Experience The Magic And Mystery Of Ancient Egypt With An Exciting New Adventure Game For The PC

2nd March 2007

XIDER, a new games label and part of bhv Software in Germany, a leading publisher of entertainment software, has launched the exciting sequel to its 2005 hit PC game Ankh. 'Ankh: Heart of Osiris' transports the player back into Ancient Egypt to explore the sensual bazaars, subterranean temple and dark alleys of Cairo as the young adventurer and reluctant daredevil Assil. The new game will be available from 27th April'07 priced £19.99.

Having rid himself of the death curse and saved the Ankh from the hands of Osiris, the wicked God of the Underworld, Assil has now woken up in the dingy back streets of Cairo with a blinding hangover only to discover the Ankh is missing! With no time to lose, Assil must recover the Ankh and ensure that it doesn't fall into the hands of Osiris; to do so would be a catastrophe enabling him to launch his own fiendish plan.

Ankh: Heart of Osiris takes the game play, characters and locations to new levels. The environments are richer and more detailed, allowing for more in-depth exploration and a vivid in-game experience. Superior voice acting, cinematic full motion sequences plus sophisticated graphics with dynamic light, shadow and glow effects provide additional dimensions to the game.

Fans of the original game will be delighted by the return of the main character Assil, in an exciting new and zany story that will amuse and engage at every turn. Like its predecessor, Heart of Osiris is very easy to play with only a mouse. Now players are able to play as Assil, Thara and the Pharoah and each of these three characters has a more defined personality with cool, character-specific tasks.

XIDER has responded to the feedback of loyal players and ensured that many of the favourite features have been included and developed further to enhance the experience. The game enables players to get more involved with the main characters and immerse themselves into the mysterious Egyptian world. The Ankh trademark sense of black humour also continues to shine at every click of the mouse.

Helmut Schmitz, Managing Director at bhv Software says, "Ankh was such a success that we felt it was important to keep as close as possible to the original format. This has been achieved but greatly enhanced with new storylines, locations and characters. Fans of Ankh and new PC gamers won't be disappointed by the feature-rich and lively adventures on offer in Ankh: Heart of Osiris."

For the most part the functions remain the same as in the first version with a few changes and additions. A 'hands-on' codewheel has also been incorporated into the game and is included in the box. This helps to solve a cocktail puzzle inside the game that will unlock the title for the player. It's a clever and entertaining twist that serves not only as a copy protection device, but it is also a great collector's item.

Ankh: Heart of Osiris is available at £19.99 from all good retail outlets from 27th April 2007.

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Notes to Editor:

Ankh, the classic original humorous adventure game that introduced Assil, the gorgeous Thara and the villainous Osiris, launched in 2005.

About XIDER

XIDER is a division of bhv Software GmbH & Co.KG, one of the leading independent software publishers in Germany, successfully publishing innovative products for PCs for more than 20 years with a range of products covering digital media, education, tools and games.

In recent years bhv Software has become the unquestioned market leader in educational software in Germany. In 2003 bhv Software started to sell its product outside Germany and is now becoming successfully established in UK, France, Spain and other European countries as well as North America. www.bhv-software.com

Throughout 2007, XIDER is launching a number of role-play, adventure, racing, sporting and combat games targeting all age groups. The games are available on PC or Nintendo DS platforms. More information about the original Ankh and Ankh: The Heart of Osiris is available at www.ankh-game.com

www.XIDER-GAMES.com

For product images, review samples and more information please contact:

Matt King / Georgina Wright

Media Safari

+44 (0) 1225 731 388

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mattk@mediasafari.co.uk