Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines

Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines is a video game exclusively for the PlayStation Portable and is part of the Assassin's Creed franchise, taking place in between the events of Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed II. The game was developed by Ubisoft Montreal in conjunction with Griptonite Games and published by Ubisoft, it was released on November 17, 2009 in North America and November 20, 2009 in Europe.

At one point the game was really exciting.It was the first Assassin's Creed I played and I can say that I was impressed by the speed of the game, the story and the graphics (for PSP it was great.Yeah.). BUT I hate the battle system.It's really boring and easy..Actually the whole game is really easy.The only challenging part is the coin search but that's not to difficult at all..I really liked the achievements.some of them are easy but others are tough.Time achievements, kill achievements, coin achievements and more.

At this point let's see the gameplay.

Gameplay

Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines contains similar, if not the same, gameplay to Assassin's Creed in terms of control style, although there were minor modifications to the control scheme, due to the lack of specific keys and buttons. Some features from the previous game, such as Eagle Vision, were removed for the betterment of the controls. Due to the system platform, the AI has been seen as somewhat inferior when compared to the first game, making combat easier and simpler. A minor addition was featured in the combat aspect of the game, allowing players to instantly assassinate a target when they are downed in combat.
Another difference between the two games is the amount of civilians present on the street. While the first game was filled with random civilians, Bloodlines has little to no civilians, explained in-game that the civilians were in a constant state of insecurity due to the new system of governance. Still, civilians will react to Altaïr's improper behavior, such as scaling buildings, and running around the streets.
Stealth in Bloodlines was downgraded, again for the reason of controls. Blending was downgraded, due to the system platform. Although scholars are still present in-game, Altaïr can no longer use them as a way to hide. Although Altaïr can still blend, it only acts as a way to safely bypass guards without raising suspicion. Scaling the side of buildings was made easier and faster, resulting in simpler animations, again, due to the system's inferiority. High and Low profile movements were still present in-game, though they were downgraded.
Taking the place of flags, a new collectible featured in the game are Templar Coins that can be used to upgrade health bars, and the amount of damage a weapon can inflict. Three types of coins are present in game: Bronze, Silver and Gold, with Gold holding the highest value. Similar to the previous game, Side-missions are available to players, such as saving civilians from Templar soldiers and performing specific tasks for allies of the resistance. The variety of tasks has been expanded, such as delivering letters, and intercepting couriers. In return, Altaïr will receive coins as a reward, instead of assistance from previous groups, such as scholars and vigilantes.
The setting of this game was based on two areas: Limassol and Kyrenia. The look of the area is very similar to some of the cities in the first game, going as far as having the same atmosphere. Due to the small setting, Horseback riding was removed in Bloodlines. Like in the previous game, Altaïr can synchronize from high vantage points around the city in order to map out the city. Although the map itself is already drawn out, synchronizing will provide the locations of various side-missions.
New assassination techniques were featured in Bloodlines. Weapons from the previous game return in Bloodlines, such as Altaïr's sword, his short blade, throwing knives, and his fists. His usage of each of the weapons is very similar to the first Assassin's Creed. Assassinations are also similar to the first game, although the animation has been toned down to better fit the system. A new, yet very minor assassination technique has been added to the game, allowing Altaïr to pull opponents off of ledges, similar to Assassin's Creed II.
In Bloodlines, cut-scenes are played through preset dialogue, with the character models acting in preset motions and gestures. Unique gestures were only present in confrontations between boss characters, such as Moloch and the Dark Oracle. Subtitles were also added to the game.
Story missions and assassinations were simplified and straightforward. As a replacement for eavesdropping and pickpocketing, missions were played in the same structure as Assassin's Creed II, with Altaïr handling one task after another and slowly gathering vital information from both his allies and enemies as each mission was cleared.
An in-game achievement system is featured in Bloodlines, which rewards players with Templar coins. Achievements can be earned after performing specific tasks, such as killing a set number of soldiers in a specified order, and also collecting all of the Templar coins located throughout the game world. Despite all the downgrades, a new feature is also in this game that doesn't apply to the other games: Altaïr can now regain throwing knives by walking over his used ones. Since pickpocketing was removed and was the only way to regain throwing knives in the first game, Altaïr can now reuse his throwing knives provided that: the knife he threw landed on the ground or an enemy; if the knife lands on water, Altaïr cannot reuse them. Throwing knives may also be regained by interacting with the newly added knife box in the safehouses.

 Epic leap 










The missions of the game are called Memory block 1,2,3 etc.Let's see the synopsis at this point.
 Note:on synopsis information about the storyline will be there for you to read.

