The official IGI2: Covert Strike site let us know that the Multiplayer Beta Test code for IGI2: Covert Strike goes public at 2pm (GMT) Friday 10th January 2003 and the standalone PC demo will be available to download from 2pm (GMT) Thursday 16th January 2003... IGI 2: Covert Strike is being developed at Innerloop Studios AS, the Oslo-based team that created the original, and is to be published by Codemasters.

Today we have a brand new trailer showing off some in game footage from Square's next installment of their epic console RPG series Final Fantasy X2. They claim the game will have both offline and online components (unlike FFXI, which will be the series' first online foray), but have not commented further on exactly what's in store. Yasumi Matsuno from the Final Fantasy Tactics team and Hiroyuki Itou from the FFXI team are reported to be heading up the development of FFXII. Read more for links where to grab the goods (converted to windows media format for your convenience) ...

Runaway: A Road Adventure follows Brian, a student on the verge of graduating from college, is suddenly and mysteriously attacked by Mafia gangsters. During his desperate flight, in the company of a mysterious striptease dancer, he ends up meeting a wide range of unusual characters. But he has to figure out who's trying to help him or kill him. The player will have to be very ingenious to figure it out who's his friend or foe in this explosive mixture of murder, money, ambition, rituals and deception...a whole lot of deception. Today we have a new trailer showing off some in game action and cinematics...

Electronic Arts has just announced they have started shipping The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers for Xbox and GameCube. Based on the JJR Tolkien's novel and recently released movie, The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers follows Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli as they go head to head with Sauron’s army. The game spans 13 missions, boss monsters covering the first two movies, and includes movie content such as scenes from the movie and interviews with the stars of the film. The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers is rated “T” for teen, and retails for around $49.99 USD.

IL-2 Sturmovik set new standards of realism and gameplay and swept almost every gaming award on its way to become the most critically acclaimed flight simulation title for 2001. In addition to the new campaigns set on the Finnish and Hungarian fronts and new single and multiplayer missions, several new playable and AI controlled Russian, German and British aircraft is featured in IL-2 Sturmovik: The Forgotten Battles. Check out latest 22 screens below, as well as the impressive fan made trailer!!

BBC England reports that a 69-year-old woman was hit on the head with a computer game console as she tried to stop her son being attacked by a burglar. Maureen Palmer, 69, found her 41-year-old son wrestling with the intruder at the family home in Greystoke Road, Slough, Berkshire. Mrs Palmer cried out "nobody hurts my son", but the man hit her over the head with the Playstation that he had just stolen from the living room...

Drag-On Dragoon is being developed by Cavia, a developer comprised of some former Namco employees that worked on Ace Combat, and will ship for the PlayStation 2 during Spring 2003. Enix has released an all Japanese site for their action-RPG Drag-On Dragoon and we have local mirrors for the first trailer showing off some intro movie and in game action. Read more for download links ...

Feel the power of commanding a modern jet fighter. Fly a variety of combat aircraft in the most graphically rich, audio intense game environment ever created for a combat flight simulator. Lock On: Modern Air Combat combines a broad scope of game play that includes a dynamic campaign system, an immersive combat environment, and in-your-face action. Choose from eight U.S. and Russian jets that range from the tank-killing A-10 Warthog and, ground-pounding Su-25 Frogfoot to air superiority fighters like the F-15C Eagle and Su-27 Flanker. Filled with intense campaigns, realistic flight modeling and flexible game options, Lock On will provide unlimited game play action to both novice and veteran flight sim fans... Read more for screens!

A series of grisly murders brings Lara into conflict with a sinister Alchemist from the past, and a secret alliance of powerful individuals shrouded in mystery. Accused of the murder of her one time mentor, Lara Croft becomes a fugitive on the run. Pursued by the police, she follows the Alchemist into a dark world of blood, betrayal and vengeance where it is up to her to defeat this unholy alliance, and stop them from unleashing their incredible powers on the world. A bunch of new character art of Lara posing (yiha) and a few familiar screens ...

Gunfighter II is an Arcade game, in which from a covered position, you have to reveal yourself, take aim and fire at you opponents. The game is light gun compatible and will contain two different game modes : Story and Arcade mode. Three different difficulty levels represented by bronze , silver and gold spurs and a set of mini shooting games each provide many hours of fun. The use of the Asura engine allowed us to implement a lot of cut sequences into the game, in order to drive the action in front. Some new screens and character art ...

Yesterday we posted up a 12MB co-op ingame movie from Tenchu 3: Wrath of Heaven.. Today we serve up a new 32MB single player movie that runs for 1 min and 16 seconds, showing of some ingame action from this realistic, stealth-based, ninja-action/adventure game. Read more for links!

Miles from Sports Interactive revealed some more information about their upcoming Championship Manager 4 demo in his Christmas speech. Here follow a small clip:

So, what will 2003 bring? Well, Eastside should see the light of day towards the end of the year, but there are a couple of other Sports Interactive products out before then...

