Blacksad: Under the Skin Story Trailer: Or, I Need to Get Out More (Or Stay Inside and Read More)

Posted on September 30, 2019 by geelw

Well, this looks pretty cool. I’d never heard of this game or comic character before, but as a fan of adventure games for a while, this looks really fun and noir-ish is right on up my alley and then some. Microids, Pendulo Studios & YS Interactive are the folks behind this, so I’m going to be doing some digging to see If a review code can be located. I think I have at least one PR contact at Microids, so that’s a good sign. If this one’s as good as it looks, being aboard the train will turn out to be a fine thing indeed. Especially for those of us who haven’t yet read the comic stories yet.

Well. looky here, bonuses if you want them!

Pick

Your

Poison

The game will be available in retail and digital formats in either standard or Limited Editions (PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One and Switch) on November 19th, 2019.

-GW

It’s Back: R-Type Final 2 Gets a 2nd Funding Run

Posted on September 30, 2019 by geelw

Click me for more info. You know you want to.

It’s baaaaaack… (which is a good thing, folks).

Here we go again, because the original Kickstarter only ran for a week and left a few folks out of the loop. Now you have a second chance to get in on this crowdfunding action thanks to a new push to get in those folks who felt left out. Head below the jump for the press release and a few more screens.

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Neo Cab Preview: A “Survival” Game I Want to Play

Posted on September 27, 2019 by geelw

“Some day, a real rain wi…” no, wait, oops, wrong Taxi Driver reference!

Well, this is different. I’ve downloaded the free Neo Cab demo onto my Switch (there’s a PC demo for STEAM users here) and will say I’m more than impressed with what’s here so far. The art style is pleasant to look at, the writing is fine and there are elements to the gameplay that just simply work really well. As Lina, one of the last human drivers-for-hire on the streets of Los Ojos, you’ll find yourself caught up in a friend’s disappearance after she takes what’s supposed to be a short detour. Developer ChanceAgency has a few things going on here, all of which gel into a memorable game so far.

Trapped in the city she hates for a few reasons, Lina is forced to keep driving in order to keep her Star rating up and her sanity up, as she more or less has to love in her ride thanks to having to more or less live in her car until she finds out what happened pt her missing roommate. The demo is enough of a solid tease to make me stop here and let the developer tale the floor for a bit: Well, after the trailer and below the jump.

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3000th Duel: Interesting and Impressive (And Why I Want to Hold Out for The Switch Version)

Posted on September 27, 2019 by geelw

Yep, 3000th Duel is out in Early Access for on Steam for PC users, but yours truly is holding out to see if the Switch port is as neat. Well, that, and my Steam library has been really filling up with games I need to get to and a new title that still needs some work is kind of the least of my worries. I definitely want to see if it can keep that more or less stable frame rate up as the trailer shows:

I’m also holding out for a few user reviews that are interesting and reveal people have actually played this one for at least past the opening stages, as while lovely to look at, developer NEOPOPCORN Corp’s game page notes that it needs a bit more polish before it’s ready for prime time.

A “we’ll be polishing and implementing things even after release, of course.” is a signal to me that more work is needed here and I’m currently backed up enough that a new game needs to be thrilling and fun to play out of the gate if it already looks this good. So, I’ll wait. You, of course don’t have to wait, as the developer is more than happy to take constructive feedback, and that’s always a great sign.

Oh, it looks nice alright, but I have to wait a bit…

-GW

Valfaris: Soon to be Everywhere, Rock Incoming

Posted on September 26, 2019 by geelw

Nice. Coming soon, a dose of hard metal for your daily supply, courtesy of Big Sugar and Steel Mantis Games (which, as Black Wolf Games bought the world SLAIN: Back from Hell for PC and consoles a few short years ago.

Welcome to Valfaris:

I played the PC demo on STEAM a while back and came away very impressed indeed. Now, it’s about ready for retail and digital in more polished form. When? Well, look out below, folks.

If the demo is any indication, this one’s going to be fun, tough side-scroller for the ages. See you down on the planet – I’ll be the one hiding out, but easy for enemies to spot.

-GW

Solasta: Crown of the Magister Has My Attention

Posted on September 25, 2019 by geelw

Prepare to think about monsters appearing at all angles and prepare to chuckle at the funny writing on display.

