PC Game News

A new trailer for "Mount & Blade: Warband" has been released, giving viewers more of a look at the upcoming expansion.

"Mount & Blade: Warband is geared to raise the level of intensity of the original Mount & Blade, incorporating a brand new multiplayer feature that enables up to 64 players to fight for glory on a single map in team deathmatch style battles. Seasoned veterans and newcomers alike will find much to love as they command scores of hardened warriors through lands ravaged by constant raids and skirmishes. Mount & Blade: Warband also improves on many aspects of the orignal game that introduced the world to groundbreaking horseback combat, intuitive swordplay, and a free-form environment."

Paradox has announced "East India Company: Privateer," the first expansion to the recent strategy game by Nitro Games.

"When playing Privateer, you can hire two distinct type of commanders for your fleets: merchant captains and privateers. You’ll be contracted by the crown or other powers for different missions, ranging from smugglin and escorting friendly fleets to locating, capturing or sinking important ships from enemy nations. Also included in East India Company: Privateer is a brand new multiplayer scenario entitled ”Breakthrough.” In Breakthrough, one team will attempt to escort their flagship to safety while the other team tries to destroy the enemy ship.

East India Company: Privateer Features:

• Two new campaigns in which you play the game as a privateer of your chosen nation.
• New missions, including locating and either sinking or capturing enemy ships, blockading enemy ports and escorting friendly fleets.
• New commander skills to fit the life of a privateer, such as "False Colors", which allows the player to get close to the victim without them perceiving a threat, and "Critical Hit", which gives the player a chance to hit an enemy ship’s magazine, causing the enemy ship to explode.

For more information on East India Company: Privateer, keep on eye on the official East India Company website at https://www.eic-game.com."

NCSoft today released the debut trailer for "Guild Wars 2," giving viewers just a tease of what’s to come in the upcoming sequel.

"The teaser trailer reveals some of the world-shaking events that set up the story of Guild Wars 2 and also showcases the game’s fantastic graphics and environments.

Guild Wars 2 is a visually stunning MMO that will offer players the epic grandeur of a massive role playing environment combined with the challenge of world-class player vs. player competition. Building on the success and lessons of Guild Wars, ArenaNet is creating an MMO that lets gamers play the way they want, while at the same time retaining the no-subscription-fee business model that has made the original Guild Wars so popular.

For more information about Guild Wars 2, including a streaming version of the teaser trailer, visit www.guildwars2.com."

Ubisoft today released several new screenshots from "Assassin’s Creed II," giving viewers more of a look at the upcoming sequel.

"Assassin’s Creed II is the product of over two years of intensive development by the original creative team behind the Assassin’s Creed brand. In a vast open world environment, the game invites players to incarnate Ezio, a privileged young noble in Renaissance Italy who’s been betrayed by the rival ruling families of Italy.

Ezio’s subsequent quest for vengeance plunges players into a captivating and epic story that offers more variety in missions, surprising and engaging new game play elements, diverse weapons and a profound character progression that will appeal to fans of the original Assassin’s Creed as well as entice players new to the brand.

Assassin’s Creed II is scheduled to launch on November 20, 2009 for the PLAYSTATION® 3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PC."

Ubisoft has announced "Silent Hunter 5," a new PC EXCLUSIVE sequel in the naval action series in development at Ubisoft Romania.

"Silent Hunter(R) 5 is the next installment of the best-selling submarine series of all-time and will be available for the PC in early 2010. Silent Hunter(R) 5 ventures into uncharted territory and takes players behind the periscope of a German U-boat to take on the Allied Forces in famous battles across the vast Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. For the first time in the history of the series, players can live the life of a submarine captain from a first-person view and lead a crew in a critical campaign.

Silent Hunter(R) is the most award-winning submarine series of all time, with nearly 1.5 million copies sold worldwide. The previous release in the franchise, Silent Hunter(R): Wolves of the Pacific, made a lasting solid impact on the franchise’s growing fan base after it was released to worldwide critical acclaim, including being named 2007’s “Simulation Game of the Year” by PC Gamer.

