The latest publication to review Grand Theft Auto IV has given Rockstar’s coup de grace it’s fourth perfect score. PSM3 France awarded GTA IV with a perfect score of 20/20 calling it “the best game ever made”. GTA IV has earned top honors on its first four reviews.

PSM (France): 20/20
Games Aktuell Magazine (German): 10/10
Official Xbox Magazine: 10/10
Official PlayStation Magazine UK: 10/10

Keeping the wheels rolling on the Gears of War 2 hype train, Epic Games held a presentation at New York Comic-Con to discuss the continuation of their best selling franchise. Epic Games president Mike Capps was on hand alongside Gears of War 2 writer Joshua Ortega and NECA representative Randy Faulk. After showing the first teaser revealed at GDC ‘08, Capps dove right into the importance of story in the sequel. Taking place 6 months after the lightmass bomb detonation at the end of Gears of War, the sequel is going to focus on tying up the loose ends left strewn about during the first game.

Although they have decided to keep specifics under wraps for now, we were able to get a better grasp on the direction Epic is taking the sequel. The writing started about a year ago and the story was a main focus during early meetings. Writer Joshua Ortega hopes to answer most of the questions left unanswered in the original while building upon each character introduced in the first game. Marcus Fenix’s right hand man Dominic Santiago will play a more important role in Gears of War 2 as he searches Sera for his long lost love, Maria. A lot of references were made about Dom’s wife in Gears of War including the tattoo on his left arm but she will be a big part of the story for Gears of War 2. War was brought up a lot during the presentation with Ortega speaking on making the gamers feel like they are a part of this full scale battle for Sera’s survival and Capps stating that he wanted something on par with D-Day. The crowd tech shown during Epic’s GDC ‘08 presentation will definitely be utilized during the single player campaign. Fans can also look forward to learning more about Mira the Locust Queen and the devious plans behind the attacks.

Although the story and narrative direction were the focus of the presentation, Mike Capps spoke a bit about what we can expect from the gameplay. In order to push the cover mechanic forward, dynamic cover is being introduced into the sequel. One example were the Locust rock worms revealed in the May Issue of Game Informer magazine. These massive creatures emerge from cavern walls and provide movable cover for you and your squad. The rock worms coupled with the introduction of destructible environments introduce a new challenge to the sequel and puts an emphasis on finding new pieces of cover. Capps briefly spoke on the sequel’s focus on gameplay variety after being asked a question about the vehicle segment in Gears of War. Chainsaw duels were also confirmed by Capps as being badass. This mechanic was added to combat the frustration that gamers expressed after the randomness that followed the clashing of 2 chainsaws in the original.

When asked about multiplayer for Gears of War 2, Capps stated that more information will be revealed in May but didn’t hesitate to drop some hints. When one fan criticized Epic’s choice to limit friends from getting together on ranked games, he hinted on the possibility of a Ranked Team variant for the sequel. He brought up the multiplayer success of Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 and stated that Epic was definitely aware of the competition. For those gamers hoping for a higher player count in multiplayer, you may be dissapointed come November. When asked about the possibility of 16 players in multiplayer, Capps responded by stating that if they were to do 8 vs. 8, it wouldn’t be Gears anymore. When the subject of downloadable content was brought up, Capps reminded the audience about Epic’s history of fan service and their commitment to free content.

NECA action figures (which are being released later this month) are just one way that Epic is expanding the Gears of War Universe. Epic has also struck a deal with DC Comics to create a Gears of War comic series that will bridge the gap between Gears of War 1 and 2. Although a creative team was not announced, the first issue is slated to release this October and will be published by DC Comics’ Wildstorm imprint. When asked about the current state of the Gears of War film, Capps says that negotations are still going on and the movie is in the paperwork process.

The Gears of War 2 ball of hype is already rolling and is going to pick up speed this May. The sequel is still on track to release this holiday season and Epic is set to deliver a blockbuster. November is roughly 7 months away and unfortunately we have no choice but to play the waiting game.

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe was officially announced at Midway Gamer’s Day ‘08 and definitely succeeded in making heads roll. If someone told me a year ago I would be able to find out who would win between Scorpion and Superman, I would promptly let out a belly laugh in a moments notice. Now before you crack your knuckles, adjust your seat and create a thread about how MK is dead, Take a deep breath. Ed Boon promised a clean slate and a start of a new chapter. This is definitely one of those wait and see situations. I know most fans can’t imagine a Mortal Kombat without fatalities but it isnt all bad. Matter of fact, I think its time we moved on. The one thing that made Fatalities so cool was the shock factor and unfortunately Midway doesnt have that leverage anymore. As far fetched as the story may be, I am looking forward to watching these 2 completely different universes’ co exist. And if you are still concerned about MK’s success, look at the bright side. You can always switch skepticsm for hope. Hope that in Fall ‘08, you may finally get to kick Aquaman’s ass.