Child of Light is My Game of the Month (And I Haven’t Even Played It)

Posted on April 2, 2014 by geelw

Well, what else is new, right? As soon as I saw screen shots of Ubisoft’s upcoming RPG Child of Light, then video of it in action, I had to immediately add it to the top of my “PLAY IT OR ELSE!” pile and add both a background and banner using the gorgeous art to the site. It’s coming out April 30, 2014 for PC, PS3/PS4, Xbox 360/Xbox One and Wii U, so if you’re currently owning one of these systems or have a PC capable of running this game, you pretty much have zero excuse not to snap this up. That new UbiArt Framework tech makes the game look like a storybook come to life and I’d love to see it get used as a game making tool by an even wider range of artists as the years go by. Of course, as this is a digital only release, I’m hoping it’s not gone and forgotten by gamers out there who still prefer packaged titles for a few key reasons. But as with anything rolling out these days in this economy, we’ll see what happens…

Dark Souls II TV Spots: Oh, The Places You’ll Go (Just To Die Over and Over)…

Posted on March 30, 2014 by geelw

Heh. I get a phone call during The Walking Dead finale from a friend asking me “So, what’s this Dark Souls II all about?” right after this ad airs. Whee! Of course, I had to tell him to ring me back in an hour or so or just wait for a quick email. He’s not a gamer at all, so I’ll give Namco Bandai props for getting an ad out that gets people not into the hobby all hot and bothered. Amusingly enough, I actually don’t have a copy of the game yet – it’s in my backlog of stuff to grab for the PS3 once I make a bit more money. I’ve played a bit of it already thanks to walking another friend through the first two or so hours of the game as he grabbed it on launch day and was having a hard time because yep, it was his first time playing something that difficult. Anyway, I got to play and he got to keep the character I made, so that’s a fine trade off, I’d say. Naturally, he got the poor guy I created killed a few times since, but my tech support ends when I leave the premises. Otherwise, I charge a flat fee (and it’s not cheap), heh…

Alien Isolation Gets October 7, 2014 Release Date

Posted on March 29, 2014 by geelw

Wow, I need to pay more attention (Part XVIX), as I didn’t know that Alien Isolation was being made for the PS3 and Xbox 360 as well as PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Well, now… that changes things up considerably as I can live with the game on the PS3 as long as it’s got a solid frame rate and has the same content as the new-gen versions. Sure, I like fancy graphics and all, but my PS3 still gets a load of usage and I’m not about to knock Sega or The Creative Assembly for thinking smart and realizing from the outset that casting a wider net on this game means MORE people will play it if it gets great scores and they still don’t have a new system in their homes. Granted, as a system SELLER, it’ll work quite well indeed for those looking for a reason to snap up that nice new console or upgrade their gaming rig. On the other hand, those who can’t buy into the newer systems yet will appreciate not being let out of what could be the best Alien game to date. As usual, we shall see… but as I’ve said previously, I trust the CA to do this one up right (and then some)…

Raven’s Cry Update: Shipping Out 10/14/2014, Loads of New Stuff In The Cargo Hold!

Posted on March 28, 2014 by geelw

One of the upcoming games I’ve been keeping my telescope pointed towards the horizon on for a while now has been Raven’s Cry, the pirate-themed action role-playing game from developer Reality Pump (taking over from Octane Studios) and publisher TopWare Interactive. The game has had a few delays due to Reality Pump really going all out to add a ton of gameplay and story content to it and these new and new-ish screens show off a load of cool:

And the official site has also been updated with a new video, concept art and even wallpapers to download if this one floats your boat. As for the new features being implemented, here’s a rundown stolen from the press release:

– New skills for the captain (a skill tree with over 25 options)
– The personal story of Christopher Raven (more than 25 hours of main storyline)
– Additional adventures and skirmishes (open-world setting and side quests)
– An economic system with a wide variety of trade-able goods and simulated price adjustments
– Realistic naval combat
– Depictions of the dark life of pirates (or: cinematic cut scenes)

All of this should make for a game that’s at least worth a look to see if Reality Pump can pull it all off. It seems like a darker and grimmer game than their previous RPGs, so let’s hope it all pans out the way they (and we sea dogs) want it to. PC, Mac, PS3, PS4 and Xbox 360, folks. Yeah, once again, a decent-looking RPG is skipping the Xbox One, so you owners of that console can get cranky about that elsewhere. I’ll be busy Yo-ho-ho-ing it up and trying not to get sunk by some frigate I’m trying to loot…

Bound By Flame Gameplay Trailer: Could This Be My New BBF? We Shall See…

Posted on March 27, 2014 by geelw

Spiders’ upcoming action/RPG gets a quick gameplay showing and it’s looking pretty good so far. Granted, devotees of the many schools of RPG combat who don’t like this sort of hack/slash gameplay are perhaps a little skeptical and cranky, but I say hold off on the “it’s not realistic” complaints as it’s a fantasy setting and characters and a little balletic license is fine for a game like this. A dash of God of War and hints of The Witcher and a few other inspirations aside, Bound By Flame could turn out to be a decent little sleeper hit that grabs genre fans by the short ones when it drops into stores on May 9, 2014 (two days after my birthday, so everyone get me a copy!) for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and PC. I’ve got my eye on you, game – don’t let me down!

