Review: Demon Lord: Reincarnation(PS4/PS5)

Posted on January 19, 2024 by geelw

“Suffer not a Warlock to live…”

If you love “old school” throwback video games with something of an almost unbeatable edginess, Demon Lord: Reincarnation is going to quickly whip you into submission and perhaps give you an appreciation for relearning a bit of cartography. This game wants you deader than a crate of rusted door nails and is more than willing to oblige especially if you think it’s just another garden variety Wizardry clone (it’s not). Although I’m a big fan of the genre, this was a totally random purchase for me. But that $7.99 (plus tax) made this a pretty solid deal on the PlayStation Store. (the game is also available for Xbox, Switch and PC on their respective sites).

First things first, if you’re going in cold, stop for a few minutes and please READ THE (digital) MANUAL! Yes, it’s 29 pages long. But it’s also important to understand that you’re going to need to break out the graph paper and make your own maps as the dungeon randomizes every time you start a game. You can try NOT making maps, but the extra brain work gives you something to do with your hands before (and while) the game kindly puts your party out of its misery for the umpteenth time. If you’re a ragey type, the random nature of the gameplay might seem a wee bit unfair as the RNG seems to almost always roll in favor of the enemy and you just can’t get a break. Then, something clicks and you manage to survive (most) of a floor intact and your remaining party gains new skills and manages to survive for at least a few minutes longer. You’ll be replacing dead party members with new ones and I think the supply is endless, with new members gaining levels appropriate to the surviving party.

“This is where it all ends…”

Death comes for your team pretty much as soon as you venture downstairs to the first floor and you’re unprepared to the assault about to take place. You’ll stop to check the map you’re (hopefully) carefully making and get jumped. You’ll try and take a quick nap in the game to get your party’s health topped up and get jumped. Basically, almost every time you think you’re safe and it’s quiet, yep, there’s an enemy lurking around waiting to bonk you upside the head. Unfair and often in the most humiliating manner as some of the game will have you laughing as it describes flatulent foes getting in surprise attacks and more. Each floor is quite the challenge, but that Demon Lord has been working out and definitely doesn’t pull any punches (at least he doesn’t pass gas, or didn’t when I fought him!)

The trial and error nature here, plus the plain-looking but very nicely rendered visuals manage to hold interest and the old-school music is pretty nifty for what it is, so I have no complaints on that front. The only thing I’ll say in the game will solely cater to the more masochistic, persistent player that craves the challenge and doesn’t mind a lot of extra work right from the get-go. So, it’s not going to floor the graphics fiends at all and it’s not for every taste. But it does what it does quite well and keeps its focus all the way through, which gets a thumbs up from me.

Recommended, but you’re in for quite a hard time…

-GW

Some Things You Might Have Missed (Games Division, Part 1)

Posted on December 14, 2023 by geelw

Question:

1: How many video games are released in an average year these days?

THOUSANDS.

You read that right, pals. There are games released on every platform pretty much every day of the week (which is what wish lists are for) and yes, it’s just overwhelming beyond belief when you realize some days all you want is for time to slow down just so you can play and complete more games (well, that’s just me). In any event, here’s a very short list of a few titles that kept or are still keeping me occupied in 2023:

Marvel’s Midnight Suns (PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox Series S/X)- This took a while to get to, but I’m glad I finally decided to take the plunge. Admittedly, the whole licensed costume hero genre has played itself out, but once in a while, some developer gets it right and in a surprisingly well-done manner. Firaxis Games (Civilization XI, among other great titles) made a fun turn-based tactical game that got somewhat ignored at retail, but is worth a look just for the things it does somewhat excellently. It’s not for everyone, but I’m betting that people that don’t normally play these types of games will be surprised when they try it and see how well it all works together.

