EA and Double Fine have announced the upcoming release of Hammer of Infinite Fate, the second bit of DLC for the heavy metal, third person action game, Brütal Legend. Hammer of Infinite Fate introduces a series of new skins, weapon upgrades, multiplayer maps and unlockable achievements for players to sink their horns into. The DLC pack will be available on Xbox LIVE on December 17th for 480 MS Points and for $4.99 on the Sony PlayStation Network.

“I’m excited about the beard, or course, and the new achievements and trophies,” said Tim Schafer, President of Double Fine Productions. “But the thing I really can’t wait to get my hands on is that Oculus of the Lost. Using it to find the last Bound Serpent isn’t cheating, because it looks so cool on my car.”

The Hammer of Infinite Fate pack allows players to upgrade Eddie Riggs with three new outfits including the Mountain Man, Black Metal and Zaulia Threads, as well as seven more back patches to slay the tainted coil in style. Eddie’s trusted hotrod, The Deuce (aka The Druid Plow), will also get a face lift with four brand new paint jobs and four more upgrades that players can purchase including the Oculus of the Lost, an all-seeing GPS for the world, and the Eye of Sorrow, a weapon that harnesses the power of the Sea of Black Tears and launches black projectiles of doom at enemies, in addition to The Disgorger and the Coiling Maw..

Players will also be able to unlock 9 new achievements and trophies in Brütal Legend which are based on the latest additions of the Hammer of Infinite Fate expansion pack. Mount Rockmore will also see six more heads for players to purchase and unlock, including Rima, Razputin, Dadbat, Hunter, Kage the Kannonier and Tim Schafer himself.

Hammer of Infinite Fate further expands the Brütal Legend Stage Battle multiplayer experience with four new mind-melting multiplayer maps; the Altar of Blood, Coiled Remains, Crucible of the Titans and The Amplified Cliffs. Each map features a completely unique environment tailored to the Gods of Metal, with an in-game element of surprise that puts a strategic twist to every Stage Battle.

The first map expansion, Brütal Legend Tears of the Hextadon, is currently available for 400 MS Points on Xbox LIVE and $4.99 on PlayStation Network. Brütal Legend is rated M for Mature by the ESRB and 18+ for PEGI.

For more information on Brütal Legend just check out www.brutallegend.com.

Raise the banner and unleash the slaughter, its time for another Skirmish of EpicBattleCry! This week, we check out the newly announced Rockstar PSN storefront and the UMD titles headed to it, muse over Dragon Age Journeys, the new Flash tie-in game from BioWare and EA, consider the official word from Sony of a 250GB PS3 headed our way soon, and shake with anticipation as we finally get a release date for Mass Effect 2.

First up this week, we examine recent statements by analyst Michael Pachter voicing concern over the threat a $99 iPod Touch could pose to game publishers. Next, we examine the controversy surrounding Brutal Legend and its marketing campaign. Did EA purposefully play down the real-time-strategy aspects of the game in its marketing?

The Battle Cry of the week goes to Castlevania: Rebirth, Torchlight, LEGO Indiana Jones 2, and calls on publishers to charge less for digital downloads than physical goods.

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Spears to the front and march! Its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! This week, we check on the new Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition, run down details on the new Matt Hazard title, sneak deets of Modern Warfare 2’s first map pack and lack of a pre-release demo, and ponder the new Xbox 360 holiday bundles headed our way.

With Super Street Fighter IV announced, and Fable II now available as piecemeal downloads, we take a look at the reality of digital distribution and work over the pros and cons of this emerging business model. So the long-promised ‘Rocktober’ is here and its time to start figuring out what we’re gonna score this month and what we’re gonna pass. With titles like Demon’s Souls, Tekken 6, DJ Hero, Forza 3, Borderlands, Brutal Legend and Uncharted 2 headed our way, its going to be an expensive four weeks.

The Battle Cry of the Week goes to all the righteous souls who didn’t buy a PSPgo, the Brutal Legend demo going public, Alpha Protocol (now being delayed to 2010) in the hopes the extra time will make the game extra awesome, and seeing more developer tools and custom mods making their way to consoles.

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Major Nelson sends word that gamers looking to test drive new games of the Rockin’ and Racin’ variety can rejoice over the fact that demos for both Brutal Legend and Forza Motorspot 3 are now awaiting download on Xbox Live. That’s pretty much all you need to know so if you’re interested in either or both of these titles then, uh, go download the demo:)

Swords at the ready and into the cave; its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! Welcome back everyone! After a brief hiatus, we’re back with another skirmish. This week, we run down the details on the BioShock 2 release date, check out the long awaited Fallout 3 DLC on PS3 and the accompanying Game of the Year edition, scope the leaked footage from Witcher 2, and morn the news that Left 4 Dead 2 has been banned in Australia.

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EA and Double Fine announced today that gamers will get a chance to experience Brütal Legend four weeks before the game’s Rocktober 13th release in North America as starting today, gamers who have pre-ordered the game from GameStop can download the demo on XBL and PSN. For anyone that has not pre-ordered the game, the demo will be available on both platforms in the coming weeks.

