In Half-Life 2 the player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling. Freeman is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back at Black Mesa. And a lot of people people he cares about are counting on him (thanks Jeux-France). Read more for somenew screens ...

The Caribbean in the 17th Century; You will trade with over 60 towns and create your own production facilities. You will not only increase your trading empire, but you will also have a larger influence on the development of the New World. Trade is not everything though, as pirates and military fleets threaten your trade convoys.

Blizzard has released a new patch for their RTS StarCraft and its expansion pack StarCraft: Brood War. This update brings your retail game to v1.11 and although there are no balance changes with this patch, it does implement some minor bugs fixes. Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

Midway announced today that Shadow Hearts: Covenant, the sequel to the critically acclaimed, fantasy-style RPG Shadow Hearts. With a mix of turn-based strategy and RPG elements, Shadow Hearts: Covenant (known as Shadow Hearts 2 in Japan) provides players with an even greater magical quest than its predecessor.

ESPN Videogames revealed today new details about their upcoming football title, ESPN NFL 2005. ESPN NFL 2005 will introduce several original features in Franchise Mode, the completely new Maximum Tackle system, and further builds upon the exciting ESPN presentation elements that include incorporation of ESPN personalities Suzy Kolber, Trey Wingo, and Mel Kiper, as well as an expanded role for Chris Berman.

Shadowbane, the first MMORPG to be mainly focused on player versus player combat in an immersive, competitive world. Fighting for power and incorporating a real guild system, players will be able to take over enemy guild territories, castles and more. Shadowbane sports an impressive 300 powers, 70 skills, 22 classes, and 40 sub-class Disciplines, for a new level of individuality.

Larian Studios has released the first patch for their Divinie Divinity RPG sequel Beyond Divinity. This update patch brings your English retail game to v1.32 and addresses a slew of game tweaks, bug/crash fixes and general game balancing. Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

Players new to MMORPGs will now get a little extra help when starting out in Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided. After completing the initial tutorial, players will now be directed to one or two of the most populated cities in the galaxy, dropping them right in the thick of the action.

The Adventure Company today announced its line-up for the 2004 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). The company will showcase four beautiful and challenging new Windows games (Aura: Fate of the Ages, Missing, Dark Fall: Lights Out and Atlantis Evolution) on the show floor and expects to announce a new title at the show. Read more for details on each title...