Legionwood 2: Volume One Gets Officially Site-d

Posted on January 25, 2014 by geelw

I actually didn’t know (but should have guessed) until a few months ago that the guy behind the Legionwood games, D. Robert Grixti, is a published author and is working on his second novel (among many other things).

Anyway, he’s also Dark Gaia Studios and has just put up a site dedicated to Legionwood 2: Chapter One that you may want to check out. You can download the demo to try out for free or buy the first chapter (which is set for a February 28, 2014 release) outright for a measly five dollars. According to the author, Chapter One will offer:

15+ hours of classic RPG gameplay.
Dozens of minigames and sidequests to discover.
Hundreds of different character configurations.
Over 80 intelligent and dangerous foes.
Non-linear game that makes your choices count.
Multiple endings.

In addition, the first Legionwood as well as Dark Gaia’s other games can be found HERE (and they’re all free!). Pop on by and take a peek at the man’s work, I say – he’s got some talent to spare, that’s for sure…

Heroes of a Broken Land Hands-On: No School Like The Old School (Again)…

Posted on January 23, 2014 by geelw

The ONLY reason I didn’t slap down that fifteen bucks for Heroes of a Broken Land right away after I saw that trailer the other day was there was a demo to try out and I love demos. Needless to say, it got downloaded and played for a bit and yes indeed, the game is quite fantastic on a few levels. For starters, it looks and plays exactly like a hybrid of Dungeon Master, Eye of the Beholder and one of those great Dreamforge RPGs with dashes of Wizardry and even a little Heroes of Might and Magic tossed into the pot for good measure. If all those names and titles baffle you and you’re looking at that trailer and thinking “But it’s so ugly!”, feel free to turn right around and point your body towards the door (a little more to the left… Okay!), then lean forward slightly so my foot lands in the right spot. *Boot!*

Everyone else, there’s a fresh kettle on and tea cups a plenty in the kitchen. Oh, and some cookies are on the counter… Continue reading →

Toukiden Demo Drops Onto PSN Today, Demons Everywhere Somewhat Distressed…

Posted on January 22, 2014 by geelw

Well, that’s a relief. Tecmo Koei’s recently announced demo for Toukiden: The Age of Demons has made its appearance know on PSN today without that usual “where is it” fuss that happens when SCEA takes its time to update the store. According to my Vita, I have about 38 minutes to go before I can jump in and see what’s what… but that 38 minutes was 11 minutes when the download started about seven minutes ago.

Yeah, it’s not really a huge thing to gripe about in the grand scheme of things. But this is one reason why a nice segment of us poor gamers without access to the best connections will be screwed if there’s an always online presence required when it’s beyond clear that not every spot in this land of plenty is ready, willing or able to handle so many people trying to access content at or around the same times. Ah well, this demo should be fun, but I won’t actually get to PLAY it until I get home in a few hours.

Back with some words on the experience later.

Legionwood 2 Volume One Is Getting To The “All Done, Pay Up!” Part (This Is A Good Thing)…

Posted on January 13, 2014 by geelw

To me, five dollars isn’t a lot of money for almost any game I like. However (believe it or else), there are many people slaving away on assorted RPG Maker and other simple to complex to use game creation software titles who charge not a dime for all their hard work.

I’m one of those people who feel those who spend even a few spare hours a week working on games to give away should be compensated with funds over mere thanks and praises (and “Hey, where’s that next game? Hurry up already!” comments), so it’s actually great news to see Dark Gaia Productions (aka D. Robert Grixti) finally charging something for the upcoming Legionwood 2: Rise of the Eternal’s Realm. The first game (Legionwood: Tale of The Two Swords) was lengthy, challenging and very fun in that 16-bit manner. Meaning it was worth about $50 or so if it was to somehow appear in a game box between 1991 and 1995.

If you’re waxing on and off in a nostalgic manner, feel free to try the game out in beta form HERE and follow Dark Gaia Productions by clicking one of those two links in the previous paragraph. That was real simple, right? Mondays aren’t always so under-complicated, right? Good. Then my work here is done. Well, just HERE in this post. I think I have another one to three others left in me tonight… we’ll see.

Alien Isolation “Transmission” and “Origins”: Puzzle Pieces Falling Where They Need To…

Posted on January 10, 2014 by geelw

Hmmmm… As predicted, with The Creative Assembly on the case this time out, Sega’s upcoming Alien Isolation is looking pretty impressive in this introductory teaser and developer diary. Hopefully, the story will work as intended, as I can see some folks not being all aboard the playing as Ellen Ripley’s daughter thing. Me, I’m a wait and see guy myself because I trust The CA to do their best and they’ve always done just that when they make their games. I do like that it’s turning out to be NOT a stupid shoot everything that moves experience and seems to be focusing on story and characters first and foremost.

The only major sticking point to some will be the lack of a Wii U version as the gameplay seems perfect for that GamePad, but such is life in this generation of consoles I suppose. Someone HAS to get a suitable Alien game out on that system one of these days, I say. I’m not sure who, but it would be nice to see one at some point…

Alien Isolation: The Creative Assembly Plays The Role Of Redeemer Quite Well Indeed…

Posted on January 7, 2014 by geelw

So, here we go folks – once more into the breach with Sega and the somehow tougher to make it work right as a video game Alien license. Can you name a decent game made this century with the license that’s not only on PC? I thought not.