Silent Hunter(R) 5 key features:

• VIEW AS A CAPTAIN: Walk through highly detailed submarines in the new first-person view and access every part of your U-boat.
• BECOME A REAL LEADER: Interact with your crew, watch them perform their daily jobs and experience the tension and fear inside the U-boat through the new advanced order system.
• WAR STRATEGIES: Choose your own strategy and select your targets with a new objective-driven, dynamic campaign.
• ENEMY REACTIONS: Open new locations, upgrades and resupply possibilities, while the Allied ships adjust dynamically to your approach. Your actions will directly impact the evolution of the campaign.
• NEW USER INTERFACE: Prowl the waters with a brand-new user interface. Now, every beginner can successfully command a sub while remaining free of confusion. In expert mode, experienced players will be provided all the necessary information and controls to command the sub completely on their own.
• CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE: Experience the most realistic and immersive Silent Hunter ever created. Improved environment graphics create a powerful level of immersion as you operate authentic, highly detailed U-boats and fight against surface ships.

Silent Hunter(R) 5 is scheduled for release in early 2010.

For more information, please visit www.silenthunter5.com"

Tripwire Interactive today released the free Heavy Metal content pack for "Killing Floor," the co-op survival horror game, and also announced a 10% off sale for the week.

"Following on from the success of the earlier DLC Character Pack, this entirely free update brings 2 new weapons, a brand new map and a bunch of other new features to the game. The major ones:

• 2 new weapons: the AK-47 assault rifle beefs up the Commando Perk, with heavier hitting power in semi and full automatic fire modes. The Katana is a classic melee weapon that combines speed, reach and cutting power.
• A brand new map: KF-Foundry. This map is set in a Horzine manufacturing facility, tucked away in an old steel foundry. Multiple levels, strange machinery and molten metal all serve to create an eerie and frantic location to fight off the specimen hordes!

Further new features include:

• Added "On Fire" behavior to all Specimens. When a specimen burns a certain amount, they will now freak out and behave like a burning zed should, making the flamethrower more effective.
• Updated the flashlight to look and act in a more realistic fashion.

Tweaks include:

• Added smoke to the Scrake’s Chainsaw.
• Adjusted the spawning of the Patriarch boss character to prevent cases where the boss was spawning too close to players.
• Adjusted Bullpup’s firing sound to have more bass.
• Adjusted "Crisp up" settings for some of the Specimens when on fire.
• Updated Mutator and Map White Lists (see Killing Floor forums for more details)

And, of course, some bug fixes:

• Fixed Scrake’s head glowing when decapitated.
• Fixed "The Long War", "The Hard War", and "The Completely Suicidal War" achievements not unlocking.
• Fixed known exploits on KF-Farm, KF-Manor, KF-Offices, and KF-WestLondon.

The pack is free to everyone who owns the game and will update automatically. Killing Floor is now available on Steam (www.steampowered.com) and is rolling out in stores across Europe and North America. For more information on the game, visit the website at www.killingfloorthegame.com."

Telltale Games released "Tales of Monkey Island Chapter Two: Siege of Spinner Cay" today.

"Based on the beloved adventure series starring Mighty Pirate Guybrush Threepwood, Tales of Monkey Island delivers the first new Monkey Island storyline in nine years. This series of maritime escapades has proven a tremendous hit with seadogs and landlubbers alike (otherwise known as ‘critics’ and ‘consumers’ for the nautically challenged.) The auspicious debut of Tales of Monkey Island makes it the best performing series to date for Telltale, which recently commemorated its fifth anniversary. The first chapter "Launch of the Screaming Narwhal" quickly catapulted to the #1 position on the top 20 WiiWare service popularity charts in multiple regions around the world for the weeks of August 3rd and August 10th and also secured the #1 slot on the Top Seller’s list for Steam’s online channel in its launch week."

The five-chapter series can be purchased for $34.95 on PC at www.telltalegames.com and the WiiWare games are available from the Wii Shop Channel."

Funcom has announced "Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer," the first expansion in the MMORPG series.

"Inspired by the rich and colorful cultures of eastern Asia, ‘Rise of the Godslayer’ will send players on a voyage through the Empire of Khitai where countless hours of more brutal, sexy and savage adventure awaits. ‘Rise of the Godslayer’ not only introduces a whole new storyline and a vast new world to explore, it also adds new features such as faction gameplay and an alternate advancement system.

