The Walking Dead Season Two Trailer: Orange You Glad You’re Not Really Clementine?

Posted on December 12, 2013 by geelw

This one’s a tiny bit on the gory side, ladies and germs. But if you watch the show regularly you know what to expect:

But it’s a good thing little Clementine isn’t a defenseless piece of fruit in this follow up to Telltale’s multimillion selling and multiple award winning first season of what’s bound to be an adventure game series for the ages. If you haven’t played the first set of chapters or the 400 Days expansion, well guess what, chief? If you own a PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or PC you can either stroll into your favorite game emporium like a champ and pick up The Walking Dead: Game of the Year Edition or sit right where you are and download it from the Telltale Games site, PSN or Xbox Live. Of course, if you DO get the first season, forget you even saw this trailer because it has some hot spoiler action (but not too much that it will ruin the original game at all)…

Earth Defense Force 2025 Update: Fencer’s Up, Bugs “R” Done!

Posted on December 9, 2013 by geelw

Just a friendly little reminder from D3Publisher of America that Earth Defense Force 2025 is going to finally be winging your way soon. Well, February 2014 may not seem like “soon” to some of you out there, but it’s going to be well worth the wait, that’s for sure. Anyway, yes – this clip is supposed to be funny because it’s mimicking trailers from old samurai films, so feel free to chuckle it up if you’re on the same vibe.

Remember, people – EDF 2025 is ONLY coming to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, so if you sold or traded off either console, start kicking yourself in the butt all the way back down to that game emporium. Or, if you gave your “old” system to your little brother or other relative, prepare to “borrow” it back and be NICE about it. No replacing that console with a cardboard box and an old telephone handset with analog sticks and buttons drawn on it with a Sharpie. You’ll get a sack of coal upside the head for that, pal!

The Lego Movie Videogame Trailer: Meta Enough For You? My Mind Left An Hour Ago…

Posted on December 7, 2013 by geelw

Okay. It’s a video game based on a movie about toys including many that have been the subject of entire video games. Well, at least TT Games (the folks who’ve made all those successful LEGO video games for the last few years) is on the case and what’s here will no doubt LOOK and PLAY fantastically. I’m just still not at all sold on the need for a LEGO movie, period. Yeah, yeah – it’s going to be chock full of in jokes and references up the wazoo and sure, I did chuckle a bit when watching this trailer.

However, given that LEGO fans have made more interesting (and less celebrity-filled) movies for less money (a whole lot less money that what this is costing not counting the marketing), my inner cynic has been activated for close to a year ever since I got wind of the film being made. Oh, I’m SURE this will make its money back quickly worldwide, but at the end of the day, it’s going to be a hollow shell of an experience if it’s missing even what amounts to a plastic heart at the center no matter how many writers try to slap in some sappy moments to make you tear up a wee bit. In any event, the game should either do fine or really confuse the easily confused with too many game systems, as it’s being released on no fewer than EIGHT platforms (what, NO Wii version?!). Seriously. The funniest part of the trailer for me was seeing all those game packages at the end. Collectors alert, indeed!

Eh, we’ll see what happens – maybe I just need a hug or something…

Dark Souls II Update: 18 New Screens, Same Old Waiting For That Release Date To Roll Around…

Posted on December 5, 2013 by geelw

Behold, adventurers! Or something like that. Okay, I got lazy and didn’t convert the LAST set of Dark Souls II screens from bitmap to JPEG (WordPress HATES bitmaps, it seems!), but thankfully, Denny Chiu at Namco Bandai still likes me (Hi, Denny!). Thanks to him, my inbox was blessed with these new screens I will more than verily happily share with you below:

There, that was simple enough, right? I’ll get those other screens up soon as well with an appropriately goofy post about why it took so damn long. I blame a faulty TARDIS circuit, a rogue dinosaur and a bag of shrimp chips past its sell date, but that excuse may change…

Raven’s Cry Update: Sneaky Pirates On The Horizon Set To Land Next May

Posted on December 4, 2013 by geelw

Aha! I didn’t forget about YOU, Raven’s Cry. This long awaited Topware Interactive published game has shifted development over from Octane Studios to veteran Polish developer Reality Pump Studios and has added even more pirate-y goodness in the process. Arrrrr! (sorry – I’ve had this stone in my shoe all day! Ahhhh, that’s better)…

No templars in this mix as far as I can tell, just the same seafaring tale of one man’s vengeance on those that did him wrong as a wee lad and set him to his life of crime on the high seas. Four new screenshots were recently set adrift by Topware PR, so here you go. Sorry for the delay in posting these, folks. Do you know how long it takes to air-dry screenshots? Longer that you’d think! Anyway, look up. Look down. PIRATES wherever (I tell) you (to) look!

