E3 2013: Skylanders Swap Force Trailer: Easy Money, Guaranteed For Activision

Posted on June 17, 2013 by geelw

There’s really not much to say about Skylanders Swap Force other than it’s going to be a big winner this holiday season. New developer, new engine, updated HD visuals for current-gen consoles, new gameplay, characters and more all indicate that this will be the best game in the series to date. Add in the fact that yes, all those older figures will work with this game and it’s pretty much a given that no matter which platform you pick, the kids will be happy with what they’re getting. Of course, if you’re a kid at heart hooked into the Skylanders thing, you’re thrilled even more because your own allowance is much bigger and you can stock your shelves with every figure you can get your paws on and then some. Er, you do look a bit pale, though – the game isn’t out until October 13, 2013, you know… plenty of time to get outside and work on that tan. That sunshine DOES have a few benefits, you know…

E3 2013: Diablo III Trailer: No One Fights Alone (But Me)…

Posted on June 11, 2013 by geelw

Yes, I know Diablo III is built for multiplayer action (as noted in the trailer), but I’m a HUGE solo offline guy and as with Diablo II on PC, the PS3 version of DIII supports that 100 percent. Which means I’m in for the long haul as well as the many changes made to the game to get it up and running on Sony’s console. I’m not quite sure why this isn’t being hyped more by Blizzard and Sony, as it looks spectacular and I’m betting it does really well on the PS3 and PS4 when that version is ready. Well, I suppose we’ll see a few ads on TV and more online, as it’s tough to give the Devil his due without offending SOMEONE out there…

GOG.com’s Latest Weekend Sale Will Get You Regular Like Clockwork…

Posted on June 1, 2013 by geelw

Another weekend of life on earth means another awesome gog.com sale, so here you go: Another all-Activision deal with a nice lot of classics up for grabs at dirt cheap prices. Of course, you’ll need a BIG clock with a lot of time on it (just make your own and stick by the 100 hours in a day deal you’ve cooked up in your head) and a new career in doing nothing but going through the library of stuff you’ve bought if you buy the whole 31 game package. Well, you don’t HAVE to grab the entire bundle, as it’s quite varied and yes, you might not like every game in the set. But I bet you’ll definitely see a few you just HAVE to try out and that’s what it’s all about, right?

DESTINY “The Law of the Jungle” Trailer: Bungie’s Jumping Into This Action/MMO Both Feet First…

Posted on May 23, 2013 by geelw

Well, all in is all good and well if you’re a Bungie fan and yes indeed, this live action and CG trailer looks absolutely gorgeous. However, my only caveat is this is exactly the type of game I’m not interested in as it has no offline single player mode and seems to be a fancier version of a AAA shooter and MMO hybrid. Yes, it will sell incredibly well, but I’m more concerned about longevity and what happens when people burn through content too quickly or grow tired of this sci-fi shooter sub-genre. Granted, it’s going to be a few years before that happens, but I’m glad as hell I don’t have to be the one putting all my eggs into one basket and dropping it into a pack of internet wolves hoping it’ll keep them happy. I’ll keep an eyeball on this one anyway, as anything Bungie does seems to turn out really interesting when all is said and done…

Diablo III PS3/PS4: It’s Not Wizardry At All… It’s Just Damn Good Coding At Work.

Posted on May 16, 2013 by geelw

If there’s one game I really want to play as soon as it launches on either the PS3 or PS4, it’s probably Diablo III. Not because it’s the greatest game on the planet, mind you (it’s not), but because I want to see how well Blizzard got it up and running in single player mode with direct control and no always online nonsense to keep solo play fans from enjoying the ride thanks to a crappy Internet connection or a few other reasons. Of course, I’m more of a Torchlight 2 guy these days, but I love my isometric dungeon crawlers on anything (but a touch screen) as long as they’re done right. DIII looks as if it will draw in a load of new fans as well as some older ones who got shut out of the PC version. It should also silence those who think this type of game “can’t” be done on a console (despite years of proof from other iso RPGs running on Sony as well as other systems). I’m hoping this gets an official demo at some point before release just so Blizzard can show off all that hard work to the cranky crowd, but as always… we shall see…

Call of Duty: Ghosts Teaser: For A Minute There, I Was Expecting A Trip Back In Time…

