E3 2014: Of COURSE Grand Theft Auto V Was Coming To PS4, Xbox One & PC. Who Didn’t Think It Wasn’t?

Posted on June 10, 2014 by geelw

Seriously. Rockstar Games isn’t stupid, folks. The figured out a while back that getting Grand Theft Auto V onto next-gen consoles and up to spec and then some computers was a no-brainer a while back and those who doubted them because they weren’t trumpeting that fact out into the wild from day one haven’t figured out how this silly games business works. Anyway, this versions packing lots of heat as it includes enhancements to the already impressive game world that include new wildlife, upgraded weather and damage effects, and more. New multiplayer content will also be part of the game as well as the ability for gamers with Grand Theft Auto Online saves to transfer characters and game progression to this version. Expect this one to rake in a few million more sales and possibly move some consoles this fall and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions drop a bit in price as the inevitable Game of the Year version most likely gets announced at some point sooner than later…

Rainbow Six Siege: Ubisoft Resurrects Their Big Baby Back To Its Former Self (And Then Some)…

Posted on June 9, 2014 by geelw

Of all the games Ubisoft showed off at its briefing, this one was the most surprising for a few reasons. Clearly packing some inspiration from Valve’s fast-paced multiplayer focused Left 4 Dead games, Rainbow Six Siege is a bolt of lightning wrapped in a baseball bat and will hopefully look just like what was shown a the media briefing when it hits Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC sometime in 2015. I’d imagine everyone will forget all about the frozen in time Rainbow Six: Patriots now that this game has been revealed and even more trailers and screens start popping up all around the internet. More to come on this one…

E3 2014: Star Wars Battlefront: DICE Is Still Working Away On A Guaranteed Winner…

Posted on June 9, 2014 by geelw

Yeah, that classic John Williams music got me as well, as did all the work in progress footage that’s way too early, but looks fantastic. Every gamer drooling over this one seems to be holding out for 60fps, but I’m not sure that’s possible with the multiplayer modes in this one. I’ll take a rock-solid 30 with no pop-in or other annoyances, the best visuals the developer can bring to the table, a solo offline mode and whatever multiplayer madness they can add to the mix, thank you much. Of course, I’m a patient guy, so that nebulous Spring 2015 teased at the end can creep up on me and I won’t bat an eyelash. I suppose I could just get myself frozen in carbonite until then, but then someone would forget to thaw me out and I’d miss more than this game when it finally ships…

E3 2014: Cuphead Makes Quite An Impression (Again!)

Posted on June 9, 2014 by geelw

I was wondering what was up with StudioMDHR‘s lovely retro platformer/shooter hybrid Cuphead and thanks to the Microsoft press conference, more people know know what’s in store for them when the game releases at some point. My oNlY issue with this one is currently, it’s scheduled for PC via Steam and Xbox Live, skipping the rather obvious choice of Wii U, Vita, PS3 and PS4 (for now). I’m hoping this is one of those “timed exclusives” as I really want to play this on a portable or on something I already own here. Eh, we’ll see what happens, but I’d love to be bouncing up and down in my seat when I hear this is headed my way how I want to play it…

E3 2014: Too Much On A Monday & More To Come…

Posted on June 9, 2014 by geelw

So, it’s E3 week and already, Microsoft has thrown a gauntlet down of exclusives, reboots and otherwise decent game content that should keep their fan base very pleased. In other words, they actually listened to complaints about their previous media briefings and focused solely on GAMES and not boring the crowd with service announcements and other news best left for an investors meeting. I’ll have more on the lineup later, but Sunset Overdrive, Forza Horizon 2, Phantom Dust, Halo: The Master Chief Collection Crackdown, Project Spark and a few others all look to be big sellers when they land in stores and/or digitally online. PlatinumGames Scalebound will get other console owners who love their work complaining (again) that they’re left out on this exclusive and there are a bunch of indies and non-exclusives that look pretty awesome.

Back later with more “sort of news” on a too newsy day. Today is a mess of press conferences and ogling stuff and my brain is already overloaded. next up, Electronic Arts!