Wanted: Dead (PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox Series S/X)- Basically, this is the Binary Domain of PS4/PS5 releases, and if you’re grinning at that reference, good. This somewhat gory M-rated squad-based action game from developer Soleil has its quirks (lots of them), but it’s also a chunk of awesome, surreal fun once you roll with it and just play what’s here. The game feels like one of those funky PS2 titles like X-Squad, or a team-based State of Emergency mixed with goofy but awesome PS1 games such as Crisis Beat or Crisis City where more modern-ish Unreal 4 rendering techniques outstrip the core gameplay, which has loads of complexity under the hood once you discover it. Controls can be a bit wonky and death comes almost too easily in spots, but I’m having a blast with this one so far. Granted, this more of a “cult classic”, but if you want a game that’s surprisingly deep and equally insane, here you go.

Don’t forget to tip your server…

That and the game may actually get you to gain a few extra pounds this holiday season:

Hungry like the wolf…

Frog Detective: The Entire Mystery (PC, Consoles!)

OK, so you’re a frog with a magnifying glass, a sticker covered notebook AND a 2nd best detective of questionable quality (but, somehow always able to solve every case you get for reasons). Anyway, this compilation of all three adventures makes for a great gift for kids as well as adults looking for a no-stress, non violent way to spend an hour or two (or longer if you get into part three’s scooter riding sections and lose track of time (oops).

For all its simplicity, this is one of the the purest and most enjoyable titles of the year in my book. (Just don’t tell Lobster Cop).

Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi (PC, PS4/PS5, Switch)

There’s no school like the old, OLD school…

Yes, it came out, what? Two years ago, but it’s never left my play stack in all that time. Developers Experience, Inc and Poppy Works have cooked up a hefty throwback to the classic Wizardry games with a 1979 Japan setting with a few twists to the formula that keep things fresh. While it can get incredibly tough at times, there’s always the feeling of “Just one more floor” as you navigate the labyrinth and all its various hazards. While I wish the character creation was a lot deeper, there are enough options to form the perfect party and the plot has more than enough twists and turns to keep you entertained. I’ve been taking my time with this because it’s so well made, yet so familiar…

Sword of the Vagrant (PC/PS4/PS5/Xbox Series S/X, Switch)

Let’s give the lady a hand…

Sure, the PC version came out in 2017, but I’d never heard of this game until earlier this year when a friend suggested I give it a shot. Yup, it hits almost every mark right from the start and even at a discount, comes highly recommended. Taking cues from Vanillaware’s classics as well as other side-scrolling RPG’s. there’s a pick up and play sensibility at work here along with pretty hand-crafted visuals you can pore over in the included digital artbook before you even start the game. It’s not 100 percent flawless, but it’s pretty much all enjoyable.

Alright, Let’s put a bow on this one and go post it. I’m going to go watch a movie and (of course) play a game after, but I’ll be back with another list shortly. It’s been a busy year and I may as well do this again (or more frequently).

-GW

Slight Change of Plans (Slight Return)

Posted on December 13, 2023 by geelw

Snacks not included…

Hey, you know that stack of Severin Films DVD’s* I have here to give to some cinematically deprived soul out there? Yup, they’re still here, all boxed up and ready to go get shipped out anywhere in the US. Instead of picking a subscriber from a list, we’re changing that to whoever (and yes, you still have to live in the US!) replies to this post and is willing to let me be that not so Secret Santa who might have had a few too many Egg Nogs. Anyway, I have to go out for a few hours and will return later this afternoon, so you know what to do (I hope!)

*Note: there’s at least one Blu-Ray in the stack, Maybe Santa will slip up and add another? Who knows?

-GW

Win Free Stuff (Or Else!)

Posted on December 4, 2023 by geelw

Alrighty, I haven’t done a giveaway in a LONG while, but I was going through a huge pile of movies here and found a stack of sealed duplicates that I picked up from a Severin Films sale last year when they were clearing out their DVD section, so I ended up with a dozen or so extras. Anyway, I like surprising people at random, so yep, I’m going to gift ONE lucky reader with these discs and that person has to do nothing but wait for the box to arrive. Of course, there’s a catch or two:

One, you have to be a subscriber to the blog. Two, you need to be a US resident. Sorry about that last part, but it’s far easier and a lot less expensive to just ship a box of movies almost anywhere in the US than to deal with customs forms and the package being delayed, opened and inspected by overzealous types out there.