The first will be the CM4 magazine (issue 2), and the demo for CM4. These will be released on Friday, February 14th.

The second will be Championship Manager 4. This is now looking hopeful for release on February 28th on PC & Mac in the UK, with non UK Eidos releases a few days later (Germany, France, Holland, Spain, South East Asia).

Read the full speech here and check out new screens here!

Planet Soldier Of Fortune posted up some more info regarding the next upcoming patch for Soldier Of Fortune II (thanks Blues). Here is the full clip:

The patch will be released in 2 versions, a full (50mb) and lite version (16mb). The Full version will upgrade any version of SoF2, with the Lite version updating 1.02 to 1.03 (Gold). So whats new I hear you ask?! Well amongst a mass of code/map updates Raven are bringing us 3 new THREWAVE MAPS. The patch will be coming to us in early January.

Etherlords II is the sequel to the innovative turn-based strategy game originally released in November 2001. Similar to Etherlords I, which was highly praised for its tactical depth and stunning graphics, Etherlords II promises to be even more spectacular, changing the emphasis of the game from simple exploration and resource gathering to a more enriching story-driven adventure.

Subsim Review, Doutel Software Services, LLC, and the Wolfpack League have succeeded in converting the Silent Hunter II multiplayer engine from rTime to Microsoft DirectPlay. As you may have experienced, the original rTime engine was notoriously unstable and players were treated to constant drops and errors. Now Silent Hunter II players can look forward to a bunch of new features! Find out more and download here!

Infogrames, Inc. has announced the release of Steel Tide and Pacific Gunner, two new games for the PC, steeped in fast-paced, authentic battle action. Pacific Gunner (MSRP $19.99) brings fast-paced WWII arcade-style warfare against wave after wave of Japanese attacks in the Pacific and Steel Tide (MSRP $19.99) is high seas naval warfare at its best. The game follows the exploits of the R.M.S. Triumphant, a highly modified T-class submarine armed to the teeth with devastating torpedoes, blistering anti-aircraft and a powerful deck gun.

The official website for EA's 3D RTS Command & Conquer Generals is now online, loaded with screenshots, wallpapers and detailed information about the the powerful U.S. forces, the vast Chinese war machine, the resourceful Global Liberation Army and much more!

We at Worthplaying wish all our readers, fans and outer space visitors a very Merry Christmas. Hope Santa brought all the games you wished for, and may the coming year be merry for everybody! It's been a long year with loads of goodies, and we have PLENTY more in store for you in the coming year. Thank you for sticking around, spread the word, and let's make things even better! News will be few, as you have undoubtedly noticed, but we will do our best to round up whatever we can find. Our new/faster/bigger and better link deal is secured, and we should hopefully be seeing the results in a few days! In the meantime, Njoy the Holidays!

On a storm-swept ship, the adventure begins.You are the Queen of Halassar. Thousands have fought and died for you. Millions adore you as the “goddess reborn.” Your fate is written in the Book of the Prophets. You are the savior of all creation. But your enemies are strong. The King of Galdyr wants you dead. Sinister factions plot your downfall. The armies of Urath march on your borders. Below Munari City, the mysterious Unseen weave a dark conspiracy. And now one of your own has betrayed you. A thief robs your inner sanctum. Intrigue lures you to the Midnight Sea. In a howling tempest, your destiny begins to unfold.

Shrapnel Games announced today that Thunder Pack Platinum is now available in two formats, an electronic download version or a CD Jewel Case version. We also have a demo available, so read more for details and links where to download the demo.

Def Jam VENDETTA marks the first interactive entertainment title from EA and Def Jam Records, and will fully integrate a powerhouse roster of Def Jam artists into the storyline, including new hit songs from the artists, as well as classic Def Jam tracks. Each artist has contributed one original introduction and victory sequence incorporating their own voice and motion. Artists participating in the game include DMX, Ludacris, Method Man, Redman, NORE, Scarface, Ghostface Killah, Capone, Keith Murray and WC. The game also features Def Jam songstress Christina Milian and the world famous DJ Funkmaster Flex. Today we scored a new trailer showing off some voice production footage mixed with in game action!

I saw on 3Gamers that there is a new update for America's Army: Operations. This version bring's this team-based tactical shooter by the U.S. Army to version 1.5.0 and adds the Weapons Cache SE (Special Edition) map, parental controls, new Opfor voices, other gameplay tweaks, and a couple of bug fixes. Read more for detailed fix list and links where to get it ...

Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown is based on Cinemaware’s hit game Defender of the Crown, first released in 1986 on the Commodore Amiga and subsequently to a variety of platforms where sold over 1,000,000 units worldwide. Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown is a re-imagining of the beloved classic, with a deep storyline, a rich cast of characters, and the same commitment to stunning graphics and unique, varied gameplay that first made Cinemaware famous. Check the 20+ new screens ...

On this quiet Sunday we have some new screens from Square Soft's latest episode in the Final Fantasy franchise. We have made a gallery of screens with all the latest images from Final Fantasy X-2. Njoy