As I’ve been saying for months now, DIshonored is going to blow you away on many fronts from the stylized visuals to the great gameplay to the amount of choice you have while playing. This latest video shows how to kill with skill and in quite a few ways. Amusingly enough, my two favorite upcoming titles that use player choice as key to the experience are this game and Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of 2 – you can’t get more opposite ends of the gaming spectrum than that, I’d say!
In case you missed it earlier, here you go, the press event in its entirety. Pull up a seat, put on that gamer grin and check out all the new software and services coming your way through the Wii U. There’s a lot of stuff left unanswered on a few fronts, but I’m betting even the nayest of the naysayers will be silenced as all is revealed over time. The only thing that concerns me is I understand that new touch screen GamePad won’t be sold separately. This means that Nintendo is eating a LOT of that cost for the console and yes, you’d better be REALLY careful with that new controller….
Speaking of kids and perilous situations, I love this TV spot, as it’s not only well shot and acted, it really makes me want to dive into the game and play more than the demo sections I had so much fun with. Granted, Capcom’s kitchen sink approach to creating Resident Evil 6 might not please some gamers who want ONE type of gameplay and the same old stuff as in the first four numbered games. Fortunately, I’m one of those people who got what the dev team was working at right away and saw that each segment of the game will be its own mini-epic rushing to collide with the other parts to create the biggest and possibly best new RE game this console cycle. I’ve been holding back impressions on the game because I want to dive into the entire disc and experience the stories as they’re meant to be played, so like many of you, I’m eager to see how it all meshes by the end credits. If anything, I’m betting it’s the most talked about game in the franchise’s history for all the content it’s bringing players new and old…
…Or nightmare, to be more precise. Usually, these modern freaky kid horror movies do nothing for me at all except make me not want to be anywhere near someone’s children for a few weeks. But I like most of Guillermo Del Toro’s work in that even if it fails in one way or another, he knows how to leave some memorable imagery taped to your eyeballs for a while. MAMA looks to be one of those “under the seat” flicks where you’ll leave the theater walking backwards and calling the babysitter to take the damn kids home with her for the night. Of course, I’d bet the man himself wouldn’t have it any other way…
In case you were somehow thinking SNK Playmore was going be silent about their new baby, here’s a new update. There will indeed be a standalone NEOGEO X handheld sold and yes, it’s still coming with all 20 free games the Gold units are bundled with. The core unit is $129.99 and looks quite sexy, don’t you think? Could this be the start of a handheld resurgence that has fans snapping up these units out of pure nostalgia plus the hope that it’s entirely possible that we may see SNK use the X as a launcher for its long line of classic arcade and home games? I sure hope so. Bumpy economy aside, it’s really been a damn great year for gaming, that’s for sure!
Amusingly enough, no sooner than I post that Wii U article below, I get an email with a complete launch/launch window listing. For those not swimming in gaming lingo, the term “launch window” is a rather broad one that includes games on the way within a few months of a console’s release. In this case, the Wii U launch window is defined as the period beginning Nov. 18, 2012, and ending March 31, 2013. Also note that this list doesn’t include a few titles shows as just in development (Bayonetta, for example).
Got it? Good! Now onto the GAMES! Er, List! Games list that is. As in, it’s below the jump.
Let’s keep it simple: The Wii U is coming. North American launch date: November 18 (Europe, you’re up November 30). Two different models: $299 for a Basic white system: a console with 8GB of memory, one GamePad, AC adapter, sensor bar, and HDMI Cable. $349 nets you a black console with all of the above, but 32GB of memory, a copy of Nintendo Land and to push digital a bit more, a promotion that allows buyers of the more expensive system access to a rebate system for purchases made online. Guess which one I’m recommending. Bet on black, kids. YES, the console is indeed backward compatible with current Wii titles (but forget about GameCube functionality, something missing since the Wii was streamlined into its current incarnation). WIll the console support standard RCA jacks for those who still aren’t set up for HD? Probably, but I’d imagine you’d want to poke around Nintendo’s site to double check (use the first link above, of course)
There’s also TVii, a function I personally will never use, but one Nintendo is targeting at those millions of more connected users and consumers who love watching their favorite shows in a more social manner (I call it “Distracted Viewing” but hey, people seem to love doing this, sooo…):
Anyway, there will be a raft of games on the way from the launch onward, notably some amazing exclusives as well as titles Nintendo-only fans will be thrilled to see- but those (well, SOME of them) are below the jump…
Once again, I thought I was all done with tower defense games but here we go again. First it was Orcs Must Die! that got me interested again (Hey, Robot Entertainment? Where’s the Vita version?) and now, the folks over at Sigma Team are making me want to dive in again with their offbeat take on the familiar genre. Granted, if you’re freaked out by clowns, blood, oddball game descriptions an/or indie games in general, just break out a deck of cards or something. On the other hand, heading to their website will hook you up with some free games from Sigma Team’s back catalog as well as allow you to check out demos of their other titles in the Alien Shooter and Zombie Shooter series. I’m a fan of both because they’re two non-stop isometric action games with light RPG elements and hundreds of enemies onscreen simultaneously. It would be cool to see these guys get more respect for their work, but hey – that’s partially up to you, you know.
While the goal of $400,000 may seem high to non-pinball fans out there, here’s another case where a healthy combo of nostalgia and pure common sense can win big for fans of classic video gaming across the globe. Granted, the Pro Pinball series is originally a 90’s creation, but the excellently designed tables whipped up back then were pretty solid and quite memorable, recalling the days of amazingly creative tables popping up in arcades on a regular basis.
Anyway, check out the pledge page here, as there’s a VERY nice freebie on the page in the form of a download of Big Race USA just for visiting the page. Even better, a mere two dollar pledge will net you two more free tables should the project make its target. Drop a few more quarters into that coins slot and score some really awesome bonuses such as boxed copies of the games for PC and the opportunity to have lunch in Chicago with some of the folks behind the project. Nice! OK, you know what to do – make this thing a reality!
Codemasters is finally dropping that demo of their latest racer this week, so definitely give it a go if you’re a F1 fan or want to try something completely different from other racers on the market. From what I’m seeing so far, this might be one of the best console F1 games to date, but we’ll see when the final drops, as sometimes even the best demo builds aren’t exactly showing off the quality of the final product. A little more salt to the soup or too many cooks spoiling the broth? As always, we shall see, we shall see…
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