Dead Island Riptide Trailer: Death Takes A Holiday (Again)…

 
 

It figures. The first Dead Island got a surprisingly emotional CG trailer that drew acclaim and major attention to the game, which turned out to be OK, albeit a bit buggy in spots. I actually held out for the recently released Game of the Year retail version after playing about an hour of the original because I knew Deep Silver and developer Techland would fix things up (and add all that DLC content I couldn’t get).  Anyway, this new trailer for the sequel is another superb two-hanky CG masterwork which also makes me never want to go anywhere on vacation ever again. Damn undead and their people-chomping ways mucking up everything like that. Imagine that last postcard from the doomed couple in the video: “Having a blast on our trip – Wish you were here!”  BOOM. 

Hmm… then again, I actually don’t actually believe in zombies at all (thank you science education!), so my ass is safe as the breeze wherever I go.  You can hole up with a shotgun, machete and a few thousand cans of beans if you like when the so-called zombie apocalypse hits. Me, I’ll just see some cranky-looking people stumbling around because all the Starbucks in the world will be closed. I’ll just carry a pocketful of coffee beans to toss at them and be able to get away while they’re rolling on the ground fighting each other for that fix.

D3Publisher of America’s Holiday 2012 Lineup Is Mysteriously Free Of Bugs…

 

Hey D3! Nice family-friendly lineup you’ve got there. One teeny-tiny thing irks me, however. You know, TEASING viewers about Earth Defense Force 2017 Portable (which comes out on February 12, 2013) in your otherwise fine Holiday Gift Guide YouTube video would have been a REALLY cool thing to do. Since you didn’t, I have an idea: cook up another of these videos for that game and post it, oh, I dunno BEFORE the end of this year (or at latest, at the beginning of 2013) just so people KNOW that the game is available as a pre-order from a few places. Look, the Vita is getting the crap kicked out of it by the 3DS and some games journalists who aren’t happy with some of Sony’s decisions. It needs any game that could be a potential hit (and system seller) to get as much notice as possible as early as possible. Sooooo, get ‘er done, I say! Take Two… ACTION!

Video Game Appreciation 101: New Additions – DS & PSP Stuff!

DS_PSP_stuffA few more games for the library, this time a few Match-3 puzzle games: Bejeweled 3, 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, 7 Wonders II and the recently reviewed Jewel Master: Cradle of Egypt 2. On the PSP front, Taito Legends: Power-Up and The Chikyuu Boueigun 2 Portable (in English, that’s The Earth Defense Forces 2 Portable). Of the puzzle games, of course Bejeweled 3 is the master class in fun, accessibility and replay value, as the game hooks you right on in from the beginning and keeps you playing thanks to its wide variety of mini-games and rewards galore as you play. The music is pretty killer as well. The two 7 Wonders games show an interesting progression, as the sequel fixes some of the issues from the first game while also adding new content.

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Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 VGA Trailer: More of the Same Is Actually a Great Thing…

From visual quality and gameplay to audio, Mercury Steam’s first Castlevania experience was the best 3D game in the series by a few thousand miles and this sequel looks to be even better. If you haven’t played the original Lords of Shadow yet, go grab it and see for yourself that the combination of 3D and Konami’s storied vampire franchise can and does work well under the right hands. Of course, a little help from Hideo Kojima doesn’t hurt at all, but the game is definitely a nice surprise. The sequel adds some new elements and characters, but I’m betting the dev team isn’t mucking much with what worked in their last game. As always, we shall see.. but I predict this one will be as good as or even better than the first one.

The Last of Us Story Trailer: Happy Birthday To Me (And You, Hopefully)…

 

So, Naughty Dog’s upcoming survival/adventure game comes out on my birthday (May 7, 2013).  Well, well, well now. Hmmm… now I know what I want to be doing then. Finding out how the hell I’m going to make time to play it, what with all the other games I want coming out next year. Well, at least I guess I’ll have less people to worry about when I go to buy my copy of the game if all those folks who believe the world will end THIS year do themselves in for some crazy reason. Silly rabbits, I say… why kill yourself and miss out on the fun when there are too many great games to play that include survivable doomsday scenarios? What do I believe in? Well, I believe I’ll have another drink and get back to you after the world doesn’t go to hell in a handbasket. And you can’t make a bad cup of tea unless you try really hard to do so. I believe in that, too.

Review: Retro City Rampage

Platform: PS3/PS Vita

Developer: VBlank Entertainment, Inc.

Publisher: VBlank Entertainment, Inc.

