Metal Fury 3000: Cheesy With Intent Means It’s Kind of Awesome, Too

Posted on September 27, 2019 by geelw

She does look FAAK-ing familiar, but that’s a good thing.

Speaking of metal, Crian Soft’s new game in progress looks like something out of the pages of Heavy Metal magazine circa 1983 or so. This is a good thing as the developer’s not known for 100% tight gameplay (I’ve played and liked Age of Barbarian despite it being a bit of clunky fun), so I’m not expecting it to break a mold or anything like that. Actually, it is a mold breaker in one way, as it’s the company’s first console release, which is cool (about time!).

Here’s a peek at the game’s first trailer and some screens to ogle. So cheesy it hurts, but hell, I’ll be onboard if it nails more that just the looks just right.

Oh yeah, it’s on, even if it’s not so hot at the end of the day. Hey, if I’m surprised that it’s good stuff, all the better, right?

-GW

Valfaris: Soon to be Everywhere, Rock Incoming

Posted on September 26, 2019 by geelw

Nice. Coming soon, a dose of hard metal for your daily supply, courtesy of Big Sugar and Steel Mantis Games (which, as Black Wolf Games bought the world SLAIN: Back from Hell for PC and consoles a few short years ago.

Welcome to Valfaris:

I played the PC demo on STEAM a while back and came away very impressed indeed. Now, it’s about ready for retail and digital in more polished form. When? Well, look out below, folks.

If the demo is any indication, this one’s going to be fun, tough side-scroller for the ages. See you down on the planet – I’ll be the one hiding out, but easy for enemies to spot.

-GW

Arrow Brings a Few Juicy Pumpkins for an October Surprise

Posted on September 25, 2019 by geelw

Yum! Here are next months Arrow and Arrow Academy releases to ogle. Expect some really nice surprises to add to your libraries. as usual:

THE PREY (LIMITED EDITION)[Blu-ray] (10/1)

TOYS ARE NOT FOR CHILDREN[Blu-ray] (10/8)

KILLER NUN[Blu-ray] (10/15)

THE DEAD CENTER [Blu-ray and DVD] (10/22)

RINGU [Blu-ray] (10/29)

RINGU COLLECTION [Blu-ray] (10/29)

AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON [Blu-ray] (10/29)

MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES [Blu-ray] (10/29)

Oh, yes indeed, it’s guaranteed to be a scare-packed Halloween with this lineup.

-GW

Solasta: Crown of the Magister Has My Attention

Posted on September 25, 2019 by geelw

Prepare to think about monsters appearing at all angles and prepare to chuckle at the funny writing on display.

I’ve been silently following Solasta: Crown of the Magister for a while and this gorgeous looking turn-based and packed with nice lighting and physics tactical RPG has been so far, shaping up to be a fine entry in the genre. The recent addition of official Wizards of the Coast-approved Dungeons and Dragons rules more than seals the deal for me even though the game was already looking and playing fine (a demo can be downloaded for PC users here). It’s certainly a load of steps above the sometimes wacky goings-on in the online-only Neverwinter in terms of accuracy is all I’ll say.

Anyway, I finally took a tiny plunge and supported the Kickstarter because it’s so close to being funded with about a week to go and that demo is fun stuff indeed. You can (and should) pot a few bucks down on this if you’re a fan of what you see (and play). While PC-only, one would hope we’ll eventually see a console port, even though it’s kind of a niche game when all is said and done.

Do drop in and say “Hi!”. You can choose to attack enemies from above, or take the fight right to them.

Yep. This one looks like a winner to me.

-GW

The Red Solstice 2: Survivors Comes A-Calling For Volunteers

Posted on September 24, 2019 by geelw

Nice. Volunteers are needed to test out this great-looking real time tactical action game. You can sign up here. That’s a link to the currently PC-only version. Just keep those fingers crossed that a console port is in the works.

A tiny bit about the game is below as is the teaser trailer.

The Red Solstice 2: Survivors blends real-time tactical action with in-depth strategy and planning in a world where humanity’s last survivors are beset on every front. Join with your friends for up to 8-player co-op sessions in a tense struggle for survival in a squad-based shooter that mixes the action of Helldivers with the thoughtful strategy of games like X-COM.

There’s a nifty Space Hulk meets ALIENS vibe from this trailer that certainly has me intrigued. If you’re too busy to test but like what you see so far, feel free to wishlist the game on STEAM here. The developer notes it’ll be done when it’s done, so you might have enough free time to test it after all while you’re waiting.

