Mytheon is an online PC game that combines action RPG gameplay with an element of collectible strategy games. Players take on mythical gods using collectible Power Stones, which transform into creatures, buildings, and spells. Think of it as a collectible card strategy game with the cards replaced with stones, and you get the picture.

Browse the gallery below for background information on some of the game's scenic locales.

The island features a diverse geography; from craggy, impassable cliffs to rolling meadows and gardens. While Amphitrite resides in the peaceful Nereid's Garden where the sparkling ponds and fountains reflect the tranquility of the sea, Triton presides over his namesake cove amidst the foam and crashing surf. Within the Temple of Poseidon, the vengeful sea god prepares his minions for the coming battle with mankind.

The Dominion of Hades is the epicenter of Hades' power in the Underworld. From this dark, luxurious palace, Hades and his queen, Persephone, rule the Underworld without mercy.

Remnants of a city lie just beyond the field's borders, long abandoned by its inhabitants and now overrun with diabolical beasts. What was once a thriving marketplace, surrounded by the homes of the townspeople, now lies uninhabited.

Gloomy corridors and cavernous halls exude an eerie sense of foreboding to those who would risk entry within. Divided into three great regions - the Hall of the Dead, the Garden of the Furies, and the Court of Hades, Stonecasters must embark deep into this fiery stronghold and face perilous legions of undead monsters in order to confront Hades himself, his power enhanced within his own domain.

The Shattered Isle is home to Poseidon, the supreme ruler of oceans and earthquakes. The isle is also home to Amphitrite, Poseidon's beloved wife, and their son, Triton. Together, the family forms a triad symbolic of the ocean's tranquility, treachery, and unrelenting dominion. These qualities are reflected in the domains over which they preside.

Since their victory over the dragon, the sacred grove has become infiltrated with fierce warriors of Ares, the god of war. The dusty furrows of the Fallow Field are dotted with the skeletal remains of dead trees; now home to carrion creatures that prey upon the unwary.

The Dominion of Hades is a monument to death and destruction. Home to the immortal god of earthly wealth - Hades, lord of the dead, rules his realm with an iron fist.

The skeletal remains of past invaders lie half buried in the sands surrounding crumbling columns and scarred boulders. Waterfalls cascade down stone ledges, casting a fine spray that coats the rocky surfaces and foliage.

Players will travel to the distant land of Colchis, once home to the famed Golden Fleece, now protecting Argos. Two distinct regions form the land of Colchis - the cast Fallow Field and the Grove of Ares. Jason and his Argonauts braved many dangers there to claim their prize, including an epic battle against the Colchian Dragon who guarded the fleece.

League of Legends is an action-strategy game with roleplaying elements, fashion after the Warcraft III Defense of the Ancients game type. The player takes on a role of a Summoner, who calls forth a Champion to fight for him against other players. Riot has put a ton of work into developing the game, revealing new Champions on a regular basis and tightening up the graphics on level three, so the announcement that the game will be free-to-play comes as a bit of a surprise.

"One of our goals at Riot has been to set a high quality bar for core games that are available for free online as we believe that a relentless focus on delivering tremendous value to online communities will earn player loyalty," Brandon Beck, co-founder and CEO, Riot Games, said. "League of Legends is being built as a highly competitive core game that we believe will change many people's minds about the type and caliber of games that can be offered for free."

For those of you averse to not spending money, fear not! League of Legends has two currencies. Influence points are earned by simply playing the game, allowing players to purchase runes that will enhance their powers, much like experience points. Riot Points, on the other hand, are purchased using real currency and exchangeable for new Champions to play and cosmetic enhancements.

Riot Games is confident that their Riot Points won't be able to purchase anything that would give one player a distinct advantage over another. They'd best keep a close eye on Champion balance then, as players will eat them alive if they sense money gives their opponents any sort of leg up.

When the game goes live in September, players will be able to download and play for free, or they can opt to purchase the League of Legends Collector's Pack at their local game store, which offers exclusive Champion skins, new Champions, Riot Points, and Runes.

Interested in learning more? Riot Games will be hosting a Q&A session this Friday from 2-4PM Pacific, where developers will answer every question you can imagine in an exhaustive fashion.

