Remember Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath? It was the last Oddworld game to come out, and it was one of the most creative FPS/Action games to come out during last gen, dare I say ever. Well, that awesome Xbox exclusive is making a comeback in HD… on the Playstation 3 (with added Move support). Bwut?

That’s some irony right there. Though, I suppose since the press release didn’t specify it as an exclusive, there’s still a chance it could come to the 360 (unless they think the original version is good enough). Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD hits the Playstation Network Easter 2011.

Do you like Final Fantasy? Do you like MMORPGs? Do you like playing unfinished games with server crashes, game breaking bugs, and glitchy animation? If you answered yes to any of these, then do I have some good news for you. Square Enix annunced today that there will be an open beta for Final Fantasy XIV starting August 31 at 19:00PDT in North America, according to RPG Site.

No details yet on how many players will be allowed access to the beta and ravage Square Enix’s virgin servers like invading barbarians, but don’t expect everything to go down slowly. MMOs are notorious for thier technical problems at lauch, but hopefully having this beta will help Square Enix better smooth out the rough edges for the game’s actual release on PC, September 30th, with a collectors edition being released seven days earlier on the 22nd, and the PS3 version being released six months later.

So, anyone out there planning on giving this a try?

Honestly, the last game I would expect to get complaints that could cripple sales would be Gran Turismo 5, and yet here we are. Italian city, Siena, is asking for their city track to be removed. Why? Because apparently its a problem that the Piazza del Campo is a being presented as a kart mode track.

“You can not use images of Contrade, in this case the flags without authorization,” Anna Carli, CEO of the Consortium for the Protection of Palio di Siena, told Corriere Fiorentino. “Given the relevance of the game with no history and references to our party, in particular with the use of images of flags of the contrade, we would not otherwise authorize the use.”

Basically, Siena is made up of several districts, each with its own flag. These flags are all on display on the track without permission. This caused the “Consortium for the Protection of the Palio” to demand that these offensive portions be removed, which Sony complied with. Which was probably a good idea since I think that’s what Doctor Who worked for at one point, and nobody wants the Doctor up in their business…

With Rock Band 3 on the way, an obvious question that should be on everyone’s mind is “So will I get to use my awesome realistic guitar on Ron Wasserman’s Rock Band Network songs?” Well, there’s some good news and some bad news… the good news is that Rock Band 3’s  pro drums, keyboard, pro keyboard, and vocal harmonies will be an optional addition to Rock Band Network songs. The bad news is that pro guitars won’t. At least not for a while. The reasoning is that because creating pro guitar levels is both a timely process for both the creator and the peer reviewers, it would hold up the production of a ton of RBN songs. So for now, because pro guitars are too complicated to make songs for, Harmonix is putting that option on an indefinite hold. However, they say that they’ll revisit the decision in about a year, so there may still be hope for it yet.

Five new screenshots for Portal 2 have made their way onto the internet, courtesy of Valve and Gamescom. The screenshots seem to show new areas, blue slime, and malevolent machine overlord, GLaDOS repairing the former Aperture Science Center. Oh,and I should probably note that the areas shown here are from the all new co-op mode , not the single player mode.

Sega decided to finally tell us the changes they made to Sonic the Hedgehog 4, causing its delay. Apparently Sega is actually listening to the fan feedback with this game and decided to completely redo Act II of the Lost Labyrinth Zone. This level originally was a poorly designed minecart ride (and before you ask, no, it didn’t play anything like a Donkey Kong Country minecart level). Now, the minecart portion is only a small part of the level and doesn’t use the screen-flipping mechanic. Meanwhile, the rest of the level has become an exploration mission in the dark where Sonic must use a torch to light his path.

Other smaller tweaks include blurring Sonic feet more quickly when he begins to run (which is good since his running really did look weird before) and more balancing of the gameplay to keep things challenging. I’ve got to say, I’m very surprised by Sega’s decision to listen to fan input for the game. I realize this is a game for the fans, but the fact that Sega is listening is just something I’m still getting used to. Maybe Sonic 4 won’t suck?

Recently leaked in the new Famitsu, Atlus’ Persona 3/4 team is currently hard at work at a new PS3 RPG entitled Catherine. If you love some Japanese craziness and J-rap, then you’re probably already sold on the game based on the trailer.

Hit the jump for my special screenshot picture-book explanation for the sexy/scary RPG’s story thusfar.

Well this was pretty obvious for the longest time. Makes me wonder why they took so long to officially announce them, really; but either way, here they are. Dr. Strange villain Dormammu and Viewtiful Joe finally join the Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. Worth mentioning is the fact that Sylvia shows up for one of Joe’s supers which in itself is rather awesome. Also, in the screenshots after the jump, you can see Tron Bonne and her brother Teisel in the background. Does this mean they’re not in the game? Probably not.

Hit the jump for juicy MvC3 action.

With Gamescom underway, Sony decided it was a good time to bust out a new Ratchet & Clank game called All 4 One. As the title hints at, the game will be a 4-player co-0p experience with drop-in/drop-out cooperative play and won’t be out until next Fall. Kinda ironic seeing as I just made a column about co-op in games today…

So far, the only confirmed playable characters for the game are [obviously] Ratchet and Clank as well as Captain Qwark and Dr. Nefarious, but there may be other choices soon to be revealed. Co-op will definitely play a key in this game as there will be things like co-op weapons (one featuring a cannon with four barrels) that players must utilize together, and based on Insomniac’s track record, the co-op stuff will be awesome. Expect more details at the Insomniac panel at PAX in September if not sooner.