STALKER: Clear Sky - Careless stalk costs lives in a radioactive revisionist prequel

Somewhere, in the murky gap between what we want and what we actually get, there’s a sense that games which simply allow us to explore aren’t turning up frequently enough. The original Chernobyl-based shooter from Ukrainian developers GSC Gameworld disappointed some gamers by drawing us inexorably into its weird storyline and then not encouraging (or allowing) us to delve into its intricate world of dereliction. That, and a number of other issues, should get addressed in Clear Sky, which is a prequel set in that same mutant-ridden exclusion zone in the depths of the Ukraine. Once again you take on the mantle of a stalker looking for riches and adventure, but this time you get to be rather more selfish with the story.

In Clear Sky’s more open world there will be much more of a focus on allowing players to make their own way in the zone. The various factions which made an appearance in the original game will be better defined and will now have their own storylines, missions and AI interactions. Each faction will now have a definite HQ, with their own mission-dispensing commanders and helpful traders. You’ll be working alongside the agents these factions have sent out into the zone, or coming into conflict with them.

While there was only a small selection of faction-based decisions we were able to make in the original Stalker game, Clear Sky will be all about deciding who you want help out, and who you want to kill. Decisions about who to shoot and who to talk to will take place dynamically out in the radioactive wilderness. Ultimately, GSC tell us, you’ll be able to lead a single faction to victory.

The new game is also incrementally improving the original technology, with the new DirectX 10 lighting making a huge difference to the look of the world. Those ‘watery sheen’ effects mean that it’s even more dank and murky than ever before, making for far more detailed atmospheric horror amid the crumbling Soviet landscape. The real question, though, is not about GSC’s visual talents, but whether the much-discussed A-Life artificial intelligence systems, which control interactions in the world once scripted events have been triggered, will really allow gamers to attain a sense of place and exploration. There has been a feeling that, despite GSC’s claims, the living world systems it developed essentially took a back seat to the linear storyline that was so awkwardly delivered via NPCs and PDA messages. Allowing the game, and the gamer, to just get on with living in the zone could mean discovering more about what players actually want from the experimental end of FPS games

THEY Hands-On

There’s been a bit of buzz about Metropolis Software’s latest project in development, They. The first-person shooter places you in the heart of London in the near future and pits you against an army of invading robots. They’s canned premise sounds painfully generic at first, but the title has some interesting twists in store for those looking for a good reason to pick up a gun and fight.

Right off the bat, They breaks away from the traditional shooter weapons system. You won’t find new weapons as you play through the game. Instead, you’ll collect various parts that can be used to tune your weapon in order to create your own custom-made Swiss Army gun.

Above: They shifts the focus from the protagonist to what matters most in a shooter, your weapon

The weapon tuning screen features slots for the upper and lower barrels, gadgets and generators. Like Ripley at the end of Aliens, you can mix and match the parts you find to create your favorite combination of weapon types with gadgets that range from scopes to improved grips that increase aiming accuracy. Plans are also in the works to include additional customization options that’ll let you paint your weapon and even decorate it with your own custom designs.

Finding new parts in They to tweak your weapon feels like the shooter equivalent of upgrading an RPG character with new gear and skills. We’ve always had trouble identifying with the man behind the gun in most shooters, so it’s interesting that They shifts the focus from the protagonist to what matters most: your weapon.

Above: They has its fair share of eye candy. It’s running on a tweaked version of the Nexus Engine, which was used in Metropolis Software’s last project, Infernal

But even though we didn’t find ourselves drawn in by They’s main character, the title’s plot does have promise. You’ll notice that orange ethereal entities float above some of the killer robots you encounter. These specters improve the killer robots’ AI, making them m ore dangerous. When the orange spirits are pulling the strings, the robots under their control will be more likely to play it smart by taking cover and trying to flank you. You can’t shoot these orange menaces and if you defeat a robot that’s guided by one of them, they’ll move on to the next host to cause you further grief.

Who are these untouchable entities and why are they attacking? That’s the real mystery of They. And the key to unraveling the connection between the orange specters and their army of machines seems to be a young child who appears to you in visions throughout the game. The creepy and surprisingly articulate tyke speaks in riddles and suggests that there’s a lot more going on behind this seemingly straight forward invasion. We’ve been told that he’s not like Alma, but as far as plot devices go he does seem quite similar doesn’t he?

With a tweaked out gun fit for Ripley, specters that seem inspired by H.R. Giger, and a mysterious boy who’s totally not Alma, They may not be the most original game we’ve seen lately, but it’s borrowing from all the right places and looks quite promising on the whole. They is currently scheduled to release sometime in 2009 and plans are in the works for releases on the PC, 360 and PS3. We’ll keep you updated as more news on its progress rolls in. In the meantime, click here for the latest screenshots of this upcoming shooter.

Ghostbuster: The Video Game: Co-op, DLC, and story info

Speaking to videogaming247 at the Sierra Spring Break 08 in Mallorca last week, Terminal Reality president Mark Randel said that Peter Venkman will have a love interest in the upcoming Ghostbusters game, a lady that doubles as the game’s heroine.

He also told of the enormous input Dan Akroyd and Harold Ramis had on the game.

“They co-wrote the script for the videogame. They introduced a lot of stuff that we didn’t think of,” he said.

“They took the game to higher level than we could have done. Harold Ramis added a heroine for example, so now Peter Venknman has a love interest in the game.

“Dan Akroyd went so far as to write down all the equipment that you use and write that in to the Ghostbusters mythology.”

Ghosbusters will with us this October for PS3, 360, Wii, PS2 and DS.

Nintendo Says No Dice On Metroid Trilogy Wii

Nintendo has come out to quash the rumor that a Metroid Prime Trilogy will be coming to the Wii. The rumor stems from a post on GoNintendo, where a tipster claimed that the computers of a known retailer had the game listed under the Wii section. Rumor mill for now, but it could be true.

The Getaway PS3 in pre-production

We can’t say we were ever huge fans of the PS2 Getaway games, as they lacked in many areas in terms of gameplay. However, their effort to try and offer gamers some solid British Gangster videogaming was a welcome one. We just wish it came off better than it did.

Nevertheless, it now seems as if Sony’s London Studio will be getting another chance to impress, as the PS3 version of the game has finally been confirmed to be pre-production, and is being currently worked on at the studio.

The Guardian reporters that “A small team is working on pre-production for the next iteration of The Getaway” at the moment. In the future they will apparently be “joined by the bulk of the Eight Days team when the latter is completed.”

If you have not heard, Eight Days is a similarly styled action game that the studio are also working on, but it also remains rather mysterious at this time.

Hopefully the studio will make a better effort this time, and deliver something like Get Carter and The Long Good Friday in virtual form this time round.

Regardless, the fact Sony are working on the game is great news in our opinion, as the lack of info since the game was demonstrated in May 2005 at E3 was disappointing.

We still have a long wait though.

Joystiq Impressions: Prototype

After a recent demo of Sierra's Prototype, I came away feeling a little less excited for the title than when I started. I'm still anticipating its Fall, 2008 360/PC/PS3 release, assuming it ships on time. I think it could be an exciting third-person action/mystery. But I'm uncertain about if it will become a cohesive experience by then; I saw well-executed elements but I'm not sure if they will combine.

And admittedly, Prototype's open-world scope is much too big to take in from a single demonstration. The fast, physical action and control look better than other games, with the the player able to change fighting techniques and attacks at any moment. Developer, Radical Entertainment didn't spill too much about the story, only repeating that you play an amnesiac with the ability to morph into other peoples' identities.

I hope that plot can connect to the action. I think it could, especially because the character gains the memories and abilities of the identities he steals. And while the anti-hero is becoming a cliche, Radical stressed that you're not trying to save Manhattan from its plague of monsters. You're out for yourself, and the story is supposed to explain why.

Picture1 | Picture2 | Picture3 | Picture4

Prototype is a fairly open game, letting players wander through all of Manhattan, although it's not a literal building-for-building remake. The demo I saw centered on the ability to fight through situations, although gamers will be able to choose a sneakier path, walking in shadows and impersonating others.

