Gallery Update: Cloudbuilt’s Looking More And More Like A Winner…

Posted on March 8, 2014 by geelw

Well, well, well… New Cloudbuilt screens have arrived! Check them out:

Just look at them. Lovely, aren’t they? If Coilworks’ awesome free-run/shooter/platformer Cloudbuilt doesn’t win some awards this year, I’m hanging up my controllers and packing it in for good as a gamer. This is a game I so WANT to succeed if only for the fantastic art direction and fact that it’s just too much fun for PC gamers to have all to themselves. Think of Mirror’s Edge, Gunvalkyrie, and a bunch of classic 8 and 16-bit action games all wrapped up in a neat little (and HIGHLY challenging) package. Then again, the game is ALL about pinpoint control and making the best of mistakes as there’s a way out of almost any bad jump, boost or wall dash provided you have keen reflexes and don’t panic. Continue reading →

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 →

South Park: The Stick of Truth Now Available: Obsidian’s Got A Solid Hit, It Seems…

Posted on March 4, 2014 by geelw

I normally avoid reading other reviews until after I write my own, but the two I’ve seen for this game are pretty favorable and only knock the game for some bugs and technical issues that need patching up and some repetition in attack animations (a common complaint for RPGs for ages). This bodes well for developer Obsidian and publisher Ubisoft, who rescued the game from oblivion after original publisher THQ folded a few years back. Now, if only Obsidian could get a few more RPGs made using a similar combat engine (but a different visual style), I’d be even happier. Well, this goes on the buy list and in the “Play It!” queue (which has grown by a few too many titles as of late).

IndieGala Stress Test Bundle: Six Bucks (or Under) For Seven Games? Sure, Why Not?

Posted on February 16, 2014 by geelw

We interrupt me about to keel over at Toy Fair from exhaustion for a special message: IndieGala has gone rogue, REPEAT: IndieGala has gone ROGUE! Actually, they’re conducting a little experiment in the form of a stress test that’s a bundle sale on seven games, six from Sigma Team and one from Ice Pick Lodge:

– Pathologic
– Alien Hallway
– Alien Shooter
– Alien Shooter 2: Conscription
– Alien Shooter 2: Reloaded
– Zombie Shooter
– Zombie Shooter 2

Yes, it’s a pay what you want deal, but the recommended amount is a measly six bucks (ten times less that what this bundle is work if it were purchased separately. Sigma Team’s simple, bloody shooters are fun run & gun Action/RPG-like hybrids that allow for what looks like hundreds of enemies on screen (of the space bug and undead varieties) and Ice Pick Lodge’s Pathologic is a bizarre adventure/RPG with three playable characters, a very unusual plot and some pretty creative character designs. Not a bad deal, the money goes to charity and you get o feel good about yourself after you spend that money. OK, back to my crazy day… I’m wiped out!

Cloudbuilt: Eternal Run Shines (of the Spotless Kind)…

Posted on February 15, 2014 by geelw

I haven’t even played Coilworks’ incredible looking Cloudbuilt yet, but between that very descriptive game trailer above and the lovely screens below, I’m getting a serious Gunvalkyrie meets Mirror’s Edge meets Mega Man vibe – and that’s a damn good thing.

Man, I wish this game was on consoles on a disc so MORE people could play it. The sense of speed and what looks like solid controls only add to the fun, and given the levels seem to be open to each player’s skills, I’m expecting this to be one of those games that’s not played and put away (or deleted) any time soon (unless you’re a total loser who despises a decent challenge). Now I just need to find time to actually play that demo I’m being teased with, as Toy Fair is going to take up a huge chunk of my time for the next four days and afterward as I write up a few articles. Eh, it’ll all work out soon enough. It always does. Back in a bit.

CD Projekt RED Wants You To Spend The Weekend With Geralt of Riva…

Posted on February 14, 2014 by geelw

Got a Steam account? Good. A decent to killer gaming PC? Even better. Now, all you need is time and a lot of coffee or something else to keep you away through Sunday, as CD Projekt RED is letting you play both The Witcher Enhanced Edition Director’s Cut and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition for FREE until then. Yikes.

That’s a LOT of ground to cover, even if you’ve already played both games and know what to do, where to go and which dialog choices to make (as the game changes based on your decisions. If that’s not enough time for you, BOTH titles are on sale for 80% off ($1.99 and $3.99 respectively) until February 18, 2014, meaning you can keep playing as much as you want after that freebie ends and not pay much money for two great adventures.

