Not too long ago, back in March, we found out that Warhound from Techland was 50% complete. Roughly four months have passed, and huge improvements have already surfaced. Looking at the newly released factsheet for this open-ended FPS tells us that the game is being tweaked into perfection.

It must be said: the amount of features that Warhound offers is overwhelming. We don't want you to miss every single detail, so here's what went through the press wire.

Unprecedented freedom of choice in an FPS:

• Tackle missions in the order you choose, create your own path through each mission's objectives
• Plan your tactics and equipment load-outs
• Buy satellite photos, recon data and other intelligence about the battlefield situation
• Pick a deployment time and location, then pay for the means of getting in and getting out

Character development:

• Train your character in several skills, including climbing, repair, and weapons proficiency
• Skills are earned and developed as in the real world - for ex., shooting ranges improve accuracy, running tracks and climbing walls boosts cover and movement skills
• Develop and use skill specializations to gain advantages in combat; new skills offer fresh opportunities for advancement through the mercenary ranks, and new ways to complete missions

More on this after the jump!

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men from IO Interactive (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC) is all about taking everything down with sheer firepower and a little mix of squad-based strategy. The trailer shown during Sony's Press Conference at E3 shows us how much mayhem exactly can a partnership of an experienced mercenary and an armed psychopath can cause.

This brief video combined scenes from trailers we've seen before to show off some of the cool gameplay elements such as rappelling, commanding a squad to shoot everything that moves, or simply wreaking havoc yourself.

Because words can't replace massive explosions and heaps of dead people, here's the video:

There's no doubt that Chow Yun-Fat is doing his own character's voice in the upcoming action game Stranglehold, but light has been shed lately on who the supporting cast will be. We were thrilled with what we found out recently as top talents happen to be in the roster.

Spearheading the support cast is Arnold Vosloo. The name may not ring a bell, but if you remember the movies "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns", you know the guy because he's the mummy himself. He also played the role of the African mercenary colonel in Blood Diamond.

Randall Duk Kim from "The Matrix Reloaded" and "Enter the Matrix" is also in the mix along with other industry veterans like Grant George, David Lodge, Lydia Look, Neil Kaplan, Stephanie Sheh, Michael Sorich, Russell Wong, Danny Bernardo, Jin Kim, Phuoc Nguyen, Andrew Lee, Joseph Yau, Philip Chan, Ronal A. Cheng and Alexander Brandon.

Screenshots and videos have revealed that the game carries that distinctive and gritty atmosphere that separate John Woo's flicks from the rest. The action also seems very "Asian" with martial arts-inspired moves like kicking off walls and stylish close combat. Will Woo's film mastery along with a talented cast be complimented by an equally engrossing game? We'll see. Right now, it's safe to say that Stranglehold shows some serious promise.

Prepare to step back into the boots of a hardened Mercenary in this world premiere trailer video of Pandemic's Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. We give you a sneak peek on what to expect with this highly-anticipated sequel to the game that gave you the license to blow up anything - literally anything - in your path.

The trailer itself is in true Mercenaries style: loud, brash, and has loads of explosions. The next-gen bells and whistles are obvious here, with smoother, better-looking character models and even more impressive explosions. We get to see the three members of the team, each doing what they do best: Steal vehicles in mid-flight, blow stuff up, throwing grenades into tank holds, blowing MORE stuff up, performing hazardous stunts with expensive-looking cars...did we mention making a lot of stuff go boom?

The Mercenaries are back, and it's time to get paid. Watch out for its multiplatform release (PC, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360) sometime this year - we know we'll be!

After loading up on a fact sheet and a trailer from the recently-concluded GDC, we now bring you an interview with Adrain Sikora, producer for Warhound by Techland. According to Sikora, there are about 25 people currently working on the game, give or take a few coming and going for other simultaneous projects.

That may not sound much, but it appears that development is going along just fine as he reveals that Warhound is in fact already 50% complete. Anyway, you guys already know that this is a mercenary-themed FPS. So what else is there in this game? Says Sikora,

We want the player to have as much freedom as possible, whenever he chooses his missions, weapons, plans his character's training or during combat. In the game, the player has to take care of the training and finances, and he has to secure new contracts. You'll have to watch your competitors and enemies closely, because they might come after you. Our script has multiple plot lines.

Hmmm... interesting, indeed. But there's more. While presently, they are keeping their goals practical, with only a single game ending in mind, the team is still open to the consideration of having alternative endings as well, provided that they still have enough time to work on them.

   

Tackling more the single-player campaign, Sikora explains that it's a matter of progression in the game, getting to the mercenary ranking in order to gain access to more rewarding missions. And the weapons? Well, they're still keeping it an open issue, but they're definitely adding new types and models.

But if you want a quick rundown, there's gonna be half-trucks, quads, APC's, tanks and choppers. Of course, the usual pistols, SMGs, sniper rifles, and rocket launchers will be making an appearance to make the game rock. As for the game's multiplayer bit, no need to worry cos there's definitely a lot of action stashed for you there.

We want to have classic modes, like deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the flag and so on, with up to 32 players. We are also working on our own ranking system for online players, which will also allow you to create custom character classes. You'll also get to use skills and choose equipment just as you'd do in single player. There'll be vehicles in MP too.

Anyhow, only half the battle is done for the guys at Techland. In fact, they have yet to choose a publisher for Warhound. But they are definitely keen on keeping their Q4 deadline for the release. Until then, just keep it locked here for more details.

Warhound, the shooter first announced for the PC, is now on its way to Xbox 360. In Warhound, gamers take on the role of a gun for hire - an elite mercenary whose office is anywhere in the world where conflicts need to be settled when everything else has failed. You serve everyone from presidents to businessmen and ordinary folks asking for speedy resolutions for festering conditions. Players get to choose a mission, get the job done, clean up the mess, and disappear into thin air.

Warhound from Techland features the following:

• SOS messages coming all over the world
• Gain the license of an Alpinist to climb harder, learn to operate new land and sea vehicles,  practice shooting and test weapons
• Each mission has a number of ways to reach the goal depending on player abilities
• Enemies are revived while missions can be repeated many times
• Buy better weapons and trade the equipment found on the battleground
• Buy information about the target
• Complete tasks to earn specialist level, build reputation to attract new orders and climb to the  top of the rank

 

The legend of Conan the Barbarian, it may surprise you, didn't start with the movie that starred bodybuilder-turned robotic actor-turned slick California Governor Arnold S. The character was created by Robert E. Howard back in the 1930s. Some 40 years later, Conan appeared in Marvel Comics in 1970 followed by the movie franchise in the 80s.

Based on the original story, Conan is a Cimmerian and comes from the far north. Born on a battlefield, he became a noted warrior shortly after hitting puberty. Conan eventually became a rolling stone always looking for adventures. His path is often stained by blood and littered by severed body parts. His encounters were anything but boring: monsters, powerful evil wizards, beautiful wenches and princesses were part of  his social circle.

But he was never the typical hero guided by the same noble principles of say, Captain America. Conan may have performed feats worthy of heroes but his motives were highly questionable. Conan was a thief, an outlaw, a mercenary and a pirate. Despite his spotty resume, he became king in his forties.

Now, Conan is poised to conquer another world. Or make that another medium. The latest trailer for the upcoming MMORPG game Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures shows the dude hasn't mellowed one bit! Conan may be royalty but don't expect to see him drinking tea with one pinky in the air. But our hero is far too busy carving up his enemies like Thanksgiving Turkeys.

Download: [Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures Trailer no.5]