The city has been infested with a plague, turning some people into zombies and introducing other monsters. Even the buildings evoke this wasteland setting, decaying with the exposure. The military has moved in -- in addition to a shadow group of mercenaries -- and you're at the center of the mess.

While you've lost your memory, you've gained unnatural powers. One attack swings your arm out like a tentacle, striking everyone in the vicinity. Your hands can turn into claws, quickly cutting down others. A punch into the ground can raise a circle of spikes around you.

But the shape-shifting and movement are the most important powers. By touching any other person, you can take their form, and meander through the city mostly unnoticed. Or you can run -- literally -- up buildings and scamper along ledges, moving over any surface.

The story will require players to steal certain identities. For example, if you can take the form of a military commander without being seen, you can run that local outpost. One part of the story will even have you pretend to be a pilot, flying missions and following orders until you get enough clearance to learn more about your history.

I saw a couple of these 25 military bases, and like the rest of the game, the graphics seemed adequate but not a highlight of the game. Sure, details are being optimized, and some areas clearly were being further developed. But there still seems to be a lot of work to finish by the fall.

The animation, however, looked fluid and fantastic. Everything moved at a strained pace, from the character hopping between buildings, to the black-ops attackers trying to bring him down. These aspects should make Prototype a physical thrill, regardless of how much the other visuals improve.

Maybe I was hoping for too much, wanting to see Prototype neatly come together in front of me after a brief demonstration. The massive open-world setting and twisted characters are messy. Whether the story can give a through-line or not, that chaos could be a good thing.

Team Fortress 2 Medic Update Confirmed for Next Week

While it was only hearsay and bordering on a rumor earlier today, it is now confirmed that the major update for Team Fortress 2 will not arrive until "early next week."

Valve's Robin Walker kindly responded to my inquiry of whether or not the "rumor" of a delay was true, and that the update would not hit until next week.

"Yes, it should be out early next week."
Robin.

Undoubtedly busy, I'd like to thank Mr. Walker for confirming this for us. Expect to see Goldrush and entire teams consisting of Medics starting early next week. The exact day and time are not yet known.

Preview: Mafia 2

There's no doubt about it that the first Mafia game was nothing short of a fantastic crime-sim. If there was one game worthy of the Godfather name, it would be Mafia. Its release followed the launch of Grand Theft Auto III, but unlike GTA's more cartoon-like presence, Mafia boasted superb visuals that aimed for grit and realism, in addition to an amazing story, coupled with great gameplay. Unfortunately, the console versions of the game weren't as great as the PC game was. But we're in a new generation, and the sequel is being developed primarily for consoles, this time around.

Mafia II takes place in Metro City, and is set in the 1940s and 1950s. Just like the first game, you can expect to see many similarities to 1940s/50s New York when driving around Metro City, as it will feature the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, and other landmarks. The game's story revolves around Vito, and picks up with his return from World War II. He chose the military over jail time, after getting caught for robbery. Upon his return, he reunites with his long-time friend Joe. A plan is devised between the two, and so their underworld campaign begins. Take-Two is claiming a very story driven game with two hours worth of game cut-scenes, and a script that consists of 700 pages, which is almost two times larger than the first game.

Mafia's writer and director, Daniel Vavra, spoke about the creation of the game's story and said: "The old game was a tribute to gangster movies, a romantic vision. Mafia 2 is grittier, real, a darker world, and the effects are based in reality". Mafia II will take you up the criminal ladder by starting you from the bottom, almost simulating the life of a gangster. But if you think you're going to be all alone in the underworld, you're sorely mistaken.

Your crime-battles will consist of three other families: the Falconis, the Vincis, and the Clementes. Situations are all yours to control, as different outcomes shape different gameplay paths, and ultimately bring you to a different ending. Screwing up a mission won't always result in having to replay it, but instead will result in suffering a consequence of some sort. And full-scale firefights will be rare, as Vito and Joe choose to run silently, and kill using stealthier measures.

With Grand Theft Auto IV boasting one of the best implementations of a living, breathing city, you can bet your bottom dollar that Take-Two wants to make sure that their other crime-game does all of that and more. An extensive list of features has been made available and it details a plethora of incredible things. For example, cars that update as the years go by; damage more realistic than anything available, including exploding gas tanks; piloting airplanes; non-playable characters with their own agendas, such as waiting for a bus, smoking, reading a paper, bums looking through garbage, etc; gyms to upgrade fighting styles and combos; gun-play somewhat similar to Gears of War; environmental interactivity that'll let you use sink faucets, switches, chairs, bottles, and radios; environmental interactivity is for either normal use, or violent use; and much more.

Take a look at the remainder of what else you can expect to see:

• Readable newspapers.
• Fully open city from the start of the game - supposedly twice larger than Mafia 1.
• Obeying laws of traffic and streets to avoid unnecessary attention.
• A home to buy, used for storing gear, cars, home base, etc.
• Buying food and drinks in restaurants to increase health.
• Customizable car - trunks can be used to hide weapons and bodies.
• On-screen map for navigation.
• All new checkpoint system.

Visually, Mafia II is looking fantastic. If these screenshots are any indication of the final product, I'd go as far as to say that we're looking at a game that may soon topple Grand Theft Auto IV from a purely aesthetic level. If 2K Czech indeed manages to make a world that is every bit as superb as GTAIV's, then the technical bar for a living, breathing city will be rising yet again next year. Thankfully, in terms of console leadership, Mafia II doesn't have a lead-console, as both the PS3 and Xbox 360 are the lead-platforms in development.

Mafia II is still about a year away from release, so the wait is on. It's expected to arrive for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 next Spring, with a PC release later on.

New Motorstorm 2 scans

Here are new scans of Motorstorm 2

Picture 1 | Picture 2 | Picture 3

Analyst: GTA IV 'is going to be game of the year'

As gamers around the world gear up for the release of Grand Theft Auto IV, which hits store shelves Tuesday, the highly anticipated title is not only expected to race into record books as the fastest-selling video game ever, but be awarded distinctions along the way.

“This is going to be the game of the year,” said Edward Woo, video game industry analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities.

According to Woo, GTA IV’s appeal is fueled by its captivating storyline and open-world format.

“Instead of just watching a movie and being fed the story you can go another way and the movie goes in that direction,” Woo told AFP.

“That is what people want; more interactive entertainment rather than watching a TV show.”

While controversy surrounds the title, as critics remain concerned that games like GTA IV breed criminals, U.S. statistics show that violent crimes by children have been on the decline for years.

“If there is this big causal trend you would expect to see a large leap in violent crime among kids, but there is not,” said Mia Consalvo, an assistant professor specializing in video game research at Ohio University.

Grand Theft Auto IV’s blend of controversy, innovative play, compelling story, and its momentum from previous games of the series has created a “perfect storm” around the franchise, Consalvo said.

Your guide to pre-game Grand Theft Auto 4

This guide will help you prepare for GTA-4 so you’ll get the full experience out of your game play. I will be listing 10 steps for the best experience.

The first step in prepping for GTA 4 is to:
Make sure you charge/ buy new batteries, this way during the game your controller doesn’t die on you while kickin some ass.

The second step is to:
Go to your local store and bulk up on drinks and snack foods, the energy drinks of-corse are for the late nights you’ll have playing the game and the food well you can guess that.

The third step is to:
Make your gaming area comfortable as possible, keep the temperature around 60-65 degrees, as well as the place you’ll be sitting at.

The forth step is to:
Make sure to clean off some space on your memory card/hardrive so you don’t have to pause the game for nothing.

The fifth step is to:
If you still live with you parent/guardians make sure you get all your chores done, nobody wants to be doing stuff like that.

The sixth step is to:
Clean your T.V Screen for clearness and quality of your picture.

The seventh step is to:
Buy a strategy guide if you think your going to have a bit of trouble with the game, also these guides sometimes have secrets about the game that will help you along the way. :)

The eighth step is to:
Keep all lights, window blinds and bright things closed/off, this will help your eyes better adjust to the game and keep the concentration on the game and not something else.

