If you were too young to play Fallout or Fallout 2, and you're into serious simulations of the real world, combined with role playing action, then Fallout 3 is surely a title you don't have to miss! No, skip that, they call it "post-apocalyptic RPG," and I think this sounds much better than "simulation." Anyway, no matter how we label it, Fallout 3 is headed this way, and the release date is no longer a mistery, as you can find out in the latest press release from Bethesda Softworks!

To make a longer story shorter, here's what Vlatko Andonov, president of Bethesda Softworks has to say about Fallout 3:"We are very excited to let gamers get their hands on Fallout 3, the latest chapter in this beloved and highly acclaimed franchise.<-180x150 Small Rectangle - right-> To meet the huge demand for this title by our fans worldwide, we are planning one of the biggest launches of any game released this year."

The press release continues without revealing much about what should you expect, but I think the screenshots are showing the visual delight we should prepare for already...

"Considered to have "one of the most realized game worlds ever created. Set more than 200 years following a nuclear war, you can create any kind of character you want and explore the open wastes of Washington, D.C. however you choose. Every minute is a fight for survival as you encounter Super Mutants, Ghouls, Raiders, and other dangers of the Wasteland.

Hailed as one of the most anticipated games for 2008, Fallout 3 has already won numerous awards including Best of Show from the official Game Critics Awards at E3 2008, a selection voted on by an independent group of journalists from 36 leading North American media outlets that cover the videogame industry."

Now, the Fallout 3 info we've been waiting for: the release dates for the game are October 28, 2008, in North America, and October 31, 2008, in Europe. These being said...start the countdown timer, what are you waiting for??!

I don't know if you got Mass Effect so far, because I must shamefully admit I haven't. Unfortunately, I happen to know a few more people that would love to play BioWare's game, but some of them only had the time to purchase a copy, while others didn't manage to do at least that. Anyway, here's something to make you go for it - Mass Effect 2! Whoops...did I just say "Mass Effect 2?" Yes, I did, and I must excuse myself. Make that "first downloadable content pack," all right?

Called "Bring Down the Sky," this pack for Mass Effect was announced by BioWare and Electronic Arts earlier today, and comes for free, but there's a little problem. Obviously, you gotta have the original game, but this is not the problem, because those PC gamers get this addon more than 3 months after the Xbox 360 version, so this could be a problem for some.

Anyway, here you have the details...

- Introduces a new race: The vile batarians
- New achievement to unlock<-180x150 Small Rectangle - right->
- Explore a new uncharted world
- Find it on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 400 MS points
- Approximately 90 minutes game time

...and the little story coming to introduce this addon goes like this "A batarian extremist group has hijacked a mobile asteroid station in the Asgard system, setting it on a collision course with the nearby colony world of Terra Nova. Only you, and the hand-picked crew of the Normandy, can save the millions of innocent civilians before the asteroid completes its deadly descent.

This first downloadable content pack further expands the Mass Effect universe and continues the adventures of Commander Shepard and the Normandy crew."

The installer is pretty large, with over 300MB in size for the English and Spanish versions, going as high as 512MB, for the German version. To download it, simply go to the Mass Effect for PC page and follow the instructions there. Good luck!

If you're not into metal at all, then let me tell you that Blind Guardian is a notorious German heavy metal band, often credited as one of the most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres. Their lyrics usually revolve around the themes found in the writings belonging to Tolkien, King, or Moorcock, as well as traditional legends and epics, so it's no wonder they have been chosen to support Sacred 2: Fallen Angel at Comic Con 2008!

If you're familiar only a little with the RPG world, I am sure you're no stranger to Sacred, so let's concentrate on what's going to happen at Comic Con, shall we?

In a official press release, Cdv Software Entertainment USA announced that Blind Guardian will enter the storm and help Sacred at the Comic Con booth 5129. Unfortunately, we're not talking about a metal show, because only Hansi Kürsch and André Olbrich, lead vocalist and lead guitarist of the band will be there, but having their autographs is just as good, especially if you're a metal fan!<-180x150 Small Rectangle - right->

To be sure you won't miss them, you should reach Comic Con's location in San Diego during Friday or Saturday, from 5 to 6PM. I hear there's also a song written exclusively for Sacre 2: Fallen Angel, so I am sure you won't get bored there.

