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Tomb Raider 4 is my favorite game of all time. I say this to get an obvious bias out of the way while reviewing Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered. If this collection was that game alone, I’d slap a 10/10 on it, demand you all play it immediately and leave it at that.

However, this is not just one game. Following on from last year’s remaster of the first three Tomb Raider games, Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered does the same with the next three. The final three Tomb Raider games made by original developer Core Design, in fact – The Last Revelation, Chronicles and The Angel of Darkness. However, this may be a harder sell overall.

Not for Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation though. As a game that saw Core try and bring the series to an end, it feels like a huge extravagant attempt to deliver an adventure that cemented Lara’s legacy for good. Take all the best elements of the three games that came before it, stuff it in a blender and this is what comes out. It’s also a Tomb Raider game with a strong storyline for the first time, as Lara accidentally unseals Set, the Egyptian god of disorder. This kickstarts a potential apocalypse unless she can find the Armour of Horus and re-seal the dark deity. It’s still a goofy pulp adventure, but this gives the game greater stakes and helps expand Lara Croft as a character.

As a result of this premise, the entire game is set in Egypt. This is a far cry from the first three games, which saw Lara flying across the world, uncovering the secrets of multiple civilizations. However, Core managed to maintain this kind of variety, even within a single country. Of course, there are pyramids and Horus and palaces to great pharaohs, but we also see the Roman influence as well as contemporary Egypt. There’s even a level set on a moving train.

But what Tomb Raider 4 does so well is taking the creaky old Tomb Raider engine and pushing it to its absolute limit. Obviously, it’s less impressive now than it was in 1999, but Core managed to throw in pole-climbing, laser sight aiming and rope swinging into an engine mostly built for pushing blocks around a grid. There’s a greater athleticism to Lara’s movements and the puzzle design is some of the best in the series. As the game progresses, you’ll encounter puzzles that involve assembling an ancient map of the stars, making use of mirror illusions and solving the classic water jug puzzle.

The remaster barely has to do any work to bring out the best in this game. The same visual splash of paint its predecessors got last year is present, but it also feels faster. I don’t know if this is just down to an improved framerate or if they did tweak Lara’s movement directly, but it works wonderfully. It’s a buttery smooth experience that helps an already excellent game shine. If Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered was just The Last Revelation, I’d call it essential.

However, while The Last Revelation is easily the gem of Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered, it’s not all we have to discuss. Both Tomb Raider Chronicles and The Angel of Darkness are also here, and they are some of the more contentious entries in the series. Both were rushed, buggy and showed signs of how much the team was tired of the series by this point. There’s a reason these two games are the final games made by Core Design before the series was ed over to current owners Crystal Dynamics.

Let’s start with Tomb Raider Chronicles. This is a game made over a span of only a few months, a desperate request from Eidos to release a game for the 2000 holiday season. It’s a much shorter anthology game, one built around several small adventures from Lara’s past. Because it’s an anthology, the quality constantly fluctuates.

The game starts strong in Rome, as Lara navigates the eerily quiet streets of the city, encountering strange machines and the remnants of its ancient history. It feels like a minor extension of The Last Revelation. Russia keeps this up, evoking strong comparisons with the industrial parts of past Tomb Raider games. Just a shame that it mostly hangs around a single submarine.

The last two segments show signs of Core’s boredom with the series, as they were clearly determined to make anything else here. Ireland chases the contemporary survival horror boom, with an unarmed teenage Lara dealing with demons and fey beings. It’s got some fun ideas but the levels feel exceptionally short and forgettable.

And then there’s New York, an attempt to emulate the successes of The Matrix and Metal Gear Solid with a high-tech spy adventure. However, this is where the limitations of the engine begin to show. The introduction of stealth takedowns and fast-paced sniping fall apart quickly as the controls simply don’t work well for it.

The original version of this section was also compounded by bugs, most of which crashed the game, corrupted your save or created invisible walls. Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered does a great job ironing out these problems, as it was a much smoother experience this time around. However, it does nothing to correct the inherent design problems here, which are sadly just baked into the game.

Speaking of design problems baked into the game, Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered rounds off with Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness. This was the first game in the series released for the PS2, notorious for almost killing the entire franchise. It’s an example of developer ambition far exceeding their capabilities. The original game launched with half its content missing, a broken control scheme and a general sense that the series had lost its way. It’s the only Tomb Raider game I’ve not played multiple times.

