PlayStation VR: Sony’s October “Surprise” Is A Must Have For PS4 Owners

Posted on March 15, 2016 by geelw

Well, it looks as if the console world (or at least the PlayStation 4) is getting its big VR headset at a surprisingly small price point of 399.00. Granted, many industry insiders (and thoughtful dopes like me) figured Sony wasn’t going to break gamer wallets too much. Let’s see now, A PS4 is about $280 or so depending on the model you buy, a PS Camera is $59.99 and with that PS VR headset, you still come in way under the price point of a gaming PC upgrade and one of the pricier VR solutions. Granted, PC gamers are scoffing at PS VR because they have scalable rigs thy can tweak to no end and most likely higher frame rates with overclocked systems burning holes into wherever they’re placed. Still, Sony promises a plug and play experience with frame rates up to 120fps, so we’ll see what’s what soon enough as the games roll out.

As for games, some 230 are in the works for PS4 from first and third party developers. My current favorite just so happens to be the return of a classic arcade and home game, this time coming from the folks at Rebellion:

Yes indeed, this one will be awesome even if it’s not running in VR (and yep, it’s playable without the headset, folks). Hokay, off to start saving those pennies.

RIVE: Two Tribes’ Final Title Looks Like a True Treasure

Posted on March 10, 2016 by geelw

15 years in the game development business is a long enough time to do a lot of different things and Two Tribes has indeed done just that and then some. The indie developer has decided to pack it (at least as far as making new games) in after a decade and a half of console and PC titles with what looks like a dangerously fun arcade-style romp called RIVE. The game has the look and feel of a classic Treasure game but with that even more notorious European difficulty scale that makes for a supremely challenging and highly replayable slice of nostalgia. If there’s a ‘Metal Wrecking, Robot Hacking Shooter’ sub-genre, my money is on RIVE being among the best of the best.

These guys at TT are going to be missed, but at least RIVE is coming out on multiple platforms so console and computer gamers who need their big meal bang-boom-boom fix can get in on the fun at a glorious 60fps soon-ish. PC/Mac/Linux (via Steam), PlayStation 4, Wii U and Xbox One are all supported here, but I’m betting Vita owners are hoping for some Cross Play action because this looks as if would be perfect on the road. Then again, the game also looks as if one would need to have at least one extra controller handy just in case one “accidentally” busted their main gamepad. Hard walls and game controllers are a poor mix. Padded walls on the other hand – those get the DAF seal of approval every single time.

Book of Demons: Paper Dungeons & Plenty of Danger Await in Q3

Posted on March 10, 2016 by geelw

Sometimes you come across a game that’s familiar on a few fronts with a corker of a new twist that makes it instantly desirable. Indie developer Thing Trunk is cooking up a love letter to Diablo and similar chase ‘n chop classics called Book of Demons as part of its rather interesting Return 2 Games program. BoD will feature paper cutout characters and dungeons (a bold move that works quite well if that video is any indication) as well as a wealth of features listed below:

Paper cut-out graphics.
Upgradable card system that unifies items, spells, and skills.
Unique movement and fighting system for more strategic gameplay.
Flexiscope™ system that adjusts sessions size to players’ liking.
Endless end-game mode with 100+ challenges.
First truly accessible hack & slash.
Randomized dungeons.
Single-player campaign with 3 character classes.
60+ different monster types.
Lots of humor.

According to the R2G website, Book of Demons will be released on PC in Q3 2016. You can (and should if this one floats your own boat) consider supporting Thing Trunk by adding the game to your Steam wishlist and/or sending them some of your loot to support BoD and the other six incoming R2G projects. The developer’s plans to not only get seven retro-themed titles out total AND set them in their “Paperverse” makes everything they’re doing thrilling if it can all be pulled off the way they intend. If what’s here is any indication, it’s going to be a ride full of smiles and cool titles for anyone on the Thing Trunk bandwagon.

Speaking of bandwagons, here’s R2G’s rather nice theme music because every big project needs something epic sounding to back it up so well:

If anything, you can at the very least follow the team around the Internet just to see what’s cookin’ as they update with BoD and other games news:

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PC Review: Portal Knights

Posted on March 5, 2016 by geelw

Platform: PC

Developer: Keen Games
Publisher: 505 Games
# of Players: 1 – ?
MSRP: $14.99
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)
Official Site
Score: A- 90%

Even though it’s still in Early Access on Steam, Portal Knights has become something of a phenomenon among its growing user base. According to 505 Games, to date players have:

– Looted more than 232 million items

– Mined more than 103 million blocks

– Killed more than 23 million enemies

– Crafted more than 19 million items

and yes indeed, I’m one of those players having a blast with the title. While it does start out a wee bit slowly, some literal digging around in that first (and later, every) area will have you soon seeing that there’s a great deal under the pretty surface that really goes a long way in making things even more entertaining. While geared towards younger players (note that E10+ rating above), the RPG elements, often challenging combat, crafting and exploration elements have a very wide appeal for novices as well as hardcore gamers looking for the next big deal.

Things kick of simply enough with a character creation screen where you choose your gender and select one of three classes (Warrior, Archer, Mage) before warping into the first randomly generated world. There’s a set of basic tutorial pop-ups that cover a few things and Minecraft fans will probably get wise to what to do a wee bit faster than anyone who’s not played that game. That said, there are enough differences from that game (and the side-scrolling Terraria) that set it apart. For one thing, other than the simplistic character faces and baggy starter outfits, the visuals (which run at a zippy 60fps) are much more appealing and lively here. Rich colors and nifty visual effects abound in each area, making exploration always fun when you make it to new worlds. Monster types are nicely varied as well, changing at night to deadlier varieties once you unlock your first portal. Continue reading →

The Count Lucanor Wants To Haunt Your PC Soon

Posted on February 29, 2016 by geelw

Funny that I come back from the almost but not quite dead just in time for The Count Lucanor to want to kill my remaining free time.Why is that poor pixelated piggy getting whacked on the butt on the left? My curiosity is piqued and I’m suddenly feeling guilty about having a bacon craving a few hours back that went away a few seconds later.