“Since the turn of the year the team has been working hard on bringing the Empire of Khitai to life,” says Craig Morrison, Game Director and Executive Producer on ‘Rise of the Godslayer’. “Our focus now is on expanding on the strengths of the game by providing massive new regions of the world to explore, and the Empire of Khitai offers a whole new perspective on the Conan lore and universe. ‘Age of Conan’ has evolved leaps and bounds since its launch last year, and we are making sure to build on the existing qualities and expand them further with the brand new content and gameplay in ‘Rise of the Godslayer’.”

‘Rise of the Godslayer’ tells the story of an Empire slowly spiraling into chaos, as a consequence of the actions of a young Conan many years ago. After killing the Elephant God in the famous Robert E. Howard story ‘The Tower of the Elephant’, strange and horrible things have been happening to the Empire of Khitai. As a player you must explore the dark roads of the Empire and walk the path of the Godslayer as you unravel a mature and deep storyline full of brutal conflict and political intrigue.

Go to www.riseofthegodslayer.com for more information such as a complete list of features."

SEGA today announced "Napoleon: Total War," the first in a new story driven branch in Creative Assembly’s real-time strategy franchise.

"Napoleon: Total War will keep the franchise’s genre-leading 3D battles on land and sea. The turn-based campaign is split into three different story-driven campaigns, telling the story of the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte through his most famous battles.

In Napoleon: Total War, aspiring generals have the chance to play as the legendary French general Napoleon Bonaparte or as one of his opposing factions. Battling through his three biggest military campaigns, the game will take you through Italy and Egypt, narrating the early years of the fearsome commander, while the third campaign will tell the story of his fateful drive towards Moscow and, ultimately, his showdown with the Duke of Wellington at one of the most famous battles of all – The Battle of Waterloo.

“In Napoleon: Total War you get to actually be Napoleon – to face the problems he faced, to win the battles he won, and to build the Empire he built. Or better,” commented Mike Simpson, Creative Director at The Creative Assembly and father of the Total War franchise. “However, the game allows you to step in the shoes of his opposing generals as well, allowing the player to rewrite history as they see fit.”

Napoleon: Total War expands on the successful Total War series by taking all the features from previous games such as the full 3D land and naval battles, the detailed campaign map, and an in depth diplomacy system and taking them a step further.

Napoleon: Total War hits shelves in February 2010. For more information please visit www.totalwar.com/napoleon"

Tripwire today announced that it will be self-publishing the retail version of "killing Floor" in North America.

"Tripwire will be the publisher for Killing Floor in North American stores, with the boxes due for shipping to retail outlets in USA and Canada shortly. As always with Tripwire titles, the retail version will be fully supported going forward with additional free updates for the game. MSRP will be $19.99 in the USA.

About the game

Killing Floor is a Co-op Survival Horror FPS taking place in the devastated cities and countryside of England, after a series of cloning experiments for the military goes horribly wrong. You and your friends are members of the military and police, dropped into these locations with a simple mission: survive long enough to cleanse the area of the failed experiments. The only problem is, these “experiments” aren’t waiting to be taken out – they’re coming for YOU!

Key features:

• Co-op game mode for up to six players obliterating multiple waves of specimens
• Persistent Perks system, allowing players to convert their in-game achievements into permanent improvements to their character’s skills and abilities
• Over 40 Steam Achievements, including “Dignity for the dead” for killing 10 enemies feeding on dead teammates’ corpses and “Hot Cross Fun” for finishing off 25 burning enemies with a Crossbow.
• Watch those crucial and violent creature deaths in slomo “ZEDtime”, even in multiplayer
• Solo game mode for offline play
• 9 different monster types trying to eat your face off, armed with everything from teeth and claws, through to chainsaws, chainguns and rocket-launchers
• 14+ weapons for the players to chose from, ranging from knives and fire-axes up to pump shotguns, rifles and a flamethrower. Add in a welder, medical tools and body armor to help the players survive
• Players choose which Perks to play with, so they can best balance out a co-op team to survive the horrors
• Open, non-linear play areas: choose when and where to fight – or run; weld doors closed to try and direct the monster horde
• Fully-configurable, allowing players to change things as simple as the difficulty level or number of creature waves, or go so far as to set up their own favorite waves of monsters
• Includes SDK for the creation of new levels and mods"

BioWare today revealed more information on the story of "Mass Effect 2," the upcoming RPG sequel.

