Carnage Heart EXA Set To Mech Up Your PSP or Vita Tomorrow…

Posted on March 18, 2013 by geelw

CH_EXA_square Natsume and Artdink have a nice and challenging little treat for you if you happen to have a PSP or Vita in your hot little hands. Carnage Heart EXA will be hitting PSN tomorrow and promises to be a pretty deep and engaging experience for all comers. Packing in loads of customizable mechs and the ability to “program” their moves for real-time battles is cool enough, but CHEXA also offers direct control for those gamers who want a bit more action as well as wi-fi play for that versus action you’re craving. Of course, there’s a Story mode to play through for you solo play junkies reading this, but it seems the game will find a nicely sized audience among online and offline mech-heads in the mood for something unique.

I believe I’ll reviewing this at some point before the month is out. I was planning to dig out my PSOne and copy of the original Carnage Heart to see if I was a terrible as I recall, but I haven’t had the chance to do so what with so many other things happening. This is probably a good thing, as this newer game seems to be a bit more user friendly yet still as tough if you go in unprepared.

KILLER IS DEAD: Xseed Teases Voices You’ll Hear in Your Head Down the Road…

Posted on March 18, 2013 by geelw

Ha- Xseed Games is really just showing off here, now that they’ve got a nice voice cast lined up for Suda 51 and Grasshopper Manufacture’s upcoming PS3/Xbox 360 action game, KILLER IS DEAD. Despite all the stylized blood spraying all over, I’m betting the farm this is one more love story from Suda, just like the last few games he’s made. As I’ve said previously, the man is a romantic at heart with a really bizarre sense of humor and a love for putting whatever is in his head into the games he cooks up. That’s fine by me, as playing a Grasshopper game is like going to the world’s most innnnnnnteresting amusement park that just so happens to have the strangest arcade you’ll ever step inside. Which is a very good thing indeed, by the way…

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct Launch Trailer: Hopefully, Reality Isn’t Terminal for This One…

Posted on March 18, 2013 by geelw

Hmmm. Usually, I get wind of a review copy at some point before a game ships out, but Activision’s PR has been quiet thus far. I probably should be worried, but I’m not (well… not too much). I actually read some silly post on YouTube that siad because the game was retailing for $49.99 ($10 less than a triple-A title), it was a bad sign. Duh… what? That’s just DUMB, period. Lesson of the day: Price is in NO way an indication of a game’s quality and if you think spending MORE money means you get better entertainment value for that extra cash, you need your head examined (by an actual zombie). That and hell, Telltale Games, 2K Sports, and a few busloads of indie developers out there who get out budget-priced (or free games, in the case of some great indies) just might want to tap you on the shoulder at the same time and make you fall over like Fred Flintstone’s car with a tray of bronto ribs placed on the side. Yeesh.

Anyway, I guess I’ll wait around and see what’s up with the reviews, but I have the feeling this one is headed for the collection here at some point once there’s a decent price drop. Hey, no matter what the critics say, pretty much any game with zombies in it is fun, warts and all…

Making of Defiance (7): Amanda & Kenya (And The Places They’ll Take You)…

Posted on March 16, 2013 by geelw

Fans of Showtime’s Dexter and a few other shows she’s been in will recognize Julie Benz from her great work and it looks as if the streak will continue in Defiance. The upcoming syfy series launches eleven days after the PC/PS3/Xbox 360 game tie-in hits, so there will hopefully be enough people playing or hearing about the game to generate a wave of interest in the series. The big fat elephant in the room is quality, but so far, the show and game seem to have it in spades. As always, we shall see… but I say give this one a chance for a season and see where it takes you.

BioShock Infinite: Some Questions Answered And Mysteries Solved For Your Curiosity…

Posted on March 16, 2013 by geelw

Will BioShock Infinite be as well-received as the original? Will we see so many ads for the game that 2K Games breaks some sort of record for spending on a single title? Will Ken Levine ever give a boring interview? All signs point to “yes” or “no”, as my crystal ball is busted and I’ve been called a False Shepard before. Eh, whatever – I’ll be playing this at some point and know I’m going to enjoy it no matter what the jaded flies on the wall say. As for ken and interviews, well… THIS one at BAFTA certainly isn’t dull at all:

