Tag Archives: Coming Soon

Driftmoon Hands-On: The Top Is Down And The Weather’s Just Fine For Traveling…

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Yes, it’s taken a bit of time for me to get around to playing that new Driftmoon demo I mentioned last month, but I’m absolutely more than pleased that I spent a few hours yesterday exploring the early part of the game which was awesome enough to leave me begging to see how the final build will turn out. Instant Kingdom (that’s Ville and Anne Mönkkönen, last time I checked) have created a lovely top down Adventure/RPG that can be tailored for anyone from novices who prefer a lighter combat option to hardcore players who want enemies that bite back hard. It also doesn’t hurt that the writing here is well done and often amusing in tone, offering a RPG experience that allows for different outcomes to certain quests. Toss in an excellent map system, some very well thought out combat, a great soundtrack and the ability to send feedback to the developers as you play and what’s here is shaping up to be a superb little indie game.

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F1 2012 “Games vs Reality” Trailer: For Some, It’s Not By The Hair Of Your Simmy-Sim-Sim

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Some diehard Formula One aficionados want ANY game with the F1 license to be nothing but as real as possible with no sort of leeway given to novice players. That’s a fine way to lure in that select few who can deal with this type of driving game, but it makes selling that game outside that audience a slim to none chance. Granted, a full-on arcade experience is a no-go for those that crave a game that’s not going to be a floor it and win every race experience, and I’m one of those who dislikes racers that take too much effort away from actual gameplay. Codemasters seems to have solved some of these issues with F1 2012, although if you’re REALLY picky, the game’s September release comes when the actual F! season is pretty much over. Hey, you can’t expect the team to bust out a game BEFORE the season like EA Sports does with the Madden games, as there are a great deal of variables involved and a rushed to market game isn’t actually good for much unless you’re collecting coasters. Sure, F1 201o and 2011 weren’t flawless, but the dev team is definitely getting better and better each year they have the license (and I’m all for that)…

Kid Icarus Uprising Update: The Kitchen Sink Approach In Full Working Order

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Anyone worrying about whether or not this game will do well (or be any good) hasn’t been paying attention to all those videos Nintendo has been posting on YouTube. by packing the game with cameos from franchise familiars and in this latest trailer above, showing off how well the game plays, it’s practically guaranteed that Kid Icarus will be at the top of the 3DS charts for some time. That, and it also shows the 3DS isn’t going anywhere anytime soon (which is also a good thing)…

Hawken March Extended Gameplay Trailer: Phantom Crash + Armored Core + Mechwarrior = Faint, THUD

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PC gamers looking for that mech-wrecking fix that used to be the big thing back in the 90’s are going nuts for Hawken, Adhesive Games’ (with an assist from Meteor Games) phenomenal looking Unreal-powered online mech combat shooter set to launch later this year. I’m shaking my non metal fist at my crappy PC and crappier online connection, but at least I can hope that some smart publisher will want to throw money at the team so some sort of console or portable version can be cooked up down the road. No hurry, I’ll wait just for it to be as close as possible to what’s here in terms of speed and level of detail. Hell, I’d even be interested in a board game if someone made one…

Malevolence: The Sword of Ahkranox Goes The Crowdfunding Route

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One of my favorite in-progress indie projects is a “little” game being whipped up by a small team of programmers and artists based in Brisbane, Australia (with some assistance from talented folks around the globe). A old-school turn-based RPG using a modern graphics engine? Count me in! I was wondering if these guys and gals were going to go use Kickstarter, but as they’re outside the U.S. of A., they can’t use the popular crowdfunding site at all (boo). However, thanks to another (and more international) crowdfunding site, IndieGoGo, the team is all set up and ONLY needs a mere $8000 to complete their game. These days, I’m always broke, but it’s still my obligation as a fan of all things independent gaming to direct those of you who do have that disposable income to boogie on over and give these guys some support.

As you can see in the video above and through the posts on the development blog, what’s coming is going to be a total sock-knocker-offer (or a really fine game worth playing). The team is also offering up some nice premium items from physical copies to T-shirts to signed posters to even getting your name in the game credits. With hugely popular games such as Double Fine Adventure and now Wasteland 2 getting some massive cash injections from fans clamoring for classic PC games to make a comeback, Malevolence is looking like a more than worthy entry in the fan-funded gaming surge. Anyway, go check out the links above and spend a little cash if you like what you see!

