While this Bombshell reveal trailer isn’t revealing a stitch of gameplay (just a nicely scarred under-clad gal with a punk haircut and metal arm who seems to like her whiskey, watching cable news, firearms and motorcycle riding), fortunately, the game’s official site has screenshots to ogle and yep, they’re below.
I happen to like isometric games (and isometric action or turn-based RPGs in particular), so my interest has been piqued. I’ll also give huge credit to the dev team for not making yet another first-person shooter and instead going with a viewpoint and genre that may actually help draw in players who prefer this type of game experience.
While the game isn’t coming until Q1 2015, it’ll be interesting to see it in motion on the PS4 or PC. I wish this Unreal-powered game was also landing on the Vita, but I guess this is one of those games where a bigger screen means you appreciate the work that’s gone into it a whole lot more. Anyway, color me intrigued. More on Shelly’s big adventure soon. Here’s a brief interview with two of the people working on the game and an intro to the character to close things out:
While today’s Humble Daily Bundle deal is a mere three games, each one looks like it’ll be deeper than it looks and well worth checking out. I’ve yet to play X3 Terran Conflict, I’ve played the other games in this deep space simulation lite series and while they’re not perfect, there’s a LOT to do and plenty to see as you planet-hop. I’ve never played the other two games in this bundle, but the two words Universe and Sandbox mean nothing but a HUGE game. Or at least it SOUNDS like one. Heck, it BETTER be after all that build up, huh? Anyway, Kinetic Void is an Early Access game, so it’s a work in progress… but a great looking one and yes, also looks quite peachy.
Now, you may NEVER get your ass to Mars or anywhere higher than your average airliner flies, but for ten bucks, these three are worth the trip. Well, whatever the distance from your mouse to monitor is, as these are digital games. Anyway, check these out on the Humble site and do your thing with the wallet or purse if you like what you see.
Ah, my dear, dear Alicia… I missed you and your “witchy” ways, but it’s too bad this brief and non-physical reunion we’re having is just courtesy of a reissue and not an all NEW adventure.
Some people hated the now shuttered Japanese developer Cavia’s Bullet Witch when Atari brought it to the US for the Xbox 360, but I liked it (warts and all) thanks to the difficulty that required players PAY ATTENTION to enemies in the environments (snipers in that game were paid very well, let’s just say), learn patterns and take advantage of assorted strategies while trying to find that perfect pace to move at so poor Alicia didn’t get swarmed.
While PlatinumGames’ Bayonetta became a much more popular (and faster moving) heroine three years after this game came and went, I’ll always remember Alicia being there first with her big gun and wild spells. One day, she needs a proper comeback in a better (and multi-platform) game, I say. Continue reading →
Okay, I’m kind of terminally slow on the crowdfunding front because I have neither the time to look at EVERY project that clogs my inbox nor all the money I’d LOVE to donate to all those cool looking games and products I do look at.
In other words, I had NO idea the original developer was remaking this well aged absolute classic adventure game for current computers (and yes, Macs, iOS and Android devices as well). Based on the art and screens here plus that lovely pre-order trailer, I’m betting fans of this old chestnut are grinning madly as the game’s release looms closer and closer…
“The last thing that you remember is standing before the wizard Lakmir as he gestured wildly and chanted in an archaic tongue. Now you find yourself staring at an entryway which lies at the edge of a forest.”
So begins the classic anew, this time relaunched with many new features and as developer Zojoi states clearly, this isn’t a simple port at all, but a whole new take on the original that expands the adventure in every aspect. As you can see below, the classic adventure game retains the use of static art screens to tell its tale, but Shadowgate has never, ever looked this spectacular because these even more gorgeous screens add motion to the story.
