Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Xbox 360

An open-world action RPG, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is set in Amalur, a rich and deeply immersive world underpinned by 10,000 years history, created by 22 time New York Times bestselling author, R.A. Salvatore. Immersing players in a rich, living, breathing open-world dripping with magic and rife with danger, underpinned by strong storytelling, Reckoning lets players define their destiny as they engage in intense action combat while exploring the huge, vibrant and varied world of Amalur as envisioned by the visionary creator of Spawn and acclaimed artist, Todd McFarlane.

Designed by open-world RPG legend Ken Rolston, Reckoning offers players unparalleled choice in a world of infinite possibility. Together, the visionaries and development team behind Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning are creating a game that aims to forever change the RPG genre.

source: ign

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Diablo III: PC

Plot

The game takes place in Sanctuary, the dark fantasy world of the Diablo series. This world was saved twenty years prior by a handful of unnamed heroes in Diablo II, heroes who, having survived the onslaught brought by the armies of the Burning Hells, have gone mad from their ordeals. It is up to a new generation of heroes to face the forces of evil threatening the world of Sanctuary.

Players will have the opportunity to explore familiar settings such as Tristram.

The only confirmed NPCs are Deckard Cain,who has appeared in both of the previous games, and his niece, Leah, a new character who accompanies the hero in quests from time to time. The plot will revolve around two surviving Lesser Evils, Azmodan and Belial, and an artifact known as the Black Soulstone. Diablo's world map is composed primarily of two main continents with several small islands in the Northwest region. The world of Sanctuary has been dramatically changed by the events of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, for the destruction of the World Stone underneath Mount Arreat has reshaped the world's geography.


Gameplay
Diablo III is similar in style to its predecessor, Diablo II. The proprietary engine will incorporate Blizzard's custom in-house physics, a change from the original usage of Havok's physics engine, and feature destructible environments with an in-game damage effect. The developers are aiming to make the game run on a wide range of systems, and have stated that DirectX 10 will not be required. Diablo III will use a custom 3D game engine in order to present an overhead view to the player, in a somewhat similar way to the isometric view used in previous games in the series. Enemies will utilize the 3D environment as well, in ways such as crawling up the side of a wall from the depths into the combat area.

As in Diablo II, multiplayer games will be possible using Blizzard's Battle.net service,[14] with many of the new features developed for StarCraft II also available in Diablo III. Players will be able to drop in and out of sessions of co-operative play with others.

An enhanced quest system, a random level generator, and a random encounter generator are slated for use in order to ensure the game provides different experiences when replayed. Overall, the game will include both static and randomly generated levels. Additionally, there will be class-specific quests to go along with the main storyline quests. Blizzard originally planned to have in-game cutscenes, but decided these would divert from the gameplay and decided against them. Three new armor pieces will be available: shoulder plates, arm-guards and leggings.

Unlike previous iterations, gold can be picked up merely by touching it, rather than having to manually pick it up. One of the new features intended to speed gameplay is that health orbs drop from enemies, replacing the need to have a potion bar, which itself is replaced by a skill bar that allows a player to assign quick bar buttons to skills and spells; previously, players could only assign two skills (one for each mouse button) and had to swap skills with the keyboard or mousewheel. Players can still assign specific attacks to mouse buttons.

Skill runes, another new feature, are skill-modifying items that are randomly dropped by monsters and used across all classes. Rather than changing equippable items as in Diablo II, they are instead attached to skills, often completely changing the gameplay of each skill. Skill runes also have the ability to make one particular spell in each class more powerful, and give the player options as to how the rune will enhance a particular spell. For example, investing skill runes on the wizard's "lightning" can allow the players to make the lightning jump onto additional enemies, or, alternatively, adding the runes with explosion effect blows the enemy up and causes damage to the surrounding area.
[edit] Hardcore mode

Diablo III will give players the choice to make hardcore characters, similar to Diablo II. Hardcore characters cannot be resurrected and become permanently unplayable if they are killed, and they do not have access to the real-world money auction house.

source: wikipedia

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Mass Effect 3: Xbox 360

Mass Effect 3 is an upcoming action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Officially announced on December 11, 2010, the game is scheduled for a March 6, 2012 release and will mark the final chapter in the Mass Effect trilogy of video games, completing the story of Commander Shepard.

Gameplay in Mass Effect 3 will be influenced by decisions from Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 and have settings throughout the galaxy, including Earth and Mars. Combat has been changed and refined; in particular, the cover system has been improved, there will be more options for moving around the battlefield, instant melee kills and more conventional grenades will be introduced as well as improved artificial intelligence. A four player multiplayer co-op mode will also be available.

Mass Effect 3 will follow from the events of the Mass Effect 2 DLC expansion Arrival and follows Commander Shepard's mission to save the galaxy from the Reapers by rallying civilizations of the galaxy together, while also having to deal with Cerberus, who have decided to turn against him/her.[14]
In Mass Effect 3, an ancient alien race known only as Reapers, has launched an all-out invasion of the galaxy, leaving nothing but a trail of destruction in their wake. Earth has been taken, the galaxy is on the verge of total annihilation, and you are the only one who can stop them. The price of failure is extinction. You, as Commander Shepard, must lead the counter assault to take it back. Only you can determine how events will play out, which planets you will save from annihilation and which alliances you will form or abandon as you rally the forces of the galaxy to eliminate the Reaper threat once and for all.

