Zeno Clash II Trailer: Atlus Has Another ACE Effort (That More Need To Be Able To Play)…

 

As much goofy but intense fun as Zeno Clash II and its prequel, Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition look, the tiny little fact that many devoted Atlus fans who can’t get access to PSN or Steam accounts are going to miss yet another great game is going to be a sticking point that has yet to find a proper resolution. Yeah, yeah, I know digital is the way to go (and the waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay of the future!) for a super-niche game such as this one (and man is it weird!), but I’d love to see Atlus get BOTH Zeno Clash games onto a disc (along with ACE Team’s awesome Rock of Ages) for console users who don’t or can’t use PSN or XBLA. I actually have the first game for PC on a new import disc I picked up from the UK, but it requires a wee bit more powerful of a PC than I currently use and my laptop DEFINITELY can’t run it at all. Bleh.  I’m not one for online petitions, but I’ll go sign one if need be just to get to play more funky games such as these…

Lost Planet 3 Pirate Reveal Trailer: I Thought Cold Made Criminals Stay Home!

 

June 25, 2013 is the big day for those Lost Planet 3 fans keeping a good eye on Spark Unlimted’s best game to date. Of course, there’s still a way too vocal online presence from those who don’t get this is a PREQUEL and not a sequel (I blame the numbering system a little for this, but more blame goes to those who’ve NOT been reading all those hands-on previews at all), but I think (and hope) this will iron itself out when the game finally ships. HOPEFULLY, that’s enough time to silence some of these negative yappers as they ease into the game proper, but I also think Capcom needs to push back as gently as possible and help some of these misguided miscreants a bit before they get to vomiting their “I didn’t play the game BUT…” opinions all over Metacritic (which is no longer a reliable source for fair ratings at all) and get a LOT of people downsized out of jobs in the process. I love what I got to try out last year and think the game will “click” with many as soon as they let the story and characters do their thing.

FUSE Hands-On: Insomniac Wants You Up All Night With Their Co-op Focused Shooter

FUSE_logo_blk

fuse_PS3fuse_360In a way, FUSE is probably Insomniac’s most important game to date. The veteran games studio is well know worldwide among critics and PlayStation fans (and anyone else who happens to be console agnostic) who knows everything the developer has done has been of the highest quality. Sit down with any Insomniac title and you’ll find plenty of outstanding design, excellent visuals, and games that are just pure fun to play. Much of that work has held up over time (yes, even Disruptor) and as their first multi-platform release, the game looks to the carry those traditions to both the PS3 and Xbox 360. EA had a new demo of the game up and running at their spring press event a few weeks back and it was one of those cases where I walked up to the demo setup with a huge grin and left holding the top of my head so it wouldn’t fall off because that grin got a wee bit too wide. The co-op focused shooter formerly known as Overstrike looks spectacular, controls like a dream and more importantly, is certainly geared towards expert players.

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Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness Trailer: Now, That’s More Like It (Again)!

 

“Breathe deep, the gathering gloom… watch lights fade from every room…”

Yes, Laharl and Etna and company are indeed baaaaaack in this all-new Disgaea game headed to the PS3 this fall. Expect this one to drop in standard and some sort of limited editions bound to sell out quickly, as this dark yet hilarious series has always been a fan favorite and both Laharl and Etna have some REALLY hardcore fans. Well, Etna probably has the most fans, as no one wants a tattoo of baby Laharl on that demonskin rug on their back, but I’ve seen a few cool Etna tattoos over the years inked on some fans of assorted ages. As for me, I prefer to remain non-inked (needles… NEEDLES!), but pay me a million bucks and you might get me to reconsider. Maybe. Anyway, happy days indeed for strategy RPG fans who like their games wacky, hard as heck and filled with anime goodness galore…

Nippon Ichi’s The Guided Fate Paradox Poses Some Innnnteresting Eternal Questions…

 

Oh, this one just needs to be read to be believed, so I’ll just run the description below for this upcoming PS3 exclusive RPG and let your brains have at it:

The story for this title in particular is quite unique–imagine you are at the mall and you are forced to enter a raffle they are running inside…and you win! Congratulations, you winner, you! Your prize? You get to become God! Now that you are God, it’s your beeswax to go through the mysterious Fate Revolution Circuit and guide the fates of those who have prayed to God for help!

