Return of Red Hood – Fish Pasties and the Not So Big, Bad Wolf

Posted on February 20, 2015 by geelw

The next time you feel like a little bedtime story, don’t grab a book from the bedside table. Instead, go download NLB Project’s offbeat Return of Red (Riding) Hood and settle in for the short haul that turns into a longer one sooner than you think. This Russian developed game takes the simple tale of Little Red Riding Hood and makes it into a choose your own adventure experience that ends up going all over the place and then some. It’s also a bit of a meta exercise as the whole thing starts out as one character reading the old story to a little girl as a bedtime story, but at certain points, you get to choose different options that alter the next page of the story.

Part of the humor here is from the developer’s sense of humor and part is from the mangled English translation that makes for some grin-worthy reading. Early on, “Pastries” becomes “Pasties” (and yes, I know all about pasty as a pastry, but this is just a spelling error in the game) and you’ll see a few other grammar issues pop up. That said, even with the bumps and grinds in the translation, the stories play out in some pretty amusing manners. The choices you make turn the really short and familiar story on its ear a few times and with 45 endings to discover, you may be up slightly longer than you thought. Is this for kids? That depends. If you and your kids share the same sense of slightly twisted humor and you don’t mind some bizarre twists to the old story, it’s all good. Just give it a read on your own and decide for best results.

That said, it takes perhaps three minutes or less to get to an ending (more if you’re a slower reader), so expect to get to a bunch of that 45 the first time you pick this up. It’s currently FREE and NLB is also trying to get the game onto Steam Greenlight (go vote for it if you’ve a Steam account!). Some dopes on the Greenlight page are actually complaining about the artwork in the game, but NLB can ignore those fools who don’t grasp stylization or realize that you shouldn’t ever tell any artist HOW to make a storybook look. That, and the CG characters and backgrounds remind me of Access Games’ quirky Deadly Premonition, one of those games that uses its “dated” art style to excellent effect.

Finally, if you like what you see and read, it seems that the game engine is also free to use to cook up your own tales. I can see some writer types I know possibly making use of this at some point. Hey, anything to get more people perusing your work, right? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to my “book”. Also, I want some pasties now, as reading about them has made me quite hungry…

Shut Up & Play It!: Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball Out NOW

Posted on February 19, 2015 by geelw

If ever a game needed to be played, it’s this one. Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball was created by one guy and although it’s been in Steam’s Early Access program for a while, the quality of the game was astounding. Yes, it’s got that silly and catchy title working that hammer on your head, but once you actually see and then PLAY the game, it becomes hard to stop. Whether in solo play or online with friends or soon to be enemies, Disco Dodgeball is a total hoot. It’s only one of a handful of games I’ve played this month (hey, it’s been a BUSY February what with Toy Fair and a few other events), but it’s one that’s been stuck in my head since. Must be the disco tunes or something. And the visuals. And the gameplay.

Anyway, go get this NOW on Steam (it’s 20% off for a week!), then ring up a few friends and tell them to get it as well. That’s not quite a review, but it IS a recommendation.

Tower of Guns Trailer: Shooting Stars (and Everything Else) Via Digital and Retail

Posted on February 19, 2015 by geelw

While digital games are great, the fact remains that not everyone who wants to play them can do so and more games need both physical as well as digital releases. Grip Games is getting right up in everyone’s alley with Terrible Posture Games’ Tower of Guns. The fast paced arcade-like first person shooter that made a digital splash last year on Steam, now headed to PC, PS3 and PS4 as a retail release. Xbox One owners get a digital only release, as Microsoft seems to believe everything is hunky-dory with the download-only releases and discs are a bad idea for an indie game that’s so short. Or something like that.

Anyway, while I jump up and down happily about this news, you can read a bit of the press release:

Always a fresh experience: Random enemies, random power-ups, random bosses, tons of unlockable items and weapons…even random-level compositing! You never know what to expect when you sit down in front of Tower of Guns.
Crazy powerups: You’ve played first person shooters where you can double jump, but have you played any game where you can centuple-jump? In Tower of Guns, with the right items, you can!
Gun-modifying madness: A gun and its qualities aren’t tied together in Tower of Guns. Do you like rocket launchers? You’ll like them more if you’re lucky enough to stumble upon a “Shotgun” modifier. A rocket-launching shotgun is very satisfying.
Single sitting full experience: For all of those who have too many games (or too little time) this is a game you can pick up and play again and again, without remembering where you were or what you were up to. If you’re gonna win, you’re gonna be able to do it over your lunch break.

That’s a big if though, it won’t be easy…

While there’s no exact release date, the deal between GRIP Digital s.r.o. (digital version) and SOEDSCO (retail version) means more people will be playing and enjoying this one and having a blast. Once a release date zips into the inbox, expect an update.

Tuesday’s Off: More YouTube Nonsense? Sure, Why The Hell Not?

Posted on February 10, 2015 by geelw

Here we go again. Another day, another account strike, same jerks pulling the same stunt. Look, YouTube. Whomever is doing this is clearly abusing your new and quite stupid system to their benefit. According to the email I’m getting from a PR contact, no one at the film company has a clue who’s pretending to be representing them.

