Olympics! Whispering! Video Game Olympics! Meat! Dante’s Inferno videos! Listen!

In some cases, however, the game makes it very difficult to remember that I’m working. Dark Void was one such title. As soon as Will and Ava crash landed in that lush jungle inhabited by freakin’ aliens under mysterious circumstances, I was hooked. Within a few minutes, I was sucked into the Void. The Dark Void.

I could go on about how much fun it was to sit down, grab the controller, and “get to work,” but you’d think I was just bragging (you’d be right). So instead of digressing about the job some more, let me share some nuggets of wisdom for you to employ while adventuring in Dark Void. Mind you, I learned many of these during my second playthrough.

While Archons are some of the most exciting enemies to bring down, they can also be the easiest. After slowing them down by blasting the joints on their legs, your first instinct may be to rush the Archon’s head. Don’t! Instead, rush the Archon’s tail and follow the on-screen prompts to bring them down quickly, easily, and get an Achievement (or Trophy) while you’re at it.

Perhaps one of the most rewarding enemies to bring down are the Watcher Knights. Sure they can hover out of reach and make most covered areas a dangerous place to hide, but once you bring them down, they gift you with one of the best weapons in the game! After bringing down a Knight, search through the rubble to find their large caliber machine gun! You won’t be able to run quickly with it in your hands, but you won’t need to with that kind of destructive power at your fingertips. Whenever you face multiple Knights, destroy one, grab its machine gun, and turn it on the others. You’ll shred through them in no time.

Finally, don’t be afraid to explore and locate all of the hidden Tech Orb Caches. Yes, you’ll get Tech Points by defeating enemies, but in order to get your weapons fully upgraded and gain a real advantage over the enemy, you’ll need to seek out all the extra Tech Point Caches scattered throughout the game. Fight the urge to blast to the next mission to find out what happens next and instead, do a little recon and locate some of those glowy orbs. You may not reach the next objective as quickly, but you’ll be happy you did when your weapon is maxed out toe level three and you’re mowing down the Watchers with ease.

Dark Void Prima Official eGuide

Perhaps the most exciting feature of the new game is the weapon customization option. Not only can you buy a large assortment of assault rifles, sub machineguns, shotguns, sniper rifles, and light machineguns, but you can tear each weapon apart and apply its parts to different weapons in your arsenal. Want to add that AK-47 stock to your M416? No problem. Or maybe you just want to attach a shotgun beneath the barrel of your semi-automatic grenade launcher? The customization options are absolutely insane allowing for the creation of some truly brutal implements of war. I made sure we paid a great deal attention to this feature in our guide, complete with stats and info on every weapon and weapon part. We even put together a helpful quick reference table in the back of the guide showing all these stats.

Army of Two was one of the first games to take co-op gameplay seriously, taking a ground-up approach in its design. I’m pleased to see that the co-op experience is even more fluid this time around. For example, co-op sniping can be initiated at any time; a great way to eliminate two target simultaneously. Plus you can perform some awesome new co-op actions such as the mock surrender. But the co-op interactions don’t end with the gameplay. Your team’s choices can affect the outcome of the story. Throughout the campaign there are a variety of co-op choices requiring you and your partner to make a tough decision. Are you in it for the money? Or are you more interested in helping your fellow man? Even better, none of these decisions are real cut and dry. But don’t worry; we cover all the co-op choices in the guide, describing the rewards and consequences for each. Also, if you’re a completionist you’ll be happy to know that we also have labeled maps illustrating the locations of all collectibles including weapon parts, radio transmissions, civilians, cash drops, and Maneki Neko cats.

Late in the project we had the chance to play through the different multiplayer game modes with the developers. And I’m pleased to say that we didn’t get totally embarrassed. Still, it helps when you have experts on your team. In all there are four game modes: Control, Co-Op Deathmatch, Extraction, and Warzone. Of all these modes, I had the most fun with Extraction, requiring you and three buddies to hold out against wave after wave of AI-controlled enemies. It’s a very tough mode but the teamwork required to come out on top is very rewarding. The developers even took the time to write some tips for each map pointing out crucial locations and tactics necessary for achieving victory.