The ninth step is to:
Take a pre game shower, chances are your not going to want to stop playing this game for nothing, even if you stink.

The tenth and final step is to:
Try and reduce the amount of noise around you, this means turning off your computers, fans, and even taping your little brothers mouth shut SO BE IT!

Source

Jack Thompson Gets GTA IV Ads Yanked from Miami-Dade Transit

A complaint by Jack Thompson has prompted Miami’s transit authority to remove ads for Grand Theft Auto IV from local bus shelters.

Miami thus joins Chicago as the second major US city to pull GTA IV ads from its public transit system in recent days.

GamePolitics reported on Thursday that Thompson had complained about the GTA IV ads to Miami Mayor Carlos Alvarez. The GTA IV ads were apparently removed sometime on Friday afternoon. Hugh Chen, Miami-Dade Transit’s deputy director of operations, told GamePolitics on Friday evening, via e-mail:

The posters were removed after a review of our approval process and contract… Be assured that the circumstances around placing and removing these specific posters were reviewed before action was taken. We are governed by our contract with our shelter contractor and County ordinances.

A spokesman for GTA IV publisher Take-Two Interactive said the company was still reviewing the situation. A spokesman for the ESA referred inquiries back to Take-Two.

For his part, Thompson wasted no time in crowing about the removal of the ads in a news release:

…Jack Thompson has today persuaded the Miami-Dade Transit System to pull all advertisements for the Grand Theft Auto IV cop-killing simulation game from its bus stops.

In the wake of this success, Thompson is proceeding to get all GTA IV ads pulled from all US transit systems since such ads clearly violate promises made by the [ESRB], found right at its web site, not to place “Mature-rated” game ads in venues that will be seen by teens.

However, Thompson’s contention about the ESRB appears to be incorrect. An ESRB spokesman told GP on Friday, “Considering the overwhelmingly adult demographic profile of mass transit riders… the placement of GTA IV ads in these types of outlets would typically not be in violation of [Ad Review Council] guidelines.” Nor do the advertising guidelines listed on the ESRB website appear to support Thompson’s contention.

Thompson may be confusing the ESRB ad guidelines with a 2002 report on the marketing of media violence by the Federal Trade Commission which addressed limiting the advertising of M-rated games in media where children constitute a specific percentage of the potential audience. The FTC report notes that the video game industry has a self-regulatory standard prohibiting print ads when children comprise more than 45% of the likely audience.

In his news release, the embattled Thompson also alleged a conspiracy between the video game industry and the judge who presided over his nine-day trial on Florida Bar ethics charges last November. That judge’s recommendation on Thompson’s future status as an attorney is expected in August.

God of War III wishlist: 11 key features

GamePro's got God of War on the brain. The celebrate the news that God of War III is "coming soon," we're presenting a list of 12 key features we're dying to see. Add your own God of War III wishlists in the comments below!

Did you know?

Kratos is actually based off an obscure character of Greek myth: "Cratos." Described as the son of Zeus and a slave to his will, his name means "power" or "force." An apt description for God of War's anti-hero!

Start where God of War II left off. At the conclusion of God of War II, Kratos storms a crumbling Mt. Olympus with a mob of gigantic Titan allies, hellbent on slaying Zeus and the rest of the Greek gods. A truly great God of War 3 would pick up right here, without any flashbacks or other distractions. Given the titanic stakes involved, we'd rather get on with butchering the lesser gods early so we can move on to bigger and better things...like squashing the all-powerful Zeus and his brother, Hades. Speaking of which...

Another amazing first level. God of War opened during an epic battle with the multi-headed Hydra sea serpent; God of War II gave us the amazing Colossus of Rhodes encounter; and Chains of Olympus blew away PSP owners with its Basilisk boss fight. God of War games never wait until late in the game to bring out the big guns, and often serve up the most memorable moments within the first hour or two. As the first God of War to land on the PlayStation 3, we're hoping for an impossibly grandiose first level in God of War 3. Don't let us down, Sony!

A duel with the Hecatonchires. The offspring of Gaia and Uranus, these obscure mythological beasts were truly monstrous, "each of them having a hundred hands and fifty heads." They're reputed to be stronger and tougher than even the brutish Titans...in fact, they were partly responsible for overthrowing the Titans to begin with. A beast with fifty heads and a hundred hands would make a truly formidable foe for Kratos. Just think of the decapitation possibilities...

A discus weapon. For better or worse, God of War's projectile weapons have always been on the simple side. The magic bow and arrow (Typhon's Bane) and a generic magical blast (Light of Dawn) work pretty much the same, and are only effective as support-level weapons. A blessed discus could be a truly devastating weapon, though. There's historical basis, too, because the discus has its roots in ancient Greece and was an event in the first Olympic games in 776 B.C.

Sixaxis motion controls. The motion-sensing Sixaxis controller gets a bad rap. Used as a main control scheme, it can be admitted awful (see Lair). But used in small doses, Sixaxis can be fun little extra - Resistance let you shake the controller to douse flames. The Sixaxis might make sense as a way to control a discus-style weapon (see above) in mid-flight, chopping off heads and limbs as it tears through the room in slo-mo.

The return of the Gauntlet of Zeus. Introduced in the PSP prequel Chains of Olympus, this deadly weapon is the ultimate close-quarters killing machine and quite possibly the best weapon ever introduced in the series (aside from those iconic Blades of Chaos). Faster and sleeker than the clumsy Barbarian Hammer, this brutal melee weapon would be the perfect weapon to smash the grin of Zeus's face.

Native 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second. The PlayStation 3 is the only current game console that can (technically) output a full 1920 x 1080 progressive-scan signal. Unfortunately, only a handful of games have capitalized on this feature. Seeing a true 1080p signal on a native 1080p HD TV is awe-inspiring, making it a perfect feature for those jaw-dropping moments in God of War 3. Luckily, God of War II producer Cory Barlog hinted at a 1080p God of War 3 before he exited Sony for a career in films. Running at 60 frames per second, for buttery-smooth animations and choke-free battles, is an almost sure bet -- every game in the series, with the exception of the PSP's Chains of Olympus, has run at a solid 60 frames per second. We'd expect no less with God of War 3.

Bigger, better challenge modes. The God of War games have all included bonus "Challenge Modes" that have drawn a mixed reaction from gamers. The challenge rounds tend to have rather boring goals ("kill four minotaurs, but none of the undead soldiers!") and are often too hard, with too little payoff, to be truly enjoyable and replayable. In God of War 3, we'd rather see a boss battle mode, ala Shadow of the Colossus, where you try to quickly and efficiently beat game bosses in exchange for red orbs and new items. It's a nice thought, at least.

The end of the Gods. God of War creator David Jaffe has hinted at some major storyline developments in God of War 3. Jaffe once famously said that the "God of War [series] ultimately will explain why there are no more Greek myths." Though Jaffe no longer part of the project and has moved on to Eat Sleep Play). What could be more epic than the final, total destruction of the Greek gods?

The death of Kratos. This would tie into the death of the Gods story arc (see above). Kratos is a tormented soul, a pawn to Zeus and a slave to the memories of his past atrocities...including the murder of his wife and daughter. For Kratos, death would serve as a victory, a kind of ultimate release. We hope he gets what's coming to him.

A labyrinth level where you're stalked by the mother-of-all-Minotaurs. Remember Theseus and his ball of string? We need say no more.

Wii Fit sells 90 copies per minute

According to UK retailer Woolworths, Wii Fit has been selling 90 copies for each minute that passes by. A good number of people also waited outside the store in the morning to be one of the first to purchase the game. Although not every store has sold out of copies, it is expected that many stores will run out of stock as soon as today. Wii Fit launched in Europe just a few hours ago, and has already been released in Japan. American gamers can get their hands on a copy on May 19th.

New Soulcalibur IV characters will make you... horny?

We've been eagerly awaiting every new batch of Soulcalibur IV screens like baby pigs waiting for mama to flop over and give them breakfast (ask your mother if you don't understand the imagery). Why so eager? Because new shots always either reveal new characters in the gorgeous upcoming fighter or confirm returning favorites from previous games. Which is exciting because we played this game last week and it's sah-weet. Like candy, but with a bloody, metallic taste to it. Oh, and giant boobs, which we've never seen in a candy.

