With a goodly portion of the gaming community tied up playing Modern Warfare 2 over the next few months, those of you sticking to your boycotting guns will need another first-person shooter to scratch the itch that will surely rise. Your friends will be talking about it. We'll be talking about it. It'll be on the news, in the magazines, and on billboards. What you need is a game to fill in the blank in this sentence: "Oh yeah? Well I'm busy playing _____!"

MODERN WARFARE
With most first-person shooters scurrying into 2010 to avoid the Modern Warfare 2 hype machine, finding a present-day game to substitute for it can be tough, but they definitely exist.

Wolfenstein: It's not exactly Modern Combat, but it's got a strong franchise history behind it, and magical Nazis to boot. You can kick it old-school while still technically kicking it new-school. A win-win.

Jurassic: The Hunted: What could be more insulting to Infinity Ward than forgoing its ultimate combat experience for a $39.99 budget shooter that no one knows about? Besides, how bad could it be? You shoot dinosaurs. That never gets old.

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising: It's a buggy mess, but Codemasters can patch it, right? The latest operation Flashpoint game (more or less) features modern combat of a sort, an interesting real-world setting, and co-op multiplayer on top of the standard online kill fests we've come to expect. As an added bonus, Codemasters has experienced fan backlash for missing features, so they can play a sort of lesser of two evils role in your boycotting campaign.

Killzone 2: It's pushing the new category a bit, but Killzone 2 is the go-to PlayStation 3 exclusive shooter, so no PS3 owner could be blamed for spending their time shooting at the Helghast instead of taking out terrorists.

BLASTS FROM THE PAST
Substituting an older game for Modern Warfare 2 gives you the extra-added benefit of making you seem like you are just a really loyal customer who doesn't want to abandon your beloved title, rather than just one dissenting voice amidst many. Here are some older titles that fit the bill nicely.

Counter-Strike Source: Counter-Strike is the sort of game where you will never lack for players to shoot at or be shot by. Of course most of them have been playing far longer than you, and you will die horribly many, many times as a late comer, but at least you can be killed by a wide variety of people. Of all the reasons to not play Modern Warfare 2, "I'm into Counter-Strike" actually seems the most valid.

Halo 3: It's Halo 3. Of course this is an Xbox 360-exclusive, so PlayStation 3 and PC players can't use this as an option, but it's an excellent alternative for Microsoft fans. You prefer your shooters a little more futuristic. We get that completely. Carry on.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare: This is almost cheating. Playing the original title instead of the new one will indeed send a clear message to the folks at Infinity Ward. Remember back when they gave you a game you didn't feel like complaining about constantly? Those were the days.

Turok: Remember how I said shooting dinosaurs never gets old? Case in point. Turok has futuristic weapons, dinosaurs, and it was created by Propaganda games, the development studio that counts the current head of the Halo franchise as one of its founding members. Did I mention it's only $20?

FUTURE TOOLS OF DESTRUCTION
You don't have to pick your replacement right away. Take the $60 you saved by not buying Modern Warfare 2 and apply towards one of these upcoming shooters instead, perhaps justifying publishers' decisions to avoid the MW2 release window in the process.

Left 4 Dead 2: Another game that sparked outrage from the player community when first announced, Left 4 Dead 2's release is right around the corner, and seeing as you have a spare $60 floating around, you could do far worse than to invest in the game that made banding together to shoot at zombies cool. No, not Call of Duty: World at War.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2: For those of you who prefer your battles be fought on a much larger field, there's Bad Company 2, the sequel to EA DICE's runaway hit. Perhaps the closest you can get to the Modern Warfare 2 combo of single-player story and multiplayer goodness. You'll have to wait until March, but if you haven't caved and bought MW2 by then, you'll need it.

Dark Void: Yes, it's a third-person shooter, but Modern Warfare 2 has its third-person bits as well, so it all works out in the end. Capcom's shooter is certainly more fantastic story-wise, but when you get right down to it, both are about rescuing enslaved humans from a manipulative alien race, except for Modern Warfare 2.

