Wolfenstein: The New Order Livestream: Machine Plays With Itself For Your Enjoyment…

Posted on May 19, 2014 by geelw

Well, then. Here’s a look at the game in action before the big launch tomorrow. If it’s as solid as the other previews I’ve seen around the internet over the past few weeks, I predict a hit for developer Machine Games and publisher Bethesda Softworks, provided the multiplayer zombies realizes this isn’t THAT sort of game at all. Oh, by the way parental units wondering about the content here? Heck NOPE, in no way, shape or form is this game for kids! Personally, I like Machine’s updated take on the character of B.J. Blazkowicz, the pull no punches coarse language and all that icky blood and gore – whee! Okay, getting (slightly) serious for a hot second, that this one’s single player makes me happy as well, because multiplayer shooters are a dime a dozen these days (but usually cost AAA prices) and this is a game where you can tell the the development team spent lots of time designing the game around the story they’ve created.

Yeah, yeah, you want to run around and shoot each other in the face for endless hours in the same old map types and game variants. Well, go buy this game tomorrow on PC and sign up for the DOOM beta and get NEW map types and maybe some other surprises tossed your way. This one’s for those of us who like a good story and game wrapped together and I can’t wait to see how it’s turned out.

Dragon Age: Inquisition Update – Stuff To See And Read While You’re Waiting ‘Til October…

Posted on May 19, 2014 by geelw

Here’s a handful of location screens from Dragon Age: Inquisition, headed to PC and every home console except for the Wii U this October 7. BioWare has also been posting some fine reading material and more images on lore from the game, so today you get links to info on those warring mortal enemies The Grey Wardens and The Darkspawn along with the VERY non-vacation hotspot called The Fortress of Adamant. Hey, this trip is FREE, so pipe down or the guide will leave you in a tomb somewhere!

Enemy Front Gallery: “So, What Did YOU Do During The War? (Part Two)

Posted on May 18, 2014 by geelw

I’ve been trying to figure out how to pin down CI Games’ upcoming story-driven first-person shooter Enemy Front without getting too worried about how the game will be received when it lands in stores on June 10, 2014. While it looks on the surface to be one more entry in the recent comeback of the WWII shooter, the rather nice looking CRYENGINE powered game uses the Warsaw Uprising as one of the destructible locations playable character American war correspondent Robert Hawkins ends up in and that’s probably guaranteed to get some historians and other people a bit ticked off for a few reasons.

Granted, the game isn’t supposed to be “realistic” or an accurate simulation at all and yes, it’ll be far too easy for some to pick it apart for any elements they see as inaccurate. But CI seems to want to bridge the game between the old Medal of Honor and Call of Duty games, while referencing Sniper Elite and its own Sniper games. There’s freedom to tackle missions in what’s being called “a richly interactive combat sandbox gameplay experience”, meaning the game should be nowhere as linear as the yearly Call of Duty action-packed guided tour thrill ride, which is a good thing for those players looking for a bit more variety and replay value… Continue reading →

Sniper Elite III 101: “So, What Did YOU Do During The War?” (Part One)

Posted on May 18, 2014 by geelw

With PR folk from 505 Games and a few of the dev team from Rebellion rolling into NYC this week, I’ll finally get some hands-on time with Sniper Elite III on Tuesday morning and report about it here. The team has clearly listened to feedback about Sniper Elite V2 and it looks as if this third chapter addresses all the issues and makes for a more expansive and free form game experience. Sure, the extreme violence isn’t for everyone (and yep, that video is pretty graphic), but I’m not playing this one to see Nazi brains and other bits get shattered and splashed about the large levels. I’m a game design guy first who loves seeing what different developers come up with and Rebellion has been around long enough to keep surprising me. Anyway, expect an update a few days from now on my experience with this one. Sniper Elite III hits retail and download on July 1st in the US on Xbox One, PS4, PS3 and Xbox 360 and of course, the PC version will be a Steam release.

Wolfenstein ‘House of The Rising Sun’ Launch Trailer: Doing Up NSFW The Right Way

Posted on May 16, 2014 by geelw

While the first-person shooter variants of Wolfenstein haven’t ever been geared towards kids, it’s been quite clear that Machine Games’ reboot of the series was going for a mature audience right from the moment that first teaser trailer popped up online. I want to play this just because the writing has been pretty adult and amusing in each video I’ve seen and while the game pulls no punches in its dialogue or extreme violence, both work in favor of the material because there’s enough humor here to keep one playing through the blood and bits you’ll see above and in the gloriously gory Stealth vs. Mayhem trailer from a few weeks back I missed. Yeah, it’s clearly not for the squeamish types, but I’d prefer a game that goes this far and makes me want to keep playing than one that’s just mean and stupid just to be so. May 20th on on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC, folks. “Be there, Aloha!”