"Once again stepping into the role of the heroic Commander Shepard, gamers will command their crew on a suicide mission in space. Players will strategically select each member of their squad, all of whom have a direct impact on the direction of the story and the squad’s chances for survival. Players will select from a motley cast of characters including the newly revealed ‘Grunt’ – a blood-hungry Krogan.

Once players have assembled their squad from amongst the galaxy’s most powerful mystics, geniuses, and convicts, they must lead them on a suicide mission to discover why humans are vanishing from the galaxy. The success of the mission hinges on the squad recruited and their loyalty to the mission. Shepard’s future depends on it.

“The Mass Effect trilogy is an epic saga with consequences that will carry through from chapter to chapter” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, GM and CEO BioWare, VP EA. “Building out a diverse and loyal party is one of the features that makes the Mass Effect series unique. “The characters Commander Shepard recruits are not only pivotal to the storyline but essential to the players overall success.”

The new character revealed in the Mass Effect 2 squad is ‘Grunt’. A violent and unpredictable Krogan fighter, Grunt has never faced true defeat. His unsurpassed physical strength makes him a strong asset to Commander Shepard’s team, if he can be tamed, and if he can be trusted.

Grunt is the second party member to be revealed in the Mass Effect 2 universe following ‘Thane’ a deadly assassin who was first introduced in June. More details about the rest of Shepard’s crew will be revealed in the coming months.

The Mass Effect trilogy is a masterful science fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life and mysterious uncharted planets. Mass Effect 2 is scheduled for release on Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PC in early 2010."

The list of new PC game releases, DVD and Blu-ray releases, and movies opening the week of August 17th, 2009.

PC Games:

• Raven Squad
• Still Life 2
• Tales of Monkey Island – Chapter 2: The Siege of Spinner Cay
• Wolfenstein

Movies Opening this Week:

• Casi Divas (limited)
• Five Minutes of Heaven (limited LA/NY)
• Inglourious Basterds
• My One and Only (limited)
• Post Grad

DVD and Blu-Ray Releases:

• Dexter: The Complete Third Season [Blu-Ray]
• Dirty Sexy Money: The Complete and Final Season
• Donald in Mathmagic Land
• Eli Stone: The Complete Second Season
• Go [Blu-Ray]
• Gossip Girl: The Complete Second Season
• Greek: Chapter Three
• Hannah Montana: The Movie
• Husbands – Extended Cut
• iCarly: Season 2, Vol. 1
• Icons of Sci-Fi: Toho Collection
• Julia
• Kagemusha [Blu-Ray]
• Last House on the Left [Blu-Ray]
• Pete’s Dragon
• Playtime [Blu-Ray]
• Ride a Wild Pony
• Sons of Anarchy: Season One [Blu-Ray]
• Spring Break
• Surveillance [Blu-Ray]
• The 5 Deadly Venoms
• The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 1-5
• The Adventures of Tintin, Vol. 6-10
• The Beast: Season One
• The Fighter [Blu-Ray]
• The Last Starfighter: 25th Anniversary Ed.
• The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season
• Those Old Broads
• Tyson
• Tyson [Blu-Ray]
• Yellowstone Cubs

Activision and id Software have announced that "Wolfenstein" has been shipped and is now available for the PC and Xbox 360.

"Combining intense action and stunning graphics, Wolfenstein picks up immediately after the events of the award-winning Return to Castle Wolfenstein. In the newest chapter to the famed franchise, the Nazis’ have returned to their dark experiments and unearthed a dimension that contains amazing powers, simply known as – The Veil. With the help of the resistance faction of the town Isenstadt, players return to enlist as super OSA agent BJ Blazkowicz to uncover the Third Reich’s evil aspirations and stop them before it’s too late.

