Avadon 2: The Corruption Is Out Now. You May Not See The Great Outdoors ‘Til Spring…

Posted on November 4, 2013 by geelw

*Sigh* Whenever a new Spiderweb Software RPG arrives on the scene, I have to flip a coin and decide whether or not to buy it on the spot or finish the last few games I’ve fired up first. I’m definitely not complaining about anything IN the games, mind you. They just take a huge amount of time to play and complete thanks to so much choice in how you get through them. Sure, you graphics ho’s are winching at the visuals and lack of bumpy-shiny Havok or other 3D engine flash not happening here, but I say knock it off and show some respect for a game that manages to be a compelling experience for MORE than its visuals. That and hand-drawn/painted tile art and characters like this just have a certain nostalgic charm to them that makes each new game a visual treat in its own right. Anyway, feel free to try out that big and FREE demo of Avadon 2: The Corruption, carve out some time on your calendar with a big sharp knife and get to buying it if you like what you’ve played. I’ll be doing that as well at some point – I think I’ll need to clean up my own hard drive before I download anything, as I’m running out of room fast…

Dementium II HD: Small Scale Horror Goes Bigger (And Scarier) On Steam…

Posted on November 2, 2013 by geelw

Well, well… I’d heard a PC version of Renegade Kid’s Nintendo DS game was in the works for some time, but I’d forgotten all about it until I saw news of the game on another site. Here’s the trailer for Dementium II HD, set for a Steam launch on December 17. If you haven’t run off to change your underwear yet, you’ll want to know that DII is a very creepy first-person horror game that combines exploration, adventure and combat elements in a single player experience bound to creep you out of whatever chair you’re sitting in and under it for a spell. Nope, it’s not using ANY of the original Nintendo DS assets, silly – that would be scarier than the game seeing that sort of stuff happen.

If you’ve played the original you can clearly see that developer Memetic Games has taken Renegade Kid’s original game and redone it from the ground up, adding some Steam-specific content in the process. It would be lovely to see this creepy gen get MORE press, as the DS game got a tiny print run and seems to be tough to come by these days. Nevertheless, I’m betting once genre fans find out this exists (or will exist in less than two months), they’ll be beating a path to their computers to grab a copy. Actually doing so NOW will net you a nice discount of 35% off the already cheap $14.99 list price. That’s a measly $9.74 if you’re lousy at math (or can’t find that Calculator on your computer). OK, my good deed is done for the evening ladies and germs… good night and have the rest of a super Saturday.

Or ELSE… Mua-ha-ha-ha-haaaa.

Sniper Elite Nazi Zombie Army 2: Your Next “Horror Movie/FPS” Is Here…

Posted on November 1, 2013 by geelw

Sure, Activision and Treyarch did the Zombie Nazi thing first as a Call of Duty bonus, but in my opinion, Rebellion is doing it better thanks to the much more realistically violent Sniper Elite V2 engine and its not for the kiddies gore. The first NZA was a nicely nasty surprise (and pretty damn scary when it needed to be) and the just released Sniper Elite Nazi Zombie Army 2 is bringing the pain (wait, can undead even feel pain? Nope? Oops…) in what’s looking like an even better experience. The developer has even gone and posted two live gameplay videos on YouTube (one yesterday and another today) you can check out if this one seems up your alley. Hey, it’s better (and a LOT more interactive) than digging out those musty old VHS copies of Shock Waves and The Keep, right?

Yes, I know Nazi zombies getting filled full of lead (well, actually… that lead is passing through their bodies from what I’ve seen) isn’t for ALL tastes. But the appeal for me is seeing this dev team do such great work on a few fronts and yes, keep the whole “zombies in games” flame alive just a bit longer. It’s so played out that it’s gotten predictable to a fault, but the best zombie games seem to be the ones that go for the expected gore (although a tip of the head goes to the Plants vs. Zombies folks for making the words “cute” and “undead” work perfectly…

The Typing of the Dead Overkill Now On Steam: Shaky Hands May Actually Help…

Posted on October 30, 2013 by geelw

…and some really BIG keys to type on if you’re really a scaredy-cat. Granted, Sega’s hilarious offshoot of it’s popular classic arcade game series is more fun to play for fast typists with nerves of steel who aren’t squeamish about a bit of digital blood and guts, but the game is fun no matter what your typing skills. Now, I’m from the two-to-three finger school myself (using more makes my hands confused because they all want to hit the same keys (stupid fingers!), but I’ve played the classic Sega Dreamcast game The Typing of the Dead with my untaught tapping skills and did pretty darn well.