As for a release date, well Happy Birthday to me, people! The game should be available May 7, 2014 at least on PC as far as I can tell. I know I’ve reported this earlier as a multi-platform release, but that’s because I had mock-ups of the cover art. I see now that no console logos are on the official site, so I’m gathering PC will come first and anything else may pop up later. But don’t hold me to that.

KontrolFreek Is Back With More On Target Goodies For Console FPS Fans!

Posted on December 2, 2013 by geelw

They’re baaaaaaack! The last time I reviewed a few products from KontrolFreek, they ended up disappearing from the home office when some friends popped over, checked them out and decided that I owned them some freebies for making the trek all the way up here or something. Yeah, guess who’s not getting invited back, chumps? Anyway, fortunately, Casi over at KontrolFreek was kind enough to shoot over a set of the new FPS Freek Phantom (MSRP $19.99) and after playing through Call of Duty: Ghosts and a few other FPS and non-FPS games, it’s safe to say that they perform exactly as expected. Which would be pretty darn fantastic.

As noted in my earlier review, the FPS Freek series of analog stick toppers adds height to those sticks and precision to your movements, allowing you to use LESS pressure when moving normally, sprinting or shooting in games, allowing for more accuracy and less funny looking thumbs after extended play sessions. It’s all ergonomics, people – that’s all you need to know and even if you’re the most skeptical buzzard on the block, one try should convince you within seconds that this is the way to go if you’re a big shooter fan. I’d say you club-fisted gamers will NEED to learn to not jam those sticks around because you might occasionally pop one of the Freeks off an Analog stick (they’ll snap right back on). But other than that, this is money well spent if you’re a fan of those high-action shooters and want that extra edge in solo or online play. Anyway, go boogie on over to the KF site, check out what they have to offer and feel free to check out their upcoming PlayStation 4 and Xbox One lineup, as they certainly aren’t going to forget about you next-gen owners one bit. yeah, you KNOW you want that extra edge…

The Walking Dead Game of the Year Edition: Oh, Yes. Yes, You Must…

Posted on November 19, 2013 by geelw

It’s the brilliant writing, folks… but the excellent stylized visuals (done in the style of the award winning comic) aren’t bad at all. 2012’s best game by many accounts is coming back from the undead as a complete package with the 400 Days DLC and some nice bonuses and yes indeed, although I have the disc version AND the PSN downloads, I’ll be picking this GOTY edition up simply out of habit (well, that and I haven’t yet gotten the 400 Days content update since my PS3 currently isn’t connected to PSN). Trust me, if you haven’t played this yet and know someone with a PC, PS3 or Xbox 360 who doesn’t yet have this one, get it for them (well, make sure they’re 18 or over first!) and stick around to watch them play. Bet you’re sucked in right from the opening moments and you stick around to see what happens and who makes it through those chapters in one piece (or close to one piece)…

Double Dungeons Day! Adventure Time, Young Justice Head to “Last-Gen” Systems

Posted on November 19, 2013 by geelw

Hey! Stop that whining that you don’t own one of those fancy new online tethered “Maybe she no-a work out of the box! for a few reasons” new consoles, kids! You can play BOTH of these new titles on what you already own and be happy (and definitely happier if you kept that PS3 around if your PS4 is blue-light bricking itself up the living room), so I say GET HAPPY!

Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW! is out NOW on the “old” Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Wayforward Technologies (the current KINGS of modern retro gaming on many fronts. RESPECT!). Old-school top-down action RPG action. Kinda like Gauntlet, but kinda NOT like Gauntlet (there’s no coin drop on you TV and the game isn’t like Gauntlet once you play it). One to four players. Sort of has drop in-drop out co-op play (so your friends can faint at the sight of a boss and you can keep going, darn them!). Rated E10+ (but most of you AT fans are much older than 10+, I bet). Yeah, you need this one yesterday, I say.