Synopsis

Memory Block 1 The game opens with Altaïr leading an assault on a Templar harbor fortress in Acre, where Templars boarded ships heading West. Altaïr reached a balcony overlooking the harbor and found Maria Thorpe, the former steward of Robert de Sable (and his female decoy from Assassin's Creed), speaking with various Templar guards. Maria stated that she is to accompany the Templars to Cyprus, but the Templars reply that this is not a good idea, as Armand Bouchart is the new Grand Master of the Knights Templar and he does not hold Maria in high regard.
After her conversation with the Templars, Altaïr confronted Maria, and Maria asks Altaïr if he had now come to finish what he did not before. A battle ensues, in which Altaïr almost robs Maria of her life - but Altaïr decides to let Maria live a little longer. Altaïr interrogates Maria about the Templar's plans for Cyprus; Maria responded with a flippant joke: "Everyone deserves a holiday..." She then warns Altaïr that the Templars will stop at nothing to recover the Apple of Eden from him. Unshaken, Altaïr took Maria prisoner and discussed the current turmoil on Cyprus with a fellow Assassin. After learning that King Richard had actually sold the entire island to the Templars, Altaïr was determined to find out the Templar's schemes. He asked the Assassins to send a message to their contacts on Cyprus, informing them of Altaïr's imminent arrival.
Codex Scene 1: Altaïr is at a large desk strewn with books writing an entry in his Codex. He wrote that he does not know if the power the Apple of Eden holds is truly intended to be evil; but if this proves to be true, he hoped to have within him the power to destroy it.
Memory Block 2 Altaïr had traveled by boat to Limassol with Maria accompanying him as a prisoner. While passing through the port, Altaïr was stopped by some men patrolling the waterfront. After Altaïr reveals himself to be an Assassin and one of the men identifies himself as Alexander, a member of the Cypriot resistance, and the Assassins' primary Cyprus contact. Alexander asks Altaïr about the woman he is with; Altaïr refers to her as "Robert de Sable's girl" and says he hopes to use Maria to lure the other Templars into the open. Alexander offered to escort Maria to the Resistance safe house and Altaïr agrees, giving him time to freely look around Limassol.
Eventually, Altaïr reaches the Resistance safe house and learns from Alexander that the leader of the Limassol Templars is hidden inside the Limassol Castle. In order to have a chance at getting into the castle, Altaïr must assassinate the captain of the Templar Guards so that Osman, a man working as a spy for the Resistance, can get a promotion within the ranks of the guards. Altaïr leaves the safe house and assassinates the Guard Captain, after which he returns to the safe house. Alexander gives Altaïr the mission to go speak with Osman, the spy within the Templar guard ranks and deliver a coded message: "Wish his grandmother a happy birthday - he will trust you then."
Altaïr reaches Osman without being detected and delivers the message Alexander suggested. Osman laughs, praising his dearly departed grandmother, and tells Altaïr that he will reduce the castle watch so that the Templar guard leader, Frederick The Red, can be reached. Osman also tells Altaïr that the Templars have built an Archive of some kind on Cyprus, and are using it to store weapons and information. After this brief meeting, Altaïr headed back to the Resistance safe house to tell Alexander what he learned, and set out to infiltrate Limassol Castle.
Altaïr headed to Limassol Castle and infiltrates the castle, but was spotted by Fredrick the Red on the courtyard. A battle ensued, which ends in the death of Fredrick the Red. Altaïr escaped the castle and returned to the safe house. Upon entering the city, Altaïr learned that the safe house of the Assassins was under attack. Altaïr fought a wave of Templars outside the safe house, and finds Maria had disappeared. Altaïr manages to track her as far as the Cathedral square, where he finds the current Grand Master, Armand Bouchart surrounded by guards and berating the people of Cyprus for Fredrick the Red's murder. Maria suddenly appeared, shouting Bouchart's name. Her hands still bound, Maria warned Bouchart that an Assassin had come to Cyprus, however Bouchart received her coldly, and assumed that she in league with the Assassins. Maria was furious at this suggestion, but before she can object, Bouchart had her arrested and hauled away.
Altaïr chose to rescue Maria rather than follow Bouchart. He disposed of the guards holding her, and in return suffered Maria's insults for being considered a traitor by her fellow Templars. She warns Altaïr that she will kill him when she gets the chance. He responds by telling her that she will never find the Apple of Eden if he died. They both then returned to Alexander in order to speak about getting to Armand Bouchart. Alexander tells Altaïr that Armand Bouchart was the one who set the Resistance safe house on fire just before leaving for Kyrenia by boat. Alexander believed a friend of his, Pasha, can help Altaïr find a way to travel to Kyrenia. Altaïr left Maria with Alexander to go look for Pasha by the docks.
Altaïr found Pasha and asks him for the favor of travel to Kyrenia. Pasha makes no problem of this and also told Altaïr a rumor that secret artifacts were being shipped by the Pirate Templars via the Grand Ship headed to Kyrenia. Altaïr left Pasha to investigate the Grand Ship, searches the entire boat and finds the ship's manifest. It is filled with obvious errors and distortions. Altaïr returns to Alexander and Maria.
Altaïr stated he will head for Kyrenia. Alexander told him to meet with Kyrenia's Resistance leader, Barnabas; he is a friend of Alexander's and can surely help Altaïr. However, Alexander told Altaïr that he had not heard from Barnabas for a month. Altaïr says farewell to Alexander and leaves for Pasha's boat with Maria in tow. Maria struggled in order to get free from Altaïr, but complied in the end.
Codex Scene 2: Altaïr wrote that he does not know where the Pieces of Eden originally came from, but he was almost certain the Pieces are not of divine power. He felt the Artifacts were man-made in every way, modeled after the character of the humans and well handcrafted at the mercy of the beholder.
Memory Block 3 We find Altaïr and Maria inside the hull of the ship. Altaïr notices a ring around Maria's finger and compliments it. Maria responds she got the ring from her former commander Robert de Sable, for the high rank she has obtained within the Templar Order. Altaïr then speaks to Maria of philosophy, eager to convince her that the Templar view of the world is a corrupt one. He speaks of the curious teachings of the Greek philosopher Empedocles, who preached a bizarre precursor to the theory of natural selection. He emphasizes the importance of free thought, and warns her that the Templars' plan for peace involves mental enslavement. Maria seems to somewhat agree with Altaïr on this subject, but remains reticent.
As the ship docks in Kyrenia, Altaïr and Maria stand make ready to climb the ladder to the ship's deck. Altaïr cuts her bonds so that she may climb out, but when he is distracted by two combative pirates, Maria kicks Altaïr down the ladder and escapes. Altaïr deals with the pirates and escapes to Kyrenia's harbor. After a short while, Altaïr finds Maria among several men who have just saved her from several angry pirates. The leader of the men introduces himself as Markos, a low-ranking soldier in the Resistance. Altaïr asks Markos and his men if Maria can stay with them for the time being while Altaïr explores the land, to which Markos agrees.
Altaïr locates the Resistance Safe House in Kyrenia Commons and enters. He is greeted by a man who calls himself Barnabas and after a short chat with Altaïr, Barnabas tells Altaïr of Buffavento Castle, an old property the Templars had seized from an earlier heiress, and also where Armand Bouchart keeps his prisoners. In order to help Altaïr, Barnabas asks him to perform a service for the Resistance. Altaïr needs to seek out Jonas, a respectable merchant who Barnabas claims is a traitor.
Altaïr seeks out this man named Jonas, and interrogates him. Jonas speaks of a bounty put on Altaïr's head and the head of his female "consort." This does not bode well for Altaïr, and Jonas' disrespect causes Altaïr to take his life. Thereafter Altaïr rushes to the harbor to find Maria, who is currently being attacked by Templars along with Markos. Altaïr helps the two out of trouble, and Altaïr asks Markos to bring Maria to the Assassin's safe house in Kyrenia. Markos complies. Before Altaïr leaves, he speaks with Maria about 'The Bull' - a man Maria calls Moloch, the one behind their ambush. Altaïr then leaves to meet up with Barnabas and later meet everyone inside the Resistance safe house.
Once inside the safe house, Altaïr again speaks with Barnabas - apparently the death of Jonas has sparked riots throughout the city. Barnabas states that it is necessary for Altaïr to murder the fanatics causing the riot, and Altaïr complies. Upon returning to the safe house, he finds that Maria and Markos have arrived, but Barnabas is nowhere to be found. Altaïr speaks with Maria about this man named Moloch - specifically about his location. Maria realizes she has said more than she should have and warns Altaïr not to duel him, for Altaïr would not survive. Altaïr does not think twice and infiltrates the Kantara Castle where Moloch is hidden. Upon finding the Bull, he tries to assassinate him, but Moloch intercepts the Assassin before he can strike and throws him to the ground. A battle ensues, in which the end Altaïr takes the life of Moloch. Altaïr then escapes the Castle of Kyrenia and safely returns to the Assassin's safe house.
Codex Scene 3: Altaïr wonders why violence lives so heavily amongst people. Altaïr believes people could not live with one another, as man likes to kill each other over power. He believes the world is not made by the divine - to Altaïr the world seems the work of a madman.
Memory Block 4 Altaïr reaches the safe house and speaks with Markos, only to find everybody else missing. Markos tells Altaïr the Templars came in and took Maria, as well as everybody else. Markos also speaks of a Dark Oracle from Buffavento castle who was mentioned by the Templars, but Altaïr believes Barnabas was behind the attack. Markos is confused by this suggestion and tells Altaïr that the resistance leader Barnabas was executed the day before Altaïr arrived in Kyernia. Clearly the Barnabas Altaïr met was a Templar Agent.
Markos then tells Altaïr the Templars are executing fellow Resistance soldiers in the marketplace. Altaïr rushes to the marketplace, prevents the execution and saves the soldiers. Back at the safe house Markos tells Altaïr that some Resistance members are still imprisoned. Altaïr locates and interrogates a prison guard, who tells Altaïr that there is only one Templar who holds the keys to the jail cells. Altaïr can find this Templar at the Crusader Outpost. Altaïr then takes the life of the Prison Guard.
Altaïr rushes to the Crusader Outpost, kills the guards, steals the keys to the cells and heads back to Kyrenia Harbor. Once inside the harbor, Altaïr fights his way to the cells and frees the prisoners, but Maria is not among them. The freed men say that Moloch's son Shalim has taken Maria away in chains. Altaïr decides to speak with Markos about this. Upon returning to the safe house, both decide Altaïr should pay a visit to this Dark Oracle of which the Templars speak - for it seems Grand Templar Armand Bouchart knows every plan the Resistance has made.
Altaïr infiltrates Buffavento Castle in order to look for the Dark Oracle. He overhears Armand Bouchart and Shalim arguing over Maria's escape - apparently Maria has slipped from Shalim's clutches. In addition, Armand Bouchart asks Shalim to send a message to Alexander in Limassol. Altaïr is shocked to learn that Alexander has been working with the Templars.
Altaïr descends further into the castle, only to find the Dark Oracle at the bottom. She attacks Altaïr, leaving him no choice but to battle with her and in the end, kill her. Before the Dark Oracle loses her life, she babbles and cackles her devotion to her God's will, and that there is no undoing. After her death, Altaïr escapes the castle and heads back to the Assassin's safe house.
Codex Scene 4: Altaïr wonders about Those Who Came Before. "Who are they? What drove them? Are these so-called artifacts mere toys or were they created for a greater purpose?"
Memory Block 5 Once back inside the safe house, Altaïr discusses Shalim's position. Because Markos could not give much information about Shalim, Altaïr decides to track him down to learn more about the Templars and the Archive. He finds Shalim in the heart of Kyrenia, feasting on women while spending another's coin. Altaïr first decides to assassinate the men Shalim is traveling with, after which he decides to assassinate all the duelists feasting on women as well. After all these assassinations, Altaïr returns to Markos for more information. Markos sends Altaïr to ask help from the local scholars, since Shalim's lifestyle demands frequent confession rituals at the church. Altaïr then seeks out and speaks with a scholar about Shalim's confessions, only to find the scholar unable to speak about Shalim and the Archive in public, to which he asks Altaïr to return later.
Moloch's son suddenly interrupts the conversation by standing in the midst of the Crusader Outpost and speaking towards all passers-by. But this is not Shalim - it is Shahar, Shalim's twin, although neither the player nor Altaïr are aware of this fact. Shahar is a much more level headed man, arguing very rationally for loyalty to the Templars. When Altaïr then goes to speak with the scholar a second time, the scholar is killed by falling wooden crates from above. When Altaïr looks around for the cause of this incident, he finds a mysterious, masked Templar warrior on the rooftops. Altaïr gives chase, but after a long pursuit the mysterious figure escapes from Altaïr and is left looking for clues about the unknown warrior. He then finds Maria's ring when searching the last known position of the mysterious figure and decides it's best to go speak with Markos.
Back at the Resistance safe house, Altaïr speaks with Markos of the twisted ways of the Templar's doings and hopes to locate Shalim again. Markos mentions that Shalim can frequently be found in the harbor whenever ships full of lovely consorts arrive.
Altaïr reaches the harbor and finds Maria there, disguised as a consort herself and about to sneak into a palanquin headed for Saint Hilarion Castle. Altaïr decides to follow her in, but notes that the road ahead is full of Templars on the look out for both of them. Altaïr decides to clear the path, and quickly disposes of the guards along the road all the way to Saint Hilarion Castle. Upon entering the castle, the palanquin stops and Maria steps out. Two Templar Guards await her arrival and escort her inside the castle. Altaïr doesn't hesitate a moment and finds a way inside the castle.
Once inside, Altaïr eventually finds the Great Hall. Meanwhile Maria sneaks into Shahar's private room and confronts him about the Templars' wicked plans for the "Apple of Eden". She asks Shahar if Templars would do ill with this artifact. Shahar states the Templars have no interest in liberty - just order, by any means. At this moment Altaïr busts in the room, apologizing for letting himself in. Shahar calls on his brother Shalim to join the fight. Maria escapes from Shahar's clutches, killing two guards who try to stop her. Altaïr and Maria now stand side by side, faced against Shalim and Shahar. Altaïr smiles: "Two of them.. and two of us". Maria laughs at Altaïr and flees. The battle then ensues between Altaïr and the brothers Shalim and Shahar, ending with both their lives taken. Altaïr then escapes from the castle and heads toward the safe house. Upon entering the safe house, Markos tells Altaïr that the Templar ships are leaving the harbor of Kyrenia. This leads Altaïr to believe that is Templar Archive is not Kyrenia, for surely they would not leave it unguarded. Since all the ships are headed back to Limassol, the Archive must be there. Altaïr departs with kind words.
Codex Scene 5: Altaïr reminisces about his former leader, Al Mualim, and how his leader had betrayed him using the Apple of Eden, just because a single piece of doubt was in Altaïr's mind. Luckily, he states, he was able to embrace the truth in his mind and set himself free of doubt and disbelief.
Memory Block 6 Altaïr is back on Limassol, as he and Markos thought the Templar Archive ought to be there. Altaïr heads to the Resistance Safe House in Limassol to start an argument with Alexander. They both accuse each other of treachery, until Alexander reveals the contents of the message the Bouchart sent him from Kyrenia; the head of the real Barnabas in a sack. Altaïr despises this, and tells Alexander this was not the man who met with him in Kyrenia. Additionally, Alexander tells tales of how Templars have been murdering and pillaging around the city of Limassol while Altaïr was away. Additionally, false reports of Altaïr's alleged treachery (the death of Jonas) spread fast, and many Resistance leaders have since turned against Altaïr.
Altaïr wants the heads of those responsible for the murders and pillages, and heads out to the marketplace, where he fights and kills the Templar Duelist Captain. He then heads to the Templar pirate ship in the harbor and slays its captain. Finally, Altaïr heads for the new Templar Captain in the Limassol Cathedral Square. Altaïr starts a fight with the man, and in the end, takes his life as payment.
Altaïr learns of recent murders in the ports, and interrogates the Port Watchman to find out what happened. The man states he does not know, but his men were killed last night while a Templar Captain had the watch over the port. The Templar Captain is presumably praying over at the Cathedral, and Altaïr sends out to find this man. Upon finding the Templar he flees, sending multiple waves of Templars. Altaïr slays them all, interrogates the Templar Captain and find his answers lie with a man named Demetris, a rich tailor in the marketplace. Altaïr then assassinates the Templar Captain and heads for Demetris.
Upon entering Demetris's house, he finds Demetris surrounded by women. Altaïr confronts Demetris, accusing the merchant of accepting bribes to sneak Bouchart back into Limassol. Demetris claims to know nothing about this. Altaïr puts more pressure on Demetris to speak truthfully, but the merchant is killed by a throwing knife in the back. Altaïr tries to follow, only to again find the mysterious Templar standing up and speeding away. Altaïr climbs to the roof as fast as he can, but the mysterious Templar warrior is already gone. Altaïr decides it's best to speak with Alexander at this point and returns to the Resistance safe house.
But upon entering the safe house, Altaïr does not find Alexander. Instead, Altaïr finds a note left by Alexander, stating that he has a plan and needs Altaïr to come to the courtyard inside the Limassol Castle. Altaïr then rushes to the Limassol Castle, but reminds himself to stay cautious. After passing through the gates of Limassol Castle, he finds Alexander's lifeless body laying in the middle of the courtyard.
The mysterious Templar warrior appears, unmasked, and speaks to Altaïr as if he was already a dead man. This is the same man who previously named himself as Barnabas: the Templar Agent. Suddenly, the townspeople of Limassol breach the castle gate. They are hunting for Altaïr. As the rioting mob closes in Altaïr pulls the Apple of Eden from his belt and uses it. He tells them that they have been lied to and that they must rally their soldiers against the Templars so that Cyprus can be theirs once more. The people stand in confusion and hypnosis, and exit. The Templar above is quite pleased to find the Apple of Eden so close, and intends to claim it. But before he can attack Altaïr, the steel tip of a sword bursts through his chest, pushed by Maria's hand. The mysterious Templar Agent falls thirty feet to the courtyard floor, dead.
Maria speaks to Altaïr about the Apple of Eden as well, as Altaïr warns that it is a powerful weapon in the wrong hands. Maria remarks that she does not know if Altaïr hands are the "right hands" as well. At that moment, a Templar ambush appears at the courtyard, and Maria orders Altaïr to follow her up the stairs. However, Altaïr is already closed in and has to fight waves and waves of Templars. After fighting off the ambush, Altaïr runs up the stairs and passes through the hidden door inside the wall he had previously seen Maria escape through.

