Random Art: New Mouse Means New Trees…

Posted on December 11, 2012 by geelw

So, the folks at a A4Tech sent me one of their G11-570HX-4 Wireless Mice to try out and after charging it up and doing some rather dull pointing and clicking from a few places around the room (it’s a really smooth and responsive mouse on any surface no matter how irregular) and some more exciting gaming for a bit (yes indeed, it works excellently in the games I tried it with), I decided to try it out as a drawing tool in MS Paint (see left, Sherlock!). Not bad for a quickie sketch, but I’ll see what I can do later with a few free hours to play around.

It’s definitely much better than the USB mice Ive used previously since it glides so well over the small space I usually do digital art on. I liked the no hole design on the mouse that keeps it from trapping dust and other crap on the lens (which can be cleaned with a cotton swab or soft cloth) The rechargeable G11 has a pretty long battery life per charge (I’ve had it for a week so far and it’s still going strong) and also has an optional downloadable office suite that adds a bunch of other functions to the mouse, but I haven’t actually downloaded it yet (Yep, I’m THAT busy these days). Anyway, with seven buttons to play around with, 5 DPI settings and a fair price point ($32.99 or less if you shop around), the G11 is a decently reliable mouse for everyday usage that won’t break the bank

Tomb Raider “Survivor” Trailer: Thankfully, Not A Damn Thing Like That Stupid “Reality” Show…

Posted on December 10, 2012 by geelw

I’m glad to see it’s looking as if Crystal Dynamics has pretty much kept the game they wanted to do as intact as possible during its long development cycle. Some are griping about it not being an open world experience, but I say go play the original TR and TRII and see why and how following a solid narrative overrides a need to explore at one’s whim in a game like this. The goal in the new game is to discover and survive the limited environments you’re dropped into primarily at the pace of how well you play the game, NOT to think you’re getting Skyrim meets The Hunger Games with a side order of Hostel II or whatever. So, shut up and either wait for a demo or the actual game to drop, learn some respect for storytelling and the fact that just because you want every game to be the same damn thing doesn’t mean a developer is going to listen. Hey, they’ve got my money on day one, that’s for sure…

Dark Souls II VGA Announcement Trailer: Prepare to Die (Even More)…

Posted on December 10, 2012 by geelw

Here’s that lovely VGA trailer for Dark Souls II – I love that like with the Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls openings, you really don’t find out anything about the story at all, but you DO get an eyeful of some of the horrific creatures that will kill you a few too many times during your adventures. It’s funny that some gamers still haven’t realized that FromSoftware didn’t just pop out of nowhere with Demon’s Souls and then Dark Souls. In fact, the Japanese developer has been making some of the most interesting games on consoles since 1994 starting with the deep, gloomy (and often frightening) King’s Field series. Their mech-focused Armored Core franchise allowed players to create and share some amazing custom mechs for years after PC mech games died off and other titles in the Shadow Tower, Echo Night and Tenchu series. A ton of other games ranging from the family-friendly puzzler The Adventures of Cookie and Cream to the intensely frightening (yet languidly paced) Kuon plus assorted licensed games done for the Japanese market and you’ve got a developer with a pretty solid pedigree.

Hmmm… I say These guys and gals need a retrospective or a documentary made or something in print just so people can see bits of everything they’ve done and respect their work even more. DSII is another day one buy for me and it should be for you as well.

Street Fighter X Mega Man: Capcom Brings A Fan-Made Game To Life As A Digital Freebie

Posted on December 8, 2012 by geelw

Wow. I’ll have to admit that until I read the press release and downloaded the screens, I thought this was going to be a full-on visually flashy full price AAA retail product with bonus DLC in the vein of Capcom’s recent Street Fighter X Tekken or Marvel vs Capcom games. But nope – it’s a VERY cool new game that looks like it was cooked up circa 1990 for the NES. Often, fan made games using licensed characters are shot down by publishers who want to protect their IP (and a few other good to not so good reasons), but Capcom has taken a nice step by not only helping fund this soon to be released retro fighter, they’re releasing it for FREE as a PC-only download.

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Dark Souls II Announced For PS3, 360, PC (It’s Not Next-Gen Time Just Yet, Kids)…

Posted on December 8, 2012 by geelw

Now, THIS is good news: From Software is hard at work cooking up a follow-up to its popular hardcore action/RPG/horror hybrid Dark Souls. The just announced sequel has no release date and no screen shots so far, but this is absolutely great news for those who enjoyed the last game as well as the outstanding Demon’s Souls on the PS3.

