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Splinter Cell: Double Agent gets lady spy, new maps on 360
Splinter Cell fans took it on the chin yesterday, finding out that the next iteration of the series, Conviction, wasn't due out until early 2008. It's sad, really. They're just sitting around now, sweating in their stealth wet suits, with their goggles down so we can't see the tears. Now it's time to perk up, guys and (specifically) gals, as new, free content for Splinter Cell: Double Agent has just been dropped on Xbox Live. It was talked about in February, but is finally here, just in time for nigh irrelevance. You can pick up two new multiplayer maps ("Kinshasa" and "Secret base"), but the real draw here is lady spy, who (as the blade description proudly touts) comes with three outfits. Who says women's liberation is over?
Ubisoft announces Far Cry 2
Ubisoft has officially announced a sequel to 2004's tropical and somewhat topical first-person shooter, Far Cry. Praised for its luscious visuals, large environments and merciless pig slaughter, the PC game eventually made its way to consoles in confusingly titled spin-offs such as Far Cry Instincts Predator and Far Cry Instincts Evolution. We think there may be some colons in there too.Simply entitled Far Cry 2, the new addition to the franchise is being developed for PC by Ubisoft's Montreal studio (original developer Crytek is currently pouring tears into Crysis) and is scheduled for a Spring 2008 release on PC. Aside from the above logo, apparently dragged behind Ubisoft's car before it was uploaded, no further images relating to the sequel have surfaced. Expect loads of jungles, obnoxious henchman and distant weeping.
No demo planned for Assassin's Creed
More fresh news from E3, Joystiq learned during their hands-on (don't worry, ours is coming) that Ubisoft has "no plans" to release a demo for Assassin's Creed. If you've been sitting on the fence about this title, it looks like it's time to put it in the ol' rental queue. We wouldn't worry too much though. So far, all signs point to "Yes."
Joystiq hands-on: Assassin's Creed
Fueled solely by caffeine and pure grit, we managed to get some hands-on time with Ubisoft's much anticipated action game, Assassin's Creed at E3. Our session with Ubisoft began with a representative walking us through a sample mission (which, incidentally, is the same one Jade Raymond walked us through last night at the MS press conference) to show us the ropes. Of course, like any good company rep, he also made sure to lay down some readily quotable stats. First of all, the city featured in the demo, Jerusalem, is fifteen times larger than the city featured during last year's E3. Pulling the camera back, we could see that the city was indeed pretty damned big. What's more, our rep informs us that all of it is interactive. You can climb it, throw enemies into it, use it to hide, whatever. Every surface that extends more than 2" from a wall is scalable, and Altair -- AC's protagonist -- will make his hand-holds realistically. In other words, there is no canned climbing animation. Finally, the city is populated with lots of NPCs, some of which can be hostile (guards and mad vagrants), others can be helpful, and the rest are neutral. And of course, they all have dynamic AI and other quotable features. But how does it play?
PS3 Fanboy review: Rainbow Six: Vegas
After much delay, PS3 owners are finally able to taste the dish Ubisoft first baked for Xbox 360 owners back in mid-November. Has the extra six months in the Ubi incubator, provided PS3 gamers with a far superior version? Does the PS3 version blow its Xbox cousin out of the water? Does the PS3 rendition give you superhuman powers?Rainbow Six: Vegas weaves an interesting-enough plotline, centering around southern boy Logan Keller, a recent rising star amongst the ranks of the Rainbow team and whose face you'll become intimately familiar with as you duck him behind crates or crane his neck around doorways to spot and eliminate bad guys. One of our hero's first missions starts the Rainbow team off in Mexico, where you're being sent to eliminate a terrorist threat led by international terrorist Irena Morales. The game's plot is riddled with conspiracy-a-plenty, taking twists and turns while leading the Rainbow team to locales like Mexico, Vegas (of course) and later, an expansive hydroelectric dam.
