OK, I only vaguely recall Mike Pondsmith and his pen & paper role-playing game Cyberpunk 2020 from a few friends who raved about it back in the day (and I think an old magazine ad or two), so I was initially hoping CD Projekt RED would be changing the rather generic sounding name of their current work in progress, Cyberpunk 2077. Now that I see what’s what, they can not only keep the name and release all the cool-looking non-gameplay CG trailers they want, hell, they can go and make this back into a board game if they want and I’ll still buy it. Granted, we can expect a lot more from the folks who brought The Witcher to life in two fantastically deep mature-rated PC RPGs (yeah, go play them if you haven’t), so fasten your seat belts and expect a wild ride as more info and eventually gameplay footage starts popping up in a few…
Holy Cats. I hadn’t expected the last Wii RPG on the list of the final three major ones fans have been clamoring for to ever get the OK for a US localization, but Xseed Games comes through yet again thanks to the successes of Mistwalkers stunning epic, The Last Story as well as Nintendo having a hit with the very well received Monolith game Xenoblade Chronicles in 2012. Anyway, color me thrilled to see one more (and one final) Wii RPG coming out. Gambarion’s gorgeous Pandora’s Tower seems to be the fastest-paced and most action oriented of the three games with time being a factor in terms of what sort of ending players will reach. Granted, this also looks to be a game that bets on players going through it many times to see everything it has to offer (which is absolutely fine with me)…
As good as this news is, I’m hoping we get to see one final Wii game headed stateside. While it’s not a JRPG, the Sandlot-developed all-out action game Zangeki no Reginleiv is BEGGING for a US localization. Yeah, yeah, Nintendo published it in Japan and ignored an English translation so Xseed will need to convince them that the game is indeed worthy of a plane trip west. I say if they poll their fan base and get the proper response, it’s entirely possible that we get one final Wii hit. Unless Sandlot is quietly working on a Wii U update in HD (which would be even better because they can fix a few technical issues the original game has and perhaps add GamePad support so two players can have at it with or without split screen). Anyway, go pre-order PT from GameStop or Amazon (both sites list a March 26, 2013 release date, which is coming sooner than you think) if you’re dancing around the room because of the news.
Oh, I should have done this one a while back as a RFoTW, but I kept hoping SOME smart cable station would show it again because I haven’t seen it in ages. That hasn’t happened, but there was a DVD release back in 2009 from Warner Bros., meaning you too can snap this up and check it out legally at some point. Sure, this 1957 flick has a hilarious looking tree monster (once you see that Tobanga, you’ll have it stuck in your head for a few days), a plot chock full of wormy holes and you can’t say those natives are anything resembling realistic.
Nevertheless, the film works in it’s own weird way as a sort of remake of Universal’s classic The Mummy, only in a quasi-Polynesian setting with an unstoppable wooden fiend as the monster to be feared. As for actual scares, there are a few here and there and as a kid, I think I laughed a lot at/with it only after I saw the film once or twice and realized it just wasn’t that frightening. Of course, most modern folks will be doubled over laughing at all that’s on display, but I guess it’s better than beating oneself on the head with a real tree branch after one too many hits off a pipe full of funny smelling dried leaves, right?
Anyway, I’m not sure if this flick helped inspire the Swamp Thing or Man-Thing at all, but it’s not hard to see that stiff tree thing being accepted into the Parliament of Trees based on his looks and mythology, getting piss drunk off his wooden ass at the bar there and getting kicked out later for peeing in the bushes. Anyway, someone REALLY on the ball needs to start preserving/restoring these old horror and sci-fi gems so they can be aired on a rotating basis. As in on a REAL horror/sci-fi channel run by genre fans, not a corporation that shoves out the same old crap reruns and lousy made for TV movies that are intentionally awful because they “think” they know what fans want.
Excellent news and even better, there’s a demo dropping on the eShop on February 21. Of course, you’re SOL if your Wii U isn’t being used online, so let’s hope Capcom cooks up some actual demo DISCS for those gamers who want to try this out. They did this with Monster Hunter 3 on the Wii (which was one of a very few Wii games that actually got a demo disc). Given that this series has gotten a few titles yet to be released in the US, the most dedicated US fans of Capcom’s long-running Monster Hunter franchise who can’t afford to buy all those consoles (or are willing to learn Japanese) are probably some of the most frustrated gamers out there. Granted, the game may be huge in Japan (they’ve gotten custom MH-themed consoles), but it’s still more of a niche title here thanks to the somewhat complex control scheme that’s guaranteed to fluster newbies right out of diving in for extended play sessions.
