Hey everyone, DK here throwing down with the first EpicBattleAxe.com Member BattleCry for the new week. Now, if you haven’t seen this week’s topic yet you can do so right here, but for those of you ALREADY playing along at home, let’s get on with the discussion about atmosphere and immersion in gaming.

The first MBC of the week comes from Purkinje who, very eloquently, relates exactly why Half-Life 2 is more than just a shooter and how everything from the characters to the camera impact the rich experience delivered by one of Valve’s most memorable titles. So, with that I’ll turn this post over to Purkinje and kick off this week’s Member BattleCries.
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Ready the spears and mount the horses, its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! This week, we take a look at the debut trailer for Fallout: New Vegas, cross our fingers in hope that Splinter Cell: Conviction does indeed have a firm release date, say a brief ‘I told you so’ to the news that Episodes From Liberty City is headed to both the PS3 and PC in March, and bemoan the announcement that Microsoft will soon discontinue the original Xbox Live service.

First up in the main course this week, we talk about the recently unveiled Apple iPad. While Apple is certainly presenting their new mobile device as a superior outlet for games, will gamers buy into the new multi-touch platform? Next up, with BioShock 2 and Dante’s Inferno set to release this week, we discuss the literary influence on these two unique games. Will the source material of these titles inspire gamers to delve into the novels from which they sprang, or will everyone be too distracted by the kickassery?

The Battle Cry of the Week goes to Sonic the Hedgehog 4 and the hope it will be a return to form for the fleet-footed-franchise, Just Cause 2 and the hope that the actual gameplay lives up to the level of fun seen in the trailer, the recent BioShock 2 Special Edition Unboxing video and its tease for the forthcoming Über Edition, and Ninja Gaiden, one of the most epic, difficult, and influential titles on the NES.

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PRESS RELEASE

From pulse-pounding action to mind-bending puzzles and beyond, this week’s lineup of new downloadable games offers a dizzying variety to satisfy players of all stripes. New additions for the WiiWare service include the sci-fi adventure of BLASTER MASTER OVERDRIVE and the speedy fun of Tomena Sanner, plus a pair of family-friendly games to help parents and their kids brighten up the dog days of winter. For the Nintendo DSiWare service, new attractions include the rocket-powered puzzles of Link ‘n’ Launch and the tower-defending thrills of Fieldrunners. And lest you should think cucumbers are only good for snacking, the Virtual Console debut of Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom lets Wii owners enjoy a quirky classic from the NES era.
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Hot off the (virtual) press folks, LucasArts has announced the next installment in the LEGO Star Wars franchise. Check out the full press release for the deets:

PRESS RELEASE

LucasArts and TT Games today announced the development of LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars. The next chapter in the award-winning LEGO Star Wars videogame franchise, LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars will combine the best elements of all previous LEGO games while adding brand new gameplay to make it the most action-packed LEGO videogame to date. Developed by the same team at Traveller’s Tales that created the critically acclaimed LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Indiana Jones series, the game will ship on the Wii, Nintendo DS, PS3, PSP , Xbox 360, and Windows in the Autumn of 2010.

“LucasArts continues to set the bar for next-generation family entertainment,” said Darrell Rodriguez, president of LucasArts. “The LEGO Star Wars franchise is a massive hit with fans, bringing in sales of over 20 million units worldwide. We’re thrilled to extend this experience to LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, delivering the humour and fun players expect from this award winning franchise.”

“LucasArts is an amazing partner, and working with them on the next iteration of the LEGO Star Wars series continues to be a great experience,” said Tom Stone, director at TT Games. “The team at TT is working hard at making this simply the best LEGO game ever with all new gameplay and features never before seen in a LEGO game.”

LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars will include all the characters from both seasons of the hugely popular animated television series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, as well as some fan-favourite characters from the beloved theatrical Star Wars Saga. The game will feature brand new battle modes, giving players unique, head-to-head combat and an upgraded level builder, allowing the creation of customized bases and in-game battlefields. Play either as a Jedi or Separatist with all-new character abilities, such as Squad command, Lightsaber slicing, Lightsaber jumps, long distance Jedi attacks and Grapple Tie-Ups, all within a new, easy-to-navigate hub.

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Of course, We’ll keep you posted on more details as they emerge.

What’s up everyone? DK here kicking off another week of Member BattleCries on EpicBattleAxe.com! If you missed out on the conversation last week, we had some really great submissions on the topic of genre defining Action/Adventure games. You can check out the post here and the featured Member BattleCries here.

Now, on to this week’s topic…With the release of BioShock 2 this week, I thought it’d be fun to step back and examine the games or franchises that deliver the deepest sense of immersion…Games dripping with atmosphere and standing apart from the crowd by being ANYTHING BUT GENERIC! The word “Atmospheric” is defined as “creating a distinctive mood”, so with that in mind, I pose the following question to you in this week’s MBC Topic Starter:

WHICH GAME OR FRANCHISE DO YOU CONSIDER THE MOST IMMERSIVE OR ATMOSPHERIC AND WHY?

Of course, the discussion is open to any game, any genre, and really anything you want. Just keep it on topic and let us know your thoughts on the matter if you can pull yourself away from BioShock 2 long enough to do so. We’re also glad to hear from you if you have a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT subject you’d like to sound off on, so feel free to do that in the comments section below as well.

As always, we’ll feature a new Member BattleCry each day here on the ‘Axe and then highlight the Member BattleCry of the week on the next skirmish of the EpicBattleCry video podcast. Also, don’t forget to vote in our poll this week on the key elements that go into making a game immersive!

Alright, I’m looking forward to what you all have to say! Check back daily to see if your MBC has been featured and to see what all of the other ‘Axe Heads are saying.

Peace,
DK