So, who are the latest skull-crackers whose souls still burn? First off, you're looking at Rock, nailing that "brawny barbarian who wears dead animals on his head" category in which so many games fall short. According to Wiki, his real name is Nathaniel. Yeah, we kinda always thought he was a caveman too.

Next comes Talim, whom you can see below clad in stylish puffy pants and pillow hat. She's a cutesy, acrobatic girl who fights with twin, bladed tonfa and could apparently control the wind until she was exposed to the evil Soul Edge's sword's negative energy (or something). But what really strikes us about Talim is that her mammaries aren't the size of flotation devices. It might be because she's underaged though, so we're not going to discuss it any further just in case it's illegal.

Finally, Yoshimitsu. What is there to say about this dude other than, "He's a medieval Japanese swordsman who wears a spooky mask and who lost an arm fighting Lord Nobunaga and replaced it with a wooden, cyborg-y one, which he uses to hold his katana - which is also named Yoshimitsu and which is demonically tainted?" So, a typical Soulcalibur character.

Oddly enough, that story is actually more boring than we expected - Yoshimitsu is often modeled like some kind of ghost cyborg or something. Still, as the only fighter whose costume seems to include a necklace made of tribbles, he's still one of our favorites.

Hit the screenshots link above to get these images and many more in all their glory.

Source

Wii sales to reach 50 million by March 2009

Nintendo forecasts huge sales for both Wii and Nintendo DS in coming year.

Nintendo has made a massive statement of intent, forecasting massive sales of both its Nintendo DS and Wii console for the coming financial year, which if correct will see the Wii only a breath away from 50 million unit sales and the DS a whisker away from 100 million unit sales.

Life to date sales of the Wii and Nintendo DS stand at 24.45 million units and 70.6 million respectively. In the 12 months ending March 31, 2008 the Wii sold 18.61 million units and the DS 30.31 million units.

It's the massive upturn in forecast Wii sales which will strike fear into the competition though. 12-month sales of 25 million would see the console open up a seemingly unbeatable lead in this console generation and leave the PS3 and Xbox 360 to battle it out for second place. In the same time frame the Nintendo DS is forecast to sell a further 28 million units.

Software sales on Nintendo's two platforms are also strong, with million seller titles rising from 30 to 57 titles on the DS and from 5 to 26 on the Wii. Games of note include Pokemon Diamond and Pearl (14.77 million units to date), the Brain Age series (23.81 million units to date), Wii Fit (1.85 million units in Japan) and Super Smash Bros. Brawl (1.61 million units in Japan and 3.24 million units in North America).

Nintendo expects sales of Nintendo DS software in the 12 months ending March 2009 to reach 187 million units, with Wii software sales not far behind at 177 million units.

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Third-Person Call Of Duty Game Cancelled Because It Was "A Mess"

So the rumour's been SMASHED. Activision Underground, who were supposedly working on a third-person Call of Duty game, weren't closed down because of a non-existent "exclusivity" deal Infinity Ward signed with Activision. And yet, closed down they were. Why? Maybe for reasons a little less eye-catching. Somebody "close" to Activision Underground has got in touch with us, and let us know that the studio was indeed at work on a third-person action-adventure CoD, which would have been based on special ops forces and would feature "very different kinds of gameplay". Only problem was, the game turned out to be, well, a big ol' pile of crap.

Our source says that its mechanics "were a mess", the story was "terrible" and that "it took every cliché you hated from every other squad-based military shooter and stuffed it into COD". Ouch. Apparently the game was cancelled - and the studio closed down - soon after it was first shown to Infinity Ward & Activision, who "had a fit" at what they'd seen. For what it's worth, fingers are being pointed at the game's creative director, who "hired a team of utter beginners and tossed the project to them without any metrics or direction".

Source

Mirror's Edge Preview

EA’s forthcoming Mirror’s Edge is a city-spanning action title that takes place in the sort of obligatory futuristic urban sprawl you might find in a William Gibson cyberpunk novel or the dystopia of Blade Runner - but with at least one glaring difference. The stereotypical stylistic copout of the Rainy, Grungy Neon Night has been replaced with Stark, Startling Broad Daylight.

From EA’s demo event during the 2008 Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco, Mirror’s Edge is a cyberpunk take on the contemporary, kinda-sorta urban sport known as ‘free running’ or, if you want to sound even pooftier about it, ‘parkour’. There is a distinction between the two… but the sort of people who would actually bring that up in conversation are routinely atomic-wedgied in most first-world countries.

Players take the role of urban-hottie protagonist Faith, whose job it is in this futuristic urban setting to literally ‘run’ data or packages from one place to another (in parkour parlance, she would be called a traceuse, the female form of the term traceur). Apparently, the state of electronic surveillance and eavesdropping in the world is such a stranglehold that no information of importance can be trusted to ‘traditional’ electronic transmission. Runners like Faith and her kin are the only reliable option.

Faith’s adventures look like a day-lit foot messenger’s take on the opening scenes of The Matrix, when Trinity was trying like hell to escape from the Agents. The kicker is, it’s all first-person. She’ll run, scramble, and jump from rooftop to rooftop, fire escape to external air duct, window ledge to whatever-the-hell is jutting out from the side of a building. All of which you'll see through Faith’s eyes, often looking at, out at, and down on her feet and flailing arms as she jams and leaps from place to place… and engage in martial-arts combat. Evidently, Faith has a ‘thing’ about guns, so if you’re going to bring the pain, you’re going to have to do it with your hands or feet, or whatever the immediate environment offers. Your foes, meanwhile, don’t share the same compunctions about sending small, life-ending bits of lead or depleted uranium your way. So good luck with that.

Obviously, there’s a lot to keep track of while you’re doing all this running around - not the least of which is knowing, at a glance, what particular protruding pieces of the urban landscape are suitable to grab onto, slide on, pinwheel off of, or otherwise utilize. Accordingly, the useful bits of the urban sprawl are highlighted in easily-recognized colors while you’re on the run, so there’s as much potential for fight-or-flight instinct as there is for calm, rational decision-making (often hard to scrape together when you’re being murderously pursued across rooftops and down fire escapes).

Mirror's Edge - or again, what has been shown thus far - has a vibrant, bright, out-in-the-sunlight animated look that gleefully - and beautifully - flies in the face of the expected ‘dark future’ cityscape. The specifics of the plot or additional mechanics have not been revealed yet. The game’s release date is slated as “some time this year”, so thanks a load for that, EA Games, but GR will keep a greedy messenger’s eye on the cityscape as more details emerge on this unique, stylish non-shooter.

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GTA IV Street Date Broken

A few days ago a couple of our forum regulars received “order dispatched” emails from the e-tailers in which they had bought GTA IV. We thought this sounded a little worrying: while we are sure e-tailers such as dstore.com.au and dvdcrave.com.au informed Australia Post’s finest not to deliver anything before April 29, our experience with those lads and their little mopeds is anything but stellar. Late, very late and often marked with a tyre tread or footprint is how we get most of our parcels. In a world filled with bored, aggressive dogs keeping to an American game company’s embargo is probably the last thing on a posty’s mind.

EDIT: We've just spoken to Rockstar who has assured us that it is only a handful of games that slipped through the cracks, so 99% of you will have to hold on till the 29th.

So it is that today Aussie consumers are reporting the arrival of GTA IV, some 5 days before the on-sale date. Much of this intelligence has been aquired directly (via MSN and such), but in the way of easy proof you can check this out. This is not the only report going around. No bloody wonder an intro video has been leaked onto the Net.

We know how hard Rockstar has tried to keep things to plan on the release of GTA IV but this time the hunger and craving has just been too much and the flood couldn’t be held back. For some Aussies though their ANZAC day long weekend just became epic – lucky bastards – so for better for or worse it has begun.

EDIT: We've just spoken to Rockstar who has assured us that it is only a handful of games that slipped through the cracks, so 99% of you will have to hold on till the 29th.

