Renegade X: Black Dawn Available Now

Everyone has a favourite game from back in the day that they want to see re-released using one of today’s game engines.

What if Freelancer was released as an MMO? Why isn’t there a Jedi Knight game on the Wii? Why doesn’t someone re-make Command & Conquer: Renegade using the power of the Unreal Engine 3 and release it as a free download?

If you thought that last one sounded a bit too specific, then that’s because I’m a terrible writer and it was the best way I could think to announce that Renegade X: Black Dawn is now available to download and play as a free, standalone game.

Renegade X began as an Unreal Tournament 3 mod recreating the awesome gameplay from C&C: Renegade and has been in development since 2009. Renegade X sees the Global Defense Initiative and the Brotherhood of Nod going at it with their usual arsenals; stealth tanks, Orca aircraft, Mammoth tanks, commando’s packed with C4 and gatling guns. Check out the trailer below to see the game in action.

You can grab the 3.9GB client install from 3FL entirely quota-free for iiNet, Westnet and Netspace customers.

Head over to the Renegade X website for more info.

Liquid Physics Puzzles in Vessel

I’m calling it now – the next cool little indie physics game with sweet music that’s going to make insane amounts of money is Vessel from developer Strange Loop Games.

Vessel is all about inventor M. Arkwright and his liquid-based Fluro machines. What starts as simple puzzles solved by water machinations soon turns into complex puzzles with lava, slime and all sorts of other liquid physics.

Check out the trailer below or read on for a more in-depth look at the game in the new videos promoting the game’s March 1 release on Steam.

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Mass Effect 3 Demo on Valentines Day

Forever alone this Valentines Day? Bioware’s got your back with the Mass Effect 3 demo hitting Xbox, PS3 and PC on Feb 14.

The demo will include both single-player and co-op multiplayer (which unlocks on Feb 17) levels along with voice recognition using the Xbox Kinect. You’ll be able to shout commands like “Shotgun” to switch to a weapon or “LIARA MOVE YOU’RE IN MY WAY WHICH MAKES ME HATE YOU” to have Liara step aside. I’ve never considered buying a Kinect before, but being able to abuse my NPC characters for being useless could be a game-changer.

For PC players, Bioware have posted the minimum and recommended specs for the demo in a forum post on their website.

Check out the video below to see the Kinect voice commands in action, or download the HD version from 3FL entirely quota-free for iiNet, Westnet and Netspace customers.

Kinect Coming To Windows PCs For $250

Microsoft announced at CES today that they will be bringing Kinect to Windows PCs in February this year. A blog post on the Microsoft website goes into more detail.

You’ll be looking at a cool US $250 to add the ability to dance and shout at your PC, whether that’s for gaming or office-related purposes is up to you. If it lets me send emails by yelling COMPUTER… SEND while pointing to the horizon, I could probably get on board with this.

Castle Story In Development

Sauropod Studio recently released a demo video of their sweet looking work in progress, Castle Story, along with their website, Facebook page and other channels where you can ask them about stuff. You’d think between Minecraft, Terraria, World of Keflings and Garry’s Mod, we’d have enough of creative sandbox style gaming. But – oh no – it’s never enough.

We’ll keep an eye on this one for you, or you can keep an eye on it yourself:

• Sauropod Studio blog
• SauropodStudio on Twitter

Check out the demo video below to see the game in action.

New South Park RPG Screenshots

The first batch of screenshots for the new South Park RPG have been released and they look awesome. If you didn’t know you were looking at images from a game, you’d think it was a new episode of South Park.

The game’s story is being written by creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and is being developed by Obsidian Entertainment (best known for creating Fallout: New Vegas) as a turn-based RPG for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The release date is currently aimed at the second half of 2012.

Players will assume the role of a kid in South Park who joins up with Kyle, Stan, Kenny and Cartman to defend the town from the threat of Elves, Goth kids and Gingers if the screenshots are any indication.

Read on to check out the rest of the screenshots.

