The tournament weekend kicks off on Friday, May 25^th with a special Open House for Fans. Free to the public with doors open at 7pm, fans are invited to Austin City Limits Gallery, to meet and mingle with the pros and casters. Beginning at 8pm, the evening includes a pre-show panel featuring all of the attending athletes and the casters discussing the upcoming tournament, ending with an audience Q&A. In addition to photo and autograph opportunities, attendees have the chance to win great door prizes as well!

The competition officially kicks off on Saturday, May 26^th with the first day of the Red Bull Battlegrounds Tournament. Four round robin groups of 4 compete, with top 2 in each group advancing to the playoffs on Sunday, May 27^th.

These 16 lucky individuals are travelling from South Korea, France, The Netherlands, Sweden, Canada and the USA, to compete for the cash and glory of being crowned Red Bull Gaming’s first-ever eSports champion.

Red Bull Battlegrounds will be waged in front of a live audience with tickets available at: http://acl-live.com/

Fans from around the world can also take part witness the competition by tuning into the HD live streams from 1pm – 11pmCT May 26^th& 27^th, at the following link: http://RedBullUSA.com/LAN.

Please feel free to get in touch for additional details, and visit www.RedBullUSA.com/LAN for more information.

Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below! Do you plan on getting a ticket or at least tuning in?

"If you like fast-paced, hack n’ slash, action-RPGs then you will find a lot to love in Diablo III.

Diablo 3 is sort of like the Duke Nukem of RPGs – the last entry in the series came at the beginning of the last decade, and it’s been coming for about 13 years now. So, what’s the biggest difference between the two, besides their genres? Well, this one is still developed by the original company, Blizzard, and is not a bad game at all. Diablo 3 is an epic continuation of the battle between Heaven, Hell, and the mortal realm of Sanctuary. In many ways it has lived up to the hype, and in many others it is quite a bit different than Diablo 2. All issues with the game aside, if you like fast-paced, hack n’ slash, action-RPGs then you will find a lot to love here.

Before the game starts you can customize your banner (of which you will unlock different designs as you play) and choose a character. I say “choose a character” and not “design a character” because there are next to no customization elements present. You choose the class and gender that is all. This is still a step up from Diablo 2, where you only chose the class.

Once you are in, the story picks up twenty years after the Prime Evils were defeated and banished from the world of Sanctuary. The opening cinematic shows Deckard Cain and his niece, Leah, in the Chapel of Tristram as something falls from the sky. After crashing down and making a huge crater, Deckard Cain is nowhere to be found. The game begins with your hero traveling to find out what’s happening, and then the story begins to unfold from there.

Overall the story is intensely enjoyable with a great hook and concept to keep you intrigued from start to finish. If you are a longtime fan of the series like me, then you can easily enjoy the references to past events. If you are new to the serious, I highly recommend reading up on the events of the past game and the general lore of the franchise itself. You will not be disappointed; the war between Heaven and Hell is anything but boring.

That being said, it starts out great, and the final Act is a thrilling conclusion to the game with a really great final boss, but the entire game doesn’t keep that same pace. The middle third or so of the game really goes into a lull and seems to drag on for far too long. The game can be completed on Normal difficulty in about 20 hours, give or take depending on how thorough or quick you are, and if you play with others. But the chunk in the middle could have been paced a little bit better. The story is a grand tale of the most epic proportions, but it is ultimately just an excuse for you to go slay a few hundred more demons.

Ultimately the game really does maintain great pacing throughout, never truly getting impossibly difficult as long as your skills have been improving along with your character’s. This is also a testament to the super-tight gameplay Blizzard crafted for Diablo 3. However, if you’re not a fan of the genre, or at least interested in this style of game, combat will get very repetitive very fast. This is very much the same combat you should be used to by now (click until your mouse breaks) but they have expanded it, in some ways, from Diablo 2, but also truncated some of the deeper features. While this is a review of just Diablo 3, it is necessary to compare it to the previous game because a) it has been over a decade, so seeing how it compares is crucial and b) it is important to know for many of the longtime fans.

