Condemned 2 Bloodshot : features, reviews, gameplays, plots, characters at discountedgame

Condemned 2: Bloodshot

gmaes Developer(s): Monolith Productions
gmaes Publisher(s): SEGA
gmaes Engine: Lithtech Jupiter EX
gmaes Platform(s): PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
gmaes Release date: PlayStation 3 March 11, 2008 March 11, 2008 April 3, 2007 April 4, 2007 Xbox 360 March 11, 2008 March 11, 2008 March 28, 2008 April 4, 2008
gmaes Genre(s): Action, Survival horror/Psychological horror
gmaes Mode(s): Single player. Multiplayer
gmaes Rating(s): BBFC: 18ESRB: MPEGI: 18+OFLC: MA15+CERO: Z
gmaes Media: DVD-DL, Blu-ray Disc
gmaes Input methods: SIXAXIS Controller, DualShock 3, Xbox 360 Controller

Condemned 2: Bloodshot (entitled simply Condemned 2 in Australia/Europe/Asia) is a video gmaes developed by Monolith Productions and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Condemned 2 was released on March 11, 2008 in North America, on the Xbox 360 on March 28, 2008 in Australia and later on April 3, 2008 on PlayStation 3, and April 4, 2008 in Europe for both platforms. It is the sequel to the 2005 gmaes Condemned: Criminal Origins. A demo is currently available on the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live Marketplace. Due to its violent content, the game has been banned in Germany by the BPjM.

Premise

Ethan Thomas in Condemned 2

Condemned 2: Bloodshot takes place 11 months after Condemned: Criminal Origins. The gmaes features a darker, grungier Ethan Thomas, whose life has descended into alcoholism and homelessness following the events of the first gmaes. The gmaes 's plot features Ethan being recruited back into the SCU to investigate a call for help from his old mentor Malcolm Vanhorn, and delves more deeply into explaining the mysterious phenomena causing city-wide violence and mass hysteria.
Greg Grunberg does not reprise his role as Ethan in Condemned 2, mostly due to the personality change. Instead, Ethan is voiced by Andre Sogliuzzo.

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Gameplay

Single player
Similar to the original Condemned: Criminal Origins, Condemned 2: Bloodshot is a first-person action gmaes focused on melee-oriented combat. The gmaes features bare-fisted hand-to-hand combat, combat with melee weapons, and first person shooting. The gmaes also has adventure gmaes elements in the forensic investigation of crime scenes.

Unlike the original Condemned, Condemned 2 allows for hand-to-hand combat with the player's bare fists, with the left and right triggers controlling the player character's left and right fist respectively. Additionally, the player is now able to chain together attack combos, as well as perform various finishing moves executed via quick time events. The gmaes also features context-sensitive "environmental kills" (such as shoving an enemy's head into a TV or a spiked wall).

Like the original Condemned, Condemned 2 also features melee weapons and firearms. However, melee weapons now break after several strikes or blocks, forcing the player to be adept at resorting to the new hand-to-hand combat system. As in the original game, firearms are limited to the bullets in the current magazine, as the player is unable to carry additional ammo (although they can reload their current magazine by picking up spare ammo lying on the ground). An additional twist to the firearms combat is Ethan's alcoholism, which causes his aim to become blurry and unsteady unless he regularly drinks alcohol. Firearms combat is more prevalent in Condemned 2 than in the original gmaes , with a few levels focused on firefights with assault-rifle wielding soldiers.

Condemned 2 also features more in-depth forensic investigation gameplay. Players are able to investigate and catalog different elements of a crime scene, and make statements about the nature of the crime. Correctly guessing the nature of the crime earns the player upgrade points, which can be used to acquire upgrades such as body armor or higher maximum health.
Condemned 2 also features several "Instant Action" maps, which are action-based levels independent of the game's plot.

Condemned 2 contains new powers for Ethan to use. Ethan's "instinct" powers are all but completely scrapped in this episode, however some useful combat abilities come into play. By building up a combo meter, Ethan can perform powerful "Chain Combos" that begin a short sequence requiring well-timed or rapidly placed button presses in order to deal massive damage. Later in the gmaes , Ethan gains the power of the "Voice." This power allows him to produce a powerful shockwave from his mouth that can blast open doors, explode enemy heads, and destroy Oro "headpieces."

Multiplayer
Unlike the original Condemned, Condemned 2 features multiplayer gameplay. The gmaes supports 8 player online and features four multiplayer modes:

Deathmatch - the player to reach the kill limit or the player with the most kills at the end of the time limit wins.
Team Deathmatch - two teams of multiple players compete for the most kills.
Bum Rush - a time based gmaes of SCU Agents versus Influenced bums. The SCU cannot respawn but get to use guns, have a lot more health and kill with one shot or melee, and must last as long as possible against the bums.
Crime Scenes - another gametype putting the SCU agents against the Influenced. The Influenced must hide two cases of evidence, while the SCU agents must use their equipment to find and scan the evidence before time runs out.
There are 8 maps in total varying on the game mode being played (all of them for DM and TDM, 4 for Crime Scene and 5 for Bum Rush):

Barge
Barnbuck Alley
Doll Factory
Farm House
Lodge
Slaughterhouse
Underground
Vertigo
Several moves and weapons from single player are not present in multiplayer - these include the stun gun, kicks and environmental kills.

Plot summary
Condemned 2: Bloodshot takes place eleven months after the events of the first Condemned. The mysterious phenomena causing insane violence and mass psychosis amongst Metro City's homeless population has only gotten worse, with massive riots breaking out across the city. Protagonist Ethan Thomas, having resigned from the FBI's Serial Crime Unit after the events of the Serial Killer X investigation, has been caught in a downward spiral and now finds himself homeless, violent, and alcoholic. He still suffers from paranormal visions, and his alcoholism even manifests as an antagonistic alter-ego that taunts him during his hallucinogenic visions.
Under the orders of Director Farrell, Ethan is recruited back into the SCU to investigate the murder of his one-time mentor Malcolm Vanhorn. He is aided by his old partner Rosa and commanded by the hostile and antagonistic Agent Dorland, SCU's tactical commander. Over the course of Ethan's investigation, he discovers that his arch-nemesis Serial Killer X is still alive, having been nursed back to health by his uncle Malcolm Vanhorn after being shot in the head at the end of the original Condemned. Serial Killer X killed Malcolm Vanhorn, as well as Metro City's Mayor Rachel Mars, and eventually kidnaps Director Farrell.

Ethan and Rosa also discover the source of all the city's troubles is a secret organization known as "the Oro", the cult hinted at in the first Condemned, whose members use painful metal implants to develop sonic powers that allow them to influence and control the rest of humanity. Rosa theorizes that they are the source of all humanity's crimes, wars, and hatred.
Serial Killer X, having learned about the Oro, now wants to harness their sonic ability, and is currently killing and dissecting Oro members to obtain this ability. The Oro are much more powerful than previously thought; their members include many high-ranking members of society, including Mayor Mars, Director Farrell, and Agent Dorland. The Oro also control the SCU, and Dorland and his tactical teams attempt to kill Ethan when he discovers their secret. Ethan fights back with the help of Rosa and SCU Agent LeRue, and even Serial Killer X, who saves Ethan from the SCU, calling it "a future investment".

Vanhorn, who has spent his life battling the Oro, leaves Ethan a videotaped message revealing the final truth; Ethan's parents were Oro members who defected from the organization and were killed for it. Ethan himself is "the Remedy", a long-prophecized being possessing "perfectly evolved" vocal chords capable of generating the Oro's sonic power without the metal implants the Oro use. Ethan's ability is more powerful than the Oros, capable of destroying flesh and bone. The Remedy is destined to be "the voice opposing that of the Oro". As a result, Agent Dorland and the Oro want Ethan dead. Director Farrell, part of a splinter faction of Oro that wants to recruit rather than destroy Ethan, sacrifices his life to unlock Ethan's sonic powers after the two of them are cornered by Agent Dorland.

Ethan proceeds to the Penninsula, an artificial landmass where the Oro have a secret base from where they monitor and control the entire city. Using his newfound sonic powers, Ethan defeats the Oro members, destroys the Oro machinery allowing them to control the city, then battles Dorland in a sonic duel within the collapsing Penninsula. Defeated, Dorland informs Ethan that the Oro's motives are "To create hostility, The unwavering desire to fight. To unknowingly become... our protectors." Ethan tells Dorland he's nothing more than a puppet, and the former commander is flung to his death. Ethan escapes in a helicopter along with Rosa and LeRue, declining LeRue's offer of a drink and falling asleep. Meanwhile, the President of the United States collapses in shock after receiving the message "the Remedy is among us!". Finally, strongly suggesting Condemned 3, Serial Killer X is shown receiving Oro metal implants in his mouth, similar in appearance to the those of the "final boss" Oro member Ethan fought and killed at the end of the first Condemned.

Characters
Ethan Thomas (Andre Sogliuzzo): A former investigator for the FBI's Serial Crimes Unit, Ethan resigned from the bureau following the events of Condemned: Criminal Origins, eventually spiralling downward into alcoholism and homelessness. As a result, he is a much darker, more violent character than in the first game. It is revealed in Condemned 2 that Ethans parents were Oro members who were killed by the organization when they defected from it. It is also revealed that Ethan is "The Remedy", the voice that is against the Oro. Due to this, Ethan is able to have more powerful sonic powers than Oro members and does not need metal implants for his natural ability to work.

Angel Rosa (Angel Parker): A forensics lab specialist, and Ethan Thomas' old partner in the SCU. Rosa is once again assigned to help Ethan in the new Vanhorn investigation, and the two of them eventually uncover the Oro conspiracy controlling mankind.
Agent Pierce LeRue (Phil Lamarr): An SCU tactical agent assigned to help Thomas in the Vanhorn investigation. Unlike Agent Dorland, LeRue expresses concern for Thomas' well-being, and remains loyal to Thomas after Dorland and other SCU troopers are revealed as Oro footsoldiers. His first name was revealed at the end of the game.