Battle with your comrades or even your own friends in this all-out galactic war to take Earth back. With co-op online multiplayer missions new to the Mass Effect universe , you can choose from a variety of classes and races, form an elite Special Forces squad, and combine weapons, powers and abilities to devastating effect as you all fight together to liberate key territories from enemy control in this third entry of the epic intergalactic RPG franchise.

Plot


Mass Effect 3 will begin with Commander Shepard on Earth for trial as a result of events from the Mass Effect 2 DLC pack Arrival.[14] During the trial, Earth is attacked by Reapers. Faced with insurmountable odds, Shepard is forced to flee the planet in order to gather support from alien civilizations and mount a counter-attack while also having to deal with Cerberus, who have decided to turn against him/her. It is possible for Shepard to lose to the Reapers.

In an interview with PSM3 Magazine, Casey Hudson said of the plot, "Mass Effect 3, in simple terms, is a little more like the first game. You're collecting pieces of a story, but the more you investigate and explore these themes, the more the game will unlock and you'll see the bigger picture. In a way, it's more of a traditional story where you're learning about things and the plot changes as you find things out." The game will complete the story of Commander Shepard and will mark Shepard's final appearance in the series.

source: ign, wikipedia

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Resident Evil Revelations: Nintendo 3DS

Resident Evil: Revelations sees Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield investigating a deadly threat on board a stranded cruise liner. The pair will need to fight for survival as they explore the dark and claustrophobic environments both at sea and as the action moves to dry land. Join them as they delve deeper into the secrets of this Nintendo 3DS addition to one of gaming's most successful series.

Plot

The game is set in 2005, between Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5.It depicts the events shortly after the establishment of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA), a counter-terrorism group introduced in Resident Evil 5.The story revolves around BSAA co-founders Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, the protagonists of the first Resident Evil. Chris and his partner Jessica Sherawat have gone missing, and Jill is dispatched to a cruise ship in the Mediterranean sea to investigate their whereabouts. On her mission, Jill is joined by fellow BSAA operative Parker Luciani. Settings in addition to the cruise ship include a port town and a snowy mountain.

More recent game trailers have revealed more about the plot. The city of Terragrigia (Italian for "Grey Earth") was built on an artificial island in the Mediterranean Sea over a period of eleven years. In its heyday, this "floating city" was one of the top tourist destinations of the Queen Zenobia Cruise Lines, a cruise line that operated mostly around Italy. Terragrigia was also the first community in the world to sustain its population with solar power only, thus earning it the title of the most ecological city ever. In 2004, the bioterrorist organization "Il Veltro" launched an attack on the city using B.O.W.s (Bio Organic Weapons) in opposition to Terragrigia's solar energy development. In response, the Federal Bioterrorism Commission (FBC) sent agents, including Parker and Jessica, to keep the situation under control. At the conclusion of the operation, all Veltro members were reportedly wiped out, but Terragrigia was declared a biohazard site. All survivors were evacuated and the city ruins were quarantined within a 100-mile radius. The incident would be remembered as the "Terragrigia Panic" and served as a grim reminder to the world of the ever-looming threat of black market bioweapons.

In 2005, Il Veltro reappeared and threatened the BSAA with infecting approximately one fifth of the Earth's oceans with the T-Abyss virus, a marine virus derived from the deadly T-virus. As a demonstration of their power, Veltro terrorists have hijacked the ocean liner SS Queen Zenobia and caused a viral outbreak aboard the ship. BSAA agents Chris Redfield and Jessica Sherawat were sent to investigate Veltro activities, but contact was lost with both agents during the mission. The BSAA then assigned Jill Valentine and Parker Luciani to locate the missing agents and sent them to their last known location - the SS Queen Zenobia.

source: ign, wikipedia

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Final Fantasy XIII-2

Final Fantasy XIII-2 (ファイナルファンタジーXIII-2 Fainaru Fantajī Sātīn Tsū?) is an upcoming console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is being produced by Square Enix's 1st Production Department. It is a direct sequel to the 2009 role playing game Final Fantasy XIII.

Three years after the events of Final Fantasy XIII, Lightning, the protagonist of the original game, has disappeared into an unknown world. Her younger sister Serah Farron, a returning character from the original title, and a boy named Noel Kreiss attempt to find Lightning.

The game is due to be released in Japan on December 15, 2011, January 31, 2012 in North America and February 3, 2012 in Europe. Square Enix Europe has stated that the game "exceeds Final Fantasy XIII in every aspect" and that it has an evolved battle system of the original game. The game's theme song for the Xbox 360 is "New World" by Filipino singer Charice, while PlayStation 3 version is "Yakusoku no Basho" by Mai Fukui.

Story

Final Fantasy XIII-2 begins at the end Final Fantasy XIII, when Vanille and Fang transform into Ragnarok to prevent Cocoon's collision with Gran Pulse by turning themselves and the structure into a crystal pillar. Freed of her l'Cie status along with Snow, Hope, and Sazh, Lightning is reunited with her sister Serah as she awakens from crystal stasis. However, Orphan's defeat and Cocoon's fall have an unintentional side-effect which spirits Lightning out of her time to Valhalla. As a result, with the exception of Serah, many believe that Lightning is dead or she sacrificed herself alongside Vanille and Fang. Two years later, many of the survivors of Cocoon's fall begin rebuilding their lives on Gran Pulse with Serah living in the constructed town of New Bodhum. Only Snow believes in Serah and leaves her in order to find Lightning for her, but ends up going missing himself.

One year later when New Bodhum is overrun by monsters, Serah is saved by a mysterious youth named Noel who says to have met Lightning. Accepting his offer of bringing her to her sister, Serah sets off through time and space to find out what has happened to Lightning while learning more about Noel and the mysterious enemy Caius.

