It seems like now's the time to talk about release dates and Ubisoft joined in on the fun, announcing Prince of Persia's day of retail for December 5th, just in time for the Holidays.
The game will be released on the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. While a DS title, Prince of Persia: The Fallen King will be coming on the same day.
-Undrallio
Games for windows has released the recommended system specs for GTA IV's upcoming port to the PC which will arrive in stores November 18th.
The PC port will include an improved multiplayer, a replay editor and an enhanced graphics engine.
Here are the specs:
* OS: Windows XP SP2
* Processor: Dual core processor (Intel Pentium D or better)
* RAM: 2GB
* Hard Drive: 18GB free hard disk space
* Video Card: 512MB Direct3D 10 compatible video card or Direct3D 9 card compatible with Shader
* Drive: DVD-ROM dual-layer drive
-Ryizzel
I was planning on buying the Survival Edition of Fallout 3 on the PS3 from Amazon.com (only place you can get it dontchaknow) but it seems that the old saying is true. I snoozed, and I losed. Er..lost...
The whole stock of the Survival Edition has been snatched up by excited Playstation 3 owners, no doubt wanting the life-sized Pip-Boy 3000 replica, but the 360 and Games For Windows remain up for grabs.
If you missed it, the Survival Edition includes:
* Fallout 3 (yes, it has the game)
* A life-size replica of the Pip-Boy 3000, the wrist-mounted device worn by characters in the game.
* Vault Boy Bobblehead: Your very own Vault Boy collector’s item is direct from Vault-Tec.
* The Art of Fallout 3: Features nearly 100 pages of never-before seen concept art and commentary from Bethesda Game Studios artists.
* The Making of Fallout 3 DVD: An exclusive, inside look at Bethesda Game Studios and the team behind the game.
* Vault-Tec Lunch Box: A fully customized metal lunch box.
A couple weeks ago (yes, I'm terribly late on this one) Brad Wardell, CEO of Stardock made headlines with what he called the Gamer's Bill of Rights. They are a list of 10 things that he feels PC gamers should be granted, regardless of publisher or developer.
Not only that, but Brad says Stardock follows the BoR as well; believing it will help boost sales and the PC game industry itself.
Which if I do say so myself, should definitely help pick it up if enough devs get into this. Surely PC gamers are sick of throwing tons of money into updated graphics cards, more RAM, bigger HDs and then go out and buy the newest FPS only to have it be a broken shell of what could have been an awesome game.
"As an industry, we need to begin setting some basic, common sense standards that reward PC gamers for purchasing our games," explained Stardock CEO Brad Wardell. "On the PC, publishers can release games that are scarcely completed, poorly supported, and full of intrusive copy protection."
The Gamer's Bill of Rights
We the Gamers of the world, in order to ensure a more enjoyable experience, establish equality between players and publishers, and promote the general welfare of our industry hereby call for the following:Gamers shall have the right to return games that don't work with their computers for a full refund. Gamers shall have the right to demand that games be released in a finished state. Gamers shall have the right to expect meaningful updates after a game's release. Gamers shall have the right to demand that download managers and updaters not force themselves to run or be forced to load in order to play a game. Gamers shall have the right to expect that the minimum requirements for a game will mean that the game will adequately play on that computer. Gamers shall have the right to expect that games won't install hidden drivers or other potentially harmful software without their express consent. Gamers shall have the right to re-download the latest versions of the games they own at any time. Gamers shall have the right to not be treated as potential criminals by developers or publishers. Gamers shall have the right to demand that a single-player game not force them to be connected to the Internet every time they wish to play. Gamers shall have the right that games which are installed to the hard drive shall not require a CD/DVD to remain in the drive to play.
In an interview with GameTrailers, Chet Faliszek, the writer for Left 4 Dead confirmed that there will be a demo/beta for both the 360 and PC versions of the game available before release.
Regarding the online play, dedicated servers will be set up so players can experience the least amount of lag as possible. You will still be able to blast zombies solo or with your friends via system link however.
Interview after the break.
-Ryizzel
In the spirit of Halloween, EA has decided to be ever so merciful and ship out Dead Space for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 a full week early, October 14th! Their reason being? So it doesn't cut in on your trick-or-treating time.
