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Chaos Rings for iPhone looks like a real RPG

What's nice is that since RPGs don't really require precise controls, we can semi-safely get interested in this game without having our hopes dashed by the platform. It could still turn out to be terrible, but it isn't guaranteed to be.
[Via Touch Arcade]
Lord of the Rings: War in the North announced by WBIE; Snowblind developing

It sounds like it will be familiar gameplay to fans of those games, as well. Snowblind head Ryan Geithman calls it "a natural evolution of the acclaimed RPG gameplay that Snowblind has consistently delivered over the past years." In this online co-op RPG, up to three players will take part in the War of the Ring, visiting areas and meeting characters from the films and uncovering "unseen lands, story elements and characters from Middle-earth."
The game will receive a full reveal in PlayStation: The Official Magazine's May issue, which will be on shelves April 6. Head past the break for a trailer.
CyberConnect2 working on 'Solarobo' for DS

As Red Savarin, you pilot the robot DAHAK-AZI03 on bounty hunting missions. Without weapons, your only method of combat is picking up and throwing objects using the robot's arms. Solarobo is due in Japan this year from Namco Bandai. It features some kind of 1-4 player support, but the details of that have yet to be released -- as does any information about a release outside of Japan.
3D Dot Game Heroes trailer satisfies thirst for adventure

Even if you aren't well-versed in the culture of beer commercials, you'll find some impressive gameplay footage in the trailer, including giant (and, of course, blocky) bosses. Just try not to be mesmerized by the hero's speaking voice.
Dragon Age: Origins discounted until Thursday on Steam
Steam is having a "midweek madness" sale on Dragon Age: Origins until Thursday at 4PM PST. BioWare's fantasy epic is discounted 33 percent, making the regular and "digital deluxe" editions $33.49 and $43.54, respectively.
Of course, the discounts are to get you on the hook to purchase the game's first expansion, Awakening, which releases today. But, just so you go into this with eyes wide open, DA:O is a long game -- especially if you get the bundle stuffed with the extra DLC missions. The game is so long, in fact, that if you purchase the base game now, by the time you're ready for Awakening, you may very well be able to get that at a discount, instead of its initial $40 price.
Of course, the discounts are to get you on the hook to purchase the game's first expansion, Awakening, which releases today. But, just so you go into this with eyes wide open, DA:O is a long game -- especially if you get the bundle stuffed with the extra DLC missions. The game is so long, in fact, that if you purchase the base game now, by the time you're ready for Awakening, you may very well be able to get that at a discount, instead of its initial $40 price.
Gallery: Dragon Age: Origins
Monster Hunter Portable 3rd coming to Japan in late 2010
When Capcom woke up this morning, it decided it would like to have roughly a bajillion more dollars by this time next year. It walked over to a secret panel in its foyer, slid it open and pressed a button inside, labeled "New Monster Hunter." A press release was instantaneously launched announcing Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, the next PSP-based entry in the franchise, due out in Japan in late 2010.
The announcement heralds new monsters and areas to explore, an expanded "Felyne Comrade" system (we're pretty sure that's Russian for "cat friend") and improved co-op play. There's no word on plans for localization, but Capcom's been pretty diligent in unleashing the Monster Hunter series worldwide. You can get your first look at the outrageously large-sworded title in a trailer posted after the jump.
[Thanks Krystian!]
The announcement heralds new monsters and areas to explore, an expanded "Felyne Comrade" system (we're pretty sure that's Russian for "cat friend") and improved co-op play. There's no word on plans for localization, but Capcom's been pretty diligent in unleashing the Monster Hunter series worldwide. You can get your first look at the outrageously large-sworded title in a trailer posted after the jump.
[Thanks Krystian!]
New Dragon Age Awakening character needs to go eat a sandwich or something
Justice takes center stage in the latest, and perhaps last trailer for Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (which is due out this week). Justice is actually a "person," and not the principle -- a ghost trapped in a human body by a sorceress. Uh-huh, it's up to you to help him escape this mortal dilemma.
To make things worse, Justice's "new" body is basically Christian Bale's body (and not the Batman one). In other words, he's a skeleton tightly wrapped in skin. We're surprised Justice can even lift that shield and mace! Forget Elfroot, somebody get this guy some delicious Corpse Gall to fatten him up.
GDC: Toriyama explains the themes of the Fabula Nova Crystallis trilogy

