Bits And Bobs: Monday News Roundup
Sony Europe to publish Ace Combat 5, Far Cry banned in Germany, Horizons free in Europe, and trailers for Killzone, Def Jam II, Catwoman and Panic Maker.
Rather unsurprisingly, given all their past collaborations, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has emerged as the publisher of Namco's aerial shoot-'em-up Ace Combat 5, which it plans to release exclusively on PS2 around this time next year. "Quarter One 2005," it says. Set in the near future, AC5 has you protecting the nation of Osea from an unidentified threat, which needs dealing with over the course of thirty levels. New features in this one include Wingman Command, which allows you to bark instructions at wingmen and join forces with them to carry out group attacks.
Speaking of PS2 exclusives, last week Sony launched the official website for Guerrilla Games' Killzone, which includes a brief and extremely grey trailer showing off some of what the Dutch developer can do with the supposedly rather limited capabilities of the PS2. The real question now is whether Guerrilla can deliver a game to match the tech, a question we ought to stand a better chance of answering when we play the game at this year's E3.
Last week also saw confirmation from Ubisoft that Far Cry has been banned in Germany, presumably thanks to all the gore and violence. Sadly this means that German developer Crytek can't actually go out and buy its game just yet, although Ubisoft plans to release a sanitised version in the near future. Any German gamers reeling from the news - or waiting for their grey import to turn up from elsewhere in Europe - can get a taste of the game by checking out the existing demo versions, which are untouched by such restrictions.
Following a less than fantastic uptake here in Europe (unless we somehow missed its reign at the top of the charts), Atari has announced that its MMORPG Horizons: Empire of Istaria will be made available to players for a free seven-day trial, which you can take part in by heading here. The reviews for this one were less than flattering, it has to be said, but you can at least play as a dragon, which is a new experience for massively multiplayer types.
Aaand if you can't be bothered with that, you can always download a few trailers and watch those instead. Catwoman, for example, which is being developed by Argonaut here in the UK for release this summer. You'll think Halle Berry is an S&M queen! Or Def Jam Vendetta II, perhaps. Or, if you're like us and fancy watching a trailer for a game you'd actually consider buying, there's always a Capcom's Panic Maker, which stars a little alien chap who tries to help people but winds up causing all sorts of mischief instead.