Joystiq

The Best of Big Download: April 18-25

John Callaham — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 02:30:00 EST

Portal 2's release was by far the biggest story for PC gaming last week, but there were other interesting happenings not to be overlooked. Let's take a look back:

Exclusive features

Hoard review -- Big Download reviews the recent PC port of the downloadable action game where you control an evil dragon.

Downloads

Two Worlds II: Castle Defense Demos -- snag the PC and Mac demos of the upcoming Two Worlds spin-off.
Rage Dead City Video -- the newest video for id's next first-person shooter is an extended gameplay look at a portion of the game.
Duke Nukem Forever "Come Get Some" Video -- hide the kids from this "mature" look at the long-awaited shooter.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: April 18-25

The Best of Big Download: April 18-25 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 02:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: April 11-17

John Callaham — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 02:00:00 EST

PC gaming got a lot of attention in the last week thanks in part to the ongoing Valve "Potato Fools Day" ARG for Portal 2. Let's take a look back:

Exclusive features

Elements of War Interview -- we chat with Lesta Studio about its unusual RTS game.
AI War expansion packs reviews -- we give our verdict on the expansion packs for this indie space strategy game.

Downloads

Theater of War 3 Korea demo -- try out a portion of the recent Korean War-themed RTS.
Anomaly Warzone Earth demo -- it's a free slice of the recent sci-fi strategy game.
The Next Big Thing demo -- the upcoming adventure game gets a free demo.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: April 11-17

The Best of Big Download: April 11-17 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: March 28 - April 3

John Callaham — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 01:30:00 EST

The last few days of March -- and that pesky first day of April -- ended up hitting us pretty hard this year. Fortunately, the world of PC gaming managed to survive, as evidenced by the seven-days'-worth of Big Download stories we've compiled after the jump.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: March 28 - April 3

The Best of Big Download: March 28 - April 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: March 21 - 27

John Callaham — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 23:59:00 EST

It was a big week for PC gamers, with the long-anticipated debut of Crysis 2, as well as a number of games that are not Crysis 2. Let's look back at the past seven days of stories on Big Download, be they Crysis 2-centric or otherwise.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: March 21 - 27

The Best of Big Download: March 21 - 27 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: March 14-20

John Callaham — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:30:00 EST

Filed under: Mac, PC

After the rush of news from GDC 2011 and PAX East 2011, things slowed down just a tad in the PC gaming world this past week but there was still plenty to write about.

Exclusive features

Reviews: We give our final verdict on Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War II Retribution and Dragon Age 2.
Interviews: We chat with team members from Rise of Immortals and Post Apocalyptic Mayhem.

Downloads

Red Eclipse 1.0 - Download this free full multiplayer shooter game in Windows, Mac and Linux flavors
Dragon Age 2 1.01 Patch - It's the first update for BioWare's just released fantasy RPG sequel.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood 1.01 patch - The PC port is not out yet but the first patch for Ubisoft's action game is.
Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Update 3 patch - It's the latest update to the 2010 arcade driving game.
Prey 2 teaser trailer - It's the live action teaser for the just announced shooter sequel.
Portal 2 TV commercial - Check out this cute intro for Valve's upcoming puzzle shooter.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: March 14-20

The Best of Big Download: March 14-20 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: March 7-13

John Callaham — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 22:30:00 EST

GDC 2011 is over but PAX East 2011 managed to keep us occupied with lots of PC gaming related news. Here are the highlights:

Exclusive features

Serious Sam 3 interview: We chat with Croteam team members about its upcoming first-person shooter sequel.
A Game of Thrones: Genesis interview: We get more info from Cyanide Studio's designer of this turn-based strategy game based on the George R.R. Martin fantasy novel series.

Downloads

Dragon Age 2 high definition texture pack: Make the PC version of the just released fantasy RPG look even better with this official texture pack.
Unreal Engine 3 Samaritan trailer: It's the GDC 2011 tech demo that shows off some advanced graphical features from Epic's game engine.
The Secret World GDC 2011 trailer: Funcom finally shows gameplay from its upcoming MMO game.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: March 7-13

The Best of Big Download: March 7-13 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best Of Big Download: February 28 - March 6

John Callaham — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 23:30:00 EST

GDC 2011 has come and gone, and as expected, the annual gathering of game developers generated no shortage of news and interesting stories -- including some tantalizing articles for the PC gaming enthusiasts among us. Winning! Let's take a look at the highlights from the past seven days.

