Dead Island 2 “Sunshine & Slaughter” Trailer: Not For The Squeamish (Unless Gore Makes You Giddy)…

Posted on August 11, 2014 by geelw

Hey, I did warn you up there in the title, right. Last chance to hold out for a less violent post in 3… 2… (oops):

I kind of slipped and fell in a pool of blood (not my own, thankfully), but didn’t crack my own skull open because I fell on top of a freshly decapitated zombie. Ewww. Um… anyone know how to get some rather stinky blood and brains out of a pair of jeans and a T-shirt? Well, the shirt IS black, so I guess I can get away with tossing it in the laundry pile. As for the jeans? Well, they USED to be jet black many years ago, but have faded to a comfortable black/grey blend. I guess a new dye job is in the works for them once I put them through the wash with that T, huh? Anyway, Dead Island 2 is going to be a “lock up the kids!” game for sure, so you can get a head start on that NOW by finding a nice closet space for the little ones (make sure to measure them and add a few inches, as they’ll most likely grow a bit before the game is released).

Oddly enough, now I’m a bit hungry and even more interesting is I’m having gnocchi with a nice red wine/meat sauce for dinner. What can I say? I made that sauce last night and had no idea I’d be reminded of it while watching a bunch of undead get mutilated in a game trailer. Two more hours ’til dinner… shut up, stomach with that growling!

Project CARS Hands-On: Simple Sample Reveals Miles Of Depth…

Posted on August 10, 2014 by geelw

Sure, it was a single course (Brands Hatch) and car to drive on that course, but the Project CARS demo running at Bandai Namco’s recent NYC event floored me on a few fronts.

This super-popular initially thought headed for high-end PC-only racer is coming to next-gen consoles in November and (surprise!) is actually set for a Wii U appearance sometime in 2015. More on that later, as overhearing that news from Marketing Director Brian Hong hit me like a ton of bricks as someone was filming me play the demo for their website and I probably skidded off the track and hit something from the shock of that news… Continue reading →

STYX: Master of Shadows Summer Trailer: Sneaking Up Soon, Wanting To Steal Your Wallet…

Posted on August 9, 2014 by geelw

Cyanide Studios’ upcoming stealth/action game, STYX: Master of Shadows is looking pretty slick and I’d bet that one doesn’t need to have played the developer’s previous game Of Orcs & Men in order to hop into Styx’s boots and feel right at home. It’s too bad this one’s only for “next-gen” consoles and PC, as I know more people would have the chance to play it if it were kicking it “old school” on the PS3 and Xbox 360. But hey, that’s one way to get people to finally make the move, I suppose.

In any event, this certainly looks like Cyanide’s best work to date and I hope even the most jaded gamer out there gives this one some respect, as it’s too easy to fall into the “I never heard of it before, so it must be crap” trap I see scribbled about games all over the internet. Yuck. Styx needs to get stabby-stabby on those folks, I say. We’ll see what happens in November when the little guy sneaks into store shelves or a download queue near you…

Pier Solar & The Great Architects HD Trailer: The Return of Watermelon’s Modern Retro JRPG

Posted on August 7, 2014 by geelw

I only own ONE copy of Pier Solar at the moment (one of the reissues with the Sega CD/CD soundtrack bonus), but that’s about to change soon when the fully revamped HD version of game FINALLY makes it to PC (for a few operating systems), Sega Dreamcast (!), PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Wii U (yes!) at some point this year. Or is it next year? It’s hard to say, but I’m sure it’ll be well worth the long wait in the end. The visuals certainly benefit from the transition, the new cut scenes also look great and yes, I’m betting the game is still as tough as it was when it was initially released. Anyway, the fine folks at Watermelon are to be commended for getting this new and shiny version out on pretty much anything that can play it as it needs to be played (on a large screen, of course). Nothing more to say here other than let the waiting begin!

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Ultimate Evil Edition TV Spot: Giving That Devil His Due (Before He Does You In)…

Posted on August 6, 2014 by geelw

August 19 is right around the corner and that means quite a few people are planning to take a little vacation to hell and back with this console version of the Reaper of Souls expansion for Diablo III. This one’s going to eat away at productivity here, which isn’t a good thing at all, so I’m actually going to hold off picking it up for about a week or so while I knock the pile of work I have here down to a more manageable size. That’s not to say YOU shouldn’t run like hell out to grab this one on day one if you’re a fan of the series (you absolutely SHOULD). I just know myself all to well and know I’ll just pull a disappearing act if I get this and there’s “suddenly” some “free time” that pops up like a rabbit out of a hat…

Resident Evil Makes A Return In 2015 For “Old” & New Consoles, PC

Posted on August 5, 2014 by geelw

One of the MOST requested (if not THE most requested) Capcom games fans have wanted to see remade for HD consoles has been the original Resident Evil and it looks as if those rabid folk are getting their wish granted and in a big way. Well, provided you own a PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One or a decent gaming PC. Capcom is set to release a beefed-up HD version of the 2002 GameCube remake of the 1996 original as a digital-only purchase.

