of Duty: XP, the themed convention landing in Los Angeles in early September. Tickets are currently on sale for $150 each.

If the Hardened edition of Modern Warfare 3 falls in line with what was offered in Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2's Hardened editions, fans can expect to pay $80 for a steel-book casing and pack-ins that have included co-op maps, avatar outfits, and an art book.