Welcome to The Black List, your one stop shop for the stories published on the site this week.

MONDAY REVIEW The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings > Hardcore RPGs are a dying breed. Apart from a few exceptions, almost all role playing games are made with the console player in mind, meaning accessibility comes before depth.  One of the few games that bucked this trend was The Witcher. Praised upon its release for an engaging story, amazing depth and adult approach to the genre, it was one of the few bright sparks for the dedicated PC roleplayers everywhere. It had its problems, most notably the strange timing based combat system, but gamers looked past these issues and it soon developed a cult following. READ MORE

TUESDAY JUST ANNOUNCED Medieval Moves: Dedmund’s Quest > Just when you thought you couldn’t get enough of the physical-exertion-whilst-gaming trend, Medieval Moves: Deadmund’s Quest arrives on the scene. As the working title of this adventure puzzle game subtly suggests, the game challenges players to wield an assortment of medieval weapons, including swords, shields, bows and… err… ninja stars, by using the PlayStation Move peripheral for the PS3. The game will also be 3D compatible. READ MORE

WEDNESDAY NEW IP Amy > Paul Cuisset, best known for his work on atmospheric sci-fi adventure Flashback, is preparing to deliver his latest project. A bleak survival horror game with elements of action and stealth, Amy takes place in the hours following a devastating comet strike. The rogue rock’s arrival appears to have transformed the population of a small Midwestern town into dangerous lunatics. The people who were already dangerous lunatics were presumably unaffected by the phenomena. READ MORE

THURSDAY NEWS nanoBITES 45 > Finish developer Red Lynx has announced that it is working on a follow up to the wildly popular Trials HD. A physics based motorcycle challenge like its predecessor, Trials Evolution is scheduled for release on XBLA later this year. This is just one of the stories in this week’s edition of nanoBITES, our ongoing feature devoted to small but important news items. READ MORE

FRIDAY REVIEW L.A. Noire > One of the strengths of this extraordinary celebration of crime fiction in general and film noire in particular is that it rarely succumbs to parody or excess. Granted, you encounter the usual assortment of hardboiled stereotypes, including crooked businessmen, dirty cops and fading movies stars, but measured pacing, subdued dialogue, excellent voice acting and subtle art direction ensure that this third person adventure retains a certain dignity throughout. READ MORE

Recent instalments of The Black List: 18.06.11 l 11.06.11 l 04.06.11 l 28.05.11 l 21.05.11