Star Trek Online screenshot

Atari have joined up with developer Cryptic Studios to announce the launch of  Season Two: Ancient Enemies, the latest content update for the Star Trek Online Universe.

Season Two: Ancient Enemies is available at no additional cost to current Star Trek Online players. The content update allows players to encounter and battle even more of Star Trek’s iconic races, and enjoy all new Episodes.

Star Trek Online’s Season Two: Ancient Enemies boasts the following new features:

• A new level cap: players can now reach level 51. (The previous level cap was 45.)  With the increase come new ranks within the Federation and Klingon factions.
• All new rewards and content: including new Tier 5 ships, high-level versions of every Special Task Force mission and Fleet Action, and Mark XI gear rewards.
• Eight brand new Episodes: tailored specifically for the Klingon Empire, these Episodes star the Fek’ihri, the fabled enemy of Kahless, founder of the Klingon Empire.  In Season Two, the Fek’ihri have returned and have again set their eyes upon Qo’noS.
• A brand new gameplay option: the Federation Diplomatic Corps. In this new system, players have the chance to meet and peacefully interact with brand new civilizations.  As players progress through the Diplomatic Corps, they earn special ranks and rewards.
• Feature Episodes: five special new Episodes will debut weekly, beginning in August. These Episodes will introduce a new neutral race: the Deferi.  Players of any level from both factions will be able to aid the Deferi against an adversary new to Star Trek Online.
• Dabo: a longtime staple of social areas in the Star Trek Universe, the casino game Dabo is coming to Star Trek Online. Players can wager energy credits to earn gold-pressed latinum, which they can exchange for special new rewards.

Season Two: Ancient Enemies also permits players to continue interaction with the Undine, venturing into their native Fluidic space to learn more about the enigmatic species and their struggle with the Borg.  The Undine story continues with five new Episodes, a Fleet Action and all new Deep Space Encounters.

Taking place in the year 2409, Star Trek Online boasts extraordinary features and lets fans both new and old experience unparalleled adventures.  Players have the opportunity to become high-ranking Starfleet officers and participate in missions that take them into the depths of space, across exotic planets and inside other starships. Star Trek Online offers total customization, from a player’s avatar to the ship he captains.

For more information visit the Star Trek Online website.

Haunted House re-visited

Thirty years on from its original incarnation, Atari have updated the classic Haunted House game for a new generation. The iconic groundbreaking game returns with more chills, cool new unlockables and plenty of spooky new enemies and is promised to be available for Halloween 2010.

Haunted House pays homage to the classic favorite as players fight for their lives in Graves Mansion as the grandchildren of the original character that disappeared without a trace in the evil mansion over 30 years ago.

Chased by pesky poltergeists, haunted by scary skeletons and exhausted from battles with creepy creatures, players are in a goosebump-inducing fight to explore the dark and creepy depths of Graves Mansion in search of the four lost pieces of the magical urn.  The player’s goal is to reassemble the urn and defend their family’s legacy with the aid of mystical tomes, powerful light sources and multiple keys.

The pick up-and-play arcade-style adventure allows players to jump right in and begin battling for their family’s legacy and explore the dark and mysterious levels.

An eerie, 3D rich environment of towers, basements and catacombs draws players into the haunted world and cursed story. Find hidden treasures, solve puzzles, fight bosses, and navigate through the spooky mansion and multiple levels on the way to a showdown with Zachary Graves.

Haunted House will take control of Wii®, Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and Windows PC Download this Autumn, with suspense filled challenges, new chilling environments and more frightful enemies than ever before.

For further information visit the Atari Haunted House website.

mythos screenshot

Mythos is back!

Despite the potential of the colourful monster hunting game Mythos, the previous developers were for some reason unable to continue with the game.

Its comeback is now securely on the cards with Frogster having secured the license for its publication in Europe. Mythos has been remoulded and will appear in five language versions following a free-to-play payment model according to the plans of the Berlin-based games publisher.

The essence of its game play will be retained: players will hunt down fearsome monsters in dark dungeons in the typical Hack-n’-Slay fashion, either on their own or in groups, to find rare loot and steadily develop into mighty heroes. Frogster will expand Mythos with new content and features in cooperation with the Korean publisher, HanbitSoft, but without altering the gaming principals that have made Mythos such a success.

Mythos was originally developed by Flagship Studios as a test program for ‘Hellgate: London’. The team headed by Bill Roper was so impressed by the final results that they decided to continue the Action-MMORPG as a completely stand-alone project.

Following Flagship Studio’s insolvency the closed-beta server was switched off in 2008 which saw the rights to Mythos being transferred to the Korean publisher, HanbitSoft. The experienced software firm announced in 2009 that it would continue the game’s license and has been working ever since on its comeback. The Berlin-based publisher, Frogster, plans to launch Mythos in Europe no later than in the first quarter of 2011 and the open beta is planned for the final quarter of this year.

Andreas Weidenhaupt, Chief Licensing Officer for Frogster Interactive Pictures AG and CEO of Frogster Online Gaming GmbH said:

“The premature dropping of Mythos before its release was a real loss for the genre. That’s why we’re really pleased to finally bring the game to Europe. We’re not just going to meet the expectations of the game’s fans – we’re going to surpass them.”

