Besthesda has just released ‘The Awakening’- the first in a three-part Dishonored webisode series entitled ‘The Tales from Dunwall’. These engrossing prequels, scored by Daniel Licht (Dexter) and narrated by Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick Ass), give you a first-hand glimpse into Dishonored’s shadowy whaling world of Dunwall, where plague is rampant and the city is in disarray and on the verge of dystopia. Created by Psyop, each episode was predominantly produced by hand. Each frame was a fully rendered style frame, which was then enhanced with 3D elements to add to the painterly atmosphere, dimension and depth of each shot. Dishonored casts you as a supernatural assassin driven by revenge. Creatively eliminate your targets with the flexible combat system as you combine supernatural abilities with weapons and gadgets at your disposal.

Dishonored will be available in North America on October 9, 2012 and throughout Europe on October 12, 2012, and is slated for release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC..

Dishonored – Webisode 3: The Tales from Dunwall:

Sony Online Entertainment had a great showing at PAX Prime 2012 for their upcoming massively multiplayer first-person shooter release, Planetside 2. The sequel to the original Planetside game is picking up where the first one left off, but there are some additions and changes that make the second game worth noting, even beyond the new Forelight engine.

I had a chance to sit down with senior art director Tramell Ray Isaac as he gave me a thorough look at the new direction of the series. I immediately noticed similarities to the first game, such as the player’s ability to choose a class suited to play styles other than those typical of soldiers, tanks, and snipers. The game continues to offer support style classes such as the medic and engineer. Aside from including greater customization of characters, the game also encourages freedom in picking your battles. You can head after hotly contested points, or you can make your way to different resource areas. Planetside 2 also features the advanced control mode of piloting aircraft, which can be both challenging and exhilarating.

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PAX Prime 2012 allowed me a sizable sneak peek at the sequel to the highly regarded tactical real-time strategy game Company of Heroes. Hailed as the highest rated strategy game of all time, Company of Heroes set a high standard for anything that followed it, including a sequel of the same title. THQ owned developer Relic Entertainment seems to understand that their next installment should further the entire series, not just rehash areas where critics praised them. This includes the introduction of the Essence 3.0 engine, as well a new setting for Company of Heroes 2 with an emphasis on environmental factors – namely, the biting cold of the Russian winter weather.

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Microsoft has released new video documentary called “Before and After the Magic” where you can see some players from Comic Con play “Fable: The Journey.”

Fable: The Journey viDoc from Comic Con:

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Depending on your preferred terminology, Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault is Insomniac’s attempt to bring either tower defense, DOTA-style, or MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) gameplay elements to the storied platform shooter franchise. Honestly it doesn’t matter what you call it because the online public beta was fun to play anyway. The final game will have single player and cooperative modes which I wasn’t able to play, but the competitive element seems already pretty well fleshed out, and comes in 1v1 and 2v2 modes, the latter of which is more fulfilling.

Matches consist of three rotating phases, starting with the Recon phase. In this portion of the battle you must seek out control points, knock out their defenses, and claim them with a quick QTE. At the same time you can pick extra bolts and better weapons. Of course the good stuff is harder to reach. The more control points you pick up the more income in bolts you generate each round as well. It is during this phase that you’re most likely to fight head on with your opponent as you try to claim each other’s territory. Fast movement is aided by your hover boots, and if you die you get sent back to base, which can really set you back in the competition for bolts, where the matches are really decided in the end.

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THQ Inc. and Volition, Inc. today announced Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package will be available for purchase in North America on November 6, 2012, and internationally on November 9, 2012 for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation Network and Windows PC for the suggested retail price of $49.99.

The premiere edition of Saints Row: The Third – The Full Package includes the award-winning, critically-acclaimed, almost universally lauded Saints Row: The Third; the three downloadable mission packs Genkibowl VII, Gangstas In Space, and The Trouble With Clones; and more than 30 bonus DLC items from such hits as the Shark Attack pack, Witches & Wieners pack, Special Operations pack, and the Genki Girl Vehicle pack. With every weapon, every vehicle, and every outfit ever created for Saints Row: The Third, players will go over the top, off the reservation, and to places where no decent game should go.

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2K Games today announced that a free playable demo* of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, the strategy game from Firaxis Games and winner of over 20 E3 awards, will be available today for Windows PC on Steam at http://store.steampowered.com/app/200510/. Gamers who download the demo will be guided through two levels of the single-player tutorial campaign, experiencing the combat controls and effective tactics for defending humanity against the alien threat. The two tutorial missions will also introduce players to the XCOM base, where soldier training and researching alien technology takes place, and offers a chance to experience the tactical and strategic layers of XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The XCOM: Enemy Unknown playable demo will be available soon for console gamers.

Gamers looking for the ultimate XCOM: Enemy Unknown experience can pre-purchase the game from participating digital retailers (MSRP $49.99) to guarantee the launch bonus of the Elite Soldier Pack. The Elite Soldier Pack will provide the ultimate tools for soldier customization in XCOM: Enemy Unknown, including:

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Agent Huntley, an ex-CIA operative, continues his insider’s tour of the insanity of Far Cry 3. Meet Hoyt Volker, the menacing leader of the Privateers. Learn what it will take to bring down his mercenary army, and his depraved drug & human trafficking operations. Far Cry 3 will be releasing in North America on December 4, 2012.

Far Cry 3 – Island Survival Guide: Top of the Food Chain Video:

Halo Waypoint continues the popular Weapons of “Halo 4” series by releasing a new video containing details on the Covenant weapons, showcasing some of the new and returning sandbox features in “Halo 4.”

Halo 4 – Covenant Weapons Video:

In the final segment of this four-part documentary series, Inside Assassin’s Creed III: Episode Four: America, by Land and Sea, you’ll explore a whole new world from the bustling city streets of Boston and New York, into the far reaches of the American frontier and vast open seas. Get a behind the scenes look at the all new triple environment gameplay, dynamic weather system, crowd and animal AI and more as you learn what makes this all new chapter in the Assassin’s saga truly unforgettable.

Inside Assassin’s Creed III: Episode Four: America, by Land and Sea Video:

Set against the backdrop of the American Revolution in the late 18th century, Assassin’s Creed III introduces a new hero, Ratohnhaké:ton, of Native American and English heritage. Adopting the name Connor, he becomes the new voice for justice in the ancient war between the Assassins and Templars. Players become an Assassin in the war for liberty against ruthless tyranny in the most stylized and fluid combat experiences in the franchise to date. Assassin’s Creed III spans the Revolutionary War, taking gamers from the vibrant, untamed frontier to bustling colonial towns and the intense, chaotic battlefields where George Washington’s Continental Army clashed with the imposing British Army.