Me, I love the game world and humor and art direction, but I’m old (*creak*, *groan*)and like my action games a bit less timed and a bit more free roaming. Still, MH3U has that gravity pull thing going for it where once you’re hooked, you’ll keep forging ahead until you get it done. I’d LOVE to see Capcom actually bring Dragon’s Dogma to the Wii U at some point (even though it looks as if that won’t happen) simply because that game had the feel of a Monster Hunter game with a lot more going for it in terms of openness and overall setting. That and outdoor areas aren’t broken up into separate “rooms” with load screens between them…
I still haven’t decided to buy this one yet thanks to me not having enough time to dive back into another lovely new JRPG that’s going to eat up too much free time and well, me just being on the outs with the super-kawaii stuff for the time being (don’t worry, my time away from the genre won’t last more than a few months). Of course, watching the trailer made me almost change my mind, so perhaps that was a bad idea (for me and a good thing for NISA’s online shop if I decide to order a copy). And nope, Ni no Kuni doesn’t count as part of this category – that one was a must buy and play from the moment I found out it was getting a US localization…
You’d think the dev team at Visceral Games would totally wiped out after working on Dead Space 3 for so long to even think getting together to cram a bunch of cool stuff into an awesome collector’s edition,but here you go. From what I played last year, the co-op is pretty impressive and innovative (trust me, it’s a total mind f#@k when one player is seeing stuff the other isn’t and is freaking out while you’re not) and overall, it looks as if Visceral has gone and done it once again. I;m in this for the solo play, but if you were worried about the co-op being shoved in to appease EA or whatever, feel free to kick yourself gently, as it works (and yup, the game is still scary when it needs to be). As for what’s in that big ol’ box? Go on ahead and watch the video. I’m just wanting the game itself (PS3 version, as my 360’s are dead) but my oh my, that bonus stuff just may tempt me back over to the dark side. I just need to find the shelf space (which is kind of non-existent at this point)…
Ahhhh… Smell that, kids? It’s the scent of ADVENTURE! Well, adventure gaming to be exact. Wait, you don’t have a “Sniff” key on that keyboard? Hey, it’s 2013 – where have you been? OK, I’ll try and describe what adventure games smell like. It’s sort of a rainy weekend, hot cocoa, graham crackers and recently laundered blankets. A touch of pet hair (*achoo!*) and if you’re really lucky, the lingering scent of tomato soup (not from a can) and a grilled cheese sandwich can be detected. You may only get a hint of that overall aroma, but it’s all in there if you close your eyes and lean back…
I’ll say right now that I loved playing that fantastic Defiance demo last year, but as the game nears its eventual launch this year, I’m sort of hoping Trion Worlds has a “Plan B” for all that hard work should the show not be accepted by the more jaded fans out there. Sure, the MMO space needs a game changer and in terms of third-person console shooters, this game adds some great things to the genre that makes it even more player-friendly than DC Universe online while having the challenge core action gamers expect. That said, the game needs a way to play offline or co-op with friends just in case gamers aren’t biting as much as they should on the line. I guess I’ll keep my fingers and toes crossed that the game succeeds as the best new cross-platform action/ MMO on the market, as I really want to see gamers embrace this soon to be classic.
Even if you’ve already bought and played the PS3 version back in 2011 or still own the original 2005 Xbox release, it’s absolutely worth picking up Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD on the Vita just to see how well the game was tweaked for the system. As with the console version, the reworked HD visuals from the Xbox game, smooth animation, newly recorded voice acting and other features translate quite nicely to Sony’s portable. It also holds up incredibly well as a stellar single-player game thanks to a great story with an excellent plot twist or two, some fine and witty dialog and a great Oddworld vibe that’s still fresh today as it was back in 2005. There are some issues with the touchpad and game camera being a wee bit too touchy, but otherwise, the game is a solid effort that’s long and often challenging if you’re trying for the least violent means of playing through the game. Continue reading →
See, I told you Ninja Theory could knock this out of the park. The game is getting some decent reviews all around and yes, it’s still not stopping the crazier conspiracy theorists out there who’ve been saying Capcom “paid off” people for those scores. Worse still are the folks picking apart reviews for their negative points about the game and using them as ammunition to claim the game isn’t good at all because there are issues that keep it from the “perfection” they think every game needs to meet their standards or whatever. Of course, neither Capcom nor Ninja Theory are going to pay any of these folks any mind at all because they had total confidence in the end result. That said, I did see a funny in-game cinema that seems to poke the haters in the eye for all that bile they’ve been spewing from the moment the game was announced. Eh, whatever – congratulations to the developer, publisher and any fans who respect both companies and are enjoying the hell out of DmC on the PS3 and Xbox 360. PC owners, you get your chance to dive in and beat the crap out of demons on January 25…
(And… here’s the PS3 trailer just to rub it in a little more…the game is good. Deal with it! Or maybe actually PLAY it and enjoy all the hard work NT has done!)
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 