I felt like being a little dramatic with the title of this post because Dante’s Inferno brings out the poet in me… and as it should. The game is based on ‘The Divine Comedy’ and is riddled with excerpts from the poem written by Dante Alighieri in the 14th century. If you haven’t the faintest idea what The Divine Comedy is, that’s OK too, you won’t need to know to be able to enjoy Dante’s Inferno but it helps if you want the full experience.
As you can tell, I am all over Mass Effect 2 and I am happy to announce that if you’re an ME fan you will ABSOLUTELY love what is coming. ME2 doesn’t release in New Zealand until the 29th of January but it is easily one of the most anticipated sequels of the year. I will admit though that initially, I was not a serious ME fan when it released. Without sounding like I am dumping all over the Xbox 360 console here, I honestly believe that part of that feeling came from playing ME on the 360 rather than the PC. The experience I am having now playing Mass Effect 2 on the PC is a whole lot more fun and intense. I can’t pinpoint exactly what is different other than ME2 seems like a much more polished game – not to mention the fantastic storyline work the writers have done and some of the hippest dialogue I’ve seen/heard in a game for a while.
I received some early code for Dragon Age: Origins for PC from EA a month or so ago and only got to play a little bit of it then. It’s only recently in the process of turning my back a little on the crapfest that is Aion that I’ve really managed to sit down and concentrate on Dragon Age. I can tell you now that it’s a fantastic game and I haven’t had the pleasure of playing an RPG as good as this for PC since Dungeon Siege II.
Format: PS3
Release version: Review code (non-retail release)
Distributor: EA New Zealand
Developer: EA Montreal
I have a huge and I mean huge review guide which is literally 47 pages long with tips and guides for reviewing this code for the sequel to Army of 2. And I am trying (no, make that struggling) to remember whether or not I was allowed to even post about this… oops.
Electronic Arts Inc announced that the playable demo for Dante’s Inferno will be available as a free download on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live on December 24. Dante’s Inferno takes gamers on a quest through hell, in an action-packed adaptation of part one of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem, The Divine Comedy. The ‘Gates of Hell’ demo includes the entire opening level and gives gamers a taste of the terrifying odyssey to come in the Nine Circles of Hell as depicted in the full game.
In the demo of Dante’s Inferno, players are introduced to Dante Alighieri’s re-imagined past as a crusader who returns home to Florence to discover his true love, Beatrice, murdered. As her soul escapes her body, she is kidnapped by the dark shadow form of Lucifer. Sworn to her rescue, Dante must journey to the Gates of Hell and beyond to battle undead monstrosities, unholy boss demons, and Death himself. Offering a glimpse into the vast world of Dante’s Inferno, the demo serves as a prelude to the player’s perilous journey to the inner bowels of hell.
“The world of Alighieri’s Dante’s Inferno is such a rich, detailed, and often alarming universe, that all of us at Visceral Games put our hearts, and dare I say souls, into creating something truly intense and exciting,” said executive producer Jonathan Knight. “We hope gamers enjoy this tease of hell, and come away from the experience lusting for more when the game comes out.”
Developed by Visceral Games, the award-winning developers behind the critically-acclaimed Dead Space franchise, Dante’s Inferno is an epic descent through Dante Alighieri’s nine circles of hell – limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery. At a blazing-fast 60 frames per second, each circle features unique environments, all new creatures, terrifying demons, story elements and are scored distinctly to set a tone that fits each circle of sinners.
Gamers will get to go to hell in New Zealand beginning February 5, 2010 for PlayStation3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 36 video game and entertainment system as well as the PlayStation Portable (PSP). The Gates of Hell demo will be available on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles.
Dante’s Inferno is not yet rated in New Zealand. For more information on Dante’s Inferno, please follow the Dante’s Inferno team at Visceral Games on Twitter at www.twitter.com/danteteam and visit the game’s official web site at www.dantesinferno.com where the team explores a new circle of hell, with new content and updates on the ninth day of every month.
Details of the Dante’s Inferno demo follow from the official press release announced via EA:
Coming this December, the ‘Gates of Hell’ demo includes the entire opening level and gives gamers a taste of Visceral Games’ blockbuster adaptation of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem, The Divine Comedy.
The ‘Gates of Hell’ demo will introduce players to the game’s hero, epic story and intense action gameplay, tracing Dante’s battles from the surface all the way to the Gates of Hell. Players will experience fast-paced hack-n-slash combat as they fend off waves of enemies before taking on the ultimate battle against Death. After defeating this boss, Dante will be armed with Death’s scythe, a powerful holy cross, and will be ready to tear open the Gates of Hell. The demo also features two stunning cinematic movies made by Blur, the award-winning visual effects, animation and design studio.
EA’s Dante’s Inferno is an epic descent through Dante Alighieri’s nine circles of hell – limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery. At a blazing-fast 60 frames per second, each circle features unique environments, all new creatures, terrifying demons, story elements and are scored distinctly to set a tone that fits each circle of sinners.
Gamers will get to go to hell in New Zealand on February 12, 2010 for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, and the PlayStation Portable. The Gates of Hell demo will be available on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles.
Dante’s Inferno has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI. For more information on Dante’s Inferno, please follow the Dante’s Inferno team at Visceral Games on Twitter at www.twitter.com/danteteam and visit the game’s official web site at www.dantesinferno.com where the team explores a new circle of hell, with new content and updates on the ninth day of every month.
The beta for Battlefield Bad Company 2 will be available for PS3 users on November the 19th, 2009. More details follow from the official EA press release:
DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc studio announced the upcoming Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer beta exclusively on the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. Starting November 19, PlayStation 3 gamers will be able to experience the unprecedented action, destruction, vehicular warfare, squad play and open sandbox environments that only Battlefield can deliver. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 provides a true all-out war experience like no other modern warfare game. Beta keys will be available in New Zealand by pre-ordering the game from participating retailers.
The Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer beta will feature the Arica Harbour map, where up to 24 players can compete in one of the game’s four intense multiplayer modes called Rush. This new map displays a superb balance of vehicle and infantry combat, as the American assault unit attacks the Russian army base with full force, advancing further through a beautiful desert town and towards the industrial area in a desperate attempt to overtake the Arica Harbour. Heavy vehicle warfare on the first bases gradually turns into an intense infantry fight as the level progresses, showcasing this best-in-class online war experience.
In December 2009, DICE will invite players to participate in a PC open beta. Then, early next year, all players worldwide will get to experience this premier shooter when DICE releases a Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer DEMO on the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation 3 and PC.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be in stores on March 5, 2010 in New Zealand for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the PC.
For more information on DICE, please visit www.dice.se. For more information on the Battlefield franchise please visit: www.battlefield.com. Or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/OfficialBFBC2.
EA have released details of the Battlefield Bad Company 2 Limited Edition game which will be available in New Zealand from March 5, 2010:
DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio announced a Limited Edition release of Battlefield: Bad Company 2, the premier first-person shooter of 2010. The Limited Edition game features six special gameplay unlocks that give players a tactical advantage on the battlefield from the minute they fire up the game. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has been recognized by critics worldwide for its uncompromising action gameplay, unprecedented level of destruction, vehicular warfare, squad play and open sandbox environments in a modern warfare game. Available while supplies last, the Limited Edition version of the game will be sold at the same price as the standard version of the game with participating retailers in New Zealand from March 5, 2010.
The Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Limited Edition delivers six special customizations early to give players a day one advantage in multiplayer matches. Four vehicle warfare unlocks will immediately enhance the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 best-in-class online vehicle warfare experience, delivering extra firepower, radar, and armor for the vehicles. Additionally, the tracer dart attaches to any enemy vehicle and allows RPG-toting teammates to track, lock on, and destroy their adversary. Seasoned veterans of Battlefield 1943™ will be able to immediately re-acquaint themselves with two classic and highly powerful weapons, the M1A1 submachine gun and the M1911 pistol.
The full list of six unlocks are as follows:
Four vehicle warfare unlocks
- Improved Vehicle Armor – An up-armor package is mounted on all vehicle types, decreasing the effect of both explosive and penetrating warheads, significantly improving vehicle survivability.
- Supreme Vehicle Firepower – Additional weapon packages are mounted for the driver of all armored vehicles, greatly expanding the range of targets the vehicle can successfully engage and destroy.
- Vehicle Motion Sensor – Use this electronics warfare package to locate enemy units in direct proximity to the vehicle.
- Tracer Dart Pistol – This magnetic dart attaches to any vehicle surface, allowing squad members to track, lock on, and fire rockets onto moving targets even beyond line of sight.
Two classic Battlefield 1943 weapons
- M1A1 Submachine Gun – Reliable but heavy this classic weapon is a powerful force in the hands of any Battlefield veteran.
- M1911 Pistol – Highly customized M1911 are favoured for its dependability and the power of its large .45 calibre round.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be available on March 5, 2010 in New Zealand for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the PC.
For more information on DICE, please visit www.dice.se. For more information on the Battlefield franchise please visit: www.battlefield.com. Or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/OfficialBFBC2.
Platform: Xbox 360/Xbox Live Publisher: Valve/EA Developer: Valve Rating: R18 Players: Singleplayer/Co-op campaign Genre: Action/FPS/Survival Horror Release Date: November, 2010
Website: www.l4d.com/home.html
The release for the latest instalment in the Left 4 Dead series is merely weeks away and we’ve been given a sneak peak at the demo for Xbox Live thanks to the cool crew over at EA. The result: it’s gorylicious zombie killing at it’s most brutal and you’re going to LOVE Left 4 Dead 2.
If you’ve played the first L4D you’ll be right at home with the game mechanics. Movement in the game seems a whole lot more fluid but as always, right on the money and changing out weapons is all pretty standard. The demo version of the game gives you the opportunity to play through single-player campaign or co-op.
As with the previous game, you’re given a choice of scenarios to play (obviously in the demo, a few of these were not accessible) with the starting area being ‘The Parish’ and the ‘Waterfront’. You can choose to play as any character or random. Barely three minutes into the action and I’m quickly reminded of just how intense the gameplay in L4D can be and it’s been seriously pumped up a notch or twenty in L4D2. You’ll have way more zombies to pwn which also means more bloodshed (blood splatter is everywhere) and you’ll get some pretty sweet weapons to mow down the zombie hordes. My personal favourite is the submachine gun which usually works well with my ’spray and pray’ method of killing 
The demo for L4D2 is a really good opportunity to look at the gameplay and to get a taste of both the single player and co-op gameplay modes. The other game modes listed (but inaccessible in the demo) are ‘Survival’, ‘Realism’, ‘Versus’ and ‘Scavenge’ with single player and co-op being the other two modes.
If you’ve been waiting for L4D2 to arrive, you’re in for a treat because it looks absolutely freaking insane!
Left 4 Dead 2 arrives in New Zealand in November with a tentative date of the 17th. Mark it down in your calendars boys and girls!
Video game developer BioWare, a division of Electronic Arts Inc announced that the first chapter of Dragon Age Journeys, a free* to play browser based game set in the Dragon Age world, is now available. Dragon Age Journeys puts players in the role of a hero exploring the underground dwarven kingdom of Orzammar. Players will uncover a dastardly plot that threatens to unleash a great evil that won’t stop until it destroys all living things.
Based on BioWare’s upcoming dark fantasy epic Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age Journeys sets a new standard of quality for browser-based games with addictive combat mechanics and fluid gameplay. Players of Dragon Age Journeys will have the chance to earn exclusive in game content for Dragon Age: Origins on the day of its release.
The game is produced by a new browser-based production team at EA and an all-star team of independent development talent, with the goal of creating premium quality browser games. Dragon Age Journeys represents EA’s commitment to supporting talented independent developers.
Dragon Age Journeys is now available free to players at www.dragonagejourneys.com and more information is available at www.dragonage.com.
