Mind Zero Update #3: A Kick In The Shin Megami Tensei Won’t Hurt (Much)…

Posted on May 27, 2014 by geelw

Ah, ha-ha (again). Okay, I kid Aksys Games here (again!), but this upcoming PlayStation Vita exclusive coming from developer Zerodiv reminds me so much of the Shin Megami Tensei games that I’m not going to even be surprised if I see a review or two that makes note of this. Hey, as long as the story is good, I don’t care much about the gameplay as long as it’s not clumsy or forced. So far, this is looking nice and simple (which is good), but probably won’t be a cakewalk as the game progresses. Anyway, we’ll see soon enough, as the game is out NOW at a retailer near you (or on PSN, if you want it faster)…

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel PAX East Gameplay: “Bounce, Breathe, Look, SHOOT!” (Rinse & Repeat)…

Posted on May 27, 2014 by geelw

Okay, so it’s the name of an old basketball primer for kids, but that’s also a fitting description of what Gearbox and 2K Australia expect a great deal of you Borderlands fans to be doing in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, the upcoming standalone game set for a fall release on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Sorry “nest-gen” fans! You’ll need to wait a bit while the game you wanted or expected NOW or sooner is being cooked up in one way or another for its eventual release whenever.

While I’m sure that Gearbox and 2K Games could make a small fortune redoing the older Borderlands games and DLC from the ground up, I’d gather they’re doing the WISER thing and creating an all-new chapter to the franchise that packs in even more of what’s expected. This will also keep owners of those shiner (or matte-r) new systems from rioting and storming assorted game company headquarters anytime soon, too (er, Ha-ha?).

The Evil Within Doesn’t Scare Me (Yet) Because I Haven’t PLAYED It (Yet)…

Posted on May 27, 2014 by geelw

“Booooooo!” (*squeal!*). Meh, I’ve always disliked these “reaction” videos for games and movies because even if they are one hundred percent real, what scares one person won’t affect another and as I get older, some things don’t scare me any longer that made me fly off a chair and up to the ceiling in the past. Or, to quote one Mr. Ray Parker Jr. “I ain’t afraid of no “ghost!”

Now, I’m NOT that jaded that some horror films, reads and games don’t get me wanting a blankie and a hanky every so often. However, some of the scares in entertainment are often derived from other and far more frightening works. That said, I do trust Shinji Mikami and Bethesda Softworks to the point that The Evil Within just may put me on the ceiling if it does what it does right and often. Expect to be scared out of your wits (or not?) when the game hits stores October 21st in North America, October 23rd, and throughout Europe on October 24, 2014.

Sniper Elite III Hands-On: Even More On Target Than Before…

Posted on May 27, 2014 by geelw

I was on the subway headed down to see and play Sniper Elite III at a 505 Games media preview when I realized I’d forgotten my eyeglasses. Oops. You can’t be a good sniper at all if you can’t see a damn thing even with a scope, but amusingly enough, that absent-minded error on my part made the demo even more enjoyable.

Thanks to veteran developer Rebellion making the game much more flexible and thrilling than its predecessor, even a quarter blind bat like me was able to have a total blast making as many mistakes as I did. Okay, that’s not sounding like a ringing endorsement for the game, but it’s coming – keep reading. Even if I had brought my gaming spectacles along, my plan was to play the demo in as loose a manner as possible, making mistakes to see how the AI would react while seeing how expansive the level designs were this time out. In Sniper Elite V2, despite some alternate routes, most maps felt a wee bit too boxed in and linear and displacement wasn’t emphasized enough throughout the game (although the best players learned those levels and probably did some of their own shoot and scoot tactics… Continue reading →

“Regrets, I’ve Had A Few…”

Status

Heh. Up too late writing posts again, I was (er, am). Hitting “Publish” instead of “Save Draft?” Yes, I did. Fixed post a few times fast because it wasn’t supposed to go up for maybe two days? Oh, yes and yes. To bed for my restless self to get more done in a few hours? That would be me. Now, good night (before I make another mistake). I’m doing it my way, but when one is half away, it looks like a lot of monkeys with typewriters are doing it THEIR way. Damn monkeys. Back in a bit, Zzzzzzz.

