The internet is currently buzzing with all the talk over the latest trailer for the upcoming Tron: Legacy film (to be released Dec 2010). On the back of this film there is a new Tron game called Tron: Evolution. The game is set between the first Tron film and Tron: Legacy. You can check out the HD trailer for Tron: Legacy below.

One of the few available screenshots of the new Tron: Evolution game:

Tron: Evolution is due for release Nov/Dec 2010 on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

By popular request, for those of you who want to collect every item, every feather, decipher every glyph in the excellent Assassin’s Creed II then these are the maps for you:

Achievementhunter.com has all the maps from the game showing the locations of all feathers, glyphs and statues. Also when you click on each of the hidden items locations you get a youtube video showing its exact location. Couldn’t be simpler. Happy hunting!

Assassin’s Creed II is out now on Xbox 360 and PS3.

SquareEnix has released details of the official UK launch of Final Fantasy XIII. This event is taking place almost 3 years after the Final Fantasy XII (PS2) launch at the same HMV on Oxford Street, London which Weefz covered in her post.

Fans attending the UK launch event on 9th March will be treated to a very rare opportunity to meet both Yoshinori Kitase, the producer of the game, and Isamu Kamikokuryo, the game’s art director, who will be available to sign games and answer questions. High-profile DJ and TV presenter Alex Zane will also be entertaining fans as the MC for the event.

The first 50 people to attend the signing dressed in Final Fantasy costumes will be given a free Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack and everyone who attends the launch will have the chance to win goodies.

You will be able to check out the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and limited collector’s edition of Final Fantasy XIII at the event.

Event Summary:

• Date: 9th March 2010
• Time: 5.30pm – 7:30pm
• Photocall: 6:05pm – 6:15pm
• Address: HMV, 150 Oxford Street, London, W1D 1DJ
• Entry: Free to everyone

Final Fantasy XIII is released on the 9th March 2010 on PS3 and Xbox 360.

I mentioned in my Assassin’s Creed II review that 2 bits of DLC were going to be published by Ubisoft. Well, Battle of Forli (the first DLC) turned up last month to a fairly muted reception. Too easy, too short and therefore too expensive. Here’s hoping that the Bonfire of the Vanities DLC fairs a bit better.

Ubisoft’s Christophe Grandjean has posted 2 pictures taken from the latest Bonfire of the Vanities DLC via his twitter account. Take a look:

Interestingly, the action forms part of memory 13 in which Ezio gains a new move – spring jump – which isn’t available in the rest of the game. I guessing Ubisoft have come up with some suitably clever way of making Ezio “forget”" this new move before the end of the memory sequence. Mmmm, decapitation, head trauma, excessive exposure to lolcats maybe?

Update 18th Feb 2010: This DLC is now available in 2 flavours. For 360 MS points you can get the new memory sequence missions. But for 560 MS points you get 3 secret Templar lairs to explore which were includes in the black edition of Assassin’s Creed.

Assassin’s Creed II – Bonfire of the Vanities DLC is out now on Xbox 360 and PS3.

Looks like this is the closest that we will get to playing Goldeneye 007 on the Xbox 360, given that game is tangled up in all sorts of copyright ownership problems (i.e. Nintendo probably own it as it was a N64 exclusive).

When Perfect Dark was originally released on the N64 in 2000 it was just too ambitious a game for the hardware available at the time. Rare enhanced the GoldenEye 007 game engine (more gore, better lighting, higher screen resolution and various other enhancements) to a point arguably beyond what the N64 could cope with. This resulted in shockingly bad frame rates at frequent intervals through out the game. This tarnished what was otherwise an excellent game.

So now that Microsoft has announced that it has updated the original game with HD visuals we might now be able to see the game that Rare wanted us to play 10 years ago. Hopefully, Microsoft will have left all the hidden cheeses for us to find, just like in the original Perfect Dark.

