8/05/07 - Daily Links

There's a lot of RPG coverage out there and I haven't been posting many links lately, so here ya go!

Jolt/RPGDot Reviews Overlord - The delightfully evil RPG from Codemasters is reviewed throughout the Jolt Network. This link leads to RPGDot.

GameSpot Interviews Todd Howard about Fallout 3 - GameSpot questions the game's producer after the E3 showing. There's some good detail on the highly anticipated game right here.

Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East Preview on GameSpy - An early look at the expansion title that lets you play as an Orc! The expansion is due out this fall.

GameSpy Hands-On with Hellgate: London - Lucky guys. Well, I've had hands on time too... but they're playing the co-op mode.

IGN's Mass Effect Interview - Click away to read an interview with Casey Hudson, Project Director from BioWare.

Space Siege Interview on GameSpot - An interview with Chris Taylor from Gas Powered Games.

Oblivion PSP delay rumours

Rumours are floating around that Oblivion for PSP will be significantly delayed and may even be on the verge of cancellation!

The team that is developing the game has apparently run into a lot of trouble and is far behind on development. GameStop.com is now showing that the game will ship in December, 03 2007, which is quite a bit later than the original release date of Spring 2007. However, a delay is still better than a cancellation for eager PSP fans.

Thanks to Kotaku for the info.

Shivering Isles and Two Worlds

In anticipation for the upcoming Two Worlds, I decided to go back to playing some of Shivering Isles. I downloaded Shivering Isles immediately after the release, but I've been occupied and despite being a big Oblivion fan, never got around to finishing it.

With Two Worlds, the hyped Oblivion-killer, coming out shortly, I'm starting to get excited. Needless to say, Shivering Isles is pretty solid. If you love Oblivion, then you'll love Shivering Isles. The game is already huge, but Shivering Isles adds a lot more to the game and proves to be a much more fufilling expansion than Knights of the Nine.

Two Worlds has to be one of the most anticipated games around on the RPG-scene. It promises a non-linear storyline, the ability to shape the game world with your actions, and an 8 player multi-player mode. Personally, I'm a sucker for games that give you a lot of freedom and allow you to influence the story and alter the world around you (Knights of the Old Republic, Fable, Morrowind, Oblivion, etc.). Let's just hope Two Worlds achieves that...

Growlanser Site and Limited Set

Atlus USA just announced the launch the official website for Growlanser: Heritage of War. See the new site below for more information on the game.

http://www.atlus.com/growlanser/

Atlus has also provided us with an image of the game's full Limited set, including the outer slipcase, 100-page art book, multimedia CD, and various extras. Ooooh! Pretty!!!

(click the image for a larger view)

New WoW Expansion

As part of Blizzcon 2007, Blizzard has just announced World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, the latest expansion for their MMORPG.

This expansion promises new dungeons, new encounters, new levels of power and the game's first hero class!

Wrath of the Lich King opens a new region known as Northrend, an area last seen in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. This region is overseen by the Lich King, who Blizzard describes as "one of the most powerful beings in the Warcraft universe."

Players will now be able to advance to level 80, play as the Death Knight Hero Class, and take on the new Inscription profession. This new profession will provide players with unique ways to permanently enhance their spells and abilities.

Lucky Blizzcon attendees will be able to get hands-on experience with the new expansion.

Soul Nomad Cover Revelead

Nippon Ichi has just released the box art for their upcoming RPG, Soul Nomad & the World Eaters.

This PS2 title is set for release September 25, 2007. See more info on the game at the official site: http://www.nisamerica.com/games/soulnomad

8/02/07 Issue at Just-RPG!

This week we're giving away a free copy of Lord of the Rings Online! We also have some new screens and trailers, and are still actively seeking new writers, so be sure to apply!

• Lord of the Rings Online Giveaway
• Tabula Rasa Screens
• Dragoneer's Aria Trailer
• Just-RPG looking for staff!

New Fallout 3 Site

Bethesda Softworks has just launched a brand new site for Fallout.

This new site has new wallpapers, new art, new avatars, a development team diary from Todd Howard, and a display of Fallout 3's recent E3 awards.

