The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct: A Bit of Behind the Scenes With Merle & Daryl…

 

No, today isn’t National Zombie Day or anything like that, folks. I just go scooting through my inbox as stuff rolls in and post the fun stuff. Today just so happens to have a LOT of undead in games news. Must be a Friday thing or something…  Anyway, here’s a new look at Terminal Reality’s upcoming shooter set in The Walking Dead world. I like the gritty look of the game and some of that visceral action you’d expect from an undead-rekilling game. In a weird way, this one reminds me of BrainBox’ interesting but flawed Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler’s Green, a FPS that had a few problems, but was actually pretty damn scary and compelling once you got past its weak points. We’ll see what’s what with Merle and Daryl’s gory adventure soon enough when The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct ships out for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC March 19, 2013.

If You’ve Wanted A Resident Evil 6 x Left 4 Dead, Capcom and Valve Are Quite Obliging…

 

Well, this kind of came out of Nowhereland, but it’s really cool for fans of both franchises as well as those who’ve avoided either for whatever reason. Granted, the biggest issue is this is a PC-only thing for the time being, as L4D is a PC (and Xbox 360 exclusive). Microsoft’s exclusivity headlock on the series aside, I’m still trying to figure out who at Valve thought being joined at the hip to a single console with this zombie-busting masterwork would be a good idea forever and a day, as there are a few million Sony fans who’d LOVE to finally play both games in the award winning co-op and multiplayer-centric series on the PS3/PS4 (and yes, a custom Vita version would sell like gangbusters as well).

 

 

Feh. Perhaps ONE of these days the industry will figure out that more money can be made across multiple platforms if something is done right and all that legal nonsense regarding exclusivity go right out the window with DRM and analysts who over-speculate some game studios right out of business when a game doesn’t meet some ridiculous target even though it moves a few million units…

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger Is Back! Krome Set to Shine on Games for Windows 8 Platforms

ty is backFile this post under “Aha, I knew it!” Super talented Aussie developer Krome Studios has been posting all sorts of cool artwork from their older Ty the Tasmaniam Tiger games on Facebook for the past few weeks and now after a load of fan speculation, they’ve dropped a super cool trailer for an all all-NEW Ty game currently in development and set to launch later this year. And it’s a gorgeous HD sprite-based 2D side-scroller, to boot. That’s the great news. The not-so great news for console owners is the new game is currently only set to be released on Games for Windows 8 PCs and tablets. Which means Microsoft Studios is involved in the publishing process, which means the chances of this coming to a non-Microsoft console or handheld are currently slim to none. Grrrr. However, a tweet from Krome notes that the game “may end up elsewhere later on”, which balances things out a bit. Continue reading

More gog.com Bliss? OK, Omikron: The Nomad Soul Is Now Available

Quantic Dream’s ahead of its time PC game (which also came out on the Sega Dreamcast) is finally now out on gog.com for $9.99. It’s one of those open world sci-fi experiences that’s unique on a few fronts thanks to the ability to hop from body to body as you play, which makes the game a very flexible experience for players. Yep, it’s the game with a heavily retouched artwork of David Bowie on the cover in the weird alien makeup. He appears in the game and even did some music (all of which I’m not sure is In this version game, but that’s modern rights clearances for you). Anyway, if you’ve a bit of time and patience, this one will grow on you. Check it out if you’re in the mood for something old but new and unique.

VGA 101: On Kenji Eno (2): Something Old Brings In Something New(-ish)…

Lumines ES2Lumines ES1So, as I posted last week, I finally got around to sending back that formerly long-lost Kenji Eno autographed copy of D2 about a week or so ago and got this nice surprise as a return response. A copy of Lumines: Electric Symphony autographed by the game’s producer and one of Eno’s close friends. Nice. Amusingly enough, I hadn’t played this Vita game previously, so now I get to do so and having done something nice for someone in the process. Yeah, I’m a nice guy under all that cranky. MOST of the time. Not get the hell off my lawn, you kids. Scoot! I have some games to play and no time for you whippersnappers. Git!

