Machine Gun Time! Almost…

Posted on January 27, 2014 by geelw

Okay, this week is going to be a FUN one for me on a few fronts. I get to pop downtown to play some Earth Defense Force 2025 co-op with a few fellow editors and D3Publisher of America PR folk (Hi, Michael! Hi, Myki!) then come back up here to write all about it and get you all pumped up about this game. Yes, those are dragons flying around in that trailer. Uh-huh, that’s right… DRAGONS. And yes, they’re mean and CHEAP bastards when they swarm and start roasting then chomping on your character.

The game is packing a bunch of other surprises in case you haven’t gathered quite yet, but I’ll save some of those surprises for my hands-on later in the week. Oh, yeah… those two EDF Troopers below playing Patty Cake while there’s a spider THAT close? They’re dead meat unless that screen was shot on Easy mode. Anyone who’s played any EDF game knows what I’m talking about.

RAMBO: The Videogame Update: Prepare To Fly Out Of Your Seat On A Friday…

Posted on January 24, 2014 by geelw

BOOM. Reef Entertainment and developer Teyron have been quite busy it seems. This understatement of the week has been brought to you by no fewer that four videos they’ve just posted of their upcoming multiplatform RAMBO game in action that show off lots of stuff blowing up, a fairly high digital body count and overall, a game that isn’t screaming anything but pure guilty pleasure out of the gate for folks who like this sort of thing.

Continue reading →

Earth Defense Force 2025 Update: Game Goes Gold, Gets Mission Pack DLC

Posted on January 21, 2014 by geelw

Closer and closer it creeps, folks. Sandlot’s straight up giant bug and robot run and gun spectacular, Earth Defense Force 2025 has gone gold and is on track to land at your favorite game emporium on February 18, 2014. In addition to the 85 massive stages (94 if you play the game online), D3Publisher has announced three mission packs coming, one on launch day and one each within two weeks of launch. Before you get all cranky about this DLC, know ye this: beating EDF 2025 with all four classes will take even the most seasoned gamers some time (as in a few weeks at best), as the game can get pretty hectic if one goes it alone (like a true EDF maniac). That said, the mission packs offer up even MORE challenging enemy variants and are geared towards players who like it rough.

According to the press release, these Mission Packs will be available separately on the dates below and later on as a bundle:

Special Ops – Will feature 5 new missions for $2.99 and be available on February 18.
Mutant Rampage – Will feature 20 new missions for $8.99 and be available on February 25.
Beyond Despair – Will feature 20 new missions for $8.99 and be available on March 11.

Color me psyched, as the import was a big time eater for me last year and I can’t wait to see what’s been tweaked in the time since that version shipped out. Anyway, the days are ticking away and my PS3 is winking at me and blowing kisses for some reason. On the other hand, I do need a new controller, as there’s a button starting to stick and an EDF game DEMANDS you have a controller that’s in working perfect working order. Off to check the funds and take care of that…

Review: Diablo III

Posted on January 15, 2014 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation 3 (also on Xbox 360)

Developer: Blizzard

Publisher: Activision/Blizzard

# of Players 1-4

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: A (95%)

My experience with Diablo III on PC was an ab-Normal Hell Nightmare of an Inferno thanks to the always online requirements, Error 37 woes and a raft of other issues that have finally been patched up over time by Blizzard, but not quickly enough to get me playing again once I finished up my initial review. When the console version of the game was announced, I was one of those people jumping for joy at the news because I know that the game would soar as an untethered from the internet solo or co-op experience because other chase ‘n chop dungeon crawlers were plenty of fun without the online ball and chain. On the PS3 however, the game is not only superior to the PC version in nearly every respect (save for visuals, but it’s not a bad looker at all), it makes for both a great entry level and hardcore experience that’s a must-buy.

While the story isn’t what you’d call “deep”, Blizzard keeps things rolling along through some fine CG cinemas and a few nifty (if not too unexpected) twists before things are wrapped up (sort of) in this sequel. You don’t need to have played Diablo II (or even the first Diablo) to get off and running into the fray at all. But it helps if you’re a continuity freak or someone looking for references to previous installments. Of course, the chances of Blizzard getting those two older games onto any console is slim to none, but it’s something to dream about since this super-enhanced “port” that’s not a port turned out so well… Continue reading →

Not To Bug You Or Anything, But EDF 2025 Is Only A Month Away!

Posted on January 1, 2014 by geelw

Well, give or take a few days. D3Publisher of America has launched the official site for Earth Defense Force 2025 today and while it’s still a work in progress, you can at least check out links to the YouTube channel and facebook page for the upcoming PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 only action game. I hope you didn’t get rid of either console if you’re a recent PS4 and/or Xbox One owner. This is one of those games that looks simple compared to the best last-gen releases, but once you pick up a controller and start playing, there goes a few hours where you could have been doing something else, but got VERY occupied killing gigantic bugs and even bigger robots and (wait for it..) DRAGONS! Yeah, for some reason there are dragons in this installment and they’re cheap bastards too. You’ll see.

