Brace yourself for winter warfare in a brand new Siberian setting coming soon to Crytek’s free online shooter, Warface.

The stunning new Co-op setting, Operation Cold Peak, will test experienced players to their limits as they target a secluded stronghold located high in Siberia’s Altai Mountains. Teamwork will be key as players bid to crack Blackwood’s icy grip and advance through three separate stages on their ascent. Along the way, they’ll have to brave the elements as well as enemy fire, and stay on track when blizzards suddenly strike up to change the state of play.

Adding to the challenges that await in Siberia, the three new maps that make up the setting are populated by enemies with advanced tactical AI. Players will also encounter powerful new bosses and an environment that makes team-based actions more critical than ever. Thankfully, new defensive options add more mettle to team Warface as they tackle their toughest mission yet.

The addition of the Siberia setting to Warface follows closely on from the recent Nevada Versus map pack, and underlines Crytek’s commitment to delivering regular fresh content for players in their thrilling free-to-play first-person shooter.

For the latest news on the Siberia setting ahead of its imminent arrival, and to download Warface for free, visit www.warface.com. To take a first look at the newly-announced environment right now, check out the Warface Siberia Co-op Teaser Trailer.

MINIDAYZ is available for free, exclusively from store.bistudio.com.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today released video game Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor  for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The critically-acclaimed game, recently released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Steam, is being hailed for its innovative Nemesis System, which allows each player to orchestrate their unique plan of attack on Sauron’s forces and create their own personal nemesis.

It was exciting to be able to sit down and play the game. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a contender for game of the year. The developers have most certainly demonstrated passion and intelligence by creating a product that retains uniqueness and features a campaign with a comfortable rhythm. If you’re a fantasy enthusiast, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is for you.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor delivers a dynamic game environment where the player orchestrates their personal plan of vengeance as they bend Mordor to their will. The game begins on the night of Sauron’s return to Mordor, as his Black Captains brutally execute the Rangers of the Black Gate. Players become Talion, a ranger who loses his family and everything he holds dear, only to be returned from death by a mysterious Spirit of vengeance. Based on the player’s actions with the in-game Nemesis System, every enemy encountered is distinct and can evolve to become a personal archenemy through the course of the game.  As Talion’s personal vendetta unfolds, players uncover the mystery of the Spirit that compels him, discover the origin of the Rings of Power and confront the ultimate nemesis.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor™ is available now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC and Steam.

With the release of the trailer to the upcoming update Fate of Arun, developers Bluehole Studio and publishers Gameforge offer a glimpse at the new features awaiting players of TERA: Rising towards the end of this year. Four new instances will be opening their gates to adventurers in the expansion.

Trailer

Strength in unity
Starting at level 61, groups of three to five players will be able to progress through the four instances Ravenous Gorge, Bathysmal Rise, Sabex Armory and Macellarius Catacombs. For the challenging dungeons, which often require the new top level, a classic team composition of healer, tank and up to three damage dealers is recommended. Only in the Ravenous Gorge is it possible to stray from this composition, since the players are supported by NPCs who can take over one of the missing roles.

Ravenous Gorge (Level 65)
Although the rare herbs and resplendent flowers of this region are a sore temptation, not even the native Khiria dare venture in. High above, in a great nest atop the forest’s summits, Nimistrix lauds on her throne – a monstrous bird, ruler over the jungle instance Ravenous Gorge. This instance, designed for a smaller group of three players, is among the most challenging elements in this update.

Tainted by the blood magic of the Archdevas, the creatures in the jungle have mutated into colossal beasts. In keeping with the proverb ‘eat or be eaten’, the adventurers must prevail against degenerate monsters such as horned apes and sparkling lizards before they can progress to the next area. Alongside the constant dangers of the jungle creatures, the shadowy figure of Nimistrix also joins the fighting, though without giving the players an opportunity to fight back. To challenge this ruler of the skies, the players must forge on to her nest above the treetops. There is more than one way for the group to get there: they can reach the nest after a steep climb, or use floating bubbles. Whether jumping or climbing, this sequence is neatly tied into TERA’s action-based combat system and demands precision on the part of the players.

