BandFuse: Rock Legends Updates: The Clips Just Keep On Comin’…

Posted on November 16, 2013 by geelw

Just a few more days before it drops into retail and it looks as if BandFuse: Rock Legends has a few more surprises up its sleeves. Check out the third “Fused Thoughts” above and that cool upright bass clip below for some quick fun you can have with the game when it lands on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 November 19, 2013.

YES, I said PS3 and Xbox 360 – it may be “next-gen” time in some circles, but there are MORE of those older consoles STILL in use than both of the new ones (yeah, yeah, that Xbox One isn’t out ’til the 22nd, but it’s still going to be outnumbered by Xbox 360’s for a while yet). And yes indeed, that launch Party at the House of Blues was (wait for it)… rockin’ pretty hard with Slash and Bootsy playing like there’s no tomorrow.

Thankfully, there WILL be a tomorrow (and a few more after that!) or else this game wouldn’t even come out, right? Yeah, I knew you’d agree…

Random Indie Game of the Week: Last-Last-Last-Last-Last-Gen Isn’t Dead: EPIC ELF 2 Is Out!

Posted on November 15, 2013 by geelw

Little in-joke there, but yeah! Spirit Young is BACK with the sequel to his ridiculously amusing RPG parody/satire/whatever he wants to call it that got improved with an update he did later, Epic Elf, a RPG Maker 2003 game that I liked because it made me laugh a wee bit too much. I’ve only put about a half hour into EE2, but it gets the grins going early (specifically if you’re a fan of old school JRPGs) and it looks as if they’ll keep coming for as long as the game is. Oh yeah, the PlayStation 4 came out today. I don’t have one (yet), but it’ll get here eventually. Heck, if SCEA puts in a RPGMaker.net channel on PSN, I’ll get one sooner than later. Anyway, check this game out if you recall the days of 8 and 16-bit RPGs eating up your weekends and free time like a termite nest taking out a cheap Ikea table.

BandFuse Rock Legends Update: Here’s Twofer For Your Thursday (Plus One)…

Posted on November 14, 2013 by geelw

Four days to go and the video fun is rolling out of Realta. Here are two quick and funny “Fused Thoughts” clips plus as a bonus track, it’s none other than Slash talking about his start playing guitar. All this leads up to what could be the most innovative real guitar learning experience on a console when BandFuse: Rock Legends hits PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 19. I’ve been working on my finger exercises, but just the lifting food to face part – I think the game will be teaching me much more useful skills, that’s for sure.

Next Car Game Update: Some Truly Smashing Alpha Gameplay…

Posted on November 14, 2013 by geelw

Of course, I knew the team at Bugbear was going to be going all out with this new demolition racer and for pre-alpha footage, this is really impressive. Yes, that car is purposely indestructible and YES, it’s that way to show off the game’s physics and all those lovely bits flying around when stuff is struck. Anyway, the game’s Kickstarter has 16 days to go and still needs a lot of pledges to make that $350,000 target, so if you’ve got a few spare bucks you need to unload and want to support a fine developer who loves making crazy racing experiences, give a little and get a lot back, I say. Hell, I want this to succeed only so the team can maybe make another Glimmerati game for a few platforms…

Valhalla Knights 3 Gets MORE New DLC. Game Definitely NOT Over!

Posted on November 13, 2013 by geelw

Wait, what? OK, I missed last week’s update thanks to me being buried in too many other games and other stuff, but it’s all good. So far I’m spending too much time playing this game and it seems Xseed Games NEVER wants me to stop. New content packs include last week’s “Good Cat Food” and “Foreigners No. 1” DLC that add some figurative (or is it literal) walking around money (every step gains gold!) and a new class to unlock and THIS week’s “Lady Clerks Set” and “Foreigners No. 2” that add a few new girls to the shops and another new class to learn once you beat the tough boss it gives you in the quest you’ll find at one of the guilds.

Xseed has more to come next week and most likely for the next few weeks, all of which are great for this action/RPG that’s much better than the reviews are saying. I’ve one of my own reviews to write (it’s about half done) that should help anyone on the fence decide if this one’s worth their gaming dollar (it is, but it’s not perfect and NOT for the kiddies). Alright, let me shut up here and get back to the game as once again… thing are getting innnnteresting in the story. Of course, there’s that VK3 Gold Edition Japan is getting that adds a lot of improvements and such that I hope to heck we see here at some point… but I’ll let Xseed take care of that when they need to and not say another peep until it’s a confirmed release here in the U.S. of A….

Killzone: Shadow Fall Launch Trailer: Sony’s 800 Pound Guerrilla Wants In Your House…

Posted on November 12, 2013 by geelw

I’m quite proud to say I know at least one person who’s worked on this game a little from another game he worked on at another developer, so it’s good to hear this latest installment makes for a fine launch title. That said, I won’t get to play it for a while unless I get socked on the skull with a sack of money. THAT said, I’m actually not ticked off at not having a PS4 on launch day as I still have way too many titles from THIS generation to cover here. I prefer to do things at a more appreciative pace (as in NOT rushing through games to be the first to have a review posted) and enjoy the ride, as it were… Continue reading →

BandFuse: Rock Legends Update: Say Hi-yo To Laiho!

