On Rusty Trails: Elvis Lives, But Needs a New Place To Stay

Posted on June 2, 2016 by geelw

“Innovation” (cue angelic music or whatever you hear when that word is mentioned) is one of the most overused buzzwords in gaming “journalism” (another overused word clung to by some) and it’s clear that too many writers about games tend to try too hard to push the idea that if an new game isn’t “Innovative” it’s somehow lacking the necessary “fun” required that seemingly ONLY comes via “Innovation” (cue angelic music or whatever you hear when that word is mentioned).

Well, Black Pants Studio has some happy hogs that need to be washing by some of these soulful-eyed scribes who seem to not be having FUN because they’re waving their “innovation” meters all over every game they play looking hard instead of cutting loose and having… well, you know what.

On Rusty Trails is their new PC/Mac/Linux game set to hit Steam June 13 and early code in hand, a spin was taken that finds the game is truly more (and actual) FUN without trying so hard to “innovate” that it spins itself into a pretzel that pleases none but those who want it to bend how they please. But enough jabbing at peers here. Let’s get to the describing as best we can how FUN Elvis is to play as… Continue reading →

Valley Update: Deeper We Go (And Things Look Even Better)

Posted on June 2, 2016 by geelw

Blue Isle Studios‘ upcoming first-person action/adventure/exploration platformer Valley is coming along very nicely indeed as you can see in these new screens. As noted earlier, the developer is not slapping together a new Slender game just to cash in on the still percolating jump-scare horror craze. The richer Unity-powered visuals and more open game world beg to be explored and the intriguing L.E.A.F. Suit’s yin/yang powers of death dealing and life giving should make this quite the interesting game experience.

I have the feeling that this is going to be one of those summer games that gets people to stop and hop in for a slice of thrills they don’t expect coming, but as usual, we shall see. Valley‘s Steam page is beckoning you to wishlist the game, so you go on ahead and do that. Well, after you finish ogling those screens below.

And don’t forget, PS4 and Xbox One versions are on the way. Blue Isle isn’t letting those console owners have a slow summer either. Back with more on this one soon.

Gallery: DARQ

Posted on May 20, 2016 by geelw

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

With indie and AAA horror games being a dime a dozen these days, it’s going to take something really different to get some gamers jumping out of their seats and diving under their beds. Unfold Games has taken up the scare you halfway to death challenge with DARQ, their upcoming PC/Mac/Linux game that as you can see, certainly seems to have it going on in terms of delivering the frights.

So, what’s this stylistic and creepy psychological horror game about, you ask? Well, here’s what the official site says:

DARQ tells the story of Lloyd, a boy who becomes aware of the fact that he is dreaming. To Lloyd’s misfortune, the dream quickly turns into a nightmare and all attempts to wake up end in failure. While exploring the darkest corners of his subconscious, Lloyd learns how to survive the nightmare by bending the laws of physics and manipulating the fluid fabric of the dream world.

In DARQ, sound plays a very important role. There are sections of the game that take place in absolute darkness and in order to navigate the environment, Lloyd has to rely on the location of sounds.

Yep. If you’ve ever had those nightmares where you know you’re sleeping, but wake up all sweaty looking around the room only to have something bizarre take place as you realize you’re having a nightmare inside that nightmare, DARQ will be right up that dark alley you don’t want to travel through. Of course, you’ll be going thataway because that thing chasing you is keeping you from going backward. Oops.

Some imagery to keep you awake nights. As if that trailer didn’t get all crawly under your skin enough:

While the game is still in development and doesn’t yet have a set release date other than TBA 2016, it sure is worth keeping an eyeballed peeled for. Let that image stick with you for the day (eww!). I’d say “have a good night”, but it’s early on a Friday morning. Still, you have to go home and sleep at some point, correct? My work here is done, then.

Goliath Hands-On: Why Build a Bear When A Robot’s More Effective?

Posted on May 11, 2016 by geelw

2016 is turning into quite a packed year of indie game bliss for those looking for alternatives to AAA madness and yearly franchise games trying to recapture old glories long since past. One of my personal favorite indies is Whalebox Studios’ survival/action/RPG, Goliath (out on Steam tomorrow). A bit of time with the demo reveals its an intriguing, vastly fun to play mix of gameplay that should please fans of everything from Minecraft, Armored Core, Pacific Rim and a bunch of other influences that popped into my pointy head as I played. There’s a nicely cartoon aesthetic to the visuals that may initially fool you into thinking the game is a casual sort of fluff game. But my, isn’t it funny how visuals aren’t the big selling point when gameplay is tight and challenging, kids? Yeah, I thought you’d agree.

