Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: April Fool, York!

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Hoo, boy. Special Agent Francis York Morgan (just call him York, please) MAY be a paranormal talented investigator extraordinaire with his special invisible friend Zach whispering stuff in his head, but MAN, is he a sucker when it comes to falling for the silliest gags. Get this: he actually BELIEVED that people are supposed to give and received gifts on April 1st and yep, those Hawaiian themed pajamas he’s got on are getting him into some nasty trouble as you can see by his dwindling life bar. For the record, creepy not-quite undead horrors HATE Hawaiian pajamas and in fact, they tend to freak out even more when they smell coffee and GUESS who had three cups of the A&G Diner’s special Kona Blend? OH, yeah, it’s going to be a loooooong day, that’s for sure. And yes, it was Sheriff George Woodman who gave York those PJ’s. York gave him a new expensive hat, but George picked it out (of course), the bum. Well, they DO say “April is the cruelest month”, right?…

DPDC PS3 US EFS 2D RealWill our hero survive his not a real holiday encounter with these fiends? Or will he be pushing up daisies and headed back to that last save spot to try again? You get the chance to find out yourself if you’re smart enough to pre-order and buy a copy of Rising Star Games’ Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut, headed exclusively to the PlayStation 3 on April 30, 2013. Updated HD visuals, all-new content, PlayStation Move and 3D TV support, and more, more, more are all in store for you lucky devils out there. Even more important, I think you don’t have to wear those silly PJ’s if you don’t want to. You’ll still have to deal with those evil, smelly killy things coming after you, but they just might be a little nicer. Maybe.

SWERY65_tinyAnd look! York got Sheriff Swery a new hat as well, but at least HE didn’t go pick out the most expensive one in the catalog like stupid George did. Someone ought to teach that guy a lesson like “Be nice to the people you meet on the way up… they’re the SAME people you’re going to meet on the way down…” or something like that. I forgot what he got York, but it’s probably something like an autographed picture or a copy of that game he worked on. Hey, everybody needs a hobby, I say…

The Last of Us TV Spot #1: Still Among the Living… Mostly

 
TLOS_standard coverFinally, Sony drops the first of what’s probably going to be a few TV ads for Naughty Dog’s upcoming (and possibly final) PlayStation 3 game, and it’s a nice and tense doozy. Those aren’t your garden variety zombies popping up throughout that ad, by the way… you’ll see. Anyway, the game looks great and if the multi-million selling Uncharted series is any indication, this game will do quite well at retail and with the critics.

Of course, it’s going to be hard to show too much of the game so nothing from the plot gets overly spoiled, but I think a lot of folks going in expecting one thing will be surprised when they get something else. Me, I’m looking forward to this for a ton of good reasons, so I’ll be there with bells on come launch day.

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: Survival on Sunday!

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So, you’ve survived another Saturday night in Greenvale and your trip to the Swery65 Bar ended without a fight breaking out. Good for you – lesson learned, correct? Still, you drank just enough to have a touch of a hangover, but it’s all good because you know just how and where to get that all taken care of. Shuffle on into your shoes (well, AFTER a shower, shave and some putting on of pants, please) and make like a hungry dog over to the A&G Diner. That coffee will slap you awake while the breakfast special will beat the hell out of that throbbing head stuff and send it flying out an ear or nostril. Make sure you take the normal street route to the diner, though. There may have been another murder last night and you don’t want to be sneaking around the back way as the police and that weird detective are poking around for clues. That and you DEFINITELY wouldn’t want to run into the killer plaguing the town, would you? That’s the worst way to get rid of a hangover I hear because it might rely on you losing your head (which is NOT a good thing the last time I checked)…

DPDC PS3 US EFS 2D RealOh, before you go, make sure to pre-order a copy of Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut, coming exclusively to the PlayStation 3 on April 30, 2013. When you finally get back home from your extended vacation in Greenvale, you can relive the excitement and freaky thrills by playing as Detective Francis York Morgan as he investigates the case of the Red Seeds Killer. Updated visuals, all-new content, PlayStation Move and 3D TV support, as well as more cool stuff awaits you and your lucky friends who won’t have to sit through that boring slideshow you originally planned to show when you got back…

swery_hamburgerOh yeah, did you know that in addition to some stellar strong coffee and awesome pie (try the apple-pineapple for a REAL treat), the A&G makes a really kick-ass hamburger? All of the ones ON the menu are outstanding, but order the small but absolutely killer Sweryburger (ask for a Number 65) and be prepared to be back for another one when it’s time to think about your dinner plans. The fries are awesome as well – freshly hand cut, thick and tossed in a seasoning mix that makes them oh so yummy.

Hmmm… now I’m hungry as hell – I’ll see you at the A&G!

