Ride to Hell: Retribution: “No Rules” Means You’re Always The Man…

Posted on April 21, 2013 by geelw

Deep Silver’s awesome, violent “grindhouse” biker action game looks like one of those interesting Mature-rated sleepers that really doesn’t give a dead rat’s ass about some jerky politicians and parents groups whining about video games being the modern scourge of the earth, but that’s a good thing. Anyone with half a brain and no Sunday soapbox to stand on who’s actually HELD a controller knows that games don’t CAUSE violence at all and hell, if this were some TV movie or rolling up into a theater near you, you wouldn’t hear much about it save for whatever some overpaid film “critic” says. For those concerned adults running around with their hair aflame, I say just keep little Johnny and his soft, easily molded brain away from it and the world is a safer place. Anyway, June 25, 2013 seems to be the day this one hits the road with all engines burning. I’m liking what I see, so yup – I’ll be playing this for sure…

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Random Screenshot of the Day: Cheers, Too!

Posted on April 20, 2013 by geelw

Welcome! It’s another Saturday night in Greenvale and yep, that pic above shows it’s slow once more at the Swery 65 Bar. Generally, the joint is jumpin’ as the Fats Waller song goes, but the recent Red Seeds Killer case has made the place turn into a tomb after a certain hour. While it’s bad for business from a tourist perspective, it’s great for the small town’s core drinkers who end up spending more money on slow nights getting their drink on and welcoming anyone who strolls in with a free beer or shot. If it weren’t for the bodies piling up, you’d almost want o show up at the bar every night, like on that old TV show with the catchy theme song that went something like this:

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they’re always glad you came;
You want to be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same;
You want to be where everybody knows your name.

(“Cheers” lyric: © Gary Portnoy/Judy Hart Angelo)

Of course, I’d imagine that any sitcom set in Greenvale would have a grimmer opening theme or even odder, something particularly amusing in tone, as despite the axe-wielding killer stalking the woods, the sleepy town has a cool style all its own that keeps it going…

You’ll get to check this out for yourself soon enough when Rising Star Games’ Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut hits retail on April 30, 2013. Featuring over 100 improvements from the original version, updated HD visuals, PlayStation Move and 3D TV support, DLC and more, once you step inside this strange new world, you won’t ever want to leave. Well, except to get some real food, a beer or two and maybe use your own bathroom. The Swery 65 makes a good enough stop for a virtual drink and maybe some darts and pool, but those digital nachos aren’t the freshest thing on that limited menu…

I’d say those cheesy nachos are the sole thing wrong with the bar, as owner (and Game Director) Swery 65 runs a tight ship. The last time around, he didn’t expect so much traffic, so ther were a few bugs and other issues that had the user ratings all over the map as some people didn’t appreciate the quirky atmosphere and dated decor. Taking all that into account, he’s cleaned up the joint quite a bit and while it looks a lot better with all that extra polish, he made sure to keep just enough of the old flavor that fans of that nostalgia will be coming back and really liking that they see and taste.

Random Film of the Week(end): Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

Posted on April 20, 2013 by geelw

Like a few too many people who didn’t initially “get” it, I absolutely hated Beyond the Valley of the Dolls the first time I saw it back in the early 1980’s. Of course, I went in expecting one thing (I’d never seen a Russ Meyer film before) and yes, got something else entirely. Yes, I was probably a wee bit too young to grasp the wild blend of comedy, drama, morality play and plenty of under-dressed female and male flesh bouncing and wiggling about. But it only took a few years and a more maturely snarky perspective to see what I was really missing. Before then, I’d always given anything Roger Ebert said about movies the hovering eyebrow (as in “What does HE know, he co-wrote that crappy movie!”). After I started liking this beautiful, campy mess co-written and directed by Russ Meyer, it became of the first flicks I’d recommend to friends or anyone wanting to see something “out there” and it’s still ahead of its time in many respects… Continue reading →

Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon: Michael Biehn Gets Back To Work…

Posted on April 20, 2013 by geelw

It’s actually pretty darn cool that Ubisoft has tapped Michael Biehn to voice lead character Rex “Power” Colt in its intentionally campy send-up of way too many dopey (but awesome in their dopiness) 80’s action flicks, but I’ve had a burning question I’ve wanted to ask the actor ever since I saw The Terminator at the movies back when it was initially released. It’s bugged the HELL out of me that fresh through that time portal, a naked Kyle Reese gets his only pair of pants off a drunken homeless guy in an alley (Yuk!) and wears them throughout the entire film (Blech!), doesn’t go near a shower like he should (Ick!) but STILL gets it on with Sarah Conner (Nooooo!). That’s always made my skin crawl more than Arnold (well, his mechanical dummy head) doing “surgery” on himself by poking his own eyeball out with an X-Acto knife in that hotel scene. I guess Sarah had some pretty low standards and no sense of smell. Then again, SHE got to bathe when they got to the Tiki Motel – all Kyle did was buy stuff to make explosives.

Hey, I’m a continuity junkie, folks… I notice stuff like this in every movie I see. Hmmm… then again, maybe I’ll take this issue up with James Cameron. What’s his number again?

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Ransom Screenshot of the Day: Roughing It, York Style!