For example, in Diablo 2 you mapped skills to the left and right mouse buttons. In Diablo 3, you also get numbers 1-4, so this is a great addition. However, they removed two features that would have been nice for players obsessed with balancing their stats. First, when you level up the game automatically assigns you attribute points based on your class. This means you no longer get to customize how many points you put into which attributes. This is not a major folly, because it does keep the game balanced and prevents your from breaking your character halfway through the game. Thankfully this fault is mitigated by the use of gems, but more on that later.

Secondly, when you level up, you no longer get to actually choose which skills you want to take, or even which skills you want to improve. Let me explain this further. In a lot of RPGs, Diablo 2 included, when you leveled up you picked from a few different “trees” of skills which ones you wanted to learn. In Diablo 3, which skills you learn, is entirely out of your hands and automatically chosen by the game itself.

Furthermore, when you level up, you don’t get to improve any of your current skills either. Let’s say you had already learned all of the skills you were interested in, in Diablo 2 and other games, you can then spend your skill points on improving existing skills. Instead, in Diablo 3, the game pre-determines which skills are improved and when. There is also a “rune” system where you unlock optional enhancements for every skill, so you can choose to make them behave in different ways. All of this goes to improving the balance of the game and making it more accessible, but at the cost of customization. It seems like they could have given players the option of automatic or elective mode, which they did do thankfully for one feature.

I didn’t even discover this until I was halfway through the game, but you do get a bit of skill customization. The hotbar is laid out with the numbers 1-4 on the left, and then left mouse and right mouse buttons near the middle. In the skill menu, as shown above, you get 6 categories. For this example, I am showing my Wizard character. She has Primary, Secondary, Conjuration, Force, Mastery, and Defensive skills that are all mapped to a specific button. In the default non-elective mode, you are limited to one skill from each of those categories. However, if you enable elective mode, you can assign each of the six slots using any combination of all of your skills. This drastically changes the way the game is played! So, make sure you activate this option if you want more control over your loadout.

"You are always required to be connected to the internet in order to play this game, whether it be single or multiplayer.

Continuing down the road of negativity, are many non-gameplay related elements. First off, you are always required to be connected to the internet in order to play this game, whether it be single or multiplayer. They did this to protect themselves and the game, as a form of DRM. However, this tremendously limits the experience. A game like Diablo can be played for long stretches of time, but it can also be played in short 20 minutes bursts if you want to. Let’s say you’re on vacation with your laptop and have no internet – you cannot play. Let’s say you don’t have a good connection – plan on experiencing lots of lag (even in single player) or not being able to connect at all.

I understand that they are eventually going to implement the ability to spend and earn real money in the auction house (which is not available at launch,) but I feel like, as a gamer, I should be able to play the game offline for single player mode. This brings up another crucial issue: what happens if the servers go down? As we saw on launch night, thousands of players tried to log on at the exact same moment and caused the game to crash. This means that even those individuals that wanted to play in single player mode could not play. There is no excuse for this, the game has been in development for over a decade, they have had beta tests, and they knew how many people preordered the game.

Another absent feature is the PvP. Obviously they announced months ago that it would not be available at launch, but this is not an excuse. You should ask yourself: Am I even getting a complete product? They are charging the same price as if it was a fully featured and fully functional game, but leaving out the two most highly touted features, forcing you to be connected to the internet to play, and experiencing frequent server issues within the first week of release. Even though those two features are being added “soon” and free of charge, none of this is excusable.

Blizzard did implement a few great new features as well, including the auction house. When you purchase an item from the auction house, you may send it directly to your stash, which is also where your gold will go if you sell something or are outbid and have your gold refunded. This is a really nice addition, and is recommended for all players looking for certain gems and other specific items. This same auction house will later be updated to include the option of spending real money (which Blizzard does take a portion of the revenue from all sales.) There is also a new crafting system in the game as well. Each magical item you find (colored blue or better) can be broken down into raw materials. Once you accumulate enough materials, you can start crafting.