According to Hansi Kürsch, "The opportunity for Blind Guardian to work on a popular video game is quite exciting alone. To have us be able to contribute to and have our band exist within a game as rich as Sacred 2: Fallen Angel has been very rewarding for us, as gamers and fans of the Sacred series."

Ascaron Entertainment's founder Holger Flöttmann added that "We've been long-time fans of Blind Guardian's music. The opportunity to have one of our favorite bands write a song and include their alter egos in-game has been a wonderful experience. It also signifies how great music and amazing games can fit together to deliver an even more enjoyable experience to gamers."

I am already dreaming about Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, but the problem is that we'll have to wait until September, when the PC version will come out. Unfortunately, console owners will have to wait a little this time, because their versions will only show up in November.

One last thing - if you're eager to grab some Blind Guardian material, you'll be able to find a lot of stuff at the Nuclear Blast area at Comic Con 2008, at Booth 116. Rock on!

Let me say only one word: Bioware. If that doesn't ring a bell, it means you got your first computer earlier this week, or maybe you got here by mistake. Anyway, let's see a few more keywords: the Neverwinter Nights series, Mass Effect, the Baldur's Gate series, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, shortly known as "KotOR," or even Dragon Age: Origins. While the others have been released already, Dragon Age is still under development, and I just heard some hot and interesting news about this incoming RPG from Bioware. Want to hear about it?

Dragon Age: Origins is expected to be the "spiritual successor" to Baldur's Gate, with party-based combat, a deep story, and lots of things to customize. According to Bioware's CEO, Ray Muzyka, "Dragon Age: Origins is a dark heroic fantasy that doesn’t pull any punches. Our fans are in for the most emotionally intense gaming experience we’ve ever created, and we hope to surprise them with just how dark and gritty it gets!"

Expected to arrive in early 2009, Dragon Age has a very nice feature list, now confirmed in a press release, as you can see below.<-250x250 Square - right->

- Epic Party-Based Combat – Dragon Age: Origins will introduce an innovative, scalable combat system, as players face large-scale battles and use their party’s special abilities to destroy hoardes of enemies and massive creatures.

- Powerful Magic – Raining down awesome destruction on enemies is even more compelling as players apply “spell combos,” a way of combining together different spells to create emergent unique effects.

- Deep Customization – Players will develop their characters and gain powerful special abilities (spells, talents and skills) and discover ever-increasing weapons of destruction.

- Your Story, Your Way – With its emotionally compelling story, players choose with whom they wish to forge alliances or crush under their mighty fist, redefining the world with the choices they make and how they wield their power.

- Origin Stories – Players will select and play a unique prelude that provides the lens through which the player sees the world and how the world sees the player. The player’s choice of Origin will determine who they are and where they begin the adventure, as they play through a customized story opening that profoundly impacts the course of every adventure.

Leaving the feature list aside, the cinematics look great, as you can see above. With this, I rest my case, and think harder about making a day last 48 hours, so I can have enough time for Bioware's games that I missed so far, but especially for those that are currently in the makin, like Dragon Age... Any comments?

SouthPeak Games seems to be unstoppable lately, announcing more novelties than I can bear, but this can't be anything else than good news for most of us. Look, for example, let's take Two Worlds: a role-playing game developed by Reality Pump and published by SouthPeak for the Xbox 360 and PC less than a year ago that got mixed reviews in the beginning, but got better and better with each patch. Now, SouthPeak has plans to release the game again, along with two of its expansion packs, using the Two Worlds: Epic Edition name.

According to Melanie Mroz, SoutPeak Games CEO, "Two Worlds has seen unprecedented popularity, not only upon its original release, but in the months since it has gained even more fans." Considering this, squeezing some more money from the fans with a "Gold," "Collector's," or "Epic" edition sounded like a good idea - isn't it so?
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Regarding this new edition, Ms. Mroz said "Epic Edition collects everything available for the world of Antaloor into one package so those who have yet to explore its rich and vibrant lands can now do so in its entirety."

What we'll have here is the Tainted Blood and Curse of Souls expansion packs, adding more than 70 online quests, 8 new multiplayer maps, a PvP challenge mode, as well as the explorable town of Tharnburg. If you're a fan, I am sure this sounds good to you, but I think I'll pass this time...