Army of Two: The 40th Day: "We'd rather fist-bump than play a game that doesn't allow for dedicated servers and only features 9-on-9 PC multiplayer!"

So there you have it. 12 different games you can play instead of spending your hard-earned cash on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. We're not saying you should boycott it, but if you are, you might as well play something. Think you can come up with better suggestions? The comment section is yours.

Capcom makes on-rails shooters look so very fine. Generally one of my least favorite genres next to that one where you poke yourself in the eye with a sharp stick, this trailer for The Darkside Chronicles has me considering putting a little money down during my next trip to generic local gaming retailer. I don't know if it's the new bosses, the new characters, or a chance to revisit some old friends, but I'm feeling quite compelled to shoot at something without controlling my own movement.

In an interview with the Rebellion senior producer David Brickley, CVG pointedly mentioned that "There's been a lot of controversy this month surrounding Modern Warfare 2 and its ditching of PC dedicated server," and "Historically AvP is obviously a big PC game. How are you making sure you support the PC version and keep your community happy?

Replied Brickley:

This is a title that we want to support for a long time to come. If it's not been announced yet then certainly the PC version will benefit from Direct X 11 features. That's one thing we can use to make sure that people who invest in the hardware will get the absolute best.

Uhm, yes, but the question was about dedicated servers, right? CVG pressed on with:

And it was originally a PC title so you can imagine the heritage and the need within Rebellion itself to make sure that people who still play and talk of that game are not left behind.
And are you guys going to have those dedicated servers the community so clearly expects?

Replied Brickley:

Well the one thing we can say is obviously running an operation like that is monumentally expensive. For the period the original was up, people who played that game got an incredible experience.

You know what the internet's like. We're obviously used to getting things for free over the years. I guess on our side the thing we're focusing on is whatever your set-up at home, you get the best possible experience from it. We're just trying to use our time and resources wisely.

We think we've got our answer here, but just to get it for the record, CVG asks:

CVG: So is that a yes or a no on the dedicated servers?

Brickley: As I said the game is still quite a way from release so I guess there are other things to be determined during that time.

Given three opportunities to talk about it, we'll take that as a "no."

Interview: Aliens vs. Predator [CVG]

We were so positive Cho Aniki Zero wouldn't make the trip overseas that we gave it the "Only in Japan" tag, certain that a game featuring muscle-bound snowmen with smaller snowmen jutting from their groins wouldn't fly stateside, but there you go. Not only is Aksys making it available as a digital download from the PlayStation Store this Spring, they are using words like thrust and poled to announce it.

"Aksys Games, a publisher of interactive entertainment products, proudly brings you this announcement, in exaltation of all that is manly: in spring 2010, Cho Aniki Zero will be oiled up and ready to thrust its way onto your PSP system!"

*sigh*

The game features five levels of shooting action, in which players choose between Idaten and Benten, pick a giant, muscled sidekick, and then go to town, collecting Man Protein so they can fire off their Men's Beam in order to defeat the evil forces of Emperor Balzac II. What more could you possibly want?

Killing Floor is incredibly fun, and now it's even more so. The free Level Up content pack punctuates Tripwire Interactive's dedication to providing lasting value to their fans, keeping the game fresh with a healthy injection of new content. There are three new maps, including one set during the aftermath of a Halloween rave in an abandoned lunatic asylum, which would probably be more enjoyable if you arrived while the rave was going on. They're introducing The Husk, a new specimen with a fireball launcher grafted to its arm, which sounds uncomfortable, along with a demolitions perk for those who like blowing up the crazed mutants. All perks now have an additional level, hence the Level Up moniker, and several new weapons are introduced, including a medic gun that shoots healing darts from afar.

All of this new content is free to everyone who has purchased the game, as well as those who take part in the free Steam weekend, going on until Sunday. As an added bonus, those who opt to purchase the full game this weekend get it for 25% the normal price. $14.99 for Killing Floor is an absolute steal.

Check out a detailed list of the new features below, or just go to Steam and see for yourself.

