Xbox 360 Fanboy

OXM UK just published a rather candid interview with Two Worlds developer Reality Pump where they discuss what went wrong with their icky RPG and what they're doing differently with The Temptation sequel. So, onto the blame game!

Reality Pump admits that they bit off way more than they could chew with Two Worlds, citing total inexperience when it came to console development which led to the game's lackluster graphics and gameplay. Development on the title also got discombobulated (yes, that is a word) when their team "tried to fit in every idea" which ultimately "hurt the end product in that it had parts that were underdeveloped". Overall, this was their first step into the next gen ring and admitting to ones' missteps is, well ... very noble.

Reality Pump promises fans that they learned from their Two Worlds mistakes, have a new engine, new voice actors, a new writer and a more focused development schedule planned for Two Worlds: The Temptation. Hopefully the sequel can stand on its own and distance itself from the Oblivion comparisons because, no matter how great the game ends up being, we don't think it'll ever win.

[Thanks, PrivateRyan]

Stop the presses! What's that, we don't have presses? Well then carry on! Ladies and gentlemen another momentous day is upon us as yet another piece of downloadable content has arrived for Two Worlds. Honestly, we're hard-pressed to tell the difference between this round of DLC and the pack that was released last month. Both contain 35 new quests and a PVP mode in which players "battle one another in an innovative player-versus-player challenge where opponents battle to control magical orbs within a variety of arenas." No, seriously, the press releases for each piece of DLC used the exact same wording to describe the new PVP mode. So, we're not sure if both packs come with the same PVP arenas or not. Still, that's a total of 70 new quests if you're so inclined. Oh, and just so you can tell them apart, the newest piece of DLC is called Curse of Souls. It will run you 600 Microsoft Points.

Despite previous reports that the Two Worlds project entitled The Temptation would be an expansion to the original game, it turns out that it will actually serve as a full sequel to Two Worlds. According to the press release, the game will feature a new game engine with "visuals that have to be seen to be believed" alongside "more intricate missions," better voice-overs and animation (oh thank God), improved horseback riding, and "completely revamped combat." The press release included a handful of screenshots that are definitely a step above the original, though we're waiting to see the game in motion before we make any judgments. It seems Reality Pump is aware of gamer's disappointment with the original, as chief developer Miroslaw Dymek notes, "We've taken to heart all the comments made by gamers about Two Worlds and we're going to give them what they want with the sequel." We'll find out if Two Worlds: The Temptation delivers when it releases this fall.

Two Worlds wasn't exactly the Oblivion killer it was hailed to be, but apparently that isn't stopping Reality Pump from pumping out an expansion (see what we did there?). The expansion, entitled The Temptation, brings the typical things you'd expect from an expansion. These things include new areas to explore, new monsters to slay, improved NPCs, and a few new skills, most notably active blocking. The expansion is set to hit both the PC and consoles in the first half of 2008. So far the price has not been announced. But then again, you weren't really paying attention anyway, were you?

[Via WorthPlaying]

SouthPeak Games has informed us that a demo of the open world RPG Two Worlds is now available on Xbox Live. Just to be sure, we checked, and sure enough it's up there. Two Worlds is pretty much the closest thing we've got to Diablo on Xbox Live (apart from Phantasy Star Universe and the upcoming Too Human anyway), so if you've got a hankering for the demon slaying and loot gathering of yore, give it a spin.

SouthPeak also lets us know that a title update for the retail version of Two Worlds is on the way, and will include several fixes and updates asked for by the community. Check out the list of changes after the break.