Game of Thrones S4 5 & 6: What Happened and What’s Going To Happen Are One And The Same…

 
HBO continues to crack me up with these video deluge blitzes after each episode this season. I kind of wish they’d just release maybe three videos tops. A recap of assorted clips, a behind the scenes with a slide into a George R.R. Martin interview and a preview of the next episode.

 
THAT would be (TOO) simple, no? Well, no, according to HBO, as they want to feed the fans until they’re stuffed to bursting with every bit of minutiae about each episode this season after it happens (as in an hour or two later, it seems). Some thrive on this stuff while I prefer more of a compact approach.

 
But whatever, try and tell the more hardcore GoT fans there’s TOO much info spilling about and it’s your insides that may be spilling out. That, or you’ll get a fierce tongue-lashing (and not the kind you’d expect from one of those fancy brothels, either). Ouch, ouch, (*yawn*) ouch… Continue reading

Gallery: Game Library Odds & Ends (Mostly Odds)…

Odds n Ends PS Version
Hokay, I have some ‘splainin’ to do here:

I’ve played both Kane & Lynch Dead Men and Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days, but I’ve never actually owned the first game until a few weeks back when I saw this in a stack of games some guy was selling at a sidewalk sale. Two bucks? No problem. As for the much maligned Aliens: Colonial Marines? I never played the demo and didn’t see that footage everyone says was mocked up and not representative of the final product, so the whole controversy went over my scalp. That said, I nabbed this sealed with ALMOST all the collector’s edition goodies (no Power Loader) for ten bucks, which may seem like too much based on the acid spewed upon the game worldwide. I’ve only played about an hour and while it’s far from great, as a FPS, it’s got some fun bits here and there. My money is on Alien Isolation being a more compelling experience and provided the dopes lurking and jerking on message boards REALIZE that the new game is from a C-O-M-P-L-E-T-E-L-Y different development team known for all of their games being solid experiences through and through.

Remember Me? Yes, Nilin… I do, my dear. I played the PC version (thanks, Capcom!) and loved it for the most part. Capcom also kindly sent me the Xbox 360 version, but I couldn’t play it when I got it thanks to my two busted 360’s collecting dust here. So, I gifted it to a friend so he’d crack it open (and let me review it at his place, of course) and ended up picking up the PS3 version recently for about five times less than what it retailed for last year. As for Silent Hill: Book of Memories? I love Wayforward’s games and the demo of this Vita exclusive was interesting in a “Hey, it’s like Diablo, but NOT!” manner. A few levels in, and I read that the game is pretty much the same thing from beginning to end, but has a level cap and some other stuff that makes it a bit tedious. I haven’t reached that point yet, but thanks for the forewarning, Internet… Continue reading

Random Film of the Week: Psycho II

psycho_ii_xlgWell, it’s Mother’s Day this week as well as my birthday (tomorrow, so you still have time to get me that gift or else!), so I’m going to have fun with this week’s pick. While seen as sacrilege to some fans of the original movie, for my money Psycho II is a nice surprise that does well at following up on Norman Bates’ life post-release from the institution he ended up in thanks to his deeds in the original.

Screenwriter Tom Holland and director Richard Franklin get some great (albeit limited) mileage out of Anthony Perkins here as he portrays Norman as trying to live the “normal” life, but ends up instead plagued by forced memories from the past intended to drive him back to his old ways. Or perhaps he’s hallucinating all that bad stuff? Whatever the cause, bodies start piling up (well, the actual death count is small compared to other films of the era), the mystery deepens and it’s not until the final reel that things become clear with a double twist corker of an ending that’s still amazing… Continue reading

Shadowgate is Back? Welcome To Your (Highly Enjoyable) Doom!

Shadowgate Logo (Custom)

adventureOkay, I’m kind of terminally slow on the crowdfunding front because I have neither the time to look at EVERY project that clogs my inbox nor all the money I’d LOVE to donate to all those cool looking games and products I do look at.