Be sure to jump in and check the site out right here: http://fallout.bethsoft.com/

Universe Online Info Revealed

Colony Studios, a team of MMO developers that just formed in April, have released a new video and screenshots of their upcoming MMO, Universe Online.

The Colony team is composed of developers who have worked on games such as World of Warcraft, EVE Online, City of Heroes, Dark Age of Camelot, Lord of the Rings Online, Everquest, and Ultima Online. The developers seek to make a game that will provide players with the perfect balance of strategy and turn-based combat, with unique ship classes and plenty of opportunity to influence the game world. Universe Online is currently set for release in 2009.

You can see more Universe Online information here: http://www.colonystudios.com/

ZeniMax Online Studios Launches!

ZeniMax Media Inc., the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, announced today the creation of ZeniMax Online Studios.

This new studio will be focused on creating MMO games and headed by Matt Firor, a gaming industry veteran. Firor was one of the founders of Mythic Entertainment where he worked on Dark age of Camelot.

I've always been a fan of Bethesda, so I'm curious to see what kind of MMOs they can come up with.

For more information, visit their new site: http://www.zenimaxonline.com/

GameTap & Codemasters Join Forces

GameTap has announced an expanded partnership with Codemasters for exclusive North American rights for their titles to be featured on GameTap.

This agreement will put Codemaster's games up for sale in GameTap's electronic storefront, as well as online through GameTap's subscription service. These games will be availabile the same day as the retail release. Included in this agreement, Codemaster's recent RPG, Overlord, will be featured through GameTap.

Brave Story Shipping Today

XSEED has announced that Brave Story: New Traveler has shipped to retailers across North America today.

Brave Story is a PSP exclusive RPG with an suggested retail price of $39.99. It's developed by Game Republic, the developers of the Genji series, and features a turn-based battle system and 3D graphics. Game Informer said that Brave Story is "...one of the best looking games on the PSP." - Game Informer

Check out the game's official site here: http://www.bravestorynewtraveler.com/

Game Critics Loving Mass Effect

Microsoft has just announced that the upcoming Xbox 360 Exclusive RPG from BioWare, Mass Effect, has received several Best of E3 2007 nominations from the Game Critics Awards.

Not suprisingly, Mass Effect received a Best RPG nomination as well as a Best Console Nomination. Most impressive of all, it also received a Best in Show nomination. Mass Effect is sounding good so far, but then again, with E3 as downsized as it was this year, it just doesn't seem like the awards mean as much.

Mass Effect is set for release this fall exclusively for the Xbox 360 and is already one of the most hyped games of the holiday season. With titles like Neverwinter Nights and Knights of the Old Republic under their belt, it's no wonder gamers are excited about BioWare's upcoming offering. Not to mention, the Xbox 360 is fairly dry in the RPG area right now, so patient RPG fans have something to look forward to!

BioWare has recently released an extended E3 trailer of the game. Check it out on the game's official site: http://www.masseffect.bioware.com/

Mmmm.... Games...

The coming few months are really looking good for gaming. Two of my most highly anticipated games are nearing release, BioShock and Two Worlds, and a few others are lined up for the near future.

It's been forever since I played System Shock II, but everything I remember about the game is great. As an RPGer, I loved the game's blending of RPG and FPS elements. Combine that with plenty of action and a totally eerie atmosphere, and I was hooked right away. Needless to say, it's made me eager to give BioShock a try!

I've been looking forward to Two Worlds for quite some time. I was in love with Oblivion, so when this game started being hyped as an "Oblivion-killer" I immediately began to wonder. Honestly, I don't expect it to top Oblivion, but if it can deliver a similar experience, I'll be happy.

Blue Dragon is coming out in late August, also. I haven't played any Japanese RPGs in quite a while and it'll be nice to finally play one on my Xbox 360. In a couple more months Mass Effect will be released, which should be a great time for gamers. KotOR is still among my all-time favorite games, so I'm expecting great things from Mass Effect.

Anyway, I'm just starting to get a bit hyped for the fall. After all, we all know that we tend to get a flood of great games right before Christmas. Unfortunately I haven't had a lot of time for gaming lately, so I'm particularly excited to get my hands on these upcoming titles.