Serial Killer X (Henry Dittman): Leland Vanhorn, the killer of serial killers. Ethan Thomas' nemesis from the original Condemned. SKX survived the gunshot to the face he suffered in the ending of the original Condemned, and was secretly nursed back to health by his uncle Malcolm Vanhorn. Upon learning of the Oro, SKX decided to "seek redemption through their power". He killed his uncle when he got in the way, and is began killing and dissecting Oro members to "see how they work". In the final cutscene after the credits, SKX is seen with other Oro members, as they insert metal implants into his mouth.

Agent Dorland (Dave B. Mitchell): SCU's tactical commander, and Director Farrell's right-hand man, Agent Dorland is hostile and antagonistic towards Ethan from the very beginning of Condemned 2. He is eventually revealed as an Oro member, after attempting to kill Ethan. At the end of the gmaes , Ethan defeats him in a sonic battle and sends him plummeting to his death.
Director Farrell (Paul Eiding): The Director of the FBI's Serial Crimes Unit, and Ethan's former mentor and boss. After being kidnapped by Serial Killer X, Farrell is revealed as a member of the Oro. Unlike other Oro such as Agent Dorland, Farrell has been protecting Ethan, hoping to recruit him to the Oro cause. Farrell is eventually captured by Agent Dorland, who attempts to force him to fight Ethan. Farrell instead sacrifices his own life to unlock Ethan's special sonic powers.

Inferi (Keith Szarabajka): A thug with Oro metal implants who confronts and antagonizes Ethan in the game's first few levels by beating Ethan's head with a brick. Inferi fights Ethan and is killed by him at the end of the game's third level, the Commuter Tracks.

Magic Man (Michael Bell): A former Oro member with a stage magician-themed appearance, who escaped from the organization and is currently hiding in an abandoned theater. Ethan finds him on a list of SKX's intended victims, and tracks him down to interrogate him about the Oro. Ethan and the Magic Man fight each other, and Ethan tricks him into falling upon a bed of spikes. Ethan then questions him about the Oro, pushing him further into the spikes when he refuses to cooperate. Magic Man appears to be killed by Ethan's interrogation, but his body suddenly disappears and leaves a parting message for Ethan as he leaves the theater.

The Alcohol Demon (Andre Sogliuzzo): A hallucinatory alter-ego of Ethan's with a mask-like face, the "dark side" of Ethan's personality and the manifestation of his alcoholism. However, Ethan eventually defeats this alcohol demon in a fight, allowing him to overcome his alcoholism. However, the demon returns in the opening cutscene of the final level to support Ethan. "I represent all of your demons, Ethan. Alcohol was just one of them." He helps Ethan accept who and what he is and to ultimately see what purpose lies before him.

The Oro: Oro is short for "Oro Invictus" which means "Invincible voice". This Organization has supposedly been around for 3000 years. The root of the Oros plan revolves around a tradition known as "sonic generation". Its the ability to produce complex sounds that project out, not through just the mouth, but the entire body. Their ability to produce these sonic tones is said to work by having an enlarged, hollow sternum and higher than normal bone density. Unique vocal cords can create, when trained, complex sounds that reverberate through the sternum and chest cavity like a finely tuned instrument. Various metal apparatuses surgically implanted into the bone and skin can amplify the effect. People subjected to these sounds experience acute bouts of paranoia. This is followed by hallucinatory episodes that slip quickly into psychosis and other forms of uncontrolled violent behavior. People with natural tendencies to be violent become even more so when exposed to these sonic emissions. The sonic abilities also have a negative effect on the Oro as well. New borns to the ability are mindless, deformed, and born without arms and sight. Because of the deformities they are used as watch dogs for the Oro.

Critical reception
Reviews and awards Compilations of multiple reviews
gmaes Rankings: 85% (based on 12 reviews)

Metacritic: 84/100 (based on 14 reviews)
Official PlayStation Magazine (Australia): 9 out of 10

GameSpot: 8.5 out of 10
Team Xbox: 9 out of 10
GameInformer: 8.75 out of 10
X-Play: 4 out of 5
IGN: 8 out of 10

Official Xbox Magazine: 8 out of 10
GameTrailers: 8 out of 10

Eurogamer: 8 out of 10

GiantBomb: 5 out of 5

The April edition of Official Xbox Magazine review of Condemned 2 gave it an 8/10, praising the strong points of atmosphere, graphics and sound for the gmaes , and found it to be improved in almost all areas of the original (Condemned: Criminal Origins). The review did however find the ending to be weak and one of its major downsides.

The three reviewers in Electronic Gaming Monthly gave Condemned 2 an A-, B+, and B. They praised the atmosphere and improved combat system, but were not satisfied with the "laggy, unnecessary feel" of the game's multiplayer component.

Official PlayStation Magazine (Australia) gave Condemned 2 the Silver Award, with a score of 9/10. The magazine commented that the only minor problem was that the controls felt occasionally cumbersome.

Edge Magazine gave Condemned 2 a 5/10, stating that it had lost the first game's tight storyline in favor of a deranged psychotic bloodbath, in which guns and gore "occur anywhere and everywhere to ever-decreasing effect" and had taken precedence over the tension and fear factors which the magazine had enjoyed in the previous title. In a caption the review expresses surprise that "you can [...] make enemy heads explode by shouting at them" and noted that they did not expect that "the ABC Warriors would appear in the game's final act, and that you'd take them down with a sonic crossbow and giant magnet."

The Escapist's Ben Croshaw praised the first half of the gmaes for its improvements from the original Condemned: Criminal Origins, but compared the gmaes 's second half to Indigo Prophecy, stating that similarly to Indigo Prophecy the game's plot goes "snooker loopy", with the inclusion of superpowers and 'ancient mystical cults'. He also criticized the gmaes 's move from focusing on realistic close combat to relying on superpowers and firearms.

Banjo-kazooie-history, gameplay, characters

Banjo-Kazooie is a platform and action-adventure hybrid video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo in 1998 for the Nintendo 64. The game is the inaugural release in the Banjo-Kazooie series. The game's story focuses on a bear named Banjo and a bird named Kazooie as they set out on a quest to rescue Banjo's sister, Tooty, who has been kidnapped by the witch Gruntilda. Along their journey, the two receive help from Mumbo Jumbo the shaman and Bottles the mole, as well as various other characters in smaller roles. Banjo-Kazooie went on to become one of the most popular games for the console.

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Release history
Banjo-Kazooie was originally known by the project name Dream for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The project starred a boy named Edison, who owned a wooden sword and got into trouble with a group of pirates lead by Captain Blackeye. Dream was also scheduled to include a rabbit that looked like a man, a dopey dog and a bear that became Banjo. After its code was transferred to the Nintendo 64, it was shown at the 1997 E3 as Banjo-Kazooie.

The game received a significant amount of hype partly due to being marketed as the game that would be to the N64 what Donkey Kong Country was to the SNES in terms of an advancement in graphics. It was originally supposed to be released as Nintendo of America's big holiday game for 1997 with a Taco Bell toy promotion lined up, but Rare needed to delay it several months. Instead, Diddy Kong Racing took its place, and with Banjo as a character in that game as well, it turned Banjo-Kazooie into an incidental spinoff of the Donkey Kong franchise

Plot synopsis
The story begins one day at Spiral Mountain, an area inhabited by Banjo, Kazooie, Bottles, and several other creatures, including giant hopping carrots and onions as well as flying cauliflower. On that particular morning, while the sun is shining and the fauna are flourishing, Banjo lies snoring in his bed while Tooty is waiting for Banjo to "go on an adventure" with her.

Meanwhile, Gruntilda is hunched over her cauldron admiring her own beauty; even though she is the ugliest hag of all, she remains convinced that she is the loveliest in the land. Asking her magical cauldron, Dingpot, if she indeed is the fairest of all, assured that she will hear her own name, Dingpot answers that it is in fact not her, but Tooty who is the fairest in the land. Gruntilda is enraged by this and sets out to Tooty's house to kidnap her and steal her beauty.

Back outside Banjo's house, Tooty is talking to Bottles the mole when Gruntilda sweeps down and kidnaps Tooty, who does not go without a fight. Banjo, of course, sleeps through the whole thing (despite Kazooie continually yelling at Banjo to wake up), and only walks out of the house shortly after Gruntilda has flown away with Tooty. After hearing what transpired from Bottles, Banjo and his friend Kazooie begin their journey up Spiral Mountain and inside Grunty's Lair to save Tooty.

Along this journey they venture through different worlds, all branched off of Gruntilda's Lair. Some are cold and rigid, some hot and dry, some wet, some damp, and even some frightening. All the different worlds give the player a different mood on the game, in turn keeps the player in the game. All the while Gruntilda and Tooty wait within a machine built by the witch's main assistant, Klungo, which will swap their levels of beauty.

Towards the top of the lair, Banjo and Kazooie are challenged by Gruntilda to play a board game set over a pit of molten magma, with answers based on elements from the entire game up to this point. If they win the game, then Tooty will be set free; if they lose, they will be thrown into the inferno. The duo wins, of course, and rescue Tooty while Gruntilda escapes. They begin to celebrate with a barbaque back home until Tooty reminds them that the witch is still at large.

Banjo and Kazooie make their way back up the lair until they finally reach the roof, with help from Dingpot. There Gruntilda challenges them to a more direct confrontation. However, with the help of the Jinjos, small creatures who were imprisoned throughout the worlds by the witch and rescued by the duo, Banjo and Kazooie defeat Gruntilda and ultimately knock her off her tower. She lands in a hole in the ground which is covered by a large rock that fell from the tower, trapping her. Banjo and Kazooie finally take a well-deserved break at the beach, where they and their friends anticipate the sequel, "Banjo-Tooie," while Gruntilda, whose minion Klungo is trying to rescue her, swears revenge.


