Preview: Dead Space 2 Hands-On

Posted on July 25, 2010 by geelw

“Disturbingly spectacular” were the first two things I thought of upon seeing Dead Space 2 in action and after playing through the demo build, let’s just say that Visceral Games is going to be responsible for a lot of wet couches and floors when the game finally ships early next year. The demo was both fantastic to look at and great, challenging fun that had the small area always packed with editor-types crowded around watching other play as they waited their turn. As great as the original was, Visceral is going all out to insure that the sequel is even more cinematic without pulling players out of the action.

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Preview: Bulletstorm Hands-On

Posted on July 22, 2010 by geelw

Picture this: eight grown watching another grown man playing a video game while yelling “Shoot him in the ass! Shoot him in the ASS!” at him in unison as the guy is indeed trying to do just that to some poor virtual gun-toting goon. A few shots later, the guy flies head over heels and as he’s spinning, a shot hits him right in the butt as the words “FIRE IN THE HOLE” appear above his rotating corpse. Ouch. Well, it’s either some sort of Deliverance meets Dirty Harry-inspired fever dream or you’re watching someone play EA’s upcoming lead filled blast-fest known as Bulletstorm.

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Preview: Medal of Honor

Posted on July 21, 2010 by geelw

After plenty of WWII installments on consoles, PC and handheld platforms, Electronic Arts is looking to get shooter fans excited about the Medal of Honor series by taking the FPS into present day Afghanistan. While this might seem controversial to some, it’s another way of looking at a war that’s become part of everyday life for some in more ways than one. This new Medal of Honor is not only looking amazing in demo form, it’s also managed to capture the unpredictability and chaos of war as it focused on things going right and wrong in a short period of time. At EA’s Hot for the Holidays press event, a non-playable PlayStation 3 demo build drew a constant crowd of editors who sat and watched a producer put the build though its paces.

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Gallery: Kung Fu Rider

Posted on July 21, 2010 by geelw

Here are a set of screens from the hilarious-looking PS3 exclusive office furniture mayhem stunt racer. Hey, wasn’t there some free PC game download and/or a budget PS One title in Japan that used this wacky idea some years ago? I’ll have to look this up, but I’m guessing that perhaps some of the folks that worked on those games ended up here. Ah well, whatever – the game is absolutely insane, fast and funny as hell. It may be a super niche title, but it’s a total blast and good for some rolling off the couch hysteria once you give it a whirl. The difficulty is a bit challenging, but that’s a good thing in my book…

Gallery: Blood Stone 007

Posted on July 20, 2010 by geelw

Here for your perusal are a handful of work in progress images from Bizarre Creations’ upcoming Blood Stone 007 game for the PS3 and Xbox 360 plus an added treat: It’s Joss Stone in photo and polygon form – tattooed foot and nose piercing aside, she makes a cute Bond Girl, no?

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Gallery: The Last Guardian

Posted on July 17, 2010 by geelw

Here are standard-sized screens along with some unique portrait sized, ethereally lovely images from Sony’s guaranteed masterpiece. This one is on my absolute must-have list and should be on yours as well. Don’t have a PS3 yet? Well, here’s a hell of a great reason to own one, I say.

Gallery: XCOM

Posted on June 23, 2010 by geelw

One of the more “controversial” game announcements of this year was 2K Games’ currently in progress reworking of the classic PC turn-based strategy franchise as a high action first-person shooting game light on the tactical elements longtime fans expect from the series. From the striking “retro” visual style to the alien designs to the gameplay, plenty of X-Com: UFO Defense die-hards have been burning up message boards with hissy-fit griping about every aspect of the new game’s design before even getting some hands-on time with a demo.

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Gallery: ArcaniA: Gothic 4

Posted on June 19, 2010 by geelw

Here’s a look at a few screens as well as PC and console cover art for DreamCatcher’s upcoming RPG, ArcaniA: Gothic 4. I’m definitely keeping an eye peeled for this one, as the long running Gothic series is, warts and all one that keeps getting more impressive with each installment.

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Gallery: RAGE

Posted on May 14, 2010 by geelw

I’ll shut up and let id’s super gorgeous screens speak for themselves. PFS action, car combat and all-new id tech? Sign me up! This one is going to be a MONSTER hit if it runs as well on consoles and PC as id says it’s going to. Bethesda Softworks has made a splendid purchase. I won’t be at E3 this year, but I definitely NEED to see and play this one.

Review: 3D Dot Game Heroes

Posted on May 14, 2010 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation 3

Developer: Silicon Studio/From Software

Publisher: Atlus

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site
Score: A

Without a doubt one of the best “retro” games to date that’s not a homebrew creation, 3D Dot Game Heroes perfectly blends old-school gameplay elements and today’s console technology with the end result being an instant classic no PS3 owner should miss. It’s easy to look at screen shots or poke around on a message board and read about simplistic comparisons to The Legend of Zelda or other favorite 8-bit adventure RPGs, but the game is a lot more rewarding than a mere clone if you know your gaming history. Obvious plot and gameplay elements aside, 3DDGH is a pretty darn funny trip through the 8-bit era with a decidedly modern spin.

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