 

Lone Survivor Headed to PS3 & Vita. Lock Yourself In, There’s Trouble All Around…

 

I actually hadn’t heard of Lone Survivor until a friend raved about the PC version a little while back. But I’ve just been way to busy to get to the ton of indie games I already have and pushed this one to the back burner. Now, I have a reason to give it a try, as the game is headed to the PS3 and Vita this summer courtesy of superflat games (which is Jasper Byrne) with an assist from London-based studio, Curve (which is a few more people). The game is a retro-looking but decidedly modern survival horror game that can be played in almost any way a player chooses. You can complete the game without firing a shot or go all out and try to dispatch every undead thing you come across. However, your character’s mental state is a bit off (possibly from hunger, thirst and/or lack of rest) and not everything is as it seems. Innnnnteresting, to say the least and given Byrne’s complete love for Sony’s console and handheld, PS3 and Vita owners can expect some nice changes to the game that include Trophies, Cross-Buy and Cross-Play support plus MORE. What’s MORE you ask? Ha! That trick NEVER works here, kids.  You’ll see if you click on this PlayStation Blog post…

Is Dollar Dash a Modern Day Bomberman? Hmmmmaybe…

 

dollar dash tinyYes, yes… just the mention of the late, lamented Hudson Soft’s classic character and game brings a tear to my eye (and nope, that new-ish online game isn’t my thing despite the massive social aspect – or rather because of it. I like to see who’s beating me and vice versa). That said, Kalypso Media and developer Candygun want you to dive into their fast-paced cops & robbers & assorted traps game, Dollar Dash like it’s the new next best thing. Already out on PC via Steam and through Xbox Live Arcade for the 360, the game is finally headed to PSN on March 19. I’ve played the PC version and found it to be fun and funny with tons of hazards to avoid in each stage and while not quite as kawaii as Bomberman, the game is a blast to play. Anyway, go check it out if you have Steam installed and if there’s also a PS3 in your home, boogie on over to PSN next week and snap this up. Hopefully, this will be Vita compatible, but we’ll see, I suppose…

Gog.com’s SUPER ‘Pick 5’ Sale is ON: Grab Some PC Games For RIDICULOUS Prices!

GOG_sale

OK, even a total cheapasskate like me couldn’t pass this sale up. I just snagged five games for a paltry $15 and saved $45 in the process. What did I get? The Witcher: Enhanced Edition, Inquisitor, Tiny & Big in Grandpa’s Leftovers, King’s Bounty: Crossworlds Game of the Year Edition and Legend of Grimrock. That’s a few hundred hours of gameplay on the 4 RPGs alone and Tiny & Big is a modern classic full of innovative gameplay super-fun stylized visuals and all-out goofy but non in a slapstick manner humor. Anyway, stop reading this post NOW, click here (er, STOP reading after you read this post or you’ll have no clue what I’m raving about) and get your five of 20 games for a song you’ll be singing as your eyes pop over the deals here. You’ve only got until March 19, 2013 to grab your own five, by the way…

Of course, now I need to find time to PLAY all of these, but so it goes, I guess. Hey, SCIENCE?! Get with the time machine inventing and stuff, grrrr!

GRID 2 Asks and Answers A Few Burning Questions Race Fans Have…

 

Codemasters’ upcoming GRID 2 proposes a few interesting questions about the “what if’s” of a potential worldwide racing league based on assorted disciplines and yep, the game itself tries its best to answer some of those questions through its fictional racing series that takes players around the globe as they attempt to be the best and get that league a wider audience. Granted, in the real world, this would take some doing and a LOT of logistics that would cost a few tons of money, but that’s the great thing about video games, right? You can go anywhere and do anything from the comfort of your couch and not spend that much in the process.

 

 

GRID 2 ships out in May, but feel free to to that pre-order thing if that’s what you usually go in for…

Defiance Ark Hunter Chronicles 4 & Making of 6: April May Not Be The Cruelest Month…

 

Want more DEFIANCE? OK, here you go, and with the game hitting retail on April 2 and the show popping up on syfy April 13, it’s clear that all that hard work will pay off as soon as both pieces of this long in development project launch. As I’ve noted previously, the game is great fun, fast paced and NOT like any other MMO on the market (Yes, even SOE’s epic shooter Planetside, which some are comparing it to). While there’s NO single player offline component, hopping online and playing at one’s own pace or with a group is smooth and the world is constantly active with things to do. I’m gathering the eleven-day lead up to the show will see some really hardcore players try to break the game by power-leveling and trying to defeat some of those massive bosses or Hellbug spawns solo (good luck with that, by the way). But I think Trion has planned well enough ahead, as the PvP and other more MP focused elements all take place in the same world and can be joined or avoided as one pleases. Continue reading