Double Dungeons Day! Adventure Time, Young Justice Head to “Last-Gen” Systems

Posted on November 19, 2013 by geelw

Hey! Stop that whining that you don’t own one of those fancy new online tethered “Maybe she no-a work out of the box! for a few reasons” new consoles, kids! You can play BOTH of these new titles on what you already own and be happy (and definitely happier if you kept that PS3 around if your PS4 is blue-light bricking itself up the living room), so I say GET HAPPY!

Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW! is out NOW on the “old” Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Wayforward Technologies (the current KINGS of modern retro gaming on many fronts. RESPECT!). Old-school top-down action RPG action. Kinda like Gauntlet, but kinda NOT like Gauntlet (there’s no coin drop on you TV and the game isn’t like Gauntlet once you play it). One to four players. Sort of has drop in-drop out co-op play (so your friends can faint at the sight of a boss and you can keep going, darn them!). Rated E10+ (but most of you AT fans are much older than 10+, I bet). Yeah, you need this one yesterday, I say.

Young Justice Legacy is also out NOW for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS and PC (via Steam). New developer Freedom Factory takes a page from the still hugely popular Marvel Ultimate Alliance games with this fun one to three player action RPG that takes place between Seasons 1 and 2 of the seemingly now defunct cartoon series. Sure, the stylized visuals aren’t screaming 2013 at you, but this is one of those games that works if you love the fast-paced super-heroic stuff and aren’t overly judgmental about every game being a showpiece of visual techniques. From my playtime with a demo, solo play can be tough in some spots if you’re careless and rush into fights, so grab a friend or two and a couple of extra controllers (have your friends bring theirs, I say) and get the fist to face action going.

Yeah, you’ll need to invite them over as this (and Adventure Time) don’t have any online modes (not sure about the Steam version, but it’s good that I DON’T KNOW! – yet). Good, I say – people need to play MORE together in the same room because it makes them be MORE social. How so? Hey, if you have to bathe for company and maybe clean up a little… THAT’S making yourself MORE social. Get it? Got it? GOOD. Now go hit the pavement for some exercise and retail therapy. Class dismissed!

Need For Speed Rivals Launch Trailer: Fasten Your Seatbelts (And Wear Well-Padded Pants)…

Posted on November 14, 2013 by geelw

If any studio is going to master this new hardware first, my money is on Criterion and Ghost Games and their Need For Speed games. Granted, Need For Speed Rivals is a purely arcade-like game experience and racing fans who want more in the way of total car customization and more racing viewpoints will gripe a bit about the game as they usually do with other racers. Me, I’ll just be jamming on the gas, sliding through turns and causing all sorts of mayhem while enjoying the scenery and trying to wreck as little as possible. This one’s on current and next-gen consoles (not the Wii U, though – sorry!), so pick one and GO, I say. Online or off, it’s bound to be a blast.

Diablo III On PS4: Sizzling Indeed (And Has Some PC Fans Hot Under The Collar)…

Posted on November 8, 2013 by geelw

Hey, as a longtime fan of games and someone who appreciates a job very well done, I’m one of those smart folks who absolutely loves what Blizzard has done with their baby on consoles. As I keep saying, the main purpose of ANY port from PC to console isn’t to piss off those with computers at all, children. It’s to broaden the user base for that formerly “exclusive” game you who buy or build those big beefy gaming rigs thought you’d have all to yourselves. That AND these “ports” are here to make the developers and publishers some additional money when they DO succeed in delivering the goods. I say Blizzard deserves every damn penny because once you try it out with an open mind, you’ll be surprised at… How. Well. It. Works. Me, I’d rather give Blizzard (and any other developers who do it up right for gamers) money and keep them cranking out hits for as many platforms as possible if and when they please… Continue reading →

Need For Speed Rivals Gameplay: PS4 Versus Xbox One, Round 1…

Posted on November 8, 2013 by geelw

SO, it seems that resolution is the BIG thing for many gamers and journalists out there rolling around on the ground fighting with each other and it seems that the PS4 has an advantage on SOME titles over the Xbox One, which is the reverse of how it was on many third party titles throughout this past generation. While those folks fight it out in clouds of dust and misspelled diatribes, I’ll just post these two trailers from Criterion’s upcoming racer and let you decide which looks best. The BEST way to see these videos is at their highest resolution (1080p), so hopefully you know how to do that with YouTube videos.

