Details of The Godfather II video game sequel to Godfather multi-platinum hit

Electronic Arts and Paramount Digital Entertainment today revealed the first details of The Godfather II videogame, the sequel to the 2007 multi-platinum hit. Inspired by the film and Mario Puzo’s Corleone family drama, The Godfather II game goes beyond the film’s story by setting players in the world of organized crime in 1960’s Florida, Cuba and New York.

After being promoted by Michael Corleone to Don of New York, players expand to new cities, as they build up their families through extorting businesses, monopolizing illegal crime rings and defeating new families in an effort to become the most powerful mob family in America. To help players manage their empire, The Godfather II introduces “The Don’s View” – an innovative strategy meta-game that allows players to oversee the entire world as they grow the family business. Using the Don’s View, players will be able to build, defend and expand their crime rings, while keeping an eye on the movements and plans of the rival families. Players will also learn to master the business of organized crime by building a family of Made Men, hiring crew, handing out orders, and promoting their best men up the ranks.

Set in a stunning open-world environment, The Godfather II expands on the popular gameplay mechanics of the first game and doubles down on the series’ signature BlackHand control scheme, which now features even more visceral hand-to-hand brutality at your fingertips, introducing a new combo system, pressure tactics and executions. In The Godfather II, players will fight alongside their hand-picked crew, who have their own skills and expertise. Each family member specializes in a specific field such as demolitions, arson, engineering, first-aid and more. As The Don you control the family, sending some of your men on missions while heading off into action with others. The combination of strategic organized crime gameplay and brutal BlackHand action sets The Godfather II apart from other open-world games.

“In the 1960’s, a mafia Don was only as strong as his family,” said Hunter Smith, Executive Producer of The Godfather II. “We found the hierarchical culture of organized crime intriguing. Running an organized crime family in a world defined by family loyalty is something that we felt could introduce a new strategic element to the genre. That is what the Don’s View is all about - laying out a strategy to pick off the competition one by one. The Don’s View is so unique, it could fundamentally change the rules of open-world games by blending action and strategy to create something entirely new.”

“The Godfather has become an exceptional gaming franchise for the Studio,” states Sandi Isaacs, Senior Vice President of Interactive & Mobile for Paramount Digital Entertainment. “The videogame takes the story and gameplay to the next level with an innovative open-world action strategy that is both compelling and intriguing for gamers.”

Command and Conquer - Red Alert 3 - Uprising PC video game

Epic Campaign Expansion for Award-Winning Real-Time Strategy Favorite Hits PCs in March 2009

Electronic Arts announced that the third iteration of the Command & Conquer franchise’s beloved Red Alert series is returning with Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 - Uprising exclusively for the PC.

An epic single-player campaign expansion, the standalone title catapults players deeper into the Red Alert universe, giving them more of the action-packed gameplay they have been clamoring for, while offering a gauntlet of new and compelling challenges with the new Commander’s Challenge mode. Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Uprising will be available for digital download this March.

”Uprising is a game that in many ways reflects the feedback we have gotten from the Command & Conquer community,” said Amer Ajami, Senior Producer at EA Los Angeles. “We’re giving gamers more of what they want – more of the fast, fluid and fun gameplay, more of the story we began to tell in Red Alert 3 and more cutscenes featuring top-notch Hollywood talent. At the same time, we’re excited we’re going to be able to bring new things to the mix, including new units and the Commander’s Challenge, which is a great way for players to hone their skills and get deeper into the combat.”

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Uprising takes players into the aftermath of the epic battles in Red Alert 3, with the Soviets still reeling from a crushing defeat, the Empire of the Rising Sun desperately trying to regain both honor and identity and the seemingly victorious Allies finding themselves in the midst of corruption and deceit within their own ranks. In addition to four mini-campaigns, one for each faction and one bonus campaign centered on the origins of the Empire of the Rising Sun’s commando Yuriko, Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Uprising will also introduce the new Commander’s Challenge, enabling the players to test their skills against a set of nine commanders from different territories and difficulty levels in 50 unique challenges with their own special rules and unique conditions.


In true Command & Conquer fashion, top Hollywood talent will be delivering the gripping story in full HD live-action cinematics. Fan favorites Gemma Atkinson and Ivana Milicevic will make their stunning return to the high ranks of the Allied and Soviet leaderships and will be joined by an all new set of stars, who will be announced soon.

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: Uprising is a standalone game and does not require Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 to play. This product has not yet been rated by the ESRB, PEGI or USK.

Fans of Command & Conquer can continue to get their fix 24 hours a day, seven days a week at Command & Conquer TV, EA’s dedicated online Command & Conquer network that goes beyond the game and brings players all the latest news, tips and strategies.