Shhh ... Assassin's Creed gets cover arted
We already know that Assassin's Creed will be hitting retailers sometime in November, but now we have the pleasure of previewing what we'll be looking for on store shelves. Ubisoft just released the official Assassin's Creed cover art (viewable after the break) in all its simplistic assassin glory. Notice the subtle use of motion blur, soothing color blue, and how our assassin friend's hood perfectly shields his identity. Or maybe you didn't notice any of that and just zeroed in on the retractable and highly concealable hand knife. Oh yeah, we're going to love using that piece of hardware.
New Assassin's Creed info, demo next month?
Speaking to Eurogamer, Ubisoft's Jade Raymond revealed some tasty new bits of info regarding Assassin's Creed, one of the Xbox 360's most anticipated titles. First and foremost, a demo is evidently planned for next month, though the article makes it unclear whether this will be an Xbox Live Marketplace demo or a public demonstration. Of course, we'd be excited about either, but just a twinge more excited about a playable demo. Raymond also refuses to comment on theories around the game's plot elements, though Veronica Mars fans already know the full story.Raymond does reveal that helping certain people in the game will net players several new strategic options. Previously, we heard about helping monks in order to gain their help in later missions. Apparently this extends to other groups. Apparently, each group will inhabit different areas of a city, allowing players to utilize them during escapes. For example, save village women from military abuse, and their husbands will block guards that chase you. All you have to do is remember where these men live when you're making your escape.Finally, remember the leap of faith that ended the recent trailer? That is a move taken directly from the game, though conceivably a player would know where he was going to land. In context, a player might climb a tall building to evade capture and then leap off the top into a bale of hay. When guards finally make it to the top of the building, the player will seem to have disappeared.All in all, it sounds like great stuff. Here's hoping we do see a demo next month.
Assassin's Creed set for November worldwide release
Altair has been sent to kill some key players on both sides of the Third Crusade and with you in control of his movements, his survival lies in your skills in stealth and asskickery. Ubisoft wants everyone to enjoy this game at the same time, it seems. They have issued a statement that Assassin's Creed will be launched in "all major territories" this November. So, it may not be a "worldwide" release, but for the gaming market, Ubisoft considers it may as well be. Ubisoft expects the game to exceed all expectations, and expectedly, expect commercial and critical success. Funny how a single word will contort to fill up an entire set of ideas. Or not. Funny to wordsmiths, we guess. The game will ship for the PS3, 360, and the PC with both a regular and special edition. Most people really hyped up for this game should snag the special edition, since it has a decent amount of goodies to keep you satisfied. [via Joystiq]
Assassin's Creed to assassinate in November
If you find yourself harboring a keen interest in both assassins and the creeds to which they are bound, you will no doubt be interested to learn that Assassin's Creed should be hitting Xbox 360s everywhere this November. The announcement comes directly from Ubisoft, though we are left with no specific date. Also "revealed" by Ubisoft, a limited edition of the game will also be sold in addition to the ordinary vanilla edition. The limited edition will retail for $69.99 and comes packed with the game (in a tin box, of course), Penny-Arcade comics, a mini strategy guide, an Altair figurine, as well as plenty of trailers and behind-the-scenes content. The limited edition isn't exactly news -- we've known about it for some time -- but it sounds pretty cool nonetheless. Anyone out there plan no plunking down the extra cash for a spiffy new doll action figure? [Via GameStooge]
Assassin's Creed will have limited edition
As our significant others are so keen to remind us, we're easily swayed by advertising here at Joystiq. Take, for example, the announcement that Assassin's Creed will have a limited edition release on PS3 and Xbox 360. Normally we'd like to know a little more about a product before we agree to buy it, but after watching the trailer we posted yesterday, we were ready to mail our credit card to Ubisoft with a heart-shaped slip of paper with our signature on it. For those who demand a little more info with their purchases, we humbly oblige. The $69.99 tin-encased game apparently really will be in limited quantities and will come with a figurine of titular assassin Altair, Penny Arcade comics and some short films, along with some other bonuses that we didn't have time to read before we totally went to the store to buy it. Not that it was on sale yet, but, like we said, we're really susceptible to advertising. Let's just hope there's no marketing for GTA IV or BioShock ... ah, crap, we'd better just start saving. [Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Team works to send Sam Fisher back to high school