The Avengers Japanese Trailer #2: Playing Into The “Hey, They Get ALL The Good Stuff!” Stereotype

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I got that header quote in an email about the trailer and got a nice chuckle before i went into common sense correction mode. It’s not as if those brief snippets of tease-y galore not seen in the US trailers are going to be cut from the film here. Still, it’s nice to see more bits and pieces of the film and how super it all looks, although I have one gripe that bugs me about almost every recent comic book flick. How come we get to see some heroes without their masks in public acting like it’s no big deal that they’re revealing their true identities? Go watch Spider-Man 2 and 3 for the worst examples of this silliness.

Anyway, I’m pleased as punch otherwise. Hell, I’ll even accept Sam Jackson as Nick Fury after holding out for so long. He sure makes a better Fury than David “Hamburgular” Hasselhoff did, that’s for damn sure…

Diablo III Officially Dated: Wake Me When There’s An Offline Solo Mode…

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Yeah, yeah, I was bitching earlier about people bitching about Mass Effect 3’s ending, but this is entirely different and worth it’s own special gripe. Sure, Blizzard wants to be in better control of its long-awaited baby, but shutting out Diablo III to those who don’t have constant online connections, don’t WANT to play nice (or nasty) with others or hell, just want a game they can play when they want to without having to rely on constant updating just blows. Not everyone who wants an offline mode is a hacker, cheater (or whatever is considered “bad” for DIII) looking to bilk Blizzard. We just want to enjoy the story as solo players and not go near the Internet, that’s all.

Yes, Blizzard will make a MINT on DIII pre-sales and launch day sales and based on what I’ve seen of the beta, they deserve every penny of your hard-earned gold. However, YES, you’d better believe there will be such a download crunch-fest on and around day one that a lot of people will be screaming that they can’t get online or download the game or are suffering through whatever other issues that ALWAYS crop up in a big release like this. A lot of you guys and dolls will be doing the happy dance on May 15, 2012, but for me and a lot of other folks, it’ll be business as usual until we hear of some solution that can get us enjoying SOME form of the Diablo universe (even if it’s a console side-story set in the same period as the game).

Big Bass Arcade: No Limit – Fast Fishing Without The Fuss

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Work getting you stressed out? Need a quick vacation from the real world? Big John Games wants you to take the day off and do some fishing in its upcoming Wii exclusive. Being a big city guy, the closest I’ve actually come to fresh fish has been at a few markets, the tropical fish in an aquarium, watching Jaws too many times and almost drowning as a kid at camp. So I’m all about staying away from the water whenever possible unless I’m taking a bath… or playing a fun fishing game.  That’s the safest route for a klutz like me, as if I fall into my TV, I’ll just get a bump on the head… unless the TV falls on me after I crash into it. Ouch. Hmmm… perhaps I need a new hobby – video games are getting more dangerous it seems…

Avengers RealD 3D Glasses: The “Prescription” For Summer Movie Blahs?

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These are actually pretty cool, but it’s too bad they’re ONLY available as collectible 3D glasses and not higher quality real prescription frames,  So, how do you snag a pair of these darlings, you ask? Well according to the press release:

“Beginning in April, fans at will be able to collect these limited edition RealD 3D glasses at special events, fan screenings and via upcoming online giveaways. THE AVENGERS RealD 3D glasses will also be available at select AMC Theatres, National Amusement Theatres and independent theatres throughout the U.S. beginning as early as midnight on May 3rd.”

Hmmm… I’d bet my shirt some of you out there would pay good money to be walking down the street in those official Iron Man, Captain America, Thor or Hulk specs and be able to actually see where you’re going, right? And, hey – where are the ladies’ glasses? I’d bet a pair of snazzy Black Widow frames would be a must-have for the guys and gals alike…

DiRT Showdown “Massive Damage” Trailer: Now, THAT’S More Like It (Almost)…

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OK, I said this a while back, but once again, I’m officially retiring Test Drive: Eve of Destruction as my go-to demolition derby fix once DiRT Showdown is released. Still, while this latest work in-progress trailer shows off some cool stuff, I’m wanting a bit more of a damage model that’s closer to actual derby stuff and the damage model found in Bugbear’s FlatOut games while not straying too far into Burnout territory. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the later Burnout games at all in terms of stuff wrecking up pretty good. However, there’s a great balance between realism and arcade that Monster Games nailed almost perfectly in Eve of Destruction back on the PS2 and Xbox that’s hard to explain unless you’ve played it or seen it in action. Anyway, I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed that Codemasters can knock it out of the park. Well, even further than they have so far…