Ubisoft has finally set a date for Ezio's arrival in Europe. Assassin's Creed 2 will be released in Europe on November 20, three days after the game hits US retail stores. Eurogamer also reports that the game's Black Edition will be available in the UK through Play. More details after the jump.

As projected yesterday by Stardock and Ironclad Games, patch 1.04 of the Sins of a Solar Empire is already out this week. What are the new improvements for the latest build? More details over at the full article.

 

Well, there's some new info on the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. website, and it certainly answers some questions. THQ shows us that the meaning behind the acronym of the game has been revealed, and it's got a lot to do with why you're there and what kind of person you just happen to be in Chernobyl, circa 2012.

As it happens, there are a couple of possible reasons for being there. You could be there simply to search the ruins of Chernobyl for artifacts in the black market. You could be there to take advantage of the lawlessness to get away from certain parties interested in your capture. You could also just be there because you want to know the truth behind the events of Chernobyl, and it's for any one of those reasons that you've become a S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. stands for what kind of people happen to live there now. Scavengers, Trespassers, Adventurers, Loners, Killers, Explorers, and Robbers: one of them is you. Which one it is, however, is still up for you to decide.

The Adventure Company today announced that their latest title, The Sacred Rings (not to be confused with Sonic and the Secret Rings), will now be shipping to retail stores all across the U.S. of A. Developed by Streko Graphics, The Sacred Rings boasts more than 400 locations with puzzles and forty minutes of gorgeous cutscenes.

The game's story goes like this: Since ancient times, a clan of Keepers has guarded a collection of sacred rings that, when united with several hidden artifacts, grant the holder infinite power and immortality. Of course, such a powerful treasure can't exist for long without attracting the attention of power-hungry psychos.

Enter Durad. When Durad's clan makes their intention to obtain this power for an evil purpose known, the Keepers send their prized student Umang (um, that's you) to uncover the artifacts and deliver them, along with the rings, to Grift, the Old Master. You, as Umang, must now outwit Durad and his powerful forces to complete the quest and return the sacred rings to the Keepers.

The Sacred Rings carries a suggested retail price of U$ 29.99 and is rated E. Look for it in stores this week.

The first-person shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl has been through quite a few ups and downs through the years. It's been praised, delayed, anticipated... it even got a vaporware award. Things have changed though, and now that developer GSC Game World has THQ's backing, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is finally running on all engines for its planned March 23 release.

As a Zone bounty hunter in S.T.A.L.K.E.R., you'll be scavenging the irradiated land in search of artifacts to sell off. Just because the landscape's a bit uninviting doesn't mean you're all alone, so it would be a very good idea to be familiar with the other, uh, people that roam the Zone.

Read on for a quick look at the different factions that you'll be coming across in your travels, courtesy of GSC Game World and CVG.

Stalkers. These are the Zone bounty hunters, brave souls who risk facing severe radiation and a lot of other deadly threats in the Zone to scavenge and scour the area for artifacts to sell. A dangerous job, but hey, everybody's gotta make a buck. Survival is the name of the game for stalkers, and those who have been able to survive find their own way - either stay a lone wolf or join a community of other stalkers sharing similar values as their own.

The full article awaits after the jump!

We have here for you a minute long cinematic trailer of GSC Game World's S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. In this video are some real-life as well as ingame footage. Actually, this video focuses more on the trailer Creating the Zone.

If you wanna check out a ghost town, then this place definitely should rank among the top of your list. From empty carnivals to desolate buildings, the past of Chernobyl certainly still rings an eerie tune to those stepping into it. Yep, with mutant creatures crawling about (believed to be transformed by the busted reactor), this surely is no playground. Although, there sure are some good finds or artifacts that hold some cryptic, anomalous energy.

Go on, be a stalker.

Download: [Shadow of Chernobyl: Creating the Zone]