Wolfenstein The New Order: Meanwhile, On A Train To Berlin… Heißen Kaffee und neue Freunde…

Posted on March 27, 2014 by geelw

Well, now. So much for a peaceful train ride through a rather unique version of post WWII Germany, hmmmmm? This in-engine scene from Machine Games’ upcoming Wolfenstein: The New Order made me want a cup of strong coffee, but not the headache that comes later on from caffeine withdrawal. It doesn’t quite feel like a big mech stomping on my head, but I’d rather have a headache from one over the other. If I’m not mistaken, Tommy Tordsson Björk (see below!) wrote the dialog in this scene. That Frau Engel is a real witch (with a capital “B”) isn’t she? Granted, I’m all for strong female characters in games, folks… it’s the Nazi part that kind of bends my straw a bit. But hey, the best villains are the ones you love to hate, so she’s added to the my list of characters to keep an eye on.

Remember, Wolfenstein: The New Order, will be available on May 20, 2014 (and in Europe on May 23) on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. As an added bonus, pre-ordering the game gets you invited to access the DOOM beta

Child of Light Making of #1: Dream, Draw and Drink In The Delicious Results…

Posted on March 19, 2014 by geelw

Ubisoft is making game making an even more “magical” process these days thanks to its UbiArt Framework tech that allows for artists to see their work come to brilliant life while remaining unchanged from how it was created. The upcoming multiplatform role-playing game, Child of Light (April 30, 2014) presents the gorgeous storybook world of Lemuria and allows players to dive in and explore it using some tried and true gameplay along with some nice new features sure to bring on the raves from an audience hungry for new original properties and not more of the same old same old.

Given that the game is set ti launch on PC, PS3/PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Wii U (so far!), it looks as if anyone with a home console or decent enough gaming setup will be seeing what the fuss is all about soon enough. Yeah, I know you Mac and Linux users are all cranky right about now, but I guess there will be a version of this for you folks at some point down the road. In the meantime, I guess you could always make friends with someone who has one of the systems the CAN play on when it launches next month…

Sacred 3 Gameplay Trailer: I See Iso In Your Future…

Posted on March 19, 2014 by geelw

As I happen to love isometric views in my games (not for everything, mind you) and am no stranger to the action or turn-based role playing game experience, Sacred 3 is going to be right up my alley. Of course, I loved the first two games quite a lot for their large open maps, ridiculous amount of side quests to take and and surprises to stumble upon. Some would say the games are far too open and allow for wandering into death traps off the beaten path, but those people would be wrong, as no one asked them to get nosy and follow that trail of bones or gold coins into that pack of much higher leveled enemies or dark place with the nasty surprise or way too large and powerful dragon (and so forth and so on)…

Anyway, Sacred 3 hits PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 this summer. If it’s too quiet around here during that time, you know where I’ll be.

Metal Gear Solid V Ground Zeroes: Demo As A “Luxury” (For Better Or Worse)…

Posted on March 18, 2014 by geelw

So, it’s here and even though it’s been known for a while it was going to be what amounts to nothing but a brief demo with a $30 price tag (and similar to Gran Turismo 5 Prologue in its cost versus brevity factor), some critics have been punching away hard on poor Big Boss/Solid Snake. As I’m not made of money, I’m going to wait for a used copy or trade from a friend to pop up, but I really want to play this just to see that Fox Engine in action, how Kiefer Sutherland works as the voice for Snake (taking over from David Hayter) and the ability to tackle that single (and large) map as many ways as possible. Granted, the one to two hours maximum play time I’m hearing about IS a bit pesky, but I’m gathering most reviewers played through just to complete their posts and aren’t fully appreciating that demo for all its worth. On the other hand, this is a Hideo Kojima game, so perhaps that and the Metal Gear name are carrying that price point into “Hmmmmm…” territory for some writers and players.

That said, the full game (Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain) is still underway as far as development goes, so I do hope the cost of this slice is offset in some manner, be it some exclusive content available to those with save files (on-disc and not DLC so EVERYONE who bought in can see/play it) or something else Kojima and publisher Konami can think up to keep the angrier folks down off their soapboxes. Eh, we’ll see, I suppose. I’m just glad to see a new MGS on a home console after all this time…

Ultra Street Fighter IV: Meet Decapre!

Posted on March 17, 2014 by geelw

So, I’m more of a casual Street Fighter player these days, but even I can see that the lovely Decapre is a more or less (okay, more) cyborg-like version of popular fighter Cammy with a more clothed (bit still very sassy!) look. Nevertheless, Ultra Street Fighter IV with its slew of bonus content and features should please any fan of this series thanks to its healthy roster of talent to choose from, additional stages and the usual outstanding replay value Capcom fighters are known for among novice to veteran players.

Yeah, yeah – the haters still have their axes to grind and soapboxes to wobble on, but who has time to read or listen to those feebs other than the ones who agree with them? I say play more games and ignore the bile – you’ll live longer and enjoy yourself more than someone sitting at a keyboard whining away about stuff they really have no idea about. Hey! I wasn’t referring to ME, silly (grrrr!) – I’ve been doing this gaming thing for far too long to know I’m always right (er… okay, MOST of the time)…

Press release below the jump, by the way! Continue reading →