Dragon’s Dogma Demo Due, Dig?

Posted on April 17, 2012 by geelw

April 24 here in the US, according to Capcom’s PR department. April 25 in Europe. Now, you can finally get your hands on this hard as nails action/RPG and see what’s what with all those big monsters attempting to eat you alive or poke you full of holes and whatever. As I see from the press release, it’s a two-part demo, so I’ll stick my neck out here and assume it’s the one with that Griffin boss battle which is awesomely hard as hell thanks to a confined space and a boss that’s cheap as all get out. If indeed it IS the same demo, a tip for you: pay attention to his attacks and make sure you deal as much damage as possible in a short time, as dragging the fight out too long is a bad idea. Or it WAS a bad idea for me when I tried the game last year at NY Comic Con…

Sometimes, Overthinking Isn’t Good For Gaming. On The Other Hand…

Posted on April 16, 2012 by geelw

Hmmm….

So, Xenoblade Chronicles’ main character can see into the future AND the game allows players to advance or dial back the game clock at will (well, outside of combat) in order to make some quest solving easier and battle different monsters at different times of the day.

That’s fantastic, but there’s a problem here. Somehow, Monolith Soft didn’t blend these two points together so that the time winding actually affected the story at all (even though it should). This bugs me quite a bit, as the game is indeed excellent. However, by not using the time element in a better fashion, it just makes for a clumsy gimmick that’s only used to save time in finding wandering NPC’s or monsters. Oops.

Slow Day? Not Really.

Posted on April 16, 2012 by geelw

Yeah, yeah – I’m behind in posting, but I’ve been running about tackling a few projects, seeing some great games (put Bethesda’s amazing Dishonored on your radar NOW. Arkane Studios is going to surprise the hell out of a lot of people is all I’ll say).

It’s ALSO hot as hell outside and it’s only April. Methinks summer will be a total roaster, but the folks who think climate change is a hoax are still going along with their own versions of things. Let them burn up first, I say. I’m staying inside with a bucket of ice, a lot of water and too many games…

Steel Battalion Captivate 2012 Footage: Time To Get Kinected, I Suppose.

Posted on April 16, 2012 by geelw

Hmmm. Not only does it look as if I’ll be hopping on the Kinect bandwagon for this game (OK, and the new Fable and maybe some other stuff that doesn’t involve dancing around in front of the TV), I’ll also have to do a Game Appreciation 101 class on artistic stylization choices made by game developers, as way too many people don’t “get” that the game is SUPPOSED to look a bit rustic and aged and not all Unreal-y and shiny up the wazoo. It’s amazing to me that those who don’t get this, but hey… I guess here to educate and it’s a long, hard process for sure. Don’t worry, Capcom and From – I got your back.

Hitman Absolution Pre-Order Bonuses: Agent 47 Hides Guns Everywhere, It Seems…

Posted on April 15, 2012 by geelw

I’m not a huge fan of the way game bonus content gets diced up into selected bits and turned into multiple retailer exclusives (and I just KNOW a lot of fellow gamers as well as more than a few developers hate this as well), but this is something you just can’t get away from these days with many AAA releases.

Still, IO Interactive and Square Enix made me laugh with these pre-order weapons from the upcoming Hitman: Absolution. That thick Professional Edition in the top photo is tempting enough, but Amazon (well, one of their many crate-filled warehouses), Best Buy, GameStop and Walmart are all looking like places Agent 47 can pop into when he needs a new gun. Which means that clerks and shelf-stockers at these places had better watch their backs, as they might get KO’d and dragged into a closet when a certain bald guy in a black suit steps into their workplace…

Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir Trailer: Ghosts-A-Poppin’ From Your 3DS!

Posted on April 14, 2012 by geelw

Now that they own the Zero (Fatal Frame) series, Nintendo finally gets a new first-party fright-fest back onto one of their consoles. As fun and freaky as this looks, in a perfect world, I’d also want to see the Fatal Frame title(s) we missed on the Wii get fixed up and released at some point. Fat chance on that, it looks like, especially with the Wii U headed out the door later this year. Ah well, I guess I can always play Eternal Darkness for what, the 19th time, right? I think I’ve seen everything it had to offer and then some, but it’s still a fun slice of scare in a few spots. Anyway, this one looks pretty good (Teen rating aside), so it’s on my want list.

Hawken PAX 2012 Trailer: While My Console Gently Weeps (Slight Return)…

Posted on April 14, 2012 by geelw

It’s too bad Hawken isn’t blasting its way onto the PS3 or 360, as I could see a lot of gamers wanting to have at it in Adhesive’s and Meteor’s phenomenal-looking (and online only) mech combat game. Of course, I’m not complaining to anyone in particular, just expressing a wish while being a bit cranky about the state of the industry today with all this free to play stuff. From the beginning, this game has looked one that should get everyone who’s worked on it a nice paycheck, I say. Hell, stick a solid single player mode in (maybe with some split-screen play for those who need it), slap it in a case with some nice artwork and I’d definitely pay up at retail or direct from the developer. That’s how I roll – good games take time and effort to make, and people who bust their asses on them should be able to get something in return other than the thanks of those who get to play the end result.

Tiny & Big Gets A Tiny Bit Of Accidental QA Humor…

Posted on April 14, 2012 by geelw

Black Pants Game Studios should have added some random football/soccer commentary to this clip just to make it even funnier. Anyway, Tiny & Big In: Grandpa’s Leftovers is still winding its way toward completion, so I’m looking forward to finally trying the final version of the game out to see how much it’s improved since that incredibly fun demo. That, and I want to see it hit PSN and/or XBLA at some point just because I think a LOT of gamers out there would have a blast with it.

Prototype 2 “The Power of Revenge” TV Ad: If The Game Is This Memorable…

Posted on April 14, 2012 by geelw

…then it indeed more than justifies the cost of making this excellent short film. Like a few other big 2011 and 2012 titles, publishers are going all out with the CG and live-action advertising and not simply showing off actual gameplay, which sometimes backfires when the ad is better than the actual game. Fortunately, Prototype 2 is managing to be even better than the original, based what I got to see and play last year (at NY Comic-Con), so fans of the first game needn’t be concerned at all about this sequel. Activision and Radical Entertainment are on the right track for the most part, so prepare to strap yourself in for a wild ride. Say, that April 24 release date is coming up fast, isn’t it?

Family Matters (Art Edition!)

Posted on April 14, 2012 by geelw

Whee, the Wilcox clan has talent all over the place lately (believe it or not)! To wit: My younger brother has been collaborating with Jazz artist Darius Jones for a few years and the pair recently got a super write-up over at the Village Voice. Awesome. As for my own scribblings, well, nothing that big has come my way, as I’m more of a low-key kind of guy with my art. Still, if you’re interested in spending a few dollars and have an active PayPal account, feel free to swing by my fiverr page and keep me busy (and able to buy more games to write about). Thanks!