No, YOU’RE throwing your back out dancing around the room to this!

SO, what IS inside the box, you ask? Well, let’s just say it’s a mix of genres and leave it at that. I think there’s one kid friendly film on the mix, a few horror films, a trailer collection and other strange stuff. Everything seems to be out of production from the distributor or rights have changed hands, so jump into the pool, if you’re able to. I’ll randomly pick someone off my subscriber list and shoot an email out to that person asking if they want the movies (say yes, please) and I’ll ship out your box around the end of the week. OR, you can reply in the comments without giving out personal info and if you’re chosen, we can work out the details via email. NO, I won’t sell your info to some shady company or send you those Sea Monkeys you ordered back when you were a kid. I guess it’s just me trying to be more human than “social” or something. An experiment, if you will. Humor me and be rewarded in the process. Good luck!

“You know what a love letter is?”

Random Film of the Week (The Return!): The Terrornauts

Posted on November 30, 2023 by geelw

More bland than bad, but still…

When a little film called Star Wars was released back in 1977, I was one of a seeming minority who didn’t go rush out to see it. Not that I didn’t want to, mind you. There were assorted issues and I was out of the loop for a bit in my movie viewing. It wasn’t until summer 1978 when a friend of the family popped by to ask if I was interested in going to see the film, which of course, I agreed to. We arrived to the theater late, walking in on the scene where Luke and his Uncle Ben are buying C-3PO and R2-D2, so that was disappointing. But we agreed to watch the film a second time and sat through the second part of the double feature, a rather unusual science fiction film from 10 years earlier called The Terrornauts. I’m guessing that whomever picked this as a good film to show with Star Wars had never seen either movie or just thought “well, it’s also a space flick sooooo…” (or something like that). Seeing movies in Times Square was very often bizarre like that, from what I understand and recall from a few odd occasions.

Anyway, the plot: a small team of scientists working for Star Talk, a UK-based organization dedicated to tracking signals from outer space in order to find life on distant planets, get a lot more than they bargained for when not only do they get that signal, aliens decide to yank their entire facility off the Earth and deliver it to their planet where there’s an interplanetary war about to take place. Guess who gets to stop that war with more war in the lowest budget manner (we’re talking Woolworth shower caps as a costuming option, folks). Yes, we sat through this flick just to see the other one and yes, when I told friends at school, they all laughed at me for seeing Star Wars over a year late.

The more amusing thing was around a year later, The Terrornauts started popping up semi-frequently on local TV, so I was able to introduce it to some new friends and yes, we hated it, but found plenty of amusement at the visual effects and general cheesiness of the film. At least they got in a shot that’s replicated almost exactly on the film’s poster art. On the other hand this wasn’t an interstellar epic like Star Wars or even a This Island Earth on a less than shoestring budget.There are plenty of good intentions here, it’s just that the execution is somewhat off the mark.

While the film is far from Amicus Productions better known films, it has it’s share of fans out there who grew up watching this on television, so nostalgia wins here. However, it’s pretty much forgotten these days, as it isn’t legally available on disc and the digital version isn’t 100 percent flawless when you can find it online. I also had the luxury back in the day to read the book the film is based on, Murray Leinster’s 1960 novel The Wailing Asteroid, which is a “hard” science fiction tale much more suited to a film with a much more robust budget. The goofy bit here is Murray Leinster is the name of the ship at the beginning of the 1978 film Starcrash, which I saw shortly after it’s release (on Times Square, of course). Yes, I’ll have to get to that film again one day in review form, but not for a while, as it’s so mind numbing and silly in a like-ably weird manner.

Anyway, this post is part of The Hammer-Amicus Blogathon IV, hosted by Barry over at Cinematic Catharsis and Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews. I’m posting a few days early due to a few previous commitments, but make sure to pop on over to get a peek at the other posts. As for me? Well, I’ll be back sooner that later- it says so on my contract!