Petroglyph shaves a little of the fuzz off of the original Mytheon announcement, which spent more time talking about microtransaction-based game that was creating an entire new genre rather than going into actual detail on the gameplay. From what we see here, you collect (or perhaps purchase) Power Stones, summon creatures, and use special powers based on the color stones the creatures have an affinity to. It actually sounds sort of like an action collectible card game with stone discs instead of cards.

Mytheon is currently scheduled for a 1st quarter 2010 PC release.

If Ninja Blade looks familiar, that's because it is so unapologetically derivative, borrowing game design elements wholesale from Japanese action-adventure titles like Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry and Onimusha. Ogawa can pull off killer combos, upgrade his weapons with harvested orbs—here called Blood Crystals—and topple foes of any size and shape. Even crab shaped!

Like every other action game, Ninja Blade pits its hero against deadly, world-threatening demonic bad guys, from rank and file zombies... err... Carriers to gigantic, skyscraper hugging worms. Where Ninja Blade differs is in its heavy use of "Quick Time Events," the rapid reaction button presses that From Software hoped would make the game feel "cinematic," and its "Ninja Vision" gimmick, which slows down the action and lets Ogawa see what non-ninja can't.

Does Ninja Blade flatter the games it imitates? Or is From Software's borrowing just an insult?

Loved
Never, Ever A Dull Moment: Outside of some rather uninteresting cut scenes, the action in Ninja Blade never lets up. You're either fighting batches of low-level Carriers, engaged in a big boss battle, tapping out button presses, or manning a mounted machine gun. With very little in the way of exploration, players likely won't find the experience dull, as the game's pacing is carefully delivered. The ludicrous Quick Time Events ensure that anyone watching the game won't be bored either.

Hilarious In Its Absurdity: We hate to spoil, but the game's rampant ridiculousness is noteworthy. Not only will Ninja Blade star Ken Ogawa ride a motorcycle down the side of a regurgitated bus in the sky, he'll use that motorcycle's gas tank as an explosive to finish off the giant worm that had just vomited it forth. Ogawa can also stop a runaway jetliner by himself, braking it with nothing more than the strength of his sword and powerful ninja feet. Ninja Blade is full of riotous attempts at cool that result in "WTF?" laugh out loud moments.

Character Customization: Adding to the silliness of Ninja Blade are the game's unlockable outfits. If you're unsatisfied with standard ninja black, go fluorescent green, go leopard print, then edit your own color scheme. It makes the ride that much more insane.

Hated
Constant Quick Time Events: If you even remotely dislike reflexive button jamming, you're going to despise Ninja Blade. From Software piles on the QTEs, even though they really don't have much of an impact. You can simply replay them over and over again until you get them right. With the exception of the stylish combo kills one can pull off for extra Blood Crystals during regular combat, the overused QTEs quickly become annoying.

Ugly Aesthetics: While technically capable in the graphics department, Ninja Blade's art direction is horribly dated and unattractive. Everything's black, shiny, and lifeless, with sickly green lighting that feels like an imitation of the imitation of The Matrix. Enemy designs, while occasionally interesting, generally boil down to giant crustaceans and mutated insects. Ogawa himself looks dopey, exactly "how silly Ryu Hayabusa would look without the mouth piece of his ninja outfit" to quote Mike Fahey.

Clunky Controls and Camera: Ninja Blade doesn't control nearly as well as the games it steals from, with a combat system that's just capable enough to get the job done. Ogawa bounces back and forth between enemies with little ninja grace, sliding toward his foes in a way that evokes flashbacks to Too Human and hacking away mindlessly. Camera issues can make wall running far less fun than it should be, resulting in unnecessary deaths and a general feeling that ninja aren't actually that cool. That camera can also make combat, especially when sprinting down the side of a skyscraper, annoyingly chaotic. Good thing button mashing works so well.

Technical Problems: When the action gets heavy, Ninja Blade can suffer from some serious frame rate issues. Unfortunately, this is exactly when we need the game to behave at its technical best.

