Crispy Gamer News

Natsume’s Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon for the DS has shipped to retail this week. The Rune Factory series combines the gameplay of Harvest Moon with the fantasy trappings of an action-RPG.

Rune Factory 2 is set several years after the first game after the evil Sechs Empire has been defeated, and the Kingdom of Norad is once again at peace. Things won’t stay that way for long, however, as strange disturbances in the earth warn that a new evil is stirring. It’s up to player to uncover this new threat to the land and bring peace to the kingdom once more. Over the course of the story, players will build and develop a farm, befriend townspeople, raise monsters, take on quests, and find a wife.

In a first for the Rune Factory series, the story of Rune Factory 2 is multigenerational. Players begin the game as Kyle, a strange man who comes to Alvarna Village. Eventually, players will take on the role of Kyle’s child, opening up a whole new adventure.

Rune Factory 2 is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

Fallout 3 is doing pretty well on the Xbox 360 and PS3, but the game is doing particularly well on the PC charts where it has managed to land at the number one spot for the month of Oct., according to NPD Group. Fallout 3 managed to beat out Spore and a new Nancy Drew game, as well as Far Cry 2, Warhammer Online and the ever popular World of Warcraft Battle Chest. With the new world of Warcraft expansion hitting retail this month, Fallout 3 better enjoiy its time on the top of the hill..

Coming in at the number 2 spot for Oct. was Spore, followed by Nancy Drew The Haunting of Castle Malloy, Far Cry 2, and Warhammer Online. The Fallout 3 Collector’s Edition also managed to land at the number 8 spot, shoring up Bethesda’s number for the game even more. top ten after the break.

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Atlus U.S.A confirmed plans to bring My World, My Way for the DS to the United States on February 3, 2009. Released in Japan under the name “The World Revolves Around Me,” My World, My Way is a different kind of role-playing game where you can dramatically alter the game play and the environment to change the way the game is played.

For example, you can alter the landscape by using different terrain options to change what kinds of places to explore, what kinds of monsters you will encounter and what kinds of items you can find. Players will also be able to use pouting as a means to get your way to make certain aspects of the game easier; as you pout you earn special points that literally force the world to behave the way you want it to.

The game is all about selfishness and having a strong will because it revolves around a spurned princess on a quest to win the affection of an adventurer. This adventurer doesn’t want a pampered princess, so you must go out and get some life experience as the less than charming Princess Elise.

While the storyline is as pedestrian as you might expect from a JRPG, the actual mechanics sounds like lots of fun. Look for My World, My Way in early 2009.

Namco Bandai Games America’s Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World has shipped to retail stores throughout North America and is available exclusively for Wii. The new Wii role-playing game continues the story of Tales of Symphonia for GameCube, while introducing a new monster collection system that lets players capture, evolve and do battle with more than 200 monsters alongside a cast of new and returning characters. The monsters collection part of the game allows players to nurture, evolve and use up to 3 monsters in battle.

Naturally you can expect some new protagonists, new conflicts and some new friends to help you on your journey. Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World for Wii carries a suggested retail price of $39.99 and is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB.

7-Eleven has teamed up with MMO company Nexon to get Slurpee lovers into their games. The company has set up a special promotiton called “Where You Play for Free” with the chain of convenience stores until Dec. 31, 2008. This includes four Nexon-branded 22-oz. Slurpee cups, each featuring different images from Nexon’s games: MapleStory, Mabinogi, Combat Arms and Sugar Rush.

7-Eleven customers also receive a collectible Nexon game DVD with the purchase of a 22-oz. or larger-size Slurpee that contains the four Nexon games. Each Nexon-themed Slurpee cup has an exclusive game code that is redeemable for customized 7-Eleven and Slurpee-branded in-game virtual items in the four games. The game code also provides 7-Eleven customers access to participate in the closed beta stage of Sugar Rush, which is scheduled to launch in early 2009.

Find out more by checking out slurpee.nexon.net

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cdv Software Entertainment today announced details on its limited collector’s edition of the upcoming Action RPG Sacred 2: Fallen Angel. The PC collector’s edition is available for pre-order exclusively through Amazon.com for U.S. consumers. The collector’s edition will be available in Canada through Amazon.ca, Future Shop and EB Games Canada.

This special edition will offer unique packaging, an extra DVD containing the “Elite Texture Pack,” a set of ultra-high resolution textures for users of high-end computers, a code to unlock the Carrier Imp (a special “pet” that transports the player’s treasure and additional inventory to its owner whenever summoned), a four-song music sampler from Nuclear Blast records, a printed map of the world of Ancaria, and an electronic version of the Sacred 2 “Art and Vision” booklet.

Sacred 2 for the PC is set for release later this week.

This week will see many highly anticipated games, as they like to see in the press releases. Of course, there will also be a lot of highly ignored releases this week that are geared towards casual gamers and tweens - but i’ve omitted most of those from the list below. so what are this week’s big releases. The biggest is the second expansion pack to World of Warcraft - World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. I suspect our fearless leader will be standing in line at Midnight somewhere in Florida so he can get in the action extra early. My prediction: MIA for the rest of the week beginning Nov 14..

Other big titles this week include Call of Duty: World at War, Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, the new Pokémon Ranger DS title, and Mirror’s Edge. Honestly, i’m really only excited about the new Call of Duty but I have my doubts about this non-Infinity ward developed shooter. Animal Crossing and Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe hit at the very tail end of the week (or the beginning of next week depending on how much importance you place on Sunday’s place in your weekly calendar).

While not every game on the list is a huge title there’s some other interesting releases being rolled out. Atlus’ Eternal Poison slides onto the PS2, Ascaron’s Sacred 2 hits the PC, FaceBreaker K.O. Party lands on the Wii, Pro Evolution Soccer hits multiple platforms. Full schedule after the break. For those of you looking for the new SmackDown vs. RAW game - it’s at retail right now.
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