A game overview, screenshots and concept art are all below the jump, as I don’t want to keep you from pre-ordering this ASAP. ogling them can wait a minute or two… Continue reading →
On May 15, a bunch of you will be sitting in darkened rooms, headphones on and hunched over playing Digital Happiness’ scary new game, DreadOut. I’m gathering there will be some squealing and flat out screaming involved on that day, particularly among those of you who do something dumb like play with the door to your room open and your back to that door. You KNOW that’s not a good ting, especially when someone else in your house or that pet running around decides to pop in and check up on you. Yeah, I’d expect those headphones to pop right off when you leave your seat and hit the ceiling, unless they’re wireless headphones. in which case you’ll want to have a pair with a NICE padded top, as ceilings can be quite hard when you fly up to them too quickly. Ouch. Turn off that ceiling fan while you’re at it, as it’ll keep your head from hitting the floor before the rest of you comes down. The police will have a hard time figuring out what happened until some deft detective sits down in front of that monitor, puts those headphones on and the scenario is repeated… Ouch.
Yes, the Call of Duty franchise is a multi-billion dollar winner for Activision’s coffers each year, but it’s also one of the more automatically reviled game series to some folks who think it’s more of the same each year. Activision seems to know this and has for a few years, so it’s shaking things up in a big way with Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. While the game is also set to hit PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 4, 2014, it’s the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions that will be getting the most scrutiny. A three-year development cycle means the team at Sledgehammer is most likely looking to change up elements of the more than familiar gameplay and the added star power of Kevin Spacey in a central role (nope, you don’t PLAY as him, though). Videos ahoy, above and below with three teasy screens, all in-engine of course:
While I LOVE Vice as a news outlet, their getting caught up in this game here is a bit dicey on a few fronts. Oh well, I guess this whole concept of future war HAD to be addressed, but Blackwater getting a nod here? Yeesh. Anyway, I guess those guys still have their loyal supporters. Anyway, more actual game-related teasy-pleasy for you:
And YES, in case you’re interested, the pre-order madness has officially begun. All you need to do is click one of those links above with your wallet out and *ding!*, you add money to Activision coffers, get yourself a copy of the gae on launch day AND boost up the presale figures to potentially Guinness World Book of Records stats if you’re one of those folks that’s REALLY thrilled about a new CoD game and what that entails and wish to be part of that potential record.
As for me? I just want to see what the campaign looks and plays like, as I avoid multiplayer entirely in these types of military shooters. If the story is engaging and thrilling, I’ll even sink to playing this on my old fat PS3 which is still going quite strong after years of service. Anyway, if looks could kill, the next-gen visuals here would leave plenty of folks deceased in front of their monitors, shrinking the user base down by a significant amount (much to Activision’s displeasure). Thankfully, gorgeous screenshots have never (as far as I know) caused serious injury (or even minor ones), so I think Activision has found a great balance here that will make some commit to that new-gen console if they haven’t already made the move.
I’l bett you one whole Republic Credit that Dark Horse Comics doesn’t care a hoot that Disney has decreed only what it creates from now on as “canon” and hell, they don’t need to at all, as up until it was yanked from them, they’ve been doing up the Star Wars license pretty right all these many years. Anyway, to celebrate May the Fourth (Be With You), the company is offering up some excellent deals on digital downloads from the massive lineup of SW books it’s put out over the ages. Click away on each image to be transported to a galaxy far, far away (or more precisely, a server far, far away) where you can check out and pick up a ton (or whatever they weigh on your own planet) of books at great prices.
For you cheapskates or those new to the Star Wars visual reads thing, you can grab the first four issues of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars: Empire and Star Wars: Legacy absolutely free of charge. That’s TWELVE free issues! FREEEEE! You don’t even have to let the Wookie win here, as even Chewbacca knows what free means. Well, he WILL rip your arms out of their sockets if you interrupt him while he’s reading, though…
In terms of KOTOR, that particular series makes a grand jumping off point, as it’s derived from what some consider the best Star Wars video game ever created. I need to replay this once again, as it still holds up as a great example of a well-written game that’s also extremely fun to play to the point that it works as a wonderful introduction to console or PC role-playing games thanks to the well done tutorials that ease you into play during the opening sequence and make you feel comfortable with the mechanics by the time that first section is complete.
Anyway, let me shut up here and let YOU go grab some deals or at least something free to keep you occupied this weekend. Have a blast and “May the…” oh you know, you know!