From that excuse I'm pretty sure we can all assume that EA employees treat Halloween like I did when I would go trick-or-treating, plan out the neighborhood a few weekends before hand and hit all the major houses first. Clusters of houses are best, while the rich people would fall next in line.
Sometimes though, the rich people would give out a piece of laffy taffy when poor retired Mrs. Johnson just shoved a full sized Snickers bar in your pillowcase.
Now thanks to Dead Space's early release you'll have plenty of sleepless nights to plan out your attack on the town. Thanks EA!
PC version isn't being released till the 20th of October though, so bummer there.
Dead Space Set to Ship Early – Oct. 14, 2008
Get Your Halloween Treat Earlier This Year! Originally scheduled to ship on October 21st, the award-winning action/adventure game, Dead Space will ship for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 on October 14, 2008 giving players a full 17 days before Halloween to step out into space for the fright of their lives. The development team at EA Redwood Shores is getting into the Halloween spirit early this year so fans can celebrate with Dead Space without cutting into their trick or treat time.
The Dead Space experience is all about surviving in its sci-fi world through strategic dismemberment, so experience the horror before the Necromorphs dismember you. After all, you are never truly safe in Dead Space. When an immense mining ship, the USG Ishimura, comes into contact with a mysterious alien artifact in a remote star system, its communications with Earth are mysteriously cut off. Engineer Isaac Clarke is sent to repair the Ishimura’s communications array, but he arrives to find a living nightmare—the ship is a floating bloodbath, the crew unspeakably mutilated and infected by an ancient alien scourge. Clarke’s repair mission becomes one of survival as he fights not just to save himself, but to return the artifact to the planet … at any cost.
The PC version of the game will be shipping on October 20, 2008.
-Undrallio
Ever dream of running through a war zone wearing nothing but a kilt? Well Battlefield Heroes might just be the game to fulfill those weird fantasies.
EA has released a new trailer for Battlefield Heroes showing off the player's ability to play dress up with their character.
You can view the video here, or you can just click read more to see the video right on B&W thanks to Gametrailers.
-Ryizzel
Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI will be coming to the PC after KOEI received good feedback from their PC version of Warriors Orochi.
Normally I bitch and moan about anything that KOEI rehashed a billion zillion times...*cough* Dynasty/Samurai Warriors *cough*...but I've always been a fan of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms games, even though they've been through as many sequels as Jason, Freddy, and Micheal combined. Okay, so that was a little bit extravagant...but they've had a ton of games, admit it.
You can expect to play your favorite strategy, treaty-breaking, region stealing game on July 29, 2008 for a measly suggested retail price of $19.99. Not a bad deal in my opinion.
"Following KOEI's successful launch of Warriors Orochi for Windows-based PC earlier this year, the response to bringing more of KOEI's popular franchises to the platform has been overwhelming," said Amos Ip, Senior Vice President at KOEI Corporation. "For PC releases, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series has always been at the top of our fans' wish lists. We are looking forward to bringing Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI to Windows-based PC this summer."ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS®XI COMING TO WINDOWS-BASED PC
One of Video Gaming's Longest-Running Historical Simulation Series Returns to PC on July 29, 2008
Burlingame, CA - April 23, 2008 - KOEI, recognized worldwide as the premier brand of strategy and action games, announced today that the Historical Simulation game, Romance of the Three Kingdoms®XI (RTK XI) is coming to Windows-based PCs for gamers throughout North America on July 29, 2008.
"Following KOEI's successful launch of Warriors Orochi for Windows-based PC earlier this year, the response to bringing more of KOEI's popular franchises to the platform has been overwhelming," said Amos Ip, Senior Vice President at KOEI Corporation. "For PC releases, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series has always been at the top of our fans' wish lists. We are looking forward to bringing Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI to Windows-based PC this summer."
About ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS XI
From legendary video game producer Kou Shibusawa comes his next historical simulation masterpiece. Rediscover an ancient civilization with an explosive history in the most stunning edition of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Set during the end of China's Han Dynasty and the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D., RTK XI presents the most visually captivating evolution in the history of the series. Blurring the line between video games and art, RTK XI features visuals evocative of classical Chinese ink-paintings along with debates and duels rendered in real-time 3D animation.
