No gory gameplay or expletives not deleted here, so I can run this without an age gate. Here’s the short but excellent CG trailer for Digital Extremes’ upcoming FPS. As noted earlier, 2K has quite the lineup for genre fans from this one, to BioShock Infinite to Borderlands 2. It’s definitely going to be a busy year for genre fans, so hopefully all of these games will do well across each platform they appear on. The Darkness IIappears in stores on February 7, 2012 (US) and February 10, 2012 (everywhere else).
Yes, I’m still chipping away at the reformatting project (old posts never die, they just glare at you intimidatingly until you get around to fixing them up), so I may not post as many updates as I’d like to. I did however, post two trailers for The Darkness 2 over on the other blog if you don’t mind a little ultra-violence with your cup of whatever. Back in a bit…
I still own my Neo Geo Pocket Color, but I’d sold off all but one game I had for the handheld (Dark Arms, if you have to ask) due to the need for space in the library. Amusingly enough, I was talking to a friend last week who was asking me about the system because he was thinking about picking one up on eBay, but now, it looks as if he can do the retro thing in an even better way. The tentatively named “Neo Geo Pocket Device” is in the works at SNK Playmore and will come packed with twenty classic Neo Geo arcade games built in. As you can see, the slim style looks very slick indeed…
No official release date or price point has been announced nor has any word of the device being released outside Japan been made clear. However, thanks to Kotaku (and the Famicom-Plaza blog where these images are taken from), we do know what games are going to be on the device: World Heroes, Ultimate 11, Top Player’s Golf, Sengoku, NAM -1975, Mutation Nation, Last Resort, King of Monsters, Frenzy, Cyber-Lip, Fatal Fury Special, The Art of Fighting, Super Sidekicks, League Bowling, Metal Slug, Magician Lord, Baseball Stars Professional, Samurai Shodown, The King of Fighters ’94, and Fatal Fury.
That wonderful SD card slot on the side in the final photo means there’s the potential for other games to be downloaded from SNK’s site at some point. Given the current lineup of arcade games available over PSN as Arcade Classics minis, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of these show up as downloadable titles for the new portable. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. I’d say that SNK fans NEED to put their money where there mouths are and gently bug the company to sell the unit worldwide DIRECT through its website as opposed to dropping the thing into retail where it will get ignored by non-fans or those dopes who’ll complain the device isn’t also packing a phone, three cameras and touchscreen. Whatever happens with the upcoming unit, we’ll keep you posted…
If you’re going to be in the Anaheim, CA area this June, why not make plans to attend the second Anime/Music/Manga Convention? This year, the event takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center and Hotels from June 15 – 17th and looks to be packed with just about anything an anime fan could want from film screenings to J-Pop concerts, video gaming, special guests galore and much more!. Basic admission is FREE, but in order to gain access to the concerts and primo seating at special events during the convention, attendees can purchase one to three-day Passports at prices ranging from $25 – $55 per person. In addition, the Convention Center’s hotel is offering deals on room rates that won’t break the bank.
For more details, definitely check out the official site and start working on that cosplay outfit!
With video gaming inescapably in the mainstream even more these days, they’re finally being recognized for their artistic merit on a few key fronts. From March 16 to September 30, 2012, the Smithsonian American Art Museum will host The Art of Video Games which will be comprised of a large selection of game artwork and along with a number of playable games. In addition, a number of other game-related events such as as panel discussions, concerts featuring music from game soundtracks and more are in the works. In addition, the show plans to hit the road and head into other US cities after September (see that link above for more details). I do wish t was headed into NYC rather than Yonkers, though. Nothing against the town, mind you (it’s quite lovely up there, last time I checked), but the Big Apple NEEDS to see that killing off every single one of its video game arcades was a terrible idea…
A complete list of what’s in the exhibit can be found HERE. You can also sign up to get more info about the show or other Smithsonian event using that link above or by going HERE. Kids, now you can drag your parents in and get them hooked all in the name of education. Given some of the titles chosen, I can see a lot of folks coming away with a new found respect for the medium…
Personally, I’d have preferred to see this cool gear made available on the game discs (for those folks who can’t try out the demos thanks to no/slow broadband access), but I guess that crowd will have to suffer without the cool swag unless it pops up on a reprint down the road. Granted, none of the gear in this trailer is probably necessary to clear either game, but it all sure looks cool, doesn’t it? As for that demo, it’s really excellent. The game absolutely is NOT trying to be “realistic” in a Skyrim or Dark Souls manner where carry weight, proper blocking or balance when swinging a weapon comes into play. Hell, you’re running too fast for wearing armor, the colors pop in a more graphic novel/fantasy art manner and overall, the gameplay owes more to faster-paced action games more than classic RPG’s.