Gameplay
Banjo-Kazooie adopted many of its central game play mechanics from Nintendo's groundbreaking title Super Mario 64. For instance, the player must similarly explore non-linear 3D worlds and gather tokens in the form of jigsaws (like Super Mario 64's stars) to unlock new worlds. However, Banjo-Kazooie is often considered an evolution of Super Mario 64 as it introduced a number of innovative features. These included the ability for Banjo and Kazooie, with the aid of Mumbo's magical powers, to transform into other creatures such as a termite, crocodile, walrus, pumpkin, and bee; the ability for the characters to learn new moves (as taught by Bottles); the game's extensive use of textures for surfaces where other N64 games would have used plain colors, extensive lighting, and music that dynamically changes style in order to reflect the environment and dangers to the characters. The Banjo-Kazooie central theme music, heard in the main play area, changed to reflect the environment entrance (levels) the player was near, such as taking on music box instrumental-style play near the ice level entrance. The music's notes and play never changed though, producing a seamless integration into the new instruments without stopping the forever-looping song.

Like Super Mario 64 before it, the player proceeds through the game by finding tokens. There are three kinds of tokens that help the player progress through the game, namely jigsaw pieces, musical notes, and Mumbo's tokens. Jigsaw pieces open doors to new worlds by collecting enough to complete the corresponding jigsaw puzzle. There are ten Jiggies (as they are sometimes called) in each world: nine must be sought and found, and one is granted by finding all five Jinjos on each world. (Unlike Super Mario 64's stars, though, the player doesn't have to exit the world every time he collects a Jiggy.) Musical notes open magic note doors that allow Banjo and Kazooie to progress further into Gruntilda's lair. There are 100 notes in each world, and 900 total in the game. Mumbo's tokens grant the player magical transformations at Mumbo's hut when the player collects a sufficient amount. These transformations include termite, crocodile, walrus, pumpkin and bee.

Besides these primary tokens, players may also collect items which are used in performing certain moves. Bottles the Mole must teach Banjo and Kazooie the move before the item can be utilized. Items include blue eggs, red feathers and gold feathers, which can be held in quantities up to 100, 50 and 10, respectively. Blue eggs are fired as projectiles or ejected from Kazooie's rear, and bounce slowly until they either hit an enemy, or break on their own; red feathers are utilized in flight and flying attacks; and gold feathers are for the most powerful attack, Wonderwing, which uses Kazooie's wings to make her and Banjo invincible and can kill most any enemy, or at least protect the bear and bird. Furthermore, rarer temporary items can be found which have specialized use in puzzle-solving, namely wading boots, which enable the crossing of hazardous terrain, and running shoes, which grant extra running speed, often as part of a race or a time-based puzzle. Finally, there are power-ups such as extra lives, which look like golden Banjo statues and grant one extra life each, and honeycomb energy, which incrementally increases the player's health and can be found in each level. Collecting six hollow honeycomb pieces (called extra honeycomb pieces) gives the player a permanent increase of one honeycomb of health.

A large feature of gameplay is that the characters make limited speech-like sounds when they talk. The voices were not real speech, but rather a looping of voice-like sounds when text bubbles were displayed. This artistic choice was likely made due to memory limitations on Nintendo 64 cartridges; however, this added considerably to the atmosphere and uniqueness of the game.

Besides the technical aspects, Banjo-Kazooie's rich characters were what really made the game come alive. Gruntilda the witch always spoke in rhymes (which she would declare inexplicably as Banjo and Kazooie wandered about her lair), such as, "It really does sound quite absurd, adventure of a bear and bird!" Kazooie was always very annoyed at Bottles the Mole, and various other smaller characters made memorable appearances. One notable motif is that nearly all objects, including wrapped presents, mines, and vegetables, had eyes.


Stop 'N' Swop
Main article: Stop 'N' Swop
Stop 'N' Swop is an incomplete feature in Banjo-Kazooie. Seven special items (six colored eggs and a key made of ice) were discovered in the game that would be viewable in a menu titled "Stop 'N' Swop". In an ending sequence of Banjo-Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo would tell the players that secret areas would be accessible via a link with the sequel, Banjo-Tooie. Stop 'N' Swop was never fully realized in Banjo-Tooie. The special items can still be collected in Banjo-Kazooie using a cheat cartridge or in-game cheat codes, though the purpose they would have served in Banjo-Tooie, as well as how the games were meant to link, has not been specified.

Characters
Banjo—a lovable yet somewhat confused bear. The hero of this game.
Kazooie—a Red Crested Breegull with a cutting wit. Banjo's partner in action and character foil.
Mumbo Jumbo—a shaman that helps the duo by transforming them into various creatures.
Bottles—a shortsighted mole that teaches the duo new moves among other things.
Gruntilda—a witch that wants Tooty's beauty.
Klungo—Gruntilda's servant, something like an Igor character.
Tooty—Banjo's little sister, captured by the witch for her beauty and youth.
Jinjo- Cute, little, lost animals who are to be found along the game. They are used to defeat Gruntilda, after she put a spell to send them to various places.

Cameo appearances
In Click Clock Wood, Banjo and Kazooie meet a character named Gnawty the Beaver. This character is also an enemy from the Donkey Kong series, also made by Rare. The Gnawty in this game looks very similar to the ones in Donkey Kong 64, except its skin is brownish and not blue (although there were brown Gnawtys in Donkey Kong Country including a Boss called "Very Gnawty").
Tiptup makes an appearance in Bubblegloop Swamp. Tiptup was one of the racers from Diddy Kong Racing, a racing game from 1997 which also featured Banjo as a playable character. Tiptup also makes a cameo in Banjo-Tooie.
An early screenshot for Donkey Kong 64 showed a shower in Donkey Kong's Treehouse with Banjo and Kazooie's head on it. However, the shower was removed before the game was released. Also, an early screenshot of Banjo-Kazooie showed Donkey Kong's picture on Banjo's wall instead of Tooty's.
The heads of Banjo (as a trophy above the fireplace) and Kazooie (as the handle of an umbrella) can both be found in Rare's M-rated platformer release for the Nintendo 64, Conker's Bad Fur Day.
Monstrous versions of Banjo and Kazooie's heads can be found in Ghoulhaven Hall's Trophy Room in Grabbed by the Ghoulies for the Microsoft Xbox. The game also holds many pictures and gag memorabilia sponsored by the various characters found throughout the game. It is also believed that the goldfish in the classroom is Roysten, the very same fish Banjo kept as a pet who would always get abused and/or cooked throughout the franchise.
Not only is Roysten in the classroom, but on the white-board, a few maps are pictured, one of them being Treasure Trove Cove. On the map, Sharkfood Island is marked with an "X", where the secret pink egg is located. Underneath the maps, 4 eggs and the Ice Key are shown next to each other with "=?" shown after.
Another Rare game, Kameo: Elements of Power for the Xbox 360, features a radio in one character's house which plays a remix of the Banjo-Kazooie theme.
In Viva Piñata, the Fizzlybear can wear a blue backpack like Banjo's (known as the "Breegull Carrier") and can shoot Jiggies. The player can also purchase statues of Banjo-Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, and Captain Blackeye for their gardens, as well as Bottles' glasses for the Profitamole. A part of the Jameleon Dance of Romance is a remix of the Banjo-Kazooie theme song. Behind Seedos house on the mountaintop are the heads of Banjo and Kazooie in the style of Mount Rushmore.
Roysten makes a cameo appearance in Viva Piñata.
In Donkey Kong 64, the fanfare music that plays after feeding Scoff is the same music heard when a secret egg or key is collected in Banjo-Kazooie.
A Conker poster can be found at Rusty Bucket Bay on the other side of the ship in a breakable window.
Several characters from other Rare games are referenced as wrong answers in Grunty's Furnace Fun, such as Cranky Kong and Conker the Squirrel. Several wrong answers, such as Jamjars the Mole and Humba Wumba the Shaman, ended up being used for character names in Banjo-Tooie.

Worlds

Spiral Mountain
In Banjo-Kazooie Spiral Mountain acts as a training level. It's home to many characters, including Banjo and Kazooie. This is where a player must learn all the basic moves. Banjo's house lies on the outer part of Spiral Mountain. In addition, six honeycombs and two extra lives can be collected here. The object of this level is to gain basic knowledge of the game before storming Gruntilda's lair.


Gruntilda's Lair
This is the main area where most of the game time is spent. Bottles, Brentilda, and Grunty's minions can be found here. The lair also has four sets of cauldrons to allow Banjo and Kazooie to skip over parts of the lair when they find a pair of a matching color. Gruntilda's Lair also leads to the final fight, after breaking the spells of all the note doors. To open these doors, Banjo and Kazooie's accumulated note scores must be equal to or higher than the number on the door. Gruntilda's lair is huge, with many secret compartments and doors that lead to puzzles that can only be opened if the player collects enough Jiggies to fill the puzzle and unlock the level.


Other worlds
Mumbo's Mountain: A small, jungle-themed world where getting acclimated to the game is the primary purpose. It is home to Conga the orange throwing Gorilla, termites, Chimpy, a small monkey resembling Nintendo's Diddy Kong, and Mumbo Jumbo the shaman. In this level, Banjo and Kazooie learn many new techniques such as egg shooting, the beak buster, and talon trot through the assistance of Bottles.
Treasure Trove Cove: An island that hosts a landlocked ship, the Salty Hippo, and the nearly-indestructible shark Snacker; a lighthouse over a massive natural arch dominates the skyline. In this level flying pads and shock jump pads are introduced, and a character named Blubber, who also appears in Banjo-Tooie, makes his first appearance. It is the location of the sandcastle where cheat codes are entered.
Clanker's Cavern: A world of flooded caves and disposal pipes. This world is also home to Clanker, a giant mechanical whale used as Gruntilda's garbage disposal; half of the Jiggies to be found in this level lie inside his elaborate innards.
Bubblegloop Swamp: A swamp with dangerous piranha-infested waters, it's home to a fake giant crocodile and a living giant turtle. Inside the turtle are Tiptup and his turtle choir; the fake crocodile meanwhile houses a greedy crocodile named Mr. Vile who challenges Banjo to eat more yumblies than him.
Freezeezy Peak: A snowy, mountainous world with a winter holiday theme whose focal point is an enormous snowman statue in the center; home to the twinklies, evil snowmen and Boggy's family, who also appear in Banjo-Tooie. It also holds the infamous ice key.
Gobi's Valley: An Ancient Egyptian–themed desert world named after the camel Gobi, containing pyramids, quicksand, and a bear-modeled sphinx.
Mad Monster Mansion: A horror-based world featuring frightening themes such as haunted houses, spooky mazes, ghosts, and tombstones; a toilet named Loggo also resides here.
Rusty Bucket Bay: A world centered around a large cargo ship, called the Rusty Bucket (referred to as the H.M.S. Gruntilda in the promotional video), docked amid polluted water. The port is surrounded by several warehouses which contain various useful items. Also home of Snacker the Shark.
Click Clock Wood: Centered around a giant tree in a forest, four different doors will allow Banjo and Kazooie to enter the world through four seasons in this classic level. Also home of Gnawty the Beaver and the fat, Nabnut the Squirrel.

