FREE GAME! Bundle Stars and PC Gamer Magazine Want A Million Of You On The Road!

Posted on July 23, 2014 by geelw

So, it’s the final week of Bundle Stars and PC Gamer.com HUGE giveaway (five million game codes over five weeks) and this last one’s a doozy if you’re into racing simulations and haven’t played GTR Evolution, Race 07 and RaceRoom Racing Experience yet. Granted, that latter title is a free to play game that to date, only has a solo play component and I know some folks don’t like the idea of a la carte gaming despite its popularity. But the great thing about this FREE deal is you can avoid any game you wish in the deal or try it out and if you don’t like your unpaid-for gift, you can simply delete it from your hard drive and go do something else with that free time. If you want that code, just click on the image below and grab it.

Act FAST, though – free stuff doesn’t last very long if you’re too slow in claiming it!

IndieGala Monday Sale Brings You RPGs In A Few Forms, Plus…

Posted on July 21, 2014 by geelw

(thanks, Dice17!)

From complete games to work-in-progress Steam Greenlight and Desura versions, this week’s IndieGala bundle is a great treat for genre fans looking to expand their horizons. Granted, not all of these six titles are role-playing games, but all fit the bill as fine indie games worth a look. The Tower is certainly a nice surprise, as it relies heavily on sound and your paying attention to said sounds in order to survive. I also like that the game is narrated by its protagonist as you play.

Block Story looks like an oddball Minecraft mod, but I like that it has a story and characters out of a RPG while allowing the crafting and such you’d get in Mojang’s game. Granted, the juxtaposition of block-based environments and realistic looking characters IS a bit jarring, but the game is fun to play and pretty simple to hop into. That and it allows you to play cross-platform on your PC and mobile device, which is a neat feature that makes me hope the developer has console plans for this one. As for the rest of the games in this deal (which is available for the next day at a mere $1.49 before the price increases), if you haven’t already clicked that link above, what are you waiting for?

Oh, The Adventurezator is Going To Get Me Into Trouble… And YOU, Too…

Posted on July 19, 2014 by geelw

Hmmm. Every once in a while, I get an invitation to try out an upcoming game and it’s a hit or miss proposition as to the quality of that work in progress or in some cases, the finished product. Pigasus Games’ Adventurezator caught my eye (OW!) as soon as I scanned the game’s Steam page and later, that video above.

Make your own emergent adventure games? Sure, why not? I’m downloading my beta code now and think I’m going to tinker a bit later this evening. Hey, my Saturday nights are usually not this interesting, people! Anyway, back in a bit – you should check this thing out too and get into some trouble with a story of your own, I say…

Bethsoft’s Quakecon Steam Sale Is Pretty Killer Stuff…

Posted on July 18, 2014 by geelw

Nope, I’m not at QuakeCon this year either, but that’s probably a good thing. While the thousands of fans there are drooling over new stuff and old, I can be tucking into some of these great deals Bethesda has put on sale on Steam now until the show closes. In addition, these other deals are going up during the remainder of the weekend:

· Friday: Wolfenstein: The New Order and DOOM Sale at 50-75% off

· Saturday: Fallout 3: Game of the Year, Fallout: New Vegas, and all Fallout: Classic Collection at 50-75% off

· Sunday: The Elder Scrolls Sale, with Elder Scrolls titles selling for 50-75% off

Of course, I have some of these titles already and a few too many in my backlog, so I most likely won’t buy a thing (this year, at least). On the other hand, as I always say – I’m not stopping YOU from diving into this pool of great games and coming up for air with less hard drive space and more games than you can finish in a comfortable amount of time…

Nintendo Wises Up, Wii-Uses The Fatal Frame License (Finally!)

Posted on July 18, 2014 by geelw

I tell you, folks… I wish game companies would ring me up and pick my brain when they announce new hardware. As soon as I saw the Wii U GamePad revealed at that E3 a few years back, one of the FIRST games I thought NEEDED to be made was a new Fatal Frame. For the uninitiated, it’s a horror-themed series that started life on the PlayStation 2 and later got installments on the Xbox, Nintendo Wii and 3DS. Japanese Nintendo Wii U owners are getting an all-new installment in the series on September 27,2014 called Zero: Nuregarasu no Miko, which seems to be related to the upcoming movie, set to be released in theaters there the day before. While zero news of an English localization for either the game or film have been announced, for my money, it’s a no-brainer that at least the game get a proper English translation and release outside of Japan.

As for the film, it’s hard to gauge how it’s going to be from this way too short teaser trailer. But if it’s in the vein of other popular Japanese horror films, I’d imagine we may see a US-centric remake or at least a film set in Japan with some popular American actress(es) playing some of the roles. I’d prefer the original film get a US subtitle job and a limited release here over any remake, but I guess Hollywood calls the shots on that front.

Anyway, Nintendo? Get on that localization and get this game out here sooner than later – the Wii U NEEDS some more quality titles in different genres and horror is very under-represented on the system.

