Based off of our explorations of the Croft manor in previous Tomb Raider installments, we can say with absolute certainty that Lara Croft has a pretty sweet pad. Or, rather, had a sweet pad -- in the latest E3 trailer for Eidos and Crystal Dynamics' Tomb Raider: Underworld, the titular adventurer, now sans hot pants, apparently lays waste to her extravagant dwelling.

The two-minute, gameplay-less trailer is visually impressive, though our minds are racing with questions surrounding the top-heavy historian's act of residential sabotage. Is she trying to collect on her homeowner's insurance? Is she attempting to quash a rather formidable termite infestation? Perhaps she's trying to earn a visit from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? We'll be finding out when Underworld explodes onto store shelves November 18.

We all know that the talent of a musical performer is less important than the instrument through which they channel their rocking energies -- that's why we were pleased as punch to get a look at Mad Catz's impressive line of Rock Band 2 peripherals during E3. Sure, $200 might sound outrageous for a controller, but after viewing their full-sized (and realistically weighted) wireless Stratocaster and Precision Bass guitars, complete with foot pedals for easier "overdrive" activation, the list of things we would rather drop two Benjamins on quickly evaporated.

The heavyweight axes will be available Q1 2009, but Engadget got a sneak peek at some of Catz's less publicized periphs, due out this fall. These include M.I.C. ($30), a microphone with built-in buttons from a standard Xbox 360 controller, Portable Drums ($60), which include four flat pads that can be used on any surface, the "Official Cymbals" ($30 for 3 or $15 each), which will plug into three slots on the kit's center console, and the Kick Drum Screen -- though we're not exactly comfortable calling a circular piece of cardboard you apply to the front of your faux drum kit a "peripheral".

Here's an amusing anecdote -- while all my fellow co-workers will be soaking up the sun and the overwhelming PR spin at E3 2008 during the next few days, I'll be the only 'Stiqer not in attendance. It's nobody's fault but my own, really -- due to an incident last year involving me, Jamie Kennedy, a claw hammer, and a stern threat to murder Jamie Kennedy with a claw hammer should he ever release a sequel to Son of the Mask (which I may have issued directly to Kennedy immediately following last year's Activision press conference), I'm no longer allowed to cross the state lines of California. (Side note: Has there been a Son of the Mask 2? No, there hasn't. You're welcome, America.)

Don't weep for me, empathetic reader. My compatriots don't realize that while they'll be trolling for news in Santa Monica, I'll be attending a much more prestigious and exclusive convention -- so exclusive, in fact, that I'd wager you've never even heard of it. Yes, I'll be the only Joystiq blogger lucky enough to attend the Extreme Electronic Entertainment Expo (E4) -- in fact, I'll be the only member of the gaming media in attendance, as it is held in my apartment, and I was in charge of invitations.

Actually, I may be the only person in attendance, as the only other two invitees (Darnell, the club-footed maintenance guy for my apartment building, and this cute cashier that works at a nearby Taco Bell) have yet to RSVP. C'est la vie -- the three day schedule I've written up (which I've included after the break to show the rest of the crew exactly what they're missing out on) will be carried out, come hell or high water, or, you know, loneliness.

- PSP: 56,439 2,422 (4.11%)
- DS Lite: 47,455 1,429 (2.92%)
- Wii: 44,525 3,955 (8.16%)
- PS3: 14,359 3,614 (20.11%)
- PS2: 11,768 4,095 (53.37%)
- Xbox 360: 4,776 328 (6.43%)

[Source: Media Create]

See: The uninvited archives

While it's difficult to make out the guttural baritone voice of the above trailer's narrator, we're pretty sure that this is an E3 teaser for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II. Those already invested in the series will be glad to know that the svelte Eldar will be making an appearance in the the RTS franchise's latest installment, and that they will apparently wield neat glowing swords. At least, we think they're swords. For all we know, the Eldar might just be on their way to a futuristic fantasy-themed rave -- after all, they are well-known among their contemporaries for being the galaxy's official party race.