Your policy that anyone who claims to be a rights holder or protector or whatever is totally corrupt. Based on all the people who this “Rico Management” have hit with takedowns and have lost their accounts who probably aren’t going to be coming back to your “service”, unless you take action yourselves to find and kick these frauds off your site for good, expect to see some other video service overtake you sooner than you think. I’d post a video with this, but I can’t get into my damn account because I need to go back to that damn stupid “copyright school” and do the damn stupid test again that I didn’t need to do at all because I’m being trolled hard.

I’ll just describe the gloriously dirt simple image of someone giving you and “Rico Management” the finger in a looping ten-minute clip for now. Got it? Good. Now fix this problem, please. Music for today? See above. Or here, as at least I can still use links to the site, grrrrr. Back in a bit, as this is making me a bit grumpy (and I don’t mean like the Cat)…

Review: The Shadow Sun (iOS/Android)

Posted on February 7, 2015 by geelw

Platform: iOS/Android

Developer: Ossian Studios

Publisher: Ossian Studios

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: N/A

Official Site

Score: B+ (85%)

Four years in the making, Ossian Studios‘ first mobile RPG, The Shadow Sun, brings the look and feel of classic PC fantasy role playing games to iOS and Android devices along with a few quirks common to mobile games. It’s a solid enough adventure of a decent length (about 15-20 hours or so if you seek out everything) and for a mere $4.99, it’s a fantastic deal.

While the game is indeed engaging and quite challenging in terms of its combat, it’s also a patch away from being even better than it currently is. You’re certainly getting a heck of a lot more than five dollars worth of gaming here and while in-app purchases are available, none are needed to beat the game.

Continue reading →

Poltergeist Trailer: Ghosts in the Shell of the Pedigree of Diminishing Returns

Posted on February 6, 2015 by geelw

Okay, the only reason I’m giving this remake the time of day is because I like Sam Rockwell in anything he’s done. That said, I’m not sure Poltergeist needed a remake at all, given the original still holds up to a good extent as a classic horror film. Granted, with Sam Raimi producing and Gil Kenan (Monster House, City of Ember) behind the lens, this remake is bound to do a few really interesting things with the concept. At least we know there will be plenty of CG effects, some of which look like practical ones.

The main problem I see with the new film is what happens afterward. I’m gathering this is more a reboot that pretends the original film never existed as opposed to a remake that hints at the old film. Opinion time: the other films in the original series weren’t all that good and the TV series went way off into weird-land (although it did have and has a rather loyal fan base). If this does well at the box office (and it should), expect the inevitable sequel train to roll onwards. If there are sequels, I’d bet you a nickel that Rockwell won’t come back for seconds and has to be replaced by a new actor. Unless he’s needing a new house, boat or train (or all three) and can be easily nabbed to return for a bigger paycheck, of course. Of course, I can see Fox deciding to take this ghost train on the road and greenlight a sequel or sequels that follow other angry ghosts across America trying to get the point across that you don’t build your new housing on top of their old dead heads.

Eh, we’ll see what’s what soon enough. Color me tentatively intrigued for now.

Cults & Daggers: Rework That Old Time Religion to Your Advantage

Posted on February 6, 2015 by geelw

Unless you’re the sort of person who’s been around gaming for a while, maybe follows a bit of industry news and happens to read game credits all the way to the end, you may not know who Rod Humble is. Hopefully you’ve clicked that link and did some fast reading, because through his new company, multimedia studio Chaphat he’s got a new game coming soon that’s going to most likely get a lot of people talking and hopefully playing solo or against each other in once they give it a try.

Cults & Daggers is “a sprawling and complex strategy game set in the Hellenistic era between the death of Buddha and the birth of Christ.” If that wasn’t intriguing enough, the press release continues: “As the Old Gods plot to destroy a planet they can no longer rule, players are tasked with creating their own religion to fight a secret war for the soul of the world.” Reading that made me think of a little Lovecraftian undercurrent at play. But as I still need to try out a demo, I’ll hold out on any over-speculation as to exactly where the game goes.

As your head is spinning around that heady description and the screenshot gallery below is piquing your curiosity, the power of “cripes” compels you to read on for more info. On one hand, Cults & Daggers is a turn-based strategy game that’s decidedly very old school in terms of presentation and gameplay modes. but this is exactly the sort of game that will appeal to a wide range of players young and old who like the challenge found here. As you can see, this isn’t a graphics card showpiece at all, but more of a designer’s dream project. The board game-like layout, simple menus, creative use of artwork and plenty of lovely fonts all show off a game you won’t mistake for something else on the market.

Granted, bringing up religion in almost any context that may be seen as “negative” by its more core followers is a tricky thing to do. That said, Cults & Daggers appeals to the imagination in a “What if?” and looks to spin its web around your curious side as it hooks you into its world. The best historical strategy games are those where you can hop in for hours immersed in the gameplay and this one looks like it’s going to be up there with the classics of the genre.

