Left 4 Dead 2 in stores today

By the time you read this, Valve Software and its various partners will have released Left 4 Dead 2 to retail outlets nationwide for PC and Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 version of the game is available at most major retailers, along with the PC version - which is also available via digital distribution through Steam. PC users who don’t care about having a physical disc and a pamphlet sized manual would do well to visit Steam and just buy it. A PC and Xbox 360 demo are also available for those that want a taste of it before putting their hard earned money down.

Left 4 Dead 2 adds melee combat into the mix, giving survivors new weapons to wield against a seemingly never-ending swarm of undead assailants. New melee weapons include chainsaws, frying pans, axes, baseball bats, and more. Besides a new cast of characters and new single player scenarios to run through, Left 4 Dead 2 promises the new AI Director 2.0, which enables the game to change weather effects, world objects, pathways, the enemy population, effects, and sounds to match the players’ performance.

The game also promises new boss zombies, a much larger game than the original, more co-operative campaigns, more Versus campaigns, new Survival maps, and the new competitive game mode, Scavenge, all available out of the box - virtual or otherwise.

Find out more about the game by visiting www.l4d.com. Look for our review very soon. In the interim, you can get up to speed on what’s new in the game by reading Gus Mastrapa’s excellent Left 4 Dead 2 Preview and have some fun with John Teti’s Game Scene Investigation of a L4D2 screenshot.

Eliminate now available on iPod Touch, iPhone

ngmoco have released the multiplayer deathmatch-centric action game, Eliminate, to the App Store. In Eliminate players become weapons testers in a first-person shooter experience using exotic and highly experimental gear to take on other combatants in various deadly challenges.

Every shot and move is tracked, measured, and analyzed by Arsenal researchers as they strive to develop the world’s most potent weapons systems. But really none of that matters; your goal is to use the fancy weapons to kill or be killed. The game also features a leveling and upgrade system for six weapons, nine different armor sets and thirteen upgradable characteristics including cloaking, aquatics, rate of fire and zoom magnification.

The Eliminate app is available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at appstore.ngmoco.com/eliminate.

THQ goes underground with Metro 2033

THQ revealed a new first-person shooter that it has picked up the publishing rights to called Metro 2033. The game is being developed by Ukrainian studio 4A Games for Xbox 360 and PC using the company’s proprietary game engine technology which promises to deliver a “gripping, atmospheric experience.”

Metro 2033’s back story is based on the best-selling Russian novel of the same name by Dmitry Glukhovsky, who is also working closely with the studio to create the game. The Metro 2033 game has been in development at 4A Games for just over two years, and the film rights are currently in negotiation with a number of Hollywood studios.

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Painkiller Resurrection demo released

A playable demo for DreamCatcher Games’ Painkiller Resurrection is now available for download, giving players a slight taste of the game that is set for release on Tuesday, Oct. 27 in North America. Based on the 2004 first-person shooter from People Can Fly, this new game tells the story of William ‘Wild Bill’ Sherman, an ex CIA Agent who managed to get himself and many innocent civilians killed in his final mission on the plane of the living. Now trapped in Purgatory, Sherman finds himself fighting in the eternal war between heaven and hell.

Painkiller Resurrection promises a new coop multiplayer campaign mode, new levels, new monsters and a whole new storyline. Other incidental features include improved shadows and texture resolution, moveable light sources, post processing, motion blur, ambient occlusion and lots of physics-based action that made the original such a hit.

Painkiller Resurrection will retail for $19.99 USD and has an ESRB rating of M for Mature. Find out more about the demo by visiting www.dreamcatchergames.com.

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising gold

Codemasters has announced that its military sandbox shooter, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising has gone gold and will be available on October 6 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. The company also announced that a new video showing off the Eagle Offense mission is now available at www.flashpointgame.com. The trailer reveals how a strategically vital airfield is turned into a bloody, chaotic battleground as a USMC force, accompanied by aerial support, assaults dug - in positions.

Codemasters’ in-house developed military sandbox shooter is loosely based on the original series of games conceived and developed by Bohemia Interactive. The game attempts to deliver the violence, ferocity and carnage of war as troops from two opposing sides use real world weapons, tactics and vehicles to take control of the battle.

Look for the game in stores very soon.

Mercenary Wars character systems details revealed

Uforia has revealed more details on the Character Stat System for its upcoming Online military themed first-person shooter, Mercenary Wars. Mercenary Wars features characters that the player earns in-game as they allocate points into different stats to give them different strengths. For example, there are stats to increase a character’s skill with SMGs, Rifles, and Sniper Rifles. A player can also increase its character’s walking speed, grenade-throwing abilities, defense increases and much more.

Although a player must select just one of its characters to start a battle with, they may switch between them during re-spawn time. If a player’s selected character specializes in SMGs and speed, they can switch to their sniper specialist while re-spawning.

Mercenary Wars will also feature a AI controlled bots that can be used in several ways ranging from practice to enhancing game play. Via four difficulty modes, players can select their desired skill level no matter what their previous FPS experience might be. Other features include multiple gameplay modes, a variety of character types and races, extensive ranking system including more than 50 different character ranks and titles, a number of weapons and equipment available for character customization and a built-in player-to-player audio communication tool for enhanced real-world combat simulation.

You can learn even more about this game by checking out mercenarywars.uforia.com.

ARMA II Operation Arrowhead Announced

Bohemia Interactive announced this morning that it is developing a standalone expansion pack for ARMA II called Operation Arrowhead. The expansion takes place three years after the conflict in Chernarus, which unfolded in ARMA II. At this time a new flashpoint in the Green Sea region heats up and coalition forces led by the US Army are sent to Takistan to try to restore peace and prevent further civilian casualties. The expansion will let players take on various roles in the US Army, including infantry, special operations, pilot, tank crew and more, says Bohemia.

ARMA II Operation Arrowhead will be presented during the Gamescom event in Cologne, Germany from August 19th - 23rd. Bohemia will be at stand in hall 4.2, stand no. L034.