• Updated driver to WHQL Certified driver for GeForce 6 series only
• Adds support for GeForce 6600 series GPUs
• Added support for using HDTV over DVI connectors
• Added support for advanced DVI timing on all GeForce 6 series GPUs
• Updated Application Profiles allows users to associate color settings and store multiple profiles per application
• Added support to recognize and display monitor name in all control panels
• Supports 512 MB frame buffer GPUs
• Added supported for TV/HDTV setup in the nView Display Setup Wizard
• Updated Gridlines to for easier grid setup and management
• Microsoft® DirectX® 9.0c and OpenGL® 1.5 support

Gamers have been playing the North American beta of Risk Your Life for the past few months.
Here is a list of facts and info on the game:

Intro:
Presented in a full 3D world, RYL allows players to create their unique characters, define their roles, engage in battles and hand-to-hand combat via this internet adventure and watch their character grow.


No longer do players have to face monotonous individual games but they can now interact with hundreds or thousands of other players from all over the world and undertake the adventure of a lifetime together.

RYL connects players around the world together to venture into quests, players can wage wars between camps, develop their own territory/camps, gather their own parties to engage in friendly relationships with the community. Experience the new generation of online interactive gameplay in a fabulous fantasy world.

What is the background story?
There was once an empire with vast armies and a history of a hundred years of continuous war and bloodshed. This empire currently owns 1/3 of the western territories while the other four countries were united to forge a battle line. These four countries still have conflicts among themselves.

Ten years have passed without any war amongst these countries. With inadequate land to expand into, the forces of the empire start to look for a new continent on the western territories.

The emperor assigns his remaining armies led by his second son to the new continent to expand his empire. After two successful expeditions to the new continent, the emperor decides to enlist and encourage his subjects to colonize this new continent.

The Year 487 BC, the second prince becomes the ruler of the new settlement principality, representing the empire and imperial family on the new continent.

After 4 years, the occupants of the old empire begin to migrate to the new continent, first arriving on the southwestern edge of the continent and starting development of the new territory. They establish the base for the remaining immigrants from the old empire.

However, due to shortage of natural resources and manpower, they sought these resources from the mainland for the second time. Development was slow because of constant invasions and harassment by beasts.

The year 491 BC, the emperor suddenly passes away, leaving his first sons to inherit his power since he didn't have a will. The emperor's first son suspected a coup by his brother the emperor's second son and thus stopped the fourth group of immigrants to the new colony.

In the meantime, the second prince waited for his power and influence in the new colonizes to grow and organize an army under his command but the army was too slow in coming. He requested an emergency strike force from these colonies to assist him. Unfortunately his newly conquered colonies were attacked by enemies which resulted in massive damage to buildings and a weary army.

The Features:
Quest-based System
RYL has over 200 quest-based missions for players to complete. These quests vary for each race and difficulty for each quest gradually increases as the player advances. Players can party with other players in order to complete these quests, giving it a realistic MMORPG adventure effect.

New Improved Battle System
The completely revamped Battle System in RYL is the best in any real time FPS/TPS MMORPG to date. The action is fast and furious as you battle lowly creatures to huge behemoths in fantastic 3D landscapes. Use of special combat skills and magic spells is simple and intuitive, giving you complete flexibility in your combat strategy

Skill System
How do you upgrade the character in the game? The unique difference in this game is that the character's career and role is not decided at the beginning. These slowly become apparent as the character levels up and their abilities and skills increase over time.
Each time the character reaches a specific experience level, he/she can choose to learn special skills and/or knowledge and even receive special weapons so that the character may become a great warrior or receive a powerful spell as a mage, thief and so on.

Vision scopes
On a clear day with no mist, players can obtain a view of up to 1 km in distance. (In 1st person perspective, the eyeshot distance will be smaller).

Multi-part systems
The advantages of this game is that there are a huge number of armors, clothing/accessories, items and that can be purchased or looted from enemies. The gamer may use these to create a highly individualized character in the game.