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Criterion Games announces motorbikes in Burnout Paradise!

This is the biggest news in Burnout history!

For the first time, we'll let you loose in a Burnout game on motorbikes!

And because we're dedicated to bringing you game-changing new Burnout Paradise content all year, bikes will feature their own game modes, challenges and even some new locations tailored to fit their unique performance and handing characteristics.

The other big news relating to bikes is that we've introduced night-time to Burnout Paradise for the first time.

We wanted to clear the traffic out a little to give you the chance to learn how to ride in safety, and we've always wanted to cruise the streets of Paradise City with incredible night-time visuals.

We expect to ship bikes as part of our Davis software update, due for release sometime in August.

As always, we're bringing you the hot news from Criterion Games as it happens. Hit the site soon for more news and the first high-definition bike footage.

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Stargate Worlds - New Info

Stargate Worlds provides players with a form of ranged combat unique to MMORPG that will take full advantage of modern and science fiction weaponry, cover, and terrain. Players will be able to form squads with their friends or use bots for players who want to go solo. Squad leaders will control maneuvers and objectives through an innovative combat control interface. Players may choose to create characters that are members of either the SGC (the Good Guys) or the System Lords (the Bad Guys). Characters are equipped with varied and mixed skills, with the choice to form such classes as Research, Combat Marine, Medical, Scientific, Diplomatic, Engineering, Archeological, and Exploration. PVP will be possible between the two alliances on many contested worlds, actually swaying the balance of power on those planets, and unlocking hidden content. Cooperative play will also be possible, and players will be encouraged to forge temporary alliances to deal with greater threats, such as the Ori.

Images: Preview1 | Preview2 | Preview3 | Preview4

The universe evolves as players inhabit and vie for control over alien worlds. Local populations will shift their allegiance between the two alliances. Outside threats, such as the Ori, will conspire to further change the face of these worlds. Players will be able to tip the balance of power on these worlds, beating back the Ori invasion, and swaying the local populations to their side through quests, combat and trade. Whether you are a solitary explorer, master tradesman, or commander of a massive armed force- your every action will alter the worlds of the StargateTM universe.

Officially licensed by MGM Interactive, Stargate Worlds is being developed by Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, Stargate Worlds is a MMORPG which is scheduled to launch in 2008.

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Rockstar To Leak: “We’re Taking Care Of It.”

As you all may or may not know, a leaked video of the GTA IV gameplay surfaced, and we won’t link to it here. Merrily so, we got in touch with Rockstar.

"We’re aware of this video, who posted it, and are taking care of it. It’s sad to see things like this happening so close to launch, especially when people deserve a better first look."

There you have it. Rockstar Games wants you to have a fruitful watch of the game, in better quality. Why not?

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THEY - Weapon Customization

In They you will have one weapon you identify yourself with. You will have a basic weapon with four upgrade slots, which can be individualized on demand.

The game will feature hundreds of updates, modules, upgrades, and stuff with which to modify your piece, and you can store your favorite contraptions on the usual numbered hotkeys... It is your baby and your best friend.

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Grand Theft Auto IV Already Pirated

Here at Geekpulp we have always held a very strong opinion that pirating games and hacking consoles to allow playing copied games not good for the gaming industry and that the only modifications done should be cosmetic. But it still amazes me when the big titles with a very strict street date are leaked onto torrent sites allowing thousands of people, not only download the game illegally, but before the paying customers. More than anything else this fact pisses me off the most.

So it is with a disappointed frown that I report that yet again the biggest release of the year is apparently already making it’s rounds on a private tracker. The file is reportedly 6.4gb and will bring you momentary elation before an eternity of torment in the fires of hell.

The game industry lost an estimated 3 billion dollars in revenue during 2004, without a doubt that amount has risen in recent years. The sooner this sort of carry on can be stopped the better.

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Audiosurf coming to XBLA?

The latest issue of GamesTM boasts an interview with Dylan Fitterer, the mind behind Audiosurf. Hidden away in the article is the revelation that the game is coming to Xbox Live Arcade, with the magazine commenting “With Audiosurf, his first commercial project, released via Steam to PC users and soon on Xbox Live Arcade.” It seems like a rather throwaway comment, and in truth is a weird way to reveal that the game could be coming to the platform, but it is nice to hear that there is plans to make it available.


If you have not heard about the game, Audiosurf is an innovative rhythm-racing title which lets you create your own unique track depending on the music you play. You can load any mp3 into the game, meaning every song ever created can be used should you feel the need to. The game is already available on Steam for $10, but if for some reason you don’t want that version then the XBLA release, whenever it happens, might pique your interest.

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PS3 GTA IV presales outpace 360 version down under

When Microsoft announced its multi-million deal with Rockstar for exclusive downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV, many predicted that this would provide a significant incentive for gamers to choose the 360 version of the game over the PlayStation 3 version. But Australian presale figures seem to be telling a different story, with major retailers contacted by GameSpot AU today saying the PS3 version was currently in the lead.

A spokeswoman for EB Games Australia--the largest specialty games retailer in the country--told GameSpot AU that the PS3 version of GTA IV was just ahead of the 360 in terms of presales. "We are happy to tell you it's neck and neck, but at the moment, PlayStation 3 is currently in the lead," EB Games Australia brand and public relations manager Debra McGrath said.

The PS3 version was even farther ahead with retailer Gametraders. The company's national marketing manager Chad Polley said "according to the figures we have at the moment, we're [pre-]selling two PS3 versions for every one 360 unit."

Last night, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia fired back at Microsoft's DLC incentive, finally confirming rumours that there is indeed PlayStation 3 GTA IV bundle on the way for Australia. The pack comes with a 40GB PS3, one SixAxis controller, and a copy of the game. If you haven't got a PS3 already, the bundle will be available on April 29, the same day as the game's release, for A$749.95 ($709.44).

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MGS4 rated and detailed by BBFC

The BBFC have cleared Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots for release in the UK, giving it a 15 rating. They cited that the game contains “strong violence,” and went on to describe other details of the game, and why it got the 15 rating. If you are sensitive to spoilers you might want to skip the following paragraphs.

In MGS4 “the player takes on the role of an aging soldier, Snake who can be armed with knives, guns and grenades,” comments the BBFC. “During battles enemy soldiers die with small puffs of blood. The weaponry includes petrol bombs, however there is no detailed portrayal of injuries. During cut scenes slightly more detailed violence is portrayed, such as enemy creatures spearing friendly soldiers and one protracted fist fight.”

The go on “Violence may be strong but may not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. It is possible for the player to progress stealthily through the game, avoiding violent confrontations where possible. The game also features one use of strong language and references to suicide and an implied child rape.”

MGS4 is set to be release worldwide on June 12th.

Next-gen Prince of Persia to be called Prodigy?

Video game designer Jordan Mechner, the creator and owner of the Ubisoft published Prince of Persia game franchise, has filed to protect the trademark Prince of Persia Prodigy in relation to "game software and electronic game programs; electronic game software for mobile phones, personal digital assistants, and handheld computers".

Eagle-eyed trademark specialist Trademork, which noticed the filing, speculates that Prince of Persia Prodigy might be the name of the next-gen sequel to the Sands of Time trilogy, following The Sands of Time itself, Warrior Within and The Two Thrones.

Back in January, we brought you the news that Ubisoft had announced plans to launch a new Prince of Persia game some time in 2008-2009 and that rumours as far back as 2006 pointed towards a prequel. Could Prince of Persia Prodigy be it?

And don't forget, there's a live action Prince of Persia film due to begin shooting in Morocco this summer, although we doubt Prodigy will be the name chosen for the movie.

We'll bring you word from Ubisoft UK as soon as we get it.

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Ninja Gaiden II Hands-on

Looks like it’s time to buy some industrial strength floor cleaner - because it’s the only way you’re going to get the nasty entrails and gallons of blood splatter removed. Yes, Ninja Gaiden is on its way back and this time it’s going to be even more spleen-slicingly spectacular.