As the ruler of a kingdom, each player will have complete control over their territories. More than 40 base commands give players the power to govern cities, manage their personnel, practice diplomacy and much more. Complete freedom to develop markets, shipyards, outposts, forts and military units expand on the already substantial benchmarks established by previous editions of the series. Furthermore, players will watch the era come to life through the uniquely individual personalities of the more than 780 officers and supporting characters they will encounter.
Players will need to dig deep within to prove themselves adept at both the military and political arts in order to bring China under one rule. Domestic affairs, diplomacy and warfare are all conducted on a single vast 3D relief map, dramatically bringing to life the eight massive scenarios that lie before them.
For improved control over each military campaign, RTK XI's turn-based game play allows the player to plan their movements without undue time constraints, and then execute their battle tactics when ready. RTK XI also introduces an entirely new system for researching military techniques, as well as an Advanced Tactics System that allows players to drive or lure enemies into devastating ambushes. Skilled players will be able to link together tactics for maximum damage.
Produced by Kou Shibusawa and developed by KOEI Co., Ltd, Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI is rated "RP" (Rating Pending) by the ESRB. The suggested retail price is US$19.99.
-Undrallio
PC users will be getting Devil May Cry 4 at some point in the summer with the PC version containing better graphics rendering and "additional content". It's not really known what that content is right now, but it sure is additional. You can bet your sister Sally on that one.
Ryizzel made a pretty good point to me, "Sounds kind of stupid to me, DMC4 is sort of...a console-styled title. PCs are all about RPGs and FPSs." I feel about the same way, except that I chose to word it more like "I don't think it would feel as responsive on the PC as it does on a console". If that makes any sense at all.
"Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that the highly anticipated PC version of Devil May Cry® 4 is locked and loaded for release this summer. Devil May Cry 4 is already a certifiable hit in the console world, having shipped over 2 million units world wide since its release in North America in February. A demo of the game will be released for PC players before the retail version ships, allowing PC gamers to try the game ahead of time, as well as testing their system’s prowess with the included benchmark mode."
Read the rest of the press release after the jump.CAPCOM®'S DEVIL MAY CRY® 4 COMING TO PC THIS SUMMER
Demo With System Benchmark Mode Will Be Available Before the Game's Release
SAN MATEO, Calif — April 23, 2008 — Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that the highly anticipated PC version of Devil May Cry® 4 is locked and loaded for release this summer. Devil May Cry 4 is already a certifiable hit in the console world, having shipped over 2 million units world wide since its release in North America in February. A demo of the game will be released for PC players before the retail version ships, allowing PC gamers to try the game ahead of time, as well as testing their system’s prowess with the included benchmark mode. The PC version of Devil May Cry 4 will feature new modes, enhanced graphics options and some additional content. Devil May Cry 4 has been rated M for Mature by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board.
Good things come to those who wait as PC owners will benefit from having more modes and more visual customization options to help enhance their demon-slaying action. Turbo mode will turn-up the action to insane speeds, while Legendary Dark Knight Mode will harness advanced PC processing power and fill the screen with an unbelievable number of enemies for extra difficulty. Moreover, familiar enemies from the console versions will show-up in new locations in the PC version. The high resolution screen settings allow the cut scenes of the game to run at up to 120 frames per second (up from 30 frames per second in the console version of the game). Slider options are available to manage various visual effects seen throughout the game. Devil May Cry 4 for the PC will have both DirectX® 9 and DirectX® 10 modes, and will also be compliant with the Games For Windows® program.
From the producer of the original Devil May Cry® and Resident Evil® 4 comes the next installment in the hugely successful stylized action series that has so far achieved global sales of nearly seven million units. Devil May Cry 4 immerses gamers in a gothic supernatural world, where a new protagonist clashes with a familiar hero. As the new leading man, Nero, players will unleash incredible attacks and non-stop combos using a unique new gameplay mechanic: the powerful “Devil Bringer” on his right arm.
ABOUT CAPCOM
Capcom is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment for game consoles, PCs, handheld and wireless devices. Founded in 1983, the company has created hundreds of games, including best-selling franchises Resident Evil®, Street Fighter®, Mega Man® and Devil May Cry® Capcom maintains operations in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Korea, with corporate headquarters located in Osaka, Japan. More information about Capcom can be found on the company web site, www.capcom.com.