Relatively young game developer Meteor Games, founded by the minds behind the kid-friendly Flash game portal Neopets, recently unveiled their latest project -- a rather ambitious 3D MMO titled Twin Skies. Following the style of their claim to fame, the title will place you in the shoes of an adventurer who uses pets to do his or her pugilistic grunt work, though with various races and classes mentioned on their FAQs page, we imagine your character can hold their own in a ruckus.

Arguably the coolest thing about the title is the integration of various web-based minigames set apart from the actual title. For instance, winning one minigame might unlock a monster for you to use in Twin Skies, while another might reward you with valuable lewts upon your next login. While subscription fees haven't been decided upon, the game will be free to download direct from the Twin Skies site. We'll definitely be looking forward to this title's first appearance at PAX, if only to see if "my Twin Skies pets, let me show you them" really has the same ring to it.

Bioware recently released not one, not seven, but two trailers for their recently re-monikered RPG, Dragon Age: Origins. They're nearly identical -- the video you see above shows off the undeniable strength of canine artillery; the trailer posted after the break shows one poor soldier taking a crash course in Monster Oral Hygiene 101. While it does remind us of a certain rain-soaked siege from a certain moderately successful book and film series, Bioware looks to know their own way around an intense, large-scale battle. Hopefully we'll get to see some gameplay during this week's big event, a large-scale siege in its own right.

Heads-up displays? Pre-rendered cut scenes? Those are so 2004. Realistic visual indicators of your character's status and interactive cut scenes are all the rage in the salons, and most trendy developers have included one of these features into their recent blockbuster titles. Lionhead Studios, however, have elected to include both in their upcoming canine-friendly adventure, Fable 2. They're like the Isaac Mizrahi of video game development.

This report comes from OXM, who recently got a chance to play a content-complete version of the much-anticipated title. According to them, Lionhead has eschewed the inclusion of the standard action-RPG health and mana/magic/energy bars in favor of a screen uncluttered. They also claim that "non-interactive cinematics take up less than five minutes" of Fable 2, making us wonder if Peter Molyneux is actually the Bizarro World version of Hideo Kojima.

We understand that trailers for puzzle games, even ones with strong RPG elements, aren't exactly titillating. With very few explosions, no dialogue, and the repetitive swapping of multi-hued bricks, the odds are somewhat against them. If you never played the first Puzzle Quest, the above trailer will probably look as bland as eating toast at a Kenny G concert -- however, those who have gemswapped their way through the Challenge of the Warlords understand the fancy-tickling capacity of this debut Puzzle Quest: Galactrix trailer. With looks at the new hex-based gameplay, the massive galaxy the game takes place in, and the new visual aesthetic, this one video should be enough to cause visions of hexagons to dance in your head until the game's Q1 '09 release.

A bit of clarification recently surfaced regarding the closure of Hellgate: London and Mythos developer Flagship Studios -- though we'd heard from an unnamed source that Flagship would be shutting its doors and letting go of "nearly everyone" on the payroll, Flagship community manager Taylor Balbi recently explained that the entire staff has been fired with a 30-day pension, paid for out of the pockets of the studio's higher-ups.

The studio's intellectual property has been turned over to two companies who had invested in Flagship throughout its short lifespan, with Mythos going to Korean gaming developer HanbitSoft, and Hellgate: London going to Comerica, a financial services company based out of Dallas. It's expected these two companies will work together to continue Asian development for these two titles -- though it's unclear whether the uber-charming Mythos will ever hit North American shores.

Wipe away those tears, sunken-eyed PC loyalists. We know you're upset that Firaxis appears to have turned their back on you in favor of the somewhat fairer console waters, but perhaps the latest edition of Big Versus on Joystiq's youngest sibling, Big Download, will mend your tattered hearts. The console-exclusive Civilization Revolution is measured against the PC-exclusive Civilization IV in this installment -- are PC gamers being robbed of an important chapter in the seminal turn-based strategy franchise, or are they dodging a dumbed-down, oversimplified bullet? You've got to read to find out -- but knowing you brainy PC types, that shouldn't be a problem.