In order to craft items you have to train your crafting ability (accomplished by spending gold at the Blacksmith) and spend resources + gold. You can eventually craft extremely powerful gear that may be better than what you are wearing, or at least worth posting in the auction house. Furthermore, the game now features gem crafting. By combining lesser gems, you can eventually create flawless and perfect tier gems. For the most part, the gem system is very similar to Diablo 2; you can find items with “empty sockets” and fill them with gems that imbue different effects.

The gem system, however, does leave a bit to be desired. It doesn’t seem to make your weapons and/or armor glow anymore, and there are also not very many effects. Each type of gem only has three different effects: one for if it is put in a helmet, one for a weapon, and one for everything else. It would have been nice if they added different effects for chest, leg, shoulder, accessory, etc to really add more depth to the game. Thankfully, though, gems are a godsend for those that miss attribute customization.

Since you can no longer assign which attribute points you spend where when leveling up, you can just socket gems that grant whichever attribute you are after. This is great, but it would have been nice to at least have the option of both.

Graphically you can’t ask for a whole lot more in this genre. The charcters models look pretty nice when you zoom in on them, and the environments are incredible. I even saw a rainbow across a river and waterfall at one point, it definitely looks nice. This is especially amazing because for the most part the game maintained a high FPS and looked great all the way through. The particle and spell effects are especially beautiful to look at. Another point should be made to mention the CG cutscenes. While these aren’t as popular these days, there are a few in this game. They are hands down the most beautiful and well-done I have ever seen in a game; absolutely stunning.

The sound design, as always in Blizzard products, is top-notch. Each musical track is expertly crafted, and really portrays the mood of each area in the game. All of the nasty creatures shriek and moan in unique ways, and if you play with the lights off and headphones in, there are some pretty creepy moments and sounds. There really isn’t much room for improvement in this department.

As expected, the multiplayer works great. After you login, you have a few different options for what type of game you want to play, or if you want to jump to a specific mission or section of the game (assuming you have reached it.) If you are playing single player, you may choose to allow any of your friends to easily join into your game at any point, and vice versa for you joining their games. Additionally, you can open it up to the public (similar to Borderlands or Saints Row) so that anyone can find and join your game. Playing with others infinitely improves the experience, adding in more monsters, more loot, and more fun. Thankfully they employed a loot system that generates different loot for each player so you don’t have to worry about rolling for loot or anything like that. While playing, there is also a constant chat box in the lower left corner, so you can join a general chat channel, a class specific chat channel, speak with your party, or even a trade channel for negotiating items.

"Diablo 3 is one hell of a good time.

If you have no friends, or would rather just play alone, you can hire followers once again. In a lot of ways they are improved from Diablo 2, in that they all have actual personalities. Personally, I chose to have the Templar with me the entire game once I found him because as a Wizard, he was a good compliment. Throughout the game they chime in during story moments, while fighting enemies, and are actually helpful. Each of them have their own distinct personalities, and I really enjoyed having him tag along for the adventure. You can even assign a few different items to them, as well as choose a few skills that they take after they level up. If you are playing with other humans in your party, however, then you cannot have any followers.

In the end, Diablo 3 is undeniably a good game. It is extremely polished, expertly balanced, and disgustingly fun. While Blizzard did take out some of the deeper elements to character leveling, temporarily excluded promised features, and restricted the way you play the game; Diablo 3 is one hell of a good time.

"A memorable title and a certifiable game of the year contender

During July of 2001, Remedy Entertainment introduced the world to a groundbreaking third-person shooter with a sophisticated slow motion gunplay mechanic, mature narrative, and graphic novel stylized presentation. Max Payne ignited the PC gaming culture by breaking the rules of conventional gameplay all while paying homage to the classic action hero movie genre.