Bathysmal Rise (Level 65)
The sunken temple leads the players into a sinister underwater world. Lurking in the depths is a creature which absorbs the spiritual energy of its victims with the aim of flourishing into a deity – Fulminar. At the very gates the visitors are greeted by a huge poisonous turtle, and they must continue to overcome various enemies from the ocean’s depths as the instance progresses. But martial skills alone will not be enough – the path to Fulminar is strewn with an array of puzzles for the players.

Sabex Armory (Level 61)
The Sabex Armory can be found in Spring Valley and is open to groups of five players. The Baraka have requested the destruction of a secret weapons forge belonging to the Archdevas. A destructive new technology – a melding of magic and machine – is being researched using a powerful but unknown energy source, designed to give the Archdevas victory over the Baraka. Similar to survival mode, each individual section of the forge can only be accessed once the previous area has been cleared of enemies.

Macellarius Catacombs (Level 64-65)
The Macellarius Catacombs are an Archdevan laboratory in which nightmarish experiments are being carried out on captive creatures with the aid of blood magic. The adventurers must confront the results of these experiments on their way through the dungeon.

Sony Online Entertainment LLC today announced that the continuation of  DC Universe™ Online‘s (DCUO)  War of the Light  trilogy,  War of the Light Part II, is now available for the PC, PlayStation^®3 computer entertainment system and PlayStation^®4 system. In the game’s 12^th downloadable content (DLC) pack, players continue to unravel the mystery behind the loss of the emotional entities and their connection to the Emotional Spectrum.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• For the first time in DCUO, players will travel to Zamaron (home of the Star Sapphires) and Qward (center of the antimatter universe)
• This DLC marks the debut of Carol Ferris and the Star Sapphires in DCUO
• War of the Light Part  II features a plethora of new single and multiplayer content:
  • 8- and 4-Player Operations
  • 4-Player Alert
  • 2-Player Duo
  • Single-Player Challenge Mode
  • Open-World Solo Missions
• Players now have access to a variety of new gear and styles, including:
  • Larfleeze-inspired gear for Villains
  • Saint Walker-inspired gear for Heroes
  • Manhunter-inspired gear for all male characters
  • Star Sapphire-inspired gear for all female characters
• Includes six new skill points, new Collections, Feats and Base items

STORYLINE: The fate of the entire Emotional Spectrum hangs in the balance of an uneasy alliance between Green Lantern Hal Jordan and Sinestro in  War of the Light Part II. Feeling that love has been endangered by this relentless war, Carol Ferris and the Star Sapphires have also come to Earth to restore their own entity and stop the strife … and all who get in their way.

Be the Master of your Own Arena and Challenge Other Players Everywhere With the Far Cry 4 Companion App

Today, Ubisoft announced that Far Cry® 4, sequel to the #1 rated shooter of 2012^*, is now available worldwide on PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One, Xbox 360 games and entertainment systems from Microsoft and Windows PC.
Developed by Ubisoft Montreal in collaboration with other Ubisoft studios Far Cry 4 invites the player to experience the most expansive and immersive Far Cry ever, in an entirely new, massive open world. Players will find themselves in Kyrat, a breath-taking, perilous and wild region of the Himalayas struggling under the regime of a despotic self-appointed king. Using a vast array of weapons, vehicles and animals, players will write their own story across an exotic open-world landscape.

Arena Master, the Far Cry 4 Companion App, is now available on IOS and Android, both for tablets and smartphones.

In Far Cry 4, you’ll prove your combat prowess and fight for fame and fortune in Noore’s Arena. You’ll earn the respect of roaring crowds and test your will to survive, battling man and beast alike, until only one contestant remains standing. The Arena Master Companion App on mobile devices allows the player to explore the open-world, collect animals or mercenaries for his own personal pens and send them to battle against other players on the console or PC version of the game. The player can share his progress and send custom Far Cry 4 arena challenges to his friends from just about anywhere with an internet connection and his iPad or Android device.

