<![CDATA[Kotaku: pretty]]> http://tags.kotaku.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/kotaku.com.png <![CDATA[Kotaku: pretty]]> http://kotaku.com/tag/pretty http://kotaku.com/tag/pretty <![CDATA[Where When I Need It]]> IndieGames' freeware pick, Where, is exactly what I need to come down from the towering rage brought on by a traffic-y, wet Monday.

The game consists of a series of mazes that you navigate using the directional keys to move and the mouse to look around. Unlike that old Microsoft Windows screensaver, these puzzles actually have an endpoint – though it may take a few tries before you can figure out the right path to get there.

What wins me over is the soothing score and utterly uncomplicated gameplay. Whoever said indie games need to be clever, pretentious brain-stretchers needs to be punched in the face.

Check out Rock-Paper-Shotgun's review of it and hit up IndieGames to get Where for free.

Where [Rock-Paper-Shotgun]

Freeware Game Pick: Where [IndieGames]

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<![CDATA[DJ Max Fever Box Art Continues Pretty Streak]]>

As I've stated in the past, I am completely in love with the artwork included in DJ Max Fever, the combination of DJ Max Portable 1 & 2 that brings the popular Korean rhythm game to North America for the first time, courtesy of PM Studios. I have to say the cover art certainly does not disappoint, and neither does the gameplay.

PM Studios were nice enough to send me an early copy of the title and to be perfectly blunt, it's the most fun I've had in my bathroom without...okay, perhaps not as blunt as I planned. Kind of chickened out at the end. I'll just say I can certainly see why this title is so popular. Looking forward to getting my hands on the full version in my bathroom sometime soon.

Of the game. >.<</p>

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<![CDATA[Aion Character Classes Revealed, Still Painfully Pretty]]> NCsoft has released information on the character classes available in their upcoming MMORPG Aion: The Tower of Eternity. Players will be able to choose from four initial classes - Warrior, Scout, Mage, and Priest - which then branch off into two different advanced classes. For instance, the Scout can choose between Rangers and Assassins, while Mages morph into either Spiritmasters or Sorcerers. It's pretty much a watered-down version of the system already in place in games like Everquest 2 (before the changes) and Tabula Rasa, but who cares? Look how pretty it is! I've been avoiding Aion like the plague since it was first announced, because I don't want to get my hopes up about another pretty MMO that winds up playing like crap...but every time I see screenshots I wind up with a little puddle of drool on my desk. Just look at the detail on that armor! Gah! Must focus. Hit the jump for the full story on the character classes in the game if you can get past the pretty, pretty screenshots.

Advanced character class system gives players ultimate control of their destiny in NCsoft's Aion: The Tower of Eternity

NCsoft reveals the detailed character class system behind its eagerly anticipated MMORPG, Aion: The Tower of Eternity.
Wednesday 19th December/... Massively Multiplayer Online RPG fans can look forward to a wealth of career opportunities in NCsoft's forthcoming Aion: The Tower of Eternity next year, with gamers able to literally choose their destiny thanks to the game's two-tiered character class system.

Characters begin their journey by choosing one of four base professions - Warrior, Scout, Mage and Priest. This initial tier of development impacts on everything from a character's strength, to their combat prowess, to their magical abilities, ultimately shaping the players actions throughout the game. However, higher-level players can tailor their character further still, with each profession offering two advanced classes, bringing the total number of character types available in Aion: The Tower of Eternity up to eight.

While the initial choice of character class will largely depend on each player's personal style, the ability to develop a character through the advanced class system ensures that players have all the tools they need to create a character that is unique to them.

The Warrior
Bold, brave and possessing immense physical prowess, Warriors excel in close-quarter combat. Strong performers in a wide range of situations, Warriors are relatively easy to master and when fully realised can unleash a spectacular range of physically devastating skills.

Depending on how players prefer to approach combat, Warriors can specialise as either Gladiators, who concentrate on dealing damage through brute force, or Templars, who combine fierce fighting with defensive chants and techniques.

The Scout
The Scout combines great agility with swift attacks. Scout players require a deft and accurate touch to get the most out of this tricky class, however the rewards are great and offer the greatest variety in play style of all the basic classes.

Scouts that specialise in ranged combat develop naturally into Rangers, an advanced class equally adept in the use of blades and traps. For those Scouts who prefer to stay hidden and strike from the shadows, the Assassin class is the perfect choice of advancement.

The Mage
Mages compensate their weakness in physical combat with the ability to launch devastatingly powerful magic attacks. In addition, Mages must learn to divert and evade the enemy so that they're able to attack from the relative safety of range.

As Mages advance, so their mastery over the elements of water, air, earth and fire increase, their choice of advanced class determining how that mastery is manifest. Spiritmasters can summon and control elemental spirits, while Sorcerers channel elemental power into fearsome magical bolts and missiles.