The remaster does do a decent job in fixing many of the worst technical issues. The controls were the most obvious example of this, as they’re now much more responsive and align better with previous entries. The experience feels less buggy as some of the more egregious issues seem to have been ironed out. However, it’s far from perfect, as Lara’s overall movement is still sluggish and new bugs appear to have snuck their way in, such as when I got stuck under a bench within minutes of exploring a restored area at the start of the game.

The fixes don’t do much to solve the inherent problems with The Angel of Darkness, however. Following on from the feeling in Chronicles that Core wanted to make literally anything other than Tomb Raider, The Angel of Darkness is a moody murder mystery adventure game. There’s a lot of wandering around Paris talking to people and finding clues and little actual tomb raiding. Some of this can be interesting, but a lot of it feels half-baked and doesn’t feel like Tomb Raider.

The adventure elements like NPC dialog trees and shops do little more than slow down the already plodding experience. Meanwhile, the strength-boosting mechanic remains as useless as ever, prompting endless moments of Lara refusing to open a door until she’s hung from a ledge for thirty seconds first. It adds nothing but padding.

As an overall package, Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is a great remaster. If you played the remaster of the original trilogy last year, you’ll know what to expect here. The blocky polygons of the original PS1 games have been swapped out in favor of newly created models and textures. However, the original graphics are still an option, available at the touch of a single button at any time. The modern controls, while not my personal preference, are a decent compromise between the original design and the expectations of a modern audience. The amount of work applied to The Angel of Darkness alone is impressive. As remasters go, this is a perfect example of how to do it right.

Overall, Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is a mixed bag. It’s an excellent remaster that balances preservation and improvement. However, two-thirds of this package are games that are, at best, merely fine, even with improvements. For The Last Revelation though? It’s worth it for that alone. 

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.

The post Review: Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered Revitalises the Best and Worst of the Franchise appeared first on Siliconera.

I never really paid much attention to the Legacy of Kain series. It was one of those titles I knew about, but didn’t dive into, with a brief encounter with a Pizza Hut demo disc back in 1999 being the exception. I’ve heard a lot of talk about Legacy of Kain, particularly about the Soul Reaver games, especially as critics and fans often hail them as ahead of their time. When Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered was revealed, I knew I had to finally experience these cult classics. After playing through the remasters, it’s clear 2024 wasn’t too late to appreciate their brilliance.

The Legacy of Kain series began in 1996 with Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. This dark tale introduced players to the gothic world of Nosgoth, a realm steeped in tragedy, betrayal, and a deep narrative inspired by literary works like Paradise Lost and Dracula. It also introduced the antihero and eventual villain Kain. While Blood Omen laid the groundwork, it was Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver in 1999 that helped redefined the franchise. Developed by Crystal Dynamics and directed by Amy Hennig (later of Uncharted fame), Soul Reaver followed Raziel. He's a once-proud vampire lieutenant betrayed by his master, Kain. Cast into the spectral abyss and reborn as a wraith, Raziel embarked on a revenge-fueled journey across Nosgoth, along the way unraveling mysteries and battling formidable foes.

The sequel, Soul Reaver 2 (2001), expanded the story, deepened the lore, and explored Raziel's continued quest for answers. After all, the first game left off on a cliffhanger. Both games received praise for their ambitious storytelling, environmental puzzles, and innovative gameplay.

The remastered visuals breathe new life into Nosgoth, all while preserving the original art direction. Built on the original models, the graphical upgrades clean up textures, enhance lighting, and add clarity. However, there's no loss to the gothic charm of the late 1990 and early 2000 titles. One standout feature is the ability to toggle between the remastered and original visuals with a single button press. I found it a nostalgic delight, providing context for just how far gaming visuals have evolved while respecting the artistry of the originals.

Even with the upgrades, these Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered games are clearly not modern titles. However, they still remain faithfulness to the original vision and are striking as a result. From the haunting ruins of vampire clans to the eerie spectral realm, the remaster collection maintains the atmospheric depth that made Nosgoth so memorable.

The gameplay remains largely unchanged from the original releases. At their core, Soul Reaver and its sequel are Metroidvania-style adventures that emphasize exploration, environmental puzzles, and gradual power acquisition. Raziel’s ability to shift between the material and spectral realms remains a standout mechanic, adding depth to puzzle-solving and traversal.

Combat, while functional, can feel dated by modern standards, with its simple lock-on mechanics and occasionally awkward controls. Similarly, the infamous block puzzles of Soul Reaver 1 do tend to remind me of the PS1 era. Yet, these quirks add a certain charm, making the experience feel vintage rather than frustrating.