PlayStation Plus Actually Pays For Itself In January Alone. Wow. (But…)

Posted on December 28, 2013 by geelw

That said, I think even Sony realizes the insanity of forcing PS4 owners to pay for the “privilege” of multiplayer gaming on their new console. Stick around until the end of this trailer and note how that stupid little thing about paying to play online is shoved in quickly at the end. Granted, they just hit you on the head HARD with the free games mallet and you’re already so dizzy you didn’t even realize you’d whipped out that credit card and signed up. The free games are MORE than worth that $50 and yes, Sony’s not kidding about that “instant game library” thing. The drawback to this is STORAGE space, as even though you get free cloud saves and a nicely sized HDD this time out (which is still small when you consider the size of some new games), you can’t access them should PSN go down for the count for a few days or even a few hours for simple maintenance.

Thankfully, the PS4 will play disc games and anything you have stored locally offline if the game has offline play. Anyway, I think they need to DUMP the requirement to pay to play MP games, as it’s NOT a privilege at all. If a game is made to be played online, any fee should be part of the price of the game, period. Asking people to pony up as part of a package is lame, even if they do get what amounts to a few thousand bucks a year in free content. Granted, having thee time to PLAY all those freebies AND buy and play NEW games requires either quitting one’s day job, renting out a TARDIS so you can go back in time to fire up a game, complete it and go back to start a new one and some other time magic. But hey, who can pass up FREE when the buffet is so tantalizing?

Unconventional Games of The Year Choices Incoming. You’ve Been Warned.

Posted on December 21, 2013 by geelw

(Thanks, movieclips!)

As some of you may know, I hate making “best of” lists, as it’s always a case of what one DIDN’T experience not making the cut almost always being as good or (or better) than what was chosen. That goes double for public choice where popular seems to outstrip good by a few leagues. That said, if you kidnapped me, tied me to a couch with a bunch of random strangers and submitted them to some rather strange blood testing to see who was infected with an alien virus, I’d fess up beforehand that yes, I’m one of those Things just because I hate me the hell out of needles and sharp objects (unless I’m in the kitchen cutting up stuff to cook). I’d also probably admit that out of all the games I’ve played this year, I probably put MORE time into a few than most did because I liked them a lot more than most did. Okay, that and my backlog is insane and I no longer review too many games in a “speed to the finish!” manner, as that’s how you miss some important stuff… Continue reading →

Proof I’m Not A (Completely) Cranky Bastard: Doki Doki Universe Is Awesome.

Posted on December 16, 2013 by geelw

What, ME Worry? Not really, robot – it’s just a Monday thing, that’s all. So, HumaNature Studios new PS3/PS4/Vita game, Doki Doki Universe is actually really fun and interesting and like the gloriously inventive Tearaway, one of the better indie titles on Sony’s assorted platforms. I’ve only played the wonderful (and lengthy) demo so far, but a few friends who’ve been enjoying the full version are bugging me to get the full game. Yeah, yeah – I will once I chop down my backlog significantly.

The GREAT thing about buying this one outright it is any version you buy gets you a game that will run on the PS3, PS4, and Vita. If you’re one of those overly social butterflies, guess what? The Doki Doki Universe Mail feature can even be used on some mobile devices, meaning you can facebook like a champ using some kooky hand-drawn characters and a custom page on your console, phone or tablet. I hate the fake word “phablet” so I won’t use it in a sentence, although I just did there. Oops. OK, I’ll NEVER use that word in another sentence from now on. Better? Thanks you. Now stop reading this post and go check out this game, I say…

Review: Adventure Time: Explore The Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW!

Posted on December 14, 2013 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo Wii U/Nintendo 3DS (also on PS3/Xbox 360/PC)

Developer: WayForward Technologies

Publisher: D3Publisher of America

# of Players: 1-4

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site

Score: B (80%)

You don’t need to be a big Adventure Time fan at all to enjoy Adventure Time: Explore The Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW!, but it may help out considerably if you’re a fan of ancient dungeon crawlers, intentional use of 8-bit visuals and a certain classic four-player arcade dungeon crawler. Insanely busy developer WayForward Technologies has managed to capture all of those elements in this game, and while it’s a pretty straightforward experience, as a long time fan of anything dungeon related (er, don’t get any “whip-smart” thoughts in your noggins, people!), this one’s a fine bit of nostalgia that’s even more fun with a few friends along for the long haul. Going in solo is also enjoyable if you’re that old school (raises hand high!), but if you want to rack up more loot and enough money for gear and skill upgrades, you’ll need to pick your hero or heroine wisely. Survival can be pretty tough in the later maps when you’re alone and not able to get to those out of reach goodies… Continue reading →

The Walking Dead Season Two Trailer: Orange You Glad You’re Not Really Clementine?

Posted on December 12, 2013 by geelw

This one’s a tiny bit on the gory side, ladies and germs. But if you watch the show regularly you know what to expect:

But it’s a good thing little Clementine isn’t a defenseless piece of fruit in this follow up to Telltale’s multimillion selling and multiple award winning first season of what’s bound to be an adventure game series for the ages. If you haven’t played the first set of chapters or the 400 Days expansion, well guess what, chief? If you own a PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or PC you can either stroll into your favorite game emporium like a champ and pick up The Walking Dead: Game of the Year Edition or sit right where you are and download it from the Telltale Games site, PSN or Xbox Live. Of course, if you DO get the first season, forget you even saw this trailer because it has some hot spoiler action (but not too much that it will ruin the original game at all)…