However, severing limbs and lopping off heads in true ninja style won’t be the only point of attraction to this sequel. Team Ninja has been mindful of all the things that bugged us about the first game (as good as it was) and has set about making number two in the series a better all-round experience. In fact, they’re confident that they’re bringing the Xbox 360 the “world’s best action game”.

If you thought Ninja Gaiden was painfully difficult at times, then you’ll be pleased to discover that this sequel will have a number of difficulty levels - with an easy (Path of the Acolyte) and normal (Path of the Warrior) option available from the start of the game and two more levels of toughness to unlock down the track.

The game uses an all-new engine that has been built from the ground up for the Xbox 360, and even though it doesn’t look that much different to the last game, it’s certainly no slouch. Everything rolls along at a smooth 60 frames per second with that Dead or Alive level of character detail and environment sheen. It’s an impressive feat, especially when you see a dozen enemies on screen and returning hero Ryu Hayabusa carving through them at lightning speed.

Naturally, camera perspective issues remain to be a bit of a bugbear, but that always seems to be the case with fast-moving, 360 degree combat games such as this. It rears its ugly head whenever Ryu strays into a corner, tight corridor, or is travelling up a staircase and gets into a fight. Walls - who needs ‘em?

You can control the camera with the right stick - and reset the perspective behind Ryu when necessary - but the camera still tends to stray into frustrating positions of its own accord. Zooming into a first-person view is possible, along with the option to focus in on a distant target, but this seems to only be for assessing the environment, as it’s not really practical during combat.

Ryu’s trusty weapons make a return, from the razor sharp Dragon Sword, to the Monkey-style magic of the Lunar Staff, piercing Shurikens and the Fiend’s Bane Bow that charges up in the same way heavy melee attacks can. New to this sequel are the Wolverine-style Falcon’s Talons (protruding knuckle blades and spiked boots), Tonfas batons and a reaper-esque scythe.

The game now pauses when using the d-pad to cycle through your melee weapons, ranged weapons or health herbs, which didn’t happen in the original - another feature that reduces frustration in the heat of combat.

Utilising all those cool weapons to hack your enemies up into bite sized chunks is still incredibly fun. However, enemies that have lost an arm or leg don’t just lie down and die. In true Monty Python fashion, enemy ninjas now proceed to come at you, even through you’ve removed a third of their body parts and blood is gushing from the wounds. Especially nasty are the kamikaze ones that get in close just so they can blow the both of you sky high.

You can’t trust that enemies are fully dispatched until you decapitate them, or cleave them entirely in half. If they’re on their knees or stunned, you can go in for a well-timed finishing move that makes for some pretty satisfying pre-animated slayings. And if you like the look of a battle so much that you want to show off what you did to your friends, you can keep a replay recorded in the Ninja Cinema and upload it to Xbox Live. Nice.

Healing stations that save your progress are placed throughout each level, so hitting a checkpoint can also fully heal you up and remove any permanent damage (indicated on your blue health bar by a red colour). These help to soften the difficulty somewhat, although they will only heal you once, so you can’t trek back to them for a boost or two. You can, however, return to re-save your game.

Overall, Ninja Gaiden II is looking like a seriously good follow-up to the original. It’s fast, bloody, tricky and brutal - just the way we like it.

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Infinity Ward to Re-take the Call of Duty Reins?

Next-Gen learned from an ex-Activision Underground employee on Monday that Infinity Ward, developer of November's CoD4, recently prompted a renegotiation of its contract with parent Activision so that the studio would be the sole developer of the FPS series.

Prior to the multi-million-selling CoD4: Modern Warfare, Infinity Ward developed the original CoD for PC in 2003, along with CoD2 in 2005. In an effort to capitalize on the immense popularity of the series on an annual basis, Activision gave internal studio Treyarch the responsibility to develop CoD3, which launched in 2006.

That strategy would've had the franchise alternating between studios every year, at the same time filling Activision's coffers on an annual basis.

Treyarch will still be the developer behind the upcoming CoD5.

Tactical Ops 3 coming to PS3?

Any real Unreal Tournament fan knows what Tactical Ops is. A very popular total conversion that was created for Unreal 99 based on modern combat. Well it seems that the silently developed Tactical Ops 3 mod can be ported to the PS3 if the option to change controls is added, since mods can be run on PS3 and this is a mod. Whats the catch? The programmers wish to have a PS3 donated to them, so whos it gonna be? The big deal is being able to have a completely different game for free on your PS3, that is, if you own UT3.

GTA IV review by Jeux Vidéos Magazine

On this french website, there is a Grand Theft Auto IV review.

- There is no loading (excepting on the launching of the game).
- The other characters will be very natural.
- Graphics aren't amazing, but they are very good (some flutters)
- The spirit of this GTA IV is based on : originality, realism, coherence, references, violence, provocation, sex, but less fun than in the previous versions.
- General atmosphere of this game is excellent (production, noises, etc.)
- In the dialogues, there are lot of unforgettable retorts, always so tasty.
- Multi-player is very good, but cooperation is medium.
- The content (size of the town, vehicles, weapons, minigames, etc) is rich and various.
- The gameplay is not so easy at the beginning.

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Silent Hill: Homecoming due this September

Konami has announced that Silent Hill: Homecoming (formerly Silent Hill V) will arrive in Europe for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 towards the end of September. The game follows Alex Shepherd, who returns to his hometown of Shepherd's Glen to investigate the disappearance of his brother.

Alex must battle against his own nightmares as he tries to unravel the mystery and fight the evil that walks the streets of Silent Hill. As well as a return of the iconic imagery of the series, fans will appreciate an all-new soundtrack by composer Akira Yamaoka.

New Wii game engine promises PS3 visuals

High Voltage Software is hoping to change the face of Wii video games, with its new Quantum3 engine, which is claimed to enable Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 visuals on the tiny Wii console.

Quantum3 is the result of 15 years development experience and enables developers to make use of advanced graphical features, including better dynamic bump mapping, light effects, glossing and other visual improvements. Additionally, Quantum3 uses a 16 TEV stage material pipeline that can blend up to 8 separate texture sources.

The engine also uses advanced processing techniques to make gameplay smoother, examples including seamless resource streaming, projected shadows, morphing and much more.

"The Wii platform is capable of a lot more than what consumers have seen so far. We're hoping to raise a new bar," said High Voltage Software CEO Kerry Ganofsky.

The first title from High Voltage to use the new Quantum3 engine is first-person shooter The Conduit. The developer is aiming to create a game that looks like an Xbox 360 and PS3 game. You can decide for yourself if the new engine is up to the task by checking the tech demo here.

Fallout 3 demo not possible

Bethesda's Pete Hines has confirmed that there will be no demo for Fallout 3.

Speaking exclusively to Eurogamer in the shape of Kieron Gillen, Hines said there was "no way" to slice a portion of the world off and have it stand on its own.

"When you build it as one thing, there's no way to portion off a section and have it stand on its own without putting the whole game in the demo, which we're just not going to do," said Hines.

"And it doesn't really capture the fun of a game like an Elder Scrolls or a Fallout, where you can go where you want and do what you want. So no demo, sorry."

Fallout 3 is a post-apocalyptic role-playing game aimed at a mature audience, and will be out on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 this autumn.

Like previous behemoth Oblivion, Fallout 3 will also feature some famous voices - Sean Bean and Patrick Stewart starred in the former.

"We pick out key roles for people and who we'd like for those roles, and we always thought Liam [Neeson] was the perfect Father figure," added Hines.

"We have one or two other roles which we have for which we have things in mind, but the bulk of it - and we have a lot of voice-acting in the game - is done by voice-actors."

Join us soon for our full chat with Pete Hines, to find out why he called the BioShock team buggers, and what licence he would use if given the choice.

Elveon alive and coming to PS3?

PSU writes: "Haven't heard of the the elvish action-epic Elveon? It would be surprising, with the latest news coming straight from 2006. Additionally, this Unreal Engine 3 powered title was originally scheduled to release only on Xbox 360 and PC, leaving Sony's console in the dust.

