BUY IT! Neverending Nightmares Gets a Halloween Sale on Steam

Posted on October 30, 2014 by geelw

Shhhh. I’ve got a secret! I actually have yet to PLAY Neverending Nightmares, Matt Gilgenbach’s psychological horror game based on his struggles with mental illness. However, I’ve gotten a few friends to buy the game and all of them have thanked me sarcastically for giving them all some pretty wild nightmares. Of course, my response was “Is that good or bad?” or “But, did you like the game?”. And the answer was always the same “Yeah, but…” followed by descriptions of stuff that happens during the horrific journey into side-scrolling madness. So, yeah, I guess I need to grab this soon over Steam, huh?

My problem is my backlog is SO bloody huge that I’m behind on stuff I need to review and I probably won’t get to this one for a few weeks at best. Well, this 25% off sale is kind of twisting my arms (ouch!),so I better make a decision soon, as I kind of NEED my arm. Um, and the other one, too (ouch!)…

Halloween Bundles Offer Up Tricks and Treats to Keep You Up All Night…

Posted on October 30, 2014 by geelw

If you’ve no plans to venture outside on Halloween or this weekend when the clocks slow down an hour in some parts of the country, here’s an idea: why not grab some cheap games and scare yourself half or more to death without ever leaving the comfort of your own home? Here’s what’s up on a couple of indie game bundle sites for the big day:

The IndieGala Halloween Bundle has nine games up for $3.29 with two surprise games to be revealed next week (take a chance!, take a chance!). Most of the games here are scary, but there’s a goofy puzzle game as well as a very non-scary retro platformer here if you’re a total fraidy cat.

The Humble HalloWeekly Bundle features the usual sliding scale pricing, but I say drop down the $15 just to play Among the Sleep, a nicely unsettling and really beautiful game where you play as a two-year old child. Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly), this one works quite well on a number of levels.

Finally, The Carnage Bundle over at Bundle Stars has a whopping ten games for 2.99 that are guaranteed to creep you out or make you laugh (or both!). Well, that Zombie Bowl-o-Rama game is probably the only intentionally funny game, Warehouse and Logistics Simulator is exactly what it says (and that Hell’s Warehouse DLC would make Sisyphus proud) and Greed: Black Border is more of a RPG in the Diablo vein (with less scares).

Remember, some of what you pay goes right to charities and in this case, giving money to those causes is better than giving BLOOD. Anyway, get to the buying and installing and playing and screaming and dying stuff already!

Marvel Studios Pretty Much Has You Covered on the Superhero Flick Front…

Posted on October 29, 2014 by geelw

Yeah, it’s like that now. Rather than cover that crazy and reveal-packed press conference from yesterday, I’ll just drop dates and let you go get started on the line waiting, day-planning and other activities so you work AROUND these release dates which seem to be set in some sort of mystical stone. Yeah, it’s going to be a really busy five years for all those actors, writers, directors and even busier pre- and post-production teams:

Avengers: Age of Ultron – May 1, 2015

Ant-Man – July 17, 2015

Captain America: Civil War – May 6, 2016

Doctor Strange – November 4, 2016

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 – May 5, 2017

Thor: Ragnarok – July 28, 2017

Black Panther – November 3, 2017

Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 – May 4, 2018

Captain Marvel – July 6, 2018

Inhumans – November 2, 2018

Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 – May 3, 2019

I’m not usually one to zip out to a theater on opening week, as I hate those crowds and their unpredictable antics, sticky seats and the usual screaming child who doesn’t belong there that makes any movie stink. That said, I do like that there’s a plan for all these films to tie in together somehow and be one big arc that takes these characters somewhere. Even if it’s to places I don’t normally venture. Yeah, they’re all still comic book movies, but they’re getting more watchable as time goes on and not less to some extent. I don’t even want to know what that eventual box set of whatever will look like. Then again, I’d say there’s going to be a division in how people get films by then, but no matter what, a segment of those fans WILL want something physical to hold in their hot little hands and pop into a player of some sort…

Film Review: EXTRATERRESTRIAL

Posted on October 29, 2014 by geelw

The Vicious Brothers’ (Colin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz) third film, EXTRATERRESTRIAL is a sci-fi/horror hybrid that takes its cues from plenty of genre films with interestingly mixed results. If you go in expecting something completely original, you may be mildly to moderately disappointed. On the other hand, it’s a fine example of the perfect mindless popcorn flick if you go in blind and let what’s here smack you around during its 106 minute running time.