Unlike Final Fantasy X-2, which had a more cheerful and humorous feel than Final Fantasy X, the overall tone of the story of Final Fantasy XIII-2 will be darker and more mysterious than the original. Director Motomu Toriyama said that considering Vanille and Fang are gone and the world is in a state where Cocoon had fallen, there's no way for the new story to be totally peaceful. Yoshinori Kitase, the producer, has said the story will have the serious feel of a true numbered entry in the Final Fantasy series.

The actual story will delve deeper into the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythology and this time focus on the Goddess Etro. The personality of Lightning will be the same as it was in the original game and not experience a change like Yuna had in Final Fantasy X-2. The game's story will continue to value the refined and noble qualities of Lightning's personality. Other characters will also appear in the game, but in new and unexpected forms, and some of these returning characters will see major changes to their personalities.
The game will also have a number of new characters, in addition to the mysterious man, Caius, shown in the teaser trailer. Caius is in direct conflict with Lightning and equal to her in strength.The original game ended with a lingering question: "Is Lightning really happy?" The conclusion of the story in Final Fantasy XIII-2 will provide a clear answer to this question.

Release Date:
US: January 31, 2012
Japan: December 15, 2011 

source: wikipedia

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Ninja Gaiden 3

Ninja Gaiden 3 is an upcoming action-adventure video game developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo Koei. It is the sequel to Ninja Gaiden II and will be released in early 2012. It will be the first title in the series not to be directed by franchise mainstay, Tomonobu Itagaki. In his place will be the designer of the Sigma series, Yosuke Hayashi. The game will explore Ryu's more human side as he descends into a hellish realm. It will deal with the sword of the Archfiend from Ninja Gaiden II

Ninja Gaiden 3 will yet again feature Ryu Hayabusa as the main character. Although his black leather outfit from the previous two installments will make another appearance, Ryu has been seen with a new metallic black suit in recent screenshots. It has a few visible differences as well. His toes are now covered with metal, presumably used for his new Kunai Climb. Furthermore, Ryu's right arm was cursed in Ninja Gaiden II. This will play an integral role in the game's story, and due to this, he no longer wears his right gauntlet.

In the E3 2011 gameplay demo, it is revealed that Ryu gets a request from the Japanese Self-Defense Force, the Ministry of External Affairs. He is sent to London where he fights unidentified terrorists. A mysterious hooded opponent appears at the end of the trailer, telling Ryu to "open [his] eyes".

source: wikipedia

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Ship Combat in The Star Wars Old Republic

Over the years there's been a lot of coverage on IGN about BioWare's Star War: The Old Republic. Most of it dealt with combat on the ground – the mechanics of each class, the companions that join your cause to fight and craft items, as well as dungeon and player versus player scenarios. Until recently none in the office had a chance to play around with the flight missions and space combat.

As it turns out, it's kind of like Star Fox. That's exactly what BioWare and Electronic Arts hinted at when the feature was first announced, but even with that knowledge it's still a little jarring to play after so many hours spent with traditional quest and kill MMO mechanics.

Getting your ship is part of the main story progression for your class. As you can see on IGN's The Old Republic wiki page, every class gets a ship. Based on my playthrough, I acquired a ship around level 17 and there was no associated cost. In other words, at least in the beta, there's no need to stockpile credits in the early game to be able to access a ship when it's first made available.

Having a ship unlocks a few options. It lets you travel off-world and for the first time truly explore the galaxy. When you board the ship, you can access a galaxy map that lets you hop between the arrival stations of high level zones and other territories, giving you a sense of how big the world is, and also how much space can be filled in with post-launch content and questing areas. You don't actually fly the ship around between locations – you pick a point of interest on your map and are transported automatically – and in the process are treated to some cool effects. By looking out the cockpit window you'll see the stars turn to streaks as you speed through space, and watch as your destination planet zooms into view as you enter into orbit. It's all a fast process so not much time is wasted, and though you're confined to the ship during the process, it's still an impressive effect.

You also get access to ship-specific missions, which is where the Star Fox element comes into play. These missions pop up on your galaxy map, and by traveling you initiate a linear space corridor shooting sequence. You do get a little freedom of movement up, down and across the screen, but in general you're pushed inevitably forward along a predetermined path. One mission I played involved escorting a friendly ship through hostile space. Enemy fighters would routinely soar across the screen, and could be knocked out with a few laser blasts. Occasionally capital ships would zoom into the screen, their turrets firing on the vessel I was trying to protect, and I was able to shoot at exposed turrets for the limited time they were onscreen.

Options exist to upgrade various components of your ship, though at this point in my beta playthrough I haven't experimented with them very much. I can say the combat missions feel very simple and arcade like, and though I appreciated the change of pace, I wasn't all that thrilled to take on more. Granted this is still very early in the game, so I can't really say if the missions become more challenging and rewarding later on.

When out of combat, you can explore the entire interior of your ship, and any companions traveling with you will take up stations on board. With multiple rooms and lots of detail in the interior, it helps give the ship a lot more personality than if your interactions with it were limited to the occasional shots of the exterior hull. While I'm not a huge fan of the space combat so far, the idea of an ever evolving space house bristling with futuristic weaponry still has me excited for how the ship systems will evolve as I continue to level.

by Charles Onyett

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Star Wars: The Old Republic

While EA and BioWare weren't giving out a release date for The Old Republic at Gamescom 2011, they were showing off some of the high level content that'll be included. As you might know at this point, The Old Republic is a traditionally-styled MMO set in the Star Wars universe that lets you play on the side of the Empire or the Republic. You'll be able to engage in fully-voiced conversations with NPCs to take on quests and solo the content if you wish, quest as a group, or jump into some of the more specialized challenges designed to encourage teamwork.