Continue reading The Best Of Big Download: February 28 - March 6

The Best Of Big Download: February 28 - March 6 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 06 Mar 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: February 21 - 27

John Callaham — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 23:59:00 EST

The Game Developers Conference kicks off tomorrow. Are you guys totally excited? We're totally excited. What new PC games will be revealed? What games will win at the Indepdent Games Festival and Game Developers Choice Awards? Will we stop asking silly questions that nobody could possibly answer? Stay tuned to find out.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: February 21 - 27

The Best of Big Download: February 21 - 27 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 27 Feb 2011 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: February 14 - 20

John Callaham — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 23:59:00 EST

We're sure that you've got a lot on your plate on this extra-long President's Day weekend, but we hope you can spare a moment to look back at some of the biggest stories in PC gaming from this past week. Oh, what's that? You're actually so busy that you're not reading this sentence right now? Fair enough.

Exclusive features

Previews: We get hands on with two upcoming major PC exclusive titles: Darkspore and Total War: Shogun 2.
Riot Games interview: We chat with the head of the developer about League of Legends.
Who's That Flying Review: We give our final verdict on the recent side-scroller shooter

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: February 14 - 20

The Best of Big Download: February 14 - 20 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: February 7 - 13

John Callaham — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 23:30:00 EST

During this past week, the DICE Summit rolled into Las Vegas, a small part of Duke Nukem Forever was demoed to press in a strip bar, and Big Download gave out some beta keys for Darkspore (that were quickly claimed by our readers). In other words, it was a fairly typical past seven days.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: February 7 - 13

The Best of Big Download: February 7 - 13 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: Jan. 31 - Feb. 6

John Callaham — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 19:00:00 EST

The Super Bowl's on! And you're not watching? Well then, you must be looking to catch up on the past week's PC gaming news, instead:

Features

Big Download reviews Breach, Monday Night Combat, Magicka and Dead Space 2

Downloads

Duty Calls (game) - the greatest five-minute military shooter of all time
Yars' Revenge Art of Yars (trailer) - the first gameplay footage of the shoot-em-up remake
Battlefield 3 (teaser trailer) - a tiny glimpse of gameplay from the next Battlefield

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: Jan. 31 - Feb. 6

The Best of Big Download: Jan. 31 - Feb. 6 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 06 Feb 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: January 24 - 30

John Callaham — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 23:30:00 EST

Well, gang, the first month of 2011 is more or less in the books. February looms on the horizon, meaning March , PAX East and GDC are all coming into view. Yep, it's a good time to be a gamer. And a terrifying time to be a video game journalist who's deathly afraid of flying. To the news!

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: January 24 - 30

The Best of Big Download: January 24 - 30 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: January 17 - 23

John Callaham — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 23:59:00 EST

There were a bunch of big PC game announcements this week, ranging from new game reveals to development studio shut downs to an actual concrete release date for Duke Nukem Forever. (Seriously!) Let's look back at the past seven days of PC game developments.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: January 17 - 23

The Best of Big Download: January 17 - 23 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 23 Jan 2011 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: January 10 - 16

John Callaham — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 23:30:00 EST

As Father Time marches ever, ever onward, another week has slipped through our fingers -- but that doesn't mean any PC gaming news avoided our grasp. Let's check out some of the biggest stories covered by our computer-obsessed sister site, Big Download.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: January 10 - 16

The Best of Big Download: January 10 - 16 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 16 Jan 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best Of Big Download: January 3 - 9

John Callaham — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 23:30:00 EST

The first full week of 2011 was unusually busy for Big Download, considering that there wasn't much in terms of new games released. Unsurprisingly, though, CES 2011 yielded a few interesting news tidbits. Let's take a look at these tidbits, arranged in an orderly fashion after the jump!