Unfinished worlds
There were originally supposed to be more than nine worlds. However, they were never completed due to time restraints and were subsequently left out of the game.

Fungus Forest: A picture of the level can be seen in Banjo's house next to his bed. In beta Banjo-Kazooie videos, the level was shown with Banjo swimming underwater, a gate, and a giant, unanimated sea creature. It was instead used in Donkey Kong 64 as Fungi Forest.
Hammerhead Beach: It was stated that the level "was something to do with the fabled Stop 'N' Swop". In an ending scene of Banjo-Kazooie the characters are hanging out on a beach as a vacation. Hackers have been able to explore the area, but it would always show the ending scene events while they did so. The area is not completely finished, and the level is abnormally small.
Mount Fire Eyes: As stated by Chris Sutherland of Rare, "Mount Fire Eyes was incorporated into Banjo-Tooie as Hailfire Peaks".
The two other concepts for B-K worlds materialized in the sequel as Glitter Gulch Mine and Witchyworld.


Reception
The game was highly successful when released, selling nearly two million copies in the United States, praised for its graphics, story, and gameplay. Banjo-Kazooie was given near-perfect scores:

IGN: 9.6

GameSpot: 9.5

GameStats: 9.2

1Up.com: 9.2

Metacritic: 92 of 100 (Based on 19 reviews)

Game Rankings: 91% (Based on 14 reviews)


Awards
At the 1999 Interactive Achievement Awards, Banjo-Kazooie won in the Console Action/Adventure and Art Direction categories, and was nominated for Console Adventure Game of the Year and Game of the Year. On an episode of "Reviews On The Run" Banjo-Kazooie was number 1 on the list of the "5 classic Rare games you should try"; it beat out Saber Wulf, Conker's Bad Fur Day, and Kameo: Elements of Power, which were also running for the same award.

Assasin's Creed: features, plot, gameplay

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Assassin's Creed is a video gmaes developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It was released worldwide in November 2007 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles. The North American release of the PC version was released on April 8, 2008.

A prequel for this gmaes , titled Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles, was released on February 5, 2008 for the Nintendo DS.

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Gameplay
Assassin's Creed is a third-person stealth game in which the player assumes the role of Desmond Miles, an average bartender who is the last descendant of a long family line of assassins. Desmond has been taken to a facility where he is forced to use the Animus, a machine that traces and recreates the memories of his ancestors during the Third Crusade. Through these genetic memories, the player controls Altaïr ibn La-Ahad (الطائر ابن لا أحد , Arabic, "The Flying One, Son of None"), a member of the Hashshashin (The Assassin Brotherhood) which is allied with one of the sides during the third crusade. Altaïr's objective in the game is to slay nine historical figures propagating the Crusades in the year 1191. (According to Ubisoft developers, all of the main character's targets are historical figures who died or disappeared in 1191, although not necessarily by assassination.)

The primary goal of the game is to complete nine assassinations. To achieve this goal, the player must use stealth and a variety of intelligence gathering tactics to collect information on their target. These tactics include eavesdropping, forceful interrogation, pickpocketing, and completing tasks for Informers (other assassins who will give you information in exchange for assassinating targets or collecting flags). Additionally, the player may take part in any number of side missions, including climbing tall towers to map out the city and saving citizens that are being threatened or harassed by the city guards. There are also various side quests unrelated to the story such as hunting down and killing Templars and flag collecting.

The game takes place primarily in the Holy Land. It consists of four main cities: Jerusalem, Acre, Damascus and Masyaf, the assassins' stronghold; all but Masyaf contain three sections that are unlocked over the course of the gmaes . An approximation of the land lying between these areas is present in the gmaes as "The Kingdom." The gmaes 's developers claim the environments are all historically accurate. Each city features a highly detailed environment populated by many people of different types, and as the player interacts with his/her environment, the people around Altaïr respond in logical and predictable ways. For example, when Altaïr climbs buildings without the use of a ladder, the local citizens pause, gather round the building he is climbing and comment on his unusual behavior, or how they won't help him if he hurts himself. Certain actions, such as harming an innocent can attract the unwanted attention of nearby guards, who may then choose to attack him. Neither Richard the Lionheart's forces, nor Saladin's forces are particularly friendly towards Altaïr - If he comes into contact with any guards outside the main cities, he will be chased off, no matter which side.

The player is made aware of how noticeable Altaïr is to enemy guards as well as the current state of alert in the local area. To perform many of the assassinations and other tasks, the player must consider the use of both "low profile" and "high profile" commands. "Low profile" commands allow Altaïr to blend into nearby crowds, gently pass by other citizens, or other non-threatening tasks that can be used to hide and reduce the alertness level. "High profile" commands are more noticeable, and include running, scaling the sides of buildings to climb to higher vantage points, and attacking foes; performing these actions at certain times may raise the local area's awareness level. Once the area is at high alert, the player must use both low profile commands as well as aiming to climb away from ground level or using hiding spaces to reduce the alertness level. The player, as they complete the assigned assassinations, will gain either new weapons or new combat skills including counter-attacks and attack dodges. Besides his fists, Altaïr's weapons include an assassin's sword for standard combat, a short blade, and throwing knives which are used in conjunction with the short blade. Altaïr also starts the main storyline with the use of a hidden retractable blade on his left arm that can be used for killing targets at very close quarters without creating any immediate alerts (although, if others come across the body, the alertness level may be raised). This is the most noticeable difference between low and high profile. A low profile assassination can be performed within as little as a few feet of other guards or soldiers without attracting attention, whereas a high profile assassination attack will be noticed by everyone within eyesight. This becomes more difficult as the gmaes progresses, as guards become more attentive for Altaïr's presence due to his repeated killings.


During gameplay, intentional glitches that include organic compounds and computer messages will flash on the screen.The player's health is described as the level of synchronization between Desmond and Altaïr's memories; should Altaïr take damage, some amount of synchronization is lost, and if all synchronization is lost, the current memory that Desmond is experiencing will be restarted at the last checkpoint. When the synchronization bar is full, the player has the additional option to use "eagle vision" which allows the computer-rendered memory to highlight all visible characters in colors corresponding to whether they are friend or foe or even the target of their assassination. Due to Altaïr's memories being rendered by the computer of the Animus project, the player may experience "glitches" in the rendering of the historical world, which may help the player to identify targets, or can be used to alter the viewpoint during in-gmaes scripted scenes should the player react fast enough when they appear.


Plot
The overall story within Assassin's Creed is set in September 2012. Desmond Miles, a bartender, has been kidnapped by unknown people prior to the start of the game, and is brought to a building belonging to Abstergo Industries, where researchers are working on a project involving a machine called the Animus. The Animus is able to extract memories from the DNA of the user, passed on from descendant to descendant, allowing the user to replay those memories as if he were there himself. Desmond was "chosen" for the project due to his relationship to his ancestor Altaïr Ibn La-Ahad (الطائر at-ta'er in Arabic meaning "Flying One" and his last name meaning "Son of None"), a member of the Assassins Order during the Third Crusade of the Holy Land; the researchers express interest in understanding more of how the Assassins worked. Though initially Desmond's subconscious rejects the memories of Altaïr, he eventually learns to accept them and is able to proceed to follow Altaïr's actions through the Animus.

The memories of Altaïr that Desmond experiences start in the year 1191: Richard I of England has just recaptured the port city of Acre from the Saracens. With a base of operations established, the Crusaders prepare to march south. Their true target is Jerusalem, which they intend to recapture for Christianity. However the Saracen forces are massing in Arsuf, intending to ambush the Crusaders and prevent them from reaching Jerusalem. These war maneuvers have left the rest of the Holy Land wide open. While Richard and Saladin battle one another, the men left to govern in their stead have begun taking advantage of their newfound positions of power. Exploitation, manipulation, and provocation rule the day.

The first memory Desmond experiences is that of Altaïr, along with another assassin named Malik and his brother, being ordered to retrieve a mysterious artifact from ruins of the Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem which is also being sought by The Knights Templar. As Altaïr and his companions make their way into Solomon's Temple, they discover that Grand Master of The Knights Templar, Robert IV de Sablé is also there. Altaïr, due to his arrogance and lack of discretion, attempts to kill Robert but the ensuing attempt fails and Altaïr gets separated from his companions, leaving Robert and his men with Malik and his brother. Upon returning to the order's base of operation it is discovered that Malik survived the engagement; although losing an arm and his brother, he managed to retrieve the artifact. Since Altaïr failed his mission, and other offenses, Altaïr is demoted to Uninitiated, the lowest rank in the Assassin Order. The leader of the Assassins, Al Mualim, offers him an opportunity to redeem himself. Altaïr must venture out into the Holy Land and assassinate nine men said to be exacerbating and exploiting the hostilities created by the Third Crusade. In doing so, he will stabilize the region, helping the Order's goal of securing peace in the Holy Land.