These challenges include Flashpoints, basically dungeons, which are accessible while you're leveling, PvP Warzones that challenge you to take down real players instead of computer-controlled enemies, as well as Operations, essentially BioWare's version of raids.

For those who like PvP, it sounds like the Huttball Warzone may be fun to try. There's a kind of game show aspect to this mode, as players from both Republic and Empire sides are mixed together to participate in a challenge that's like if American football was mixed with an especially deadly version of American Gladiators. Because the teams are mixed it means Jedi can fight Jedi and Sith can fight Sith. The overall goal is to grab an energy ball near the center of a square map and run or pass it across a line along the outside, like scoring a touchdown in football. Of course when murderous psychopaths wielding light sabers are running around, it's not quite as easy.

It's possible to jar loose the ball from the carrier by attacking, but you'll need to do so before the ball carrier passes to a teammate. There are also numerous environmental obstacles to avoid littered around the arena, including corrosive pools and flaming sections of elevated walkway. It contributes to making the mode seem like one of the least self-serious aspects of The Old Republic, which could serve as a nice change of pace if you've otherwise been busy hacking away at towering bosses in Operations.

BioWare showed off the Eternity Vault Operation, an underground network that houses a huge power both the Republic and Empire are interested in. Before reaching its front gate encircled by snowy terrain, you have to take a drop pod down from a ship circling overhead. There's no loading screen to pass the time of the journey – you watch the drop pod streak through the sky and slam into the surface. Then as you approach the door the Vault, its defense whir into action.

Droids blanket the ground and do their best to wipe out your group. They're aided by two tall turret towers on either side of the battle zone that can absorb a decent amount of damage before they're disabled by your lighting attacks, light saber throws and blaster fire.

After a few waves of droid a colossal boss drops down into the arena that wiped the group demoing at Gamescom. This thing can sweep its arm across the screen and inflict significant knock back against any combatants in the vicinity, as well as launch variety of missile attacks. From time to time it'll collapse into an inactive state, at which point it's a good idea to go hit it with as many light sabers as you can. If that doesn't kill it, it'll return to shooting missiles. Thankfully it's possible to take some cover by running behind the smoking debris the turret towers, but of course while you're hiding you're not doing any damage.

Considering the length of development time and what's been shown off so far, it seems as though there will be no lack of content when Star Wars: The Old Republic launches. Hopefully a release date is announced soon.

by Charles Onyett

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TGS: Battlefield 3's Campaign Carnage

DICE has already shown off sections of Battlefield 3's multiplayer and co-op modes, and today on the first day of TGS the game that would topple Call of Duty finally had its campaign mode put into the eager hands of the press. Well, roughly 10 minutes of it anyway.

Apparently taking place about halfway through the game's campaign, the single-player demonstration kicked off on the outskirts of Tehran in Iran, on top of a hill at the break of dawn. I stepped behind the rifle sights of Sergeant Blackburn of the US Marines, just one of the several different soldiers that the player will take control of over the course of the game.

Smoke blanketed the sky above and anti-aircraft fire emanated from the horizon and disappeared into the heavens. On the signal of a fellow soldier myself and the half dozen or so of the rest of the platoon stormed down the hillside, with the objective of securing an apartment block at the bottom. After legging it past mortar rounds that erupted in the earth, toppling trees and leaving craters in the terrain courtesy of the Frostbite 2.0 engine, I was then tasked with setting up a mortar and launching an illuminating round into the skies above the apartment to make our approach clearer, and enemies easier to spot.

After receiving a boost over a tall wall from a fellow soldier the action started properly, as a handful of enemies on an overpass opened fire and were met by several carefully placed rounds from my assault rifle. Once down into a shallow canal, it soon became apparent that crouching and going prone is pretty essential in order to survive Battlefield 3's campaign skirmishes – if you stand tall and out in the open you're going to eat more lead than a pencil sharpener.

Once out of the canal the US marine squad mounted an attack on two machine gun nests guarding the rear of the targeted apartment block. Again it was time for the Frostbite 2.0 engine to do its thing, as a couple of well-placed grenade tosses violently tore the sandbagged nests apart like wind through dandelion spores. After taking down a few snipers shadowing the windows of the apartment block my squad finally made its way to the back door, at which point one of my fellow marines tossed a cheeky grenade through the doorway and the group of enemies inside were explosively evacuated out through the windows – one of them who was clearly standing too close to the blast remained on fire long after the explosion had rung.

Once into the apartment block there was time for an obligatory cinematic door breach which allowed me to savour a shotgun blast to an insurgent's face in slow motion, before finally rendezvousing with a convoy of hummers on the other side of the apartment block at which point the demonstration ended.

I had fun playing this short stretch of Battlefield 3's single-player mode, but to be honest it didn't quite blow me away as I'd hoped. Certainly after watching the early videos of the game that involved levelling tall buildings with rocket launchers and seeing seismic waves ripple through bitumen-covered roads, this Tehran level was comparatively sedate. I was impressed with how well the game looked given that it was actually the console version of the game rather than the PC, although because of the early dawn setting most of the game environment was bathed in darkness so it was hard to get a true representation of the visual fidelity on offer.

