Amidst the chaos of World War I over a year after the original Shadow Hearts ended, Yuri and Karin embark on an epic journey testing their power and magic skills to combat terrifying creatures and conquer the evil that Rasputin plans to unleash upon the world.

Valve made good on its promise and has unlocked Half-Life 2 for people who pre-ordered it through its online delivery system Steam. "Half-Life 2 is available now for purchase and to play. Those who pre-purchased their copy via Steam may access the game by double-clicking on the Half-Life 2 icon in their Steam Games directory. To purchase your copy via Steam, please visit www.steampowered.com." The Source remake of the original Half-Life is now also available.

Epic has released a new patch for its sci-fi FPS Unreal Tournament 2004. This patch brings your retail game to v3339 and addresses the usual slew of bug fixes and gameplay tweaks. There is also an updated Editor's Choice Edition bonus pack, for new users only as the patch already includes the bonus pack changes. Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

Stronghold 2 is the third installment of the Stronghold franchise. The original Stronghold was the first and only game to combine a castle SIM with siege-warfare RTS. Stronghold 2 will be the first to bring the franchise to 3D. Players will be able to build and develop numerous types of castles and defenses while watching their peasants go about their every day lives. Players will see medieval life in all its forms from festivals and jousts to drunken wenches serving their lord dinner. Players will also be given more control over the strategic aspect of the game.

Electronic Arts today announced a tender offer for all outstanding shares of the Swedish game developer, Digital Illusions (DICE). The offer is scheduled to close on December 27, 2004. EA currently owns approximately 19 percent of DICE's outstanding shares.

City of Heroes developer Cryptic Studios has updated its official website with a brief statement regarding last week's copyright lawsuit by Marvel Comics. "As reported by The Associated Press, Marvel Enterprises Inc. and Marvel Characters, Inc. have sued NCsoft Corporation and Cryptic Studios. The complaint is meritless. Cryptic Studios is confident that the District Court will reject all of Marvel's claims and fully vindicate Cryptic Studios in all respects."

Guilty Gear Isuka introduces revolutionary upgrades such as 4-player simultaneous fighting, allowing for 2-on-2, 3-on-1 and 2-player co-op battles. The title also adds new characters to a full roster of returning fighters, all-new fight arenas and multiple new modes of play, including an exciting side-scrolling action game called Boost Mode.

A few weeks back BAM! Entertainment and developer Rebellion announced a publishing deal to bring Judge Dredd: Dredd Vs. Death. to North America, scheduled for this November 2004. Today Bam! updated their release schedule reflecting the game has been pushed back on all platforms until February 2005.

Vivendi's community liaison Guy Welch has put up a post on the TribalWar forums revealing that a new v1.2 update patch for Irrationals multiplayer shooter Tribes: Vengeance is currently being tested, and will be released in December. " The update will include fixes to known map "holes," implementation of PunkBuster Online Countermeasures and several other fixes." Of course we will have it available on our fileserver network as soon as its released.

Join Tak in an epic adventure, as he must learn new Juju magic to recover the Staff of Dreams and defeat Tlaloc once and for all. Tak’s role in the great Prophecy of the Pupanunu people isn’t over. Rather, it’s just begun!

“Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict” brings the “Unreal Championship” franchise to Xbox and Xbox Live with bold enhancements to single and multiplayer gameplay including all new super-agile player acrobatics, third-person camera mode, vehicles and intense melee abilities. “Unreal Championship” fans can play as any one of 14 characters from the “Unreal” Universe, each with spectacular new Adrenaline powers that enable new offensive and defensive combos.

More than two years after seeing a Japan release, Namco finally brings Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament to GBAs across North America, bringing its distinct brand of complex puzzles and racing minigames. Expected in February 2005, check the first screens...

Square Enix and Disney Interactive, a publishing label of Buena Vista Games announced today that Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories will ship to retailers nationwide on December 7th, in time for the holiday season.

In an interview with The Hollywood reporter, LucasArts president Jim Ward revealed that Petroglyph is working on a previously unannounced RTS title set in the Star Wars universe. Here's a snip : "I think there's a bright future there for games based on these new properties as well as original "Star Wars" games like a new real-time strategy PC game that Petroglyph is developing for next year."

Characters inside of the Matrix will have access to a duel ability! Players will be allowed to challenge each other to mortal combat nearly anywhere inside of the game. This functionality is currently scheduled to go live in the beta very soon! Read below to find out more details about how the duel functionality will operate.

The bloodletting begins on November 16, 2004 with the shipping of Activision’s Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines for the PC.

Activsion announced today that its Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events video game has shipped to stores. Based on the best-selling book series and the highly anticipated feature film, the game allows players to experience the lives of the three Baudelaire orphans through 16 adventure filled missions where they solve puzzles, build ingenious inventions and outsmart the evil Count Olaf and his troupe of creepy cohorts.

ESPN Videogames announced today details of the new additions found in ESPN College Hoops 2K5's franchise offering, called Legacy Mode. In the world of collegiate basketball, the coach is responsible for calling the shots on and off the court. Recruiting top players year round, scouting new talent and preparing the game plan against opponents are some of the fundamental elements gamers will find in the unique and exciting Legacy Mode.

Takeda 2 is a game of epic Samurai action for the PC, set in 16th century feudal Japan . Takeda 2 puts the player in the role of Daimyo, a feudal lord fighting for the title of Shogun, supreme military commander. On the world map, players must gauge their strength as they maneuver armies and expand their territory every turn. In battle mode, the focus is on realistic battle strategy for real-time army to army action.

BioWare Corp. was awarded the prestigious title of “Game Developer of the Year” at the Billboard 2004 Digital Entertainment Awards Gala on November 5, 2004. The award is given to the developer showing the best body of work distributed on any platform or combination of platforms over the last year.

Dead to Rights II marks the return of action-hero Jack Slate and his K-9 companion, Shadow. In this super-charged sequel, Jack and Shadow find themselves once again in the squalid, mean streets of Grant City, ensnared in a labyrinth of crime, corruption and betrayal.

Electronic Arts today announced new holiday promotional prices on top EA SPORTS titles. Starting tomorrow, Madden NFL 2005 and NBA LIVE 2005 will have a suggested retail price of $29.95. The suggested retail price for NHL 2005 will be $29.95 and the best-selling college football game, NCAA Football 2005 will be $39.95.

Rumors have been floating around for weeks now, and today Eidos confirmed that Warren Spector, the head of Eidos's Ion Storm Studio in Austin has left the building. Reason given for Warren's departure : "to pursue personal interests." Spector has been responsible for the original Deus Ex, its recent successor as well as Thief: Deadly Shadows. Eidos also said that Warren will stay in their employment of as original IP consultant.

Dead to Rights II marks the return of action-hero Jack Slate and his K-9 companion, Shadow. In this super-charged sequel, Jack and Shadow find themselves once again in the squalid, mean streets of Grant City, ensnared in a labyrinth of crime, corruption and betrayal.