One modern convenience notably absent in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered is an updated save system. The original, which always returns players to the same starting point upon loading, remains intact. While this maintains the integrity of the original design, it can feel tedious by today’s standards. Still, this is a minor gripe in an otherwise engaging experience.

What truly elevates Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered above contemporaries is the storytelling and worldbuilding. Raziel’s quest for vengeance is merely the entry point into a labyrinthine narrative that explores fate, free will, and the cyclical nature of history. The writing, inspired by gothic literature and existential philosophy, is both poetic and thought-provoking.

This is all held together by masterful voice acting, featuring Michael Bell as Raziel and Simon Templeman as Kain at the core. Their exchanges crackle with intensity, bringing the characters to life in a way few games of the era managed. Even the ing cast, including a pre-Breaking Bad Anna Gunn as Ariel, delivers memorable performances. These elements combine to create a narrative experience that feels timeless and essential.

The remastered collection goes beyond visual upgrades. It offers an array of bonus content that celebrates the Legacy of Kain community and history. It acts as a tribute to the series’ rich history and the dedicated fanbase that has kept its legacy alive. One standout addition is The Lore Reader. It involves an intricate system of newly crafted maps that enrich the player’s understanding of Nosgoth's complex geography and layered history. These maps are paired with poetic descriptions that narrate the transformations Nosgoth has endured over time. Players can switch between the pristine “pure” versions of the maps, reflecting Nosgoth’s untarnished past, and the “corrupted” iterations, which reveal the decay and chaos wrought by centuries of conflict.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered also includes an extensive Art Galleries section, a treasure trove of visuals that chart the series' artistic evolution. Fans can explore a mix of high-definition renders, original concept art, and FMV cinematics, all remastered to meet modern standards. These galleries provide an intimate look at the creative process behind the games. It showcases early designs and visual motifs that shaped the hauntingly gothic aesthetic of Nosgoth. There's also a whole section for fanart and cosplay!

For those who appreciate the intricacies of storytelling, the Dark Chronicle feature offers us both games’ scripts. Every iconic exchange between Raziel and his brethren, every chilling monologue, and every philosophical reflection is meticulously preserved here. This feature not only allows players to relive their favorite moments but also provides a comprehensive way to study the games' complex narrative, packed with themes of destiny, betrayal, and existential dread.

Perhaps the most intriguing addition in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered is the Soul Reaver Lost Levels. These present unfinished content from the original Soul Reaver. This feature includes meticulously restored areas like the Undercity, the Smokestack, and Kain’s Retreat. All of the levels were cut due to technical limitations of the time. Players can explore these levels in their original state, complete with developer notes that shed light on their intended role in the game. This interactive glimpse into what might have been feels like stepping into a museum of gaming history, offering fans a rare chance to see the creative ambitions that went unrealized.

Finally, the remaster pays homage to the games’ atmospheric soundscapes by including the complete Soul Reaver 1 & 2 soundtracks. These haunting compositions, which blend eerie melodies with industrial tones, have been fully restored and enhanced. Previously unreleased tracks are also included.

Together, these features elevate Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered beyond a simple update. They represent a collaborative celebration of the franchise between Crystal Dynamics, Aspyr, and the fans. This collection is more than a preservation effort. It’s a love letter to fans and a reminder of the series’ significance. Whether you’re a longtime devotee or a newcomer to the series, this collection not only preserves the legacy of Soul Reaver but enriches it, ensuring that Nosgoth’s story continues to resonate for years to come. Here’s hoping this renewed interest leads to further exploration of the Legacy of Kain universe—because these games deserve it.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered is available on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The post Review: Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered Brings Cult Classics Back to Life appeared first on Siliconera.

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is in development from Crystal Dynamics and Aspyr Games. This collection of three more Tomb Raider games will release on February 14, 2025.

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered will contain remasters of Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Tomb Raider: Chronicles and Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness. The Last Revelation and Chronicles were the final two games in the series released for PS1, while The Angel of Darkness was the first PS2 game and the final game developed by the original team at Core Design. The remaster will feature a visual overhaul for both PS1 games, although the original visuals will be available at the touch of a button. The Angel of Darkness appears to exclusively use upscaled versions of the original textures, as no split-screen comparison was shown off for that game in the announcement trailer.