Undertow - Xbox Live Arcade video game review

In Undertow you navigate the stormy seas as one of four unique, upgradeable unit types, earning points by killing enemies, completing objectives, and taking checkpoints. Undertow includes two multiplayer modes for up to 16 players, and a robust 15-level single player and co-op campaign.
For this generation of consoles, one game engine has proven to be the most prevalent: the Unreal engine. Designed by Epic Games, the Unreal engine has been used by almost every developer out there to create just about every type of game. From shooting games to RPGs to wrestling titles, this game engine somehow gets involved. One common factor that the games share, however, is that almost all of them are disc-based titles because most developers believed that the engine could only be used properly if it had plenty of hard drive space to work with. In 2006, that belief was shattered when RoboBlitz became the first downloadable title to use the Unreal engine as its primary game engine. Further proving that the engine is viable enough for both disc-based and downloadable titles, Chair Entertainment released Undertow, an Xbox Live Arcade title that also uses this technology. The game proves to contain some fun, but only if the right conditions are met.

The story line for Undertow is fairly good. Set in an alternate Victorian era, the Earth has been flooded, forcing mankind to the ocean depths in order to survive. As the tutorial level begins, you are part of the Royal British Navy and have been sent on a routine maintenance mission when pirates attack your base. After defeating them, you capture one of them and make him part of your squad against his will. As the adventure unfolds, you spark a war against Captain Nemo himself, who has somehow prolonged his life through machinery.

Through the single-player mode, your job is to bring peace to the waters once again. The campaign consists of 15 levels where the objective is the same: control different territories in the map and reduce your enemy's points. These points deplete whenever you die or when you begin to lose territories; the number of times you can respawn also depends on the points you have left. When you return to the game, you can do so as one of four unit types that vary in armor and ammo strength. As you take over control points and kill enemy units, you earn points that can be used to upgrade your units to gain more strength and firepower.

The single-player mode is actually fairly engaging. The enemy AI is fairly relentless, providing for a tough experience through each level. It can be argued that the ally AI accidentally increases that difficulty by not helping as much as it should, but they end up putting in a good fight at the end. While most of the levels deal with territory control, some of them have boss fights, giving the experience the diversity it needs to prevent it from becoming boring. There's also split-screen co-op, which lets you tackle missions with a friend, a good addition that helps breathe longevity into this game mode.

The multiplayer is pretty much the same as the single-player modes, with the same rules in place. All nine maps are designed well with support for 16 players split into two eight-man teams. When playing online, the game plays smoothly with no hint of lag at all, even when all 16 players are speaking. Bots are also available to fill in any empty slots, helping you make a big game even if you don't have the manpower to do so. Aside from the Control Points mode, there are also your standard deathmatch and online co-op for the single-player mode, both of which work out well here.

Controls for Undertow are easy to pick up for those who are familiar with games such as Mutant Storm Reloaded and Geometry Wars. The left thumbstick moves your character while the right thumbstick fires shots in any direction. The right trigger initiates a speed boost while the Y button calls up the upgrade menu whenever you get enough points to do so. Overall, the scheme is responsive enough and gives people little to complain about in this area.

The graphics look good for an Xbox Live Arcade game. Admittedly, the environments are a bit sparse since every level has a few buildings, plenty of rocks and a deep ocean, but the texture work on them is rather good. The textures are much more basic and less detailed on the character models and the vehicles they occupy. The lighting, however, does a great job at masking low-detailed textures. Bloom lighting from explosions and the power-up aura make Undertow beautiful to look at. All of this is achieved if you're playing the game on a high-definition TV. If you have a standard-definition set, this title becomes hard on the eyes due to the small size of the players. There is no middle ground here since getting things up close not only exposes the average texture work but hides the rest of the environment, while moving further away makes everything too tiny to see. Again, if you have a standard TV set, this game becomes too hard to play due to the graphics alone.

The sound has a few issues but is good overall. The voices come out compressed and in mono sound. It can initially be argued that the underwater setting makes this an intentional choice, but there are sound clips where the compressed nature is unmistakable. Aside from this, the effects are clear and give off some richness when needed. Get into an intense firefight with plenty of explosions, for example, and you'll feel the bass rush through your system. The music is only played through cut scenes and menus, but it helps put you in the mood for epic battles, which is all that you can really ask from the game.
Undertow is a good fit for the Xbox Live Arcade. The action is fast and uncomplicated, it has plenty of options for the single-player and multiplayer experiences, and the tight controls do a good job of making the player want to partake in the action. It isn't a perfect game and, as mentioned before, standard-definition TV players will find nothing but misery with this title. As long as you have a high-definition TV set and an itch for some action in quick fixes, Undertow is a game that you should try.

Source: WorthPlaying

Best Mac games ever - The Colony, Dark Castle, Escape Velocity, Marathon and Crystal Quest

A “Mac game” is a game that’s some combination of first, best, or only on the Mac.

Such games are rare these days.

Many of the classics required dexterity and dedication well beyond that demanded by today’s crop of mass-market video games.

Here are the best of a bygone era...

Full list on Macworld post here...

I am alive video game delayed plus new Assassin's Creed and Red Steel titles

Ubisoft has delayed I Am Alive and announced new Assassin's Creed and Red Steel titles.

In an investment meeting, CEO Yves Guillemot confirmed that the earthquake survival title will not be available until at least April 2009, saying it "needs more work".