What are the system requirements?
Minimum requirements
Operating System:Windows 95 / 98 / ME / 2000 / XP
CPU:Pentium III 400
Minimum RAM:128MB
Video card:GeForce2 to support DirectX8.1
Sound Card that can support DirecX8.1
2.1GB of available hard disk space
Mouse and Keyboard
Internet connection: 56Kbps minimum modem / ADSL / Cable

Recommended requirements:
Operating System:Windows 95 / 98 / ME / 2000 / XP
CPU:Pentium III 866 or higher
RAM:256MB or higher
Video card:GeForce2 MX400 to support DirectX8.1
Sound Card that can support DirecX8.1
Hard disk space:2.5GB
Mouse and Keyboard
Internet connection:ADSL / Cable

Are there trailers/screenshots I can view?
Yep, IGNIQ have the three latest official trailers available here for download.
Screenshots are available here, and a selection of artwork from the game is available here.

How can I get the beta?
The beta requires you to download the beta client, and create a login for the game.
Download the beta client here
and
Create your login here

How long will the beta run for?
The beta will be running 'til December 2004.

When will the game be officially released?
RYL is scheduled for release in December.

What sort of age group is RYL targeted at?
Risk Your Life is recommended for ages 13 and above.

Where can I find more information?
The official website, the website of developers PlanetWide Games, fansites such as rylsanctuary.com.
IGNIQ.com also have a recent review of the beta here, and we will post updates to our news page as we get them.

Just a few weeks ago our own Wesley Fink and I traveled to NYC to meet with NVIDIA and, more importantly, to get some first hand experience with nForce4 and nForce4 SLI platforms. As you'll know from our previous coverage on the topic, nForce4 SLI is the highest-end nForce4 offering outfitted with a configurable number of PCI Express lanes.

Players step into the shoes of Peter Wright, a communications designer currently working on the Government's 'Freedom of Speech' campaign. But when his neighbour's apartment is stormed by a SWAT team, never to be seen again, Pete is drawn into a breathtaking world of corruption, power and global domination which will set hearts and minds racing.

Developed by Ubisoft's Montreal studio, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith on PSP, DS, and GBA will fully leverage the strengths of each handheld platform. In their own unique way, each game will immerse players directly into the most compelling and memorable moments of the movie to produce the ultimate Jedi action experience! Multiple character control, devastating Force power and never-before-seen locations are among the key elements that will impress handheld gamers.

Read the press release

In Beyblade GRevolution the player takes on the role of Tyson, the hero of the TV series, in a storyline drawn straight from season 3 of the show. The story follows Tyson and his friends through a series of quests and challenging Beyblade encounters against a host of rivals as he strives to become the World Beyblade Champion and collect the ultimate Gold Beyblade collection.

The phenomenal success of Sonic Heroes demonstrates that the Sonic The Hedgehog brand is stronger now than ever. We are proud that our legendary mascot has retained his mass-market appeal, an integral element of the continuing multiplatform growth of the European arm of SEGA.

Cirondo forces players to look 3 or 4 moves ahead in an addictive game of attack, defence and sacrifice. Boasting a powerful game engine and a compelling theme, battles for galactic domination are resolved in a unique spherical environment, with pieces advancing or defending in arcs and circular movements adding a new dimension to interactive gameplay.

The object of the game is to conquer the galaxy by eliminating your opponent from the board. Challenge players in two player battles in the games lounge or put your skills to the test against an opponent that is masterful and merciless, powerful and unforgiving.... the crushingly dominant online machine.

"We're working on porting some more of the classic maps right now, currently de prodigy is in the works. We'll be releasing this as quickly as they are completed," commented Erik Johnson (project manager at Valve) on a CS fansite. "We're also working on one original map, which will begin internal playtesting this week. This still means we have a fair amount of work to do on it."

Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII [working title] will be an action RPG, and it is currently slated to release in early 2006. The game will be produced by Yoshinori Kitase, who directed the original 1997 game. Tabata Hajime, who directed Before Crisis - Final Fantasy VII, the mobile phone Compilation game, will direct Crisis Core. The character designs will again be the work of Tetsuya Nomura, who designed the characters for FFVII, FFVIII, FFX, and the Kingdom Hearts series, among other Square Enix games.

Read on

Ultimate Cheats has built a solid reputation for providing powerful, game-busting cheats at a bargain price. Now that you can update your product with new codes for free, Ultimate Cheats is the ultimate in value for money.

Demo Features

Free Roam (Beacon Hill)
# Outrun Race
Circuit (one event - accessible in world)
Downhill Drift (one event - accessible in world)
Stores (Car Lot, and Specialty Shop)

Quick Race
Downhill drift (same track as in free roam)
Circuit (same track as in free roam)

Online (full server, no LAN)
Downhill drift (same track as in free roam)
Circuit (same track as in free roam)
Cars
Player car - Nissan 350Z Preview

* Performance Shop
* Body Shop
* Car Lot
* Graphics Shop
* Car Specialties Shop

The 800-Pound Gorilla of Online Gaming is Ready To Play
[...]
"After more than four years in development, the wait for EverQuest II is
almost over," said John Smedley, president, Sony Online Entertainment. "We've
invested heavily on development of the game to ensure that EverQuest II has
the highest production values of any online game produced to date. We want to
deliver a game to our players that will provide an experience like nothing
they've ever seen."

Read the full press release

Would you pay $14.99 a month for this, especially when you know their main criteria for release is to be on the market before the competition and not the game being ready for release?

DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil continues the terrifying and intense action of the already classic DOOM 3, which Maxim and Computer Gaming World awarded "five out of five stars" and the Associated Press called "one of the scariest games ever made." Through the discovery of a timeless and evil artifact you now hold the powers of Hell in your hands, and the demons have come to hunt you down and take it back. Following the events of DOOM 3 and featuring new locations, characters and weapons, including the return of the double-barreled shotgun, DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil expands the terrifying action that fans and critics have been raving about. The title will require the full retail version of DOOM 3, and has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

"DOOM 3 defines first-person cinematic action, and the expansion pack continues right where we left off -- with a terrifying atmosphere, a new story and one of the most classic weapons ever, the double-barreled shotgun," states Todd Hollenshead, CEO, id Software. "Now that fans have survived the horrors and edge of your seat action of the original, DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil delivers players deeper into the heart of the UAC to uncover new secrets and technology used to destroy the demon force that's Hell-bent on destroying you."

"We are in development on Civ IV", Firaxis has informed [ComputerAndVideoGames.com] this afternoon, confirming recent reports hinting at the existence of the new sequel in the hit strategy-sim series.

More here

Microsoft have announced a brand new package for the online gaming service, incorporating a copy of Bungie's opus, a headset and twelve-month's Live subscription - all for £59.99 - a saving of twenty quid over the individual items

a portable Xbox console enclosed in a suitcase personalized with a bronze placard. Inside, a 15-inch, flat-screen, high-definition TV is supported by a pair of hydraulic lifts that push the screen forward when the case is opened. Two controllers, an Xbox live headset and Ethernet connection are also included for online and head-to-head play.

From the plot summary on IMDb.com:

Taking place two years after the events of the multi-million dollar hit videogame "Final Fantasy VII". Cloud Strife, ex-SOLDIER, and mercenary, struggles with his past, and decides to live a solitary life, in a peaceful town with orphans. Then one ordinary day, Cloud recieves a phone call for a job asking protection from a mysterious man named Kadaj.

Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo, all brothers, begin searching for their "Mother", and soon decide to invade the orphanage where Cloud resides. Tifa Lockheart, appears in the film; still working at 7th heaven she keeps an eye on Marlene (Barret's daughter) and other orphans as well.

Vincent Valentine, one of the hidden characters in Final Fantasy VII, apppears to be living in solitude as well, with some information regarding the scheme formed by Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo.

