Review: Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom

Posted on November 21, 2014 by geelw

Platform: PS3/PC

Developer: WayForward Technologies

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

Score: A- (90%)

In the Nameless Kingdom, there’s a huge shop early on that “sells” nothing but the clay vases Finn been smashing to bits in that first dungeon you went through that opens the game. Finn can’t actually BUY a vase at all as far as I can tell. He can only lift one up to carry around and eventually try to leave with it. Or he can smash as many as he can with a weapon or just throw that lifted vase to the ground, breaking it. The only thing that happens when he does any of those things is an alarm goes off and a timer starts ticking down. Fifteen seconds later, a guard from the castle grabs Finn and then he’s outside the shop. When you go back inside, the clerk/owner scolds you a little and that’s that. Well, that is until later in the game when you discover a way to really get that guy’s attention by busting every jar at once. Such is the weird world of Adventure Time.

But that one event and its oddball randomness yet familiar to the show sameness is neither here nor there. The third time’s the charm (and how!) for WayForward Technologies with Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom being the best of the three games they’ve made to date with Finn and company. This latest title is clearly influenced by Nintendo’s older games in The Legend of Zelda franchise to the point that it feels like a really spectacular mod that happens to be Adventure Time related. It’s also a surprisingly tough game, or not so surprisingly tough if you’re well versed in how this style of game should be played. There’s no hand-holding here, you learn what needs to be done by observing the environment and enemies while paying attention to (and using) what’s in your inventory. You’ll very likely get stuck in spots, but the game has enough hidden stuff and offbeat side quests that make up for the vagueness it often bashes you on the head with…

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GTA V Online Screens: One More Reason To Hop In For The Long Haul…

Posted on November 8, 2014 by geelw

The hit parade keeps on coming as Rockstar Games drops these new Grand Theft Auto Online screenshots. I’ll keep it short because these images are so nice. Take a look and see for yourselves:

In addition, Rockstar has also released a list of the many changes the console and PC versions of GTA V and GTA Online will feature over the last gen versions. Get ready for all this coming your way soon (well, as soon as you click away and head below the jump):

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Dragon Age Inquisition Updates Keep You Twitching and Choosing…

Posted on November 5, 2014 by geelw

So, the final (but not quite final I’d bet) push is here as Electronic Arts and BioWare even more heavily promote Dragon Age Inquisition, the upcoming BioWare-developed epic RPG set for release November 18. While the game is coming to PS3 and Xbox 360, it’s the PS4, Xbox One and PC versions that are getting the most attention from many fans and pretty much every critic set to review it. Those versions should clearly show the developer making the game they wanted to make from the beginning of this popular franchise, although one can only imagine how future games will look once older hardware becomes less common.

There is also an intriguing and optional social feature currently in beta called Dragon Age Keep that looks to immerse fans even more completely into the world of Dragon Age as they learn every bit of lore from previous games and even share their progress in the new adventure as they play. Check it out:

if you’re Twitching for more Dragon Age, fear not. EA and BioWare have you covered this coming Thursday with a live stream of the game’s multiplayer component starting at 10:00AM PST (that’s 1:00PM EST) on the developer’s Twitch channel. This content will include the following:

Three Multiplayer Maps: The team will be showing three destinations: Elven Ruins, Orlesian Chateau and Tevinter Ruins.

Three Multiplayer Characters: The team will be showing character progression on the three unlocked starter characters: Legionnaire, Keeper and Archer.

Tips & Tricks: The team will be walking viewers through core tips and tricks on how to be successful in Dragon Age multiplayer. They will also touch on Ability Trees, Chests, and Crafting.

Live Q&A: Producer Scylla Costa and Associate Producer Billy Buskell will be taking questions from viewers live during the stream.

Who: Dragon Age multiplayer Producers Scylla Costa and Billy Buskell

What: Dragon Age multiplayer gameplay feature 3 maps, 3 multiplayer characters, and Q&A.

When: Thursday, November 6^th at 10:00AM PST / 1:00PM EST

Where: http://www.twitch.tv/bioware

That should tide you over until the game is finally launched on November 18, 2014 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows.

GTA V Gallery Update: Overwhelming Majority Rules, Coming Soon…

Posted on November 5, 2014 by geelw

While PS4 and Xbox One owners are finally getting Grand Theft Auto V on November 18, PC owners need to be patient for a little while longer (as in holding out until January 27, 2015). All of that time will be well spent making sure it runs as best as possible on a wider range of systems, but next-gen owners are getting the same features as shown in this video ( which is kind of NSFW, if you don’t like gunfights, a bit of the old ultra-violence and such blasting from your work computer or tablet). This isn’t some simple HD upgrade at all. Every texture in the game has been replaced, the overall resolution has been increased (more than doubling the draw distance), and as you’ll see in the PS3 to PS4 comparison video below, the differences are quite stunning:

Click away for more visual treats! Continue reading →

Grand Theft Auto V Limited Edition Soundtrack Box Sets Coming in December

Posted on November 3, 2014 by geelw

You want proof that CD’s and vinyl LPs aren’t “dead”, folks? Well, come December 9, a mere 5000 each of these Grand Theft Auto V Limited Edition Soundtrack Box Sets will go on sale at selected music online and physical retailers worldwide and I’m betting they sell out completely AND become hot collectibles before the year is out. Hell, if I’d not sold off my record collection and player a while back, I’d be drooling all over that vinyl set more than I am already.