Capcom, the Capcom logo, Resident Evil, Mega Man and Devil May Cry are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Capcom Co., Ltd., in the U.S. or other countries. Street Fighter is a registered trademark of Capcom U.S.A., Inc. DirectX is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All rights reserved. All other marks are the property of their respective holders.
-Undrallio
A "modern day espionage RPG" is what it's being described as by Sega whom, together with Obsidian (parent of Neverwinter Nights) are bringing us Alpha Protocol for the 360, Ps3, and the PC.
Feargus Urquhart, CEO of Obsidian says “Alpha Protocol blends Obsidian’s knack for intricate stories, engrossing characters, and significant character advancement with fast-paced modern combat."
The press release tells us the following.
"Loyalty carries a price and no one knows this more than agent Michael Thorton. A talented young agent cast out by his government, Thorton is the only one with the information needed to stop an impending international catastrophe. To do so means he must cut himself off from the very people he is sworn to protect. As players determine how to accomplish different objectives, the decisions made and actions taken in each mission will ultimately transform the type of secret agent Michael Thorton will become. Every choice the player makes as Michael Thorton will carry consequences for his future and the fate of the world."
Alpha Protocol is said to have a third-person real time gameplay much like Mass Effect, and should be coming to us by Spring of '09. Hopefully with more information and screens as well.
-Undrallio
Already the first week of March has come and gone and lots of gamers are still being absorbed into Army Of Two that came out last week, but now they may have to put it on the shelf for a while now that Super Smash Bros Brawl is out. Other games of note are Condemned 2 and the new Wild ARMs game for those of you whom aren't Brawling addicts.
I've made some changes to how the weekly line-up will be set up. Instead of me summarizing each game, there will only be a list of games for their corresponding and a screen/video for the pick of the week. Sorry guys, it's just far too time consuming to do it the other way.Nintendo DS
Winning Eleven 2008 - March 11th, 2008 - Soccer Sim
Nanostray 2 - March 11th, 2008 - Shoot Em Up
Insecticide - March 11th, 2008 - Sci-Fi Action/Adventure
B&W Pick of the Week:
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates - March 11th, 2008
PC
XIII Century: Death or Glory - March 12th, 2008 - Historic RTS
Seven Kingdoms: Conquest - March 11th, 2008 - Historic RTS
Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory - March 10th, 2008 - Historic RTS
Lost Empire: Immortals - March 11th, 2008 - Sci-Fi TBS
B&W Pick of the Week:
Sam and Max Episode 204 - March 13th, 2008
Playstation 2
Buzz! The Hollywood Quiz - March 11th, 2008 - Trivia
Buzz! Junior: RoboJam - March 11th, 2008 - Trivia
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 - March 11th, 2008 - Sports
B&W Pick of the Week:
Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters - March 11th, 2008 
Playstation 3
B&W Pick of the Week:
Condemned 2: Bloodshot
Playstation Portable
World Championship Cards - March 11th, 2008 - Cards
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 - March 11th, 2008 - Sports
FlatOut: Head On - March 11th, 2008 - Arcade Driving Sim
B&W Pick of the Week:
Wild ARMs Crossfire - March 11th, 2008
Nintendo Wii
House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return - March 11th, 2008 - Action Shooter
B&W Pick of the Week:
Super Smash Bros. Brawl - March 9th, 2008
Xbox 360
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 - March 11th, 2008 - Sports
B&W Pick of the Week:
Condemned 2: Bloodshot
(note, this is a different trailer than the one I chose for Ps3)-Undrallio
The newest game to be revealed from Codemaster's Blue Omega Entertainment is a shooter for the PC, Ps3, and the 360 by the name of Damnation with a modern-western feel to it, at least that's what the screen shots seem to be showing us.
Codemasters is using the Unreal 3 engine and says they'll bring us a "shooter gone verticle" with expansive levels that could take upwards of 3 hours to beat. I think that could be a record in shooter history, someone check that for me.
As of right now there's not too many details, but we'll be sure to update you all once there is, check out opinions and screens after the break.
You can view all four of the screenshots over at IGN if you so wish. Which you should because they look pretty awesome, and if the one at the top of this page depicts what we as players can do, then I look forward to hanging from a wire as I shoot my enemies to a bloody pulp.
