PC Game News

Namco Bandai and CD Projekt RED today announced that "The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings" has gone gold and is scheduled to be released on May 17.

"The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is the eagerly awaited sequel to the award-winning, million-selling RPG that captured the imaginations of discerning players everywhere.  It introduced a truly unique protagonist, the professional slayer of monsters, Geralt of Rivia, and defined a new standard for thought-provoking, non-linear game narration, with mature themes, significant choices that weren’t automatically good or bad, and true decisions that led to meaningfully different consequences.

The Witcher 2 builds upon these distinctive strengths within an all-new storyline filled with complex characters, captivating political machinations and intriguing challenges.  It also features a new, brutal combat system that uniquely combines tactical elements with dynamic action.  The proprietary REDengine, designed and built in-house to support the specific demands imposed by the games’ complex, branching style of open-ended storytelling, also takes full advantage of the latest advances in graphical technology.

For more information about The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, please visit www.thewitcher.com"

The list of new PC game releases, DVD and Blu-Ray releases, and movies opening the week of April 25, 2011.

PC Games:

• Deadly Secrets: Art of Murder
• Chronicles of Mystery: Secret of the Lost Kingdom
• Darkspore
• Hector: Episode 1 – We Negotiate with Terrorists

Movies Opening This Week:

• 13 Assassins (limited)
• Cave of Forgotten Dreams (limited)
• Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (limited)
• Fast Five
• Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil
• Prom

DVD and Blu-Ray Releases:

• 3 Idiots
• American Experience: Stonewall Uprising
• An Evening with Dave Grusin [Blu-Ray]
• Betty Blue: Original Theatrical Release [Blu-Ray]
• Blood Out [Blu-Ray]
• Blow Out [Criterion Collection Blu-Ray]
• Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back [Blu-Ray]
• Chawz [Blu-Ray]
• Cinderella – Birmingham Royal Ballet [Blu-Ray]
• Cinema Paradiso
• Daylight [Blu-Ray]
• Dementia 13 [Blu-Ray]
• Dinoshark [Blu-Ray]
• Doc Martin: Collection – Series 1-4
• Eden of the East: The King of Eden [Blu-Ray]
• El Topo [Blu-Ray]
• Enchanged April
• Ending on a High Note: Final Concert [Blu-Ray]
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas [Criterion Collection Blu-Ray]
• Gangs of New York [Blu-Ray]
• Growing Pains: Complete Second Season
• Human Planet [Blu-Ray]
• Jolene [Blu-Ray]
• Knockout [Blu-Ray]
• K-On! [Blu-Ray]
• Mahine Girl [Blu-Ray]
• Marvel The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Vol. 1
• Marvel The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Vol. 2
• Moguls & Movie Stars: History of Hollywood
• No Country for Old Men [Blu-Ray]
• Nova: Making Stuff
• Poor Pretty Eddie [Blu-Ray]
• Revenge of the Bridesmaids
• Sacrifice [Blu-Ray]
• Sin City [Blu-Ray]
• Sniper: Reloaded [Blu-Ray]
• South Park: Complete Fourteenth Season [Blu-Ray]
• The Crow
• The Dorm That Dripped Blood [Blu-Ray]
• The Girl Who Leapt Through Time [Blu-Ray]
• The Holy Mountain [Blu-Ray]
• The Lucy Show: Official Fourth Season
• The Other Side of the Mirror – Bob Dylan Live at the Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965 [Blu-Ray]
• The Queen [Blu-Ray]
• The Scent of Green Papaya [Blu-Ray]
• The Terror [Blu-Ray]
• The Universe: The Complete Series Megaset [Blu-Ray]
• Upstairs Downstairs
• Yanni: A Living Legacy

The LEGO Group today announced that a huge content pack for "LEGO Univerise" will be released next week, adding a cooperative building challenge, a racetrack with vehicles, bigger Property worlds, new models, new missions, and more.

"It takes a village… to a raise Nexus Tower

An upcoming community building mission will have all minifigures in the LEGO Universe working together to help assemble the greatest in-game creation yet – Nexus Tower! Currently under construction, the Nexus Tower will protect the Nexus of Imagination from Maelstrom enemy forces upon completion.

