Oblivion and BioShock Double Pack PC Games and Downloads

Oblivion and BioShock Double Pack Product Details

Released on 10/07/2009

• Hopes for Bioshock movie sinking fast

  
  Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski has been talking to film site ComingSoon, explaining why pre-production on his planned Bioshock movie has ground to a shuddering halt.

  
  According to Verbinski, the film's potential R rating is the biggest stumbling block for investors, the helmer failing to secure the $160million he apparently needs to recreate Rapture in cinematic form.

  
  "I couldn't really get past anybody that would spend the money that it would take to do it and keep an R rating," he sighed. "I wasn't really interested in pursuing a PG-13 version. I just wanted to really, really make it a movie where, four days later, you're still shivering."
  "It's a movie that has to be really, really scary," Verbinski continued, "but you also have to create a whole underwater world, so the price tag is high. We just didn't have any takers on an R-rated movie with that price tag."

  
  If a large-pocketed Hollywood bigshot dug deep enough to fund the film, Verbinski reckons Rapture would look best in 3D. "I'd like to go into that world wearing a pair of glasses, I think in general, gaming is perfect for 3D. Anything where you're the protagonist. The kid in The Shining on the big wheel, going around corridors - that's what 3D is perfect for. To make people feel on edge."

  
  A Bioshock game in 3D? Now that would be worth investing in. Let's hope Ken Levine, currently working on Bioshock: Infinite, is listening.

• Batman helps to inspire Bioshock Infinite

  When we finally get our grubby mitts on Bioshock Infinite in 2012, you can thank a certain caped crusader for some of the game's structure. That's because Ken Levine, head honcho of developer Irrational Games and Bioshock creator, has admitted that 2009 blockbuster hit Batman: Arkham Asylum tickled his creative reflexes and made him reconsider some of the choices he made in the original game.

  Talking to Eurogamer, the man responsible for seminal PC game System Shock confessed that he was impressed with the way Arkham Asylum changed things around whenever the story took the player back through a previously explored location.

  ne of the things that's great about Arkham Asylum is that it's similarly structured to BioShock in some ways but also one of their great innovations is when you come back through an area they establish an entirely different narrative he said.

  "I think we're very much inspired by that. In BioShock 1 we just had respawning when you came back through an area, so I think when we put you back through an area we want to do it in a way that feels different and meaningful."

  A true Bioshock sequel with a Metroid-style gameworld that evolves as you move through it? Next year can't come soon enough.
  

• New Year Revolutions: The games of 2012 that we want to play now

  New Year Revolutions: The games of 2012 that we want to play now

  Towards the end of last year, we saw veritable avalanche of amazing games roll over us, leaving us swamped but happy with top-notch titles such as Modern Warfare 3, Batman: Arkham City, Skyrim, Super Mario Land 3D, Assassin's Creed Revelations, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Saints Row The Third and, oh, you get the idea.

  Surely that's more than enough new games to leave even the greediest gamer feeling stuffed and satisfied? Well, yes, but don't pretend you can't hear that little voice whispering in the back of your mind. What's next? it says.

  Here's the answer: our guide to the big games of 2012 that we can't wait to play.

  GTA V (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  The genre-busting open-world crime caper makes its long-awaited return, with an all-new tale set in the pseudo-L.A. of Los Santos. Details are limited to one cryptic trailer, but where Rockstar is concerned it's safe to set expectations high.
  

  Mass Effect 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Bioware brings its grand space opera to a cataclysmic finale, as the world-devouring Reapers declare open war on Earth. The game adds optional multiplayer modes, as well as Kinect voice features for Xbox 360.
  

  Halo 4 (Xbox 360)

  Who seriously thought that Halo 3 would be the last we saw of Master Chief? He's back for the start of a brand new trilogy, which will find the Spartan super soldier confronting his own destiny as well as an ancient evil poised to destroy the universe. No pressure then.
  

  Bioshock Infinite (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Swapping the bottom of the ocean for the top of the world, this continuation of the smartest sci-fi shooter in recent memory casts you as a Pinkerton agent in 1912, trying to escape a dystopian city in the clouds. Expect gorgeous views and gruelling terror in equal measure.
  

  Borderlands 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Return to Pandora for another round of co-operative role-playing mayhem. The game promises more dynamic quests which will alter the path of the story, as well as smarter enemies and more independent non-player characters. Bring it.
  

  Hitman: Absolution (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  It's been five years since Agent 47 last graced our joypads in Blood Money, and his latest adventure will take full advantage of the updates in technology since. Expect to be able to set up more elaborate assassinations, as well some form of multiplayer.
  

  Max Payne 3 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  Rockstar's other big game for 2012 finds the dual-wielding anti-hero cop disgraced and working as a bodyguard in Brazil. Of course, it all kicks off when the family he's guarding are targeted by gangsters, and slow-motion shooty-diving is the only way to settle the score.
  

  The Last Guardian (PS3)

  The latest game from Ico and Shadow of the Colossus creator Fumito Ueda follows a young boy attempting to escape from a grim castle with some help from his friend, a giant griffin-creature called Trico. Action, puzzles and beautiful loveliness ensue.
  

  Tomb Raider (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

  After drifting out of the spotlight, the first lady of gaming returns with this series reboot which follows a more vulnerable teenage Lara Croft, as she grows into the confident adventurer we all know and love.
  

  PlayStation Vita

  Sony's incredibly powerful handheld drops in February, bringing next-gen muscle to the portable gaming market. With 3G and Wifi-enabled models available - and boasting exclusive Uncharted, Wipeout and Call of Duty games - it's the console to watch in 2012.
  
  

• Bioshock Infinite to party like its 1999

  Bioshock Infinite to party like its 1999

  Gamers who like it tough will be clapping like seals at the news that Bioshock Infinite, the follow-up to the critically acclaimed 2007 smash hit, will be getting what developer Irrational Games has called 1999 Mode.

  That's the year Irrational's cult action-RPG System Shock 2 was released, a major influence on the original Bioshock. Now, players who want a more challenging experience will be able to play Bioshock Infinite as if it was designed back in those less forgiving times. Upgrade decisions will be irreversible, and it will be impossible to backtrack and work around the consequences of your actions.

  I'm an old school gamer, explained Irrational boss and Bioshock creator Ken Levine. We wanted to make sure we were taking into account the play styles of gamers like me. So we went straight to the horse's mouth by asking them, on our website, a series of questions about how they play our games. 94.6 percent of respondents indicated that upgrade choices enhanced their BioShock gameplay experience; however, 56.8 percent indicated that being required to make permanent decisions about their character would have made the game even better. In BioShock Infinite, gamers will have to sweat out the results of their actions. In addition, 1999 Mode will demand that players pick specialisations, and focus on them.

  BioShock Infinite swaps the undersea city of Rapture for Columbia, a floating city in the sky, but retains the same sharp political commentary and nerve-wracking horror feel. It's due for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC later this year.

• BioShock Infinite to include challenging 1999 Mode

  Hardcore gamers will welcome news that the upcoming BioShock Infinite will include a new mode that brings a new level of old-school challenge to the experience.

  Dubbed 1999 Mode, the new difficulty setting has been incorporated based on fan feedback and harks back to a more punishing era of game design, in which player choices and tactics are more likely to have permanent consequences.

  Gamers will really need to think about any decisions they make for their characters in 1999 Mode, both in terms of narrative development and customisation specialisations, as they will not be able to reverse them later.

  The mode will also feature much more demanding weapon, power and health management elements, while respawning will be much less frequent, meaning players could be confronted with the dreaded Game Over screen if they are not careful enough.

  Irrational Games' creative director Ken Levine said: "I'm an old school gamer. We wanted to make sure we were taking into account the play styles of gamers like me."

  BioShock Infinite is due for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC this year and is developed by the same team behind the multi-award-winning original BioShock.
  

  Published: 23/01/2012

• Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - Preview

  Star cast

  Headlined by the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, last year was a great year for role playing games, and 2012 looks set to kick off with a bang when Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning launches in February. A single-player RPG that challenges players to unlock the mysteries of a magical world filled with strange landscapes, exotic cities, colourful characters and terrifying creatures, expectations are particularly high given the star cast involved in the game's creation.

  Fantasy world Amalur and its 10,000 years of fiction was created by 22-time New York Times bestselling author R.A. Salvatore, and has been brought to life visually for the game by renowned Spider-Man artist and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane. Featuring over 60 hours of story, diverse side quests and exploration, the title's open world, free-roaming design has been developed under the leadership of RPG guru Ken Rolston, formerly lead designer on the critically acclaimed Elder Scrolls games Morrowind and Oblivion.

  Choose your destiny

  Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning gives players great scope for personalising their character, with the freedom of choice extending well beyond just physical appearance. Destinies, which are the essentially the game's version of classes, enable players to develop and master their personal battle style, crafting their character without many of the constraints associated with traditional RPGs.

  The Destiny system is basically a class-switching feature defined by abilities managed and unlocked within Sorcery, Might, and Finesse specialisations. Whether dabbling in all three specialities or pouring every point into one, path-shaping destinies continually evolve and new ones open up. For example, a battle-hardened warrior can incorporate the stealthy quickness of a rogue as well as the magical mastery of a sorcerer, or adopt subtle variations of them all. The choice is yours.

  RPG combat evolved

  From our brief exposure to the game, perhaps its standout feature is its non-traditional take on combat. While most RPGs see fighters trading blows until whoever has the least hit points loses, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's responsive, lightning-quick combat is more influenced by fluid third-person action series like God of War and Ninja Gaiden. Warriors can roll out of danger, mages can teleport-dodge, and characters perform brutal combos - the lead combat designer happens to be a tournament level Tekken player - while the camera sweeps around framing the action in the most exciting way possible.

  While it's still possible to button-mash your way through duels, chaining skills together and precise timing will pay off and develop your character further. Once you've acquired enough energy from defeated enemies to fill up the game's 'fate meter' you can also unleash 'Reckoning' mode, which slows down time for your opponents, giving you an upper hand that lets you zap around dishing out damage and taking out the more deadly enemies with brutal kills that require you to react to button prompts on the screen which, if your timing is spot on, appear to earn you additional experience as you close in on flashy kills.

  Based on what we've played to date, we're more than a little excited to see more of what Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning has to offer with its gorgeous open world, fast-paced, visceral combat and its interesting take on character creation and development.
  

  Published: 24/01/2012

• Time magazine picks the 100 best games ever

  Respected American journal, Time, has ventured into digital waters to list what it considers to be the top hundred video games ever made. The result is a suitably eclectic mix, presented in chronological order stretching from the 1970s all the way up to the 2010s.

  All the retro arcade classics you'd expect are in there - Space Invaders, Frogger, Pac-Man and more - while Nintendo's core franchises dominate the 1980s as consoles made their way into US homes. Mario and Zelda are among the only games to appear in more than one guise. The original Super Mario Bros and Mario 64 both make the grade, as does the original Metroid and its 2002 first-person sequel Metroid Prime.

  Resident Evil and Tomb Raider join the list in the 1990s, and are still going strong today. Resident Evil 6 launched recently, while Lara Croft is being relaunched in 2013.

  More recognisable names also pop up as the list draws closer to 2012. Bioshock, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Guitar Hero, Wii Sports, Portal, Gears of War and The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion are all held up as examples of classic modern gaming.

  Just two games from the last few years have been deemed worthy of a place. Mass Effect 3 and Batman: Arkham City are the lucky pair. Notable by their absence are current big hitters such as Assassin's Creed, Borderlands and Uncharted.

  Is Time placing too much importance on the past? Would you pick any of these for your top 100?

  Published: 16/11/2012

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