Continue reading The Best Of Big Download: January 3 - 9

The Best Of Big Download: January 3 - 9 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: Dec. 27 - Jan. 2

John Callaham — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 23:30:00 EST

Happy New Year! Now that all of the parties are done and we can look forward to the next 12 months, let's take a quick look back at the past seven days on Big Download. As you can see, we have been busy with a bunch of extra features on the site.

Exclusive features

Most Anticipated 2011 PC games: We pick the games we are most eager to play in the next year in the action, RPG-MMO, strategy and other genres. We also give our predictions for what might happen in the PC game industry in the next year.
Interviews: We chat with the folks behind games like Serious Sam 3, Duke Nukem Forever, Trapped Dead, Dead Meets Lead, Stronghold 3, The Spire and Prominence.
Reviews: We give our final verdicts for Super Meat Boy and Cities XL 2011.
Best PC Indie Games Of 2010: There were a bunch of great PC games made by indie developers and we take a look back at our favorites.
2011 Console Games We Want To See On The PC: There are a bunch of upcoming console exclusive titles that PC players would love to see on their platform.
Maingear Shift desktop PC review : What if you had $10,000 to spend on a gaming PC? You might come up with the system we got to test out.
Freeware Friday : Our free PC game column returns with the platform action game Rocky Memphis and The Temple of Ophuxoff.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: Dec. 27 - Jan. 2

The Best of Big Download: Dec. 27 - Jan. 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 02 Jan 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best Of Big Download: December 20-26

John Callaham — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 23:30:00 EST

Christmas week has come and gone. While it was a fairly slow time for news, Big Download posted up some features that looked back at 2010 and looked forward to PC gaming in the future. Let's check out the last full week of 2010 in PC games.

Exclusive Features

Big Download's 2010 Best PC Game Awards - We pick our favorite games of the past 12 months. Plus we have our picks for the 2010 PC Game Vaporware Awards and our picks for the top 10 biggest PC game news stories of the year.
The Next Decade of PC Gaming - What technologies will be a part of PC games in the next 10 years? We offer our predictions.
The Most Anticipated PC Games of 2011 - We begin our multi-part look ahead to 2011 with our picks for our most anticipated first person shooters.
Interviews - We chat with the folks behind games like Back to the Future, Bastion, The Oddbox, Bloodline Champions, and Blight of the Immortals. We also have the first ever interview with the new president of the PC Gaming Alliance.
Divinity 2: The Dragon Knight Saga Review - We give our final verdict to this revamped version of the fantasy RPG.

Continue reading The Best Of Big Download: December 20-26

The Best Of Big Download: December 20-26 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 26 Dec 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best Of Big Download: December 13-19

John Callaham — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

PC gaming had a terrific 2010. Next week Big Download looks back at the best PC games (in our humble opinion) in the last 12 months along with some other features. In the meantime, check out what we have been reporting on for the last seven days:

Exclusive features

Reviews: We give our final verdicts to the PC ports of Tron Evolution and Deathspank Thongs of Virtue.
Section 8 Prejudice Hands-On: We get some hands-on time with the new Swarm multiplayer mode for the upcoming shooter.
Project Offset-Fractiv interview: We chat with Sam McGrath about what happened with Project Offset and his new company Fractiv.

Downloads

A.R.E.S. Extinction Agenda demo: Try out a free portion of the just released side-scroller action game.
Goldeneye Source Mod for Half-Life 2: This mod, now out of beta, recreates the classic consol shooter in Half-Life 2's Source Engine.
Mass Effect 3 Teaser Trailer: Download and view this first glimpse at BioWare's sci-fi RPG sequel.
Section 8 Prejudice Price Announcement trailer: Check out this funny video promoting the $14.99 price tag for the upcoming shooter.
Alien Arena 2011 (Free Full Game) - This is the latest version of the full and completely free first person shooter.
Natural Selection 2 Gameplay trailer: It's an action-packed clip of gameplay from this FPS-RTS game now currently in beta.

