King’s Bounty: Armored Princess released

1C Company has released King’s Bounty: Armored Princess. Developed by Katauri Interactive, Armored Princess is the sequel to King’s Bounty: The Legend which is a spiritual successor to King’s Bounty - which spawned the popular Heroes of Might and Magic series. Players take on the role of Princess Amelie as she travels the world of Teana in search of a renowned knight from the first game, Bill Gilbert.

This strategy game with RPG leanings promises new creatures, huge bosses and a new race, the Lizardmen. Players will have many new options to resist these new enemies including new skills and abilities, as well as a flying steed - a dragon companion to the princess that will do its best to protect her. The game also promises a new story-line, a whole new continent to explore, medals, the aformentioned pet Dragon which becomes more powerful as the player does, the new Lizardmen race, fast travel between opened continents, hirelings, the return of the classic system of contracts and headhunting, improved role playing elements including more abilities and the chance to achieve level 50 or higher, new spells, unique bosses (Driller, Gremlin, Archdemon Baal and many others) an improved game engine, and much more.

Armored Princess is available for download on Steam, GamersGate, Direct2Drive, Stardock/Impulse and from 1cpublishing.com for $39.99.

Blood Bowl: Dark Elves Edition dated

Blood Bowl: Dark Elves Edition will be released on Steam November 26, according to Focus Home Interactive. Blood Bowl is an ultra-violent team sport set in the Warhammer fantasy universe that lets players compose a team of Orcs, Elves, Humans, Dwarves and many other fantasy creatures before jumping into the bloodiest arenas in the realms. The sport game is both strategic and violent and requires tactics, and a lot of self-confidence.

Recently released in Europe where it reached first place on the PC charts, Blood Bowl will be launched in the United States on the Steam digital platform starting November 26. Preorders started on November 19th. A brand new version of the game will be available for American players via Steam. The new version features the original eight races and an additional playable race: the dreadful Dark Elves. The Dark Elves will have their own star player, cheerleaders, and play style.

More details, including a video of this new race , can be found at www.bloodbowl-game.com.

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce coming to Xbox 360, PS3

KOEI announced that it plans to bring Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on February 16, 2010. Before the snobs start crying about yet another Dynasty Warriors game, let’s make with the details. The Strikeforce vein in the series takes place in a mystical version of ancient China where warriors possess the power of Fury. This power gives them superhuman strength, lightning fast speed and the ability to fly. Taking the role of one of the 40 playable characters, players can take on single-player scenarios or up to four friends can go online to launch raids as a team or battle it out competitively.

Using voice or text chat to coordinate assaults, players go on campaigns to infiltrate heavily-armed enemy strongholds, clash with armies comprised of thousands of soldiers, or slay mythical, massive beasts like dragons. In single-player mode, players have the option to choose and command up to three AI-controlled officers to join them.

Earlier this year at the 2009 Tokyo Game Show, producer Kenichi Ogasawara of Omega Force took to the stage with Team Ninja’s Yosuke Hayashi, producer of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 to reveal details about a crossover within Strikeforce. As part of their collaboration, characters from TECMO’s Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 will appear exclusively in Strikeforce for PS3, while characters from KOEI’s Warriors Orochi 2 will make guest appearances in Strikeforce for Xbox 360. By completing guest character challenges, players can win the right to use that guest character’s signature weapon in combat.

Look for the game in February 2010.

Star Trek: D-A-C coming to Mac in Dec.

Paramount Digital Entertainment and TransGaming have teamed up to bring Mac users Star Trek: D-A-C via TransGaming’s GameTreeOnline.com digital distribution platform in North America. Star Trek: D-A-C is a top-down space shooter where up to twelve players can compete in intergalactic battles between Starfleet and the Romulan Empire. Star Trek: D-A-C supports online multiplayer, online co-op and single player gameplay across four different game types - Survival, Team Deathmatch, Conquest and Assault - in addition to a single player campaign.

Star Trek: D-A-C for Mac will be available for download in December through GameTreeOnline.com. The game is already available via Steam, Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and via other digital distribution platforms.

Tropico 3 demo hits Xbox Live

Kalypso Media has released a demo for Tropico 3 on Xbox Live today, giving would-be dictators a chance to rule with an iron fist on Microsoft’s console. The game demo is available for download Worldwide from Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Gold Subscribers and will be available soon for Silver Subscribers.

The demo features two full missions from the Xbox 360 version of the game called “Banana” and “Second Chance.” In “Bananas” the abdication of the old president of St. Helena provides the perfect opportunity for your rise to power. Now as the head of state it is your job to lead this small island nation to a new age of prosperity. In “Second Chance” a band of rebels led by your twin manage to drive you out of your own island. Taking the entire treasury, you hitch a ride on an old fishing boat, seeking refuge in your summer residence on the island of El Acantilado - but your most loyal followers are close by. Your goal in this mission is to build up the island and bring prosperity to it.

Grab the demo from Xbox Live Marketplace now. For more information on Tropico 3, visit kalypsomedia.com. Be sure to check out Troy Goodfellow’s excellent Tropico 3 PC Review before you go.

R.U.S.E. Multiplayer VIP Beta begins Nov. 30

On Nov. 30, the R.U.S.E. extended multiplayer VIP beta for PC will be made available worldwide, says Ubisoft. The VIP beta content will initially include two factions (US and Germany), three maps and a chance for players to experience some multiplayer features. After which, says Ubisoft, it will be updated on an ongoing basis with new content including four additional factions (USSR, France, Italy and UK), more maps and more game modes.

R.U.S.E. is a grand real-time strategy game developed by Eugen Systems that allows players to bluff their enemies to lead their nation to victory. It is tentatively scheduled for release during Q1 2010 on PC and consoles.

For further details on the game, visit www.rusegame.com.

Star Trek D-A-C now on PlayStation Network, Steam

Paramount Digital Entertainment, Bad Robot Interactive, CBS and Naked Sky Entertainment have released the newly-updated Star Trek: D-A-C via PlayStation Network and Windows PC through Valve’s Steam. The updated content for Star Trek: D-A-C will soon also be available via Xbox LIVE Arcade, with players that previously purchased the game receiving all the additional content for free.

Launching in conjunction with the Blu-ray Disc and DVD release of the Star Trek movie from Paramount Pictures on November 17, Star Trek: D-A-C is a top-down space shooter where up to twelve players can compete in battles between the Starfleet and the Romulan Empire. Since its maiden voyage on Xbox LIVE Arcade in May, Star Trek: D-A-C has been expanded with two additional ship classes, a single player game mode, several new pick-ups, a new map for Assault Mode, enhanced gameplay features and more.

Star Trek: D-A-C features NVIDIA 3D Vision compatibility, allowing PC players with that special hardware to engage in stereoscopic 3D enhanced battles. Nifty. Planets, ships, space stations, meteors and asteroids allegedly jump off the screen in 3D. Players with an NVIDIA GeForce GPU in their PC can experience NVIDIA PhysX effects including blazing explosions and reactive debris.

Other features include online multiplayer, online co-op, single player gameplay, four different game types (Survival, Team Deathmatch, Conquest and Assault), five ship types for both the Romulans and the Federation, music and signature sounds taken directly from the Star Trek film and lots of other nifty little features.

Star Trek: D-A-C can now be downloaded for $9.99 from Steam, from the PlayStation Network for $9.99 and will soon be available as a download from
Xbox Live Arcade for 800 Microsoft Points.