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation was Lara Croft’s most expansive adventure at the time, taking her across Egypt and expanding out the level structure. Tomb Raider: Chronicles was an anthology game which saw Lara taking part in four smaller adventures in Rome, Russia, Ireland and New York. Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness is a moody mystery where Lara is accused of killing her mentor and is now investigating secrets within Paris and Prague. This game was also notorious for being unfinished on its original launch. It’s unclear if the game’s various bugs and control issues will be rectified for the remaster.

This latest remastered collection follows on from a previous collection, which contained the first three Tomb Raider games. The new collection will be launching exactly one year after the first, on February 14, 2025. This is a notable date for Tomb Raider fans, as it’s Lara Croft’s canonical birthday. The announcement of the new remaster comes shortly after the release of the Netflix Tomb Raider adaptation, starring Hayley Atwell as Lara Croft.

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered will release for PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Nintendo Switch on February 14, 2025.

The post Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered Brings Back Three More Lara Croft Adventures appeared first on Siliconera.

The best parts of Space Marine 2 come right before the swarm is upon you. Raining shells down on an undulating tide of teeth and tentacles as it surges over the colossal factories of an equally uncaring and murderous galactic empire, it's these moments that Warhammer is all about. It's just a shame that crashing your own hulking tower of ceramite-coated muscle into the fray is more frustrating than glorious.

But let's back up for a moment, a tactical withdrawal if you will. Way back in distant 2011, Relic Entertainment took a break from making Sci-Fi RTS games to release Space Marine, a action game well regarded for selling the power fantasy of Warhammer's inhuman poster boys. There were wonderously gory executions, a good spread of chunky, impactful weapons and a decent multiplayer mode that let you dress up your space men in your favorite colors. The story was mostly a macguffin hunt, but even that managed a few moments memorable enough to become memes or references still used in the fanbase today.

Flash forward to 2024 and Saber Interactive's Space Marine 2, which replicates all the original's strengths and weaknesses on an impressive new scale. That same punchy combat returns complete with visceral executions but instead of mobs of Orks you face swarms of the insectoid Tyranids, at least before the forces of Chaos inevitably show up. The roster of weapons has expanded to include things like heavy plasma guns and something like 8 variants of bolter, and instead of a contextless horde mode there are now PvE missions threaded into the narrative (a horde mode is planned for later).

First off, the environments deserve a special mention. It felt like every level in Space Marine 2 I was stopping to gawk at some awe-inspiring sight or another, from haunting war-machines the size of cities towering over a long dead world to the remains of a brutalist factory complex stricken by organic artillery. Meanwhile the skies are literally filled with foes that school like dangerous, airborne fish, enabled by Saber's touted Swarm Engine. And afterwards I would load in to the Battle Barge, the spaceship that serves as your hub area, and pore over the vehicles and armor on display. It's a treat.

But back to the action. Space Marine 2's third-person combat is immediately familiar if you've played the first game: blast chaff enemies apart with the satisfying ka-chunk of your Bolter, then wade into melee with an electric sword, a chainsaw-sword, or just a really big knife. Executing enemies replenishes armor, while dealing damage lets you steal back some of your recently lost health, á la Bloodborne. The stun system is gone, however, replaced with a parry-and-counter button that is at once the most satisfying and infuriating part of combat.

As enemies launch certain attacks, you will see a red marker if you need to dodge or a blue one if you're able to counter. Slam the button at the right time to execute it, with counters slaying smaller enemies outright or stunning larger ones ready for a follow-up pistol shot. I ended up enjoying these far more than the executions, in part due to them just being snappier, but they also felt more rewarding than just beating an enemy until they glowed red. The full executions were satisfying at first, but quickly become tiresome with how many elite enemies you have to deal with, and a ranged execute option would have been nice too. They do at least shield you from damage during the animation, which was a pet peeve Space Marine 2 thankfully doesn't bring back from the first game.

But the real frustration comes from just how fragile you are. Even basic 'gaunts can shred through your ceramite armor like tissue paper if they land a hit, and they aren't all polite enough to broadcast their attacks with colored markers. You can (and in fact, need to,) block and dodge these attacks but it's incredibly hard to do so in a large group or while focusing on a larger foe. Space Marine 2 makes you feel like you should be able to wade into a swarm and keep yourself alive through parries and counters, with the rythmn and heft of the Arkham Batman games, but instead you have to dance around packs of enemies until they're thinned out enough to pick off. It's here the game loses a lot of that super-soldier fantasy it was otherwise doing so well at building.