"It’s been great to work with Raven Software on an ambitious title like Wolfenstein," said Kevin Cloud, executive producer at id Software. "The latest chapter delivers an epic gameplay experience by seamlessly blending intense combat throughout a compelling sci-fi narrative that brings the occult underworld to life as only Wolfenstein can deliver."

As players embark on an all-new mission deep in the heart of the Third Reich, they will have access to an arsenal of upgradable conventional and sci-fi weapons, while battling a multitude of escalating enemies, from Nazi combat troops and super soldiers to paranormal forces and experimental creatures.

Following in the footsteps of its predecessors, the Wolfenstein multi-player experience features the Axis and Resistance squaring off against each other in Team Deathmatch, Stopwatch or Objective based games. With three classes from which to choose, players can fight on the frontline as a soldier, heal their compatriots as a medic, or help gather objectives as an engineer all while using the Veil powers in special ways. Additionally, the persistent gold found within the multiplayer maps allows players to purchase upgrades for weapons and Veil powers on the fly, ensuring a deep and continuous variety of action along with tremendous replay value.

Wolfenstein is now available nationwide on Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and PC. For more information go to www.wolfenstein.com."

NCSoft has announced that "Aion" has gone gold and will be released in North America on September 22nd and in Europe on the 25th.

"In advance of the game’s launch, Aion will be showcased at both GamesCom 2009 in Cologne, Germany, as well as the Penny Arcade Expo 2009 in Seattle, Washington. Both events will feature exclusive hands-on access to the 1.5 version of the game, which has yet to be unveiled to Western audiences. This version of the game introduces numerous enhancements, including continued improvements to Aion’s innovative character customization that will now include a host of Western styles, as well as new zones, instances, skills, quests and continued game balancing and improvements.

Aion has already built major momentum among gamers across Europe and North America, with more than three million hours of gameplay logged in the game’s closed best testing alone. Additionally, the Limited Collector’s Edition version of the game is nearly sold out in retailers, and Aion is currently on the best-seller lists for PC games weeks ahead of the game’s launch. Aion is available for pre-order from several participating online and brick-and-mortar retailers, including Aiononline.com, Amazon, Best Buy, EB Games Canada, Fry’s Electronics, GameStop, Steam and Target.

Unlike any MMO before it, Aion is a uniquely crafted online experience where flight offers much more than just a way to explore the landscape – it is a strategic and integral part of combat, quests, and exploration. Players will dive into battle and plunge through thousands of unique, story-driven quests, all while trying to save a world literally shattered in half from centuries of brutal conflict. Using one of the most flexible and in-depth character customization systems ever featured in an MMO, players will be able to create genuinely distinct characters and explore a visually stunning world of ethereal beauty brimming with otherworldly inhabitants, mysterious enemies, and ancient secrets.

For more information about Aion go to https://www.aiononline.com."

Paradox has announced that "Supreme Ruler 2020 GOLD," which includes the original game and the "Global Crisis" expansion, has gone gold and will be released on September 18th.

"In Supreme Ruler 2020, it is up to the player to lead a nation in a world that has fallen into anarchy. In Global Crisis, players face an even more devastating and realistic experience through a sandbox-style campaign that takes into account real-world headlines for a chilling portrayal of tomorrow’s chaotic world.

Grab control of one of more than 250 territories from around the world, in a sandbox-style campaign that incorporates real-world headlines for a chilling glimpse of a world on the brink of World War III.

Features:

• Over 30 scenarios spread across the original campaign and the thrilling expansion as players march towards World War III
• Control one of more than 250 territories from around the world in single-player or multiplayer modes
• Use high-resolution NASA satellite imagery to manage your sprawling empire
• Control hundreds of actual military vehicles using a sophisticated tactical command system
• Realistic world using detailed diplomatic, economic, and political models
• Great flexibility, either through modding or a limitlessly customizable Super Sandbox mode

Supreme Ruler 2020 GOLD will be available for purchase in retail stores and via digital distribution channels on September 18.

For more information, please visit the Supreme Ruler 2020 official website https://www.paradoxplaza.com/SupremeRuler2020 or https://www.battlegoat.com"