Hard Reset Preview

Thanks to Evolve PR’s new study on “shortened public relations campaigns”, you may not have heard of Hard Reset yet.  The game, which was announced July 13, is scheduled for release next month on PC.

Up until now, not much was revealed about the game, except for a few trailers and some screenshots.  In a time when we’re used to having at least a year of build up before a game’s release, you can understand why we were a little skeptical about the Hard Reset when we received the playable preview build. 

I booted up Hard Reset and entered the bleak future of 2436.  The plot, on it’s most basic level, is machines vs humans.  In animated comic book style cut-scenes, Hard Reset tells the story of Major Fletcher, a security officer for The Corporation, who is sent to defend Bezoar from hordes of aggressive robots attempting to access the digitized personalities of billions humans.  In Bezoar City resides in The Sanctuary, which is home to this human neural network.  This is the prime target of these robot bastards, as they attempt to push beyond the limits of their artificial brains.  You play as Fletcher, sent to defend The Sanctuary.  He’s not doing it for the love of humanity, but for the butt-load of money (yes, that was a Spaceballs quote).  The plot may sound like The Matrix, but at first glance, the setting is reminiscent of Blade Runner.

The environment is dreary, to say the least.  It’s dark, it’s rainy, and it’s colorless, giving you a cold, impersonal feel to the futuristic Bezoar City.  Wet concrete sidewalks, littered with trash, and abandoned, run-down sky scrapers are lit only by an abundance of neon signs and automated shopping machines that scream detached, big corporation. With that being said, Hard Reset is simply mesmerizing to look at.  Polish developer, Flying Wild Hog, has created an environment that is void of emotion.  The meticulous attention to environmental detail is highlighted by the flickering of street lights and pulsing signs, heightening the anxiety of being in a lifeless city overrun by rampant robots.

You will feel alone.

Read more about Hard Reset Here.

Star Wars: The Old Republic Fated as a World of Warcraft Clone?

It’s no secret that Star Wars: The Old Republic is one of the most anticipated MMORPGs.  It’s going to have it all: over 200 hours of gameplay unique to each class and your individual character choices; thousands of voiced-over characters to meet and interact with; an in-depth class system that allows you to branch off and determine your own role in the galaxy; and most importantly, it has a universe that has decades of rich history and tradition, coupled with a huge following.  With the traditional films, fan films, and books exploring the many stories in the Star Wars universe, this story-driven massive-multiplayer online game from BioWare and LucasArts has the luxury of creating a game that takes place in an already well-established universe.

There is no doubt that the game will be fun, in the sense that you can explore an age when the war between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire was at it’s peak. Ever since the film, I have wanted to be a part of the Star Wars story.  Now I get the chance to.  I get the chance to be the smuggler I’ve always wanted to be. I can also be a Jedi, a Sith, a Bounty Hunter, or choose from an array of classes that BioWare has revealed to us.  I will get a chance to battle the enemies I’ve seen in the movies and read in the books, along with friends.

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