E3 2014: DOOM Teaser: Not Enough To Keep Me Away… Yet.

Posted on June 10, 2014 by geelw

Aw, man. I wanted to see some gameplay that would make me jump under the table, but nope. Just a GREAT teaser for the still in production DOOM reboot with some nicely familiar sound effects that made me smile rather broadly. Oh well. No, I’m NOT going to Quakecon this year, but I’ll be prowling around online during the show to post whatever new trailer and gameplay footage pops up at that event on the company’s YouTube channel or Bethblog. Okay, Bethsoft – make me cower in fear next time or else… I’ll just wait around until you do. Hey, I’m easy to please…

E3 2014: Alien Isolation “Survive” Trailer: Be Still, Your Beating Heart (Or Else)…

Posted on June 10, 2014 by geelw

Or else what?, you ask? Well, I’m sure one of those androids has superior hearing and can scope out that you’re hiding in a locker and that sole Alien in the game? Your ticker thumping away like the ghost of Gene Krupa pounding on a big kettle drum just might make you hope that big ugly thing is deaf in the head. Anyway, I’m gathering that The Creative Assembly’s upcoming Alien: Isolation will be certainly wiping away any memories of Aliens: Colonial Marines as it delivers a horror/sci-fi experience that’s closer to the tone and spirit of the first film and isn’t yet another first-person shooter for the pile. as noted earlier, I’m loving that The CA ha gone and made this for older as well as next-gen platforms, as the game will sell better on the PS3 and Xbox 360 thanks to both systems’ larger installed bases. However, I’m HOPING that anyone expecting a run ‘n gun experience realizes they should probably go watch Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic first to see what they’ll be in for.

E3 2014: Sony’s E3 Experience: Greatness Inbound, Warts & All…

Posted on June 10, 2014 by geelw

SO much good going on here, it’s hard to know where to begin, although this presser’s a bit long and has some snoozy moments. Then again, unlike Microsoft forgetting ALL about it’s “last-gen” consumers, Sony gets in nods to the ps3 while expanding the base with that lovely $99 Vita TV, coming sooner than many thought. I’ll shut up now and let you watch it all, but expect some commentary later on individual titles as I find time to talk about them… enjoy!

Rainbow Six Siege: Ubisoft Resurrects Their Big Baby Back To Its Former Self (And Then Some)…

Posted on June 9, 2014 by geelw

Of all the games Ubisoft showed off at its briefing, this one was the most surprising for a few reasons. Clearly packing some inspiration from Valve’s fast-paced multiplayer focused Left 4 Dead games, Rainbow Six Siege is a bolt of lightning wrapped in a baseball bat and will hopefully look just like what was shown a the media briefing when it hits Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC sometime in 2015. I’d imagine everyone will forget all about the frozen in time Rainbow Six: Patriots now that this game has been revealed and even more trailers and screens start popping up all around the internet. More to come on this one…

Enemy Front Launch Trailer: “Into the Black” And Hopefully On A Few Fronts At That…

Posted on June 6, 2014 by geelw

Okay, I quite like the song in this trailer… but to me, it’s just NOT proper at all for a World War II-based game. Granted, I’m not expecting this tune to be IN the actual game, but I’ll slightly dread watching the game credits because I can just hear this popping up at some point during however many minutes it takes to spool them all out. I’ve never seen a short credit roll in a modern game unless it’s an indie title made by one person or a tiny team where all is revealed in less than a minute. Anyway, that’s my sole complaint with Enemy Front until I actually get some hands-on time with the final version (PS3, please!). The game isn’t out until June 10, 2014, but I guess using the D-Day anniversary to push a game set during that period isn’t the worst thing that could happen today, right?

E3 2014: Natsume’s Lineup Currently Has More Games Than Capcom’s. This Could Get Interesting…

Posted on June 6, 2014 by geelw

Let’s see now. Here’s Natsume’s E3 lineup:

Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley (Nintendo 3DS)
A-Train: City Simulator (Nintendo 3DS)
Alphadia Genesis (Wii U)
Reel Fishing: Master’s Challenge (PlayStation Vita)
End of Serenity (Sony PSP)
Reel Fishing Pocket 2: Ocean (iOS)
Gabrielle’s Monstrous Duel (iOS)
Hometown Story: Pocket (iOS)
Ninja Strike (iOS)

And here’s what Capcom is packing:

Dead Rising 3 (PC)
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite (iOS)
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (Nintendo 3DS)
Ultra Street Fighter IV (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC)
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (Nintendo 3DS)

Ready? FIGHT!