Of course, it IS Valentine’s Day, so if you have that special someone who’s not a gamer in your life, and you want to tackle these games this weekend, you’d better spill the beans now or else it’ll ONLY be Geralt getting some action. Of course, this is one of those well written mature fantasy experiences that may draw in someone who thinks games are still for kids, so who knows. Just be gentle with whatever you do. We wouldn’t want to see you all cranky and weird come Monday morning…

Goat Simulator: Is That A Coffee Stain On Your Forehead? Just Say Yes.

Posted on February 13, 2014 by geelw

Are you OK? That cup that sailed across the room and smacked you in the skull knocked you clean out of your chair! And so it goes with games that come out of nowhere. The madmen (and probably women as well) over at Sweden’s Coffee Stain Studios have come up with a pretty wacky game that’s buggy as hell and in their own words, you’d be better off buying something else:

Disclaimer

Goat Simulator is a small, broken and stupid game. It was made in a couple of weeks so don’t expect a game in the size and scope of GTA with goats. In fact, you’re better off not expecting anything at all actually. To be completely honest, it would be best if you’d spend your $10 on a hula hoop, a pile of bricks, or maybe a real-life goat.

But guess what? Out of nowhere, this busted pile of code has become one of the hotter indie games of 2014 and yes indeed, you can pre-order it HERE. I wasn’t even sure if I even wanted to play it when I heard of it last week… and then I saw that video above. Okay, I’m sold on the stupid. And of course, that whacked-out tune in the video stuck in my head so Coffee Stain went and made a freaking 26-plusHumor, Video game minute REMIX of the dang thing (enjoy!):

I bet this takes your mind off that cold, snow and mess outside for a bit. I know I’ll have that goofy tune looping in MY brain until the weekend. Um, thanks, Coffee Stain Studios?

Zombeer, Anyone? Moonbite’s Undead Boozer/Shooter Hits PSN Today

Posted on February 11, 2014 by geelw

Okay, it’s Tuesday and I’ve been listening to weather reports saying we’re going to get some more snow dumped on us up here tomorrow night into Thursday morning or so. Wonderful. Just what I needed to hear, especially since there are still mountains of dirty ice that haven’t been tackled yet by the folks who need to do that stuff. So, what’s a guy to do now that there’s going to be a day of being trapped indoors? Well, YOU’LL probably be snuggling with your sweetie… or a box of tissues and some hot soup if you’re already sick. Me, I’ll probably be taking a peek at Moonbite’s goofy Zombeer because it looks like something that would keep me much more interested than MORE stupid snow.

Let’s see now, made in sunny Barcelona (Okay, it’s probably NOT sunny at night there) , features lots of zombies, lots more beer (digital beer – you can get drunk on whatever is in your house on your own time), sexy Zombabes galore (Woo!), silly M-rated gore and probably too many in-jokes to count if that trailer above is any indication. Anyway, Zombeer is on PSN right about NOW, so go grab it, I say!

Crow Pie Chronicles (Or I’m Glad To Be Wrong About): The Lego Movie

Posted on February 7, 2014 by geelw

YUM! I said I’d eat a crow pie if I was wrong about The Lego Movie not sucking and yep, I’m a man of my word, although I had to substitute some of my not yet world famous chicken for “crow” and a few slices of whole grain bread for “pie”. Anyway, it’s good to see this one netting nice notices so now I need to see it at some point and make sure all those critics weren’t sucking in the happy gas WB pumped into those free screenings I didn’t get an invite to (boo!). Since I’ve been ignoring the film for the most part, I’m going in blind other than what I’ve seen on those TV spots popping up all over the place every few seconds. I still think it’ll be well over the heads of anyone over ten years old who won’t get all the references and in-jokes, but that’s probably me underestimating the kids of the hipsters and boomers taking them to see this.

And wait, wha-whaaaat? There’s a video game based on the film as well? I did predict this last year or earlier, but I’m actually surprised that there was one made because that’s just TOO meta at the end of the day. Anyway, you KNOW a movie is going to be worth seeing when Fox News has a shit fit about it for all the wrong reasons. They seem to believe that a movie made to get people to run out and spend money to see it (and the tie in toys AND the game that’s made for the same purpose) is somehow teaching kids to be “anti-capitalist” (wha-whaaaat?)… despite the OBVIOUS hundreds of millions this will rake in for a few big corporations. As the kids say, DERP.

Yeah, they’re quite stupid over there and I wish they’d stop it. But it’s interesting watching them hang themselves by their own rope every day they keep the blood pressure of their viewership headed through the roof over trifling nonsense. Perhaps they all need to chill for a bit and actually go see some of the stuff they bitch and moan about as bad for Amurrrrica? That would be my prescription…