Oh yeah one final note, there's a screenshot over at IGN that has a person on a motorcycle riding horizontally on a wall while shooting down her opposer at the same time. I need to get me a girl like that.
-Undrallio
Here we go, the first week of March and all the great (or not so great) games that you'll be spending all your hard earned money on. We've got some good ones this week including God of War: Chains of Olympus for the PSP and Army of Two for Ps3 and 360.
To read up on all of the releases this week simply click on "Read More" and let your heart flutter with the gaming glory, and remember our pick of the week is found at the bottom of each list.Nintendo DS
Out of all of the systems, the Nintendo DS is tied with the PC for getting the most additions to the family, they've each got 9 new titles to add to their library. Here's the list of DS games and the days they're coming out on, looks like the blunt of them will be rushing in on the 4th.
Let's Ride: Friends Forever - March 3rd, 2008. A nice little horse care-taking sim from THQ. Now you can obsess over that pony that your parents never got you.
Chicken Hunter - March 4th, 2008. The title makes it seem so non-child friendly, but I swear it is. Your mission in this game from Mumbo Jumbo is to stop all the chickens during their crazy antics. Sounds like an Ape Escape mimic to me.
Imagine Figure Skater - March 4th, 2008. One of the "games for girls" that Ubisoft is trying out. In this one you take management of a figure skater and divvy up her time between schooling, training, and leisure time to hopefully become the best figure skater in the world.
Petz Bunny - March 4th, 2008. Yes, it's another adorable animal sim game from Ubisoft from it's Petz series. This time bunny rabbits. Shhhh, I'm wabbit hunting. *note, you do not hunt the rabbits*
Pet Store - March 4th, 2008. First Petz Bunny, now this one also from Ubisoft. One more animal sim this week, just getting flooded with them aren't we? Well, this one isn't species specific as you can "care for a variety of pets" in Pet Store.
Ninja Reflex - March 4th, 2008. Take on a series of martial arts challenges in this reflex-testing game by competing against your sensei or in multiplayer sessions in this one from EA that's also coming out for the Wii.
Anno 1701: Dawn of Discovery - March 4th, 2008. Explore the world in this 18th century sim from Ubisoft. Essentially it's Civilization, without the fun.
Eco Creatures: Save the Forest - March 4th, 2008. Control the cutesy animal filled ecology in this adventure-management game from Majesco Games.B&W PICK OF THE WEEK FOR NINTENDO DS:
Mysterious Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer - March 4th, 2008. Coming to us straight from Japan, Sega's re-hashed this game that was originally released on the Super Nintendo. It's a classic turn-based, role-playing game and came with plenty of screen shots throughout it's media lifespan. We picked this one because we are always glad to see a remake of a classic game, especially an RPG one.PCThe PC game release slate for this week tied with the mighty Nintendo DS at 9 games each, and here's the PC line-up, there's actually a few good ones in there this week.
Galactic Command: Echo Squad - March 3rd, 2008. A space combat sim from GamersGate, pilot your spaceship as you explore levels and blow crap up.
Tom Clancy's Chronicles - March 3rd, 2008. Joining in on the "sell more of the same game by putting them in convenient cost-efficient box sets" Ubisoft presents us with Tom Clancy's Chronicles which includes Splinter Cell, Ghost Recon, and Rainbow Six 3: Raven's Shield.
Field Ops - March 3rd, 2008. This one's definitely interesting. It's a war game from Atari that brags up the player's ability to switch between RTS and FPS play modes any time they want.
Stranger - March 3rd, 2008. Your basic fantasy RTS coming to you from Fireglow, take control of a variety of fantasy characters and fight through the light and dark sides of the realms.
Mysteryville 2 - March 3rd, 2008. Return to Mysteryville in the sequel to the original puzzle game from Activision. Now with more mysteries and clues to find in this hidden object game.
Arctic Stud Poker Run - March 3rd, 2008. When I think Poker, I think hectic races and devious tricks. What, you don't? Well now you will, in this game from Got Game Entertainment you have to race around and screw your enemies up as you attempt to assemble the best poker hand you can.
Imperium Romanum - March 4th, 2008. Take on the role of a Roman emperor and lead your country to wealth in this historic RTS from SouthPeak Interactive.
