Orphan Black’s Helena: Love Her Or Hate Her, She’s Bad News In A Bottle (And That’s Good)…

Posted on May 16, 2014 by geelw

I’m of the “love her!” camp, as Helena’s unpredictability, penchant for tightly focused violence when she’s doing her assassin thing and her somewhat weird sense of humor all work perfectly for the character. Of course, Tatiana Maslany’s dead-on performance makes the character work so well, especially when she’s playing in scenes with herself (as Sarah, another of the clones) and you see how spectacular she is as an actress. The interesting thing is although both characters tried to kill each other when they last crossed paths, it seems their reunion last week (creepy as it was) may mean some sort of teaming up against their common enemies. This could be really amazing with a twist, because Helena’s bound to snap at the drop of a hat.

Although, personally? I think she’s REALLY just in need of a BIG hug from someone who she sees as her twin of sorts…

Wolfenstein ‘House of The Rising Sun’ Launch Trailer: Doing Up NSFW The Right Way

Posted on May 16, 2014 by geelw

While the first-person shooter variants of Wolfenstein haven’t ever been geared towards kids, it’s been quite clear that Machine Games’ reboot of the series was going for a mature audience right from the moment that first teaser trailer popped up online. I want to play this just because the writing has been pretty adult and amusing in each video I’ve seen and while the game pulls no punches in its dialogue or extreme violence, both work in favor of the material because there’s enough humor here to keep one playing through the blood and bits you’ll see above and in the gloriously gory Stealth vs. Mayhem trailer from a few weeks back I missed. Yeah, it’s clearly not for the squeamish types, but I’d prefer a game that goes this far and makes me want to keep playing than one that’s just mean and stupid just to be so. May 20th on on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC, folks. “Be there, Aloha!”

Godzilla: Now Playing AND Coming (Back) To A Comic Shop Near You!

Posted on May 16, 2014 by geelw

Yep, it’s here and as I predicted, some of the older and fogey-er critics are knocking this about a wee bit too much, comparing it to the 1954 US dub with the inserted Raymond Burr scenes. Boo on those party poopers and their constant penchant for only art house films and other stuff that’s “dryly entertaining”, I say. Sometimes you NEED a good monster stomping up the joint, even if this film isn’t a big battle royale extravaganza like Pacific Rim was.

Anyway, the big guy is also making a big comeback to comics thanks to publisher IDW, writer Cullen Bunn and artist Dave Wachter. Godzilla: Cataclysm is headed to retailers this summer (actual date TBA), and while not tied in to the film at all, it’s probably going to be required reading for fans of that big ticked off lizard. I’ll need to dig up some pages from this to peek at soon, as that cover is rather nicely done.

Interstellar Trailer: Nolan’s Next Will Be Even More Of A Trip…

Posted on May 16, 2014 by geelw

When I first heard that Chris Nolan was making an honest to goodness science fiction picture, I knew it would be packed with a fine cast and at the very least worth a look for its visual effects, I didn’t expect to be as impressed as I was with this first actual trailer. Interstellar poses some interesting questions that look as if they’re going to be answered in a few ways before those credits roll. That, or it’ll be one of those great and very re-watchable “debate” movies as to what it all means.

Interestingly enough, Matthew McConaughey was also in another sci-fi flick that posed some deep questions that got answered, Robert Zemeckis’ Contact, released in 1997 by Warner Bros. to primarily positive reviews. Nolan seems to be looking to go deeper in his film, but we’ll see how it all turns out on November 7, 2014.

GOG.com Predicts Robots In Your Future (As In Right Now)…

Posted on May 15, 2014 by geelw

So, Bionic Dues ($4.99) and CLARC ($5.99) are two nifty-looking games now up on gog.com and I say you should buy one or both. Why? ROBOTS, that’s why! BD is a strategy-based rogue-like game with you going up against a bunch of functioning and malfunctioning robots, while CLARC is a puzzle game that allegedly features drunken robots (which are most likely malfunctioning thanks to inebriation).

You know you need one or more of these games in your life because that Roomba you bought or got as a gift last Christmas is boring you to tears because it doesn’t so anything other than clean (and not too well, at that). Now, you COULD try and reverse engineer it to have some sort of beer can delivery abilities or perhaps a death ray of some sort (the ULTIMATE bug zapper). But that would likely mean you blowing yourself when you poke that screwdriver into the wrong hole and that robot gets its revenge. don’t so that – play a game instead!

Mind Zero Update #2: Persona-lly, I Like What I See Here…

Posted on May 15, 2014 by geelw

As some of you gamers with good memories may be thinking, Aksys Games’ upcoming first-person dungeon crawler Mind Zero has a certain aesthetic working for it that makes it seem VERY familiar to a certain Shin Megami Tensei series of games. As in “Hey, this ALMOST looks like Persona or Persona 2“, slightly weaker character art aside.

Hey, I have to ALWAYS give it up for Kaneko Kazuma’s outstanding and bizarre art style that defined many of the SMT games in the past). To swipe a quote from some old gaming magazine only a handful of people still remember, “RESPECT!”

