I make it hard for video games to be unpredictable.

Not that I make games. I play them. And by playing them, I try to examine them and test their resilience, as if tapping their fender and poking the tires, slamming the doors a few times to make sure they don't stick and assessing that, okay this thing is sturdy, before I've ever driven it.

I am, while doing this, hoping for a surprise.

I want to know everything about a game before I play it but also be caught off guard by it as it unfolds, and I don't want anyone calling that a paradox.

I want to know the scale of the thing and its scope. I check menu screens and Trophy lists to determine how many levels the game has. I start a game, just barely, and I check what percentage the game says I've completed, to determine how much more I've got. I check level lists. All in-game, of course. Consulting outside sources would be cheating. Through these means I determine that New Super Mario Bros. Wii has at least eight worlds and that Assassin's Creed II employs a rarely-seen level-counting trick.

This is, I believe, the psychology of the experienced gamer: he or she who can size up a game before having started it. It is, I propose, part of the act of playing a game. You will agree if you recognize playing a game as playing with the systems a game developer has created, and if you consider a key part of playing with systems the act of understanding them, testing them, looking for shortcuts or exploitable faults.

But that's not entirely fair, because it may be out of bounds. Few would deny that prodding at a gameplay system is the good sport. It is the act of getting better at playing a game and exposing faulty, porous game design. But prodding the level-numbering system of a game may be nothing more than an elaborate way of turning to the last page of a book, if not to read how it ends, but at least to size up the novel by measuring it, crudely, by a count of its pieces of paper.

This is a reflex that might best be turned off, because there is little gained but disappointment to know just when a game will end or how many hidden items it has tucked away in its corners. Therefore, you must understand how I can desire to know the whole thing and yet still hope to be surprised.

I can't turn this instinct off. But, like a good advocacy group, I can lay the blame for this part of my behavior on video games.

It was the draws-itself-as-you-go map of Super Metroid that teased to me the idea that a game knows how big it is before it will tell you. And it was the inventory screens of the Nintendo 64 Zeldas that taunted with a framework that showed me how much menu space there was to contain all that I could discover in the game, inviting me to guess at the items that would fill it and forcing me to recognize when I had reached a quarter, then halfway, then sadly, near-completion (already?) of a wonderful adventure. If only, I began to hope, I was being tricked and a new, empty menu would appear at the last minute, to reveal that this game still offered more.

(Main item screen of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, as seen at the beginning of the game)

(Main item screen of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, further into the game. PIC)

So we're at Wolfenstein, a first-person-shooter from August for which I had negligible expectations, a game I was certainly not studying in advance to know its scale and its scope nor one that I expected to, finally, thankfully, surprise me.

I played the game because it was out in slow August. I played it because a first-person-shooter with super-powers feels worth trying though, for me, seldom worth finishing. I tried it because it was being made by major studios, Raven and id, but oddly being disowned by the latter party and maybe neglected by its publisher. Such is the drama that makes a game more interesting.

I played it and enjoyed it and dared to tell people that I preferred its campaign to that of Killzone 2 and F.E.A.R. 2 and the rest of the 2009 first-person-shooters I had played by then, leaving a caveat for Modern Warfare 2, though I'm not sure I needed to.

And if I had to explain why I liked it so much — me not being someone with an endless need to virtually kill supernatural Nazis and me having no affinity for earlier Wolfenstein games because I never played them — I'd have to say it's because I had tried, early, to size this game up, and better than anything else I played this year, it tricked me and surprised me.

I praise Wolfenstein because it fooled me.

The game isn't simply a first-person shooter. It is a shooter linked with a hubworld, an oddly unusual design for a game in the genre. It's built less like a Call of Duty — broken into levels you play in order — and more like Super Mario 64, with the Nazi-controlled city of Isenstadt taking the place of Princess Peach's castle. Doorways in that city to new shooter levels substitute for the paintings in Peach's castle through which Mario could leap to enter his platform-jumping levels. In Peach's castle and in Isenstadt you have some choice as to which level you'd explore next and you could have some fun just exploring the hub geography that connects them.

You'd think this would be a game structure a veteran gamer could accurately size up. It would feel all the more knowable if you saw in Wolfenstein's mini-map the implementation of a poor-man's Grand Theft Auto. Little icons appear on the lines denoting Isenstadt's streets and alleys, identifying locations where new major missions might be assigned or begun. As side goals emerge as well, the GTA scheme seems apparent: There will be essential main things to do and unessential though possibly fun tributaries to explore.