I’ve been silently following Solasta: Crown of the Magister for a while and this gorgeous looking turn-based and packed with nice lighting and physics tactical RPG has been so far, shaping up to be a fine entry in the genre. The recent addition of official Wizards of the Coast-approved Dungeons and Dragons rules more than seals the deal for me even though the game was already looking and playing fine (a demo can be downloaded for PC users here). It’s certainly a load of steps above the sometimes wacky goings-on in the online-only Neverwinter in terms of accuracy is all I’ll say.

Anyway, I finally took a tiny plunge and supported the Kickstarter because it’s so close to being funded with about a week to go and that demo is fun stuff indeed. You can (and should) pot a few bucks down on this if you’re a fan of what you see (and play). While PC-only, one would hope we’ll eventually see a console port, even though it’s kind of a niche game when all is said and done.

Do drop in and say “Hi!”. You can choose to attack enemies from above, or take the fight right to them.

Yep. This one looks like a winner to me.

-GW

The Red Solstice 2: Survivors Comes A-Calling For Volunteers

Posted on September 24, 2019 by geelw

Nice. Volunteers are needed to test out this great-looking real time tactical action game. You can sign up here. That’s a link to the currently PC-only version. Just keep those fingers crossed that a console port is in the works.

A tiny bit about the game is below as is the teaser trailer.

The Red Solstice 2: Survivors blends real-time tactical action with in-depth strategy and planning in a world where humanity’s last survivors are beset on every front. Join with your friends for up to 8-player co-op sessions in a tense struggle for survival in a squad-based shooter that mixes the action of Helldivers with the thoughtful strategy of games like X-COM.

There’s a nifty Space Hulk meets ALIENS vibe from this trailer that certainly has me intrigued. If you’re too busy to test but like what you see so far, feel free to wishlist the game on STEAM here. The developer notes it’ll be done when it’s done, so you might have enough free time to test it after all while you’re waiting.

-GW

NARCOS: Rise of The Cartels Trailers Have You Choosing Sides

Posted on September 24, 2019 by geelw

I’m grinning a little too much because NARCOS: Rise of The Cartels isn’t the Grand Theft Auto V clone some expected from Curve Digital and developer Kuju Games. Nope, this one’s going the turn-based strategy route much like the XCOM series or the underappreciated Falling Skies: The Game from 2014. This is a good thing for me because I prefer to slow things down a tad these days and stuff that’s turn-based fits right up the alley here. Sure, it’s not the visual feast some expect, but this means it’ll be a perfect fit on consoles as well as PC. I’ll certainly be playing it to enjoy its merits and will have few issues unless the AI isn’t up to snuff.

Fans of this sort of game should keep an eye peeled, I say (or some drug lord will peel one for you, ow).

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-GW

WRC 8: Rallying for A Chance at Besting DiRT Is a Good Thing For the Series

Posted on August 5, 2019 by geelw

Reflex check: “100, Easy right, care rocks inside – don’t cut” Or something like that. You’ll know what to do as that turn comes up.

As a longtime fan of the World Rally Championship series since the PlayStation 2 days when developer Evolution Studios created five of that system’s best rally games, it’s been a series of up and down yumps as the franchise has changed hands over the years. The team at KT Racing (aka Kylotonn ) has held the WRC game license since 2015 and have improved the overall quality with each release, offering rally fans on PC and consoles the opportunity to test their skills on a wide variety of courses with a wide range of world-class rally cars. The upcoming WRC 8, published by Bigben Interactive certainly looks to be the best game in the series to date, as the dev team is looking to reach fans who crave even more realism to the virtual version of the sport.

As impressive as that trailer is, the game’s Career Mode is going the extra mile in terms of delivering the goods on a few fronts. Check out the details in the video below:

Want more? Okay, then – there are a few pre-order incentives below the yump (ha and ha, but yeah, go look at them).

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Earth Defense Force 5 on Steam: Big Bugs You’ll Actually Want to Play With

Posted on July 14, 2019 by geelw

Get this game, please. Or: Go bug or go home.

BOOM. A guaranteed blast of a game if there ever was one, Earth Defense Force 5 finally lands on PC with a 20% launch discount ($47.99) and if you’re looking for a game that’s going to elbow itself into your every waking hour, this is one of those ridiculous and necessary time killers you’ll ever play. Four character classes, hundreds of weapons for each class, 110 levels and I haven’t even mentioned the co-op and online play that adds way too many hours to the overall experience. Check out my review of the PS4 version, then close your eyes and imagine an even speedier game with an extra layer of visual polish. Or just open your eyes and peek at this short teaser trailer: