BioWare, a division of Electronic Arts Inc., today revealed the voice actors performing in Mass Effect 2, the second act of the award-winning science fiction trilogy. The game features Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Martin Sheen (“The West Wing”, “Apocalypse Now”), 2009 Emmy Award-winner Shohreh Aghdashloo (“House of Saddam”), comedic actor Seth Green (“Austin Powers”), “Chuck” stars Yvonne Strahovski and Adam Baldwin, Keith David (“Crash”) and sci-fi favorites Michael Dorn (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”) Tricia Helfer (“Battlestar Galactica”), Michael Hogan (“Battlestar Galactica”) and Carrie-Anne Moss (“The Matrix”).
“Emotionally engaging narrative is a key design pillar for BioWare, and the top-notch voice talent in Mass Effect 2 helps drive this goal,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, co-founder, BioWare and Group General Manager of the RPG/MMO Group of EA. “Credible, powerful personalities are vital to delivering a compelling story experience in BioWare’s games, and we have assembled an amazing ensemble cast that surpasses the very high bar set in the original Mass Effect!”
Esteemed actor Martin Sheen stars as the mysterious Illusive Man who commands Cerberus, a secretive paramilitary organization dedicated to protecting human interests in the galaxy. Yvonne Strahovski plays deadly Cerberus operative Miranda Lawson, who has been genetically engineered for superior mental and physical traits. Returning to the cast from the original Mass Effect is Seth Green as Joker and Keith David as Admiral David Anderson. And rounding out the vocal roster are Tricia Helfer as EDI, the voice of the new Normandy; Carrie-Ann Moss as Aria T’Loak, the crime lord who rules the planet Omega; Shohreh Aghdashloo as Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay; Michael Hogan as Captain Bailey; Adam Baldwin as Kal ‘Reegar; and Michael Dorn as Gatatog Uvenk.
The Mass Effect trilogy is an emotionally charged science fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life and mysterious, uncharted planets. In Mass Effect 2, players will once again step into the role of the heroic Commander Shepard, commanding their crew of some of the most dangerous operatives from across the galaxy on a mission so challenging that it’s potentially suicidal. Featuring intense shooter action, a rich futuristic storyline, space exploration and emotionally engaging character interaction, the game delivers an unparalleled cinematic experience.
Mass Effect 2 will be available on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PC on January 26, 2010 in North America and January 29, 2010 in Europe. Follow Mass Effect 2 on Twitter: @MassEffect2. For more information on Mass Effect 2, go to http://masseffect.bioware.com
Back when we all started planning GamersRevenge, n1njr and Deviant Route bet that Joystick would never give a game a 'Perfect 10' review. Well The Client lost. Yep, you read that right, Joystick has awarded the first ever 'Perfect 10' to Uncharted 2: Among Thieves! Read his review, and if you feel like he's way off base, leave your comments.
We've also got Joystick's review of Assassins Creed 2 and we have a combo review from Merriment & WrathChild of Scene It? Twilight Edition for the Wii
New screenshots and a video have been released for Mass Effect 2 featuring the Engineer class. With Combat Drones and AI Hacking, Engineers are the ultimate tech specialists in Mass Effect 2
Additionally a screenshot showing off the the X-3a Predator Heavy Pistol has been released. Manufactured by Elanus Risk Control this reliable and accurate sidearm is particularly effective against armored opponents.
All three images and the video can be viewed by clicking on the images to the left.
About Mass Effect 2: Two years after Commander Shepard repelled invading Reapers bent on the destruction of organic life, a mysterious new enemy has emerged. On the fringes of known space, something is silently abducting entire human colonies. Now Shepard must work with Cerberus, a ruthless organization devoted to human survival at any cost, to stop the most terrifying threat mankind has ever faced.
To even attempt this perilous mission, Shepard must assemble the galaxy's most elite team and command the most powerful ship ever built. Even then, they say it would be suicide. Commander Shepard intends to prove them wrong.
Features List:
Prepare for a suicide mission to save humanity
Choose between 19 different weapons
Devastating heavy weapons (that) can end a battle in seconds
Recruit a team of the galaxy's most dangerous operatives
Explore the galaxy — scan planets to uncover unique secret missions
Train and equip your team to survive insurmountable odds
Control your conversation with physical moments of intense action
Following on from the announcement last month detailing the Mamba catalogue for next year, Mamba Games is pleased to announce the release of their second multi platform title: Pirates: Adventures of the Black Corsair.
Pirates: Adventures of the Black Corsair will be available on DS and Wii world wide. The game invites players to become marauding buccaneers in 17th century London. Double-crossed by their pirate Captain and branded traitors to their country, players will face countless perils as they struggle to clear their names and become the most famous of pirates, the Black Corsair – defender of the Crown.
The key features of the game are:
Family friendly fun
User-friendly and accessible for everyone
The only 'party' game that allows game play in versus, single, cooperative, and story modes
Explore 3 vast worlds, including: London City, The Tower of London, and The Royal Court
Interact with a cast of humorous characters
Conquer mini-games to unlock special game features
Easy-to-use In-Game HUD featuring a diary, log, map, inventory, and puzzles
Save Points and Check Points are spread throughout each level
Simple navigation made possible by positioning the main character on the Map
Funcom and Xfire are proud to announce a unique live gameplay demonstration of ‘Rise of the Godslayer’ – the upcoming expansion for the massively multiplayer online role-playing game ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’. Set to air on Monday December 7th at 12pm PST / 3pm EST, the live demo will be streamed directly onto the Xfire.com website and will include new and never-before-seen content and gameplay played and presented by the developers themselves.
“We have been working on the expansion for ‘Age of Conan’ for quite some time now, and everyone on the team is eager to lift the veil and include the public in what we are trying to bring to life,” says Game Director and Executive Producer Craig Morrison who will be hosting the live gameplay demonstration together with expansion Lead Designer Joel Bylos. “Development is coming together nicely, and we are really excited to see the empire of Khitai coming to life! Doing a live demo on Xfire is a brilliant way for us to reach out to a broad audience and show just what they can expect from ‘Rise of the Godslayer’ as we continue to move closer and closer to launch.”
The one-hour live session - where the developers will be playing through parts of the content that will be available in the expansion - will be streamed live to Xfire.com where it will be freely available for everyone to access. During the live session, the developers will be talking about the expansion in general as well as describing what is happening on-screen as the developers fight their way through the world.
“We are incredibly excited to see the Funcom team taking advantage of Xfire’s Live Broadcast technology,” said Matthew Gilman, VP of Marketing at Xfire. “Using Xfire will allow the Age of Conan team to reach our audience of almost 15 million gamers in a way not possible just months ago. Their broadcast of never-seen-before content will make for a truly unique and interactive experience for both Xfire and non-Xfire users alike.”
Funcom announced ‘Rise of the Godslayer’ at the GamesCom show in Germany earlier this year. The expansion introduces the player to the lands of Khitai with several new world regions filled with new dungeons, quests and rewards. ‘Rise of the Godslayer’ will also introduce new gameplay such as alternate advancement, factions and even new mounts that plays an integral part of the storyline. The release date for the expansion is currently set to first half of 2010, and is progressing according to plan.
Launching in May last year ‘Age of Conan’ quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1.2 million copies around the world. In the weeks after launch ‘Age of Conan’ simultaneously topped the charts in 17 countries, and the game received critical acclaim from gaming press across the globe. ‘Age of Conan’ is now available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Polish localized versions, and is being prepared for launch Korea. The live development team is currently working on the next free update for the game which will introduce major improvements and enhancements to ‘Age of Conan’s’ guild gameplay.
Visceral Games, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio announced today that the award-winning Dead Space franchise will continue to frighten gamers with its stunning sequel, Dead Space 2. Hero Isaac Clarke returns for another heart-pounding adventure, taking the fight to the Necromorphs in this thrilling action-horror experience. New tools to gruesomely slice and dismember the Necromorphs complement Isaac's signature Plasma Cutter, empowering him as he meets new characters, explores epic Zero-G environments, and fights against a relentless necromorph onslaught. Survival isn't the only thing on Isaac's mind in Dead Space 2 – this time, he calls the shots.
“Like so many gamers worldwide, we love the Dead Space franchise and are very excited to announce a new game in the series,” said Nick Earl, Senior VP and Group General Manager at EA. “Visceral Games is quickly becoming known for delivering high-quality, action-packed games. Dead Space 2 is on target to deliver a jaw-dropping experience gamers won’t soon forget.”
“We’re thrilled to jump back into the series, making the next chapter in Isaac’s journey. The infection continues to spread throughout space and our hero Isaac Clarke is the only person able to contain it. There are still loads of necromorphs that need killing!” said Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer of Dead Space 2. “In Dead Space 2, not everything is exactly as it seems. Expect plot twists that will surprise you and a huge cast of twisted, disgusting monsters that are sure to scare the daylights out of you.”
