.

GameTrailers was recently able to have a little chitchat with Pandemic Studios' co-founder Andrew Goldman to talk about their upcoming multi-platformer, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames.

Goldman says that Mercenaries 2 places more focus on being the best mercenary out there, as compared to the prequel which was really more about the money. Goldman's also talks proudly about the game's highly destructible game environments, which are rendered using pushed-to-the-limit physics. One of the basic points he makes is that they're just there to offer weapons and vehicles, but it's entirely up to the players to develop their own original tactics and gameplay styles.

Featuring 130 vehicles, better storyline construction, kickass weapons, and loads loads more, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is set to conquer your PCs, 360s, and PS3s this year.

Thanks to Atari, we've just scored all-new screens for CD Projekt's The Witcher. Why Atari? Well, as you know, they've taken over the NA publishing duties for this upcoming RPG for the PC. And to kick off their promo campaign, they've just released this brand new batch of screens to temporarily satiate our cravings.

As you know, the game is based on a character named "Witcher" who's been trained to be the ultimate warrior, fighting off beasts, monsters, werewolves, and the undead (like the pretty li'l missy in the image above. Haha). With game features that include real-time combat with mo-cap animations by sword combat masters, you'll be hacking and slashing off monsters' heads with finesse and...uh..rage (quite the combo, eh?).

The Witcher is also powered by Criterion’s Karma Engine to simulate interaction with opponents as well as various elements in the environment. The game will also have three different endings, depending on your actions and the decisions you make as you progress through the game. If your interest has been piqued, keep an eye out for The Witcher as it hits shelves Fall this year.

   

By this time, all you SpellForce fanatics are already done with SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars which was released May of last year. And not to worry, Aspyr is well aware of that. Why else do you think they're now gearing up to release SpellForce 2: Dragon Storm?

For those not in the know, Dragon Storm is the upcoming expansion pack for the JoWood Productions-developed RTS for the PC. Featuring an expanded skill tree which offers the new Shaikan section for an even more customized hero development, you'll be casting spells left and right with your in-game avatars that have your own personal flavor. The expansion pack also includes hundreds (yes, hundreds) of new equipment items and new multiplayer maps.

Dragon Storm is slated for a late March release for the SRP of US$ $19.99 and requires the full version of SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars in order to be played. On to the screens!

   

We first told you about Alex's Wii-based GUI for Windows called Wii Wannabe two days ago, with some of you claiming that you've already seen this at work in YouTube but didn't know that Alex will be releasing this to the public.

Well. Now that the orgasmic reactions to the release has died down, and lots of you are probably using this already, you'll be glad to know that Alex has released a bumped up version of the nifty app with v2.0. This version packs in tons of additions, as well as a few fixes here and there. Here's the full list of changes...

Changelog:

• Added Automatic Game Installer
• Added Automatic Channel Installer
• Added Internet Channel
• Added PSX Disc Support
• Added GBA Rom Support
• Added Game Boy Rom Support
• Added Glove PIE Script
• Added Support For Zipped Roms
• Added Support For Sending The Program To The System Tray (use the bottom left button that says "wii")
• Fixed Resolution Bug
• Fixed Rom Launching Bug For Some Systems
• Loads NES, SNES, GENISIS, N64, Roms
• Full screen support

Installation instructions, controls, and more vital info about the app can be found in the readme so make sure you check it out. Kudos to Alex for telling us about his release!

Download: Wii Wannabe 2.0

After bringing you countless screens and trailers, we have finally received the great news that Frontline: Fields of Thunder has gone gold. And not only that, they've also released a demo to give users a sneak peek of the WWII warfare you'll be seeing in the game.

Fields of Thunder is Paradox Interactive's RTS game for the PC which will let users play as the Soviet Union in various missions that will test your strategical and tactical skills. The recently released demo will let users play through two missions:

• “The Berezov village” - Beat back waves of German forces in different strategic locations. As the Germans will attack on multiple sides, you must prevent them from breaking through your camp. As each assault is defeated, the player will receive reinforcements and get a new objective.
• "Artillery at work”. Defend the heights from German assaults. Your enemies will use tanks and air force, so be prepared for possible air strikes and to use interceptors and artillery. Head out onto the battlefield with heavily armored vehicles such as “Tigers” and “Ferdinands.”
  

You can now take on the said missions by downloading the demo via the read link below. Frontline: Fields of Thunder is set to wage wars on your PCs on March 16 in Germany and Scandinavia, March 20 in North America, March 30 in France, and April 6 in the UK. Rated T by ESRB, Frontline: Fields of Thunder will carry with it a tag of US$ 29.99.