Here’s what to expect in the final version of the game:

Features

Secretly manipulate the rise and fall of great cities throughout 400 years of history
Gain influence by building temples, performing sacrifices, preaching, recruiting noble families, etc.
Weaken opponents through blasphemy, assassination, robbery and subversion
Destroy evil places of power to thwart the Old Gods and earn grand rewards
Disciple skills include teaching, killing, hiding, performing spells & curses, preaching and more!
Carefully manage your religion’s Faith and Hope levels in order to gain power and influence
Spend Faith and Occult to cast spells, and bring curses and miracles to the world
Extensive Single player with procedurally generated disciples and city data
Multiplayer for up to 4 via Multiplayer Hot Seat and Play-By-E-Mail (PBEM)
Procedurally generated technology tree and adventure system
In-depth modeled spying system allows for deep subterfuge
Game includes free Cults & Daggers ambient music album

With all that in store for those who hop on the Cults & Daggers bandwagon, it’s clear that Humble and Chaphat want this game to be one of those “evergreen” titles that people can pick up and play for years without ever growing tired of it. The deep complexity and lack of flashy visuals will most likely keep this off of anything but home computers or laptops. On the other hand, who knows that will happen if this one takes off and gets a cult following (pun intended). As usual, we shall see.

Bundle Stars Brings the Guns, You Bring the Trying Not to Get Shot Up Part.

Posted on February 5, 2015 by geelw

Well, if you call your latest deal the FPS Bulletproof Bundle and it’s all about shooting stuff up, that’s kind of misleading, isn’t it, Bundle Stars? Well, yes and no. Sure, you’ll get eight different FPS games from companies small to large as well as two downloads that let you create your own shooters (or other types of games) all for a measly $3.49. As you’re shutting up and buying this deal of the day, you’ll probably realize that that “bulletproof” in the title isn’t a lie at all. In fact, as games can’t kill you no matter how many digital bullets, lasers, bombs and other ordinance fly your way, you can rest easy knowing you’re safe in your own home while playing any of these titles.

As you can see from these trailers (and the rest on the game page), the selection ranges from quirky to scary and you’ll even get a dose of action movie “realism” in some games. As for Axis Game Factory’s AGFPRO v2, it’s probably a decent way for would be game makers to get some hands-on time with what looks like a simple to use set of tools. You probably won’t make the next Half-Life or anything close to it with, but you’ll certainly see that making games isn’t as “easy” as you may think even with a program this flexible.

But hey, perhaps you’ll prove me wrong and make a game that blows anyone who plays it out of the water. Stranger things have happened, for sure. Anyway, go make this the best $3.49 you’ve ever spent on anything playable, I say.

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin Trailer: Die Learning to Die

Posted on February 5, 2015 by geelw

Coming to PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360 on April 7, 2015, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin will bring FromSoftware’s hard as hell-made nails game to those new consoles with a number of changes and improvements over the original release. For those rolling their eyes about the prospect of repurchasing the game just for spiffier visuals and every bit of DLC content included for free, fear not. Enemy placement throughout the game is vastly different and their AI has been dialed up even further.

Additionally, the number of enemy mobs has been increased, making the already challenging game much more so. All that and it seems that both offline and online players will have to now worry about a super-tough new foe that can invade their games with intent to do them in. Online fans looking for a fight will love the now 6-player PvP, although “love” is kind of a subjective term here. There’s nothing quite like being invaded mid-game by a bunch of people who you don’t know who may or may not be wanting to help you adventure.

Finally, that subtitle refers to an all-new NPC who’s chock full of information and meeting up with him will no doubt lead to new areas and content in the game. As you can see here, the official Dark Souls II website has announced a new patch for current owners of the original game that adds a ton of new features and content that will prepare players for the April release of Scholar of the First Sin. The great thing about all this is this reworked version of Dark Souls II is not only geared for veteran players who’ve mastered the game, but new players who want to see what all the fuss is about.

Yes, From has also added new NPC’s who can assist new players with the ins and outs of survival in such an unforgiving world. But don’t expect casual hand-holding or an assist if you bite off more that you can chew. The latter is what the assorted not so wee beasties are supposed to to and I’m betting plenty of players old and new will become meals off wheels when Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin arrives in about two months.

Tuesday’s Off (Slight Return)

Posted on February 3, 2015 by geelw

(thanks, Isochronous!)

Okay. I’m taking today “off” just to pore through my assorted inboxes and reply to a stack of Toy Fair appointment requests plus tackle some other stuff. I also need to hoof it back to the post office to get a box mailed out. I woke up to a digital scale that died after years of flawless service, meaning I also needed to purchase a replacement. As that new model won’t arrive for a few days, anything I need to get out has to get walked down to the post office and weighed, taken back here and labeled, then back down to be mailed. Yeah, it’s silly, but it’s actually good exercise (I can always use this) and I like that it baffles people waiting on any long lines when I just walk past them and hand my already paid for item off to a clerk. That place would be a great deal less packed if more people had USPS.com or other accounts that allowed them to purchase postage online at home and just drop it off with no hassles once it was packed up.

Oh, and if you somehow haven’t seen SE7EN yet, oops. Sorry about spoiling the ending for you. Um, “Rosebud’s the sled”, if that’s any consolation…

Back in a bit- my inboxes just grew by something like 70 emails in the time it took to write this post…