Demon Gaze: NISA Brings More “No School Like the Old School” RPG Goodness to NA…

Posted on March 12, 2014 by geelw

Nice. As a longtime fan of classic PC RPGs such as Wizardry, Dungeon Master, Might & Magic and many (MANY) others, it’s always great to see this style of game making a comeback on consoles as well. Demon Gaze is headed exclusively to the PlayStation Vita stateside on April 22, 2014 and here’s the US teaser trailer (above) and the opening minutes of gameplay (below, thanks to YouTuber Dorarnae). I know some of you more stubborn CRPG players who like a specific (as in non-anime/manga) art style are hating the character designs here and nothing will ever change your minds on that front. Too bad, I say, as publisher Kadokawa games and developer Experience Inc. have done a neat thing with the opening sequence that made me grin because it’s not the usual thing you see when you fire up a game.

The game’s official website has gone live and has basic information on the game world, character creation, gameplay and a few other topics. This one’s on my list of April games to play, as I can see way too many hours spent grinding away with a perfect parry. Or a party that WILL be perfect once I stopped getting stomped by some boss somewhere. I’ve got my eye on you, Demon Gaze (staaaaaarrrrrrre)…

Orphan Black Season 2 Trailer: Nope, No Musical Crap Here. Just Damn Great Acting!

Posted on March 10, 2014 by geelw

How great is Tatiana Maslany in this show? Let’s see now: I’d gotten a friend to catch up with the first season with his wife and after a weekend binge they both thought it was multiple actresses in some scenes where it’s just Maslany and her CG clones doing ~~their~~ er, her thing. Yes, I’m still cranked up that some kooky fan would dare to suggest a musical episode, so sue me. As noted earlier, I’d say that would kill the show in its tracks even as a dream sequence unless it was so well integrated into the plot that it made some kind of sense. On the other hand, if this were an anime, I’d bet we’d see a musical sequence every other week if not the show getting an opening and closing song. And nope, I don’t even want to imagine that happening either. Yeah, I like my pizza plain cheese, my ice cream vanilla and my favorite shows unmarked by pop songs and other fluff that take away from what they’re meant to be.

Game of Thrones S4 Trailer #3: They’re NOT “Secrets” If Everyone Knows Them, You Know…

Posted on March 9, 2014 by geelw

Ah, as usual things are getting interesting out Westeros way and yup, you can expect things to go way up north and way down south for all the houses this season. Still, suspense is the name of the game on this show and I’m only expecting it to deliver the goods on a weekly basis. Granted, topping that Red Wedding will be tricky, but there’s a big wedding this time that’s probably going to have even worse repercussions on a few levels (well, over time). Anyway, April 6 is the big day if you’re not a binge-watching fool who wants to miss out just so you can overdose on the sofa with a box of bonbons and a tablet or phone app in your lap to keep you distracted and still missing out. Eh, “Do you”, as the old saying goes…

Assault Suit Leynos To Get PS4 Remake (Or: Target WORTH!)

Posted on March 8, 2014 by geelw

Well, alright! I’ve never heard of Japanese developer Dracue Software, but they certainly made a name for themselves at this year’s BitSummit in Japan by announcing they’re working on a remake of the classic Sega Mega Drive game Assault Suit Leynos. The game, known in the US as Target Earth, will be a PlayStation 4 exclusive (at least for now, but I hope a Vita version is in the pipeline). The only thing up media-wise other than the game site is this teaser trailer that’s all footage from the original with the reveal that the new game is PS4-bound:

Yep, it’s a buy whenever it’s done and hopefully won’t be either a download-only game that gets buried on PSN with little fanfare outside its home country or worse, play like the Assault Suits Valken “remake” for the Japanese PS2. THAT game was based on the Super Nintendo-only sequel to Leynos (called Cybernator here in the States) and the PS2 version was just a chore to play effectively thanks to cumbersome controls and pretty accurate enemy shooting. My hopes are for the best, as Leynos was and is a great game to play through multiple times. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the soundtrack stays the same as the original game or isn’t remixed and/or fiddled with too much. Eh, we’ll see… I have faith in Dracue to not screw this one up…

Dark Souls II PC Screens: Prepare To BUY Is More Like It, Folks…

Posted on March 7, 2014 by geelw

Yeah, yeah, the modders will have their fun with the game once the PC version drops and they hack in some more “realistic” visuals for those who want them, but I love FromSoftware’s original vision for this soon to be released sequel. PC owners also get some nice content bonuses for pre-ordering (this version of the game ships out on April 25, a month and two weeks after the console versions (eek!), so there’s still time to grab this from a few online and retail locations). Click away below the jump for some press release action with the gory details. I’m backlogged in posting today and actually got in some books I need to read and review, so I’m kind of swamped…