Details may have been real scarce for Sega's upcoming racer, Sega Rally, but now it has bounced back to give us the official fact sheet for the game along with all-new screens for the PS3 version of the game. Some say that the keen attention to environment details (take the richness of the chocolate-like mud for example) may be comparable to MotorStorm but perhaps it's still too early to tell, eh?

Sega Rally is slated for release for the PS3, Xbox360, and PC Autumn this year. So while we wait for that, here are some of the key game features you might wanna read up on:

• Bumper to bumper Rally racing - show your competitive side by racing with multiple cars and track racing bumper to bumper across Rally inspired environments.
• Deformation - Fully deformable environments & surfaces that will ensure no two laps will be the same.
• Speed & adrenaline - Wide variety of looping tracks, surface types, and vehicles including 4WD, 2WD & Classic vehicles.
• Environments - Eight different environments inspired by exotic locations all over the world.
• Competition - Advanced AI, multiplayer and online capabilities
• Immediacy - Arcade accessibility with simulation depth.

   

Most of you probably jumped up and down after learning of the possibility of using your Wiimote and Nunchuk in Valve's FPS for the PC, Half-Life 2. Well, who wouldn't be? This is exactly the kind of fusion among game media that most of us crave and look forward to seeing. But that's not all. We also told you about the great bargain on the game which you can get until...err..today. So if you haven't availed of that great promo yet, we suggest you head out now and do that.

Anyhoo, this vid might admittedly be a bit late already as it was taken from the recently held GDC, but we figured you guys deserve to see it anyway. Showcasing stunning visuals as you duck and swerve your way around various game environments, this vid also shows off the Portal technology that the game boasts of. But would you honestly prefer hearing this from us than seeing it for yourself? Don't think so. So what are ya waiting for? Go hit play now and strap yourself in for this Speed-Run gameplay vid from Half-Life 2.

Oh yes, you got that right our turtlish (?) friends. After the seemingly unending barrage of screens, meet-and-greet's, storyline snippets, and other game features, you'll now be able to finally get a first-hand glimpse at all the action in Runaway 2: The Dream of the Turtle.

With up to 100 locations to explore and and more than 30 characters (all rendered in 3D, by the way), you can now listen in on Brian, Gina, Tarantula, Lokelani, and the other characters as they churn out hilarious dialogues with each other in the comical situations (and funny puzzlers) they'll get themselves in. Runaway 2: Dream of the Turtle is now available in stores all over NA for the price of US$ 29.99.

Details on this arcade PC racer might have been real scarce, but lookee what Exotypos has in store for us to make up for that -- a demo for X Motor Racing! Like oh-em-gee!*flips ponytail*

Pfft. Cheerleader-on-speed-talk aside though, this is great news for all those who have been looking forward to checking out the 3D wheel simulation that the game features. With real-time tuning of physics model parameters and virtually limitless track movement, y'all will be free to go mad-driving and unleash your road rage in the one-track demo which you can download via the link below.

No word yet on when this baby will hit the freeway but trust that we'll keep you posted when news reaches our ears so stay tuned!

The folks at 2404 were recently able to have a quick one-on-one with Jeff Buccellato, Senior Producer for Sierra's upcoming RTS for the PC, Empire Earth III. The interview tackles loads of game aspects like the general setting, weapons, types of units, graphic engine, multiplayer, A.I., and tons more. But because we wanna make it easy on your eyes, join us as we rundown some of the important points made in the interview:

• graphic engine and visuals: the game supports Shader Model 3, and is integrated with normal mapping, physics, "ambient occlusion texture," and a new particle system
• unit types: infantry, cavalry, naval, mortar, siege, spies, heroes, priests
• new mega weapons: Scorched Earth, Shock and Awe, Quantum Singularity Gun
• multiplayer options: skirmish with up to eight other players with customizable tech levels for both the players and the AI, ladders, anonymous matchmaking, and extensive stats tracking of game elements
  
• missions and campaigns: Buccellato says that the third installment of the Empire Earth series will move away from traditional mission and campaign approaches by placing more focus on the free-form environment interaction that players will be able to engage in

As mentioned, this is just a quick summary of the topics discussed. So if you wanna check out the full interview for yourself (and read up on musical score, AI setup, game production challenges,etc.), feel free to do so by clicking on the read link below. Empire Earth III is currently being developed by Mad Doc Software and is slated for release in U.S. this Spring, and Europe on December 31st.