Electronic Arts knows the secret to grabbing attention in the maelstrom of media released in the days leading up to E3 -- get a big shot director of actual motion pictures to compose a trailer for your title using in-game footage. Splatter film enthusiasts may recognize the big shot in question: James Wan, the twisted mind behind the love-them-or-hate-them Saw films. Wan is credited on GameTrailers as the creator of the newest Dead Space trailer (conveniently placed after the jump), though puzzlingly, his name is left out of the actual video.

Wan's trailer is just as unsettling as his films, and is probably the best piece of media we've seen from EA's space-themed screamer -- though the release date of October 21 revealed at the trailer's conclusion, is a bit earlier (and somewhat less appropriate) than the Halloween launch announced in February. Either way, we can't wait for next week's chance to get our dismembered hands on Dead Space once again.

Those who saw that headline and hoped for a pre-E3 (forgive the pun) bombshell will likely be disappointed by the above teaser trailer for Bethesda's take on the classic post-apocalyptic RPG franchise, Fallout -- a thirty second sneak peek at Fallout 3's scenic wasteland and bleak tone waits behind that play button, and not much else. However, upon careful inspection, one can glean a valuable life lesson from the above teaser -- should your residence ever be threatened by an atomic attack, your best chance for survival (other than climbing into the nearest lead-lined refrigerator, of course) involves surrounding yourself with monochromatic television sets. Indestructible and entertaining, your impromptu TV fort will be the most popular bomb shelter in town!

In the latest episode of GameTrailers TV, baby-faced Geoff Keighley got a chance to have a pow-wow with Gears of War 2's designer and poster boy, Cliff Bleszinski, who revealed some of the game's heretofore unannounced additions. Chief among said additions are a new multiplayer map titled "Day-One", which features a sizable emergence hole and its massive, treacherous occupant, and the inclusion of AI bots in the game's multiplayer modes, as featured in another of Epic's staple franchises, Unreal Tournament.

Other big reveals during the episode include the revivification of a map from the original Gears' "Hidden Fronts" DLC pack titled "Subway", the addition of player-controlled tanks, and a limited edition red, Gears of War 2-themed Xbox 360 to be released around the title's launch. With the veritable cornucopia of information already unleashed about Microsoft's holiday blockbuster, we're beginning to wonder if they've got any frags up their sleeves for next week's showcase.

The second savory dish on the pre-E3 smorgasbord: the gameplay debut trailer for Rock Band 2. Unfortunately, this premiere video doesn't do a great job of highlighting the new features that were explained at last month's cleverly-named EA3 event, such as the online world tour and drum training modes. What it does show us is a few of the game's trippy new cutaway visuals, and that we're going to need to get some extra arms surgically attached to our torsos if we hope to play the drumming portion of "Everlong" on expert. Hopefully, we can undergo this risky Gorofication procedure before Rock Band 2's September launch on the 360.

The weekend before E3 is a magical time for video game trailer connoisseurs -- many game developers, in an attempt to get a head start on the hype frenzy, will release new media for their blockbuster titles in order to pique the interest of E3 attendees. Not exactly the wisest move, as most of these West Coast-bound bloggers will be spending most of their weekend deciding if it would be a fashion faux pas to bring a fanny pack to the convention, in order to house their digital cameras, iPhones, audio recorders, handheld gaming devices, and their precious energy drinks.

With our staunch anti-fanny pack mentality already set in stone, we're able to skip said deliberation and show you these trailers -- the first of which being the gameplay debut for Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. While our mind still boggles at the logistics of how Superman can even feel our measly human punches, the game looks gorgeous, and the mid-air combat between arena tiers looks badass. Hopefully, Midway's E3 booth will give us a chance to get our hands on MK vs. DC, and, as a result, murder some of our favorite childhood heroes.