Continue reading →

LUFTRAUSERS: Old School Looks Meets Bullet Hell. Everybody Wins…

Posted on March 5, 2014 by geelw

Well, well, well. I’d not heard of this snappy little arcade indie game until earlier today, but as soon as I saw that teaser above, I had a nice flashback to the days of dropping too many quarters into a bunch of cabinets in a few too many places week after week. From watching this craziness once, I got a nice blend of Toaplan’s ancient classic Fire Mustang, a few Cave shooters galore, bits of Asteroids, Galaga and so forth and so on now rolling around in my head. I think I need to review this now. PlayStation 3, PS Vita, PC, Mac, and Linux users will all be grinning like maniacal monkeys with twitchy hands soon, as the game has a March 18 release date. Vlambeer’s got another sneaky little hit on their hands here and I’d expect it will hit all the right notes with shump fans looking for a highly customizable and crazy, challenging ride… Continue reading →

SOMA Update: Theta of the Absurd, Getting Creepier By The Second…

Posted on March 5, 2014 by geelw

Okay, my pun-like reflexes are a bit sad and lonely today, but that’s what happens when you just finish hanging a bunch of laundry and haven’t had that second cup of joe yet. Anyway, Frictional Games’ upcoming PS4 and PC exclusive, SOMA is looking quite nice in this latest clip and while the game won’t be done for a while, it’s looking like one to watch as it progresses. I still want Frictional to give the world a FIEND update, as that scary little top-down horror gem deserves a nice modern update at some point. Although, not that I think about it… I’m not sure if I’d prefer a first-person viewpoint, as you could see all those damned deadly holes you could avoid falling to your death into with the bird’s eye view. Eh, we’ll see what happens in the future when we arrive. SOMA’s the game to concentrate on for the moment…

Namco Bandai’s Offices Just Got A Nice New Mascot…

Posted on March 3, 2014 by geelw

Ooooooh. Okay, I want one of these. Well, to more precise, I’d WEAR an actual suit of armor like that it if were in my size. I wonder how much that would cost and how I’d live with one less kidney and lung if I had to pay for the thing. I’d store it right by the door near the coat closet here and ONLY wear it on special days. Like when I’m writing or going shopping. No one messes with a fully armored knight…. well, other than some mean-ass bunny rabbit, King Arthur and his Round Table buddies. “It’s only a flesh wound!” indeed. In the case of this game, there ARE no flesh wounds – your character lives or dies by the sword or any other weapons you’d better get quite good at if you intend to survive. The game’s tagline, PREPARE TO DIE isn’t a joke at all, that’s for sure.

Dark Souls II is out on March 11, 2014.

Game of Thrones Season 3 Recap. A Little Real History to Go With The Fake One…

Posted on March 3, 2014 by geelw

Ah, if only actual politics were as simple as letting loose your dragons on some fool who thought he’d get the better of you or getting all stabby-stabby with enemies you lure into a formerly blissful wedding celebration. Nope, I don’t think we’re headed for World War III anytime soon, but the dicey situation between a few countries these past few months have a nasty parallel to the years 1936-39 if you poke through the history books. Of course, it’s hard to gauge the future based on current actions, but if the past is any indication, a lot of us will be turning to shows like GoT for some time off from real world issues. Let’s also hope that someone shows Mr. Putin some of those history books so he sees that working your way to the top over the bodies of others means the bottom rushes up faster at some point to meet you.

Dark Souls II: March’s Game of the Month (And It’s Not Even March Yet)

Posted on February 28, 2014 by geelw

Yes, I’m a little early, but based on some demo time and the fact that veteran developer FromSoftware didn’t water the experience down one bit (in fact, in a few ways the games is more challenging than previous Souls titles), Dark Souls II is my Game of the Month for March. Offline play is key for me and many others and while the game does have that wonderful and extremely annoying element of other live players being able to pop into your online game to stalk or assist you (or both), it’s in the solo mode where many new and veteran players will first poke around just to see if the game is as intense as ever (it is and then some).

Add in the new game engine (which makes for some even lovelier character models, creepy as all get out enemies and lush, deadly environments – see the site banner and background), improved gameplay, a much bigger world to explore and a massive amount of replay value for an instant classic. No matter which version you get your hot little hands on, you’re guaranteed a VERY well crafted and rather intense and gloomy singular experience that’s also pretty interesting to watch someone play if you’re not into the gaming thing. March 11 is the date for the North American launch and I’m expecting some people to contract a strange flu-like non-flu for a few days around that time (myself included)…