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: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Extended Trailer: Keifer Of The Flame, I’d Say…

Posted on June 12, 2014 by geelw

Jack Bauer as Big Boss didn’t thrill me much when I first heard the news, but Keifer Sutherland has acquitted himself quite nicely here, although I know the David Hayter fans are cringing and shaking whatever they have handy at the screen. Well, this latest Hideo Kojima and company (Kojima Productions, of course) epic looks to be the best 3D game in the franchise to date, adding a huge open world and I’d imagine the options for no two people to play the game exactly the same. as usual, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will be cinematic and lengthy and denser than a year old loaf of Bisquick bread, but that’s Kojima’s style in action. You may end up watching more than you play at some points, but if you’re into it, you’ll end up playing more and taking notes because of all the stuff he’s dropping on your noggin.

As noted earlier, that FOX Engine is masterful across the board, so every version of the game will look amazing. I also see that the amount of mature content, blood and gore here means this one’s not for the kiddies at all, not that there was ever a Metal Gear Solid game made for anyone under 18 if you think about it. Okay, some would argue MGS: Ghost Babel on the Game Boy Color isn’t “mature” thanks to its visuals, but I’m not here to argue (*punt!*). Anyway, The Phantom Pain is coming.

E3 2014: Grim Fandango is Coming BACK? Commence The Room Running Around And Joy Squealing!

Posted on June 12, 2014 by geelw

Wow. Like a good deal of old adventure game fans, I believe 1998’s Grim Fandango is one of the best games ever made in that genre. It’s been one of those most requested titles on sites that carry well-aged classic games and abandonware, but thanks to all sorts of copyright and other issues, the ONLY way to get this legally was to shell out a premium for a disc version and hope a newer PC could run it. Now, thanks to Double Fine Studios and 2 Player Productions and some wrangling with Disney on the rights front and Sony on the money front, it’s coming back as a complete remake for the PlayStation 4 and Vita with the possibility of other platforms later. Yep, this news got me yelping and spinning in my chair for a bit, so the meter has been set to “whenever it’s done!” and the wait begins for more info. This one’s a legend that I think more people have claimed to play than have actually played it (or they just never paid a dime for theirs), so it will be interesting to see how well this one does once it’s complete. I say it’ll be a big hit because everything great said about it is true and then some. I can’t wait…

E3 2014: Kingdom Under Fire II: Blueside’s RTS/MMO Hybrid Fights for Mass Appeal On The PS4

Posted on June 12, 2014 by geelw

Well, holy hell, it’s been a LONG while since I even thought of Kingdom Under Fire, so this new trailer for the upcoming PS4 game, Kingdom Under Fire II kind of knocked me back on my butt. Developer Blueside seems to be taking their PC MMO/RTS and bringing it to the PS4 with the ability to play solo (and hopefully offline, like the previous games in the series) and if they can manage a lengthy campaign and multiple characters like the other installments, genre fans will have a new best buddy for as long as it takes to play through each character’s lengthy campaign. Another one to keep an eyeball peeled on means I need a fresh bag of eyeballs… again. More on this one soon!

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.