For more information visit the Mythos european site.

Blade Kitten screenshot

Major videogame producer Atari have announced the upcoming European launch of Blade Kitten, the game based on the  comic book series by creator Steve Stamatiadis.

Developed by Krome Studios, Blade Kitten brings the world of bounty hunter Kit Ballard to life and will launch this September on Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation Network, and Windows PC Download.

Blade Kitten marks the latest creation by Mr. Stamatiadis, the force behind the multi-million selling TY the Tasmanian Tiger series. In Blade Kitten, a prequel to the comics set three years prior; players are invited into the world of Hollow Wish where they take on the role of Kit Ballard, one of the best bounty hunters in the business.

With her pink hair and tail, Kit is part cat, part girl – and fully lethal.  As one of the last of her species, Kit commands her unique ‘Darque Blade’ hovering sword to defeat enemies.  Also along for the ride is Skiffy, Kit’s laid-back sidekick who lends a hand in collecting items, solving puzzles, and when needed, serves as Kit’s protector.

Blade Kitten goes beyond most downloadable titles to deliver a strong narrative, with high-quality cinematics, and a colourful, frenetic visual style, that lends to the pick-up-and-play arcade action.  Players will jump right in and easily begin exploring and fighting their way through 19 levels, including three exploration levels with Noot (a rideable alien mount).  Blade Kitten also features innovative gameplay mechanics, intuitive ’scramble style’ exploration, fully voiced dialogue, dramatic narrative and a powerful distinct anime-inspired visual direction.

John Burns, Vice President and General Manager for Atari Europe, said;

“We are pleased to announce the upcoming launch of Blade Kitten for Xbox LIVE Arcade, Playstation®Network and PC Download. With its colourful anime inspired universe, simple pick up and play arcade action and intuitive scramble style exploration Blade Kitten is destined to become one of the hot digital releases of 2010.”

For further information visit the Blade Kitten website.

Sensational World Soccer is a 2D football game reminiscent of the 8-bit classics created by Oxford-based computer games company, New Star Games.

The game allows you to compete against the world’s best teams in the realistic international tournament and lead your country to glory.  One-touch passing, long range shots, bending free-kicks… it’s just like the real thing!

Trial and full versions are available for PC and Mac.

For more information visit www.newstargames.com.

As well as experiencing the Superbike championship, players can also participate in the Supersport series, testing the improvements of the Portimao circuit.

You can try out your riding skills in different weather conditions as well as riding against 15 other riders in the new Online Multiplayer Mode and you can also play both in Arcade or Simulation mode.

As well as the regular Regular SBK®X edition, there is to be a Limited Special Edition which features a list of 17 riders from the history of Superbikes plus a DVD documentary showing highlights of an exclusive interview with the 2009 Superbike World Champion Ben Spies.

Both versions of the game will be available for purchase from the 4th June.

Runes Of Magic Southern Janost Forest Screenshot

Along with the much anticipated release of Runes Of Magic – Chapter III – The Elder Kingdoms on May 18th, a new zone opens up in the North West Thunderhoof Hills, exploring the miry wastes of the Southern Janost Forest.

The new zone contains multiple quests for adventurers who have reached character level 57.

The stifling air of the Southern Janost Forest hangs damp and dull and the swampy landscape is full of dangers to intrepid explorers. This is the home of the principality of Shador, a forest dwelling people who have perfected the art of bow and arrow combat.

Long ago, the mother of the race, Jenny ‘The Thousand Feathers’ Giant, was a close ally to King Kalume. However, over the centuries, the glitter of the race deteriorated and now Thousand Feathers’ descendants wage battle against the brutal forces from Warnorken Castle.

The bastion of the barbarous Baron Reuen von Jura is the source of all evil in the Southern Janost Forest. But, brave adventurers – dispatched by the child king Callaway – now gather in the swamps and seek solidarity with the noble people of Shador.

Players will first need to win the trust of the shy forest folk. In the the Southern Janost Forest there are abundant missions in which adventurers have to win the favor of the Shador. The zone boasts with over 100 new quests which relay the history of the swampy region.

For more information about the new territory visit the Runes Of Magic website.

priston tale 2: screenshot

Gamekraft have announced that the European open beta test for its highly anticipated free to play game Priston Tale 2. The Second Enigma, will begin on Friday May 14th at 18.00 GMT+1

The open beta test will be marked by several significant updates and changes including, updated quests, an adjusted experience rate, and a new Europe-only server.

Sign up for a free account on Game Bridger Entertainment’s new free-to-play games portal GamerKraft.

Matthew Denomme, Marketing Manager for Game Bridger Entertainment, says;

“We have collected invaluable feedback from thousands of players during the closed beta test. This feedback will inform improvements to the Priston Tale 2 gameplay experience in the upcoming open beta and beyond.”

Priston Tale 2: The Second Enigma is a free fantasy MMORPG for Windows PCs supporting Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.

