Shadowgate Hands-On: You’ll Be Dying To Play This Game Soon Enough…

Posted on August 8, 2014 by geelw

I had to stop playing Shadowgate after about the first ten minutes because my face was hurting. No, I didn’t get blasted by a real fireball coming from my monitor or anything like that. It’s because I was grinning so much that I think I was exercising more muscles than I’ve used in a while. Anyway, it was obvious from that short stretch of time and later on after about another hour of play that developer Zojoi Games has nailed the game they created back in 1987 as a perfect reboot on a few fronts.

The game manages to retain the same gameplay as the original while adding plenty of new content in an absolutely beautiful (yet suitably grim where required) art style as well as a grand, redone score by Rich Douglas that’s as stirring as the visuals… Continue reading →

New Shadowgate Trailer: What’s New Is Old (And Great)…

Posted on August 1, 2014 by geelw

I really should be dreading this upcoming Shadowgate reboot a lot more, but I’m just too pleased to see this ancient fantasy adventure game make a comeback. My dread SHOULD come from the knowledge that developer Zojoi Games is making this one like the original: intentionally hard and with intent to punish players who don’t pay careful attention to the decisions they make. The again, you can be the smartest stick in the shed and have your character still die a horrific death because Shadowgate is no pic-a-nic zone at all. Nearly every beautifully illustrated screen has something to interact with in nine different ways, but you might expire quite horribly if for example you HIT someone you shouldn’t have, EAT an item that’s not that edible under any circumstances or even TALK to something that wants to put the bite on your soon to be deceased hero. But hey, life (even in a game like this) is all about taking chances, so if you’re a PC/Mac/iOS or Android gamer looking for adventure, you should hop onto this train and perhaps even pre-order the game. It’s officially out on August 21, 2014 – I’ve been avoiding buying in early and playing the beta because I prefer to go in cold and see if I can remember all the tricks and traps from the NES version and see if I can survive more than three or four screens worth of them.

Gallery: Lumino City – State of Play’s Handmade Game Is Really Pretty Stuff…

Posted on June 21, 2014 by geelw

Okay, I’d not heard of indie developer State of Play Games or their games until someone sent me a link to their site a while back and I was charmed by the look of Lume, a puzzle/adventure game (currently on sale on the Steam store) with sets made out of paper and cardboard with hand animated characters filmed against and around those lovely locations. While the game was short and some reviewers knocked it for this, the outstanding visual style and fact that everything was handmade made this one quite special. That and the game’s ending seemed to point to a potential follow up at some point.

Well, that follow up is coming and it’s called Lumino City. As you can see above and below, it’s a work in progress and looks gorgeous. The developers promise “a wondrous sprawling puzzle adventure game” and it looks as if they’re going to exceed expectations on a few fronts. Hopefully, those critics and players that beat up on Lume for its brevity will see the craft here and really appreciate all the work that is going into this new adventure. I know I’m eager to give it a go when it’s ready for some play time. It would also be cool to see this on consoles at some point, but I guess that’s up to the developer’s time and if someone gets them a few dev kits…

Lumino City – Teaser from State of Play on Vimeo.

These Humble Bundles Get Bookish And Robotic, But That’s Okay In These Cases…

Posted on May 28, 2014 by geelw

Got an e-reader of some sort? Get the Humble eBook Bundle while you can. Nine books, ten bucks (or more if you like), at least one more unlocked free later. While the fantasy and other fiction stuff comes highly recommended, I’d say ABSOLUTELY grab this for MARCH: Book One by Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell.

This real-life account of Lewis’ struggle during the Civil Rights era is not only one of the best modern works about the period, it drives home how important the man himself is as a current voice against those who think race issues don’t matter in America these days.

As for that Humble PC and Android Bundle? Eight games that run on PC or Mac via STEAM or on assorted Android devices, six soundtracks, more games unlocked later, five bucks (or more, as before). You get to read and/or play yourself into a stupor, some charities get your money and everyone’s as happy as un-caught clams doing whatever clams do when they’re not worrying about being tossed in a pot or shucked by someone stuffing their maw in an eating contest. Yep, that’s the way to do it, I’d say…

Humble Bundles Galore Today: Daily, Weekly, Store, All Waiting To Take Over Your PC!

Posted on May 19, 2014 by geelw

I’ll keep it short today, as my mailbox is overflowing: Humble Daily Bundle? Three fighting games, old and new. To steal a quote from the past… “Get it… or get hit!”

Then there’s the Humble Store Spring Sale: 48 hours of BARGAINS galore on games old to new, all priced to move or whatever download games do when they go from one place to another (go check it out and watch your wallet gleefully leap to its demise!).

And finally… The Humble Doctor Who Comics Bundle! Whaaaaat?! Loads of books (more on the way if you buy!) AND you get an unlocked version of Doctor Who: Legacy for your Android phone (with all the Doctors)! Yeah, you know you want EVERYTHING and I won’t even try to stop you (so there!). Anyway, buy lots of to way too much stuff, support some charities and then go wish you had a real TARDIS so you could read and play for a while then go back in time and have the rest of your Monday roll out as it should.