Posted on April 19, 2013 by geelw

Did you know that when it’s not being terrorized by an axe-wielding killer, Greenvale is actually a really nice place? It’s so peaceful and the climate is so perfect (well, when it not pouring rain, that is), you can actually live in the woods without a tent. Of course, being a thorough guy, FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan (just call him York!) decided to put that to the test and as you can see, he’s kind of overdone the whole camping thing. Sure, the week-old beard works, but that suit and furniture? Hmmm… all the comforts of home don’t necessarily work in some settings, but you can’t keep a good investigator from finding out just what hos limitations are in all sorts of elements. If you ever run into York while you’re in Greenville, make sure to buy him a cup of coffee and ask all about that time he went up to the mountains in the winter a few years ago. Yup, he wore that suit and had even MORE furniture with him (including a working fireplace!). Hey, he’s a survivor at the end of the day, so let him do it the way he wants to, I say…

If you’ve been reading these (hopefully entertaining) posts from the last few weeks you know by now that you’ll soon get to meet Special Agent York and his weird ways soon enough when Rising Star Games’ PS3 exclusive Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut lands in a game shop or other retailer near you (that sells video games, of course) on April 30, 2013. Featuring updates HD visuals, PlayStation Move and 3D TV support, over 100 improvements over the original game, new DLC that extends the adventure and MORE, you’ll be putting up with more of York’s quirks than you can stand and love every moment. You’ll absolutely have to, mind you… or that Red Seeds case file will remain open forever. And we don’t want that to happen at all, correct? I thought so!

Given that the game as gone gold today (meaning it’s been sent off to be pressed and packed so it can appear in stores on time), I bet Game Director Swery 65 is celebrating today a bit more than usual. Of course, he and his team at Access Games deserve whatever celebrating they’re doing and then some, as they’ve created a better version of a game that made so many people swing back and forth trying to decide if they were crazy for liking such a bizarre experience. Open minds are the best ones to work with, I say… well, provided it’s not some glowing eyed guy in a yucky red coat swinging an axe doing that opening. That would be a bad thing for this game’s sales as well as the poor folks getting their tops popped…

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen Enemies (2): Dying Just Got A Lot More Painfully Interesting…

Posted on April 19, 2013 by geelw

Just watching this latest Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen gameplay trailer makes me say “Ouch!” because I know some of these new creatures will be a pain to take down quickly. But as with the first game, it’s a learning experience when you encounter a new enemy in this game world. Check out its weaknesses, go at it with your best skills and make sure your pawns are up to speed. Hmmm… Now I’m feeling the need to play through the first game again… but with all the work I need to get done, that’s not going to happen at all. Unless someone creates time travel before Dark Arisen hits retail for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on April 23, 2013… which isn’t so far away at all. Yaaaah! The pain of having too darn many games to play, think of playing (or replaying). Well, there are far worse things to be worried about in the real world, of course…

DARK Skills Trailer: Vampires Do Make Some Pretty Good Sneaky Characters…

Posted on April 19, 2013 by geelw

This newest slice of gameplay from DARK, developed by Realmforge and set to be published by Kalypso Media, is looking like quite a surprise sleeper in my book. Vampire-themed games aren’t exactly a dime a dozen these days, so it’s great to see a dev team tackle one and make it look and based on the trailers I’ve seen, play so well. As I noted previously, I’m REALLY hoping it does well enough on PC and Xbox live that it can also appear on other platforms, as this is just the sort of indie game that deserves a wider and more appreciative audience. As always, we shall see…

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Gets A Beta – Give It A Shot, I Say…

Posted on April 19, 2013 by geelw

NeoCore Games’ upcoming action RPG, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, is headed into its beta stage as a pre-order product the developer has set up as a crowdfunded work in progress that allows interested players to pony up a fee for access that will net them a final copy when the game is completed and released in May. For a minimum payment of $15, you’ll get to play that beta version on Steam (and comment on it, no doubt) and there are payment tiers all the way up to $1000 (which gets you four copies of the game, your name in the credits and portrait in a secret boss level).

Bethesda Reveals The Evil Within (Well, A Live-Action Trailer, At Least)…

Posted on April 19, 2013 by geelw

In case you were wondering just what Shinji Mikami has been up to… well, here you go. Bethesda Softworks has revealed a live-action trailer to his and Tango Gameworks’ upcoming single player psychological/survival horror game, The Evil Within. Nothing has been revealed yet about the characters, story or gameplay, but IGN (hey, why not me?) has a big first look popping up on Monday that’s sure to get them traffic and attention. The game is set to come out in 2014 for PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and “next generation consoles”. Hmmmm… My take on that last part is I personally think they’re spreading this new SKU a wee bit too thin, as I think it would be best on ONE generation of systems and PC. If this gets over-hyped and expected to meet a certain target, but fails to do do, it will hit Bethsoft a bit hard on a few fronts. Granted, they could have another Dishonored here in the form of a hit that turns a genre on its ear-hole, so I’m at least optimistic on that front. Now, it’s all about some hands-on time to see what’s what… Bethsoft, you know how to reach me…

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Goes Gold, Pre-order Bonuses Split Personalities…

Posted on April 19, 2013 by geelw

It’s almost here, folks… Now you have to make a BIG choice here if you pre-order this upcoming PS3 exclusive – do you get yourself a tactical advantage with that Field-Ops Suit Pack DLC from Amazon OR are you going to energize your game with the Espresso Suit Pack DLC from GameStop? Decisions, decisions… enough to make you a bit schizophrenic, I’d say. I usually dislike DLC like this from different retailers, as it’s an annoying ploy to make you miss something and/or choose sides as if this loyalty to a particular retailer was a good thing.

That said, it’ll be interesting to see which DLC wins out here and if possible, if ALL who buy the game will have the chance to get both packs and that bonus DLC noted below down the road as free or paid content through PSN. That’s the most fair way to go, I say – especially with the cult following this game has and some players wanting everything that can get out of it including these two outfits.

New Features for Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut:

New Scenario – Surprising new scenario from the game’s director, Hidetaka “Swery” Suehiro that will please new and hardcore fans alike
HD graphics – complete graphic overhaul with new HD textures
Improved Controls – reworked control system and mappable controls allow for an even better combat experience
Downloadable content – Expand the mystery beyond the original game and let Agent York (and Zach) live it up in Greenvale – *PROFILING START*