Review: SPINTIRES

Posted on June 18, 2014 by geelw

Publisher: IMGN.PRO

# of Players: 1-4 (co-op)

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Score: A- (90%)

Not that this will happen any time soon, but if someone ever decides to make a video game based on Henri-Georges Clouzot’s 1953 masterpiece The Wages of Fear, they’d better ring up UK-based developer Oovee and beg them to do the driving portions. I’m saying that while SPINTIRES is paused below this tab and I’m writing up this review of the PC game. While I generally love to complete a game before sitting down to type up impressions, After a few days of playing this indie gem, I can very safely say it’s one of the nicer surprises of the year and well worth the $29.99 price point. I’ll defend that price point in detail below, but in short, why pay the same (or more) for a game that’s going to be JUST like the games you’ve played to death when here you’ll get something you’ll very likely enjoy MORE because it’s fresh and actually more challenging than you’re used to?

Yeah, I thought so. Read on for more reasons you at least need to take this for a spin… Continue reading →

E3 2014: Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley – Not The Only Thing Natsume Showed This Year, But…

Posted on June 17, 2014 by geelw

You wouldn’t know this by looking at their North American YouTube page. Now, I’m not singling Natsume out for anything mean here at all, folks. They’re a solid but much smaller publisher than some of the bigger and busier ones who show stuff at E3 and to me, that’s precisely why they NEED more updates on their main video page. Granted, they DO have a nice social presence on facebook with a page that’s updated fairly frequently. however, not everyone has or wants a facebook account and YouTube works quite well as far as letting potential customers see what’s coming (despite the pain in the butt that is Google+ hampering some basic functionality there).

Anyway, as I’ve been trumpeting, Alphadia Genesis is also coming (a port of an iOS and Android JRPG) and I posted about the rest of their lineup before the big show. Hey, I just want to see the little guys succeed, so if I can generate some thrills and hits for Natsume and their cool lineup of upcoming and already available games, I’m doing my job here.

E3 2014: Xseed Gets Nicely Nostalgic and Notoriously Naughty This Year…

Posted on June 16, 2014 by geelw

So, it looks as if Harvest Moon is now Story of Seasons, at least because Natsume owns the name proper and this game, while in the same series, has to get a retitling. No worries there, as it’s the same gameplay and pretty much the same plot as the older games you may have played and loved. Just buy it when it comes out and you’ll forget all about the name change, I say.

Gamers who recall one of the Super Nintendo’s most devious and pesky rogue-like RPG’s will be pleased to know that Nihon Falcom’s masterpiece Brandish is BACK in remake form as a new(ish) PSP game called Brandish: The Dark Revenant. from that video above, I got a few chuckles because it reminded me of playing the old game on the SNES and hating it until I got the hang of things, then hating it some more because making progress was tough as nails even after you got used to the gameplay. The assorted deathtraps here will drive impatient players nuts plus tax, so may I recommend you tape that PSP or Vita wrist strap around your wrist if you buy this game? This way, if you decide get pissed off and actually throw that handheld, you don’t get to see it hit anything unless it whips around your wrist (ouch!).

Corpse Party is also coming back, this time as a PC game for those of you who missed the original indie version. don’t let those initially cute characters fool you one bit. This one’s a creepy horror tale with some blood and gore and a plot that WILL get up under your skin and writhe around like it means it. It’s not really a party at the end of the day, but corpses are indeed involved, so that title is half correct, ha and ha… Continue reading →

E3 2014: Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn Trailer: It’s Back and Better – Go Get Your Zeon!

Posted on June 16, 2014 by geelw

It’s too bad this reboot of the Dynasty Warriors: Gundam franchise is digital-only, as I’d love to own this on a disc and not need to bust out the Japanese dictionary and flash cards in order to read the menus and understand the dialog. Oh, I suppose I should just go learn the language already, but I also want to support Namco Bandai here in America with a buy at some point. Of course, these digital releases are cheaper for them to get out because there’s no discs to press or ship out to assorted retailers, no overstock sitting around unsold and no resale market to worry about raking in money the company won’t even see a penny of. On the other hand, I’m a disc guy first and foremost, as are plenty of people who prefer their games in a case for a few good reasons. Anyway, this one looks good enough to buy in any form, so perhaps I’ll end up doing just that when this rolls out in July. Oh, and that VERY Star Wars-like cantina music at the end for the DLC pre-order? Priceless (but oddly enough, has nothing to do with the SW films old or new, go figure!)

Not Quite “Retro” Review Rerun: Raze’s Hell

Posted on June 16, 2014 by geelw

As I noted a little while back, from time to time I’ll be re-running some of my old (and long as hell, sorry!) reviews from a few dead sites I wrote for with no updates, but corrections and edits where necessary. Here’s one for a favorite Xbox game that still holds up almost ten years later as a great (albeit somewhat gory) gem you may have missed. Enjoy!

Ah, the mentality of the American gamer. Whenever a bargain game shows up on store shelves, only the bravest of the brave (or those cheap bastards like me who’re unwilling to pay full price for a name title) pony up the pocket change for most of these cheapies and figure “Well, it’s a budget game, but I need my fix!” as they go home, close their eyes and think of England (you’ll only get that joke if you’re older than 30 or are a bit of a history buff).