Well, minus you spilling that cup of OJ all over the boss man this morning, oops…

The Humble Daily Bundle Goes Kind Of Oprah Today…

Posted on May 18, 2014 by geelw

So, it’s all YOU get a Hammerwatch! And YOU get a Hammerwatch! And YOU get a Hammerwatch! And guess what? YOU get a Hammerwatch! Hey, people! There’s just ONE game in the Humble Daily Bundle today, folks…. um, guess what it is? Anyway, pay under $7.76 and you get the great Two Feathers soundtrack to this awesomely addictive Gauntlet-inspired hack & slash AND a great art pack! $7.76 even gets you one code for the game… but spend twenty four cents more and you get THREE extra copies to give away to whomever you please. Friends! Romans! Countrymen! Give them all a code! Friends are good to have when playing this game, as it can get tough in those dungeons with everything that’s not nailed down trying to kill your character dead. Lovely and colorful retro graphics, loads of challenge and loot galore await, so what are you waiting for? It’s Hammer(watch) time!

Shadowgate is Back? Welcome To Your (Highly Enjoyable) Doom!

Posted on May 6, 2014 by geelw

Okay, I’m kind of terminally slow on the crowdfunding front because I have neither the time to look at EVERY project that clogs my inbox nor all the money I’d LOVE to donate to all those cool looking games and products I do look at.

In other words, I had NO idea the original developer was remaking this well aged absolute classic adventure game for current computers (and yes, Macs, iOS and Android devices as well). Based on the art and screens here plus that lovely pre-order trailer, I’m betting fans of this old chestnut are grinning madly as the game’s release looms closer and closer…

“The last thing that you remember is standing before the wizard Lakmir as he gestured wildly and chanted in an archaic tongue. Now you find yourself staring at an entryway which lies at the edge of a forest.”

So begins the classic anew, this time relaunched with many new features and as developer Zojoi states clearly, this isn’t a simple port at all, but a whole new take on the original that expands the adventure in every aspect. As you can see below, the classic adventure game retains the use of static art screens to tell its tale, but Shadowgate has never, ever looked this spectacular because these even more gorgeous screens add motion to the story.

A game overview, screenshots and concept art are all below the jump, as I don’t want to keep you from pre-ordering this ASAP. ogling them can wait a minute or two… Continue reading →

Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure Launch Trailer: Atlus Goes Back To The Past To Bring You The Future!

Posted on April 9, 2014 by geelw

As I noted last year, seeing a new Tex Murphy interactive adventure (or game, for those of you scratching your heads right about now) is quite a shock as well as a pleasant surprise, so it’s also a good thing that Atlus is not only seeing this through, they’re making sure their followers know all about it. Now, you don’t need to have played the other Tex games to get into this one at all, but it may help some of you appreciate what’s here all the more. Especially if that mildly cheesy full motion video you’re seeing above isn’t floating your boat, but you’re intrigued about the story and such. Trust me, you’ll get used to it once the plot wraps its fingers around your throat and starts shaking gently. It’s great to see you back, Tex… next time, don’t take so darn long to make a comeback!

The Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure is coming to PC and Mac April 22, 2014.

Larian Studios Makes Marriages Merry With A Bit Of Divinity: Original Sin

Posted on February 14, 2014 by geelw

Well, this is a pretty neat Valentine’s Day post for you warm-hearted Kleenex-carrying freaks out there who get all weepy at the drop of a hat. I’ve heard of like-minded gamers proposing in all sorts of online only games and I think I even recall proposals given by game developers for fans of certain titles. However, I believe this is one of the first proposals I’ve seen made by one person for another using a game editor. I still haven’t gotten around to buying or playing Divinity: Original Sin yet (hey, my backlog is killing me!) Okay, I’ll admit it… I’m a kind of (shh!) hopeless romantic at heart (shhhh!), so this stuff makes me grin inside (I can’t let the world see me smile much – it hurts my curmudgeonly image a bit).

Okay, I’m not THAT cranky and this is pretty sweet. LESSON: video games aren’t all about running around and killing each other dead and some are even wonderful at allowing players the freedom to pull off super cool stuff like this. Well, congratulations and best of luck to the happy couple and everyone else who’s going to be hitched because of their love for Larian Studios and their excellent game!

Concursion Trailer: The Act Of Running Together Is Working Quite Well For Puuba Games

Posted on January 16, 2014 by geelw

Oh, Puuba Games… You intrigue me so. Your first game, Concursion looks pretty darn cool with all that genre switching on the fly, colorful mix of visual styles and and promise of many hours of play and replay value. That said, I tend to be cautiously optimistic about stuff like this because no game is “perfect” and in fact, it’s often the case that a game’s flaws can actually make the overall experience better for some players who can exploit them to the fullest. Granted, the only flaws I see is that dance the main character does at the end of that trailer above (it’s so… 1991!) and some generic-looking sprites. But I know this isn’t the final product at all and I’m not some internet troll with an already dull as hell axe to grind.

Anyway, I’ve got my eyeball on you kids. Get this one polished up and DONE and don’t screw it up. I want people to fall over themselves to get this one when it’s finally done and I also want to see it pop up on consoles at some point down the road because I’m a multi-platform kinda guy…