Free PC Gaming Blog

Free to Play MMO First Person Shooter War Rock from K2 Network has expanded with new maps and modes:

K2 updates War Rock

Two new maps and a 4vs4 mode added to the game

IRVINE, Calif. – March 13, 2008 – K2 Network, Inc. (www.k2network.net), an online game publisher, announces the release of 2 new maps and a 4vs4 game mode for War Rock today. War Rock is a Free to Play military based MMOFPS and can be downloaded at www.gamersfirst.com .

Information about War Rock is listed below. Screenshots, renders and movies are available from the Gamespress.com
The description of the maps/game mode is as follows.

4v4 Deathmatch
The 4v4 Deathmatch mode is for intense, fast paced missions where small groups of seasoned veterans battle for supremacy. Teamwork and communication is the key to victory in this mode of play

Operation: Red Clover
A small, tactical assault team from the Derbaran Military has been sent into the N.I.U. controlled stronghold at a remote desert oasis. Featuring tight quarters and limited cover, the team with the best reaction times and communication will prevail.

Operation: Cold Cave
Even underneath the cities of Derbaran, the civil war rages on. Derbaran troops must assault the N.I.U. defending position in the subway system where they are gathering supplies for a massive strike against Derbaran. Fighting from train car to train car, only the most elite soldiers have a chance at survival

War Rock Information -

War Rock is a military tactical first person shooter (FPS), featuring state of the art weapons, team or solo based play and unbelievable missions and maps! Provided as Free to Download and Free2Play, players have the option to purchase access to a wide variety of game play enhancing items and services - or play the game as it is without ever paying a dime!

Intense with action and competition, War Rock is populated by thousands of players at any given time in servers all over the world. With a wide variety of customizable weaponry and vehicles, intuitive controls, and multiple battle modes, War Rock is a blast for seasoned FPS veterans and first-timers alike.

5 modes of Play

Close Quarters Combat - Smaller maps whereby the missions from each team are to set detonations at strategic points and completely eliminate the opposing team. Play at your own risk as no respawn points exist until each scenario has completed!

Urban Ops - Providing only strategically placed vehicles, the real fighting in this mode takes place on the front lines with foot soldiers, snipers and man to man combatants! Medium and Large size maps make for perfect battlegrounds while the ultimate objective is to neutralize your enemy and minimize their claim to mapped territory!

Battle Group- Vast expansive maps lead way towards some of the most exciting battles yet! While players are certainly permitted to play on foot, the use of highly armored and finely tuned military vehicles will be the preferred method for players traversing the widespread maps in this mode. Take control of the map and eliminate opposing forces by land, by sea and by air!

Free For All - Free for All is a fast-paced, cutthroat death match where each soldier is his, or her, own army. In this mode, the one and only objective is to score more kills than every other player in the room!

Conquest - Conquest is a team-based battle where teams fight for control of a map. The more flags you capture, the faster you win. The action goes back and forth as every flag on the map has the potential to be captured. Close in on your enemy and wipe them out, or you may be surrounded and suffer the ultimate defeat.

Character Customization

5 strategic character classes to tailor your combat strengths:

1. Engineer - Always a must have when using armored vehicles! Standard equipment includes Colt 45, MP5 and Spanner. Primary function is to repair and maintain vehicles.

2. Medic - Through healing wounded team members, this unit can make or break success of each mission. Standard equipment includes Colt 45, MP5 and Medic Kit. Primary function is to provide medical aid as needed.

3. Sniper - Infiltrate enemy lines and secure rooftop positions for prime Sniper kills. Standard equipment includes Colt 45, M24 and K400 Grenade. Primary function is to provide information on enemy units and long distance cover fire.

4. Assault - The front line of any squad! Be prepared for gut wrenching action and split second reaction times! Standard equipment includes Colt 45, K2 and K400 Grenade. Primary function is to provide close range combat and support for other branches.

5. Heavy Trooper - Usually called in to take out the big guns! This unit is essential to effectively neutralize the heavy artillery of the enemy side. Standard equipment includes Colt 45, Panzerfaust and TMA-1A Landmine. Primary function is to immobilize enemy vehicles and armor.

Constantly upgraded game and community content

1. Live Events - New exciting contests and events run weekly!

2. Clan Matching Service - Revolutionary Web-based service makes it easy to jump right into battle!

3. Website based scoring system -Ranks you against players worldwide! Battle your way towards being ranked #1!

4. Premium Content Updates - Players look forward to new exclusive maps, weapons, items and features.

5. Tournaments - Does your team have what it takes to be the best? Form a clan and compete against other clans from around the world. Compete for fun, prizes and the right to be called War Rock’s top rated clan!

