Primal Carnage: Genesis GDC 2013 Trailer: Unreal 4 Gets An Early Workout…

Posted on March 29, 2013 by geelw

PCGenesis_logo

I haven’t played Lukewarm Media’s cool-looking Primal Carnage on PC because it’s an online only multiplayer-focused game and I don’t play online games anymore (bad connection at home, lack of interest in running around shooting others in the face and dealing with immature and mature racist, homophobic and other online jerks, et cetera), so I actually skipped over this announcement until a fellow editor-type pointed me in the right direction by noting Primal Carnage: Genesis is a single player game with an actual story. Woo-oo! OK, I’m sold.

Granted, I first got a nasty Dino Crisis 4 vibe (sorry, Capcom!) from the sci-fi elements here, but I got over that quickly and now there’s a nice Dino Crisis 2 meets Dinosaur Hunting vibe reverberating my my pointy little head. Anyway, it looks as if I’ll be keeping another eyeball on one more really cool-looking new game, huh? Good thing I have a bag full of extra eyeballs in the freezer. Buy in bulk and SAVE, kids…

STAR TREK: The Video Game: Shatner’s Back! (In Not Quite the “Arena” Mode You Wanted)…

Posted on March 29, 2013 by geelw

So, who said Shatner wouldn’t be in a new Trek venture? Granted, being stuck in a hilarious trailer for the upcoming Digital Extremes-developed game headed to the PS3 and Xbox 360 (warping into retail on April 23) isn’t exactly the part he probably wanted, but it’s great to see him poke fun at his Kirk and that classic episode here. I have the feeling that Namco bandai Games just got a few extra sales for this one based on this funny ad alone. Hopefully, there will be some hands-on time for me at the press event next week, as I’m dying to see how this one’s turned out…

GRID 2 Update: Now, This Is A World Series I’d Defintely Watch (And Play!)…

Posted on March 28, 2013 by geelw

…Fortunately, I’m more of a hands-on guy. Even better, Codemasters is BACK in town in a week or so with more of the game to show off and yes, indeed – I’ll be there. A wee bit early in the morning for my tastes, but eh, what can you do? I have an appointment with this at 10am, another appointment a block or so away to see Starbreeze Studios’ new game, then it’s back to the same spot I started from for a few hours of Namco Bandai Games’ lineup. I could use a clone right about now, but I guess that’s not going to happen before these press events coming up. Anyway, GRID 2 is looking great and is skidding into stores here on May 28 2013 (or May 31, depending on where you live)…

Pathologic: GOG.com Gets A(nother) Unique Indie Horror Game…

Posted on March 28, 2013 by geelw

With a name like Ice-Pick Lodge for the development team behind this Russian PC game from 2005, Pathologic was guaranteed at least some notoriety from gamers who pay attention to such things. However, this horror-themed adventure/RPG hybrid seems to have been forgotten over the years until the folks at gog.com dug it up, got it working and available as the latest game in their growing library. The surreal visual style is a bit dated (I like it a lot), so the graphics whores will get all pissy that it doesn’t look as if were made last week. Nevertheless, the game still has that odd overall charm familiar to games such as Deadly Premonition, D2, Silent Hill and a bit of Call of Cthulu: Dark Corners of the Earth (among other quirky horror games). Anyway, three playable characters, an intriguing game world and story, plenty of unsettling imagery and yep, death comes a-calling looking quite strange here. Even better – this one’s only $9.99, so definitely check it out if you’re in the mood for something weird and wild…

PAX East 2013: DuckTales Gets The Crowd Going (Therefore, You Must Go As Well)…

Posted on March 27, 2013 by geelw

Yeah, you watched the show as a kid (or a drunken college teenager or early pre-hipster doofus) and yeah, you played the NES game to death. So now you need to show your love or else the game’s upcoming remake will be trapped in development HELL. Not really. I just wanted to see you all singing along to the DuckTales theme song. Corny as hell, but C-l-a-s-s-i-c cartoon stuff from the 80’s!

OK, shut up and sing along. You sing, an angel gets a new kidney or something like that. And a puppy.

YOU SING! NOW!!

Life is like a hurricane…
Here in Duckburg.

Race cars, Laser, Aeroplanes
It’s a… duck blur.

Might solve a mystery
Or rewrite history…

DUCKTALES
Woo-oo!

Everyday they’re out there making:

DUCKTALES
Woo-oo!

D-D-D-Danger moves behind you
There’s a stranger out to find you
What to do? Just grab on to some:

DUCKTALES
Woo-oo!

Tales of derring-do
Bad and good luck tales (Woo-oo!)

