OK, I’m still a bit ticked off that Sony hasn’t gotten that Fifty Shades of Grey Wonderbook out just to reap in the millions they’d get while the iron on that saucy and unrealistic fantasy novel and its sequels is still hot (OK, it’s actually a running gag here I can’t pass up), but for those who want something a LOT less salcious, there’s Diggs Nightcrawler, a really cool looking film noir inspired tale for all ages. Well, all ages who happen to have parents who like noir and want to pass that onto the wee ones without having to make them sit through all those movies they love in a weekend marathon.
Hmmm… just imagine the mood your kid would be in on a Monday after three full days of black and white detective stories with sassy molls, hoods shooting heroes in the shoulder, a few bodies falling out of closets or into a bay somewhere and all sorts of red herrings popping up to confuse and amuse. Yeah, playing this game is probably a tiny bit better – you want to ease the kids into those classics, not toss them in head first and see if they swim back to the surface. The water’s dark down there, you know…
Take that as you will, but Marvel fans have been clamoring for a LEGO game with their favorites for years, so this way too short teaser trailer is giving them a reason to bounce up and down in their seats. I got a big grin going when I saw that the Hulk that looked as if it was modeled after the late Gil Kane’s version (except it doesn’t have that weird pineapple-shaped head his did), the Galactus shadow and yeah, those old costumes on some of the charaters. Speaking of characters, over 100 will be playable in the game, meaning this is going to be yet another game in the long running LEGO series with infinite replay value. This fall will be pretty darn busy for Marvel fans, that’s for sure… Continue reading →
Bullying certainly isn’t new, nor a “phenomenon” at all. Hell, I was bullied over 40 years ago and a few times after that in a few schools, but I managed to overcome the stress of those incidents over time thanks in part to an immersion into gaming, art and a few other hobbies. Living is the best revenge against the evil ones out there, I say. Sadly, technology has actually greatly enabled those who make the lives of millions of others miserable on a daily basis and in fact, access to it has allowed some of the more daringly deluded types who pick on others to use the Internet as a means of spreading their misplaced rage and energy in every direction. Is there a way to stop this by making them see the errors of their ways or is fighting back never a decent solution? Questions, questions. Hopefully developer Minority Media has at least part of an answer… Continue reading →
And there he goes once more, FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan (just call him York!), chasing after another lead in his Red Seeds Killer investigation. It’s been a fun month covering the man and his actions, but I’m beat from all that stumbling through bushes and smacking into trees like a nut. Well, I did get some pretty good posts out of all this and I think I’ve set a record or something for writing so much about one game for so long. Or maybe not. Whatever, I finally get to sit home where it’s nice and murderer free and play a decent game that’s… going to remind me of stumbling through bushes and smacking into trees. Oh well – it’s MUCH safer at home than in Greenvale at night (or at certain parts of the day)…
Are YOU one of the legions of people now immersed in Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut? Available NOW at a game retailer near you, this PS3 exclusive from Rising Star Games features upscaled HD visuals, PlayStation Move and 3D TV support, additional DLC and over 100 changes from the original version. It’s also a fairly long and very bizarre game worth checking out, particularly if you’re a more open-minded gamer looking for something truly and uniquely terrifying and hilarious, often within a few seconds of either mood. Grab a copy, grab a friend, have a seat and enjoy your trip!
World renowned Game Director Swery 65 is back at the celebrating thing once more down at the Swery 65 Bar, but he’s actually been SO busy on facebook and other places online that his coffee keeps getting cold! I think he also likes Iced coffee, but I’d bet he prefers to have that when it’s hot out as opposed to being so tied up that a fresh cuppa Joe goes cold as he’s typing all those updates. Let the man drink his beverage, people, I say! You all have a game you need to play (or BUY and play), so get to it already!
Veteran developer Reality Pump Studios has been cooking up what’s looking like a nice surprise for horror game fans with its upcoming multiplatform release, Sacrilegium. Coming to PC, PS3 and Xbox 360’s worldwide soon, the TopWare Games-published “Survival-Horror Action Adventure” sounds (at least on paper) like a game that’s got a lot going for it if the lengthy and very detailed press release is any indication.
For many gamers who love their work, Reality Pump’s games (particularly their deep and mostly well-made RPGs) have always been highly ambitious, but between the outstanding new engine and promise of a deep, story driven single-player adventure starring a female character with a tailor made back-story, this could be one of those really intriguing game experiences that draws attention to itself on a few key fronts.
TopWare is promising this will be “A dark, thrilling tale with a captivating atmosphere, full of twists and turns, surprises and rewards.” as well as delivering “A constant feeling of tension, trepidation, and fear of the unknown and the unseen, combined with visceral action rewarded by the excitement of progression.”, which gets my brain tingling in all the right ways…
Dreamworks Animation is having quite a busy year with a few big releases zipping into theaters this year, and D3Publisher is right in the same zone, getting out a few cool family-friendly titles tying into these assorted properties. Turbo (set for a July 19 release) is the next film zooming your way and D3P’s Turbo: Super Stunt Squad will also pop up as a multiplatform release (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii/Wii U, Nintendo DS/3DS) a few days before on July 16, 2013 (what, no Vita version?). I had the chance to take the Xbox 360 and 3DS versions for a spin earlier this month and came away with a smile, as the games are coming along as fine and well-made tie-ins to the upcoming film.
