Prince of Persia Reinvented for Next Gen

For anyone that owned a Playstation 2 or Xbox, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was likely a title you picked up…and enjoyed. Controlling time and picking your way through the immense palace to save the princess with the acrobatic prince was incredibly fun. Due to its huge success there was an inevitable sequel that took on a much darker tone: The Warrior Within. The second installment focused much more on combat and seemed to get away from what made the prince such a likable character in the first game. Then, the trilogy was completed in The Two Thrones. Sadly, the formula felt tired at this point and the prince faded away into obscurity…until now.

Ubisoft has been hard at work on a new Prince of Persia game and has finally lifted the curtain on the next-generation reinvention of the Prince (though apparently he isn’t a Prince in this iteration). Rather than follow the previous storyline, the new game is a full reboot of the franchise. Gone are the abilities to control time and the princess. This time around, you are a vagrant who is swept up in events that lead you into a battle against “the corruption” a black ooze like substance that is released upon the land. While details of the story are still very sparse, it has been revealed that the prince will have an AI companion named Elika who will work with the Prince throughout the game.

While still very early, the visuals for the game look impressive. Instead of going the usual route, the new Prince will take on an “illustrative” look and feel…which is hard to explain and must been seen. The shots look amazing (courtesy IGN).

To see why this game is something to get excited about, check out the first video of the game posted by IGN. I think it’s all CG, but it certainly does the trick of getting Prince fans excited for his return this fall.

Too Human Finally Gets a Release Date

The long awaited sci-fi epic Too Human, in development from Silicon Knights, finally has been given a release date. The date? August 19, 2008. The first chapter in a planned trilogy, Too Human lets you play as Baldur, a cybernetic god tasked with saving humanity. Drawing heavily on Norse mythology, this third person action RPG has lots of potential to be an amazing game.

In development since 1999, Too Human will be available exclusively for the Xbox 360.

The official list of the game’s features has just been made available. Try to ignore the obvious PR speak.

• Thrilling action-RPG gameplay. Unlike some games that may force players to choose between two genres, “Too Human” combines all the creative economy features and social experiences of a typical RPG, such as collecting loot and leveling up, while maintaining the excitement of an action game. With a wide array of weapons, armors, cybernetic implants and skills, players have an unprecedented level of customization with their characters.
• Explosive melee and firearms combat. It will take more than brawn and raw strength to supplant the machine hordes. Using a sophisticated blend of seamless melee and high-tech weapons combat, players have the power to vanquish foes near and far. Witness the fluid grace of heroes and enemies in battle as enacted by the acclaimed motion-capture group Full Action Stunt Team (FAST). Feel each punishing blow through advanced visual effects made possible through the power of Xbox 360.
• The birth of an icon. Fight as Baldur, a powerful cybernetic god battling his way through enemy armies to become one of gaming’s renowned iconic heroes. From weaponry and armor to combat techniques and combos, players can fully customize Baldur to become the best possible hero.
• Advanced cinematic presentation. Characters and environments come to life with amazing visual fidelity. Experience the full excitement of combat through a dynamically driven presentation system that portrays the combat with cinematic quality. Survive pulse-pounding battles against hordes of on-screen enemies set against the vast landscape of the “Too Human” world. A sweeping orchestral score sets the mood for heartbreak, anger and blood lust as each tune encapsulates the gamer within the immersive gaming environment.
• New level of accessibility through intuitive combat. Perform Baldur’s elaborate and complex combat maneuvers, and chain together rapid-fire attacks and combos with ease. Through the use of an intuitive combat system, “Too Human” delivers gameplay that is easy to learn and rewarding to master.
• Shared experience. Conquer the world of “Too Human” alone or with friends in advanced, online two-player co-op gameplay through the Xbox LIVE service. Online co-op play requires Xbox LIVE Gold Membership.
• Modern take on classical Norse mythology. In a world ruined by centuries of war, “Too Human” chronicles the epic story of Baldur, favored son of Odin and one of a group of humanity’s protector, the Aesir. As Baldur, you must destroy the ancient war machines that threaten the world, but to do so you must balance your sense of duty and honor against your lust for revenge — perhaps even sacrificing your humanity in the process.

I think this game is going to be amazing…so August 19th can’t come soon enough. Check out a few gameplay videos to see what all the fuss is about.

Source: xbox.com

Tips to Help Avoid Frustraton with GTA IV

Ok, so you’ve been reading the hype and GTA is supposedly the best game of all time now. IGN, 1UP and Gamespot have given their highest marks possible. You’ve been waiting for this game for months…maybe even years. Then, you get home from the store, pop it in, and the excitement reaches climax as the opening scene sets the tone for what will be an awesome story filled with interesting and dynamic characters. Great. Everything is going well.