Still, these will be major selling points to those gamers who disliked the games mentioned for their pacing and general overkill in a few areas. As for me, I can make the distinction between many types of games, so I’m all in for Amalur as well as anything else that comes down the pike as long as it’s well done. EA, 38 Studios and Big Huge Games have a big, huge hit on their hands, so don’t pass it up when the game hits retail on February 7, 2012. I’ll need to flip a coin to decide which console version to pick up, but I’m leaning towards the PS3, as it’s the system that’s given me the least (as in NO) troubles over the long haul.
Still one of the most intense films I’ve seen, Henri-Georges Clouzot’s 1953 masterpiece will have you glued to the screen and peeling the fabric off whatever you’re sitting on as the movie puts its characters through sheer hell. Set somewhere in South America, the plot has four desperate men take on the challenge of driving two trucks packed with nitroglycerine through some hellish territory in order to help put out a massive oil well fire.
The film touches on a few political points in its (deservedly) negative portrayal of the American oil company that hires the drivers, some not so safe workplace practices and general employee exploitation. However, none of the major characters in the film are what you’d call “good” in terms of morality and motivation. They’re in it for the money and a way back to a better life they left that pushed them to this wretched corner of the globe. The film builds up so much tension that each perilous section of the long drive is practically the most terrifying as the danger increases thanks to all sorts of environmental and human created trouble. It’s practically guaranteed that you’ll forget to breathe at least three times during the more insane sections of the journey where the slightest mistake could send these men to their doom long before they reach their goal.
What works from start to finish are the oppressive atmosphere and fantastic performances by all the principals. Yves Montand and Charles Vanel absolutely steal the show as two of the drivers chosen to transport the volatile cargo to its destination. The deliberate pacing at the beginning is simply Clouzot slowly winding you up to a tight coiled spring that’s going to snap once things get rolling. There’s not a dull moment to be had here, although I’ll admit that Clouzot’s only error was the casting of his too-gorgeous wife, Vera as the local gal that falls for Montand’s character. Granted, she’s the best-looking person in the film, but she’s not portrayed all that well if you’re looking for a likable female character in a flick full of brutes. William Friedkin’s excellent (but not quite as spectacular) 1977 remake, Sorcerer, takes care of this with some more realistic casting for her part, but Clouzot’s cinematographer, Armand Thirard does some truly incredible work that’s still impressive in terms of lending a natural (and very deadly) feel to the environments.
There are some white-knuckle, nail-biting moments (if you can grip an armrest and bite your nails simultaneously, that is) that include a trip across a rotting wooden bridge, the truckers dealing with a huge boulder in their path and the sudden loss of part of their cargo and the aftermath. Oh yeah, that ending? It’s a total corker that may catch you off guard. OK, I’ll stop here as I don’t want to spoil anything more and heck, you need to go watch this as soon as you can. Don’t forget to grab a friend who hasn’t seen this and prepare for a wild ride you’ll want to recommend to as many people as possible. Back next week with another recommendation – watch this space (well, after you go watch the film)…
If ever a game earned its Mature rating, it has to be this one. Let’s just say that Digital Extremes has done a mighty fine job taking the reins from Starbreeze Studios for this upcoming sequel and they pull no punches when it comes to the game’s content. What works is the overall dark tone of the demo, the beautiful color palette (gory bits and swearing set on staccato aside, the game is quite striking to look at) and the bits of humor in the midst of all the violence. While the sequel will ship with a 4-player co-op mode, I’m all about the single player campaign and getting into the story. The demo has been out for a few days now and it comes highly recommended for those of you out there interested in the game, but on whatever fence folks who don’t run out and snap up quality games hang out on.
February 7, 2012 is the launch date and although I don’t expect any midnight launch parties or massive roll-outs for this shooter, it absolutely deserves a wiser audience than the first game got. Of course, between this game, BioShock Infinite and Borderlands 2, 2K Games has a great chunk of the FPS market sewn up very tightly, I’d say.
Namco Bandai’s newest installment in the long-running fighting game series finally lands in stores at the end of the month (January 31, to be exact). Here’s a look at the game’s story trailer, which as usual, is that high quality Namco CG awesomeness they’re well known for. Project Soul has injected a more action game dynamic to the fighting with faster (and more fluid) character animation for even the returning favorites which should shake things up considerably as slower fighters get a speed boost that some hardcore fans may not initially care for. Me, I’m easy as long as the game is good and is packed to the gills with content.
Capcom’s upcoming crazy mash-up fighting game extravaganza (coming to the PS3, PS Vita, Xbox 360 and PC sometime this year) and has my interest piqued for a few reasons such as the mixture of completely different fighting styles and the amazing visuals that blend outrageous stylization with fantastic animation both franchises are known for. The game also makes me think back to when I saw each series for the first time and how both Street Fighter and Tekken changed the fighting game landscape when they were introduced to the public. OK, OK, I actually played the original Street Fighterfirst, but we won’t talk about that here, right Capcom?
Anyway, a baker’s dozen screens below the jump – more to come…
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 