Did You Win The Lottery Recently? Saint’s Row IV Wants A Million of Those New Bucks…

Posted on August 14, 2013 by geelw

I saw this image a little while back and ignored it because I thought it was a big fat inside joke, but apparently, it’s all too real. UK retailer GAME was/is offering up the most insane pre-order bonus ever created with this Saint’s Row IV Super Dangerous Wad Wad Edition that packs in the game and a ridiculous amount of goodies from plastic surgery, spy training and a flight into SPACE. Seriously. I’ll shut up here and let you soak this all in at your leisure, but if you’re a Scrooge McDuck, or a more real life zillionaire (no, Trump doesn’t count because he’s all hot air, ego and bluster and if he really had money, he’d buy himself a new brain that actually works), feel free to bug Deep Silver directly about buying this here(makemeasaint@deepsilver.com).

And yup, tell them you heard about it here on DAF – I don’t get a finder’s fee at all, but if you’ve THAT sort of bank, maybe you could spare a few ten thousand for a poor starving artist type?

Batman: Arkham Origins Collector’s Edition: All You Need Is A Room To Store It All In…

Posted on August 14, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, BatmanArkhamVideos!)

Holy WOW, Batfans! I suppose a limited edition wooden shelf or build it yourself bookcase would be out of the question, huh? Actually, at $119.99 for all that stuff you’re getting, this isn’t a bad deal at all AND it’s packing more than what’s in the European version announced last week. Um, “Don’t mess with Texas? Everything’s BIGGER in…” oh, never mind. The sheer scope of all this swag automatically nets this limited edition an automatic entry into this year’s Holiday Gift Guide and given that word on the street is the gameplay’s stellar… this one’s a total no-brainer if you can only afford the standard edition.

Anyway, here are photos of the massive set (one each of the PS3 and 360 SKUs) and below the jump, a listing of what’s in the box. Add a cape and you’re practically Batman, folks!

Batman: Arkham Origins will be available for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and Windows PC. Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, the handheld version (developed by Armature Studio), will be available for PlayStation Vita handheld and Nintendo 3DS. The game will release on all platforms worldwide on Oct. 25, 2013. I don’t think there’s a collector’s edition for the portable versions, as it sort of looks silly carrying a shelf or small bookcase with you when you’re out and about (ha ha)…

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Capcom Essentials Coming October 8: Five PS3 or 360 Games, $60, Any Questions?

Posted on August 14, 2013 by geelw

For years, I’ve been noting that game companies NEED to shift retail bundle packs or collections of older titles at bargain prices into the marketplace and while we’ve seen plenty of franchise-based collections from all over, this set of five Capcom titles is a sort of first in a few ways. Sixty bucks gets you older titles such as Devil May Cry 4, Dead Rising 2 and Super Street Fighter 4 (which will be upgradable to the upcoming Ultra SF IV next year) plus last years multi-million selling (but still somehow a critical and commercial “failure” to some) Resident Evil 6 and the super tough retro throwback Mega Man 10.

All that gaming goodness (each on its own disc!) and you get a free travel bag just because Capcom happens to love you or something similar. That or they just have too many of those overstocked somewhere, ha ha. Anyway, PS3 and Xbox 360 only on this deal, so this will make a perfect gift for that gamer just getting around to getting one or both systems or those folks who’ve yet to play anything in this value-priced collection.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt “Killing Monsters” Trailer: And The Moral of This Story Is…

Posted on August 14, 2013 by geelw

Even though this isn’t in-game footage, it’s more than clear to me that CD Projekt Red is making their upcoming open world RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt one for the ages. This team truly knows how to make games that continually impress and if the final product is as great as the earlier work in progress videos have shown, it’ll be a title that’s going to be a mandatory gaming experience for genre fans. Only what, a year or so to go before this is out? I can wait… it’ll be like mooning away at that obscure object of desire, but I can wait…

Dark Souls II “Forging A Hero” Teaser: Keep That Anvil As A Backup Weapon, I Say…

Posted on August 14, 2013 by geelw

March 2014 may seem like a long time to wait for Dark Souls II, to pop up at your favorite physical or digital game emporium but it’s actually going to be here faster than you think and you absolutely don’t want to be rusty when you take your first steps into the new dungeons. Meaner, faster, stronger creatures of many varieties await and they’re not planning to let you simply waltz around as if you’re in a petting zoo. If you have a copy of the first game lying around, you may just want to set aside time to replay it just so your fingers and brain are on their toes. Or you can go in to DSII cold and come out a total wreck before you’ve made it through the first map. Your choice, but I say practice makes perfect. Or less prone to death…

GTA V Update: You Have To Love Rockstar’s Marketing Department…

Posted on August 13, 2013 by geelw

They have quite possibly the easiest gig in the gaming business AND they know the game they’re representing is going to blow people away based on the insanely high quality of the work. I’ve been sold on Grand Theft Auto V as soon as I heard it was in development, but these new gallery and very funny Los Santos Visitor’s Guide (aka the game’s official site), the ridiculously packed screenshot gallery and desktop ready wallpapers plus all the other stuff the community is up to means I really don’t need to do much except post something on the game and let you all run out to the store or drop a pre-order in online.

