Fable 2 Players: Offline: 1-2 Online: 2 Gameplay Modes: Single player, offline cooperative multiplayer, online cooperative multiplayer.

The new combat system lets you master different fighting styles. View larger.

You are free to roam the world of Albion any way you like. View larger.

Every Choice Has Its Consequences
Fable 2 provides players with a truly immersive experience where a virtually limitless number of choices can be made, all of which have their own consequences, making each game unique. When you start the game, you choose either to play the role of a boy or girl, and depending on your choices, the hero will grow up to be tall or short, good or evil. Players can get married and have children; female player characters will become pregnant, which will then be reflected by their physical appearance.

Early in the game, players are presented with a stray dog for a best friend, who will need to be fed and loved, and will accompany the player throughout his or her life. Depending on the player, the dog will change appearance and assist him or her in various ways, such as alerting of impending dangers and attacking enemies.

Players inhabit the world of Albion and are free to roam the land to as they please. Players can use different expressions to communicate with others, such as taunting and laughing, and even belching or farting.

As the players grow, so does Albion, reflecting the choices that were made earlier in the game. Every house, hut, castle, and dungeon can be purchased if the player wishes. Players can buy up all the land in a town and can become mayor, king, and even emperor of the entire land.

Fable 2 presents a dynamic and free-roaming world that doesn’t demand a player to take any one set path. At the same time, players seeking a plot line will find an epic story and quest that they can follow if they wish, along with many side adventures.

Fight Using Different Weapons and Magic
Fable 2 introduces a new combat system that allows for mastery of hand weapons, such as swords, long range weapons such as cross-bows and guns, and, of course, magic. Players improve at each discipline with time, and can combine different combat styles when they fight. Other advanced design features include tactical positional advantages that can bring new strategic elements into combat.

Bring Other Players into Your World
Fable 2 has a multiplayer mode that allows you to bring other players into your own world. Consistent with the rest of the game, the actions of these other players can be permanent and affect your world. You can explore and fight together with these other players, share treasures, and even fight each other.

Note: Fable 2 will not ship with Online Co-op mode. An update with this functionality is rumored to be released shortly after the launch of the game.

XBOX LIVE Arcade Mini-Games
Gamers can play minigames through Xbox LIVE Arcade and earn currency that can be used in Fable 2 to purchase weapons, armor, and other items for the hero.

Fable 2 is rated M for having mature content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older.

Depending on your choices, the protagonist can turn out wildly different — male, female, good, evil, and more.

Get ready. The Chief is back.

HDR lighting, self-shadowing, and more make Halo 3 look and feel realistic. View larger.

Mystery abounds with the return of Cortana. View larger.

Earth is conquered. The Covenant is everywhere. Halo 3 promises to be an epic journey. View larger.

Game developer Bungie announced that Halo 3 will be released for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 sometime in 2007. The game was revealed to the world at the Microsoft press conference held at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood, CA in May 2006. To gamer’s delight, the announcement was a complete surprise. The rumors have been abound for the past year, as everyone wondered when the next installment would be ready. Bungie and Microsoft did a stellar job keeping their lips sealed, and fans benefited from their first glimpse of the hallowed third and final installment.

The short presentation was delivered in real-time on the XBOX 360 using the current version of the Halo 3 game engine. That’s right, no studio production video, Bungie and Microsoft delivered the real deal: what they showed at the announcement is what gamers will see when they play Halo 3 in 2007. The HDR lighting, self-shadowing, GPU-run particle system and many other effects are rumored to show up in full effect in the final game. Needless to say, the gaming community is salivating.

CJ Cowan, Bungie’s director of cinematics discussed one of the most startling moments of the presentation: the return of Cortana. “Given the variety of character and story arcs at the end of Halo 2, we wanted to boil down our announcement to a few key threads. Cortana and the Chief being a galaxy apart is a situation we haven’t seen before, and is something that is a powerful component to Halo 3. We are using her transmissions in the demo to give the viewer a few subtle clues to her situation and state of mind, without revealing any specifics we want to save for the game itself.”

Graphically, the game closely follows in the tradition of Halo 2, although it has been upgraded to take advantage of the Xbox 360’s more prodigious visual abilities. As art direct Marcus Lehto explained, “[The presentation] was intended to be an understated announcement of Halo 3 — the tone is that of mystery and suspense — the calm before the storm. I wanted to make sure that we reintroduced the Chief, showed that Earth was thoroughly conquered, with Covenant everywhere, and that there is a glorious, ancient artifact buried under the Earth’s crust which will provide Halo 3 with the epic journey which we all want.”