-GW

Early to Bed…

Posted on November 26, 2023 by geelw

So, my post for the blogathon below is all done and scheduled, but WordPress weirdness mucked up the header I wanted to use and you all just have to wait until the end of the week so I can yell at the sky and attempt to re-edit the piece. (Some of you know how this goes, I hope.)- I’m taking a few days off to sort out some health issues, but I’ll pop in and throw a few sentences together just to liven the place up a bit. Have a great week or just a good one, for that matter.

-GW

It’s Halloween (Part Three(eek!)

Posted on October 30, 2023 by geelw

Ever have one of THOSE days?

Yes, I’m still here, folks. Just a bit too occupied with real life these days. Now, where were we? So, The really funny thing is, I actually found some folks to give my most awful candy to and it was quite by accident. Previously, what you got was a total surprise and I’m sure kids got what they wanted more often than not while most of the adults who picked out their own treats seemed pleased, although on a few occasions, some parental units actually asked for the “worst” candy I had because they had a kid that had misbehaved in some way and they wanted to prove that The Great Pumpkin was cut from the same fictional cloth as Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny or whomever. I had previously made a separate bucket for the oddball candy and usually had enough to hand out later in the evening, but one year, an elderly gentlemen popped up beside me and asked if I had any Circus Peanuts (oog) because he and his brother loved them back in the day, but his strict parents despised Halloween and wouldn’t let them go celebrate the holiday for whatever reason.

“Sometimes, you feel like a nut…”

Sometimes, a little sugar therapy goes a long way and when I told the old man that not only did I have a bunch of sealed bags of Circus Peanuts, he was welcome to as many as he wanted, he surprised me by rooting carefully through the buckets and grabbing all of the pesky peanuts, stopping every few seconds to ask me if it was OK that he was taking them. “Sure!” was my response, as I knew I’d have issues getting rid of all those so-called “peanuts” when trick or treaters would come around later in the evening. Yes, I did mention to him to go easy with all that candy, and while he cheerfully munched on a handful, he smiled and said “It’s a good thing these last forever!” and “You know, these aren’t bad STALE!” which made me gag a little, I’ll admit. The next year. I remembered to deliberately by two of three bags just for him and he was too happy that I remembered and even the Security guards didn’t mind if there was a Halloween or two with bad weather and I left a few bags in the security booth for him to pick up later. One year, I recall telling him I had a few sealed bags of candy corn left and he laughed and said “What am I supposed to do with that?” My personal (and yes, snarky) recommendation was to make some sort of “fancy” holiday candy “salad” and share it with friends, but I already have enough trouble with friends who actually follow my often bad advice, let alone nice strangers who I’ve recently met.

I’ve only been egged once while handing out treats, and it was thanks to some Catholic school punks (it’s always the “good” kids, right?), but I was more annoyed at having to rush home, take a quick shower and change than getting overly upset at some teens having a bit of stupid fun. That said, the perks of this gifty gig have outweighed the few bad spots. On a few occasions, people have surprised me with their generosity. I still recall all those free cups of coffee from the diner across the street from the park and the server from the diner who’d show up in costume and joke around with us before or after her shift. One year she was dressed as Flo from the old TV show Alice, one year she was a somewhat spectacular Bride of Frankenstein (her daughter did a great job on her hair and makeup) and she really got into the spirit of the season with her other costumes. As most of her customers were older residents, she’d sometimes take requests and dress as characters from old films or TV shows, sometimes with costume changes mid-shift. One chilly Halloween, she popped over to drop off a few orders of pumpkin pancakes with bacon (they were awesome).

You never know who you might meet…

This may be the last year I’ll be able to do this, given the current world situation (Where’s that damn asteroid? It’s a bit late, you know?). But I’ll be my normally sunny self until that day comes or I decide it’s a good year to go on an actual vacation. My doctor made me laugh a few weeks ago when he said his own kids noted he’s in his YOLO phase about a few things. Yeah, me too (sound of bones creaking and other old coot stuff)… Happy Halloween!

That sound was my back going out.

