2K Announces The Darkness II

Posted on February 8, 2011 by geelw

Veteran developer Digital Extremes (the under appreciated Dark Sector) takes over from original developer Starbreeze Studios for this sequel, set to hit PC, PS3 and 360 this fall. My thoughts and more on this news later today, as I'm practically falling off my chair from being up all night writing stuff… and this game announcement. Wow.

Er, hey wait… is that Mario in that screen shot? Nah… couldn't be. I'm off to bed – back in a few hours! Press release below the jump – 'nite! er, morning!

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Deus Ex: Human Revolution "Become Adam Jensen" Trailer

Posted on February 8, 2011 by geelw

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/iIdqaKIcPII?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0

Square Enix has a number of key titles coming out this year, but the one I’m most interested in (in terms of their console releases) is this one. This latest Deus Ex: Human Revolution trailer mixes in game footage and some cool CG as it introduces the lead, his life and love all in under two minutes. The team at Eidos Montreal is making a surefire hit, I’d say. The series is in good hands and I’m keeping an eye peeled for any opportunity to get some hands-on time, that’s for sure….

Ridge Racer Unbounded Trailer: Let Bugbear Be!

Posted on February 7, 2011 by geelw

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/7OEDhoRJYHw?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0

And here we go again. Last year, when EA unveiled SSX: Deadly Descents, the Internet descended on them in a rather deadly decent into all sorts of nasty name-calling and threats based on the trailer that showed the new installment was headed in a more action flick direction, something many die-hard SSX fans didn't want at all. Now, Namco Bandai is facing the same sort of crankiness based on a trailer that also doesn't even show any gameplay at all. Worse, some of the comments directed toward the game's dev team are at best, ignorant and at worst, more than a tiny bit racist.

Gallery Update: RAGE

Posted on January 26, 2011 by geelw

OK, it’s only a mere three new screens, but yikes. That idTech 5 engine is sure pumping out some glorious-looking images, huh? RAGE is slated for release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in North America on September 13, 2011 and across Europe on September 16, 2011. More updates to follow, of course…

Duke Nukem Forever Gets May 3rd Release Date, Hell Freezes Over Again (Well, It IS Winter…)

Posted on January 22, 2011 by geelw

So much for the few remaining skeptics out there, huh? 2K and Gearbox are finally getting the news out that The Man Himself will be landing in retail stores for PS3, PC and Xbox 360 on May 3, 2011 in North America and May 6 everywhere else those alien bastards are trying to take over (as in the rest of the world). Groovy, I say. Time to go stock up on bubble gum and dig out the old combat boots once more. What, the store's all out of bubble gum? Well, there's only one thing to do then, right?

Full press release below the jump because I'm too damn lazy to cut 'n paste excerpts (Well, I'm writing two reviews at the moment, too!)…

Operation Flashpoint: Red River Cover Art/Screens Update

Posted on January 20, 2011 by geelw

Cover art and four more screens from Codemasters’ upcoming military-themed tactical FPS. Don’t call it COD, MOH or anything similar until you’ve gven it a try. The series is known more for its realism than the usual online mayhem and non-stop single player shoot-festing. Granted, Dragon Rising wasn’t as deep as the original Op Flash (the edit feature was sorely missed!), but it was still a more complete game in terms of pure immersion and actual challenge than many shooters this generation.

Portal 2 On The PS3: Valve Makes More Than Good On That Promise…

Posted on January 18, 2011 by geelw

Well, Portal 2 on the PS3 has moved on up from last year's intriguing “Is it EVEN possible?” E3 announcement to a “Holy Cats… they actually went and did it!” must-buy experience. PS3, PC and Mac cross-platform gameplay as well as Steam functionality over PSN and a REALLY (really) cool freebie for truly dedicated players? Looks as if Sony's console gets the best version after all.

Er, now about Left 4 Dead & L4D2 on the console… (just nod if they're coming – I won't tell a soul)…

Press release below the jump (and no, there's no cake at the end for reading the entire post… well, not for YOU at least).

Arkane Studies Releases Final Arx Fatalis Patch, Source Code

Posted on January 18, 2011 by geelw

One of the best PC role-playing games of the last decade, was Arx Fatalis, Arkane Studios’ homage to the classic PC games Ultima Underworld and Ultima Underworld II. In case you’ve never played it, it’s time you finally did. It’s still around today as a downloadable game over at Steam, gog.com and Direct2Drive or you can probably track down a physical copy on ebay for either PC or original Xbox (but I don’t think it’s backward compatible on the 360, so you may want to check that out first).

Arkane has just released the final patch as well as the complete source code for the game (it’s now Vista and Windows 7 compatible), which means the mod community now has another game to take apart and improve into an even better experience. I hadn’t played the game in about a year or so, but after downloading the new patch and firing up an old save and playing for an hour or so, it’s still a solid chunk of gaming. I’m not a fan of the window mode that’s been patched in, but I’m sure there’s a quick fix for that. Anyway, yes – another great game to try if you haven’t yet – enjoy!

Sega to Release Dreamcast Collection on Xbox 360, Windows PC

Posted on January 16, 2011 by geelw

Well, alright (with a minor gripe) – Sega is tapping back into its Dreamcast library and will release a collection of four classics for the system as both a retail packaged disc for the Xbox 360 and a digital download for Windows PC. The simply titled Dreamcast Collection will be available on February 25, 2011, in Europe and February 22 in North America and feature Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi, Sega Bass Fishing and Space Channel 5. According to the press release, both versions will have enhanced graphics while only the 360 version will have Achievements as well as online leader board support.

“The Dreamcast console is still remembered as a pioneering console for online gaming,” commented Gary Knight, VP of Marketing at SEGA of America and SEGA Europe “We are delighted to be able to offer to our large community of dedicated fans a collection such as Dreamcast Collection for them to enjoy old favorites on this Xbox 360 and Windows PC.”

True… but none of those games in this collection were online enabled in terms of gameplay as far as I remember (he said, looking at his DC collection). That and, for the love of Knuckles… why no PS3 version?

Tiny & Big in: Up That Mountain – Black Pants’ Instant (Even As A Work In Progress) Classic

Posted on January 14, 2011 by geelw

I absolutely love independent games and this year's crop of IGF 2011 entrants and finalists just may be the most creative to date. From the super-popular and amazingly successful Minecraft or Super Meat Boy, innovative gems such as Desktop Dungeons, Amnesia: The Dark Descent and more, there's something for every taste (as well as plenty of games a non-gamer would try). A few of the nicer surprises have been the as yet unfinished projects that show off some amazing innovation in visuals as well as gameplay.

For me, the best example of this is the beta demo of Tiny and Big in: Up That Mountain, developer Black Pants Game Studio's wonderfully fresh and funny episodic 3D adventure/platformer (for PC, Mac and Linux) that features stunning comic-styled visuals and excellently implemented game mechanics that are simple to understand while allowing for a number of ways to tackle environment navigation. The current demo build is a bit raw and definitely needs more work, but what's here will make you crack a smile that lasts for as long as you're playing.