Video Game Appreciation 101: Drakan: Order of the Flame (Or: The Return of the Odd Couple!)

Posted on May 21, 2013 by geelw

Drakan PC 1 Yeah, yeah, Microsoft is revealing its fancy new Xbox in less than an hour (*yawn!*)… I’m MORE excited that I managed to score a boxed new/sealed copy of Drakan: Order of the Flame, a game I’ve been wanting to play since it was released back in 1999. Amusingly enough, I worked in a game shop that had a copy, but I didn’t pick it up back then because I wasn’t into PC gaming as much back then. I’d played the demo on a friend’s beefy gaming rig and liked it, but didn’t want to dive into something that would require me buying an expensive 3D card (well, a better PC, because mine was a crappy model that could only run a bunch of DOS and early Windows 95/98 games).

Anyway, yes indeed, it installs and runs perfectly on the laptop (so far), but I hear from the grapevine that I need to grab a patch or two because the game has at least two major bugs from what I’ve read. The late Surreal Software whipped up a solid action game with light RPG elements starring two unique characters in Rynn, a young woman who finds out she’s bonded to an ancient dragon named Arokh after her tiny village is destroyed by an army controlled by an evil sorcerer…
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Gallery: Batman Arkham Origins

Posted on May 20, 2013 by geelw

This recently announced prequel to the hugely successful Arkham series looks quite nice in that CG trailer and really gorgeous screens below, but I see that some fans are concerned that no Rocksteady at the wheel means the game won’t have the same quality. I say give this one a shot, as it’s from the same WB Games Montreal team that converted Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition to the Wii U (and did a stellar job, at that) and I seriously doubt that they’ll deviate much from what made the first two games work so well.

In fact, I’ll predict a few tweaks and improvements to the formula that make Origins an equal or better game (as it should be), simply because going backwards is NOT an option at all. Anyway, BAO is set to launch Oct. 25, 2013 for PC, PS3, Wii U and Xbox 360 along with Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate for Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita. Nope, I don’t have screens or video on that just yet – WB Games just sent one batarang through my window with these images and trailer for the console game, so I guess the other one will come crashing through as soon as I get the window replaced.

Oh, by the way… Deathstroke IS indeed going to be playable in the game’s Challenge Mode and fans who pre-order the game for PS3, Xbox 360 or PC version of Batman Arkham Origins will receive exclusive early access to the Deathstroke pack (sorry, Wii U owners… unless you get yours some other way that hasn’t been revealed yet).

Well, I guess it’s better than getting a strange box from the Joker with who knows what sort of surprise inside, right?

Orc Attack Gets Slightly Retitled (In Fact, It’s A Gas)…

Posted on May 20, 2013 by geelw

OrcAttack_BoxArt This actually cracks me up more than a little because I remember the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Game from Interplay called Boogerman that actually had censored text in the manual and actual game (“Frrt”) because the use of the word “Fart” was deemed offensive or something silly like that. My, how times have changed (and juvenile humor just hasn’t, right?).

As you can see (and probably smell)m above, the newly rechristened Orc Attack: Flatulent Rebellion, set to hit PC, PSN and XBLA later this year. I’ll keep an eyeball peeled for this one, as it looks like fun, but I want a gas mask before I play it (and maybe some earplugs so those assorted gassy noises don’t distract me)…

Oh, you may as well meet playable character Friar Krap since you’ve read this far. Er, enjoy? Amusingly enough, I was planning on cooking up some cabbage or sauteed broccoli with garlic to go with my chicken soup for dinner later this evening, but these videos have made me change my dining plans a bit. Maybe I’ll stick to the water and water on the rocks tonight…

GOG.com Brings You Way TOO Many Ubisoft Games on Sale…

Posted on May 17, 2013 by geelw

Holy cats… 41 classic to recent games from the mega-publisher are up for grabs at 50% off in this week’s sale, so where to begin? I say go for the Might & Magic or Heroes of Might & Magic bundles (Well, MM IX is kind of a dog that was rushed to market and that fan-patch doesn’t fix every issue), Beyond Good and Evil is a MUST as is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and of course, the Rayman series. FPS and third-person shooter fans will groove on the classic Far Cry, Splinter Cell and Rainbow Six/Ghost Recon games, but trust me, there’s something for everyone and all at great prices.

