8/24/07 Issue at Just-RPG

We've got an issue packed full of goodies this week, including a preview of the highly anticipated Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360. We also have new screens and trailers from games like Fallout 3, Requital, Nethergate: Resurrection, and more!

http://www.just-rpg.com

• Blue Dragon Preview
• Fallout 3 Screens
• Nethergate: Resurrection Screens
• Just-RPG looking for staff
• Dragoneer's Aria Trailer
• New Black Prophecy Screenshots
• Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor Screenshots
• Requital Trailer
• Soul Nomad & the World Eaters Trailers
• And More!!!

BioShock Score Download

2K Games has announced that the original BioShock score is available as a free to download on the Cult of Rapture Web site.

The score was created by composer Garry Schyman and features a variety of musical styles that capture the distinct retro-futuristic aesthetic of the game. Mr. Schyman has composed for film, television and videogames.

Music-loving gamers can download the score at the link below:

http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture

Two Worlds Released!

SouthPeak Games has just announced that Two Worlds is now available in stores across North America for the PC and Xbox 360! Gamers at the ongoing Penny Arcade Expo will be among the first in the world to experience this highly anticipated game.

Two Worlds is an open-ended RPG that promises gamers freedom like never before and player decisions that permanently shape the game. Two Worlds features over a hundred hours of single-player quests, stackable weapons and magic, as well as epic online multiplayer PvP and RPG gameplay.

"Two Worlds is a huge leap forward for role-playing games in terms of scale and new ideas," said Melanie Mroz, Executive VP of SouthPeak.

The game is available in a standard edition and a collectors edition for both platforms. The collector’s version includes a bonus disc with additional art, videos and music, along with a collector edition map and hardbound role-playing book based off the game.

This is one of my most highly anticipated games, so be sure to look back to Just-RPG for coverage.

AVENCAST Box Shot

Publisher Lighthouse Interactive today revealed the official box shot for their upcoming RPG, AVENCAST: Rise of the Mage. This very cool looking box art features the game's hero performing one of his magic attacks while being hunted down by demons.

AVENCAST is an Action RPG that promises fast-paced action and a story-driven experience. Players will be armed to the teeth with over 50 combat moves and spells and an arsenal of different weapons and items. However, they must use these items and weapons to battle over 30 nightmarish monsters with advanced AI, making strategy a very important part of the game.

AVENCAST is scheduled for release in October 2007 for the PC. It will be Windows Vista compatible. For more information visit the game's official site (http://www.avencast.com/) and scroll down just a wee bit for the box art image!

Gothic 4 Developer Announced

JoWood has announced Spellbound Entertainment AG to be the official developer of the upcoming Gothic 4.

Spellbound was chosen as the developer due to their solid reputation in the RPG industry and the tools that they have created in order to help them achieve exceptional quality. At the Games Convention 2007 in Leipzig, Jochen Hamma, Spellbound's Executive Producer, is showing off some early details abouut the game to eager fans and media.

Gothic 4 is being developed for PC and the current generation consoles, with a release date to be announced in the coming weeks. Console gamers can be excited because this will be the first Gothic title on the consoles!

Eye of the North Goodies

In preparation of the upcoming Guild Wars: Eye of the North sneak peek event, ArenaNet has made a game manual and a detailed map of the new regions available early for fans of the game.

Gamers who preorder Eye of the North will have full access to the game for three whole days an entire week before anyone else! Best of all, everything acquired during those three days will be yours to keep, including loot, cash and experience. Sneak peek players will have access from August 24 to August 26, 2007, allowing them to explore the Far Shiverpeaks region, home of the fiercely independent Norn as well as the legendary landmark known as the Eye of the North.
If you're gearing up for the sneak peek event, then this beautifully detailed map and game manual will probably be pretty useful to you. Check them out here: http://www.guildwars.com/

Sword of the New World 100% Free!

K2 Network has announced that they have expanded their Free2Play model for the Age of Exploration MMORPG, Sword of the New World: Granado Espada.




Previously, Sword of the New World allowed gamers to play up to level 20 at no cost. Beyond level 20, players were required to purchase a monthly subscription in order to continue playing. However, that has now changed because K2 has removed all level and area exploration limits for players!


Now you can fully experience Sword of the New World absolutely free! Current subscribers who have an un-used paid for month will receive 1,000 gold in addition to all three web unique player characters: Adelina Esperanza, Lisa Lynway, and M’boma (a total value of 40 dollars US). For those players still seeking the premium experience, K2 has kept the Cash Merchant, which offers rare and sought after items to be purchased in-game.

If you haven't played Sword of the New World yet, now is a great time to try! From August 21-21, the game will celebrate by awarding DOUBLE experience to all players. Personally, I haven't played the game yet, but I'm definately thinking of giving it a shot.

For more Sword of the New World info, visit: http://www.swordofthenewworld.com/.

8/21/07 Links

Gen Con is going on in Indy as we speak. I planned on attending this year (since I'm originally from the area), but I recently moved away. So, unfortunately, all I can provide is links as opposed to first-hand coverage. It looks like Gen Con is taking a MUCH larger focus on gaming than in previous years. A wide variety of gaming publishers/developers were in attendance, such as Atari, Blizzard, Sony Online Entertainment, and more!

Anyway, today I've got a few links straight from Gen Con from GameSpy. I also dug up another BioShock review here on the day of the game's release. Many of the big sites IGN, GameSpy, 1Up) have already posted their reviews, especially considering the game was accidentally released early. So, click away and enjoy!

The Witcher Preview at GameSpy - Hands-on with the game at Gen Con

NWN 2: Mask of the Betrayer Preview at GameSpy - Another preview straight from the floor at Gen Con.

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic Reviewed by RPGWatch - A somewhat contreversial look back at the game.

BioShock Praised by GameSpot - A solid 9 out of 10 for what will surely be one of the best games of the season.

Guild Wars Sells Big

NCSoft has announced that the Guild Wars franchise has broken the four million units sold mark! This accomplishment has been achieved in less than two years since the release of the original Guild Wars.

Currently the Guild Wars series consists of Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, and Guild Wars Nightfall. Guild Wars Eye of the North, the game's first true expansion, will join the rest of the series when it is released on August 31st! Developed by ArenaNet, the franchise has set the standard for MMOs by providing quality content with a subscription-less business model.

Four million units sold is pretty impressive. Guild Wars has always been one of the MMOs that most interest me due to its solid reputation, reasonable system requirements and the lack of monthly fees. If you want more info on the series, you can find it below!

http://www.guildwars.com/

Black Prophecy Revealed...

10TACLE STUDIOS and developer Reakktor Media have just unveiled their official site for the upcoming Black Prophecy.

Black Prophecy is an action-MMO that promises to have deep role-playing elements along with comprehensive resource management. This sci-fi inspired game takes place in the mid 26th century, after humanity has conquered the universe and colonized countless planets. Life in space requires many new adaptations for humans. However, the cybernetically adapted Tyi and the biogenetically optimized Geniden were created specifically for these conditions, and as a result have outgrown their human creators to become the new ruling races. The battle for control of space leads humanity into the sphere of influence of an ancient alien life form – a life form which tolerates no other cosmic civilizations but its own. Players must choose a faction and join the battle to save humanity!

The new Web site contains storyline information, screenshots and more! Check out the links below:

http://www.blackprophecy.com/

BioShock PC Demo

2K Games has announced the release of the PC demo for BioShock!

Eager PC gamers who have yet to experience BioShock will be glad to hear that a demo of the game is now available! An Xbox 360 demo of the game is already up for download in the Xbox Live Marketplace, and the full version of BioShock will be released tomorrow, August 21st.

From what little I've played of the game so far, I've been thoroughly impressed, so I definitely recommend you at least check out the demo.

Download the PC demo at the link below.

www.fileplanet.com/promotions/bioshock

8/20/07 Links

Just a quick few links that I came across today. Although, I'm not sure when they were published.


IGN's BioShock Review - I already linked their Xbox 360 review, so here's their opinion on the PC version. Of course, it has high marks.

AllRPG's Alien Syndrome PSP Review - They give the PSP version of the RPG a very mediocre 5.0. The game didn't receive a lot of coverage, so this might be worth a read.

AllRPG's Wii Alien Syndrome Review - Apparently the Wii version is even worse!

Square Enix Launches Online Store!

Square Enix has announced the launch of its official U.S. online merchandise store!

The store will open tonight, and will allow fans to purchase merchandise from their favorite Square Enix products, including Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. The store promises to carry a wide variety of products, and fans can purchase everything from replica weapons to artwork there.

A few of the currently featured items include Seifer's Gunblade from Final Fantasy VIII ($34.99), Final Fantasy Advent Children Sculpture Arts ($200.00), and
Final Fantasy Mechanical Arts ($22.99), along with a wide variety of replicas, collectibles, art, and sculptures.

The store is slated to be the ultimate source for Square Enix goods and will have new products arriving regularly. Shoppers will even be able to pick up exclusive items from the new Square Enix store!


http://www.square-enix-shop.com/

square enix

Tabula Rasa Collectors Edition Revealed!

The contents of the Limited Collector's Edition Game Pack of Tabula Rasa have just been revealed by NCSoft!

This special retail box is packed with cool bonus content, and is perfect for the hardcore Tabula Rasa fan! This special offer gives players access to numerous exclusive in-game items, including a special character emote, special dye recipes used to create unique armor colors, and a unique pet. There will also be a briefing from Richard Garriot himself, classified maps, Tabula Rasa dog tags, an Allied Free Sentients (AFS) field guide, a poster and an AFS challenge coin. The Limited Collector's Edition also includes one month of free gameplay and a "Making of Tabula Rasa" DVD.

"The Limited Collector's Edition we have put together for Tabula Rasa is loaded with cool things for players who really get into the role-playing aspect of the game," said Executive Producer Richard Garriott. "Regular players will find the maps and field guide useful as they move full-force into the game's fast-paced action. Other items, like the dog tags and challenge coins, bring home the 'brothers in arms' feeling of this game even when you aren't playing."

The game is set for launch this fall, and the Collectors Edition will be available at most video game retailers in North America and Europe.

08/19/07 Links

A whole bunch of BioShock reviews are starting to roll in, and they're making the game look really nice. I can't wait to get my hands on it!!! Oh, and I found some other interesting stuff too...

IGN's BioShock Review - The first of many reviews of the game. This one has a very impressed 9.7 grade.

GameSpy's BioShock Review - A perfect 5 out of 5. A lot of great things to say about the game, and few complaints. They feel the game is a tad on the short side, which seems to be a common complaint.

1Up's BioShock Review - Not suprisingly, another perfect score. They give it an excellent 10!

Fallout 3 Preview on CVG - Computer and Video Games take a look at the upcoming RPG sequel from Bethesda. Fallout fans will want to read this one because there's a good deal of info here.

Rune Factory: A fantasy Harvest Moon Review at IGN - Harvest Moon makes its way to the DS in a game that IGN is calling one of the best of the series!

Blue Dragon Reviewed at GameSpy - A final grade of 8.0, similar to what IGN gave the game a few days ago. I had higher expectations, although 8 is still solid.