To finish the Tower, the heroic Nexus Force needs help. Well, actually, they need more bricks! An urgent donation drive begins next week, and players will have one month to complete the task.

Throughout the month-long challenge, stop by Nimbus Station Race Place to drop off bricks at the Nexus Force donation machine. Generous donors will earn achievements and rare one-time-only rewards.

Hot new racetrack, cool new cars

Beginning next week, players can outrace the Maelstrom itself, on a fiery new racetrack – the most challenging yet in LEGO Universe! Eight exclusive vehicles will give players a speedy new way to flaunt their Faction pride and get in the racing spirit this month!

Property worlds: bigger, better, fuzzier

Two highly-anticipated Property updates are also major news this month, giving players more space to build and new ways to bring their creations – and pets – to life in LEGO Universe. A huge new Property world was just discovered in Nimbus Station, and will be accessible when Nimbus Isle debuts next week. For players who’s Block Yards are bursting at the brim, Nimbus Isle will offer well-welcomed, bigger building room, complete with remarkable LEGO ocean views.

Learn more about how you can explore LEGO Universe at www.LEGOuniverse.com!"

Paradox Interactive and Battlegoat Studios today announced a large game update for "Supreme Ruler 2020 Gold" along with a price cut to $9.99.

“Update 8 for Supreme Ruler 2020 Gold features a variety of improvements, enhancements and new additions including ones suggested by the active Supreme Ruler player communities. The update includes:

• 20 new MOD scenarios
• New units and technologies
• Dozens of new AI additions and improvements
• New unit commands
• Game performance improvements including reduced memory usage and smaller save game files

Not only will “Update 8” be provided free-of-charge to all existing Supreme Ruler 2020 and Supreme Ruler 2020 Gold owners, but all owners of Supreme Ruler 2020 will receive a full update to bring them up to date with the latest Supreme Ruler 2020 Gold edition which includes all content released since the game launched."

Paradox Interactive today announced that "Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword" has gone gold and is scheduled to be released on May 3.

"Become a mercenary or join one of five battling factions, to conquer, destroy or create empires.  In this open sandbox world you choose your allies and enemies, what provinces to conquer, which castles to siege and what quests to embark on!

With Fire and Sword builds and expands upon the highly regarded combat system from Mount & Blade: Warband. Firearms and battle formations based off real-world military strategies have been introduced to the battlefield. Also, muskets and pistols can now be used as sidearms in hand-to-hand combat to quickly drop your foes. In addition to the enhanced single player mode, Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword also provides a host of original multiplayer content including the new game mode: Captain, where up to 16 players can command a squad of solders.

Key new features include:

• Introduces firearms and grenades
• Multiple endings for high replay-ability
• Enhanced siege mechanics: storm the castle, blow up the wall, bribe an officer or poison the well/food to get past the defenses!
• 7 new multiplayer maps: Nomad Camp, Moscow Kremlin, Moscow Fortress, Novgorod Fortress, Swedish Castle, Teutonic Castle, Field by the River
• A setting based off the cult novel “With Fire and Sword” (1884) by Nobel- prize winner Henry Sienkiewicz

Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword is now available to preorder at several digital download portals for $14.99 and will release at all digital platforms on May 3, 2011. The retail release will follow shortly thereafter.

For more information about Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword, please visit: https://www.paradoxplaza.com/games/mountblade-with-fire-and-sword"

A recent interview with Erik Wolpa, lead writer for "Portal 2" at valve,  on the UK version of the Electronic Arts website reveals that a new Gel feature didn't make it into the final version of the game because it was so disorientating. 

"What other ideas came up for Portal 2 that were eventually cut?
At one point we had a new Gel that allowed players to walk up the side of walls. While this added a new twist to the game, the effect was so disorientating that it made people nauseas.

While working on a first-person game you always have to be aware of that issue so we removed that Gel. We also made changes to frame rate and movement that will help anyone play Portal 2 even if they do experience a feeling of nauseas while playing other first-person games."

You can read the entire interview at EA.com/uk

Paradox Interactive and Ino-Co today announced the release of the "Majesty 2 Collection", which includes Majesty 2 along with its three expansion packs.