Cryptic messages on the wall of Desmond's bedroom at the end of the gmaes .Along the way, however, Altaïr discovers that his targets are bound by more than just a shared interest in personal gain, but are secretly members of the Knights Templars, with the goal to unite all mankind under a common cause. Desmond further learns by secretly reading emails on computers of the research personnel when left overnight between Animus sessions that Abstergo Industries is in fact run by the Knights Templar, the order having survived from the Middle Ages, and that the Templars are seeking the locations of several artifacts known as the "Pieces of Eden" that they can use to continue Templars' goals. Desmond learns that he was kidnapped so that they may learn, through Altaïr's memories, where the locations of the other Pieces of Eden may be buried throughout the world. He also finds that what remains of the Assassin's Brotherhood in modern days had tried and failed to recover him before that information could be learned. Altaïr's memories finally reveal that the assignment he undertook was a plot by the Templars to sow discord between the Assassins and the Crusaders and Muslims. In doing so, the Muslim leader Saladin and Richard The Lionheart would instead work together and fight the Assassins, and in the process, bringing peace for the Templars. Altaïr finally catches up with Robert de Sablé, his last assigned target, and defeats him. Robert de Sablé reveals in his dying words that Altaïr's master, Al Mualim, is also a member of the Templars, and he has now the soul-power of the artifact, the "Piece of Eden" that is able to alter what men can see and can be used for mass hypnosis. Altaïr travels to face Al Mualim, who wields the "Piece of Eden", attempting to alter Altaïr's sight, but eventually falls to his blade. As Altaïr recovers the "Piece of Eden", the device activates one more time to reveal multiple locations across the globe in an holographic manner, including two locations on landmasses that no longer exist in 2012.

It is never truly explained how the "Pieces of Eden" were created, although it is explained in the game that Jesus Christ was but a carpenter who found one of the artifacts and created an illusion in which everybody perceived him as being divine. Al Mualim mentions the Piece of Eden never turned water to wine, and that various other miracles mentioned in the Holy Bible never truly happened either, all of them being only illusions created by people who possessed a "Piece of Eden". At one point, Desmond reads an email detailing the failed recovery of one other Piece of Eden and other unnamed artifacts, all resulting in disastrous accidents, including the Philadelphia Experiment and the Tunguska event. The email also refers to the Holy Grail, stating insufficient evidence to confirm its existence, and "Mitchell-Hedges Communicators", a reference to F. A. Mitchell-Hedges and his claim of Aztec crystal skulls that gave the owner the power of clairsentience. Further examination of the emails reveals some information regarding Earth as it is in the year 2012. Africa and the United States have suffered calamities of various types; it is stated that an outbreak of L-11 disease has exterminated 96% of the African continent and the United States is facing unprecedented outward emigration, to the degree that the President of Mexico has stationed thousands of troops along the border, with monthly battles between American and Mexican forces resulting on over 1,300 casualties.

With Altaïr's memory complete, Desmond wakes up out of the Animus to learn that Abstergo Industries is already sending out recovery teams to locations shown by the "Piece of Eden" in Altaïr's memory, hoping to find additional artifacts. Desmond, no longer being of use to the Knights Templar, is to be silenced; however, he is saved by a researcher named Lucy Stillman, who reveals herself to be an Assassin by showing her hand with her ring finger closed as if it were missing. In the conclusion of the game, Desmond, having become "synchronized" with Altaïr, is able to use the eagle vision (a sort of empathic sight to see hidden messages and tell friend from foe) and by looking at Lucy, he can see that she is an ally to him (shown by her glowing blue), giving further proof that she is a genuine Assassin. He also sees messages that only he can see, scrawled across the floors and walls that refer to the end of the world described by several religions, among other writings; such writings include references to the biblical passage Revelation 22:13 ("I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."), a Lorenz attractor, the Eye of Providence, as well as part of a Mandelbrot set and other writings in foreign languages. Additionally, there is the Mayan date of 13.0.0.0.0—December 21, 2012—which is only three months away within the game's timeline and represents the planned date of the launch of a mysterious satellite the Templars have created, which they claim will "permanently end the war." The Arabic word "Az-Zalzala", literally meaning "The Earthquake" can be seen, which is the title of a chapter in the Qur'an that talks about Judgment Day. Some Nazca Line drawings are also found. There is also a reference to Yonaguni, a Japanese island similar to Atlantis. This leads to the speculation that the sequel might be set in feudal Japan, though Ubisoft has not commented. Further investigation after the credits reveals an email sent to Vidic by Lucy, stating that the drawings come from a mysterious "subject sixteen" who went insane due to what they described as a "bleeding effect" (essentially, genetic memory assimilation comes to a point where the subject can no longer distinguish between their life and their ancestors' memories. Lucy speculates that, though subject sixteen's "bleeding" was brought on by too much time spent in the Animus, natural forms may occur, such as Multiple Personality Disorder and other forms of dementia).


The Assassins Creed
Altair and his fellow assassins follow a creed, a set of guidelines that all honorable assassins must follow. In the gmaes following the creed results in synchronization, and maintaining a low profile, though the player may easily break the first two rules rather easily and with little consequence.

Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent.
Hide in plain sight.
Do not compromise the brotherhood.

Historical relevance
The nine men assassinated were based on real historical figures who lived in the Holy Land around the year 1191, but many creative liberties have been taken. Most Hashshashin assassinations that actually took place were against rival fellow Muslims. In addition, Altaïr's targets bear no historical resemblance in appearance or character to the actual figures. Most of the young men Altaïr was sent to kill were in reality old and sickly at this time in history. Furthermore, the Teutonic Knights were not militarized until 1198, starting off as an order created to protect pilgrims traveling through the Holy Land. The developers have justified these changes by claiming in-game that the historical records were altered by the Knights Templar to deceive anyone studying the past.

Some of Altaïr's targets include: Garnier De Naplouse, the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitalier; Ibn Jubayr, an Arab-Spanish geographer, traveler, and poet; Hochmeister Sibrand, Grandmaster of the Teutonic Knights; William V, Marquess of Montferrat, the regent of Acre; and Robert IV de Sablé, Grand Master of the Knights Templar.

The stronghold of the Creed is Masyaf, headquarters of the Assassins in the game, and also the headquarter of the Syrian branch of the real-life assassins. In 1191, when the game takes place, Masyaf was led by Sinan, who was also the leader of the Syrian branch.


Development

On September 28, 2006, in an interview with IGN, producer Jade Raymond confirmed that Altaïr is "a medieval hitman with a mysterious past" and that he is not a time traveler.

On December 13, 2006, in an interview with IGN, Kristen Bell (who lent her voice and likeness to the gmaes ) talked about the plot. According to the interview, the plot centers on genetic memory and a corporation looking for descendants of an assassin

"It's actually really interesting to me. It's sort of based on the research that's sort of happening now, about the fact that your genes might be able to hold memory. And you could argue semantics and say it's instinct, but how does a baby bird know to eat a worm, as opposed to a cockroach, if its parents don't show it? And it's about this science company trying to, Matrix-style, go into people's brains and find out an ancestor who used to be an assassin, and sort of locate who that person is."
—Kristen Bell

On October 22, 2007, in an IGN Australia interview with Patrice Desilets mentioned that the lead character's climbing and running were done by "Alex and Richard - the same guys from Prince of Persia".

Altaïr is voiced by actor Philip Shahbaz, and his face is modeled after Spanish model Francisco Randez.

Altaïr (meaning "The Flying One" in Arabic) is a star in the Northern Sky in the constellation of Aquilla ("eagle" in Latin); this ties in well with the white eagle seen in the trailer, that is shown flying over the city of Acre, and lands on the bell tower Altaïr himself is standing on. To complete the theme the Assassin's clothes consist of white flowing robes. His hood also has a hook on the end and his lower robe features a stream on each side, therefore making Altaïr's shadow in air look like an eagle. According to Ubisoft[citation needed] that Altaïr is not religious but rather spiritual and is the son of a Christian mother and Muslim father. It is also stated that in events before the start of the gmaes , there is an initiation where Altaïr's left ring finger is cut off, so that he is no longer a novice, but an assassin. This procedure provides for the hidden blade to extend from under Altaïr's forearm.

The release of the Nintendo DS prequel, Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles, was February 5th, 2008.


Demos
On July 10, 2007, during the Microsoft E3 Press Conference, a demo was shown using a previously unseen city, Jerusalem. Features that were demonstrated included improved crowd mechanics, the "chase" system (chasing after a target trying to flee), as well as deeper aspects of free running. This was the first time when Altaïr could be heard speaking. It was again showcased for nearly 20 minutes on Wednesday, July 11. The video showed an extended version of the E3 demo, and included Altaïr trying to escape after his assassination of Talal the Slave Trader.

On August 26, 2007, an 11-minute demo of Assassin's Creed was shown at the Penny Arcade expo. The level that was shown was the same as in the E3 demo; however, a different path was taken to reach the target. At the end of the demo, a conversation between Altaïr and the head of the Assassin's bureau in Jerusalem called Malik was shown.

There is no demo available for Assassin's Creed over Xbox Live, the Playstation Network, or PC.


PC version
A pirated version of the game has been in existence since late February 2008 - more than a month before its expected release, though players are only able to complete the game using extra content available on the net in its current state; despite this, it was one of the most popular titles for piracy during the first week of March 2008.

It was made public on 1 April that Assassin's Creed would be sold electronically and available for pre-order through Valve's software distribution program, Steam, and though advertised to the entire Steam customer base it was for unknown reasons locked out for any Steam-customers not in residing in North America (along with the entire Ubisoft catalog).[citation needed] The PC version of Assassin's Creed was released on 8 April 2008 in North America. Four bonus mission types, not seen in the console version, are included. These 4 new missions are archer assassination, rooftop race challenge, merchant stand destruction challenge and escort challenge.

A significant amount of criticism has lately been appearing on the internet about the fact that players who have beat the gmaes are unable to skip cutscenes

Army Of Two

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Army of Two, commonly abbreviated as AoT or Ao2, is a video game developed by Electronic Arts, released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on March 4, 2008 in North America. Army of Two is a third person shooter gmaes focusing on the fictional story of two private military contractors(characterized as mercenaries) "fight[ing] through war, political turmoil, and a conspiracy so vast it threatens the entire world" in a timeline spanning from 1993 to 2009.

Focusing on cooperative strategies, Army of Two's highlighting feature is the necessity to use coordinated teamwork to accomplish the gmaes 's goals. While the gmaes is meant to be played with another human as your partner, a "Partner Artificial Intelligence"(PAI) is also included and programmed to follow the player's strategies in suit. Dependence on your partner(whether human or PAI) is so pronounced that certain objectives may be impossible to complete without it.

