PC Review: MOVE OR DIE

Posted on January 31, 2016 by geelw

MOD_Thumb3 Platform: PC (also on Mac/Linux)

Developer: Those Awesome Guys

Publisher: Those Awesome Guys

# of Players: 1 – 4

MSRP: $ 14.99

ESRB Rating: N/A

Official Site

Score: A- (90%)

Can’t type… playing…

Okay, I had to drag my tired self away from my ongoing battle with MOVE OR DIE just to drag myself back to the computer and bang out a quick review. This game is a total blast and pretty much everything it’s cracked up to be in one package. Simple enough for the kids to pick up, but only the best and most clever and cheap players will survive… that is until they get bested by someone or some random element that’s smarter or faster. The name of the game says it all. If you don’t MOVE, your little avatar will DIE, period. If that wasn’t impetus enough, you’re tasked with a number of randomly rotating mini-games, all of which last a mere twenty seconds each and consist of trying to stay alive longer than the other players whether AI or live.

Between the chainsaws, falling block walls, time bombs and other hazards, this is a game where everyone dies at some point and the key to survival is dying less than anyone else you’re playing against. This simplicity plus the intense speed of each round keeps the game fresh even if the currently limited number of game modes randomly loops back on itself multiple times. The greatest thing about the game is it allows anyone who can hold a controller and keep moving to play and win (and lose).

This one’s a game where the cute factor of those avatars only vaguely mask the title’s dedication to keeping players in a constant state of tension and/or hilarity. You can win a match with a split second remaining and lose the next one in the same manner. That “friendship destroying” element the trailer promises isn’t really a good selling point because the players you’ve beaten are going to not want to quit playing until they get some payback. Continue reading →

My Backlog Is Killing Me (Part XVIII)

Posted on January 30, 2016 by geelw

(thanks, CptNem!)

Yeah, yeah. Barney above is so damn right. I’m in the middle of so many games and films that I’m getting them mixed up with dreams about other games and films in my backlog. As I prefer to beat and like to complete stuff before doing a review, it’s trickier to do when some games have more depth than others. This leads to me saving and bouncing between games looking for those that can be tackled over a few days as opposed to a few weeks or more. Of course, I’m in no hurry to be the first up with a review, but it does lead to some kinks in my schedule when I find myself seeing the sun come up with one eyeball while the other is glued to my monitor or TV. That’s a problem that needs fixing, stat. Cloning is still illegal (allegedly) and expensive, so that’s out. Too much coffee is either a bad thing or the best thing ever according to who writes whatever study of the week on that stuff. Helper monkeys and service animals are really awful at videogames and fall asleep during movies, so they’re of no use to me at all. Okay, cute factor points come into play there.

Eh, I’ll get this all sorted out soon. It’s the middle of winter, my hibernation skills keep trying to kick in and that’s no good when the postman is ringing twice outside. That and this post took up some of my game and film time, gyaaaaaah! Okay, back to work. Sisyphus in the Salt Mines sounds like a nice title for today…

House Shark: Become A Chum, Help This Indie Horror Comedy Get Made

Posted on January 30, 2016 by geelw

House Shark Poster

A killer “B” in the making, House Shark caught my eye (ow!) with its intentionally cornball “Jaws in a house” plot and liberal doses of humor and primarily practical effects work. SRS Cinema and veteran indie director Ron Bonk (there needs to be a cartoon sound effect here) is looking for like-minded horror fanatics to help him fund his latest venture with a mere $15,000 target between those who donate and the completed film. There are 22 days left to get this show on the road (or back on the road), so if you’re a fan of low-budget gore and spirited film making in a jugular vein, you know where you’re clicking next.

(Thanks, SRS CinemaLLC!)

In English: Check out the Indiegogo campaign here and take note that contributing at least $60 to funding will net you (among other rewards) House Shark on one of three formats (VHS, DVD or Blu-Ray), you’ll also get a copy of his upcoming homage to female revenge flicks of the 1970’s, She Kills (that trailer isn’t for the kiddies, folks!). You can also choose to dive into the shallow end of the pool and get less perks or belly flop into the ocean as a high roller and actually be an EXTRA or even one of the film’s producers if you’re willing to travel.

Hmmm… does anyone want to ring up a certain wealthy, wild-haired egomaniac running for office and get him off the trail for a few weeks? Sharking in a house in upstate NY just may be more up his alley than stirring up all those hornet nests all over the place. Better to have him in the real entertainment business than making a “reality” show out of more serious stuff, I say.

Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders Hands-On: “Little Grey Cells” Get A Nice Workout

Posted on January 29, 2016 by geelw

ACABCMURDERS_screen27012016_2

Microids‘ upcoming Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders hits European retail and digital outlets next week for PC (via gog.com or Steam) and US online and retail a few weeks later. Some hands-on time last week with the demo reveals mystery fans will have a fine time indeed playing dapper detective Hercule Poirot as he takes on that clever killer with the alphabet fetish and a talent for leaving clues galore. The demo features Poirot investigating the first murder (a shopkeeper found dead in her tobacco store) using his “little grey cells” in some simple to learn gameplay that should please casual to expert gene fans. Continue reading →

Conan Exiles: “What Is Best In Life?” FunCom Has An Answer For That

Posted on January 28, 2016 by geelw

conanexiles_conan Hmmm. Online only multiplayer games don’t hook me in any more (I prefer my adventuring solo and antisocially unconnected), but Conan Exiles might make me change my mind. Well, provided it can be played offline. FunCom is betting the farm that this announcement and short, glorious teaser trailer can get those who DO play online thrilled and judging from the response from a few friends, their strategy has worked. The game is certainly going to do well among fans finally getting that open world carnage they want with a familiar license drawing them in, but I don’t expect that players will actually get to BE the man himself. Conan the Clone isn’t much of a selling point, but I’m betting my own farm (it’s a tiny one) that the character creation system is fantastic to the point of having too many options for male and female avatars alike.

Those pre-alpha screens above look a bit barren at the moment, but that’s part of the process and both are in no way to be seen as “final” release code. Early Access on Steam will get the dev team hearing from the masses once it’s up and running and should help make for the best Conan experience to date provided the input isn’t all whiners whining and actually coming up with useful suggestions. My only one so far is to make the game work offline like the traditional Elder Scrolls or Grand Theft Auto games, both of which did exceptionally well for years as primarily single player experiences. Granted, the GTA series has had online play over the past two console and PC installments. But I’d bet a shiny new nickel that FunCom will see more people play the game if they have a dedicated story mode added in that works in lore from the books and films. Just running around crafting, hacking and slashing is something many open world games already do and do quite well warts and all. Here’s hoping FunCom manages to take that to a new level of polish as it gets another Conan game ready for its close up.

Hotel Inferno: POV Horror Puts The Fear In Your Face

Posted on January 28, 2016 by geelw

hotel-inferno-NECROSTORM

HOTEL INFERNO 3

Horror fans who haven’t see it yet are going to get a hard kick in the eyeballs with Hotel Inferno, a POV (point of view) shot film from 2013 that puts you in the shoes of a hired killer tacking the job of taking out a number of targets who fins out the job is a lot more sinister than he’s been told. To the moviegoers who avoid the gory stuff, it may not be seen as either a “modern classic” or as memorable as Dark Passage or Lady in the Lake. But I say it’s absolutely worth a watch for the practical effects work, to see where the crazy plot goes, and to find out if it makes you jump out of your seat a few times like a good gore-fest should.

HOTEL-2

Some ickier (and definitely not for the kiddies!) screens are below the jump… if you dare! Continue reading →

Adlens Interface: Buy-Focals for Screen Geeks & Movie Freaks

Posted on January 27, 2016 by geelw

Adlens_Int-Black-View-01bcropped-786x400

If you’re a heavy computer user or TV watcher who suffers for eyestrain or someone looking for an inexpensive adjustable focus eyewear option, you may want to consider Adlens Interface ($49.99) as an option. While they’re not made to replace your current prescription, they’re an excellent choice for light to moderate use if you’re the sort stuck in front of a screen for work or play. I tend to only wear glasses when watching movies from a distance at home or in a theater, so I was curious to see if Adlens would work for my own needs. Let’s just say I was quite pleased when the opportunity arose to check out a pair and see for myself. Okay, two slight puns in a single sentence normally means some sort of sentence from a pun-hating judge, but I think I’ll be forgiven this time.

Anyway, Adlens uses Alvarez Dual Lens Technology with two polycarbonate plates per eye that slide at the twist of a dial located on each side of the plastic frame. Right out of the case all you do is slip the specs on, shut one eye and adjust the lens for the open eye and repeat the process for that previously closed eye. The Interface adjusts between -6 to +3 diopter range on each lens, which should do well for a wide range of users. A week of testing showed that Adlens does quite well at making extended work and play sessions in front of the computer as well as a bit of binge watching a lot more comfortable. Yes, you’ll need to readjust the lenses when you go from about 18 inches or so away from a monitor to a TV a few feet away. But that’s not a bad trade off at all. Besides, you can consider that dial turning some actual exercise if you’re a total couch potato type.

While the glasses are lightweight and comfortable, I could see some users griping that they feel “cheap” because of that all-plastic construction. My only issue is with the dials feeling a bit too loose by default. I suppose if Adlens manufactured them to slowly click each adjustment into place would add a bit to the cost of producing them (and add to the cost of buying a pair). But I’m neither an engineer nor a bean-counter, just a regular guy with a brain full of suggestions (and a site to sometimes post those things on). The nice thing about Adlens is if you just need some go-to temporary specs, they have a few models priced between $30 and $70 all ready to ship.