Memory Block 7 Altaïr now suddenly finds himself inside the Templar Archive, hidden well under Limassol Castle. His final mission is to assassinate Armand Bouchart, the Grand Master of the Order of Templars. Altaïr fights through the entire Templar Archive, and finds Maria already fighting with Armand Bouchart. Armand is a skillful fighter and sends Maria flying across the room just as Altaïr intercepts them. Altiar goes to Maria and as soon as he finds out she'll live. Altaïr confronts Armand Bouchart, who spins a tale about the Archive, claiming it had been the best kept secret on Cyprus for many decades. Unfortunately, the former Cypriot Emperor Isaac Comnenus had been a foolish man and through his idiocy, forfeited the island to King Richard. Fearing the Archives would be discovered by the English king, the Templars purchased the island from him - an island they basically controlled for free under Comnenus's rule. But that time had passed and the Templars had moved on. While Altaïr was in Kyrenia, the Templars managed to empty the Archive of all artifacts and ship them elsewhere. Armand Bouchart states that Altaïr must instead be left behind.
After a cruel and skillful battle, Altaïr stabs Armand Bouchart, to which the Templar says that Altaïr indeed lives up to the tendencies of his creed. Altaïr says Armand Bouchart did not do the same for the Templars, as the Templars lost the true meaning of their creed. Armand Bouchart states it as "Just expanding the horizon." Altaïr then states the Apple of Eden will not be in anyone's hands but his own, for the sake of peace throughout the holy land, to which Armand Bouchart responds he should hold onto it dearly, and warns Altaïr that in time he will come to the same conclusions the Templars did.
Altaïr leaves Armand Bouchart to die and meets up with Maria who has been laying unconscious during the battle. They both opt to escape the Templar Archive - but all the while, the Archive is falling to pieces fast. Altaïr boosts Maria up to the upper floors of the archive while climbing after her, and they barely make their escape before everything tumbles down.
After escaping Limassol Castle, Altaïr and Maria walk up to the docks, both speaking of what life will hold for the both of them now. Maria tells Altaïr that she no longer wants to be a Templar, nor wishes to look for the original spirit the Templars were once formed in. She does not wish to return to England either. She mentions she will travel for a while, somewhere far East - to India perhaps, or further.
Maria then asks Altaïr of his plans. Altaïr reminisces about his former devotion to the Creed, but realizes his life's purpose changed dramatically since the death of Al Mualim. Altaïr speaks of his curiosity about the Apple of Eden, not out of greed, but out of pure intellectual wonder. He hopes to learn everything he can about the artifact; why it is here and to what end it was created. Maria states that such a thing is a bit much to learn in one lifetime, but Altaïr states that "one lifetime just might be enough." Maria then asks Altaïr where he will continue his journey. Altaïr responds, "East..." and walks away from the port. Maria turns to follow.
Codex Scene 6: Altaïr writes and wonders why life is formed around chaos, around warfare and around murder. Yet, despite this, the world received such gifts as the Apple of Eden. What is mankind's purpose? As Altaïr continues scribbling in his Codex, Maria enters and leans over his shoulder to look at his writing.

