Dear Esther: Mystery No More (And Let The Waiting Begin)…

Posted on December 13, 2011 by geelw

Sometimes, you see a game that makes you smile and nod knowingly, not for anything amusing, mind you, but because it’s a solid case where a developer gets things down perfectly and the project is coming together like a dream. Dear Esther is one of those games and with its February 14, 2012 release date coming up, here’s a quick look at two work in-progress trailers that show off quietly spectacular detailed visuals powered by Valve’s “ancient” Source Engine (which goes to show it’s not the years, it’s the mileage a great developer gets out of it). It’s hard to believe that this game started life as a Half-Life 2 mod back in 2008 before a major reworking, but that’s the wonder of inspiration for you, folks… Continue reading →

Gallery: PSP Library

Posted on December 12, 2011 by geelw

Well, it’s not much of a library NOW, but it was about twice a big until about two or three years back when I started selling off a chunk of it. Still, with the Vita on the way, I’m probably going to be looking for inexpensive complete games to add to the stack at some point down the road. I actually REALLY want more demos from all over, but I’m too darn lazy and busy to track any more down than what I have. Oh well… one day when I have the time (and definitely, the money) to burn. And, oops… that last pic is what happens when you put stuff away THEN find a few things you left out because they were on another shelf…

Hey, Sony! Here’s How To Make Vita Memory Cards Less Of a Knife In The Wallet…

Posted on December 12, 2011 by geelw

With the announcement of prices for the PS Vita’s proprietary memory cards getting a lot of gamers up in arms (despite Sony recently stating that they’re not set in stone), I figure I may as well add my two cents here in order to help smooth things out a bit. There’s a simple solution Sony can use to quell some of that anger and get a few consumers to snap up multiple cards in the process. If the cards haven’t been produced yet, Sony can (and should) add a few free PSPminis to them as bonus content at retail or for those who have PSN accounts, add a voucher redeemable for their choice of minis as DLC when they register their card online. As we’re in the age where people want something extra when they spend what they feel is a lot of money on something they feel is overpriced, I’d say a bit of a reward for their loyalty (even though there’s not a cheaper third party solution in sight) will go a long way. Continue reading →

Hitman: Absolution VGA 2011 Trailer: IO Interactive Gets (Even More) Real…

Posted on December 12, 2011 by geelw

After the amazing gameplay trailer I saw at New York Comic Con (about 17 minutes of sheer excellence), I was hoping developer IO Interactive would show off more of its upcoming Hitman: Absolution before the year ended. Well, here you go. Agent 47 is most definitely back and better than ever. Anyone that says as a publisher, Square Enix is ONLY good for Final Fantasy games needs their eyeballs wiped but good. Preferably by a bald assassin with a bar code on the back of his head and especially after Deus Ex: Human Revolution, (still one of the best games released this year) showed that great games come from all around the world…

DmC “Escape” Gameplay Trailer Shakes Things Up A Bit

Posted on December 12, 2011 by geelw

Excellent in-progress footage from the upcoming Devil May Cry prequel shows off Ninja Theory’s skills quite well, I’d say. Amusingly enough, the first thing I thought of when watching this footage was that old Police song “When The World Is Running Down, You Make The Best Of What’s Still Around”. Of all the franchise reboots coming next year and onward, this one’s in my short list as one to definitely watch out for. I want to see their take on Dante’s younger days not only in terms of action sequences like this, but also for how they’ll tell the tale. Anyone who’s played and enjoyed any of Ninja Theory’s other games KNOWS they’re amazing storytellers who know their way around dialog and acting when it comes to the memorable characters they’ve created.

Tiny & Big Moves Up The Ranks!

Posted on December 12, 2011 by geelw

Well, alrighty then! Thanks to lots of support, the guys at Black Pants Game Studios are doing a happy dance as they’ve entered indie DB’s Top 100. You can still (and should still) vote for them in the second phase of voting just because they’re making a fun game (not because I say so, although it would make me feel better if someone actually listened to me for a change). Take a peek at the video above, go vote if you’re so inclined and help Tiny & Big become a bigger hit as it nears completion.

Er, you HAVE tried out the demo, haven’t you? If not, go get it! It’s a ton of fun and you get to laugh a lot as well!

Review: Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

Posted on December 11, 2011 by geelw

Platform: Xbox 360 (also on PlayStation 3)

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

# of Players 1 – 2 (Online 2 – Eight)

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: A-

Featuring a dozen new characters, eight new stages and a number of excellent balancing fixes, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 makes one of the year’s best fighters even better. Capcom’s creatively insane development team has pulled out all the stops here and yes, this one’s a must-buy even if you’ve already sunk time into mastering the original. Although this super-enhanced update is as good as it gets, the exclusion of he original’s DLC characters is a tiny bit of a cheap move that may disappoint some hardcore players. That and a few other missing features that would have made this deal even better keep the game from a perfect score. However, warts aside, there’s more than enough here for fighting fanatics of any skill level to get their thrills in offline or online play. Continue reading →

The Last of Us VGA Trailer: Survival. Instinct.

Posted on December 11, 2011 by geelw

Naughty Dog’s been busy it seems (and what else is new?) and I, for one an actually really pleased that they’re not doing a Jak & Daxter reboot or showing off Uncharted 4 (just yet). Instead, the developer has moved into a more survival horror vibe with its latest PS3 exclusive. The Last of Us is looking pretty intriguing based on this brief peek and given the developer’s pedigree, it’ll be a sure-fire hit when it’s released. Radar has been activated, now I just need to wait for SCEA to shoot an invite over so I can see this up close and personal…

Holiday Wishes (Mine, That Is. Or: Selfish, Aren’t I?)…

Posted on December 11, 2011 by geelw

Hey Santa, you bum! Where the hell are those shelves I asked so nicely for about what, five years ago? You keep eating all the cookies and drinking the booze-spiked eggnog I leave out and I always get socks and underwear that don’t fit. Anyway, the jig is up, fat man. Make good with the wood or I’m putting a little surprise in YOUR stocking! That is all… Now, go get those elves sawing away. Good U.S. of A. wood, too, not some splinter-packed plywood or that laminated particle board crap that wouldn’t make a decent diner table, either.

Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock Coming to PS3/PS Vita

Posted on December 10, 2011 by geelw

According to a posting on the PlayStation Blog by Simon Harris, Executive Producer for BBC Worldwide, Supermassive Games is working on a new Doctor Who game for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita. No info was released as to what genre the game will be, although in the past two years, there have been two previous games featuring The Doctor made for the Nintendo Wii and DS that weren’t received too well. This new game looks to turn the tide as it’s being developed by a different studio and while no gameplay info or footage has been revealed, I’d imagine it’s going to be a mix of adventure and puzzle elements while being light on the action (given the good Doctor’s penchant for non-violent actions). We’ll keep an eyeball peeled for screens and updates as they become available. Fingers crossed that this one’s solid, as I’d actually love to see Torchwood get the video game treatment at some point on a console. Oh yeah… let’s HOPE this one comes out in an actual retail package, as too many digital-only games just get buried after a short time on PSN even with decent review scores.