So yeah. I only planned to give that Lost Reavers beta a try for oh, about an hour or two. I got online at noon (after a few attempts at logging in after midnight failed because the beta wasn’t ready for its close up), and the next thing I know it was 6:47 and anything else I had planned earlier was toast. More in-depth impressions to come tomorrow. It’s fun and really easy to get into but REALLY needs an offline solo and up to 4-player co-op mode so even MORE people can play it.
Back in a bit. My eyeballs need a break, I’m at level 16 and there’s a big, bad boss that needs to be dealt with (later this evening, perhaps?)
If any game was a perfect example of “screenshots do NOT do this game justice!” it would be Lobo With Shotguns, coming sometime this year from talented indie developers Fat Panda Games Studio. Based in Yucatán, Mexico, the team has infused their upcoming non-stop action-packed game with a seriously awesome retro look that recalls 60’s and 70’s comic books as well as classic arcade game series such as Final Fight, Double Dragon, Streets of Rage, and even bits of Splatterhouse.
Hush, now about that icky grain in this screen. See the trailer below for what’s up with that…
As soon as I saw the screens and spectacular trailer, I think I let out a squeal that sounded like a car skidding on a wet highway then through a guard rail and off a cliff (BOOM!). Memories of the old Marvel Super Heroes cartoons from their 1970’s run on WPIX here in NY punched me in the head until I stopped laughing because I’d forgotten to breathe. I also got a whiff of ancient Mexican horror/hero movies at work here, but it’s not as obvious an influence. That said, if anyone was to do a series of side-scrolling Lucha games featuring the legendary Sancho character, I’d choose this team based on what’s here.
Excalibur Publishing is stretching its wings onto the Vita with this wacky arcade-like shooter for the PlayStation Vita. Laser Disco Defenders is coming soon-ish from developer Out of Bounds Games and it looks (and sounds) like an instant indie classic. Check out the teaser trailer below:
As this post on the PlayStation Blog notes, Procedural maps, quirky characters to customize with assorted accessories and plenty of “Pew-Pew-Pew!” action make this one a nice surprise on a handheld that needs more of them. I’m hoping it ships with the ability to import tunes as I can see someone out there uploading a certain film soundtrack or at least ONE particular track from that film soundtrack. Hey, I didn’t say I’d be the one adding that tune… then again, who doesn’t like a little Fever when the right moment comes, right?
As a longtime fan of Zen Pinball 2’s creative digital tables, I’m always surprised when I see a new board that tops what I thought was their best work. This brief teaser for the upcoming Aliens vs. Pinball: Aliens Pinball made me grin way too much (in a good way) because it looks as if it’ll be a fun skill shot paradise for silver ball fanatics.
And yes, that art above, logo to the left and screenshots below reveal the other two tables in the pack. Alien Isolation was a terrifying game in its own right, but I’m betting the pinball version will be somewhat less scary (but still a blast to play) just because Zen makes its tables for a wider age range. As for that AvP table? It should be a lot better than the films (sorry, Fox!) if it avoids them entirely and is closer to what the old Dark Horse comics were.
As usual, we shall see soon enough. Aliens vs. Pinball will be out April 26, 2016 (ALIEN Day!) for PS4, PS3, Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Steam, Windows 10, Mac, as well as in-app purchases for Zen Pinball and as a standalone app on iOS and Android devices.
Score: A (90%)
If you’re one who normally plays games on a smaller screen laptop or monitor, ADR1FT is most likely going to make you want a bigger screen as soon as possible. Of course, I’m saying this as someone whose first introduction to the experience was back when it was running on another engine and 505 Games premiered an early console and PC VR demo in a movie theater where on the big screen the scope was quite impressive indeed. That scale is far more thrilling with the complete overhaul/upgrade to the Unreal 4 Engine, but it works best on the biggest display you can get even if it means popping over to a friend’s place to show off the finished product.
Forget the “walking simulator” labels the game is getting from the limited vocabulary crowd, throw out your science degrees or overly critical eye for complete accuracy (it’s a videogame, NOT a NASA sim), strap yourself in and prepare for a quietly wild ride. ADR1FT is less of a straight adventure game and more of a deliberately paced and tension filled trip into space where survival is key if only to discover how it all ends. The game works as both a visual treat for the eyes as well as a great example of the promise of virtual reality as a viable entertainment option (provided you currently own or plan to buy one of the VR headsets being hard marketed this year).
While there will be only three Arrow Video releases for May 2016 from MVD Entertainment Group, all should please fans of their respective genres. I’m all over this trio like a cheap suit on sale to a broke guy looking for work:
Nico Mastorakis’ and Peter Rader’s 1990 film Hired to Kill (MSRP: $39.95, May 17) was and is a total hoot. Between the wild action scenes and the awesome cast that includes Oliver Reed, George Kennedy, and Brian Thompson, this mid-budget “B” features Thompson as a merc posing as a fashion designer sent in to bump off an evil dictator type with the help of seven female assassins (posing as models of course!). Yep, it’s as silly as it sounds and double yep, Mastorakis makes it work well in his inimitable style. Bullets, bombs and bikinis all blazing in a 1990’s manner? Sign me up!