Of course, they’re all DRM-free (as always) and yes, the goats above want you to buy ALL of them and save a cool $187, but goats will say anything if you listen long enough. Anyway, you’ve got three days, folks – poke around, find something awesome and add it to your library, I say…

Defiance 106: “Brothers In Arms” Preview: Doc Yewll Only Makes House Calls on Monday Nights…

Posted on May 16, 2013 by geelw

Of all the characters on the syfy show to get a rabid fan base, Trenna Keating’s humorously irascible Doc Yewll seems to be one of the breakout stars of the show thanks to her non-stop cranky attitude and fact that she gets some of the funniest lines on the show that work thansk to her sarcastic delivery. Well, it looks as if we’ll get to see more of the Doc in next week’s show, so keep that popcorn warm… er, or just buy some fresh popcorn. Doc says you can choke on the old stale stuff and she won’t treat you unless you pay up first…

Random Indie Game of The Week: One Late Night

Posted on May 16, 2013 by geelw

OK, not so chilling the tagline on the game’s site, “Experience the horror of working at an office” made me laugh as I thought of all the crappy office jobs I’ve held over the years since the 80’s, but Black Curtain Studios managed to make its short horror game One Late Night work on a few levels that make it worth a play. Yes, you past to present office drones will feel the chills this one presents more than those who just want another jump-scare game in the Slenderman vein who haven’t worked an honest day in their lives. Of course, this means some of those slackers won’t jump as much as some of us former cubicle dwellers, but, hey. If you’ve paid your dues long enough at that desk making copies and drinking bad company coffee into the night and you’ll maybe squeal like a schoolgirl once or twice while playing this gem. It’s free, so get it and prepare to relive the horror (or experience it for the first time with the realization that it usually takes about a year to start hallucinating like that in a real office situation).

Yeah, it’s over pretty quickly (unlike the average day at the office where watching the clock actually slows down time), but you get a couple of endings and there’s some nice use of lighting here. Make sure you pay attention to that note about keeping a light handy, as it certainly helps out quite a bit (he said, overstating the obvious). Anyway, bonus points if you download and play this while at the office on a day where you’re not getting out until it’s past midnight. If that’s your situation today, I’m hoping that you’re going to have a few hiding places (and at least one from the real-life boss prowling the halls and looking for someone to haunt with more work-filled folders)…

Payday: The Heist 2 Gets A Cross-Platform Retail Release: Smart Move (And A Steal, At That)…

Posted on May 15, 2013 by geelw

payday2_logo_black

Other than trying the game out at a friend’s place for about an hour or so, I didn’t get to play Payday: The Heist because I can’t access PSN or Xbox Live at home. Of course, with its fast-paced but more tactical gameplay that your garden variety FPS and ability to play out different heists, the game did well enough as a PS3 and PC download that a sequel was a no-brainer. Overkill Software has been in the kitchen cooking up Payday 2 for a bit and publisher 505 Games has announced that not only is the sequel coming soon (as in this August), it’s making the jump to Xbox 360 AND getting a nice retail release this time out.

pd2_usa_ps3 pd2_usa_360

As you can see from the screens below, the fine folks at Overkill (which is an offshoot of Starbreeze Studios) certainly know their way around a graphics engine and if you hate clowns, you’re already hiding behind a couch cushion thanks to those freaky masks. Of course, the proof is all in the playing, so I guess this one gets added to my already crowded list of games to get to once they’re out. Those of you looking for a little virtual cops & robbers action should probably be on the lookout for this one as well…

What’s The State of Dead State? Funny You Should Ask…

Posted on May 15, 2013 by geelw

Hot of the presses (well, not really, but it’s from today!) comes this neat interview with members of DoubleBear Productions, the dev team behind the upcoming indie zombie-themed RPG, Dead State. It’s pretty cool to see the game coming together despite the team being in separate locations. I like how the game is shaping up so far as a more serious exploration of the survival theme as opposed to a simple mindless shooter (we’ve enough of those to last a few lifetimes) or comedy-packed take on its theme. Of course, I’m holding out for some hands-on time, so my eyeball is fixed on the progress this makes as it winds its way towards completion…

GRID 2 “WSR 3” Video: Drift & Shout…

Posted on May 14, 2013 by geelw

And now, a bit of slipping and sliding through the Asian courses on GRID 2 for your soon to be driving like a maniac pleasure. Five years of hard work is coming to a close and it looks as if Codemasters will have a new legion of race fans when the launches at the end of the month onto PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. Of course, some of the griefers whining endlessly about the cockpit view not being in tagging along and actually liking the game for the sense of speed and solid visuals would be some extra icing on the cake, but at this point, the dev team probably could care less what the non-stop complainers are complaining about. As usual, we shall see and I’m betting some clever hacker will knock out a patch for the PC version at some point that adds a viewpoint some prefer (even if it makes the game perform a bit worse)…

Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Director’s Cut: The Wii U Gets Another One Worth (Re)Playing…

Posted on May 14, 2013 by geelw

If you’ve not yet given Eidos Montreal’s award-winning and critically acclaimed 2011 game a go on the PS3, Xbox 360 or PC because you’ve only owned a Nintendo console, here’s your big chance coming up soon. The cool thing is this version adds some great Wii U Game Pad functionality plus new features and content not found in the three earlier versions, so once again it can be said that Wii U owners are getting the most complete and yes, best version possible (outside high-end PC visuals, but what’s here looks great to my eyeballs). Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Director’s Cut will be in stores later this year.