Anyway, March 26 is rolling up REALLY quickly and I’m betting a few people call in dead from work just to spend some quality time buried in the story, characters and gameplay Irrational has cooked up…

BUY THIS GAME! Amanita Design’s Machinarium Headed to PS Vita March 26

Posted on March 16, 2013 by geelw

One of the most unique-looking and fun indie adventure/puzzle games from a few years back is finally Vita-bound for an excellent price later this month. Amanita Design’s Machinarium is coming on March 26, 2013 for a paltry $6.99 and it’s actually greatly enhanced over the previously released PSN version. A reworked control scheme allows analog sticks or touchscreen movement, a new zoom function allows you to see things a bit closer (the artwork is so intricately detailed that this is a necessity), and PSn leaderboards have been added so you can check your times and mini-game scores against players from all over. Another must-buy indie game for Sony’s handheld? Sure, I’ll take it if it’s one as good as this…

Saint’s Row IV Trailer: Volition and Deep Silver Make Sure It’s More of What You Want…

Posted on March 15, 2013 by geelw

Mmmmhmmm? OK. That’s sorted out, isn’t it? I certainly think so. Well then, if there were ANY doubts that Deep Silver’s purchase of Volition was going to mean a different direction for the fan favorite franchise, well… here’s proof that the more things change, the crazier they get at the end of the day. More outrageous and DEFINITELY not for the kiddies open world action, goofball weapons, super powers (!) and too much weirdness guaranteed to make any fan fall off the couch and bust a gut twice. OK, let’s move on now that we know all is well. Now, about Summoner III (which NEEDS to be made, grrrr. Letting that go unsold at the THQ auction was a huge mistake that needs to be rectified, I say…)

GRID 2 WSR (Part 1): Driving Near-Miss Daze-y…

Posted on March 15, 2013 by geelw

Ha and har. OK, bad pun (that I changed because I was a wee bit pooped out when I write this post originally) aside, Codemasters is on point with GRID 2 so far and despite the screeches and crunching from fans demanding a dashboard view or else, it looks as if the game should do fine without it. Granted, there are some powerful PC’s that can run other games out there with full dashboard cams going a a billion frames per second or whatever, but I guess we’ll see what the Codies can do on next-gen console hardware to satisfy those folks who want that in-car viewpoint. I think it can be done and having the option is always cool even if it’s never used by the bulk of casual to regular race fans that dislike it. As always… we shall see…

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct: A Bit of Behind the Scenes With Merle & Daryl…

Posted on March 15, 2013 by geelw

No, today isn’t National Zombie Day or anything like that, folks. I just go scooting through my inbox as stuff rolls in and post the fun stuff. Today just so happens to have a LOT of undead in games news. Must be a Friday thing or something… Anyway, here’s a new look at Terminal Reality’s upcoming shooter set in The Walking Dead world. I like the gritty look of the game and some of that visceral action you’d expect from an undead-rekilling game. In a weird way, this one reminds me of BrainBox’ interesting but flawed Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler’s Green, a FPS that had a few problems, but was actually pretty damn scary and compelling once you got past its weak points. We’ll see what’s what with Merle and Daryl’s gory adventure soon enough when The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct ships out for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC March 19, 2013.

Lone Survivor Headed to PS3 & Vita. Lock Yourself In, There’s Trouble All Around…

Posted on March 14, 2013 by geelw

I actually hadn’t heard of Lone Survivor until a friend raved about the PC version a little while back. But I’ve just been way to busy to get to the ton of indie games I already have and pushed this one to the back burner. Now, I have a reason to give it a try, as the game is headed to the PS3 and Vita this summer courtesy of superflat games (which is Jasper Byrne) with an assist from London-based studio, Curve (which is a few more people). The game is a retro-looking but decidedly modern survival horror game that can be played in almost any way a player chooses. You can complete the game without firing a shot or go all out and try to dispatch every undead thing you come across. However, your character’s mental state is a bit off (possibly from hunger, thirst and/or lack of rest) and not everything is as it seems. Innnnnteresting, to say the least and given Byrne’s complete love for Sony’s console and handheld, PS3 and Vita owners can expect some nice changes to the game that include Trophies, Cross-Buy and Cross-Play support plus MORE. What’s MORE you ask? Ha! That trick NEVER works here, kids. You’ll see if you click on this PlayStation Blog post…