Not ponytails
Or cotton tails, no:

DUCKTALES
Woo-oo!

DUCKTALES
Woo-oo!

Now there, don’t you feel a LOT better?

You’re welcome.

Watch_Dogs: Threat Monitoring Report: Beware The Launch Day Stampede.

Posted on March 27, 2013 by geelw

I’m one of those people dying to play this upcoming soon to be classic… but I’m smartly also NOT following every single thing written about it all around the Internet because that’s the fast road to mental hell. A million “what if” posts and too much over-speculation ALWAYS leads to disappointment or over/underblown expectations and other dopiness that can derail an otherwise excellent game experience. I’ve just been ignoring everything until I hear the game is PLAYABLE and coming to NYC on a press tour where I can wrap my grubby paws around a controller to see what’s what and let YOU know about it. Of course, that all revolves around someone at Ubisoft’s PR team actually contacting me (which hasn’t happened for a while, ha ha – maybe they’re watching ME to see what I do?), but as always, we shall see. Hey, I’m a nice enough guy and don’t bite unless you ask politely (*Woof!*)…

Divinity: Original Sin Goes the Kickstarter Route (And You Should, Too!)

Posted on March 27, 2013 by geelw

DIV II ART

DIV_II_WIP NO, no – don’t go and post a Kickstarter for your beer collection or shoe fetish, silly! Go support Larian Studios and THEIR Kickstarter in their push to trick out their upcoming RPG in some really cool ways. The game is coming along really well as you’ll see – the team is offering up the chance to add fan-created content and some cool bonuses into the mix for those of you with some extra disposable income lying around. Personally, I want to see this or some other Divine Divinity-themed game make it to consoles (again, as Divinity II was outstanding on the Xbox 360, but could have used a PS3 port so more could play it). Anyway, poke around that link above and if you like what you see and hear (that video is quite helpful if you turn the audio up), well… drop a few dimes on this one, tell a few friends, sit back and wait for that inbox to ring when the game’s all done. This one looks as if it’ll be well worth the wait…

DARK: Realmforge’s Cel-Shaded Vampire RPG Looks Quite Intriguing…

Posted on March 27, 2013 by geelw

Hmmm… it’s too bad this is Xbox 360 and PC-only at this point, as I can see Sony fans wanting in on this. DARK is coming to you from the fine folks at Realmforge Game Development Studio and based on this trailer alone, looks like a game worth more than watching. Of course, I’ll have to end up with this on a disc for the home PC or download on the laptop, as both my 360’s here are DEAD and not even a bite from a vampire, zombie or zombified vampire console repairman could bring them back to life, grrrr.

Anyway, I’m really liking the Deus Ex meets Syndicate meets Thief meets Vampire: The Masquerade vibe I’m getting here. Yeah, it’s not from a AAA developer or publisher (but these days, that’s more of a big blessing than a fatal curse), but if the controls are solid and the story memorable, it’s most certainly got all the makings of a sleeper hit. Or one that’s got a life of its own and is as hard to put down as a “real” vampire would be to a blind guy wearing sunglasses at night armed with a box of melting Popsicles. We’ll keep an eyeball peeled on this and let you know…

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Trailer: FOX on the Run (And It’s Looking Mighty Fine)…

Posted on March 27, 2013 by geelw

MGSV_PP Oh, brother. Raise those hands now… WHO didn’t know that this was going to be a new Metal Gear Solid game? Or that Hideo Kojima and his team weren’t going to (once again) push visuals to the edge in a console game. I can still remember that feeling I had when watching that first long form Metal Gear Solid trailer, a non-playable masterpiece from a Spring Special Demo Disc back in er, 1997 or ’98 and every MGS game since has dome something meaningful with its proprietary graphics engine. This new MGS V trailer, however, basically yanks you right into its world (which is open and non-linear this time out) from the moment Snake is on that operating table through some pretty outstanding dramatic sequences… Continue reading →

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Behind the Scenes: A Fantasy Trip for Today…

Posted on March 26, 2013 by geelw

Hey! Wouldn’t you like to be on a nice vacation right about now? OK, let’s go! Let’s say, hmmm… we’re now in Sweden with Josef Fares at Starbreeze Studios talking a little more about their unique game collaboration, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons coming to Windows PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 courtesy of publisher 505 Games? OK, OK… sitting in another room that’s different from the room you’re in now may not be much of a holiday at first glance, but think outside the box (or outside the building, in this case) and you’re on the way to your new destination with a fresh outlook. Um, Har en fantastisk semester – inte äta för mycket korv!