Legends of Norrath: Inquisitor - March 7th, 2008. The third installment in the online card battling game based on the Everquest world. Sony thought this one up, have fun losing your social life.B&W PICK OF THE WEEK FOR PC
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Soulstorm - March 4th, 2008.
The third standalone expansion to Warhammer 40k published by THQ and developed by Iron Lore Entertainment up until a few days ago when they shut down, it was finished up by Relic. This one got our pick simply because standalone expansions to awesome games are cool as hell, and this is one hell of a game, we highly suggest this one.Xbox 360Hitting 3rd place in game releases with only 4 games, and only one of them being 360 exclusive.
Though of the 4 that are being released, three of them are good and definitely worth a play-through.
Major League Baseball 2K8 - March 3rd, 2008. Baseball game from 2K Sports. My prediction? MLB '08: The Show will destroy it on all consoles, but since MLB '08: The Show isn't coming for the 360, MLB 2K8 found a safe home on the 360.
Bully: Scholarship Edition - March 4th, 2008. Rockstar Games brings you the same game that you've played before in Bully, and with added content. If you didn't play Bully before, now might be a good chance to try it out.
Rocketmen: Axis of Evil - March 5th, 2008. In complete cell-shaded joy Capcom brings us the only 360 exclusive coming out this week. It's a Sci-Fi FPS and looks to be a little cartoony and zany, fun for the family. If dealing out death is fun for the family.
B&W PICK OF THE WEEK FOR XBOX 360:Army of Two - March 4th, 2008. EA is giving us what looks to be one of the best co-op shooters coming for the next-gen (now current gen) systems. This game is pretty much meant to be played with a friend, as all the cool things come from utilizing all the co-op abilities. Stopping up bullet holes with a tampon For the Win.Nintendo Wii
Unlike Nintendo's DS, the Wii only has 3 games this week. I guess they were focusing too hard on the portable simulation games (holy crap there's a lot of them).
Ninja Reflex - March 4th, 2008. Take on a series of martial arts challenges in this reflex-testing game by competing against your sensei or in multiplayer sessions in this one from EA that's also coming out for the DS.
Major League Baseball 2K8 - March 3rd, 2008. Pretty much the best MLB game the Wii will see, unless you count WiiSports' baseball game, which is damned fun. What can I say? 2K Sports knows what they're doing. Though MLB 2K8 will be great for all of you baseball enthusiasts out there.B&W PICK OF THE WEEK FOR NINTENDO WII:
Bully: Scholarship Edition - March 4th, 2008. Like I mentioned before in the 360 section, this version of Bully brings the original back with all new content. So all you big fans of Bully, you'll love it. Also, this version should bring in a bunch of new fans who didn't get to play the original.Playstation Portable (PSP)
It's a good week for PSP, even if two of the three games are multi-platform baseball games. The third one is what makes up for it all, not surprisingly it's also our pick of the week.
MLB '08: The Show - March 4th, 2008. Sony's bringing you this one personally to all of their current systems (PSP, Ps2, Ps3), and if you're looking for a baseball game this is going to be your best bet. Go for it on any of the Sony consoles. You wont be disappointed.
Major League Baseball 2K8 - March 3rd, 2008. One of the two baseball games being released this week, and really if you're given the choice between this one and MLB '08: The Show they're both great games. Go for The Show if you can though, I have a feeling that one is the better of the two, even if 2K Sports has more experience.B&W PICK OF THE WEEK FOR PLAYSTATION PORTABLE: God of War: Chains of Olympus - March 4th, 2008. This one was a no-brainer. Not that we don't like sports games, just we like Kratos and his deliciously demented God murdering more. A hack and slash in it's finest, if the Ps2's God of War one and two show anything, Ready At Dawn know what they're doing when it comes to a great and fulfilling action/adventure game.
Playstation 3Not much to show here on the Ps3 this week, the two baseball games that are being circulated virtually everywhere else and Army of Two that was also for the 360. Hmm, I wonder what our pick will be?
MLB '08: The Show - March 4th, 2008. Sony's bringing you this one personally to all of their current systems (PSP, Ps2, Ps3), and if you're looking for a baseball game this is going to be your best bet. Go for it on any of the Sony consoles. You wont be disappointed.
