The Great Story of a Mighty Hero Trailer: Dean Forge Makes a Laugh & Slash You Need to Try

Posted on December 3, 2014 by geelw

Well, this one’s a nice surprise. I was thinking we’d see a new chapter in the horror-themed Lumber Island saga from developer Dean Forge (the original and its sequel come highly recommended), but it turns out his next game is a total departure from the horror genre. The Great Story of a Mighty Hero is certainly one of the most generic-sounding game titles I’ve heard in a while, but it’s intentional, as is the game’s lovely polygon cartoon art style and tried and true hack & slash gameplay. If that’s Unity being used here, it’s certainly getting a nice looking game as you can see below:

Now, the game is supposed to be up and ready to go according to Forge’s site, but Desura hasn’t gotten around to getting it live and ready to try out yet. Boo! Oh well. I can wait a few more days just because I’m a big fan of this type of game (serious to silly) and I want to see how all that hard work turned out. If anything, getting this for the weekend would be sweet, as it would take my mind off the coming ceiling and wall repairs this Friday and all the noise, dust and daily super-cleaning of the apartment needed. Fun diversions such as this are great for helping save one’s sanity, that’s for sure…

The Shadow Sun: Ossian Studios Makes a Mobile RPG Monster…

Posted on November 24, 2014 by geelw

I think Ossian Studios must be full of very powerful wizards who just so happen to stay out of trouble magic users get into by making some really wonderful games. The developer, well known by western RPG fans for two excellent expansion adventure packs for BioWare’s Neverwinter Nights 2 (Mysteries of Westgate and Darkness over Daggerford) has a new mobile RPG that’s going to maybe make some PC-only players jealous. Available for Android and iOS platforms, The Shadow Sun is a Unity engine RPG with about 10 hours of content, some really pretty visuals and what looks like fine gameplay in action.

The Shadow Sun is packed with features you’d normally see in high-quality PC and console role-playing games. However, given the developer is made up of veterans with experience on Neverwinter Nights and The Witcher, what’s here is just the team showing off their work for all the (mobile) world to see and enjoy. Check out the gallery, game features and teaser trailer below the jump, if you please:

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Oh, Zojoi! Shadowgate Gets A Nice Retro-Packed Sale Today

Posted on November 22, 2014 by geelw

Hey, Zojoi Games! I fixed the typo in your email ad (you’re welcome and sorry about the spacing, as there’s only so much I can do in MS Paint in under three minutes) and thankfully, you fixed it before it went up on Steam. There’s nothing worse that dealing with nit-picky fans raking you over the coals for a misplaced “a” or other letter. Anyway, overexcited typist/layout person aside, this deal on the new Shadowgate game and two well-aged adventure classics cannot be missed, folks.

You’re getting a lot of awesome point and click-ness for that $20 and if you want your brain to jump up and thank you for making it work hard figuring out puzzles and trap solutions, well, here you go. A gift to you from you (because I don’t know you and wouldn’t give you something you may not want). Go get these NOW!

The Marvellous Miss Take Trailer: Consider Your Heart Stolen!

Posted on November 17, 2014 by geelw

“Wits not Fists” is the name of the game in The Marvellous Miss Take, the upcoming game from indie developer Wonderstruck, a small team of ex-Lionhead Studios developers and other industry veterans. It’s not the only non-violent stealth game on the way (Mike Bithell’s intriguing Volume springs to mind as an upcoming contemporary worth a look), but it’s looking like a more (and most likely the most amusing) one I’ve seen.

Rising Star Games is on quite the roll with these fun indie titles, but I hope this slick lady thief and her two friends show up on a few other platforms and isn’t stuck on PC forever. This is exactly the type of game I’d love to play on the road on a Vita or some mobile whatever and not seeing it there would be a (wait for it) Miss Take. Ba-dum-bum! Yeah, yeah – corny as hell, but it’s raining cats, dogs, squirrels and frogs outside and I need to make myself chuckle on this dreary Monday…

Anyway, The Marvellous Miss Take is out on Steam November 20. We’ll need to take a peek at this one soon once the backlog has been cleared up a bit.