That particular version improved the visuals and added many changes to the old game and is considered by some (and me, of course) to be the definitive version of the classic survival horror/action game. Featuring traditional or direct control schemes, 1080p support on next-gen consoles (PS4, Xbox One and of course, PC) and all the content from the 2002 game intact, this could be the definitive remake that also introduces new fans to the long-running series.

Unfortunately, there’s no word of a Wii U version, which is unusual given the 2002 game was made for a Nintendo console. Of course, the Wii U’s sales and Capcom perhaps realizing that they’d probably spend more money on that version than they’d make back means chances are slim we’ll see this on Nintendo’s latest console. It could also be the download size issue and the cost of getting this onto a disc release (and selling a set amount of physical copies) also mucking things up a bit.

That’s show business, kids – but Wii U and Wii U game sales need a nice jump upwards so publishers see the system is worth getting games like this on automatically. Granted, the console IS indeed getting a bunch of excellent titles this year and next… but this doesn’t look like it will be one of them unless something magical happens and it arrives (with some nice GamePad enhancements in tow).

As always, we shall see… we shall see. For now however, this one’s going to be played by plenty of people who didn’t buy a Game Cube but have always wanted to get their paws on a controller and experience Evil in a whole new way.

Shadow of Mordor Story Trailer: The Bright Lord’s Kind Of An OK Guy, Huh?

Posted on July 27, 2014 by geelw

“And there will be no joy in Mordor… Mighty Crazy has struck out!” Well, okay, my feeble attempt at humor is based on me having a loooooong and boring day here fiddling with my PCs and clearing out stuff from some hard drives. But it had to be done and done it has been. Except for one computer here I’m wanting to beat with a baseball bat because it finally needs replacing after many years of service. But that’s neither here nor there, folks. This Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor update is brought to you from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, home of fine video games in the LEGO, Batman and Lord of the Rings franchises (among others). Hey, I’m not getting a dime for this post from them at all, folks – I’m just writing what’s rolling off the top of my head because my eyes are half closed right about now. Oh, I’ll be alright after a decent night’s rest. See you all tomorrow!

Alien Isolation: “Crew Expendable”? Not In This Video, Folks!

Posted on July 24, 2014 by geelw

While the internet still rages on about whether or not the adding the cast of the original ALIEN to this new game as paid DLC currently only available as a pre-order bonus, it’s good to see the old(er) cast here reminiscing for a bit about things old and new. I like how Harry Dean Stanton didn’t realize that 35 years had passed since the film was released (hey, sometimes an actor who’s appeared in so many films tends to not recall every single role he’s done and when he did them) and it’s clearly sounding like the dev team didn’t go the lazy route and just take voice samples from the first movie and drop them in where needed. The again, as Tom Skerritt notes: “It’s what you don’t see…”, meaning these missions add to the original film’s story, filling in a few gaps. Hopefully, fans of the film will more likely be a lot more pleased whether or not they like the idea of pre-paying for that DLC and Sega will decide to release both missions as a single download not too long after the game ships out so we all can enjoy them.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Behind the Scenes #1: On Performance and Polish.

Posted on July 13, 2014 by geelw

Initially, I’d thought this was going to be one of those online only games or an expansion to The Lord of the Rings Online, so it got sent to the bottom of my list of games I was interested in this year. Well, as this years E3 revealed, I need to pay a lot more attention. Monolith Studios is making what looks to be a really cool action game using the Rings license for current and next-generation platforms that’s worth taking a longer look at, so here you go – the first of a few making of videos. Enjoy!

Dragon Age: Inquisition Will Be Your “Dive In And Enjoy The Ride” Game For October, I’d Predict…

Posted on July 12, 2014 by geelw

Hearing “Are there any questions?” after watching the Dragon Age Inquisition demo being played at EA’s media event a few days back made me laugh because after seeing the game in action, I just REALLY wanted to PLAY it myself and get any answers I needed. Clearly, BioWare was listening to player complaints about the series’ somewhat limited (albeit large) maps, so the demo was initially played on a map the size of Dragon Age Origins‘ entire game world. Additionally, while the demo was played in a set manner the two times I sat through it, I was also taking notes of all the little details such as plants and other things that could be gathered, the assorted wildlife that, save for one encounter, appeared in different numbers and places and a number of other changes small to large.

I was also thinking in terms of my own play style, how long it would take to merely get from one end of that even more massive and open map to the other. I tend to get easily distracted by off the beaten path areas, so I’m imagining taking a good deal more than a half hour to reach a simple mission objective or key story point. Thankfully, the new map and mapping system should set me straight if I ever get lost and the addition of mounts for the first time in the franchise means I can ride in and out of trouble (provided my poor horse or whatever other creature I end up with) isn’t stomped on or otherwise maimed in the process. Hmmm… that’s one question I actually SHOULD have asked. The new “be a leader” gameplay bits should be grand, as the game world will evolve according to the alliances and enemies you make. As with previous entries, everything you do will play some role in how the plot spools out, but this time the number of possible ripples outward from your actions are much greater… Continue reading →