Anyway, this gory great little game is on sale NOW through Steam for a measly $9.99 and yes, comes highly recommended if you’re camping out at home on Halloween and want something different to do besides the usual scaring the crap out of kids stalking your doorway for candy. Of course, in a perfect world, parents would get this game for their kids and keep them at home where it’s nice and warm, but hey – you can’t stop those little monsters from wanting to go on the prowl for free treats on NON-holidays, so I guess tradition wins in the end…

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Out NOW On Steam AND GOG.com!

Posted on October 29, 2013 by geelw

I think I’ve written MORE about Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut more than anyone else this year, so I can do this with my eyes stapled shut. Er, NOT type this post with my eyelids, as I’d be in enough pain already and please, I’d want to sanitize my keyboard first, you know. Anyway, Swery 65’s horror/adventure sleeper finally arrives on PC via Steam and (this just in!) gog.com, both at 10% off the $24.99 price for a LIMITED time with a ton of excellent Steam or gog.com exclusive content.

If you’re new to the DP experience, DON’T go in expecting it to look like some uber next-gen game (the resolution is higher, but your new 3D card won’t be taxed much pumping out those graphics) or blow you away with action straight from a non-stop FPS. DO expect a surreal, highly stylized game that surprises at many turns while being deeper on some levels you won’t even see coming (well, provided you didn’t scour the internet for hints and spoilers). This one’s strangely addictive and thanks to the included DLC, you’ll be spending many hours in Greenvale as York while enjoying that FK in your coffee. “Whatever the heck is FK?” You ask? Well, dear readers… you’ll need to play the game to find out. So go do just that, I say…

The Dark Eye: Demonicon Launch Trailer – It’s Not Fellini, But RPG Fans Should Be Pleased…

Posted on October 25, 2013 by geelw

While I haven’t played a game in this long-running RPG series in a few years (that would be Drakensang in case you’re asking or even if you’re not and just curious), The Dark Eye: Demonicon looks like something I’d enjoy on a certain level. Sure, I’m not expecting perfection nor a game that’s going to be some sort of instant candidate for a “best of” list at all. But if it’s challenging, has a halfway decent story and a few likable characters, I’m all in for the ride. This one’s out now as a digital download, but I see that consoles are listed on the game’s official site. Hopefully this means the game will be headed to the US at some point in an easier to access for some folks disc form. Hey, not everyone can get into the wonders of the invisible media age as much as these developers and publishers think, wish and want them too.

It’s Geralt of Riva’s Birthday! What Did YOU Get Him?

Posted on October 25, 2013 by geelw

Okay, okay… some you may not have heard of Polish developer CD Projekt RED or their outstanding The Witcher series of games, but those who know what the heck I’m talking about get to ogle that art above and funny infographic below with a nod and a smile.

If you’re not a fan and that info has piqued your curiosity, feel free to do the clicky-clicky thing with your mouse and read on for some press release action on why six years is so important for Geralt and his future (which is looking quite bright indeed)…

And oh, yeah… I go him a nice pair of socks, as I think they weren’t invented back then and it gets COLD in those medieval fantasy winters! Continue reading →

WIN Free Stuff! Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut – Ultimate Edition GET!

Posted on October 19, 2013 by geelw

SOME of you readers are smart. REALLY smart. And fast, too. As in less than five minutes after I posted that I was planning give away PSN codes for Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut – Ultimate Edition, I got two requests. Smart people get PAID. Well, in free game codes that is. Ask me for money and you’ll get a big hoot of a laugh and a hearty handclasp for your troubles.