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Plot
The plot summary in this article or section is too long or detailed compared to the rest of the article.
Please edit the article to focus on discussing the work rather than merely reiterating the plot.

The main story is divided into several regions where the action takes place over the course of nearly two decades. The main focus of the story is the field of Private Military Contracting(PMC). While the game has been cut shorter, it does not alter any major events.


Somalia
The story begins in 1993 in Somalia when Elliot Salem and Tyson Rios (the protagonists of the gmaes ) are still in the U.S. 75th Ranger Regiment. They go through a brief training course, taught by their comrade Pedro. Afterward, they are tasked to work with Philip Clyde, a private military contractor with the Security and Strategy Corporation (SSC), to assassinate Abdullahi Mo'Alim. After this mission, Philip Clyde, on behalf of SSC CEO, Ernest Stockwell, invites Lieutenant Colonel Richard Dalton (commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment) to join the company for a desk job. He agrees, asking to bring Salem and Rios with him as contractors and in the following year, the three enter the private sector.


Afghanistan
Salem and Rios begin an eight-year stretch of mercenary work in various U.S. operations until the events of September 11, 2001. They are then hired to infiltrate an abandoned Afghani Cold War era mountain missile base now in use by Al Qaeda in order to destroy the medium-range M-11 missiles left there, eliminate terrorist Al-Habiib, and rescue Brian Hicks(another SSC operative who was captured trying to accomplish the same tasks). After killing Al-Habiib, they destroy a cache of chemical warheads with the help of a hacker, "Section 8", romanticized in-game as "s3kshun8".

It is then announced in the news that SSC has acquired Black Mountain Industries, another PMC, making SSC the largest PMC in the world resulting in some controversy. Dalton reassures the public that their motives are pure.


Iraq
In 2003, the two are sent back to Iraq by mission coordinator Alice Murray, on a mission to rescue Lt. Col. Samuel Eisenhower, a friend from Salem and Rios' old Army Ranger squad. They are told that he has vital information and is being held hostage in an American base which has fallen under enemy control. Salem and Rios successfully extract him to a helicopter. However, soon after it lifts off, it explodes. Salem comments that with Eisenhower dead, he, Rios, Dalton, and their trainer, Pedro are the last surviving members of their former ten-man unit. Ali Youssef, an Iraqi terrorist, claims responsibility for Eisenhower's death, and the two are tasked with eliminating him, his lieutenant, and his Iraqi base.

After the mission, Senators Alex Richter and Richard Whitehorse discuss a bill coming before Congress in a televised debate. If passed, the bill would privatize the military, positioning SSC to become the primary contractor. Whitehorse is opposed to the bill while Richter wants it to be passed, commenting that private contractors often outperform regular soldiers.


USS Constellation
While fighting enemies in the Philippines, the two are contacted and reassigned by Alice to help retake an aircraft carrier, The USS Constellation, that has been stolen by a cell of terrorists from Abu Sayyaf. The two are transported there via helicopter and parachute down to the flight deck and are rejoined by Philip Clyde who they have not had to deal with since Somalia. Clyde goes below deck while Salem and Rios are tasked to disable the jets parked on the runways to disable the launching mechanism. Alice mentions that the Navy doesn't want SSC getting credit again, and so has dispatched a SEAL team to help. Eventually they go below deck hoping to find a way to the ship's bridge and inadvertently discover Clyde meeting with the terrorists.

Clyde escapes leaving his laptop's USB Flash Drive on the table which the two grab. It is then covertly sent to Section 8 to be analyzed. After fighting their way into the bridge, Navy Captain Harris of the USS Constellation informs them that the carrier has been turned into a nuclear bomb on a course to the Philippine capital, Manila, and that the two must sink the ship before it reaches the city. On the way to handle the situation, they discover the Navy team is dead. Rios and Salem discover their former squadmate, Pedro, is among the deceased. While maneuvering through the ship, 'Section 8' has uncovered what was on Clyde's USB Flash Drive revealing evidence that he has been leaking US troop positions and intelligence to the terrorists. They succeed in rigging the ship to explode and narrowly escape while Harris goes down with his ship. After completing the mission, they decide not to take any other missions from SSC since they do not know who else is working with Clyde. They decide to wait until they go public with the information.

United States Senators Alex Richter and Richard Whitehorse continue their debate on the bill to privatize the military. Richter believes that doing so would be safer and cheaper than a standing military. However, Whitehorse doesn't want to pass responsibility to corporations who profit from war and may drag the U.S. into unnecessary conflicts. Whitehorse begins a campaign to see the bill is not passed.


China
Salem and Rios, now in South Korea, are doing a job for one of their weapons suppliers, Cha Min Soo. The two have remained out of contact with SSC as they try to investigate Clyde's involvement with the terrorists and a link between SSC and U.S. enemies. Salem's radio is accidentally switched on and Murray contacts them with one final mission, in China. The leader of Abu Sayyaf, the organization that orchestrated the capture of the Constellation, will be crossing the bridge over the Lijiang River and the two are to ambush his motorcade.

After completing their assignment, Alice has lost sign of their extraction helicopter and the two find themselves dealing with the PLA, not Abu Sayyaf. After some digging, Alice discovers that a bounty has been put out for the two implicating their involvement with the murder of United States Senator Richard Whitehorse who was in the motorcade they just blew up instead of the Abu Sayyaf leader. Along the way, the two tell Alice why they fell out of contact letting her in on the potential conspiracy which is furthered by the apparent setup.

The three put the pieces together, guessing that Dalton and SSC CEO Stockwell set them up to kill Whitehorse to end his campaign against the bill and allow it to be passed. Rios and Salem were prime decoys, since they already knew about Clyde, who has been revealed by 'Section 8' to have been involved in ambushes on U.S. soldiers which were staged to damage the U.S. Army's reputation and further support for the bill. En route to escape from China, the two hear Alice being assaulted on the radio, presumably kidnapped. Having then escaped, they decide to end the fight.


Miami
In 2009, Salem and Rios are then en route to Miami where the headquarters of SSC is located. A hurricane is also headed toward the coast of Florida and the Air Force has sent two fighter jets to intercept their unauthorized flight into the United States, them having been given a plane by Cha Min Soo who tells them to take care of the pilot and bring the plane back in one piece. Compounding their troubles, Philip Clyde is found stowed aboard their plane, having killed the pilot.

A gunfight ensues, while the Air Force shoots and damages the plane. They manage to get into the plane's on-board hovercraft as the plane is going down, but Clyde picks up a fallen FGM-148 Javelin missile launcher and fires, blowing off half of the plane. Their hovercraft manages to touch down in the waters of Miami and they head to SSC island while Clyde is assumed dead in the crash. When Cha Min hears that his plane was crashed, he threatens to have Salem and Rios killed. They explain that Clyde was responsible, and Cha Min demands they kill him. Salem agrees, not letting Rios mention that Clyde may have already been killed. The two are under increasing pressure from Cha Min as he hacks into their helmet cameras, watching them. The two are then contacted via radio by Ernest Stockwell, requesting that they get him out. He claims that he was not involved with the conspiracy but it was all the work of Richard Dalton.

The two rescue the kidnapped Alice from the Miami Airport. After she is escorted away, the two storm SSC HQ where 'Section 8' helps them get the elevator online so they can pursue Dalton. Along the way, Stockwell accepts a deal from the two to turn himself in as Alice claimed he knew Dalton was breaking the rules, but not exactly what he was doing (sacrificing soldiers). Upstairs, the two are shocked to see that Clyde has survived the crash, but thankful that they can now calm an enraged Cha Min by closing their debt with him and securing later favors. After an immense firefight on SSC's top floor, Salem kicks Clyde out of a window, causing him to plummet into the flooded streets of Miami. Meanwhile, Dalton escapes to the roof, pursued by Rios and Salem. Although Dalton attacks them from a machine gun mounted on the door of a helicopter, Rios destroys it with an FIM-92 Stinger while he targets Salem, sending Dalton to his death.

For the ending sequence, the game skips ahead several months. A news broadcast announces that Ernest Stockwell, CEO of the now defunct SSC, has been released after serving three months of his six month prison sentence (having turned himself in as promised). The "Privatization Scandal" is also mentioned; the bill having not been passed. Alice, watching the broadcast, receives a phone call from Rios who tells her that he and Salem have started their own firm, Trans World Operations (TWO). When she asks how they got investors, the camera pans to look at Cha Min Soo and Viktor Roshankov, two of the arms dealers that they had worked with. Rios mentions that they need a contract filer and offers Alice the job. Alice smiles in agreement.


Characters
The following are characters who have a role in the campaign story.
Security and Strategy Corporation
Tyson Rios and Elliot Salem engaging in combat.Tyson Rios: SSC operative, Salem's partner, former US Army Ranger
Elliot Salem: SSC operative, Rios's partner, former US Army Ranger
Philip Clyde: SSC operative
Alice Murray: SSC mission coordinator
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Dalton: SSC commanding officer, Rios and Salem's commander
Ernest Stockwell: SSC CEO

Arms Dealers
Cha Min Soo: Special Weapons dealer and share holder of Trans World Operations
Viktor Roshankov: Gear dealer and share holder of Trans World Operations
Troy Green: Secondary Weapons dealer
Mr. Obayana: Primary Weapons dealer

Other
Alex Richter, US Senator: Campaigns to have a bill privatizing the military passed throughout the game.
Richard Whitehorse, US Alaskan Senator: Campaigns against Senator Richter's bill. Rios and Salem are unwittingly set up to kill him in China.
S3kshun8: An old friend of Rios'. An expert hacker who helps override electronic locks and provides information to the protagonists. He speaks in 'leet', and Rios is forced to translate his sayings into common English.