That's what I thought. That's why I was wrong.

There is something games could do but seldom do, and that is confound a gamer's level-size expectations. I played a few missions in Wolfenstein and assumed I had the measure of them, that I recognized the number of minutes and Nazis involved in each. Then I reached a level set at a farm, which I guessed to be an average-sized level and which, as it was unfolding, appeared to consist of a battle near a barn, a fight down a road, and a one-man breach of a farmhouse that would culminate in a stated goal to reach a basement. I even had to shoot a rushing horde of enemies from a second story window, which is often the sign that a level has reached its climax. But in that basement of destiny, which I fought hard to reach, was an elevator. And down that elevator was a vast military complex and the level's second half. I was radically off in my sense of how big this level would be. I'd been fooled and was happy for it.

(Concept art for Wolfenstein. PIC)

As I played more of Wolfenstein I realized that the game offered few clues with which I could guess the scale of its levels. I might as well have been predicting earthquake magnitudes. Some of my missions might have been side missions, others main, but I couldn't distinguish even when they were about to begin.

Down one street of Isenstadt I found a door to a building. Entering it started a new level, called the Officer's House. Having fought through that massive farm, gone through some other large levels set in a hospital and an archeological dig site, I guessed (wrong again!) that this level would be big. You play a level in a game based on an "officer's house" and you just assume you're going to be fighting through, maybe, a 25-room house? Or taking the battle out of the house across rooftops? Or up in a blimp? Or into the sewers? Anything to make it bigger than the terrain you'd cover just fighting in one officer's house. Except that's all it was. Just a short level. A short shooting mission in this guy's house. Just a couple of stories tall, nothing big, nothing that lasted too long. I was fooled again.

I don't think the Wolfenstein development team could have gotten away with sizing their levels so differently from each other had their game been structured like a Call of Duty or a GoldenEye or many of the other major first-person shooters. It'd seem like one level designer was lazier than the other or something.

But this game, dare I uncork some over-praise, could do this because its hub-city structure allowed it to unfold with the pace of a life.

When I wake up on a November day in my apartment I don't know where and when the major missions of my day will begin. The subway steps of Brooklyn may lead me to a brief trip to work or an odyssey involving crazy beggars, mechanical difficulties, and a painful stumble on the stairs. The door to the bank could lead to a quick withdrawal or a sudden inward-turning mental scramble to calculate credits and debits. Even that trip to bed and the drift to sleep might lead to a level of unknown size and scale, maybe a brisk dream or a restless night.

These are the rhythms and surprises of our days that games, no matter how realistic they supposedly have become, so rarely recreate.

Wolfenstein could well be a game whose parts are not as good as its whole. I can't tell. I can't see those parts as separate from the delight I took in being tricked by them. I've become confident that I can see a game from across the horizon and know what it'll be when it gallops to me, that I'll at least know how tall it stands. But not this time. And I was happy for it.

Maybe, after all, this is a valid way to play a game on top of the other ways you're playing it. Maybe it is part of the game to poke around the game to see how big it is and to think you've got it figured out before it has even begun.

That is all legitimate, if the designers play back. That is all fair if the designers recognize that innate zeal among gamers to know, understand and master — and if the designers assert that just when we think we have it all figured out, they have something new to throw us off.

I'd rather not be able to know a game in advance, despite my best reflexes to try. I yearn to be tricked.

The game notably addresses the "gamex86.dll" error that may have shut your game down for good. The positive news is that you should be able to pick up your progress from a previous save. The bad news is you may have to patch twice. For a full list of changes and places from which to download, hit up Wolfenstein.com.

New Wolfenstein PC Patch 1.11 now available to download [Official Site]

Of course, you can also contribute to the game's underperformance by downloading the Wolfenstein PC demo, yours for the sampling. It's available wherever fine Windows-based demos are offered, places like FileShack and FilePlanet. Or, simply grab the Steam release, which is now available for download.

According to a report from GameSpot, the Activision game sold just 106,000 copies across the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Madden sold 1.9 million. Sure, combined Wolfenstein looks like it may have outsold the Wii version of this year's Madden, but I don't think that counts.