Anyway, the game’s focus on building and maintaining your Goliath is obviously key to the game, so it’s a benefit that it doesn’t take long before you get your first one built. You play as the a human survivor of a plane crash who ends up in a strange world where different factions are vying for some sort of superiority (as usual). However, with gigantic monsters stomping around in the wilds, let’s just say it’s not safe out there. Your character initially is stuck in the middle of nowhere after the plane wreck, but a radio call from a fellow survivor spurs him on to stay alive and find a means of making it out of that procedurally generated forest map. Your first (but not last) Goliath is a wooden one, but it’s no mere faux Tobanga you’ll be piloting. Nope, your modular mahogany mech is pretty sturdy and can take a bit of a whacking up to a point. As long as you’re near a source of wood or have the materials in your inventory, repairs are a cinch. Continue reading →

Cursed West: Arcade Western Looks to Corral Some OK Funding

Posted on May 10, 2016 by geelw

While the character animation could be more fluid and that environment draw-in during the 3D horse riding sequences needs a bit of cloud cover, the nostalgic look and overall atmosphere found in Goex Games’ (Roberto Montesano) still in-development Cursed West looks interesting and old school enough to warrant a closer inspection. My eye is set on this project that’s currently up on indiegogo for about the next two months with a somewhat modest goal of $3500. It’ll only cost less than a small lunch to get yourself a code or a bunch of lunches if you want a more personalized experience. The game also has a Steam Greenlight concept page as well as a a facebook page that could use a few more fans and perhaps a seasoned game developer popping in to let Roberto know he’s on the right track.

For a first game, this looks quite promising and it’ll be interesting to see or even play an in-progress build as it comes together and report on it at some point. Hopefully this indie western (straight out of San Luis, Argentina) would be tightened up to a fine shine and laid out on a few console platforms in addition to the already planned PC and Android releases. But we’ll see what happens as the game heads closer down the long road to completion. Hmmm… I wonder if Ennio Morricone is not too busy these days and if not, would he do an indie game soundtrack for not a ton of money? Now, THAT would be a pretty cool stretch goal, I’d say.

Tower of Samsara on Kickstarter: Get This Unique Platformer Well-Funded

Posted on May 10, 2016 by geelw

Welcome to Tower of Samsara

The wheel of life runs indefinitely. Just like the path that you’ll take through the planets of our solar system living your adventure and making your choices so you can build yourself to reach nirvana.

So many Kickstarters, so little time (and money)! That said, Martelo Nero’s interesting-looking indie game Tower of Samsara has enough going for it that I shot a few dollars its way as soon as the funding went live. It’s been a few days since and guess what? A Vita version has been announced as a stretch goal. Hmmm. Time up up my pledge, it would seem. The stylized visuals and karmic elements of the gameplay noted on the KS page are what lured me in, and with time to go before pledges are all taken and a 2018 release date, it’s a hopeful sign that ToS is climbing its own tower to its goal.

Persona 5’s New Trailer Is A Game-Selling Jaw Dropper

Posted on May 5, 2016 by geelw

Well, now. Or: Holy WOW, Persona 5 cannot come out soon enough. While I still miss the absolutely gorgeous and intentionally strange artwork of the great Kaneko Kazuma, Shigenori Soejima’s absolutely lovely work is a fine enough homage to Kazuma’s style that it makes me happy to see it work so flawlessly. That animation and new game engine flow like buttah, the new game looks like it’s going to play faster and that sexy interface and battle results screens? Yup. SOLD. I’d write more, but I need to go make dinner and then figure out how to escape into the future when this PS3/PS4 exclusive drops and be the first one to grab a copy, play it and NOT tell anyone I did so until it’s time to let loose a full review.

