Hey Lukewarm Games! You’re Lucky I Like Dinosaurs…

Posted on February 23, 2013 by geelw

As I noted last week, this whole Harlem Shake thing is SO played out, but toss in a couple of dinosaurs and I get all “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in…” about this dopey fad. Well, it works with THESE dinosaurs. Hell, if it were Barney or any other purple dinosaur out there, I’d be beating my laptop with a baseball bat and suing someone so I can buy a new one. Anyway, OK – I laughed… but this is the last time I’m going to watch one of these videos. Maybe…

Hey, Lukewarm! Maybe think a tiny bit about getting your nifty-looking multiplayer-centric game Primal Carnage onto consoles and the Vita with a solo play campaign so I can finally play this game. It looks like a ton of fun, but I don’t do online gaming much (crap connection and I prefer games with stories to keep me interested more than running around shooting stuff)…

Diablo III Is PS3, PS4-Bound (Let The Whine Pour Anew!)

Posted on February 20, 2013 by geelw

Video stolen from GameTrailers. I’d have my OWN vid to post, if Sony would have let me in. Grrrr.

Oh, I can see the PC forums blowing up worldwide thanks to this news (I think I heard the explosions on the way home on the subway), but it’ll be good for those who may have wanted to play the game but didn’t have the PCs to run it or were hoping they’d see another Diablo come to consoles after far too long. Anyway, press release below the jump and the TRUE test of if this is all going to work will kick off next month at PAX East in Boston (March 22-24, 2013), so make sure to boogie on out thatway if you can. Press release below the jump – some cheese with your whine, sir or madam? Me, I just want to be able to play the darn game OFFLINE. By myself. No help from “friends” i don’t know and will never, ever meet in real life. You know, OLD SCHOOL gaming. We’ll see, I guess…

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The Elder Scrolls Online: It’s Beta Sign-Up Time!

Posted on January 22, 2013 by geelw

I’ve been following TES Online for a while now and while I won’t be diving into this one at all (I have an awful internet connection, prefer my fantasy RPGs offline and solo play with no PVP nonsense or dealing with jerks of the helpful and unhelpful variety), I won’t stop YOU from joining the beta and helping with the stress testing on the first ever Elder Scrolls MMO. I do respect that the dev team at ZeniMax isn’t simply tossing out a game set in the same era as the single player TES games from Bethsoft. With a thousand years or so separating this new game from the more familiar lands some of us ancient fans have explored many times over, there’s room to do pretty much anything with the history that won’t step on the toes of past or future RPGs. Of course, I’m hoping Bethesda has at least started working out concepts and early pre-production work on the follow up to Skyrim (and that they make a game that’s much more stable on any console it gets made for)…

Defiance Co-op Trailer: Looks Great as Ever (But Offline Play Needs An Invite)…

Posted on January 16, 2013 by geelw

I’ll say right now that I loved playing that fantastic Defiance demo last year, but as the game nears its eventual launch this year, I’m sort of hoping Trion Worlds has a “Plan B” for all that hard work should the show not be accepted by the more jaded fans out there. Sure, the MMO space needs a game changer and in terms of third-person console shooters, this game adds some great things to the genre that makes it even more player-friendly than DC Universe online while having the challenge core action gamers expect. That said, the game needs a way to play offline or co-op with friends just in case gamers aren’t biting as much as they should on the line. I guess I’ll keep my fingers and toes crossed that the game succeeds as the best new cross-platform action/ MMO on the market, as I really want to see gamers embrace this soon to be classic.

Dark Souls II Announced For PS3, 360, PC (It’s Not Next-Gen Time Just Yet, Kids)…

Posted on December 8, 2012 by geelw

Now, THIS is good news: From Software is hard at work cooking up a follow-up to its popular hardcore action/RPG/horror hybrid Dark Souls. The just announced sequel has no release date and no screen shots so far, but this is absolutely great news for those who enjoyed the last game as well as the outstanding Demon’s Souls on the PS3.

According to the press release:

“Dark Souls II retains the core essence of Dark Souls while evolving to present new twists and challenges that are sure to please longtime fans and attract new comers to the series,” says Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “FromSoftware is going to take a very dark path with Dark Souls II; players will need to look deep within themselves to see if they have the intestinal fortitude to embark on this journey.”

“This new chapter in the Dark Souls saga presents opportunities for us to drive innovation in gameplay design, develop an entirely new story, and expand the scope of the world in which the player interacts with the game. We have taken these necessary steps with Dark Souls II in order to evolve the overall experience of the Dark Souls series,” says Tomohiro Shibuya, FromSoftware Director on Dark Souls II.

