Chasing the coattails of the juicy Guitar Hero 4 bits we've revealed to you earlier are those of Ubisoft's latest addition to the Prince of Persia (DS, PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360) series and Capcom's Resident Evil 5 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360). Now while the details aren't as voluminous as those for Activision's hit rhythm game, they've got their own share of eyebrow-raising potential. No kidding. Check the full article for headturners.

Ripping and roaring like a raging T-Rex, Electronic Arts has announced of the availability of a Crysis Special Edition bundle pack. Allusions to Turok aside, Crysis is still making its own stand. So, to give the anticipating fans more content that they deserve, the three-disc set will hit retail shelves simultaneously with the standard edition on November 16.

The Special Edition contains behind-the-scenes features, interviews, artwork, mixed media, and extra content. Here's what the box set will contain specifically:

• "Making of Crysis" featurette taking you inside the making of the epic game
• A unique in-game vehicle
• "Meet the Developers" vignettes with the lead designers at Crytek
• The initial Crysis concept video that started it all, along with key trailers
• A show reel of original concept and production artwork from the team 32 page concept art book
• Official soundtrack of all original music by the award-winning composer Inon Zur (past video game credits include Baldur’s Gate II, Prince of Persia, and EverQuest II)

The Crysis Special Edition is now also available for pre-orders in various major retailers nationwide.

We've just heard that music composer Inon Zur has created an original musical score for Electronic Arts' and Crytek's technological masterpiece, Crysis. The music will be tied around the modern cinematic theme for the PC first-person shooter, soon to debut on PCs worldwide on November.

 

If Zur doesn't strike you with a hint of familiarity, he was the composer for SOCOM II: U.S. Navy Seals soundtrack. That same soundtrack snagged a finalist position in the Game Audio Network Guild (GANG) Awards at the Game Developers Conference. In a surprising turn of luck, his Men of Valor theme had to snag the Best Original Instrumental award away from the SOCOM II track.

He has diverse composing experience across CGI movies and games, including Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal, and Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts. And he never shied away from Hollywood either; orchestral scores to the likes of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," "Kingdom of Heaven," "The New World," "The Pacifier," "Fantastic Four," and "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" are all chalked up to his name.

Keeping in theme with Zur's dynamic orchestral taste, Crysis' original score was recorded together with the Northwest Sinfonia Orchestra in Seattle. The game's musical scoring is also featured in PLAY Magazine's August 2007 issue, where Zur talks all about the musical scoring process and the score's inspiration.

But Crytek's audio director, Joseph Zajonc, could only hint at what avid gamers and gaming critics could expect with the Crysis soundtrack:

Inon’s ability to describe a complex situation through music is uncanny. [He] has such an enthusiasm for composing, it’s a joy to work with him. He really wants to provide exactly the right material for a given game moment, often coming up with an approach that surprises.

Lineage II's newest expansion, Chronicle 5: Oath of Blood, packs a lot of enhancements for characters of all levels. It makes the early stages of play even more interesting with the introduction of an Academy that trains clan members to achieve power faster. Best of all, the expansion is free of charge.

While some of you may turn your focus on gaining strength and power for the next PvP encounter, it's not easy to ignore the grandiose music that sets the mood for numerous intense battles. Credit should be given to Inon Zur, the accomplished composer who's given Chronicle 5 the majestic sound it so richly deserves.

In an interview with Jonric of IGN, Zur talked about the music behind Chronicle 5. Zur is not new to the game scoring scene. He has about 40 games to his credit, which include Prince of Persia, SOCOM II, Baldur's Gate II, to name a few. After hearing samples of Zur's music, NCSoft knew right away he's the man for the job.

Those who've heard the music for Chronicle 5 would agree that it effectively captures different emotions. This is because Zur worked to make human emotions gravitate more than the environment and the actions. There are about 44 varied tracks in Oath of Blood, representing a combination of different emotions - love, lust, jealousy, etc.  Each emotion is interspersed with the game's storyline.

With rich sound and emotionally-charged music, it's no wonder that gamers fully immerse themselves in the world of Lineage II.