In other words, I had NO idea the original developer was remaking this well aged absolute classic adventure game for current computers (and yes, Macs, iOS and Android devices  as well). Based on the art and screens here plus that lovely pre-order trailer, I’m betting fans of this old chestnut are grinning madly as the game’s release looms closer and closer…

“The last thing that you remember is standing before the wizard Lakmir as he gestured wildly and chanted in an archaic tongue. Now you find yourself staring at an entryway which lies at the edge of a forest.”

So begins the classic anew, this time relaunched with many new features and as developer Zojoi states clearly, this isn’t a simple port at all, but a whole new take on the original that expands the adventure in every aspect. As you can see below, the classic adventure game retains the use of static art screens to tell its tale, but Shadowgate has never, ever looked this spectacular because these even more gorgeous screens add motion to the story.

A game overview, screenshots and concept art are all below the jump, as I don’t want to keep you from pre-ordering this ASAP. ogling them can wait a minute or two… Continue reading

God of War Collection On Vita: Kratos May Be Smaller, But He’s Still Killing It Big Time…

GOW_Collection_VitaIt’s not surprising to finally see the two PlayStation 2 God of War games coming to the Vita, but what is surprising is the delivery method. In addition to the usual PSN download, this new double pack (available NOW!) is getting a retail release with both games on a Vita memory stick.

Yes, both will be HD remastered and yes, Trophies are added to both games, meaning you folks who love them will be hunting down every one even if you’ve played both games to death and beyond many times. Now, all we need is a Vita exclusive GoW game or some even more massive set that packs the PSP, PS3 and oddball mobile game from a few years back onto a disc or memory stick and the collectors out there will keel over backwards because it’ll be one more thing to snap up.

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This. May. Not. Be. Sparta (!!!!), but it’s an action-packed romp twice over that’s not for the kiddies and has a great, bleak story for those who like their heroes anti and of the non-stop angry variety. Kratos has his reasons for being so terminally pissed off, but I’ll leave those for you new to the games to find out what those are…

GOTHAM Trailer: Fox Wants To Make Me (And Other Bat-Fans) Nuts In A Few Ways (Good & Bad)…

Hmmm… this extended trailer for Fox’s upcoming GOTHAM looks REALLY good, but has me concerned about a few things. I dislike the whole concept of these “origin” reworkings because all these writers seem to LOVE throwing together every character they can write in who they think need to be in these shows with an intent to show how they came to be from nearly every angle. Sure, the fact that young Bruce Wayne is probably going to be VERY important to this series is a selling point, but do we REALLY need to see a young Catwoman as a fence-hopping Hot Topic outfit shopping (or shoplifting) kid, what looks like a too-tall Penguin and other characters who really don’t need full-on “Hey, we were in Gotham City, too!” stories? Granted, like the other DC shows, none of this will be seen as “canon” by many, but the show WILL be seen that way to younger fans growing out of the cartoons and into the Nolan films (like them or not, they’re important for a few reasons).

Eh, we’ll see, as always. I probably just don’t trust Fox for other things entertainment-wise, so my bias is showing here. Or the show will stink despite the good looks. Eh, we’ll see. I’ll at least catch the first season and see if it stands upright. The casting seems solid here, so it’s up to the writing and directing to make or break this one…

Bound By Flame Launch Trailer: There’ll Be A Hot Time In The Old Town This Friday…

 
Spiders’ next game is (almost) here and I’m actually quite eager to give it a play through, as they’re a developer that’s done a number of great looking games with interesting play mechanics that while not flawless, showed a ton of promise with each project. Bound By Flame looks like a labor of love and the next step for the developer, as it’s their first “next-gen” game for the PlayStation 4 as well as being on PS3 and Xbox 360. Of course, PC gamers will say they’re getting the “best” version (and they’d be right in terms of visuals), but for me, at the end of the day, it’s gameplay that makes the game, not running the game with all the settings maxed and showing off what that graphics card you have can do. The visuals look nice on anything I’ve seen this on, the music (by Olivier Derivière) and voice acting are excellent and the combat looks like an interesting mix of a few games. Of course, videos are one thing, but there’s nothing like some controller time to see how it’s all come together. Well, May 9th is the day, so I guess I’ll see what’s up with this one then…