Review: Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Posted on January 5, 2011 by geelw

Platform: PC/Mac/Linux

Developer: Frictional Games

Publisher: Frictional Games

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: A

If you think a good survival horror game involves big guns and running around shooting monsters ’til the cows come home, you really don’t know much about the genre at all. There’s a distinct difference between scooting around with a big grin ready to take on all comers and being too damn terrified to move, but being forced to because you have no choice but to do so or die. Based out of Helsingborg, Sweden, indie developer/publisher Frictional Games has been quietly crafting some truly terrifying horror experiences that go above and beyond the “expected” genre cliches. From 2006 to 2009, there were the three excellently frightening Penumbra games, first-person horror/adventures with great physics-based puzzles and death lurking where it was least expected. Their latest work, Amnesia: The Dark Descent should put them on the map and in the minds of more gamers who crave an innovative, purely fear-filled and brutally direct horror experience. If you want to play a game that will have you sleeping with under the bed with the lights on, a baseball bat, guard dog and security blanket, this one’s for you.

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Review: Desktop Dungeons

Posted on January 4, 2011 by geelw

Platform: PC

Developer: QCF Design

Publisher: QCF Design

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: N/A

Official Site

Score: A+

I made a rather interesting “mistake” a few months back and I don't think I'll recover anytime soon, nor do I want to. I'd stopped playing Fallout: New Vegas while waiting for a patch to be released and one thing I did during that downtime was check out QCF Design's Desktop Dungeon, a free rogue-like RPG that condenses hours of gameplay into quick ten minute (or less) sessions. The “mistake” was downloading, then playing the game, thinking it would be yet another well-intentioned indie with a few too many charming flaws. Oops. That ten minute session (which was actually twelve, according to my PC clock) hooked me in and I've ended up finding a few minutes every other day or so to dive into DD for a quick session or eight. Best mistake I've ever made, but definitely very lousy for productivity, laundry and a few other non-Desktop Dungeons related things.

Review: Plane Weaver

Posted on December 27, 2010 by geelw

Platform: Windows PC

Developer: Blue Coral Studio

Publisher: DADIU

# of Players: 1

Official Site

ESRB Rating: None

Score: A-

Developed in one month (!) by a team of eleven students at The Danish Academy of Digital & Interactive Entertainment (DADIU), Plane Weaver is a marvelous mix of 3D platforming and puzzle elements that come off as more fresh and innovative than much of what constitutes “Game of the Year” material on consoles and PC. While it's not a supremely lengthy experience, it's visually striking, nicely challenging and genuinely rewarding as you're pulled into some excellently designed levels. The game lightly echoes elements of sleeper hits such as ICO and the upcoming Lost in Shadow, yet never feels too derivative or under-polished. At only 66MB and a free download (for now), it's an absolute must for anyone who craves originality and creativity in their games.

Decimation X3 Now Available Over Xbox Live

Posted on December 8, 2010 by geelw

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/YEWWHUUJvxk?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0

Xona Games wants to blow you away with their XBLA shooter, Decimation X3. This absolutely insane 2D shooter mixes a great retro visual vibe with an excellent soundtrack that's guaranteed to get you off the couch (provided you can dance and shoot simultaneously). Thankfully, the action is so frantic and exhilarating that actual dancing isn't remotely involved. What's even better is the game ONLY costs a measly 80 Microsoft Points, or a whole dollar if you're into that new math. BUY it, is my recommendation. Too bad Microsoft doesn't have a portable system, as DX3 and some of the other awesome games from the Indie Games Uprising would make PERFECT traveling companions (and no, I don't want a Windows Phone to play games on, grrrrr).

press release below the jump.

Avernum VI Released, Grand Time-Suck Begins Worldwide…

Posted on March 4, 2010 by geelw

That Tardis-like sound you’re hearing on occasion as you stroll about isn’t your tinnitus going haywire. That’s the sound of pure time energy being vaporized as people download and play Spiderweb Software’s supremely addictive new RPG, Avernum 6. What, you don’t believe me? Hmmmmm. Go download the PC or Mac demo and see for yourself. Have a great time, but maybe remind friends and family of what you’re doing, as you won’t be coming up for air any time soon…

Yakety Yak, Plus A New Place to Visit…

Posted on January 15, 2010 by geelw

OK, Comments are back, so fire away. Pirate Captain C, this probably means you (and what’s up with my Nutella supply?)