New Features in the Level Up Pack:
* KF-Wyre: a map set in the dark forests in southern England, with a hidden Horzine facility buried underground.
* KF-Bedlam: this map is set in the aftermath of a Halloween rave at a crumbling and abandoned lunatic asylum, forcing your squad to fight through claustrophobic corridors and haunted hallways, all to the left-over rave tunes and lighting.
* KF-Waterworks: the winning map from Wave 1 of the Grindhouse mapping contest, Waterworks' stunning visuals and gameplay blew the judges away. Now you have to blow away all the specimens from the ruins of the pumping station.
* New Demolitions Perk: this one is for all those who like to blow stuff up. This is the guy who knows his explosives. Proximity-fuzed pipe-bombs and grenade launchers – you get the idea!
* All Perks now have a Level 6 to achieve – with even more goodies for getting there.
* Introducing our new Specimen – the Husk: this was Horzine's first serious attempt at a clone with a ranged attack. Grafting a fireball-launcher to his arm gave him a vicious long-range attack and gives the gameplay a whole new dynamic. Just don't stand still when he arrives – and have a Sharpshooter handy to keep him at bay.
* MP7M Medic Gun: Horzine took a submachine gun and added their prototype healing-dart gun to it. Now the Medic has the perfect combo of fire-power combined with the ability to heal team-mates from a distance.
* The M79 Grenade Launcher has been tucked away in Army arsenals for decades. It may be old, but it is ever-reliable and still packs quite a punch.
* The M32 Multiple Grenade Launcher takes the basic grenade launcher and allows you to fire multiple rounds in quick succession, for even more "boom".
* AA-12 Auto Shotgun: a prototype every Support Specialist wants to get his hands on. Devastating firepower, but just eats ammo!
* M14 Enhanced Battle Rifle: the EBR is a Special Forces version of an old favorite, just right for all the Sharpshooters amongst us.
* SCAR Mk17: another Special Forces weapon, featuring a good rate of fire, good accuracy and a good heavy round. Just what every serious Commando wants!
* Proximity-fused Pipe-bomb: an all-time favorite of Demolitions guys the world over. Arm it, drop it and wait for a horde of bad guys to run over it. Just don't be there when they do!
* Game Lobby Movie Trailers – short movie trailers will now play during the game lobby before a match. These ads will help keep the free content packs rolling!

Global Agenda is an online shooter that, on the surface, plays a great deal like many other online shooters. You gain experience, level up, gain new equipment, and fight side-by-side with your teammates through a variety of maps and game types. It's also a massively-multiplayer persistent world game, in which rival agencies and alliances fight for territory, establish bases, craft, socialize, and participate in raids. It has the potential to appeal to two completely different audiences, so Hi-Rez has decided to cater to both.

When Global Agenda launches, a onetime purchase via retail or downloadable distribution will net you the full online multiplayer shooter, with no subscription fees ever required to play the core game. You still get to create and level a character, participate in co-operative missions against enemies and bosses, level your character, and join alliances. It functions much like a Call of Duty or Team Fortress does, only with inventory and enhanced social features.

Players craving something a bit more deeper, however, can opt to pay $12.99 a month ($11.99 for 3 months, $9.99 for 6) for the Global Agenda: Conquest subscription. Players who opt for Conquest again access to the more persistent part of the persistent-world game, Alliance versus Alliance World Domination gameplay. It's a massive-scale war for territory, with rival agencies capturing land, forming alliances with other agencies, gathering resources, and basically maintaining a constant vigil on their things, lest a rival group take them away.

Subscribing also allows players to form their own Alliances and Agencies, send mail, use the auction house, and participate in some of the higher-end raid content. Subscribing customers will also enjoy frequent updates to the ongoing content, which those playing the core game won't have access to.

We spoke with the game's Executive Producer Todd Harris, who explained the core difference between the two ways to pay and play. "The main difference is for folks that want to play the game as a multiplayer online game with a little bit of persistence, that's what the main package brings you. We looked at the feature set of other online games and made sure we had all of that and more. We're putting all of that into a box an letting people get it for a one-time price."