Want to see schoolyard fights end with a lot of broken necks? Well, if you happen to be a student or alumnus of Deer Valley High School in Antioch, California, then you can. Project SC-DV is making the school into the central setting of their version of Splinter Cell, which runs on a heavily modified version of the Unreal Engine for Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. Hopefully it won't lead to any arrests. Although you'll be able to sneak into the girl's locker room, you won't encounter any students, or teachers for that matter. According to their site, "Project SC-DV has absolutely NOTHING to do with the environment of a high school, nor does it have any relations to students or staff of the real life Deer Valley High School campus. In no way can you see nor hurt anyone that has anything to do in relation to the campus." Check out their site for more pictures, which look fairly impressive so far. We'd like to see some side by sides to compare them, but as far as amateur projects go, this ain't bad. [Thanks, Einhanderkiller]
Get Lost! Lost game coming to Xbox 360
It seems like making games based off of TV shows is the "it" thing to do these days. The most recent show to capitalize on the trend is ABC's Lost, a show about several people on an island that are ... um ... lost. It was revealed in a recent episode of official Lost podcast that the Ubisoft developed game will be available on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and the PC. Many readers will be quick to notice that the PS2 is missing from that list, which hopefully means we'll be seeing a quality new gen experience and not just a PS2 port. Finally, one of the television series' producers, Carlton Cuse, noted that the game looks "very impressive." We have to agree with our compatriots at Joystiq that a TV producer may not be the best judge of what makes a quality game, but we have our fingers crossed that Ubisoft will deliver.Since we're on the topic of TV based games, may we suggest a game based on the new FOX series, Drive? Cross-country racing with murder, mystery, and intrigue? Yes, please.[Via Joystiq]Update: Corrected Mr. Cuse's name.
LOST video game confirmed for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC
In their most recent official podcast, ABC's LOST producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse confirmed that the upcoming game adaptation will be arriving on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Typically, adaptations cater to as many consoles as possible so as to guarantee they hit the same market as those who watch the TV show. Is this an indication that the PlayStation 2's time is coming to an end, or is developer Ubisoft Montreal focusing more time and effort on delivering a title whose graphics are on par with our expectations for the newest generation of console?Said Cuse approximately 25 minutes into the podcast, "[Developer Ubisoft Montreal] came down here the other day and did a demo on some of the stuff," while Lindelof remarked, "very impressive," in response to what they were shown. We don't want to imply that television producers know what makes great games, but as fans of the show, we are comforted that progress is being made on the title. No release date has been mentioned.A mobile game based on LOST is currently available, which you can demo here.[Via Lost Spoilers; Update: fixed typo in name.]
Splinter Cell 'spy girl' a Double Agent, on PS3 & 360
Ubisoft has clarified that the Splinter Cell: Double Agent 'spy girl' multiplayer skin will be available for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game. The skin will be included in the PS3 release (scheduled for March), along with a pair of new multiplayer maps and additional co-op challenges. Xbox 360 players will be able to download the skin through an upcoming Xbox Live Marketplace offer. Ubisoft has yet to confirm the new maps and co-op challenges for Xbox 360, or publicize whether or not the spy girl skin (and any additional content) will be free to download. Given that Microsoft has already invested so much in the franchise, securing a console-exclusive deal for the next Splinter Cell game, our guess is that any new Double Agent content featured in the PS3 version will be eventually offered on Xbox 360 -- for a price. [Via Eurogamer]
Double Agent still PS3-bound
Don't fret PlayStation 3 faithful, Ubisoft has not forgotten you. After releasing versions for GameCube, PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, and Wii, the Splinter Cell developer has turned its attention to the PS3 release of Double Agent, due ... sometime in March. The delay is not without consolation, as Ubisoft will tack in some Sixaxis wiggle n' shake action. New maps and skins will also be added to multiplayer.
