Random Really Short Indie Game Of The Week: Wither

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While you can complete Wither in well under an hour (or about an hour if you get stuck), the game will linger in your mind for quite a bit longer. This RPG Maker gem from Rastek is a creepy little exploration game that focuses on mood and manages to be unsettling despite the cute Game Boy style visuals. In the game you’re a guy who’s been in an accident tasked with collecting sixteen flowers to lay at a grave. As you explore your surroundings, you’ll run across assorted citizens who can help you out on your quest. Some know where flowers can be had, others have flowers you need to acquire in a few different ways.

There’s some fine writing here, some logical clues to help you find a few of the trickier to get flowers and some interesting bits of morbid humor throughout to keep the occasional grin going when needed. You might see the ending coming about halfway through, but I’d say that’s just how Rastek wants it. Telling any more would spoil the fun (well, as much fun as can be had by being mildly freaked out by some of the more unsettling content here). Go download this one, play it with the lights down low and prepare to have a few hairs standing up  on assorted body parts. I was going to post a gameplay video I found on YouTube, but it gives pretty much the entire game away. Click that link at your own risk! Better yet – just get the game. It’s FREE, it’s a small, quick download and I’d bet you’ll tell someone else about this one once you’re done playing…

Sleeping Dogs Launch Trailer: As Long As It’s True To Itself (And Well Done), I’m Happy…

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I’m a story guy first and foremost, so I’m hoping the game has a well-written plot to go with all that expensive voice talent. I don’t care much for yet another open world urban game experience, so if I do review this one, it’ll be all about the story, characters and gameplay as opposed to how many billions of mini-games there are and how huge and accurate United Front’s version of Hong Kong is compared to the real city I’ve never been to. Of course, replay value also makes a difference, but for me, even if a game is relatively short and linear, I’ll play it a few times if it’s entertaining and yep, well done.

WRC 3 Update: Vodafone Rally De Portugal Gameplay

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Milestone keeps the good times rolling with this latest work in-progress trailer. I’m liking what I see here a lot, but as always, the proof is in the playing. Still, the developer has a decent track record with a nice lineup of racing games for different platforms, so my fingers are crossed that they go the extra mile in doing the WRC license justice. I’ll probably go for the PS3 and Vita versions, as it’ll be fun to compare the two in terms of features and see how much the dev team has managed to fit onto a Vita card. OK, it’s getting late and I’m running out of gas in terms of the auto-related puns. Back with more on this one as new footage magically appears on the internet…

What Is QuakeCon? A Video Primer Of Sorts For People Like Me…

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Yeah, that’s right… I’ve never been to a QuakeCon, as it’s always been way out of my budget and I’m not the biggest PC gamer out there (unless it’s some vintage vault classic, super fun indie stuff or RPGMaker epic that’s worth raving about), so that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it. Still, I’ve been to a few East Coast tournaments (that World Cyber Games held here in NYC a bunch of years back and some other fun events), so I know that things get really fun and really crazy in a good way for fans of id Software’s games. Eh, one day I’ll get out west again, so perhaps I’m not a total loser. Hell, I do need a decent vacation. after not having one for ages..

Atari’s Space Lords: The “Best. Multiplayer. Game. Ever.” You’ve Never Played.

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As far as 1992 and parts of 1993 go, other than what games I played in the slowly dwindling arcade scene in New York City’s Penn Station, I don’t recall too many other great things happening in my life. Atari’s now mostly forgotten Space Lords was and is the key game that stands out for me for a few reasons, the primary one being the game was pretty innovative and another great example of the company making strides in “social” gaming long before it became the far bigger thing it is these days. Granted, arcade gaming has always been social (duh), but Atari really nailed it with a game that would do a number of things perfectly that modern gamers take for granted as “innovations” on consoles and PC.

Like 1985’s mega-hit Gauntlet seven years before, Space Lords was a game where anyone could step up to a machine plunk in some change and play with other live players of any skill level. The big differences were the seven years worth of technical improvements that made this an even more thrilling game experience than Gauntlet ever was (in my opinion). Between the dynamic outer space setting, first-person viewpoint, rear gunner co-op play and addition of two multiplayer-centric modes along with the ability for up to eight people to play on linked machines, Atari basically blasted out of the gate with a stellar game that managed to be as good as (or even better than) some later (and more famous) PC games that kicked of the first-person shooter craze that still spits out multimillion selling franchise titles from Halo, Call of Duty, and medal of Honor (among others).

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Dream Arcades’ Dreamcade Vision 32: The Everyman (And Woman) Gamer Cave Machine

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Ladies and gentlemen, commence the drooling, but hey, keep it off the cabinet, please: Dream Arcades new Dreamcade Vision 32 is a wonder machine and the company’s latest all-in-one instant game room hit guaranteed to have your friends over constantly (and you having to nicely kick them out seven days a week). Featuring a 32 inch LCD screen monitor, over 200 classic arcade games, a built-in MP3 music jukebox (!) and plenty of cool options you can add to the unit that will make it even more awesome.