After this one, I’m eager to see what’s next for Salem and Rios. I’m happy to see EA is investing in this franchise, complete with a new comic book set to release this month from IDW—we have the first few pages of the debut issue in the back of our guide. These characters are perfect for a comic series and I’m sure it will help maintain interest while we wait for the next video game adventure. I know I’ll be checking it out every month.

While working on World Adventures, I did not develop a favorite between the three destinations. Each location offers something special — a certain unique local flavor. It’s not just limited to the architecture either, which is definitely different for each location. Local identity is also quite personal. You find it in the little things. Egypt, for example, is the only place where Sims can buy a snake charming basket and then start practicing this special ability. The longer your Sim charms, the better they get at it. Soon, they can snake charm for tips and even coax a cobra out of the basket. (The cobra is pretty cool. If you ever get a mummy’s curse, the cobra is one of the surprising cures for the nasty hex.) Plus, you can take that snake charming basket back home when your visa to Egypt expires and play with it there, much to the amazement of friends and neighbors.

Egypt’s tombs can get pretty intense. The first few tombs you explore while going on adventures for locals ease you into a world of traps and trickery. But it doesn’t take long before you are moving deep into dangerous territory, trying to find the right switch to turn off fire traps or poison darts. Usually, the more dangerous a room is, the greater the chance of finding rare relics and valuable treasures. In our guide, we map out every single tomb in Egypt (as well as China and France) so you get the most of each expedition. Some of these tombs are really tough, but with our full-color maps and legends that point out how to open every door and locate every secret chamber, you will emerge from catacombs and tombs laden with awesome stuff. These treasures will look great in your house back in Sunset Valley or Riverview, but if you successfully undertake adventures in each location, you can build up your visa until you can purchase a vacation home. How cool would it be to have a vacation home in France loaded up with gilded relics from Egypt?

Like China and France, Egypt is also peppered with lots of collectibles, such as scarab beetles and new butterflies. Just like our Sims 3 guide, we show you the locations of all of the new collectibles in every destination in our World Adventures strategy guide. Your house will be decorated with all sorts of new insects, gems, and metals. If you are a hardcore collector, you definitely want to scour the new destinations in World Adventures to find the new collectibles. Next week, I’ll talk more about some of the fun things to do in France, which is home of the new nectar making skill and some very cool tombs, like the giant Tomb of Isael under the Nectary. That place is huge!

I do miss chugging some ale around camp with the fiery dwarf Oghren, but it’s more about wanting to go back and see all my friends. My companions that journeyed with me from the Grey Warden Joining to the final battle against the Archdemon. Sounds sappy, maybe, but I’ve never played a game before that had this much interaction between you and your pals. We’re all used to the A.I. party member that hacks a monster in the skull to save your neck (most of the time) and slashes through a spellcaster hellbent on turning you into a campfire marshmallow (most of the time); these guys are standard fantasy fare. I was pleasantly surprised, then amazed, at how my Dragon Age buddies came to life.

First up for my party was Alistair. A fellow Grey Warden, the wise-cracking, sensitive-yet-sometimes-surly Alistair became my warrior tank from the moment we sunk our boots into the Korcari Wilds muck. His banter with Morrigan is priceless. The two act like ex-boyfriend and girlfriend with a real axe to grind, and not as prep for our next darkspawn encounter.

Unfortunately, since I mostly played a mage, Morrigan got left home as soon as I hooked up with Wynne at the Circle Tower. Alistair got me again there, when he once asked Wynne to mend his socks because he’s a guy and she’s a motherly grandmother type. Hilarious stuff. There is a lot to love about Wynne and her nurturing wisdom, but probably the coolest thing was when her Vessel of the Spirit ability appears. This ability seals the deal for Wynne as the best healer in the game, but you only get it after a series of events at Party Camp and after a tough boss fight in a random encounter.

As a human male character, I choose to seduce Leliana, our rogue who joined the group at Dane’s Refuge in Lothering. Little did I know that she’s the hardest one to woo: She needs a 100 approval rating to fall in love, unlike companions like Morrigan and Zevran who enjoy their flings. Leliana’s a bard, and when she broke into song—the whole thing: music, lyrics, and all—just for me at Party Camp, I was floored. What other game gives you that much as a “throwaway” moment in camp? Amazing.

