Whether you’re a video-game developer, academic, a lowly critic or just a plain old enthusiast, gamers love to debate the legitimacy of video-games, in relation to art. In Dan Pinchbeck and Robert Briscoe’s “Dear Esther”, those looking to argue the artistic merits of their favourite past time, now have a game which has the potential to propel their argument further, more than any other game before it and here’s why…

“Dear Esther” is something else, but is it a video-game? Yes. But is it a First Person Shooter? No. Its tale unfolds from the first person perspective, but this is no mere FPS. Its perspective works for and against it, because navigating the Hebridean island is governed exactly as you’d imagine, but gone are many of the familiar tropes and ‘controls’ associated with the perspective, which is so preoccupied with space marines and soldiers. There’s no action button, no jump, no cross-hairs and there are certainly no guns. None. Zippo. Nothing! You’re not concerned with conserving ammo because you have nothing to fire with and, come to think of it, nothing to fire at, apart from derelict buildings. The compulsion to ‘play’ “Dear Esther” is derived from the game’s central mystery, through the narrator’s monologues and your exploration of the island.

The abandoning of so many FPS tropes make the game so much more powerful because it isn’t reliant upon gimmicks, (such as plasmids), it doesn’t need them, not when Briscoe has crafted such a sumptuous and captivating wasteland. “Dear Esther” defies both expectation and convention. It is a game which invites you to explore, to discover and it places an emphasis upon the gamer, to look upon the island. Your only tools are your legs which carry you around, a torch which switches on automatically and a zoom button, which encourages you to investigate the debris which litters the mysterious island, searching for clues.

“Dear Esther” is comprised of four levels, although they are not really ‘levels’, they are distinct areas of the island, they are interwoven chapters. Chapters’ feels and sounds like a more accurate term for “Dear Esther’s” ’levels’, which include; ‘The Lighthouse’, ‘The Buoy’, ‘The Caves’ and finally, “The Beacon”. Once the game has been completed, you are free to select and play whichever chapter you want, however the game is at its most rewarding when played as a whole, as intended.

The sound design in “Dear Esther” perfectly complements the amazing visuals which Briscoe has accomplished, through his expert manipulation of Valve’s source engine. Jessica Curry’s non-diegetic soundtrack is as haunting as the barren landscape. The diegetic sounds are all windy-gales, sea breezes, footsteps, the occasional heartbeat and even whispers. On several occasions you’ll suspect you can hear the whispers of children, a radio crackling or even an aeroplane overhead. But Curry’s crowning achievement is providing a soundtrack which is as powerful as Briscoe’s visuals. “Dear Esther’s” greatest strength is the island itself and the player’s belief in that island and central to this crowning achievement are both the audio and visual expertise, demonstrated masterfully by Curry and Briscoe.

As you explore the island, death lingers in the air, there is nothing alive here. The buildings are derelict, windows smashed and uninhabitable. Boats and ships of various sizes lie strewn across the island’s beaches, their cargo spilled. Yet despite the barren landscape there is an undeniable beauty, in particular ‘The Cave’ chapter, with its watery reflections, stalagmites, and even evidence of water erosion. The final chapter also highlights Briscoe’s achievements with an enchanting moonlit ascent to ‘The Beacon’ and whilst his hard work may have been buried in the awkward, ‘Mirror’s Edge’, it is his work which is the backbone of “Dear Esther’s” success. If you have any doubts as to Robert Briscoe’s contribution to this remake of Dan Pinchbeck’s mod, then just revisit the original game, which is still available to download – the difference is astounding.

“Dear Esther” is a linear game in a time when most magazines, journals and academics tell us that linearity is holding the industry back. But “Dear Esther” proves the prowess of an authored text, it excels because of its linearity, not in spite of it. The player may well be traversing from A-B but that caveat is beautifully hidden, but not behind corridors, this is a linear experience in a very ’open’ world.

“Dear Esther” is one of the most enjoyable authored texts in the history of videogames. “Dear Esther” is more than just a videogame, it is an ‘experience’ and one with few rivals. As with any good book or film, “Dear Esther” will linger long after it has been completed, but not because of the questions it answers, its power lies in its interpretation and experience, which will vary from gamer to gamer. Thanks to the efforts of Briscoe, Curry and Pinchbeck the argument for videogames as art, has just become, much more convincing. [10]

Nuclear Dawn is a new first-person shooter from Interwave however this one comes with a twist, in that it isn’t just an FPS, it is also a real-time strategy game and these two dimensions play out at the same time giving this game a unique feel.