According to Todd, throughout the development of Global Agenda, testers were commenting on how enjoyable the combat system in the game is, saying they would gladly pay for it without any of the MMO features. Now they'll have their chance.

While there are many differences between the two different payment types, Todd assured me that the portions of the game that overlap - the match made PVP battles - will never be unbalanced between those subscribed to the game and those that choose not to. Any items introduced to subscribers that can be used in regular PVP combat will be available to non-subscribers as well. There will be unique items for those who opt to pay a monthly fee, but those will only be useable in subscriber-only gameplay.

As an added bonus, everyone who purchases the full version of the game gets a free 30-day subscription, so if you aren't sure what you want, it won't cost anything to see how the other half lives.

It certainly sounds like Hi-Rez has all of its bases covered on this one. The shooter gameplay in Global Agenda is extremely solid, more than enough to carry off a standalone title. We'll see how things work out for the game when it is released sometime in Q1 of 2010.

Gridrunner Revolutions is exactly what you'd expect from Jeff Minter. There are swirling colors, things to shoot at, and sheep that you must collect to advance. The game comes as a downloadable 4-level demo, and I've already played through said demo about five times in preparation for this post. One time was probably enough, but there's something extremely enjoyable about shooting spaceships while a high-pitched voice exclaims, "Sheepy!" Perhaps it is just me.

Unlocking the full game will cost you $20, giving you access to countless levels and extras. To get started, head over to the Llamasoft website and download 65 megs worth of shooty sheepy goodness.

Where S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky was a prequel, Call of Pripyat is a sequel to the original Shadow of Chernobyl, taking place after the events in the original game, in case you didn't know what sequel meant. It features "a complete set of new locations," so those of you worried that the set may be less than complete can rest easy. It also features those guys in the trailer, which could be considered either a good thing or a very bad thing.

CrimeCraft is a third-person shooter that features teams of players fighting against other teams of players or enemy A.I. in a near-future urban setting. It's gang warfare, only with quests, loot drops, and a crafting system. If you've ever played a multiplayer shooter and found yourself wanting to make some stuff, this here is your game.

FilePlanet subscribers are able to sign up for an account right now, pre-loading the game in advance of the 5PM Eastern open beta launch. Non-FilePlanet subscribers can still sign up at the CrimeCraft website, but will have to wait for the download.

Retro/Grade takes conventional shooter mechanics and reverses them. You pilot your ship around the screen, avoiding enemy fire while making sure your ship is in the right place to catch the lasers you shot out in the first place. It's a brilliant mechanic that essentially transforms a side-scrolling shooter into a rhythm game. If that weren't confusing enough, the game also features power-ups that re-reverse the flow of time, which makes this writer extremely dizzy just thinking about it.

As you can see in the video below, the whole thing clips along at a nice pace, with music by acclaimed electronica artist Nautilis. As an added bonus, you can even play with a guitar controller if you're ready to rock out with your rocket out.

It's an amazing concept. Looking forward or possibly backwards to seeing how it does on the PlayStation Network.

Black and white has never been quite as complicated as it is in Ikaruga, the shooter that adds an interesting polarity mechanic to standard gameplay, with black and white bullets only affecting white and black ships respectively. The Dreamcast and Gamecube shooter got a lovely Xbox Live Arcade port last year, and now that port is available to Xbox Live Gold members for half off this week. 400 Microsoft points, or $5 in real money, is a ridiculously low price to pay for the hours of sweet frustration Ikaruga supplies.

Deal of the Week: Ikaruga [Major Nelson]

"Amazing news coming Monday! Super excited! You have no idea how tough it is not to start yelling about it! But it's secret! Until Monday!"

The news, they say, will be "awesome news for old school fans."

While it's possible, with the upcoming re-release of The Secret of Monkey Island, that this could be another re-imagining of one of LucasArts' classic adventure games or even DLC, my money is on something more modern.

When Free Radical gave up the ghost last year, concept art for some pretty spectacular Star Wars Battlefront III ideas shook loose.

