Tag Archives: Screenshots

He-Man: Chillingo and GlitchSoft’s iOS Platformer Has The Power!

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Say what you will about tablet and device games (or the devices themselves as gaming platforms), but once in a while you get to see something that’s just plain flat-out awesome enough to make you want to change your mind completely.  For me, that would be EA and Chillingo’s spectacular He-Man: The Most Powerful Game in the Universe, a classic side scrolling action game from GlitchSoft that’s going to shock many with how good it is. Despite being developed in a relatively brief time (it was started a few months ago), the dev team has managed to make a game that looks fantastic (you really have to see it in motion in person to appreciate this) and has a great sense of humor about itself while being a blast of nostalgia older games can enjoy with their kids as they introduce the character and his friends to a new generation of gamers…

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Gallery: Dokuro – GungHo’s PS Vita Puzzle/Platformer Looks Like A Winner…

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GungHo! Online Entertainment is embracing the PlayStation Vita full force with a pair of very promising game releases in 2012 – here’s the first of the company’s small but very cool lineup for Sony’s handheld. Dokuro is a hybrid platformer with a unique, gorgeous visual style and gameplay that should make fans of the genre sit up and take notice. In the game, players will take on the role of Dokuro, a lowly skeleton in service to a Dark Lord who decided to free a princess kidnapped by his master.  As the princess can’t see him, Dokuro needs to help her in some way before her fate is sealed. Our bony would-be savior finds a potion that can change him into a handsome prince the princess can see, and the gameplay revolves around Dokuro switching back and forth between forms to aid the princess as she makes her way to freedom.

Platformer, puzzle and combat elements are all part of the game and with almost 150 levels to complete, GungHo estimates between 20-30 hours of play time, making the $19.99 price a bargain in my book. Check out the screens below and set your calendars for October 16, 2012 when Dokuro makes its debut exclusively on PSN. As for that other game… well, it’s a no-brainer Action/RPG purchase called Ragnarok Odyssey – more on that one in a bit…

Random Unfinished Indie Game of the Week: DOOM RPG: Evil Unleashed

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Even if you’re not a fan of turn-based RPGs, DOOM RPG: Evil Unleashed should be on your list of games to play before you’re worm food. Why? Well, between the intentionally retro visuals, great use of music (from a few sources) and reworked art assets from the original game and a solid level of difficulty, the game is a pretty nice surprise that will eat up your free time. Created by thespazztikone in the nicely versatile open-source game engine O.H.R.RPG.C.E. (Official Hamster Republic Role Playing Game Construction Engine!) and hopefully going to get polished up a bit more and updated with more episodes, the game hooks you in right away with a surprising amount of voice acting and a nice, slow buildup to the actual gameplay. Once you get into the combat and hear that familiar level end tune when you’re victorious, expect a grin to spread as the hours fly by.

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Gallery: Valhalla Knights 3 (PS Vita) – Could This RPG Sequel Be The Best Of The Series?

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I really thought this RPG series was gone for good after the flawed open world Eldar Saga on the Wii, but it looks as if Marvelous AQL is giving it a new go on the Vita with Valhalla Knights 3… in Japan at least. If you can read Japanese, definitely check out the official site for info on the game, which is still a work in progress, but expected to be released sometime in 2013.  These screens look fine to me, showing off decent draw distance and some generic, but otherwise nice looking fantasy characters and environments.

My bet is if it’s good and what looking like a multiplayer component for up to six (or is that seven ?) players runs smoothly, we could see it hit North America at some point. Granted, that all revolves on the game being marketable here, as some gamers only have long memories when it comes to bad reviews. I’ve liked many aspects of the Valhalla Knights games so far, but hope AQL can pull it together with 3 and make something that feels complete in every area. If they do, I’s gather Xseed will be the ones to tackle the localization and publishing chores, as they’ve handled the other titles that have arrived in the US. More updates to come…

    