Then, you start to play the game. You hop in a car, and instantly speed headlong into a dump trunk and are ejected through the front windshield. Or, you embark on a mission to take out some thugs, only to find that you are gunned down by a bunch of posers. Hmm. Next, you have to track down a guy on a motorcycle through 20 city blocks, and he loses you ever time. After failing to catch him 9 times in a row, your controller seems like it would be more fun to use as a mallet to smash your console to bits. Point is, for the uninitiated, GTA IV can be tough. However, there are some tips that can help make your trip through Liberty City a peaceful one, if you considering committing multiple homicides peaceful. Maybe not, but it’s more rewarding than receiving a text message asking to “try again” or ending up busted and losing all your guns.

Here are some tips to help you succeed on the mean streets of Liberty City:

1. Invest in body armor.
Yes, in the early going it costs a lot at $500. However, it won’t be long before you are rolling in cash and that $500 will not be an issue. It essentially doubles your hitpoints and greatly increases your chances of managing any task set for Niko. It’s always nice to be able to survive a shotgun blast to the face.

2. Use the cover system.
New to GTA, the cover system works very much like Gears of War. As you progress though GTA, you’ll find Niko is faced with increasingly more thugs and bad guys toting increasingly punishing weaponry. Don’t be afraid to hide behind objects and take them out methodically. It’s better than charging in, getting pwned and having to do the whole thing over again.

3. Try driving using the first person camera mode.
Let’s face it, the cars in GTA handle like shopping carts. And not those fancy ones you see bums and transients fighting for in the streets. While some of the higher end cars do offer better handling and braking, lots of the time you’ll find yourself in a car that is plain awful to drive. And you will drive a lot. Try using the first person mode. Not only does it serve to further immerse you into the story and game world, but it really is an easier way to navigate the busy streets of Liberty City.

4. Go down with guns blazing.
It’ll happen to you a lot. You’ll hit a cop car or miss the toll booth and find yourself pursued by half the cops of Liberty City. If you find you can’t shake them and will inevitably be busted, go out in glory. Hope out of your vehicle and unleash hell. Yes, you will likely be killed. However, ending up in the hospital is far better than getting busted. You only have to pay your medical bills and get to retain all of you guns…which is a huge bonus.

5. Build your relationships in the game.
So having to take Kiki out for a date may not seem like the best use of your time. It’s definitely not the most exciting part of the game. However, Rockstar has made sure to reward you for playing out these missions by giving Niko special bonuses and abilities that can prove to be invaluable. For example, get Kiki to like you enough and you will be able to call her and have her clear your wanted level. Other abilities include being able to heal your wounds over the phone and being able to call a friend for a weapons drop.

6. Use Roman’s cab service.
At every point in this game you will have to get from point A to point B. This can get tedious, especially once you’ve invested over 30 hours of your time. To save yourself some headaches, use Roman’s cab service to instantly jump around the map. It will save you time and leave you less frustrated, especially when you are working to get through a tough mission that requires a lot of tries.

There you have it. If you combine all of these tips as you progress through the game it will become a far more enjoyable experience. Finally, remember to save lots, especially after a really tough mission.

Feel free to leave your own tips for getting through GTA in one piece. I know lots of people will appreciate them!

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Boxing Fans…Rejoice!

In todays awesome news, EA Sports have officially announced the next installment of Fight Night…unsurprisingly titled “Fight Night Round 4″ for the Xbox 360 and PS3. This news in itself, does not classify as awesome. What does however, is the fact that bad boy “Iron” Mike Tyson will be returning to the virtual ring again after a lengthy absence. Well it’s about time! No word yet on whether Evander Holyfield will appear in the game…but man would it be sweet! I hope the “x” button will be mapped to “chew off ear.”

Also announced for the 2009 title are boxing icons Sugar Ray Leonard and Lennox Lewis. No doubt, many more will be added to the list in the months to come. If the wait for this game is too agonizing, try getting a full facial tatoo and bite your friends ear off next time you get in an argument. That’ll help you prepare for what is inevitably to come.

Iron Man vs. Batman

Ok, to celebrate the release of Iron Man here is a hilarious video that pits Marvel against DC comics (Iron Man vs. Batman).

If you are a comic book fan, you need to see it. Saw the movie over the weekend and was pleasantly surprised. Definitely worth your time (and money) torrent monkeys. Robert Downey Jr. is great in it.

Psst, GTA IV is out

If you are reading this, you may have missed an important memo. GTA IV just got released this week. The hype for this game was through the roof…and it has more than delivered. Besides becoming the highest rated game of all time (see metacritic scores here), it also smashed sales records on it’s first day.

I’m already 20% into the main mission and I can safely say that this game merits the high scores. It is truly amazing. I got mine for the 360 simply because that is the system all my friends will be playing on. I can’t wait to try out the multi-player this weekend.

If you feel like romping through the streets of Liberty City drop me a line. Gamertag Panzer Pev.

I feel sorry for any game that releases in the next few weeks…it will be completely overshadowed by this masterpiece of interactive entertainment.

So say goodbye to your family and friends for the next few weeks. All you’ll need is Niko Bellic.