The Phantom Pain VGA Trailer: Metal Gear Maybe? Probably. Maybe.

Posted on December 10, 2012 by geelw

Hideo Kojima has quite the unique sense of humor. There’s enough here from the “Moby Dick Studios” developed game to get Metal Gear Solid fans in the know figuring out what’s up and even the name is clever punning around on Kojima’s part. I’ve given up on speculation and following every rumor and screenshot around as if playing the worlds biggest hidden object game. I know for a fact that any new Metal Gear game will offer up enough entertainment and replay value that it’s futile to hop around scraping up images, movies and the often wild opining that goes along with them. Yeah, that’s right Konami – I surrender – just get me a release date and I’m a happy man. That and hell, I’m too busy to keep being faked out by Kojima at every turn. He knows he’s making games that will stand the test of time, so I guess he’s happy as well…

Of course, this could just be an all-new IP, but I kind of doubt it, particularly given Kojima’s penchant for offbeat humor and all sorts of oddball references in the trailers for previous Metal Gear titles. This one would be the strangest to date, as at first glance, you might not even know what the heck you’re looking at…

Dark Souls II VGA Announcement Trailer: Prepare to Die (Even More)…

Posted on December 10, 2012 by geelw

Here’s that lovely VGA trailer for Dark Souls II – I love that like with the Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls openings, you really don’t find out anything about the story at all, but you DO get an eyeful of some of the horrific creatures that will kill you a few too many times during your adventures. It’s funny that some gamers still haven’t realized that FromSoftware didn’t just pop out of nowhere with Demon’s Souls and then Dark Souls. In fact, the Japanese developer has been making some of the most interesting games on consoles since 1994 starting with the deep, gloomy (and often frightening) King’s Field series. Their mech-focused Armored Core franchise allowed players to create and share some amazing custom mechs for years after PC mech games died off and other titles in the Shadow Tower, Echo Night and Tenchu series. A ton of other games ranging from the family-friendly puzzler The Adventures of Cookie and Cream to the intensely frightening (yet languidly paced) Kuon plus assorted licensed games done for the Japanese market and you’ve got a developer with a pretty solid pedigree.

Hmmm… I say These guys and gals need a retrospective or a documentary made or something in print just so people can see bits of everything they’ve done and respect their work even more. DSII is another day one buy for me and it should be for you as well.

The Last of Us Story Trailer: Happy Birthday To Me (And You, Hopefully)…

Posted on December 10, 2012 by geelw

So, Naughty Dog’s upcoming survival/adventure game comes out on my birthday (May 7, 2013). Well, well, well now. Hmmm… now I know what I want to be doing then. Finding out how the hell I’m going to make time to play it, what with all the other games I want coming out next year. Well, at least I guess I’ll have less people to worry about when I go to buy my copy of the game if all those folks who believe the world will end THIS year do themselves in for some crazy reason. Silly rabbits, I say… why kill yourself and miss out on the fun when there are too many great games to play that include survivable doomsday scenarios? What do I believe in? Well, I believe I’ll have another drink and get back to you after the world doesn’t go to hell in a handbasket. And you can’t make a bad cup of tea unless you try really hard to do so. I believe in that, too.

Dark Souls II Announced For PS3, 360, PC (It’s Not Next-Gen Time Just Yet, Kids)…

Posted on December 8, 2012 by geelw

Now, THIS is good news: From Software is hard at work cooking up a follow-up to its popular hardcore action/RPG/horror hybrid Dark Souls. The just announced sequel has no release date and no screen shots so far, but this is absolutely great news for those who enjoyed the last game as well as the outstanding Demon’s Souls on the PS3.

According to the press release:

“Dark Souls II retains the core essence of Dark Souls while evolving to present new twists and challenges that are sure to please longtime fans and attract new comers to the series,” says Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “FromSoftware is going to take a very dark path with Dark Souls II; players will need to look deep within themselves to see if they have the intestinal fortitude to embark on this journey.”

“This new chapter in the Dark Souls saga presents opportunities for us to drive innovation in gameplay design, develop an entirely new story, and expand the scope of the world in which the player interacts with the game. We have taken these necessary steps with Dark Souls II in order to evolve the overall experience of the Dark Souls series,” says Tomohiro Shibuya, FromSoftware Director on Dark Souls II.

“The entire development team is striving to make Dark Souls II an experience that is fresh while not forsaking its roots in presenting players with challenging gameplay. Our goal is to surprise and delight our fans with new experiences and plot twists while enticing new players to join our dark journey.”

Well, that sounds like a dare, a bet and a plan all rolled up into one tasty, deadly treat. If I HAD to guess about a release date, I’d probably say sometime about a year from now… but don’t hold me to that at all.