I don't like critics and such but for this time and only I will upload it.

Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines has received an average reception from critics. It received a 5.5 from GameSpot which praised its sound-effects but heavily criticized the platforming, small areas and over-emphasis on combat neglecting other areas.However IGN gave it a 6.9 criticizing its repetitive sound effects as well as one dimensional combat but praising the game's visuals. GameSpy gave the game a 2.5 out of 5 praising its faithfulness to the series and its gameplay though heavily criticizing its environments, repetitive gameplay as well as poor script and voice-acting. Gamezone's Louis Bedigian gave the game a 5.3/10, saying the game is "Generic at best, Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines is a great example of what can be done on the PSP visually, but should in no way be considered an example of great gameplay

                                                                                                                 That's all for now.
                                                                                      Marixos04 :)

Final Fantasy: Crisis Core

Hello my next preview will be Final Fantasy:crisis core playable only in PSP (playstasion portable) thats a shame tho because it was a really good game with a nice story to unfold and a really big map to explore.Hajime Tabata was the game's director and Tetsuya Nomura the game's character designer.The thing that I really liked was that there were so many side quests and missions to take that you could actually spent many hours without changing the course of  history.there were also some optional choices to take like phrases and other stuff.Like any other Final fantasy,crisis core is also a RPG game with many attack combinations and spells.A new feature that was really helpful at one point was the fusion materia which took me a while to fully understand it.However if you can handle it early in the game as you are supposed things will become so SO easy.There was also one thing that I did not like the modulating phase and the battle system.at first it was good but after ten thousand battles it becomes boring-angrymaking system.

Okay on with the story then!


Story

The game starts off with SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack Fair on an airborne vehicle with order given from Angeal to take down all the Wutai soldiers that are disguising themselves in Shinra troops uniforms. SOLDIERs Zack Fair and Angeal are dispatched to Wutai to support Shinra in their war. In the outcome, Angeal disappears, and Zack is appointed to find the other missing SOLDIER, Genesis, in the town of Banora. Zack and Tseng find that Genesis and Angeal have betrayed Shinra, but are forced to retreat as the village is destroyed by Shinra. Upon Wutai's war ending, Shinra's armies, with Zack and Sephiroth are assigned to kill Genesis and Angeal. Genesis creates an army of copies of himself to attack Shinra headquarters with help from Dr. Hollander who has sworn revenge against Shinra. After the forces are defeated, Zack and Sephiroth track down Hollander's secret laboratory in a Midgar mako reactor, and learn that Hollander, had used both Genesis and Angeal as part of Project G, an early attempt to create soldiers infused with Jenova Cells. They are found by Genesis and Hollander, with the former facing Sephiroth and the latter escaping as Zack chases him. Zack is stopped by Angeal intent on keeping Hollander alive as he wants to find a way to return to be normal, and knocks him into the slums of Midgar.