Taking full advantage of the power of XBOX 360, Halo 3 expands on everything that has made the franchise great, adding a wealth of technical and gameplay advancements. The game design has evolved with next-generation, high-definition visuals, enhanced A.I., an advanced real-time lighting engine, and, of course, new weapons, characters, and challenges. Halo 3 promises an unparalleled first-person shooter experience and, in the end, the most compelling and engrossing story in the franchise’s history. Last, but certainly not least, Halo 3 builds upon the unique social multiplayer experience and innovative, evolving online gameplay of Halo 2. Rest assured, you’ll still be able to run with your clan and battle with (or against) your buddies from coast to coast.

Cooperative game play options let you take teamwork to a new level. View larger.

Dramatic graphics and lighting effects add a realistic edge to your mission. View larger.

Move through vast environments that have a discernable impact on game play. View larger.

You’ll face faster enemies backed by improved AI. View larger.

Meet Two Fierce, Playable Main Characters
Back from the original title and Resident Evil: Code Veronica, former S.T.A.R.S. special forces team member Redfield is a battle-tested, founding member of the BSAA. With a reputation for superior marksmanship and phenomenal hand-to-hand combat abilities, he’s on the ground and up against a new strain of evil.

You’ll call his shots from the same over-the-shoulder third person viewpoint that distinguished Resident Evil 4, except this time you’ll also have the option of playing as his teammate, the fierce, local Alomar. Whoever you play as, updates to the earlier version’s third-person control scheme offer more options and promise intuitive interactions.

Learn to Work Together
The new cooperative game play element focuses on the realities of a dual-agent mission, highlighting the ways in which Redfield and Alomar must work together to survive the unexpected, while still allowing them to split up and work alone. To help you maximize the potential of this setup, two-player online and offline co-op modes ensure that you have options when picking a partner.

Steel yourself Against the Harsh Reality of Kijuju
An advanced version of Capcom’s proprietary MT Framework game engine brings groundbreaking graphics and effects to Kijuju, the highly-developed environment where this game’s action takes place. New, lifelike lighting schemes highlight the differences between harsh sunlight and extreme darkness, and when you move from one to the other, you’ll have to wait for your character’s eyes to adjust before you can see clearly, adding to the suspense and challenge of navigating this game’s environs.

Face the Next Generation of Evil
You’ll face new enemies with faster reflexes and improved AI, designed to be as dangerous alone as they are in groups and to keep even Resident Evil masters on their toes. Thankfully, they’re not the only ones who have evolved. This game also offers access to powerful new weapons variations that extend your destructive capabilities.

And the updated, quick-select inventory system allows for real-time inventory management, as well as allowing characters to trade items and allowing you to place an item on the directional pad for instant access. Add all this to a detailed storyline the touches on what the past ten years have meant for Redfield and a Hollywood-caliber soundtrack, and it’s clear that the latest installment in this series really does showcase all the elements at the heart of horror gaming.

Pacific City is overridden; crime controls the streets. Three powerful gangs have taken the once-great metropolis hostage, and the police have proven powerless in their efforts to regain control. Only the Agency’s deploying genetically enhanced agents of justice can provide citizens with some sense of hope. With an open-ended “sandbox” environment, players are free to explore the city and decide on the best tactics for each breathtaking scenario. Brace yourself. Justice is coming to Pacific City.

Next generation gaming has never been this open!

Three crime syndicates vie for control of the city. View larger.

Innumerable routes to objectives are available. View larger.

Your collection of weaponry increases rapidly. View larger.

Next-gen visuals pop off the screen! View larger.

A next-gen visual and gameplay style
Crackdown pushes the action-driving hybrid genre into the next generation with the first ever truly 3-D playground. Gamers will level up their Agent’s strength, agility, firearms, explosives, and driving skills while scaling the fully vertical world. Enforce justice by any means necessary in Pacific City, a crime-ridden urban center primed to explode and ready for you to explore. Enter an interactive world where anything can be used as a weapon as you clean up the streets the only way you know how. Your way. Developed by Scotland’s Real Time Worlds exclusively for Microsoft Game Studios and the XBOX 360 console, Crackdown is the brainchild of Dave Jones, the creative genius behind many innovative game titles such as Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings.

