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At last, the Call of Duty series has moved beyond World War II and into the present day. Infinity Ward has also most certainly put a lot of work into adding a healthy variety to CoD4's gameplay, something often thought lacking from military shooters in the past. Firefights range from claustrophobic shootouts in a surging container ship to ranged combat in the wide-open paddocks of Russian farmland. In short, you'll never feel like you're just doing the same-old-same-old missions ad nauseam - which, is obviously an awesome thing.

Call of Duty 4 looks simply amazing. In an era in which most developers are rushing to get their hands on Epic's renowned Unreal Engine 3, Infinity Ward has instead developed its own proprietary game engine that has resulted in arguably the best looking FPS in recent memory. It's very easy to break it down into bullet points - the state of the art true world-dynamic lighting, bloom effects, dynamic shadows and depth of field graphical tricks and tech - but all that needs to be said is that the game is just staggeringly realistic, particularly coupled with the incredible audio; the guns shake your surround sound setup down to the ground and the convincingly conversational chatter between the troops is in stark contrast to the deliberately silly one-liners of Halo 3's marines.

Here's the bottom line; when it comes to its single-player experience, Call of Duty 4 manages to blast away the Xbox 360's biggest gun, Halo 3. There, we said it. Blasphemous perhaps, but true. Couple that with a multiplayer component that increases exponentially in scope and enjoyment the more you play it, and you've got a shooting package that not only rivals Bungie's masterpiece, but it outdoes it in many ways as well.

Full review of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare on Gameplayer.com.au

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The first thing that struck me about the WOW: 60 day time card was the outer packaging. This is because, when the boss threw it across the room to me and said "review this, dude", it connected with the side of my head. I was also struck in a much less literal sense however, by the artwork on the packaging which sported a picture of a lovely female elf - a lovely elf with some serious eyebrows that is. Before I could put forth the proposition that an in-depth review was impossible because the Time card was in fact a "pre-paid card" and not playable game - the boss had already vanished with a decidedly maniacal laugh.

The World of Warcraft 60 day time card is guaranteed to supply you with large amounts of fun and adventure - 60 days worth to be quite exact (and only if you own a copy of the PC game World of Warcraft - a small, yet important detail). To begin with, my time card experience started with a moment of anticipation before I first broke the seal around the cardboard exterior and peered inside at the hidden depths of the mysterious package. However, this feeling of awe was quickly replaced with confusion when a plastic ATM shaped card - not a circular game disc- plopped out onto the desk. After unsuccessfully attempting to use this card in a real ATM down at the local mall, I soon realized that the card had an alpha-numeric string printed on the back that has to be entered into WOW thereby exchanging it for more time adventuring in the land Azeroth - as opposed to goods and services from confused salespeople.

All said and done, the World of Warcraft 60 day time card is a great buy, and as long as you understand that it is indeed a time card - not a game- you'll reap a great deal of enjoyment from it - roughly 60 days worth of enjoyment, we'd say.

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The basic hook for Frontlines is based on the idea that far too much time is wasted running from a re-spawn point to wherever the action happens to be at any given moment. The result of this is that the action is kept focused on one of a number of goals at the frontlines of the battle (hence the name - tricky, eh?).
Once all points at the frontline are captured (in the standard manner - standing still within an uncomfortably open area, blowing something up... etc.), the frontline of the battle moves forward. Go through it all again until you get to the final point, whereupon you presumably celebrate by raiding your opponent's pantry and using up their bandwidth cap.

So far, this is fairly standard online FPS fare. However, once you combine this "frontline" approach to point capturing with the fact that you can choose where you re-spawn (from any one of the points previously captured), the action on the frontline becomes a frantic scramble to attack and defend before the opposing team can move the frontline that little bit closer to the drinks cabinet back at your HQ. Kaos is aiming to have support for 32 players for the PS3 and Xbox 360 releases and a respectable 64-player limit for PC games; having such a large number of players all clashing at the frontline is the kind of experience these games should be aiming for by default.