While you’re not going to be getting any hyperbole-packed “Game of the Year!” reviews from a licensed game like this (and you shouldn’t expect any, mind you), developer Monkey Bar Games is whipping up a fun, cool homage of sorts to the classic Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater with this stunt-filled racer/exploration game that’s sure to put smiles on a few faces…
Oh, yes indeed, Suda 51’s upcoming game, KILLER IS DEAD is sure to be one of those great sleepers that makes his longtime fans happy campers as it baffles those new to his work and riles up others who throw arbitrary rules of “reality” around in dopey ways when going after what’s clearly a fantasy-themed game. Gigiolo Glasses, a gorgeous gal riding a hypodermic needle and main character Mondo Zappa out for a stroll on the freaking MOON should clue you in that this one’s going to be bizarre even by grasshopper manufacture standards. That said, it’s also going to be another “Don’t you miss it at all!” game experience that’s sure to be remembered as a modern classic.
Of course, I say that about all of Suda’s work, as I’ve been into it for quite some time, so yeah – I’m a bit biased. Still, the man does come up with some of the most memorable characters male and female (and other, if you toss in some of those strange bosses in his games)…
Say “Hi!” to Franklin, Michael and Trevor, the three playable leads in Rockstar Games’ upcoming soon to be blockbuster, Grand Theft Auto V. Some of us GTA fans play these for the stories and wild characters and I can very safely say that this wild bunch will be the best trio of anti-heroes to date. For me, a new Rockstar game isn’t about violence or raising all types of hell, but sinking into the world and characters the team has created and getting a big smile going when everything clicks into place as each new chapter plays out.
As i haven’t played this yet, I’m not about to dissect these videos at all save to say that amazing engine being used makes the game look incredibly realistic and hopefully we’ll see some of these cinematic sequences flow into gameplay that’s just as thrilling. As for “favorite” character of these three miscreants, again, it’s hard to say without touching a controller, but I’d have to say Trevor’s arc might be the most “fun” to play given his intro video and personality:
That said, I don’t need to go into all sorts of analysis about the GTA series, as since the third game that pulled in millions of new players and all sorts of awards, Rockstar has been consistently upping the quality of the writing and visuals. All I know is these games are instant classics for solo players like me, as each game is best when you’re getting those bits of well-scripted exposition before setting out on missions to advance the story for a while before just taking off to wander around and find a nice spot to check out some stunning vista before hopping back into the mayhem.
Mark your calendars for September 17, 2013 and even if you’re not planning to buy or play this one, I can bet that you’ll notice a LOT of people not showing up at work that day (or rest of the week) in some places. They’ll be on a little vacation in the same busy, crazy world being whipped up for them by a team that’s the best at what they do…
You have to admire Crytek’s chutzpah here, as Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon isn’t even pretending to be original or in fact a “great” game. Of course, you absolutely need to be well-versed in the 80’s action flick cheese it makes fun of (but with super-colorful visuals that won’t run on a low-end gaming PC, of course – this IS a Crytek game after all). The good thing is this one flies into digital release at a cheap-ass price point and those who get what’s here will be chuckling along merrily. Those who don’t will wonder what the hell the fuss is about, but I say just go watch a few awful to decent macho action stuff from that era and you’ll get the point of this gem. Duke Nukem is probably very pissed of right about now…
I actually had to get out of Greenvale after over a month there doing daily posts about FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan (just call him York!) and the big case he was handling out that way. I would have stayed a day or two longer, but I got an urgent message that some important package I was expecting had finally arrived. I left a note for York and another for Emily just in case she turns up at some point. Thankfully, I didn’t have to deal with George’s cranky nonsense on the way out of town, as he turned out to be quite a jerk when all is said and done. I actually have NO clue how far York has gotten into solving his case, but he seems too be a really thorough investigator who seems to have two brains at times (well, that’s what I kept hearing around the A&G Diner and Swery 65 Bar when I asked around about him) and he’s also got a pretty decent amount of knowledge about some good and not so good movies (most of which I’ve seen)… Well, hopefully York will drop me a note when he’s got the time. It would be cool to have an FBI agent as a friend for a few reasons (but you probably don’t need to know why, correct?)…
I’d say that based on that screenshot above, in a few seconds York will see that Emily is not that shadow that’s going to turn around and attack him. Of course, if your were playing Rising Star Games’ PS3 exclusive Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut, which should be in stores as you’re reading this. Well, the “official” release date is April 30th, but I’ve heard a few people talking about playing the game already thanks to getting their hands on the game thanks to a favorite game store selling them a copy a day or so early. Hopefully, the reworked HD visuals, PlayStation Move and 3D TV support, over 100 changes to the original game and MORE will keep you and the York you’re playing fixated on getting to the bottom of this case in record time. Yes, that’s my copy in that photo to the left and above. I got home not too long ago and *ding!*, there it was, waiting for me on the table by the door. Nice! Now I can help York get that damn killer!
Hmmm… I think Game director Swery 65 is going to be in Greenvale for a day or so longer, as he’s tying up a few loose ends of his own. People have been bugging him day and night with compliments, questions, comments and even a few jokes about all the hard work he and his team at Access games has done, so I suppose he’s entitled to a good night’s rest before his long plane trip back to Japan. You’d think the guy would prefer to live in the town he helped create and run, but there are just too many things back home you can’t get out in the middle of nowhere…