Friday Mail: More Work (and I’m Not Complaining)…

Posted on November 7, 2014 by geelw

Well, there’s nothing like coming home after a trying day to a nice surprise or two. Tales of Hearts R is being played as we speak (or as I type) and so far it’s quite a bit of fun. Er, wacky humor aside. I think this may be the kookiest localized Tales game I’ve played, but let’s see how it goes. I haven’t seen nor heard “rapscallion” used in a sentence in about three months, but I’d guess that some of you out there have never heard or seen the word at all. What does it mean? Um, you know how to use the internet, don’t you, ya whippersnappers? Look it up!

Um, spoilers? Nah, not really, angry Tales fans wanting to beat me with a busted controller right about now. These two scenes happen so early in the game that you’ll not get the context unless you’ve played the import already. Even then, I’d bet the original Japanese isn’t as goofy.

Anyway, back to it. It’s going to be a stupidly busy weekend and upcoming week here. CES Unveiled, some reviews to catch upon, too many previews and hopefully a certain developer will get back to be about a really bag bug in a game I need to review. There’s nothing worse in a game about killing bugs than a game-killing bug that stops things cold is all I’ll say. If it’s not my console acting up and in fact it IS a bad bug, then at least one review I’ve been pointed to by a friend needs to come down.

Granted, any fix probably won’t change the reviewer’s opinion one bit. But hell, it’s best to be fair to the developer and say you’ve actually completed the game you posted an unfavorable notice about rather than just knock out something that’s not constructive at all that doesn’t even mention the issue.

Far Cry 4 Also Gets The Soundtrack Treatment…

Posted on November 7, 2014 by geelw

Cliff Martinez, formerly a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and composer of some fine film scores (“Traffic,” “Drive, ” “Spring Breakers”) is also the main man behind the tunes to Ubisoft’s upcoming FPS, Far Cry 4. Working with Ubisoft Montreal’s Music Designer for the game, Jerome Angelot, Music Supervisor Simon Landry and Audio Director Tony Gronick, Martinez has created an original score meant to flow flawlessly with the game’s action and cinematic sequences. While the game’s soundtrack won’t be getting the big deluxe box treatment Rockstar is giving Grand Theft Auto V, it’s a more than solid enough set of tunes to add to your own music library (especially if you’re a soundtrack collector).

Of his collaboration on the soundtrack with Ubisoft, Martinez says:

“It was an honor to be asked to write the music for the Far Cry 4 game as my first full-length video game soundtrack,” said Cliff Martinez. “It was exciting for me to be asked to take my usual minimalistic cinematic approach to the immersive game world. Any game where you can ride on a rampaging elephant is a project you can’t turn down!”

Well, I’m listening to the music as I type this post and really feel as if I’m in some very dangerous foreign land about to go on some rather wild adventure. Granted, I’m typing this post in a public place, so the worst that can happen is some old guy bumbles by and drops a hot cup of coffee on my shoe. But hey, I’ll settle for that tiny bit of excitement over dodging digital bullets and rampaging elephants any day of the week. Anyway, the Far Cry 4 Original Game Soundtrack digital edition will release worldwide on November 4, the limited 2-CD edition will release on December 2 in North America and on December 9 in Europe, and the limited 3-LP edition will release in January 2015. Far Cry 4 will be available November 18 worldwide for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC.