This parry system does feel like an improvement on the first game's stun mechanic, but it fails to solve the problem the system had where you could be overwhelmed without a satisfying counter-play. It's at this point I began feeling like Space Marine 2 was becoming a bit too faithful of a sequel, as the same issues with combat came back despite the games being over a decade apart. The narrative also fell in to the same trap of revolving around an uninteresting macguffin, despite it feeling most compelling as a more traditional war story. I was more invested in fighting alongside Major Sarkaana and her battallion in the first level, the human soldiers cartoonishly small compared to Titus and pals, than chasing after the nebulous Project Aurora in the final missions.

That's not to say the story was completely flat, there are some juicy hooks floating around. A now-demoted officer returning to his force to find them modernized and re-equipped, put in command of a squad who don't know him and can't be told his history, and a captain having enough trouble facing insurmountable odds without having to take on a troublemaking veteran several times his age and experience. There's potential there and it even simmers well for bit as your companions discuss you, thinking you're out of earshot. But it just doesn't meaningfully pay off.

Then there's the inclusion of the Chaos faction, the traitor space marines of the Thousand Sons. We knew they would be present from the trailers, but that doesn't mean they couldn't let the mystery simmer a bit. And for a while it felt like it was going to, as overheard conversations on the battle barge talk about strange malfunctions and unexplained occurrences. But then you just find a load of magic runes scrawled about a ritual site and the jig is up. From then on they're just another enemy that shows up some times, and while the more ranged focus is a nice reprieve from the 'Nids they don't provide anything especially new, or even narratively justify their presence. I'm not even sure they explain who the Thousand Sons legion are, why their armor is empty, or where the weird goat-demons come from.

A lot of chatter online has been suggesting that Space Marine 2 is only worth it for fans of the franchise, and while there's lots of greebly detail to obsess over I think it's actually the opposite. The game excels at selling the surface details, the heft of your marines and the scale of setting, but falls short of delivering really juicy combat or interesting narrative. There's clearly a lot of intended replayability through PvE and PvP modes the developers have said they intend to build on, but I just don't know if I'm going to be engaged enough by the combat to keep coming back. When it shines, Space Marine 2 can be really good but there's just a few too many irritating flaws to recommend it as much as I want to.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

The post Review: Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 Nails the Scale appeared first on Siliconera.

The first three Tomb Raider games will be released as a remastered collection for Nintendo Switch. The collection was revealed as part of the September 2023 Nintendo Direct. It will be released on February 14, 2024, which is also Lara Croft's birthday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk55TwWYTFg

The new Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered collection includes the first three games in the series, originally developed by Core Design. Each of the games has been given a visual overhaul, with new models to fit the HD look. However, the original polygonal PS1 look is also available as an option. The trailer shows off the new Lara Croft model, as well as glimpses of the Lost Valley from Tomb Raider, Venice and The Great Wall from Tomb Raider 2 and a brief look at Nevada and India from Tomb Raider 3.

This isn't the first time the Tomb Raider series has appeared on the Switch. The Lara Croft co-op games were previously ported earlier in 2023.

Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered will be released on Nintendo Switch on February 14, 2024. It is unknown if it will be released for other platforms.

The post Tomb Raider Remastered Collection Announced for Nintendo Switch appeared first on Siliconera.

A remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic,  the classic action-RPG from Bioware, has been officially announced as a timed PS5 exclusive. The teaser trailer debuted during Sony's September 2021 PlayStation Showcase only featured brief narration and no gameplay.

This remake isn't the only Star Wars project on the horizon, as Star Wars: Visions will also release on September 22, 2021 on Disney+. Visions is a series of nine short anime films animated by seven different studios, with Science Saru and Studio Trigger having worked on two shorts each.

The original Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was released on July 15, 2003 for the Xbox. It also appeared on PCs and mobile devices. Aspyr, the same company that seems to be working on the remake, handled the mobile release according to the trailer. There's no current release date for the remake, however.

The post Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake Announced for PS5 appeared first on Siliconera.

Three years of development time have been invested in Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, a first-person RPG from Aspyr designed for the DS.

I recently got in touch the Big Blue Bubble, the developer, to see if they'd talk to us about some of the history and intricacies of Fighting Fantasy.

Fighting Fantasy was first announced for both the DS and PSP as a collaboration with Bad Management all the way back in 2006. What’s happened between then and now?

Damir Slogar, CEO of Big Blue Bubble: This was a totally different project that did not involve Big Blue Bubble or Aspyr.

It seems like the extra time spent working on the game has really helped. It looks gorgeous. How long has it been in development?