Zack recovers to find Aerith tending over him. After both spend some time together, Zack returns to SOLDIER headquarters which is being attacked by Genesis. On his way, Zack allies with Angeal who has hesitations about his actions. As Angeal, Zack and Sephiroth protect the headquarters, Angeal confronts Genesis, but both go missing once again. Zack is then ordered to investigate Modeoheim where Genesis has been spotted; en route, Zack meets Shinra infantry soldier Cloud, quickly becomes friends with him. Near Modeoheim, Zack encounters and defeats Genesis who then appears to commit suicide by throwing himself into the depths of a facility. Zack travels to Modeoheim and finds both Angeal and Hollander. Angeal mutates when attacked by copies of himself, and Zack is forced to kill him. Before he dies, Angeal gives Zack his Buster Sword, telling him to protect his honor. Zack, distraught over the death of his mentor, goes back to the Sector 5 church, where he is comforted by Aerith.
Sometime later, Shinra continues chasing Hollander who is protected by new Genesis' copies as the original is still alive. Zack returns to Midgar to protect Aerith after learning they also appeared there, and leaves her with an Angeal copy that seems to be protecting her. Zack travels with Sephiroth and Cloud to investigate a mako reactor near Nibelheim. While checking the reactor Sephiroth discovers from Genesis that he was an experiment, implanted with cells of the extraterrestrial Jenova. Genesis explains his body is degrading and needs Sephiroth's cells which avoid his body to degrade, but he refuses. A week later, Sephiroth sets Nibelheim's town ablaze and goes to the Mako reactor to take Jenova's body. While Zack fails to stop Sephiroth, Cloud throws Sephiroth into Mako, causing his body to disappear. Zack awakes to find that he and Cloud have become part of Dr. Hojo's experiments on Jenova cells and Mako exposure; while Zack is unaffected by the Jenova cells, Cloud is unable to move on his own. Zack helps Cloud to escape and they quickly become high priority targets for the Shinra forces. While fleeing, Zack learns that Genesis and Hollander, the latter has become a Genesis copy, are still trying to stabilize his mutation. As Cloud is the only one carrying Sephiroth's pure cells due to the experiments, they plan to use him.

Hollander tries to reach Cloud, but is killed by Zack. Zack then finds Director Lazard who, now inflicted as an Angeal clone, tried to ally with Hollander to exact his revenge on Shinra. Lazard directs Zack to the remains of Banora to find Genesis, while Zack leaves Cloud with him. Zack enters into a cavern exposed to the Lifestream where he encounters Genesis who heals his body absorbing it and tries to kill Zack. Zack manages to defeat Genesis and returns to the surface with him. There, Zack finds that Shinra attacked Lazard and Cloud but the former was able to hold them back at the cost of his life. The Angeal copy that guarded Aerith had come to fight for Zack and was killed. Zack discovers a note he had carried from Aerith, and learns he had been used as an experiment for more than four years. Zack takes Cloud to Midgar before Genesis is collected by two soldiers.
Shinra discovers Zack and Cloud on the barren terrain outside Midgar. Leaving Cloud hidden away, Zack fights off against an enormous number of Shinra troops, and is ultimately fatally wounded. Cloud manages to crawl to Zack's body after Shinra has left, and Zack, in his dying breath, bequeaths the Buster Sword to Cloud as Angeal had done to him. Cloud begins to walk back to Midgar, while Zack's body is taken to the Lifestream by Angeal. The epilogue recreates the opening scenes of Final Fantasy VII.

Gameplay

Crisis Core is an action role-playing game in which the player controls the main character Zack through the game's storyline. During the main story of the game, the player moves Zack through and between open areas, allowing him to talk with non-playable characters, interact with the environment, or encounter monsters in battle. At any save point in these areas, the player may opt to take one of many side missions that are available; if selected, Zack is moved to a special area to complete the mission, usually to defeat one or more monsters. If the mission is successfully completed, the player is rewarded with one or more items, and often one or more new missions become available. Whether the mission is completed successfully or if Zack falls in battle, Zack is returned to the save point at the end. If Zack should fall in battle during the main story combat, the player will be forced to restart from their last saved game.

Crisis Core uses a real-time combat system in which the player can move Zack around, initiate attacks, special abilities, spells, or item use, and have Zack block or dodge an attack. Zack's abilities in battle are set by what materia he is equipped with. Up to six materia can be equipped, and can impart special attacks, magic spells, or passive bonuses such as bonuses to Zack's health meter or the ability to display the statistics of the current foe in combat. Materia are gained throughout the game through exploration, rewards from side missions or spoils of war, or from shops. Materia can be fused together to make more powerful versions with improved bonuses; for example, fusing an attack skill materia with an elemental magic materia can create a new attack skill materia that inflicts elemental magic damage in addition to physical damage. Special items collected in the game can also be used in materia fusion to further increase the materia's power.

Crisis Core uses a slot machine-like mechanic to affect the combat system. The "Digital Mind Wave" (DMW) features two sets of three spinning wheels; one set with numbers one through seven, and another with pictures of characters that Zack befriends during the game. The DMW automatically spins as long as Zack has at least 10 Soldier Points; Soldier Points are awarded to the player by defeating foes. If the DMW stops with the same three pictures lined up, Zack will then perform an appropriate Limit Break attack or ability that can greatly harm an enemy or significantly heal Zack. Additionally, in this case, if the number slots give two or more of the same number, the materia in that slot will power up. Should the numbers line up as "777", Zack will gain an experience level, increasing his health, soldier points, and ability points in combat. Otherwise, if there is no match on the pictures, matching numbers on the slots will still grant temporary bonuses in battle such as limited invincibility or zero-cost use of skills and abilities. The chance of matching pictures is tied to the current Limit level, which is raised by taking damage in battle and reduced upon successful matches, and after certain storyline events, through heightened emotions towards a specific character. After collecting certain items in the game, the pictures on the DMW may also randomly change to summonable creatures, which have more destructive and beneficial Limit Breaks should the pictures match up.

Following the completion of the game, the player will obtain a New Game Plus option. The North American and European releases of Crisis Core have an added difficulty mode to the game which increases the power and health of the enemies in the game.

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Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

   Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an upcoming single-player action role-playing game for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.Ken Rolston, the lead designer of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, acts as the game's executive designer. Additionally, noted fantasy author R.A. Salvatore created the game universe and lore, with Todd McFarlane, creator of Spawn, working on the artwork.It is being developed by 38 Studios and Big Huge Games. The game will be released on February 7, 2012 in North America and February 10, 2012 in Europe. The first public demonstration was at the Penny Arcade Expo East 2011 held in Boston, Massachusetts, United States on March 11, 2011.

Gameplay:

   Kingdoms of Amalur will feature "5 distinct regions, 4 playable races, and 3 class trees with 22 abilities per tree."The 4 playable races are the Almain (noble Humans) the Ljosalfar (Light Elves), the Dokkalfar (Dark Elves), and the Varani (nomadic Humans).The 3 class (or ability) trees are Might, Finesse, and Sorcery; they correspond to the fighter, rogue, and mage classes respectively.The player starts off as a "blank slate," waking up in a pile of corpses after returning from the dead. The game will utilize a unique "destiny" system, whereby the player can invest in a skill-tree system to unlock various "destinies," which acts as the class system for the game. Combat works based on the timing of button presses, similar to the style of an action RPG, with occasional quicktime events like those in the God of War series. Lead combat designer Joe Quadara, however, emphasized that "twitch skill is only going to get you so far. Strategy and proper RPG playing is going to get you farther." 38 Studios founder Curt Schilling said that the style of the game would be a marriage between God of War and Oblivion.

Development:

   38 Studios, owned by former baseball pitcher Curt Schilling, originally began developing the Amalur universe for use in an MMO, codenamed 'Copernicus'. After acquiring Big Huge Games in 2009, the studio decided to transform the project into a single-player RPG, as Ken Rolston and his team had already been working on an RPG while Big Huge Games was part of THQ.Currently, there are still plans to expand the Amalur universe into an MMO after the release of Reckoning.

More about this game:

   An open-world action RPG, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is set in Amalur, a rich and deeply immersive world underpinned by 10,000 years history, created by 22 time New York Times bestselling author, R.A. Salvatore. Immersing players in a rich, living, breathing open-world dripping with magic and rife with danger, underpinned by strong storytelling, Reckoning lets players define their destiny as they engage in intense action combat while exploring the huge, vibrant and varied world of Amalur as envisioned by the visionary creator of Spawn and acclaimed artist, Todd McFarlane.

