“Having such talented actors voice Dishonored’s compelling cast of characters adds a rich, powerful element to the game,” said Raphaël Colantonio, president of Arkane Studios. “We want to draw people into this virtual world and make it feel real. This celebrated cast adds wonderful depth and credibility to the overall Dishonored gameplay experience.”
Well, well, well. As expected, Bethesda and Arkane Studios are making sure Dishonored hits retail packing some fine voice talent to go along with the innovative gameplay. A bit more press release action below, as I’m working on a bunch of stuff at the moment and can’t jazz things up like I usually do: Continue reading →
I’ve played and still play a lot of fan-made games and while many are really great, too many are trying to masquerade as unofficial side stories or sequels that fail to do justice to their source materials. On the other hand, sometimes a remake is the best way to go if you’re new to a certain classic you may never have heard of before.
An excellent example can be found over at Santi Ontañón’s Brain Games. Hop on over for a visit and you’ll find some really cool remakes of classic Konami PC and console games that aren’t (surprise!) Castlevania, Contra, Metal Gear or other games you’d expect. Fortunately, Konami had many other games that became fan favorites outside of those three cash cows and the amount of care that went into these updated versions is quite impressive. Of all the games there, I currently love The Maze of Galious (aka Knightmare II: The Maze of Galious), a tough side-scrolling action game with a few minor RPG elements that some have called one of Konami’s best games ever.
As I haven’t yet finished the game myself, I can’t say much other than so far, it’s definitely really good (and really hard at times). This remake features a few different custom graphics that can be toggled through as you play (including the original MSX version), some excellent tunes and you’ll definitely want to read up on how to solve a few of the game’s trickier mysteries, as things can get baffling if you aren’t paying attention. If you like MoG and want more, there are some other nifty remakes on the site to check out and they’re all free to download and play at your leisure.
2012 is going to be a REALLY good year for Gearbox Software, what with Borderlands 2 looking to outstrip the original in every way (and how). But let’s not forget the thrilling xenomorph-packed surprise they have coming up in 2013. Granted, I’m someone who liked Alien 3 when I first saw it (and like it even more today thanks to that Assembly Cut version), so I’m not one of those folks who thinks what’s here is replacing that film at all. Of course, if Fox decides to go on ahead and make a movie out of this new game, the crazy paradox time shift that will happen when some poor developer that’s not Gearbox tries to make a movie based off a game based off a film series… well, that just might cause the planet to collapse in on itself in confusion.
Thanks to its charming tone and visuals, quirky yet descriptive writing (“He is singing a quiet song about eating vanilla ice cream in a warm room”) and low-key but catchy MIDI score, this short and sweet adventure game by RPGMaker.net users Mario & Karolina (almondmelon on the site) comes highly recommended. It can easily be completed in one sitting (about 2 hours or so) and when you’re done, you’ll wish it was a bit longer. Gameplay revolves around locating items within and around the village, which in turn nets you other items you can use or trade in order to progress further in the story. There’s a tiny bit of an Animal Crossing vibe here as well, but the game’s brevity and offbeat style makes it a bit better in my opinion. Saying more will spoil the fun, so if you like adventure games and strangeness that will make you smile, definitely make this little town your next gaming stop. Get it here and thank me later.
With voice actors for previous films on board lending their talents (Daniel Craigis Bond, so don’t expect any cameos from other folks who’ve played Sir James this time out), this just might be the best Bond game to date. Yeah, yeah, you die-hard N64 fanatics can’t give up that GoldenEye fetish (and it absolutely was a great game for its time), but it’s a new generation of systems and Eurocom has established themselves as the go to studio for the franchise. I say buy 007 Legends and play it with pride, as the developer has taken cues from Rare’s work and expanded greatly upon it to all our benefit.
One of the nicer RPGMaker games I’ve played this year is Paradise Blue, a Final Fantasy homage that’s actually a bit more impressive in a few areas. The developer, Ocean went as far as to redo the familiar RPGM backgrounds with his own artwork, boosting the normally straightforward color palette and detail considerably. While the game still has the look of a quality NES title, colors practically pop off the screen in nearly every map making this one of the more unique-looking “old-school” RPGs I’ve seen to date. It takes a little while to get used to some of those details, however. You’ll be dazzled by sparkly areas and items that look as if they SHOULD be interactive, only to find they’re just there for effect.
Where the game shines is in some of the well-scripted dialog, the skills system (which is deep and rewarding once you get into it) and some of the trickier battles the game drops you into. Switching out classes and equipping the proper skills is a must here, as some high-level side quest battles can wipe out your party before you know it. In addition to some addictive gameplay, there’s also an excellent score that works quite well at conveying mood. As usual, you can grab this game for FREE at the link above and it comes highly recommended if you’re a fan of classic 8-bit JRPG bliss. Ocean also has some other cool titles I’ll get around to reviewing as I find time to do so. Heck, this review WOULD be longer, except for I’m even more backlogged than ever since discovering RMN!
(thanks to YouTube user Vysethedetermined2 for the gameplay video)
Things seem to be humming along quite nicely over at Firaxis in terms of their XCOM game ticking off all the boxes fans expect and I’m hoping the game does well enough at retail to convince the more stubborn dopes that the other XCOM game (where it’s been too damn quiet in terms of update news) will work as well. Hopefully 2K isn’t going to cave into the entitled whiners who complain too much about stuff they won’t buy, only to turn around and snap it up when it hits the bargain bin and end up liking it a lot more than the imaginary game they had in their heads based on a few screen shots and low-res movies of a work in progress that has a ways to go before completion.
I’ve been quietly following United Front’s work on this one since it was announced and yes, I’m pretty happy with how this is coming together and hope it does great when it ships out. Amusingly enough, after watching all those gameplay videos and taking in the scope of the game (it’s going to be huge), I noted to a friend that all the game needed was puzzle or hidden object game elements to appeal to the super-casual crowd. Of course, Future US and Square Enix have kicked off the official site with… you guessed it, a hidden object mini-game that, while not for the casual crowd at all, does unlock a cool new gameplay video once you find all four objects in the rather cool interactive “marketplace” complete with people and items you’ll see in the game proper. Go on, check it out (you know you want to). August 14, 2012 is the big day, by the way – so get ready….
I know a few people out there who can’t stand most Mario or Legend of Zelda games because they’ve outgrown them or never really got into them at all, but somehow, Hyper Princess Pitch is right up their alleys when I point them to it. Granted, Nintendo hasn’t made a game like this (and probably never will), and yes, the game owes more to Smash T.V. and Robotron that any mascot character classic. The story is silly fun with our heroine going after a bad Santa and his gift-giving ways (try not to take what’s here out of context, as it’s SUPPOSED to be goofy). Heck, you can suplex enemies when you’re not running around with a brick, rainbow or freeze launcher and there are bonuses galore for those willing to take the time to unlock them. Yes, you can use a keyboard to play this, but a dual analog gamepad is very highly recommended. Get this one for FREE (as in absolutely nothing) here and check out some of Remar Games other fun retro styled projects (all made with the Game Maker program) while you’re at it.
Most of the popular RPG Maker games out there are the usual Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest clones of assorted quality (terrible to truly inspired masterworks), but Cavern of Doom manages to take retro to an even more nostalgic level. Imagine an actual turn-based RPG made for the Atari 260- and you get the idea. If you love the blocky graphics old Atari home games had, CoD will get you smiling as soon as you see it in motion. the guy who made this gem, bobthebobish, clearly has a great sense of humor as you’ll see when you’re playing the game. I love how his chunky sprite monsters, simple use of color and even more straightforward dungeon mazes all tickled the proper nerves while the more modern turn-based combat appealed to my JRPG loving side. There’s also a cool upgrade system where you buy new skills with gained experience, a necessary thing as the game can be quite tough if you move too quickly through the dungeons. A sequel of sorts was in the works, but real life has halted progress on it for the time being. Anyway, CoD is ONLY about a 3 MB download, it’s FREE and if you happen to like the art style, you’ll get a kick out of what’s here even if you’re not big into the genre.
Well, well, well. As expected, Bethesda and Arkane Studios are making sure Dishonored hits retail packing some fine voice talent to go along with the innovative gameplay. A bit more press release action below, as I’m working on a bunch of stuff at the moment and can’t jazz things up like I usually do: Continue reading 
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 