In Case You Didn’t Go See EVIL DEAD, It’s Left A Little Note…

Yeah, I was kind of busy too… just like you. I still have some reviews to write and that embargo lifts on the previews I need to hop to. I didn’t go see EVIL DEAD, but I knew what would happen. The weather got warmer and today was REALLY nice out. Too nice. All day, there’s been this sense of looming dread and I’ve been looking over my shoulder about every eight seconds. Now it’s dark out and the wind sounds weird. I think I saw something moving by the window. I think I’ll sleep in the closet tonight. Under a pile of clothes. Did I mention I live seven floors up and there’s no fire escape here? That damn clock is awfully loud… wait… it’s a digital clock.

Moral: When you’re Number One, you can do whatever the hell you want.

Um… Good Night?

Batman: Arkham Origins: Current Gen Still Has It Going On, It Seems…

Hmmm… I guess it HAD to happen, but with original developer Rocksteady Games not at the helm, will WB Games Montreal just be retreading the play mechanics from Arkham City in a different version of Gotham City packed full of familiar locations and possibly during different times of the day this installment? We shall see, of course and yeah, I’m too much of an optimist to think this talented dev team (which handled the superb Wii U enhanced “port” of Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition, by the way) is going to muck things up. THAT said, let’s hope they make this a game for the ages and fix a few of the issues even the mighty Rocksteady didn’t quite nail. One positive sign is the game is being made for every current-gen HD platform available, which means we’ll not only see a PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 version, but a new Wii U game as well.

The Vita and 3DS will finally get an Arkham game with Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate, a “2.5D” action game from Armature Studios. Hopefully, both will be as close visually to the console games as possible and not too watered down or cartoony, as that’s almost always a disappointment in terms of continuity (well, at least in my book). Oh, for those wondering WHY Origins hasn’t been announced for the PS4 and next Xbox just yet, I’m guessing here, but I allow myself to do that once in a while for fun. Perhaps the guys and gals at Rocksteady ARE doing something on those consoles you don’t need to know about just yet, hmmmmm?

I say wait and see… but don’t be too surprised if it’s a new Arkham game or this one but done entirely in house and packed with visual punch to knock a room full of drooling fanboys to the nearest space station. *POW!* Watch this space…

Game of Thrones Season 3 Episode 2 Recap: Not Everyone Missed (Or Was Missed, Ouch)…

In case you missed the last episode, well… you still missed it. This recap is only a minute and a half long and poking you with all sorts of pointy things so you’ll remember next Sunday. of course, having HBO on Demand helps out a lot with playing catch with the assorted residents and denizens of Winterfell as the plot twists and turns like a drunken snake trying to find its way out of someone’s stomach. How did that snake get in there anyway? Oh, you probably don’t want to know, but I’m sure it’s the reason it’s drunk. Anyway, set your Clocky or Tocky and don’t miss a minute of the next episode. Or else I’ll need to come back here and write a really terrible poem or something…

Injustice: Gods Among Us TV Spot: Abbott & Costello Meet The DC Universe…

Or something like that. I’ve been following this game, but not those big celebrity filled trailers and weekly battle deals. I’d rather just dive into Injustice cold and play it at my leisure, unlocking characters and goodies as I go. Anyway, I think that Abbott & Costello idea above is the next flick Kevin Smith should consider doing, as he and Jason Mewes certainly aren’t getting any younger and it’s time they did something together that’s NOT another Jay & Silent Bob deal. Well, this ad was a fine enough (and funny) start, so I guess we’ll see what’s what soon enough (or later enough). As long as it’s not that Clerks flick his stuck in the 90’s fans want so much for him to make, it’ll probably be at least interesting to watch. That and hey, someone needs to keep Mewes off the streets – I hear he’s nothing but trouble like a bobcat dropped into a baby shower (er… ha, ha?)…

Edge of Space Teaser: Fall In And Float With This Indie Sleeper…

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Well, well… what do you know? Edge of Space actually looks pretty cool, but for some reason (well, OK… I normally don’t play online games) I’ve been ignoring it a wee bit too much. Still, I’m now tempted to sit in on an hour-long play session tomorrow so I can recommend it to you readers out there looking for a super cool retro inspired side-scrolling game that’s inspired by a few things from Minecraft to a sack full of 8 and 16-bit classics to bits and pieces of sci-fi themed RTS games. Anyway, I’ll get the what’s what tomorrow and let you know how much fun this is. Crafting, crates, jet packs, hungry aliens galore and funky sharks in space gear (!). Actually, the funky sharks did it for me and I didn’t even need to play this… but I’ll do so anyway just to be sure. In the meantime, feel free to give this a shot through Steam or Desura – just click that banner below to buy EoS and you’re halfway there…

EoS_BUY NOW

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: Road Rules (3)…

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Contrary to what today’s screenshot shows, even if you’re driving an official Greenvale patrol car, you probably shouldn’t “Get out of car” as prompted here. As you can see, that car is kind of stopped in a REALLY bad spot and just waiting for an accident to happen. Granted, the traffic in this tiny town isn’t anywhere near the chaos of New York City during rush hour, but I’d bet you a dime that someone will crash into that misplaced prowler on a bicycle or other less than three wheeled ride. Of course, it might be that suspicious local sheriff George Woodman at the wheel with FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan (just call him York!) in the passenger seat with George about to let York out right above an open manhole. Man, is this guy mean or what? Well, I guess as long as it’s all in fun and no one gets hurt, it’s all good. Right? Hmmm… what’s the number for the hospital again?