The Priest
Spiritual warriors, Priests can use healing and self-protection spells to excel in melee combat, and launch powerful ranged magic attacks too. This makes them not only useful support characters in a party of adventurers, but also powerful combatants in their own right.

Priests that specialise in healing and protecting their allies naturally progress to the advanced class of Cleric, the ultimate support class. Alternatively, Priests can become Chanters, pious warriors that boast both healing and ability-boosting powers.

Players will be able to experience all eight character classes for themselves while exploring the incredible world of Atreia when Aion: The Tower of Eternity launches later next year.

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<![CDATA[Jade Smells Pretty At London Games Fest]]> Visitors to the London Games Festival this weekend will get a rare opportunity to get close enough to Ubisoft's Jade Raymond to bathe in the warm, flowery scent she leaves in her wake everywhere she goes. She'll be making an appearance at the flagship HMV store on Oxford Street on Saturday afternoon to promote some game about assassins doing some sort of thing, possibly killing that band that sang the "Can You Take Me Higher" song. The press release says something about showcasing new levels from the latest version of the game, but that's neither here nor there. I'm personally hoping she announces a new game where you just move the camera around a 3D model of her person for hours at a time. I'd pay a hundred dollars. Or pounds. A hundred pounds of dollars. Hit the jump for the considerably more sensible press release.

Personal Appearance by Jade Raymond and Demonstration of Assassin's Creed at HMV Oxford St, London this Saturday 27th October LONDON, UK -23rd October: As part of London Games Festival, Jade Raymond, Producer for Assassins Creed by Ubisoft, is set to make a special appearance at HMV's flagship store on Oxford Street, London this Saturday 27th October. New levels from the latest version of the game will be presented at this one off event in anticipation for the release of the game next month.

The presentation is open to all members of the public and will take place at 3pm and then again at 4.30pm on the day. Jade will meet and answer questions from the public and also sign merchandise available for the game.

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<![CDATA[Valkyrie Of The Battlefield Comes To Life]]> Here's a trailer for Sega's Senjou no Valkyria, or Valkyrie of the Battlefield in English, which is a mix of strategy RPG and third-person shooter, apparently influenced at least in part by Gears of War. I don't know about anyone else, but they had my money as son as the hand-drawn tank started rolling. It looks freaking amazing. It's odd how my favorite games of this generation so far have got nothing to do with hyper-realistic graphics, despite that being the target of each successive leap in technology.]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=302854&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Eternal Sonata Still Beautiful]]> Namco Bandai know they've got one gorgeous game in Eternal Sonata, and they like to take every opportunity to flaunt that fact. They've just released 46 screenshots covering the fourth and fifth chapters of the game, and while every new image fills me with a happy orange glow, I have to worry that by the time the game gets released this September we'll be able to use the screenshot archive to play through the entire story flipbook-style.

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<![CDATA[Clips: Eternal Sonata Prologue]]>

Eternal Sonata (or Trusty Bell as it is still called in the corner of this clip) continues to wow us with it's stunning graphics and this short bit of the prologue doesn't disappoint. The first half is really nothing more than two characters speaking to each other and sure I can't understand a word of Japanese, but boy howdy is it gorgeous.

The second half, which is included after the jump, shows a portion of the story we haven't seen to much of yet. That is the storyline which ties the whole game together; the composer Chopin on his deathbed, whose fevered dreams define the game's main story. Instead of being in an open field, we are taken into in interior scene that is highly detailed and every bit as beautiful as it's simpler counterpart.

This is really shaping up to be a must have 360 title for me. So far, the few RPG offerings we've seen for the system have been pretty dull. Perhaps Eternal Sonata can break the mold and give us a truly in-depth RPG experience.

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<![CDATA[Overclock Your DS Without Turning it Off]]>
That's right, some of us are still playing Animal Crossing on the DS (Still?! Why?! Because my town is perfect and it's easier than re-arranging the imaginary furniture on that is making its slow-ass way to Amsterdam), so this hack is right for me and my fellow crossers alley. All you need it some tools left over from the last tenant of your apartment, and voila, it's cheating animals a-go-go. Breaking the thing just might be the result I get, but the instructions are pretty thorough and with pictures. That means it's pretty to look at.

Overclock Your Nintendo DS Lite [Modd3D via Make]

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<![CDATA[Crysis, Still Pretty]]>

We've set it once before, and we'll say it again, Crysis looks OMG gorgeous. The upcoming PC game isn't due out until sometime next year. It's an open-ended FPS set in the year 2019 on some islands in the South China Sea. There's a handful of in-game screens compared to reference material just to show off how good this game looks. Not much of a graphics whore myself, but wow. I mean, really. Wow.

Check Out These Screens [Official Site]

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