Yes, it’s formulaic and yes, it’s maybe a few minutes too long thanks to some visual effects overindulgence, slow build-ups to stuff you know will happen and what I like to call a “jump & thump scare” sound mix where loud noises carry fright scenes more than the actors. Warts and all, you can clearly see the Brothers have scads of talent in what they do and how they do it – they just need a bit more polish in the polishing things up department… Continue reading →

Review: Dungeon of the Endless

Posted on October 28, 2014 by geelw

Platform: PC
Developer: Amplitude Studios
Publisher: Reverb Games
# of Players: 1 (Online 1-4)
Release Date: October 28, 2014
ESRB Rating: N/A
Official Site
Score: A (95%)

If you’re one of those people who thinks games have gotten too “casual” these days or you’re just looking for something meaty and stupendously challenging, Dungeon of the Endless would like a word with you before it puts you into a corner and makes you cry for bit. If you haven’t smashed your PC with a sack of hammers, you’ll pick yourself up out of that teary heap, stomp back to your computer and try again with gritted teeth and fresh resolve. Amplitude Studios’ brilliantly designed and gorgeously old-school experience mixes a bunch of genres, takes the developer’s famed 4X gameplay and makes it even more appealing than before. Of course, the game’s masterful design and monstrous difficulty will mean that everyone who plays will suffer load of losses as they attempt to keep their crystal and/or their party in one piece before they can reach that exit. But this one’s a game where you learn from each defeat and each victory deserves a celebration before you move on for more potential pain… Continue reading →

Almost at the Exit! Dungeon of the Endless Review Incoming…

Posted on October 27, 2014 by geelw

Hmmm… I’d already have my Dungeon of the Endless review up and running for the exit like mad, but yesterday’s rather dopey PC woes set me back a bit on a few projects. That review is just about done and should go up tomorrow afternoon. Anyway, I’ll skip keeping you in suspense and suggest you just go BUY the game if you haven’t and have been wondering if it’s any good. It is and then some. I’ll be back tomorrow with a few reasons why you need this rogue-like RTS hybrid in your life. Your brain will certainly thank you for the workout, that’s for sure…

Monday Bundles Make That Mundane Monday All Better…

Posted on October 27, 2014 by geelw

Some scary and not so scary options in this week’s set of bundles. This week’s IndieGala Every Monday Bundle has seven games for $1.89 (nice!), 24 hours until that price goes up.

This week’s Humble Flash Sale is an all-horror themed bundle that will run you a few more bucks for the good stuff, but it’s worth every penny you’ll spend. And you’ll definitely do that spending more than a penny part, I’d say.

Finally, Bundle Stars wants you to learn to like the Kalypso. The Kalypso Games Bundle, that is (oh, I’m SO funny today!). This particular deal will only set you back $3.99 and nets you TEN complete games and 14 DLC packs (yikes), meaning it’s the winner today if you’re into sheer content versus cost. Yes, it’s a shorter than usual post this week, but that’s because I’m in the middle of a review and need to keep it brief. Back in a bit – go get yourselves some games!

Microsoft’s Temporary Xbox One Price Drop is a Tempting Tease…

Posted on October 27, 2014 by geelw

If you were holding off buying that Xbox One because of the price point (despite the recent price cut to $399), Microsoft is making things a lot more tempting. While ACTUAL sales figures for the console (and yes, all other consoles) is a bit tricky to track down, those in the know know that Sony’s PlayStation 4 has sold at least 10 million units worldwide (a solid start, but that also means a lot more millions still own and play games on the PS3, particularly in Japan where the PS3 still outsells the PS4). Both Sony and Microsoft have to deal with one core factor with their new-generation systems in the fact that both the PS4 and Xbox One absolutely require a broadband connection in order to function out of the box if players want to take advantage of any online features… Continue reading →

Review: TRI: Friendship and Madness

Posted on October 26, 2014 by geelw

Platform: PC

Developer: Rat King Games

Publisher: Rising Star Games

# of Players 1

ESRB Rating: N/A

Official Site

Score: A (95%)

It’s very hard to believe two people (Jana Reinhardt and Friedrich Hanisch) programmed the stellar TRI: Friendship and Madness, but that’s what it says on the official site and in the game credits. This family-friendly first person puzzle game plays like a hybrid child of Portal and a very well made Minecraft mod where you soon find the only limitations to solving the increasingly challenging levels are your imagination and sense of exploration. The game starts off small as a simple, somewhat straightforward Point A to Point B “find the keys to clear the level” experience, but once you get to drawing triangular platforms that can send you almost anywhere on a map, the game opens up into pure brain expanding territory.

Despite the often high level of challenge in reaching some really out of the way items, once you get the hang of things, the game is always a joy to play, particularly when you’re making your own route around the expansive and often gravity defying maps that have you moving around at seemingly impossible angles… Continue reading →

Sunday Gives Me Both Barrels, But I’ll Be Quite Alright…

Posted on October 26, 2014 by geelw

(Thanks, John Thomas!)

And how was/is YOUR Sunday? Mine is pretty lousy at the moment, but pretty much everything’s fixable with some time and a bit of money. My home PC decided to flip out and not want to boot up properly, my backup solution isn;t working (thank goodness for the laptop), the connection today is super-slow, I accidentally broke the paper holder on one of the printers here (nothing a little glue can’t fix, but it was a total “DUH!” moment when it happened), my Logitech G15 finally died, I can’t find the driver CD for my gaming mouse, some of the plants I was growing decided to keel over thanks to the temperature changes this past week and I still need to get to that pile of laundry I was supposed to do last week, but kept putting off because of so many games coming in and me needing to get to them. Yaaaaah. There are a few other things going on as well, but those are for me to know and you to not find out.

(Thanks, DreamWorksTV!)

Eh, small world problems, but all happening around the same time makes for a REALLY annoying day. Eh, here’s a little laugh for you while I get back to trying to actually be something resembling “productive” today. Back in a bit…