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: A+ (100%)

Ironically, one of the best games of the year is a completely retro throwback that would have been one of the best 8-bit games ever made had it been slapped into a cartridge. But it’s not even available on any physical media at all – it’s a download-only game that’s currently a PC and PSN exclusive (that’s also coming to other console platforms soon enough). If you’re well versed in classic gaming and plenty of 80’s and 90’s pop culture history, Retro City Rampage will be one of the best gifts you can give yourself or someone else who’s going to appreciate the megaton count of in-jokes, references and completely off the wall humor the game delivers. The first five minutes will have you hooked, but the amazing thing about RCR is how much it crams into each cut scene and the resulting gameplay chaos that often ensues from the act of merely trying to progress in the often hilarious story mode.

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EDF 2017 Portable Pre-Orders Are Go!

EDF_2017P_neweggPopular online retailer Newegg seems to have been the first shop to post pre-order info for D3Publisher’s upcoming Vita blast-fest, so here you go: click HERE to pre-order the game if you’re in the USA. As you’ll see in my review of the import version, the game is indeed awesome stuff and definitely one of the better games on Sony’s handheld. As there’s been a patch done for the Japanese version that tweaks and adds a few things, I’ll be giving the English version an all-new review once it ships out, so drop back in sometime in February for updated impressions.

Dark Souls II Announced For PS3, 360, PC (It’s Not Next-Gen Time Just Yet, Kids)…

Ban_Nam_logoNow, THIS is good news: From Software is hard at work cooking up a follow-up to its popular hardcore action/RPG/horror hybrid Dark Souls. The just announced sequel has no release date and no screen shots so far, but this is absolutely great news for those who enjoyed the last game as well as the outstanding Demon’s Souls on the PS3. 

According to the press release:

“Dark Souls II retains the core essence of Dark Souls while evolving to present new twists and challenges that are sure to please longtime fans and attract new comers to the series,” says Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “FromSoftware is going to take a very dark path with Dark Souls II; players will need to look deep within themselves to see if they have the intestinal fortitude to embark on this journey.” 

“This new chapter in the Dark Souls saga presents opportunities for us to drive innovation in gameplay design, develop an entirely new story, and expand the scope of the world in which the player interacts with the game. We have taken these necessary steps with Dark Souls II in order to evolve the overall experience of the Dark Souls series,” says Tomohiro Shibuya, FromSoftware Director on Dark Souls II. 

“The entire development team is striving to make Dark Souls II an experience that is fresh while not forsaking its roots in presenting players with challenging gameplay. Our goal is to surprise and delight our fans with new experiences and plot twists while enticing new players to join our dark journey.”

Well, that sounds like a dare, a bet and a plan all rolled up into one tasty, deadly treat. If I HAD to guess about a release date, I’d probably say sometime about a year from now… but don’t hold me to that at all.

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD Is Vita Bound – That’s A Buy Right There, Folks…

Excellent. In case you missed it back on the original Xbox and last year, on the PS3 as a PSN download, well, here you go. Oddworld Inhabitants is getting Stranger’s Wrath out on Sony’s portable and I say it’s a buy because it’s still one of the best games you’ll ever play thanks to its innovative gameplay elements combining FPS and third-person action/platforming) along with a strong story that’s funny and touching. Oh yeah, and that Stranger is quite a likable fellow for being a bounty hunter and all. And the game is pretty darn long for what it is. And it sure looks mighty pretty in HD. And a whole lot more “ands” too. Keep an eye peeled for it soon enough…

Sony’s Holiday Strategy Seems To Be Go All Nintendo On Its Fan Base…

I wasn’t going to say anything snarky initially, but I overheard a hilarious conversation yesterday that definitely kick-started this post. Basically three kids were arguing about Sony “copying” Nintendo’s hugely popular Mario Kart games with Little Big Planet Karting (above) and the Super Smash Bros. series with PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale (below). Granted, if you actually play the games you’ll see that both do certain key things differently, but on the surface, yup – shameless, aren’t they? I had to laugh because while they all were wrong in that way kids who no not a thing about how games are made are, a few nails were indeed hit on the head. Granted, Sony’s other first party stuff has been pretty solid and there’s more greatness to come in 2013. But for this brief, not so shining moment, the Nintendo fanboys and girls out there actually have a genuine gripe that can’t be easily brushed away. Well, at least the two games are good*, so that saves them from a bit of the batting about they’re getting in some corners of the internet…

*”Good” being entirely objective term, as we all know Mario Kart is the gold standard here.  LBPK is a wee bit problematic on a few fronts, but the driving and blowing stuff up works OK.