Assassin’s Creed II is the product of over two years of intensive development by the original creative team behind the Assassin’s Creed brand. In a vast open world environment, the game invites players to incarnate Ezio, a privileged young noble in Renaissance Italy who’s been betrayed by the rival ruling families of Italy. Ezio’s subsequent quest for vengeance plunges players into a captivating and epic story that offers more variety in missions, surprising and engaging new gameplay elements, diverse weapons and a profound character progression that will appeal to fans of the original Assassin’s Creed as well as entice players new to the brand.
Assassin's Creed was one of the first games of this generation that really felt "next-gen." It presented an opportunity to interact with the world in ways that simply wasn't possible without additional power, which is, for the most part, the very essence of that somewhat overused phrase. Ubisoft's adventure title provided gamers with a fully climbable recreation of different historical cities, an engaging story, and wonderful graphics. Though flawed, it was without a doubt one of the most advanced-feeling experiences to hit consoles. That was two years ago, and a lot has changed in the gaming industry. The idea of climbing on everything is still fantastic, but has lost much of its luster when it found its way into a handful of other titles. Other complaints were mostly rooted in a repetitive mission structure and a lack of content, things that were more forgivable in 2007 than 2009. These were issues that didn't just need to be addressed in a sequel, but eliminated entirely. Luckily, Ubisoft has been busy. With two years of knowledge and a few baskets full of critiques of their first effort, the publisher has released Assassin’s Creed II, hoping to fix the issues without changing the elements that made the game an incredible success for the company.
The story picks up right where the last left off, wasting no time diving into action and, more importantly, proving that Ubisoft has listened to the criticisms leveled at the first title. Within moments, Desmond is up and about, moving around more in the first five minutes of the story than he did in all of the original. For those unfamiliar with the series, there's likely a little bit of confusion as to why the location and time have shifted so drastically between sequels and, for that matter, who this Desmond character is. While most of the gameplay in the Assassin’s Creed takes place hundreds of years in the past, Desmond Miles lives in the modern age, and has an ancestry rooted deeply in a conflict between the Assassin’s Order and the Knights Templar, who didn’t actually disband in 1314 like the history books say. Instead, the shadowy organization has continued their practices, working towards a New World Order nearly 1,000 years in the making, only kept in check by the dwindling assassins. Now, under the guise of Abstergo Industries, they’ve kidnapped Desmond in order to have him relive the lives of his ancestors through a machine called the Animus, which allows users to synchronize with their genetic memory.
Deadpool
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Escape from Bug Island is a 3rd person survival-horror game that takes a quirky, creepy and over-the-top journey onto an island filled with giant evil insects and mutant creatures. Play as Ray and get physical – use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to shake off and blast massive bugs as well as evade nasty attacks and clingy creatures – in an attempt to rescue your best friend Mike and secret love Michelle. Armed only with a flashlight and a few simple weapons, players start the game alone in a dark fog-covered forest trying desperately to figure out where everyone has disappeared to. When there is nowhere else to turn, take advantage of the "Cave of Time" and travel back to save loved ones. Make sure to explore every dark nook and cranny and uncover the mystery that is Beelzebub Island – called by those who know and fear it – BUG ISLAND. Escape from Bug Island's control system takes advantage of everything the Wii has to offer and brings a spine-chilling workout from start to finish. Offering hundreds of enemies to stomp on, squash, smash, and blow up and a vast array of weapons to keep you safe, Escape from Bug Island is an adventure that is a tribute to the classic campy B-horror movie.
Alienators: Evolution Continues borrows its premise from the cartoon series of the same name, which in turn is based upon the 2001 live-action feature, Evolution. Utilizing a design that harkens back to the 16-bit era, Alienators: Evolution Continuesis a 2D side-scrolling platformer similar to those common in the early-'90s. As Ira Kane, players must fight and jump their way through 12 stages set in locales recognizable from the cartoon series. The title's plot is told through the use of hand-drawn stills and explains how Scopes, a madman who unleashed the Genus (a form of alien DNA) upon himself, is now attempting to unleash it upon the planet. Naturally, it falls to Ira to put a stop to this and, equipped with an arsenal of blue-goop spewing gadgetry, he sets out to do exactly that.
While initially capable of little more than basic projectile blasts, by acquiring the right power-ups, The Devolver Ira carries becomes able to unleash a number of different attacks including rapid-fire, scatter-fire, high-impact, and a "glob shot." Players will also come across grenades that will instantly kill anything they come into contact with. The mutant monstrosities players encounter are essentially various animals that, as a result of having been exposed to the Genus, have been spliced together. There are eight in all, including such notable beasts as the Sharkadillo, Hydrasaurus, and Chamelakeet. When not fighting the swarms of mutant enemies, players will need to seek out differently colored key-cards in order to progress. During his quest, Ira will also meet friendly faces from the show such as Lucy Mai, Harry Block, and Wayne Green. Players can use passwords to record their progress in the adventure.
Charming. Intelligent. Enigmatic. These are just a few words that nobody ever uses when describing DeathSpank.
Developed by indie developer and publisher Hothead Games and created by Ron Gilbert of LucasArts adventure game fame, DeathSpank will bring to life the hilarious adventures of the game’s titular hero. Set on a wrap-around world map with a unique art style utilizing 2D elements in a 3D world, DeathSpank will roam the world on his many varied quests without ever encountering a load screen.
Gameplay is divided between uncovering the story via conversations, solving complex puzzles, equipping your character to maximize his strengths, and battling anything else that moves. The single-player quest allows players to explore the world, get to know the many interesting characters along the way, battle a large variety of enemies, and collect from over 100 different types of weapons and over 100 types of armor. As he conquers his enemies, DeathSpank will be able to level up, collect loot, and acquire new abilities.
The one that started it all returns to once again redefine the standards of the interactive Dungeon experience. From the trap-filled dungeons of Skullkeep to the storm-ravaged villages above, you'll enter a gaming experience that will challenge you like nothing before. Commanding your party of warriors, you'll enter the most intelligent and realistic role-playing world ever created. Featuring an all-new version of the interface that defined point-and-click and a gaming world that is actually alive, Dungeon Master II is the ultimate quest of magic, dungeons and monsters.
Become half-vampire Jericho Cross in the ultimate gun-slinging adventure, Darkwatch™! As the newest agent of the Darkwatch, a secret society charged with protecting mankind, you must hunt down an ancient vampire lord, wreaking havoc across a haunted Wild West.