However, this was just 10 minutes of the game, and as Battlefield community manager Daniel Matros stressed to me, Battlefield 3's campaign is all about building tension and releasing it – and there's every chance that the level immediately after the one I played is some massive action set piece that features fighter jets and razed city blocks. (Matros also pointed out that "the Frostbite 2.0 engine doesn't really have any limitations - we could have earthquakes in every level of the game if we wanted to, but we're trying to tell a story so the events need to fit the scope of it.").

Certainly it seems to be how DICE intends on differentiating Battlefield 3's campaign from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's: Battlefield 3 is trying to deliver the authentic experience of being a soldier and the more deliberate pacing to each conflict that comes with it, whereas Modern Warfare 3 is like getting into the passenger seat with a coked up Charlie Sheen at the wheel – it's got one speed: go.

Matros agrees: "We don't want these huge explosions all the time, we don't really go for those kinds of gimmicks. We really want the experience to be atmospheric, we want the player to be really swept up in the experience."

Which method you'd prefer is up to you, but at the end of the day both the campaign modes in Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 are intended to be the gateway drugs that lure you into their respective online modes, and clearly that's where this particular blockbuster FPS showdown is going to be won or lost. Bring it on

by Tristan Ogilvie

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Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

After 10 years, the original Halo doesn't have many secrets left. So 343i is adding some. While the overwhelming majority of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is identical to the game you know from the 2001 launch of the original Xbox - it is, in fact, running the original Halo's codebase, in addition to another layer of game code running on top - 343i is working to give Halo fans hooks beyond the simple but important celebration of Halo's tenth anniversary. Using a trick from Halo 3's playbook, 343i and Saber Interactive are adding bits of Halo lore to tie the original game with next year's Halo 4.

I'm speaking of course of terminals. Halo 3 players who spared even the most minimal moment of exploration through its large levels likely found at least one of these cryptic Forerunner information kiosks. "Information" in this case is a loose description though, given the excessively cryptic and coded nature of the narrative fragments found in Halo 3's terminals. For Halo CE Anniversary, 343i and Saber are borrowing the delivery method, but are making a stylistic departure for their hidden information.

At a closed doors demo at E3 this year, I was shown what representatives described as a proof of concept video for this new kind of terminal (though I wasn't given even a hint of a glimpse of their physical appearance). It opened to the narration of the Monitor, 343 Guilty Spark, tour guide for the ringworld of Halo, record keeper, and later betrayer in his attempts to trigger the detonation of the ring. Guilty Spark described the underlying reasoning behind the ring's existence amidst video footage featuring concept art of Halo and various video of the Monitor interacting with the ring.

He then repeated a refrain familiar to Halo CE players: the Master Chief was not marooned on Halo by accident. While this seemed like the prophetic chants of an insane artificial intelligence when Halo originally released, a reasonable assumption given original developer Bungie's fixation on rampant AI in the Marathon series which preceded Halo, 343i and Saber Interactive's determination to link these terminals to Halo 4 indicates a deeper meaning. Perhaps Guilty Spark was right all along. Maybe the Master Chief was chosen for a greater destiny than he - or we - knew at the dawn of one of gaming's biggest franchises. It would make sense, given the appearance of a device in Halo 4's trailer reminiscent of the Dyson Sphere device in the Halo novel Ghosts of Onyx, or the Ark in New Mombasa in Halo 3.

Maybe Guilty Spark's insanity was rooted in knowledge beyond what we - or Bungie - were prepared to handle. Or maybe current series stewards 343i are prepared to retcon Halo's fiction in order to clean up some continuity errors created between Halo and the outside fiction that has become such an important part of the property.

Regardless, Halo fans are a curious bunch. We're all sure to be lining up to scour Halo CE Anniversary for the secrets it's waiting to share with us. We'll find out more about the terminals and their connection to Halo 4 before this year's Penny-Arcade Expo, which plays host to Halo Con in August.

by Arthur Gies

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Battlefield 3: Xbox 360

Prepare for full-scale war with Battlefield 3, the third major evolution of the long-running online battle franchise. Using the power of Frostbite 2 game engine technology, Battlefield 3 delivers superior visual quality, a grand sense of scale, massive destruction, dynamic audio and incredibly lifelike character animations. As bullets whiz by, walls crumble, and explosions throw you to the ground, the battlefield feels more alive and interactive than ever before.

In Battlefield 3, players step into the role of the elite U.S. Marines where they will experience heart-pounding single player missions and competitive multiplayer actions ranging across diverse locations from around the globe including Europe, Middle-East and North America.

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Batman Arkham City: PS3

Confident women inspire me. And watching Catwoman strut around the Batman: Arkham City E3 demo was a sight to behold. I have no problems with Bruce Wayne -- he's a hero, he helps people, blah blah blah blah, yay Batman. But let's face it -- Batman isn't the kind of guy you'd want to have hanging around at a party. He's broody, he's pretty stiff, and is kind of an overall downer. I guess that's what the stress of saving the world does to you.

Catwoman, on the other hand, is fluid and sexy, slinking her way across the rooftops. She's sarcastic and funny, and does mean tricks with that whip. She'd also be an awesome party guest (although you'd need to check your valuables afterward).

Fellow IGN editor Kristine Steimer and I walked out of that demo and came to a conclusion: Now we only want to play as Catwoman.

by Dana Jongewaard

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The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

The Witcher 2 is CD Projekt RED's sequel to its 2007 role-playing game. It stars Geralt of Rivia as the main character. He's a witcher, which means he gets special powers and has crazy eyes and white hair. Like many modern role-playing games, the decisions you make as you move through the game will affect how events play out.

