Prequel
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Star Trek prequel coming to the iPhone
I have no idea how much of this is spoilers, but if you want to walk into this summer's Star Trek movie with a completely blank slate of expectations, you should probably move on to the next post. Spoilers ahead!Ok then. Apparently J.J. Abrams, who's directing the new Star Trek movie, has worked with some comic book creators to (get this) bring a prequel of the prequel to the small screen before it appears on the big one. Whew. They're releasing a series of iPhone apps, which are actually "mini-comics" telling the pre-story of the movie. And here's where it gets really confusing (and spoilerific): apparently, while the movie is a prequel featuring a young Kirk and Spock, the story's villian is actually a time-traveler from Star Trek: TNG times. Which means the iPhone comics actually star Picard and his TNG crew, and tell the story of the movie's villian, a Romulan named Nero. I originally though the film was a non-canon reboot of the series, but no -- apparently even though we've never seen this era on film before, it is still mean to fit right in the Federation's universe.Still with us and interested? You actually are a Star Trek fan! (I prefer Star Wars myself.) The comics are going for 99 cents each (you can apparently pick up the same comic in print for $3.99), and are available in the App Store right now.
Rumor: Bungie making third-person Halo prequel
When Red Storm creative director Christian Allen (of Ghost Recon fame) joined Bungie last year, we speculated that he'd be working on a Halo-themed squad game. Lending further credence to our mutagenically induced prescience, EGM's Quartermann rumor column reports that Bungie's first game post-Microsoft will be a third-person Halo prequel "chronicling early skirmishes between the ODST troops and the Covenant" (read: no Master Chief). They're not sure if this is the same as Peter Jackson's mysterious Halo project, though it would appear that they're hiring a team specifically for that. EGM says that Microsoft will be ready to reveal all once the hype-train for Gears of War 2 has come to a halt. [Via X3F]
Pirates arrrr coming to the DS in June
Many of you fancy yourselves swashbuckling fiends, which means you grab onto any pirate-related news as if it were treasure. At least, Oxygen is banking on this, which is why they're bringing Pirates: Duels on the High Seas to the DS.Originally, the game was supposed to end up in Europe on April 18th. Oxygen revealed today, though, that the game's release was pushed back to June. The title seems to have a lot of gameplay content (multiple single player modes, single-cart multiplayer, varying tasks, etc.), but we suppose we'll have to wait until June now to see if it's actually any good.You can also expect a a WiiWare prequel for this game at some point this summer (called Pirates: The Key of Dreams) to expand upon the story of Duels on the High Seas. Gallery: Pirates: Duels on the High Seas [Via press release]
Metareview: Assassin's Creed
Back when it was revealed, Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles seemed like some kind of joke. Surely, such a game could never come to be. Well, sure enough, it's arrived. And not that many critics have reviewed it, oddly enough. We do present some of the few who have, however.Any of you pick the game up? Care to tell us what you think? IGN (70/100) thought the game had some flaws, but was overall fun: "Altair's Chronicles definitely needed a couple more weeks of polishing up before Ubisoft's publishing date, but as a finished product it's a fun game for as long as it lasts." Cheat Code Central (68/100) says it was almost a AAA companion to the console title: "Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles essentially represents an average handheld experience. It has about eight hours of gameplay that is very conducive to the pick-up-and-play experience. Most mobile gamers looking for a portable experience will probably enjoy the fun hack n' slash gameplay along with the fun mini-games. But as a fan of the original console version, I just feel that this game lacked a little of the prowess of its predecessor." GameShark (58/100) thinks the game is just too short: "The game is short; you can easily complete it in an afternoon-even if you aren't a seasoned gamer. Without any other modes or options, the replay value is very short. It has its moments but it's a tough sell for $30. It's definitely worth a rental; especially if you have enjoyed the original game as it tells the story of how the characters got to that point, and frustrations and limitations aside, the time spent playing the game is enjoyable – it's just over way too soon." See also: 2008 Blips - Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles%Gallery-13855%
Prince of Persia prequel confirmed
It looks like that rumored Prince of Persia prequel is going to be a reality soon, as word hits that the title has been confirmed in the latest issue of Computer and Video Games Magazine. Dubbed Prince of Persia: Ghosts of the Past, the title is supposedly headed in a more fantasy-like direction, ditching the dark material of the last two titles in the trilogy. People are saying it's going to be a mix between Ico, Zelda and Sands of Time.Sounds like it already has some awfully large shoes to fill.[Via Go Nintendo]
Undercover: Dual Motives returns after being pushed back
We'd forgotten all about Undercover: Dual Motives, the prequel to PC game Undercover: Operation Wintersun, because we haven't seen anything on it in so long. But how could we forget these gorgeous visuals? Sure, they'll probably be as static and stationary as the mounted moose head on Uncle Jim Bob's wall, but that doesn't make the game any less attractive. DS-X2 has a passel of new (and old) screens for your perusal if you need to re-whet the old appetite. And why would you need to? Because it seems the game, which was originally slated for March, will hit shelves next month. And you know we're all about adventure games. There's just something about all that pointing and clicking that makes us happy down to the very tips of our toes.
New Revenant Wings details uncovered
The Japanese magazine Dengeki recently conducted an interview with some of the development team of Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings. Details on the game have been scarce at best, confirming only that the game features FFXII protagonist Vaan and his sky pirate-y adventures. That's all well and good, but many were concerned about the apparent "prequel" nature of the game. Worry not, stalwart fans! Revenant Wings will be a true sequel, taking place shortly after the events of Final Fantasy XII. In addition to Vaan, the dynamic duo of Fran and Balthier will also be returning, as well as a promised host of new characters. The game will take place on the floating landmass of Puruvama (if it's in the original game, we haven't reached it yet), and apparently, a large portion of locations from the PS2 title will be playable. The battle system has also undergone some changes: combat will feature stylus control and a simplified version of the Gambit system. Also, summoning will be completely overhauled and used in a rather unique way, say the developers. Both screens will be properly utilized, and finally, there are no current plans for Wi-Fi functionality. Though be it ever rare to see from us heaping praise upon a Playstation 2 game, Final Fantasy XII is a veritable masterpiece, and the sequel can't come soon enough.
