Valve has announced that they will be doing a major overhaul of their popular Steam service. The new system will provide users with a number of new features to support and streamline the publishing process of digital downloads. This will require all new "all-new server and client code" but it will benefit the players in the end. "The maximum aggregate bandwidth of the system will be greater than the current system; this will help us satisfy spikes in demand when there’s a big release. We will also be able to send content from more places, to better serve people all around the globe. Read More...

So here we are again, apparently only a few months after the events of Portal (assumed from in-game interactions). Still trapped in Aperture Science. Still being tested. But importantly, Still Alive. Alive and needing a final escape from the insane AI running the facility that is now hell-bent on enacting revenge for what Chell did in the first game. Along the way making a few surprising friends to help your escape and mastery of all the Science that was going on. There is really no way to simplify the story without giving spoilers here. Read More...

Doesn't it bug you in games when non-supernatural heroes or villains can fall from hundreds of feet and survive without rhyme or reason? Or for that matter, falling 20 feet almost kills them out right. It is a mix between realism and game play that designers have to take into account. Do you forgo realism in a major way for game play sake or do you try to fake it? Mix in the ability to portal hundreds of feet into the air, sometimes on accident, and now you have a real issue. But it looks like minds behind Portal 2 have the solution. Read More...

Am I right or am I right? With April seeming so far off, at least for me, I know I will take every little bit I can get for Portal 2 as it comes out. Even though they don't show all that much for the game that we haven't already been able to extrapolate. I mean this just shows some of the "tests" left for Chell to get through and nothing all that much more. I am digging the shot of Chell running from some kind of bot, doesn't look totally like GLaDOS to me, and the interesting concept of what looks like an underground water cooling system. I've heard that it is a hint at something for a new Half Life, but that is just speculation last I searched. Read More...

What better way to celebrate VD* than to have a fun little advertisement for Portal 2? I learned quite a few things from this little clip for Valentine's Day as well. Like that 54% of women are allergic to chocolate, flowers are filled with bees and that four out of five people are crushed to death by giant diamonds every day. That is insane and I never knew. All kidding aside, once again Valve shows their great sense of humor whilst celebrating a holiday that is just another excuse to have a holiday. Read More...

Today Guardians of Graxia (Reviewed here) is getting its first full expansion pack Elves and Dwarves. With the new expansion come new guardians, new units, new abilities and six new skirmish maps. It's a pretty big deal. New Guardians First out of the gate are the new guardians, GoG is introducing a new elf and dwarf Guardian with corresponding units. First is an elf labeled as deceitful and Broxin the dwarf is greedy by nature, but aren't all dwarves really? These two guardians now bring the guardian count up to six. Read More...

Well here's an interesting little tidbit of news. Any gamer that purchases Portal 2 on the PlayStation 3 will get FREE access to play the game from their Steam client. Think like a digital copy that comes with most BluRay films nowadays. Oh, but wait, there is more. Not only do you get a "free" copy of the game for PC, and technically Mac, but the two systems will be able to communicate with each other to allow for co-op play between the PS3 and PC/Mac. By communicate I am not only talking for play, but you will be able to actually chat with the other player and I'm not talking by screaming really loud. In game chat for those who still didn't get it. Read More...

At last year's CES we were introduced to a product called Sixense. It was a motion controller being made by one of the smaller companies Razor had under its wing. Sixense was a really cool device with A LOT of potential, but nothing seems to have happened over the last year. Well at least nothing all too public. While wandering the booths of CES the AggroGamer team happened upon the new design and updated controller in the wild. Something we almost missed out on as it has been give then new name of Hydra and an extremely different design. Read More...

The guys over at Telltale Games recently released a title called Poker Night At The Inventory, which pits you against some infamous characters from the gaming universe. It's an interesting deviation from your typical Telltale fare like Sam&Max and The Tales Of Monkey Island series. The title is $4.99 on Steam right now, so let's see how it holds up. The game starts in front of a door where you head down a secret elevator leading to an exclusive club: "The Inventory." Here you are greeted by the host who escorts you to a table in the back room for a poker tournament with The Heavy from Team Fortress 2, Strong Bad (nuff said), Tycho from Penny Arcade and Max from Sam&Max. Read More...

Although it launched on Steam last week to a rocky start, Petroglyph games released its latest content filled Map Pack, for the tiny price tag of $12. There has been some great content added and a few items that didn't make it in. So let's take a look at what we should be thankful for in this latest content release for Guardians of Graxia. With Guardians of Graxia's Steam launch, players can pick up the original game along with the expansive map pack for under $12. This includes the %10 Steam discount. Read More...

The Heavens and Earth have been divided and the darkness has taken over. Send in the holy crusaders to help purge the land of all things evil and open up the pathway to Heaven and God. In this case the crusader is Gabriel Belmont, a man out for vengeance as the dark powers killed his wife and have been destroying his homeland. Who better to take up the charge? A man with nothing personal to lose but holds the fate of the universe in his hands. Read More...

Valve announced today that its latest title to be released in 2011 is DotA 2. Players have been waiting a while for this announcement considering Valve went on a Trademark spree and filed for the DotA and Defense of the Ancients name back in August of this year. According to the short and sweet press release: "Coming to the PC&Mac in 2011, DotA 2 promises to take the unique blend of online RTS and RPG action that has made DotA popular with tens of millions of gamers and expand upon it in every way." For those that don't know the name DotA comes from the Warcraft III mod Defense of the Ancients. Defense of the Ancients at its core is a small tactical, hero based strategy game which completely revamped the Warcraft III game and design by bringing a real RPG aspect to an RTS world. Read More...

Team17's breaking away from the retail publishing biz and now focusing more on digital publishing. Now we may see more Worms games popping up on the digital market soon. Judging from their long line of Alien Breed and Worms titles, it seems like a smart move on their part; but we're not here to discuss Team 17's business model restructure, we're here to talk about Worms Reloaded. Overview For those that have never played Worms before, it is a 2D turn-based strategy game where you take your team of worms and shoot, sheep and blow up the opposing team in spectacular fashion. Worms can be played in single player campaign mode or multiplayer mode with up to four players. Read More...

Team 17 has been busy lately. On the heels of their recent release of the Steam title, Alien Syndrome, Team 17 returns to its roots to bring us Worms Reloaded. Worms Reloaded will be released on the Steam platform, and from the looks of the video below, we are getting a revved up version of the 2D classic. Worms Reloaded will feature a number of new weapons, tactics and features, along with some classics like the Holy Hand Grenade and rope swinging. Old school players will be happy to see that the hilarious and addictive game play is still intact; new players, on the other hand, will be introduced to one of the most entertaining tactical games ever to grace the PC. Read More...

I remember way back when I first cracked open my copy of Portal on my PC. Yes I cracked open a copy of a digital download, because it fits my nostalgia. I remember enjoying each level of the game that lead up to the big showdown with GLaDOS and finding out that the cake was indeed not a lie. I got a piece when I was done and it was delicious and easy to wash down. I also remember how much fun it was that the whole game was kept simple and each level was pretty much a tutorial leading up to the final showdown. If you disagree, then you have not truly played Portal. Read More...