What I hope happens is that a new developer is named for the Star Wars shooter, one that can bring dark Obi-Wan to life.

LucasArts Tweet

In this video, Zipper developers walk us through the three private military companies that make up the factions of MAG. The Raven PMC is described as high-tech and polished. Valor is a more traditional military force and S.V.E.R. is sort of like a... gang? Hmm, not so sure about that last one.

Silent Scope was originally released in 1999 in the arcades, featuring an oversized joystick shaped like a sniper rifle, complete with an LCD screen in the viewfinder to show zoomed-in areas. Versions of the game have shown up on the PlayStation 2, Dreamcast, Xbox, and Gameboy Advance, and now it's the iPhone's turn. The iPhone version will follow the story of the original game, with players tapping the screen to shoot at the terrorists who have kidnapped the President and his family.

"With the release of Silent Scope on the iPhone and iPod touch, we're substantiating our commitment to developing quality content that takes our top franchise titles and turns them into an on-the-go gaming experience," said Anthony Borquez, Vice President of Konami Mobile and Online. "Silent Scope allows players to conceal their firearms and perfect their sharpshooting skills wherever they go."

I suppose that's much better than not using the iPhone and doing the same thing.

The video also gives you a glimpse of the heavy trooper's disintegration gun, though you don't get to see all of those hats falling to the ground that so amused me during my demo of the game last month.

The game is also playable over 3G networks and will feature global game servers, according to the publisher. Touch anywhere controls let you use the left side of the screen to move around. You can tap the center of the screen to zoom and shake to jump.

The game also includes a feature called Call to Help, which allows you to bring up a friend's list in game and send a push notification to join the server.

As mentioned before, the game will also include an in-game store which allows you to purchase weapons while playing for real cash. The example shown during the demo was a rocket launcher for $.99. Please tell me they won't be selling single weapons for a buck. That's sort of insane.

No word yet on when LiveFire will be coming out.

You can see the game in action if you check out the full Apple presentation. Skip to 54 minutes in to check it out.

Apple Presentation

Eric Boltjes, senior game designer for Guerrilla Games, talked to use about the studio's in-game clan, the design goals for the game's multiplayer, how World of Warcraft influenced some of their decisions and the game's controversial controls.

We also heard a bit about what's to come and talked up the possibility of a Killzone movie.

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Rack them up and knock them down. That's the core strategy behind Burn Zombie Burn! - gather together as many zombies as possible, killing them en mass, amassing the highest score possible in the process. It's classic arcade action with a shiny new coat of paint, like Robotron with zombies. Zombietron. Something like that.

Doublesix is pulling out all the stops for the game's release, with high score and trophy competitions in which players can win a horror-themed holiday, framer Burn Zombie Burn! artwork, and limited-edition t-shirts. They've also got downloadable content on tap, with a strategy guide, an 8-page comic, and music tracks from the game ready to go up on the PlayStation Store once the game hits later this month.

Check out the official game website for trailers, screens, and other Burn Zombie Burn! related goodness.

It is, on its surface, a big ball of science fiction and video game cliches, but what first-person shooter isn't? What matters here isn't whether Killzone 2 tells a compelling story, but whether it delivers on nearly four years of promises. Four years of expectations stoked by glimpses of incredible graphics, deep gameplay and barely mentioned multiplayer.

Can Killzone 2 live up to its unspoken promise and deliver a game that not only sells, but sells systems?

Loved
Graphics: Graphically, this is one of the most impressive games I've played to date. Every scene, every moment of Killzone 2 is teeming with detail and nuance, from the drift of smoke, to discarded shells, to the flecks of concrete that pop off when you shoot a wall. And it's not about just the intricately detailed scenery, it's also about the artistic flair of Helghast's design. The lighting, the architecture, the landscapes all do a masterful job of capturing the oppressive ambiance of the game's undertones.

