Games

Shadowlands, made by Frostbyte, is now available on Steam. Originally released in 2006, this 3/4 view (Think Diablo 2 style) game starts out slow, but quickly starts picking up pace. In the game itself, there is the option of local multiplayer, kinda like Gauntlet or Captain Carnage where both people play at the same time (Supports up to 4 players at once).

Overall, the graphics for this style of game are not too bad, considering when it came out. I managed to pick this game up during a mid-week special on Steam where the whole FrostByte collection was on an 80% sale (3 games for $5.00, NOT TOO SHABBY).

One nice feature is as you play, you gather spare parts to give your weapons different upgrades. From extended clips, to continuous flame from the flame thrower.

Cons: I know this game is meant to be "in the dark" more, but even that being the case, this game is VERY VERY dark. I have contemplated turning the gamma up on this game just to make things a little easier to see, but other than that, the game is very enjoyable.

Overall, I give this game a solid B. The game play seems solid, the story line is a little cheesy, and the options are many... as is the carnage.

If you are about the same age as me(28), your probably remember playing Oregon Trail on the AppleIIE Computers. Of course there have been many remakes over the years, but that original game was just so much fun and so addicting.

Well, Now you can play Oregon Trail on FaceBook! You build up your party either with fictitious names or from people that you know from your contact list, buy supplies and choose a profession. After that... You are on your way!

It doesn't take much to get started, and you will notice that all of your party members now have health, as well as your wagon. In addition to extra status bars, you also have mini-games within Oregon Trail. You can explore the immediate area to try to find something useful, go hunting, or repair your wagon. All three games use Energy, which refresh at 1 per 60 seconds.

Traveling requires stamina. Traveling faster uses more stamina than traveling slower. You also have to keep track of your food like in the original. Hunting is a little different as well. Now in addition to the squirrels, you have bears and other animals that will try to attack you when you shoot at them.

Like most of the other FB games, there are advanced, or premium, features. You can definitely play the game without the features, but if you want to spend real money, you can buy upgrades for your wagon, get better items... etc.

This game is about as addicting as the original Oregon Trail. I have already lost many hours into the game and am quite enjoying it.

MindArk's Entropia Universe legitimizes profiting off MMORPGs

Most of us in the video gaming world have fantasized about working and earning money by playing video games, either in near-impossible to find jobs as a game designer or tester, or by selling "gear" and "goods" mined from our favorite MMORPG on Ebay for real cash. Problem is, most such transactions must take place on the black market, so to speak, unless we want our accounts banned and earned virtual "cash" confiscated. Even in games where such transactions aren't frowned upon, converting your game cash to real cash can be problematic, especially for the inexperienced who don't know where to sell their goods, how much to charge, or what to look for to sell.

Enter MindArk's Entropia Universe. This unique MMORPG starts off with a semi-unique hook--You play the role of a colonist on one of several planets, trying to help establish civilization out of the wilderness and, of course, earn money to get better gear so you can do more stuff, etc. Here's where Entropia Universe differs from the competition, however: Players can take in game money-PEDs, or Project Entropia Dollars-and convert them at a fixed 1 to 10 ratio for real dollars (i.e., one PED is worth 10 cents.) While free to play, MindArk does have to make money, so most things in the game that you need to actually do more than run around and collect the sweat of various creatures for small amounts of money cost PEDs that you pony up real cash for if you can't earn the money in game. (Never fear, there IS more for newbies to do, just not much more that's profitable.) However, unlike most MMORPGs that use this pay-real-money-for-gear feature, you can then convert your PED holdings back into the equivalent amount of dollars at any time, and if you can earn PEDs in the game (and many people do,) you can convert THOSE PEDs for real cash as well, giving Entropia Universe a large advantage over other MMOs for real life moneymaking opportunities.

While there is a lot to do in the game "just for fun", unlike in some games, you must usually pay (reasonable) fees to participate in recreational activities in the game, just as you would in real life. You start out with nothing more than the clothes on your back (an ugly orange jumpsuit), literally fresh off the boat and must earn the PEDs necessary to get the gear for things like hunting or mining. (That's right--unlike most games, you don't even start with a weapon.) However, there are numerous moneymaking opportunities in the game for the entrepreneurial minded, from buying land (which you can then charge rent upon, as well as taxes for hunters if you stock your land with exotic creatures,) to mining to running a store of your own, which can do anything from selling goods to providing other players beautician services to change their appearance. Players also can, if they can afford a hangar and a ship, fly other players to other locations in the universe-for the right price, of course. Furthermore, like in World of Warcraft, players accumulate skills, so if you are skilled in the right profession, you can assist those players who need your services (for a small fee, of course.) Players have even organized contests with entry fees and prizes awarded to the winners, large scale real estate management (two players have spent over $100,000US to purchase a space station for themselves, which they then charge rent and taxes for the use of, although you can run a shopping mall and rent out space for stores if you wish to go smaller scale,) or opened clothes stores or other manufacturer outlets.

Some of this has, of course, already been done in other games (Second Life comes to mind,) but no other game has ever provided such an easy way to convert one's virtual cash to the real thing. MindArk has actually created an ATM card that works specifically with Nextel ATMs to allow instant access and conversion of your virtual funds to the real thing, or vice versa. Although Entropia Universe has been around since 2003, it has lush, detailed graphics that put quite a few MMORPGs to shame, including WoW. With several worlds (and more on the way,) filled with killer robots, mutants, and hostile creatures, as well as business opportunities galore, Entropia Universe may well be the future of MMORPGs as we know it--and offers a look into a potential new industry in the years to come.

This post was contributed by Chris Jones. This Post is Un-Altered and is still in it's original state. As such, the views expressed here may or may not be the same views as Charles Siegfried. To submit your own articles, send them to [email protected]

Doomsday Defense (DD) is more than your average Tower Defense game. In addition to the waves of Player Vs Environment (PvE), DD also has some fun Player Vs Player (PvP) options. Although this game is free to play, it is currently only available through FaceBook.

Read more