No need to break out the dice this time because Atari is releasing the newest D&D game for the PSP, Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics. Developed by Kuju Entertainment, it was amazing how they seem to have been able to cram so many elements of the D&D system which captivated so many of its pen-and-paper fans onto a handheld game.

The game will be using the current Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 rule-set, which include all core characters plus the inclusion of two Psionic classes, the Psion and the Psychic Warrior. You basically take control of a party of up to six adventurers through the single-player storyline in a turn-based style strategy game associated to other games which it shares to the title "tactics" with.

The different choices you make through the game affect your alignment and how the flow of the story turns out. A system not unlike the Neverwinter Nights series, another well-known D&D game released by Atari.

However, the major difference here is the wireless multi-player system that the developers have taken a lot of time creating for the game. Players can play cooperatively through the single-player campaign or take them on in a more antagonistic role. Also, downloadable content will be made available to extend gamers' experience.

Anyone who's a fan of the tabletop counter version will definitely enjoy themselves with this handheld package.

Atari has sent 'round a press release announcing that three of its upcoming titles will be available for hands-on demos at Gen Con Indy this year. All three of the games are RPGs, so you RPG fans out there who will be at the event might want to check them out. Here's the list of titles straight from the press release.

• The Witcher (PC). Returning to the roots of the role-playing genre with a fresh and modern approach, The Witcher emphasizes story and character development in a vibrant world, while incorporating tactically-deep real-time combat like no game before it.
• Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer (PC). Set in harsh, spirit-rich Rashemen, near the powerful nation of Thay, Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer presents players with an exciting new 20-30 hour campaign filled with meaningful choices, rich characters and surprising outcomes as an expansion to the top-rated NWN2.
• Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics (PlayStation Portable) offers an original storyline, filled with intrigue, set in a newly created D&D world. Alignment is critical, as it affects the end of the story and allows players to change from good to evil, or the other way around, depending on which quests they choose.

This year's Gen Con Indy will be taking place next week on August 16 to 19 at the Indiana Convention Center, 100 South Capitol Ave. Indianapolis, Indiana. Drop by if you have a chance. It should be one heck of an experience.


Buy: [The Witcher (PC)]
Buy: [Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer (PC)]
Buy: [Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics (PSP)]

Now that Atari managed to make many a pen-and-paper RPG gamers' wish come true - a handheld Dungeons and Dragons title - they decided to share their own thoughts about creating one of the breakthrough games for the PSP, Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics.

Lawrence Liberty, D&D: Tactics game producer at Atari, confirmed that cramming in the vast Dungeons and Dragons mythos for the PSP was quite a challenge, both in design and technical perspectives. The small screen posed once such challenge, aside from making the multiplayer aspect of the video game Dungeons & Dungeons: Tactics work flawlessly. Tweaking the multiplayer option was one of the reasons that caused the delay of the game's release, and even occupied most of the game developers' past six months of development.

They did have some reservations about developing a PlayStation Portable game. Faster loading times as well as more RAM and access to the full clock speed would have helped. However, Atari's Liberty believed that they and the Kuju Entertainment development team succeeded in capturing the feel of the pen-and-paper Dungeons & Dragons video game. Don't expect any downloadable content to expand the D&D experience though, but he assured that they managed to fit every content they wanted to put in the game into the UMD disk.

 

If you're a "dice chucker" and want a first crack at Atari's Dungeons & Dragons Tactics, you might still get a chance to do so. An Atari admin and corporate poster, The Mole, announced plans to have a First to Play event for the game on either this July 28 or the 29th in London.

The event did not happen since at least 10 players were needed for them to push through with it, and only four people voted in the polls. This is a shame since the game looks really interesting. One of our readers, Exodium, sent us an email about this and asked for some help by writing Atari. We're doing one better, and are calling all our readers who can actually make it to London to play the game.

If you're interested, why don't you write the company or post in their forums through our via link asking them to reschedule the event and pledging your support. Perhaps with enough people doing so, Atari may decide to hold the event on a later date.

 

If running around in a cold, dark, and damp dungeon wearing nothing but fur speedos is your idea of fun, well you've found your game. Atari and Kuju Entertainment's Dungeons and Dragons: Tactics is coming out pretty soon and everyone's favorite hobby (see first line) is back in vogue.

If you want to get more information on the game, well you're in luck because the official site is already open. The first thing you should notice after selecting the language in the opening screen is that you can select what weapon you will be using for your mouse pointer.

They've got videos, screenshots, forums, and art sections for fans of everything D&D. In addition to this, the initial screen gives some basic info on the game which "information grognards" will happily munch up.

Before I geek out more and start talking about the advantages of having a +3 vorpal sword, I'd like to direct you to the Dungeons and Dragons: Tactics homepage which can be found by clicking our Read link. Be sure to keep checking back here for more updates on the game.