Entrancing Set Pieces: The experience of playing Killzone 2 ping-pongs between the ordinary and the sublime. There were moments when I paused in mid-play to take in what was happening around me. I wasn't just playing out a predetermined role, triggering events by pushing forward, I was engrossed in a battle—bullets zipping by, friends and foe falling on either side. The intensity, the mayhem of war, perfectly captured. It is at those moments that Killzone 2 is fully realized, when it delivers not a single-player experience, but an experience that despite its solitary nature, makes you are part of something larger. You aren't the hero in this game, you're one of the grunts and it's just as likely that any one of you will die.

Level Design: The levels almost all take place in dark locations with muddled, mild colors. But despite the outward sameness of some of their design, they offer an eclectic range of challenges for experienced gamers. Instead of having players charge across a rolling battlefield, working to get from one end to the other, Guerrilla Games made sure to keep players on their toes through skilled level design.

Story: Killzone 2 isn't a game you buy for its plot, so I was surprised to find myself enjoying the relatively light touch of a well-written story sketched across the game's campaign. When the end does finally come, it delivers a subtle look at the complexity of morality in war, without getting too heavy-handed.

Pacing: Killzone 2 is a tightly-paced shooter that walks gamers through an eclectic mix of levels in an experience that comes in at just under eight hours. But it's also another one of those games that, because of its relatively short length and its perfect pacing, can feel more like a movie or a book than a game.

Multiplayer Experience: As much as I enjoyed Killzone 2's campaign, it pales in comparison to the multiplayer experience. The game's 32-player matches includes seven classes, each with two unlockable abilities, five modes and support for four 4-player squads in a team. You also get clan support and the ability to replay your battles in a top-down 2D map on the official website battle replays. It's quickly become my favorite online game.

Multiplayer Map Design: The game's included eight multiplayer maps are some of the best I've played. Not only do they sprawl both horizontally and vertically, but they are packed with clutter, buildings, wreckage, all of which you can climb up and through. The myriad of hiding spots and routes adds a much welcome level of depth to game sessions.

Hated
Load Screen Hiccups: It's certainly no deal breaker, really more of an annoyance, but the game tends stick for just a second or so whenever it hits a loading spot. The longest I noticed lasted about three seconds.

Extremely Long Unlocks: I love, absolutely love the multiplayer gaming, and I'm OK with earning unlocks in a shooter, but Killzone 2's unlock system may turn off those who want to dabble and not grind. To unlock your first new weapons, you start with two main to choose from, you have to rank up to Sergeant 1st Class by earning 200 points. To unlock the first new class you have to earn a total of 350. To unlock the scout you need to earn 2,800 points and then to unlock their second ability you need to kill quite a few people while cloaked.

It's easy when playing a game in an over-saturated genre, like first-person shooters, to judge the title not by what it is, but by what it isn't. Too often, games concentrate more on separating themselves from the pack then on delivering a solid experience.

But Killzone 2 avoids that trap, ignoring the temptation of gimmick and instead wading into the thick of things and proving that you don't have to be unique to deliver an engaging experience.

Despite its minor shortcomings, Killzone 2 is a must-have for any owner of a PlayStation 3. It shows what the system can do and delivers a multiplayer experience rarely seen on the system. The single-player campaign is short, but enjoyable, and from my time with multiplayer, it's a game I'll be playing for quite a while.

Killzone 2 was developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It was released on Feb. 27 for $59.99. Played single player campaign to completion, played multiple battles on the PlayStation Network against other players.

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If it sounds complicated, it gets even more complicated. According to the official press release, Knights in the Nightmare incorporates aspects of strategy role-playing, real-time strategy, and shooter games into one tiny package. Players control a wisp that reawakens the souls of long-dead knights in an effort to revitalize a long-dead kingdom. The wisp flies about the screen, bringing the dead back to life to do battle as bullets fly in all directions. From the description, it sounds either like a whole lot of fun or a whole lot of confusion.

However the game ends up playing, Atlus guarantees a whole lot of replayability, with more than 100 player characters to recruit and the chance to play the whole thing over as the game's antagonist once you've finished.

Feel free to try and decipher the action in the screens below in order to possibly gain some insight into what exactly is going on in Knights in the Nightmare, due out June 2nd for the Nintendo DS.