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What's new for the sequel?

A bunch of things, actually. First off, CD Projekt RED built its own engine for this game. That means no more modified Aurora engine used in the original, which BioWare had originally built for Neverwinter Nights. Basically it means The Witcher 2 is a lot prettier to look at than the first game.

That's it?

No, that's not it. There's also an all new combat system. Fighting in The Witcher 2 is now more like an action game than the first. You still get magical abilities, access to sword combos and explosives, but no longer have to deal with the awkward click-timing system of the first. Combat is a lot smoother in the sequel.

Can I still play dice in bars?

Yes, you can. You can play poker dice in bars, get into drunken brawls, and take on a bunch of side quests. It looks like there's going to be a lot of content here.

How much will the story actually change depending on my actions?

Quite a bit, actually. If you're breaking out of a dungeon, for instance, you can choose to be stealthy or slash your way out, which can lead to different results. But on a larger scale, it's possible to never even see major cities if you make certain decisions.

I'm an RPG nerd and I like to customize things. Can I do that in The Witcher 2?

Most definitely. Geralt is actually far more customizable this time around since, in addition to his skill trees and weapons, you can swap individual pieces of armor in and out for varying statistical bonuses. It's a fairly standard RPG feature, but something that was missing from the first.

Is this going to be a long game?

From what's been said so far, yeah, it looks like this is going to be a game that takes well beyond 20 hours to complete.

So is this on consoles or just PC?

For now The Witcher 2 is only on PC, though CD Projekt RED has stated on multiple occasions that it would like to bring the game to consoles. It'll be out this May.
by:Charles Onyett

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Posted in: Coming Soon

Gears of War 3 X 360

The Gears of War 3 online multiplayer beta launches on April 18 for Bulletstorm Epic Edition owners, and those who pre-ordered Gears of War 3 from participating retailers get in a week later, on April 25. The beta kicks off with Team Deathmatch on four maps: Thrashball, Checkout, Trenches and Old Town. Each map will give Gears fans a different taste of what to expect from the final multiplayer experience. Some are tight and intense, while others are wider open and more tactical.

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We recently sat down with Epic Games' Jim Brown and Wyeth Johnson to talk tactics, strategies and secrets for each of the four Gears of War 3 beta launch maps, and we'll be rolling out info on them all week long. If you're looking for more info, head over to our Gears of War 3 Beta FAQ for details on the beta dates, requirements, unlockables and rules.

On the surface, Thrashball looks like a long distance pot-shot paradise, where teams square off at either end and edge their way toward one another. In reality, though, the action happens at the sides of the map, especially at the concession stand at the top of the stairs. According to Epic, teams that own the mulcher on their way to claiming concessions can dominate the match. But that doesn't mean the team stuck on the field doesn't have any options.

There are two grenade spawns on Thrashball, which should make for some explosive action on the stairwells. And see that scoreboard looming overhead? As the match goes on, it'll drop down a few notches, until finally a well-placed shot from below can cut it loose entirely. On the downside, it'll crush anyone beneath it and prevent access to the power weapon (torque bow or digger laucher). On the plus side, the downed scorebard can provide much-needed cover for a team that's trapped on the field.

Check out the video above for a closer look at the ins and outs of Thrashball.

Like Thrashball, Checkout is set in the Cole Train's home town of Hanover. The action here will take place in an abandoned department store, ruined by war. There's a ton of cover on Checkout, and teams will gravitate toward the sides of the map. On one side, there's a mulcher machine gun protected by three low walls. On the other, there's a sniper rifle/digger launcher behind a raised platform. The team that goes for the sniper should also grab and hold that platform, where the frag grenades spawn.

Look for players to go into Checkout with the new sawed-off shotgun, which devastates enemies at extreme close range. Pro tip: If you head up onto the grenade platform and crouch in the far corner, you're out of range of anyone with a sawed-off shotgun on the ground below. Gears of War 3 introduces a spotting function that's new to the series, and Checkout is a great place to put it to use. Epic told me that in their internal playtests, on this map especially, the team that spots the most usually wins.

Trenches is just plain nuts. Epic's Jim Brown told me the layout of this map is a cross between a U and a T. That alone should make you want to try it out, just to see what it does to your brain. Modeled on an above-ground Locust mining camp, Trenches is a tight network of tunnels and blind corners. But it's also surprisingly vertical. The crane platform in the center of the map houses a mortar, and most of the fiercest fighting will probably happen here.

Those skirmishes will be complicated by the placement of the new Oneshot sniper rifle at the top of the opposite rise. It's a beast to operate, but it's deadly and well worth fighting for. The Oneshot's destructive goodness will only get you so far, though. There's a sandstorm environmental effect that blows through Trenches, bringing visibility down to about zero. At that point, it's best to drop what you're doing, whip out your shotgun and just start spraying and praying. Take a look at the video above for a detailed look at Trenches.

Epic is bringing a bit of color into Gears of War 3, and Old Town really shows that off. But don't get so distracted by the reds, greens and blues that you forget to watch your back. Old Town is a tricky map with dead-end alleys, strategically placed power weapons and a lot of elevation change. Your instinct might be to rush the middle of Old Town (killing chickens along the way), but the sides of the map are where the goodies are.

Teams will probably square off over the sniper rifle/Torque bow and Boomshot/Digger launcher. Epic told me the weapon drops and map layout were designed to keep teams moving. You'll definitely want to watch out for flankage here. Grab your weapon of choice, stick with your team and move from cover area to cover area. Hit the play button above to watch a video walkthrough of Old Town.

