Xbox 360 Fanboy

We have to admit, this week retailers didn't feel the need to entice gamers into their stores, because their video game deals are lacking. Lackluster, dull and non existent to be precise. But we did come across one noteworthy deal over at Circuit City where, this week only, they have the best deal on upcoming release Viking: Battle For Asgard. From now through Saturday, Circuit City is giving out a free $10 gift card to anyone who makes a Viking purchase. It isn't a blockbuster game or a blockbuster deal, but for those of you who were already in the market for Viking then a free $10 gift card is worth mentioning.

Well kids, this is it. The first "next-gen" game evar is finally on its way to retail shelves. That's right, Dark Sector, the one time space stealth action game turned Eastern Europe stealth action game, will soon see the light of day. Is it any good? We'll have to wait and see. But wait! There's more! Not only are we getting Dark Sector this week, but also Universe at War: Earth Assault and Viking: Battle for Asgard. Viking is a hack and slash action game in the vein of God of War, while Universe at War: Earth Assault is a new entry in the RTS genre. Readers may recall that Universe at War is somewhat unique as it offers cross platform play between the PC and Xbox 360. Given the 360's lack of mouse and keyboard support -- and the fact that the PC version has been out for months -- we're anxious to see if console players will even stand a chance.

[Via Joystiq]

Those of you fellow achievement fiends will be happy to know that the full achievement list for the upcoming action slasher, Viking: Battle for Asgard, has made its way online.

All the standard unlocks are available to pad your gamerscore, like finishing the game on any of the three difficulty settings (they'd better stack, else there be hell to pay!) and defeating up to 500 specific enemy classes. One of the cooler achievements has to be, "Hero Of Midgard: Lead your army to victory at the final battle for all Midgard," which we're stoked about since we didn't realize Viking crossed over with Final Fantasy VII!

Oh, no wait that's Midgar. Never mind.

As journalists, this is exactly the sort of thing we're supposed to avoid, yet try as we might, we can't help but be inordinately excited for Viking: Battle for Asgard. It's like someone took the narrative style of 300, infused it with the tale of Beowulf, and then tossed in the epic battles of The Lord of the Rings. How can anyone not dig that? It doesn't hurt that the actual gameplay looks rock solid too. Granted, we won't know if it actually feels solid until we can lay our hands on a controller, but so far all the right pieces seem to be there. We say all of this to inform you that a new trailer has been released and also that the official website is now open for business. The website offers the usual melange of character and game information, all wrapped up in a pretty slick package. Check it out if you're so inclined, and don't forget to peruse our own image gallery below. Finally, find the new trailer after the break.

Fanboys, it seems an apology is in order. You see, two trailers for Viking: Battle for Asgard were released late last year, a fact that escaped our notice. Why the apology you ask? Simple really, because the game looks hot to death, son. Graphically, the game looks very impressive, with hundreds of soldiers on screen at any given time. Throw in some nice fighting animations complete with very detailed and bloody dismemberment and you've got a decent looking game. Oh, and let's not forget the giant beasts of war. It's like someone squashed God of War and Lord of the Rings together and then covered there creation with manly viking paint. Both trailers have been embedded after the break. Watch them if you want, but you should know that the first trailer is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. As you might expect, it looks even better on your TV. We've also added a new Viking image gallery for your enjoyment. Now, if you'll excuse us, we could really go for some mead right now.

Eurogamer has revealed the European release dates for the first quarter releases from Sega. Most notable to us, of course, are the 360 games on the list. Probably the biggest title on the list is Condemned 2: Bloodshot, the sequel to one of the 360's better launch titles, which releases March 14 across the pond. The other titles on the list are as follows:

• The Club - February 8
• Universe at War - March 7
• Viking: Battle for Asgard - March 28
• SEGA Superstars Tennis - March 28

Naturally, we can expect that these titles should hit North America at approximately the same time. Anyone out there looking forward to any of these titles?

Sega has announced plans to bring Viking: Battle for Asgard from Creative Assembly (Spartan: Total Warrior) to the Xbox 360 and PS3. The game centers around the exploits of Skarin, a warrior chosen by the gods to defend the mortal realm from a rampaging goddess. The goddess, you see, is a little miffed that Odin kicked her out of Asgard, the home of the gods in Norse mythology. As such, she has seen fit to raise an army of undead vikings and let them do what they do best: wreak havoc. It's Skarin's job to put a stop to all this of course, and he will command soldiers and mythical beasts in order to do so. Naturally, he's not shy about busting heads himself either. Sounds like good times to us. Viking will be making an appearance in Leipzig later this week, so expect impressions to start hitting the net soon. In the meantime, hit the "read" link for more info and head over to Xboxygen for the first screens of Viking.

Pirates, ninjas, and vikings? What did we ever do to deserve all this?