Malevolence In the Home Stretch: Six More Video Updates To Snack On…

Posted on December 7, 2012 by geelw

Winding up what’s looking to be a really productive development cycle, here are six more videos from Malevolence: The Sword of Ahkranox, set to hit PC’s very soon. The promise of infinite play here is quite compelling and as you can see here, the game is looking quite excellent for what’s basically a fan-made project. Well, some VERY dedicated fans of classic PC role-playing games

More after the jump!

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The 7 Wonders of Crysis 3 Teaser Makes Me Wonder If I Can Afford to Actually Play It…

Posted on December 6, 2012 by geelw

Crytek’s phenomenal PC games have always demanded the ultimate in hardware, and the upcoming Crysis 3 will most certainly be no different. While specs haven’t been announced just yet, I’m betting the harder core fans of the developer’s shooters have already updated their forum signatures with their new system specs (ha ha). Anyway, when you have a film director (in this case, Albert Hughes) making a series of online videos using the game engine and they’re looking as incredible as the teaser shown above, well… it’s time to start thinking about a new PC.

Hmmm, I understand humans can function with a single kidney and I don’t really need a few other body parts… so maybe (just maybe) I can actually play the game when it’s all done and in stores. Then again, I’m not a big graphics hound, so I’ll hold out for a console version. Yeah, yeah, I know – but hey, they’re made for a few reasons, one of which is to expand a game’s user base by allowing us poor folk to play (and become fans of) some really spectacular shooters. So, there (nyah!)…

DmC Eye of Dante App: Some Are Still Kicking Capcom Around For Mere Marketing

Posted on December 5, 2012 by geelw

Oh, the internet can be a nasty little place for trying to push a product sometimes. Case in point, poor Capcom’s otherwise interesting app promoting the upcoming DmC through a bit of gameplay and site-hopping. If you go to the YouTube page and read the comments (which isn’t advised if you like your brain not flipping around in your head), they’re pretty mean and mostly not about the actual app. Ah well – I say if Ninja Theory’s new game coming out next year is good, all this green hot bile will dissipate like dust in the wind. Of course, the anti-DLC crowd is still not to be assuaged, so there’s always that fire to deal with…

The Last of Us Story Teaser: Naughty Dog’s Survival Epic Means Business

Posted on December 4, 2012 by geelw

With the so-called “aging” PS3 heading into its last year or so as a viable console, it’s really great to see developers like Naught Dog keep forging ahead with key AAA titles for the console that will absolutely be worth that $60 price tag. The Last of Us just may be one of the best console games of this generation as well as one more example of how story-driven games will always be superior to the usual multiplayer madness that’s about as deep as a broken teacup. Keep your eyes on this one, folks – it’s going to be quite special…

Young Justice: Legacy Teaser: It’s Getting Closer…

Posted on December 2, 2012 by geelw

Finally (after a wee bit too long and quiet time), here’s a cool short teaser for the upcoming Young Justice: Legacy game, set to hit home and portable consoles in 2013. Thanks, Little Orbit! OK, that’s one more game to keep an eyeball peeled for next year. If you feel like reading some insider stuff about the game, boogie on over here and here for some posts that are pretty informative about what goes into making a game like this come to life. Naturally, the big fat question for many fans remains just how good it’s going to be. Then again, given that it’s an action/RPG and there’s a nice pedigree behind the product in progress, I think the Little League (a ha ha) is in fine hands indeed. Now, let’s see an all gameplay trailer next time!

Gallery: BioShock Infinite Cover Art – Ash, Is That You?

Posted on December 1, 2012 by geelw

Provided the world doesn’t blow up in a few weeks as some would prefer (jerks), It looks as if we’ll be seeing Irrational Games and 2K finally get BioShock Infinite out on store shelves (and digitally, for those that prefer not owning their AAA games). That delay in its initial release date should help the dev team iron out any problems and hopefully the single player story will be memorable and compelling. And yes, I got an Evil Dead vibe from that cover image (I do wonder if this is intentional, or perhaps I’m just reading too much into things)…

Personally, as much as I’m a fan of this franchise, I’d LOVE to see irrational do something entirely different as a follow-up… perhaps even revisit their long-canceled game The Lost for consoles and maybe a handheld system or two? That’s one of those games that was looking quite innovative before it died an untimely (and unnecessary) death. Well, I did get to see it in action at the first E3 I went to (and I still have an asset disc around here somewhere in the vaults) it did pop up completely reworked in India as a PC game called Agni: Queen of Darkness… but that’s a long story (and yes, I’ve been looking for a legal copy the game for a few years now with no luck).