Early coverage of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning showed us what seemed to be a slightly generic action RPG with some great names behind it (notably R.A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane). However the latest trailer that gives viewers a guide to the various factions within the Amalur universe shows players something extra to get them interested…… some personality. With a graphical style set somewhere between the sharp realistic graphics of Skyrim and the cartoony style of Fable, Kingdoms seems to be presenting us with quite a unique setting.

The trailer goes on to describe the various factions available for the player to join in Amalur, all of which adhere to the fantasy staples of Assassins, Warriors and Mages. The trailer did imply that the player would be able to join more than one faction, possibly joining their skill trees together.  With this intriguing possibility and the stylish direction Amalur is taking, this may be an RPG to watch out for.

EA, 38 Studios and Big Huge Games are set to bring Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning to PC, PS3 and 360 on Feb 12 2012.

The Driver franchise was dying. The original was a great 70s style car chase game on the PSone that quickly garnered a cult following among auto heads everywhere. Driver 2, while okay, never earned the love of the first game. The less said about the abysmal Driver 3 the better and 2006’s Driver: Parallel Lines did little to restore the franchise’s ailing reputation. So it is with some surprise that Ubisoft are trotting out another entry in the series. What is even more surprising is that Driver: SF is not only great but possibly one of the most original and entertaining arcade racers in recent memory. Read the rest of this entry »

Mass Effect 3. The title alone has the potential to send a legion of fans into frenzy. This frenzy is almost what I experienced when I was presented with an opportunity to play and preview an early demo of the game. Hosted by the series’ publisher Electronic Arts, an evening’s session on console provided me ample opportunity to sample the latest instalment of the Mass Effect series. The demonstration provided was by no means a reflection of the final product but served as an insight into the gameplay of Mass Effect 3. Read the rest of this entry »

Presented in glorious alphabetical order, New Media: Retail Roundup is your indispensible checklist of the home console and handheld titles arriving in stores this week. What will you be playing?

MICROSOFT Xbox 360 FIFA 12 * Supremacy MMA

NINTENDO Wii FIFA 12 3DS Angler’s Club: Ultimate Bass * FIFA 12 DS Ben 10 Triple Pack

SONY PS3 Child of Eden * FIFA 12 * God of War Collection Volume 2 * Ico & Shadow of the Colossus * Zumba Fitness * Supremacy MMA PSP FIFA 12

VARIOUS PC Driver: San Francisco * FIFA 12 * The Sims Medieval: Pirates and Nobles

New Media: Downloadable Digest is your handy reminder of the new downloadable titles released during the past week.

MICROSOFT XBLA Burnout Crash * Rotastic

NINTENDO WiiWare 101-in-1 Explosive Megamix eShop 3D Classics: TwinBee DSiWare Cut the Rope

SONY PSN Burnout Crash Minis Jelly Pops * Kaleidoscope

VALVE Steam Bunch of Heroes * The Clockwork Man: The Hidden World * Demolition Inc * F1 2011 * King Arthur: Fallen Champions * Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes * Railworks 3: Train Simulator 2012 Deluxe * Rusty Hearts * Xotic

Recent instalments of New Media: 18.09.11 l 11.09.11 l 04.09.11 l 28.08.11 l 21.08.11