Continue reading The Best Of Big Download: December 13-19

The Best Of Big Download: December 13-19 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best Of Big Download - December 6 - 12

John Callaham — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 23:59:00 EST

As we approach the cusp of 2011, we find it appropriate to start reflecting about the events of the past 12 months -- and start looking forward to what the next year will bring us. However, we find it even more appropriate to first look back at the PC gaming scene for the past seven days.

Continue reading The Best Of Big Download - December 6 - 12

The Best Of Big Download - December 6 - 12 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 12 Dec 2010 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download - November 29 - December 5

John Callaham — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 23:30:00 EST

We're in the final month of 2010, but the world of PC gaming's managed to save one of its biggest releases for last: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (which our sister site WoW Insider knows way, way more about). Let's see how the other late-2010 PC games fared over the past week.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download - November 29 - December 5

The Best of Big Download - November 29 - December 5 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 05 Dec 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download - November 22 - 28

John Callaham — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 23:30:00 EST

We hope all of you have enjoyed the Thanksgiving/Black Friday festivities -- we know we certainly have. Before we begrudgingly haul ourselves back into work tomorrow, let's take a look back at Big Download's highlights from the past seven days.

Exclusive Features

2010 Holiday Gift Guides: We give you suggestions on what PC games and related hardware to give to your PC gaming fan for the holidays
Reviews: We give our final verdicts for Blade Kitten, DeathSpank and Poker Night at the Inventory along with a review of the Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming Headset.
Magic The Gathering Tactics interview - We chat with Sony Online about the upcoming downloadable turn-based strategy game.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download - November 22 - 28

The Best of Big Download - November 22 - 28 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 28 Nov 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best Of Big Download - November 15 - 21

John Callaham — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 23:59:00 EST

Just few more days until the hallowed arrival of Thanksgiving, and the even more hallowed arrival of Black Friday! Before you charge headfirst into fits retail gluttony and traditional gluttony, check out what Big Download has been reporting on for the past seven days.

Continue reading The Best Of Big Download - November 15 - 21

The Best Of Big Download - November 15 - 21 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 21 Nov 2010 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: November 8 - 14

John Callaham — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 23:00:00 EST

PC gaming had another big week, with the release of a high profile title, new game announcements and, unfortunately, some developer layoffs and shutdowns. Let's take our customary look back at the last seven days.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: November 8 - 14

The Best of Big Download: November 8 - 14 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 14 Nov 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: November 1 - 7

John Callaham — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 23:30:00 EST

The first week of November had unexpected game announcements, new demos and more news for PC gamers. As we always do, let's go over the last seven days together, shall we?

Exclusive Features

Nimbus Review: We review the very unique puzzle-racing indie game.
Freeware Friday: The weekly column returns with a look at the arcade game Super Crate Box.

Downloads

The Ball Demo: It's a free slice of the cool new puzzle-shooter game from Teotl Studios
HAWX 2 PC Benchmark: See if your PC can handle the upcoming port of Ubisoft's flying action game
Medal of Honor R7 patch: Download the latest patch for EA's recent shooter.
Borderlands 1.41 patch: This new patch for Gearbox' 2009 shooter raises the game's level cap
The Witcher 2 Dev Diary video: Check out this exclusive to Big Download video dev diary about the upcoming fantasy RPG.
Battlefield Play4Free Announcement trailer: It's the first look at EA's upcoming free-to-play shooter.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: November 1 - 7

The Best of Big Download: November 1 - 7 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 07 Nov 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: October 25 - 31

John Callaham — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 02:00:00 EST

Halloween's almost over, but what comes next is even scarier: the holiday shopping season! For now -- thankfully -- it's time to take a look back at the past seven days at Big Download.

Exclusive features

Interviews: We chat with the creators of the PC ports of Deathspank and Shank.
Fallout: New Vegas review: We give our final verdict for the most recent entry in the post-apocalypse RPG franchise.
10 PC games that should come back from the deal via download: We pick 10 worthy PC games that should be made available again (legally) via download.
The Best Video Game Minions: Villains sometimes need a little help. We pick the best type of helpers a game villain can have.
Guide to Team Fortress 2 2010 Scarechievements: Check out the new Halloween achievements in Valve's multiplayer shooter.