While this is highly recommended as a “man cave” purchase, I can  certainly think of a few gamer gals who’d LOVE one of these around the house. Any hubby looking to surprise their favorite gamer chick out there? Here’s a big, fat hint, hint, hint on exactly what’s a great gift you both can use.  Anyway, as spectacular as this thing is, I do wish Dream Arcades would finally get around to adding a time machine add-on to their products so I could actually travel back in time on a long loop in order to play all those great games for as long as I wanted to. At $3099, this thing is a total steal, but if you grab one before the day is over, you can get a Vision 32 for $2599. So, grab that credit card or sell a useless body part (you know, you only need ONE kidney to survive, people) and get yours HERE.

BioShock Infinite Drops Its Multiplayer Modes. I Am Happy As Hell It Did So.

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Yes, and Yes! and thank you, Irrational Games. Sure, running around and shooting each other in the face would have brought in more of that crowd who loves this sort of thing in other genres, but for my money (and despite the second installment’s inclusion of MP), the BioShock series has ALWAYS been about the solo experience and the story. Period. This latest move in a game that’s currently in a rather bumpy development cycle/delay phase will in fact, be a MUCH stronger game experience now focused on storytelling and pure immersion in the world Ken Levine and company want to create. The primary issue with most all MP modes in a story-driven game such as this is they require a much larger suspense of disbelief than the single player campaigns (why am I running around shooting other people in the face? Where does this fit into the overall plot and why should I care if it has nothing to do with the main narrative and reason i bought the game in the first place?).

Additionally, as much fun as multiplayer modes can be, in the case of games such as this, Hal-Life, or Dishonored, they can be seen as a pure waste of resources if you consider the overall power of each game’s storytelling. This is especially valid if the main game suffers because of a multiplayer focus that’s unnecessary and only designed to boost sales to a crowd that has a huge variety of games focused on their needs. Of course, some will disagree entirely with my happy dancing ways, but I’m betting that the end result of all this rejiggering will be worth any additional delays added to the game’s development schedule. Off to find something appropriate to dance around the room to…

Mind Food: Perisphere & Trylon Nails Nostalgic Novelties Neatly

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Got an urge to play games your parents and more likely, grandparents might have been into? Want to check out some classic board and card games plus toys and other novelties from the UK and other places you haven’t been? Do you happen to love old-time packaging and presentation plus some really funny product descriptions? Well, Perisphere and Trylon, Inc. should be your next stop, I say.

Featuring a nice lineup of classic reproductions (done extremely faithfully, I must say) and even a selection of new dynamo-powered (that means no batteries, kids) toys from Ecotronic, there’s something here to strike nearly every fancy. And hey, if you don’t have a “fancy” to call your very own, a peck, peek and poke around the site will get you one in a hurry.  Um, hey! What are you still doing here? That time machine isn’t going to hang around waiting, you know…

LG’s Yearly Texting Contest Irks Me To No End…

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So, let’s get this perfectly straight: some kid wins $50,000 (more than the average salary for many entry level to middle class jobs out there) because he’s basically the modern day version of the best hog caller or best auctioneer? Yeesh. Where the hot holy hell is all this money floating around that I can’t get for doing much harder work over a longer period of time? What good is being the fastest texter in rel life unless someone has you rolled up in a rug and is about to toss you into the trunk of a car or you’re hidden in a closet as a burglar is poking through your sock drawer? Hell, give ME that 50K, LG and I’ll put it into this site so I can get more done daily than this kid got done during his few minutes of fame.

Oh well, at least he’s smart enough to be socking away his winnings for his college fund and not boozing it up or buying a car he’ll wreck while boozed up. That said, memo to LG: at this point, he’s a ringer (no pun intended). He’s won this prize more than once, which should disqualify him from future contests, which is only fair. Then again, as this is a yearly thing, I’m sure the next tiny button tapping whiz is pecking away (and raising his or her parent’s data plan bills in the process). $50,000… for texting? Holy crap, do we live in some messed up times or what? Stupid question number two: What does the second place winner get? If it’s nothing, then something’s really wrong there.

Video courtesy PhoneArena.

Sega’s Hell Yeah!: This Rabbit Tale Is Getting Curiouser and Curiouser…

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Fun and funky visuals aside, I’m still trying to figure this game out and I can’t quite put my finger on why I like it despite it trying to be too, er…. something. Well, it’s not a bad thing that quirky still tickles my fancy and Hell No!, I’m NOT one of those mildly angry internet folk clamoring for Sega to make a Sonic game that looks something like this. As usual, some hands-on time will clarify and crush any doubty rumblings I may have, but overall, I like what I see, pushing the crazy vibe overkill and all. Go, Sega!