It’s Going To Be A Mass Effect 3 Kind Of Year (Unless You’re An Android)…

Posted on February 9, 2012 by geelw

It was actually pretty funny (to me, at least) that EA had plenty of Android plushies to hand out at their Spotlight event on Tuesday, but one of the bigger games announced, Mass Effect: Infiltrator is currently ONLY going to be an iOS release. Yes, I know they’re going for the most successful platform in the world for this fantastic-looking third-person touchscreen action shooter, but I know some non-iOS device owners who are going to be (or already are) pretty irate about their devices NOT getting this game.

The rest of the Mass assault at the event was incredibly impressive, what with an amazing new CG trailer revealed (“Take Back Earth”) that’s going to blow fans away. All EA needs to do is get this into theaters and posted online (I think the latter will happen sometime next week) and I’d bet pre-orders for the game get a big bump. As for the Datapad app that lets you receive messages from your squad mates and other info, well… it’s not really necessary to play the game, but like Infiltrator, I can see a ton of downloads from core ME fans who want every single bit of content about the upcoming finale.

As for the latest build of Mass Effect 3 on display? Magnificent. BioWare has done its best work to date here and unless you’ve got that oddball genetic disposition to dump all over the hard hard work the team has put into this, you’ll find that both the single player campaign and multiplayer modes are rock solid. So solid in fact, that I’d rather spend time beefing up interest in Syndicate and SSX, two other titles shown at the event that deserve just as much love. More on those two later – I’m going to sleep, as it was a long day. for me…

YOU Can Help Fund Double Fine’s Next Game! Say YES To Adventure!

Posted on February 9, 2012 by geelw

Well, now! This is really cool and I feel vindicated having predicted last year this whole “gamers getting to fund games they like” thing would happen at some point and take off big time. Anyway, Tim Schafer, Ron Gilbert and the fine folks over at Double Fine Studios are making a point & click adventure game (yay!) for PC (so far) and they’re funding the project through Kickstarter! Check out the donation page HERE and take a look at the Double Fine website if you’re some high-roller big shot gamer (or even a non-gamer) with money to spare who wants something REALLY awesome for a bigger donation. The project has 33 days to go and is ALREADY half funded as of this posting. Go, Double Fine!

Official Max Payne 3 Website Alive & Kicking…

Posted on February 3, 2012 by geelw

The new weapons trailer is posted on the other blog if you haven’t seen it already. While you’re waiting for that coffee or tea this morning (and in case the link aboveis busted thanks to Blogger’s crappy way of handling embed codes), you may as well boogie on over to the official site and see what Rockstar’s been up to with Max and his latest adventure. Well, “adventure” as in he gets to shoot up a lot of bad men while you make sure he doesn’t play catch with too many bullets.

Skyrim Creation Kit Out Now For PC – Console Owners Take An Arrow To The Knee

Posted on February 2, 2012 by geelw

No, I couldn’t resist the obvious joke that’s become the one thing even people who haven’t played Skyrim have seen, read or heard. Anyway, yes, if you’re a lucky PC player of Skyrim and have a ton of time on your hands, you too can create content of your own to share with other like-minded fans. Expect to see plenty of Star Wars, Legend of Zelda, assorted comic book and movie mods and more coming soon. I’m sure there’s going to be a complete conversion of the game into some older Elder Scrolls titles as well from some of the more hardcore users out there, so we’ll have to poke around at some point and peek at mods even though we’ve only played the console versions because we’ve got a crappy computer. Hey, why am I writing as a collective “we” all of a sudden. It’s late and I’m seeing double, probably…

Syndicate TV Spot: The Corporate Wars Are Getting Closer…

Posted on February 1, 2012 by geelw

Nice. I’m sincerely hoping Starbreeze Studios and EA have their collective fingers in their ears and (their bulletproof vests on) when it comes to the silly trolling their baby is getting in some online circles. As noted on the other blog, once you try out the Syndicate demo and things start clicking into place, you’re hooked in and set to roll with whatever the final version packs. Me, I’ve been aboard since last year when I played the demo, so I know the game proper will be outstanding. To those still making Deus Ex: Human Revolution comparisons… well, you’ll just have to see for yourselves that while yes, there are some visual similarities, it’s not even close in terms of a few other key points. Well, there’s not too much longer to wait, so you’ll get the chance to see what’s up shortly… provided you can uncross your arms and look down at a controller instead of sticking your noses in the air…

DiRT Showdown Update: “Nevada 8-Ball” Gameplay Trailer Shows Off The Bash & Crash