Not terribly good news for Activision, id or Raven, but news that helps shed a bit more light on those recent layoffs at the developer.

Here's to hoping that Singularity, Raven Software's other first-person shooter, fares better with its new release date.

Wolfenstein sells 106K on PC, PS3, and 360 combined [Gamespot]

While the Time Manipulation Device in Raven Software's Singularity allows you to manipulate objects between ages, the time wave manipulates you, forcing you to switch between present-day and the 1950's, when the titular catastrophe occurred. It's an interesting mechanic, warping the player between two different eras of a single location. At least it looks compelling now. I'm sure that by the time we get to the end of the game we'll be all, "Ho-hum, we're being time displaced again." We need to stop taking our temporal anomalies for granted.

In a prepared statement released to Kotaku today, Activision confirmed that Raven, a subsidiary of the company, had laid people off today, but declined to confirm or deny the number of people impacted.

"With the recent completion of both X-Men Origins Wolverine, based on the summer blockbuster movie, and Wolfenstein, the next chapter of the famed franchise, Raven Software is slightly reducing its workforce to better reflect the studio's upcoming slate," the Activision statement read.

But our sources tell us that the layoffs were the aftermath of an over-budget and under-performing Wolfenstein and the delay of upcoming time-shifting shooter Singluarity.

The delay for Singularity, which was pushed back from a holiday release to sometime next year, forced Raven Software to move members on the Wolverine team to the project to help reduce the delay, we are told.

The shift in personnel, increased expenses and lackluster sales led Raven to drop from a three game team studio to a two game studio, our sources say.

The Comic-Con demo didn't spend too much time focusing on Singularity's sci-fi story line—probably for the best, given the noisy environment—instead dropping us about an hour and a half into the game. At this point, protagonist Nate Ranco already has the time shifting glove that gives Singularity its core mechanic, letting the player revert and age objects and enemies.

That mechanic comes in handy for puzzle solving and offensive attacks, making Singularity a more strategic, puzzle heavy shooter.

What Is It?
Singularity is a first-person shooter set on a mysterious island known as Katorga-12 home to a series of Russian experiments involving "Element 99," the element that powers that time distorting glove Ranco wears.

What We Saw
We played through a 15 minute long segment, shooting bad guys, solving puzzles and watching some of the game's time warping cinematics unfold. We experimented with Singularity's time manipulation glove, played with the Chronolight—a device that lets players see objects that exist in different time periods, then pull them into Ranco's present—and poked around with some of the game's firearms.

How Far Along Is It?
The game was due to be released this Fall, but was pushed back to the first quarter of 2010. The playable demo was indicative of a mostly complete product, but Raven Software reps said they'll take the extra time from the game's delay to polish the title further.

What Needs Improvement?
Our Familiarity With The Controls: Raven packed a lot into the control scheme, which took a little getting used to. Gunplay is standard stuff—fire with the right trigger, sight or zoom with the left trigger. The game pad's bumpers are used to work the TMD, which can initially be awkward, especially when one is trying to use the time glove to decay a barrier an enemy is hiding behind while also returning fire. We're presuming the learning curve will be less steep in the retail experience, as players won't be thrown a full arsenal from the get-go.

What Should Stay The Same?
The Shootin': Capable stuff—not too surprising, considering Raven's experience with first person shooters. Gunplay felt solid, with a nice variety of machine guns, shotguns and pistols. There's even a pistol that fires Element 99 rounds, letting the player curve their shots. The TMD can also be used as a weapon, with rapid impulse bursts that push back enemies and a time revert function that pits enemies against each other.

The Graphics: Most of Singularity's visuals are dark, gritty and moody. But there's a splash of color peppered throughout, with ghostly blues and oranges helping to break up the deserted environments. Singularity's mix of futuristic and Cold War era settings makes for a nice mix.

The Puzzles: There's some really clever stuff in the demo alone. At one point, we were blocked by a set of concrete stairs, which we had to degrade with the TMD's age option. But then we need to get up those stairs, so we pointed the glove at the rubble and rebuilt them with the revert function. The Chronolight also came into play, with the demo requiring us to pull a platform from the past into the current time, filling the gap in a broken walkway.

Final Thoughts
Singularity's move into next year is a disappointing one, because the mix of shooting and puzzle solving makes a relatively interesting shooter a potentially fascinating one. It's going to take some getting used to grasp some of Singularity's time shifting puzzle solving tactics, but we look forward to strapping on the glove again soon.