Once development on Max Payne 2 concluded, Remedy stepped aside to focus on Alan Wake and handed over full creative control of the franchise to the talented team at Rockstar Games. After countless delays, the end result is a phenomenal shooter with an unrivaled cinematic presentation that maintains consistency from beginning to end. Here are a few more reasons why this game is an absolute must buy.

Back in April, I wrote a detailed hands-on article that dove into my experiences having played the demo at PAX East. Needless to say, after playing through the final product I walked away impressed with all the blood, sweat, and tears that went into crafting this masterpiece.

Right from the start of the opening sequence, you’re able to identify an older Max as he deals with all the trials and tribulations of the modern world. Rockstar deserves accolades for putting a unique spin on the series without sacrificing the core elements of gameplay that made the first game a classic.

At the heart of this dark and gritty storyline lies a deeper character study into Max’s ever evolving state of mind. Still visibility broken from the death of his wife and infant daughter, he continues to remain an outsider and seeks refuge through severe bouts of violence and alcoholism.

After taking on a high profile security job and getting caught up in a dangerous scandal, Max sets out to uncover the truth and recapture the broken parts of his life. This effective use of redemption sets apart all the previous entries in the series because it gives a much more humanistic quality to our hero.

From a presentation standpoint, this game easily surpasses some of the best action movie blockbusters Hollywood has to offer. The only real drawback is that you can’t simply skip over any cutscenes while playing.

The idea of using cinematic sequences to bleed into gameplay is absolutely nothing short of brilliant, and both the screen and typography effects compliment Max’s shifty personality as well. The game’s soundtrack is very reminiscent of Michael Mann’s HEAT and carries just the right amount of precision to fit perfectly within the universe.

"The use of cinematic sequences to bleed into gameplay is absolutely nothing short of brilliant

The campaign clocks in at about 10-12 hours depending on the difficulty setting that you’re comfortable using. There are several unlockables to gain while playing through the story including collectible golden gun types, and level specific grind objectives and clues.

If you don’t feel like replaying the game in its entirety, then you have the option of only playing individual chapters. I would recommend trying out the arcade feature titled New York Minute. This mode gives you 60 seconds to complete a chapter and compete against others for the fastest time finished. The simple and intuitive leaderboard stats are more then enough to persuade competitive gamers to get the most out of this mode.

When it comes to multiplayer, Max Payne 3 offers a stacked set of options that are guaranteed to keep you busy for several hours on end. Gang wars and Payne killer accompany standard modes like single and 16 player team deathmatches. The story structure behind gang wars works by assigning five acts to a matchup and providing commentary to recap the events before and after each act.

Alternatively, Payne killer allows you to play as either Max Payne or Raul Passos after you’ve killed either of the two. The best way to describe it would be to call it a modified version of tag. Overall, the creation of both these modes are impressive feats and set the standard for a highly addictive multiplayer experience.

Max Payne 3 is a top-notch third-person shooter that faithfully revives the Max Payne universe and paves the way for future installments. By focusing on key dynamics like smart storytelling and rich gameplay, Rockstar games has crafted a memorable title and a certifiable game of the year contender. If you’re a fan of action flicks and shooters then do yourself a favor and pick this up ASAP.

"A truly addictive online multi-player experience that has the potential to hold your interest for months to come

Back in my university days, after a long days worth of studying my ritual method of unwinding involved a two hour session on Incognito’s iteration of Warhawk. Though Warhawk came early in the PS3′s cycle there were still numerous titles that out-did it visually. I hear many people ask, what exactly was the appeal of that game? Well for me; it wasn’t about graphics or your K/D Ratio, or having an epic single player campaign. Warhawk to me was about actually having fun playing with and against other players. Nothing more, nothing less… It was easy going but challenging enough to encourage you to try new tactics on the battle field.

That same fun stress relieving experience has been absent for four and a half years, until now. Lightbox interactive were assigned the task of bringing the idea of Warhawk back to life with a new coat of paint. Enter Starhawk – which takes the theme into the future and presents a few new concepts.