My ten hours with Ninja Blade reminded me often of another game I'd recently played, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. Both are just-capable-enough action games that liberally swipe from titles of higher quality and better value. Both saturate the player in ludicrous conversations and far fetched situations. Both should only be played by gamers who have absorbed every ounce of gameplay from their forebears, because what's been done in Ninja Blade has been done better by games released in previous generations.

Players will likely forget about Ken Ogawa and the events of Ninja Blade quickly, as the game doesn't offer particularly memorable mechanics—that "Ninja Vision" gimmick actually becomes a hindrance when used to exhaustion—nor does it introduce us to a likable hero. It does offer some spectacular motorcycle stunts though, making it worth watching when someone else is driving.

Ninja Blade was developed by From Software and published by Microsoft Corp. for the Xbox 360, released on April 7th. Retails for $59.99 USD. Completed main campaign, spent way too much time customizing outfits.

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The first offering from PlatinumGames, by way of Sega, the stylized black and white (and blood soaked red) brawler puts the gravelly, pumped-up protagonist Jack in the televised Deathwatch, a kill or be killed game show that's part Smash TV, part The Running Man. It's like a slapstick version of Rockstar Games' Manhunt, minus the stealth, self-preservation streak, and snuff perversion. MadWorld's excessive violence isn't horrific, it's comedic. Enemies are liquefied in jet turbines, decapitated with golf clubs, crushed into crimson goo by gigantic mechanical hands. All in good fun, of course.

Does MadWorld have more to offer Wii owners than the novelty of a bloody fireworks show and a rare chance for an ultra-violent, Mature-rated game for the more family friendly library?

Loved
Blacks, Whites: Despite having a palette that consists of black, white, red and the occasional yellow onomatopoeia, MadWorld manages to remain aesthetically interesting and surprisingly visually legible. There's no lack of style on hand, with distinctly different levels, from city streets to medieval manors, helping to keep things fresh. What's somewhat surprising though, given the limited graphical scope, is MadWorld's non-progressive scan resolution and bouts of annoying slowdown.

Sense of Humor: A good portion of the appeal here is how ridiculous the Deathwatch scenarios can be, some of which we wish we hadn't had spoiled prior to playing. The running commentary has its moments of good humor, which is just as crude and dying to be offensive as the on-screen violence.

Variety Show: PlatinumGames does an admirable job of keeping the action fresh for a long time. The addition of new weapons, new deathtraps and mid-level Bloodbath Challenges help to break up the constant punching and sawing. A couple of driving levels add a dash of variety, but are about as satisfying as driving levels in action games tend to be. You'll probably wind up looking for ways to improvise on your violence, if only to keep the spark alive. Deathwatch Challenges scattered throughout help to spice up the body count.

Satisfaction: MadWorld is oddly satisfying for a brawler. That's atypical in the current generation, where beat 'em ups tend to grow stale almost immediately, as opposed to MadWorld's hours worth of fun.

Deadly Nunchuk: It helps that the use of the Wii remote is mostly so intelligent, not to mention so forgiving. Almost everything you do works without a struggle and the controller is mapped wisely enough to feel almost instinctive. Headbutting, for example, is curiously fun with the Nunchuk. That said, there are a couple of control quirks and extended play sessions, full frantic Wii Remote waggling, can wreak havoc on the more delicate of wrists.

Hated
Where Camera Meets Control: The most maddening aspect of MadWorld is the inability to see where your enemies are and, if you do, throwing a flurry of punches that are in the wrong direction. Trying to pick up weapons or power-ups can be frustrating, as you may find yourself constantly correcting your location in a vain attempt to pick up that damned tire or head-skewering umbrella, then whiffing past your opponent.

What Am I Doing? Oh, Right. Points. Some level objectives can be confusing or unclear, leading to the excessive beating of respawning enemies while you search for the next objective. Unfortunately, sometimes that objective is simply "Score more points."

Ad Nauseam: Constantly running commentary isn't easy to do, but even after an hour, the dick jokes and "What's in that Mad Juice, anyway?" questions grow tiresome. The game's looping soundtrack is similarly grating, especially when you're doing the same thing over and over again in-game to acquire more points to move on. Losing all your lives during a boss fight, then having to restart the entire level can compound the tedium quickly.