Bonus Materials
Brand new 2K restoration of the film, approved by writer-director Nico Mastorakis
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
Original Stereo audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray)
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Audio Commentary with editor Barry Zetlin
Hired to Direct – a brand new interview with director Nico Mastorakis on the making of Hired to Kill
Undercover Mercenary – a brand new interview with star Brian Thompson
Original Theatrical Trailer
Stills Gallery
Original Screenplay, entitled Freedom or Death (BD/DVD-ROM Content)
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys
Fully-illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by critic James Oliver
While I’m not at all a “competitive” gamer or a huge fan of online-only gaming, every one in a while I’ll get something cool to peruse in my inbox that makes me stop and click away on a few links. Counterplay Games’ DUELYST not only got me to click away on a few links, I actually signed up to check out the beta of this free to play card battle/strategy game and came away pretty impressed. Given that lack of time is a big factor in getting me to even look a most online games, DUELYST grabbed me right away with its gorgeous pixel art style and short matches that take around 5 to 10 minutes to play.
Once you create an account, the game recommends you dive into a three stage tutorial in order to learn the basics. This is great advice to follow as the game takes off the training wheels should you choose to hop into it feet first. As with any good turn-based strategy game with card battles, positioning is crucial as is having the proper cards. Early solo play pits you against each faction and defeating them unlocks them and their cards. This gets you a nice starter deck as well as lets you choose which group to join. That said, the AI is pretty fierce. Expect to have your rear end passed back to you a few times when the AI outplays you or you run out of good cards because you haven’t built up a nicer deck. Continue reading →
Octopus Tree is a brand new publisher with a couple of really impressive looking upcoming titles. The one that jumped out and bit me the hardest (ouch!) was Whalebox Studio’s Goliath, an action/adventure RPG coming to Steam on May 12 for $19.99 where you build robots and take them out for some quality time in order to meet other like-minded robots and other big beasts with the intention of nicely or not so nicely knocking the stuffing out of them.
But don’t let me let you think I’m pulling your leg here. I don’t know you all THAT well and heck, I’d ASK first before I pulled anything on you even if you wanted me to (but I avoid fingers for obvious reasons). Ahem. Any-way… just watch that trailer above then go click below the jump and peek at part of the press release. Hey, I’m trying to finish up another writing gig here and I’ve a meeting in about ten minutes, so our “me” time today is somewhat limited… Continue reading →
If your day wasn’t or isn’t weird enough…it’s surely about to get its daily dose of the truly bizarre. Note: this video may cause you to want to go have a drink… of SODA!
Admittedly, I initially had no idea what to make of the infamous Soda Drinker Pro other than to say I played it about a year and a half or so ago for about two hours and I had no idea how to write about it. Was it a commentary on the indie game scene and how any idea that could get made got made? Was it a genuine attempt by a novice developer to get his offbeat game some free media coverage in this age of everyone online being some sort of critic just because they have opinions and easy computer access? Was it a bad dream after too much cold pizza and stale coffee?
After playing that two hours, I’ll admit that my brain was out of things to say back then. So nothing was said and the game seemingly vanished for a while. Actually, it didn’t “vanish” at all. It got tweaked with Oculus Rift support(!) and you can buy a DRM-free download code for the PC version for $4.99 from the official site if you’re brave and curious with five bucks in your hand you want to pass through your monitor to developer Will Brierly.
As you’ve more than likely guessed from that title… Soda Drinker Pro is BACK. As in it’s coming to XBox One and PC on April 14th with the rather intriguing and somehow far weirder platform game Vivian Clark as a bonus. As you can see, that game looks as if Salvador Dali moved into Pee-Wee’s Playhouse and had lots of babies with a spaceship full of willing extraterrestrials:
Or in proper English, I think I may need to play this at some point. You may need to as well if your eyes and brain survived up to this point. Just keep an eye peeled wherever games appear in your area in about a week or so.
Idea Factory, Compile Heart and seemingly ever busy Onechanbara developer Tamsoft team up once again to bring you what’s looking like another fun chase & chop experience set in the multi-game Hyperdimension Neptunia universe. Now, I missed out on Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed last year thanks to a stupidly busy backlog and me not paying attention to a bunch of games I should have played. But there’s no way I’m going to pass up this *new* guaranteed guilty pleasure called MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies.
Set to hit the Vita April 26 (North America) and April 29 (Europe), the game will feature 1-4 player action, a cast of cute gals versus not so cute undead and plenty of unlockable customization options. Continue reading →
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 