We have worked on this project for over 3 years. Most of the time was spent working on the technology. The first playable prototype was ready in late 2008 and we used this to pitch the game to the publishers.

What was your primary focus development-wise when you started creating the game? Did you already have a suitable engine up and running on the DS or did you have to create one specifically for Fighting Fantasy?

Obviously the technology has played a big part in this project. Our 3D engine was designed specifically for this game but with the idea to all types of first person games on DS. We wanted to do something that has not been done before on DS.

How did the deal with Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson come about?

We met Ian at GDC 2007. I showed him the demo and he saw the perfect fit between our game and his IP.

Tell us a little bit about the story of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

There are a lot of plot points and encounters that have been taken from the book, some of which were given more detail and made into important central points of the story structure. The brief synopsis is that the player enters the Firetop Mountain Keep and in the end encounters its master, the warlock. During exploration the player will meet many hostile and not so hostile characters who will contribute to the story. The story goes like this…

Long ago, the old dwarven city used to be a happy place, but disasters struck one after another, beginning with the unearthing of an ancient evil hidden in the heart of the mountain. This was followed by the arrival of vicious evil creatures attracted to the dark powers that radiate form within the mountain. Today, the keep is in shambles and some of its parts are completely inaccessible. The rough initial interiors are inhabited by orcs, deemed to be the lowest of the monsters. The main villain tolerates the orc presence because their subservience can be useful at times. Dwarves also reside in the mountain and many, on occasion, prove friendly. Dwarves hate the orcs and usually hold grudges against all the creatures inhabiting or merely ing through what used to be theirs. Both races are weak in comparison to the horrible creatures found closer to the warlock.

You’ve said the goal was to bring a “next-gen” role-playing experience to the DS. What in your mind comprises a “next-gen” game? How are you approaching this goal on the DS?

There has been lot of talk about immersive gameplay lately. We wanted the player to be totally absorbed in the game and the best way to do this is to create a game that he couldn’t experience before on the DS. We looked at what games were available on DS at that time and found out that there is a big hole in the first-person RPG genre on DS. I guess the main reason for the lack of that type of games was that the technology wasn't there.

We sat down and made an ‘ideal’ list of features for our 3D engine (and the game itself) and then we went through the list to figure out what features were not feasible (at least in theory). We ended up not having to remove a single feature that was on our wish list. We had to do some compromises but we managed to achieve our main goal – creating a 3D engine that will high res textures, maximum poly count for the environments, dynamic loading of the content (environments, monsters and sounds), soft shadows and dynamic lighting. On top of that we wanted the game to run constantly at 60fps. Most of these features come as standard on any ‘next-gen’ games but no one did it on DS. Until now.

As I understand it, there are three classes in the game: warrior, mage and assassin. What are some of the differences between them?

Well, that has actually changed. You now start the game by creating your character any way that you want. By asg points in stamina, skill and intuition you can create a specific class that will match the stereotypical warrior, mage or assassin type of character but you also have total freedom to create the character any way you want. Your attributes and abilities will have a huge impact on the way you will play the game and different type of characters will provide totally different gameplay experience.

Does each class have its own skill tree or do they share a common pool of skills? That’s what “custom combination of skills” sounds like…

There are 4 main skills categories. Which ones you can choose will depend on your character attributes.

Do you acquire skills as you level up? I recall there are NPCs that teach you certain skills…

Yes. This is a very important aspect of the game. Not only can you add points to your existing abilities but you can also choose new abilities.

What are some of the skills we’ll have access to?

Some of examples of skills are Perception (increases your chance to spot hidden objects, secret doors and traps) and Veteran (gives a bonus on all experience earned). Spells are divided into 5 spheres and examples are Shadow (allows access to spells that draw their strength from human nature) and Elemental (allows access to elemental spells).

Customization usually plays a pretty significant role in western RPGs. Could you tell us about the extent of customization in Fighting Fantasy?

Character customization has a huge impact on the game. Every point you put in the character abilities or attributes matter and you can immediately see the impact.

There seem to be a lot of different locales in the game. I spotted a dock, some sort of armoury, a cave…will you be able to traverse freely between all these places?

You can go whenever you want if you are strong enough to beat the monsters occupying those locations. Sometimes you will have to finish some quest in order to move forward but you can always go back and fight weaker monsters in order to get more experience.

First-person games on the DS so far have been primarily shooters or turn-based RPGs. Did you use any other first-person games on the DS as a point of reference?