Originally launched in 2008, Dead Space quickly became one of EA’s top rated wholly-owned intellectual properties. With close to 100 industry awards and an average critic score of 89*, Dead Space became a hit with horror and videogame fans worldwide. In 2009, EA launched Dead Space Extraction, a prequel to the original Dead Space that expanded the fiction and brought the franchise to a new audience base.
Dead Space 2 is being developed for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and on PC. This product has not yet been rated by ESRB or PEGI. Follow Dead Space at: @DeadSpace. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/deadspace For additional information and news, visit www.deadspacegame.com
For more than a week now Bounty Bay Online players have been exploring the new add-on and finding out just what lies beyond the horizon, across the seven seas. Among other things, they’ll come across the continent of South America for the very first time as well as five new character classes, the active pet system and some new instances. The ‘Beyond the Horizon’ release also makes camouflage uniforms available to players. In total there are 37 new decorative as well as useful clothing items which immediately disguise the equipment a character is actually carrying, so making other players unable to judge their strength. In PvP combat in particular, the camo clothing is a real trump card: The new uniforms don’t only hide the current equipping of the character, they also increase various player attributes, such as the speed they can run, so giving them extra advantages. Female characters can cloak themselves in 21 new outfits, like the Greek camo dress, or a camo suit which makes them look like the Grim Reaper. Male characters can shield themselves from the prying of others with a total of 16 new camouflage uniforms, such as the battledress or an Asiatic-style outfit.
About Bounty Bay Online With Bounty Bay Online players enter the Age of Discoveries from the 15th to the 17th century. MMO fans are able to choose an online career as a merchant, sailor, fisherman, pirate or adventurer and make their fortune at land and on the seven seas. Alone or with a guild of players, many adventures and gripping quests lie on their way. Thousands of ancient discoveries on all continents like the pyramids of Gizah or the Chinese Wall are waiting to be explored. After exciting PvP combat at land and on the seas, strong guilds can take control of cities and entire colonies and thus decide upon their destiny. Bounty Bay Online features a unique trade system based on supply and demand. In April 2008 Frogster has started a free-to-play server with an integrated item shop as an alternative to the subscription model, so that new sailors can now roam the Seven Seas without any fixed costs. More information is available on www.bountybayonline.com
Features
Hundreds of authentic ship models
Land and sea combat
More than 60 realistic towns and harbours in historical authentic style
Guilds can conquer towns
Trade system based on supply and demand
Free Colony Add-on: Guilds can now found their own colonies and then decide upon the rules in their territories.
The comprehensive expansion ‘Beyond the Horizon’ allows a complete circumvention of the world for the first time and will contain new cities, one new continent, some new instances and many new quest.
Facts
Launch of the German version in February of 2007
Launch of the English version in September of 2007
Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH today announced that Hideo Kojima’s next installment in the Metal Gear Solid series – Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker – will arrive on May 28th, 2010 in the UK.
Developed specifically for the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is the next true chapter in the story of legendary special ops expert, Snake (a.k.a. Big Boss), and acts as a direct sequel to Kojima’s previously released Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is set in 1974 at the tail end of the cold war and boasts an all-new story penned by game creator Hideo Kojima himself.
Taking full advantage of the PSP format, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker takes the series in an exciting new direction with incredible visuals, as it sheds new light on well-known adversaries and allies, along with a wealth of new characters. The famed ‘stealth’ gameplay that has established the Metal Gear Solid series as a modern classic has also been updated, with Kojima and his Kojima Productions team implementing all-new multi-player co-op elements that add depth to the various missions.
In true Metal Gear Solid tradition, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker drops the player into a series of hostile scenarios, as a terrible plan for world domination unfolds. Infiltrating a series of strategic strong-holds, the player takes on a number of increasingly varied missions, and will face some of the most incredible end-of-level adversaries the series has ever produced. Coupled with stunning visuals, incredible enemy AI, and a twisting plot that will delight and surprise as the game is played, it is no wonder Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is already being hailed as one of the most exciting games of 2010.
In addition to solo operations, players can now work together towards a common goal in the multi-player CO-OPS (CO-operative OPerationS) mode. Assist a companion who receives damage by administering medical help, share munitions, or sneak through stages in snake formation by covering each other’s blind spots. Likewise, plans can be formulated to take on adversaries, with players acting as decoys while their friends sneak into advantageous positions.
“Metal Gear Solid fans should prepare themselves for the next chapter of Snake’s story,” commented Hideo Kojima, Head of Kojima Productions and creator of the Metal Gear Solid series. “Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker will answer many of the series’ unanswered questions and showcase a different, more collaborative side to tactical espionage. May 27th is when Snake’s story continues…”
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