Customization
The game allows a great deal of weapon customization. Some guns available for customization include: pistols, shotguns, submachine guns, rocket launchers, light machine guns, sniper rifles, grenade launchers and assault rifles. Such elements as stocks, under-slung grenade launchers, suppressors, grip handles, extra-large magazines and new barrels, can be swapped out to give the weapon a unique look. Other modifications include gold and chrome plating--also known as "pimping" in the gmaes . Pimping weapons will raise your player's aggro meter drawing more attention to you. The player can also upgrade their armor to make it better and stronger but these can not be purchased and are unlocked as you progress through campaign mode. A firing range feature was proposed that would allow the player to test out their newly customized weapon, however it was removed as it did not meet the developers' standards. Besides customizing the weapons and armor, the player can also customize the face masks that the main characters wear.

Online multiplayer
Multiplayer allows up to four players, two on each team similar to the co-op structure of the main campaign. Both teams will compete over objectives on the map such as assassinating a VIP or destroying an objective in order to earn the most money for their side. At the same time, they will also be forced to deal with the opposing team in order to secure their objectives. In the interview, the developer has stated, "The biggest challenge was to convey the co-op experience in a multiplayer match. We didn't want to go with the typical deathmatch mode. We have a variety of modes that really capture the essence of co-op gameplay. You'll have to watch each other's backs and work together to defeat the opposing team. "

Character customization is not possible in the multiplayer portion of the game but you can buy preset sets of weapons, upgrade your body armour and amount of ammo you can carry. Players need to be careful while shopping though, since the team with the most cash in the end wins.

There are 3 multiplayer gametypes: Warzone, Bounties and Extraction. In warzone the objectives are randomly generated and they may vary greatly. For example team might need to get to certain place and defend it, while other team tries to destroy it, shoot down the chopper, blowing up a jeep with gunner, transporting wounded soldiers to extraction point, assassinating V.I.P's etc... Extraction is basically Warzone but with rescuing V.I.P.'s to a safe location only. There are currently four maps total, and each are filled with hostiles native to the location. Also every map contains so called "intelligence", which if picked up will get you extra cash and the more intelligence picked up the more it is worth.

Multiplayer for the gmaes is currently region-locked. Players with the European, American or Asian version of the gmaes cannot play with each other. This is not common for online multiplayer games for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Chrono Cross

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Chrono Cross (クロノ・クロス, Kurono Kurosu?) is a console role-playing games developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Sony PlayStation video games console. It is the sequel to Chrono Trigger, which was released in 1995 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Unlike its predecessor's "Dream Team", Chrono Cross was developed primarily by scenarist and director Masato Kato and other programmers for Chrono Trigger, including art director Yasuyuki Honne and sound planner Minoru Akao. Composer Yasunori Mitsuda scored Chrono Cross and Nobuteru Yūki designed its characters.

The story of Chrono Cross focuses on a teenage boy named Serge and a theme of parallel worlds. Faced with an alternate reality in which he died as a child, Serge endeavors to discover the truth of the two worlds' divergence. The flashy thief Kid and forty-three other characters assist him in his travels around the tropical archipelago El Nido. Struggling to uncover his past and find the mysterious Frozen Flame, Serge is chiefly challenged by Lynx, a shadowy antagonist working to apprehend him.

Upon its release in Japan in 1999 and in the United States in 2000, Chrono Cross received high ratings and critical acclaim, earning a rare perfect 10.0 score from GameSpot. The games 's 1.5 million copies shipped worldwide led to a Greatest Hits re-release and continued life in Japan as part of the Ultimate Hits series. A "Millennium Edition" featuring a calendar, clock, and music sampler disc was also released.


Gameplay
Chrono Cross features standard RPG gameplay with certain innovations. Players advance the games by controlling Serge through the gmaes 's world by foot and boat. Navigation between areas is conducted via an overworld map, depicting the landscape from a scaled down overhead view. Around the island world are villages, outdoor areas, and dungeons, through which the player moves in three dimensions. Locations such as cities and forests are represented by more realistically scaled field maps, in which players can converse with locals to procure items and services, solve puzzles and challenges, or encounter enemies. Like Chrono Trigger, the games features no random encounters; enemies are openly visible on field maps or lie in wait to ambush the party. Touching the monster switches perspectives to a battle screen, where players physically attack, use Elements, defend, or run away from the enemy. Battles are turn-based, allowing the player infinite time to select an action from the available menu. For both the playable characters and the CPU-controlled enemies, each attack reduces their number of hit points (a numerically based life bar), which can be restored through Elements and Consumable Elements. When a playable character loses all hit points, he or she faints. If all the player's characters fall in battle, the game ends and must be restored from a previously saved chapter—except for specific storyline-related battles that allow the player to lose.



In battle, players can attack, use Elements, defend, or run away. Chrono Cross's developers aimed to break new ground in the genre, and the games features several innovations. The gmaes 's magical system focuses on Elements, which unleash magic effects upon the enemy or party and must be equipped for use (much like the material of 1997's Final Fantasy VII). Elements can be purchased from shops or found in treasure chests littered throughout areas. Once acquired, they are allocated to a grid whose size and shape are unique to each character. They are ranked according to eight tiers; certain high level Elements can only be assigned on equivalent tiers in a character's grid. With each level up, the grid expands, allowing more powerful Elements to be equipped. Elements are divided into six paired oppositional types, or "colors," each with a natural effect. These pairs are Red (fire/magma) and Blue (water/ice), Green (wind/flora), Yellow (earth/lightning), White (light/cosmos), and Black (darkness/gravity). Each character has an innate color, enhancing the power of using same-color Elements. Chrono Cross features a "field effect", which keeps track of Element color used in the upper corner of the battle screen. If the field is purely one color, the power of Elements of that color will be enhanced, while Elements of the opposite color will be weakened. Characters also innately learn some special techniques, called "Techs", that are unique to each character but otherwise act like Elements. Like Chrono Trigger, characters can combine certain Techs to make more powerful Double or Triple Techs. Players can run away from all conflicts, including boss fights and the final battle.

Another unique aspect of Chrono Cross is its stamina bar. At the beginning of a battle, each character has seven points of stamina. When a character attacks or uses an Element, stamina is decreased according to the potency of the attack. Stamina slowly recovers when other characters and enemies perform actions in battle. Characters with stamina below one point must wait to take action, and Elements require all seven stamina points to use (if you use an Element at any number less than seven, the character's stamina gauge falls into the negative and the character must wait longer than usual to recover). With each battle, players can enhance statistics such as strength and defense. However, no system of experience points exists; after four or five upgrades, statistics remain static until players defeat a boss. This adds a star to a running count shown on the status screen, which allows for another few rounds of statistical increases. Players can equip characters with weapons, armor, helmets, and accessories. Consumable Elements may be used to restore hit points or heal status ailments after battle. Certain accessories can be equipped to provide special effects in combat—such as the Power Seal, which upgrades attack power. Items and equipment may be purchased or found on field maps, often in treasure chests. Unlike Elements, weapons and armor cannot be purchased; instead, the player must obtain base materials—such as copper, bronze, or bone—for a blacksmith to forge for a fee. The items can later be disassembled into their original components at no cost.


Players navigate the gamaes 's tropical setting by sailing.

The existence of two parallel dimensions, like time periods in Chrono Trigger, plays a significant role in the games . Players must go back and forth between worlds to recruit party members, obtain items, and advance the plot. Much of the population of either world have counterparts in the other; some party members can even visit their other versions. The player must often search for items or places found exclusively in one world. Events in one dimension sometime have an impact in another—for instance, cooling scorched ground on an island allows vegetation to grow in the other world. This system assists the presentation of certain themes, including the questioning of the importance of one's past decisions and humanity's role in destroying the environment. Rounding out the notable facets of Chrono Cross's gameplay are the New games + option and multiple endings. As in Chrono Trigger, players who have completed the games may choose to start the game over using data from the previous session. Character levels, learned techniques, equipment, and items gathered copy over, while acquired money and some story-related items are discarded. On a New Game+, players can access twelve endings. Scenes viewed depend on players' progress in the gmaes before the final battle, which can be fought at any time.


Plot

Characters

Chrono Cross features a diverse cast of forty-five party members. To create characters, developers brainstormed traits and archetypes. Originally, sixty-four were planned. Each character is outfitted with an innate Element affinity and three unique special abilities. The presence of six elements is a departure from Chrono Trigger's limit at four, and Chrono Cross does provide an explanation for the change—that Chrono Trigger's magic involved manipulating four basic universal properties, and that Chrono Cross's magic employs manufactured tools to effect changes in nature. If taken to the world opposite their own, characters react to their counterparts (if available). Many characters tie in to crucial plot events. Since it is impossible to obtain all forty-five in one playthrough, players must replay the game to witness everything. Through use of the New Game+ feature, players can ultimately obtain all characters on one save file. Several characters speak with unique accents. Done manually in the Japanese release, implementing accents the same way in the English version would have been impossible due to size restraints. As a result, developers coded a system for the North American release that produces accents by modifying basic text. The system changes the text template based on the character speaking.

Serge, the game's protagonist, is a seventeen year old boy with blue hair who lives in the fishing village of Arni. One day, he slips into an alternate world in which he drowned ten years before. Determined to find the truth behind the incident, he follows a predestined course that leads him to save the world. He is assisted by Kid, a feisty, skilled thief who seeks the mythical Frozen Flame. Portrayed as willful and tomboyish due to her rough, thieving past, she helps Serge sneak into Viper Manor. Raised by Lucca as a child, she vows to find and defeat Lynx, an anthropomorphic panther who burned down Lucca's orphanage. A sadistic and cruel agent of FATE, he is bent on finding Serge, and succeeds in taking his body. He travels with Harle, a mysterious, playful girl dressed like a harlequin. Sent by the Dragon God to shadow Lynx and one day steal the Frozen Flame from Chronopolis, she painfully fulfills her duty though smitten with Serge. To this end, she helped Lynx manipulate the Acacia Dragoons, the powerful militia governing the islands of El Nido. As the Dragoons maintain order, they contend with Fargo, a former Dragoon turned pirate captain who holds a grudge against their leader, General Viper. Their home base, Viper Manor, is also infiltrated by Serge, Kid, and one of three characters—Nikki, a musician, Pierre, a hero-in-training, or Guile, a mysterious magician. Though tussling with Serge initially, the Acacia Dragoons—whose ranks include the fierce warriors Karsh, Zoah, Marcy, and Glenn—later assist him when the militaristic nation of Porre invades the archipelago. The invasion brings Norris and Grobyc to the islands, a heartful commander of an elite force and a prototype cyborg soldier, respectively. As they too seek the Frozen Flame, the plot unfolds amidst tens of other characters.

