The 2009 Summer Games Preview

Borderlands

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Publisher: 2K Games
Release Date: October 2009

We’ve always said that there aren’t enough computer games that use a western setting and, while Gearbox’s Borderlands isn’t strictly a straight-up cowboy game, its sci-fi western theme is good enough for us.

The setting for Borderlands is small dusty planet on the edge of the galaxy where millions of people went searching for treasure years ago, but soon abandoned it when they there was nothing left to find. Now the only ones left behind are the unlucky ones who couldn’t fund a trip back home and who spend their time searching through the empty, alien ruins.

All that changes however when the planet starts to complete its first full orbit since the humans arrived and hidden aliens emerge from hibernation to feast on anything they can find. Namely you and your three friends.


Gearbox has been keeping pretty quiet about Borderlands lately after a sudden change in art style that moved the game to cel-shaded visuals, but there are still a few things we know about the gameplay despite the secrecy. Namely, Borderlands is set to be more than just an average FPS game, with the developer promising both four-player co-op throughout the whole campaign and a fusion of RPG and FPS game mechanics.

Not only that, but Borderlands will also feature a new randomisation system that’ll create totally new levels and weapon variations every time a new game is started. We’re not sure if it’s just hyperbole or not at the moment, but Gearbox reckons that they’ll be more than 650,000 variations of weapons alone. As far as we’re concerned that’s a potential 650,000 reasons to play the game.

Assassin’s Creed 2

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: November 20th

Though the original Assassin’s Creed split gamers pretty much down the middle, Ubisoft is hoping that the sequel will be a much more convincing hit than the first and has made some fairly big changes to the game, not least of which is putting players in the middle of 15th Century Venice.

Well, kind of anyway – as although most of the action will take place in the time of the Renaissance the game will still strictly be taking place in modern day as player relive the genetic memory of kidnapped bartender Desmond. Unlike in the first game though, where Desmond did little more than walk around and talk to Kristin Bell, players will actually get a chance to explore a bit more of Abstergo – though Ubisoft is keeping quiet about what he might find.

Meanwhile, back in Renaissance Italy, Desmond will relive the memories of a different ancestor from the first game – a young noble named Ezio, who’s taken up with the assassins for reasons unknown and now finds himself murdering on command.

The gameplay itself will mostly be the same as in the first game by the looks of things, though with new features, weapons and variation getting bundled in. There’ll be a new notoriety system too, which means you’ll have to track down and silence witnesses if you can’t complete your mission secretly, for example, as well as a full day/night cycle.

Bringing the series forward to a more recent period in history means you’ll get a whole bunch of new tools and weapons as your disposal, including rudimentary pistols and Leonardo da Vinci’s famed flying machine. Most exciting of all though is the chance to throw smoke pellets on the floor and disappear quickly from pursuing guards – WHOOSH!