Barret Wallace, another character among the many in Final Fantasy VII. Barret seems to be wandering the world in search of a better energy source than Mako (energy that was used by the Shinra Corporation, infused in humans to make them better). Reno, Rude, Denzel, Zack, Aeris and Sephiroth as well!

* Several new nations, which in turn will increase the number of possible players to create some truly epic wars of ascension.

* A brand new interface making it even easier to simply jump in and play.

* A random map generator for endless game possibilities.

* New battlefield backgrounds.

* Many more exciting features!

Return to Mysterious Island follows Mina, a strong young woman alone on a round-the-world sailing expedition. Caught in a tremendous storm, she becomes stranded on the shores of a wild and apparently uninhabited island. As she explores her new surroundings, she uncovers artifacts, living spaces and technologies left behind by the people who came before her to this uncharted island.

Creating a new life, Mina builds a home from the remains of Granite Rock and uses her survival skills against the wilds of the jungle. She soon becomes aware of a figure in the shadows who, seemingly aware of her troubles, offers her assistance. She eventually identifies this figure as the unsettled ghost of Captain Nemo, whose body is located in the Nautilus deep below the island shore. Piecing together the hints and clues he provides, Mina must travel to the Nautilus, retrieve his body and give him a proper burial in order to free his tortured soul.

Take on the role of Mina and solve a variety of clever puzzles and use the various technologies found on the Nautilus to return to civilization or remain cast away on the island forever.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is another leap forward in role-playing with its combination of freeform gameplay and cutting-edge graphics.

In keeping with the Elder Scrolls tradition, players will have the option to experience the main quest at their own pace, and there will be plenty of opportunities to explore the vast world and make your own way. Numerous factions can be joined, such as the thieves or mages guilds, and each contains its own complete storyline and the chance to rise to the head of the faction and reap further rewards.

Oblivion is a single-player game that takes place in Tamriel's capital province, Cyrodiil. You are given the task of finding the hidden heir to a throne that sits empty, the previous emperor having been killed by an unknown assassin. With no true Emperor, the gates to Oblivion (the equivalent of hell in the world of Tamriel) open, and demons begin to invade Cyrodiil and attack its people and towns. It's up to you to find the lost heir to the throne and unravel the sinister plot that threatens to destroy all of Tamriel.

Q. Will the boxed versions of HL2 require any sort of Steam installations?

Doug Lombardi: During installation the user will be prompted to authenticate the copy and create a Steam account. After that is complete, the single-player and LAN games do not require an Internet connection.

Q. When will the tools be released for the mod community?

Doug Lombardi: Now that development on the game is done, a number of engineers are preparing the first version of the Source SDK for release. I don't have an exact date for when this will be available, but it shouldn't be too much longer and will send out word when I have an ETA.

We've definitely funded the ad and then some," Decrem said. "It's so impressive--the excitement around this and the numbers. People are coming out of nowhere to join in

K, EQ2 has now found its way onto my blacklist, but this is hopefully only temporary.

I'll start by saying this, yes you can have lots of customization with your character, not so much as SWG with weights, but facial meshes are yours to play with as well as wodes and hair (which has 2 tones, very unique look). However, with these customizations you get the worst hairstyles I've ever seen, they're just horrible.

Now the good part, the first 20 levels are great and focused and make you feel like an important part of the gameworld unlike most other MMOs out there.
You start up going to level 7 on the Isle of Refuge, there you are introduced to the new combat and magic systems and you learn how to link HOs (Heroic Oppurtunities) through your actions. Basically spells and special moves drain only one of your status bars (health, power, concentration) - power unlike SWG's rediculous draining all three.

Then you leave the Isle and have to become a citizen in either Freeport or Qeynos. After you become a citizen you cna start leveling again. At lvl 10 you choose your more specific class, and you can begin quest (which are quite good) for that specific class. Eventually you hit lvl 20 and can become the specialized class you want, personally I went with the warrior subclass of Berzerker an offense oriented tank.