Why? According to an Activision spokesperson, the delay was made "in order to facilitate a simultaneous global release window for id Software's Wolfenstein."

Activision has therefore "realigned the game's release date for the week beginning August 17th." We're sure that goals were realized to some degree of synergy.

That two week delay for Wolfenstein is the second bit of bad news from Raven and Activision this month. The developer's original time-shifting shooter Singularity was recently pushed into Q1 2010, supposedly to distance it from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's November release.

Activision has today opened a time portal for Singularity, moving it to Q1 2010, well out of range of Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2. Activision explains!

"The level of excitement for Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 coming out of E3 well exceeded our expectations and therefore we have decided to move Raven's upcoming sci-fi first person action title, Singularity, from 2009 to Q1 2010," said an Activision spokesperson. "We believe that the March quarter will provide a better opportunity to establish the new cutting-edge action IP as a 'must-have' title and clears the way for Modern Warfare 2 to dominate this holiday season."

Wow. So we're calling selling an estimated 11 million copies of your game dominating the holiday season now? Hmph!

The basic facts haven't changed even if the business circumstances have quaked. Wolfenstein returns to consoles on August 4, developed primarily by Raven Software, with supervision by id. That's id, the company that just sold to Bethesda parent ZeniMax and told Kotaku that letting outside developers work on its intellectual property has resulted in a "step down in quality."

That's right. On Thursday morning, id's own CEO gave us reason to doubt Wolfenstein would be that good. And then, in the afternoon, id and Activision reps in New York City showed of the game. Kinda awkward.

What Is It?
Wolfenstein is a one-man first-person war (no vehicles!) against Nazis set in World War II and amplified by the supernatural powers of something called The Veil. It's a follow-up to the shooters that, along with Doom and Quake, defined id.

What We Saw
I played the game's hospital mission in the Xbox 360 build of the game. It occurs about a third of the way into the game. I had undying mode on, which allowed me to see the effects of taking damage without dying.

How Far Along Is It?
Wolfenstein is out on August 4. The build I played was a beta.

What Needs Improvement?
Clarity of Veil: So our hero, B.J. Blazkowicz, has more than machine guns and disintegration guns that spit out energy like fire hoses. He can find and activate four Veil powers. Until a meter depletes, these allow for the ability to slow time, see hidden passages and obscured enemies, don a shield or shoot bullets through walls. Nothing wrong with that. But activating and stacking the powers via the d-pad becomes confusing. The problem was that the visual cues distinguishing one power from the next were not as pronounced as a first-time player like me would have liked. Perhaps this is remedied in the main game, which doles the powers out individually. But I got confused as to which powers I had on or off.

Lack of Mecha-Hitler: Yes, Hitler will be in paintings hung on walls in the game. But he's not in the game. Not being a player of past Wolfensteins, I don't mind. But I suspect others will.

What Should Stay The Same?
The Powers: Blowing up barrels of Veil energy make enemies float, flailing in the air. Using Veil powers makes B.J. sort of a super-hero and sort of the classic FPS griefer/cheater. Seeing through walls to shoot enemies with fully-powered Veil Sight and Veil Empower? Why not? Upgrades to the Shield power, I'm told, will cause bullets to bounce off B.J. and back at his enemies. Sounds good to me, especially if the Veil powers work as well in multiplayer.

Hub City: Conceptually the design of Wolfenstein seems smart. Here's hoping it is, even though I wasn't shown it. The game is partially set in the fictional German hub city of Eisenstadt. Resistance fighters, merchants (who sell items and power-ups for collected gold) and Nazis populate the city. So do non-player characters who will lead you to mission-activation points. It's a different way to organize an FPS rather than a linear progression of missions. You can explore the city, find treasure, and interact with all these people. Or go to missions. But the developers not showing any of this yesterday was a little worrisome. Let's hope it's shaped up well.

Final Thoughts
Despite some sudden concerns I have about non-id id games, Wolfenstein appears to have some solid, core ideas. It is fighting for attention amid a crowd of FPSes this year, but it has a fighting chance by getting an August release. If those Veil powers hold up, then this could be a fine summer vacation from all that going outside stuff people recommend.