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Story
The story of Chrono Cross begins with Serge, who must collect komodo dragon scales on the beach for his friend Leena. The setting is El Nido, a tropical archipelago inhabited by ancient natives, mainland colonists, and beings called Demi-humans who are often prejudiced against. While meeting his friend, Serge slips into an alternate dimension in which he drowned on the beach ten years prior. While searching for truth behind his supposed death, Serge meets the famous thief, Kid, a teenage girl intent on finding the mysterious Frozen Flame. Serge joins her search, and they recruit help and infiltrate Viper Manor, rumored to host the artifact. Viper Manor is home to the Acacia Dragoons—the combative, affluent, and revered protectors of the island. While in the manor's library, a mysterious old man known as the prophet of time reveals that ten years before the present, the universe split into two dimensions—one in which Serge lived (Home world), and one in which he perished (Another world). The shadowy antagonist, Lynx (or Yamaneko in the Japanese version), foils the break-in, poisoning Kid and causing the would-be thieves to flee.

Kid eventually recuperates, and Serge prepares to journey to Fort Dragonia, an ancient ruin left by Dragonians, a mysterious race gone extinct a hundred years before. There, the Acacia Dragoons intend to make a stand against an invading continental army of Porre. While preparing, Serge gains the ability to travel between the dimensions and secure further assistance and items, including the Water Dragon's breath, capable of freezing lava. He attempts to voyage by boat to the fort's shores, but is interrupted by the pirate Fargo. Initially imprisoned, Serge is freed when the ship comes under attack from ghosts. After earning Fargo's respect, Serge enters the fort and ascends to its highest floor. Through the use of a Dragonian artifact called the Dragon Tear, Lynx switches bodies with Serge. Unknowing of the switch, Kid confides in Lynx; he stabs her as the real Serge helplessly watches. Lynx boasts of his victory and banishes Serge to a strange realm called the Temporal Vortex. He takes Kid under his wing, brainwashing her to believe the real Serge (in Lynx's body) is her enemy.


Entrance to the Dead SeaSerge escapes with help from Harle. Discovering that his new body prevents him from traveling across the dimensions, he is marooned in Home world. He sets out to regain his former body and learn more of the universal split that occurred ten years earlier. He speaks with his mother and recruits new members to his cause. Hearing that a Demi-human sage confined on a cruise ship may be able to help him, he journeys to the S.S. Zelbess. He gains the sage's favor, and is given an artifact that allows access to the Dead Sea, a mysterious body of water. While attempting to enter, he discovers the evil sword Masamune and must counter it with the holy sword Einlanzer. Once inside the Dead Sea, he finds a wasteland frozen in time, dotted with futuristic ruins. At the center, he locates a man named Miguel and presumably Home world's Frozen Flame. Charged with guarding the Dead Sea by an entity named FATE, Miguel unsuccessfully battles Serge. To prevent Serge from obtaining the Frozen Flame, FATE destroys the Dead Sea. Still in Lynx's body, Serge is rescued by a Dragon, one of six mythical entities that inhabit El Nido.



Able to return to Another world, Serge finds the Acacia Dragoons in dire straits from Porre's invasion and rescues General Viper's daughter. After collecting six relics from the Dragons, he locates that dimension's Dragon Tear and travels to Fort Dragonia to initiate a ceremony to recreate his body. He succeeds after staving off Lynx at the base of the fortress. With the Dragon relics in tow, he enters the Sea of Eden, Another world's physical equivalent of the Dead Sea. He finds a temporal research facility called Chronopolis; inside are Lynx, Kid, and the Frozen Flame. Confronted by Serge, Lynx bonds with the entity FATE, the main computer of the facility, to defeat the boy in battle. He is unsuccessful, and with FATE's capitulation, the defense systems of Chronopolis fall. After uniting in air, the six Dragons fly over the facility and scoop up the Frozen Flame. Kid falls into a coma, and Harle bids the party goodbye to fly with the Dragons. The new villains soar to Terra Tower, a massive structure raised from the sea floor.

Serge regroups his party and tends to Kid, who remains comatose. Continuing his adventure, he obtains and cleanses the Masamune. He then uses the Dragon relics and shards of the Dragon Tears to create the mythic Element Chrono Cross. The spiritual power of the Masamune later allows him to lift Kid from her coma and prepare to assault Terra Tower. He outfits his boat with an anti-gravity device and travels to battle the Dragons. At Terra Tower, the prophet of time, revealed to be Belthasar from Chrono Trigger, visits him and imparts the boy's history. This information is later expatiated by accompanied apparitions. Serge learns that the time research facility Chronopolis created El Nido thousands of years ago after a catastrophic experimental failure drew it to the past. The introduction of a temporally foreign object in history caused the planet to pull in a counterbalance from a different dimension. This was Dinopolis, a city of Dragonians—parallel universe descendants of Chrono Trigger's Reptites. The institutions warred and Chronopolis subjugated the Dragonians. Humans captured their chief creation—the Dragon God, an entity capable of controlling nature.

Chronopolis divided this entity into six pieces and created an Elements system, which individuals could use for combat or trade. FATE terraformed an archipelago, erased the memories of most Chronopolis's staff, and sent them to inhabit and populate its new paradise. Chronopolis remained obscured from view by clouds and surrounded by poisonous reef. Thousands of years later, a panther demon attacked a three-year old Serge. His father took him to find assistance at Marbule, but Serge's boat blew off course due to a raging magnetic storm caused by Schala. Schala, the princess of the Kingdom of Zeal, had long ago accidentally fallen to a place known as the Darkness Beyond Time and began merging with Lavos, the chief villain of Chrono Trigger. Schala's storm nullified Chronopolis's defenses and allowed Serge to contact the Frozen Flame. Approaching it healed Serge but corrupted his father. By touching the Flame, Serge was designated its Arbiter by a circuit in Chronopolis, simultaneously preventing FATE from using the artifact by extension. The Dragons were aware of this situation, creating a seventh Dragon under the storm's cover. This Dragon was Harle, who manipulated Lynx by serving as his accomplice.



Serge and the Chrono Trigger team at Opassa Beach before the final battleAfter Serge returned home, FATE manipulated his father to try and kill the boy, which would release the lock on the Frozen Flame. His father drowned Serge and became Lynx. However, ten years after the event, the thief Kid—presumably on Belthasar's orders—went back in time to save Serge and split the dimensions. FATE, locked out of the Frozen Flame again, knew that Serge would one day cross to Another world and prepared to apprehend him. Lynx switched bodies with Serge to dupe the biological check of Chronopolis on the Frozen Flame. When Serge defeated FATE, the freed Dragons snatched the Frozen Flame and raised Terra Tower. Belthasar then reveals that these events were part of a plan he had orchestrated named Project Kid–and that its final purpose would soon be revealed. Serge continues to the top of Terra Tower and defeats the Dragon God.

Continuing to the beach where the split in dimensions had occurred, Serge finds three apparitions resembling the original team from Chrono Trigger. More of the game's history is revealed, such as the revelation that Belthasar planned the entire plot to empower Serge and free Schala from melding with Lavos. The resulting fused being—called the Time Devourer—would consume and destroy spacetime. Lucca explains that Kid is Schala's clone, sent to the modern age to take part in Project Kid. Crono entreats Serge to use the Chrono Cross to free Schala. Serge uses a Time Egg—given to him by Belthasar—to enter the Darkness Beyond Time and vanquish the Time Devourer. He separates Schala from Lavos and restores the dimensions to one. Thankful, Schala muses on evolution and the struggle of life and returns Serge to his home, noting that he will forget the entire adventure. She then seemingly records the experience in her diary, set upon a desk on which a wedding photo of Kid and Serge appears. The meaning of the scenes shown during the credits, depicting "Kid" seemingly searching for someone in modern times, is confirmed as a means to make the players think of their own reality, and the possibility that a version of "Kid" exists in it and would one day meet them. The ambiguous ending leaves the events of the characters' lives following the games up to interpretation.

Chrono Cross employs story arcs, characters, and themes from Radical Dreamers, a Satellaview side story to Chrono Trigger released in Japan. An illustrated text adventure, it was created to wrap up an unresolved plot line of Chrono Trigger. Though it borrows from Radical Dreamers in its exposition, Chrono Cross is not a remake of Radical Dreamers, but a larger effort to fulfill that games 's purpose. The plots of the games are irreconcilable. To resolve continuity issues and acknowledge Radical Dreamers, the developers of Chrono Cross suggested the gmaes happened in a parallel dimension. A notable difference between the two games is that Magus—present in Radical Dreamers as Gil—is absent from Chrono Cross. Director Masato Kato originally planned for Magus to appear in disguise as Guile, but scrapped the idea due to plot difficulties. As Richard Honeywood translated the game for its US release, he worked with Kato to rewrite certain dialogue for ease of comprehension in English.


Sequels
There is no planned continuation of the Chrono series. In 2001, Hironobu Sakaguchi revealed that the company's staff wanted to develop a new game and were discussing script ideas. Though Kato was interested in a new title, the project had not been greenlighted. Square then registered a trademark for Chrono Break in Japan and the United States, causing speculation concerning a new sequel. Nothing materialized, and the trademark was dropped in the US on November 13, 2003, though it still stands in Japan. A 2001 exodus of Square employees to Monolith Soft may have caused the series's suspension. It is also possible that sales of Chrono Cross—totaling 1.5 million—compared to performance of contemporary Final Fantasy games , each achieving over 5 million sales-contributed to the hiatus. Hope continues for a new games , as Kato recently returned to work on Seiken Densetsu 4 (Dawn of Mana) and Children of Mana. Mitsuda also expressed interest in scoring a new Chrono series games .