Downloads

FIFA Manager 11 Demo: It's the free version of EA's sports management sim game.
Artemis: Spaceship Bridge Simulator Demo: Check out this demo for this unusual LAN-based simulation game.
Battlefield Bad Company 2 R9 Patch: It's the latest update for the hit first person shooter game.
White (Free Full Game): Download this cool new take on the FPS genre.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: October 25 - 31

The Best of Big Download: October 25 - 31 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: October 18-24

John Callaham — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

It was a busy week: Fallout New Vegas came out, lots of news was generated from BlizzCon 2010 and Microsoft announced plans to (again) revamp its Games For Windows download business. Oh, and Tribes is coming back! Let's take a look back at the past seven days on Big Download:

Features

Games For Windows Marketplace: We detail the upcoming changes for Microsoft's PC game download business
A Quick History Of Tribes: We take a look back at the sci-fi multiplayer shooter franchise
NBA 2K11 Review: We give our final verdict on 2K Sports' PC port of the pro basketball title
Alien Breed 2 Assault Review: Our take on the recent top down shooter from Team17
Interviews: We chat with the people behind the upcoming games Homefront, Dungeon Defenders and James Bond 007 Blood Storm

Downloads

Lionheart: King's Crusade demo: Try out a sample of the recent historical RTS game from Paradox
Football Manager 2011 demos: Try out the Vanilla and Strawberry demos for Sega's sports management sim
World of Warcraft Cataclysm Cinemactic Trailer: Check out the opening CGI trailer for Blizzard's upcoming MMO expansion pack
Diablo III cinematic trailers: The fifth playable class for the upcoming action-RPG is revealed in this cinematic from Blizzard

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: October 18-24

The Best of Big Download: October 18-24 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: October 11 - 17

John Callaham — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

The biggest news for PC games last week was the official reveal of DOTA 2, but that wasn't the only thing that was of interest. Big Download takes a look at the events shaking the PC game world in the last seven days.

Exclusive features

Reviews: Check out our final verdicts for Medal of Honor, Dead Rising 2 and Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.
Interviews: We chat with some of the folks behind Fallout: New Vegas, Dungeons, Elemental, Tron: Evolution, Bulletstorm and OilRush.
Left 4 Dead 2 Guide: We give our guide for surviving (or not surviving as the case may be) The Sacrifice DLC.

Downloads

StarCraft 2 1.1.2 patch: Get the latest update for Blizzard's hit RTS game.
Call of Duty Black Ops Single Player trailer: Check out a glimpse of the upcoming first-person shooter.
Vindictus Install Client: Download the client for Nexon's latest free-to-play MMO.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: October 11 - 17

The Best of Big Download: October 11 - 17 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 17 Oct 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: October 4 - 10

John Callaham — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Another week has flown by in the PC gaming world (as well as the rest of the world, we guess), and, as usual, we had a lot to report on. Let's take a look at the big stories from the last seven days:

Exclusive features

Interviews: It was interview week at Big Download as we chatted with some of the creators behind games and services like Bloody Good Time, The Ball, Primal Carnage, Path of Exile, OnLive, DC Universe Online, Dead Space 2, Apox, Darkspore, Medal of Honor, Section 8: Prejudice, and Firefall.

Downloads

Lead Meets Dead teaser trailer: Check out the first footage from this upcoming third person action game.
Star Wars The Force Unleashed II trailer: It's some more footage from LucasArts's upcoming action game.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: October 4 - 10

The Best of Big Download: October 4 - 10 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 10 Oct 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best Of Big Download: September 27 - October 3

John Callaham — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

It was a little slow for PC game news at first, but that whole Team Fortress 2 item trading, selling and buying update came out of left field! Let's go over what else happened in PC gaming news and downloads for the past seven days:

Exclusive features

Reviews: We give our final verdicts for R.U.S.E and Civilization V.
XBLA Games That Deserve PC Ports: We pick the exclusive downloadable games on Xbox Live Arcade that should be ported to the PC.
Boot Disk: We look back at BioWare's first RPG game Baldur's Gate.