    Designed by open-world RPG legend Ken Rolston, Reckoning offers players unparalleled choice in a world of infinite possibility. Together, the visionaries and development team behind Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning are creating a game that aims to forever change the RPG genre.

Published by: Electronic Arts
Developed by: Big Huge Games
Genre: RPG
Release Date:
US: Feb 07, 2012
Australia: Dec 31, 2012
UK: Feb 07, 2012
Mature
Also Available On: PlayStation 3 Xbox 360
Also known as: Kingdoms of Amalur

Dragon Age II

 

   Dragon Age II is a fantasy RPG developed by BioWare's Edmonton studios, and published by Electronic Arts. It is the second major game in BioWare's Dragon Age franchise. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Mac OS X on March 8, 2011 in North America, March 10, 2011 in Australia and March 11, 2011 in Europe.

   Set in the same mythical world introduced in Dragon Age: Origins, the player assumes the role of Hawke, a human mage, warrior, or rogue who arrives in the city of Kirkwall as a lowly refugee but becomes its legendary champion over a turbulent decade of political and social conflict.



                                                                              Plot:

Set in the mythical world of Thedas, Dragon Age II tells the story of Hawke, who fled the nation of Ferelden during the events of Dragon Age: Origins and traveled across the Waking Sea to the Free Marches and the city of Kirkwall as a refugee. Within the span of a decade, Hawke would rise in power and influence to become the legendary "Champion of Kirkwall", and the center of events that change the course of Thedas forever. The game focuses on Hawke's rise to power and is framed through flashbacks by one of Hawke's old companions, Varric, who relates the Champion's "true story" to Cassandra Pentaghast, a Seeker of Thedas' religious Chantry. Hawke's companion characters are Aveline (a former Fereldan soldier who joins the Kirkwall City Guard), Varric (a crossbow wielding dwarf with a penchant for storytelling), Fenris (an elf and former slave in the Tevinter Imperium), Merrill (a Dalish elf rejected by her clan), Isabela (a pirate captain stranded in Kirkwall after her ship crashed), and Anders (a former Grey Warden). The Exiled Prince DLC adds Sebastian Vael, a Prince of Starkhaven who comes to Kirkwall seeking aid after his family is deposed.

                                                      Bonus and downloadable content:

   Orders placed before January 11, 2011 were automatically upgraded to the Dragon Age II: BioWare Signature Edition, with additional content.Orders placed before March 8 qualify for pre-order bonuses.In an attempt to discourage purchasing used copies of the game, purchasers of a new copy (before or after the release date) receive access to additional features.Further in-game bonuses can be obtained by completing the free Dragon Age II demo, through Penny Arcade, and by signing up to the newsletter.Purchasing the game Dead Space 2 before March 31, 2012 also unlocks a Dead Space themed armor item.Bioware announced that 2 in game items would be unlocked for all users if the total number of demo downloads reached 1 million in the course of one week (which occurred), and that a further and more powerful item would be unlocked if each post on the official Facebook account between February 28 and March 4 received 1 million impressions the day it was posted.

                                                            Downloadable content:

Exiled Prince

   When a vicious coup d'etat massacres and overthrows the royal family of Starkhaven, Prince Sebastian Vael is left as the kingdom's last true heir. Hawke will be able to undertake a series of quest to help Sebastian bring his family's murderers to justice and add him as a companion for the duration of the main game. While released at the game's launch, this DLC must still be purchased through Bioware.

The Black Emporium

   Available at no cost to those who purchase Dragon Age II new, this DLC adds a bonus vendor that the player can visit and purchase exclusive items from. In addition, the DLC includes a Mabari War Hound to fight at Hawke's side and access to The Mirror of Transformation, which allows the player to re-customize Hawke's appearance.

Legacy

   Released July 26, 2011, and playable from any point in the Dragon Age II campaign, Legacy lets Hawke undertake a quest which revolves around his/her family's legacy. It adds several new locations, including a prison constructed by the Grey Wardens, and adds a new class-specific weapon.

Mark of the Assassin

   Released on October 11, 2011, Mark Of The Assassin adds a new party member to the game: Tallis, an Elven Assassin voiced and modeled after actress Felicia Day, and also the lead character of the Dragon Age: Redemption webseries. In the DLC's featured quest, Hawke must help Tallis infiltrate an Orlesian estate outside Kirkwall and steal a precious relic.

                                                                          Sequel:

   BioWare's Creative Development Senior Director Alistair McNally confirmed that the studio was going forward with the third installment in the fantasy RPG series, Dragon Age III. BioWare posted job opportunities, calling for "exceptional environmental artists."

IMDb: Rates this game with an 8.0/10.0.

According to IGN: "Hurtled into the chaos you fight, and the world will shake before you", rated "Great" with a 8.5/10.0 and ranked #527 out of 16757 PC rated games.

   There are a few things I'm certain of in life: Darkspawn must die, dragons must die, and, from a technical perspective, Dragon Age II is the best game in BioWare's fantasy role-playing franchise. The gameplay, user interfaces, and conversation system have all been modified to the point where the game is much more functional and fun than before. Yet despite all these improvements, there are still some issues with the story and setting in the sequel.

    To kick things off, the plot is told through a framed narrative, much like the movie The Princess Bride. It's known that your character, Hawke -- a male or female human mage, rogue, or warrior -- will eventually become the Champion of Kirkwall. It's also clear that the world is on the cusp of war, and the Chantry, the main religious faction in the Dragon Age universe, is coming apart at the seams. What isn't known is your amount of involvement in the chaos, and why a Chantry seeker named Cassandra is interrogating a former friend of yours, a dwarf named Varric. It turns out that your part in this play is major, and you'll figure it out as you go along.

Published by: Electronic Arts
Developed by: BioWare
Genre: RPG
Release Date:
Europe: March 2011
PEGI: RP
Also Available On: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Macintosh
Also known as: Dragon Age 2

Two Worlds II

   

   Two Worlds II is a role-playing video game developed by Polish video game developer Reality Pump and published by TopWare Interactive as a sequel to the 2007 game Two Worlds. It was released on November the 9th 2010 in mainland Europe for PC (Windows and Mac), Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.The game was released on the 25th January 2011 in North-America for the same platforms. The game has been a commercial hit and sold 1 million units three weeks after its release in Europe.By February 2011 sold units have exceeded 2 million in number.

                                                                        Gameplay:

   Like its predecessor, Two Worlds II is a real-time role-playing game that takes place in an open non-linear fantasy world where players take the role of a single character with whom they can explore and undertake quests. From the beginning players can lightly customize the appearance of the protagonist such as shape of face and body, and skin colour. As is common in role-playing games, the player’s character will level up by gaining experience points through completion of quests and defeating enemies. Much of the in-game world can be fully explored from the beginning, regardless of how much the player has progressed through the main story arc. Despite being non-linear, many areas of the land are populated by strong foes with higher levels than that of the player initially and as a result, players may want to explore them once their character has improved. While players will travel across much of the landscape on foot, they are soon given the option to ride on horseback and even later, a chance to man the helm of a boat to sail across the seas between islands. In addition players can also fast travel using magical teleportation fixtures found across the map.

   From the beginning of the single-player game, all players' characters begin at the base level. Rather than having players choose a character’s class and style of play, as they level up points are given to be spent on improving their four main stats; endurance (health and damage), strength (combat), accuracy (ranged), and willpower (magic) while also unlocking and improving various other skills and abilities such as forging items, special combat moves, sneaking, spells and others. Players can also mix skills instead of focusing on one type of character build.