It's been quite a while since we received any eye candy in moving picture flavor from Atari's dungeon crawler on the PSP, Dungeons & Dragons Tactics. Fortunately the wait is finally over with this latest trailer of this turn-based masterpiece any tabletop RPG fan worth their dice should watch.

Graphics are looking sharp as always, and we see the grid system in action. What really stands out in this minute-long trailer though is its soundtrack, which is definitely sounding sweet to our ears. If the game's actual soundtrack is as half as epic as the one in the video, then it's a safe bet that Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics will not only immerse you visually, but audially as well.

Don't let us keep you, though - enjoy the video!

Atari has some nice news for European RPG fans waiting for fresh stuff on the Sony PlayStation Portable and PC platforms. Slated for release on the 12th of September are The Witcher and Dungeons & Dragons Tactics for the PC and PSP respectively. Meanwhile, October 12th will see the anticipated Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer expansion pack come into play.

As you've probably heard, The Witcher is a dark, monster-hunting game with a Polish backdrop intended to thrill mature audiences. D&D Tactics, on the other hand, is your typical turn-based strategy title with all the flavors provided by the D&D universe . There's a lack of Dungeons and Dragons on the PSP right now, so this one should quench the collective thirst of fans everywhere.

Depth of gameplay will be given emphasis on all these titles in accordance with the standards set by Atari on its games. Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer is sure to please its big following with some new twists to how the quest-driven game plays. The addition of epic levels will mark the ability to break through the previous limit of 20, nicely complemented with tons of new tasks and items to help you bash the baddies with either muscles or magic.

Looks like the second half of 2007 will keep RPG fans occupied well into the late months of the cycle. We're all looking forward to donning our armors and engaging more adventures once these titles are out.

More eye candy in RPG flavor coming your way in this latest batch of screenshots of the highly-anticipated Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics for the PlayStation Portable. While it's only about six pops worth, granted, you'd best sit down for some tasty dungeon-spelunking juiciness if you've been keeping tabs on this game - they're looking sharp!

With this latest batch, we see more of the actual gameplay, as well as the cutscenes utilizing that old-fashioned style of art befitting a legendary license such as D&D. The environments are clean and convincing, the characters detailed and colorful. The enemies are looking pretty gruesome, too, but in a good way.

Many good things are expected from this upcoming title for the PSP, and it looks like it's going to deliver. Check back for all updates regarding Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics.

More screenshots after  the jump!

Atari and Kuju Entertainment's Dungeons and Dragons: Tactics is looking really good. This game, unlike other console games based on the D&D franchise, is turn-based. It also offers a multiplayer mode for those who want to tackle this game as a group.

If you've been waiting for more information, you might be happy to know that Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics producer Lawrence Liberty was recently interviewed by Eurogamer. He gave the latest news on the game and what it will have when it comes out. 

One of the issues that were brought up is the fact that D&D games are predominantly on the PC for a simple reason: the interface. What difficulty did they experience in creating the game for the PSP?

As you would expect, there were many challenges in designing a user interface that works with the PSP controls and fits on the screen. In the end, it meant making the most of screen real estate and streamlining the play mechanics.

Another thing that D&D fans are wondering about is what the included character classes in the game are. Since the characters are an integral part of any RPG, Liberty shared some details on that as well.

Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics sports the common classes; barbarians, druids, et al. As well as the new psion and psychic warrior classes. Up to six characters can be in your party, both in single- and mutliplayer, and there is support for four players online.

Finally, he was asked about the possibility of the game being ported to any other system, including the DS. Fans of the said handheld may be a bit disappointed at Liberty's answer. He pretty much gave word that a lot of work has to be done to fit it onto the DS. So far, there are no plans for the game to be ported to any other system.

A variety of other topics were discussed in the interview, so feel free to click on the read link if you want to read more. Dungeons and Dragons: Tactics is slated to be released this July 17 in the U.S. Be sure to keep checking back here for more updates on the game.

In a recent interview with video game news website Eurogamer, Dungeons & Dragons Tactics producer Lawrence Liberty commented that he believes the Sony PSP handheld system could handle an MMO title. The one thing it needs though, said Liberty, is an audience.

"There could be an MMO made for the PSP," said Liberty. "Even if it relied on a sizeable Memory Stick, the machine has the basic components to field an MMO. It could certainly handle something like EverQuest Online Adventures [for the PS2]. This begs the question, would there be a market for a PSP MMO?"

There have already been rumors of possible MMO titles coming to Sony's next gen PS3 video game console (although the EverQuest PS3 MMO rumor was debunked), so why not the PSP? What about you guys? What do you think about MMO titles coming to the PSP? Leave a comment below and tell us your take on this.