Harnessing the amazing power of XBOX 360, Crackdown players enforce justice against the backdrop of a crime-ridden metropolis that is massive in scale and meticulous in detail. The game’s unique presentation employs a highly stylized rendering technique that turns it into a living, breathing graphical novel. You play the role of an enforcer for the city’s “Agency,” a law enforcement entity looking to take back neighborhoods and lives from three large crime syndicates. You are part of the new generation of crime fighters- an entirely new breed of genetically superior super-cops, designed to use the enemies’ tactics against them.

Multiplayer mayhem
From the initial conception, Crackdown has been built to feature a dynamic and engaging co-op experience for double the action, carnage, and intensity. Never before has a game allowed two players to simultaneously explore and interact with an open-ended game environment. Will you work together to find new ways of detonating your impressive stash of explosives? Or will you race each other to the next batch of collectible ability orbs? The choice is always yours!

An impressive number of weapons and objects are also at your disposal. Low on ammo? Never a problem. Thanks to an amazing amount of props and a deep physics system, you can use whatever you get your hands on as a weapon: Trash cans, vehicles, even people. Set the scene for mass destruction with a game that remembers your actions better than you do. Gather vehicles to assemble barricades, build epic piles of explosives, push it to the limit. Crackdown can take it.

A sandbox full of opportunities
For the first time ever, every inch of an urban playground has been designed for you to explore and exploit. Use any route necessary as you take down the crime syndicates, going under, around, or through the environment however you choose. While previous “sandbox”-style titles have allowed you to merely walk or drive around the environment, Crackdown encourages players to find new routes to and from destinations. Often times, scaling a building or traveling beneath the surface will present new and unexpected challenges to the player- or provide an even more deadly option for the enemy.

Get the job done, no matter what it takes. Any strategy or tactic is acceptable, so long as you re-claim the streets. Unleash the awesome powers of your agent, developing his full genetic potential, becoming faster and stronger, learning bone-crushing moves, using outrageous weapons, and defying certain death at every turn.

• A massive, seamless and dynamic world delivering hundreds of hours of freeform exploration.
• Two deep campaigns: play as the ‘Light’ or ‘Shadow’ side, complete with distinct skills, rewards and story-elements tailored to the chosen path.
• Six exceptional, playable characters, each with a distinct look, capabilities and in-game motivation.
• Modifiable combat arts: change, upgrade and link together your alter ego’s combat skills to match your playing style.
• Fight effectively from the back of a number of mounts under your control; equip and upgrade your character’s unlockable special mount.
• Deities offer unique combat disciplines and unlock additional quests.
• Seamless transition between single and multiplayer gaming modes via XBOX LIVE.
• Captivating online modes of play challenge gamers in cooperative, PvP and PvE play.
• Extraordinary, cutting-edge graphics and Dolby 5.1 channel surround sound utilize the latest technologies for a truly immersive experience.

Character Classes
In Sacred 2: Fallen Angel players assume the role of one of six characters — five of which are new to the franchise — and delve into a thrilling story full of side quests and secrets that you will have to unravel. Breathtaking combat arts and sophisticated spells are waiting to be learned. A multitude of weapons and items will be available, and you will choose which of your character’s attributes you will enhance with these items in order to create a unique and distinct hero.

	Seraphim Often referred to as ‘Fallen Angels,’ these mystical and angelic creatures are the oldest inhabitants of Ancaria. Fast, elegant and acrobatic warriors from a technological future they fight with light to medium weapons and, if required, with massive technological support. Players can assume the role of a Seraphim and protect the world from chaos.
	Shadow Warrior Shadow Warriors were originally humans trained as elite soldiers in service to the High Elves. Upon their death their souls were stolen by an Elven general, bound to lifeless bodies and imbued with T-Energy. Now free, they travel between this world and the next as undead beings with only the desire to return to the peace of the golden halls of Elysium.
	High Elf The best student at the ancient academy of magic in Thylysium, the High Elf character lives and breathes magic. Her hunger for adventure and her insatiable desire to increase her personal knowledge and the influence of her once-powerful house are the driving forces as she sets off into an Ancaria boiling over with turmoil.
	Dryad Masters of the hunt and akin to the Elves, The Dryad are in tune with nature and are equipped with the strength of the forests. The most powerful and the strongest among them are knowledgeable of the dark art of voodoo and were chosen in order to save their peoples from extinction. All are expert with the bow, traps, poisons and lore of the forest.
	Inquisitor The Inquisitors are the High Priests of the High Elves. Arrogant and deadly, they are only committed to themselves and their ultimate goal of assume control over the T-Energy. Proficient in close combat and able to gain increasing power as damage is taken, their manipulative spells make them powerful fighters from the shadows.
	Temple Guardian Since the beginning of time the purpose of Temple Guardians were to maintain and protect the Great Machine, so that it could keep the world in balance. Neither fully flesh or mechanical, they are half human and half machine. Propelled by T-Energy and devoted to protecting it, they are part of the Great Machine and so able to use the T-Energy for their purposes.