One of the most notable differences between Starhawk and its predecessor is the addition of a single-player campaign mode. In this mode you assume the role of Emmet Graves. The game is centered around Rift Energy which is a new source of energy in space being mined by humans. Outcasts who have been over exposed to the Rift Energy wish to steal it and use it for their own addictive needs. After Emmet and his brother Logan’s farm is attacked by Rift Outcasts both brothers become exposed to Rift Energy. Logan becomes an Outcast but fortunately Emmet is saved from becoming an outcast thanks to an implant that a friend installs on him.

Throughout the game you’ll be acting as a mercenary, traveling to numerous Rift mines to help them fight off Outcast forces. You’ll be presented with inFamous like graphic novel story telling between missions, which looks cool but unfortunately it gets fairly boring. It’s not that Emmet isn’t an interesting character, it’s just that his story isn’t told in an overly interesting manner and thus it becomes hard to care for.

The campaign quickly begins to seems like a tutorial on how to play the game before you decide to dive into the online mode. Which is a bit of a let down when you consider the amount of stock put into the single-player campaign during marketing.

In terms of game-play Starhawk controls very much like how I remember Warhawk. At first the L2 and R2 controls were confusing, as L2 lobs grenades and R2 is used to sprint; I personally would prefer those to be swapped over due to the fact that R1 is your trigger so it makes more sense for me to press R2 for grenades. When I first played I found myself lobbing grenades right in front of me in an attempt to sprint due to this slight confusion. I’m sure there may be a way to change controls, but If you’re anything like me then you’ll prefer to play the game how the developer wanted you to.

Seeing as the whole story behind Starhawk is centered around Rift Energy, it makes sense that the gameplay should allow you to utilize the energy source. In both the single-player and multi-player modes you are able to build structures to either defend your base or bring offense to the enemy. To do this you need to build up your Rift meter, which fills up automatically if you are near base. Otherwise you can replenish your Rift meter quicker by simply killing enemies or shooting Rift containers.

The build and battle mechanic is one of the most important features of the game. Building the right structures in the right places can make the difference between winning and losing, especially once you get to the multi-player side of the game. Pressing triangle will bring up the radial menu, it displays which structures you’re able to build given your Rift meter level and the map you’re playing. Once you begin to built stations that spawn tanks, jet-packs and Hawk mechs the excitement really begins. Starhawk isn’t too exhilarating as a 3rd-person shooter, so it’s taking control of these various vehicles that provides the most amount of fun in combat.

Hawk mechs allow you to transform into Starhawks and take to the skies picking off enemies in the air or on the ground. I personally prefer transforming back to a mech to take on ground enemies, but there are many skilled flyers that can effectively aim down upon a foe from the sky. It takes some practice to get really good at controlling the Starhawk, but it’s definitely worth the effort as they are an essential part of dominating a horde of enemies.

"It’s the beauty of Starhawk; that building a turret, a supply bunker or a Hawk station can make all the difference.

It’s clear that most of Starhawks longevity will come from the multi-player online portion of the game. Usually 3rd person games are heavy focused on campaign story modes with the online being an additional option to keep players interested after beating the campaign. Starhawk is a huge exception, and it’s an exception that is certainly needed on the PS3.

One of the big criticisms for the PS3 platform is that aside from the huge 3rd party block buster titles, they lack enjoyable online experiences. Starhawk breaks this notion by providing a fun immersive online experience that keeps giving.

There are four main modes to chose from online; Capture the flag, Zones, Team Deathmatch and Deathmatch. My favorites by far are Capture the flag and Zones (taking over all zones to win) as you’ll find that you’ll have to be more strategic and actually work as a team to make a difference. Another misconception about PS3 is that people don’t talk, but I’ve found that Starhawk has actually encouraged a lot of people to get on their headsets for the purpose of working in a team.