-GW

NARCOS: Rise of The Cartels Trailers Have You Choosing Sides

Posted on September 24, 2019 by geelw

I’m grinning a little too much because NARCOS: Rise of The Cartels isn’t the Grand Theft Auto V clone some expected from Curve Digital and developer Kuju Games. Nope, this one’s going the turn-based strategy route much like the XCOM series or the underappreciated Falling Skies: The Game from 2014. This is a good thing for me because I prefer to slow things down a tad these days and stuff that’s turn-based fits right up the alley here. Sure, it’s not the visual feast some expect, but this means it’ll be a perfect fit on consoles as well as PC. I’ll certainly be playing it to enjoy its merits and will have few issues unless the AI isn’t up to snuff.

Fans of this sort of game should keep an eye peeled, I say (or some drug lord will peel one for you, ow).

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

-GW

Phantom Gear Funded: Mega Cat’s Got The Magic Touch, Again

Posted on August 5, 2019 by geelw

Mega Cat, on a roll with mustard.

Phantom Gear is officially a physical and digital reality on the “it’s funded!” front and that’s a great thing. Excellent, in fact and yes, I dropped some coins into this particular fountain not long after finding out the game was going the crowdfund route. It’s always great to see, read about and eventually get the chance to play new retro games, especially from a company so devoted to producing some mighty fine ones. The game has indeed made its Kickstarter target, but you can still contribute to its success here.

Now, if only I had a few spare thousand bucks to drop on everything Mega Cat makes so I can add it all to the library, I’d be an even happier camper.

-GW

WRC 8: Rallying for A Chance at Besting DiRT Is a Good Thing For the Series

Posted on August 5, 2019 by geelw

Reflex check: “100, Easy right, care rocks inside – don’t cut” Or something like that. You’ll know what to do as that turn comes up.

As a longtime fan of the World Rally Championship series since the PlayStation 2 days when developer Evolution Studios created five of that system’s best rally games, it’s been a series of up and down yumps as the franchise has changed hands over the years. The team at KT Racing (aka Kylotonn ) has held the WRC game license since 2015 and have improved the overall quality with each release, offering rally fans on PC and consoles the opportunity to test their skills on a wide variety of courses with a wide range of world-class rally cars. The upcoming WRC 8, published by Bigben Interactive certainly looks to be the best game in the series to date, as the dev team is looking to reach fans who crave even more realism to the virtual version of the sport.

As impressive as that trailer is, the game’s Career Mode is going the extra mile in terms of delivering the goods on a few fronts. Check out the details in the video below:

Want more? Okay, then – there are a few pre-order incentives below the yump (ha and ha, but yeah, go look at them).

Continue reading →

Criterion’s Upcoming Godzilla Box May Make Me Sell an Organ

Posted on July 25, 2019 by geelw

My exact expression when I found out Criterion was making a dream box set of mine come true.

Wow. My wallet just jumped out the window when I saw that Criterion is issuing its 1000th set in glorious style with Godzilla: The Showa Era Films (1954-1975). The funny thing is, last month, all these flicks popped up on a cable channel and I caught most of them while wondering at one point if they were going to be fully remastered and *BOOM* – along comes this news and my wallet taking a dive onto the pavement. *Sigh*… it looks as if it’s time for another DAF game collection fire sale, as this one’s bound to sell out fast on the pre-order front and nope, I’m neither paying some ebay scalper way too much money nor holding out for the cheap knockoffs that will pack that site and fool a few folks thinking they scored a deal from some “clueless” reseller from overseas.

Color me and me inner eight-year old thrilled. Yours too, I’d bet.

“Hey, Marty! Whatcha doin’ tonight?”

-GW

Another Sight: Kit and Cat in Victoria-Land

Posted on July 10, 2019 by geelw

As we’re a wee bit swamped today, I’ll go with the official line on this rather interesting looking PC, PS4, Xbox One and Switch game from developer Lunar Great Wall Studios and publisher Toplitz before a review code arrives:

ANOTHER SIGHT is a surreal fantasy adventure with steampunk elements set in London in 1899, towards the end of the Victorian era. With an emphasis on culture and character, ANOTHER SIGHT focuses on the emotional development of the relationship between its two protagonists, Kit, a refreshingly intrepid teenager, and Hodge – a mysterious red-furred cat. They meet in the darkness of a London Underground construction site after Kit loses her sight when the tunnel, she had been exploring collapses.

They team up for an adventure into the unexpected, with Hodge proving himself to be an indispensable companion, upon whom Kit will come to rely. Kit and Hodge explore a surreal fantasy world, both together and separately, each using unique talents to make their way through compelling environments and to solve intriguing puzzles. Beneath London, in a world inspired by Neil Gaiman’s urban fantasy, Neverwhere, Kit and Hodge encounter a hidden society made up of the world’s greatest inventors and finest artistic minds, including Claude Monet, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison and other historical, cultural icons.

Did you want screenshots with that? Well, here are a whopping 45 to peruse:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

It sure looks as if a great deal of work went into this one, so here’s hoping it’s a memorable game experience. I’ll be back in a bit to let you know, of course.