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: CD Projekt RED Sets The Gold Standard For Standard Editions (And Then Some)

Posted on June 5, 2014 by geelw

If I haven’t said this before (and I think I have), I absolutely LOVE CD Projekt RED. Their previous two games in The Witcher series were lovingly crafted mature experiences that brought Andrzej Sapkowski’s anti-hero Geralt of Rivia to the PC and later console gaming masses (many of whom who probably didn’t read any of the books the character comes from until after they played the first game) and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt looks to get even more gamers drawn into what’s looking like one of the best experiences on those shiny new consoles. Of course, PC gamers who rock those rent money priced gaming rigs will be getting the best experience in terms of visuals, but there’s no doubt that the developer is making both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game look spectacular on those systems… Continue reading →

Batman Arkham Knight Batmobile Battle Mode Revealed (Along With A Little Delay!)

Posted on June 3, 2014 by geelw

If you thought you were going to get your hands on Batman Arkham Knight in 2014, well… unless you’re attending E3, a post E3 media event or the game pops up at some fan packed convention, that’s a NOPE, there folks. The game has been pushed into 2015 most likely so developer Rocksteady can get it running as perfectly as possible without the need for (too) many post-launch patches. I’d imagine this Battle Mode may be multiplayer, so that’s always something that needs to be as perfect as possible in terms of zero lag and everything working as it needs to. Me, I only care about the story mode, so anything resembling online play (if that’s what this is) interest me not a whit. Anyway, we’ll see what’s what during E3 week…

Back with more in a bit…

Homefront: The Revolution Trailer: Crytek Finishes The Fight (Maybe)…

Posted on June 2, 2014 by geelw

Warts and all, I rather liked defunct publisher THQ’s Homefront for what it was. original (and also defunct) developer KAOS Studios cooked up an interesting alternate future where some very well-armed North Korea soldiers managed to overrun America and you played as one of a group of resistance fighters trying to drive them away. It was a LOT more serious than either Red Dawn movie, but the campaign was a wee bit on the brief side thanks in part to multiplayer modes I felt took too much away from the story.

Anyway, now that new publisher Deep Silver and seasoned developer Crytek are on the case, Homefront: The Revolution is coming in 2015 to PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and I guess we’ll see how the gameplay reveal is at E3 this year, as this trailer looks okay but a bit generic in its storytelling. I do believe those may be in-engine visuals, as if there’s anything Crytek is well-known and respected for, it’s making some mighty amazing looking games using their proprietary tech.

I guess we’ll see how well this plays soon enough and whether it separates itself from other shooters in such a supremely packed market full of them. My fingers are crossed for the moment…

CD Projekt RED Has Got Some Summery Surprises In Store Soon…

Posted on May 31, 2014 by geelw

Well, well… it looks as if a few more developers and publishers are stepping outside the usual confines of E3 to show what’s cooking to fans directly as opposed to having news filtered through assorted outlets. CD Projekt Red is joining the club with this upcoming June 5, 2015 conference that will no doubt be a showpiece for the PC and console versions of its eagerly awaited RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. As you can see from this teaser below, I must be psychic or overstating the obvious (or both):

I also just NOW realize from watching that video that I’ve been pronouncing gog.com incorrectly for YEARS. Oops. Oh well, I bet a lot of others have been too, so I don’t feel bad at all. I do wonder how massive that Collector’s Edition will be for TW3, as the one for The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Extended Edition was pretty hefty from what I recall. Well, we’ll see in a few days, right?

Sniper Elite III Hands-On: Even More On Target Than Before…

Posted on May 27, 2014 by geelw

I was on the subway headed down to see and play Sniper Elite III at a 505 Games media preview when I realized I’d forgotten my eyeglasses. Oops. You can’t be a good sniper at all if you can’t see a damn thing even with a scope, but amusingly enough, that absent-minded error on my part made the demo even more enjoyable.

Thanks to veteran developer Rebellion making the game much more flexible and thrilling than its predecessor, even a quarter blind bat like me was able to have a total blast making as many mistakes as I did. Okay, that’s not sounding like a ringing endorsement for the game, but it’s coming – keep reading. Even if I had brought my gaming spectacles along, my plan was to play the demo in as loose a manner as possible, making mistakes to see how the AI would react while seeing how expansive the level designs were this time out. In Sniper Elite V2, despite some alternate routes, most maps felt a wee bit too boxed in and linear and displacement wasn’t emphasized enough throughout the game (although the best players learned those levels and probably did some of their own shoot and scoot tactics… Continue reading →