There are just too many moments in the lifetime of one character to chronicle. Dog’s fetching antics, grumpy Sten, discovering the gender-bender golem Shale in the downloadable content—moments I’ll remember forever, not because I killed a foe in .2 seconds flat, but because I made a connection with these characters.

Like a good book, I’m excited to get to the end of Dragon Age: Origins, and when I get there, I’m heartbroken that it’s over. Luckily, this story can be retold in many ways, and each time I’ll catch another Alistair joke or a disparaging Oghren comment that seriously makes me pause and think, “Did Bioware just create life with this game when I wasn’t looking?”

To access the official Dragon Age strategy site visit www.DragonAgeWalkthrough .com.

The Prima Collector’s Edition Guide and Prima Official Game Guide to Dragon Age: Origins are available wherever games are sold.

And you enter that insanity to save the Circle Tower in the “Broken Circle” quest line.

My party chose the “Broken Circle” quest line as its first major challenge, and wow did it get the adrenaline flowing. You hook up with the exceptional mage healer Wynne at the base of the Tower, then fight your way through a series of abominations, blood mages, and other monstrosities that have overrun the magi’s home. The ultimate bad guy in this mess, however, won’t go down easy and has other plans for you when you meet up at the top of the Tower. Instead of the expected boss fight, you’re cast into the Fade…alone…your companions scattered and lost in nightmares.

It’ll take all your wits and strength to escape. Separated from your companions, you only have your skills to rely on. In each “island” realm within the Fade, you must navigate through vile creatures and a maze of puzzles to escape the area and get closer to finding your friends.

The Fade is so dangerous, however, that it’s impossible to beat on your own. You need to tap into the Fade’s magic to overcome the obstacles, and since form follows one’s imagination inside the Fade, you have access to special shapeshifting abilities. You’ll shrink to the size of a mouse to crawl through mouse holes, or grow into a huge golem to crash through massive doors. Spirit Form grants you access to ethereal portals, and Burning Man Form allows you to walk through fire. All your shapeshifting forms give you cool, new powers to play with as you explore the Fade and battle its myriad denizens.

You’ll spend hours, maybe days, in the Fade, and you can easily get lost. Fortunately, Prima’s Official Guide to Dragon Age: Origins devotes more than 20 pages to the “Broken Circle” quest, packing in detailed maps, step-by-step walkthroughs of each encounter, locations of every monster and piece of treasure (including special essences that permanently increase your stats!), shapeshifting play tips, and all the info you need to ace the quest from the moment you step foot in the Lake Calenhad Docks to the final battle in the Harrowing Chamber.

My favorite quest might be yours, or you might go nuts for another part of Ferelden. It’s all covered in our Dragon Age Official Strategy (www.DragonAgeWalkthrough.com). Let the Dragon Age’s secrets be yours.

by Mike Searle

If there was any one thing I noticed while playing Brutal Legend, it was how quickly time passed when I was playing. Well, I guess that might actually best be stated as one thing I didn’t notice. I’d start up the game, grab a frosty brew (root beer, I’ll have you know), start playing, and before I knew it, six hours had passed.

So now that you have the game in your grubby little hands and the guide sitting right next to it (right? If not, get it now. I can wait….. Ok. Good.), I’d like to impart one final piece of advice for you that was not included in the strategy guide. Grab a clock and set it right next to your TV. If you have an egg timer, that works too. Set the timer, hop into Eddie’s kickass world, and hope you make it to bed on time tonight.

If you haven’t grabbed the game or guide yet, there’s still plenty of time to do so. The game is unlike anything you’ve played before and the guide has everything you need to make the most of your experience in the World of Metal. Not only does the guide contain every single enemy, a highly detailed walkthrough (which I’m very proud of, by the way), all Deuce upgrades, weapon upgrades, and combo information, but it also contains the location of every Bound Serpent and Secondary Side Missions. If you can’t find it in the book, it ain’t in the game!

For those of you that dig on cool rock-&-roll covers, the guide’s got some of that too… sort of. Included in the back is a giant pull out poster. On one side is Eddie Riggs, master roadie and ass-kicker extraordinaire. On the other side are several maps with the locations of… well… everything!

by Fernando Bueno

September 22^nd, Roseville CA.