Wolfenstein is set for release on the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Players of the recently-released PSN and XBLA versions of Wolfenstein 3D can earn gold for the Wolfenstein by completing simply playing the download game.

And, for the record, id community manager Pete Sokal, who oversaw my session with the game, told me that "We feel confident with the product Raven has made. It feels like Wolfenstein."

Aside from all the Soviet-themed parade marching and sickle-flecked flags, there are also buildings exploding in reverse, some cool bullet/time control mechanics on display and a very emo soundtrack.

Just remember, kids: in Soviet Russia, game plays you. Oh and, reversing letters is a mean trick to play on dyslexics — it took me like a full 30 seconds just to read the game's title.

Video Games | Singularity | E3 09: Exclusive Combat Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

According to Raven, Wolverine will be fast, furious, unleashed, and the game that everyone is pining for. It's like no Wolverine game you've ever seen. They are pushing the envelope, capturing Wolverine's essence, bringing their ideas to the table to create a synergy that allows you to be Wolverine.

Yes, it's chock full of buzzwords and self-praise, but it's the last line that truly stands out. "Every other game is like...some pansy." If that doesn't make it onto the back of the box, I'm going to cry.

Surprised? So was I. After the boss's brief look at the game, I was hopeful that Wolverine would be an amazing character-driven action game. It's made by the Marvel Ultimate Alliance team; and even if it's not relying on the movie for story and background info on everyone's favorite Canadian (next to John Candy), there's still a lot the developer could draw on for the game's inspiration.

But I suppose God of War is an amazing character-driven action game, too, so if Raven Software is going to draw on anything, why not that?

What Is It?
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a singleplayer action-adventure game starring the Hugh Jackman version of the clawed mutant from the X-Men comics. The plot follows most of what goes on in the upcoming movie, plus about "40%" original content, according to the developer. It's set for release on DS, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii and Xbox 360 the same day the movie hits theaters – May 1st.

What We Saw
I spent a cumulative two hours with the PS3 version of the game at a junket event, switching back and forth with another games journalist whenever I died or finished a level. I got through the first jungle mission, a boss fight with Sabretooth and most of the Alkali Lake laboratory level.

How Far Along Is it?
This build has to be near-final because the game is due out in less than a month, but it still looks a little rough mostly because of minor graphics issues (clipping, flickering shadows, etc.).

What Needs Improvement?
Once More With Feeling: This game has a real problem with repetition. True, the combo system is extensive with lots of Square-Triangle-wash-rinse-repeat moves; but because some enemies block more attacks than others, you'll find yourself falling into patterns just to mow down baddies more efficiently. It doesn't help that the baddies all look pretty much the same. Or that the boss in the jungle level required the same move set to kill as the Wendigo Prototype mini bosses in the laboratory level (lunge on back, mash attack button, jump off, repeat, perform quick time event for the kill). Or that both levels require our hero to carry some two-handed burden from one area to another to open a door.

Less Lara Croft Platforming, Please: I can appreciate a game that wants its users to think their way through a level – but this is Wolverine. He should be slashing his way through levels, not thinking. He doesn't have time for statue-pushing puzzles and carrying batteries or crank levers around. That's Cyclops' job!

Quick Time Events To Kill Bosses: No thank you. Kratos barely got away with it.

What Should Stay The Same?
The RPG Element: Wolverine gains XP based on attacks, kills and pulling off combos. When he levels up, you can spend points on new skills, mutagens, reflexes or fight moves. I'm glad to see Raven carried something over from their Marvel Ultimate Alliance games. Also – you'll actually notice a difference in his overall strength. I got to level seven at some point in either the jungle or the laboratory level (sorry – can't keep ‘em straight with all that repetition), and suddenly all the enemies seemed just a little bit weaker than me – but not too, too weak.

The Epic Factor: We were shown a level from later in the game where Wolverine takes on a Sentinel. It's a multi-phase boss fight that's one of seven overall in the game. The first part of the fight was a little Shadow of the Colossus in scale – but I didn't mind because the Sentinels are supposed to be epic huge and Wolverine at least didn't have to do any climbing. The second part was pretty boss (pardon the pun); in a mid-fight cut scene, the Sentinel falls out of its airborne trajectory after Wolverine cuts him up a bit and then the fight resumes with the player having to guide Wolverine through the air and down to the falling Sentinel where you get to cut him up so more. I don't care if skydiving isn't in Wolverine's canon (but, jeez, what isn't?), it looked cool… like God of War, but with Wolverine.

