Hey, he’s not real, he just wants your virtual stuff (especially if it’s sort of glowing as if it’s telling him where it’s at) and if you pop up and try and stop him, the worst thing that can happen is you’ll end waking up with a fake knot on your noggin upside down in a broom closet (blame the physics getting a bit wonky when he dropped your unconscious body into that quick storage solution). Ladies, you’ll probably get a fake rose and a fake peck on the cheek for waking up as he’s poking around for that fist-sized emerald you didn’t know you had, so feel free to file a fake discrimination complaint against him with that fake police report. Or something like that…
Finding a truly original game idea is like looking for ice cream on the sun, but here comes a really nice surprise headed to current and next-gen consoles: Murdered: Soul Suspect from developer Airtight Games (Dark Void, Jet Pack Joyride). In this PC/PS3/Xbox 360/Xbox One game, you play as a murdered detective named Ronan O’Connor who rises from the dead thanks to a mysterious power and seeks out his killer. The game’s Salem, Massachusetts setting makes for an intriguing choice thanks to it’s somewhat compelling real life witch trails, and yes, there’s indeed a mystical element added in here as Ronan’s spirit can possess townspeople in order to solve cryptic puzzles, do a bit of combat with evil spirits and while indoors, pass through solid walls. Yes, to some out there the concept may sound very close to Capcom’s Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective for the Nintendo DS and iOS, But among other things, Murdered is without the 2D side-scrolling gameplay and main ghost character’s amnesia affliction found in the portable sleeper hit.
It’ll be interesting to see how this turns out as more information surfaces, but I’m already ticking it off as a must-play title. Of course, not being at E3, I’ll need to hope Square Enix comes flying into NYC like many other publishers do after the big show is over and done. I have the feeling that this is one of those new IP they’ll want to show off to as many editor types as possible just to get the engine firing up on that hype train. If it’s going to be as intriguing as the concept makes it sound, I’ll be there with bells on when they come a-calling. Back with more on this one soon – stay tuned…
While its protagonist might not be a frightening disease-bringing fiend like the one in W.F. Murnau’s asolute eternal classic Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (which is my ideal vampire tale for the ages thanks to its visually striking villain and zero camp elements), I’ll give DARK props for going against at least SOME of the grain today’s too-handsome teen/young adult vampires are cursed with. Sure, it’s more of a Deus Ex/Thief/Splinter Cell hybrid with an anti-hero who’s probably in deep doo-doo if he runs into a Hot Topic and fries up but good when he runs past all those fake silver goth crosses on display, but that’s OK with me. If the game is well-made (so far it seems so) and fun to play (so far it looks as if it will be) and keeps me hooked in with its story (that’s still to be determined), then it’ll be something that’s played and more than once around here. As usual… we shall see…
Hey! Quick WordPress editing tip, kids! If you open multiple Add A Post tabs in separate windows and do two different posts, one will overwrite the other when the second one is done! Whee. I just found that out after I zapped this original Wolfenstein: The New Order post with the one for Project Eden, so if you see this post twice in your feed, it’s not you going nuts… it’s me trying to save time but wasting it instead! Whee! Anyway, get me rewrite!
OK, I was interested in this sequel already, but this compelling trailer for Wolfenstein: The New Order REALLY makes me want some hands-on time just to see how it all plays out. Yes, it’s intentionally raising hackles on the back of some necks, but don’t get the wrong impression. The game is all about the return of that Nazi killing force of nature B.J. Blazkowicz and how he’s going to deal with this updated alternate future threat. The reworked imagery here is striking to the point where there’s the usual YouTube and message board debating about the wrong things (real world history) as opposed to how this game twists its of that into its narrative “What If” world (Nazis on the Moon! Yikes!) and packs a wallop with those images and finale that basically screams “PLAY ME!” So yep, I’m looking forward to doing so should Bethsoft truck on into NYC with a build… I’ll keep you posted should that indeed happen.
Alright, I’m kidding, Ubisoft (sort of). Anyway, Limbic Entertainment’s plan of a partially user-aided development process for its upcoming Might & Magic “sequel”/reboot is both a great and terrible thing. Great indeed, as we’ll see some fine ideas implemented that make the game what longtime fans want to play (er, hopefully without too much fighting amongst the gamers helping out). Terrible because I’m betting the game will require a higher-end PC than what one would think should run this, the game may have modern elements that make it less than enjoyable (if too many ideas make it in that kill any challenge thanks to casual play modes)and finally, at the end of the day, it’s still a niche RPG that will be over the heads of the crowd that can’t get past the grid-based movement and lack of stuff blowing up every three seconds.