It’s my favorite time of the year, when opinions clash over what game should and shouldn’t win inconsequential award shows, and when the anticipation for next year’s inevitable disappointments is still in unchecked levels of hype mode. Your favorites are my favorites and my favorites are your favorites, or some such nonsense. Ignore all that. I’m here to tell you what I enjoyed the most from the thousands or so games I managed to play in these last 365 days. (And by thousands, I mean probably 20 or 30, because as we all know, you can’t have a “complete” list unless you’ve played every single game, right internet?)

So, let’s get right to it, shall we?

10. The Darkness II

The original Darkness is one of my top five games of all time, so let’s be clear about this: there was little chance The Darkness II was going to surpass it. The removal of Kirk Acevedo as the voice of Jackie Estacado, and the shift in developers to a more dubious group of individuals set some pretty low standards for this game. But as it turned out, The Darkness II was a respectful continuation of that story that I love so much. And while the ending felt fairly rushed, and the game’s campaign was on the short end, the improvements to gameplay and Mike Patton’s incomparable return as the titular character secure The Darkness II at the tenth spot on my list.

9. The Last Story

Nintendo’s pun-friendly console refuses to die. Last year’s Monolith Soft’s Wii exclusive Xenoblade Chronicles managed to sneak its way up to the second place on my list, and this year, Mistwalker’s The Last Story finds itself on the back-end of my picks. Hironobu Sakaguchi’s love letter to the Japanese Role-Playing Game evokes memories of his first classic, the original Final Fantasy. With no shortage of obvious similarities in title, The Last Story is memorable mostly for its endearing and evolving cast of characters. Sure, the story is fairly typical and the combat is on the frustrating side of complex, but this ragtag group of individuals is one of the most genuine bunch you’ll likely find in any game this year.

8. Assassin’s Creed III

Ubisoft had a tough act to follow after their three-game epic starring Ezio Auditore da Firenze. And while Connor doesn’t exactly meet his ancestor’s charm or charisma, he definitely has the heart. Assassin’s Creed III’s thoughtful take on the American Revolution expands on the time-traveling wizardry of series protagonist Desmond Miles, while also setting up inevitable sequels in the best way Ubisoft Montreal knows how: cliff-hangers. Though the game was marred by a number of bugs, the struggle of Connor and Achilles, and the bonds formed with your Homestead inhabitants are things I’ll remember most fondly.

7. The Walking Dead

Few things can claim total multi-media domination like The Walking Dead. This long-standing comic series-turned-tv-show-turned-video-game franchise has become a household name in the last year alone. Telltale Games’s five-part saga about a convicted murderer, an orphaned child, and a number of other stranded survivors during the zombie apocalypse managed to do something that so many games of a similar endeavor fail at: it treated its source material with respect. Adaptations of licensed products often end miserably, with few exceptions. The Walking Dead series of adventure games is probably (no, definitely) the best use of a licensed property.

6. Far Cry 3

Massive island to explore; intelligent enemy and wildlife AI; the creativity to play how you want to; and one of the most fascinating villains in recent years; Far Cry 3 is everything good and just about shooters and open world games. Ubisoft brings the series back to its former tropical glory and shows us just what’s in store for the genre in the years to come. When you get tired of playing your standard run-and-gun military shooter or your 700^th round of team deathmatch, take a trip down to the Pacific.

5. Spec Ops: The Line

From a shooter willing to push the genre further, to one content to stay in the past. The strange irony is, for Spec Ops: The Line, it needs to feel like your average run of the mill war simulator. That’s the point. Where every other shooter of its ilk glorifies the art of war and killing, Spec Ops demonizes it, makes you question the value and entertainment of it. The genius minds at Yager Deveolpment sought to create a character so conflicted with his ideals about upholding justice and peace, while at the same time feeling overwhelmed by the immense prowess that he exhibits. This bold retelling of Joseph Conrad’s classic novel Heart of Darkness finds its hero, Martin Walker, in search of his own Colonel Kurtz – a once-revered war hero named John Konrad. The result is a game that treats its subject matter with the utmost respect and shows us that war is not a game, and one’s descent into darkness can lead men to do terrible, unimaginable things. Just remember: white phosphorus.