Cavia Lives! Sort Of. Xseed Returns Bullet Witch To The Xbox 360 Via Games On Demand

Posted on May 13, 2014 by geelw

Ah, my dear, dear Alicia… I missed you and your “witchy” ways, but it’s too bad this brief and non-physical reunion we’re having is just courtesy of a reissue and not an all NEW adventure.

Some people hated the now shuttered Japanese developer Cavia’s Bullet Witch when Atari brought it to the US for the Xbox 360, but I liked it (warts and all) thanks to the difficulty that required players PAY ATTENTION to enemies in the environments (snipers in that game were paid very well, let’s just say), learn patterns and take advantage of assorted strategies while trying to find that perfect pace to move at so poor Alicia didn’t get swarmed.

While PlatinumGames’ Bayonetta became a much more popular (and faster moving) heroine three years after this game came and went, I’ll always remember Alicia being there first with her big gun and wild spells. One day, she needs a proper comeback in a better (and multi-platform) game, I say. Continue reading →

GRID Autosport Update: When Discipline Isn’t Punishment, It’s Pure Bliss…

Posted on May 13, 2014 by geelw

I’ve heard auto racing compared to fighting before, but when the comment pops up in this video, you can see what that means pretty clearly. I tend to like European Touring Car racing a lot better than the mostly oval, turn left and draft stuff that’s popular here, so Codemasters has had me since the TOCA days on the original PlayStation. GRID Autosport looks incredible in this trailer (and the other two that have been released) and I love how user feedback has make the game’s Black Edition a much more palatable product to pre-order thanks to everyone getting that same content and no spitting up DLC based on certain retailers and such.

That’s lame and other publishers need to listen up and quit that nonsense as it means people who like to complete a game can actually complete it and not need to shell out for multiple copies just to get every drip of content. Go, Codemasters!

Diablo III Ultimate Evil Edition Coming August 19 to Consoles (Yep, PS3 and 360, Too)

Posted on May 13, 2014 by geelw

When the Diablo III: Reaper of Souls expansion was announced for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, many fans of the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions on a few message boards thought they were going to be left out of the loop. I also initially thought so for a hot minute, but didn’t think Blizzard was nuts enough to NOT bring that expansion to the consoles where MORE of that version sold (and continues to sell). Fortunately, console owners from last and this generation (well, save for Wii U owners) will be reaping the rewards come August 19 when Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition rolls out on PS3,PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Yes, that sound you heard is me screeching like a happy Harpy and dancing around the room.

Now before I break a hip, hear below the jump and read what else I wrote about this excellent news… Continue reading →

Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom Coming In November from Wayforward & Little Orbit

Posted on May 8, 2014 by geelw

“What Time Is It?!”

Well, it’s NOT quite THAT time yet, kids. Anyway, Publisher Little Orbit’s partnership with Cartoon Network looks to pay off this November when the latest Adventure Time game is released for PC via Steam, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

So far, all we have is this somewhat intentionally generic (and intentionally HUGE! – Go on, click it and see for yourself. YAAAA!, Right?) artwork of heroes Finn and Jake to ogle (although, according to the Ice King and a few other characters from the show, there’s some desperation in you if you consider either of these two ogle worthy). However, according to the press release:

The game will introduce a classic top-down action adventure experience and puzzle-solving element to the franchise, reminiscent of early high fantasy console games… In Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom, players take on the personas of both Finn and Jake as they navigate through the eponymous kingdom – a mysterious unexplored region in the Land of Ooo. They will discover hidden secrets by exploring all corners of a new kingdom created exclusively for the game and encounter never-seen-before characters and creatures.

Sounds like a plan, man. Put this one in the pan, Stan! Yeah, there’s no Wii U version, but I guess you could say “what else is new?” when it comes to support drifting away from that console (which is too bad, but hey – you gotta sell where your game will sell these days!). More on this once we get some screens and trailers out of Wayforward and/or Little Orbit. I wanted to squeeze them like a sack of grapes, but they really don’t have much to show it seems. I guess e3 will be the big reveal…

Bound By Flame Launch Trailer: There’ll Be A Hot Time In The Old Town This Friday…

Posted on May 6, 2014 by geelw

Spiders’ next game is (almost) here and I’m actually quite eager to give it a play through, as they’re a developer that’s done a number of great looking games with interesting play mechanics that while not flawless, showed a ton of promise with each project. Bound By Flame looks like a labor of love and the next step for the developer, as it’s their first “next-gen” game for the PlayStation 4 as well as being on PS3 and Xbox 360. Of course, PC gamers will say they’re getting the “best” version (and they’d be right in terms of visuals), but for me, at the end of the day, it’s gameplay that makes the game, not running the game with all the settings maxed and showing off what that graphics card you have can do. The visuals look nice on anything I’ve seen this on, the music (by Olivier Derivière) and voice acting are excellent and the combat looks like an interesting mix of a few games. Of course, videos are one thing, but there’s nothing like some controller time to see how it’s all come together. Well, May 9th is the day, so I guess I’ll see what’s up with this one then…