Players venture across the vast and wondrous continent of Priston, currently under siege from the forces of the evil god Midranda, in a race to locate the only worldly power capable of ending his evil reign: the mythical Second Enigma.

Priston Tale 2 features three unique races of playable characters, a combo-based active battle system, competitive player versus player combat, new skill and item systems, and extensive guild and party support.

All this, in addition to slick, high-quality graphics made possible through the power of the Unreal Engine. Priston Tale 2: The Second Enigma is a part of the GamerKraft library of free games.

Priston Tale 2: The Second Enigma is free to download and play. Visit the Priston Tale 2 homepage.

blacklight skull

Ignition Entertainment has revealed the first insight into the back story, setting and weapons of their upcoming multiplayer-focused first-person-shooter Blacklight: Tango Down, currently in development at Zombie Studios.

We are sure that there are many who would like to share this background information, so here it is:

Blacklight Tango Down is a fully featured Unreal Engine 3.0-powered game set to release this summer exclusively through Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PlayStation®Store, and through digital distribution channels on PC, making it one of the most advanced games ever released solely through downloadable channels.

WHAT IS BLACKLIGHT?
Blacklight: Tango Down is set in the near future and revolves around a special operations military group called “Blacklight.” Blacklight is the SECDEF’s (Secretary of Defense’s) personal direct action team comprised entirely of “Tier One Assets.”  These elite soldiers are extraordinary operators recruited from all branches of special operations, including Combat Applications Group (Delta), SF, DEVGRU (SEAL), RANGER, and CIA MSP.  All combatants are hand-selected and trained specifically to be equipped to deal with fast-moving, ambiguous and unstructured situations.  This is the player’s role in the game.

THE WORLD OF BLACKLIGHT: TANGO DOWN
Blacklight: Tango Down’s near-future setting is not that different from our own time and will appear hauntingly familiar to gamers but also distant enough to be surprising and unsettling.  It is a universe that has been overtaken by the exploding speed of technological progress and is left suffering from the unbridled failures that those advances create.
The technological overbuild has created a bleak environment which has transformed once vibrant and familiar cityscapes into dark and endless virtual billboards and danger zones.  An ongoing viral epidemic ravages society and the military’s drive to control and use the virus as a weapon has only created more devastating strains.  Civilians and governments struggle through ongoing unrest.  Order can only be imposed through force and fear.
The military’s attempts to weaponise the virus has lead to what some call “Q-Fever” or SIV (Sentient Insanity Virus) and the people it infects are known as SIVs.  The virus destroys a person’s humanity, transforming them into frightening creatures that are less capable of utilizing tools but are far more aggressive and impervious to pain.

SCIENCE FACT, NOT FICTION
Blacklight: Tango Down is set in a universe that is based in Science Fact, not Science Fiction.  The future combat technologies and weapons featured in the game are based on the bleeding-edge military developments and breakthroughs of today.  Whereas currently, in our real world, these items may exist only in the laboratory or in conceptual designs, in Blacklight: Tango Down, these advanced military tools are deployed mainstream and make up the military reality of the game.
This “science fact” equipment includes exciting new future weapons and support systems, like EMP grenades that disable opponents’ electronic visors, Digi-Grenades that distort the optics of enemies, reactive body armor and widely customizable weapons.  The most iconic piece of Blacklight technology is the “Hyper Reality Visor,” a head piece that uses its own electronic pulse and nearby electro-magnetic fields to render the world in a new way, allowing soldiers to see what is otherwise invisible.

Blacklight: Tango Down screenshot

Ignition Entertainment and Zombie Studios are developing Blacklight: Tango Down, a near-future first person shooter that will offer AAA-quality military shooter action in a downloadable package.  Blacklight: Tango Down will be available Summer 2010 through Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®Network for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and for personal computer.

Blacklight: Tango Down is a fast-paced first person shooter based in a new fictional universe called Blacklight.  Utilizing the cutting-edge graphical power of Unreal Engine 3, Blacklight: Tango Down’s near-future setting is brought to life with disturbingly detailed and old-world architecture dripping with modern sci-fi lighting and brightly lit advertisements, an effect that causes each environment to appear both futuristically alien as well as hauntingly familiar.

The new development will deliver some of the most exciting multiplayer gameplay available in the shooter category and features numerous gameplay styles and functionality.  These modes include traditional formats like Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch & Control Point, with other modes being announced in the build up to launch.

Blacklight: Tango Down will set itself apart from other games by virtue of its incredibly deep customization features.  Players will be able to alter and upgrade not only their character through experience gained on the battlefield, but also their weapons.  Weapon customizations will unlock as the player gains skill and experience points and will include more basic add-ons like sniper scopes as well as more complex enhancements, such as improved accuracy.

Ajay Chadha of Ignition Entertainment says;

“We are excited to be working on a gripping new franchise that will deliver the intense action, thoughtful tactics and in-depth strategies of today’s best multiplayer shooters immersed in an all new universe that gamers will really sink their teeth into.”

Watch the trailer and keep up to date with the development on the Blacklight: Tango Down website.