Shirtless Hugh Jackman: It may be a game, but I will take it where I can get it.

Final Thoughts
If I pretend that Wolverine is a movie game, I can say it's one of the best movie games I've ever played. But it's not a movie game, says Raven Software senior producer Jeff Poffenbarger, so what can I say besides "It plays like God of War"? That may be disappointing to those who crave originality, but at the very least, it should be comforting to those who don't want their Wolverine complicated and anymore out of character than the movies make him.

The original Wolfenstein 3D popularized, if not defined first-person shooters. Return to Castle Wolfenstein's multiplayer introduced some of the most popular features of multiplayer gaming to the PC.

What will Wolfenstein deliver?

What It Is
Wolfenstein is the latest first-person shooter in id's popular franchise. This time around Raven Software continues the story of 2001's Return to Castle Wolfenstein with B.J. Blazkowicz using a mystic amulet to find the source of supernatural power that Nazis are tapping into.

What We Saw
I played through a chunk of a single level using some of the amulets abilities.

How Far Along Is it?
The game, due out this summer, was in pre-beta when I played it.

What Needs Improvement?
AI: The enemy artificial intelligence didn't seem to sharp, not always getting behind cover or reacting to your sudden appearance on the scene. The developers said they've spent a lot of time working on AI and that the enemies react better and communicate with one another, so let's hope it was just a pre-beta issue I ran into.

Dialog: Increasingly, I expect a bit more depth to my dialog. In the build of Wolfenstein I played I was hearing the same phrases way too much for my liking.

Those Hats: I made a joke yesterday about how, when disintegrated, the Nazis' hats remained fully intact, falling to the ground where once an enemy stood. It's a neat effect once or twice, but seen over and over again, starts to look a little silly. I'd lose it.

What Needs to Stay the Same?
Details: The game is meticulously detailed. For instance, I noticed that some of the enemies I shot left a spray of blood on the nearby wall. Very nice touch.

Gravity Wells: Early in the game an explosion causes the mystical veil to go haywire, creating these pockets of fluctuating gravity. Enemies didn't just float in them, they flipped and tried to find their balance. It was a spectacular effect that I hope the game doesn't skimp on.

Weapons: Despite the hats, the disintegration effect of the particle cannon is fairly stunning to behold. It was the only veil weapon I used, but I hope that Raven includes a nice selection of similarly interesting guns.

The Veil: Sure alternate realities in a game have been done to death, and I have to admit I was slightly disappointed to see it rear its head in Wolfenstein. But, once I started playing I started to like how it was used. I've only seen two effects in the veil so far, so I'm hoping the other powers will add new facets to the concept.

Controls: It's not surprising that Raven nailed the game's controls, id wouldn't have it any other way.

Final Thoughts
I was pretty excited when id announced Return to Castle Wolfenstein, it was a surprising, for me at least, return to a franchise I loved. This time around my expectations are not nearly as high.

It could be that the recent glut of shooters have jaded me, but what I've heard and seen so far doesn't seem to offer anything new for the genre.

Wolfenstein will be a solid shooter, but I'm still not convinced it will be the sort of seminal experience that Return to Castle Wolfenstein offered.

Perhaps more gamers will need to go hands-on with its unique power glove, the TMD. That's short for Time Manipulation Device, the handheld time weapon that can rapidly age an object or enemy, put it in time stasis, or revert in-game things to their previous states.

It certainly looks like the best use will be disarming Russian Spetsnaz soldiers with expected festive social interactions, as they'll think you're approaching them harmlessly for a high-five. That's when you nail 'em. Because who doesn't love a friendly high-five? Am I right? Up top!

What It Is
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is an action game based off the upcoming movie developed by Raven Software, which brought you Quake 4 and Soldier Of Fortune. The story focuses on the X-Men character Wolverine before and after he's given his adamantium skeleton. I found the gameplay closely resembled God of War, surprisingly. You'll be involved in plenty of tight, close-combat battles, as well as many platforming and playable, cinematic sequences.

What We Saw
I demoed the first level of the game at an Activision party for the Xbox 360. I spent about 20 minutes playing before I kindly passed the controller on to someone else. The level mainly took place in a jungle setting filled with various soldiers equipped with guns and swords.

