The Magic of Gaming is a weekly column with news and mini-reviews of fantasy games.
The first stills of Batman: Arkham City (Fall 2011, Xbox/PS3/PC) have been released, and it looks like a gorgeous game!
As much as I enjoyed playing the caped crusader in Batman: Arkham Asylum, I didn’t like the setting — being stuck inside a building felt too limiting. Flinging the batarang around Gotham City looks like much more fun!
This week I’ve been busy playing the multiplayer beta for Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (Nov. 16 Xbox/PS3/PC). The game mode “Wanted” involves assassinating another player while someone else is trying to assassinate you, and unlike most multiplayer games, this one rewards stealth, not speed.
One of the most interesting features is the ability to change your appearance for a short period of time, which makes it harder for your pursuer to locate you. The folks at Machinima made a gameplay video showcasing the Disguise ability in action:
Now that the beta has been opened up to all PS3 Plus subscribers, you can try it for yourself.
If you want even more Assassin’s Creed, take a look at Ubisoft’s Facebook game Project Legacy. Presented as a training simulator brought to you by Abstergo Industries (the front company for the evil Templars), the game has you piece together memories in the Animus by using action points and purchasing items, which are earned by completing missions.
I find the game a little boring, since it mostly requires reading very small text and clicking buttons, but the folks at Kotaku enjoyed it more — read their review here.
If you enjoy Facebook games, check out Fantasy Kingdoms, currently the fastest-growing fantasy game on the popular social network. I’ve played a few hours of it, and so far it seems to be like FarmVille, with mana and magic beans instead of fertilizer and forget-me-nots. Fantasy Kingdoms may not be a very complicated game, but it sure is a pretty one!
If you’re looking for a new console game to play, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (Xbox/PS3) was released this week, and it’s surprisingly fun! More like God of War than the previous Castlevania arcade games, which is why I like it, but why some longtime Castlevania fans may not.
Overall, the game is getting mostly positive reviews, and there’s already a sequel in the works.
Finally, there’s good and bad news for PC gamers this week: 2K disclosed that their well-received BioShock 2 DLC “Minerva’s Den” will not be released on PC, after all; and if you pre-order the upcoming real-time strategy game Lionheart: King’s Crusade (Nov. 27 PC) by Oct. 18, you’ll get the “New Allies” DLC for free.
Sarah Warn runs EntertainHer.com. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
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Very excited about trying the Assassin’s Creed multiplayer! Wish I had a Playstation….
I enjoy Fantasy Kingdoms on Facebook, so it’s cool to see it highlighted here. Like you said, not very complicated - but it’s a pleasant way to spend some time online.