MadWorld manages to be sexy, shallow, giddy, gory fun for hours, with a simplistic retro gameplay sensibility. Then the game continues for a few more hours, the novelty having worn off a little more than halfway through. Getting to that crescendo, however, having seen chunky thugs eviscerated, amputated and penetrated by street signs is a blast. It's perhaps made more enjoyable for how referential the game is, with not-so-subtle design references to quirky properties like Smash TV, The Running Man, Sin City, Hellboy, and Evil Dead. The game's bosses feel similarly referential, playing up archetypes that would feel at home in a Mega Man or Castlevania game, if those games went in a terribly gory direction.

Minor technical issues can interfere with the experience, but not to the point where it renders the game unenjoyable. The game's plot line also overstays its welcome after a surprising "Hey, there's going to be a story in this game!" moment. So don't be afraid to jam A + B simultaneously to skip this stuff and get back to the more satisfying aspect, the theme park of violent fun. MadWorld is worth, at the very least, a rental and, more than likely, a purchase, if only to see what disgusting fun one can have with the Wii for a few days.

MadWorld was developed by PlatinumGames, published by Sega for the Wii, released on March 10th in North America. Retails for $49.99. Played single-player game to completion, tested multiplayer modes.

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Even writing up a lengthy feature on the game and it's evolution from the Warcraft III mod Defense of the Ancients into a full-fledged game didn't give me a very firm grasp on the gameplay of League of Legends: Clash of Fates. Judging from the trailer, we're in for some colorful, candy-coated multiplayer mayhem with a healthy dose of humor and random dancing.

Yep, that totally cleared it up for me.

80 hours of dungeon crawling await you in Class of Heroes, an action RPG from Japan that manages to combine together all of the usual elements into on PSP-sized package. You have your adventuring academy, a flexible character creation system with more than 500 combinations of race, gender, alignment, and major field of study, and more than 75 maps worth of hacking, slashing and spell casting.

On top of the action, Class of Heroes also contains an alchemy system with more than 400 recipes you can create using random items you stumble across, as well as the ability to upgrade your equipment to keep yourself ahead of the grading curve.

Check out the press release for that charming wit we've come to expect from Atlus' PR department.

CLASS OF HEROES™ TO ASSEMBLE ON PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) SYSTEM; PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS ENCOURAGED TO BUY TEXTBOOKS AND SWORDS EARLY

Get saved by the spell this April

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 20, 2009 - Atlus U.S.A., Inc., the publisher with an honorary doctorate in Exploration and Monster Hunting, today announced that it has secured the North American publishing rights for Class of Heroes™ for PSP® system, a dungeon-crawling RPG in the great tradition of first-person adventures like Etrian Odyssey. Class is now in session; today's lesson? How to explore more than 75 levels of deadly catacombs, slay hundreds of varieties of vile monsters, master the intricate art of alchemy, and uncover over 1300 items, priceless treasures, and rare artifacts. And some arithmetic, at the very end. If there's time left.

The characters you craft and those you choose to take with you into the dark, dreary depths may be the difference between walking out a hero, clutching prizes and riches beyond imagination, or being carried out a zero, your stiff fist still feebly clutching your sword. Mysterious dungeons await you, first-year. An early demise looms around every dark corner. Don't forget to finish your homework.

Class of Heroes hits the books April 7, 2009 with an MSRP of $39.99.

About Class of Heroes
Long ago, without reason or explanation, the mysterious labyrinths came to be, and the world was changed forever. In a constant state of flux, they sprawl across the world like a web, connecting towns and villages, mountains, lakes, and deserts. Many adventurers delved into these labyrinths dreaming of riches, and those fortunate enough to return did so with amazing stories and unimaginable treasures. It was only natural that the children of the world began to look upon these heroes with unconditional admiration, eager to follow in their footsteps. And so, academies for adventurers were born.

Particus Academy may not be the first such school, but we certainly endeavor to be the best! Here at Particus, we strive to equip young men and women with the tools they'll need to become full-fledged adventurers. Bravery, spellcraft, swordplay, 101 ways to avoid dying a horrible death... These and many other lessons and skills await prospective students! We hope your studies here are as enriching and productive as you've dreamed they would be.