What Needs Improvement
While the jungle environment looked very robust, it was at times a bit too linear. I felt I was always going on straight path. This was the opening tutorial level, though, so perhaps the later levels get a bit more exploratory.

I would also like to see more destructible environmental elements. The only breakable items seem to be clay pots.

What Should Stay The Same
The grotesque violence. Seriously. I wasn't the only person there that was stunned at the amount of sheer brutality in this game. Normally, we don't really see Wolverine hack and slash people to pieces, usually just a punch to the gut with little to no blood. The opening CGI movie and the following gameplay, however, were almost disturbing. The Activision rep proclaimed this to be the way fans wanted to see Wolverine. Well, you guys got your wish. Prepare for a bloodbath!

I also loved the leaping control. Being able to jump on an on-coming enemy and immediately start stabbing their guts felt very satisfying every time.

Final Thoughts
This game has as much over-the-top violence as something like MadWorld. Wolverine uppercuts heads off torsos, jams enemies into the blades of helicopters. and even throws bodies onto spikes coming out of the floor. I know most movie-licensed games aren't very good, but this could one game that everyone will be talking about, even if it's because of the violence.

Confused about our previews? Read our FAQ.

I was a bit disappointed to find out this was not a hands-on preview. An Activision rep played through the first couple levels of the game for a group of us, showing off some of the new abilities and weapons.

The story is a bit convoluted. It takes place in a fictional German city called Isenstadt. Even the rep on hand had some trouble explaining it to me, but it involves ancient amulets and crystals. But I know you don't care about that stuff. You just want to shoot Nazis, right?

One of the biggest included abilities is the "Veil" feature, which enables you to enter into this "otherworld." When using it, the entire environment turns a darkish blue and grants you new, special powers. The ability opens up new hidden passageways, bullet time, and even highlights weak points found on the stronger enemies. It's not unlike the feral ability found in Far Cry Instincts. Basically, it makes the game way easier than it should.

Also, NPC's play a big part of this version. They're there mainly to add more storytelling elements, like something found in Half-Life. The demo was mainly focused on combat, so I was unable to find out how similar this was.

Graphically the game looks pretty good. Although, after seeing the war zone atmosphere found in Killzone 2, this doesn't come close. There was a surprising amount of destructible environments; mostly the cover (such as tables and wooden structures) so it seems you may have difficulty hiding.

I didn't see too many new weapons, but I did see one called the Particle Cannon, which zaps enemies to ashes immediately. You can bring down groups of Nazis in the blink of an eye.

We were shown one mid-boss sequence where this super Nazi soldier wearing steel armor that shoots laser beams chases you. Using the "veil" power revealed his two weak points and he was brought down rather easily.

I honestly had no idea this game was being made two days ago. I must have missed the E3 announcement last year.

The game has no official release yet, but I would look out for it this year for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

According to the magazine's teaser, Singularity "features mind-bending gameplay that not only has the player jumping through time, but using it as a weapon." You get to combat those dirty Russkies, which is always a treat, so there's that.

The game was announced at E3 2008 via a teaser trailer, but we imagine Game Informer's coverage goes much further than the minute long video.

Even if you don't subscribe to the mag, Game Informer online will apparently have some Singularity flavored treats (ie. screen shots, videos, etc) for you later this week. Here's to hoping it's good — because I'm guessing as a "sci-fi shooter" it's going to need to do something spectacular to set itself from the pack.

Game Informer February Cover Revealed! [GI]

1UP says we're looking at Wolverine's in-game model, illustrating just how expertly someone at Raven can render a bulging vein. Do make sure to check out the Hugh-mungous hi-res version to see the little details.

What scant details 1UP provides — Sentinel boss fights, ultra-violence, "a new approach to seamless cinematic in-game cut-scenes" — certainly have us interested. Hopefully our upcoming issue of EGM is already well on its way to Kotaku Towers West. Until then, we'll just ogle that single screen.

First Screenshot and Info For X-Men Origins: Wolverine [1UP]

Here's your second look at the new Wolfenstein in motion. The QuakeCon trailer is similar to its E3 predecessor, but features new, chilling, German accented voiceover work, more exploding bodies and even more terrifying Nazi experiments with bluish-green lighting. It's also about twice as long, making it twice as awesome.

Wolfenstein QuakeCon Trailer HD [GameTrailers]