Graphics and sounds what can I say. Even with what was previously thought of as "weaker" model of a nVidia card this game looks amazing.
I defy another MMO to even try the detail you see in this game; for the performance I get (feels like 15-30 fps) I can run the clip plane and shader details at 75%, I can run character models and draw details on max, environmental textures on max (high while in cities), particle bias on max limiting the count to 2 per each character on screen, flora on about 50% and shadows that actually look like shadows (at the cost of 8fps or so) all on a Geforce 5900SE w/ 128mb ram. Also have to mention they make extensive use of blurring and heat distortion which makes the game look as fantasy like as Fable at times, both of which can be turned off of course but you gotta keep them up for the full effect in this game.

This is also the only game that sounds perfect on my horrible onboard sound chip. All music is very well performed orchestral scores, and its everywhere: every battle, every discovery leading to knowledge about what happened, its all got a score. One thing that surprised me was the voice overs. Nearly every character has one and they either sound great or goofy depending on dialogue, but it really catches you off guard when an NPC yells at you as you pass by.

Obviously Christopher Lee and Heather Graham are in there (not implemented quite yet though) and I'm sure SOE will recruit other high profile actors and actresses as well, but they are already getting voice actors (which I can't name) from games like the MGS series, KOTOR, etc.

Now what am I? I'm a level 24 iksar berzerker who deals more damage then all guardians, and most other tank classes I've come across, however my strangely my specials are weak by comparison. And now my ability to actually maintain the aggro I hold so well (I hold perfectly while guardians struggle) I can easily die because of the difficulty of mobs from the last patch. At levle 24 (midway through the game mind you) they can hit for 700 damage, 700 damage while I (one of if not the most badass zerkers on the server) only has 990hp buffless and maybe 1400 buffed. That is two hits, thus you have to have 2 healers just to chainheal the tanks to keep them alive. Absolutely rediculous.

Item decay: really no point to it. Its there, once you die you go into xp debt for a short while (50% of gained xp is wasted til you get out of debt) and items take 10% decay. It cost next to nothing to repair and items never weaken or get ruined, so why even bother as its not working on anything I'd even consider a fractino of its intent?

Stability: none at all. This game is running so poorly server side that its not worthy of even looking at when it hits shelves.
I would NEVER buy a game that is so unstable as this is at its current state, all stemming from the last patch. Servers (mainly my xp zones) come down w/o warning and last however long it takes to get them up, I was soloing (which is getting harder and less beneficial which is NOT what SOE was promising) and my zone crashed 4 times, 4 times I came back and most of them I would have died had I not been riding a horse.

So what is EQ2 as of now?
2 weeks or so ago I started, last weekend I got to 20, now I find no fun in it. I know its beta and I do report bugs and feedback what I find unlike most of the noobs who get excepted who play to play, however, this game is one month from its expected release date and if it ships now with such huge bugs in stability, combat, healing, encounters, and quest it will flop miserably even though its still much better in beta then SWG is now.

This game is quickly becoming a game where you group to advance, just like EQ, its a game that has most of the good content (ie: Nagafen and Vox the two original EQ dragons) not even included until the first expansion, and its a game that is marketing is gonna push and sell based solely on its ungodly production values. As is now I would never buy it, if they somehow manage to fix these issues before launch then I may just.

There, the first preview to describe settings in detail, quite an accomplishment the scaleability is, shame its in such a buggy game. Oh bare in mind this is a game that relies quite wholely on pixel and vertex engines, so if you set your settings to minimul or basically no pixel based shading you will see flat textures with little to know design...something to consider.

Civilization IV, which is most likely the next game in the long running and popular strategy game series. Other unannounced games listed include three identified as "action" titles with the names Chronos (PC-Xbox), Enemy In Sight (PC-Xbox) and Rat Race (PC). Besides the titles and the game platforms there is no other info available on these games.

