OK, despite the super-nice new weather outside (whee), I’m still not quite awake today and mistakes have been made. But they’ve been fixed.
EDIT! It’s a damn good thing bad spelling isn’t a work safety issue (well, under normal circumstances and definitely NOT in the case of a misread prescription thanks to a doctor that scribbles like he or she’s ON too many of the drugs they want you to take).
Imagine if it were, though?
Then all you blogger-types would have to deal with mandatory viewings of safety videos based on this Herk Harvey classic:
That is all. Back later – I may need to soak my head in a pot of coffee, though…
Hey, he’s not real, he just wants your virtual stuff (especially if it’s sort of glowing as if it’s telling him where it’s at) and if you pop up and try and stop him, the worst thing that can happen is you’ll end waking up with a fake knot on your noggin upside down in a broom closet (blame the physics getting a bit wonky when he dropped your unconscious body into that quick storage solution). Ladies, you’ll probably get a fake rose and a fake peck on the cheek for waking up as he’s poking around for that fist-sized emerald you didn’t know you had, so feel free to file a fake discrimination complaint against him with that fake police report. Or something like that…
Finding a truly original game idea is like looking for ice cream on the sun, but here comes a really nice surprise headed to current and next-gen consoles: Murdered: Soul Suspect from developer Airtight Games (Dark Void, Jet Pack Joyride). In this PC/PS3/Xbox 360/Xbox One game, you play as a murdered detective named Ronan O’Connor who rises from the dead thanks to a mysterious power and seeks out his killer. The game’s Salem, Massachusetts setting makes for an intriguing choice thanks to it’s somewhat compelling real life witch trails, and yes, there’s indeed a mystical element added in here as Ronan’s spirit can possess townspeople in order to solve cryptic puzzles, do a bit of combat with evil spirits and while indoors, pass through solid walls. Yes, to some out there the concept may sound very close to Capcom’s Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective for the Nintendo DS and iOS, But among other things, Murdered is without the 2D side-scrolling gameplay and main ghost character’s amnesia affliction found in the portable sleeper hit.
It’ll be interesting to see how this turns out as more information surfaces, but I’m already ticking it off as a must-play title. Of course, not being at E3, I’ll need to hope Square Enix comes flying into NYC like many other publishers do after the big show is over and done. I have the feeling that this is one of those new IP they’ll want to show off to as many editor types as possible just to get the engine firing up on that hype train. If it’s going to be as intriguing as the concept makes it sound, I’ll be there with bells on when they come a-calling. Back with more on this one soon – stay tuned…
Oh, Beaky, Beaky, Beaky… you still can’t work those straps, huh? The funnier thing about this clip is what’s actually missed by some – those other sheep are going to probably be dinner, so that leggy lamb just got lucky she just lost her coat (and wool in THIS heat? Come on, now!). Hmmm. I think it would have been even more hilarious if the animators has her whacking poor Beaky over the skull with a lamb bone. Well, OK, that’s a bit too much… but it is pretty funny when you think about it…
While its protagonist might not be a frightening disease-bringing fiend like the one in W.F. Murnau’s asolute eternal classic Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (which is my ideal vampire tale for the ages thanks to its visually striking villain and zero camp elements), I’ll give DARK props for going against at least SOME of the grain today’s too-handsome teen/young adult vampires are cursed with. Sure, it’s more of a Deus Ex/Thief/Splinter Cell hybrid with an anti-hero who’s probably in deep doo-doo if he runs into a Hot Topic and fries up but good when he runs past all those fake silver goth crosses on display, but that’s OK with me. If the game is well-made (so far it seems so) and fun to play (so far it looks as if it will be) and keeps me hooked in with its story (that’s still to be determined), then it’ll be something that’s played and more than once around here. As usual… we shall see…
Act-ually, I hear that the military get first dibs on a screening, so I guess that’s something of a fib Walmart is telling. Oh well – it doesn’t matter all that much anyway, as it looks as if everyone who loves movies and has an eye or two will want to see this flick. I guess if there were Walmarts located on military bases (so much for the old PX, huh?) next to those movie theaters, hearing “Attention Walmart Shoppers!” booming over the speakers ever few minutes about some sale items (“Ten-Huts are now half off!”) would have everyone on that base saluting with one hand while pushing an over-packed cart with the other…
I didn’t get around to seeing The Matrix until its first sequel hit theaters, but when I did, I was surprised that it was so close thematically and visually it was to Dark City, Alex Proyas’ complex and visually stunning sci-fi film. For me, despite the lack of a more polished story, a reliance on mostly practical effects and a smaller budget, the film has a richer and more unique look than The Matrix that borrows from all over but manages to work almost perfectly.
Silent, film noir and more modern films get multiple nods, there’s a decidedly comic book aesthetic to the action scenes with “panel” compositions to some shots and everything’s wrapped into a “pay attention!” plot that makes for a film requiring multiple viewings to appreciate. Of course, other than loving the look and those freaky bald Strangers doing their thing (The teeth clicking? Scary and hilarious simultaneously), I didn’t much care for the film the first time I saw the original theatrical cut…
Of course, my old post about this forgotten gem probably had nothing to do with gog.com getting it added to their games library at all, but let me at LEAST get a swelled head and think so, OK? Anyway, my boxed copy still runs perfectly, so I won’t need to grab this digitally at all (yet), but don’t let that stop YOU from giving it a try. It’s actually quite well done and the non-frustrating manner in how death is handled keeps the game constantly moving. Granted, it goes from moody to creepy to weird as your party gets deeper into that Real Meat factory and the monsters come out. But by then, you’ll have gotten with the program. Anyway, it’s only six bucks and more than worth it, so give it a shot…
Hey! Quick WordPress editing tip, kids! If you open multiple Add A Post tabs in separate windows and do two different posts, one will overwrite the other when the second one is done! Whee. I just found that out after I zapped this original Wolfenstein: The New Order post with the one for Project Eden, so if you see this post twice in your feed, it’s not you going nuts… it’s me trying to save time but wasting it instead! Whee! Anyway, get me rewrite!
OK, I was interested in this sequel already, but this compelling trailer for Wolfenstein: The New Order REALLY makes me want some hands-on time just to see how it all plays out. Yes, it’s intentionally raising hackles on the back of some necks, but don’t get the wrong impression. The game is all about the return of that Nazi killing force of nature B.J. Blazkowicz and how he’s going to deal with this updated alternate future threat. The reworked imagery here is striking to the point where there’s the usual YouTube and message board debating about the wrong things (real world history) as opposed to how this game twists its of that into its narrative “What If” world (Nazis on the Moon! Yikes!) and packs a wallop with those images and finale that basically screams “PLAY ME!” So yep, I’m looking forward to doing so should Bethsoft truck on into NYC with a build… I’ll keep you posted should that indeed happen.
While VanillaWare, George Kamitani and Atlus are still taking flack from the prudes, it’s not stopping Dragon’s Crown from being the total steamroller hack & slash it’s always meant to be. I’m so glad that the game is arriving with no changes, as it probably would have been left overseas or had its playable female characters more covered up or made less pneumatic (see Mai Shurenai for example).
Of course, it’s actually simple to realize the art style is only a tiny part of what makes this one so special and I’m one of those folks who just likes a good no-nonsense fantasy-themed knock-down, drag-out every so often. OK, back to work – the mind tends to wander when left unchecked…
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 