Most players will be fighting through Nuclear Dawn’s FPS side, you have several  classes to choose from that include the standard soldiers, snipers, mechanics and medics; each of these tasks the player with a different method of aiding their team, you can focus on killing other players, destroying and dismantling enemy turrets or healing allies. There is a wide selection of load-outs for each class and the basic FPS mechanics all play smoothly with no issue, it doesn’t do anything revolutionary but Nuclear Dawn certainly offers a solid FPS experience.

However Nuclear Dawn is not a game that encourages ‘lone wolf’ style gameplay, tactics are vital and players need to follow the orders of the Commander, which brings me to Nuclear Dawns other side.

The Commander role is assigned to one player on each team, as soon as you are a Commander you will start out on the map as normal, you then make your way to your base and enter the RTS mode. As commander you will have a detailed bird’s eye view of the map. Now if you are a keen RTS player, this will be quite a different experience from what you are used to. Your troops are no longer just A.I. who follow your orders without question, your troops are real players fighting it out on the map and you must issue them with commands and strategies and you are also responsible for building more turrets, resource points, spawn gates and advancing your faction’s equipment to give you the edge. I really would suggest a headset if you want to be a Commander (though every player would benefit from one) as oral communication is both faster and less distracting for players’ eyes.

RTS mode can however be quite overwhelming at first, you must always be taking action as there is little time to stop and think, and this game is after all a multiplayer only experience. It is this point that brings me to Nuclear Dawns’ shortcomings.

This game is targeted at intermediate players (at minimum), the only tutorials are in the form of videos and though it is true that a single player mode wouldn’t exactly work as your troop would be A.I. (that would need more of your attention), I still feel that new players would benefit from some form of interactive tutorial, at least to ensure they’re used to all the controls and mechanics.

Another factor in the game’s difficulty is in your player’s health, it can be a common occurrence that your game can be over within a second, you would not have seen it coming nor would you get the chance to fight back and this is before the Commander unlocks more advanced equipment. I’m sure there are plenty of shooter veterans that are used to this ‘live fast, die fast’ style of gameplay but it won’t be for everyone.

In terms of visuals, this is a game based on the Source engine, you won’t be getting a mind-blowing experience but credit where credit is due, the levels are very detailed and the developer made a conscious effort to avoid having the maps be copy/paste jobs (though in my personal opinion the post-apocalyptic backdrop is a tad clichéd for this type of game). Some have complained though that certain maps are unbalanced and can favour one faction over another, this is another area where the game lacks polish.

So whilst Nuclear Dawns FPS section plays pretty much like most other shooters, the RTS mode does offer something really different for this reason, Nuclear Dawn is a success in blending two genres together though the game could still use some refinement and perhaps attempt to be more welcoming to new players.

If you are a keen RTS fan but not a keen FPS player, Nuclear Dawn may not be for you as play time with the Commander mode can be limited. If first-person shooters are more your focus then Nuclear Dawn will offer you a unique teamwork based experience, one in which your leader actually does have real tactical power. If though you are fan of both genres then you won’t want to miss playing Nuclear Dawn. It would be great if more genres could be blended as nicely as this is. 8/10

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It gives you a warm feeling to play something that reminds you of the good old days of gaming. No overly long, overly complicated plot line, just a simple straight forward game to get your teeth stuck into. And that’s how I felt after playing MetalMorphosis earlier this week.

MetalMorphosis comes to use from Cash Curtis and is a fresh shooter from an Independent developer. Twisting the shooter style and placing it on its head, MetalMorphosis is a third person shooter that will keep you engaged long enough to enjoy and complete this game.

The game starts by explaining there is something wrong on the Alpha Centauri base. It seems like a disaster has struck, but there are no details available to you. Your job is simple… you go in and assess the situation and find out what happened.

During the course of the game you get to control a variety of characters each with their own specialization and abilities. This will be a saving grace later on down the line when you need those abilities to over come specific enemies or dealing with obstacles that stand in your way. You switch between any of these characters and it is quick, easy and painless to do so. As soon as you have switched, the A.I kicks in and takes over control to fight alongside you.

There are some well presented environmental features to game including destructible map items like barrels and crates. But be careful if you happen to be hiding behind one… the enemy will also use the environment to their advantage.

The game comes across quite well as being accessible to all level of players with enough options and difficulty increase to even challenge the more hardcore players out there.

MetalMorphosis includes elements of space exploration and real-time strategy. We have been promised weaponry that includes rocket launchers, tasers, grenades, rifles and assault rifles to dish out the pain. On top of that you will unveil new locations as you progress through the game and you will be able to upgrade your spacecraft with new features.

The Electronic Farmyard can not wait to get our hands on the full release and are excited to see another fantastic upcoming game from Mr Curtis and his proprietary game engine that was developed from scratch!

