RymdResa: Restful Random Roguelike Inbound August 20

Posted on July 30, 2015 by geelw

“We didn’t want to create yet another space-shooter, with laser-beams and exploding aliens. In RymdResa the game play is peaceful, passive and relaxing.”

That’s a nice, bold statement from Stockholm, Sweden-based Morgondag, a pair of developers (Vendela Carlberg Larson and Kim Gunnarsson) whose upcoming game RymdResa sure fulfills on that quote quite well. With the space simulation sub-genre packed to the gills with demanding 4X and real-time strategy games focused on deep exploration and and blowing fleets of ships into space dust, RymdResa is a mellower mood trip that’s a laid back welcome from all that blasting. That’s not to say you won’t get blasted by something if you’re careless, mind you.

As you’ll see in the videos above and below, the game’s retro scan line look and lovely sound mix (by Tom Croke and Pat Jacobs) are blended quite well and there’s even a computer-y voice (Eric Reed) that talks to you as you slip through the stars like a more friendly (but abstract) HAL 9000. The gameplay in the build so far is interesting, mixing arcade-like controls that are easy to pick up with a (so far) intentionally languid mission structure that has you collecting resources and “spacepoints” and avoiding trouble while trying not to run out of said resources. There are nods to Computer Space, Asteroids, and other classics, but the game’s mix of poetic quotes as you drift about and discover are quite interesting.

Thanks to a busy set of things to do this past week, I’ve only spent about a half hour or so with the game so far. But I’ll be going back in to this deep space delight for more because what I’ve played so far has been quite compelling. That half hour got me close to two years in space, two levels and a near destroyed ship when I floated too close to the sun after dinging off a stray asteroid. Memo to self (and other players): RED outlines and highlights around objects mean stay away or else. While currently Steam-bound on August 20, 2015, the game is also set to land on Xbox One, Wii U, iPad and Linux at some point in the future. I’ll be wanting to check out the Wii U version just because that console is getting a load of cool indie love but people seem to be ignoring those games for some reason.

I’ll run a big 40+ screenshot gallery over the weekend. I’d do it NOW, but I need to tackle some personal stuff. I’d do it sooner than the weekend, but I think I’ll be spending a lot of time in space before that with a nice little indie game you absolutely need to play. Back with more in a bit.

Bundle Stars Wants You To Be Quite Heroic This Week

Posted on July 28, 2015 by geelw

Oblige them, please (and help out assorted charities in the process). That 7-game +1 Expansion DLC RPG Heroes Bundle is from yesterday, but you can still grab it for $2.49 for about the next 19 hours. Among other gems, that bundle has the legendary Wizardry 8, a blast from the past that’s still quite a killer game experience. Meanwhile, in the future of today, this is what’s up for grabs for a song:

The FPS Heroes Bundle is another $2.49 deal for a nice set of eight Steam keys that will probably melt your PC thanks to all the non-stop action you’re about to get. There’s a nice and weird mix of games including System Shock 2, the star of this particular deal. It’s still an effective blend of sci-fi and horror that will creep under your skin and probably get a few of you new to it curled up under something not wanting to further.

As usual, there are also loads of single and multi-game deals to be found in the Bundle Stars store, so feel free to poke around there and back up your backlog with too many titles to try out. Hey, I just tell you what’s out there, folks. It’s up to you to decide what you need to do with it.

Tembo The Badass Elephant Says: “Don’t Forget Me… OR ELSE!”

Posted on July 20, 2015 by geelw

Is this new Sega-published game out tomorrow equal parts Rambo, Dumbo and Sonic the Hedgehog? Nope, not really… but it’s pretty darn close. But you probably want to buy Tembo the Badass Elephant because if you don’t, Tembo might get mad. And you don’t want to get Tembo mad at you because elephants don’t forget. Ever. Hey, I don’t know about YOU, but I don’t want to be in the shower or walking down the street on an other wise fine and dandy day when all of a sudden I hear a trumpety bellow and a wall comes crashing down on me that Tembo just burst through like a pissed off Kool-Aid Man. Seven and a half tons of fun on my head (not counting the rubble from building that just got crashed through)? Nope, not happening.

Anyway, the game in question SHOULD be bought and played not because of any unveiled threats, but because it’s from the geniuses at Game Freak, who brought Pokemon to the world for Nintendo consoles, a little VERY under-appreciated gem called Pulseman to the Sega Mega Drive back in the 90’s. So, YES. You need a little Tembo in your gaming life tomorrow. Or else you get a LOT of Tembo coming your way when you least expect it. PC, PS4 and Xbox One only. Wii U and handheld system owners? Well, I guess you’ll be getting a little big visit from some very angry elephant soon. And he won’t be playable. Carry a sack of peanuts and a live mouse with you at all times so you can distract him as you make good your escape.

PSN Flash Sale: Sci-Fi Games and Flicks Up For Grabs

Posted on July 18, 2015 by geelw

So. Say you’re sitting around doing not too much this weekend, happen to have a PSN account and need something (or a few things) entertaining to do with your time. If you’re willing to spend a little money (or more than a little if you let yourself get too caught up in the bargains), yep, there’s another PSN Flash Sale going on. Expect to see plenty off excellent deals as listed on this PlayStation Blog post… and look, your wallet is already hopping out of that pocket or purse and is running away from you! Go get it!

See, this is why you NEED to always vacuum under the bed, folks.