Some Late Humble Bundles to Keep You Humming…

Posted on November 6, 2014 by geelw

Well, humming on the road with engines revving or humming a calming tune because you’re playing a scary game with a blanket half over your head from under your bed or couch. Let’s take a peek at what’s up this week (and nope, I’m not intentionally trying to rhyme here – I’m typing off the top of my head quickly so I can pend this post for later today and that happens a lot when I do this):

The Humble Weekly Bundle Racing has some nice games in its six title deal. Pay what you want for three games, but I say drop the nine bucks down and get all six games, as they’re well worth the money. Real World Racing will probably be the standout for some players thanks to its high-quality aerial imagery used for courses set in actual locations around the world. Take a peek:

Meanwhile, the Humble inDIE Bundle 13 features some scary games, not so scary games and a chance to snap up some cool collectibles if you go above and beyond the call in your charity spending. Again, pay what you want for three titles, but spend a bit more and get a load of great stuff as well as six game soundtracks. $12 gets you nine games and if you have a spare $65, you not only get all 11 games, but get a gift box sent your way filled with swag! Everything here makes for a nice way to lose some hours, but I’ll say that Minor Key Games retro first-person adventure/shooter Eldritch got the most of my attention:

Even better, just for visiting the page, you can get a Steam code for the awesome Teleglitch: Die More Edition for FREE. This top-down pixel-packed retro shooter manages to be challenging and slightly scary thanks to clever old-school design and some pretty tough enemies in its procedurally generated levels. Anyway, you’re busy – I’m busy! Go get some games for cheap and play them when you can.

Dragon Age Inquisition Updates Keep You Twitching and Choosing…

Posted on November 5, 2014 by geelw

So, the final (but not quite final I’d bet) push is here as Electronic Arts and BioWare even more heavily promote Dragon Age Inquisition, the upcoming BioWare-developed epic RPG set for release November 18. While the game is coming to PS3 and Xbox 360, it’s the PS4, Xbox One and PC versions that are getting the most attention from many fans and pretty much every critic set to review it. Those versions should clearly show the developer making the game they wanted to make from the beginning of this popular franchise, although one can only imagine how future games will look once older hardware becomes less common.

There is also an intriguing and optional social feature currently in beta called Dragon Age Keep that looks to immerse fans even more completely into the world of Dragon Age as they learn every bit of lore from previous games and even share their progress in the new adventure as they play. Check it out:

if you’re Twitching for more Dragon Age, fear not. EA and BioWare have you covered this coming Thursday with a live stream of the game’s multiplayer component starting at 10:00AM PST (that’s 1:00PM EST) on the developer’s Twitch channel. This content will include the following:

Three Multiplayer Maps: The team will be showing three destinations: Elven Ruins, Orlesian Chateau and Tevinter Ruins.

Three Multiplayer Characters: The team will be showing character progression on the three unlocked starter characters: Legionnaire, Keeper and Archer.

Tips & Tricks: The team will be walking viewers through core tips and tricks on how to be successful in Dragon Age multiplayer. They will also touch on Ability Trees, Chests, and Crafting.

Live Q&A: Producer Scylla Costa and Associate Producer Billy Buskell will be taking questions from viewers live during the stream.

Who: Dragon Age multiplayer Producers Scylla Costa and Billy Buskell

What: Dragon Age multiplayer gameplay feature 3 maps, 3 multiplayer characters, and Q&A.

When: Thursday, November 6^th at 10:00AM PST / 1:00PM EST

Where: http://www.twitch.tv/bioware

That should tide you over until the game is finally launched on November 18, 2014 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows.

Get A Free BMW! Well, If You Own Gran Turismo 6, That Is…

Posted on November 5, 2014 by geelw

Your November just got a lot brighter, car fans. If you’re still playing the spectacular Gran Turismo 6 on your PlayStation 3, you’ll be very pleased to know that you’re getting a new car to drive pretty soon. Yesterday at the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, BMW and Polyphony Digital, Inc. revealed that he rare BMW M Performance M4 Safety Car will be making an appearance in the game as a Free DLC update later this month… Continue reading →

IndieGala’s LATE Every Monday Bundle Says “Who Needs Mondays!”

Posted on November 4, 2014 by geelw

Ha! And I thought I was losing more of my mind yesterday. Nope, IndieGala just didn’t post any bundle news is all. Then again, a few other places didn’t either, but it’s late and I’m about to get kicked out of the library, so I’ll hit those up in a separate post tomorrow. Well, here you go, six games for $1.89, all unique and pretty hard to pass up at that price. And heck, it even has a game based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet for crying out loud: