Shadow of Mordor Story Trailer: The Bright Lord’s Kind Of An OK Guy, Huh?

Posted on July 27, 2014 by geelw

“And there will be no joy in Mordor… Mighty Crazy has struck out!” Well, okay, my feeble attempt at humor is based on me having a loooooong and boring day here fiddling with my PCs and clearing out stuff from some hard drives. But it had to be done and done it has been. Except for one computer here I’m wanting to beat with a baseball bat because it finally needs replacing after many years of service. But that’s neither here nor there, folks. This Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor update is brought to you from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, home of fine video games in the LEGO, Batman and Lord of the Rings franchises (among others). Hey, I’m not getting a dime for this post from them at all, folks – I’m just writing what’s rolling off the top of my head because my eyes are half closed right about now. Oh, I’ll be alright after a decent night’s rest. See you all tomorrow!

SDCC 2014: Little Orbit’s Got A Pair Of Nice Surprises For Gamers Soon…

Posted on July 26, 2014 by geelw

As a fan of last year’s Adventure Time game (released by D3Publisher of America), I’m happy to see that this year’s installment, Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom is going to be closer in spirit to a Legend of Zelda game as opposed to a Gauntlet and Diablo-inspired chase & chop. Sure, I’ll miss playing as Marilese and some of the other characters, but as long as this new game delivers the goods, I’m not complaining at all. This one’s coming sometime in the fall for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC (via Steam) and Nintendo 3DS.

As for Falling Skies: The Game? Color me surprised and impressed. Sure, it’s basically a reworked version of the XCOM reboot from a few years back, but this is actually a good thing because I’d imagine the only other options were a boring run & gun game or some type of MMO that only a tiny percentage of people would actually play. While this one’s only coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360, I’m betting that it gets bought and played by gamers who like turn-based strategy who don’t mind maybe discovering a show they haven’t seen yet as well. This one’s out PS3, Xbox 360 and PC (via Steam) on September 24, 2014.

Incoming RPGs! Nihon Falcom Fans Get To Shake It And Smile Soon. Twice!

Posted on July 24, 2014 by geelw

It seems we’re in for a Nihon Falcom “revival” of sorts. Granted, PC versions of their games aren’t uncommon at all in Japan, but it seems they take a backwards route here in the west, coming over as console ports and a few years later, making it to PC gamers who also happen to be JRPG fans and want to see more of these titles and faster. Anyway, we’re getting The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky via Steam next week thanks to Xseed Games and it’s been recently announced that Mastiff Games is trying to get Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure up on Steam as a Greenlight game.

In the case of the latter, publisher Mastiff came up with the idea to give away the game to those who voted to Greenlight it AND leave a comment on the game’s discussion boards, but some feel this is a wee bit too much. I think it’s a fine idea, although it could backfire if EVERY person who wanted to see the game pop up as a product they should BUY ends up being a game they all get for nothing at all. I’d have made it a better giveaway by only giving codes to people who still OWN a physical or legal digital copy of the PSP game or happen to have the Japanese PC game somewhere in their possession. Granted, that number might be smaller than the votes needed to get the game on Steam, but it would have at lease quelled the light to medium annoyance some people are feeling who think the publisher is trying too hard to “game the system” as it were. Even though I voted and posted a note, I still own my copy of Gurumin and will gladly post a photo here to score a free code if asked.

Of course, at the end of the day it’s all about the NEW fans who pay for, dive into and have a blast with this modern classic. So here’s to seeing some big sales once the freebie frenzy dies down. I’d love to see some wise publisher get as many Falcom games onto PC’s here at some point (perhaps in a big ol’ box set or series of sets), but that’s me pipe-dreaming up a small storm again…

Bundle Stars Says You Need A Little Magika In Your Life!

Posted on July 24, 2014 by geelw

Bundle Stars does it again! A measly five dollars for the base game and 21 downloadable content packs? Amazing! If you’re into isometric action/RPG experiences and have yet to play Magicka? What are you waiting for? The game is a more humorous and yes, magically focused take on the fantasy genre and it’s a great deal of fun whether you’re new to the genre or a more jaded veteran player. Yeah, yeah.. I just KNOW some of you are all “Whaaaaaat? I can’t play a TANK class like I usually do? Hell Nope!”, but trust me, this game is fun because it makes you think a bit about how you tackle enemies, not just wade in swinging a hefty axe or whatever and coming up for air only after a pile of corpses litter the landscape.

Anyway, this deal was up on the site for a bit, but slow and busy ol’ me finally got around to noticing it and now there are only less than 48 hours to snap this huge content pack up. Don’t even bother flipping a coin on this – just BUY IT and get busy with the magical comedy gold and massive entertainment value you’ll be getting.

Alien Isolation: “Crew Expendable”? Not In This Video, Folks!

Posted on July 24, 2014 by geelw

While the internet still rages on about whether or not the adding the cast of the original ALIEN to this new game as paid DLC currently only available as a pre-order bonus, it’s good to see the old(er) cast here reminiscing for a bit about things old and new. I like how Harry Dean Stanton didn’t realize that 35 years had passed since the film was released (hey, sometimes an actor who’s appeared in so many films tends to not recall every single role he’s done and when he did them) and it’s clearly sounding like the dev team didn’t go the lazy route and just take voice samples from the first movie and drop them in where needed. The again, as Tom Skerritt notes: “It’s what you don’t see…”, meaning these missions add to the original film’s story, filling in a few gaps. Hopefully, fans of the film will more likely be a lot more pleased whether or not they like the idea of pre-paying for that DLC and Sega will decide to release both missions as a single download not too long after the game ships out so we all can enjoy them.

CE Week Best of (# 2 of 3) Get Me Security!

Posted on July 24, 2014 by geelw

Sure, there were plenty of cool and expensive tech products at this year’s CE Week, but this time out, I’ll scribble a bit about two of the more important ones you may want to look into picking up. Well, one is an absolute must if you use a PC or know someone who uses one and is always griping about things running slowly. The other is recommended if you’re looking for a home security system that’s affordable and allows you to keep an eye on your space even when you’re away. Let’s take a look at both below…

If you own a PC, you NEED iolo’s System Mechanic ($29.95) humming away on it, period. While it’s been around for 15 years, I’d actually never used it until I got a trial code at the show and decided to take it for a spin to see how well it worked. Less than a week after installing and firing it up, I was removing a few different programs that do what this one product does and I don’t think I’ll be going back anytime soon. Between the system start up being MUCH faster, the more thorough registry cleaning and a few other niceties, I’ve noticed things running a lot better overall.

Even better, the newest update enhances the LiveBoost technology for instant fixes when you fire up more system intensive programs (gamers, you absolutely can use this feature!) and lets you know what it’s doing as it happens. PowerSense™, Ultra Performance and Endurance Modes all keep your computer optimized and will actually help programs run better and with noticeable improvements over a system without SM installed. Of course, you’ll be too busy playing or creating to be paying attention to all that behind the scenes magic, but it’s great to know your PC is being protected and you can take a mostly hands-off approach to care other than checking in every so often to see what the program recommends you take a peek at. Anyway, I’ll shut up now and let you get to checking System Mechanic out – you can thank me later, of course… Continue reading →

FREE GAME! Bundle Stars and PC Gamer Magazine Want A Million Of You On The Road!

Posted on July 23, 2014 by geelw

So, it’s the final week of Bundle Stars and PC Gamer.com HUGE giveaway (five million game codes over five weeks) and this last one’s a doozy if you’re into racing simulations and haven’t played GTR Evolution, Race 07 and RaceRoom Racing Experience yet. Granted, that latter title is a free to play game that to date, only has a solo play component and I know some folks don’t like the idea of a la carte gaming despite its popularity. But the great thing about this FREE deal is you can avoid any game you wish in the deal or try it out and if you don’t like your unpaid-for gift, you can simply delete it from your hard drive and go do something else with that free time. If you want that code, just click on the image below and grab it.

Act FAST, though – free stuff doesn’t last very long if you’re too slow in claiming it!

IndieGala Monday Sale Brings You RPGs In A Few Forms, Plus…

Posted on July 21, 2014 by geelw

(thanks, Dice17!)

From complete games to work-in-progress Steam Greenlight and Desura versions, this week’s IndieGala bundle is a great treat for genre fans looking to expand their horizons. Granted, not all of these six titles are role-playing games, but all fit the bill as fine indie games worth a look. The Tower is certainly a nice surprise, as it relies heavily on sound and your paying attention to said sounds in order to survive. I also like that the game is narrated by its protagonist as you play.

Block Story looks like an oddball Minecraft mod, but I like that it has a story and characters out of a RPG while allowing the crafting and such you’d get in Mojang’s game. Granted, the juxtaposition of block-based environments and realistic looking characters IS a bit jarring, but the game is fun to play and pretty simple to hop into. That and it allows you to play cross-platform on your PC and mobile device, which is a neat feature that makes me hope the developer has console plans for this one. As for the rest of the games in this deal (which is available for the next day at a mere $1.49 before the price increases), if you haven’t already clicked that link above, what are you waiting for?

Oh, The Adventurezator is Going To Get Me Into Trouble… And YOU, Too…

Posted on July 19, 2014 by geelw

Hmmm. Every once in a while, I get an invitation to try out an upcoming game and it’s a hit or miss proposition as to the quality of that work in progress or in some cases, the finished product. Pigasus Games’ Adventurezator caught my eye (OW!) as soon as I scanned the game’s Steam page and later, that video above.

Make your own emergent adventure games? Sure, why not? I’m downloading my beta code now and think I’m going to tinker a bit later this evening. Hey, my Saturday nights are usually not this interesting, people! Anyway, back in a bit – you should check this thing out too and get into some trouble with a story of your own, I say…

Bundle Stars & PC Gamer Magazine Want YOU (and 999,999 Others) To Nab a FREE Game!

Posted on July 16, 2014 by geelw

This week it’s Gun Monkeys, free of charge on Steam. Stop running around the room for a minute and pay attention for a second! If you want in on this wacky physics-based multiplayer online run ‘n gun shooter/platformer featuring procedurally generated levels and yes, monkeys with guns (and nope, it’s NOT at all related to the new Planet of the Apes film, thank you for asking), just click on over to the PC Gamer magazine site and in a few more clicks (provided you have a Steam account, facebook page and a PC capable of running this), it’s ALL YOURS! Yes, that’s a MILLION games codes. For FREE. Worldwide! Woooooo!