Gallery: Dungeon Defenders

Posted on August 28, 2010 by geelw

To quote Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in Godfather III: “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in again…”.

Case in point, Trendy Games' spectacular-looking Dungeon Defenders, which promises to bring a blend of Tower Defense-style strategy and hack 'n slash Action/RPG combat bliss to PSN and XBLA this fall. I thought I was all done with Tower Defense games after the last dozen or so I played and here comes DD, winking and looking all sassy in that Unreal 3 engine-powered skirt. Damn…

Gallery: Darkspore

Posted on August 24, 2010 by geelw

EA, EA Play and Maxis have been a little bit busy with their hugely popular Spore franchise, spreading the game to more than just PC users since its release. Darkspore is yet another interesting detour for the multi-million selling series that looks to capitalize on a few familiar genres while keeping the same level of creative freedom found in the source material. An isometric Action/RPG headed to PC gamers as an online MMO-style experience, the game is also set to hit “multiple platforms” according to the official press release.

From the screens below, it looks as if the familiar Spore character creation and customization options will be on board, but for me, the icing on the cake is that lovely isometric viewpoint and what looks like fast-paced gameplay packed with loot drops, level ups and big, bad bosses to take down with some effort. However, as much as I'm loving these screen shots, I have a wee bit of a problem with the game…

Gallery: Portal 2

Posted on August 24, 2010 by geelw

Hah! Game delays don't bother me at all, folks. In the case of Portal 2, it just means more time for Valve to make an even better game across every platform (so there!). Besides, it also gives me a good chance to actually add a nice all-in-one gallery to the site that features the E3 and more recent Gamescom screens, the brief tease-filled trailer and the hilariously unsubtle Infographics signage (each of which absolutely begs to be clicked on and read rather thoroughly).

So what are you waiting for? (click below)*

Gallery: F.3.A.R Gamescom Screenshots

Posted on August 21, 2010 by geelw

From Gamescom, here are some nice new images from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developer Day 1 Studios' upcoming horror/action FPS, set for a 2011 release. Looks like that perfectly nasty cannibal Paxton Fettle is back and playable as half of your two person team. An even creepier Alma is also in the mix in an even more freaky manner than usual (this time out, she's pregnant and having cravings for more than pickles and ice cream)…

From what we've seen so far, the game keeps what made the other chapters work while adding in some new twists to the scary shooting action. WBIE is putting out some very cool stuff these days, aren't they?

Mafia II Complete Song Listing + First Hour Live Play Online

Posted on August 20, 2010 by geelw

If you're free around 2PM Pacific Time (5PM EST) TODAY, you can actually Watch Denby Grace (Sr. Producer) and Dan Schmittou (Production) play through the first Hour of Mafia II LIVE from the official Mafia II website. 2K Games will be streaming the play session live on the official Mafia II Ustream website. Denby and Dan will also be answering questions from the Mafia II twitter account and in the chat real-time as they play.

As for those songs…

Deus Ex: Human Revolution GamesCom 2010 Video

Posted on August 14, 2010 by geelw

Looking really nice and coming along pretty well so far. Purists may be whining, but as much as an old coot like me loves the original and sequel, I’m going to give the game a fair chance. Eidos Montreal seems to be on the right track, I say – some hands-on time will reveal all… stay tuned.

2K Games & Irrational Announce BioShock Infinite

Posted on August 14, 2010 by geelw

“Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane!” Er, nope, that’s the floating city of Columbia, the setting of Irrational Games’ upcoming entry in the award -winning shooter franchise. After the success of BioShock 2, I guess someone around 2K’s offices said something along the lines of “Well, we can only go up from here.” Ken Levine and the folks at Irrational took that literally and well, here you go.

Below are the first three screenshots from the newly announced title, scheduled to hit retail sometime in 2012. It’s nice to have that far of an advance notice, huh? Taking the action from deep underwater to the not-so friendly skies should be quite interesting and based on the early info, the game won’t just be the same old thing with an open-air setting.

We’ll keep an eye peeled on the game at it progresses.

Bethsoft QuakeCon 2010 Screenshot Bonanza (Sort Of…)

Posted on August 13, 2010 by geelw

Whee! I’m not at QuakeCon this year, but Bethesda still loves me. Anyway, here are a bunch of new screens from RAGE, Brink, Fallout: New Vegas and Hunted: The Demons Forge (all games I’m really looking forward to, naturally!). And hey, now that Bethsoft has bought Arkane Studios, howzabout a new Arx Fatalis game or maybe a remake of something really awesome, ancient and cool (Anvil of Dawn springs to mind almost immediately – hint, hint).

Anyway, here you go:

RAGE

Hunted: The Demon’s Forge

Fallout: New Vegas

Brink

That is all for now – more info on the above as it comes in.

Fallout: New Vegas Voice Cast Revealed

Posted on August 10, 2010 by geelw

Looks like Bethsoft and Obsidain are taking no chances here. The more loyal (or overly obsessive perfectionists who want every aspect preserved as close to the original games as humanly possible) fans of the Fallout series form the beginning should definitely be pleased now that New Vegas’ voice cast has been announced. Cue the press release:

“The Fallout franchise has taken narratives in interactive entertainment to the next level, and we could not be more excited about the all-new celebrity lineup for Fallout: New Vegas,” said Pete Hines, Vice President of PR and Marketing for Bethesda Softworks. “The voice acting provided by these actors helps drive the compelling and immersive story of Fallout and further adds to the overall gameplay experience.”

Ron Perlman returns to voice the narrator in Fallout: New Vegas, a role he has played in every major Fallout game to date. Matthew Perry plays Benny, a smooth-talking, two faced gangster, and Wayne Newton takes on the role as “Mr. New Vegas,” the radio DJ of the Mojave Wasteland.

Three celebrities take on roles as playable companions in Fallout: New Vegas: Danny Trejo is Raul the Ghoul, a mechanic and former gunslinger; Zach Levi is Arcade, a member of the Followers of the Apocalypse who hides a mysterious past, and Felicia Day is Veronica, a sarcastic Brotherhood of Steel scribe.

The epic cast continues with Kris Kristofferson as Chief Hanlon, a grizzled solider at the end of his career, and Rene Auberjonois as the enigmatic and reclusive Mr. House. Michael Dorn reprises his role as Marcus, an intelligent super mutant, who was last seen in 1998’s Fallout® 2; John Doman is Caesar, the charismatic and powerful dictator at the head of Caesar’s Legion. William Sadler plays Victor, a friendly robot with the personality of an old fashioned cowboy.

In addition to this star-studded cast, players can expect to hear even more celebrity cameos throughout the world of Fallout: New Vegas.

Fallout: New Vegas hits retail on October 19, 2010 for the PS3 and Xbox 360 and October 22, 2010 for Windows.

Preview: Mafia II Hands-On

Posted on July 28, 2010 by geelw

With 2K Games set to strong-arm Mafia II into stores on August 24, I had the opportunity to play a demo of the PS3 version at Sony’s Holiday showcase in NYC. The build had a brief taste of game’s driving and shooting mechanics and featured spectacular visuals, deadly enemy AI, partially destructible environments and some excellently acted and voiced cinematic sequences. So far, 2K’s Czech studios has crafted a dynamic, violent crime saga with what’s looking to be a richly developed plot. Granted, a great deal of what’s here is clearly inspired by Rockstar’s epic GTA juggernaut. However, the time period and overall visual quality of Mafia II’s Empire Bay looks as it will be a bit more realistic in some aspects.