Grand Theft Auto III Is 10 Years Old…

Posted on October 20, 2011 by geelw

It’s truly amazing how fast time flies sometimes. I can remember getting to review GTA III for the late (but not lamented) Foul Magazine. I stayed up for about 43 hours straight playing to blow through the story and the reason it took so long was that I got sidetracked a few too many times by the game’s many non plot related diversions. Anyway, the great news is the game is finally coming to the iPad (and “other mobile devices” says Rockstar) soon and it looks spectacular. For me, GTA III is like that pair of old jeans or sneakers you find in the back of the closet. You slip them on after far too long and not only do they fit perfectly, you get a wave of memories that make you grin all day long. Happy Anniversary, GTA III – I think I need to play you once more for old times sake…

Max Payne 3 Preview: Rockstar Does It Again (But Better)

Posted on October 18, 2011 by geelw

At this point, you can pretty much bet on anything Rockstar Games does turning into an instant hit and Max Payne 3 looks to continue the solid streak of titles coming from one of the most consistent studios working today. Bringing Max into the current generation of consoles after too many years away, four of Rockstar’s studios are carefully crafting what’s looking like a genre classic in the making. Last week at New York Comic Con, I had the great opportunity to sit in on a “hands-off” demo that showed off some truly impressive visuals and spectacular animation, refined gameplay and an all-new cinematic style that combined graphic novel and film techniques using the in-game engine to its fullest. This isn’t a “reboot” or a re-imagining at all – it’s the next chapter in Max’s story and he’s going through some major life changes… Continue reading →

Busy Week (Plus Tax)…

Posted on October 17, 2011 by geelw

OK, I’m buried under stuff to finish, so bear with me while I play catch up. I’m working on a few NYCC previews (Max Payne 3, The Darkness 2, Mass Effect 3, Prototype 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Asura’s Wrath, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, RE: Revelations, Hitman: Absolution and a few others (yikes!). Then there’s the Batman Arkham City launch photos I need to post. Which reminds me: HEY TALON! You left your signed poster at the event and I rescued it for you. If you’re reading this, drop me a line and I’ll mail it your way. Let’s see, what else? Oh yeah, I’ve a few reviews to finish, still need to update over 1000 posts from the old blog AND I just found a bunch of old reviews I thought I lost when I left a portable drive on the subway a while back. Those will be posted at some point, so I expect some fun and confusion on Facebook when that happens.

Did I mention I have a few meetings to attend and a movie screening as well? No? Well, add that to the pile. OK, back to the salt mines!

Quickie TV Review: The Walking Dead: “What Lies Ahead”

Posted on October 17, 2011 by geelw

Last year’s six episodes left millions of fans begging for more and with a baker’s dozen (that’s 13) new episodes, The Walking Dead is back and off to a bloody solid start. Season Two kicked off with an hour and a half long opener that flew by thanks to so much tension and all sorts of bad things happening to the survivors. From the opening scene when the group’s highway scavenging is interrupted by way too many zombies to the shocking final scene (nope, I still haven’t read the comic past the first two issues – I don’t want to ruin any surprises), this was a mostly excellently paced episode. The tension amongst the survivors was portrayed brilliantly and and some possible partings of ways seem inevitable through a number of methods natural and otherwise… Continue reading →

Activision Has Me Doing Silly Stuff & Liking It…

Posted on October 15, 2011 by geelw

I kicked a helicopter yesterday. Twice. Once in that picture to the left and once while playing the fantastic Prototype 2 demo at NYCC. The game is coming along REALLY nicely, as Radical Entertainment is pulling out the stops to create a faster-paced, brilliantly bloody chunk of a game that’s bound to be a hit. Everything I played at the Activision booth was pure fun on a stick and yes, worth a purchase when it hits stores. Also: Eurocom just rocks. GoldenEye: Reloaded’s multiplayer is lighting fast and looks even more spectacular on the Xbox 360. I’m still looking forward to the PS3 version to review as I want to play with the Move controller and see how well it’s been implemented into the game. I also liked the bit of X-Men Destiny I tried and Spider-Man Edge of Time is Beenox’s nifty little effects-packed sleeper starring everyone’s favorite wall-crawler. The developer is also at work on a tie-in game for the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man film (nice!). Speaking of licensed games, the Transformers: Fall of Cybertron teaser was too short, but in a great, “Holy Cats, you can play as a big metal dinosaur!” kind of way. If it’s as good as War for Cybertron was, fans are in for a hell of a ride. Back in a bit…

