they hunger again

I recently learned that Neil Manke, famed designer of the mods USS Darkstar and the They Hunger series of zombie-slaying mods for the original Half Life, is at work on a new mod for Source called They Hunger: Lost Souls. There are some screens up, but to be honest they don't look that different from the Ravenholm sequence in Half-Life 2. One thing I remember about They Hunger is the difficulty - like the original Resident Evil, you'd be screaming at yourself for wasting bullets while zombies continue to shamble towards you. It was also clear that Manke spent a lot of time developing a tangible feeling of dread behind his well-designed maps. In a Q&A following the new mod's official announcement, Manke assures gamers that this isn't a continuation of the trilogy, but a brand new game that takes advantage of the unique gameplay aspects that have become available by using the Source engine. It will likely be offered as a paid product through Steam, adding to the growing number of independently developed modifications for Half Life 2.

i assure you it will be operational

Finally some delicious BF1942 news from the good fellows at BFCentral to keep me from falling into my GBA completely.

Item 1: It's about frigging time

The Star Wars: Galactic Conquest mod finally has a release date. The full version of the mod will be available August 1st with one map: the snowy plains of Hoth. The team plans on releasing a patch a couple weeks later with four more maps: Tatooine, Corellia, Yavin and Endor. I think when I purchased BF1942 the guy at EB said: "I'll buy that game when the Star Wars mod is done". Well, now's your chance buddy.

Item 2: Battlefield: Vietnam Screenshots

The whores over at IGN have gotten their greasy hands on some screens for Battlefield:Vietnam. Also, the fine lads over at ToTheGame.com has some more Vietnam lovin'. I'd suggest checking them out if you were interested in what I had to say about PCG's exclusive last week. They all look really good and my excitement level has gone up a notch. This will be another multiplayer gaming spectacle.

Update: EA's official site has posted some more screenshots. They're pretty tiny, but no less exciting. Especially the shot of a NVA soldier taking out a helicopter with a bazooka.

Item 3: Secret Weapons Revealed

BFCentral got a hold of the box art for the upcoming expansion Secret Weapons of World War II. Theoretically the cover should evoke an aura of coolness, what with the V-1 rocket reflected in darkened goggles and the "top secret" blueprints evoking the mysterious and experimental nature of these weapons. Still, I am left feeling unimpressed and just hope the expansion pack itself pays off. As much as I loved Road to Rome, nobody plays it. I mean, why should they when the default maps are great and the mapping community is doing a super job of keeping things new and interesting. Because DICE is adding a lot of new gameplay features (such as mobile spawnpoints in paratrooper transports) as well as a bunch of new maps I have a feeling Secret Weapons will become a fan favorite.

Item 4: A New Official Map

How this piece of news slipped through the cracks makes me wonder just how deeply the GBA has gripped me. A new official map from DICE including a new vehicle (German bomber) and a Radar Tower/AA Gun. The map is entitled "The Battle of Britain" and should be available soon. You can catch some screenshots over at the official site. If it's as good as Operation Aberdeen, we should be alright. I love it when developers go out of their way to please the fan base. It makes the industry look somewhat human instead of a machine that shovels out sequels and half-finished products.

See you on the front lines, soldier.