GALLERY: Aragami – Losing its “Souls” Makes This Even More Appealing

Posted on May 1, 2016 by geelw

Formerly known as Twin Souls: The Path of Shadows, developer Linceworks’ upcoming stealth/action game is now officially known as Aragami and should land quietly behind you this fall provided you’re a PC or PlayStation 4 owner keeping a close eye on this one. The stealth mechanics and setting have a nice Tenchu vibe, but the game is also influenced by excellent games such as Mark of the Ninja and Dishonored. For my money, losing the word “Souls” from that re-titling is also a really good thing thanks to so many gamers comparing any game using that word as copying or influenced by FromSoftware’s Dark Souls trilogy and its precursor, Demon’s Souls. Solid-looking games like this don’t need that needless fan-brain baggage loading them down at all. Thankfully, Aragami seems to have it all going on from visuals to what’s sounding like a great score from Two Feathers (of Hammerwatch fame).

In terms of story, you’ll play as Aragami, a slain warrior summoned back from the dead by Yamiko, a noble girl from the sacred citadel of Kyûryu. Her connection to Aragami isn’t clear at the outset as his memories are somewhat hazy and need to be regained as he and Yamiko make their way though Kyûryu’s heavily guarded streets. Stealth and the risen raider’s Shadow Powers will be keys to survival as the developer notes:

Aragami has a punishing difficulty; you are lethal when undetected, but outmatched in numbers. Getting detected can lead to an abrupt defeat, so you must rely on your supernatural abilities and stealth to choose your battles wisely.

As for those Shadow Powers, look out below. Or above. Yikes!

Use your Shadow Powers to become the ultimate stealth killer. Cast shadows on any surface and use your Shadow Leap to move around undetected. Dispose of enemy corpses using your Shadow Vanish, create shadow clones to distract your enemies or invoke black holes to swallow your targets in one fell swoop. As you advance you will need to use all your powers and wit to sneak past guards, teleport between shadows, create your own areas of darkness and strategically assassinate those who stand in your way.

Sounds deadly, doesn’t it? Let’s take a look at some screenshots below the jump so you know what to expect in case that trailer was too much for you to handle Continue reading →

HoloGrid: Monster Battle – Tippet-ting the Scales With A Cool VR/AR Game

Posted on April 29, 2016 by geelw

HoloGrid Monster Battle is coming soon from developer HappyGiant and Tippett Studio. Yep, that Phil Tippett. Here’s a teaser trailer to ogle and wonder about making some table space for. Your family game night just got a bit more interesting:

A “Hybrid” Board Game, Collectible Card Game (CCG), and Digital Game in one, it delivers to players a new type of gaming experience.

While this sort of thing has been attempted previously (most notably in Sony’s fun but somewhat unwieldy to set up Eye of Judgment for the PS3 back in 2007), the VR/AR aspects of this may make HoloGrid more acceptable as it can be played across a wider range of already available phones and tablets. Additionally, playing on a mobile device means the game may find an larger audience among casual to core gamers if it’s as cool as it looks (and that nostalgia factor kicks in for us older farts who love stop-motion animation). More info is on the way on this one, but it looks promising enough to be a “next big thing” even without the popular license. Of course, if Disney wants to throw a chunk of money at Tippett and HappyGiant, I’d think they wouldn’t turn it down flat. As usual, we shall see.

Gallery: BREACHED

Posted on April 24, 2016 by geelw

Welcome to BREACHED, coming to Steam sometime this year from indie developer Drama Drifters. “What’s it all about?” you ask with a raised eyebrow as you lean forward in your seat. Well… let’s take a look:

You awaken as Corus Valott, long lost in cryogenic slumber, to find your shelter damaged by unknown circumstances. The land and settlements around you have crumbled to ruin, broken buildings and jagged shards all that remains. Confused and isolated, you’re compelled to repair the shelter, explore the ruins and scavenge your surroundings, in hopes of uncovering – or perhaps avoiding – the uncomfortable truth of what has transpired.

Well, that’s not good news at all for Corus, but the game certainly looks quite impressive despite his plight.

You’d THINK by 2245 (when the game takes place), we’d have all this “how to survive on other planets” stuff down pat. But, nope. Stuff always tends to go haywire in sci-fi, which is of course a good deal better than it happening in reality, right? This is probably why BREACHED will work so well (if that trailer is any indication). Survival simulation, speedy drone piloting, exploration and repairs all come into play as Corus only has eight (game) days to get things taken care of. Will he make it off that rock or what? I’d say that may be all up to you and what the developers have planned. While you’re waiting for the release date, feel free to give a listen to the game’s otherworldly soundtrack a bunch of times while you wait. It’s quite good.

Back with more on this one once the inbox gets a tickle of news.