Random Film of the Week: The Ipcress File

Posted on May 27, 2014 by geelw

(thanks, Classic British Film!)

As far as movie openings go, Sidney J. Furie’s 1965 spy drama The Ipcress File was and still is an attention grabber. There are no studio logos or bombastic fanfares to kick things off here – the film just begins with a pre-credit sequence that has two men walking to a car somewhere in London and you’re hooked in like a greedy trout. A leading British scientist being taken to a train station is mysteriously kidnapped and his escort killed by unseen assailants.

As you’re taking this in (head spinning slightly) the scene shifts to one Harry Palmer (Michael Caine), a myopic former soldier and petty criminal turned British government agent slowly rolling out of bed to start his workday as John Barry’s excellent main title theme buzzes your eardrums. Right from the beginning, this is one of those great ‘pay attention’ movies guaranteed to hold you in its grasp thanks to a cast and crew dedicated to their work… Continue reading →

It May Be A Holiday, But Bundles NEVER Sleep!

Posted on May 26, 2014 by geelw

Okay, I’m still kind of in holiday mode as a trial just to see how I handle time off and it’s not going well. Argh. Thankfully, the fine folks at IndieGala, Humble Indie Bundle, Indie Royale, Bundle Stars and a few other places know how to get me back on track (sort of). IndieGala’s Every Monday sale this week has six games, Today’s Humble Bundle is ALL Total War series all the time and an extra year or so because it’ll take you at least that long to go through the epic Napoleonic saga they’ve got up for sale today, Bundle Stars has more Steam games than you can shake a stick at and Indie Royale has nine games up for a really sweet price. I’d write more, but you can click away and see for yourself. Hmmmm. I need a nap now – that was hard work for a day off!

Superman: The Movie (1978) Sharp Dressed Men Make An Impression! Writers, Here’s How To Introduce Your Hero (#7 Of A Bunch)

Posted on May 25, 2014 by geelw

(thanks, Jason Makiaris!)

This one’s priceless and still a kick in the pants because it’s classic 1970’s New York gone comic book (thanks to the great Richard Donner), but even more hilarious for one key reason. I recall seeing the film back in 1978 and some kid sitting in front of me asking his dad who the black guy was noting how awesome Superman’s costume was. I don’t think there was EVER a pimp in a Superman comic when this film was released (and I’m not sure if one has ever been in an issue even as a background character). I do remember the father muttering something like “Er… um, I’ll tell you later – just watch the movie!” and me trying not to crack up laughing for the next hour plus. To this day I often wonder HOW that guy explained what a pimp was and what he did to his kid. THAT conversation must have been a doozy. The full scene is here – enjoy!

Get A Bit Of Reverb in Today’s Humble Daily Bundle…

Posted on May 25, 2014 by geelw

Short and sweet: pay what you want for Guncraft, the DIY block-based shooter that’s more or less Minecraft meets Counter Strike, pay $2.38 or more and get that plus Ravaged: Zombie Apocalypse, the online only shooter that also packs in some nice vehicle action. Make it nine or more bucks and get the gassy hack & slash game Orc Attack: Flatulent Rebellion (which I need to go review at some point just because my inner 8-year old says it needs to be PLAYED). Your purchase helps out Child’s Play and The American Red Cross and The Humble Daily Bundle more than happily resets itself tomorrow with even more games to spend some (but not too much!) cash on…

Orphan Black Episode 7 Trailer: Sticks And Clones May Break Your Bones…

Posted on May 24, 2014 by geelw

Well, now… is almost everyone from each clone’s past turning into a monitor? It would seem so, but this is making Orphan Black even more interesting as the plot thickens this season. I actually need to watch some of the last episode again, as I was working on something during commercials while watching the show and missed about five minutes because I got sucked in past those ads and didn’t look up. I’m a crappy multi-tasker, people. Anyway, I need to get back to that work I was doing now, so it’ll be me catching what I missed On demand before next week’s episode where my FULL attention will be held. Now, good night (well, for you – I’ll be up for about two or so more hours)…