Treasure Game is Coming Back!

Posted on June 11, 2014 by geelw

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light was a refreshingly retro surprise back in 2010 (it was one of the better downloadable console games of that year, in fact), packing everyone’s favorite Tomb Raider into a fast-paced action adventure with an isometric viewpoint, co-op play and plenty of challenge. Developer Crystal Dynamics has finally revealed the sequel, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris and it’s looking quite lovely indeed. Well, “lovely” in that “Holy crap, this game is TOUGH” manner in which you’re smiling while you’re playing it solo before calling up to three other friends to come over and give you a hand. My issue with this one is the same as the original: digital ONLY (boo!) and not available on the PlayStation Vita. of course, As this will run on the PS4, it would be nice to see some sort of cross-play feature on board just so publisher Square Enix could make a few more bucks, but I guess we’ll see what happens. I’m actually surprised this is ONLY for next-gen, as I can imagine those millions of PS3 and Xbox 360 owners out there who haven’t made the move to new consoles yet would love to spend some money on this one and more time with Ms. Croft and her new traveling companions. But what do I know? I’ve only been playing games since dirt was new…

E3 2014: Dragon Age Inquisition Gallery: Hold Your Jaw Up Before Viewing…

Posted on June 11, 2014 by geelw

Oh, the places you’ll go and the people you’ll meet in BioWare’s upcoming Dragon Age sequel. I’d gather that no matter which platform you’re buying this for, you’ll be treated to some wider open spaces and more overall freedom to explore, some great combat and of course, a memorable story with characters you’ll love, hate and love to hate.

No doubt, there’s also the pesky business of DLC from day one and onward, the bane of those gamers who don’t have a decent broadband connection at home and want to play this with every single bit of content. I suppose folks like that can wait for the inevitable Game of the Year or whatever it’s going to get called reissue to get them all that content at a cheaper price, but even that’s not guaranteed these days, as it seems even some reissues demand an online connection to redeem SOMETHING or just to get some information about who’s playing. Anyway, you can get your fix soon enough, as Dragon Age Inquisition will be in stores on October 7, 2014.

Back with more images to pore over in a bit…

E3 2014: Bloodborne: FromSoftware Shakes It Up With A Mighty, Grim PS4 Exclusive…

Posted on June 10, 2014 by geelw

Too much stuff to cover means you get bits and pieces of what I find cool, so here’s the amazing teaser trailer from FromSoftware’s upcoming Bloodborne, a PlayStation 4 exclusive that looks pretty unsettling and surprised a lot of gamers who thought the veteran developer would immediately get to work on next-gen versions of Dark Souls for Sony and Microsoft. Nope. I figured the team wanted a break from that dark, grimy series, so this dark, grimy and gorier-looking game with gameplay that’s yet to be unveiled is next up on their plate. I’m holding my breath for screens and gameplay videos and I know SCEA will make me come up for air to download them when they’re ready. I think it’s time to get that PS4 if you haven’t yet…

E3 2014: No Man’s Sky: Take To The Stars And Explore In This Stunning Sci-Fi Soon To Be Smash…

Posted on June 10, 2014 by geelw

Hello Games, you just made E3 much better. No Man’s Sky, initially set for a PS4 and PC release, looks absolutely phenomenal and what’s even more amazing is the small developer (less than ten people made this!) almost lost their baby entirely to flooded offices last year. As you can see below, the game is looking as if that flood never, ever occurred:

Given that the last game I played with seamless transitions from first-person gameplay to piloting a spaceship was the interesting but still questionable Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, this game is a complete revelation as to what an indie team with bigger goals can accomplish. No Man’s Sky truly looks like concept art come to life and if anyone else is getting a serious Ralph McQuarrie vibe (to me, THE late master of sci-fi film concept art thanks to his work on the original Star Wars films) , I’d bet they’re on the right track as to one of the dev team’s influences… Continue reading →

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!

E3 2014: Of COURSE Grand Theft Auto V Was Coming To PS4, Xbox One & PC. Who Didn’t Think It Wasn’t?

Posted on June 10, 2014 by geelw

Seriously. Rockstar Games isn’t stupid, folks. The figured out a while back that getting Grand Theft Auto V onto next-gen consoles and up to spec and then some computers was a no-brainer a while back and those who doubted them because they weren’t trumpeting that fact out into the wild from day one haven’t figured out how this silly games business works. Anyway, this versions packing lots of heat as it includes enhancements to the already impressive game world that include new wildlife, upgraded weather and damage effects, and more. New multiplayer content will also be part of the game as well as the ability for gamers with Grand Theft Auto Online saves to transfer characters and game progression to this version. Expect this one to rake in a few million more sales and possibly move some consoles this fall and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions drop a bit in price as the inevitable Game of the Year version most likely gets announced at some point sooner than later…

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…

E3 2014: Star Wars Battlefront: DICE Is Still Working Away On A Guaranteed Winner…

Posted on June 9, 2014 by geelw

Yeah, that classic John Williams music got me as well, as did all the work in progress footage that’s way too early, but looks fantastic. Every gamer drooling over this one seems to be holding out for 60fps, but I’m not sure that’s possible with the multiplayer modes in this one. I’ll take a rock-solid 30 with no pop-in or other annoyances, the best visuals the developer can bring to the table, a solo offline mode and whatever multiplayer madness they can add to the mix, thank you much. Of course, I’m a patient guy, so that nebulous Spring 2015 teased at the end can creep up on me and I won’t bat an eyelash. I suppose I could just get myself frozen in carbonite until then, but then someone would forget to thaw me out and I’d miss more than this game when it finally ships…