Downloads

Arcania: Gothic 4 demo: It's a free sample of JoWood's upcoming open world RPG title.
Medal of Honor Open Beta Multiplayer Client: Download the multiplayer beta test for EA's upcoming shooter.
Left 4 Dead The Sacrifice Trailer: It's the cinematic opening for Valve's upcoming DLC to its zombie shooter.
Call of Duty Black Ops Multiplayer Customization Trailer: Check out the options for multiplayer in Treyarch's upcoming shooter.

Continue reading The Best Of Big Download: September 27 - October 3

The Best Of Big Download: September 27 - October 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 03 Oct 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: September 20 - 26

John Callaham — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Fall is officially here. Already, we're seeing the temperatures drop, the trees turn color and the new game releases becoming more numerous. Yep, the PC game shopping season has arrived:

Exclusive features

GoG.com interview: We have an extensive chat with the co-founder of the DRM-free PC game download service about its relaunch ... and that whole "shut down" hoax.
Civilization retrospectives: With Civilization V now out in stores, we take a look at the previous versions of the series along with the various offshoots.
Boot Disk: Our retro games feature checks out the original MDK game from the now defunct Shiny Entertainment.
Contest: There's still time to enter to win a Steam code for Blade Kitten.

Downloads

Civilization V Demo: Download this free portion of the just released turn-based strategy game.
Blade Kitten Demo: It's a free slice of the just released platformer-action game from Krome Studios

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: September 20 - 26

The Best of Big Download: September 20 - 26 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 26 Sep 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: September 13 - 19

John Callaham — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Is everyone ready to lose hours of time playing Civilization V? We will have some features relating to the release of this latest game in the turn-based strategy series next week. Until then check out what we have reported on in the last week:

Exclusive features

Reviews: We give our final verdicts for Worms Reloaded and Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
Freeware Friday: Our free PC game column returns with a look at the top down action game Subvein.

Downloads

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 Demo: Try out a slice of the latest game in the soccer franchise from Konami.
FIFA 11 Demo: It's EA's own pro soccer game and you can check out a portion of it right now.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: September 13 - 19

The Best of Big Download: September 13 - 19 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 19 Sep 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best Of Big Download: September 6 - 12

John Callaham — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 23:59:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

It's the start of football season. Is that a bit of a non-sequitur? Maybe, but we just wanted to say that. Well, that and "Go Broncos," of course. In the meantime you can tear yourself away from the couch and the big screen to check out Big Download's highlights from the past seven days.

Exclusive features

Reviews: Check out our final verdicts on Elemental: War of Magic, Dragon Age Origins Witch Hunt and Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker.
Alliance of Valiant Arms dev diary: We get the straight scoop on Redduck's new co-op level for the free-to-play first person shooter.

Downloads

Portal 2 Co-Op Trailer: Check out some gameplay from the co-op campaign for Valve' upcoming puzzle-shooter sequel.
Lord of the Rings Online TV ad: It's a funny commercial for the free-to-play relaunch of Turbine's MMO.
Supreme Commander 2 strategy and DLC trailer: Get some tips on playing the RTS game as well as some hints on its upcoming DLC release.

Continue reading The Best Of Big Download: September 6 - 12

The Best Of Big Download: September 6 - 12 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 12 Sep 2010 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: August 30 - September 5

John Callaham — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

The first week of September brought about a bunch of new PC game announcements, including the news that a certain title 13 years in the making may finally be coming out after all. Let's look back at the past seven days:

Exclusive features

Reviews: We give our final verdicts for the crime action game Mafia 2 and the puzzle title Tidalis.
Boot Disk: Our retro games column takes a look back at the hacker-themed classic Uplink.

Downloads

Amnesia: The Dark Descent demo: Try out this sample of the upcoming horror-themed first person adventure game.
Lost Horizon demo: Its a small taste of the PC adventure game.
Company of Heroes Online Install Client: Relic is letting folks try out its upcoming WWII-themed persistent RTS game for free.
Blood Good Time trailer: Check out the first glimpse of this over-the-top multiplayer action game.
Firefall trailers: Check out this cinematic trailer and this long gameplay walkthrough for this just announced online shooter.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: August 30 - September 5

The Best of Big Download: August 30 - September 5 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: August 23 - 29

John Callaham — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

It's been a relatively slow news week compared to the past couple of weeks, but the next seven days should see some interesting PC game related news coming just before and during PAX Prime. In the mean time, let's check out what the last week gave us, shall we?

