Nvmax.com reports that EA is offering a free CnC game: Command And Conquer: Commanche, which is based on the graphics of the new CnC: Generals and the type of gameplay of Desert/Jungle/Urban Storm for the Genesis. You command a helicopter in a top down fashion and have objectives to destroy. Give it a try, registration required! Click on the screenshot for you're free copy.

Activision has released not one but two playable demos for Empires: Dawn of the Modern World, allowing you to try out this upcoming 3D RTS game by Stainless Steel Studios. The first demo is single-player only and offers two playable scenarios. The second is multiplayer and offers one single-player scenario (not the same as the two included in the SP demo) and a random multiplayer map playable online or against a computer opponent.

Hot on the heels of the German demo for Worms 3D, its English equivalent is now available, allowing you to try Team17's 3D turn-based strategy game in a language you may understand better. As before, the demo contains one map playable in turns between two players on the same computer, with a time limit of 8 minutes.

Raven Software have now released the dedicated Win32 and Linux servers for Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, allowing server admins to host online games for this sci-fi 3D action sequel. The downloads naturally require a copy of the retail game, and include the dedicated server executable as well as related config files and libaries.

EIDOS Interactive, the publisher for Tomb Raider:
Angel of Darkness issued a patch a couple of weeks ago for the game which happened to include a way to use the game as a DX9 benchmark. Since it shows NVIDIA hardware performing slower than ATI, EIDOS has pulled it down. Remember, this is a "Way it's meant to be played" game, which means NVIDIA has paid EIDOS marketing money. Keep in mind, that this patch improved performance on both ATI and NVIDIA hardware. Here's a bs statement from EIDOS Europe: And the statement is available at sources website Gamers Depot

Underworld Bloodline Version 2.0 has been released. This release contains 2 new maps and a very cool new Black Widow spider weapon and assorted minor improvements.

Eidos Interactive has now released the final playable demo for Commandos 3: Destination Berlin, offering a renewed opportunity to try out Pyro Studios' imminent squad-based tactical combat sequel. As before, the demo contains a Tutorial and the full Train mission from the Central Europe campaign, but it also demonstrates the more polished state of the game.

3dgamers.com reports that in preparation for the imminent release of Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, Raven Software has issued an archive of some of the models and skins in their sci-fi 3D action game. Included are an updated guide, a model viewer, skleton information, and plenty of unpainted skins for many of the models.

Here's a few of the latest games Trailers! doing the rounds on the web.

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Desert Combat is a modern day military modification to the popular war game BattleField1942 from EA. It is focused on conflicts in the middle-east within the last decade between the various nations, From Desert Storm to Somalia. This war game is a total conversion for Battlefield1942 and is based on the same principles of a FPS and arcade style vehicle sim.

Click 'Read more' to see the changelog and the link to the mirrors! Full version: 573 MB and Patch version: 234 MB

Fileplanet have a new Half-Life 2 technology demo showcasing DirectX 9 Effects, Now keep in mind that this is a technology demo, so it's not showing off gameplay. The area shown might not be in the final game. The monster in the demonstration just stands there idling, so you can see the effects done to its skin (which, I'll point out, are very cool.) In my opinion the roofs of the buildings are a bit too shiny to look right -- but again, they're showing off possible engine effects, not a final product.

Update: Mirrors at Gamer's Hell - 3D Gamers

BeyondUnreal have thrown up the first preview of the upcoming Unreal 2 XMP multiplayer add-on, which will be released for free by Atari later this year! Here's a rip.

Here at BeyondUnreal, we've been lucky enough to preview the latest beta version of XMP, and we've been extremely impressed with what we've seen so far. XMP successfully translates Unreal II's style into the multiplayer arena, while adding some very unique gameplay twists; and delivers much more than anyone could have hoped from a simple multiplayer add-on. So head onto the next page and take a look at the game that's delivering a breath of fresh air to the Unreal franchise.

Bluesnews.com reports that Activision sends news that they plan on releasing a new version 1.02 patch for Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory later today. The update will improve server stability to "help to remedy unexpected server timeouts" and will also include the updated version of Even Balance's PunkBuster anti-cheating software.

Electronic Arts has now released the multiplayer demo of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault Breakthrough, offering a chance to try out this imminent first-person shooter expansion pack by TKO Software. The demo introduces the new Liberation mode and sports two maps, Anzio and Palermo, along with a variety of new weapons and more.

Update: Sorry about that, all links have now been fixed.

The long awaited expansion pack for Funcom's award winning MMORPG Anarchy Online are only hours away from release.

08:40 pm CEST (Central Europe) tonight, the servers went down for the Shadowlands Launch Patch, and the estimated time for the patching to be completed, and people are to be given access to the world of Shadowlands, is 2:40am CEST.

Ubi Soft has now released new patches for Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield, bringing their squad-based tactical shooter to version 1.41 according to 3DGamers. The main addition of this release is PunkBuster and GameSpy Arcade support, while the "Immediate Firing Animation" was made optional, and a few bugs were fixed. Currently the US, Canadian, UK, German, French and Italian editions are online.

Found this through The Inquirer. Note to people who think these DLLs are "unfair" in benchmarks. This is horribly incorrect. Quake3 (even with an Athlon XP) forces AMD chips to use 3DNow, not SSE. Little do people know the 3DNow! code is completely broken in Quake3. It does not help at ALL. The Pentium 3 and 4 chips however are both detected as "Pentium 3" chips, which automatically uses SSE which DOES work in Quake3 and gives a significant FPS boost. These DLLs don't enable SSE but do help with Athlons... and if SSE was to ever be enabled in Quake3 for Athlon processors they would blow Pentium 4 chips out of the water even more. In the tests I ran a P4-2.53 @ 3.32GHz, 175/700fsb lost to a "stock" Athlon XP 2700+(2166MHz, 166fsb) using these dlls.

Ritual Entertainment and Activision have teamed up with Ritualistic to give you the chance to beta test the upcoming 1.10 patch for Star Trek Elite Force II. You will be able to play the updated version of the game before anybody else and give the developers valuable feedback on the changes made.

Here's a few of the latest games Trailers! doing the rounds on the web.

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Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy allows players to immerse themselves in the classic Star Wars universe as they take on the role of a student eager to learn the ways of the Force from Master Luke Skywalker.