Adding to the newness, Kaos has added a swath of funky classes and roles for you to choose from. Your class determines your basic weapons load-out - shotguns for close combat, sniper rifles for long range, rocket launchers for anti-vehicle, etc - and these are distinct enough from each other to be genuinely useful as specialist roles within the game.

In addition, you choose a role that determines your "special abilities". These will vary slightly according to which side you've chosen, but will be nominally identical. Western ground support will be able to repair vehicles and build fixed, operable mortar launchers and railguns, while their Red Star equivalents swap the mortar for a mini-gun and the rail gun for an automated sentry gun. A great deal of thought has been put into all of these roles, and they are all very fun to play. Remote drones, air strikes and vehicle-disabling EMP-bursts mean that even when your team is losing, you'll never go down without a fight.

Frontlines is due to hit in February, and while it will include a single-player component this is still clearly a game aimed very squarely at the multiplayer gamer. With a dev team that clearly knows what its doing, a few energetic new features, and lush Unreal Engine 3-powered graphics, this game is definitely one to watch out for.

Full review of Frontlines: Fuel of War on Gameplayer.com.au

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Crysis is an utter juggernaut of a shooter that is an absolute joy to play. It features next-gen graphics that are so impressive that even the most jaded of gamers would have difficulty complaining about it - and that's saying something.

The thing that strikes us the most about Crysis' gameplay is that it offers loads of ways to actually do the mission - or more specifically - the killing. On foot you've got a selection of assault/machine guns, grenades (including an immensely cool 'nade launcher attachment for the guns), plus a rocket launcher that's best saved for tanks and choppers. These guns are upgradeable (sights, grenade launcher, laser targeting, torch...), but instead of just leveling up your gun into God's own by game's end, you'll chop and change your fit-out as you go into different kinds of fights. Nice, and just another example of how Crysis gives the player ownership of winning. It rewards smart thinking, encourages it, and at the end of a play session you'll feel like you're the man.

It has to be said that th experience is pretty formulaic stuff - proceed to objective, kill everything along the way and everything there, repeat. But it does execute with sometimes extraordinary spectacle and pizzazz. Plus the game is the sum of many mighty parts, each of them new standard bearers. It's a terrifically exciting shooter with almost perfectly blended swings of pace, and it's devilishly moreish - you'll be lost in the world of it so completely that it's suddenly 3am when you swear it can't be past midnight.

In truth, Crysis has so many wow-factor moments in it -. to not play it several times is to deny yourself one of the greatest PC game experiences. Ever.

Full review of Crysis on Gameplayer.com.au

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Ten million current World of WarCraft (WoW) players can't be wrong.
WoW is an MMORPG, or massively multiplayer online role playing game. What this means is that thousands of people log into the game (via the internet) and simultaneously play with or against each other. The role-paying game part simply means that players get to chose from a number of different options as to what sort of character they'll play.

The WoW Battlechest is simply a compilation of the main WoW game and its first expansion, The Burning Crusade. As an extra bonus you get mini-guides which are filled with invaluable tips and tricks to ensure your first foray into WoW is a fun and successful one.

The original World of Warcraft allows you to chose between two sides ­ the human led Alliance or the orc led Horde, with a number of playable races to choose from (Alliance gets humans, night elves, dwarves and gnomes, while the Horde gets orcs, trolls, tauren and the undead to play as). With race selected, you then choose the character's role (be it rogue, warrior, mage, priest, shaman, paladin, druid, hunter or warlock), its appearance, a name, and then you're off into the world of Azeroth seeking, fame, fortune and most importantly of all, adventure.
Set over two vast continents filled with towns, dungeons and other exciting locales to explore, players complete missions and best enemies to gain experience (up to level 60) and improve their character's abilities and adventuring equipment.

The Burning Crusade ­ WoW's first expansion pack - introduces two new playable races (the Alliance's Draenei and the Horde's Blood Elves) a whole new continent called Outland to explore (as well as large new Draenei and Blood Elf starting areas), the new jewelcrafting profession and a stack of new missions and items to collect. It also extends the level cap to 70, meaning the higher level characters now possible will be better equipped to fight and best the games most challenging dungeons and bosses.