Exclusive Features

Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days review: We give our final verdict for Io Interactive's sequel to its third person action game
Razor2: Hidden Skies review: It's our verdict for the recent indie arcade shooter.
Freeware Friday: Our popular column returns with a look at the game Goblin Camp.
Contest: There's still plenty of time to enter our latest giveaway where we will award three $200 Best Buy gift cards

Downloads

R.U.S.E. demo: Check out this single player demo for Ubisoft's upcoming RTS game.
Metro 2033 demo: Several months after the full game was released you can now try out a free taste of the first person shooter.
ArmA II: Operation Arrowhead 1.54 patch: It's the latest update to the military shooter that also adds content from the British Armed Forces DLC
Portal 2 trailers: Check out new gameplay trailers from Valve's upcoming puzzle shooter for the Aerial Faith Plate, Repulsion Gel and co-op teaser features.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: August 23 - 29

The Best of Big Download: August 23 - 29 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: August 16 - 22

John Callaham — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 01:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Last week, Gamescom hit and a ton of new PC exclusive game announcements came with it. We were so busy we couldn't do our usual weekly game features; they will return next week. In the meantime, let's check out just some of the many news stories and downloads we posted last week:

Contests

There's still time to enter our latest giveaway where we are giving out five signed copies of the novel Elemental: Destiny's Embers.

Downloads

Lost Planet 2 PC Benchmark: This download will check to see if you can run the upcoming PC port of Capcom's sci-fi action game.
StarCraft II 1.03 Patch: Download the latest update to Blizzard's hit RTS game in PC and Mac versions.
Microsoft Flight Teaser Trailer: It's a CGI teaser for Microsoft's upcoming return to the flight sim genre.
Star Wars The Old Republic Space Combat Trailer: Check out how BioWare's upcoming MMO will handle space ship warfare.
Might and Magic Heroes VI Trailer: It's the first look at the latest game in the turn-based strategy series.
Age of Heroes Online Trailer: We see the first gameplay from Robot Entertainment's upcoming free-to-play RTS game.
Dawn of War II: Retribution Trailer: Relic's next expansion for the RTS series got it's first trailer.
Diablo III Crafting and Caravan Trailer: Blizzard gives us a new gameplay trailer for its long awaited action-RPG sequel.
Warhammer 40,000 Dark Millennium Online Trailer: The first playable race is revealed in this latest trailer for THQ's upcoming MMO.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: August 16 - 22

The Best of Big Download: August 16 - 22 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: August 9 - 15

John Callaham — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

The last week, particularly the last few days, has been full of new PC game release dates and announcements. What will next week, which also happens to be Gamescom week, bring us? We'll just have to wait and see -- in the meantime, check out what the last seven days brought us.

Exclusive features

StarCraft II: We conclude our strategy guide to Blizzard's game with entries on the Protoss and Zerg factions along with some of the game's achievements.
Blood Bowl Legendary Edition Interview: We chat with members of Cyanide Studio about their upcoming update to 2009's fantasy-themed sports game.

Downloads

Global Agenda Free Trial Client: Try out this recent first person shooter MMO for free.
Mafia 2 demo: It's a playable slice of the upcoming open world crime action game from 2K Games.
Victoria 2 demo: Check out this portion of the recent historical strategy game from Paradox Interactive.
The Scourge Project Demo: This is a free look at the recent third person shooter that uses Unreal Engine 3.
BioShock Infinite trailer: This is the first CGI trailer for Irrational Games' upcoming shooter title.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution gameplay trailer: Check out this first look at actual game play from Eidos Montreal's action-RPG.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: August 9 - 15

The Best of Big Download: August 9 - 15 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 15 Aug 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: August 2-8

John Callaham — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

This week we had a number of game announcements, but in the next couple of weeks you can expect a boatload of news to come down the pike thanks to QuakeCon 2010, Gamescom and more. While you're bracing yourself, check out this past week of news:

Exclusive features

StarCraft II: Read our final verdict on Blizzard's long awaited RTS game in the full review. Plus you can read the first two parts of our strategy guide for the game, beginning with the basics and then our look at the Terran faction.