"Cavort through over forty challenging missions, stretching across four fiendishly difficult campaigns. Each packed with an absolute treasure of new features providing the most aristocratic of experiences for budding kings and queens. Players can consort with a number of new heroes, construct a number of new buildings to unlock a succession of eminently powerful abilities and potent guild spells. All these and more will help defeat the numerous new monsters and former subjects aiming to usurp 'your majesty' from their throne.
For only victory will save the kingdom from peril. Do you have the constitution to succeed?

Collecting Majesty 2, Kingmaker, Monster Kingdom and Battles of Ardania into one splendiferous package, Majesty 2 Collection is simply the must-have game that every royal observer needs to have this season. Also included is the Kingmaker game editor enabling players to create their own missions, as well as every item, quest, unit and building previously only available for purchase using the in-game store. This additional content includes new spells, weapons, units, heroes, buildings, quests and much more! "

The Frozenbyte Humble Bundle reached a $700,000 milestone. To celebrate, Frozenbyte has released additional free bonuses for customers, which includes a playable teaser of "Splot", the source code for "Shadowgrounds" and "Shadowgrounds Survivor", and a "Trine" level editor.

• First, there's a playable teaser game of Splot, available at https://www.splotgame.com/ for all Humble Frozenbyte Bundle purchasers (using the link from the download page of the bundle). Splot is available for "preorder" in the bundle – all purchasers will get the full game when it's done in 2-3 months.
• Second, we have released the source code for our Shadowgrounds and Shadowgrounds Survivor games.
• And finally, a long-awaited fan favorite: the Trine level editor is now available from the Humble Frozenbyte Bundle download page.

"In addition, the Linux build of Trine has been updated (including better compatibility and improved graphics rendering, and many other fixes). We'll also have other new builds coming shortly or next week (incl. new Mac build of Trine to fix MacBook Pro 13" graphics rendering and Mac/Linux build of Jack Claw)."

Gameinformer translated a German website, which claims that JoWood has failed to recapitalize its debt, which could lead to the end of the company. If that happens, questions about DreamCatcher Games / The Adventure, which JoWood purchased in 2007, will certainly arise – not to mention the upcoming "Gothic 4" expansion that was indefinitely delayed.

From Gameinformer:

"JoWood had been granted a stay of execution by a Vienna court in January as it tried to find new investors to inject cash into the ailing company. The two investors that looked most likely to save the publisher have both pulled out, and the huge amount of debt incurred by JoWood in previous years and a disastrously unprofitable 2010 looks to be insurmountable. The standard bankruptcy filing the company is now in could result in individual properties being sold off to pay back its creditors."

Topware Interactive today announced that "Two Worlds II: Castle Defense", a stand-alone castle defense game based on the Antaloor universe, will be released in May.

"The story itself takes place between Two Worlds and Two Worlds II, giving the player some surprising back story about the conflict between Gandohar and the Orcs of Antaloor. Only now, slip into the mighty boots of Gandohar himself and the fan favorite henchman- Sordahon.

The gameplay makes the player utilize tactics and upgrades to defeat each wave of enemies successfully. The dark forests, abandoned ruins and winding catacombs will be stained with blood as the fight against the onslaught of Orcs ensues over the five beautiful regions. With the Arena mode and Highscore function, Castle Defense raises the bar for the ultimate challenge against online opponents from all over the globe!"

Fore more information visit: https://www.twoworlds2.com/cd/

The "ARMA II" website has been updated with the announcement of the release of "ARMA II: Reinforcements", a new stand-alone expansion.

"Arma 2: Reinforcements unites two independent factions – British Armed Forces and Private Military Company – on one DVD. Play it separately across the single-player and co-op campaigns, or join friends in multiplayer battles with up to 50 players and hundreds of AI units

Uncover the dramatic events of post-invasion Takistan – originally described in Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead – through the eyes of British Paratrooper, Brian Frost, as he fights against the dangerous insurgency for both his country and his company. Deploy a mechanized division of British Armed Forces sent to reinforce Coalition troops battling the large-scale outbreak of Guerilla insurgency, and join the Private Military Company, contracted to protect a UN weapons inspection team in Takistan."