That said, I now have ONE code left, so if you have a US PSN account (this code is ONLY VALID IN THE US!) and a PlayStation 3 (of course), well… let’s keep it simple. First one to post a reply below with a valid email address gets it. I’d just post the code and let you all have at it, but that’s always sucky if someone grabs the code first planning to redeem it later and finds out it’s been used.

Anyway, if you’re STILL reading this, stop and post a response! You MUST be interested if you’ve read THIS far, right?

Surprise! Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Ultimate Edition Hits PSN!

Posted on October 18, 2013 by geelw

EDIT: It was TUESDAY when this dropped on PSN (Oops! Thanks David Bruno! Hey, I was THAT shocked by this news that I forgot to check!)

“Wait, Whaaaaat?“ was my first response to this rather sudden news and after I found my face (it popped off and rolled under a table), I had to do a few double-takes and check the calendar to make sure it wasn’t April 1st again. Anyway, Rising Star Games and developer Access games have been keeping this a huge secret until this week, but if you’re a PS3 owner jealous of your PC gaming pals getting that lovely Steam version of Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut this Halloween (well, this October 29th to be more precise), now you can stop being that jealous git and do some fancy dancin’ of your own around the room (go put some pants on first, though – i can see you through that monitor or other device, y’know).

As for what’s IN that Ultimate Edition? Well, look down and find out! No, not down THERE, silly – on your screen:

Included with Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Ultimate Edition:

Espresso Suit – Tolerance to Hunger and Tiredness x3
Field-Ops Suit – Increase HP and Attack Power x3
High Roller Suit – Money Rewards x3
Happy Songkran Suit – Money Rewards x3
Special-Ops Suit – Increase HP and Attack Power x2 – Tolerance to Hunger and Tiredness x2 – Money Rewards x2
Catgirl Outfit – Character skin only
Friday Night Outfit – Character skin only
The Blue GT – Enhanced Handling
The Devil’s Red – Increased max speed and faster acceleration
The Green Drifter – Expert car, drifting capabilities
Chibi Chibi Bang Bang – Vehicle skin only
Greenvale Real Estate – Take up roots, rest, and recover from the comfort of your new home in Greenvale!

Sure, that PC version has additional enhancements over this one, but that’s showbiz, kids. Anyway, like the retail version of DPTDC, the Ultimate Edition will set you back a mere $29.99 on PSN and comes highly recommended if you’re a big SWERY65 fan who wants MORE DP and FK in that coffee or it’ll make a great digital gift for a fellow PS3 owner you know who STILL hasn’t been to Greenvale.

And if you’re an PS3 and/or PC AND happen to own an iPad, you NEED the awesome Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut Visual Companion, now available on iTunes for a mere $9.99. 350 pages of art, notes and other fine stuff about the game that’s currently available nowhere else (unless you happen to kidnap Swery and make him tell you everything. That, by the way is a bit extreme and we don’t condone kidnapping here at DAF. Well, in MOST cases…

Oh, and if you’ve read this far, stick around for another surprise. As in I’ll be giving two codes away of that Ultimate Edition… soon. Really. Soon.

Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut PC: The More Things Stay The Strange…

Posted on October 11, 2013 by geelw

You’d think that after playing and reviewing this game a few times on the Xbox 360 and PS3 plus spending well over a month creating daily random screenshot posts about the updated Director’s Cut and a few more on the upcoming PC version soon to pop up on Steam would mean I’m tired of Deadly Premonition. But nope, I still love this weird, funny and compelling horror adventure, warts and all. If you’re a big fan as well you can clearly see above that the game isn’t going to look much different than the console versions, but I’m betting the higher resolution and what should be a more solid frame rate on a decent PC will help smooth out a few issues some had with the other versions. The game also packs in Steam Achievements and Trading Cards plus a bit of extra content at no additional cost and yes, there’s already a page up on the Steam Store where you can keep abreast of the launch date (which is Halloween, of course) and other gory details. Naturally, all that FK in the coffee I’m drinking is keeping me up with a haunted look on my mug much like FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan, but hey – he’s got skills I could use on a daily basis…