Features:

• Remastered full HD visuals:1080p at 60 frames per second and upgraded 3D models (characters, weapons) and locations.
• Action-packed and authentic. Based on the original code. There are nine missions across 17 levels in solo, co-op and counter-op modes available.
• Multiplayer modes. Battle online with up to eight players on Xbox LIVE over six different multiplayer scenarios across 16 levels.
• Microsoft staff faces to replace the Nintendo staff faces featured in the original (e.g. Shigeru Miyamoto).

Screenshots:

Trailer (via Joystiq):

Perfect Dark will be released on the Xbox 360 (for 800 MS points) on the 17th March 2010.

All registered Cerberus Network members (i.e anyone who didn’t pirate or buy the game second hand) will be able to download the Cerberus Assault Armor and M-22a Eviscerator Shotgun from 7pm GMT on the 9th Feb 2010 for free.

Cerberus Assault Armor:

• Cerberus assault armor is designed for shock troops
• Increases heavy weapon ammo capacity by +10%
• Increases shields by +10%
• Increases health by +10%

M-22a Eviscerator Shotgun:

• The M-22a Eviscerator Shotgun is a longer-range shotgun with armor-piercing loads
• This design also violates several intergalactic weapons treaties, so the M-22a is not distributed to militaries

In the 2 years that have passed since my Assassin’s Creed review Ubisoft have been working on a sequel that should address many of drawbacks to the first game. It’s not like Assassin’s Creed was that bad. I really liked it, so much so I could forgive the crushingly repetitive nature of the missions and the long, and boring monologues. Oh, yeah, those drawbacks.

So what’s changed in Assassin’s Creed II? Well, the cites are much more detailed and are positively heaving people to interact (kill, bribe or buy stuff from) with. Ubisoft has done a great job optimising the Anvil game engine used in the first game. I just love the whole look and the feel of the game. It’s perfect. Wandering around Venice during carnival is just spectacular. Venice really thrives with people, fireworks, costumes and face masks. Your character, Ezio is also a joy to control. After a few hours (even if you’ve never played the first game) you will be running around rooftops and killing people like a pro! This all helps really pull you into the game.

Assassin’s Creed II has a better plot, shorter more meaningful cut scenes (thankfully!!!!) and characters in the form of Ezio and your best mate Leonardo Da Vinci that are not total arseholes. There is even more variety in the missions. Admittedly, you either kill, follow, fedex an item from A to B, chase or beat people up in these missions so there isn’t a hug amount of variety, but it is a very welcome and much needed improvement. Such is the improvement, Assassin’s Creed II becomes even more of a time killer than the first game. Entire afternoon’s will disappear playing this game. I promise you.

The music in Assassin’s Creed II is just awesome. All the tracks that Jesper Kyd has composed complement the gameplay perfectly. In fact, I have the official soundtrack on my iPhone it’s so good. My person favourite is the Venice Rooftops track (listen on iTunes).

The missions aren’t the only aspect of the game that has been expanded. Multiple weapons, armour, items, money and property development are all now included. Ezio can earn money from the various missions, or pickpocketing people in order to buy better weapons, and develop his home villa (e.g. fix up shops and buildings). Whilst all this brings another aspect to the gameplay, once you get to about half way through the game money becomes pretty pointless as you have so much of it. Well I did anyway!

The only other thing I can find wrong with Assassin’s Creed II is the clumsy way several “memories” are missing from the game, only to turn up – at cost – as downloadable content (DLC). Will I be buying this particular bit of Assassin’s Creed II DLC, well, no I won’t.

In summary: Assassin’s Creed II fixes many of its predecessor’s faults to produce an excellent game. Highly recommended.

Screenshots:

Assassin’s Creed II is out now on Xbox 360 and PS3.

Here’s a tantalising video from the upcoming Mass Effect 2 showing the character Samara getting up to all sorts of shenanigans. For the looks of it Mass Effect 2 is shaping up to be even better than Mass Effect.

Mass Effect 2 is due for release on the 29th Jan 2010 on Xbox 360 and PC.