The proper authorities are investigating the theft and are continuing to investigate all possible leads to ensure there is no further dissemination of our creative content

• 30 second WMV 3.92 MB
• 60 second WMV 7.84 MB
• Extended 5 minute WMV 44.9 MB
• Bit Torrent package of all three 56.8 MB

With three weeks to go before the game hits store shelves, pre-orders for “Halo® 2” – the highly anticipated Xbox® exclusive from Microsoft Game Studios – have eclipsed the 1.5 million mark in the United States

Read more from the announcement

Jadedgamer.com: EverQuest 2 - A Sneak Peak

If I was asked to pick out the single, most important aspect of EverQuest 2, I would have to pick the quest system. After all, with a name like EverQuest 2, one would expect lots of quests. And one would not be disappointed, there are literally hundreds of quests to do at the lower levels, with every sign that this will continue right throughout the game. They range from the go there, do this or visit him type quests, to the more in-depth storyline quests.

GamePro.com: Everquest II Preview

Sometimes, it's the little things that count. The designers aren't just blindly adding to the cherished EverQuest II mythos. Many additions and changes are specifically designed to address particular gripes with the first--and still extremely popular--EverQuest.

Gamehelper: EverQuest Preview Part 1

Moving into the next generation of MMORPGs, a variety of options during character creation has become standard. Even with this expectation, EQ2 will impress with a multitude of options, including 15 different races, the option of being good or evil, and a variety of different eyes, heads, tattoos and body sizes to choose from.

Enemy forces have established an outpost from which to
launch reconnaissance patrols and conduct ambushes of
friendly indigenous forces operating in a remote
desert location. Reconnaissance of the outpost must
be conducted in order to identify the location of this
guerilla base. A Special Forces ODA, along with the
help of Indigenous Forces, must then proceed to the
proper safe location in order to upload their
reconnaissance findings to HQ.

The companies say they can serve ads to any gaming platform-console, portable console, PC, online network gaming, or mobile phones--as long as it's Internet-enabled.

Both platforms enable advertisers to target by demographic and geographic location, and adjust campaign duration in real-time. Targeting features must be agreed upon with game developers, and usually require players to provide opt-in registration.

I can tolerate a little product placement, as long as it's subtle and appropriate to the setting, but this is disturbing. I don't want adbots in my games or anywhere else on my computer

The first and most overwhelming thing about the new PS2 (aka the PStwo) is that it's tiny. Not just small or svelte or wearing some slimming outfit, but the new shape is a small fraction of its former self. Measuring in at 1"x9"x6" the PStwo can easily be overwhelmed by a graphic novel and can be stacked right next to some games with anyone barely noticing. As soon as we put it down on Tal's desk for an impromptu photo shoot everyone dragged out every other console they could find for a comparison. Aside from the PSone, the new PStwo is one of the smallest consoles in recent history.

Read on here

The global anticipation for Half-Life 2 has reached unprecedented heights, as consumers around the world mark their calendars to buy the game at retail on November 16th. The Half-Life 2 product will include Counter-Strike: Source. VU Games will also release a Half Life 2 Collector’s Edition that will include Half-Life 2 in DVD-ROM format, Counter-Strike: Source, Half-Life: Source, a free limited edition t-shirt, and a Half-Life 2 Prima strategy guide book.

Read the official press release

Various built-in cheats or methods to play unfair have forced us to close down the ladders because there is no way of detecting them. They will be re-opened when Valve has fixed them, and we have no way of knowing when that will be.

The press got a chance to play SWAT for the first time at World Cyber Games, the event I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. We caught editors from Gamespy, IGN, PC Gamer, and CGW playing SWAT and word on the street is that they got a bit rowdy.

