Set in the 60s and using the Cold War as its inspiration, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater forces the player to adopt a number of new skills to survive in Snake's new jungle environment. Danger lurks everywhere as Snake explores the beautifully-realised forests, encampments and rivers, with guards patrolling key routes, dangerous animals to contend with, and the uneven terrain and noisy foliage making the silent approaches the Metal Gear hero is famed for virtually impossible.

Sega Europe today announced that the latest title in Team 17's hugely entertaining Worms franchise, Worms Forts Under Siege, will be playable online on the Xbox through the Xbox Live. Prepare your garrison of worms to join three other machines in four player clashes. Wage war online, over epic landscapes never seen before in a Worms game with the option to tailor battles through Quickmatch and Optimatch matchmaking. Read more for details and some new screens ...

Tri Synergy and Nevrax today announced an exclusive North American distribution agreement. Under the agreement, Tri Synergy will distribute The Saga of Ryzom, Nevrax's graphically stunning, multi-genre massively multiplayer online role-playing game into the North American market later this year.

Dreamcatcher has released a new patch for People Can Fly's FPS Painkiller. This update brings your retail game to v1.2 and addresses various weapon tweaks and bug-fixes, multiplayer improvements, as well as 2 new multiplayer maps (DM_Fallen1 and DM_Fallen2). Read more for details and download links ...

Games Publisher Digital Jesters has announced that it has secured the rights to the ground-breaking Medieval Lords: Build, Defend, Expand. Medieval Lords takes aspiring city governors to the middle ages, combining rich city-building challenges with evolving military forces to defend against relentless attacks from neighboring enemies. Medieval Lords is expected to be released in October 2004, at a SRP of £29.99.

Codemasters has released the first patch for K-D Lab's Perimeter, a real-time strategy game built on the concept of territory seizure using detailed terraforming and on the subsequent encircling of these zones with a special protective perimeter. This upgrade features a brand new multiplayer map, as well as integrated chat/lobby support, and a new Replay feature, which enables you to record battles to evaluate your strategies or exchange them with other Perimeter players. Read more for download links ...

Jowood has released the first patch for Wing Simulations' multiplayer shooter SÖLDNER: Secret Wars. This v28446 contains improved vehicle physics, Netcode Optimisation, extended Commander and Player Map Options, Crash Fixes and also an additional vehicle (Tank, Merkava) + two new weapons (Pistol, Glock 18 ; Sniper Rifle, VSS Vintirez). Read more for details and download links ...

Matrix Games and Panther Games are pleased to announce the development Airborne Assault: Conquest of the Aegean, a new wargame covering the battles for Greece, Crete and a hypothetical Malta operation during World War II. Designed by the talented historical wargame specialists at Panther Games and planned for release during fall 2004, Conquest of the Aegean will bring to life 20th Century warfare on ancient battlegrounds.

Acclaim Europe reveals Emergency Mayhem, a frantic arcade action game that puts you at the helm of the three emergency services trying to hold together a city that’s falling apart at the seams. Read more for some new screens ...

Phantom Brave improves upon the tactical gameplay found in Disgaea and La Pucelle in every way. Its redone, open-ended battle system is limited only by the user’s imagination. If you fell in love with Disgaea, you definitely won’t want to miss out on what’s sure to be this year’s best Strategy RPG. Read more for 150 or so new screens...