January’s Retro Pop Box Packs in the 70’s Memories

Posted on January 25, 2016 by geelw

RPB_Jan_2016

Right before that dopey snowstorm landed, I’d gotten a few (okay, a lot of) packages delivered but just now got to opening them up (hey, I was busy moving furniture around for last week’s plastering and painting and was in quite a haze of weariness). So seeing January’s Retro Pop Box peeking out at me from a small stack of packages made me grin somewhat like Mr. Sardonicus after an encounter with a tickle fetish dominatrix. Um, never mind that reference! Anyway, someone at the post office felt it okay to doodle on the box (boo), as my regular carrier was on vacation (Joe always brings my mail right up to the door and doesn’t cram it into the mailbox) and the new guy is a bit goofy because he sometimes puts the wrong mail in a few boxes.

RPB_Jan_2016 b

Inside the box were a nice sticker tribute to David Bowie (who passed away the previous week, so the creator elves were fast on the draw here) and a nice set of 70’s themed items:

RPB Jan 2016 c

Heh. A nice and exclusive RPB T-shirt that references a key scene from 1978’s Animal House will be worn here in a pants optional mode. Hey, when you get older, you tend to like LESS clothing (and not just on the ladies or whatever). DOn’t ask me to explain this – you’ll hopefully live long enough to experience it yourself. I call it *Freedom!* Whee.

RPB Jan 2016 d

The other stuff was a nice hodgepodge of items. That Space Invaders bag will get shouldered for shopping trips (and has already gotten the thumbs up seal of approval at a local game shop), I do need a tiny shark toy and maybe a tinier toy Jet Ski to go into the tiny Happy Days lunchbox (sorry, Fonzie – that’s the first tribute I thought of, aaaaayyyyyyy!), that Doctor Who journal will require a tiny pencil or pen if it’s to last the 500 years noted on that cover, and I’m wearing that Thing button as I type this just because it’s always Clobberin’ Time somewhere in the world and I need to represent.

Anyway, if your own nostalgia meter is spinning, you know what to do, right?

Dungelot: Shattered Lands – A Cuter, Stabbier Minesweeper

Posted on January 25, 2016 by geelw

Dungelot_Screenshot-2015-06-23-19.47.08

Dungelot 0 Another of tinyBuild Games‘ upcoming titles is Dungelot: Shattered Lands from Red Winter, a two man studio based in Russia. Shattered Lands is their third game, but unlike the much maligned Dungelot 2 (which got lots of guff for its micro-transaction heavy gameplay), it’s available on iOS now and coming to Steam later this year as a single player game worth keeping an eye peeled for.

While I’m not a big Minesweeper fan in general, it’s the super cute art style and familiar rogue-like RPG aspects that have my interest piqued. Hey, who doesn’t like loot drops and increasing difficulty? Well, that and it’s got a rather large and unholy cow as a beefy boss that needs to be taken down:

dungelot-shattered-lands-gif Moo! Of course, that means that Cow from Hell above is udderly a female fiend (last time I checked, bulls are udderless), but hey – equality goes as good for evil as it does for good when all is said and done. If that sentence made no sense it’s because I’m still zonked out from the snowstorm we had two days ago. I could use some hot milk right about now, so that bovine behemoth-ess (MOO!) is looking mighty attractive about now.

But I digress. Go pick up the game if you have an iOs whatever to play it on or slap it on your Steam watchlist and go hide in a corner until it appears in that store at some point down the road. Here are some screens to ogle below while I nap through the rest of this post:

Dungelot_1

PSN Flash Sale: Make Your Snow Day More Useful Yet Less Productive

Posted on January 24, 2016 by geelw

PS Flash Sale (Large)

Trapped indoors thanks to all this snow, are we? Well, Eeee-hee-hee! or something like that. I’m actually trapped indoors thanks to a freelance job that needs to be done before pumpkin hour (midnight), so I’ve no to time to play anything (*whine!*). While I wait for another part of the job to float through the ether this way, I figure I may as well post something quick and painless.

Anyway, If you have a PlayStation Network account, you’re not going to be lonely at all. Well, if you’re alone, you’ll still be lonely, but you won’t lack for entertainment options thanks to this latest PSN Flash Sale.

Tons of games and movies (wait, does digital content actually weigh something?), but the list is so long that I’ll only list the PS4, PS3, Vita and PSP games below the jump. If you’re smart you’ll just boogie on over to that link above and burn a small hole in your wallet before the sale is over Monday.
Continue reading →