Starhawk is a game that highly encourages team/clan based play. I’ve seen clans get together and dominate a server for hours. If you haven’t already got a clan in mind, then you will surely get a ton of clan invites as you level up further so it’s impossible to feel left out. Through the clan menu you can see clan rankings, stats and you can initiate clan vs clan battles.

As you rank up you’ll also unlock customizations for both your character and your vehicles which you can assign by entering the customization menu. You’ll also earn skill points which you can use to activate a skill (basically it’s a perk system).

Add all those entities together and you get a truly addictive online multi-player experience that has the potential to hold your interest for months to come; especially with the summer incoming.

Some may only wish to jump into Starhawk provided they have enough friends to accompany them, it’s easy to feel lost amidst the 30 other players in the room. You’ll find yourself dying frequently if you or your team don’t know what you’re doing. But on the other hand, there’s nothing like jumping into a random match on the losing team and then being there to turn the tides. It’s the beauty of Starhawk; that building a turret, a supply bunker or a Hawk station can make all the difference. This game comes highly recommended for those seeking an original multiplayer experience.

Harley Quinn’s Revenge will consist of a 2 hour campaign in which fans will play as both Batman and Robin as they try to stop Harley from completing her master plan.

Batman: Arkham City GOTY Edition will hit stores on May 29th. If you already own the original Arkham City game, you can purchase Harley Quinn’s Revenge through Xbox Live or PSN on the same day for $9.99 or 800 Microsoft points.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier launches on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 on May 22nd in North America and May 25th in Europe. The PC version will debut in June.

Are any of you guys planning on picking up this game? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below.

• War Games Map Pack Access

The competitive multiplayer modes of Halo 4 are known as War Games. The Limited Edition includes access to nine maps – three future competitive multiplayer map packs, each including three locations, available for download post-launch on Xbox LIVE. Yes, you read that correctly; you get nine maps in the form of future DLC with the purchase of the Halo 4 Limited Edition. Score!

• Specializations

Everyone will have access to select Specializations, but those that purchase the Halo 4 Limited Edition will receive the ability to unlock six Specializations early, available at launch on Xbox LIVE. You can use them, one at a time, to achieve higher ranks in your Spartan career. In addition to gaining access to new ranks, Specializations unlock new customization options. We’ll be releasing more information about Specializations at E3, so expect additional details about this particular feature then.

• UNSC Infinity Briefing Packet

The UNSC Infinity Briefing Packet includes a Spartan armor customization schematic, information about UNSC weapons, an introduction to the massive ship UNSC Infinity, and insight into what it means to be one of humanity’s finest warriors: The Spartan-IVs. Story lovers will especially enjoy this in-fiction offering that provides a glimpse into the indoctrination of Spartans aboard the Infinity.

• Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Special Edition

The Special Edition of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn is a 90-minute extended version of the live-action digital series which will take fans back to the terrifying beginning of the Human/Covenant war, when the Master Chief inspired a young cadet who would eventually become a leader aboard the UNSC’s greatest vessel ever: the UNSC Infinity.

Digital content also includes in-fiction bonus content that expands the characters and stories of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, special featurette Bringing Gaming into Reality, and a behind the scenes look at the making of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.

• Bonus digital content through Xbox LIVE

The Limited Edition includes the following bonus digital content through Xbox LIVE: unique in-game Spartan-IV armor skin, unique in-game weapon skin for the Assault Rifle, an exclusive in-game emblem, Xbox LIVE Avatar prop, and Xbox LIVE Avatar Spartan IV armor set.

It may seem a bit lackluster at first because there’s an absence of a fancy item but this edition offers plenty of digital content that you can actually put to use. If Microsoft treats me like a stepchild and doesn’t send this to me, I won’t have an issue dishing out a few of my own dollars for this edition.

And in case, you haven’t seen the boxart for Halo 4 yet, look below and be wowed. Easily the best looking boxart of the year. Clearly. No debating.