Contrary to popular belief, Elveon hasn't been canned. You see, 10TACLE's stock value dropped from nearly 15€ to 2€, causing them to cut 25% of their work force. This staff slimming included 10TACLE Bratislava, the original Elveon development team. As a result, the project's reins have been handed to Climax, developer of such titles Silent Hill Origins and Viva Piñata for Windows.

On their official site's homepage, there is an image of Elveon with the header "New 360/PS3 Project."

The Darkness 2 Revealed

Originally licensed by Majesco, but sold off to 2K Games, The Darkness is based on Top Cow's comic book series, and developed by Starbreeze Studios. Knowing its background it comes as no surprise that during the TOP COW discussion panel at this weekend's NY Comic-con, it was revealed that The Darkness 2 is in the works, "We can't say Darkness and video game sequel in the same sentence, so Darkness. Wink. Sequel."

Mark Rein confirms mods will be coming to Unreal Tournament 3 on 360

Talking to OXM at the Midway Gamers Day in Las Vegas, Epic president Mark Rein confirmed that the best mods will be available to players of the Xbox 360 version of Unreal Tournament 3, although details are still being worked out. "We know some of these great mods are going to play a role on Xbox 360, even if we have to get some people and bring them over ourselves," he said. "We'll figure it out."

Rein confirmed that Epic is talking with Microsoft about getting round the company's reluctance to share user-generated content, and is "cautiously optimistic" that a solution is coming.

He did say that it was unlikely that "user exchanged mods" would be included in the game because it's so close to release, but Epic hope to have a solution at a later date.

This suggests the possibility of Epic trading in mods as downloadable content - effectively publishing the best user-created content over Xbox Live. If that happens, it could be a way for modders to get paid for their work. Question is, who pays for it? Would you hand over Microsoft Points for a home-brew mod, if it was good enough? Let us know in the comments.

Saints Row 2 Info

While the original Saints Row may have lacked the expertly executed satire and originality of the GTA series, it certainly made up for it with its mostly excellent controls, hilarious side missions and dazzling visuals. Saints Row 2, due sometime in 2008, builds on the original Xbox 360 crime sim and packs in some exceptional new features not yet seen in the genre. It’s aiming to be a serious threat to GTA IV’s world conquering plans.

Firstly, Saints Row 2 is packing a lot of elements that should have been included in the first place, namely aircraft. Fixed wing aircraft and helicopters are in, as are motorbikes, jet-skis, speedboats and more, and most of them will have performance upgrades available. The addition of aircraft in particular is handy given that the Stilwater location in SR2 will apparently be 45% larger than that of the first game.

If what little we have seen so far can be believed, you’ll also be able to fly right through a building! How cool is that? We can’t wait to cleave right through skyscraper penthouse to take out an enemy drug lord, and mutter something deadpan like, “Sorry to crash the party”. Entire buildings won’t be destructible – this isn’t an Al-Qaeda training simulator – but flying aircraft through windows certainly opens up a lot of cool new gameplay possibilities; a dogfight in and out of buildings with an army jet or police chopper would be particularly awesome.

Character customisation, which was already quite deep in the previous game, has been enhanced to the point where you can customise your character’s sex, or in the words of the developers, “you can play as a man, a woman or anything in between”. Yes, your dreams of controlling an Uzi-toting transsexual are about to come true (you sicko).

Players will now be able to take hostages and use them as human shields, which will apparently be particularly useful during interior combat. You can also dual-wield ranged firearms, and rip things out of the environment such as road signs and mailboxes to use as melee weapons, Incredible Hulk style. In fact, nearly every object in the game’s sprawling environment can be interacted with in one way or another.

One massive inclusion in the game is the online co-op mode. We’re not talking the watered-down two-player component from the last game, this is a substantial co-op mode that allows you to play through the entire story and all the side missions with a friend over Xbox Live, ala Crackdown. Can you even imagine how cool that will be? The developers are also promising additional mission objectives specific to the co-op mode in order to put a greater focus on teamwork.

Not only is the city of Stilwater much larger in SR2 than it was in the original, it’s also set to feature over 130 building interiors to explore and/or crash through, six new above ground districts and four underground, plus every district from the first game has been retouched and redesigned to make the experience seem fresh.

While Rockstar’s GTA IV seems to be focussing on realism, Saints Row 2 is shaping up to be an enjoyable hyper-realistic alternative. We’ll have more in the coming months, but for now we’ll leave you to ponder how much funnier throwing yourself in front of traffic during the Insurance Fraud missions will be with a friend.

Mafia 2 Exclusive Info

Here is some exclusive info about game called Mafia II.

• There will be two main characters (Vito and Joe). Vito will be the only playable one but Joe is suppossed to be important aswell.
• There will be no story connection between Mafia 1 and 2.
• There will be extensive car damage. Says better then Burnout Paradise. It will have exploading fuel tanks.
• You will visit the gas station for gas and to wash your car so it becomes shinny.
• Money will be very important. New clothes will help if someone is after you. Food will make you stronger like in GTA San Andreas.
• Cover system like in Gears of War.
• Setting will be Empire City. Twice as big as City of LOst Heaven. It will resemble San Francisco
• The lead platforms will be PC, Ps3 and Xbox 360.PC is best version.
• Release date Spring/ Summer 2009.

GTA IV is complete

Take Two Interactive just confirmed at the company's annual general meeting that Grand Theft Auto IV has gone gold. "Trucks are rolling next week and there will be a lot of them", the executive said, confirming that the game discs will be making their way to stores next week ahead of the game's release on April 29th.

GTA IV Acheviements

So here is the leaked list of GTA IV acheviements for Xbox 360. This list has apperently been confirmed for real so here you have it.

Off the Boat 5G
Complete the first mission.

One Hundred and Eighty 10G
In a darts game score 180 with 3 darts.

Pool Shark 10G
Beat a friend at pool.

King of QUB3D 15G
Beat the High Score in QUB3D

Finish Him 15G
Complete 10 melee counters in 4 minutes

Genetically Superior 25G
Come first in 20 singleplayer street races.

Wheelie Rider 30G
Do a wheelie lasting at least 500 feet on a motorbike.

Gobble Gobble 10G
Score 3 strikes in a row, a turkey, in 10-pin bowling.

Driving Mr. Bellic 10G
Unlock the special ability of taxi.

Rolled Over 30G
Do 5 car rolls in a row from one crash.

Walk Free 50G
Lose a 4 star wanted rating by outrunning the cops.

Courier Service 10G
Complete all 10 package delivery jobs.

Retail Therapy 10G
Unlock the special ability of buying guns from a friend.

Chain Reaction 20G
You must blow up 10 vehicles in 10 seconds.

One Man Army 40G
Survive 5 minutes on 6 star wanted level.

Lowest Point 5G
Complete mission "Roman's Sorrow".

Over Fulfilled 10G
Complete all 10 Exotic Export orders.

Manhunt 15G
Complete the most wanted side missions from the police computer.

Cleaned the Mean Streets 20G
Capture 20 criminals through the police computer.

Fed The Fish 5G
Complete the mission "Uncle Vlad".

It'll Cost Ya 5G
Complete a taxi ride without skipping from one island to another.

Sightseer 5G
Fly on all helicopter tours of Liberty City.

Warm Coffee 5G
Successfully date a girl to be invited into her house.

That's How We Roll! 10G
Unlock the special ability of helicopter.

Half Million 55G
Reach a balance of $500,000.

Impossible Trinity 10G
Complete mission "Museum Piece".

Full Exploration 20G
Unlock all the islands.

You Got The Message 20G
Deliver all 30 cars ordered through text message.

Dare Devil 30G
Complete 100% of the unique stunt jumps.

Assassin's Greed 20G
Complete all 9 assassin missions.

Endangered Species 50G
Collect every hidden package in the game.

Under the Radar 40G
Fly underneath the main bridges in the game that cross water with a helicopter.

Dial B For Bomb 10G
Unlock the special ability of phoning for a bomb to be placed.

Gracefully Taken 10G
Complete mission "I'll Take Her".

Liberty City (5) 20G
After meeting all possible friends, the ones left alive all like you above 90%.

No More Strangers 5G
Meet all random characters.

That Special Someone 10G
Complete mission "That Special Someone".

You Won! 60G
Complete the final mission.

Liberty City Minute 30G
Complete the story missions in less than 30 hours.

Key To The City 100G
Achieve 100% in "Game progress" statistic.

Teamplayer 10G
Kill 5 players who are not in your team, in any ranked multiplayer team game.

Cut Your Teeth 5G
Earn a personal rank promotion in multiplayer

Join The Midnight Club 10G
Win a ranked multiplayer race without damaging your vehicle too much and with damaged enabled.

Fly The Co-op 15G
Beat our time in ranked versions of "Deal Breaker", "Hangman's NOOSE" and "Bomb da Base II".

Take It For The Team 10G
Be on the winning team in all ranked multiplayer team games.

Top Of The Food Chain 10G
Kill 20 players with a pistol in a ranked multiplayer deathmatch.

Top The Midnight Club 20G
Come first in 20 different ranked standard multiplayer races.

Wanted 20G
Achieve the highest personal rank in multiplayer.

Auf Wiedersehen Petrovic 30G
Win all ranked multiplayer variations, all races and "Cops 'n Crooks", as both sides.

Let Sleeping Rockstars Lie 10G

Kill a Rockstar developer in a ranked multiplayer match.

Again, we can't endorse these as definitely being the actual achievement list as of right now, but this seems to be the real deal. Post all discussion on these achievements and let us know what you think!


I hope you like it. Sight tight and check blog regulary because I'll be posting more info about most expecting games soon...

Alan Wake Play.TM Preview

Alan Wake is the new action title from veterans Remedy, and once again the story looks likely to be as important as razor-sharp gameplay. We're told that players of Alan Wake will be assuming the role of a best-selling suspense author, of the same name, who has escaped to small town America in order to get over the bizarre disappearance of his fiancee and muse.

Not only is the premise an interesting one, brimming with potential, but the fact that Microsoft Game Studios has leapt into bed with Remedy as publisher suggests that Alan Wake has more than a bit going for it, the publisher tying the game up as a 360 console exclusive - Windows PC being the only other launch platform (a PS3 edition was apparently canned when MS became publisher).

Musings aside, I should probably tell you as bit more about the premise, which is juicier than a particularly ripe mango. Set in the eponymous "deceptively idyllic town" of Bright Falls in Washington state, Alan Wake players are promised a rich and cinematic world full of potential. Interactive and highly realistic environments are hinted, and Remedy even promise that we'll be able to roam freely, despite the importance of the plot. "The basic idea with the free-roaming world is that we give the player goals, and then the player can go about achieving those goals in the way he chooses. Alan Wake is more tightly character-driven and story-oriented. Meaning that the player’s goals and missions are closely focused around Alan Wake and his story. Also, the setting, the tone and the game being an action thriller all set it clearly apart from the GTA games," explains writer Sam Lake.

Despite this free-roaming aesthetic, then, Remedy will drive the game along via missions, which will gradually uncover what promises to be a tense and occasionally surprising mystery. How Remedy can make open-world gameplay work alongside the game's missions and plot will be key to the title's success; ensuring that players don't feel rail-roaded and unable to take advantage of the title's sandbox elements a key element of Alan Wake's future.

'Terrifying' enemies will be on-hand to liven up the combat side of things, while there will be far more characters to interact with and learn from than most action titles. Indeed, these hints of RPG aren't the only elements of the genre represented. There will also be puzzles to overcome, multiple outcomes and various relationships to forge and break. While the premise sounds a bit like Commando meets Misery, a fantastical twist also seems likely, early PR spiel pointing to a "nightmarish" world, in which "Alan Wake must use a variety of weapons to survive, including his most powerful ally against the creatures of darkness — light itself."

The fact that the game's central character is a suspense novelist also seems unlikely to be a coincidence, and we're expecting Remedy writer Lake to make this character trait key to the central plot, with perhaps even a twist or two along the way.

Remedy certainly know how deliver a cinematic experience, and much will depend on whether the developer can adapt to an action genre that has come a long way since the last Max Payne graced the small screen. An 'intense psychological thriller' perhaps hints at a game with more than a surprise or two up its digital sleeve, but whether Alan Wake can really "raise the bar for videogame storytelling" in the wake of BioShock, Orange Box, Mass Effect et al remains very much to be seen. That said, the prospect of 'real time' pacing is an interesting one, if the developers can maintain the action and tension without spoiling the story. Early screenshots certainly hint at a game dripping in atmosphere and style, with Remedy assuring pre-release fans that the game will be very much of the 'next-gen' ilk, both in terms of technology and gameplay.

The game's unique tech will apparently mean more detailed environments, with players fore-warned to pay close attention to details in their locale, which may help expose the secrets of Bright Falls. Diverse and immersive environments are mooted, from vast forests to tiny rural towns. The dark mystery in which Alan Wake is involved becomes more apparent as we learn that light will become a weapon for our hero. It seems that Wake's foes use the darkness to grow more powerful, and as the game progresses, nights will get longer and the situation will become more perilous. Wake will then need to combine normal weapons with 'light' in order to overcome the 'creatures of darkness'. "Intense cinematic action is something that we love to do, and Alan Wake features tense combat gameplay as well, but all things considered the game has a lot more emphasis on adventure and exploration than what Max Payne did. Driving is an integral part of the game," reveals lead designer Petri Järvilehto.

Finally, Remedy believe the game will play out as a psuedo-episodic narrative, the missions serving to underline distinct sections of the plot. The overall feel of a 'dramatic television series' is promised. There is also no multiplayer element to the game, the developers instead focussing on a killer singleplayer experience: "We'd much rather give the players a great single-player game, than a mediocre single and multiplayer game," offers Järvilehto.

As with all promising things, there's a catch. And Alan Wake's is a fairly hefty one, it being the case that very little of an official nature has been heard of this potentially epic experience since Microsoft and Remedy last enlightened us back in September 2006. That being said, we've still heard encouraging snippets on the grapevine, and chatter points to a release in 2008. Let's hope that time and the increasing quality of the competition doesn't serve to diminish the potency of Alan Wake's gameplay-mix, when it does eventually arrive in our lounges and on our desks.

GTA IV In-Game Screenshot

Rockstar has just sent new screenshot. What is special about this screenshot? Well its the first digital photo of GTA IV showing HUD.

If you want to check it out just press HERE

GTA IV Radio List

Here you can see GTA IV radio list

• We Know The Truth (Talk)
• Radio Broker (Alternative Rock, eg LCD Soundsystem)
• San Juan Sounds (Latin)
• Integrity 2.0 (Talk featuring Lazlow)
• Tuff Going Radio (Reggae, eg Bob Marley)
• Liberty City Hardcore (Punk/Hardcore)
• Electro Choc (Dance)
• Liberty City Rock Radio 97.8 (Classic Rock, eg R.E.M.)
• Massive B Soundsystem 96.9 (Dance hall)
• International Funk IF99 (Funk, eg War)
• Public Liberty Radio (Phone in speech)
• The Classics 104.1 (Old school Hip hop)
• The Beat 102.7 (Contemporary Hip-Hop)
• Jazz Nation Radio 108.5 (Jazz, eg Miles Davis)
• K108 The Studio (Disco)
• Fusion FM (Soul, eg Roy Ayers)
• Vladivostok FM (Eastern European)
• The Journey (Ambient/Chillout, eg Jean Michelle Jarre)

As you see there are much more different radios as in previous GTA games. This will make game even better because who doesn't enjoy playing while listening good music.

GTA IV Reviewed by OXM

Official Xbox Magazine is the first magazine to review Grand Theft Auto IV. Subscribers in the UK began receiving their issues today.

The verdict from OXM is:

• Amazingly realistic world.
• Stunning action set pieces.
• Genuinely engrossing storyline.
• Hugely entertaining multiplayer.
• Vast in every respect.

...the final score is 10/10. This makes it one of most perfect games.

For the end you can see scans of the review HERE including some in-game screenshots with HUD.