Young Justice Legacy is also out NOW for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS and PC (via Steam). New developer Freedom Factory takes a page from the still hugely popular Marvel Ultimate Alliance games with this fun one to three player action RPG that takes place between Seasons 1 and 2 of the seemingly now defunct cartoon series. Sure, the stylized visuals aren’t screaming 2013 at you, but this is one of those games that works if you love the fast-paced super-heroic stuff and aren’t overly judgmental about every game being a showpiece of visual techniques. From my playtime with a demo, solo play can be tough in some spots if you’re careless and rush into fights, so grab a friend or two and a couple of extra controllers (have your friends bring theirs, I say) and get the fist to face action going.

Yeah, you’ll need to invite them over as this (and Adventure Time) don’t have any online modes (not sure about the Steam version, but it’s good that I DON’T KNOW! – yet). Good, I say – people need to play MORE together in the same room because it makes them be MORE social. How so? Hey, if you have to bathe for company and maybe clean up a little… THAT’S making yourself MORE social. Get it? Got it? GOOD. Now go hit the pavement for some exercise and retail therapy. Class dismissed!

Yes, Gamers DO Read Books. Blizzard Knows This, So You Get Two Tomes The Fun…

Posted on November 8, 2013 by geelw

Going to Hell is generally no picnic and I’ve most certainly been there more than enough times to not need a guidebook. That said, some of you out there who get lost at the drop of a hat (and need to keep buying new hats) can probably use BradyGames’ Diablo III Signature Series Strategy Guide (MSRP $21.99) the next time you do drop in. Of course, you’ll also need a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 and a copy of the Diablo III to get the most of this excellently handy tome of demon doom.

Authors Doug Walsh, Rick Barba and Thom Denick have put together a think 464 pages of comprehensively detailed info on every quest, a Bestiary to keep track of those things always hot on your heels, tips on items, loot drops, crafting and more all await those who require a held hand on that long, arduous trip down to the deepest deeps. Hell, your poor character may still die a few too many times, but at least you’ll be good and well-versed on just what did you in because you got a wee bit too eager in your poking about in that dungeon you needed a few more levels to clear. Even if you’re NOT a strategy guide guy or gal, getting this for that newbie to the dark world of DIII makes for a great holiday gift just so that giftee will leave YOU the hell alone and play the game without haunting your phone or inbox for sage advice. Yeah, we all know people like that, correct?

Meanwhile, back in Azeroth… to many millions of loyal players, World of Warcraft is their second home (or first for those even deeper into it) and when they come up for air, I’m sure they’ll be pleased as punch to know that Blizzard has them in mind to on the reads front. Publisher DK has recently released World of Warcraft: Ultimate Visual Guide (MSRP $29.99) is exactly what it says, a lushly illustrated 200-page hardcover featuring tons of gorgeous artwork from the games, some concise writing by Doug Wagner and plenty of lore that I’ll bet the more hardcore WoW fans out there will find some nits to pick about.

Yeah, you know how that goes with those uber-fans, right? That said, between the OFFICIAL according to Blizzard timeline that fits all those expansions together, a look into the development of the games and a too brief peek at the DC Comics series plus more, this one a great addition to the libraries of new players as well as hardened happy veterans of the seemingly unstoppable MMORPG.

That and the book weighs just enough to knock a goblin out with a sturdy swing, so maybe the dev team can add it to the game quickly as a backup weapon or something. Hey, stranger things have happened in the gaming universe, so getting clobbered by a book won’t be the goofiest thing to occur in the busy lands of Blizzard’s continuing cash cow…

Castlevania Lords of Shadow 2 Developer Diary #1: Going Out In High Style…

Posted on November 7, 2013 by geelw

The first Castlevania: Lords of Shadow game was a pretty solid mash up of old and new school elements that while not perfect, made for a pretty thrilling game with some very lovely visuals. Developer extraordinaire MercurySteam is pulling out all the stops with this sequel and as this seems to be their final Castlevania game, the team is making sure they go out on a high note. Yeah, yeah, the Igarishi-only and 3D-only wails from the rear of the room are loud in some spots, but that’s only when I leave the window open too long. I don’t care who makes a game as long as it’s GOOD at the end of the day and it’s also important to broaden one’s horizons every once in a while (and DAILY, if possible). MercurySteam’s expertise with current gen hardware is pretty phenomenal in my book, so I can’t wait to see what they’re working on for the newer consoles (or heck, any other platform)…