• Nvidia Drivers
• ATI Drivers

• Intel Drivers
• AMD Drivers
• Via Drivers
• D-Link Drivers
• LinkSys Drivers
• Matrox Drivers

• Creative Drivers
• Terratec Drivers

• Windows XP Service Pack 1a Full
• Windows XP Service Pack 1a Express
• Windows XP Update Rollup 1
• Windows XP Service Pack 2
• Windows 2000 Service Pack 4
• Office 2000 SR-1
• Office 2000 SR-1 Express
• Office 2000 Service Pack 3
• Office XP SP1
• Office XP Service Pack 2
• Office XP Service Pack 3
• .NET Framwork Service Pack 2
• Commerce Server 2002 Service Pack 1
• Exchange 2000 Service pack 3
• SQL Server 200 Service Pack 2
• SBS 2000 Service Pack 1

• TGI Soft
• ThemeXP
• ThickSkinned
• Advancedcp
• Deskmod
• Deviant Art
• Tweak XP
• Win tuning
• XP theme
• Ruler graphics
• LightStar
• Institute of Ever-After
• Belchfire

• Unattented XP Guide
• Nlite Guide for stripping XP install
• Gary's safe XP tweaks guide for gaming
• Slipstream Xp Service Pack 2 - Guide
• XP Service Pack 2 - FAQ
• National Security Agency
  Security Recommendation Guides
• Installing Win9x when Windows XP is already installed
• Installing (Dual Booting) Windows XP and Win9x Together In One Hard Disk
• Black Viper's tweaking XP services guide
• 99 Performance tips for XP
• Gibson Research into Windows security

File sharing sites have the game listed for download, with one version weighing in at a whopping, not to mention credible, 3.95GB currently seeing a lot of activity. If this proves to be the game, it marks a worrying turn of events for Rockstar and the industry in general.

Many things to explore and enjoyable and the system is great so no body can just kill you or hack or thief you, which is great.

This is very enjoyable, a rumour of what I heard is that this is free till around February. I suggest you sign up now and enjoy this and get into this.

Players take on the role of Painkiller, an unusual mercenary who makes a living by exorcising vampires and other dreadful beasts from their lairs- abandoned prisons, private castles, deep caves in the mountains, extravagant haciendas hidden in the jungle. "Cleaning" those places is excellent money and helps our hero living a decadent lifestyle, until the day he is tricked into a war between two competing clans of the undead. An assignment to retrieve a religious artifact from one of the nests provokes a furious battle and he realizes he might have to play his own cards. Meanwhile, a young female journalist runs her own investigation and tries to uncover the mystery behind the witty,
captivating Latino who is the legendary Painkiller.

The Prince has to embark upon a path of both carnage and mystery to defy his preordained death. His journey leads to the infernal core of a cursed island stronghold harboring mankind's greatest fears.

Only through grim resolve, bitter defiance and the mastery of deadly new combat arts can the Prince rise to a new level of warriorship - and emerge from this ultimate trial with his life.

In order to accomplish his mission, the Prince benefits from a brand new free-form fighting system that allows gamers to channel his anger as they wage battle without boundaries. Each game fan will find his or her own unique fighting style as they manipulate their environment and control the Ravages of Time. You can dig into an arsenal of weapons that, when used in combination, create advanced arm attacks that verge on fatal artistry!

Microsoft has learned that a version of Halo 2 has been posted to various newsgroups and websites. We consider downloading this code or making it available for others to download as theft. We are currently investigating the source of this leak with the appropriate authorities. Pending the result of our investigation, we do not have further comment. Microsoft takes the integrity of it intellectual property extremely seriously, and we are aggressively pursuing the source of this illegal act. The launch of Halo 2 worldwide remains unaffected.

Last night a pirated copy of Halo 2 was released onto the internet. Needless to say we think this really sucks. Aside from years of hard work being stolen from us, we've gone to great lengths to ensure that the details of the Halo 2 campaign remain a mystery for players to experience for themselves on November 9th. Microsoft is currently engaged in a full scale investigation and to those foolish enough to partake in this piracy, you will soon witness the firepower of this fully operational battle station.

They're being very careful about getting a stable release out the door and with all the big reviews hitting the net I'm not surprised. It's looking to be something very special. The delays are not Vivendi sitting on a finished game or Valve not playing fair.