Toriyama's main point during his presentation is that Agito and Versus won't be sequels to the recently released Final Fantasy XIII -- they'll both have their own unique set of characters, gameplay systems and overarching stories. The only thing connecting them is the "Crystal Mythos" motif -- a theme where the fates of ordinary humans are controlled by omnipotent gods. Players of Final Fantasy XIII should already be acquainted with this storytelling device.
The other detail about the series Toriyama mentioned was that, like XIII, the rest of the series will continue to focus on story-driven gameplay rather than allowing the player to explore an open world. For better or worse, it sounds like Versus and Agito will possess the same linearity for which XIII was frequently criticized.
Impressions: Mass Effect 2 DLC - Kasumi's Stolen Memory
Like some of the best loyalty quests in Mass Effect 2, "Kasumi's Stolen Memory" is an inventive sub-story that steps away from all the galactic peril just long enough to explore the motives and traits of a newly recruited squad mate. The downloadable add-on introduces Kasumi, a cocky human thief in search of data relating to a former partner (in crime?), and sees Shepard accompanying her on an important and incredibly dangerous two-person mission. You know, a date.
Donning a sleek bit of evening wear and a false identity, Shepard accompanies Kasumi to an exclusive party -- the kind that requires either a shiny invitation or a shady conscience. While the commander mingles, a cloaked Kasumi keeps an eye out for the hidden art vault that she believes holds her partner's grey box. What they eventually find encroaches upon spoiler territory (that's especially sensitive given the 90-minute length of the mission), but unsurprisingly triggers one of Mass Effect 2's intense combat sequences.
Donning a sleek bit of evening wear and a false identity, Shepard accompanies Kasumi to an exclusive party -- the kind that requires either a shiny invitation or a shady conscience. While the commander mingles, a cloaked Kasumi keeps an eye out for the hidden art vault that she believes holds her partner's grey box. What they eventually find encroaches upon spoiler territory (that's especially sensitive given the 90-minute length of the mission), but unsurprisingly triggers one of Mass Effect 2's intense combat sequences.
Metareview: Yakuza 3

While it's certain to be the best game this week about playing fictional arcade shooters, singing karaoke with dates from hostess clubs and hitting gangsters with street signs, how did Kazuma Kiryu's latest saga fare under more common rubrics?
- IGN (8.5/10): "You're getting this intense story about Japan's seedy underbelly that's set in an open world where you can take all sorts of side quests, but as you do so, random battles are popping up, you're earning experience points so you can level up your moves, and you can take stuff from your extensive inventory list and craft new weapons and armor. There are no cars or chocobos, but you see where I'm going with this -- one minute you're slamming a crowbar into a guy's face or tearing off a fingernail with pliers, and the next minute, you're taking photos to blog about or on a fetch quest to find a certain fish."
- GameSpot (8/10): "While the pace and events of the story are enough to propel you towards its conclusion, the non-story peripheral content gives Yakuza 3 a welcome sense of diversity. There are more than a hundred side and hitman quests that allow you to do everything from carrying ice cream for a father who has overpurchased, to playing UFO Catcher claw machines in the arcade, to chasing down a bag snatcher, to offering financial advice to a man deep in debt and precariously perched on the edge of a bridge."
- Eurogamer (8/10): "From the publisher that brought us Streets of Rage, Virtua Fighter and Shenmue, Yakuza is essentially a mashup of all three, which is hardly surprising but does mean it's the stuff of Segaphile fantasies. Liberally sprinkled with their genius, it's the grateful beneficiary of some of their most satisfying elements, in a context which delivers a uniquely Japanese -- and uniquely Sega -- flavour."
Gallery: Yakuza 3 (PS3)
The Last Story's first concept art

We still have yet to see real screens or footage of The Last Story, but the blog entry includes concept art of the island, which is quite lovely.
Gallery: The Last Story (Wii)
[Via VG247; All Games Beta]
Mass Effect 2 DLC 'Kasumi's Stolen Memory' lands on Apr. 6 (don't forget!)

After downloading the DLC, players can get in touch with Kasumi on the Citadel, either in the middle of an ongoing Mass Effect 2 game or after the completion of the main story (lesson learned from Mass Effect 1 DLC!). Once recruited, Shepard aids Kasumi on a secretive mission of recovery, which requires a suave disguise and a run-in with an influential and predictably corrupt art collector. The content, which also provides the "Locust" SMG, a flash-bang grenade loyalty power and a new Achievement, should take about an hour and a half to complete.
BioWare is currently in the midst of "internal discussion" to determine the price of the DLC, but we'll keep you updated as soon as it's finalized. Look for some impressions of "Kasumi's Stolen Memory" coming soon to Joystiq as part of our ongoing GDC coverage. Spoiler: It looks great.
Capy porting Clash of Heroes to PSN and XBLA

In addition, new equippable artifacts are being added, and the existing ones tweaked, to improve balance in multiplayer. Even better, you'll now be able to go back and replay segments of the game after completing them. Capy expects to release Clash of Heroes in late summer.
[Via GameSetWatch]
Free White Knight Chronicles weekly quests through June

Each week, a new permanent quest will be available, along with limited-time quests that you can only download for two weeks. And to mark the occasion, Sony is giving away a 12-inch White Knight figurine to one lucky player that logs into one of six quests during a certain time period. See PlayStation Blog for all the details.
Final Fantasy XIII ships 5 million copies

These 5 million XIIIs, according to the release, bring the total number of shipped games in the Final Fantasy series up to 96 million. How many of those were ports or remakes of the first Final Fantasy, we wonder?