   Materials can be gathered throughout the game world, either found in the wild, purchased from vendors, looted from fallen enemies or recovered from unneeded equipment. Whilst some materials can be used in the forging/upgrading of weaponry and armor, others can be used in the creation of lethal devices such as traps or bombs. Many others however are ingredients for potions that can be brewed by the player themself. These mixtures can either be used to recover a player's health or magical reserve, to temporarily buff their skills or attributes, or to use against foes as poisons. Due to the large amount of outcomes, players can name and document their new creations.

                                                                        Release:

The release date for the game in the UK was set for February 4 but due to unforeseen circumstances the shipment of games was damaged, Topware's Managing Director James Seaman said "We just received the container from China with the Collector's Edition and other components and they are wrecked...Several components were just a total wreck and unacceptable for us to give out to our fans.” The new release date was scheduled for February 25 and all pre-order customers are expected to be receiving them by or on this date. Both GAME and Zavvi.com have since cancelled their existing pre-orders of the game with customers, stating that they would not be receiving the game in stock and offered their apologies. After speaking with GAME, Eurogamer got in contact with TopWare's managing director James Seaman, who denied rumours of Two World II's release date being pushed back to March 15, but stated "But we will be doing something different - stay tuned" TopWare have since decided to forego a retail release, and will make Two Worlds II available only via the online retailer Amazon.com, being quoted as saying “If you had pre-ordered this award winning title elsewhere, they will not have stock as Amazon will be fulfilling all of the United Kingdom. Amazon will have all versions in stock, including the esteemed Royal Edition. We will make sure that the UK is taken care of.”

Two Worlds II remains unreleased in Australia, and is on indefinite hold.

                                                                 Expansion Pack:

The Two Worlds 2 Expansion pack, Pirates of the Flying Fortress, was released in September 2011. It features new animations, new recorded dialog, customization options, and new map area with a 10 hour campaign. It will also include 4 new multiplayer maps.

According to IGN: The game is okay with a score of 6.0/10.0, ranked #469 out of 16754 PC rated games.

   Two Worlds II has arrived at a moment strangely devoid of other games like it. Sure, there are other open-world action titles (whatever that means), but there's a deep vein of genre content to be explored that games like Divinity II last year and even 2006's Oblivion didn't tap completely. On paper, Two Worlds II seems poised to deliver in this regard, with a pretty innovative magic system (cleverly acronymed "DEMON"), a cool loot/equipment dynamic, and an epic if boilerplate dark fantasy setting. In practice, Two Worlds II stumbles, marred by clumsy controls, a clunky interface, and a generally mangled presentation.

IMDb Rating: 7.4/10.0

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

       

   The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is a third-person role-playing video game developed by Polish studio CD Projekt RED for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360. It is a sequel to the 2007 video game The Witcher, and was released internationally on May 17, 2011. Like its predecessor, the game is based on the book series of the same name by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The game has been a critical and commercial success selling around 1 million units.

                                                                              Plot:

   The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings contains many different paths and storylines, along with multiple endings. As in the first game, the player takes control of Geralt of Rivia, one of the few remaining witchers. Witchers are humans that have been genetically enhanced and trained to fight monsters from a young age.They have special Powers, different in each Witcher. These include Alchemy, Magic, and Sword Handling (swordsmanship).

                                                                            Release:

   The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings was released for PC on May 17, 2011 at retail and for digital distribution services such as GOG and Steam.

   On June 2, 2011, an Xbox 360 version was announced, with CD Projekt confirming that it would be released by the end of the year.However, on August 1, 2011, the Xbox 360 release date was pushed back to the first quarter of 2012 to give the team "more time expanding and polishing certain elements of the gameplay" and to allow the developers time to deal with legal issues surrounding distribution rights for the game.

   On August 30, 2011, the Warsaw Business Journal reported that The Witcher 2 had sold more than 940,000 copies.According to Piotr Nielubowicz, a board member of CD Projekt Red, those the company had been expecting those sales figures.Of those 940,000 copies sold, 200,000 were online sales (digital sales).

    In a separate news article dated November 11, 2011, PC Gamer reported similar statistics for online sales of The Witcher 2.According to PC Gamer, Direct2Drive, Impulse and Gamersgate’s combined sales were a total of 10,000.GOG sold 40,000 copies.Within the same time period, 200,000 copies of The Witcher 2 were sold on Steam.

According to IGN: "The game is a gorgeous, unfiltered fantasy epic", rated "Amazing" - 9.0/10.0, ranked #90 out of 16742 PC rated games.

   The world of The Witcher 2 is a volatile, violent place filled with selfish, furtive characters. As monster slayer Geralt of Rivia, you'll need to not only combat beasts and bandits, a case of amnesia and the public perception that you're responsible for regicide, but also navigate between powerful figures and unravel complex conspiracies amidst a huge cast of power-obsessed monarchs and magic users. It's an adventure where choices that appear inconsequential slap the story in unexpected directions and one that doesn't compromise its fiction in the name of convenience or accessibility. In some ways those qualities are flaws, but they also contribute to a world that feels convincing, making its initial inaccessibility seem inconsequential relative to the intrigue and revelations embedded further in.

   The characters in The Witcher 2 exist in a land of monsters, celestial bodysnatchers and magic, and though there are stereotypes walking around, they're not all typical video game fantasy fare. Even the supposed heroes are hopelessly self-serving, arrogant and impudent. This isn't a game afraid to paint its characters as racists, sexists, drunkards or just generally reprehensible people governed by fear and uncertainty, including Geralt and his friends. Those styled as saviors and leaders possess far more flaws and secrets than they initially let on, and as a result the characters don't feel like Pez dispensers of brittle phrases, they feel human.

According to IMDb:

Quick Review: My score 9.5 Presentation: The Presentation of The Witcher 2 is wonderful, featuring an evolving story based on your decisions, the game is best described as a perfect mixture of Dragon Age Origins and the Gothic series.

Game play: Geralt is Witcher and as the name applies he is equipped with an arsenal of magic attack abilities and 2 swords, a steel one for humanoids and a silver one for monsters. You play through a Prologue, 3 chapters and an epilogue each chapter besides the epilogue has their own map, each map plays as a new sandbox location. These places evolve base on your decisions and will grow as your character grows, combat is fast paced and can best be described as AAA version of the Gothic series with just a little bit of Assassin Creed thrown in. Tactics will also play a role in the game play as you can buy and craft armor, bombs, potions and traps, all which can play a decisive role in combat.

Story: You play as Geralt the White Wolf, part of an order of warriors know as Witcher's, Witchers are created through alchemy and magic and their sole purpose in life is to protect mankind from monsters. So when Geralt has to save a King from a assassin he was shocked to learn that the assassin was a Witcher also. Geralt must now go on a journey to clear his name and discover the reason behind the assassination attempt. His journey will be shaped by your decision's.

Graphics: The best looking RPG of 2011 period, if you are worried about the poor optimization that the Witcher 1 had do not fret, the Witcher 2 is completely optimized. I only have 1 5850 and can run the game on Ultra.

Overall: Witcher 2 will go down as possibly the best RPG of 2011 and in my personal opinion crushes all competition so far. Any RPG fan will be disappointed if they do not buy this game.