4. X-COM: Enemy Unknown

Oh, how I hate you, X-COM. And yet I love you so. You’re the abusive spouse in my relationship, the one I can’t stand to be around but I’m too afraid to leave. Every second I spent with you was wonderful agony. I lost many friends because of you, whose names are now etched into the hull of my underground headquarters. I vanquished much alien scum, shot down hundreds of UFOs, and researched countless projects. I even fought alongside the legendary Sid Meier in a few battles. I will never forget you, X-COM. But please, stop killing all of my units.

3. Max Payne 3

Max, dearest of all my friends. Rockstar did the unthinkable. They shaved your head. “Doomed!” was Max Payne, they said. They of little faith. You showed them, didn’t you? Unmatched physics, spectacular attention to detail, and the same soul-crushing feeling of self-guilt you were always known for. Sure, you may have toned down a bit on the long-winded analogies, but hey, you’re getting older. I understand. You’ll always have a place on my shelf, Max.

2. Rift: Storm Legion

On first consideration, I didn’t think to include this on my list. It’s just an expansion, after all. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how irrelevant that sounded. Besides, there’s nothing else on this list (either individually or combined) that I’ve put more hours into besides Storm Legion. They say MMOs are a drug, well let me tell you: they’re heroine. Trion’s sophomore launch didn’t go off without a hitch (unlike the release of the base game last year), but the expansion’s pound-for-pound value make it one of the most jam-packed content updates I’ve had the pleasure of seeing in a long time. With more than triple the size of new real estate, a dozen new dungeons (either raid or party sized), more levels and classes, and the best player housing system seen in any MMO period, Storm Legion is a rousing success.

1. Dragon’s Dogma

You know a game is good when it tries its hardest to make you hate it, and you just can’t. Enter Dragon’s Dogma. Not since Deadly Premonition have I seen a game with such a conflicted sensibility about itself. On one hand, Dogma is a sprawling action epic with hundreds of exciting monsters to kill and miles and miles of land to explore. It has a tremendously diverse class system that allows you to mix and match traits from each one, and one of the most ingenious uses of passive multiplayer I have ever seen. And yet, on the other hand, the game’s quests system was archaic, the amount of on-foot traveling through well-ventured areas was borderline insulting, and the pacing hit a major lull in the second act. Despite this, if there’s one thing I’m most looking forward to seeing more of in the years to come, it’s Dragon’s Dogma. With some major refinements, this potential series could find its way up to my pantheon of RPGs inhabited only by a special few: Final Fantasy Tactics, Demon’s Souls, and Dark Souls. On a final note, Dragon’s Dogma has one of the most thrilling final boss battles – ever. (No, not the Seneschal. The other one).

Notable Absence: Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition

I wanted to include this on my list. I really did. Anyone who knows me personally knows I’d give Dark Souls “Sports Game of the Year” if I could. But as I considered it, I realized it would be unfair to the 10 games I did select to have to remove one of them to make way for a game I had already named as my favorite game of the year back in 2011. Though the Prepare to Die edition offers enough content on its own to merit some sort of recognition, the game, as a whole, was still merely a port to the PC with the inclusion of the downloadable content. In any case, there’s always Dark Souls II.

The Elder Scrolls Online MMORPG has just gotten it’s first set of screenshots.

Unfortunately, these screenshots don’t show very much. Take away the Nord helmets, the Dwarven Sphere and the Argonians and you’re left with some fairly generic fantasy-RPG screenshots.

Speaking of which, those Argonians are the most ugly lizard-folk since Morrowind. Perhaps it’s an early model or maybe they’re some other kind of Argonian, but they look like horrible, bug-eyed things with thin grey flesh stretched over vaguely humanoid skulls.

Aside from that, we can see that Dwenmer ruins are returning, although personally I’m hoping that since this game is set before the Elder Scrolls games, we might find that not all of them are ruins.

We’ve also got the return of the Ordinators, some fire atronachs, and some impressively designed new monsters to fight.