Not really. We looked at Metroid Prime when we discussed the control scheme but in of look/feel we didn’t really have any reference on DS.

If you look at FPSes on the DS, most of them seem to be fast-paced and with a heavy multiplayer focus…lots of running and gunning Since The Warlock of Firetop Mountain doesn’t have guns in it, was it particularly challenging to develop a balanced melee combat system for the game?

Well, you don’t have guns but you have spells and bow & arrows. As I said earlier character customization has huge impact on gameplay so balancing both melee and long range combat was very tough.

Something that a lot of these games do well on the DS is virtual surround. Dementium: The Ward and Metroid Prime: Hunters in particular made some great use of the feature. Are you aiming to include it as well?

Of course. You will be able to hear sounds of crackling fire you can see in the distance while an angry orc is breathing behind your neck.

How are you deciding upon which of the original books to turn into games? Is it going to be the Zagor trilogy, ie; The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Return to Firetop Mountain and Legend of Zagor?

Our original game pitch was very close to the story of The Warlock Of Firetop Mountain so the choice was obvious. As for the future plans, we will reveal them when this game hits the shelves.

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Aspyr's Treasure World is certainly something else. I'm hesitant to call it a game. It's really more an application that encourages owners to get out and explore their environment in the hopes of discovering and unlocking new items and rewards from ing Wi-Fi signals. That, and there's a pretty nifty music creator comparable to the one found in Mario Paint.

Wi-Fi signals are a lot like stars. At least, that's what the Star Sweeper says. He and the Wish Finder robot go around cleaning stars, and power their ship, the Halley, with the stardust from said stars. Except the Halley ran out of fuel, so they're temporarily stranded. The player is tasked with getting the Star Sweeper and the Wish Finder back to work. You go around with your DS on, finding ing Wi-Fi signals and collecting stardust.

There's something in it for the player too. As you collect stardust, you'll also occasionally collect rare items and treasures. Plus, when you trade in stardust to the Star Sweeper, he'll give you rare items. So it's a win-win situation. Since there are loads of items to find, chances are the game won't be getting old anytime soon. Especially since the "goal" is to find thousands of Wi-Fi signals.

The Wish Finder is supposed to be the Star Sweeper's robot assistant. It'll help you search for Wi-Fi signals, and just stand around looking looking stylish in whatever clothes you disguised it with. You can customize every aspect of it, even it's mannerisms. I found myself taking a little too much pleasure in testing out all of its reactions to being repeatedly jabbed with the stylus.

I was a bit worried at first, because I initially thought I'd actually have to have the DS connect to each Wi-Fi signal. Not so. Unsecured and secured signals are instantly identified by the DS and reward you with stardust and items. You can walk or drive past locations, DS closed in your bag in standby mode, and the game will automatically pick up on things for you. It's really an interesting mechanic.

One thing that may deter people from checking out Treasure World is that it doesn't look gorgeous and there's not a large in-game area to explore. In fact, when you're not hunting for Wi-Fi signals, there's little to do. That's okay. Treasure World isn't about that. You're supposed to work on creating music.

While some of the treasure items are costumes to dress up the Wish Finder, more are items you can place in your songscape, aka your immediate environment. See, every treasure item has a sound assigned to it, and your landscape is basically a music staff. You can lay the items out in a pleasing fashion to write compositions. Since there's a wide selection of items, you have plenty of sound options.

If your songscape actually ends up looking AND sounding good, more power to you. Once you start going for more complex compositions, you'll probably have to sacrifice looks for sound.

Sadly, there some downsides. Your compositions can only be a few seconds long. So no epic symphonies. You'll likely even encounter problems trying to mimic beloved songs. Also, it's very easy to accidentally place an item on another item when creating a song. There's no undo button, and if items are close together it can be difficult to grab and adjust the correct one. (Tip: Touch the base of the object, apply gentle pressure, then pluck at an angle to remove it.) Also, sometimes songs song better on the DS than they do after they're ed to Club Treasure World.

For those who are not musically inclined, you can purchase premade songs. With the click of a button, the fireflies will automatically set up the tune for you. You can then use this as your main theme, or personalize it with your own items. It's a helpful feature. Personally, I found it more fun to experiment.

Another interesting Treasure World aspect is the aforementioned Club Treasure World site. If you can connect your DS to Nintendo Wi-Fi, you can create an and page that mirrors your achievement and landscape in the game. For example, my page currently shows an original songscape I created entirely with some of the fairy treasure items I purchased from Star Sweep. (I like to refer to it as "Fairy Dust," though the game doesn't allow you to assign names to original creations.)

