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Gamescom 2011: Two Worlds 2: Pirates of the Flying Fortress Impressions

Two Worlds 2 is getting pulled off the shelves to make way for a new version that also includes this add-on. We got to see it at this year's Gamescom.

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Two Worlds 2 was a big success for publisher Topware, improving on its predecessor in terms of critical reception. The first expansion is nearly here--at the end of September, Topware will release Pirates of the Flying Fortress online across the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. At the same time, it will take all existing copies of the game out of retail and replace them with a new version that bundles POTFF as well.

The expansion is big, and according to Topware, it's taking Two Worlds 2 veterans 14 to 16 hours to complete, on average. While development of Two Worlds 2 was spread between making the game and taking care of the engine, the expansion has been all about the game. That means that the development team has been able to invest much more time on the artistic side, adding weather such as rain and fog and then patching these improvements back into the original game.

The team has also added in more polish, introducing cutscenes to help tell the story. Topware also looked at feedback, and fans of the original felt that boss fights merely felt like the same encounters they had with smaller enemies, but made bigger. They're addressing this with more strategic battles, such as the one we saw against a golem whom you need to slow down by first exposing his armour.

The development team also felt that the original game was a little straight-laced, so it's attempting to add more humour to the expansion. In one scene, you visit an undead bar featuring zombies, mummies, and skeletons. You need a proof-of-death certificate to get in, but once you enter and start to help them, they befriend you until you eventually get let behind the scenes and into the undead dance club.

Pirates of the Flying Fortress will be released in the US, the UK, and the rest of Europe at the end of September.

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