Obviously, the main drawcard of WoW is being able to play in a world with thousands of other players. However this is not a necessity, with WoW being designed to be enjoyed by single players with only a few hours of playtime to spare per week.

So if you've never played WoW before, the WoW Battlechest is the best ­ and cheapest ­ way to try the most popular and addictive gaming experience on PC to date!

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A rare breed of Real Time Strategy game, World in Conflict (WiC) gives up the traditional resource-gathering and base-building aspects typical to the genre and instead throws players into the thick of the action.

Set in an alternate version of 1989, the Soviet Union goes from strength to strength and launches a full scale invasion ­ nukes and all ­ of the USA. You play part of the US forces mobilised to stop the attack.

Unlike most other RTS games where you create and control multiple units across multiple fronts in battlefield, you control only a small group of units (both infantry and vehicles) as you progress through each mission and successfully complete each required objective.
As you complete objectives you're rewarded with reinforcements and currency to use on tactical aids. Tactical aids allow you to call in various types of air strikes (each designed to be effective against specific types of units and buildings) to help you tackle the more challenging skirmishes in the game.

World in Conflict features some incredibly detailed visuals, rendering the battlefield with all manner of appropriate signs of war. The game world is highly destructible, and the explosion and smoke effects are stunningly realistic. This is the most beautiful RTS ­ in a highly apocalyptic kinda way ­ available.

The multiplayer side of World of Conflict is also well designed, featuring a class-based system encouraging co-operation with players on the same side. Be it infantry, armour, airborne or other class of regiment, the side that co-ordinates its varied forces dominates the battlefield. WiC offers some deeply rewarding multiplayer skirmishes as a result.

Full review of World In Conflict on Gameplayer.com.au

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After a sequel and a countless number of experimental spin-offs, the legendary Command & Conquer series ­ the very same that put the Real Time Strategy genre on the PC gaming map ­ returns with a shiny new 3D graphics engine and classic Command & Conquer gameplay.
C&C3 centres around a new struggle between the Global Defence Initiative (G.D.I.) and the Brotherhood of Nod after nearly two decades of peace, and as you start the game you're asked to pick which side you'd like to play the singleplayer story campaign with. After you complete both the G.D.I. and Nod missions, a bonus campaign is unlocked as is a third, new controllable faction called the Scrin.

The gameplay has been designed as a homage to the original Command & Conquer, meaning that resource collection, base building and frantic unit production and management must all be mastered to emerge victorious on the battlefield.

As you complete each mission, the story unfolds through full motion video scenes starring some well known actors (including Josh "Sawyer" Holloway from Lost, Jennifer "Kirce" Morrison from House, M.D., and Billy Dee Williams, who played Lando in the old Star Wars trilogy). The production is slick and adds greatly to the game's sci-fi atmosphere.

Once the singleplayer campaign has been mastered real-life opponent can be played against online with one-on-one and two-on-two battles, either as independent players or as part of a clan.

Developer Electronic Arts also launched the multiplayer BattleCast system in conjunction with C&C3, which allows spectators to log in and commentate during a multiplayer game as its being played. Matches can also be saved and replayed for further analysis.

All in all, Command & Conquer 3 is a fine return to form for a revered RTS series.

Full review of Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars on Gameplayer.com.au

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Microsoft's been in the flight simulator business for over 25 years and with version 10 ­ simply titled Flight Simulator X (FSX) ­ they've produced the slickest and most authentic simulator yet.
The more immediately obvious improvement on previous versions is the upgraded graphics engine, offering the most realistic visuals seen in the series ­ particularly if you've got a powerful enough computer to set all the visual detail options to maximum.