One Of The Best Things About NYCC…

Posted on October 14, 2011 by geelw

…is this image from the convention program. It made a bunch of us in the press area laugh for a few obvious reasons those of you who go to conventions know all too well. Anyway, the con organizers need a few tips on how to treat us media folk a bit better. Herding us like sheep along with the regular attendees is a bit lousy. Other trade shows and events I’ve attended allow press onto the show floor earlier so we could make appointments and not need to deal with packs of swag-grabbing elbow throwers. Perhaps the organizers can look at those old DigitalLife shows where press and VIP’s were treated with a bit more respect (and hell, MUCH better computer access that wasn’t slower than dial-up. On a 28k modem.) Continue reading →

EA Just Keeps it Coming…

Posted on October 13, 2011 by geelw

A quickie post before I keel over, as I need to bounce out of bed bright and early for day one of New York Comic Con. EA has some really nice surprises coming up this year and next in pretty much every category. Battlefield 3 multiplayer on the PS3 was amazingly fluid and controls like a dream (seriously, Call of What?). There was a really nice Mass Effect 3 surprise I can’t share just yet (as it’s embargoed until10/27). Speaking of surprises, Syndicate is going to make even the most hardcore fans of the PC classic bow to Starbreeze’s skills. They nailed the dark feeling of the original but as a first-person experience (it’s not a Deus Ex: Human Revolution clone either, which is even better). SSX is another shocker – don’t let the more realistic visuals fool you at all – the game is SUPER fun to play (the tricks flow off the controller) and the mountains are massive. SWTOR is an instant addiction (I had to stop playing before I got hooked) that’s sure to be huge once it ships (look out WoW!). The Secret World brings a fresh, modern take to the MMO (and NEEDS to come to consoles with a single player offline mode, as there’s a lot of good under the hood that begs to be explored). There’s a LOT more to yak about, but that’s for later – i need my beauty rest…

Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection Arrives On An Already Crazy Week

Posted on October 11, 2011 by geelw

Oops. Like the Avengers trailer post, I typed this post out yesterday and clicked “Publish”, but something went goofy with my PC. Anyway, I’m adding it back at the time it initially was supposed to go in, grrr.

Well, alright – Now, I just need to find time to get a review in. I’ll probably skip the last day of NYCC and play through both games so I can have a review up by next Monday or Tuesday at the latest. I know Ico is the overseas version and has some areas that are different than the US version and I’ve played SotC enough to know how to take down those Colossi pretty quickly (although it’s been a few years since I’ve played both games). Still, I’m planning to go back to both games in the collection more than once as soon as I have a lot more free time on my hands… Which at this point won’t be until 2012…

Ratchet & Clank All 4 One Team Up Trailer

Posted on October 10, 2011 by geelw

Yes, it’s almost too darn cute and funny for words, but then this would be a really short blog post. Insomniac’s latest is on the way (October 18th), so here’s a look at the short version of the latest trailer. Hmmm… wait, that WAS a short post, wasn’t it? OK, initially I wasn’t sure I’d be a fan of the multiplayer-centric gameplay, being an antisocial cuss and all, but it looks as if playing solo will be just as fun. Insomniac DOES know what they’re doing, folks. So that’s that, I guess… We’ll see next week how it all turns out…

Capcom’s NYCC Plans: Frights, Fights and… Football?

Posted on October 10, 2011 by geelw

Since I’m a bit busy today (actually I’m working on a ton of stuff before the convention crush), I’ll be too lazy and just run the entire release below the jump. Dragon’s Dogma, Asura’s Wrath and the Resident Evil titles are all on my list of things to play, but I’ll also try out the fighters even though I’m terrible at them. And yes, if you’re bad at fighters at the Capcom booth, you’re pretty much getting beat up on screen and off. Maybe my press barge will get me some slack cut. I’m definitely staying away from that football event, but it should be amusing to watch (I hope no one gets hurt making an ass out of themselves for a prize, but hey – you can’t stop a raging fan from doing his or her thing for swag!)