DPDC PS3 US EFS 2D RealYou know, you can keep York a bit safer when he rides around Greenvale with George (or without him) once you pick up a copy of Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut, coming exclusively to the PlayStation 3 on April 30, 2013. Featuring updated visuals, PlayStation Move and 3D TV support, new content and more, and YES, those driving controls are supposed to be better too! Just as long as it’s York behind the wheel and not George, things will be just peachy. In fact, you may want to avoid the Sheriff completely for a few days, as I hear he’s been acting a bit weird lately…

swery5But don’t bug Game Director Swery 65 about this. Based on my poking around, some other outlets have been hounding him day and night with questions and even sending out paparazzi to catch him in some sort of compromising situations. Usually, he’s quite a nice guy, but as you can see here, all of these unnecessary attention and hounding has made him a tad cranky. Hell, I know I’d be ticked off if I was taking out my garbage and found seven guys poking through it looking for who knows what. I think I’ll talk to him later about sticking a few rat traps in his garbage can and listening for that snapping sound and cursing when a few fingers get caught. Hey, you’d do it too if that crap was going on…

Lost Planet 3 Pre-Order Bonuses: Triple Threat, But You Can Only Choose ONE…

I’m not a fan at all of this pesky practice of slicing pre-order bonuses up to different goodies unless the content advertised shows up at some point for EVERY player who has ANY copy of the game in question and wants those goodies unlocked through playing normally. This isn’t Capcom’s “fault” entirely, as the big three shops here all want YOUR pre-order, so how better to do so than to tempt you into a three-way that’s impossible (hey, just like real life!). Ugh.

Well, hopefully Lost Planet 3 will sell well enough to warrant a Game of the Year edition so everyone who wants this DLC can get it. Of course, you can definitely complete the game without ANY of this content – it’s just a pain to see two versions (or three if you don’t use Steam, PSN or Xbox Live) of bonus gear that’s inaccessible unless one has a decent connection and the proper accounts set up.

And by the way, the game’s release date has dipped into August, as I just noticed way at the bottom of the press release Capcom sent along (eek). According to that last line, Lost Planet 3 arrives on August 27 in North America and August 30 in Europe for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. That’s actually a good thing on this end, as it will give me more time to complete a few epics I’m playing or haven’t fired up just yet…

Hi-Fye vs. Peggy Lee: Er, That About Covers It…

Well, I guess it’s a tie at the end of the day, as both versions are a hoot for their own reasons. Although, to be fair… I’d want to see Peggy try to do those crazy dance moves Fred Flintstone pulls off in that dress she’s wearing. Hell, I’d LOVE to see any human try that walking on the toes bit followed by levitating with more fancy footwork. You just know that somewhere at SOME point, some kid got a bit too loaded up on chocolate milk and tried to bust those moves before falling and busting something else instead. I bet a few over-aged kids had too many adult beverages or other college age stimulants and tried the same antics as well. I’d bet even more that it was the same kid who didn’t quite figure out cartoons work quite differently when you try to emulate exactly what you’re watching (no matter how many hits you’ve had)…

And no, that wasn’t an autobiographical post. My mind wanders through time (and spaaaaaaace!) when I don’t get enough sleep. That’s all…

 

The Last of Us “Wasteland Beautiful” Behind the Scenes: Art Class Is In Session…

A quick lesson in art direction and how Naughty Dog created the destroyed but stunningly gorgeous game world from their upcoming PS3 exclusive, set to hit retail and PSN on June 14, 2013. As I’ve said previously, Sony’s not leaving this generation with a bunch of shovelware to remember the system by, so fans should be more than pleased the the console is still getting a number of key releases at least for the rest of this year and possibly into 2014.

Random Film of the Week: Sleepy Hollow

sleepy hollowIf you’re a creaky old horror film buff like me, Tim Burton’s 1999 film Sleepy Hollow is a nice little love letter to a few classics. Of course, going in not knowing what the director is paying homage to works just fine, particularly if you also toss out ANY notions that he’s going to to a straight retelling of the original Washington Irving short story. Granted, I’d bet most people who went to see this back when it was released weren’t stuffy critics who poked at the movie for not staying close to that moldy lore at all (or had even read the story, for that matter). If you wanted a well-paced horror flick with some solid performances, great visual effects and a few shocks along the way, you got that and then some. Those of us who saw this with one eye out for the director’s reference material were more likely than not a great deal more giddy by the time those credits rolled… Continue reading