Three Things Learned At The Sweet Suite…

Posted on July 18, 2014 by geelw

1. Red velvet cupcakes are fantastic (Yeah, I’ve never had ANYTHING red velvet before, so shoot me. Or not.) – Thanks Activision! Skylanders Trap Team is fantastic too. You parents with kids and gamers already hooked in? have your money ready to fly out of that wallet this October.

2. Lemonhead Martinis? They actually DO exist (well, as of yesterday) and need to become a summer “thing”. Like NOW. Thanks Ferrara Pan! Oh, and someone really smart at that company needs to post that recipe ASAP along with a kid-friendly lemonade version (because we adults shouldn’t have ALL the fun with Lemonheads, right?). And I don’t usually like martinis! I only had ONE, by the way, ladies and gents – I’m not a total booze-hound (although here comes another alcohol-related note):

3. Wine by the glass in a retail form that won’t bust your wallet wide open? Yeah, that also exists (in at least 39 states, 33 where this can be shipped to). These made me laugh way too much when I saw them (and that was long before I had that Lemonhead Martini). And yeah, someone tell this guy he should probably learn to appreciate a good Merlot. Thank you, ZIPZ! Yes, I’m in one of those 33 states, so I’m happier now that anytime I want a few glasses of quality wine, I don’t have to buy an entire bottle. Wait, am I supposed to be writing ALL about toys and other fun stuff I saw last evening here? Don’t worry, that’s all coming in another post!

Bundle Stars & PC Gamer Magazine Want YOU (and 999,999 Others) To Nab a FREE Game!

Posted on July 16, 2014 by geelw

This week it’s Gun Monkeys, free of charge on Steam. Stop running around the room for a minute and pay attention for a second! If you want in on this wacky physics-based multiplayer online run ‘n gun shooter/platformer featuring procedurally generated levels and yes, monkeys with guns (and nope, it’s NOT at all related to the new Planet of the Apes film, thank you for asking), just click on over to the PC Gamer magazine site and in a few more clicks (provided you have a Steam account, facebook page and a PC capable of running this), it’s ALL YOURS! Yes, that’s a MILLION games codes. For FREE. Worldwide! Woooooo!

Humble 2K Bundle: Five Days Left To Score Too Many Great Games!

Posted on July 16, 2014 by geelw

Well, since I missed the beginning of this Humble Bundle sale whenever it popped up (I’m way behind in my inbox perusing thanks to too many games and such I’m in the midst of playing and reviewing), it’s a pretty spectacular deal for anyone looking for older to more recent 2K-published games or some well-aged classics worth playing once more (or for the first time).

Sure, you can pay what you want for BioShock, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified and The Darkness II and be pretty pleased with that little deal. Bu I say drop at LEAST $8.15 or more bucks down to get an even better deal that adds BioShock 2, Mafia II, Spec Ops: The Line, X-COM: Complete Pack (which is FIVE complete games: X-COM: UFO Defense, X-COM: Terror from the Deep, X-COM: Interceptor, X-COM: Enforcer, and X-COM: Apocalypse) or heck, just throw down a digital twenty and add XCOM: Enemy Unknown and BioShock Infinite to the package.

It’s the middle of summer, so taking a short gaming vacation is a good idea if you have some free time and don’t feel like baking in the sun or dealing with nether region probing from some overzealous TSA agents. Hmmm… I’d bet you a penny that they’re all REALLY aliens from another planet, thus the rubber glove treatment and body scanners some of us have to experience when we travel. Ooooh, I think I’m onto something, but then again, that tinfoil hat I’ve been wearing when I do venture outside may be cooking my brain a little…

Anyway, go get yourself (or someone else) some darn good to darn great games, I say!

Codemasters Gets Me Rally Longing For The Good Old Days…

Posted on July 15, 2014 by geelw

I think someone at Codemasters is psychic. Last week, I broke out both Colin McRae Rally and Colin McRae Rally 2.0 just to dive in for a bit and see if they still held up today and yes indeed, they do. While the series went through some big changes as the series moved to new platforms, there was always a solid sense of fun and challenge that made each installment thrilling to blaze through. When the series changed its name to DiRT and its direction to a “cooler” racer in order to rope in younger fans of the X Games or other extreme sports, things definitely slid a bit sideways. The last few installments are all great looking games, but to me, there’s something missing… a certain spirit, if you will. Granted, Colin McRae is no longer with us, so that’s probably the missing element those later games haven’t been able to capture. Seeing that intro video above and playing the game for a little while made me hope Codemasters will go back to the drawing board and deliver a rally game that’s as fun and wickedly addictive as the first few in the series. Strip it down, but make it rich with detail, lose the big social focus (or make it completely optional) and maybe even bring back the goofy bonuses from the older titles just because it’s great to see a surprise ride or three after a ton of hard work.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Behind the Scenes #1: On Performance and Polish.

Posted on July 13, 2014 by geelw

Initially, I’d thought this was going to be one of those online only games or an expansion to The Lord of the Rings Online, so it got sent to the bottom of my list of games I was interested in this year. Well, as this years E3 revealed, I need to pay a lot more attention. Monolith Studios is making what looks to be a really cool action game using the Rings license for current and next-generation platforms that’s worth taking a longer look at, so here you go – the first of a few making of videos. Enjoy!