Coming to Steam March 3, 2016 from indie developer Baroque Decay caught my attention a while back with its dark theme and pretty pixel art style which has since expanded to include some nice animated cut scenes that seem almost Ghibli-like:

But there’s a more grim tale at work under all that cuteness, of course. How grim? I do intend to find out and let you all know, ladies and gents. Hey, when a press release or game page notes comparisons to The Legend of Zelda and Silent Hill, that game NEEDS to be played. Back in a bit with some sort of update.

Portal Knights Early Access: Fun As Heck (But Fixable)

Posted on February 25, 2016 by geelw

While I’ve only sunk about an hour in so far to the Early Access Steam build, Portal Knights is so far, pretty darn good. It’s not quite the Minecraft-like game some think (which is a good thing), but a pretty new action/RPG with (so far) smallish worlds and a light crafting element that doesn’t get in the way of players who just want to whack as wee beasties and level their avatar up. Again, I haven’t played enough to write up a decent review or even and solid impressions other than most everything works quite well. My archer seems to have an issue dodging when I hit the correct keys, but she hasn’t died a horrible death by slime or other low-level monster just yet. The game looks and sounds great so far, but it would have been nice to have a few more character customization options out of the gate.

Still, it’s early and bugs will be squashed, feedback will be listened to and when it’s really ready to shine, I’m predicting Portal Knights will be the go-to game for players looking to try something new and hopefully get few friends to give it a go as well. Okay, stopping here for now. I think I hear a level up calling me.

Dark Souls III “True Colors” Trailer: Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun

Posted on February 24, 2016 by geelw

So, yep. Using the Cyndi Lauper version would have made this bleak gameplay video a wee less gloomy, but this new-ish version works beautifully. It’s great to see Bandai Namco and veteran developer FromSoftware not only making sure Dark Souls III is the best entry in the series to date, but making sure veteran players know that the new game isn’t going to make it any easier on those stepping into its deadly world for the first time. All that dying badly does come with the reward of finally figuring out how to clear areas without taking much damage as you lay low foes that previously gave you problems.

Of course, clearing one area out just means those new enemies with completely different challenges await. But hey – one set of problems at a time, right? Once you dive into Dark Souls III, you’re not coming up for air any time soon. Unless you try and escape in order to go try and do something else. The game won’t like that one bit, by the way.

Sword Coast Legends: Drop A d20 On This DM-Ready D&D Adventure Headed to Consoles Soon

Posted on February 20, 2016 by geelw

Okay, I had no idea Sword Coast Legends had come out on PC last fall (oops!). Thankfully, the new Dungeons & Dragons game is also headed to PS4 and Xbox One this spring as a digital download at the must-have price point of $19.99. This includes all the content from the PC version and additions such as the Drow as a new playable sub-race, additional character skill trees, hundreds of new placeable objects for DMs, new areas, new visual effects, hardcore gameplay options, and much more. While it can be played solo, SCL seems tailor made for co-op play and Dungeon Master (DM) created custom adventures that extend the game’s life cycle even more.

Speaking of more… Continue reading →

PC Review: Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders

Posted on February 20, 2016 by geelw

Platform: PC (also on PS4, Xbox One)
Developer: Artefacts Studios
Publisher: Microids
#of Players: 1
MSRP: $29.99
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Official Site
Score: B+ 85%

In Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders, you play Hercule Poirot, the dapper detective with the well-trimmed mustache whose “little grey cells” got him through plenty of crime solving tales made famous by the author and represented in books, on stage, screen and yes, videogames. Developer Artefacts’ decision to make their Poirot so close to the source leaves exactly no room for intentional player error or many non-Poirot like affectations to mess with the formula. While this results in a game that’s impossible to “lose” because you’ve made a serious error in judgment or otherwise, it does deliver the proper feeling of the man at work as a series of not so random alphabet-related murders unfold.

Part of what makes the story and game so intriguing is the killer’s choice of Poirot as the person to mail clues to each crime to before he commits them. The killer’s confidence in taunting and tasking Poirot to track him (or her) down means there’s a certain sort of methodical insanity at work that’s somewhat fascinating. In this modern information age where under some circumstances, electronically sending death threats like that would (or should) lead to a suspect most likely being caught before they got too far into the alphabet, the 1935 setting means those mailed letters give the killer time to plot and Poirot time to think. The unfortunate side effect is a new crime scene and recently killed body to pore over for evidence, but as they say, nothing is indeed perfect, mes amis… Continue reading →

Sadame Looks Like An ARPG Winner on the 3DS

Posted on February 11, 2016 by geelw

If Sadame is what I think it’s aiming for, I’m going to love it even more than I did when I saw the art and trailer below. coming from Rising Star Japan, Intergrow and Mebius, the upcoming game looks like a nice Diablo-inspired chase ‘n chop set in feudal Japan with four playable classes, loot to collect and some particularly pesky bosses to take down. SOLD! Even better, it’s coming sooner than later, arriving February 25 on the eShop for JRPG fans looking for something a bit different yet somehow comfortably familiar. It’s too bad this one isn’t Wii U compatible, as it would be even cooler to play this on a larger HD set at home. But hey, that’s what sequels are for, correct?

Continue reading →