Key Features

* Over 500 character possibilities - 10 races, 2 genders, 3 alignments, and 15 majors add up to incredible opportunity to customize your party! Change majors for further customization at higher levels.
* 80 hours of classic dungeon crawling - This is as classic as dungeon crawling gets in an ever-changing 3-D labyrinth containing more than 75 maps full of puzzles, traps, and treasure. Battle hundreds of monster types and uncover over 1300 item types.
* Flexible alchemy system - Offering more than 400 recipes, this system allows you to synthesize new items from random components found in the labyrinths, as well as customize your weapons' attributes, range, and strength.

Class of Heroes has been rated "T" for Teen with Alcohol Reference, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, and Mild Suggestive Themes by the ESRB.

Does Traveller's Tales have what it takes to mine Batman for both mini-fig fun and a decent story? Do they even need to, or does the mechanic alone keep the LEGO franchise afloat? Hit the jump to read up on the game's good, bad and ugly.

Loved
A Motley Cast: Because you essentially play through the same plot twice, from the perspective of the good and the bad, the developers had plenty of opportunity to introduce a lot of playable characters. While the good sticks you with Batman and Robin's, albeit in a wide variety of tech suits, the bad gives you a chance to play a wide spectrum of villains, each with diabolically funny weapons. From the Joker's shocking handshake to Mr. Freeze's ice maker, I've never had so much fun being bad.

Intricate Backdrops: While LEGO fanatics might bemoan the lack of realism, Batman fans certainly won't. The developers have done a lot to open up the setting for this latest title, including plenty of rooftop battles, looming high rises and large architecture.

Oodles of Lego Gadgets: The game is already packed with tons of weapons for the bad guys, but you also get a number of tech suits for the dynamic duo, a garage of bat and bad guy vehicles and even a robot and plant you can ride around on.

Original Story: Unlike Traveller's Tales' previous LEGO games, this one comes with an original plot. Sure, the idea of all the bad guys breaking out of Arkham Asylum isn't exactly fresh, but not knowing what's coming next is a bit refreshing for the LEGO franchise.

Still Lots of Fun: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Batman, they all have their selling points, but really it's the overarching LEGO franchise that makes these games so much fun to play. While Traveller's Tales has tweaked the formula a bit with each iteration, they know better than to mess with a good thing.

Hated
An Issue of Perspective: I love the LEGO games, absolutely love playing through them all with my son. But I'm really getting tired of that camera angle. You know, the one that makes running across a platform, jumping, climbing at times, a frustrating exercise in guess work?

Bit of a Cake Walk: More than previous games, beating this latest LEGO game seems more like an inevitability than the product of gameplay. The bosses in particular are quite easy.

Convoluted Progression: I like the idea behind essentially playing through the game's story twice, once as Batman and Robin and again as an assortment of villains. I also like that they way it's presented you get a completely different take on the experiences, almost a Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead take. What I don't like is being confused about how far along I am and whether I've actually wrapped everything up. This time around I think gamers need a bit more hand holding.

Bugs, Still, Really?: I put up with falling through scenery, getting trapped in areas and glitchy cut scenes for all of the LEGO Star Wars games. I got slightly more annoyed when they showed up in Indiana Jones, but Batman? It's starting to feel like Traveller's Tales is content with their fun, though flawed engine. To be clear, gamers aren't. At least throw in a way to suicide out of a bad situation and reappear somewhere other than the same exact spot.

I'm a self-confessed LEGO The Video Game fanboy. I've loved all of the titles (at least on console) that have come out with those three words framing the IP of the day on the box cover. I'd probably buy LEGO Finnegan's Wake The Video Game if it came out. Strike that, I'd definitely buy LEGO Finnegan's Wake The Video Game if it came out. And while I think that the formula works on most levels, I don't think it gives a developer license to not take a step back and look at what does need to be improved. I'm willing to put up with the problems inherent in the current games, but that's not going to last.

