Gamescom 2014: Bloodborne and Until Dawn: Two More System Sellers For Sony? Could Be…

Posted on August 12, 2014 by geelw

FromSoftware’s still in progress PS4 exclusive, Bloodborne finally gets a more gameplay focused trailer at Sony’s big media event and certainly looks fantastic. I actually got a Nightmare Creatures meets more deliberately paced Devil May Cry meets third-person Darkwatch vibe from this trailer, but I’m kind of nuts. Anyway, this one goes on the 2015 list. One more game for the backlog, whee!

Another work in progress, this time by Supermassive games, Until Dawn also looks pretty darn scary and cool, although it’s a different sort of game entirely. Clearly inspired by horror movies and a bit of classic adventure gaming, this tale of eight people meeting up at a mysterious shack in the mountains looks to give players a few choices in spinning fate’s wheel. Granted, I’m betting odds are slim everyone survives (what’s a horror game or film without a few demises?), but the replay value could be incredible if it’s more than a simple slasher story. Eight Little Indians getting it in so many ways is indeed intriguing…

Dead Island 2 “Sunshine & Slaughter” Trailer: Not For The Squeamish (Unless Gore Makes You Giddy)…

Posted on August 11, 2014 by geelw

Hey, I did warn you up there in the title, right. Last chance to hold out for a less violent post in 3… 2… (oops):

I kind of slipped and fell in a pool of blood (not my own, thankfully), but didn’t crack my own skull open because I fell on top of a freshly decapitated zombie. Ewww. Um… anyone know how to get some rather stinky blood and brains out of a pair of jeans and a T-shirt? Well, the shirt IS black, so I guess I can get away with tossing it in the laundry pile. As for the jeans? Well, they USED to be jet black many years ago, but have faded to a comfortable black/grey blend. I guess a new dye job is in the works for them once I put them through the wash with that T, huh? Anyway, Dead Island 2 is going to be a “lock up the kids!” game for sure, so you can get a head start on that NOW by finding a nice closet space for the little ones (make sure to measure them and add a few inches, as they’ll most likely grow a bit before the game is released).

Oddly enough, now I’m a bit hungry and even more interesting is I’m having gnocchi with a nice red wine/meat sauce for dinner. What can I say? I made that sauce last night and had no idea I’d be reminded of it while watching a bunch of undead get mutilated in a game trailer. Two more hours ’til dinner… shut up, stomach with that growling!

Resident Evil Makes A Return In 2015 For “Old” & New Consoles, PC

Posted on August 5, 2014 by geelw

One of the MOST requested (if not THE most requested) Capcom games fans have wanted to see remade for HD consoles has been the original Resident Evil and it looks as if those rabid folk are getting their wish granted and in a big way. Well, provided you own a PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One or a decent gaming PC. Capcom is set to release a beefed-up HD version of the 2002 GameCube remake of the 1996 original as a digital-only purchase.

That particular version improved the visuals and added many changes to the old game and is considered by some (and me, of course) to be the definitive version of the classic survival horror/action game. Featuring traditional or direct control schemes, 1080p support on next-gen consoles (PS4, Xbox One and of course, PC) and all the content from the 2002 game intact, this could be the definitive remake that also introduces new fans to the long-running series.

Unfortunately, there’s no word of a Wii U version, which is unusual given the 2002 game was made for a Nintendo console. Of course, the Wii U’s sales and Capcom perhaps realizing that they’d probably spend more money on that version than they’d make back means chances are slim we’ll see this on Nintendo’s latest console. It could also be the download size issue and the cost of getting this onto a disc release (and selling a set amount of physical copies) also mucking things up a bit.

That’s show business, kids – but Wii U and Wii U game sales need a nice jump upwards so publishers see the system is worth getting games like this on automatically. Granted, the console IS indeed getting a bunch of excellent titles this year and next… but this doesn’t look like it will be one of them unless something magical happens and it arrives (with some nice GamePad enhancements in tow).

As always, we shall see… we shall see. For now however, this one’s going to be played by plenty of people who didn’t buy a Game Cube but have always wanted to get their paws on a controller and experience Evil in a whole new way.

TUSK: Kevin Smith Is Still Making Movies After All (This Is A Good Thing)…

Posted on July 26, 2014 by geelw

While I can live without the jokier stuff he’s famous for, I actually liked Red State quite a lot because it felt like the director was really stretching himself into new territory and the film worked exceptionally well as a result. Smith’s upcoming TUSK looks and sounds pretty darn intriguing, mixing its old school mad scientist played by the great Michael Parks with Justin Long’s modern hipster blogger looking for a the ultimate story who BECOMES said story:

Of course, given this summer’s lousy receipts from all those purported “blockbusters”, this one probably won’t be up there on the all-unimportant charts at all. On the other hand, I can see it becoming Smith’s biggest film to date provided people go in not expecting the usual and with open minds. If anything, this one’s going to be quite the conversation piece after it’s been seen, I’d bet…

Alien Isolation: “Crew Expendable”? Not In This Video, Folks!