-GW

It’s Halloween (Part One)

Posted on September 21, 2023 by geelw

Even with all my current health issues, my favorite holiday is coming up and I’m very likely going to to once again take part in an annual Halloween candy giveaway. A few residents have been doing this for about a dozen years (some for much longer) and it’s always rewarding to see those smiling kids, some of whom have popped up over later years as teenagers and young adults to grab a bag or two of treats (or a few bags of treats). Meeting all those parents over the years has also been rewarding as I’ve found a whole lot of parents who like not having to take their kids again out unless it’s to a Halloween party they’ve been invited to later. (but not too late).

More like before midnight, honestly.

One early October morning in 2012, I went to the management office and inquired about handing out candy to kids in the complex. There was yes, a full background check.They also checked my state and city ID and address to see if I was a resident here. The process took about a half hour or so but it gave some of the staff something else to do other than whatever other tasks they did. Then, a security officer went over a few basic ground rules with me. I had to be inside the Oval area (an outdoor oval-shaped park open to residents), sit on a bench near the security booth, stand near the booth or both (the security guards were more or less protecting me from any rowdy antics). I was told not everyone celebrates the holiday and to be respectful and don’t “force” fun or candy on anyone if they refuse. I also had to let security search the candy I was giving out and it all had to be sealed. They also wanted to see what I intended to wear on that day. If the mask and/or costume were deemed too frightening, I’d need to have a backup handy.

I got a rock (and a roll- that’s a sandwich, right?)

The next day, I did some shopping. The first stop was Deal$, which is now a Dollar Tree ($1.25 Tree, actually), where I bought $40 worth of bagged mixed and wrapped Halloween candy and a few $1 Halloween masks, which were simple pull over the head masks with mesh faces. I bought three with skeleton faces. three with Ghostface inspired images and four cuter cartoony masks, just in case. Then I went down the street to a small thrift store and bought a few irregular orange sweatshirts (3 for $5). The shirts, I found out later just needed to be laundered and were “irregular” only because they were labeled incorrectly by the manufacturer.

Got milk?

To store the candy, I found a great deal in Summer 2011. A local hardware store had a special on what they called “DIY” Halloween buckets, which were large orange buckets, some of which were unpainted or were misprinted on one side. “How much for a bucket?” I asked. “Tell you what” the clerk said. “it’s a slow day. so buy $10 worth of stuff and I’ll thrown in two buckets for free”. That was too hard too pass up, so I asked if the store had cloth tape in orange (I needed two rolls) and some black enamel paint. The clerk (he was actually the shop owner) pulled a drawer open and and picked two rolls of orange tape out, then from behind the counter, he produced a medium sized can of black enamel paint. “Just opened this yesterday. My son painted that sign.” He pointed at a sign for the buckets. It was $11 for the tape and paint but the owner added four more buckets for a buck each. He rang me up, then wrote me a receipt on a small pad and tore off a copy, placing it, the tape and the can of paint in one of the stacked buckets. “Thanks for the business” he nodded and flashed a wide smile as I nodded back and left the shop. There was still a lot of work ahead for me…

(To be continued…)

-GW

Ruh-Roh!

Mind Races, Chapter 228

Posted on June 29, 2023 by geelw

OK, we’re still here, smoky acrid skies and all. (coughs. Thanks, Canada!) Some thoughts on the current scribbly situation along with other randomly generated ramblings:

Yes, we’ll continue to blog, albeit at a less than rapid clip than I’d prefer. The effect of pair of strokes I had a few years back have jumped up to remind me the writing process can be extremely daunting, especially when speed and quality are the issues. I have to constantly check my work, go back and edit, then reread everything before hitting that publish button or else you’d all be asking for an English translation into English or begging for me to start posting in Semaphore or Braille. Yes this takes a while to do and I hate it, but trying to rebuild a skill set is supposed to be a constant battle (at least in terms of the writer acquiring an honest, original “voice” in which to write in). Or something like that. Learning should always challenge.

That 10-yard stare makes for a common sight.