Despite it's few flaws, LEGO Batman The Video Game is a blast to play, a return to the sense of fun and discovery that first ignited the success of the LEGO games in Star Wars. The character models are lovingly detailed, their mini-fig ass-kickings adorable to watch. If you liked any of the previous iterations of LEGO games than this is probably worth picking up.

LEGO Batman The Video Game, developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, was released on Sept. 23 for the DS, PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Wii and Xbox 360. Retails for $30 to $50. Played through all three episodes as hero and all but the last half of the least level of the third episode as a villain. Explored the Batcave and Arkham Asylum on Xbox 360.

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Alpha Protocol, though billed as an "action-RPG," sounds a bit weighted more toward the former than the latter, aiming for a happy medium that hopes to make RPG elements accessible to twitch fans, while still adding the depth to please RPG purists. Not only that, but the team's touted a heavy emphasis on character interaction and player choice.

It sounds like a a tall order to fil, but when the developers' pedigree includes projects like KOTOR 2 and Neverwinter Nights 2

The Obsidian team held a conference call today to answer tons of questions about the game. Is it challenging to do a modern, realistic RPG (especially with Star Wars and NWN in your rearview)? How do the action elements balance with the RPG elements, and just how much influence will the players have? What kind of man is hero Michael Thorton?

"When we made Alpha Protocol, we had just finished up Neverwinter Nights 2 [which was] pretty traditional, pretty rules-based... and we wanted to do something a little more action-based, a little bit more accessible," said Obsidian executive producer Chris Parker.

"We really liked the spy genre," he said. The team also thought it would be cool to give the player the experience of developing from a green rookie agent into a "modern-day superhero." Thorton will have many traditional weapons, but will level up on a skill-based curve.

One of the things the team said was that they hoped to welcome more traditional FPS players into the RPG fold by allowing the player to simply auto-level on a class-like track, while still allowing more experienced RPG players to develop whichever skills they wanted, and allocate their points on their own.

While they hope to offer a good deal of character customization, players won't, Obsidian said, be doing the "traditional 'make your face' type modifications" — instead, customization for Thorton is more about his skills, abilities and accessories, along with subtle appearance factors like hairstyles.

Interactions with different characters will influence which factions ally with you and which oppose you - in particular, the team said you can expect your endgame to be heavily influenced by your actions in the game. The conversation wheel, the team said, resembles Mass Effect's a bit, but with less looping back and more of a real-time feel; it's also possible to choose a single "stance" and carry it through all of your interactions.

Even though Alpha Protocol is a modern spy thriller, the team decided it shouldn't go too far into realism. "We originally went for a more realistic version of gameplay and the way Thorton interacted with the world, but that wasn't as exciting as having some kind of magical abilities," said Parker. "Michael Thorton is a super-agent, so we have added some abstraction, and something... like super-powers."

One such special ability will involve Thorton being able to stop time and line up shots to kill many opponents at once.

It was also a challenge to balance realism with an engaging RPG, the team said, so in terms of the story feel, they took inspiration from the post-processing effect film style of Syriana. For the visual style, though, the design team wanted to elevate the artistic language. "We wanted to stay away from just having guys in suits... it helps gameplay-wise if they have over-the-top characteristics."

The team also hopes that the game's opening events will draw players in on an emotional level. At the story's opening, a tragic event sends Thorton on a mission - "something that has value to the world and to other people immediately." From there, the world gets turned upside down when Thorton is forced to go rogue to unravel the mystery.

"It's a unique opportunity for the player to have an effect on real world events... basically, the player can affect things happening in the news, in the financial market... to bring down a real bad corporation, or the government if that happens to be the case. There's a chance for the player to affect things happening in our world right now."

Alpha Protocol is slated for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC for February 2009.

The Bourne Conspiracy is somewhat an amalgamation of the three Bourne films although the books are used as reference pretty heavily. You'll find no Matt Damon character models here! They really wanted to make this as entrenched in the Bourne lore as possible and as such there is very little gunplay involved. You must rely on your McGuyver like wits to help you make your way through the game, using the things you can find around you and your trusty fists to their greatest use. Remember that pen stabbing scene?