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Posted in: Coming Soon

Brink X 360

If you're the type of first-person shooter fan who thrives on headshots, sniping and camping, you're probably not going to like Brink. Splash Damage's shooter is all about team play. Expect to get routed if you're trying to do everything by yourself, because in Brink, it's simply not possible. Built across each of the game's maps are numerous objectives, many of which can only be completed by a certain character class. Only Operatives can hack, for instance, so if you're running around as a Medic, your best bet to achieve victory is to shadow one around and provide revives and healing whenever possible.

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Brink launches in less than a month on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and it's looking quite good. If you're familiar with Splash Damage's past work with the Enemy Territory takes on the Wolfenstein and Quake universes, that shouldn't be a surprise. These guys have proven they know how to let you have fun while working together.
The difference in Brink is that it's Splash Damage's first game not tied to an existing fiction. It has a story, a bold art style and mechanics that are more comparable to Team Fortress than to Call of Duty. The various maps in the game can be played on either Resistance or Security sides in sequence, or can be played in random order if you'd rather. Before each match you'll see an in-game cut-scene with voice acting to frame the objectives, and a short while later you're right into the action.

In terms of accessibility, Brink veers toward the more hardcore side of the spectrum. I can pick it up and play only because I've been playing Splash Damage games for years, but if you're unfamiliar with this type of objective-based online play, it won't be an easy transition. Splash Damage does its best to lower the barrier for entry by providing video tutorials. Full bot support is also included in Brink, which means if you don't want live players in your game, you won't need them. The artificial intelligence will run around maps and fight, complete objectives and use special class abilities just like real players would, letting you experience Brink without having to deal with fully leveled-up vets blasting you to pieces every five seconds. Considering the focus on team play, it's good to know that a game isn't ruined when one player drops out of an online match. When that happens, an AI will simply take over, meaning your team isn't suddenly one man down and you can continue on without interruption.

The four classes all get guns, but feature a wide range of class-specific abilities. These are unlocked as you progress through the game and dump points into skill trees. Medics heal and revive, Engineers build and repair, Operative put on disguises and hack, and Soldiers like to blow things up. Further along in the skill trees more powerful upgrades unlock, giving Engineers better speed for building turrets and mines and increasing the frag grenade blasts of Soldiers. Between the skills, primary and secondary weapons and outfits, there's a lot to acquire and customize while leveling up, which should ideally help maintain Brink's appeal in the months after launch.

Anyone who likes the Spy from Team Fortress or the Infiltrator from Quake Wars will likely gravitate toward the Operative. When this class makes a kill, it can grab a disguise from the body and take on the appearance of the opposing team. There's no backstab mechanic in Brink, but there is a melee attack. If you manage to put on a disguise and sneak into the enemy ranks, or better yet find an isolated target, you can then smash them with your gun, knock them over and unload a few shots for a quick kill. Then you scoop up a disguise from the body without giving anything away.

Of course I made that sound a lot easier than it actually is. As tends to happen in team games where someone can stealth, the opposing team is going to be wary of those suspiciously hovering around behind the front lines of battle waiting for someone to turn their back. You have to be smart about maneuvering around. Keep in mind that there are multiple stages of death in Brink too. If you get shot enough you'll keel over but, instead of dying, exist in a near-death state where you can either wait for a medic or for the respawn timer to count down. To steal a disguise, your enemy will need to be fully dead, which means you should shoot or melee the enemy on the ground until he stops twitching. You still need to wait a few seconds after initiating the disguise command for it to actually take effect, so trying to do this on bodies out in the open isn't going to work consistently.

Disguising can be used for more than just making kills. It's also useful for walking around unnoticed on your way to capture objectives as well as causing chaos on an enemy team when they realize there's an imposter in their ranks, making them susceptible to a coordinated push by your team. Again, communication is a key to success.

Often on a map you'll find yourself with the option of pursing multiple objectives. The primary one might be to escort a wheeled machine to a certain spot, but in the meantime you can find ways to capture command posts or open side doors or construct barricades, meaning the fight isn't always limited to one specific area. Splash Damage makes travel between all these points of interest faster with its contextual movement system where, by holding a button, your character will rapidly vault and climb while running to maintain speed, which seems especially useful to avoid getting stuck on the wrong side of a ramp's railing or accessing less exposed walkways to move around the map without absorbing too many bullets.

This is just one of the many ways to play in Splash Damage's game, which hopefully lives up to the studio's pedigree when it's released early next month.\
by: Charles Onyett

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Posted in: Coming Soon

L.A. Noire X360

L.A. Noire is the latest from Rockstar Games, developed primarily by Team Bondi, a small Australian company. It's really different from anything else Rockstar has made.

What's the story?

You play as Cole Phelps, a war hero just back home from killin' Nazis. It's 1947 and the LAPD is so deeply corrupted only a golden boy like Cole Phelps could possibly improve their image. Phelps must deal with this corruption in the department first-hand while solving cases, lovin' up the ladies, and shooting gangsters.

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Rockstar Games has stated that the cases throughout the game were "inspired by real cases" of the era, such as the infamous Black Dahlia case that occurred in Los Angeles around that time period. Every new investigation starts with a crime scene and depending on the details you discover there, you'll set the next story element in motion.

In addition to the case inspiration, Rockstar Games has also stated that "90 percent of downtown's buildings and signage were recreated for the game with authentic 40's type and design." Expect to see familiar landmarks such as the Los Angeles City Hall.

