Update: Prison Break – New Screens

Posted on October 22, 2009 by geelw

Deep Silver and Zootfly’s in development console game based on the defunct Fox TV show is still rolling along nicely and looking quite good. Here’s a peek at a few more screens showing off some nice character models and well-rendered environments. All it needs is to get finished and be fun to play and I’m happy.

Oh… Shipping before the short attention span crowd forgets about the show entirely might help as well. Based on all the work going into what’s here, it’ll be really interesting to see how this one turns out. Stick around for more info and images as they become available

Risen Teaser Trailer #2

Posted on October 2, 2009 by geelw

Hey wait… shouldn’t this one actually be Teaser Trailer # 1, given the content and “Coming in 5 days” tease at the end? Oops. Well, watch both trailers in reverse order then. Sorry ’bout that!

Risen is in stores NOW for PC. The Xbox 360 version is coming in 2010.

Risen Teaser Trailer #1

Posted on September 28, 2009 by geelw

Here’s a thrilling, nicely edited ad that has parts of the opening cinema. Makes you want to run out and buy this, huh? Trailer # 2 gets posted on Thursday, by the way. Risen ships out to retail shortly for an October 2, 2009 release. The Xbox 360 version is coming early next year and nope, there is no PS3 version as far as I’ve heard (unless that’s the reason for the delay… but I doubt it).

Risen PC Goes Gold, 360 Version Slips to 2010

Posted on September 19, 2009 by geelw

OK, that’s one down, department: Deep Silver has announced that the PC version of Risen has gone gold and will be hitting retail on October 2, 2009. The Xbox 360 version, however won’t arrive until sometime in 2010 (cue the sound of RPG fanboys ranting worldwide). While this might seem a bit of a letdown to fans expecting both versions simultaneously, it’s actually more of a positive sign in my book.

How so? Well, rather than stamping your foot as you type that angry e-mail or message board posting out to whomever, look at the delay this way: it gives Piranha Bytes ample time to make sure the 360 version is tweaked to perfection. Besides, the dev team can also use any constructive feedback from pro and fan reviews of the PC version to possibly add extra content (or possible patches) that PC version gets during the window from its launch to the 360 version’s release date.

It’s all about the perspective, folks…

Review: Cursed Mountain

Posted on August 23, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Developer: Deep Silver Vienna/Sproing

Publisher: Deep Silver

# of Players: 1

Official Site

Score: A (95%)

sub·jec·tive (suhb-jěk’tĭv) adj.
1. a. Proceeding from or taking place in a person’s mind rather than the external world: a subjective decision.
b. Particular to a given person; personal: subjective experience.
2. Moodily introspective.
3. Existing only in the mind; illusory.
4. Psychology: Existing only within an individual’s mind.

Most horror-themed video games are extremely subjective in that each person who plays them will generally have a different overall experience. Those that frighten easily will baby-step through their play sessions, saving frequently, checking maps and trying their very best not to to die horribly. The more fearless, bolder gamers accustomed to faster-paced play will blaze forward, taking on all comers in a quest for kill counts while often blissfully unaware of the developer’s intentions in attempting to set a particular mood. This type of player generally never flinches unless the game adds in “jump” scares like those found in hundreds of horror movies or live haunted house experiences in some amusement parks. A third type of gamer takes the middle road, going into every game “cold” in order to fully appreciate every nuance as they let themselves become completely immersed in the game world.

Welcome, dear reader to Deep Silver’s incredible Wii exclusive, Cursed Mountain…

Continue reading →

Cursed Mountain Arrives Early. I’m Four Hours In….

Posted on August 22, 2009 by geelw

… and I couldn’t be more pleased, although it seems that the kids who want exploding zombie heads every three seconds may be a bit annoyed by the intentionally languid pacing. And the fact that there are NO zombies in the game, only really annoyed ghosts and more pissed off demonic things (that can still kill as quickly, mind you). The game layers on the gloomy mood right away and the overall sense of dread combined with the brilliant score makes for some nicely creepy moments. The game’s general atmosphere has the feeling of the last depressing section of Robert Altman’s McCabe & Mrs. Miller crossed with a dash of Masaki Kobayashi’s classic K(w)aidan and the lonelier moments of Kubrick’s The Shining. Hopefully, that will help some of you reading this in terms of placing the game’s tone.

Continue reading →

Risen Box Art, Voice Cast Unearthed

Posted on August 13, 2009 by geelw

Did someone ask “Hey, where’s the Risen cover art? Well, here you go – in tasty Xbox 360 and PC flavors! Very nice indeed. Looks like Deep Silver’s big RPG is also getting some major talent in terms of vocal performances. I’m wiped out from spending all day at the Konami event, so here’s the beefy part of the press release all set for your reading pleasure: Continue reading →

Deep Silver Getting Ready For A Prison Break…

Posted on August 13, 2009 by geelw

Deep Silver is stretching its publishing wings a bit more with an upcoming game based on the recently canceled Fox series, Prison Break. I’ll have to admit to never actually seeing an episode of the show during its run, but I’m definitely interested in what Slovenian developer Zootfly (Panzer Elite Action) will come up with and how it will play, that’s for sure. The developer also produced the rather interesting 2007 video trailer for an unlicensed Ghostbusters console game that amusingly enough, helped the actual game get funded.

Below the jump is the official press release for the company line: Continue reading →

Risen Hands-On (PC/Xbox 360)

Posted on August 8, 2009 by geelw

At Deep Silver’s recent press event, the second big game shown was Risen, a great looking third-person Action/RPG by Piranha Bytes, creators of the Gothic series. Kai Rosenkranz, the game’s composer (and Jack of All Trades) was on hand with playable PC and Xbox 360 builds of the game, presented in side by side format for comparison’s sake. While the PC version was running on a higher resolution monitor, both versions looked exactly the same in terms of details small and large. This was an impressive beginning to the presentation and it only got better. Continue reading →

Cursed Mountain Hands-On

Posted on August 8, 2009 by geelw

With the Wii in desperate need of some quality third-party titles geared toward “core” gamers, Deep Silver’s soon to be released Cursed Mountain comes at exactly the right time. I finally got some hands-on time with this survival horror gem at a the company’s New York City press event and can safely say this is a must-buy for genre fans who crave a great story with their gameplay. It’s not only one of the most innovative games on the console, it just might be one of the best genre games to date thanks to a huge development team dedicated to the project from day one. Martin Filipp, Deep Silver’s Developer Relations Manager proudly took a room packed full of editor-types through a few areas of the game’s early levels showing off the solid visuals, intuitive controls and innovative combat mechanics. Continue reading →