Coming up on the PC menu today is an update from Advanced Micro Devices for the Catalyst driver set. You lucky folks who've managed to nab a Radeon HD 4850 or a 4870 recently would be happy to hear this, because the driver engineers at ATI have really squeezed more performance from your boards via optimizations. Check out what the hardware enthusiasts have after updating their video drivers.

Whoa, hold your horses, people - we say preliminary Wii support because while there is Wii remote and emulation code integrated into the latest build of Dolphin, the GameCube emulator does not successfully play Wii games. Also note that while this update is Wii-centric and applies directly to Windows gamers, it's essentially here to call out to developers who would like to pick up the project. Learn more about it at the full story.

Attention, soldiers! An update about Frontlines: Fuel of War's upcoming patch, 1.1.0 has been released and the patch notes lists quite a number of planned changes, the addition of PunkBuster and Spawn Protection, and lots of other bug fixes and other stuff. Check out the current notes for patch 1.1.0 at the full article.

With patch 1.0.2 all done with, Kaos Studios is now well into working on patch 1.0.3 for the PC version of Frontlines: Fuel of War (PS3, Xbox 360, PC). Senior producer Joe Halper recently posted a list of the fixes and additions currently planned for inclusion in the upcoming patch. Hit the "read more" link for the full list.

Gone were the days when RTS games were all about three simple buttons: harvest, build, and attack. Gamers have to live in a world where competitive gameplay and high-spec RTS games are the current trends nowadays. However, indie game developer Oddlabs shows to us that we can still enjoy the simpler joys of (RTS) life with its humorous title for the PC, Tribal Trouble.  In the full article, you can check out QJ.NET's review on this simple yet very addicting RTS game.

 

Rebelmind Games, makers of the memorable Space Hack, re-entered the computer role-playing game scene back in 2006 with Frater, a Diablo-esque, single player-only romp against hordes of bats, zombies, werewolves, and their monstrous folk. Faced by a sinister threat, the player stepped into the shoes of three heroes - each with their own specialty - and participated in the righteous fight against an evil mastermind. Frater was released in Europe and the UK and soon embodied the simplistic hack-and-slash types reminiscent of Rogue, a popular dungeon crawler back in the good old days.

Published by Meridian4, The Chosen: Well of Souls is the North American version of Frater. It was probably renamed to emphasize the plot that beckons would-be heroes. Unfortunately The Chosen, like Frater, doesn't come with the epic storyline you'd be used to with Dungeons & Dragons-style storytelling. It doesn't even offer the open-endedness of Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls: Arena (and yes, its successors).

Haven't jumped into id Software's Enemy Territory: Quake Wars yet? For those who've been living under a rock, beta keys are flying all over. Let's not get into how much you'd want those. But if we really must, then here's a gameplay video to show you guys what you've been missing.

It's a complete package that you'd expect from a Quake game: cool weapons, badass weapons, and more awesome looking weapons. You'd be firing those sweet guns all over a wide environment, in an attempt to frag as much as you can. Oh and, there are in-game ads too. What this game doesn't have, however, is framerate drop.

Not a believer? Watch it yourself:

Buy: [Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars - PS3]

It was just yesterday when we shared with you a video interview of Ubisoft Montreal Producer Jade Raymond in relation to video game Assassin's Creed (PS3, 360, PC). Seeing how most of you are interested about Altair, or Raymond for that matter, we decided to share with you yet again another interview.

According to the young producer, they are finished with the game's development and focus has now shifted to design and polishing. According to Raymond, fans will be surprised with Assassin's Creed's depth in terms of graphics and A.I. One example she gave was the crowd's unique hand and facial animation. She added that they are also currently balancing out the game's various attack modes.

When asked about the similarities and differences of the PS3 and 360 version, Raymond commented that it's Ubisoft's goal to let fans on both platforms have similar gameplay experience. She mentioned that they tried making the PS3 version compatible with the SIXAXIS but it somehow felt weird so they ultimately decided against it. In terms of graphics, Raymond shared,

With PlayStation 3, currently, you can see maybe a slight difference in some of the textures. With Xbox 360 right now you may see a little bit smoother framerate, maybe a couple more frames per second right now. It's so negligible right now that unless you’re sitting there looking at them both side by side, you’re not going to see any difference.

Raymond also divulged that Ubisoft is considering downloadable content for Assassin's Creed but most of which will be added in the sequel as well as several PS3 Home features. There are no concrete plans for DLC right now but the producer hinted about "more stuff and cooler-looking swords or whatever."

Those who have been following Assassin's Creed for some time now know well that the game was originally scheduled to be released earlier. The delay was due to, according to Raymond, their decision to release the game on other platforms. The producer mentioned that they used to think that they didn't have the manpower to come up with two other versions.

When asked about a Wii version, Raymond revealed that they actually thought of doing it but that would entail a whole new set of key features so Nintendo's console is pretty much out of the picture now.

On a slightly off topic note, fans of Jade Raymond herself might be interested to know that she is currently playing LocoRoco on her PSP. She then plans to play God of War and Crackdown.

German gaming news website GameFront has managed to score some info on Free Radical and Ubisoft's upcoming shooter Haze courtesy of the June 2007 issue of Independent PlayStation Magazine.

According to GameFront, Haze runs on its own engine at a framerate of 30 fps. Loading times and "intermediate sequences" are supposedly nonexistent. It has four gameplay modes: online, offline, LAN, and split-screen. In single player, team members will be controlled completely by the computer. Oh, and the main character seems to have undergone a name change. While he was referred to as Jake Carpenter in previous interviews, the GameFront post mentions him as "Shan" Carpenter.

The weapons and gear available in the game include the following:

• BSW-72 Assault Rifle - fires armor-piercing 5.56mm uranium projectiles
• Trooper Assault Helmet - supplies real-time data to troopers on the battlegrounds while keeping constant contact with the base through a built-in communication device
• Nectar administrator - found on the neck of soldiers. Has up to five doses of Nectar, a "biometric substance" that greatly augments a soldier's combat abilities. Too much Nectar has side effects, though.
• SK3 Fragment Shells - ideal for clearing up massed enemies and destroying small vehicles
• Wilson D6 Pistol - equipped with 2x magnification and a laser target and holds 18 shots.
• Integrated Schutzpanzer - no idea what "Schutzpanzer" means exactly, but the description leads us to believe that this is the heaviest armor in the game ("withstands the most rifle and pistol balls")

Haze is slated for a multiplatform release on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. A specific release date has yet to be announced, but some sites have the game's release listed as November.