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Back To Karkand DLC Out Now!

The wait is finally over! The Back to Karkand DLC is out on PC and Xbox, bringing 4 classic Battlefield 2 maps back in beautiful Frostbyte 2.0 glory.

If you didn’t already know (in which case – I hate you) the DLC adds the Wake Island, Strike at Karkand, Gulf of Oman and Sharqi Peninsula maps along with 3 new vehicles and 10 new weapons to the BF3 arsenal. Wake Island has now been host to over a decade of warfare across 3 entirely separate video games. Plus I think it was also in an actual war at some point.

Got the Limited Edition of BF3? Then it’s free, otherwise you’ll have to cough up $20. The best $20 you ever spent.

Search for 3FL BF3 in the battlelog to jump into the action. We now have 40 3FL servers running the new DLC maps – everything from mixed modes, hardcore, Vehicle Fever, 24/7 Wake Island 1000 tickets and much more.

Want a specific type of server? Head to our Battlefield 3 forum and let us know!

Trine 2 Out On PC Tomorrow

Exactly 10 hours from now, Trine 2 will be released on Steam which is great news. Unfortunately that will happen in the wee hours of the morning and I have to go to work tomorrow, which is not great news.

Luckily the game can be pre-purchased on Steam now for $14.99 and includes access to the multiplayer co-op beta featuring support for 3 players to blitz through two levels. What about Xbox and PS3, I hear you ask? Well unfortunately console owners can expect their versions to arrive on the 20th of December. Condolences.

Other than some incredibly slick graphics and quality action/RPG game play, the main feature of the new game that all Trine players are looking forward to is the online co-op mode. Each level has multiple ways it can be completed depending on whether you have 1, 2 or all 3 characters present and looks like it’ll offer some really rewarding and actioned-packed gaming.

Check out the video below to see Trine 2 in action and then give Steam your money.

BF3′s Wake Island Gameplay Trailer

While PS3 owners now have access to the Back to Karkand DLC maps, PC and Xbox players will have to wait until next week before getting a shot at the DLC.

For those of us who don’t play it on PS3, we could either pass the time by telling the PS3 players how they’re all a big bunch of jerks or we could watch the new Wake Island gameplay trailer over and over. Personally I plan to do both and throw in few brief interludes of staring longingly at the classic BF2 weapons on the Battlelog’s DLC page. Soon, my pretties, soon we shall be together once more.

You can check out the new trailer below on Youtube or download the full HD version (and I mean full HD, the file is just over 1GB in size) entirely quota-free from the 3FL download vault.

*Youtube video content is not quota-free as it is not part of the Freezone

Head to our forums to discuss the trailer!

Cheap Game Report: Dungeon Defenders (PC)

Massive shout-out to the Dungeon Defenders post we put up yesterday. Funko said you’d like to hear more about what the game is like, so here’s a very short “try before you buy” rundown.

Calling this a ‘TD/action RPG’ hits the mark. You and your party pick a hero class and run around fending off waves of trolls bent on smashing your giant crystal base. Between waves, there’s a build phase where you can set up defensive towers and traps to slow the onslaught.

The game is obviously a console port, however if you foolishly decide to buy for PC, you won’t be disappointed – just a little frustrated and clumsy. Standard WASD controls apply, but mouse relativity changes depending on your camera view – while on the default behind-the-shoulder (sic) view, your character faces where the mouse is pointing; when zoomed out, the camera’s ‘north’ is locked while you point and click on enemies, isometric-style. (Pro tip: hit Control and move the mouse around to rotate the camera – it’s not obvious.) It’s a context-switcher’s paradise, immersion purgatory for the rest of us.

This alone is enough to put one off playing solo. This and the increasingly unmanageable waves of enemies after the first level means you’ll want to play with other people for maximum fun.

Nevermind – they fixed it all. The game is totally awesome now.

Luckily, you can get the game for $11 apiece (save $3!) if you co-op with friends and get the 4-pack instead of buying it for just yourself like wob did.