“The game’s vision was brought to life by 24-time New York Times bestselling author R.A. Salvatore, Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, and internationally-celebrated game designer Ken Rolston – an all-star team assembled by three-time World Series Champion pitcher and founder of 38 Studios, Curt Schilling. This original intellectual property breaks new ground by melding a deep open-world RPG experience with visceral action combat that offers players millions of combinations of moves, weapons and armor in a completely unique experience for every individual.

Developed by 38 Studios subsidiary Big Huge Games in Baltimore, Maryland and 38 Studios in Providence, Rhode Island, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is available now in North America and will be available in Europe on February 10, 2012. Learn more about Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning by visiting www.Reckoning.com“

“The Darkness II introduces a new combat mechanic through Quad-Wielding, allowing players to slash, grab, and throw objects and enemies with two Demon Arms while simultaneously firing two weapons. The game is layered with thematic elements of dark versus light, steeped in deep and twisted storytelling, and maintains the stylistic violence visualized through a hand-painted graphic noir technique, true to its comic book origins.

“Jackie Estacado’s saga returns in epic form with The Darkness II,” added Marc Silvestri, founder and CEO of Top Cow Productions and co-creator of The Darkness comics. “There’s a certain level of anxiousness when you see a favorite character move from ink on a page to pixels on a screen. 2K Games and Digital Extremes were able to do it in a way that stayed true to the Jackie from the comic books, while making a brutally awesome game at the same time.”

Also new in The Darkness II is the cooperative Vendettas campaign, a fast-paced, story-driven experience that takes place parallel to the single-player campaign. Vendettas lets up to four friends play together as one of four new playable characters – all with their own unique Darkness weapon – and begin their dangerous and bloody journey. Designed as a team-focused, mission-based experience, Vendettas explores the crucial role each character plays in Jackie Estacado’s campaign to defeat the Brotherhood.

A playable demo of The Darkness II is broadly available worldwide for Xbox 360, PS3™ and Windows PC. The Darkness II is rated M for Mature by the ESRB. For more information on The Darkness II, please visit www.embracethedarkness.com.”

PC Games:

• Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition
• Jagged Alliance – Back in Action
• Jewel Quest: The Sapphire Dragon
• Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
• Shank 2
• The Darkness II
• Tropico 4: Quick-dry Cement DLC
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine: Power Sword DLC

Movies opening this week:

• Chico & Rita (limited)
• In Darkness (limited)
• Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
• Perfect Sense (limited)
• Rampart (limited)
• Return (limited)
• Safe House
• Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace (3D re-release)
• The Turin Horse (limited NYC)
• The Vow

DVD and Blu-ray releases:

• 3
• 5 Star Day
• 60 Minutes – Jake
• A Star is Born [Blu-ray]
• A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas [Blu-ray]
• A Warrior’s Heart
• Action Triple Feature Vol. 1 [Blu-ray]
• Action Triple Feature Vol. 2 [Blu-ray]
• All’s Faire in Love
• American Experience: Billy the Kid
• Anonymous [Blu-ray]
• Breaking Man
• Brontes of Haworth
• Casino Royale [Blu-ray]
• Coming & Going
• Count of Monte Cristo
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – Grave Danger [Blu-ray]
• Curious George: Saves the Day
• Cyberbully
• Dangerous Liaisons [Blu-ray]
• David E. Talbert’s What My Husband Doesn’t Know
• Day of the Dead 3D [Blu-ray]
• Deadly Spawn: Millennium Ed. [Blu-ray]
• Downton Abbey: Season 2 [Blu-ray]
• Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat [Blu-ray]
• Dreamgirls [Blu-ray]
• Elephant in the Living Room [Blu-ray]
• Ethos: A Time for Change
• Family Triple Feature Vol. 1 [Blu-ray]
• Father Dowling Mysteries: The First Season
• Filth to Ashes Flesh to Dust [Blu-ray]
• Fireflies in the Garden
• Fish Called Wanda [Blu-ray]
• Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred
• Geek Charming
• Hawaii Five O: The First Season [Blu-ray]
• Holy Smoke!
• Horror Triple Feature Vol. 1 [Blu-ray]
• It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World [Blu-ray]
• Knuckle
• La Fuerza Del Destino
• La Jetee / Sans Soleil [Criterion Collection Blu-ray]
• Ladies vs. Ricky Bahl [Blu-ray]
• Lady and the Tramp – Diamond Ed. [Blu-ray]
• Laramie: The Second Season 33 Hour long episodes
• Last Man Standing
• Love Story [Blu-ray]
• Masterpiece Classic: Far From the Madding Crowd
• Meowingtons Hax 2K11
• Metal Shifters [Blu-ray]
• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: I heart Minnie
• More Business of Being Born
• New Tricks: Series 6
• New Year’s Concert 2012
• Nine Types of Light
• Police Woman: Complete Second Season
• Poolboy: Drowning Out the Fury
• Project Nim
• Ra.One [Blu-ray]
• Rebound [Blu-ray]
• Robert Montgomery Collection
• Rocko’s Modern Life: Season Two
• Rules of Engagement – Season 5
• Solas Con Chayanne [Blu-ray]
• Song of Lunch
• Star Wars Lego: The Padawan Menace [Blu-ray]
• Stormhouse
• Story of a love Affair: 2-Disc Special Ed.
• Super Shark
• The Dirty Picture [Blu-ray]
• The Jazz Singer
• The Retrievers [Blu-ray]
• The Reunion [Blu-ray]
• The Sunset Limited [Blu-ray]
• The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part I [Blu-ray]
• Throw Momma From the Train [Blu-ray]
• Veggie Tales: If I Sang a Silly Song
• What Happens Next
• World of Horses Season 1 & 2
• Yakuza Weapon [Blu-ray]