I don’t mind the similarities at all, as those were (and still are) some pretty stellar game experiences and this gae does do a bunch of things differently. Still, if this one can capture a fraction of what made those game so memorable, I’d bet a nickel that Aksys and developer Zerodiv will have a new sleeper hit on their hands. The game is set to hit the Vita on May 27, 2014, so make sure to keep an eye out if this one strikes your fancy…

Appleseed Alpha Trailer: Slick CG + Skrillex = You Probably Need This Blu-Ray/DVD…

Posted on May 14, 2014 by geelw

Well, now. I was surprised I actually liked that first Appleseed CG movie, so imagine my surprise when I see that (whee!), there’s a sequel and it’s looking like another winner in my book. Granted, I liked what I saw in the anime way back in the day, so I guess it’s a no-brainer that I wasn’t (and am not) turned off by the movies. As for that Skrillex soundtrack? Well, it’s fine, although I tend to appreciate orchestral scores over what the kids and hipsters call “cool” these days. Yeah, I can take or leave Daft Punk, too. I don’t need some “robots” to tell me what to like, that’s for sure. Anyway, you can grab Appleseed Alpha pretty much anywhere you buy movies from these days. Yeah,I’m talking about an actual DISC, you crazy kids.

Cavia Lives! Sort Of. Xseed Returns Bullet Witch To The Xbox 360 Via Games On Demand

Posted on May 13, 2014 by geelw

Ah, my dear, dear Alicia… I missed you and your “witchy” ways, but it’s too bad this brief and non-physical reunion we’re having is just courtesy of a reissue and not an all NEW adventure.

Some people hated the now shuttered Japanese developer Cavia’s Bullet Witch when Atari brought it to the US for the Xbox 360, but I liked it (warts and all) thanks to the difficulty that required players PAY ATTENTION to enemies in the environments (snipers in that game were paid very well, let’s just say), learn patterns and take advantage of assorted strategies while trying to find that perfect pace to move at so poor Alicia didn’t get swarmed.

While PlatinumGames’ Bayonetta became a much more popular (and faster moving) heroine three years after this game came and went, I’ll always remember Alicia being there first with her big gun and wild spells. One day, she needs a proper comeback in a better (and multi-platform) game, I say. Continue reading →

Humble Daily Sales? For TWO WEEKS? There Goes Someone’s Summer. And Fall. And Winter…

Posted on May 13, 2014 by geelw

First up, The incredible DEEP SILVER Re-Bundle!:

Wow. I missed this big sale last time on a fantastic bundle of Deep Silver games and as I just walked in the door about twenty minutes ago and see it’s on again, I’m kicking myself hard because I’m too busy to play this lot even if I did jump on it and buy it up. But still, WOW. Pay a buck or so for four massive games, bump that up to $6.16 and add FIVE more games (that’s nine), but go for not broke and get TEN games for nine dollars flat? THAT’S the way to go here, considering the games in question and how much content you’re getting. All the Saint’s Row games are outrageous, stupid fun, Dead Island and Dead Island Riptide will appeal to your undead killing,get me the hell off this “vacation paradise” gone to hell in a hand basket side, Risen 2: Dark Waters sets you out as a pirate type in a big fantasy world, Sacred 2 Gold is an even larger and more fantasy world with some incredible replay value (and even more incredible difficulty if you try to run around like you’re the boss of everything), Sacred Citadel is a goofy throwback to arcade brawling/hack ‘n slash games of the past and finally, Metro 2033 is a bleak, unsettling, freakish and deadly trip to a future Russia where radiation, mutants and not enough survival supplies test your skills.

All that and yes, some of what you pay goes to the Child’s Play and American Red cross charities. So yep, you NEED this bundle even though I won’t be buying it. THIS time (again). Now, I’m wanting to see the next 13 days of sales as I eyeball my hard drives and probably dump a few older games for some nice new-ish ones. Just like you, too. Anyway, I’ll be back every day of this sale with an update (and hopefully earlier, at that!)…

Dark Shadows: Army of Evil Or: With Some Games, Sometimes, You Get What You Pay For (Or Less!)…

Posted on May 13, 2014 by geelw

Note: Some of you MAY need Dramamine or something in order to continue to enjoy reading this post.

Now, I didn’t buy Dark Shadows: Army of Evil on sale at the IndieGala Store… but I almost did until I decided to poke around the game’s website (yikes!) and later, watch this way too awesome and very outstanding, hilarious “review” by Jim Sterling. Oh,before you click away, it’s kind of NSFW because Jim curses up a storm (for very good reason, as you’ll see) AND the game may make you a bit motion sick if you’re easily affected by that sort of thing. Anyway, I like some awful games, but this is one that I’d probably have regretted (even at $2.39). Now, if YOU want to buy this, I certainly won’t stop you at all. Hey, I’ll even lend you my bucket so you can toss your cookies into it if that field of view starts making you queasy. Uncle Jim gets it right in his long take on this one, is all I’ll say. Wow.