Major League Baseball 2K8 - March 3rd, 2008. One of the two baseball games being released this week, and really if you're given the choice between this one and MLB '08: The Show they're both great games. Go for The Show if you can though, I have a feeling that one is the better of the two, even if 2K Sports has more experience.B&W PICK OF THE WEEK FOR PLAYSTATION 3: Army of Two - March 4th, 2008. EA is giving us what looks to be one of the best co-op shooters coming for the next-gen (now current gen) systems. This game is pretty much meant to be played with a friend, as all the cool things come from utilizing all the co-op abilities. Stopping up bullet holes with a tampon For the Win. (Yeah I know I just copied the text from the 360 part, but it's essentially the same. Shoosh, I'm tired.)
Playstation 2
Playstation 2, the same two MLB games and one other. Simple, and brilliant. I think the Ps2 has got to be one of my favorite consoles of all time, but that will never make me biased (damn you haters for not letting me say that without getting thrashed). Anyways, here's this week's line-up.MLB '08: The Show - March 4th, 2008. Sony's bringing you this one personally to all of their current systems (PSP, Ps2, Ps3), and if you're looking for a baseball game this is going to be your best bet. Go for it on any of the Sony consoles. You wont be disappointed. Major League Baseball 2K8 - March 3rd, 2008. One of the two baseball games being released this week, and really if you're given the choice between this one and MLB '08: The Show they're both great games. Go for The Show if you can though, I have a feeling that one is the better of the two, even if 2K Sports has more experience.B&W PICK OF THE WEEK FOR PLAYSTATION 2: Silent Hill: Origins - March 4th, 2008. I love the Silent Hill series, they've always scared the crap out of me. Haha, I remember this one time I was playing Silent Hill 4: The Room with the lights out. Well, I wont tell the story but let me tell you what, if you're already afraid of the dark....don't do what I did. At any rate this is a great way to extend the life of the Ps2, bring in a PSP port and put it on a home console.
At last I've reached the end of the releases for this week. It looks to be a fairly eventful week with a good amount of flow of games coming in. Of course it would be optimized if you had aaallll of the systems, but we know how hard that is. Still, I'm digressing, I complain, but I'm glad that Army of Two is finally out, not to mention Silent Hill: Origins. Haha, and who can forget God of War: Chains of Olympus. Yes sir, I've got even more games on my to-get-list now.
Happy gaming guys.
-Undrallio
EA has announced a PC version for the "controversial" Mass Effect to be released on May 6th. With the PC version comes fixes for a few things that Xbox 360 users weren't too keen on.
These fixes include an improved squad control interface, re-designed Mako controls......new inventory GUI, the ability to map your own hot-keys, a quick-save button, and a totally new decryption mini-game.
Sounds good for non-360 owners and well running PC users. I'll get to play this game before I die, I swear it.
-Undrallio
Do you wish you could finally make that Carebear RTS you've been dreaming of, but lack the tools and resources to put it together? Well, in a few months you can make your dream a reality, using the same technology used to create games such as Guitar Hero III, Oblivion and the Orange Box. The best part of all this is, you can do it all for free!
In May, Havok will be releasing Havok complete, a combination of the Havok physics engine and Havok Animation. This is great news for commercial and independent developers. With powerful tools like these available for free, developers can start producing higher quality games at reduced costs. 
-ryizzel
Turok is finally coming back to visit you in your home for the first time after a six year void since the disappointing Turok: Evolution. The newest in the series, which is plainly titled "Turok", is coming from Propaganda Games and will be available for your Ps3, Xbox 360, and PC on February 5th, 2008.
A demo recently was recently released on the Playstation Network so ryizzel and I decided we would review it for you and give our two cents on it.
This two stage demo starts you out as Joseph Turok with his "buddy" Slade in a dark cave with dripping water and perfect acoustics to echo even the quietest whisper. You'll realize this every time Slade says something as you tramp your way through the cavern searching for your way out. Slade says a lot of things, usually nothing important. He also likes to remind you how he'll "Leave your ass behind if you don't hurry up". What a good friend.
As you work your way through the cave, you'll hear strange noises coming from up ahead, these noises are followed by screams of fear and pain. That combined with the dripping water, the dark, and the sense of claustrophobia all make this part of the demo very tense the first time through.