I’m also planning to reestablish connections with certain PR firms that I’ve previously dealt with (Hi there (again!) in order to receive (or get back to receiving) products to review. For a while, I was strictly purchasing products I reviewed or meant to review. But that’s gotten to be fairly expensive over the years, as I believe the “best” way to properly evaluate something is to actually pay for it while also pointing out its positive and negative aspects in a fair, unbiased (or biased in some cases) manner. “Biased”, of course, in that I’m a fan of some entertainment genres that don’t get the proper respect by too many very well-paid, freebie-loving “influencers” and “journalists” these days and I’d love to do my small part in helping raise a more positive impression of these genres. Tall order, especially in this giveaway friendly age. But it’s something I like to do as much as I can, while I still can. Granted, the current landscape is rife with those aforementioned (and extremely wealthy in many cases) types who expound on all sorts on products via a current format where some are paid to review and/or gift stuff from assorted sponsors, easily raking in hundreds to millions of fans who often rely on opinions of always raised voices and shock-tainted performances a more than actual facts. Personally, I’ve never been paid to review anything (although, a PR firm sent me a $50 Gamestop card after I’d posted a favorable review, which, by the way, had NO effect in my impressions). No one has ever told me they’d pay directly for a positive review, However, I have been asked a few times how much I’d charge to review something, or asked to review particular products primarily for some sort of payout and long term gain as other products to arrive later, but still haven’t taken that more lucrative bait.

SO Predictable (for me, at least!)

Of course, this makes me the absolutely dumbest person alive on a few fronts. But one has to have principles and mine are simple to a fault. Laugh if you must- I’ll wait. (Cue 1960’s era laugh track).

That said, I keep reading that ALL games/media writers are somewhat corrupt or in on the payola game and they all can be bought with games, movies and other free media. I suppose I’m making a point and a difference here, But someone has to reign it in at some point as it’s just making proper critical evaluation quite the dying art these days. Call me crazy, but some of the old ways and days need to make a return, purely for sanity’s sake. But that’s just me. I guess.

(to be continued)

-GW

It’s A Bullhorn, Butthorn! (& Other Possible Probabilities)

Posted on May 28, 2023 by geelw

Yes, I’m still here!

Oh, Hi.

No, this isn’t written from the great beyond (note the date, please). I’ve just been a bit (way, no, really, WAAAAAAAAAY) too occupied, is all. I’m sure you all know the drill these days. Life, being the completely unlicensed steamroller driver it is, runs you over, then backs it up, flashing lights and all, to finish the job. Which it then repeats, no matter which street you’ve decided to cross the next day. I’ve learned to mentally carry a few hastily scribbled cartoon sound effects around for such emergencies, but it seems if if every day. SOMETHING is happening to SOMEONE and it’s less likely to be good (or even good-adjacent) news.

To add to that, all that extra baggage can (and will, trust me) lead one to be all that more under-prepared for those times when the mental load needs a required respite from the other 23.9 hours of lousy news one receives when using “social” media these days. “Socially diseased” is more like it (zing!). On one hand, all one supposes is that all one needs to do is constantly “think positively” and/or just be around to angelically post endless inspirational/motivational platitudes to combat all that negativity. Which more than likely on the other hand, just won’t work realistically with most people living online in their separate, but still shared with too many who desire you stay as miserable as they are individuals and groups. Cue segue, please? (taps fast forward button).

You KNOW you’ve had those moments…

I remember quite a long while back, my mother rolling out some sage commentary that went as follows: “Just because something is popular, doesn’t mean it’s good”. Now, if I recall, she was talking about one of my favorite TV shows at the time and I was feeling a little bit personally insulted by this at the time, as you can imagine. But I soon realized this was a healthy discourse and the internet wasn’t around to convince me otherwise. No moral here, other than wisely take a little break from things before they get too far out of hand and outside of your control. No one will miss you (much) and you get to return when you like and feel somewhat more refreshed. OK. maybe some rinsing and repeating in involved, but as they say, a mind is a terrible thing to waste. Back later with more but less moralizing on this end- I almost forgot I even had a blog for a minute until the renewal notice popped up via my inbox!

-GW