But more importantly, there's also been a number of more subtle tweaks and addition that cement Flight Simulator X as the best flight simulator currently available. From the increased maximum altitude (100,000,000 feet versus Flight Simulator 2004's 99,000 feet) and improved weather effects to more detailed airports and taxiing procedures, there's a new wealth of challenges to be had with FSX. We're particularly fond of the improved mission generator which allows you to set your own flight objectives with ease and the improved multiplayer which now makes it possible for two people to share flight duties in a single virtual cockpit.

So whether you want a casual flight over your own house or are looking for the challenge of a real-time passenger flight from Sydney to New York in some absolutely atrocious weather, FSX has it covered.

The deluxe edition of Flight Simulator X comes with several extras not found in the standard edition. There's extra aircraft to fly, a larger number of highly-detailed cities and airports to fly over and a bigger collection of missions to work through. Players have the option of manning the control towers and safely guiding other aircraft in a dedicated Air Traffic Control feature, while those wanting to further customise the Flight Simulator experience can create their own content with the included Software Development Kit.

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Alrighty then, before we get this review started we need to get some important information/ ominous warnings out of the way first. To begin with, Burning Crusade is not a stand alone game, so you'll need the original World of Warcraft game to bask in this expansion packs love. Secondly, it grants existing players -who have maxed out their characters level to 50- a chance to aspire to an epic level 70. And thirdly it is an expansion pack guaranteed to reignite your Warcraft addiction and will be wholly responsible for many a long gaming night, day, night, day - we think that you're getting the idea...

After all that time spent leveling, instancing, grinding in the original Wow, this new expansion picks up several years after the events of the original game. With renewed strength the heroes of the Horde and the Alliance have begun exploring new sections of land and have even broken through the Dark Portal into the mysterious continent of Outland. Unfortunately - or, fortunately for the brave- this means hordes of demons and epic bosses will be attacking your "not-as-awesome-as-I-first-thought" character.

In addition to the increase of the level 70 cap; your new quest is made more bearable by the inclusion of new flying mounts, hundreds more items, socketed items - and most important of all - two new races: the Blood Elves and the Draenei. Basically the Draenei let the goody-two-shoes Alliance players finally have a Shaman-esque class, and the Blood Elves offer Horde fans a chance to bust out some evil Paladin justice.

While it's true that this expansion pack doesn't revolutionizing for the World of Warcraft, aficionados will still get their rocks off with Burning Crusade as it is jam packed full of interesting new content, which ultimately translates into fresh new adventures in Azeroth. Fans are well advised to make the purchase and do their part in helping out either the noble Alliance or the insidious Horde. Preferably the Horde - because good is dumb.

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This, the third expansion pack for 2004's Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War, continues developer Relic Entertainment's knack for melding the rich history and setting of the Warhammer 40000 universe with some challenging Real Time Strategy gameplay. As is becoming increasingly popular in Real Time Strategy games, Soulstorm employs a unit-centric style of play, meaning that the typical resource gathering and base building of the genre is absent. Instead, you control a smaller number of units across the diverse maps and to capture strategic control points on the way to victory.

New to the Soulstorm expansion is a handful of flying units and two extra playable races (the cursed and twisted Dark Eldar, and the religious warriors of the Sisters of Battle). But it's the new multi-mission campaign that is the main drawcard of Soulstorm. The nine races of the game are drawn to a Warp Storm surrounding the Kaurava system, and upon arrival they find themselves stranded on the stystem's multiple planets. As the various factions battle it out to gain control of the system, they discover a more nefarious force is behind the storm. While Soulstorm doesn't offer much in the way of gameplay innovation, the campaign missions are well executed and engrossing to play.

Developer Relic Entertainment should be applauded for making this expansion more accessible to the masses. See, while most expansion packs require the original, "core" game to allow play, Soulstorm is a stand-alone expansion meaning you don't have to worry about purchasing earlier games in the series to get stuck into this one. Relic has kept newcomers in mind as a result, offering a nice introduction to the rest of the series and a helpful tutorial to help bring players up to speed with the goings on in the Dawn of War series of games.

Read more game news & reviews at Gameplayer.com.au