Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen Enemies (2): Dying Just Got A Lot More Painfully Interesting…

Posted on April 19, 2013 by geelw

Just watching this latest Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen gameplay trailer makes me say “Ouch!” because I know some of these new creatures will be a pain to take down quickly. But as with the first game, it’s a learning experience when you encounter a new enemy in this game world. Check out its weaknesses, go at it with your best skills and make sure your pawns are up to speed. Hmmm… Now I’m feeling the need to play through the first game again… but with all the work I need to get done, that’s not going to happen at all. Unless someone creates time travel before Dark Arisen hits retail for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on April 23, 2013… which isn’t so far away at all. Yaaaah! The pain of having too darn many games to play, think of playing (or replaying). Well, there are far worse things to be worried about in the real world, of course…

GRID 2 Customization: My Fairlady (And Yours, Too!)

Posted on April 19, 2013 by geelw

The brilliant car customization in Codemasters’ upcoming racer GRID 2 is one more really awesome feature that will get and keep this racer on many play lists for a while. I didn’t get to tinker with it during my two hands-on sessions, but that’s probably a darn good thing. I tend to take ages to trick out a ride and usually end up with something that’s understated yet a monster on the road. Of course, with the amount of online competition this will no doubt have way too many great racers breaking records every few minutes or less, but I’m going to hit solo mode and break in every car I can on as many tracks in the game as possible. May 28, 2013 will be one of those “flu” days for some folks, I’m betting…

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Goes Gold, Pre-order Bonuses Split Personalities…

Posted on April 19, 2013 by geelw

It’s almost here, folks… Now you have to make a BIG choice here if you pre-order this upcoming PS3 exclusive – do you get yourself a tactical advantage with that Field-Ops Suit Pack DLC from Amazon OR are you going to energize your game with the Espresso Suit Pack DLC from GameStop? Decisions, decisions… enough to make you a bit schizophrenic, I’d say. I usually dislike DLC like this from different retailers, as it’s an annoying ploy to make you miss something and/or choose sides as if this loyalty to a particular retailer was a good thing.

That said, it’ll be interesting to see which DLC wins out here and if possible, if ALL who buy the game will have the chance to get both packs and that bonus DLC noted below down the road as free or paid content through PSN. That’s the most fair way to go, I say – especially with the cult following this game has and some players wanting everything that can get out of it including these two outfits.

New Features for Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut:

New Scenario – Surprising new scenario from the game’s director, Hidetaka “Swery” Suehiro that will please new and hardcore fans alike
HD graphics – complete graphic overhaul with new HD textures
Improved Controls – reworked control system and mappable controls allow for an even better combat experience
Downloadable content – Expand the mystery beyond the original game and let Agent York (and Zach) live it up in Greenvale – *PROFILING START*

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: Slippery When Wet!

Posted on April 18, 2013 by geelw

Uh oh! Well, as you can see here, FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan (just call him York!) is in a little spot of trouble. OK, a BIG spot of trouble. But it’s kind of his own damn fault for wearing those stupid, expensive (non-FBI issue) leather shoes with no traction soles out in the pouring rain. You’d think the man would at least pack some decent rain gear in his car trunk or carry a plastic poncho in his pocket, but nope. Of course, he’s actually in no danger in this shot because the Red Seeds Killer actually burst out laughing for a few minutes, allowing York to make good his escape with just his dignity injured and in need of a change of clothes. Well, better mud than blood, I say… although both kinds of stains are a total bitch to get out. Especially from a nice suit such as that. You can’t just toss that in the washer and then into a hot dryer… unless you plan on donating it to a shorter person who can iron really well…

Anyway, make sure you wear your rubbers if it’s raining on April 30, 2013 and you’re headed out to pick up a copy of Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut, exclusively for the PS3 from Rising Star Games. The updated HD visuals, PlayStation Move and 3D TV support plus over 100 changes from the original version will have you grinning no matter what the weather is doing outside. Just make sure you look both ways when crossing the street, as I think that Red Seeds Killer can drive as may not want you to make it home in one piece so he can continue his evil ways…

Hmmm… I think Game Director and ~~part~~ full time coffee maven Swery 65 likes the rain quite a lot. Greenvale tends to get quite wet this time of year and at night, it’s the perfect time to see and run into all sorts of oddball things. Most of which are out to kill you unless you know where they are and how to avoid them. I hear he’s disconnecting his phone on the day the game comes out so people don’t ring him up for clues at all hours of the night.