Also, some of the textures are pretty awful looking, with a lot of blurriness. I wasn’t expecting it to look as good as Skyrim, but I expected a touch better than this.

I’m still cautiously optimistic about the Elder Scrolls Online, but these screenshots don’t help to keep my spirits up.

You can find out more about the Elder Scrolls Online on the official website here.

Just over one month ago, the folks at Obsidian Entertainment began a Kickstarter fund for a fledgling game known as Project Eternity. Within the first 24 hours, the project had earned over $1 million dollars, exceeding its initial goal. Since then the crowd sourced title has become the most funded video game in Kickstarter’s history, ending its month-long marathon just an hour ago at $3.9 million and exceeding the previous reigning video game king of Kickstarter, Double Fine Adventure.

Earlier today, one final stretch goal of $4 million was added just before the final hours, which offered to use live instrumentation for the soundtrack, include developer commentary, and use any additional funding for enhancements to the overall game. While the Kickstarter fund came just shy of reaching this goal, the total amount earned for Project Eternity, including the donations through paypal which are not calculated in the Kickstarter pledge, have exceeded the $4 million mark.

The following image shows all of the additional content to be implemented into the game as a result of the exceeded goal.

A goal of $3.5 million was also included, which features the addition of “Big, Big City 2.”

Baldur’s Gate and Athkatla are big cities. Spanning multiple large maps with a ton of interiors, characters and quests, big cities are a lot of fun. Like strongholds, they also take a lot of work to do well. We’re going to have one big city in Project Eternity. Would you like two? If you take us on an exciting adventure to $3.5 Million, we will take you on an exciting adventure to another big city.

Project Eternity follows a proud heritage of computer RPGs developed by Obsidian Entertainment, including Planescape: Torment, Fallout 1 and 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights 2, and much more. The first environmental screenshot was released for Project Eternity earlier this week. The game is being developed on a modified version of the Infinity Engine, used to create many of those previously mentioned games. It is currently scheduled for release in early 2014 as a PC exclusive.

Today, Trion Worlds unveils the final content update before the release of their first expansion to last year’s breakout MMO hit, RIFT. Patch 1.11, titled “Tempest Rising,” will feature a near-complete overhaul of the existing souls (the game’s version of class systems), and will set the stage for the rise of the greatest threat Telara has ever faced – the Storm Queen herself, Crucia. Tempest Rising looks to be the largest pure content update to the game yet, a testament in and of itself given Trion’s history of releasing expansion-sized patches over the last year.

Other features of 1.11 include a dramatic makeover to the crafting system, enhancements to the Planar Attunement system, a rebalance of all existing dungeons and raid content to match the changes to souls, and of course a brand new world event to herald the coming of Crucia. In a later phase of the event, the dungeon “Exodus of the Storm Queen” will be released, allowing pre-order players early access to witness Crucia’s dramatic prison break from her confinement beneath Iron Pine Peak.

Below are just a few of the highlights of Patch 1.11, “Tempest Rising.”

The patch notes for 1.11 are super incredibly long, so some sections have been linked to the appropriate forum thread rather than displayed in the patcher, particularly Calling and Crafting changes.
* World Event – Tempest Rising: For years the Icewatch, with the aid of the Ascended, have stood guard over Crucia’s icy prison in Iron Pine Peaks. New rumors rise from the east, claiming that the Dragon of Air is not captive at all, but is in fact biding her time while her schemes come to fruition. For the sake of Telara, Crucia’s rise must be stopped!
* The new dungeon, Exodus of the Storm Queen, will be unlocked in a later phase of the World Event!
* SOUL CHANGES: Major updates come to basically every soul in the game – you can find summaries below and specific Soul change details in the Calling patch note threads on the forums! Be sure to also check out the GENERAL COMBAT changes which apply to all Callings.
* PLANAR ATTUNEMENT is now shared among all characters, and has been converted to a simpler method of gaining levels – see details under PLANAR ATTUNEMENT, below.
* CRAFTING has also seen some significant tune-ups and has detailed notes linked from the forums.

See all of the details in full over at the RIFT forums.