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: Just Another Saturday Night…

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Well, in Greenvale that can only mean two things, folks. You’re either going to hoof it on down to the Swery65 Bar to get your drinking done and maybe play a few games of darts with the boys. Or you’ll be running home to lock all the doors and windows before crawling under the couch or bed to catch some old movie because there’s a killer on the loose. That, by the way, is NOT why that screenshot above has the bar so empty. Hey, it’s only about 4pm here and no one in Greenvale really gets their drink on until Happy Hour kicks in at around 5! Anyway, make sure to swing by then and see this place start filling up with locals. Some of whom ONLY come in for Happy Hour before running home to lock all the doors and windows before crawling under the couch or bed to catch some old movie because there’s a killer on the loose…

DP_PreorderYOU can actually help the citizens of this otherwise strange and sleepy town get back to some sort of normalcy by snapping up a copy of Rising Star Games’ upcoming Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut, exclusively for the PlayStation 3 on April 30, 2013. Featuring updated visuals, optional PlayStation Move and 3D TV support, loads of new content and some truly creepy moments that will have you under the couch or bed, this one’s guaranteed to get you hooked in until you feel like you’re trapped in Greenvale until that case is done. Don’t worry – it’s not as if you’ll be playing yourself and have to muddle around pretending you know what you’re doing. You’ll be hopping into the shoes of Francis York Morgan, the strange but skilled investigator with an imaginary friend and a love for damn good coffee.

IMG_2148 And you know what else? Enough of you out there buying the game and telling others about it will definitely make Swery65 (shown deep in thought about what he’d like to drink at the bar when he arrives later) a nice chunk of change so he can maybe redecorate the place to a more modern western theme and perhaps add in a few pinball machines or something. Eh, then again… he’ll probably keep it as it is, as you know how the locals always HATE it when their favorite watering hole goes all upscale and starts attracting the wrong crowd. On the other hand, better a few too many annoying college kids than a creepy killer lurking at a corner table, right?

Primal Carnage: Genesis GDC 2013 Trailer: Unreal 4 Gets An Early Workout…

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I haven’t played Lukewarm Media’s cool-looking Primal Carnage on PC because it’s an online only multiplayer-focused game and I don’t play online games anymore (bad connection at home, lack of interest in running around shooting others in the face and dealing with immature and mature racist, homophobic and other online jerks, et cetera), so I actually skipped over this announcement until a fellow editor-type pointed me in the right direction by noting Primal Carnage: Genesis is a single player game with an actual story. Woo-oo! OK, I’m sold.

 

Granted, I first got a nasty Dino Crisis 4 vibe (sorry, Capcom!) from the sci-fi elements here, but I got over that quickly and now there’s a nice Dino Crisis 2 meets Dinosaur Hunting vibe reverberating my my pointy little head. Anyway, it looks as if I’ll be keeping another eyeball on one more really cool-looking new game, huh? Good thing I have a bag full of extra eyeballs in the freezer. Buy in bulk and SAVE, kids…

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: A History Lesson…

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Actually, Detective York is a wee bit off in his history, as steam-powered vehicles were around in the 17th and 18th centuries. It’s too bad that the technology never took off as it should have, as the world could probably use less fossil fuel consumption and smarter ways of just getting to the mall for a pint of milk. Of course, trying to cover the entire history of automobiles here is a bad idea, as this is supposed to be a more Greenvale-centric post and I’m sure their City Council doesn’t want me to ramble on about mechanical perambulation or the advent of steam when there are more interesting ways to get tourist dollars out their way. And, wait… just which King George is he referring to anyway? There were a whole bunch of them from a few different countries throughout world history, you know.

DPDC PS3 US EFS 2D RealOh, wait a minute… Ah ha ha. My mistake, folks. The detective was being a bit sarcastic and tossing a good one out about Sheriff George Woodman who it turns out isn’t the nicest cop in the neighborhood. Oops. Well, at least I found that out before I had to go poking around Wackypedia for “facts” about cars written by contributors that don’t even know how to drive. Say, did you know that despite needing to drive a few places in the game, YOU don’t need to know how to drive when you’re playing Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut, coming April 30, 2013 exclusively for the PlayStation 3. Featuring upgraded visuals, PlayStation 3 and 3D TV support, trophies and more, this is one vacation you’ll not soon forget. Unlike that information that would have helped you pass that history class you flunked in high school.