“The entire development team is striving to make Dark Souls II an experience that is fresh while not forsaking its roots in presenting players with challenging gameplay. Our goal is to surprise and delight our fans with new experiences and plot twists while enticing new players to join our dark journey.”

Well, that sounds like a dare, a bet and a plan all rolled up into one tasty, deadly treat. If I HAD to guess about a release date, I’d probably say sometime about a year from now… but don’t hold me to that at all.

The Elder Scrolls Online Introduction (Gameplay Included)

Posted on November 9, 2012 by geelw

OK, I may not be much interested in an online Elder Scrolls game, but YOU might be. So, here you go – a fine nine-plus minute look at the upcoming MMO that shows off its excellent visuals and yes, actual gameplay for the first time. That said, IF I were going to be jumping back into the MMO space, it’s now a toss up between this game, RIFT and Guild Wars 2. But of course, a nice new gaming PC and an even better online connection are needed… as is a working time machine, as I already have WAY too many games to play that aren’t online time-sinks…

Review: Ragnarok Odyssey

Posted on November 1, 2012 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation Vita

Developer: Game Arts

Publisher: Xseed Games

# of Players: 1 (online 1 – 4)

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: A- (90%)

Another key Vita game hitting stores and PSN at a prime point in a pretty busy year, Ragnarok Odyssey is one of the better JRPGs on the handheld thanks to addictive, fast-paced gameplay, plenty of tough enemies in offline single and online multiplayer modes and lots of lovely visuals and sound to groove on as you play. The game clicks in just about every area and fans of Ragnarok Online and the under-appreciated Ragnarok DS will be pleased to know that the game has enough familiar elements that it feels like a natural extension of those games that can be enjoyed on its own merits. The game is so good that the only major flaws here are some lock-on issues and the lack of a PlayStation 3 version or the ability for Cross Play functionality. The PS3 could use a decent new MMO/Action RPG experience and this would have been superb had GungHo Online and developer Game Arts seen fit to bring the game to that console.

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Call of Duty MW3 TV Spot: It’s Guy Ritchie’s Turn To Show He’s A Gamer Too…

Posted on October 29, 2012 by geelw

‘Ey! What’s all this now with popular directors tackling video game ads? First it’s David Fincher producing a wild and intriguing Halo 4 ad and now Guy Ritchie on this CoD MW3 commercial… hmmmmm. Well, I guess people need to work and hey, it’s always great to find out some quality movie talent are gamers, right? So it’s all good in the end. It’s also good that we’re not seeing these guys tackle adaptations of the games they’re doing ads for as full-fledged movies. I know I said in an earlier post that it would be a good idea to see longer form works from great directors based on games, but given that you’d end up with 21 writers trying to fit too much into a two-hour flick and the creative control disasters that would result from this sort of collaboration, TV spots and quick trailers are a better thing in the end foe gamers concerned about quality and continuity. OK, someone dial up Ridley Scott – I’d love to see him tackle some upcoming title (if he’s got an interest in gaming at all, that is)…

Ragnarok Odyssey: A Few Hours Into Xseed’s Vita MMORPG Time Eater…

Posted on October 28, 2012 by geelw

Well alrighty then – after a chunk of time spent downloading thanks to a sloooooow connection and a bit of a false start when booting up the first time (I got a black screen for ages and had to reboot my Vita twice before the game woke up and decided to start), I’m finally playing Ragnarok Odyssey – well, the single player mode so far. So far, it’s quite fun – easy to get into in terms of setting up and creating your character, but not the grind-fest I thought it would be. You actually don’t gain levels by killing monsters (although you can repeat quests to gain extra items, weapons and other drops plus more Zeny to buy supplies and upgrade gear with). Your rank goes up as you complete chapters that advance the overall story.

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Hands-On: Crytek and Trion Worlds Want You to Put On Your WARFACE

Posted on October 27, 2012 by geelw

Sitting down with Crytek’s Peter Holzapfel, Producer on the upcoming FPS WARFACE, one gets the immediate feeling that he’s more than happy with the upcoming AAA free to play shooter coming from Crytek through Trion Worlds in North America. We talk about the game’s worldwide appeal to shooter fans, F2P junkies looking for a quick fix and how the game is being published in different territories by different publishers for a few minutes, then we get down to the game proper, which is pretty fantastic and quite fun. Note that this is coming from a guy who doesn’t play shooters heavily. I’m more a fan of story-driven games and not multiplayer focused group shooting each other in the head games, but I do know a well-made game when I see and play it. What’s immediately apparent (aside from some more amazing CryEngine 3 visuals) is how accessible the team-based shooter is. Yes, it borrows elements from Team Fortress, Call of Duty and Crytek’s own games, but the experience is a more contained and faster paced game than any of the Far Cry or Crysis games, making for a perfect online experience.