And The Rest: Friday News Roundup
(Updated throughout the day.) Atari details UT2004 Editor's Choice Edition, JoWooD dates Future Tactics, Codies unveils LMA Manager 2005, Virtua Fighter 2 coming to PS2 on Sega Ages.
With Midway now in charge of the Unreal franchise for the foreseeable future, Atari is planning one last swing of the Skaarj to make the most out of Unreal Tournament 2004's success in the autumn. Dubbed Unreal Tournament 2004: Editor's Choice Edition, the new version will be an expanded package presumably aimed at newcomers, featuring new Onslaught maps, three new vehicles (a two-seater aircraft, a new tank with player-oriented directional shield, and a long-range artillery vehicle with a hovering 'spotter' camera), six new characters and some of the best mods on the net. We look forward to seeing how many CDs that fills up. There's no word on a European release yet, but we'll let you know as soon as we hear anything.
European publisher JoWooD has announced plans to release turn-based tactical RPG Future Tactics: The Uprising in Europe on October 22nd on PC, PS2, Cube and Xbox. Future Tactics, which was quite warmly received in the States, is set in a near future scenario where Earth has fallen to a race of alien creatures, and thrusts a young boy, his sister and their militant mates into a turn-based fight to win back their home over 19 levels.
Codemasters is preparing to unleash the latest in its line of footy management title, LMA Manager 2005, this October on PS2 and Xbox. Although the game faces fierce competition from the likes of Football Manager, Championship Manager and Total Club Manager, Codies' offering is console-specific, which ought to give it some legs, and the developer is also planning an exclusive Manchester United edition of the game, downloadable data via PS2 Online and Xbox Live, amongst other things.
Virtua Fighter 2 is to be the next Sega classic to be re-released on the PS2, according to reports in Japanese Dorimaga, which claim that it will join the Sega Ages 2500 series of cheap and cheerful ports this October 14th. Although plans for European and US release of the titles are still up in the air, we have a feeling it might prove quite popular on import.