Electronic Arts today released a new hero spotlight video for "Darkspore", which features Skar.

Info on Skar from the Darkspore Wiki:

"Before the devastation wrought by the Darkspore, no force was feared more on Nocturna as much as the Nocturni Legion, largely due to creatures like Skar. And such fear was the result of genetic manipulation by the horrific Crogenitor Ingto, who loved nothing more than inspiring terror in his subjects, and sometimes, in their prey.

Amplifying Skar's naturally-occurring necrotic powers, Ingto gave Skar to storm through waves of enemies with blitzkrieg intensity. Skar smashed foes with dual strikes and shadow stings, and in rare moments of vulnerability, he'd retreat behind a cloak of invisibility. Even greater than his powers was his acumen, which enabled Skar to take advantage of any opportunity or weakness."

Paradox Interactive and Arrowhead Studios today announced that two new challenge maps will soon bee released on April 26. One of the maps will be available for free, depending on the results of a Facebook poll. The other will be $1.99.

"Players will soon be able to punish themselves by attempting the Caverns and Marshlands maps, each featuring a different swarm of terrible creatures with an appetite for your face. Wizards can try to survive the Caverns, inhabited by more trolls than this website, or try something refreshing and new in the Marshlands: Zombies, the monster that fills a completely untapped niche.

While both maps are difficult and dangerous enough that adding them to one’s Magicka game is the demented act of a madman, one of these maps will be offered entirely free of charge, while the other one will cost a comparatively astronomical 1.99 USD. Choosing which map will be free is an agonizing decision though, which we didn’t feel like making, so instead we’re opting to conduct an extremely scientific poll via Facebook to let Magicka fans ultimately decide. This poll will run for only 24 hours, allowing it to fit within our very short attention spans. Look, a squirrel! Wait, what did we just say?"

Viva Media today announced the release of "Black Mirror 3: Final Fear", the last chapter in the point-and-click adventure game by Cranberry Productions and dtp Entertainment.

"Only a short time ago, Darren Michaels was a quiet store clerk in a sleepy New England town. Now in Willow Creek, England, a tormented Darren barely reacts as police handcuffs are closed on his wrists. All the evidence points to him, and the police have arrested Darren as their primary suspect in a fatal crime. He’s subjected to extensive questioning, but Darren is numb to the events occurring around him, and has withdrawn into a deep emptiness.  Then after several weeks of incarceration, Darren is unexplainably released.

But he is not free. Darren remains terrorized by sleepless nights, nightmare-like visions, and the chilling specter of murder and death.

Now alone, Darren must continue his search to uncover what has been happening to him and lift the veil on his clouded past. What has he really seen? What do his torturous nightmares really mean? Who is the mysterious person that posted the bail to set him free? What demons lie waiting in the crypt?
Return to face the dark forces that haunt the ominous Black Mirror Castle as you search for the secrets that lie behind the tangled web of haunting riddles, mysterious secrets and dark characters. Alternate between two playable characters, as you explore over 120 highly detailed and atmospheric locations, and interact with over 50 characters in your quest for redemption.

Dare to find the answers in the climactic final chapter of this epic trilogy – for once you gaze into the Black Mirror, you won’t be able to look away."

EA today announced new additions to "Need for Speed World", expanding the Play4Free racing game by EA Black Box.

"Available now, players can team up with three friends to win the race while battling a determined police force. This is a race to the finish line using any means necessary including roadblocks, spike strips and deadly rhino SUVs. Players can also fight back with two brand new power-ups; Team Emergency Evade, which can be used to save friends from getting busted with a more powerful blast than regular evade, and Team Slingshot which gives one team a huge burst of speed.

Need for Speed World playerswill be the world’s first game to use Dolby® Axon voice technology. This innovative new technology lets players stay in constant contact as they organize objectives, create race strategies and perfect escape tactics without requiring a separate application or any drain on bandwidth.

Additionally, Need for Speed World players can now further personalize their cars with an enhanced visual customization system featuring window tints, underbody neons, license plates, wheels, and lowering kits."