Posted on July 24, 2014 by geelw

While the internet still rages on about whether or not the adding the cast of the original ALIEN to this new game as paid DLC currently only available as a pre-order bonus, it’s good to see the old(er) cast here reminiscing for a bit about things old and new. I like how Harry Dean Stanton didn’t realize that 35 years had passed since the film was released (hey, sometimes an actor who’s appeared in so many films tends to not recall every single role he’s done and when he did them) and it’s clearly sounding like the dev team didn’t go the lazy route and just take voice samples from the first movie and drop them in where needed. The again, as Tom Skerritt notes: “It’s what you don’t see…”, meaning these missions add to the original film’s story, filling in a few gaps. Hopefully, fans of the film will more likely be a lot more pleased whether or not they like the idea of pre-paying for that DLC and Sega will decide to release both missions as a single download not too long after the game ships out so we all can enjoy them.

Funko Wants To Make Your SDCC Visit Memorable With Some Tasty HANNIBAL Giveaways!

Posted on July 21, 2014 by geelw

Funko has a bunch of stuff to give away at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, but I’d say this HANNIBAL Pop! vinyl figure, custom made and signed by series creator Brian Fuller has to be one of the cooler items I’ve seen. Take a peek below:

Now, the ONLY way to get this one is to be AT the show! The figure will be on display at the Funko booth from Previews Night through Sunday. Stop by the booth and fill out an entry card – the big drawing will be on Sunday! One lucky winner will be selected and then that person had best hope he makes it out of the show in one piece, as I hear fans of that show can be pretty crazy (in a manner of speaking, of course!). In addition, Bryan Fuller and Hannibal actress Caroline Dhavernas will be signing at the Funko booth #5343 on Friday at 1pm AND there’s the chance for ONE more REALLY lucky fan to win an advanced set of the Hannibal Pop! figures. How? Well, one clue would be following @NBCHannibal and @OriginalFunko during the convention. I don’t think you need to be in attendance for the latter giveaway, but I’d gather chances may increase if you are out thataway. If you’re going or entering, as always… Good Luck!

Nintendo Wises Up, Wii-Uses The Fatal Frame License (Finally!)

Posted on July 18, 2014 by geelw

I tell you, folks… I wish game companies would ring me up and pick my brain when they announce new hardware. As soon as I saw the Wii U GamePad revealed at that E3 a few years back, one of the FIRST games I thought NEEDED to be made was a new Fatal Frame. For the uninitiated, it’s a horror-themed series that started life on the PlayStation 2 and later got installments on the Xbox, Nintendo Wii and 3DS. Japanese Nintendo Wii U owners are getting an all-new installment in the series on September 27,2014 called Zero: Nuregarasu no Miko, which seems to be related to the upcoming movie, set to be released in theaters there the day before. While zero news of an English localization for either the game or film have been announced, for my money, it’s a no-brainer that at least the game get a proper English translation and release outside of Japan.

As for the film, it’s hard to gauge how it’s going to be from this way too short teaser trailer. But if it’s in the vein of other popular Japanese horror films, I’d imagine we may see a US-centric remake or at least a film set in Japan with some popular American actress(es) playing some of the roles. I’d prefer the original film get a US subtitle job and a limited release here over any remake, but I guess Hollywood calls the shots on that front.

Anyway, Nintendo? Get on that localization and get this game out here sooner than later – the Wii U NEEDS some more quality titles in different genres and horror is very under-represented on the system.

Alien Isolation Pre-Order Trailer: It’s “Oh, You Want Some, Too?!” Before That Line Existed In The Franchise…

Posted on July 10, 2014 by geelw

Well, I guess there’s a pre-order in my future after all, but as noted yesterday, I really hope that Sega and developer The Creative Assembly decide to make BOTH of those DLC packs permanent and available to everyone who wants them at some point. I just can’t see them vanishing into the ether forever a year or less down the road like the content in that last Aliens game a lot of people seemed to dislike too much. Anyway, this is a completely different game and a completely different dev team, so I’m one of those smarter people not rolling in the mud and predicting this game will be anything but as solid as a developer that’s never failed me previously can make. As far as what platform to play it on? I’m still flipping a coin…

ALIEN: Isolation Nostromo Edition DLC Packs Bring Back The Cast From The Past (But There’s An Pesky Modern Catch).

Posted on July 9, 2014 by geelw

Okay, the BEST gaming news I’ve heard all day also happens to kick me in the tender bits (ouchie!) because it’s a blast of sci-fi nostalgia mixed with the modern retailer insanity many gamers despise that shuts them out of bonus content. Anyway, the good., no, GREAT news is the announcement on the official site (and over on IGN, which ran a brief video announcing the news) of some incredible DLC for Alien Isolation that bumps the standard edition up to the Nostromo Edition and allows for players to dive into an enhanced mission based on the first film.

Even better, this mission has the voices and faces of all but one of the actors from the original film. Sigourney Weaver (Ellen Ripley), Tom Skerritt (Dallas), Veronica Cartwright (Lambert), Harry Dean Stanton (Brett), and Yaphet Kotto (Parker) are all on board in the “Crew Expendable” DLC, with Ian Holm’s Ash being portrayed by a sound-alike.

So far, so good, right? But of course, here comes the claw to the throat… Continue reading →

Back on Track (Sort of)…

Status

Okay, I’m back from my self-imposed exile. Actually, I was working on a second and third Sunday post, but I got caught up in the gap between slow home internet and discovering something unusual in a game I was playing that I had to see through to the end to make sure it was a legitimate thing and not some oddball glitch that went nowhere. Anyway, off to catch up to my brain, which is already somewhere in Thursday plotting and planning away.

(thanks, Tolis1989!)

I hate it when it does that, as that means it’s going to get me trouble before I know it. But I think I can keep up with it this time if I toss a few distractions its way (some bad movies usually do the trick)…