“Modders rejoice! We’re pleased to announce that the Skyrim Creation Kit is now available!

With the Creation Kit’s release, fans can now upload, download, and install custom content through the Skyrim Workshop on Steam. Get a crash course by reading level designer Joel Burgess’ blog post, and be sure to read up on our list of best practices for modding. Need more help? Don’t forget to to check out the official Wiki at www.CreationKit.com. In the coming days and weeks, we’ll be sharing tutorial videos for beginners and experts alike.

In addition to releasing the Creation Kit and Skyrim Workshop, today we’re allowing players to experience Skyrim as you’ve never seen it before with the Skyrim High-Resolution Texture Pack. Before downloading it from Steam, make sure your system requirements exceed Skyrim’s recommended specs before attempting to install, including a minimum of 4GB of system RAM and a DirectX 9.0c compatible NVIDIA or AMD ATI video card with at least 1 GB of RAM and the latest drivers.”

“Hawken is a multiplayer mech combat game. The focus is on creating an intense and enjoyable battle experience that captures the feeling of piloting a heavy war machine while keeping the action fast-paced and strategic.”

Register at: playhawken.com

“Krater is Swedish for Crater, and the name gives a hint of the setting of the game.  Krater is a lush post-apocalyptic top down RPG and the base pillars are crafting, exploration and consequence. Consequence brings not only the ability for the characters to level up and improve themselves, but also permanent injuries and death. “

“For our Skyrim PC fans, the Creation Kit is on track for release on Tuesday. And, we also have a special surprise with it.”

“Today’s video and screenshots turn their focus to the troubled waterside town of Riverspring and Sarwyck Keep, the home of its ruling family. A vacant lordship and civil unrest greet Alester Sarwyck, one of the game’s two main characters, as he returns home after a fifteen-year self-imposed exile. He arrives as the town mourns the passing of his father, the elder Lord Sarwyck, forcing Alester to consider reclaiming rule of Riverspring and restoring order to his lordship.

The township of Riverspring will be one of the many places the 2 heroes of the game – Mors, sworn brother of the Night’s Watch, and Alester, the Red Priest – will have to explore but also to fight through. From King’s Landing and Red Keep to the Wall, an Epic quest awaits our heroes, guided by revenge, loyalty, honor, and family, along a twisting plot filled with betrayal and violence.”

“From the development team behind Hearts of Iron and Europa Universalis, Victoria II: A House Divided introduces a new starting point in 1861 allowing players to experience the US Civil War from the start, from the era of absolute monarchies, encompassing expansion and colonization, culminating in the emergence of the US as a global superpower at the dawn of the 20th century.”

“In addition to bug and quest fixes, 1.4 adds launcher support for the Skyrim Workshop. Currently we’re putting the final touches on the Creation Kit and Skyrim Workshop and will let everyone know as soon as they’re up.”

The full release notes on version 1.4 can be found on the Bethesda blog.