Take a listen and let us know what you think, and be sure to purchase the game as it drops tomorrow (in North America).

Tracklist:

01 Intro (Mr. Kennedy Mix)
02 DJ Premier & Bumpy Knuckles – P.A.I.N.E. (Pressure at Industry Expense)
03 Sheek Louch (ft. Jadakiss) – Pain (Mr. Kennedy Mix)
04 Styles P. – All I Know Is Pain
05 Jadakiss – Pain & Torture
06 Here Comes The Pain (Interlude) (Mr. Kennedy Mix)
07 Method Man – Bring The Pain
08 Gangstarr (ft. Fat Joe & M.O.P) – Who Got Gunz (Mr. Kennedy Mix)
09 Nipsey Hussle – Bullets
10 Nas – They Shootin’ (Ain’t Nuttin Changed) (Mr. Kennedy Mix)
11 Tony Yayo – Bullets Whistle
12 Jay-Z (ft. Eminem) – Renegade
13 2Pac (ft. Stretch) – Pain
14 Saigon (ft. Trey Songz) – Pain In My Life
15 Jack Lupino (Interlude) (Mr. Kennedy Mix)
16 Jay-Z – Lucifer (Mr. Kennedy Mix)
17 Fat Joe (ft. Busta Rhymes) – At Last Supremacy
18 Prodigy – Stronger
19 The Notorious B.I.G. (ft. 2Pac, Nas & Mary J. Blige) – Living In Pain
20 Joe Budden – Black Cloud

“We’re doing things that are completely new to Tomb Raider in this game and the additional development time will allow us to put the finishing touches into the game and polish it to a level that you deserve.”

“Our priority now is to make sure we fully deliver the very highest quality game. In order to do this, we have decided to move the game’s release date by a few months.”

Prior to this late-breaking news, I was invited to a media only play session of the upcoming game during E3 2012. Make sure you come back to our website next month to read my detailed impressions on this game and many others.

OFFICIAL TOMB RAIDER BLOG

In addition to breaking this news, they also revealed a new spinoff game called Sniper Challenge. This standalone title will act as an incentive for fans who preorder Hitman Absolution. Below is a brief statement from the company on the new game:

Hitman: Sniper Challenge takes place on a rooftop level set in Chicago, with Agent 47 planning to assassinate a target from an adjacent building armed with a sniper rifle. The mark arms boss arrives via helicopter at a rooftop party at which he’ll be present for 15 minutes; during this window of opportunity, players must take out both Strong and as many of his security team as possible.

Leaderboards will track the scores of a player’s friends list as well as at a national and worldwide level to introduce a competitive edge, while score multipliers for headshots and completing various challenges will bump on the base score.

The trailer above highlights the spinoff title in all its glory. Will any of you guys be picking up Hitman Absolution this fall? Feel free to let  us know in the comments section below.

Check out the images below for the official PS3 and 360 cover designs and let us know what you think in the comments below!

**NOTE: This video does contain some spoilers about the first game!

Darksiders II releases for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC this August, as well as the Wii U later this year.

With three different societies your character can align with, a totally free-form system for character progession without levels or classes, a vibrant modern setting, and a detailed story unlike most MMOS; The Secret World is shaping up to be something you should definitely keep an eye on.

For more information about the beta weekend visit the official site for the game, and Gamespot is currently giving away beta keys if you have an account at this link, but they won’t last long. The beta is set to run from 9AM PDT tomorrow, May 11th, until midnight PDT Sunday, May 13th. 

Keep an eye on The Koalition after this weekend for beta impressions and future details on the game. Also, be sure to check out the Pre-Order trailer for the game above, and be sure to comment below and let us know what you think!

I’ll be sure to write up a detailed hands-on impressions piece of this game after I try it out at E3. Until then, feel free to check out the cool boxart for the game below.

Assassin’s Creed III releases on October 30th for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii U, PC and Mac. Please feel free to take a look at the video above and leave your comments below.