According to the press release:

“Dark Souls II retains the core essence of Dark Souls while evolving to present new twists and challenges that are sure to please longtime fans and attract new comers to the series,” says Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “FromSoftware is going to take a very dark path with Dark Souls II; players will need to look deep within themselves to see if they have the intestinal fortitude to embark on this journey.”

“This new chapter in the Dark Souls saga presents opportunities for us to drive innovation in gameplay design, develop an entirely new story, and expand the scope of the world in which the player interacts with the game. We have taken these necessary steps with Dark Souls II in order to evolve the overall experience of the Dark Souls series,” says Tomohiro Shibuya, FromSoftware Director on Dark Souls II.

“The entire development team is striving to make Dark Souls II an experience that is fresh while not forsaking its roots in presenting players with challenging gameplay. Our goal is to surprise and delight our fans with new experiences and plot twists while enticing new players to join our dark journey.”

Well, that sounds like a dare, a bet and a plan all rolled up into one tasty, deadly treat. If I HAD to guess about a release date, I’d probably say sometime about a year from now… but don’t hold me to that at all.

Malevolence In the Home Stretch: Six More Video Updates To Snack On…

Posted on December 7, 2012 by geelw

Winding up what’s looking to be a really productive development cycle, here are six more videos from Malevolence: The Sword of Ahkranox, set to hit PC’s very soon. The promise of infinite play here is quite compelling and as you can see here, the game is looking quite excellent for what’s basically a fan-made project. Well, some VERY dedicated fans of classic PC role-playing games

More after the jump!

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The 7 Wonders of Crysis 3 Teaser Makes Me Wonder If I Can Afford to Actually Play It…

Posted on December 6, 2012 by geelw

Crytek’s phenomenal PC games have always demanded the ultimate in hardware, and the upcoming Crysis 3 will most certainly be no different. While specs haven’t been announced just yet, I’m betting the harder core fans of the developer’s shooters have already updated their forum signatures with their new system specs (ha ha). Anyway, when you have a film director (in this case, Albert Hughes) making a series of online videos using the game engine and they’re looking as incredible as the teaser shown above, well… it’s time to start thinking about a new PC.

Hmmm, I understand humans can function with a single kidney and I don’t really need a few other body parts… so maybe (just maybe) I can actually play the game when it’s all done and in stores. Then again, I’m not a big graphics hound, so I’ll hold out for a console version. Yeah, yeah, I know – but hey, they’re made for a few reasons, one of which is to expand a game’s user base by allowing us poor folk to play (and become fans of) some really spectacular shooters. So, there (nyah!)…

Far Cry 3: I Haven’t Played It Yet, But I’m Already Hooked In…

Posted on December 4, 2012 by geelw

Thanks to having so many other games to play through this month, I know I won’t get around to playing Far Cry 3 until next year. However, from what I’ve seen so far (a friend has it and is having a total blast), I’m going to be REALLY busy in Crytek’s massive open-world shooter. I spent an hour or so watching someone play and it looks as if the game allows you to do what you want on those islands outside the main story line (a great thing). Sure, you’re still killing men and animals by the boatload, but the story sections are compelling from the beginning and you can get your character’s motivations and grasp his rather insane situation thanks to some excellent writing and motion captured performances. Hmmmm… maybe I’ll skip a few games and pick this up sooner than later after all… we shall see.

GTA V Trailer: Rockstar Proves (Yet Again) Single Player Games Aren’t Dead…

Posted on November 14, 2012 by geelw

One thing you’re always going to get from Rockstar Games when it comes to their open world experiences is a damn fine story and some of the most memorable characters in gaming. Even if Grand Theft Auto V comes to retail packed with DLC and other online content, for many (if not most) who play it, it’s all going to be about the story and storytelling the company is well known for. So, yeah – Spring 2013 is certainly going to be quite busy with people calling off dead from work for a few days so they can dink around in the fictional Los Angeles and the surrounding area Rockstar North is working so hard on. I say if you’ve got a console or PC that can run this game in your home (and you’re of age to buy M-rated games, of course). You should be putting money down on this one as soon as possible.

EA & BioWare Keep The Mass Effect Flames Burning…

Posted on November 12, 2012 by geelw

Nice. Not only is there going to be a collected set the trilogy coming for consoles and PC soon, the Wii U is getting what’s looking like a superb enhanced version of Mass Effect 3 with a new character, included DLC and a bunch of other cool features. Having played the series already, I’m still planning on looking into the Nintendo version thanks to the Gamepad functionality and being curious about how BioWare pulls off telling the story of the other two games in the series.