Posted on November 11, 2013 by geelw

With only a week left before the game hits retail, I’ve been seeing some music game fans suddenly perk up the discussion about BandFuse: Rock Legends in a few spots. Realta Entertainment’s innovative guitar school on a disc is an open book of a music “game” experience that lets you hop in anywhere you choose and learn like a beginner or jam like a pro, something a certain other guitar game doesn’t. Between that, the legends on board to show you the ropes, the no-lag gameplay which should please every player and more, this one could be the music game of the year when all is said and done. Granted, some still want millions of TV ads to drop left and right just so they have an idea of how popular the game is or something. But expensive TV spots and building-sized billboards don’t mean anything other than a game’s PR department has a lot of money to work with and the game being advertised so heavily might or might not be any good at all. BandFuse doesn’t need some multimillion dollar ads running endlessly to sell it at all – it needs YOU to pick it up and learn you some killer guitar. THAT will help sell copies more than anything, I say…

Your Life Lesson for the Day, Courtesy Valhalla Knights 3…

Posted on November 10, 2013 by geelw

For a game very unfairly labeled “misogynist” and a few other choice negative terms by some skittish reviewers who clearly don’t know the meaning of some of the big words they use, Valhalla Knights 3 sure has a few interesting side-quests and resolutions. Sure, the skimpy outfits and NSFW “Sexytime” mini-game with certain ladies in the game are there to please the more prurient otaku with itchy fingers and the old-school RPG level grinding isn’t for every taste. But dang it if Producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto and his team at K2 didn’t whip in a few oddball surprises that prove they’re not the sexist neanderthals some “journalists” think they are for making this game.

Yeah, I’m still working on my review. I have a load of notes here and I think it’s going to be longer than I was initially thinking because warts and all, this one’s nowhere near as awful as some are saying. The Valhalla Knights series have never been known for the depth of its plots or stellar storytelling and VK3 continues that trend outside of some fun vignettes such as this one that aren’t tied to the main quest. That said, the main plot in the game does have its moments, but I’ll discuss some of those in my review…

Granted, I’ll admit right now that the game is NOT for all tastes and I can see some taking offense at a few of the more salacious elements. Of course, it’s a free country, so it seems that a bunch of people who probably shouldn’t be playing this are doing so with varying degrees of disgust or shame because they can’t handle the content. It seems that the completely humorless, kids who convinced their parents or some other adult to buy this for them and are turned off by the lewd elements (hey, it IS a MATURE rated game, you little dummies!), or those expecting a pure porn experience (it’s most assuredly NOT that at all) are getting slapped in the head with confusion on a few fronts (as always when it comes to games that toss even the mildest forms of sexual themes into the mix).

Yes, Gamers DO Read Books. Blizzard Knows This, So You Get Two Tomes The Fun…

Posted on November 8, 2013 by geelw

Going to Hell is generally no picnic and I’ve most certainly been there more than enough times to not need a guidebook. That said, some of you out there who get lost at the drop of a hat (and need to keep buying new hats) can probably use BradyGames’ Diablo III Signature Series Strategy Guide (MSRP $21.99) the next time you do drop in. Of course, you’ll also need a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 and a copy of the Diablo III to get the most of this excellently handy tome of demon doom.

Authors Doug Walsh, Rick Barba and Thom Denick have put together a think 464 pages of comprehensively detailed info on every quest, a Bestiary to keep track of those things always hot on your heels, tips on items, loot drops, crafting and more all await those who require a held hand on that long, arduous trip down to the deepest deeps. Hell, your poor character may still die a few too many times, but at least you’ll be good and well-versed on just what did you in because you got a wee bit too eager in your poking about in that dungeon you needed a few more levels to clear. Even if you’re NOT a strategy guide guy or gal, getting this for that newbie to the dark world of DIII makes for a great holiday gift just so that giftee will leave YOU the hell alone and play the game without haunting your phone or inbox for sage advice. Yeah, we all know people like that, correct?

Meanwhile, back in Azeroth… to many millions of loyal players, World of Warcraft is their second home (or first for those even deeper into it) and when they come up for air, I’m sure they’ll be pleased as punch to know that Blizzard has them in mind to on the reads front. Publisher DK has recently released World of Warcraft: Ultimate Visual Guide (MSRP $29.99) is exactly what it says, a lushly illustrated 200-page hardcover featuring tons of gorgeous artwork from the games, some concise writing by Doug Wagner and plenty of lore that I’ll bet the more hardcore WoW fans out there will find some nits to pick about.

Yeah, you know how that goes with those uber-fans, right? That said, between the OFFICIAL according to Blizzard timeline that fits all those expansions together, a look into the development of the games and a too brief peek at the DC Comics series plus more, this one a great addition to the libraries of new players as well as hardened happy veterans of the seemingly unstoppable MMORPG.

That and the book weighs just enough to knock a goblin out with a sturdy swing, so maybe the dev team can add it to the game quickly as a backup weapon or something. Hey, stranger things have happened in the gaming universe, so getting clobbered by a book won’t be the goofiest thing to occur in the busy lands of Blizzard’s continuing cash cow…

Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 Developer Diary #1: Going Out In High Style…

Posted on November 7, 2013 by geelw

The first Castlevania: Lords of Shadow game was a pretty solid mash up of old and new school elements that while not perfect, made for a pretty thrilling game with some very lovely visuals. Developer extraordinaire MercurySteam is pulling out all the stops with this sequel and as this seems to be their final Castlevania game, the team is making sure they go out on a high note. Yeah, yeah, the Igarishi-only and 3D-only wails from the rear of the room are loud in some spots, but that’s only when I leave the window open too long. I don’t care who makes a game as long as it’s GOOD at the end of the day and it’s also important to broaden one’s horizons every once in a while (and DAILY, if possible). MercurySteam’s expertise with current gen hardware is pretty phenomenal in my book, so I can’t wait to see what they’re working on for the newer consoles (or heck, any other platform)…