A Wide Variety of Mounts
Across Ancaria you will find many horse dealers. They offer all kinds of animals, from the simple nag up to a real war horse. You can equip a war horse with bridle, saddle and even special armor. These special items can be found in the game just like player items, ranging in quality from regular to rare and even unique items. In addition, every character also has a unique mount created specifically for their character class. This mount not only fits the personality of the character, but also complements the various aspects of the character’s playing style perfectly. All character classes can fight from a mounted position using a variety of tactics that the player chooses depending on the terrain and battle conditions.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope Players: Offline: 1 Other: HDTV 1080p.

Crystal clear graphics. View larger.

Compelling combat. View larger.

Classic RPG functionality. View larger.

Story
A.D 2064…Planet Earth was on the brink of destruction as clashes between the World Republic Federation and the various nations that opposed it sparked the outbreak of World War III. Weapons of mass destruction, deployed with complete impunity razed the land in the blink of an eye. The dire situation forced the two opposing factions to negotiate a cease-fire and an agreement was quickly reached, but although the war may have ended, its effects remained. With the deteriorating environment, Earth’s population was drastically reduced and those who survived lived a confined existence trapped in underground cities. Eventually countries joined together to form the Greater United Nations and turned their eyes skyward, to space. With the establishment of the USTA, the Universal Science and Technology Administration, man began to seek new worlds beyond the stars.

AD 2087…The first year of the spacedate (SD) calendar. Thanks to the success of Professor Trillas Bachstein’s warp drive experiments, mankind’s dream of a spacebourne existence has inched closer to reality and the USTA secretly began to implement its SRF project, the Space Reconnaissance Force. Now it is SD 0010, and the first official SRF mission and your adventure has begun.

Characters
Players of Star Ocean: The Last Hope will meet and interact with a wealth of characters from different parts of the galaxy, each with their own history and weapons of choice. Just a few of the more prominent characters to familiarize yourself with include:

	Edge Maverick Although generally possessing good judgment, this young Earthling commander of the maiden deep space voyage of the SRF ship the Calnus, can be reckless. His signature weapon is the sword.
	Faize Sheifa Beleth A young Eldarian committed to etiquette and logic, and capable of astounding feats of engineering, Faize is always honorable of those possessing abilities he lacks. His signature weapon is the rapier.
	Reimi Saionji The kind and levelheaded navigator of the Calnus, Reimi was born in an aristocratic Saionji family and has a shared history with Edge back on Earth. Her signature weapon is the bow.
	Lymle Lemuri Phi Orphaned on her home planet of Lemrick long ago, Lymle is mischievous, but friendly and inexplicably retains the appearance of a young girl. Her signature weapon is the wand.

Gameplay and Combat
Although Edge Maverick is the main character in Star Ocean: The Last Hope, players will of course experience gameplay action in the form of a number of different characters and utilize the signature attacks assigned to each. The game features a real-time combat system which allows for up to four party members to remain active in battle at a time. Improvements to the game’s combat system include ‘Rush Mode,’ where players can switch out active members of their combat groups for reserve members in real-time; ‘Sight In/Sight Out’ which allows for timed evasive and counter moves against enemies; and the BEAT (Battle Enhancement Attribute Type) system, through which players can change a character’s fighting style at will. Other actions players will master through gameplay include piloting of the spaceship Calnus, a first in the Star Ocean series; item creation in the form of weapons, healing items and accessories; and Private Actions (PAs), a cause and effect relationship between character in-game actions and the acquisition of new abilities and scenarios. Through the increased flexibility mastery of all these skills provides, players should be able to more easily increase their team and individual team member’s combat experience and status, and so unlock more advanced combat styles and linked combinations.

Key Game Features:

• Series prequel – Star Ocean: The Last Hope is a prequel in the classic series, combining sci-fi and fantasy elements, spanning multiple planets and the vastness of space itself to recount the origins of the Star Ocean universe.
• Exciting Battles – Exhilarating combat expands upon the franchise’s famous real-time battle system, including the amazing graphics and visual effects only possible on Xbox 360.
• Compelling Scenes – The game features breathtaking CG movies by Visual Works, the cutting-edge studio whose previous work includes cutscenes for the acclaimed Final Fantasy RPG series.