He revealed a range of titles to be released by the end of the next financial year ending March 2010, including sequels to Red Steel, Assassin's Creed, Ghost Recon, Anno and Splinter Cell Conviction, reports Eurogamer.

Also announced were games for Avatar, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Arthur And The Invisibles.

The publisher previously dated I Am Alive for March and set release dates for Tom Clancy's HAWX and Bound In Blood.

Uncharted 2 - Among Thieves PlayStation 3 video game

Fortune hunter Nathan Drake returns in UNCHARTED 2 - Among Thieves, a pulse-pounding third-person action-adventure shooter created by award-winning developer Naughty Dog.

Down on his luck, Drake is lured back into the treacherous world of thieves and mercenary treasure-seekers he had sought to leave behind.

Watch the game trailer on my YouTube channel here... Please subscribe

When a mysterious artifact propels Drake on an expedition to find the legendary Himalayan valley of Shambhala, he finds himself embroiled in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse.

Latest video game releases - Afro Samurai, Coraline, DJ Max Fever, The Chase

This week's new videogame releases are lead by over the top anime action with Afro Samurai for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The action game has a distinct art style and is back by voice acting by Samuel L. Jackson. Enemy AI is affected by the beats from RZA of Wu-Tang Clan.


Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS gamers have Coraline, the game based on the upcoming stop-motion fantasy film by Henry Selick and Neil Gaiman’s book. Coraline should appeal to younger gamers who like a bit of fantasy mixed with mini-games. If you want to scratch on the PlayStation Portable PSP, take on the portable turntables in DJ Max Fever.

This week's new videogame releases:
(subject to change)

Afro Samurai
PlayStation 3 - Afro Samurai
Xbox 360 - Afro Samurai

MLB Front Office Manager
PC game - MLB Front Office Manager
Xbox 360 - MLB Front Office Manager
PlayStation 3 - MLB Front Office Manager

Coraline
Nintendo Wii Coraline
Nintendo DS Coraline
PlayStation 2Coraline

The Chase - Felix Meets Felicity
Nintendo DS The Chase - Felix Meets Felicity

PSP - DJ Max Fever
PSP - DJ Max Fever

Source: GamingBits

PopStar Guitar PS2 and Nintendo Wii video games

PopStar Guitar, the pop music-based rhythm videogame, is available on retail shelves nationwide for the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. PopStar Guitar comes loaded with more than 50 songs from many of today’s
hottest pop artists, featuring master tracks performed by Rihanna, Maroon 5, Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, Fall Out Boy and more.


PopStar Guitar offers a unique air guitar game play experience exclusively for the Wii, with the introduction of the AirG peripheral that snaps easily onto the Wii Remote, allowing players to release their inner pop star. In the game, players assume the role of a lead guitarist in their very own band, on a mission to compete in the ultimate “Battle of the Bands” contest. Additionally, players will have the choice to perform solo in the Career Mode, taking the stage for more challenging and rewarding performances that in return deliver success, fame and fortune.

“PopStar Guitar is an exciting videogame that all gamers can enjoy, with music from some of today’s greatest pop music talents,” said Steve Grossman, chief executive officer of XS Games. “The game also provides a tremendous value to families by
offering a fantastic game at a very competitive price. The Wii version comes with two AirG peripherals so that multiple players can enjoy playing the game together, right out of the box.”

PopStar Guitar for the Nintendo Wii comes with two AirG peripherals and is available for $59.99. For the PlayStation 2 system, PopStar Guitar supports officially licensed PlayStation 2 system, non-USB guitar peripherals and is available for $29.99.
Developed by Broadsword Interactive, PopStar Guitar is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB.

Ride to hell video game trailer

Ride to hell post

Target - Terror video game out now for Nintendo Wii

Target - Terror has shipped to retail stores across North America. Developed for the Nintendo Wii, Target - Terror brings to North America the classic arcade shooter with features including unlockable mini games and the new “Justice Mode,” allowing a single player to use two weapons. Fans can experience this classic one-of-a-kind game with updated controls for the first time in their own living room.

“Konami is excited to bring Target - Terror to the Nintendo Wii,” said Anthony Crouts, Vice President of Marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “Fans of the original arcade classic can experience this thrilling light-gun shooter on a next-generation console while maximizing the gameplay experience with the Wii Remote.”

Target: Terror puts players in the place of an elite counter-terrorist agent who is charged with protecting the U.S. from all terrorist activities. With a full-scale assault spanning the entire U.S., players are given the chance to show terrorists who’s in charge by eliminating the seemingly endless waves of enemies with an assortment of high-tech weapons in their arsenal.

Utilizing the motion sensing controls of the Wii Remote™, fans can experience a seamless transition of the arcade’s light gun to the Wii. The arcade experience is enhanced when used with the Wii Zapper peripheral to provide total immersion in the game by replicating both the arcade light-gun as well as the elite, tactical weapons used by counter-terrorist agents.

Target: Terror is rated “M” for Mature by the ESRB and available for an SRP of $39.99.