Then again, this isn’t the game for them at all and goofy cartoon trailer aside, Limbic looks as it it might be able to resurrect this franchise and make me forget all about Might & Magic IX, an under-polished mess of a game that crept into retail with way too many issues to make it playable for long. Anyway, the art I’ve seen so far looks great – as long as the results are solid (and yes, this also gets a console release at some point so more can play it), this could be a more than welcome return to form…
To some gamers, Zombie Studios is actually better know for its military-themed shooters, but this isn’t their first time at the scary games rodeo at all. The developer has also done the two Konami-published SAW games (which were pretty interesting to play through) and I suppose you could label their surreal 1996 game ZPC as a sort of “horror” game thanks to the twisted visual style and weird enemies. But let’s look a little it into the future, shall we?
Daylight is coming for the PlayStation 4 and PC from publisher Atlus in 2014, and if this trailer is any indication, fans of jump scares and pesky ghosts rattling their cages will be all in and dying for more. The Unreal Engine 4 visuals look appropriately creepy and the procedurally generated levels will give the game almost infinite replay value (and make for yet another modern horror twist on the rogue-like RPG). Clearly, this isn’t going to be a “one time play and back to the shop it goes” experience, but it’s really going to be up to those gamers who “get” the concept and latch into it that keeps this one in play stacks. Translation: it better scare the hell out of us each time it’s played. Back with more on this one in a bit…
Ouch. This first video is actually from May 30, but leave it to the awesome Taiwanese animators toiling away mercilessly over at NMA to poke some of there incredibly mighty pointed stick in the eye fun at some recent gaming news. The Dragon Age 3: Inquisition video is also a total hoot and even funnier because I’d bet the folks doing the animation have gamers among them who probably wish the game would be as awesomely hilarious as they make it look here.
Off to dig up some lunch now – back in a bit. This stupid storm rolling through here is keeping me from a better connection, so updates will be less than I’d like by a lot today, grrr…
OK, it’s officially official: zombies are finally played out in games. But at least they’re getting used in desperately fun and funky ways as fodder in some new hybrid titles. Techland’s upcoming PlayStation 4 and PC title, Dying Light pits your supremely agile character against packs of fast-moving undead in what’s looking like a pretty thrilling “open world” action game that’s part Mirror’s Edge, part Left 4 Dead. This one’s not coming out until 2014, but it’s on my radar as I like a lot of what Techland has done. Hopefully, it will look and play good as well as not disappoint – it’s tough to judge from a CG trailer, but as usual, some hands on time is the best and ONLY way to gauge any game’s potential success of failure.
All Hail King Reggie! Huzzah! Verily and forsooth, Sire Reggie of Redmond hath some gilded words for his loyal subjects! Huzzah!! OK, OK… I jest (and jest a little, hee ho!). Still, I bet that every executive at Nintendo is smiling a bit broadly (or just a little bit more) now that Microsoft has thrown down it’s gauntlet and four of the fingers clattered off onto the stone flooring. Oops. Well, my own Wii U and Wii are bouncing up and down as my two busted 360’s are doing the dead face thing. My PS3 isn’t saying anything, but it’s been batting its eyelashes at me every time I turn it on. Anyway, this should be a really interesting show this year, as it seems some plans aren’t going as planned and some will do better than expected. I say skip the boring stuff, show the games and just keep us all up to date on what we’ll be paying for and how the heck much it’ll all cost.
Woo-ooooo! Yeah, I played the Transylvania demo level already at the Capcom event last month (it’s quite amazing how WayForward recaptured the feeling of the original and has enhanced it even more), but seeing it once more makes me smile. That Amazon level looks as tough as ever, but with some nice twists. I’m allowing this happy-happy joy-joy stuff take over instead of the news that all my (and your) emails and other online conversations have been (and are) pored over by the federales for security reasons. Bleh. Well, I should be a LOT more annoyed, but I guess I’ll leave that to the bloggers who do better at focusing on politics. Me, I just want to toss them all onto a slow boat to the sun, Wooo-oooooo!
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 