Gallery: Brothers – A Tale of Two Sons

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OK, a mere six early screenshots isn’t much, but the gorgeous teaser video above for Brothers – A Tale of Two Sons makes up for that, I’d say. After a long time away doing quality shooters set in gritty modern and futuristic locations, Uppsala, Sweden-based developer Starbreeze Studios is headed back into the more fantasy-themed worlds they started out making. Granted, their very first game, Knights of the Temple: Infernal Crusade (PC, Xbox, PS2 and Game Cube) took place in a gritty medieval setting, but their second game, Enclave (Xbox) was set in some a pretty interesting (and yes, gritty) locations. This new game, set to hit PSN, Xbox Live Arcade and Steam in 2013 has a richer, more stylized look to it that recalls a tiny bit of the Fable series but with more of Starbreeze’s technical polish. Unreal-powered loveliness aside,  I’ll need to get my grubby (or is that gritty?) paws on a build for some hands-on time. 505 Games has been good about letting me know when they’re in the city (playing a demo of Naughty Bear: Panic in Paradise was a highlight of last month for me), so I’m expecting a little bird at my window when they’re ready to show off their new baby.  I can’t wait…

Edit: I had a R.J. McReady monent there, heh (+5 points if you get that joke)- Starbreeze isn’t Finnish, but they’re based out of Sweden. Oops!

Random Indie Game of the Week: Knights of the Chalice

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OK, another case of me being late to the party, but even so, here’s another RPG you’ll probably fall head over heels for. Knights of the Chalice comes highly recommended if you’re a fan of old-school top-down RPG bliss, anything Dungeons & Dragons related and well crafted, severely challenging games in general. While it’s not a free game, you can download the wickedly cool (and hard) demo and decide if it’s worth the £14.95 (approximately $24.15 US) – I’d say it is and then some, but I’m still playing the demo! Actually, I’ll probably pick this up once I whittle down the pile of games I have to review. I don’t want to buy it now and be tempted to start up another game that’s going to eat up what’s left of my free time…

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Dragon’s Dogma Gets New Content in 2012, Dark Arisen Coming in 2013

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Excellent. Not only does one of my my favorite action/RPGs of 2012 get new content this year that includes Speedrun and Hard difficulty modes, we’re all getting a new installment in the franchise in 2013 called Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen. Now, THAT deserves an exclamation point! Lovely. Three measly screens, though… C’mon Capcom! Tease! Anyway, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen looks like it’s going to keep me even busier. and YOU, too if you were a fan of the first game. More details to follow shortly… or when Capcom drops them in my inbox.

 

Lost Planet 3 Hands-On: Spark Unlimited Gets Things Back To (Better) Basics

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Prequels are a risky undertaking for any developer, especially one that’s coming into a series that suffered from a bumpy second installment. While it looked absolutely incredible, Lost Planet 2 was a nightmare for solo players and even with up to four live players tackling the near completely plot-free campaign, the core gameplay had too many flaws to be fully enjoyable. Spark Unlimited (taking over from Capcom’s internal studio) has been working hard for the past 2 1/2 years on Lost Planet 3 and as a recent demo build proved, the developer is showing off their best, most polished work to date. While it’s usually impossible to gauge how the final retail code for any game will be based on a demo, after playing through it and watching others play, it’s clear that the team at Spark is cooking up a blend of excellently done cinematic storytelling and solid gameplay that so far, manages to be equal parts thrilling and extremely well paced.

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Review: Brave The Video Game (NDS)

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Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Behaviour Interactive, Inc.

Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site

Score: B- (75%)

While not perfect, with Brave: The Video Game for the Nintendo DS, Behaviour Interactive has managed to bring the familiar fun of plenty of great action platform games from the past. While the portable version is skewed a bit more to younger gamers than the console ones are (don’t let that E 10+ rating fool you), there’s a decent amount of fun to be had with all the sword swinging, bow shooting, platforming and super to mildly simple puzzle solving.  If you’re able to get over the otherwise fine PSOne-era visuals, occasional AI silliness and some jumping issues a better camera angle would have helped fix, you’ll find this to be a nice (albeit brief) diversion if you’ve got a few hours to kill.

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Review: Brave: The Video Game (PS3)

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Platform: PS3 (Also on Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii)

Developer: Behaviour Interactive, Inc.

Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios

# of Players: 1 – 2

ESRB Rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10 +)

Official Site

Score: B (80%)

A fast-paced hack & slash for the younger set with a nice arcade feel, Disney/Pixar’s Brave: The Video Game manages to overcome a few of the issues that plague most movie games that try too hard (or don’t try hard enough) to be fun to play. While not the longest kid-friendly (or preteen friendly, if you go by the E 10+ rating) licensed game out there, the simple pick up and play controls, optional two-player co-op mode, PlayStation Move mini-games and constant action keeps things from dragging after the initial tutorial stage. A few technical issues and a bit of repetition in some brief cut scenes mar the experience, but overall, this is one of those games that anyone can hop into and play and have a blast while doing so.

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