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One of the earliest tentpoles of PC gaming was the flight simulator genre, with the first acknowledged example, Sublogic FS1 for the Apple II and TSR-80 systems, debuting in 1979. Suddenly, millions of would-be pilots could satisfy their curiosity and desire to be free of terra firma just by turning on their computers. The early entries were extremely crude by today’s standards, but realism was always at the core of the endeavors, and the seeds had been planted for a vibrant future....

With the massive insurgence of “Christmas Noobs,” game developers and publishers are working hard to capture the attention - and money - of holiday gamers. Despite the connectivity issues that plagued PlayStation Network and Xbox Live over Christmas – with PSN still down for many – studios are promoting massive game sales, in-game holiday add-ons and events such as double XP weekends. With the plethora of options available to gamers, studios are trying new tactics to snag gamers before the holiday sales season comes to a close....

Battlefield 3 is just over a month away from release and fans are anxious to find out if EA’s alleged Call of Duty killer can live up to the hype. There is no debating that the game looks absolutely stunning and that the destructible environments are sure to keep gamers entertained for countless hours, but when it’s all said and done Electronic Arts is going to be concerned with two things: how well the game performs in reviews and sales number....

As we near the release of the latest Call of Duty, this one subtitled Advanced Warfare, there isn’t much left for developer Sledgehammer Games to cover. In fact, they’ve already released the launch trailer for COD: AW some two weeks before the game actually hits store shelves. One detail that Sledgehammer had yet to speak on, however, was dedicated servers and whether or not Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will support them....

The Halo franchise is viewed highly by its fan base for many different reasons, and multiplayer may be the biggest one of them all. Gamers were treated to a brand new Halo 4 campaign trailer at Microsoft’s press conference earlier this week, and while it looked great, it didn’t cater to the desires of fans longing to obliterate friends and strangers online. At this year’s E3 we managed to score some hands-on time with Halo 4’s multiplayer, and it was far from a disappointing venture....

Since the rough launch of its current generation console, the Xbox One, Microsoft and Xbox have been slowly rebuilding the relationship with its audience and for the most part have been rather successful. By listening to its fan base and giving them what they ask for like backward compatibility or an expanded exclusive slate, Xbox has created and maintained a successful dialogue with fans that they seem prepared to continue....

As the sequel to 2010’s Metro 2033, we suspect developer 4A Games has long had a keen sense for envisioning the post-apocalyptic world of Metro: Last Light. Of course it also helps to survive your own universe’s implosion. Debuting with a highly acclaimed demo at E3 2011, Metro: Last Light was a profound pride and joy of publisher THQ – just as the company’s tailspin of layoffs, sell-offs and quarterly earnings malaise was beginning to appear terminal....

With Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light, developer 4A Games delivered a pair of post-apocalyptic shooters that bucked the current trends of bombastic action sequences and dudebro protagonists. Instead, 4A constructed the Metro series to be both a haunting and thought-provoking adaptation of Dmitry Glukhovsky’s novel that put atmosphere and storytelling above all else. Unfortunately, those decidedly unique aims relegated Metro 2033 and its successor to little more than cult status....

Minecraft Dungeons has recently released for players to enjoy, and fans are finding different hidden locations that the developers sprinkled throughout the game to make finding secrets more interesting. Most of these hidden levels contain difficult challenges and powerful hordes of mobs that will have players coming back for a challenging fight time after time. Some of these levels are also great for farming weapons, armor, and artifacts. The secret levels in Minecraft Dungeons can be both easy to find and quite difficult; however, all of them offer a unique layout that hasn’t been seen in any of the other dungeons within the game....

With the second round of the Stanley Cup play-offs well underway, there’s no better time for Electronic Arts to give puck aficionados a glimpse at what awaits them in the next installment in its NHL series. To kick off the company’s unveiling, EA Sports released a teaser trailer that provides fans with a look at the improved visuals that await them on next-gen consoles with NHL 15. Suffice to say, it’s looking pretty good....

Part of the biggest appeal for Lightbox Interactive’s next title Starhawk rests with its unique blend of aerial and ground based vehicular combat, actually that’s most of the appeal. While its predecessor Warhawk offered a similar type of experience, focusing mainly on aerial combat, Starhawk is taking that mantra to a whole new level. To help illuminate that appeal, and to show off some of the many vehicles that Lightbox has put into Starhawk, a new trailer has been released that focuses on four key vehicle options....

Whether they want to admit it or not, every gamer - no matter how hardcore or how casual - has had some sort of run-in with the Sims series. There’s something so addictive about a game that acknowledges your every click bears seriouw consequences for the digital lives of your family and friends. Every few years though, it’s necessary to to build an even more realistic world and The Sims 4 is poised to take that next step with their upcoming presence at E3 2014....

Patrick Stewart is a renaissance man. He’s done Shakespere in both London and on Broadway. He’s acted in several feature films including the X-Men franchise. He’s even voiced the Emperor in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Plus he’s Jean-Luc from Star Trek! There’s just something about his voice that lends gravitas and elegance to any situation. It’s already been revealed that Stewart will be playing the voice of the narrator in Other Ocean Interactive’s The War of the Worlds which is being published by Paramount Digital Entertainment....

Earlier this year a few of the Game Rant team jumped into the closed beta of a free-to-play online co-op game titled Warframe, developed by Canadian studio Digital Extremes. Today, you can too since Warframe is in open beta, and more importantly, is awesome. Think about the best parts of Mass Effect 3’s co-op mode (after all the DLC and patches) and then add more of everything and more dynamic combat and controls....

Nintendo’s Switch is renowned for its versatility and its range of appealing software. Yet, one seemingly underused and underappreciated feature is its ability to play in “tabletop mode.” This is essentially a fusion of the handheld and home console experience, as gamers can prop the Switch upright by way of its kickstand and play with the separate Joy-Cons. Some games take this functionality a step further by displaying a top-down perspective to emulate a board or tabletop game on a flat surface....

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s latest entry into the Yakuza franchise, but this new title shakes up the usual formula by stepping into the RPG genre. It’s the first title to feature a new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, after the Kazuma Kiryu saga came to a close in the last game. That’s not to say there aren’t a few familiar faces that cameo in Like a Dragon, but you’ll be spending most of your time with a host of new and interesting characters....

One simply can’t talk about some of the most legendary gaming franchises around without mentioning the absolute powerhouse that is Final Fantasy. It goes without saying that this series is one of the major reasons why Square Enix has such a massive foothold in the gaming community, with their efforts still going strong to this day. Final Fantasy started out as a gameplay-first JRPG before the second game tried integrating a story into the mix....

The Halloween season is always an excellent time to dig into the survival horror genre of video games and it’s impressive to see just how much these types of titles have been able to grow and change over time. Resident Evil has often been seen as the leader in survival horror, but it’s also a franchise that’s shown considerable evolution and the games have come a long way from how the original title plays....

There is just something oddly sinister about theme parks. They look like fun during the day, but, at night, that rickety Ferris wheel and funhouse can look like the site of a horror film. Horror media like It Chapter 2, Final Destination 3, and American Horror Story have done a great job turning child-friendly spaces into places of terror. Many games out there have used sites like theme parks to create a scary atmosphere....

The PS2 is home to some of the most legendary RPGs of all time, continuing Sony’s streak of impressive JRPGs started with the PS1. With so many coming out during the console’s run, quite a few became lost in the shuffle. For every Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy, there are numerous games only hardcore aficionados played. This list aims to open people’s eyes to some more unique RPGs you probably missed....