Sumioni: Demon Arts Coming To Vita From Xseed Spring 2012

Posted on December 17, 2011 by geelw

As someone who’s into Japanese art of all types, I love it when developers are inspired by old woodblock prints, Sumi-e and textile art from the past when creating new games. While some less savvy gamers will see this Sumioni trailer and immediately think of the late Clover Studios’ wondrous Okami, in Acquire’s upcoming Vita exclusive, I see yet another in a long list of Japanese games that takes from the past and presents itself to modern gamers with an eye toward a bit of education under all that fun. Well, that’s how a bit of MY mind works, folks… Er, anyway: GO, Xseed!

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City Has A Versus Mode, After All…

Posted on December 16, 2011 by geelw

A-ha… So that’s what Slant Six Games has been up to. I was wondering what else they had planned for multiplayer in REORC, and well, here you go. I normally don’t go for the usual running around and shooting each other in the face MP modes, but I like the heroes vs villains vibe here. Of course, this will be one of those games where the hardcore RE fans go at it in teams to see which of their favorite characters is the best. Sort of like Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, but with more a lot more guns, zombies and room to run around in, ha ha.

Syndicate Trailer Twofer: Agent Tech/Agent Tools

Posted on December 16, 2011 by geelw

Two more excellent trailers from Starbreeze’s upcoming reboot of the PC classic, set for a February 21, 2012 release on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. I actually broke out the 3DO version earlier this week for a bit of nostalgia and as noted in my preview, both the old and new game feel like very close relatives, but from a different perspective. I kind of like the whole not worrying much about how the game plays part and hope some of the more stubborn folks out there decide to PLAY this rather than criticize the game unfairly because it’s not the same genre (when in fact, it slyly IS)…

Eleven Good Reasons To Buy A PlayStation Vita (And More to Come)*…

Posted on December 14, 2011 by geelw

Nothing but game trailers here, folks. I figured why not run them all in one shot instead of padding out the blog with separate posts. Besides, I’m up too late again and need my beauty sleep before getting back into the saddle for another ride around the ol’ inbox. Anyway, enjoy the videos and go pre-order a Vita if you haven’t yet. Japanese gamers are already grabbing theirs, but apparently, it’ll be about a week before Famitsu posts the first pro reviews. I like all that I see here so far and can’t wait to see how they’ve turned out since I saw and played a few of them last.

(*Make that 12 good reasons if you add in RUIN with its wonderful cross-platform play seen in yesterday’s video)

Continue reading →

A BioShock Infinite Twofer: More on Characters + VGA Trailer

Posted on December 14, 2011 by geelw

One of 2012’s most anticipated games is BioShock Infinite and it’s clear that Irrational Games has an(other)instant classic on its hands. Here’s a pair of videos to fill you in on a few things you need to know about the game’s characters (courtesy of the two actors in the lead roles) and another fine game footage trailer, this one from the Spike VGA show last weekend. Enjoy!

DiRT Showdown: Codemasters Takes Demolition Derby To Smashing New Heights…

Posted on December 13, 2011 by geelw

Lovely – there hasn’t been a REALLY good demolition derby game in years on a console, so I’m glad to see Codemasters take on the sport while adding the DiRT license and EGO engine-powered visuals to the mix. This one’s on my radar for sure and I’m hoping it also includes some regular rally stuff just for us fans of the Colin Mac Rae games. We shall see, but even if it doesn’t, it should be a hit amongst racing fans who want a bit more crashing in their driving games without feeling guilty about crunching up a ride or three…

A Double Shot of PS Vita Trailer Love…

Posted on December 13, 2011 by geelw

Two slick trailers from Sony showing off the upcoming Vita and its many cool features. Between the games coming and the cross platform play with the PS3, it’s clear that Sony has a winner of a handheld system here. All those app-crazy types strangely betting on the Vita to fold are in for a shock, I say. Those inexpensive iOS games are way out of the quality league when compared to what’s coming and hell, some of us core gamers don’t want a damn phone in our gaming systems, period. That and I’d bet good money that Sony won’t be replacing the Vita in under a year and telling you the system you JUST bought is now obsolete.

The Last Guadian Is Indeed, The Last Team Ico Game…

Posted on December 13, 2011 by geelw

Sad news for PS3 owners, according to Eurogamer. The recent speculation about Fumento Ueda’s departure from Team Ico is indeed true. Coupled with Executive Producer Yoshifusa Hayama’s heading off to join a social gaming developer, this means PS3 owners will be seeing their final work as the last ever production from the award-winning development team (as well as any chances for a fourth game vanish into thin air like a smoke creature from Ico). Let the wild internet theories commence, but I’m going out on a limb to say it’s most likely a mixture of burnout, creative differences and the general stress of trying to make a follow up to two of the most acclaimed games of the past console generation. My review of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection is here – go buy it if you haven’t yet. It’s now a bit of a collectible and it’ll make you a bit teary-eyed fora few reasons (and a few more, if you’ve been around since the PS2 versions originally launched).

Thanks to VisoGames for the trailer link.

Dear Esther: Mystery No More (And Let The Waiting Begin)…

Posted on December 13, 2011 by geelw

Sometimes, you see a game that makes you smile and nod knowingly, not for anything amusing, mind you, but because it’s a solid case where a developer gets things down perfectly and the project is coming together like a dream. Dear Esther is one of those games and with its February 14, 2012 release date coming up, here’s a quick look at two work in-progress trailers that show off quietly spectacular detailed visuals powered by Valve’s “ancient” Source Engine (which goes to show it’s not the years, it’s the mileage a great developer gets out of it). It’s hard to believe that this game started life as a Half-Life 2 mod back in 2008 before a major reworking, but that’s the wonder of inspiration for you, folks… Continue reading →

Hey, Sony! Here’s How To Make Vita Memory Cards Less Of a Knife In The Wallet…

Posted on December 12, 2011 by geelw

With the announcement of prices for the PS Vita’s proprietary memory cards getting a lot of gamers up in arms (despite Sony recently stating that they’re not set in stone), I figure I may as well add my two cents here in order to help smooth things out a bit. There’s a simple solution Sony can use to quell some of that anger and get a few consumers to snap up multiple cards in the process. If the cards haven’t been produced yet, Sony can (and should) add a few free PSPminis to them as bonus content at retail or for those who have PSN accounts, add a voucher redeemable for their choice of minis as DLC when they register their card online. As we’re in the age where people want something extra when they spend what they feel is a lot of money on something they feel is overpriced, I’d say a bit of a reward for their loyalty (even though there’s not a cheaper third party solution in sight) will go a long way. Continue reading →