 

I happen to love the Disgaea games on the PS2, PSP, PS3, Vita and Nintendo DS and as TGFP is from some of the same team and looks cute as hell (er, ha ha?),  I’ll probably grab this one on the PS3 when it ships out whenever. That said, I’m praying for a physical release (no, not THAT kind of release, silly!) but can see Nippon Ichi Software America needing to deal with a few particularly picky folks who like their old-time religion in a non-anime (and more vengeful if you poke fun at it) manner. Any-way… I’ll be in the back with the devil horns playing loud (Maceo!), filing my nails and tail or something. Red velvet cake for dessert later – with fresh ice cream, by the way. Bring a friend. And a few marshmallows – it’s hot as hell down here.

Tomb Raider PC tressfx Demo: If You’re THAT Picky About Hair Animation, You Need A New Hobby…

 

There’s probably a fancy salon in your town that could use your assistance with some REAL hair problems, so pack up your gaming rig and roll it on in! Yes, yes, that hair animation in the PC version of Tomb Raider is indeed spectacular… but it’s also not that important unless you have stock in AMD, are one of those PC-only diehards (that ends up using a console-like controller to play the game because keyboard controls in 3D games like this are usually not as good) or hell, you just like flowing hair even if it’s digitally created. Eh, whatever, Sassoon… the game is great on anything you can play it on, so leave the graphics folks to their overclocking polygon and frame rate count fetishes, I say…

Resident Evil Revelations Infernal Mode: On May 21, You Just May Get That “Jill Sandwich” After All…

Ouch and double ouch.

RER_WiiU RER_PS3 RER_360

Moved-around monsters (with new ones to face),
items and crates now put in new place!
This is no straight port of the 3DS game
so if you die fast, you’re the one to blame.

It’s bound for PS3, 360 and Wii U May 21st
if you’re not prepared, you’ll just be the worst
So take some time off to practice your dodging
so you can spend that day off holed up in your lodging.

A boat full of nasty undead and more lurk
you’re going in alone, but don’t be a jerk
There’s no co-op here to save your nice skins
But Raid Mode is co-op for some sure-fire wins.

Those graphics are all redone in shiny HD
For all the gore, the game actually looks quite pretty
But admire the detail a wee bit too long,
and you’ll see naught but red when poor Jill’s head’s gone!

TMNT: Out of the Shadows Teaser: Back Again (and Still Shelling Out, Some Would Say)…

 

I always flip a coin and wait when I see a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game roll around. Sure, that original arcade game was a classic, but it’s been kind of hit or miss since then with a few good games and a few stinkers. Granted, I’ve definitely outgrown the appeal of those pizza-chomping, slang-slinging crime fighters who perhaps should have been chased down and turned into soup and luggage by evil poachers long ago. But there’s a new movie in the works and the fans all say  “The fans… think of the fans!”  (or at least that’s what the fans would like to believe they all say), so here you go: a new downloadable beat ’em up game on the way this summer on PSN and XBLA coming from Red Fly Studios and published by Activision.

Personally, I’d much rather see Rare get off whatever slow unicorn they’re on and get us a proper Battletoads revival (an HD reboot of the classic 1994 arcade version and/or a new 3D game in the Conker vein), but those chances are slimmer than a photo of Kate Moss, circa 1994 placed under a stack of C++ programming books.

Capcom Arcade Cabinet 1985 Game Pack #1: Three More Classics To Keep You Twitching The Night Away…

 

Let’s see now… Ghosts ‘n Goblins, GunSmoke, and Section Z, all true classics and all now popping up on PSN and Xbox Live Arcade for you Capcom Arcade Cabinet users in North America (European PlayStation Store users get theirs tomorrow) for a very reasonable $9.99€/9.99/£7.99/800MSP. For those of you PSN users who missed last week’s intro 1987 pack or just want the two classics Avenger and/or 1943: The Battle of Midway by themselves, they’re both for sale individually on PSN for $3.99/€3.99/£3.19 each. Capcom hasn’t said a thing about 360 users in regards to these two titles getting single purchase deals, but I’m guessing 360 owners will need to take that up with Microsoft and not Capcom if it’s an issue about individual games being sold or whatever. Anyway, enough reading – go drop some virtual quarters already!

Defiance Competitive Multiplayer: Rush Hour At The More Than OK Corral…

 

Since Defiance isn’t a garden variety online FPS (or a FPS at all) and not your standard semi-real time MMO where you queue up actions and wait while moves play out, the game flows a lot more like a purer action game because it IS one. Granted, I still can’t play it online at all here (boo!), but nothing should stop YOU from if you’re interested in the show and able to do so. Here’s hoping Trion Worlds has a bigger hit than even they’ve imagined and they can do something similarly fun for those of us who don’t live online (whether by choice or not) when we want some simple, fun but thrilling gaming… my fingers are crossed…