SDCC 2014: Little Orbit’s Got A Pair Of Nice Surprises For Gamers Soon…

Posted on July 26, 2014 by geelw

As a fan of last year’s Adventure Time game (released by D3Publisher of America), I’m happy to see that this year’s installment, Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom is going to be closer in spirit to a Legend of Zelda game as opposed to a Gauntlet and Diablo-inspired chase & chop. Sure, I’ll miss playing as Marilese and some of the other characters, but as long as this new game delivers the goods, I’m not complaining at all. This one’s coming sometime in the fall for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC (via Steam) and Nintendo 3DS.

As for Falling Skies: The Game? Color me surprised and impressed. Sure, it’s basically a reworked version of the XCOM reboot from a few years back, but this is actually a good thing because I’d imagine the only other options were a boring run & gun game or some type of MMO that only a tiny percentage of people would actually play. While this one’s only coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360, I’m betting that it gets bought and played by gamers who like turn-based strategy who don’t mind maybe discovering a show they haven’t seen yet as well. This one’s out PS3, Xbox 360 and PC (via Steam) on September 24, 2014.

Incoming RPGs! Nihon Falcom Fans Get To Shake It And Smile Soon. Twice!

Posted on July 24, 2014 by geelw

It seems we’re in for a Nihon Falcom “revival” of sorts. Granted, PC versions of their games aren’t uncommon at all in Japan, but it seems they take a backwards route here in the west, coming over as console ports and a few years later, making it to PC gamers who also happen to be JRPG fans and want to see more of these titles and faster. Anyway, we’re getting The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky via Steam next week thanks to Xseed Games and it’s been recently announced that Mastiff Games is trying to get Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure up on Steam as a Greenlight game.

In the case of the latter, publisher Mastiff came up with the idea to give away the game to those who voted to Greenlight it AND leave a comment on the game’s discussion boards, but some feel this is a wee bit too much. I think it’s a fine idea, although it could backfire if EVERY person who wanted to see the game pop up as a product they should BUY ends up being a game they all get for nothing at all. I’d have made it a better giveaway by only giving codes to people who still OWN a physical or legal digital copy of the PSP game or happen to have the Japanese PC game somewhere in their possession. Granted, that number might be smaller than the votes needed to get the game on Steam, but it would have at lease quelled the light to medium annoyance some people are feeling who think the publisher is trying too hard to “game the system” as it were. Even though I voted and posted a note, I still own my copy of Gurumin and will gladly post a photo here to score a free code if asked.

Of course, at the end of the day it’s all about the NEW fans who pay for, dive into and have a blast with this modern classic. So here’s to seeing some big sales once the freebie frenzy dies down. I’d love to see some wise publisher get as many Falcom games onto PC’s here at some point (perhaps in a big ol’ box set or series of sets), but that’s me pipe-dreaming up a small storm again…

Bundle Stars Says You Need A Little Magika In Your Life!

Posted on July 24, 2014 by geelw

Bundle Stars does it again! A measly five dollars for the base game and 21 downloadable content packs? Amazing! If you’re into isometric action/RPG experiences and have yet to play Magicka? What are you waiting for? The game is a more humorous and yes, magically focused take on the fantasy genre and it’s a great deal of fun whether you’re new to the genre or a more jaded veteran player. Yeah, yeah.. I just KNOW some of you are all “Whaaaaaat? I can’t play a TANK class like I usually do? Hell Nope!”, but trust me, this game is fun because it makes you think a bit about how you tackle enemies, not just wade in swinging a hefty axe or whatever and coming up for air only after a pile of corpses litter the landscape.

Anyway, this deal was up on the site for a bit, but slow and busy ol’ me finally got around to noticing it and now there are only less than 48 hours to snap this huge content pack up. Don’t even bother flipping a coin on this – just BUY IT and get busy with the magical comedy gold and massive entertainment value you’ll be getting.

Alien Isolation: “Crew Expendable”? Not In This Video, Folks!

Posted on July 24, 2014 by geelw

While the internet still rages on about whether or not the adding the cast of the original ALIEN to this new game as paid DLC currently only available as a pre-order bonus, it’s good to see the old(er) cast here reminiscing for a bit about things old and new. I like how Harry Dean Stanton didn’t realize that 35 years had passed since the film was released (hey, sometimes an actor who’s appeared in so many films tends to not recall every single role he’s done and when he did them) and it’s clearly sounding like the dev team didn’t go the lazy route and just take voice samples from the first movie and drop them in where needed. The again, as Tom Skerritt notes: “It’s what you don’t see…”, meaning these missions add to the original film’s story, filling in a few gaps. Hopefully, fans of the film will more likely be a lot more pleased whether or not they like the idea of pre-paying for that DLC and Sega will decide to release both missions as a single download not too long after the game ships out so we all can enjoy them.

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…

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!