About K2 Network, Inc.
K2 Network publishes and services highly engaging online games and cultivates dynamic player environments. The company puts GamersFirst™ by giving them free access to compelling titles, supporting their amazing communities, offering creative pricing models and updating games based on player feedback. K2 Network currently has over 16 million registered users and offers War Rock, Knight Online, Global MU Online, Red Stone and Sword of the New World: Granado Espada. K2 Network has an operational presence in the United States, Korea, and India. Read more about the company at www.K2Network.Net and find all of their games at www.GamersFirst.com.
K2 Network also has an affiliate program that you can take advantage of to earn up to 50% commission. For more details please visit us at http://affiliates.k2network.net

America’s Army has always been one of my favorite free pc games… well, free if you don’t count the fact that it is payed for through our taxes! Anyway, it looks like someone actually saved a life because of the medic training they learned while playing America’s Army. Check it out…

America’s Army Player uses In-Game Medic Training to Help Save Life

Silver Spring, MD (January 17, 2008) - A longtime America’s Army player became a first responder at a tragic car accident last November by employing life saving techniques he learned by playing the America’s Army game. Twenty-eight year old Paxton Galvanek credited the combat medic training he completed in the popular America’s Army online PC game with teaching him the critical skills he needed to evaluate and treat the victims at the scene. This is the second time an America’s Army player has reported successfully using medical skills learned through playing the game to respond in a life-threatening situation.

In order to assume the role of combat medic in the America’s Army game, players must go through virtual medical training classes based on the actual training that real Soldiers receive. The creators of America’s Army developed the training scenarios with young adults in mind, recognizing their need to be able to respond in emergency situations. Through the game, players learn to evaluate and prioritize casualties, control bleeding, recognize and treat shock, and administer aid when victims are not breathing.

Because of the training he received in America’s Army’s virtual classroom, Mr. Galvanek had mastered the basics of first aid and had the confidence to take appropriate action when others might do nothing. He took the initiative to assess the situation, prioritize actions and apply the correct procedures,” said Colonel Casey Wardynski, America’s Army project director. Paxton is a true hero. We are pleased to have played a role in providing the lifesaving training that he employed so successfully at the scene.”

After the incident, Galvanek wrote the America’s Army team to thank them for including the medical training in the game. He said, “I have received no prior medical training and can honestly say that because of the training and presentations within America’s Army, I was able to help and possibly save the injured men. As I look back on the events of that day, the training that I received in the America’s Army video game keeps coming to mind.”

I remember vividly in section four of the game’s medic training, during the field medic scenarios, I had to evaluate the situation and place priority on the more critically wounded. In the case of this accident, I evaluated the situation and placed priority on the driver of the car who had missing fingers. I then recalled that in section two of the medic training, I learned about controlled bleeding. I noticed that the wounded man had severe bleeding that he could not control. I used a towel as a dressing and asked the man to hold the towel on his wound and to raise his hand above his head to lessen the blood flow which allowed me to evaluate his other injuries which included a cut on his head,” said Galvanek.

Galvanek’s Story
On November 23, 2007, Galvanek was driving West-bound on I-40 in North Carolina with his family. About 25 miles south of Raleigh he witnessed an SUV on the east-bound lanes lose control of the vehicle and flip about five times. While his wife called 911, he stopped his vehicle and ran across the highway to the scene of the accident.

Assuming the role of first responder, he quickly assessed the situation and found two victims in the smoking vehicle. Needing to extract them quickly, he helped the passenger out of the truck and noticed he had minor cuts and injuries. He told the man to stay clear of the smoking car and quickly went to the driver’s side where he located a wounded man. He pulled the driver to safety on the side of the road.

Galvanek immediately noticed the man had lost two fingers in the accident and was bleeding profusely. The victim had also suffered head trauma. Galvanek located a towel, put pressure on the man’s hand, and instructed him to sit down and elevate his hand above his head while pressing the towel against his lost fingers. Galvanek then attended to his head cut and determined that injury was not as serious as his hand.

Roughly five minutes later, an Army Soldier in plain clothing arrived on the scene of the accident and informed Galvanek that he was medically trained and could take over until the paramedics arrived. He looked over the injured men and told Galvanek that he had done a great job. Once the Soldier assured Galvanek that the two men were in stable condition and there was nothing more he could do to assist until the paramedics arrived, Galvanek left the scene and continued on his journey.

About America’s Army
Launched on July 4th 2002, America’s Army is an innovative PC action game that provides young adults with an inside perspective and a virtual role in today’s high-tech Army. Through the America’s Army game, players take a virtual “test drive” of Soldiering in the U.S. Army from basic training to the battlefield in the Global War on Terrorism.

With users having invested over 211 million hours virtually exploring the Army from Basic Training to operations in the War on Terrorism, America’s Army ranks among the top ten online PC action games played worldwide. The game provides a unique, interactive experience allowing players to gain a perspective into Army occupations and values by assuming virtual roles as U.S. Army Soldiers. Players navigate through challenges real Soldiers confront. As they dominate these challenges, they expand opportunities for advancement and development in roles from Special Forces to combat medic.