It also shows people what my Wish Finder robot is wearing at the moment and any awards and keys I earned. There are also forums and a Treasure Map feature coming soon to share what you've found from exact Wi-Fi signals.

Then, there's the star chart. When you find access points, you may also come across treasure. If you collect or purchase treasure from the same groups (constellations, clusters, galaxies), you'll unlock even more items in the star chart. It's staggering at times how much there is to acquire.

Treasure World also gets you thinking about how focused our society is on the Internet. On a brief excursion during my first day with the game, Treasure World found almost 200 access points that it ed as stars in my neighborhood. All within a five or six block radius. When I expanded the search to go to an area with many office buildings, hotels and a few apartments, the number skyrocketed to 522.

Treasure World is an interesting program. However, I had more fun when I wasn't actively using it. I'd toss my DS into my bag with the game on, go about my daily business, and then be excited at the end of my excursion when I'd see all the new signals I'd discovered. Or, if I had the free time and was a enger or walking around, I'd keep the DS open and be amused by the names people chose for their access points. The music program is also an interesting feature, but I didn't spend as much time creating new songs as I thought I would.

Food for Thought:

• While I liked the whole idea of using Wi-Fi signals to unlock items, I can't help feeling like its a kind of mechanic that should be a part of a larger game, and not the whole focus of the title. I'd have liked to have seen some Animal Crossing or simulation elements thrown in to flesh things out more.
• A way to make the songscape portion more interesting is to challenge yourself. Try to find a way to make a song using only items from the same theme. For example, only use winter or Egyptian items.
• The DS and Treasure World could actually pick up Wi-Fi signals while I was driving in my car. It didn't do so well picking up signals when I was on the L or bus.
• Three good places to find Wi-Fi signals: apartments, business centers and hotels.
• If you're around friends with DSes, have them put their units into mode, then search for stars so you can collect some dual stars.
• Try to search exactly when an hour starts. If you do, you'll find shooting stars, like 9pm orbit, 11am orbit, etc. These give you special puzzle pieces.

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Fighting Fantasy is a series of dice-based role-playing gamebooks created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The games take place in a fantasy world named Titan, and span 59 books, the first of which is The Warklock of Firetop Mountain.

Big Blue Bubble, known for mostly for their mobile phone games, are adapting this first book into a first-person DS RPG. The game will be published by Aspyr and it looks fantastic for a DS game, judging by the screenshots. There also seems to be a focus on customization and character development as in most western RPGs. From the press release:

Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain follows a lone adventurer on his travels through the old Dwarven keep within Firetop Mountain. Now the residence of an evil warlock and hordes of foul creatures, the keep is a mysterious and dangerous place from which no one has returned in many years. As players guide the adventurer through the many ageways and dungeons, they develop the character’s abilities and attributes to suit their play style. Enemies will fall before the player’s brute strength with sword and axe, power of the arcane arts, nimble quickness or custom combinations of skills. A wealth of weaponry, armor, potions and enchantments are equipped through an intuitive drag-and-drop inventory system while helpful (or not-so-helpful) NPCs provide guidance, quests, trade goods and skill training.

The game looks to be a real time RPG as oposed to turn-based, which is a nice change from all the turn-based games already on DS (and I personally have a great love for anything that's in realti me first-person on the system). Hopefully more developers try out games like these in the future.

Fighting Fantasy will be in stores this holiday season, and we'll definitely be keeping an eye on it until then. In the meantime, you can check out more screenshots and some awesome concept art for the game here.

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Treasure Troves, a game from the makers of a Nintendo DS SAT prep software and uh... Hello Kitty Daily... well let's forget about Aspyr's current DS offerings for a second since Treasure Troves sounds technologically neat. This Nintendo DS game has players physically scout out Wi-Fi networks with a DS in hand to unlock sound items. Once collected sound bytes can be arranged into musical compositions that can be traded with other players. Since the DS is easy to carry around Aspyr believes Treasure Troves will be like a real life treasure hunt.

Treasure Troves is conceptually grand if you're living in a dense city or campus environment where you walk a lot. Outside of those places I don't see Treasure Troves working the same way. Savvy players are more likely to "break" the game by reprogramming routers than trekking the globe with the game in their hands. The World Ends With You had a similar feature where you can scan for ESPers and rare aliens, but I can't recall a single time where I felt inspired to clamshell my DS with the World Ends With You inside.

Images courtesy of Linksys / Square Enix.

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