Also, if you’re at all intereted in a really cool RPG project that’s coming along quite niecely, check out the jClassicRPG developer blog! This Java-based homage to great classic RPG’s such as Wizardry and The Bard’s Tale is being cooked up by a small team guided by Pal Z. Illes (call him Paul), a Hungarian software programmer with a huge passion for the genre.

Anyway, click on over and check out the game (you can download the current version and yes, feedback is more than welcome, as it’ll help the team make a better final version). If you like what you’re seeing and playing, you can even donate to the cause and get your name in lights. Well, not in lights exactly, but if you like, Paul will give you a shout out on his blog!

That’s my good deed for the day done, so it’s back to finishing up a certain strategy guide I’ve been toiling away on for a few months – back soon with a more wordy update…

Zombie Shooter 2 Is Complete – All Hail Sigma Team!

Posted on October 9, 2009 by geelw

Are you a fan of insane isometric run ‘n gun action with a dash of RPG elements, a healthy weapons selection and HUNDREDS of enemies onscreen exploding in gobs of gory goo? Well, Sigma Team has been a “go-to” source for games that follow that exact pattern for a few years and their latest effort, Zombie Shooter 2 is 100% complete and ready to purchase and download right off their website. The game follows the same mold as their Alien Shooter series of games, but the undead factor is one that really sinks its teeth into you a bit more than gigantic bugs and mutated dino-beasts…

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Interview: Bringing Zaku to Life With Super Fighter Team’s Brandon Cobb

Posted on October 8, 2009 by geelw

“Never Let Dreams Die!” indeed. When you get an e-mail from Brandon Cobb, President of Super Fighter Team, that credo is at the bottom, right under his signature. Based on the upcoming Atari Lynx exclusive shooter, Zaku, it’s clear that this credo was also a call to action that kept the project going for six years. Not only is Zaku the first complete new release for the Lynx in about five years, it’s looking like one of the best games ever created for the handheld system.

My interest in the Lynx led me to the Super Fighter web site and eventually, to have the opportunity to send off a few questions on the project over to Cobb, who took the time to answer them in a straightforward, non-nonsense manner with flashes of humor that’s more than welcome in this age of quick sound bites and evasiveness. Here, Cobb weighs in on bringing Zaku to market as an all-around quality product, sticking it to the man with citrus as well as a few other choice topics.

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Interview/Gallery: Robo-Shambo

Posted on August 26, 2009 by geelw

“What the heck’s a Robo-Shambo?!” you ask? Nooooo, it’s not some sort of newfangled “European-style” late-night infomercial room cleaning device (“This is Vince for Robo Shambo!”), nor is it a wacky YouTube mash up of RoboCop and Rambo (although, that would be pretty darn hilarious seeing a metal-clad Stallone clanking around blowing holes in evil, evil men with .20 caliber rounds… “Adriaaaaaaaaaan!!!”).

Robo-Shambo is in fact, a game project by GearSphere, a small team of 17 young programmers and artists up at the Art Institute of Vancouver. The game is a a third person six-player LAN shooter (set for release on September 14, 2009) coded using Microsoft’s XNA Framework, which could mean a potential Xbox LIVE release down the road. And all this time you probably thought all they did in up in Vancouver was watch hockey, be Canadian and get free health care…

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Introversion Software Reveals Darwinia + Avatar Tees

Posted on August 20, 2009 by geelw

Introversion Software is gearing up for the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade launch of Darwinia+ by revealing these cool Avatar T-shirts shown below, which are only available as an unlockable Achievement in the game. In case you’ve never heard of Darwinia (shame, shame!), it’s an awesomely addictive blend of real-time strategy and visually enhanced retro gaming bliss that’s a beautifully surreal, fast-paced game experience. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll lose a lot of little Darwinians and still come back for more.