Since July 2002 the Army has released 24 major updates to its America’s Army game for the PC. These releases, which are available at www.americasarmy.com, feature new technologies, missions, Army units and occupations. The most recent updates are part of the America’s Army: Special Forces (Overmatch) series that focuses on the central role Special Forces play in the Global War on Terrorism and highlights technologies that provide small U.S. Army units with the ability to overmatch much larger enemy forces. The America’s Army game also features the America’s Army Real Heroes program that offers a glimpse into the accomplishments of Soldiers who have distinguished themselves in combat and earned citations for bravery and valor.

About the Army
Through the teamwork of the more than 1.2 million Soldiers in the active Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve, the U.S. Army is the world’s premier land force. Today, Soldiers of the U.S. Army are the front line in the Global War on Terrorism. For more information on the U.S. Army, go to www.goarmy.com or www.army.mil.

Here’s a holiday treat for those of you lucky enough to own one of the Ageia PhysX Cards in your monster PCs (Sadly, I am not one of them)… NetDevil has release a completely free next-generation FPS PC game called "Warmonger, Operation: Downtown Destruction".

The game is built on the Unreal 3 Engine and uses so much destructible environment physics, that it’s nearly unplayable without the PhysX Card. The environments are so destructible as a matter of fact that they can be used for gameplay strategy. Floors, ceilings, walls, stairs, and even whole buildings can be demolished in order to give yourself the upper hand.

Both offline single player bot games and online mulitiplayer modes with up to 64 players are available.

If your machine is up to it, consider this an early Christmas gift and download it now!

It doesn’t get much better in the free to play PC game arena then a good first person shooter at no cost… and one of the most well known and widely downloaded free full version first person shooters is Alien Arena. First available in October of 2004, the wonderful people at COR Entertainment and Red Planet Arena have now release the newest version with many changes including new arenas, more game play options, new weapons, and an optimized graphics engine to name just a few of them. If you’re an Unreal Tournament or Quake 3 fan, you need to go download this game now. For the Linux guys in the crowd, there’s a version for you too!

Check out the video clips:

And this is the description directly from the Red Planet Arena site:

Do you like fast paced deathmatch?  How about rich, colorful, arcadelike atmospheres?  How about…retro Sci Fi?  Then you’re going to love what Alien Arena 2007 has in store for you!  This game combines some of the very best aspects of such games as Quake III and Unreal Tournament and wraps them up with a retro alien theme, while adding tons of original ideas to make the game quite unique. 

AA2K7 is the latest version of a freeware online deathmatch game that was first introduced to the public in October, 2004.  Since that initial release, nearly every aspect of the game has been revamped, in fact, all of the content and code from the November 2005 release of Alien Arena 2006 has been redone as well.  It’s like an entirely new game, and it may shock people just how much it has improved in less than a year’s time.   With over 30 levels, seven modes of play, loads of mutators, built-in bots, 11 player characters, 9 weapons(with alt-fire modes), the game has an endless supply of replayability.  With so many new features, AA2K7 is nearly an entirely new game when held in comparison to it’s predecessor.  With the trials and tribulations of software development, endless hours of playing, gathering feedback, COR Entertainment has been able to not only fine tune and perfect it’s flagship game, but add completely new dimensions to it. 

Using the CRX engine, which is based on the Id GPL source code, AA2K7 now includes modern effects such as real time vertex lighting and shadows, lensflares, light blooms, reflective water, textured particles, stainmaps, 32 bit color,  shaders, fog, and much more.  Built into the game is a easy to use server browser which allows the user to query information about each server.  CRX features rewards systems, as well as colored player names, winner podiums, and weapons stats.  The best thing about the CRX engine however, is it’s netcode and speed.  Even on a modest system, you will get excellent framerates, and movement is still extremely smooth and fast, even on high ping servers. 

Bot AI has been improved with each release, and for AA2K7, a number of improvements and enhancements have been made.  These bots are among the most human acting bots in any game, and also some of the toughest if you choose them to be.  They are fully configurable using an external editor, and skill levels can be set in game. 

Alien Arena is a fast paced, furious frag fest with arenas ranging from the small, to the massive.  With a large built-in player base, it’s never hard to find a good match going on, at any hour of the day.  The community is friendly, as well as prolific.  Dozens of maps, models, and various accessories have been created by community members to add on to the game experience. 

Alien Arena features team based gameplay as well, such as Team Core Assualtl, a mode in which players must work together to disable their enemy team’s central metal spider.  Don’t forget about the Team Deathmatch, Cattle Prod, Capture the Flag, Deathball, and All Out Assault mode(in which players can enter vehicles) either.  For the 1v1 players, Alien Arena now features a duel mode!

What are you waiting for?  Find out why this is being called "The Ultimate Freeware Deathmatch Game"!