The first level we watched was a flashback based on a short segment from the first Bourne film that had been expanded upon to create more gameplay. As in most games, Mr Bourne has light and heavy attacks as well as the ability to block. Running and fighting will build up your adrenaline which will allow you take out up to three enemies at once.

One of the main fighting mechanics here is the Takedown. Standing near almost any object, window or piece of furniture while you attack will cause you to grab your opponent and pull off a special attack on them. For instance, want to fry that guy who's trying to tear your face off? Simply back up near the electrical box, grab your opponent and watch the fun as you smash the guys head into it and the sparks fly. The boss battles use the same mechanic, allowing you to use the surroundings to deal damage and each boss has his own signature set of takedowns. The environments are so full of these Takedown moves that it would be impossible to use them all in any one single boss battle. So the game allows you to go back and repeat boss battles and levels once they have been unlocked so you can try and make use of all the environments have to offer.

Bourne Identity also contains one driving level that involves a red and white Mini Cooper, but unfortunately it wasn't there for us to check out.

The camera work in this game is pretty amazing and when you go into these take down moves, the camera switches angles several times, mimicking tricky movie camera work. I've never seen it employed in a game quite like this before and it was pretty impressive looking. Artisitc players can also play cinematographer by opting to take control of the camera themselves during these scenes and checking out the action from any angle. Music plays a large part in the game as well with tunes by Paul Oakenfold who provides a different soundtrack song for each of the game's many levels.

Ultimately, this Bourne game is a single experience, so don't look for any co-op or vs modes. At the present time there is no DLC planned nor is there Home support for the PS3. Those things aside though, the game itself looks great and while I didn't get to put my own hands on the controller,the movement was smooth and it seemed like it was easy to pull off the Takedown moves. It's really nice to see a game taking advantage of environmental attacks like this rather than relying solely on an arsenal of guns. So, if you want to check out what this game is all about for yourself before purchase, a demo will be coming to your PS3 and 360 early next month.

S2 Games Announces Savage 2: A Tortured Soul Beta

Highly Anticipated Sequel to Acclaimed PC Game Now in Testing Phase

(Rohnert Park, CA) - October 4, 2007 - Independent game developer S2 Games announced today that Savage 2: A Tortured Soul, the sequel to its first PC title, Savage: The Battle for Newerth, has entered its beta testing phase and is nearing launch.

Testing of the online multiplayer game, which is a unique combination of three different game genres (real-time strategy, first-person shooter, and role-playing game), is open to gamers who pre-ordered the game. The final version will be available to the general public once the beta testing has been completed and S2 is satisfied with the quality of the gameplay experience.

"After much hard work, we are proud to say that Savage 2: A Tortured Soul is now ready for beta testing," said Marc DeForest, co-founder and lead designer, S2 Games. "As an independent developer and publisher we have the luxury of creating and changing our own deadlines based on when we reach individual milestones. This project is really a labor of love for us so we want it done the right way."

Loyal fans of the original Savage and new players alike will be impressed with Savage 2's new advancements and enhancements. The game will include a bevy of new features, including the ability to control spells while maintaining the action nature of the game with "snap casting," fully automated clan administration through the Savage 2 Clan League (SCL), and features that records and saves every single game of Savage 2, match stats summary, and persistent player statistics. All the information for every game ever played is stored in a huge, searchable, online archive, thus allowing players to download, watch, rate, and comment on these matches while also reviewing statistics for each game. Additionally, the game is being simultaneously designed for Linux Client users.

S2 Games will be self-publishing and independently distributing the game. The game client can be downloaded anytime, anywhere, on any PC for free. The client can be used to watch replays, play the tutorial, practice modes, and LAN games with absolutely zero obligations (no account necessary). Users may also create an account to have 3 hours of free online competitive gameplay with some feature restrictions. Those wanting unlimited online play with automated statistics and use of persistent items pay $29.99USD via the game client or the S2 Games website.

When playing the beta, S2 Games wishes to impart to its fans to remember that they will be playing an unfinished version of the game. Users should expect to encounter certain bugs and other issues inherent in any beta version of a game. The purpose of beta testing is to help S2 Games find and correct these problems so that they are not encountered after the game's launch.