You can check out the demo and find information on other Cash Curtis releases at www.cashcurtis.com.

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Futuremark® Games Studio today released a major update for Shattered Horizon™, their PC exclusive multiplayer first-person shooter. The update adds some of the most requested features from the game’s active community, including voice chat, a new rank system, tutorial content, 5:4 monitor support and point limited servers as well as fixing several bugs and issues. The game’s menus and audio have been given an overhaul and as an added bonus the studio has also released the soundtrack from Shattered Horizon to the community as a free download.

“This update which includes voice chat and other popular suggestions gathered directly from our community makes Shattered Horizon a better experience for all our players,” said Jaakko Haapasalo, producer at Futuremark Games Studio. “And with four new levels coming soon in the free Moonrise content pack Shattered Horizon will soon be even better value too.”

Significant New Features:

• Added in game voice chat support.
• Improved ranking system better tailored to both new and existing players.
• Cosmetic changes to player’s suit as rank is gained help distinguish between new and experienced players.
• Tutorial screens added to main menu.
• MPR grenades have been made more effective against flying targets.
• HUD targeting brackets no longer appear on spawning astronauts.
• Level loading, team selection and match results screens have been redesigned.
• All game audio has been re-mastered to improve dynamic range.
• Added support for 5:4 monitor resolutions such as 1280×1024.
• Servers can now be set to limit access to players above, below or between configurable point thresholds.
• Server browser list now refreshes player count, level and ping every few seconds. Dead servers are removed from list.
• Added Melee Only (MO) option to server configuration options.
• Fixes for several game and server bugs.

For the complete list of new features, changes, bug fixes and optimizations please visit the Futuremark Games Studio forums: http://futuremark.yougamers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1318583

Soundtrack available as a free download:
By popular request, Futuremark Games Studio has released the soundtrack for Shattered Horizon composed by Markus “Captain” Kaarlonen of the band Poets of the Fall as a free download from the game’s official website: http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/media/soundtrack

About Shattered Horizon
Shattered Horizon is the innovative first game from Futuremark Games Studio that immerses you in the cold reality of zero gravity combat in space.

• Multiplayer first-person shooter set in near-Earth space 40 years from now.
• Experience intense zero gravity combat and complete freedom of movement. Use your rocket pack to fly freely through space then land on any surface.
• Join your friends in action-packed 32 player battles fighting to control hollowed-out asteroids, huge fragments of Moon rock and the ruined remains of the International Space Station.
• Four new levels coming soon in the free Moonrise content pack.

Shattered Horizon requires DirectX 10, a DirectX 10 compatible video card, and Windows Vista or Windows 7. There is no support for Windows XP or DirectX 9. Suggested retail price: €19.95 / $19.95 / £14.95

Shattered Horizon is available now from Steam and the official website: http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/buynow/

Futuremark® Games Studio today released the first screenshots from the upcoming Moonrise content pack for Shattered Horizon™, their PC exclusive multiplayer first-person shooter. The Moonrise pack, which will be free to all players, includes four new environments effectively doubling the number of levels in the game. http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/

In Shattered Horizon, a catastrophic explosion on the Moon has filled near-Earth space with billions of tons of rocky debris. Teams of players fight in zero gravity to control the limited supplies that mean the difference between survival and death in the cold of space.

The four Moonrise levels are set around the shattered Moon, taking the fight deeper into space and showing a new side to the conflict. The screenshots released today show hints of exotic new locations: an MMC cargo ship lured into a trap by the ISA, a huge mass driver installation, the broken remains of a luxury lunar hotel and fragments of what was a massive communications dish on the Moon.

Although a release date for the Moonrise pack has not yet been announced, Futuremark Games Studio confirmed that a small group of selected players is helping them test near-final content.

Moonrise Screenshots:

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About Shattered Horizon

• Shattered Horizon is the innovative first game from Futuremark Games Studio that immerses you in the cold reality of zero gravity combat in space.
• Multiplayer first-person shooter set in near-Earth space 40 years from now.
• Experience intense zero gravity combat and complete freedom of movement. Use your rocket pack to fly freely through space then land on any surface.
• Join your friends in action-packed 32 player battles fighting to control hollowed-out asteroids, huge fragments of Moon rock and the ruined remains of the International Space Station.
• Dedicated server available for players and game hosting companies.

Shattered Horizon requires DirectX 10, a DirectX 10 compatible video card, and Windows Vista or Windows 7. There is no support for Windows XP or DirectX 9. Suggested retail price: €19.95 / $19.95 / £14.95

Shattered Horizon is available now from Steam and the official website: http://www.shatteredhorizon.com/buynow/