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: Power Play…

Posted on April 17, 2013 by geelw

Hey, guess what? FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan (just call him York!) actually got his car yesterday and yes indeed, he got himself a little gift. But, hey… guess what? The power is OUT where he’s staying. Oops. How’s that for a nasty plot twist? Anyway, in true horror game fashion this means it’s out and about poking around the rainy woods avoiding danger and looking for the right generator to kick until it clicks back on. Here’s the thing, folks – you know York’s probably in the wrong place entirely because if the power were out, that generator room he’s in here would be pitch black as well. Unless it’s running on its own backup system or is powered by another cabin’s generator. Actually, the BIGGER issue here is the fact that our heroic investigator can’t be playing the game he’s in while he’s in it… but don’t you go tell him that now. He’d ask “Guess What?” and then bonk you on the head with that guitar he’s got in his inventory. I bet you’re a lot less tough than that Red Seeds Killer to take down, especially with a heavy electric guitar dent in your noggin.

You know, you can just do York a BIG favor by picking up a copy of Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut, coming exclusively for the PlayStation 3 on April 30, 2013 from Rising Star Games. Featuring over 100 improvements over the original, updated HD graphics, 3D TV and PlayStation Move support and more, this one will keep you in York’s shoes for as long as you can stand it. Which is probably a good thing for him, as he kind of needs a break from all that walking and running around in the rain looking for the right generator. Or the left one. Wait, which one is it again? Now I need an aspirin!

And guess what? Game Director Swery 65 is probably chuckling to himself because he knows York all too well and he COULD call him up on his cell phone to tell him which generator is which… but it’s more fun to have him figure it out himself. Or even better, if and when YOU help York figure it out. I was going to say “And now you know how games are made!” or something like that to end this post, but that’s not quite the truth. It’s a hell of a lot more work than that (which is why it’s a damn good thing the coffee is really good in Greenvale)…

GTA V “Cash & Carry” Artwork: More Teasing From Rockstar…

Posted on April 17, 2013 by geelw

Cash and Carry by Land

Oh, I really have nothing to say here but enjoy the artwork. I love how Rockstar’s artists tell these little stories in every image and while open to interpretation, you KNOW that somewhere in that massive fictional version of California, someone is looking at a recently emptied safe formerly full of ill-gotten games and yelling for the cops or their “boys” to go on the hunt for the thieves. Well, good luck with that. September 17, 2013 is the release date, by the way…

Cash and Carry by Sea

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: A Simple Question…

Posted on April 16, 2013 by geelw

So, what’s up with FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan (just call him York!) today you ask? well, as you can see, the man NEEDS a car. Badly. Not because he’s got a line on that axe-wielding Red Seeds Killer, mind you. He got some spectacular news not too long ago and really wants to take a little drive out of Greenvale for a bit. Why? Well, dear reader… he just found out that there’s not a single video game shop in that sleepy, scenic little town and there’s a little something he needs to pick up for himself for when he’s finally got some down time. Hey, everyone needs a hobby and yep, York’s got a few of them. He loves good coffee, a ton of movies (good, bad and otherwise), pretty ladies to chat with over good coffee, some odd music and video games. And ladies, he’s sort of single the last time I checked. Well, save for Zach, his mysterious invisible friend who tags along with him and who he talks to on occasion. Sure, he’s quirky like that, but I bet YOU have a few things that you do when no one is looking that are a bit on the unusual side… Anyway, toss that man some keys, please – he’s got a long drive ahead of him.

You, on the other hand don’t even need to leave the comfort of your own home if you’ve already pre-ordered a copy of Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut, coming exclusively to the PS3 from Rising Star Games. Featuring over 100 improvements from the original, Upgraded HD visuals, PlayStation Move and 3D TV support, optional DLC that extends the gameplay, plus MORE. I say pick up two copies and give one to that jaded gamer you know who’s always whining about the games he likes being too short or more of the same or both. Once that pal fires this one up, he’ll want to become a permanent resident of Greenvale. Er, I’d wait until that Red Seeds Killer gets his and those pesky Shadows go away, as you don’t want to end up THAT permanent a resident… if you know what I mean…

Of course, Game Director supreme (and the honorary mayor/sheriff/bar owner/best tipping A&G Diner patron of Greenvale) Swery 65 hopes you’ll all buy at least one copy of this game just so he can finally get some much-needed rest from all that traveling around promoting this instant horror/comedy/adventure classic. It’s definitely hard enough work MAKING a game, but the touring gets tiring even with the best coffee in the world popping up like clockwork on a regular basis to keep him awake. You don’t want to disappoint him now, do you? I sure don’t…

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: Where Is Everybody?

Posted on April 15, 2013 by geelw

Hmmm… for a big deal FBI Special Agent, Francis York Morgan (just call him York!) can occasionally be as clueless as a headless chicken. A frozen headless chicken, at that. Case in point: today, he’s been running all around Greenvale’s lush outdoors looking to wrap up a few loose ends in his Red Seeds Killer case file, but there’s been NO ONE around to talk to. Let’s just say that the man is even more confused than usual and it took him the better part of the day to figure out what was going on. If only he’d thought about backtracking to where he started his day at the A&G Diner, he’d have seen that most of the townsfolk were hanging out there waiting to surprise a certain special someone with a big blowout birthday party… and it wasn’t York!