Thank you for reading and hopefully you have the same enjoyment that I had with the Witcher 2.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an action role-playing open world video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fifth installment in The Elder Scrolls action role-playing video game series, following The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Skyrim was released on November 11, 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Skyrim's main story revolves around the player character's efforts to defeat Alduin, a Dragon god who is prophesied to destroy the world. Set two hundred years after Oblivion, the game takes place in the fictional province of Skyrim, upon the continent of Tamriel, and the planet of Nirn. The open world gameplay of the Elder Scrolls series returns in Skyrim; the player can explore the land at will and ignore or postpone the main quest indefinitely. Skyrim has received universal acclaim from critics, selling more than 3.5 million copies within the first 48 hours of release.


The nonlinear gameplay traditional in the Elder Scrolls series is incorporated in Skyrim. The player can explore the open world of Skyrim on foot or on horse, and fast-travel to cities, towns, and dungeons after they have been discovered. Quests are given to the player by non-player characters (NPCs) in the world, and through the Radiant Story system, the quests can be dynamically altered to accommodate for player actions which may influence the quest's characters and objectives. The Radiant Story then further directs the player's interaction with the world by setting unexplored dungeons as quest locations. When not completing quests, the player can interact with NPCs through conversation, and they may request favors or training in skills from the player. In addition to scripted quests certain ones will be dynamically generated, providing a limitless number to the player. Some NPCs can become companions to the player to aid in combat. The player may choose to join factions, which are organized groups of NPCs such as the Dark Brotherhood, a band of assassins. Each of the factions has a headquarters, and they have their own quest paths which the player can progress through. The economy of cities and towns can be stimulated by completing jobs such as farming and mining, or spending large amounts of gold in the stores. Alternatively, the economy may be harmed by forging business ledgers and robbing the safes of stores. When exploring the game world, the player may encounter wildlife. Many wilderness monsters are immediately hostile towards the player and thus can be slain. The inclusion of Dragons in Skyrim affords a major influence on both story and gameplay.

During the game's development, a team was set aside to work on Dragons and their interactions with the world. In the world, a variety of different Dragons are encountered either alone or in small groups. They are randomly-generated, meaning their numbers are infinite, and they can attack cities and towns at any time. Not every Dragon is hostile, and the player can interact with non-hostile Dragons. Early in the main quest, it is discovered that the player character is Dragonborn, which allows the player to use powerful spells called Dragon shouts or "Thu'um". Each shout contains three words, and the strength of the shout will vary depending on how many words have been spoken. Twenty-three different Thu'um can be discovered by visiting "Word-Walls" in dungeons, and they are unlocked for use by absorbing the souls of slain Dragons. A regeneration period limits the player's use of shouts in gameplay.

Plot

Following the Dragon attack on Helgen, the player character may choose to escape either with an Imperial soldier or a Stormcloak rebel. After the escape, the player travels to the nearby town of Riverwood. The player is then asked to travel to the city of Whiterun, to request aid from the Jarl against the Dragon threat. The Jarl agrees to send a detachment of soldiers to Riverwood, and asks the player to aid his court-wizard in return, retrieving a Dragonstone from a nearby ruin known as Bleak Falls Barrow. The player discovers a Word-Wall in the process, learning their first "Thu'um", the shouts used by the ancient Nords to battle the Dragons.

Upon returning to Whiterun, the player is asked to assist in defending the city from an attacking Dragon. After defeating the Dragon, the player character absorbs the Dragon's soul, which unlocks the Thu'um the player gained in Bleak Falls Barrow. Astonished, the Whiterun soldiers tell the player that the player may be a "Dragonborn", able to naturally speak Draconic, the Dragon language, and absorb their souls. After returning to the Jarl with news of the Dragon's defeat, the player is summoned to meet with the Greybeards, an order of monks who live in seclusion in their temple of High Hrothgar on the slopes of Skyrim's highest mountain, The Throat of the World. The Greybeards further train the player in the "Way of the Voice", teaching the player more powerful Thu'um's and instructing the player on their destiny and role of the Dragonborn. As a further test, the Greybeards task the player with retrieving the legendary Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. However, the player discovers the Horn has been stolen by another, who wishes to meet the Dragonborn. The thief reveals herself as Delphine, Riverwood's innkeeper and one of the last surviving members of The Blades. Delphine and the player witness Alduin reviving a Dragon from a burial mound and successfully defeat the Dragon. Afterwards, Delphine helps the player infiltrate the Thalmor Embassy near Solitude, the headquarters of agents of the Elven Aldmeri Dominion, to follow up on her suspicions about Thalmor's possible involvement with the Dragon threat. While there, Delphine and the player discover the Thalmor are searching for a man named Esbern, an eccentric archivist of the Blades Order. Delphine then instructs the player to locate Esbern, known to be hiding in the sewers and ratways of Riften.

The player character accompanies the Blades in search of "Alduin's Wall", located in an ancient Blades fortress known as Sky Haven Temple. While the Blades set up headquarters in the temple, the player character learns that the ancient Nords used a special Thu'um against Alduin called "Dragonrend", which represented mankind's comprehensive hatred for Dragonkind, to cripple his ability to fly so they could engage him. To gain more information, the player meets the leader of the Greybeards, an ancient Dragon named Paarthurnax. Paarthurnax reveals that Alduin was not truly defeated in the past, but was sent forward to an unspecified point in time by the use of an Elder Scroll, in the hopes that he would get lost. The player manages to locate the Elder Scroll within the Dwemer ruin of Blackreach and uses it to travel back in time, learning the powerful Dragonrend shout to combat Alduin.

Armed with the knowledge of how the ancient Nords defeated Alduin, the player battles Alduin on the summit of the Throat of the World. Overpowered by the player, Alduin flees to Sovngarde, the location of the Nordic afterlife. The player learns that Dragonsreach, the palace of the Jarl of Whiterun, was originally built to trap and hold a dragon. The Jarl of Whiterun refuses to allow the player to utilize Dragonsreach and possibly endanger the city if the civil war between the Stormcloaks and the Imperial Legion still rages. With the help of the Greybeards, the player calls a council between General Tullius and Ulfric Stormcloak, successfully calling for a temporary armistice while the Dragon threat exists.

The player summons and traps a Dragon named Odahviing in Dragonsreach, learning from him that Alduin has fled to Sovngarde through a portal located high in the mountains, at an ancient fort called Skuldafn. Odahviing, impressed with the player's Thu'um and ability to capture him, agrees to fly the player to Skuldafn, claiming Alduin has shown himself as weak and undeserving of leadership over the "Dovah"/Dragons. Upon arrival at Skuldafn, the player travels to Sovngarde and meets with Ysgramor, the legendary Nord who, along with his Five Hundred Companions, drove the Elves out of Skyrim. Ysgramor informs the player that Alduin has placed a soul-snare in Sovngarde, allowing him to gain strength by devouring the souls of deceased Nords arriving at Sovngarde. The player meets up with the three heroes of Nordic legend who defeated Alduin originally, and, with their help, confronts Alduin in Sovngarde and destroys him.

Reviews


IGN stated that "It's a mesmerizing game that draws you into a finely crafted fictional space packed with content... Skyrim is one of the best role-playing games yet produced."

The Guardian said that "Skyrim is one of the most gargantuan undertakings gamers will experience all year. The sheer size of the adventure...is mind-blowing."

Wired.com wrote "The game's greatest accomplishment is that it is a paradise of escapism. There are very few scripted quests that aren’t worth experiencing."
GameSpot commented that "Skyrim performs the most spectacular of enchantments: the one that causes huge chunks of time to vanish before you know it"

Joystiq wrote "This is the deepest, loveliest world ever created for a single player to explore."

Famitsu gave Skyrim a score of 40/40, making it the first video game developed entirely by non-Japanese companies to receive a perfect rating from them.