The Official Game Guide to Halo 3: ODST has finally dropped, and takes you directly into the action as the Battle for New Mombasa rages on. Playing as key members of the ODST “Helljumpers” squad assigned to a classified mission within the hellscape of a major evacuated city under constant Convenant bombardment, it becomes imperative to learn precisely where you are, what enemies you face, the crucial weapons for all manner of foe takedowns; essentially how to survive the mean streets of New Mombasa. This is where the Prima Game Guide comes in.

Written over a period of months with the help and support of Bungie, this 320 page book is packed with tips, hints, and takedowns; tactical knowledge that’s not only been battle-tested, but approved by veteran testers from both Microsoft and Bungie. Quite simply; if this guide doesn’t have a tactical plan in it, the plan isn’t worth knowing about. With the game featuring a complex Campaign mode, an all-new Firefight game, and all 24 Halo 3 Multiplayer maps, the guide tackles all these aspects methodically, and with extreme attention to detail. Here’s how it all breaks down:

The guide begins with a section on Basic Training. This reveals biographies for each member of the ODST squad you’re fighting with, before a primer with general tactical knowledge, notes on the brand-new Heads-Up Display features, mapping, combat information, and aspects of the infamous Legendary mode. At the end of this chapter, you’ll be ready to drop.

Chapter 2 focuses in on Armaments and Equipment. Every available piece of UNSC and Covenant machinery, whether a weapon, turret, grenades, vehicle, or other equipment type, is inspected thoroughly; followed by the item’s strengths and weaknesses. Need to know how a Suppressed Magnum fares against a Hunter? Or what type of grenade works best against a Shield Jackal? Then peruse this chapter, and use it to update your knowledge as soon as you encounter a new piece of equipment in the game.

Facing the Covenant threat can be difficult. However, Know Your Enemy (Chapter 3) brings every single killing tactic to the table, and reveals how to cut down every Grunt, Jackal, Brute, Drone, Hunter, and the all-new Engineer that you’ll face in both Campaign and Firefight modes. Exploits are revealed, and most importantly, a massive chart showing the effectiveness of each weapon compared to every other weapon, for all enemies, on all difficulty levels, shows just how committed we are to obsessive details.

The Campaign section of this guide is an enjoyable romp through New Mombasa, on a search for the Superintendent. Every Mission is revealed along with a fully-labeled map of the combat zone, along with well-practiced strategies for every Chokepoint you encounter throughout the Mission. Specific Cooperative and Legendary tactics are showcased constantly, allowing you to learn precisely how to deal with every battle, search, and slaughter effortlessly and easily, no matter what the difficulty. There’s also a Tour of New Mombasa, mapping out the maze of Districts and flagging the landmarks in each one, allowing quick and easy navigation.

Firefight Missions are both tense and incredibly addictive, and even more fun to play once you’ve read up on all ten Firefight maps, tailoring tactics to each of them. Aside from the fully-annotated maps, each Mission receives a variety of advice on the best two weapons to use through the various Sets and Rounds. Enemy incursion points are tagged, along with specific plans for each Map: Invaluable advice abounds.

As Halo 3: ODST is packaged with all 24 Halo 3 Multiplayer maps, it is only right to provide complete tactical knowledge of every single one of these areas. Working with the veterans of Clan PMS, masses of tactical knowledge is imparted, from weapon spawn times to ambush spots, topographical techniques to game mode advice. Key knowledge from the three new maps – Citadel, Heretic, and Longshore – are also provided.

Finally, whether you need to know the Skull or Score Multipliers or Game Unlockables, the Appendices chapter at the back of this weighty tome has everything you need. Check off and gain advice on the trickier Achievements (including the Vidmaster Challenges), or calculate how many points your Firefight Medals are worth; all in one place.

Don’t forget to check Xbox Live for video strategies, dropping constantly throughout the upcoming weeks!

Stage Hazards – Many stages have an element of surprise that can significantly alter the course of the match. Pay close attention to your surroundings and take advantage of every stage hazard by forcing your opponents into them.

Wall Attacks – Jump to the wall and unleash a quick attack to catch your enemies off guard. This works best if you’re fighting near the wall, but even if you’re not, you can use it to reach the other side of the stage while avoiding attacks from other players.

Rock, Paper, Scissors – Smash-Up works on a rock, paper, scissors system where a throw can hit a blocking opponent, blocking stops all normal attacks, and normal attacks beat out throws. Remember this priority system and it may come in handy during tight situations!

Guard Break – If you block too much your guard will break and you’ll be left wide open to an opponent’s attack. Stay on the move and don’t stay in the same place, blocking all of your opponent’s attacks. The invisible guard break meter recharges slowly, so if you’ve blocked a few attacks, it’s time to get out of there and avoid the next attack.

Overstun – If you stun an opponent too much, they’ll turn green indicating they’re in overstun. When this happens, they can instantly teleport to the top of the screen and avoid all of your attacks. If this happens, stop attacking and get ready to avoid a possible attack from above.

Turn Around Stun – Hit your enemies with an attack that results in a turn around stun and they’ll have to guess what your next move will be. If they remain blocking, you can throw them, but if they try to turn around and attack to beat the throw, you can attack them first. It’s a guessing game, will you attack or will you use a throw. The moral of the story is, don’t get hit by a turn around stun.

Swing-By Attacks – Some stages have red poles that can be used for swing-by attacks. Grab the pole, aim for the closest enemy and unleash an unblockable attack of fury. If it hits, do a mid-air jump and grab the pole again for a repeat attack.

Items – When Super Smash Bros. Brawl is played competitively, items are almost always turned off. That’s probably going to be the case with TMNT: Smash-Up because the items are extremely powerful. If you see an item appear, make sure you’re the first one to reach it because it could easily change the outcome of the match.

Maximize Your Damage – There aren’t many instances when it’s impossible to block an attack. However, when those instances occur, it’s extremely important to take advantage of them by hitting your opponent for as much damage as possible. If you’re not getting the maximum damage from your combos, work on them so that every time you hit, you’re inflicting the most damage possible.

Dodge – There aren’t many blocked attacks in Smash-Up that leave a character open to a counter attack. Therefore, blocking something doesn’t guarantee you can score a free hit on your opponent. It’s highly recommended to dodge or roll to avoid an attack, which will have a much greater chance of leaving your enemy open to a counter attack. But be careful, if you dodge at the wrong time, you may be the one getting hit!

1. Build Guardhouses near buildings that generate a good deal of tax
revenue, especially buildings situated far from your Royal Palace.
This gives your Tax Collectors a place to drop off your gold quickly
and safely.

2. Occasionally your heroes won’t have enough gold on hand to purchase
better equipment. If so, and you want them to have the best armor and
weapons available, place an Explore Flag with a high reward in an
easily-accessible area.

3. There are no level requirements on equipment or items for heroes.
As long as they can afford to buy it, they can use it.

4. On maps with lots of undead enemies, upgrade your Clerics Guild and
research Holy Attack as early as possible.

5. Place Defense Flags on low-level heroes to keep them protected
until they have gained some levels. This trick is especially useful
with Mages, who can’t take much damage until they reach Level 5.

6. There is safety in numbers. Try to build a Level 2 Inn and research
party formation as quickly as possible. When selecting a party leader,
remember that the leader decides which flags a party is interested in.
A party led by a Ranger or Elf will eagerly set out for Explore Flags,
while a party led by a Warrior will be more prone to seek out Defense
Flags or Attack Flags.

7. You can resurrect heroes from the graveyard in your town or by
using the Resurrect spell, researched at the Temple to Agrela. Using
the spell has a fixed cost, and resurrects your heroes with all of
their items and some of their gold. The cost of resurrecting a hero
from the graveyard is based on the hero’s level, and they come back to
life with all of their equipment but no gold.

8. In single-player and multiplayer missions where the goal is to
destroy an enemy building, make sure you have a large number of
Dwarves with the Destruction ability.

9. The expert class of weapons, researched at the Level 3 Blacksmith,
gives significant attack bonuses to all hero classes, but three
classes benefit the most: Blademasters, Mages, and Archers of Helia.

10. Heroes hired at Temples do not have to buy new abilities; they
learn their abilities automatically as they gain experience. For this
reason, it is always best to promote a hero when you can afford it.
Promoted heroes retain their level, and automatically learn all
relevant abilities for their new class, though they lose all of their
items.

Pick up the complete strategy guide to Majesty 2 today!