When's it coming out?

May 17, 2011 for PS3 and Xbox 360.

What's the gameplay like?

It's really an old-school adventure game, where you search for clues at crime scenes and then interrogate witnesses and suspects until you figure out who committed the crime.
From your start on the Patrol Desk in the LAPD, you work your way up through Traffic, Homicide, Vice, and Arson as you successfully solve cases along the way. Every case has "only one truth," so it's up to you to find the best route to get it.

How do interrogations work?

L.A. Noire features some pretty hot tech called MotionScan, which perfectly recreates the facial animations -- even the eye movements -- of actors. Your job is to read the character's face and mannerisms and figure out if they are telling the truth, holding something back, or flat out lying.

Given a button to decide if the suspect is telling the truth, lying, or if you doubt them, you'll then lock or unlock options as to how to proceed based on your success. Wrongly accuse someone and you may no longer be able to utilize their information to finish the case.

How does it compare to GTA?

It really doesn't. You're a good guy -- there's no question there. While you can explore a very realistic-looking Los Angeles, there's no sandbox here. It's more about solving cases than playing darts with friends. There are shootouts though and the cover system and controls are like GTA IV. Car chases and the pursuit of suspects also play a critical role in the progression of the game, but this isn't a game where you'll be yanking citizens from their vehicles.

Is there multiplayer?

Nope. Not unless Rockstar is holding something back and waiting to surprise us. Multiplayer doesn't fit L.A. Noire. You won't miss it.

Are there any differences between systems or version?

Actually, yes there are. If you purchase the game on Playstation 3, you'll have access to an additional Traffic case called "Consul's Car" that isn't available on Xbox.
Certain retailers are also offering pre-order incentives to get you to use their services. Buyers who purchase at Walmart will get access to a Traffic Desk case called "Slip of the Tongue." GameStop is offering a Vice Desk case called "The Naked City." The retailer-specific cases will be available on both Xbox 360 and PS3.

How's it looking?

It's really, really different and that's pretty exciting, but it's hard to say how the adventure elements will play out. If interrogations feel dynamic and not frustrating, L.A. Noire will be something special.

The MotionScan technology really captures the actors portraying the roles and you'll quite literally recognize some familiar faces throughout the game that you've seen in movies and on television.

by: Hilary Goldstein

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Posted in: Coming Soon

Dead Island

Serious. Somber. Disturbing. These are words I would use to describe Dead Island's amazing debut trailer.
You saw it, right?
Today I got to see about 15 minutes of Dead Island in action. What words would I use to describe the gameplay?

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Silly. Wacky. Goofy.

Oh, and fun.

Dead Island is a first-person hack-and-slash game set in the midst of a zombie outbreak in a tropical paradise. It's more Dead Rising than Resident Evil, with a focus on action over suspense. The developers themselves say they're going for "zombie zombie zombie all the time." An abundance of makeshift weapons lying around like paddles, baseball bats, and wrenches – and the fact that these can be combined and upgraded – further reminds me of Dead Rising.

A game trailer that shows no gameplay might be entertaining, but it is useless as a metric for judging a game's quality.
Then there is the four-player cooperative play, also giving Dead Island a little Left 4 Dead flavor. At the beginning of the game you select your character (which represents your class) and are stuck with that choice for the duration of the adventure. Whomever you choose, you are special among the survivors on the island -- you seem to be the only person immune to the zombie disease, and therefore can go toe-to-toe with the undead without fear of being converted.

The game has a very different tone than the somber trailer. It's fast and arcade-like. The plaintive piano and strings of the trailer are replaced with video game heavy metal. You can be clawed, bitten, and mauled by zombies and then be in perfect health a moment later. Tools and equipment can be jammed together to create ridiculous weapons, like an electrified machete. Is an electrified machete cool? Of course it is! But the macabre giggles it coaxed out of me are quite different than the quiet unease I felt while watching the trailer.

When developer Techland played Dead Island for me today, they chose the stereotypical "video game black guy" character. As he ran around slicing up zombies and bashing in their heads, he would exclaim things like, "Daaaaaamn, that bitch was huge!" and "You a dead bitch now!" Imagine hearing that sort of commentary over the trailer that depicted the tragic death of a young girl.

Games are about gameplay, not CGI movies. A game trailer that shows no gameplay might be entertaining, but it is useless as a metric for judging a game's quality. This should be an obvious statement, but think about how many game trailers we see these days that are bereft of gameplay footage. You can create an incredible trailer that draws attention to your game (DC Universe comes to mind), but that trailer could very well end up being more entertaining than the actual game (DC Universe comes to mind).

What if Angry Birds was really an advertisement to promote a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds? It would still be an amazing game, but it wouldn't have anything to do with that movie. Would that make any sense? It's an extreme example, but a lesser form of that bait-and-switch is happening with Dead Island.

The takeaway: Dead Island looks like good fun, even if the debut trailer was a little disingenuous. Like shooting Nazis or making robots explode, hacking up zombies really never gets old, and Dead Island seems to offer a slightly different perspective on the pastime. The level I saw today was fairly straightforward, consisting of moving from point A to point B to point C while dispatching the zombies that got in our way. But at one point I saw a plane coming in for a landing. That fascinated me: does the outside world not know of the outbreak? Did someone send help? Is a zombie flying the plane?! I look forward to finding out.

The next step is for us to actually play the game for ourselves, which we'll get the chance to do before

E3.

by: Daemon Hatfield

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Posted in: Coming Soon