As far as adventure games go, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father is right at the top in terms of my “All Time Favorite Game” because, well, it was just awesome. And now it’s available on Good Old Games GOG.com for a measly $6US. Go grab it now if you love a good story.

This is just about as close to a Public Service Announcement you’re likely to find on the Armchair Empire, but this is genuinely important, especially in light of the disaster in Haiti.

For all Xbox 360 Rock Band: Beatles’ owners, download “All You Need is Love” by January 31, 2010 and a portion of that purchase (112 Microsoft Points) will go toward Doctors Without Borders.

For every purchase of “All You Need Is Love” from Xbox LIVE between September 9, 2009 and January 31, 2010, the value of 112 Microsoft Points will be donated to MSF. For a complete list of countries where this donation offer will be available, visit www.xbox.com/thebeatlesrockband. In addition to downloading “All You Need Is Love” on Xbox LIVE, which will continue to benefit MSF until January 31, supporters are encouraged to visit the MSF Web site if they are interested in donating: www.doctorswithoutborders.org. More information about Médecins Sans Frontières U.S.A., Inc./Doctors Without Borders is available by contacting them at 333 7th Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001-5004.

The headline kind of tells you everything you need to know.

GTA: Episodes from Liberty City will finally be available for Playstation 3 and PC on March 30, 2010. Rockstar has also announced that it will ship as a complete stand-alone package and separate as episodes, The Lost and the Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, which requires you already own GTA IV.

From the press release:

“It’s been a long time coming, but we are proud to finally deliver Episodes From Liberty City for the PC and PlayStation 3,” said Sam Houser. “We appreciate the patience of our PlayStation 3 and PC fans worldwide, and we look forward to putting the games in your hands this March.”

Be sure to read our reviews of GTA IV, The Lost and the Damned, and The Ballad of Gay Tony.

It was the critical hit from 2008 and it was announced today that Braid has finally made its way to retail. Available digitally for a long time now, it will be available at Wal-Mart and GameStop for $19.99 (for PC) and slotted into the “Premium Casual” space.

In case you missed Braid the first time, here’s a quick rundown:

Developed by Number None, Braid is a platform game in a painterly style that allows players to manipulate the flow of time to solve puzzles. The journey follows Tim on his expedition to save the princess.  In each world, the player has different powers that impact the passing of time in strange ways.  The player must figure out how to use these powers to solve each of the 60 levels.

I’ve had my eye on this one for the last couple of years and was completely sold that it was “my kind of game” after playing it at E3 2008. So, it’s awesome that it’s finally here and we get to see how this Rocketeer/Iron Man/Gears of War/Crimson Skies turned out.

From the press release:

Dark Void is a science-fiction, action-adventure game published by Capcom Entertainment and developed by Airtight Games. Trapped inside a universe known as “the Void,” Will is a pilot dropped in the midst of an on-going battle between “gods” known as “the Watchers” and a human rebel group known as “the Survivors”. Will soon finds himself struggling along side the Survivors as they fight to prevent the Watchers from destroying Earth.

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While I think Peter Moore goes a little overboard calling NBA Jam “one of the most recognizable franchises in videogame history” I still like the fact someone is resurrecting the arcade-style franchise.

From the official press release:

Featuring gameplay that is true to the original, NBA JAM will have players spinning with ankle breaking moves to the basket and on the way to high-flying, backboard-smashing dunks. In addition to the classic experience, EA SPORTS NBA JAM will also introduce new game modes, characters and gameplay depth.

NBA JAM brought an all-new visual style to the sports videogame genre when it debuted in 1993. Now, the new EA SPORTS NBA JAM re-defines the visuals for a sports game yet again by bringing true-to-life body types, updated physics and visible player emotion to the over- the – top experience.

Featuring gameplay that is true to the original, NBA JAM will have players spinning with ankle breaking moves to the basket and on the way to high-flying, backboard-smashing dunks. In addition to the classic experience, EA SPORTS NBA JAM will also introduce new game modes, characters and gameplay depth.

NBA JAM brought an all-new visual style to the sports videogame genre when it debuted in 1993. Now, the new EA SPORTS NBA JAM re-defines the visuals for a sports game yet again by bringing true-to-life body types, updated physics and visible player emotion to the over- the – top experience.