These two limited editions are coming to retail from Rockstar Games and Mass Appeal in celebration of the soon-to be released PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Grand Theft Auto V (set to land at a game shop and download site near you November 18). PC gamers need to wait until January 27, 2015 for their version of the game, but I guess a few of them will want this set as well to keep them grooving during the delay… Continue reading →

Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom Goes for the Gold!

Posted on October 29, 2014 by geelw

Developer WayForward Technologies is finally all done with Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom, sending the game off on its merry way to be cleaned and pressed and ready for its November 18 launch on the PS3, Xbox 360, PC and Nintendo 3DS.

How will it stack up to previous Adventure Time games? Ooo, I bet Finn or Jake know… but aren’t telling a single THING because they want you all to be kept in sus-pense until the game drops into retail and onto a digital delivery site near you. Personally, I’m a fan of both the developer and the show, so I’ll play this any way ’til Sunday just for laughs. WayForward rarely disappoints with its games, so I’m going in with half a smile on my face just to give the experience some extra, um… sus-pense!. Say, you look like you’re starving – have some screenshots:

Um… okay. You didn’t HAVE to eat them all at once, greedy! Well, back in a bit with some impressions, then.

Is The Evil Within Any Good? I’ll Find Out (Eventually)..

Posted on October 14, 2014 by geelw

Shinji Mikami and Tango Gameworks’ horror game The Evil Within is out today, and I know publisher Bethesda Softworks is anticipating good numbers for this psychological/survival horror/action game hybrid. While PC and “next-gen” versions are going to get the critical love or hate, I’m more interested in the older console versions because they’ll be ignored for the most part by critics despite MORE people owning hardware those versions can be played on outside the PC game space where no game is guaranteed to move as well thanks to assorted factors outside the control of the publisher. Mikami’s name will move copies to fans of Capcom’s storied (but bumpy since he left) Resident Evil franchise, but those new to the man’s work will probably play the waiting game until they have enough pals playing to convince them to drop some cash on this new IP.

Sure, I’m betting the PS3 or 360 versions don’t look as good, may have issues with frame rate and/or screen tearing compared to the spiffier new consoles and so forth and so on. But I don’t care about that at all in any game if I like the story, characters and gameplay. We’re at the stage where games are picked apart for too many things that at the end of the day, don’t really detract from the overall experience at all. There are too many amateur internet critics that think because they’ve read other (and better) reviews and have picked up a few buzzwords, they can toss them back at EVERY game like they know what they’re talking about. Sadly, most of the time they’re wrong or just being picky to justify not liking something most others would overlook. As for me, well, I have to hold out for a bit thanks to my disposable income being less disposable of late, but it’s a ride I do want to take at some point…

South Park Pinball Launch Trailer: Zen Rolls Out a Double Shot of Silver Ball Fun

Posted on October 13, 2014 by geelw

Well, well, well… the eternally entertaining Zen Pinball 2 gets yet another great table (no surprise there), but this one is TWO tables in one. South Park Pinball drops onto PSN, Xbox Live and PC via Steam tomorrow, so you’ll get South Park: Super-Sweet Pinball and South Park: Butters’ Very Own Pinball Game to play around with and wave in the faces of your jealous non-Zen Pinball 2 non-gaming friends. Oh yeah, and the set is also those annoying tablets and other mobile devices that get stolen right out of your hands on public transportation in major cities, too!

The folks at Zen say that the South Park two-table pinball pack launches this week for $4.99/€4,99/£3.99 on PC and consoles, $2.99/€2,69/£1.99 for individual tables on Mac. On mobile platforms (the ones that keep getting stolen, man!), South Park pinball costs $3.99/€3,59/£2.49 for the standalone app and $1.99/€1,79/£1.49 for individual tables through the Zen Pinball app. Me, I’m sticking with the Vita version because I play mostly at home and no one is stealing my Vita from there unless they take me with it, grrrrr!

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Launch Trailer: Some Humor in Your Boom-Boom-Boomer…

Posted on October 13, 2014 by geelw

Tomorrow is the big day for fans of this non-stop and often hilariously violent first-person shooter/loot-fest franchise, so here you go. I’m actually glad that Gearbox decided to give the old consoles where the series still has its largest user base this new game instead of forcing it onto the PS4 and Xbox One where it wouldn’t sell as well. Yes, they COULD have done it for all four systems, but I think they want to make that next Borderlands LOOK more like it belongs on those more powerful systems than just whip out a slicked-up enhanced version. Good for them, I say. Anyway, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel launches October 14, 2014 in North America and October 17, 2014 everywhere else.

Dragon Age Inquisition Hands-On: All is As it Needs to Be (Which Means You’ll Be Very Busy Soon)…

Posted on October 10, 2014 by geelw

A half hour may be a long time if you’re sitting through a really bad TV show, being tortured, have a terrible toothache or are waiting for some test results, but it’s clearly not a good deal of time to sit down with a build of Dragon Age Inquisition. For me ( a fan of the series and BioWare’s RPGs in general for quite some time), the game is one that doesn’t need a huge amount of hyperbolic posts from editor-types or even PR gurus because it’s a series that’s pretty much sold itself to a fan base who wanted to see a western-developers RPG do more with the genre (and it’s succeeded for the most part despite a few bumps along the road it’s traveled). My half hour at EA’s media event a few days back was spent ogling the beautiful visuals, running around with my party picking plants for crafting and looting assorted caches while getting the hang of the deeper combat system that now adds some very welcome tweaks to the mix of real-time and “turn-based” format.