Posted on May 1, 2013 by geelw

Another year of life in the 21st century means a new Call of Duty game rolling up onto store shelves and digital shops soon (and raking in a nice chunk of change for Activision), but for a hot and exciting few seconds there I ALMOST thought this one was going to be set in the past with all sorts of weapons swinging and throwing warriors throughout history. Welp (as the kids say), no such luck (this time)… but the super hardcore CoD fans will all be gleefully dancing in the streets and dodging bullets with blood in their eye soon enough. I may pass on this one, as I’m FPS’ed out lately, but I think I’ll hold out for Call of Duty: Caveman just so I can see where all this war stuff got started in the first place…

Diablo III on PS3: Blizzard’s Showing Off The Goods (And Positively Pissing Off Some PC Gamers in the Process)…

Posted on March 24, 2013 by geelw

DIII New Tristram I’m really happy to see that not only has Blizzard reworked the controls to be direct and yes, Dual Shock 3 friendly, the game also looks great and should get MORE people playing who’ve been wondering what the hell a Diablo game is and why there’s so much bile spilling out over the Internet from a certain bunch of folks who seem to be either jealous or wishing fiery doom, (DOOM, I say!) upon the developer and anyone with a console and not a cutting-edge PC that cost more than some used cars who wants to play this game. Eh, whatever. I’m BUYING Diablo III because my PC couldn’t run it (the always online crap from that version has been replaced with a solo play mode I’m behind 100%) and I wasn’t at all interested in the real money auction house nonsense forced upon PC players. Of course, there’s the matter of the PS4 version of the game not being compatible with the PS3 version, but at the end of the day, I’m gathering that other than visuals and controls, both versions will otherwise be the same and compatible with their specific consoles (which should have user bases large enough to support online play amongst those users who end up going that route).

Diablo III On PS3: I’d Say Something Corny Here, But I Really Just Want To Play It…

Posted on March 22, 2013 by geelw

This is REALLY good news, as the original Diablo made it to the PSOne too long ago and is mostly forgotten unless someone actually owns a copy (I do) and Diablo II never got the console treatment at all leaving some gamers who never played any of this series wondering what the fuss is all about. As long as the console versions (PS3 and PS4) have OFFLINE solo play (please don’t mess THIS easy thing up, Activision!), the game will see a new audience. Of course, if it’s jammed up with online only nonsense and no one can get on to play in a manner close to what happened with the PC launch, it’ll be more woes for Sony the just don’t need. As usual, we shall see…

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct Launch Trailer: Hopefully, Reality Isn’t Terminal for This One…

Posted on March 18, 2013 by geelw

Hmmm. Usually, I get wind of a review copy at some point before a game ships out, but Activision’s PR has been quiet thus far. I probably should be worried, but I’m not (well… not too much). I actually read some silly post on YouTube that siad because the game was retailing for $49.99 ($10 less than a triple-A title), it was a bad sign. Duh… what? That’s just DUMB, period. Lesson of the day: Price is in NO way an indication of a game’s quality and if you think spending MORE money means you get better entertainment value for that extra cash, you need your head examined (by an actual zombie). That and hell, Telltale Games, 2K Sports, and a few busloads of indie developers out there who get out budget-priced (or free games, in the case of some great indies) just might want to tap you on the shoulder at the same time and make you fall over like Fred Flintstone’s car with a tray of bronto ribs placed on the side. Yeesh.

Anyway, I guess I’ll wait around and see what’s up with the reviews, but I have the feeling this one is headed for the collection here at some point once there’s a decent price drop. Hey, no matter what the critics say, pretty much any game with zombies in it is fun, warts and all…

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct: A Bit of Behind the Scenes With Merle & Daryl…

Posted on March 15, 2013 by geelw

No, today isn’t National Zombie Day or anything like that, folks. I just go scooting through my inbox as stuff rolls in and post the fun stuff. Today just so happens to have a LOT of undead in games news. Must be a Friday thing or something… Anyway, here’s a new look at Terminal Reality’s upcoming shooter set in The Walking Dead world. I like the gritty look of the game and some of that visceral action you’d expect from an undead-rekilling game. In a weird way, this one reminds me of BrainBox’ interesting but flawed Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler’s Green, a FPS that had a few problems, but was actually pretty damn scary and compelling once you got past its weak points. We’ll see what’s what with Merle and Daryl’s gory adventure soon enough when The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct ships out for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC March 19, 2013.