(thanks, AlexWhite525!)
Back on sale at gog.com in case you missed them the last time are a bunch of great Ubisoft published titles, so get your fill and then some at 60% off. I have a bunch of these already in the backlog, but I’m sorely tempted to pick up the heroic, mighty and magical Heroes of Might and Magic II Gold Edition just because it’s called by some folks the greatest fantasy strategy game ever made. Well, also because I played some of the original back in the day, but lost all my files when my computer blew up and never actually completed the game. That was probably a very good thing, as it was consuming a GREAT deal of my free time and I was getting maybe an hour or two of sleep per night and yep, even pulled a few all-nighters and was out and about working on nothing but caffeine and adrenaline fumes. Ah, those were the days (I think)…
Anyway, you know what to do, right? I’ll leave you to it, then!
Some of what it says on the PlayStation YouTube page:
inspired by such classics as Rygar, Contra, Bionic Commando, Blaster Master, and, of course, Metroid. But it also gives you power over glitches like those found in classic games, allowing you to scramble enemies, corrupt environments, and enter hidden areas.
Hmmmm… Okay, I’m IN. PC, PlayStation 4 and Vita bound soon, Axiom Verge may look like yet another of those endless numbers of retro homage games that crowd the indie space these days, but everything I just saw about in in that trailer above set my nostalgia meter into the red zone where it’ll be stuck until I finally play the game proper.
To me, it looks spectacular, capturing that old-school 8-bit vibe through its sprite and tile-based visuals while adding a few wicked visual effects you probably didn’t see back then on home consoles. Even better, it’s being made by ONE guy, Tom Happ, who has worked on a number of “triple-A” games for both PC and consoles (End of Nations, Tiger Woods, and NFL Street, to name a few), meaning he knows what he’s doing (but I’ll bet his wife thinks he’s crazy sometimes for tacking such a killer project like this!).
Even more awesome, in addition to the screenshots above featuring his great pixel art, Happ has also made some excellent GIFs of the game in motion so you can see all that hard work he’s doing. The screens are above and the GIFs below the jump because they’re of varying sizes. Enjoy! Expect updates as more news comes in and if you’re a fan of this style of game, you KNOW you need to get this on something its coming to. I’m all over this one, but I know the folks who hate having their butts handed to them by digitized alien scum will be pooh-poohing this before they even pick up a controller. It’s their loss, of course… Continue reading →
Konami has finally gotten digital versions of the two Silent Hill PSP games, Silent Hill Origins and Silent Hill Shattered Memories up on PSN and both come highly recommended to horror fans looking to take some portable scares on the go. As you can also see, there’s a cry for fans to submit videos to that little gathering the company is planning so they can show off everyone basically saying the same things, ha ha. Okay, I’m joking, but there are a number of KEY moments in the original Silent Hill through Silent Hill 4: The Room that everyone who’s played them has jumped out of their seat over. Granted, that clip seen in the video above (that cuts off before the scare, thankfully) is probably THE moment I recall people talking about the most when I was working in an indie game shop (and yeah, it got me good the first time I experienced it).
My other favorite scare was late in the first game when you’re in those sewers and that radio you’d been relying on to screech out static when a monster was nearby… STOPS WORKING. This moment is a freak out because you get no warning the radio is ineffective and the stage starts off with something moving slowly towards you out of the darkness. Is it harmless? Nope, not at all and worse, you have to make it though the entire are with ZERO warning as to what’s coming your way. I recall I had a review to write and only a dozen hours to finish the game, so this section was tough, but I pushed through it and survived without poor Harry Mason dying (but I think I had a few gray hairs afterwards). Anyway, enough reminiscing on such a wet and cold evening- I’m starting to give myself the creeps!
While this Bombshell reveal trailer isn’t revealing a stitch of gameplay (just a nicely scarred under-clad gal with a punk haircut and metal arm who seems to like her whiskey, watching cable news, firearms and motorcycle riding), fortunately, the game’s official site has screenshots to ogle and yep, they’re below.
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 