Posted 11/03/09 at 11:00:00 AM by David Murphy

There's one thing I think of when Daylight Savings Time hits: zombies. Seriously. All that extra time in the dark just fuels the undead flames for an eventual takeover by our semi-bulletproof, plant-hating masters. It only makes sense, then, that I use this weekly freeware roundup column to provide you with some kind of effective training for fending off the gruesome hordes. And beyond that, you'll also find a few more fun freeware games to busy yourself with as the angry, moaning masses slowly overwhelm your pitiful human defenses.

 Now that we've established the plot, let's check out the titles. A hearty mix of retro throwbacks, MMOs, and crazy puzzle games await your attention after the jump!

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Posted 04/14/09 at 02:00:00 PM by David Murphy

Mmm.  There really isn't a great way to start off a roundup of open-source and freeware games.  We should just be able to say that: "Hey!  Over here!  Free games!  Free, fun games for you to play!  Come play them!"  But that would be a dull and uninteresting way to start a feature article about free games.  So with that out of the picture and all, maybe we can describe a game or two that you'll be seeing in this little roundup.  A sneak preview, if you will. 

First up, we have a great quasi-sequel to a zombie-killing classic.  We say "quasi," because it's not really a sequel, just a graphical modification.  But going from 2D to an orthogonal view adds such depth and joy to the game that we can't bear to keep it all to ourselves.  Oh, and the zombie-killing.  You kill a lot of undead creatures in this title.  In fact, that's really your sole purpose: survival, killing, and more killing.

Second, we're taking a look at this crazy numbers-based puzzle game.  It's a lot like Tetris, only instead of trying to make solid lines from falling shapes, you're tasked with matching groups of numbered blocks together.  The more you use the fantastic powers of addition to combine your blocks into larger numbers, the crazier combinations you can create.  If we weren't having so much fun playing this, we'd swear it was educational...

But that's enough teasing for now.  Click the link and check out the five awesome, free games we're playing this week!

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Posted 07/22/08 at 10:06:22 PM by Norman Chan

You've read our in-depth interview with the designer of the game, but here's a chance to you to get a clear look at the awesome zombie slaughterfest in Left4Dead. Valve has given us four exclusive screenshots from its upcoming multiplayer shooter, along with a detailed briefing explaining the graphical enhancements they've made to the game engine since acquiring Turtle Rock Studios. The new post-processed filmic effects and advanced shadow rendering makes the game look like nothing you've seen before. It sure doesn't look like Half-Life 2!

Click the jump for more exclusive screenshots and Source engine upgrade details!

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Posted 07/21/08 at 11:00:00 AM by Norman Chan

Face it, pirates and ninjas are out and zombies are in. And we have no doubt that one of our most high-anticipated games of this year is Left4Dead, Valve’s post-apocalyptic survival horror shooter. Our initial playtest sent chills down our spine when we first saw it at last year’s Showdown LAN, and the game looked much more refined and polished when we played it at this year’s E3. A revamped visual style and new character designs suit the cinematic direction -- the levels looked grittier and the zombies were definitely more terrifying (if that’s even possible). We spoke with Michael Booth, the designer of Left4Dead, to find out what other changes have been made to the game since Valve bought up his development team. 

Click on to read our full interview!

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