Steel Battalion Captivate 2012 Footage: Time To Get Kinected, I Suppose.

Posted on April 16, 2012 by geelw

Hmmm. Not only does it look as if I’ll be hopping on the Kinect bandwagon for this game (OK, and the new Fable and maybe some other stuff that doesn’t involve dancing around in front of the TV), I’ll also have to do a Game Appreciation 101 class on artistic stylization choices made by game developers, as way too many people don’t “get” that the game is SUPPOSED to look a bit rustic and aged and not all Unreal-y and shiny up the wazoo. It’s amazing to me that those who don’t get this, but hey… I guess here to educate and it’s a long, hard process for sure. Don’t worry, Capcom and From – I got your back.

Hitman Absolution Pre-Order Bonuses: Agent 47 Hides Guns Everywhere, It Seems…

Posted on April 15, 2012 by geelw

I’m not a huge fan of the way game bonus content gets diced up into selected bits and turned into multiple retailer exclusives (and I just KNOW a lot of fellow gamers as well as more than a few developers hate this as well), but this is something you just can’t get away from these days with many AAA releases.

Still, IO Interactive and Square Enix made me laugh with these pre-order weapons from the upcoming Hitman: Absolution. That thick Professional Edition in the top photo is tempting enough, but Amazon (well, one of their many crate-filled warehouses), Best Buy, GameStop and Walmart are all looking like places Agent 47 can pop into when he needs a new gun. Which means that clerks and shelf-stockers at these places had better watch their backs, as they might get KO’d and dragged into a closet when a certain bald guy in a black suit steps into their workplace…

Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir Trailer: Ghosts-A-Poppin’ From Your 3DS!

Posted on April 14, 2012 by geelw

Now that they own the Zero (Fatal Frame) series, Nintendo finally gets a new first-party fright-fest back onto one of their consoles. As fun and freaky as this looks, in a perfect world, I’d also want to see the Fatal Frame title(s) we missed on the Wii get fixed up and released at some point. Fat chance on that, it looks like, especially with the Wii U headed out the door later this year. Ah well, I guess I can always play Eternal Darkness for what, the 19th time, right? I think I’ve seen everything it had to offer and then some, but it’s still a fun slice of scare in a few spots. Anyway, this one looks pretty good (Teen rating aside), so it’s on my want list.

Hawken PAX 2012 Trailer: While My Console Gently Weeps (Slight Return)…

Posted on April 14, 2012 by geelw

It’s too bad Hawken isn’t blasting its way onto the PS3 or 360, as I could see a lot of gamers wanting to have at it in Adhesive’s and Meteor’s phenomenal-looking (and online only) mech combat game. Of course, I’m not complaining to anyone in particular, just expressing a wish while being a bit cranky about the state of the industry today with all this free to play stuff. From the beginning, this game has looked one that should get everyone who’s worked on it a nice paycheck, I say. Hell, stick a solid single player mode in (maybe with some split-screen play for those who need it), slap it in a case with some nice artwork and I’d definitely pay up at retail or direct from the developer. That’s how I roll – good games take time and effort to make, and people who bust their asses on them should be able to get something in return other than the thanks of those who get to play the end result.

Tiny & Big Gets A Tiny Bit Of Accidental QA Humor…

Posted on April 14, 2012 by geelw

Black Pants Game Studios should have added some random football/soccer commentary to this clip just to make it even funnier. Anyway, Tiny & Big In: Grandpa’s Leftovers is still winding its way toward completion, so I’m looking forward to finally trying the final version of the game out to see how much it’s improved since that incredibly fun demo. That, and I want to see it hit PSN and/or XBLA at some point just because I think a LOT of gamers out there would have a blast with it.

Prototype 2 “The Power of Revenge” TV Ad: If The Game Is This Memorable…

Posted on April 14, 2012 by geelw

…then it indeed more than justifies the cost of making this excellent short film. Like a few other big 2011 and 2012 titles, publishers are going all out with the CG and live-action advertising and not simply showing off actual gameplay, which sometimes backfires when the ad is better than the actual game. Fortunately, Prototype 2 is managing to be even better than the original, based what I got to see and play last year (at NY Comic-Con), so fans of the first game needn’t be concerned at all about this sequel. Activision and Radical Entertainment are on the right track for the most part, so prepare to strap yourself in for a wild ride. Say, that April 24 release date is coming up fast, isn’t it?

Family Matters (Art Edition!)

Posted on April 14, 2012 by geelw

Whee, the Wilcox clan has talent all over the place lately (believe it or not)! To wit: My younger brother has been collaborating with Jazz artist Darius Jones for a few years and the pair recently got a super write-up over at the Village Voice. Awesome. As for my own scribblings, well, nothing that big has come my way, as I’m more of a low-key kind of guy with my art. Still, if you’re interested in spending a few dollars and have an active PayPal account, feel free to swing by my fiverr page and keep me busy (and able to buy more games to write about). Thanks!

Lollipop Chainsaw: The Happiest Zombie Killing Game You’ll Ever Play

Posted on April 13, 2012 by geelw

Over the past few years, Grasshopper Manufacture’s creative genius Goichi Suda (or Suda 51) and some of his games have been called “insane”, “crazy” and “weird” (among other things) by journalists who cover his work (and who very much need new thesauruses). But to me, they’ve all been wildly incorrect in their assessments. In fact (and from first impression), Suda is one of the nicest game creators you’ll ever meet as well as a really fun guy to chat with. But don’t let him know I said that – he’s got a reputation to uphold amongst some fans out there who still consider him an unpredictably mad genius flying around Japan in a wrestling mask or something.

That said, Lollipop Chainsaw, a collaborative effort between Suda, James Gunn (Super, one of the best indie films of 2010) and the team at Grasshopper (working the Unreal engine again to excellent effect) is a game that’s going to be called insane, crazy, weird and more by gamers and critics alike. And they’d be absolutely right – particularly those who quickly clue in on how great the game is by accepting all the offbeat content it doles out at a nonstop pace…

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Lost Planet 3 Trailer: Good Things Seem To Come In Threes…

Posted on April 13, 2012 by geelw

I love how Capcom isn’t relying on simply whipping up an exact template of the last game and shoving it out the door to guaranteed sales (but boring replay value). The new stuff shakes things up nicely while making me want to go back and replay the two previous installments to poke at the things I didn’t like so much. I still think that the game should have the flying rig from Dark Void added in as an Easter Egg of some sort, as well as a Dino Crisis 3 reference just for old times sake. Hey, making fun of misfires always works for my own life, so I say go for it, guys!

Video Game Appreciation 101 (Field Course): NYU Game Center Takes On “Bad ” Games In New Exhibit

Posted on April 12, 2012 by geelw

Well, now – this is a really cool surprise, so if you’re in the area, get on down to the NYU Game Center tomorrow and do some studying!. Someone actually beat me to an ancient idea I’ve always dreamed of doing. Hmmmm… I may just pop up to see this intriguing show just to hear some of the debate around some of the games on display. Granted, I absolutely LOVE EDF 2017 and Deadly Premonition as well as GoldenEye, although I can see the bad points in each one fully. I just may even suggest a few other games to these folks for a future exhibit, as I have way too many to count here (and hell, I just want to see ANYONE try and make it past the first level of Muzzle Flash)…