Hey, I’m NOT lazy! Well, not THAT lazy. I’m merely saving up my energy for the inevitable long “vacation” I’ll be taking in Los Santos myself. Playing a new GTA game is very much like stepping off a plane into the biggest and most exceptionally special amusement park ever created. Of course, the best thing is being able to explore at will and do stuff outside the guided tour (i.e, raise all sorts of hell or just poke around for secrets and in-jokes), so I need to be tanned rested and ready because I’m sure not seeing any REAL sunlight for some time. Rockstar is dropping more cool news about the game on Thursday – I’ll be back with a quick post on that (of course)…

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures Hands-On: Pac Is Back, Junior Division (and a Fun Play, At That)…

Posted on August 12, 2013 by geelw

I think Pac-Man has appeared in nearly every game genre except for RPG, Strategy and Simulation, but with such a long history in gaming since 1980, I know I’ve yet to play every single game with the character in it. Namco has been keeping the character active over the past 33 years in a number of non-game projects and the latest is a fun kid’s CG animated 3D show on Disney DX called Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures, which also just so happens to be coming your way soon as a video game for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U and Microsoft Windows. Some hands-on time reveals this one to be a light and really fun romp for the kids that’s actually worth a look if you’re a creaky old platform fanatic like I am…

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Random Indie Game of the Week: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (XBLA)

Posted on August 8, 2013 by geelw

Since I’m sitting here with a couple of RROD’d Xbox 360’s (shakes fist at busted consoles) and no willingness to throw more money away at Microsoft to fix them or buy a replacement (shakes fist in the direction of Redmond HQ for producing such faulty junk of a console), I’ll need to wait for this to pop up on PSN or Steam. On the other hand, I think a friend is picking this up over the weekend, so I’ll probably boogie on over to his place and play this after he’s done with it. Given that Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is designed to be played in a single sitting, I don’t mind at all and I can get a perspective from someone else about the story’s impact and how he liked the unique control scheme. As noted in my earlier hands-on preview, this is one of those special games that’s worth a buy despite the relatively short length because you get to see a great developer stretch its wings with a fine new IP from a film director trying his hand at game development (and succeeding quite well). Back with a review probably around Monday.

Payday 2 Updates: “What Is” (Or: Living Large As A Lowlife)…

Posted on August 7, 2013 by geelw

And in the not too distant future, there will be many Monday morning work conversations that go something like this: “Er, Soooo… what did YOU do this weekend…” followed by a smirk and maybe a knowing nod or three from a few others hanging around that coffeemaker after being up way too late the night before playing too much Payday 2. Sure, it’s not a game for everyone, but if you’re looking for something more like a modern day cops & robbers deal and not another military shooter with a guaranteed few million sales on day one (and super crowded lobbies to boot).

The original Payday was a blast, but this sequel adds so much more cool stuff that it feels like a reinvention in some respects. 505 Games and Overkill Software have a hit here for you would be digital bank robbers, so do them a favor and pay actual dollars to snap this one up, I say…

Random Game of the Month (JRPG Edition): Tales of Xillia

Posted on August 6, 2013 by geelw

It’s finally here and it’s going to be a game genre fans should buy for a few key reasons from the mixed art styles working amazingly well, the stupidly deep amount of stuff to do in this installment (it’s the biggest Tales game to date), the “open world” feel to the gameplay experience plus all the usual stuff that has fans of this series sometimes buying specific consoles to play a single game in the long-running franchise. Tales of Xillia is all that and more, folks.

I’m betting at some point over the next day or three Mr. Baba and the dev team will probably be sitting at home (well, at their separate homes, as I’d hate to know what happens with such a large bunch of people living together biting their nails at the same time each Tales game is released) and wondering right about now how many fans in the US and other territories this is coming out in will be snapping up this one in the Standard, Limited or Collectors Editions. I need to get this one myself, as my backlog is SO huge this year that it’s worth doing a flowchart on (and I did – it’s terrifying). Anyway, if you’re an fan of anime/mamga-styled Japanese RPGs, yeah, you need to buy this game.