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

Posted on April 9, 2013 by geelw

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…

Posted on April 9, 2013 by geelw

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…

Posted on April 9, 2013 by geelw

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

Posted on April 9, 2013 by geelw

If 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 →

Man of Steel TV Spot 1: You Will Believe A Man Can Whine…

Posted on April 8, 2013 by geelw

Ah, ha, ha. I was reading some comments on a few sites about this trailer and yeah, they’re so emotional that the film looks so good or so annoyed that there’s no NEW footage showing up on demand that I’m chuckling a wee bit too much for my own good. Look, kids… it’s a Warner Bros. Pictures film. What does that mean? It means give it a month or so you you will be BURIED in trailers for this one to the point where some of you accuse the company of showing TOO much of this one. It’ll happen, mark my words. Well, at least I haven’t been hearing any rumblings about a new video game coming down the pike. Supes has never really done well when he flies solo…

In Case You Need To Have A More Manic Monday, A Little EVIL DEAD Reminder…

Posted on April 8, 2013 by geelw

I guess a post title like “In Case Of Emergency, BREAK GLASS. Slash Wrists With GLASS” is too extreme, huh? Anyway, the film is doing as I thought, as in fine with most horror fans and OK to so-so with critics who don’t quite see what the fuss is about or worse, go in with Cabin in the Woods expectations. Whatever. I didn’t like Cabin that much (despite it doing some fun things with the genre), the SCREAM movies annoyed me (again, some fun stuff, but overrated AND too many sequels) and don’t even get me started on those “found footage” flicks where someone has an old video camera with the battery life of a Galaxy Note III. Yeah, you Blair Witch Project. That ending was freaky, but I didn’t feel the least bit frightened by the rest of the film (and I’ve seen it three times just to make sure).

Hmmm… I don’t believe in “ghosts” either, so Paranormal Activity made me laugh at the people in the theater jumping at flying sheets or whatever. And as for The Exorcist? The hospital scenes were FAR scarier than any of that head spinning possessed crap. Which means the more superstitious you are, the least likely your survival odds will be when that ASPCA truck full of black cats tips over near that outdoor mall sale on ladders and mirrors which will get your heart racing before some kid running out of that mall in his 90% off Halloween costume (he’ll be a ghost or the devil) puts you down for the count. Welcome to your nightmare!

OK, maybe I’m too much of a curmudgeon here, but I won’t tell you what NOT to watch as it’s up to you where you eat your popcorn at the end of the day…

Something Old, Something New (Or, One GOOD Thing About Digital Games)…

Posted on April 8, 2013 by geelw

Well, well, well. Digital games are good for something after all. I’d purchased an inexpensive boxed copy of Torchlight off eBay a few years back from an overseas seller and it actually arrived quickly and ran just fine. It wasn’t until after playing it for a week and coming across some text in another language that I had the thought it wasn’t a legal version (despite the official looking Microsoft hologram on the slipcase) and I wanted to support Runic Games and all their hard work. Shortly afterward, I ended up buying Torchlight again, this time directly from the Runic site. However, I wasn’t able to download it thanks to my crap home connection (the reason why I sought out a physical copy in the first place). Of course, after that, Encore put out a disc version in the US and yep, I bought one of those as well. Amusingly enough, I ended up gifting that one to a friend for his birthday as he wanted to play the game but also had a crap internet connection.

Yeah, I’m a nice guy when I want to be… Continue reading →

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: The Title Sucks. The Game Certainly Doesn’t.

Posted on April 8, 2013 by geelw

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So far, so good for this upcoming vampire-killing chase & chop, I say. Well, the title is still kind of dopey (it sounds like a very wrong Saturday Morning cartoon), but I’m really liking what’s happening with this NeoCoreGames-developed action/RPG. If they can pull off everything they’re planning, this one will be a hit (dorky-sounding name and all). Hey, I’m just saying that a better name will keep some skeptics from their snickering, especially with everything looking so great on the presentation side. I don’t mind the HUGE damage numbers at all, as they add a nice touch of humor to things. That said, being able to toggle them off would be a good idea.

Of course, with everyone comparing every isometric action game to the Diablo series (although Torchlight is more enjoyable to some extent if you add Diablo III to the mix), that’s another hurdle to overcome. Not for me, however – I love these types of games and will definitely play this one to death. Or Van Helsing’s death, as I’d be hiding in the broom closet if there were any real-life vampires and werewolves coming after me. Anyway, a PC version is coming this Spring with an Xbox 360 version via Xbox Live on the way later this year. Hmmm… someone get these guys PS3 and Vita dev kits, I say. And what the hell, a Wii U one as well, as all those systems could use a few more great looking hardcore vampire slaying games (that aren’t called Castlevania)…

Defiance: Preaching to the Converted Always Works Pretty Well…

Posted on April 8, 2013 by geelw

So, next Monday is the “Big One” (Part Two) for Trion Worlds, syfy and any fans of the game as well as soon to be fans of this show. All signs point to it doing well, but it’s the ridiculously fickle nature of how viewership naturally swells and dips that can spell doom for any show, no matter how well done. Personally, I say ANY show should get at least a season the breath and find a fan base, but TV, movies and games work under the most unrealistic of expectations all too often. For my money (and I’m a cheap bastard), Defiance really does look like it’s got longevity going for it as far as the dedication to the project from its creators, cast and crew. Let’s see if the viewers agree and keep those ratings up, as it would be a shame to see all that time and money go down the drain after a single season…

Iron Man 3 Clip #1: Tony Stark Makes You Feel…

Posted on April 8, 2013 by geelw

So much for the “He’s a cool exec with a heart of steel” stuff, huh? When the man gets mad, he gets really mad, so if you’re reading this post and wearing ten rings on your fingers (even if you’re not The Mandarin, which means you also have bells on your toes), you should be shaking in your boots and fancy robe (yeah, you KNOW you have one on right now – I won’t tell a soul). Anyway, let’s see now… 48 seconds… times la, la… carry the one… OK, at this rate Marvel can show the entire movie on YouTube in something like 57 more of these clips and you won’t have to pay a DIME to see it. Unless they figure out a way to may you PAY to use YouTube (cue *JINX!* music)…