E3 2014: Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn Trailer: It’s Back and Better – Go Get Your Zeon!

Posted on June 16, 2014 by geelw

It’s too bad this reboot of the Dynasty Warriors: Gundam franchise is digital-only, as I’d love to own this on a disc and not need to bust out the Japanese dictionary and flash cards in order to read the menus and understand the dialog. Oh, I suppose I should just go learn the language already, but I also want to support Namco Bandai here in America with a buy at some point. Of course, these digital releases are cheaper for them to get out because there’s no discs to press or ship out to assorted retailers, no overstock sitting around unsold and no resale market to worry about raking in money the company won’t even see a penny of. On the other hand, I’m a disc guy first and foremost, as are plenty of people who prefer their games in a case for a few good reasons. Anyway, this one looks good enough to buy in any form, so perhaps I’ll end up doing just that when this rolls out in July. Oh, and that VERY Star Wars-like cantina music at the end for the DLC pre-order? Priceless (but oddly enough, has nothing to do with the SW films old or new, go figure!)

E3 2014: Risen 3: Titan Lords Trailer: One For The Fans Who Appreciate The ERPG…

Posted on June 14, 2014 by geelw

Here in the west, I’s bet most gamers only know developer Piranha Bytes’ Risen series from the two console ports, which weren’t great because on the visual front, they distilled a game made for a decent 3D card down into a somewhat mushy-looking mess with some interesting gameplay elements and quests of decent length and challenge. As with other European-made RPG series such as Two Worlds and to some extent the Gothic games, Risen seems to sell well enough overseas on PC to garner more installments and I believe the console versions of these games do well in Europe as well. Here in North America where some are a LOT more picky about visuals and take some elements of their games too seriously, the combination of so-so looks, comedy bits that may seem out of place and perhaps simplified for game pad control schemes seem to turn some gamers off, leaving these titles to find a more niche audience.

Now, I’m a fan of the Risen games on console, warts and all, but I can see why some aren’t exactly jumping off their seats at this announcement trailer. On the good side, at least Deep Silver isn’t calling this CGI trailer a “gameplay” trailer at all. Now, I want to see how this looks in action on whatever it’s coming to so I can pick it up and play it whenever it’s released. Which, by the way will be August 12, 2014 on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. The pirate theme from Risen 2 is gone and the more familiar “medieval” fantasy look is back, so that’s a fine start. Not that I don’t like the whole pirate themed RPG thing, mind you…

E3 2014: Dead Island 2 Trailer: Summer Never Dies. But Your Character Might Not Make It…

Posted on June 14, 2014 by geelw

While definitely a wee bit on the gory side, this trailer for Dead Island 2 is also quite hilarious and worth a view for the punchline at the end. The game is coming in spring 2015 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC from publisher Deep Silver and one of my favorite developers, Yager (Spec Ops: The Line, Dreadnought). DI2 will be powered by Unreal Engine 4 and given Yager’s expertise in programming, I’m crossing my fingers for a visceral experience featuring highly destructible environments, plenty of mayhem and some grim laughs Dead Island is known for along with any new elements the team adds in. We’ll see what’s what as more info and movies pour out, of course. But I know Yager will give fans of this franchise a nice jolt or three when they finally wrap this one up with a bloody bow next year…

E3 2014: The Order: 1886 Trailer: Ready at Dawn, Making Themselves A Household Name With Certainty…

Posted on June 14, 2014 by geelw

You can very safely say that a new console REALLY doesn’t get games worth upgrading for until it’s second year as developers ease into learning the hardware and Ready at Dawn’s upcoming The Order: 1886 is shining proof of that. Amazing looking cutscenes flow into what’s looking like solid gameplay, the intriguing mix of alternate past with future tech and of course, familiar action-heavy gameplay all make this one look like a winner as well as a system mover for Sony when it’s finally released on February 20, 2015.

GRID Autosport Tuner Trailer: It’s NOT A Horn, So Don’t Blow It…

Posted on June 12, 2014 by geelw

Sure, it may look thrilling power sliding sideways at high speed, but this isn’t Mario Kart 8 at all and the only “death stare” you’ll get if you screw up is the other live players blowing past your wrecked car and laughing at you loudly over their headsets. Anyway, GRID Autosport is coming your way soon (June 24, 2014 in North America), so you’d better do some sideways sliding of your own to your nearest game emporium to place that pre-order or just pop in of the day of and hope they ordered enough copies. They most likely did, but I can’t vouch for smaller indie shops and what happens when a popular game might get a few really nice reviews that bump up traffic as people swing by to pick up a copies that weren’t reserved. If I were psychic, I’d be playing the ponies somewhere and be driven home sideways in a speedy ride of my own…

WIN FREE STUFF! Kill The Bad Guy OR R-Type Delta Game Codes (Pick ONE & Play!)

Posted on June 12, 2014 by geelw

Hokay, people. I’m up to my earballs in E3 stuff, but I need a break. How do I take a break, you ask? I GIVE STUFF AWAY! Well, not all the time, but you don’t need to know what I do when I’m not hanging out here, grrrr! *Ahem!* Anyway, I have ONE code here for Exkee’s recently released Kill the Bad Guy on Steam (yes, you need a Steam account!) and ONE code here for Tozai Games’ R-Type Dimensions for the PlayStation 3 on PSN (so you’ll need a PS3 and PSN account). Oh, it’s a North American code, so it won’t work outside the U.S. of A. at all. Steam codes should be universal, though. so you can Kill The Bad Guy anywhere you live!

So, HOW do you get ONE of these two codes, you ask? Well, dearies… hit reply and just drop a comment below naming the game you want and BOOM!, it’s all yours. No need to leave any contact info, as I’ll know how to reach you through the MAGIC of email and WordPress knowing who you are when you respond. If you don’t win, fear not. I’m cooking up a sort of random giveaway of extra Steam codes I have here that are duplicates of stuff in my way too massive backlog (which now extends into 2016! Yaaaaah!). I won’t get to that for a while, as I’m up to my earballs in E3 stuff in case you didn’t remember. Anyway, stop reading this and go try and win a game already!

E3 2014: DESTINY E3 Experience Trailer: No Fate But What You Make, Huh?

Posted on June 11, 2014 by geelw

I’m not embarrassed at all to say that I can’t play Activision’s upcoming online only shooter DESTINY, although I’d LOVE to. The game is Bungie’s first since breaking off from Microsoft and the multi-million selling HALO franchise, but it’s not coming packed with an offline mode at all and my connection isn’t up to snuff at all. As with Titanfall (which I eventually played a chunk of at a friend’s place), ANY online-only console or PC game limits its audience by not including some sort of offline content, meaning a few million people WON’T be playing these games that NEED as many players as possible to enjoy them so that development money can be made back FASTER. Of course, that the game is for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 Xbox 360 and Xbox One means it’ll have a few million more active users at launch than other big franchises did when they got started (another great thing for Activison and Bungie to crow about), but the lack of solo play unless one is connected to the internet interests me not in the slightest. It’s too bad for me, I guess – this sure looks pretty damn cool.

E3 2014: Rise of the Tomb Raider: Off The Couch and Back To Business, Miss Croft!

Posted on June 11, 2014 by geelw

Ha. Sometime during a play through of that Tomb Raider reboot from last year, I recall thinking “Poor Lara is going to need a LOT of therapy after all the hell she’s going through!” and as it turns out, that’s how this trailer for Rise of the Tomb Raider opens. Set for a “Holiday 2015” release, most likely as a PC, PS4 and Xbox One game, I’ll gather the dark and stormy bits here mean the game will be packing some nasty weather and plenty of stuff blowing about in those outdoor locales, super-detailed visuals across all three platforms and the requisite pre-order bonuses and day one DLC we’ve come to expect.

Yeah, I’d rather pretend it’s 1996 all over again, and I was cracking open that shrink wrap on the original Core Design game not knowing what to expect outside of what a few glowing reviews noted. It’s not that I’m NOT impressed with the massive increase in power from these new consoles, mind you – it’s just that I prefer games I can pop in and play without thinking (or KNOWING) that I’m missing something important because I didn’t buy a specific edition at a specific retailer. Eh, I shouldn’t complain at all – it’s not as if Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix are shoving this out the door too early. That “holiday” dating and less platforms to program for means this one should be stellar no matter what it’s played on.

E3 2014: Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris: Your Action/Puzzle/Battle/Treasure Game is Coming Back!

Posted on June 11, 2014 by geelw

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light was a refreshingly retro surprise back in 2010 (it was one of the better downloadable console games of that year, in fact), packing everyone’s favorite Tomb Raider into a fast-paced action adventure with an isometric viewpoint, co-op play and plenty of challenge. Developer Crystal Dynamics has finally revealed the sequel, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris and it’s looking quite lovely indeed. Well, “lovely” in that “Holy crap, this game is TOUGH” manner in which you’re smiling while you’re playing it solo before calling up to three other friends to come over and give you a hand. My issue with this one is the same as the original: digital ONLY (boo!) and not available on the PlayStation Vita. of course, As this will run on the PS4, it would be nice to see some sort of cross-play feature on board just so publisher Square Enix could make a few more bucks, but I guess we’ll see what happens. I’m actually surprised this is ONLY for next-gen, as I can imagine those millions of PS3 and Xbox 360 owners out there who haven’t made the move to new consoles yet would love to spend some money on this one and more time with Ms. Croft and her new traveling companions. But what do I know? I’ve only been playing games since dirt was new…

E3 2014: No Man’s Sky: Take To The Stars And Explore In This Stunning Sci-Fi Soon To Be Smash…

Posted on June 10, 2014 by geelw

Hello Games, you just made E3 much better. No Man’s Sky, initially set for a PS4 and PC release, looks absolutely phenomenal and what’s even more amazing is the small developer (less than ten people made this!) almost lost their baby entirely to flooded offices last year. As you can see below, the game is looking as if that flood never, ever occurred:

Given that the last game I played with seamless transitions from first-person gameplay to piloting a spaceship was the interesting but still questionable Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, this game is a complete revelation as to what an indie team with bigger goals can accomplish. No Man’s Sky truly looks like concept art come to life and if anyone else is getting a serious Ralph McQuarrie vibe (to me, THE late master of sci-fi film concept art thanks to his work on the original Star Wars films) , I’d bet they’re on the right track as to one of the dev team’s influences… Continue reading →