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Rainier's Articles


Wii Preview - 'SoulCalibur Legends'

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - Pre - E3 2007

Genre: Fighting
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Namco Bandai
Release Date: TBA 2007

With Soul Calibur IV blazing a trail to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 next year, Namco Bandai wanted to bring the franchise to the Wii, as well, but according to Product Manager Wayne Shiu, a simple port wouldn't cut it — they wanted to take full advantage of the unique control scheme of the Wii to offer a new play experience to fans of the long-running series.

Which brings us to Soul Calibur Legends, the first entry in the franchise to focus solely on a

PS3/Xbox 360 Preview - 'Beautiful Katamari'

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - Pre - E3 2007

Genre: Action/Puzzle
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Namco Bandai
Release Date: Fall 2007

No seismic shift occurred between the original Katamari Damacy and We Love Katamari for the PlayStation 2, and the PSP iteration, Me & My Katamari, did little to disrupt the balance of simplistic gameplay and quirky storytelling established back in 2004. Beautiful Katamari for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 looks to continue this trend of complacency, expanding the role of the multiplayer game while generally maintaining the same style and feel of its predecessors.

As in previous Katamari entries, the name of the game is

'Neverwinter Nights 2' - Screens

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - E3 2006 May 12th

Bards sing tales of heroes from ages past, but never have the Forgotten Realms so desperately needed a champion. Years have passed since the war between Luskan and Neverwinter, almost enough time for the wounds of war to heal. But the brief peace the Realms have known may be at an end. Tension growing between the mighty city-states means the Sword Coast again teeters on the edge of open war. Unnoticed, a greater danger stalks the City of Skilled Hands. Unbeknownst to the denizens of the North, deep in the Mere of Dead Men, dark forces from across

'Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals' - Features & Screens

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - E3 2007 - July 12th

“Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals,”* the biggest expansion pack to date for the hugely popular, award-winning “Zoo Tycoon 2,” lets gamers bring animals that once roamed the Earth back to life. With new challenges and more than 30 new animals, players can create environments the creatures once lived in and learn about times that date back to the Ice Age.

Features:

  • Impressive never-before-seen animals. “Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals” features more than 30 new animals, ranging from the adorable dodo bird to the

PS3/X360 Preview - 'Burnout Paradise'

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - E3 2007 - July 11th

Genre: Racing
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Criterion Games
Release Date: January 2008

Excluding the offshoot and recap titles (Dominator and Legends, respectively), the core Burnout series has always maintained an unrivaled level of intensity and innovation within the racing genre. Each title has represented a significant improvement over its immediate predecessor, culminating in 2005's brilliant Burnout Revenge. But if you thought the additions of takedowns and Road Rage were important, wait 'til you see the overhaul in the works for Burnout Paradise, the first iteration developed from the ground up for next-generation consoles.

"We really wanted to take

'Assassin's Creed' [ALL] - Features & Screens

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - E3 2007 - July 13th

Assassin’s Creed is the next-gen game developed by Ubisoft Montreal that will redefine the action genre. While other games claim to be next-gen with impressive graphics and physics, Assassin’s Creed merges technology, game design, theme, and emotions into a world where you instigate chaos and become a vulnerable, yet powerful, agent of change.

The setting is 1191 AD. The Third Crusade is tearing the Holy Land apart. You, Altair, intend to stop the hostilities by suppressing both sides of the conflict.

You are an Assassin, a warrior shrouded in secrecy and feared for your ruthlessness. Your actions can throw your immediate environment

'Rig 'n Roll' - 15 New Screens

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under Leipzig Games Convention - Leipzig Games Convention 2006

'Blue Dragon' (X360) - Features & Screens

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - E3 2007 - July 12th

Famed game producer Hironobu Sakaguchi of Mistwalker game studio and developer Artoon present the highly anticipated Xbox 360-exclusive “Blue Dragon.” Featuring the character design of Akira Toriyama, who designed “Dragon Ball Z,” and music by Nobuo Uematsu, the composer for “Final Fantasy,” “Blue Dragon” is an epic role-playing game (RPG) centered on a young boy named Shu and several of his friends. These unlikely heroes possess miraculous strength and magical power to control phantom shadows that mirror the actions of their masters.

Shu and company must use their shadows as weapons as they battle the evil forces and an antiquated human

PS3 Preview - 'Everyday Shooter'

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - Post - E3 2007

Genre: Shooter
Publisher: SCEA
Developer: Queasy Games
Release Date: Late Summer 2007

The term "everyday" is often applied to something that lacks style or innovation, but Everyday Shooter, available later this summer via the PlayStation Network, is not so... well, everyday. Everyday Shooter is indeed a shooter that will draw instant comparisons to Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, but it was not made with competition as the core design element. Instead, creator Jonathan Mak of Queasy Games believes it should simply be enjoyed, much like a record.

"It's like a music album," said Mak, "except instead of it being

'Brothers In Arms Hell's Highway' [ALL] - Features & Screens

by Rainier on Jan. 1, 2006 @ 1:30 a.m. PST | Filed under E3 - E3 2007 - July 13th

Brothers In Arms Hell’s Highway brings the critically acclaimed squad-based WWII shooter into the next generation of gaming with amazing graphics and sound, new cutting-edge gameplay features, and a totally redesigned online component.

Delivering on the franchise’s compelling story, unrivaled authenticity and intense squad-based action, Brothers In Arms Hell’s Highway drops you into Operation Market Garden, the largest paratrooper operation in World War II. Lead Matt Baker, Joe Hartsock and the rest of the 101st Airborne Division as they fight to open “Hell’s Highway” in a daring bid for a quick end to the war.