While its last two attempts were decidedly of the “mixed results” and “missed opportunities” trains, this time out it’s veteran developer The Creative Assembly at the wheel and Alien Isolation is looking pretty darned scary where it counts (as you’ll see in Three… Two.. One.):

Of course, the boo-bird naysayers are out in force on this thanks to the critical mass that was Aliens: Colonial Marines, so Sega has a lot to live up to and live down even if Isolation is indeed the best game using the license to date.

I trust this team quite a lot as in addition to the incredible Total War franchise on PC, they’ve also had fun making more action-heavy game experiences such as the excellent Spartan: Total Warrior (which is being remade as a PlayStation 4 exclusive!) and the solid Viking: Battle For Asgard (which could use a nice remake or sequel one of these days). So an Alien game from these guys and gals should be (wait for it…) a “walk in the park” to some extent.

Of course, we shall see what the future brings and of course, I’m hoping that people aren’t all screaming into space for all the wrong reasons again. But again, I trust The CA to not go where man has gone before and deliver an Alien experience that’s truly memorable and frightening for all the RIGHT reasons. More on this as it develops…

Okay, Max Team… Now You’re Just Messing With Me…

Posted on January 6, 2014 by geelw

Ha and ha, ha. Massimo and Fernando over at MAX TEAM must really hate me. The just ran a fun new reworked intro to their upcoming Monster World RPG the other day and now here comes a big, fat SPOILER video with the game’s bad ending that they tell you NOT to watch if you don’t want to see it. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! I still haven’t seen it and I know YOU won’t click that play button either, right? RIGHT? Yeah, I thought so. In fact, I say let’s give them the pleasure of NOT clicking that video and making it become the least popular one they’ve made to date. That should teach them not to go and do stuff like this ever again. YEAH. We showed YOU two what’s what. The fans have spoken! Or have NOT spoken and NOT clicked on your video! So there.

(Okay, so it’s actually a goofy joke that happens about a minute into the game, so it’s not an actual “spoiler” at all, so you can click away at your leisure and not actually “spoil” anything!)

Monster World RPG Update (It’s Creeping Closer)…

Posted on January 4, 2014 by geelw

Massimo and Fernando (aka MAX TEAM) are still debugging their baby so it arrives all ready to download and play, but Monster World RPG just may be the big (and FREE) ticket Sega fans are looking for when it comes to fan-made JRPG experiences. So much work and love has gone into this project that the game truly looks as if it’s a never released Genesis game. Granted, I’ve only played a few demos over the past year or two, but I’m confident that the end result will be well worth the long wait. I think there’s a month or so to go before this lands, but I say take your time, guys… take your time. I want this one to be perfect when I sit down and lose too many hours in it…

BUY IT! Tale Of Tales Prototype Sales: It’s Off The Scales

Posted on December 20, 2013 by geelw

If you’re a firm believer in the Games are Art school of thought and you’ve never, ever seen or played anything from Tale of Tales, you’re not only missing out on some outstandingly creative work, you’re also probably not seeing games as ACTUAL art pieces. Whether or not you’re interested in game development or art or seeing how interactive and non interactive projects comes together, in celebration of their 10 year anniversary the developer is offering up some truly amazing prototypes, demos and other neat stuff for a small donation, Which, by the way, will help fund their next title. For a minimum of $5, you can access at least 35 demos, test builds, a few different screensavers and more which are available as 18 separate downloads. Being a silent fan of their work for a few years, I paid the full $15, as this stuff is worth much more than that and in the words of the mighty Valkor, “I love seeing a plan come together!”

Anyway, take a peek at the Anniversary page and see the whopping amount of stuff up for grabs. Once you buy the collection, you’ve got 13 days to download it all (more than enough time) and forever to enjoy it. I say this stuff is a MUST if you’re even thinking of getting into game development or want to see the art and game world truly merging in your own virtual gallery. This is a LIMITED time offer than expires on Christmas, so definitely do this NOW if you’re interested! I wish more developers large and small would open up their vaults in this manner, as there are MANY games that never see the light of day despite multiple builds that are well worth seeing and playing just for historical and educational purposes. I guess we’ll see if this becomes a trend in the future (I sure hope it does!)…

Proof I’m Not A (Completely) Cranky Bastard: Doki Doki Universe Is Awesome.

Posted on December 16, 2013 by geelw

What, ME Worry? Not really, robot – it’s just a Monday thing, that’s all. So, HumaNature Studios new PS3/PS4/Vita game, Doki Doki Universe is actually really fun and interesting and like the gloriously inventive Tearaway, one of the better indie titles on Sony’s assorted platforms. I’ve only played the wonderful (and lengthy) demo so far, but a few friends who’ve been enjoying the full version are bugging me to get the full game. Yeah, yeah – I will once I chop down my backlog significantly.

The GREAT thing about buying this one outright it is any version you buy gets you a game that will run on the PS3, PS4, and Vita. If you’re one of those overly social butterflies, guess what? The Doki Doki Universe Mail feature can even be used on some mobile devices, meaning you can facebook like a champ using some kooky hand-drawn characters and a custom page on your console, phone or tablet. I hate the fake word “phablet” so I won’t use it in a sentence, although I just did there. Oops. OK, I’ll NEVER use that word in another sentence from now on. Better? Thanks you. Now stop reading this post and go check out this game, I say…