For more information on Savage 2: A Tortured Soul, please visit http://savage2.s2games.com.

Buka announces The Swarm

Survive in a ruinous Moscow in new 3D Action / Adventure

MOSCOW, August 10, 2007 - Buka Entertainment today announced that The Swarm, brand new 3D Action / Adventure game is in production at Targem Games.

What we saw in the movies finally happened. Science-fiction became reality and everybody could see how huge spaceships landed over the main capitals of the world. Aliens attacked at once, killing millions of humans in mere seconds. The governments of the Earth answered to the attack with nuclear weaponry, in a desperate movement for destroying the aliens, at the cost of the planet itself.

The aliens survived, the Earth became a wasteland, and the sewers, the subway and the basements became the only havens for the remains of humans, which gathered into small groups and gangs in order to survive.

The Swarm is a 3D adventure game, full of action on 3rd view where the player will face the challenge of surviving in a wasted Moscow that shows the scars of the alien attack, defending himself from the attacks of other humans looking for a piece of food, and from the dangerous aliens.

Key Game Features:

* The main character, though starting as a normal human, will be able to assimilate alien skills and characteristics, that will make him more and more powerful to defend himself, though at the cost of his humanity and mental sanity. Develop your character as you wish, choose the alien skills freely, or keep him free of them and focus on the weaponry.
* Face huge enemies and bosses, tall as a building which can kill you with a single hit.
* Real Moscow shown, under the effects of the alien catastrophe... Fight in the demolished Red Square... defend yourself at the doors of the Kremlin of a 50m-tall alien.

This Jump Festa-era trailer for the upcoming action RPG and fourth entry in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series shows off tons of gameplay along with the usual Final Fantasy theatrics. Exposition abounds, in Japanese of course, and Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII will surely lead to massive sales and new contenders for upcoming GameFAQs polls. We're also sure it will spawn loads of new homoerotic fanfics starring Sephiroth and SOLDIER members Zack and Cloud. We have so much to look forward to! Michael McWhertor

Filmmaker Guillaume Reymond from NotsoNoisy.com has impressed us before with his amazing live action, stop action animation hybrids. So far, his "Game Over" video series has included such classics as Space Invaders and Pong. Now Reymond brings us his version of Pole Position. It was created the same way the other two were, using real people sitting in a large theater to create the illusion of the pixelated graphics. Pretty great stuff, especially when the lights go out. Flynn De Marco

Custom Gears of War Munny [Emilio Lopez - Thanks Chris!]
Munny Series 2 Do-It-Yourself Toy [Kid Robot]

Directed by R. L. Scott, the film is due to be shown for the first time publically at the end of August and will clock in at a brief 50 minutes. As with many fan films, expect enthusiasm and appreciation for the source material to be high, with expectations for Hollywood calibre production values low. Keep your eyes on Twitch, Kotaku or the director's Myspace page for more updates.

More pics at Twitch. Michael McWhertor

First Images From Devil May Cry: Sins Remembered!

From those righteous dudes from Delft who brought gamers the brilliant Age of Wonders series of games comes the announcement of their newest title, Overlord, which cuts away from the Masters of Magic turn based strategy mold to deliver a visceral action game experience on the PC and 360.

From the press release:

Controlling a mysterious figure that has inherited the legacy of the evil, long-dead Overlord, the player emerges, near death, from the ruins of the old Overlord's Dark Tower. Only the player's actions will determine if they will rise to become the new all-powerful Overlord; it's all down to how much of a bad ass they want to be in order to succeed... evil or really evil! Played out with plenty of black humour and dark irony, the game will immerse players in twisted parodies of classic fantasy scenarios and characters.

Overlord's key innovation is the introduction of an array of impish creatures - the Minions. They believe you are the old Overlord reborn and will use their unique skills to fetch, fight and die for you. Throughout the game players will actively control a horde of these gremlin-like critters and they'll follow your every instruction no matter how despotic or, for the Minions, life threatening it is.

The Age of Wonders games were as excellent as they were criminally underappreciated. Let's hope this is the breakout hit that propels Triumph Studios to AAA status.

Triumph Studios' Overlord Announcement