The bolded part above is where I raise an eyebrow and wonder if true-to-life body types for an arcade sports game is such a great idea. But with no screens or video to base an opinion on, I just have to leave it in raised-eyebrow territory. I do hope they include a player creator though.

Back on December 13, 2009, Sega confirmed that Banjo & Kazooie (alongside the gamers’ Avatar) would appear in the upcoming Xbox 360 version of Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing.  Today Sega confirms that the Wii version will feature Miis. I can think of a few other Nintendo characters that would fit right in with Sonic and crew, like Kirby, so we might not have heard the last of guest star characters.

Sega announced today that the curvy action of Bayonetta (360, PS3) is now available to the general public. If you’re unfamiliar with Bayonetta, the quick summation is: crazy bat shit insanity on a stick. But Sega describes it like this:

BAYONETTA is a cinematic, stylized third person action game from the famed creative mind of renowned game developer, Hideki Kamiya of PlatinumGames. Bayonetta, the game’s protagonist, is a graceful, gun-wielding witch who awakens after being entombed in a coffin at bottom of a lake for 500 years with no memory. As players embark on this quest with Bayonetta, they will begin to unfold the mystery behind her past and her purpose in the game, such as why she fights against angels and other countless fantastic enemies. In combat, Bayonetta uses weapons, magic, acrobatics and her larger-than-life hair to redefine the look and feel of the action genre.

Subtitled “Awakening”, BioWare and Electronic Arts announced today the first full-fledged expansion for the critically acclaimed Dragon Age: Origins will be available March 2010. Promising to “take fans to the land of Amaranthine with new party members, spells, abilities and more” Awakening is “designed and written by the same team that brought [us] Dragon Age: Origins.”

The official announcement rattles off a laundry list of what any good expansion should be:

Players will face a range of horrific and terrifying creatures including an evolved, intelligent breed of darkspawn and other menacing creatures such as the Inferno Golem and Spectral Dragon.  Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening provides exciting new ways for players to customize their heroes and party, including the ability to re-spec their character attributes, allowing even greater customization and replayability.  Featuring an increased level cap, new spells, abilities, specializations and items, plus five all-new party members, players can continue their adventures from Dragon Age: Origins, or begin with a brand new character.

“Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening shows BioWare’s commitment to our fans by delivering new story-driven experiences which enrich the dark heroic fantasy universe our fans have come to know and love,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Group General Manager of the RPG/MMO Group, EA, and Co-Founder, BioWare. “The vibrant worldwide community of Dragon Age fans will relish uncovering the secret motivations of the darkspawn, revealing how the darkspawn continue to infest the world despite the defeat of the Archdemon.”

Players will face a range of horrific and terrifying creatures including an evolved, intelligent breed of darkspawn and other menacing creatures such as the Inferno Golem and Spectral Dragon.  Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening provides exciting new ways for players to customize their heroes and party, including the ability to re-spec their character attributes, allowing even greater customization and replayability.  Featuring an increased level cap, new spells, abilities, specializations and items, plus five all-new party members, players can continue their adventures from Dragon Age: Origins, or begin with a brand new character.

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The first of the big titles of 2010 has arrived. Today THQ announced that the post-apocalyptic Darksiders is now available at retail (for 360 and PS3).

Darksiders is already receiving early praise from the likes of Game Informer (AUS) stating that “Darksiders has trampled my expectations and is a very early contender for action-RPG of the year. Saddle up people.”

In case you missed early information about Darksiders, here’s a quick synopsis:

“Deceived by the forces of evil into prematurely bringing about the end of mankind, WAR – the first Horseman of the Apocalypse – must return to Earth to search for the truth and punish those responsible. War must take on the forces of Heaven and Hell, forge uneasy alliances with the very demons he hunts, and journey across the ravaged remains of the Earth on his quest for vengeance. Players harness the apocalyptic power of War, combining brutal attacks and supernatural abilities to decimate enemies who stand in his way. With an extreme arsenal of weapons, War blazes a trail of destruction, and emerges even more deadly atop Ruin, War’s fiery phantom steed.”

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