Downloads

Borderlands 1.31 patch: Get the latest update to Gearbox's hit FPS-RPG hybrid.
Trine 1.08 patch: The latest patch for Frozenbyte's platform-puzzle game.
Fable 3 Intro CGI Trailer: Check out the pre-rendered intro to Lionhead's upcoming RPG.
Create Announcement trailer: It's the first footage of EA's upcoming sandbox platformer.
Dirt 3 Teaser Trailer: Codemasters' upcoming and next off-road racing game gets the CGI trailer treatment.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: August 2-8

The Best of Big Download: August 2-8 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best Of Big Download: July 26 - August 1

John Callaham — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

So, last week was a pretty dull week in terms of PC gaming news, huh? Who're we kidding? It was HUGE. StarCraft 2 finally came to our hard drives and, well, its been our number one news story for the whole week. As we await some official sales figures from Blizzard on the sci-fi RTS sequel let's look at the past seven days at our site:

Exclusive features

StarCraft II: While we're still working on our own review of the game, we posted a retrospective on StarCraft's storyline, a look back at StarCraft the game, a timeline of real-world events between StarCraft 1 and 2, a top 10 list of excuses to stay home to play StarCraft 2, an unboxing of the game's Collector's Edition, and an interview with StarCraft: Heaven's Devils author William C Dietz. And we still have one contest running where one of you could win a Collector's Edition of StarCraft 2.

Continue reading The Best Of Big Download: July 26 - August 1

The Best Of Big Download: July 26 - August 1 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: July 19 - 25

John Callaham — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

We are just one more day away from StarCraft II's launch. That means you can expect to see a ton of StarCraft related features and contests planned for Big Download starting tomorrow. In the meantime, check out what we have been writing about for the past seven days.

Exclusive features

Team Fortress 2 Engineer Achievements: Check out part five, part six and part seven of our series looking at the new achievements for the Engineer class in TF2.
Freeware Friday: Our look at free PC games checks out the new Valve top down shooter Alien Swarm.

Downloads

ArmA 2 Operation Arrowhead demo: Try out a portion of the recent shooter expansion pack.
Making History 2 demo: Download this playable slice of the recent strategy game.
Razor2: Hidden Skies demo: It's a small part of the recent arcade shooter title.
Dragon Age Origins 1.04 patch: Update your copy of BioWare's RPG to the latest version
Singularity 1.01 patch: This patch for the recent first person shooter solves a texture streaming issue.
Darkspore teaser trailer: It's the first glimpse of the new Maxis action-RPG based on Spore.
StarCraft 2 Ghosts of the Past trailer: Check out some cool cut scenes from Blizzard's upcoming RTS game.
Kingdoms of Amular: Reckoning teaser trailer: It's the first glimpse of Big Huge Games' fantasy RPG.

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: July 19 - 25

The Best of Big Download: July 19 - 25 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best of Big Download: July 12-18

John Callaham — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

As fate would have it, the San Diego Comic-Con has become a hotbed of game announcements and events for reasons we don't fully grasp just yet. That said, we'll be keeping an eye out for announcements from the show next week -- beyond the already expected reveal of 38 Studios' first title and that Spore action-RPG we've been hearing about, that is. In the meantime, check out what Big Download's been reporting on for the past seven days.

Exclusive features

Guide to Team Fortress 2 Engineer Achievements: The long awaited Engineer update for Team Fortress 2 is here and we're going over all the new Steam achievements that Valve added to the class. Check out part one, part two, part three and part four now.
Reviews: Peep our final verdicts for Tropico 3: Absolute Power and Dragon Age: Origins -- Leliana's Song.
Interviews: We chat with the devs behind upcoming games Grim Dawn and Natural Selection 2.
Contest: You still have time to enter to win one of five digital download copies of Elemental: War of Magic. Get to it!

Continue reading The Best of Big Download: July 12-18

The Best of Big Download: July 12-18 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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