Doh! Assassin's Creed plot leaked
In an interview with Kristen Bell, IGN TV asks about her roles in Veronica Mars, Fanboys, and the upcoming not-so-PS3 exclusive (yes, we're going to keep saying that) Assassin's Creed. Everything in the interview seems pretty safe, no real dirty secrets revealed, that is until Kristen talks about her roll in Assassin's Creed, where she gives a little glimpse into what the story is really about saying ... It's sort of based on the research that's sort of happening now, about the fact that your genes might be able to hold memory. And you could argue semantics and say it's instinct, but how does a baby bird know to eat a worm, as opposed to a cockroach, if its parents don't show it? And it's about this science company trying to, Matrix-style, go into people's brains and find out an ancestor who used to be an assassin, and sort of locate who that person is. So there you have it. Assassin's Creed may not only be about killing in the Crusades, but may be a sci-fi mind traveling adventure where you go back to live the life of your assassin ancestors ... and yes that came out of left field. Commence discussion as we're out to find the meaning of life, why cockroaches are so ugly, and why the Matrix movies got progressively worse.
Reasons why Assassin's Creed will pwn!
Over at Assassin's Haven they put together a quick list of five reasons why that not-so-PS3-exclusive Assassin's Creed will rock your socks. Not only are the crowd dynamics amazing, but Altair (the assassin you play) is how Assassin's Haven puts it, " badass". Soon we'll be able to pull out our switchblade, cut some throats, and run around in the Crusades era ... who's pumped about this one? [Via Digg]
Splinter Cell: Double Agent gets a close shave
Eternally five-o'clock-shadowed Sam Fisher is getting some in-game advertising in Splinter Cell: Double Agent, courtesy of Nivea and Philips Norelco, but we're unsure if this means he'll be shaving in the game. Apparently Sam comes across some Nivea and Norelco products as he sneaks through an in-game hotel bathroom. At least this explains why Ubisoft was giving out packets of shaving cream at this year's PAX. They missed the boat with this one. We know that he's in prison with a bald head in this game, so why didn't they feature Nivea shaving cream giving Sam a buzz? After all, part of the advertising tie-in for the game has bottles of aftershave shaped like hand grenades with the message "Balms Away" printed on them. You just can't make this stuff up, folks. While it seems odd to feature shaving ads in a game where the main character shaves probably every other Tuesday, it could have been worse. At least Sam won't be pushing Quaker Oats or Depends. But if Ubisoft keeps churning these sequels out, he may need 'em. All of the ads in the game point to a microsite created for this promotional tie-in. Register and win some Splinter Cell: Double Agent schwag, maybe even your own hand grenade aftershave. [Image credit: Planet of the Geeks]
Assassin's Creed site sneaks onto the web [update 1]
The official Assassin's Creed website has launched. If you've been following the game, the website won't show you anything new. Still, there is plenty of content there. There are plenty of downloads including screenshots, wallpapers, icons, webkits, and a screensaver. It's worth noting that the site retains the occasional digital glitching that pops up in the trailers, hinting at the rumored futuristic plot twist. Also worth noting is the unintentional bugginess of the site. I wasn't able to get any of the wallpapers, and the links to all the full size screenshots were broken, as was the link to developer diaries. It's not because of heavy traffic either, the links just don't work. Kind of shocking for such a high profile game, no? [Via Xboxic] Update: It seems some clarification is in order. Indeed, there has been an AC site for some time, but not with all the features described above. From the site: "Thursday 10.12.06 Welcome to the Assassin's Creed Portal Welcome to the Assassin's Creed portal! On this site you'll find new information that wasn't available with our previous site, as well as the most recent news about the upcoming game from the Ubisoft Montreal studios. Take a look around and tell us what you think of the site in the forums!"
X06: Assassin's Creed gameplay video
Taken directly from the X06 press briefing yesterday, here's a video of Ubisoft's Jade Raymond demonstrating Assassin's Creed gameplay. That's right. For really reals y'all. It's actual gameplay of Assassin's Creed. No CGI filler here, just the real deal. Unfortunately, this video ends before the mysterious death screen, which has something of an anachronistic feel to it compared to the overall game. We're not sure if the demonstrator was supposed to die or not, but the demo snapped off very quickly when she did. Check out the video after the break.