Anyway, Here’s the PlayStation 4 version below:

Annnnd below, here’s Rivals on the Xbox One. Oh wait, look at your HAIR! Ha! Next time close the window and fasten that seat belt. Sorry, I forgot to warn you we were going to go FAST. Anyway, ready? Good:

Did you notice anything different? Do you even care? Are you wearing socks right nor or are they stuck to the wall on the other side of the room after being blown clean off (and if so, I’m SO sorry if you were wearing expensive panty hose!)? I guess the sales figures will tell at the end of the day, but system bias will rear its head even more as both consoles roll onto shelves and the knives come out once again. Hell, they’re ALREADY out and have been since before each new system was announced. No one wins in that war, by the way… but sitting on the sidelines with a load of popcorn makes for some fine entertainment for me before I get bored and go back to playing some of those games everyone else is nitpicking over because of a few flaws or whatever that some won’t even notice because they only have one console at home and just don’t care what the competition is up to…

Yes, Gamers DO Read Books. Blizzard Knows This, So You Get Two Tomes The Fun…

Posted on November 8, 2013 by geelw

Going to Hell is generally no picnic and I’ve most certainly been there more than enough times to not need a guidebook. That said, some of you out there who get lost at the drop of a hat (and need to keep buying new hats) can probably use BradyGames’ Diablo III Signature Series Strategy Guide (MSRP $21.99) the next time you do drop in. Of course, you’ll also need a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 and a copy of the Diablo III to get the most of this excellently handy tome of demon doom.

Authors Doug Walsh, Rick Barba and Thom Denick have put together a think 464 pages of comprehensively detailed info on every quest, a Bestiary to keep track of those things always hot on your heels, tips on items, loot drops, crafting and more all await those who require a held hand on that long, arduous trip down to the deepest deeps. Hell, your poor character may still die a few too many times, but at least you’ll be good and well-versed on just what did you in because you got a wee bit too eager in your poking about in that dungeon you needed a few more levels to clear. Even if you’re NOT a strategy guide guy or gal, getting this for that newbie to the dark world of DIII makes for a great holiday gift just so that giftee will leave YOU the hell alone and play the game without haunting your phone or inbox for sage advice. Yeah, we all know people like that, correct?

Meanwhile, back in Azeroth… to many millions of loyal players, World of Warcraft is their second home (or first for those even deeper into it) and when they come up for air, I’m sure they’ll be pleased as punch to know that Blizzard has them in mind to on the reads front. Publisher DK has recently released World of Warcraft: Ultimate Visual Guide (MSRP $29.99) is exactly what it says, a lushly illustrated 200-page hardcover featuring tons of gorgeous artwork from the games, some concise writing by Doug Wagner and plenty of lore that I’ll bet the more hardcore WoW fans out there will find some nits to pick about.

Yeah, you know how that goes with those uber-fans, right? That said, between the OFFICIAL according to Blizzard timeline that fits all those expansions together, a look into the development of the games and a too brief peek at the DC Comics series plus more, this one a great addition to the libraries of new players as well as hardened happy veterans of the seemingly unstoppable MMORPG.

That and the book weighs just enough to knock a goblin out with a sturdy swing, so maybe the dev team can add it to the game quickly as a backup weapon or something. Hey, stranger things have happened in the gaming universe, so getting clobbered by a book won’t be the goofiest thing to occur in the busy lands of Blizzard’s continuing cash cow…

Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 Developer Diary #1: Going Out In High Style…

Posted on November 7, 2013 by geelw

The first Castlevania: Lords of Shadow game was a pretty solid mash up of old and new school elements that while not perfect, made for a pretty thrilling game with some very lovely visuals. Developer extraordinaire MercurySteam is pulling out all the stops with this sequel and as this seems to be their final Castlevania game, the team is making sure they go out on a high note. Yeah, yeah, the Igarishi-only and 3D-only wails from the rear of the room are loud in some spots, but that’s only when I leave the window open too long. I don’t care who makes a game as long as it’s GOOD at the end of the day and it’s also important to broaden one’s horizons every once in a while (and DAILY, if possible). MercurySteam’s expertise with current gen hardware is pretty phenomenal in my book, so I can’t wait to see what they’re working on for the newer consoles (or heck, any other platform)…

And yeah… that music is spectacular, isn’t it? February 27, 2014, people. You do know you can pre-order the game if you like, correct?