It turns out that some of these games are good, some are really good, and a rare few are of the “Wait… THIS cost twenty bucks?!” caliber. Majesco‘s new release, Raze’s Hell fits snugly into the latter category, and if you’re looking for a game that’s going to grab you by the short hairs and pull hard while smacking both your funny bones, disco down to your nearest game shop and bring a few friends with you- you‘re in for a treat… Continue reading →

E3 2014: Risen 3: Titan Lords Trailer: One For The Fans Who Appreciate The ERPG…

Posted on June 14, 2014 by geelw

Here in the west, I’s bet most gamers only know developer Piranha Bytes’ Risen series from the two console ports, which weren’t great because on the visual front, they distilled a game made for a decent 3D card down into a somewhat mushy-looking mess with some interesting gameplay elements and quests of decent length and challenge. As with other European-made RPG series such as Two Worlds and to some extent the Gothic games, Risen seems to sell well enough overseas on PC to garner more installments and I believe the console versions of these games do well in Europe as well. Here in North America where some are a LOT more picky about visuals and take some elements of their games too seriously, the combination of so-so looks, comedy bits that may seem out of place and perhaps simplified for game pad control schemes seem to turn some gamers off, leaving these titles to find a more niche audience.

Now, I’m a fan of the Risen games on console, warts and all, but I can see why some aren’t exactly jumping off their seats at this announcement trailer. On the good side, at least Deep Silver isn’t calling this CGI trailer a “gameplay” trailer at all. Now, I want to see how this looks in action on whatever it’s coming to so I can pick it up and play it whenever it’s released. Which, by the way will be August 12, 2014 on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. The pirate theme from Risen 2 is gone and the more familiar “medieval” fantasy look is back, so that’s a fine start. Not that I don’t like the whole pirate themed RPG thing, mind you…

SPINTIRES: Your “Hey, This Is REALLY Cool!” Sleeper of the Month…

Posted on June 14, 2014 by geelw

Just look at that trailer and let your mind expand a bit. When I first heard of SPINTIRES, I thought it was yet another racing game clogging up an already crowded field and yep, I’d planned to skip it. But that was before I saw it in action and realized it’s one of those weird indie simulation games that would wrap me up for hours because it does a LOT of things RIGHT. Low system requirements, supports K/M play or an Xbox 360 controller, has some innovative and realistic terrain deformation you rarely see in off-road vehicle games and it’s got those wonderfully boxy, beautiful Russian trucks that look like something out of a sci-fi film because Russians think of the future all the time (but in the weirdest places). Anyway, this one’s on Steam now or you can snap it up from the official site AND get a free Steam Key as well! I just downloaded this, so it’s off to play for a bit in the mud and get a review posted sometime next week.

E3 2014: Dead Island 2 Trailer: Summer Never Dies. But Your Character Might Not Make It…

Posted on June 14, 2014 by geelw

While definitely a wee bit on the gory side, this trailer for Dead Island 2 is also quite hilarious and worth a view for the punchline at the end. The game is coming in spring 2015 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC from publisher Deep Silver and one of my favorite developers, Yager (Spec Ops: The Line, Dreadnought). DI2 will be powered by Unreal Engine 4 and given Yager’s expertise in programming, I’m crossing my fingers for a visceral experience featuring highly destructible environments, plenty of mayhem and some grim laughs Dead Island is known for along with any new elements the team adds in. We’ll see what’s what as more info and movies pour out, of course. But I know Yager will give fans of this franchise a nice jolt or three when they finally wrap this one up with a bloody bow next year…

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Ink Hunt DLC Interrupts My Review! But That’s Fine With Me.

Posted on June 13, 2014 by geelw

So, I’m in the middle of writing a review for The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II (here’s a hint: BUY IT. It’s got some issues, but is fun once you get) when my inbox falls on my foot and out pops and email from NeoCore Games that they’ve JUST released a new patch AND some DLC along with it.

Sure enough, I check my Steam account and it’s downloading away in the background as it should. Well, so much for my review as it currently stands. I’d noted some issues that the patch looks as if it takes care of, so there goes THAT part on my very short list of tiny gripes. Granted, I haven’t played the game since the patch/DLC download, but I’ll get to it later tonight and see what’s what. I’m also in the midst of puttering away on some E3 articles, a review I needed to get up a day or so back and some columns for a few upcoming blogathons I need to yak about so some of you can join up and contribute to. Hokay, back to the grind for a bit before it’s back to the grind later, I guess…

Back in a bit. It’s Friday the 13th AND a full moon tonight. I’m NOT superstitious, but it seems that a lot of off-kilter people are out and about today. Yeesh…

E3 2014: MilitAnt Trailer: Prepare to Bug Out in 2015 With Xibalba’s Upcoming PC/PSN Shooter

Posted on June 13, 2014 by geelw

Sure, you can say Indie games are a dime a dozen these days, but more often than not, keeping your ear to the ground will reveal cool stuff like this PC, PS3/PS4/Vita bound game, MilitAnt from Xibalba Studios. As I tend to love “old-school” stuff like this, I’m all in and wanting to see more.

Thankfully, the game’s site has a bunch of screens and art to show off, so some of that stuff is here. This one’s not due until 2015, so there’s plenty of time for Xilbalba to make it even better and hopefully (waaaaaait for it…) as bug-free as possible (A ha and ha-ha). Anyway, I’ll keep you posted on this one as more info and images creep out. You aren’t afraid of ants, right? I sure hope not!