You start out the demo with a bow, two sub-machine guns, and a knife. You can dual-wield any two one-handed weapons that you wish in this game. Shotgun and a sub-machine gun? Sure! Dual-shotguns? Definitely! The left handed weapon is controlled by the left trigger buttons, and the right weapon with the right triggers, easy and fun. There's also a large assortment of weapons in the demo, everything ranging from a pistol to a pulse rifle.
Though the most fun weapon in my opinion is of course, the knife. This thing is wicked. You have the choice to hack away at your enemy until they fall to their knees, or you can use R2 when you're close enough to your enemy for an instant kill where it transitions smoothly into a third-person view of Turok executing a very bad ass killing move, then transitioning just as smoothly back into first-person.
That's not the only time you enter third-person though. Does everyone remember why Turok was so cool in the first place? The dinosaurs of course! Every now and then a dino may pin you to the ground while trying to rip your throat out and you have to mash either the trigger buttons, or rotate the analog stick like mad to get the savage beasts off of you before you become a part of their digestive system.
Eventually you'll work your way out of the cave and you have to regroup with Slade (with whom you were separated in the cave), and this is the first time you get to see non-hostile dinosaurs, little Compsognathuses. You know, the little rooster sized dinosaurs. They will bite at your ankles if you sit still too long though, feisty little buggers.
We get to witness one cutscene in the demo where we see a little bit into Turok's past that explains the scar on his cheek, and why he carries a knife. He's a member of a group called the Wolf Pack, that's all I'll give away for now.
Naturally after you find out why he has a knife, you have to use either that or your bow to eliminate a few human (if indeed they are human) enemies who are patrolling the area. You could go silently, or you could just blow them all to smithereens with whatever weapons you have currently. I found it most fun to provoke the local dinosaurs and then hide while they tore into my enemies for me.
The whole thing looks great, the people are very detailed, and the dinosaurs ferocious. Ragdoll physics are fun when you blow an enemy twenty feet in the air due to a well placed grenade, but the bodies of your fallen foes feel like they have no weight to them. I barely ran into the corpse of a raptor and the thing slid ten feet in front of me. The raptors in the game are easily twice your size, I find the weightlessness highly illogical captain.
As far as music goes, Turok doesn't have anything spectacular. The music it has fits, it's easy to ignore, but it just doesn't add much to the game itself. The battle music however gets very annoying quite quickly. I'm pretty sure it's just the same 15 second track over and over.
So finally, at the end of the demo I had enjoyed myself, and it left me looking forward to the game's release. Though, I'd wait for the reviews to see if it's worth the hefty price tag before getting it, Turok is a fun First Person Shooter, but it doesn't bring anything new to the genre. The full release version is going to have a 16 person online mode, but if you're looking for a shooter I'd go for Unreal Tournament III or Team Fortress 2 from the Orange Box.
The Turok demo gets an 8.0 from me. Fun, but not incredible.
-Undrallio
Sooo....its my turn to give my review of the demo...joys...
From what I experienced in the 30 minute demo, Turok is just another generic shooter. This doesn't mean its a bad game, just not a good one. The demo contains everything you'd expect from a Turok game, dinosaurs, A bow, and a expansive jungle environment for the player to explore.
From what I've gathered in the demo, our Dinosaur hunter has joined a group of mercenaries named wolf pack who are tasked with tracking down a war criminal on a planet inhabited by dinosaurs. The demo consists of two levels, a small cave which appears to be a nest for raptors and a vast, open jungle.
You get a variety of weapons to use in this game, Pulse rifles, SMGs, Shotguns, and Grenade launchers are all at your disposal to wreak havoc upon your enemies. The best of all of the weapons was the knife. When you get close enough to an enemy, you can execute an instant kill move. Another cool feature was using the shotgun's alternate fire, a flare launcher, to distract the dinosaurs. You could even shoot enemies with the flares and the raptors would attack them.
My main problem with the demo was that it didn't leave me wanting more. With games like Farcry and Crysis on the market, this game seems vanilla. Turok has all the features every FPS should have, dual wielding, a large variety of weapons, and lots of crap to shoot at. I really hope in the full version of the game, the devs include things that make Turok unique.
Turok gets a 7 from me. While its not innovative, it's still enjoyable.
-Ryizzel