Hmmm. Fortunately, wallets love playing with dust bunnies so they’re easy to catch. I’ll leave you to it, then. The Sci-Fi Deals Flash Sale ends Monday, July 20 at 9am Pacific Time, so get moving if you want to score some nice deals.

Guild of Dungeoneering: Deck The Halls, Then Push Up Daisies

Posted on July 14, 2015 by geelw

So, Gambrinous (which may or may not be ancient Gaelic for “we made a really great game you need to play!”) has finished Guild of Dungeoneering and it’s out NOW on Steam, gog.com, and the Humble Store. It’s also on my list of games I need to play before I drop dead, so I think I should hop to it soon. Not to get too grim and all, but one needs to buy as big a bucket as possible if one has quite the large bucket list. My big bucket is full of games like this, of course. Okay, exciting trips, overpriced food and other fun stuff is in bucket number two. Anyway, I need to go clear my calendar and see if I can add a few more days into the month so I can tackle a bit of dungeon-diving. Back in a bit.

Star Wars: Uprising: Shoot First In Kabam’s Upcoming Co-Op Game

Posted on July 7, 2015 by geelw

(thanks, Kabam RPG!)

Hey, Kabam! You just made me want to play a Star Wars game. Reading up on Uncle George trying to rewrite movie history has of late almost put me off wanting to go near anything new owner Disney intends to do with the franchise. Any SW fan worth his salt knows Han shot first, grrrr! That said, I’m still not a 100 percent tablet, mobile or broswer-based MMO convert just yet…
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Monday’s Hot Blahs Deserve Some Bundles To Beat Them Away

Posted on July 6, 2015 by geelw

July is here, the weather is depressingly muggy and the mood is grim in some circles for assorted reasons. All the better for getting some gaming in before the world collapses, yes? I thought so. Anyway, Bundle Stars wants you to have at it with a few friends thanks to its Co-Op Bundle deal featuring eight games for $1.99. That price lasts for a day and goes up on Tuesday, so get this one while it’s hot and cheap.

Meanwhile, over at IndieGala, the Every Monday Bundle is a puzzling one because it’s a nice set of puzzle and adventure games today. $1.99 gets you six cool indies to play with for as long as you like. “Once you buy a prize, it’s yours to keep” and all that, you know.

If you just need ONE game to play that will get you in a nicely nostalgic mood as it attempts to kill your character but good multiple times while making your brain do some extra thinking, Zojoi Games’ wonderful remake of Shadowgate is on sale on Steam for the low, low price of $2.99. It’s worth more than that so yes, you should get it or else a dragon will roast you when you open the next door you walk up to. You can also get the more content-packed Special Edition of the game for $6.24, but I’ll let you poke around on the game’s page to see what that all entails.

Tales of Zestiria Trailer: Your October Surprise (Plus Tales Tax)

Posted on July 3, 2015 by geelw

Bandai Namco Games is rolling out not one, but two Tales games between this year and next, one new and one old but new for PC gamers who may be interested in one of the earlier entries in the long-running franchise. Tales of Zestiria is coming to PS3, PS4 and PC on October 20, 2015. PC Gamers who hop on board the Steam pre-order train will have the opportunity to nab the upcoming HD port of Tales of Symphonia for FREE as a bonus tier item. This great deal may not convince some who only collect physical media to grab the game, but for those of you PS4 owners looking for a ton of swag, there’s as nice Collector’s Edition packed with the following:

TALES OF ZESTIRIA game for the PlayStation 4 system

Serialized premium box packaging

Exclusive SteelBook case

Chibi Kyun Chara figure set

DLC pack

TALES OF ZESTIRIA hardcover art book

Three TALES OF ZESTIRIA pixel-styled character key chains

TALES OF ZESTIRIA 40 minute “Dawn of the Shepherd” OVA anime Blu-ray disc

That’s a nice chunk of shelf space, I bet. I’ll post some pics of the set once I’m at a place with a better connection speed. Or you can just check out all the info on the official Tales Blog.

Some Bundles For Those Freakish About Fireworks And Flag Waving

Posted on July 2, 2015 by geelw

Let’s say you’re not doing anything this long holiday weekend (hey, we don’t all have friends who know how to use a grill or perhaps we’re just allergic to explosives and a little antisocial on holidays like this) and you want to try out some cool indie games. Well, Humble Bundle and IndieGala have got you covered quite well this week. Introduced yesterday, the Hump Day Bundle packs in a dozen games for under three dollars in a nice mix of genres. Horror game fans may find a few titles to groove on such as Трейлер (RED LAKE), which looks pretty darn freaky on a few levels:

Yeah, that’s some nightmare fuel right there. If that game isn’t up you particular dark alley, you have a few more to choose from. You can even TRADE games now on IndieGala if you want to try out something else, so that’s cool as well. As for the Humble Bundle, read on, dear readers… read on.
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A Small Flurry Of Monday Bundles To Keep You Busy

Posted on June 29, 2015 by geelw

IndieGala’s Every Monday Bundle is a fun one if you like doujin games and a really excellent hard as nails open world arcade shooter. Grab all those games for two bucks and be busier than you need to on a Monday. Or pay more if your wallet can support that sort of spending.

Meanwhile, over at Bundle Stars, there’s a flurry of activity. Can’t you hear it? It’s all those people snapping up the Flurry Bundle for all its cuteness in some of the eight selections and deep challenge in the more thoughtful games in the collection. $2.49 gets you this deal but it’s all up to you to find the time to play all those games.