The Brütal Legend demo includes the game’s entire opening chapter, setting the stage for legendary roadie Eddie Riggs epic journey into a Heavy Metal-inspired universe on the brink of decimation. After a stage accident renders Eddie unconscious, he awakens to find himself in a fantasy world where mountains are made of amplifiers, killer spiders spin guitar strings and heavy metal legends including Rob Halford, Lemmy Kilmister, Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne roam the world’s landscapes. A series of tutorials will quickly show players that Eddie is uniquely qualified to lead the revolution to save humanity – his muscles big enough to swing “The Separator” axe, slashing his way through demons and druids, his strumming skills vast enough to handle “Clementine”, an electrifying guitar that can shock and set fire to any threat. These weapons, along with a variety of deadly combos, powerful double-team attacks with allies and Eddie’s self-made hot-rod, the Deuce, will all be needed in order to defeat the vicious boss at the end of the demo.

“I wish people could play the whole game right now,” said Tim Schafer, President of Double Fine Productions. “But while we’re waiting for Rocktober 13th, a taste of Metal is better than none at all.”

EA and Double Fine Productions Inc. today announced that gamers nationwide will get a sneak peek at this Rocktober’s heavy metal action game Brütal Legend, when the demo launches this September. We’re not sure on the exact day that the demo will drop (we’ll keep you posted…), but here’s what you’ll get when it is released:

The demo opens as Eddie awakes in the age of metal where he must quickly learn how to use the powerful ancient axe, ‘The Separator’ and electrifying guitar ‘Clementine’ to unleash combo moves that destroy the demons of darkness. As he comes face-to-face with zipper-faced nuns and devilish druids, Eddie encounters the beautiful and tough-as-nails Ophelia, an ally and would-be love interest. Together, Eddie and Ophelia use double team attacks for more powerful combo moves to defeat the rock demons that are after them. Luckily, they are bestowed with a super-charged, druid-destroying vehicle, ‘The Deuce’ that can be upgraded with weapons and armor throughout the game. From the bowels of the druid dungeon to the tops of corpse mountains, the Brütal Legend demo is just the beginning of an epic journey.

”We just couldn’t wait,” said Tim Schafer, President of Double Fine Productions. “Villagers have surrounded our offices with torches, demanding the game. So we’re releasing a demo and hope that this taste of metal will keep the mob at bay until Brütal Legend comes out this Rocktober.”

The game is set to create headbanger whiplash when it ships on October 13th in North America and October 16th in Europe. For complete information regarding the availability of the Brütal Legend demo check out www.brutallegend.com/demo.

Hey gang, it’s time for another edition of CAPTIONATE, the EpicBattleAxe.com feature that challenges our audience to come up with the best caption for a gaming related photo from our image gallery. Last week was the first swing at it and we had some rather, uh, entertaining entries….Of course, we could only pick one, so hit the jump to see the winning caption along with this week’s image for you to CAPTIONATE.
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Down the cave wall and attack them from behind; its time for a new edition of EpicBattleCry! This week, we check out the original Left 4 Dead DLC that’s due in September, ponder the news that StarCraft II has been pushed back to 2010, discuss Best Buy’s new pilot program matching used games prices, and question the Champions Online sight-unseen lifetime subscription.

Then we tear into the main course with a look at the various Activision news that’s been floating this week; including getting spanked by Double Fine in the Brutal Legend countersuit and their partnership deal to get exclusive sections in various retail stores. Next up, we take a look at the new Batman: Arkham Asylum demo and discuss our thoughts on the game’s potential and what this will mean for comic book-based games.

The Battle Cry of the Week goes to Ben Heckendorn for his latest mod-project: Bill Paxton Pinball, Dark Void for chumping out and being pushed back to next year, Crytek for the very real possibility of being uprooted from their homeland if the German violent game ban becomes law, and Activision CEO Bobby Kotick for gleefully becoming one of the most hated figures in gaming.

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…And it’s awesome!

Gamedaily reports on the full list of songs that will be heard this “Rocktober” in Tim Schaefer’s Brutal Legend. The list includes songs like “Mr. Crowley” by Ozzy Osbourne, “In The Black” by Motorhead and of course a few songs by Tenacious D.

For those not familiar, the game revolves around the world’s greatest roadie, Eddie Riggs (voiced and screen-capped by Jack Black), who is accidentally transported to a fantasy world inspired by the artwork of heavy metal album covers. Eddie becomes the world’s savior, leading the down-trodden humans against a range of supernatural overlords using a battle axe (which we love of course…), his Flying V guitar infused with magical powers, and a customizable hot rod. The game is also filled with awesome cameos by Rob Halford, Lemmy Kilmister, Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne (I’m also crossing my fingers for Dio making a secret cameo).

The game is set for a “Rocktober” 13 and 16 release for North America and Europe respectively. Anyway, catch the full list after the break and don’t forget to tell us what you think in the comments.
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