Or not really. For that matter, new-ish publisher Little Orbit also will have more games at E3 than Capcom does. Granted this isn’t really astonishing news, as both small and large publishers have been condensing or expanding their lineups over the past few years in order to maximize profits and it seems that we’re at that stage where small and large games make the cut at these companies. Granted, Ultra Street Fighter IV or Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate will easily sell more copies than Reel Fishing and End of Serenity combined. But for a guy like me who just wants to play good games no matter who publishes them, these leaner, meaner lineups are almost a godsend because I don’t need to wade through junk to get to the treasure.

Naturally, not all of these games I’ll get to will be great, but fun is a more important factor than anything else for me at the end of the day, as is enough QA (quality assurance) that’s occurred pre-release that keeps what I play playable from beginning to end without a patch in sight (or at least one that fixes anything that’s busted). Anyway, I’ll have a more complete list of E3 games from more publishers shortly.My inbox is filling up with official lists and I want to do them all in one post as opposed to dropping in multiples.

Back in a bit.

E3 2014: Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Trailer: In Space, Everyone Can See You Dance!

Posted on June 6, 2014 by geelw

At this point, I expect nothing but serious FPS action, super stylized cel-art visuals and plenty of oddball humor from any Borderlands game (well, except Telltale Games’ upcoming soon to be mega-hit adventure take on the franchise that may have only two of the three elements mentioned, Tales From The Borderlands), so it’s good to see that Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel isn’t going to disappoint at all on the crazy front. This is one of those “old reliable” evergreens that’s good when you start playing and still packing heat months and years down the road thanks to it hitting that sweet spot between fun to play and “one more hour” addictiveness. It’s the bottomless pint of ice cream of games, folks! That’s how I’d describe the experience to someone wondering what all the fuss was about. That and argyle patterned weapons as an option? Yeah, that’s a win right there, although it does make for really crappy camouflage (unless Moon monsters can’t see argyle, of course)…

Oddworld New ‘n’ Tasty E3 2014 Trailer: Escaping The Food Chain, Now Greatly Enhanced!

Posted on June 5, 2014 by geelw

Sure, New ‘n’ Tasty is a remake, but it’s definitely not looking exactly the same as the older version of Abe’s Oddysee. Oddworld Inhabitants and developer Just Add Water (JAW) have put a lot of work into this game and as you can see in the trailer, it looks spectacular. Granted, players who’ve played the original to death may think this one isn’t worth their time, but I’d disagree completely. Oddworld: Strangers Wrath was excellent on the original Xbox, but even better on the PS3 and Vita as a very enhanced remake, so I’m expecting New ‘n’ Tasty to be equally or even more of a pleasant surprise when all is said and done. We’ll see soon enough, of course. The Vita version is calling out to me because mine needs more games that will make me happier I bought the handheld and get so much use from it…

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: CD Projekt RED Sets The Gold Standard For Standard Editions (And Then Some)

Posted on June 5, 2014 by geelw

If I haven’t said this before (and I think I have), I absolutely LOVE CD Projekt RED. Their previous two games in The Witcher series were lovingly crafted mature experiences that brought Andrzej Sapkowski’s anti-hero Geralt of Rivia to the PC and later console gaming masses (many of whom who probably didn’t read any of the books the character comes from until after they played the first game) and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt looks to get even more gamers drawn into what’s looking like one of the best experiences on those shiny new consoles. Of course, PC gamers who rock those rent money priced gaming rigs will be getting the best experience in terms of visuals, but there’s no doubt that the developer is making both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game look spectacular on those systems… Continue reading →

GRID Autosport Open Wheel Trailer: The Beatings Continue (And You Still Come Back For More)…

Posted on June 4, 2014 by geelw

I see you’re here again, checking out the straps and leather in preparation for your hard ride. GRID Autosport will do you up right as rain as it puts you through your paces in a few racing disciplines where you’ll probably lose a lot until you learn the ropes and can keep your eyes on the road where they belong. Oh, you’ll be spanked and whipped and otherwise punished before you figure out which way is up, but you’ll love every minute of it whether you play along or with others. Figure out that safe word and get your rear in gear down to your nearest game emporium and place that pre-order. That big and special Black Edition isn’t going to buy itself, you know…