Posted on January 27, 2012 by geelw

Funny. Just as I was restoring the post with the announcement trailer to Codemasters’ upcoming hybrid racer, I see that a new trailer has been posted, so here you go. This new (and extremely impressive) in-progress demolition derby footage reminds me a bit of Monster Games VASTLY underrated PlayStation 2 and Xbox title, Test Drive: Eve of Destruction. Granted, the amazing EGO-engine wasn’t around back then and that game didn’t have any actual drivers nor some of today’s top US rally racers doing donuts and taking risky driving to all new heights (pun intended). Anyway, I predict this one will be the biggest DiRT to date. One suggestion, though – PLEASE offer the option to turn OFF any and all video upload prompts when offline! They were a big pain in DiRT 3 for solo players (like me) who were trying to concentrate on winning a stretch of tough races and didn’t need the constant prodding for a feature we had no plans to use.

The Darkness II Launch Trailer: Early, But Makes Its Point…

Posted on January 26, 2012 by geelw

No gory gameplay or expletives not deleted here, so I can run this without an age gate. Here’s the short but excellent CG trailer for Digital Extremes’ upcoming FPS. As noted earlier, 2K has quite the lineup for genre fans from this one, to BioShock Infinite to Borderlands 2. It’s definitely going to be a busy year for genre fans, so hopefully all of these games will do well across each platform they appear on. The Darkness II appears in stores on February 7, 2012 (US) and February 10, 2012 (everywhere else).

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning/Mass Effect 3 Demo Bonus Gear Revealed

Posted on January 24, 2012 by geelw

Personally, I’d have preferred to see this cool gear made available on the game discs (for those folks who can’t try out the demos thanks to no/slow broadband access), but I guess that crowd will have to suffer without the cool swag unless it pops up on a reprint down the road. Granted, none of the gear in this trailer is probably necessary to clear either game, but it all sure looks cool, doesn’t it? As for that demo, it’s really excellent. The game absolutely is NOT trying to be “realistic” in a Skyrim or Dark Souls manner where carry weight, proper blocking or balance when swinging a weapon comes into play. Hell, you’re running too fast for wearing armor, the colors pop in a more graphic novel/fantasy art manner and overall, the gameplay owes more to faster-paced action games more than classic RPG’s.

Still, these will be major selling points to those gamers who disliked the games mentioned for their pacing and general overkill in a few areas. As for me, I can make the distinction between many types of games, so I’m all in for Amalur as well as anything else that comes down the pike as long as it’s well done. EA, 38 Studios and Big Huge Games have a big, huge hit on their hands, so don’t pass it up when the game hits retail on February 7, 2012. I’ll need to flip a coin to decide which console version to pick up, but I’m leaning towards the PS3, as it’s the system that’s given me the least (as in NO) troubles over the long haul.

The Darkness II Demo: Not For The Squeamish, Kids Or Anyone Not Expecting A Load Of Not-So-Nice Stuff

Posted on January 24, 2012 by geelw

If ever a game earned its Mature rating, it has to be this one. Let’s just say that Digital Extremes has done a mighty fine job taking the reins from Starbreeze Studios for this upcoming sequel and they pull no punches when it comes to the game’s content. What works is the overall dark tone of the demo, the beautiful color palette (gory bits and swearing set on staccato aside, the game is quite striking to look at) and the bits of humor in the midst of all the violence. While the sequel will ship with a 4-player co-op mode, I’m all about the single player campaign and getting into the story. The demo has been out for a few days now and it comes highly recommended for those of you out there interested in the game, but on whatever fence folks who don’t run out and snap up quality games hang out on.

February 7, 2012 is the launch date and although I don’t expect any midnight launch parties or massive roll-outs for this shooter, it absolutely deserves a wiser audience than the first game got. Of course, between this game, BioShock Infinite and Borderlands 2, 2K Games has a great chunk of the FPS market sewn up very tightly, I’d say.

Gallery: Street Fighter X Tekken

Posted on January 23, 2012 by geelw

Capcom’s upcoming crazy mash-up fighting game extravaganza (coming to the PS3, PS Vita, Xbox 360 and PC sometime this year) and has my interest piqued for a few reasons such as the mixture of completely different fighting styles and the amazing visuals that blend outrageous stylization with fantastic animation both franchises are known for. The game also makes me think back to when I saw each series for the first time and how both Street Fighter and Tekken changed the fighting game landscape when they were introduced to the public. OK, OK, I actually played the original Street Fighter first, but we won’t talk about that here, right Capcom?