SWERY65_tinyOK, so King Sheriff George is a bit of a jerk with his stupid hat and bad attitude (you’d think he’d be a BIT more cooperative what with a mad, possibly supernatural killer on the loose in his town) but thankfully, Sheriff Swery is in the office on those days George is off and he’s a MUCH nicer guy to deal with. When you’re in the area, make sure to drop by and say hello. Hey, you may even get  a free cup of coffee from the A&G Diner out of that greeting – and free is always good. Especially when combined with coffee…

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: More Road Rules…

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Paying attention to the road while driving may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised just how easily distracted most people get when behind the wheel. Case in point, this particular road trip in that not so fancy but fast Sheriff’s car, currently driven by one Francis York Morgan. Given that he’s got two passengers with him, he should be concentrating on the road and doing his best to drive safely. However, just LOOK at that speedometer! 73 MPH is not exactly following the Greenvale speed limit, it’s not an emergency (this time), and lack of traffic or not, he should keep an eye out for pedestrians. I’d say something about that “Talk” button onscreen, but I guess it’s OK, as talking while driving is something everyone seems to do. Granted, York will probably Talk to “himself” rather than his passengers (which is distracting enough), so perhaps he’s not too bad behind the wheel after all?

DPDC PS3 US EFS 2D RealOf course, you’ll get to find this out for yourself and more on April 30, 2013 when Rising Star Games’ Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut hits retail exclusively for the PlayStation 3. Featuring updated visuals, improved controls, all-new content PlayStation Move and 3D TV support and more, this is one of those games guaranteed to get you out driving safely to your favorite game shop and back home even if you’re a block away. Hey, practice makes perfect, right? And if you don’t drive, no worries – that walk will do you good, as you’ll probably be getting a wee bit less exercise once you pick up the game and start playing. Your heart will be racing quite a lot, though…

suda 51_swery 65Another reason you should buy this game is you’ll be keeping Game Director Swery65 a busy man. Getting him back in the office in Japan making more games is a good thing, as if he’s not making games, he’s getting into mischief with people like this other creatively named game-creating reprobate (and all-around nice guy if you get to meet him in person), Suda 51 (both seen here in a local drinking establishment somewhere on Planet Earth. So, yeah – you know what to do, right. Buy at LEAST two copies of this game so Swery gets back to making another one. Or at least thinks about a Vita version, as there’s nothing like being able to be scared out of one’s wits while on the road (er, except when one is behind the wheel – that’s NEVER a good thing)…

Watch_Dogs: Threat Monitoring Report: Beware The Launch Day Stampede.

 

I’m one of those people dying to play this upcoming soon to be classic… but I’m smartly also NOT following every single thing written about it all around the Internet because that’s the fast road to mental hell. A million “what if” posts and too much over-speculation ALWAYS leads to disappointment or over/underblown expectations and other dopiness that can derail an otherwise excellent game experience. I’ve just been ignoring everything until I hear the game is PLAYABLE and coming to NYC on a press tour where I can wrap my grubby paws around a controller to see what’s what and let YOU know about it. Of course, that all revolves around someone at Ubisoft’s PR team actually contacting me (which hasn’t happened for a while, ha ha – maybe they’re watching ME to see what I do?), but as always, we shall see. Hey, I’m a nice enough guy and don’t bite unless you ask politely (*Woof!*)…

Divinity: Original Sin Goes the Kickstarter Route (And You Should, Too!)

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DIV_II_WIPNO, no – don’t go and post a Kickstarter for your beer collection or shoe fetish, silly! Go support Larian Studios and THEIR Kickstarter in their push to trick out their upcoming RPG in some really cool ways. The game is coming along really well as you’ll see – the team is offering up the chance to add fan-created content and some cool bonuses into the mix for those of you with some extra disposable income lying around. Personally, I want to see this or some other Divine Divinity-themed game make it to consoles (again, as Divinity II was outstanding on the Xbox 360, but could have used a PS3 port so more could play it). Anyway, poke around that link above and if you like what you see and hear (that video is quite helpful if you turn the audio up), well… drop a few dimes on this one, tell a few friends, sit back and wait for that inbox to ring when the game’s all done. This one looks as if it’ll be well worth the wait…

DARK: Realmforge’s Cel-Shaded Vampire RPG Looks Quite Intriguing…

 

DARK_logo Hmmm… it’s too bad this is Xbox 360 and PC-only at this point, as I can see Sony fans wanting in on this. DARK is coming to you from the fine folks at Realmforge Game Development Studio and based on this trailer alone, looks like a game worth more than watching. Of course, I’ll have to end up with this on a disc for the home PC or download on the laptop, as both my 360’s here are DEAD and not even a bite from a vampire, zombie or zombified vampire console repairman could bring them back to life, grrrr.

Anyway, I’m really liking the Deus Ex meets Syndicate meets Thief meets Vampire: The Masquerade vibe I’m getting here. Yeah, it’s not from a AAA developer or publisher (but these days, that’s more of a big blessing than a fatal curse), but if the controls are solid and the story memorable, it’s most certainly got all the makings of a sleeper hit. Or one that’s got a life of its own and is as hard to put down as a “real” vampire would be to a blind guy wearing sunglasses at night armed with a box of melting Popsicles. We’ll keep an eyeball peeled on this and let you know…