Which, by the way is a damn good thing, as he won’t roll back thataway for something like another two hours to grab a cup of that great coffee they make. And boy will he be surprised when he finds his mystery for the day is partially his fault. Hmmm… I hope he at least remembered to bring a gift. Something old from the glove compartment just won’t do at all…

I know you forget things too (as do I), but you’d better NOT forget to PRE-ORDER a copy of Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut, coming exclusively to the PlayStation 3 on April 30, 2013 from Rising Star Games. Featuring over 100 improvements from the original, Upgraded HD visuals, PlayStation Move and 3D TV support plus MORE, this is going to be a gaming experience that you (wait for it) won’t soon forget (ba-dum-bum!). Thank you, thank you… I’ll be here all week. No cover charge, two cup of coffee minimum!

Speaking of coffee and surprises… I actually needed MORE last week when I noted it was Game Director Swery 65’s birthday. OOPS. It’s actually tomorrow (or is that TODAY in Japan?) and I thought of a great present for him… but Rising Star games beat me to it because they weren’t running around Greenvale and had the time and money to have these AWESOME themed mini-Espresso jars and an A&G Diner mug made up for the birthday boy! Awesome. Of course, NOW I need to get my grubby paws on some of that coffee swag and that mug, but I’ll probably have to settle for pretending I’m in Greenvale and hanging out after the party is over. Hopefully, that stupid Red Seeds Killer won’t muck things up and all those creepy looking Shadows will be well-behaved…

GRID 2 Multiplayer Redefined Trailer: Yes, Indeed It Is…

Posted on April 15, 2013 by geelw

It was actually really funny to be the first and only person at the early appointment to see the innovative multiplayer mode in GRID 2 and get some great hands-on time, as I could tell the assembled team was itching to let people coming in play the game and see what was what. Still, I had to go through the entire team’s rehearsed presentation before my hands-on time, which was cool to hear, but I’m that sort of guy who “gets” stuff without the boxcar pitch games get. Of course, I’m not complaining one bit, folks – once you play this one, it’s going to keep you busy for some time, especially if you go full-on into the RaceNet functionality. May 28 is rushing up really quickly and for once, I’m not so ticked off at time zipping by…

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: Caffeine Vanity

Posted on April 14, 2013 by geelw

Another Sunday in Greenvale, another cup of coffee for FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan (just call him York!) as he’s still in town on the hunt for the Red Seeds Killer. Speaking of coffee, there’s a jukebox under an old green sheet in the basement of the Swery 65 Bar that used to be in the A&G Diner for about thirty years until it was moved a few months back. It was supposed to go upstairs IN the bar proper, but it was damaged in transit and is a bit to expensive to repair. If you were to get it running and feeling a bit moody, you’d probably drop a quarter in and play B17 first, which just so happens to be “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon. You know, that song with the lyric that goes:

“I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee
Clouds in my coffee, and…”

Interestingly enough, as York is sitting there contemplating, Bonnie Tyler’s “Clouds in My Coffee” just so happens to be playing in the background. THAT song isn’t quite the classic Simon’s tune is, but it does have this line going for it:

“The reflection I saw in your coffee
Was a bitter reflection of me”

Does this mean anything at all? Probably not. Nevertheless, it’s just a bit more serendipity to keep an otherwise sleepy Sunday rolling along. Coffee makes a terribly ineffective mirror, by the way. The image that looks back at you is always ugly or murky and constantly changing. Which is why one drinks it to enjoy what’s IN the cup and not on the surface…

By the way, if you’re NOT a coffee drinker, I’d say playing Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut, coming exclusively to the PlayStation 3 from Rising Star Games, will drive you to drink some. Featuring Featuring over 100 improvements over the original game, refined HD graphics, PlayStation Move and 3D TV support, all-new DLC and more, you’ll be staying awake ’til the wee hours saying “just ten more minutes…” as you put on a fresh pot when the clock strikes midnight. And if you’re not a caffeine fiend at all, I’m sure you’ll find some other way to stay away that’s legal and somewhat aromatically addictive… Anyone for a nice peppermint tea with ginger?

I know for a fact that Game Director Swery 65 loves coffee quite a lot, but I don’t know what’s his favorite brand or how he takes it. Then again, that’s a bit creepy to know that much about a person you don’t PERSONALLY know (well, I think so). However… as we all (well all us caffeine addicts out there) know, your favorite barista at the local coffee emporium probably knows way too much about you and your personal preferences than your closest relative, spouse (if you have one) or psychiatrist (if you have one). Now, THAT’S what I call creepy. But that black gold is oh, so delicious (dilate, dilate, smile…)