Review: Skylanders SWAP Force

Posted on November 6, 2013 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation 3 (Also on Xbox 360, Wii U, Wii, 3DS)

Developer: Vicarious Visions/Beenox

Publisher: Activision

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E10+

Official Site
Score: A- (90%)

With this year’s installment of the series, Skylanders SWAP Force, veteran developer Vicarious Visions (with an assist from Beenox) takes over from Toys for Bob and bumps up the console versions to to HD quality visuals (save for the Wii version) while adding a few new play mechanics. More importantly, there are a new set of Skylanders with swappable top and bottom halves and plenty of locked off areas in the game that will send parents zipping into stores to buy new figures on a regular basis. That the gameplay is so basic yet compelling and all those enticing gated-away goodies the perfect opportunity to market new toys to kids and parents is exactly the formula any game company would kill to have in play. Skylanders has worked from the beginning in successfully roping nearly anyone who picks it up into its charms and while SWAP Force is the best looking and playing game to date, Activision also needs to kick things up a notch in the future, as you can practically hear the call of a more open world game experience with even more to do bellowing from those sweeping panoramic backgrounds… Continue reading →

RAMBO: The Video Game Gameplay: That Long Road Is Getting Shorter…

Posted on November 5, 2013 by geelw

Hmmmm. Cover an eyeball and stick a finger in one ear if you’re partly squeamish and hate the sounds of stuff blowing up. Amusingly enough, I only find two of the four Rambo pictures watchable from start to finish, so I’m quite surprised that I’m liking what I see in this licensed game more than I thought. First Blood was excellent for its surprising take on the action genre in making its Vietnam vet antihero John Rambo a more sympathetic character who gets pushed around in that small town he’s passing through until he’s had enough. The last Rambo film was a fun but gory contradiction because of Stallone’s political stance on what was going on in Burma and how the film turned Rambo from a “peaceful” tour guide back to an even more efficient killing machine with a cause. And yes… I thought Rambo II and III were bigger, dumber 80’s movies with lots of screaming and explosions and nothing worth writing home about plot-wise, but I know SOME of you will be all up in my face about my opinion on that pair of cinematic jokers.

Granted, this won’t be a Game of the Year candidate when it’s finally released in early 2014, but I think some fans of the franchise will be grinning like maniacs as they relive their favorite bits from the movies with a bit more artistic license in some cases…

Hmm… I’m Seeing Ghosts All of a Sudden Thanks to Activision…

Posted on November 5, 2013 by geelw

I actually wasn’t expecting to get a copy of Call of Duty: Ghosts for a bit after launch for my Wii U, but surprise! Activision shot over a PS3 copy of the game this morning, so into the queue it goes. Actually, progress has been made on more reviews, so I’ll be popping this one into my old system (still going strong after what, almost seven years?) later this evening.

I’m about to run out the door here in about 15 minutes to go to some press events or I’d be playing this now. OK, back in a bit to see what all the fuss is about. I’m a campaign guy first and foremost, so I’m gathering if this one’s like the last couple of installments it will be pretty intense and dramatic (to say the least) with a few unexpected surprises. Alrighty then – off to the races with me. Now, I’ll be thinking of controllable army dogs and some sort of high-speed vehicle chase until I get back home, woof!

As Usual, Call of Duty Gets A Celebrity Crazy Live Action TV Spot…

Posted on November 3, 2013 by geelw

Here’s an answer to a question I was asked by not one but TWO readers in person within the space of a week or so (yes, people ask me stuff on the street when they see me) about coverage of some of the bigger AAA titles and why I don’t spend a ton of space covering them like other sites. It’s mostly because I prefer to NOT rush out a review before or with everyone else and partly because I can;t get access to loaner debug units like I used to a few years back. Complain, gripe, whine, et cetera, et cetera. I miss my old PR wranglers who did me the occasional odd favor, but what can you do, kids? Meh, life goes on! I was supposed to get a trumpet blast with that last sentence, but I’ll settle for a bleated out note on the STL Ocarina I’m reviewing…

Anyway, I actually liked last year’s big celebrity-packed TV ad much better, but this has its fun moments:

Granted, I’m a LOT more interested in Call of Duty: Ghosts for the single player campaign (no matter how long or short it turns out to be) and YES, I’m much more interested in the upcoming Wii U version just to see how it turned out (Yes, *shocking!* isn’t it?), as Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 wasn’t bad at all on Nintendo’s overly maligned (by some of the Internet’s troll-iest under bridge dwellers) console which REALLY just needs some love and a lot more good games from first and third parties, as there’s NOTHING fundamentally wrong with it at all.

That said, it certainly looks great on any system I’ve seen it on, so I guess everyone will have it on their a favorite console soon enough. Yeah, that’s right. I’m a root for the underdog guy myself these days, so there you go…