As I noted last week before I even got a review code, Dejobaan Games’ Elegy for a Dead World is probably a game that will get non-gamers to play it. After firing up the game last night and taking it for a brief spin, let’s just say that it’s everything I thought and then some. I’ll save the longer words and high praise for the full review, but this may be the surest cure for a case of “writer’s block” you’ll ever see. Just for kicks, here’s a list of the first writing prompts I saw when I chose a world to explore:
The Proud History of a Dead World
Freeform Writing
Grammar Workshop 101
Ozmandias by Percy Shelly
The Destroyer of Worlds
I Thought ___ But You ___
Ten Rhyming Couplets
Bad Poetry You Wrote on the Bus
The Diary of a Young Girl
Other than Freeform Writing, each prompt has a brief description of what’s required. I did a world and at the end, was prompted to edit or share my work. I chose not to share it, but was surprised to see a story from someone else to read waiting for me on a new screen. Nice. The game not only encourages you to write, but to read and rate other works submitted by players. Things are really going to get interesting now. I just hope I have time to read what’s looking like a growing library of short stories, poems and other writing exercises…
Yikes. You know, there’s a very good reason I don’t follow and post every sliver of game news, nor do I care about some off the “news” that stirs certain areas of the internet up into a frenzy. At the PlayStation Experience in Las Vegas last weekend, one of the “big” announcements was the legendary JRPG Final Fantasy VII coming to the PlayStation 4 in 2015. At the time of its release back in 1997, it was not only a system seller for Sony’s original PlayStation, but one that bought millions of new players into CD-based gaming on a console, as previous games in the series has only appeared on cartridge-based systems. There was a PC version released back in 1998, but other than a recent re-release for modern PC’s, some excellent and jaw-dropping fan-made modifications and a beautiful remake of the game’s opening movie as an early demonstration of the PlayStation 3’s power, Square Enix has pretty much moved on from the very idea of a proper remake of this classic… Continue reading →
If you somehow thought director George Miller lost his knack for making wildly kinetic action flicks, this new trailer for the upcoming Mad Mad: Fury Road should spin your head around a few times. Granted, it’s only a trailer and yes, trailers tend to be not much like the actual film at all or worse, show all the good parts and leave some viewers wanting their money back once those end credit roll.
That said, let’s give Miller the benefit of the doubt and hope this film is closer to the magnificence of The Road Warrior and not the oddball-ness of Beyond Thunderdome. As usual, we shall see. If the film stinks (and I think it won’t), I’ll just get my pair of toecutters and get George on the horn. Or just catch it when it hits cable for the repeat play thing…
So, I’m not watching (or, didn’t watch, to be a good deal more precise) The Game Awards because I’d rather play games that actually deserve praise that aren’t getting it than watch awards shows about the ones that almost automatically do. Anyway, I missed out on some cool reveals such as the VERY wow-worthy Metal Gear Online (which I loved looking at and won’t play because I hate being “social” in games and prefer single player story-driven experiences) and a few other upcoming games coming to the new consoles.
Of course, I’d almost forgotten about the still in development new Legend of Zelda title for the Wii U, but here comes legendary creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Zelda director Eiji Aonuma with a nice-looking demo that makes me glad I’ve owned a Wii U since its launch. That new Zelda is still on track for a 2015 release, a good thing, as it will arrive in a year where every first and third party release on the console is important. I’m liking what I see so far and it seems that the game is going to find a wide appeal among both longtime and new fans. Okay, NOW I’m officially going to bed. I was only up because I’d forgotten to take pictures of the kitchen here it’s still a mess, but some work has been done) and decided to poke around in my inbox to see if anything interesting was in there. Yes, indeed there was…
Only ONE Funko Hikari Sofubi Vinyl figure up for this week’s giveaway, but there’s also the announcement of a limited edition figure you can run out and buy from Hot Topic, of all places. The freebie chance first: It’s #1 of 1500 this time and it’s a ghost you’d not want to bust at all because you’d be covered head to toe in icky marshmallow goop that’s probably a wee bit too hot to be sitting on your tender skin. Say hello to Ice Stay Puft Premium Hikari Sofubi Figure:
Yes, you should be nice to him or he’ll get mad and grow on you! Well, that would be a good thing under non-ghostly un-possessed marshmallow man conditions. But you know the drill if you’ve seen Ghostbusters, right? Anyway, if you want a chance to win this one, hit up one of Funko’s social media sites:
Follow the rules there and hold you breath for a week. Well, don’t REALLY hold your breath for that long, now. Otherwise, you’ll be dead and with some real ghosts only to find out there’s NO Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, only lonely moans and dirges playing every damned day and night. BOOooooooOOOOooooo! ALso, if you don’t win this time, you ca always buy that big guy at your favorite Funko retailer.
As for that other Hikari Vinyl? Attention Hot Topic shoppers! Be on the lookout for Retro Pastels Stay Puft Hikari Premium Sofubi Figure coming soon to a HT near you and online at HotTopic.com. Check him out and feel the rainbow love:
Obvious jokes about marshmallows on mushrooms aside, I can see this one becoming a hot topic of conversation as only 500 will be made before the mold is melted. Keep and eyeball peeled and get yours soon!
I know of a few people who hate the act of writing and don’t go near videogames, yet happen to be big fans of fantasy and science fiction. I also know a few writers who don’t much like those genres and aren’t gamers, so it’s always tricky talking to them about games I think might change their minds a tiny bit. When I got a note today from Dejobaan Games about checking out their upcoming adventure game Elegy for a Dead World and watched the video above, every light bulb in my head went off at once (ouch!). I think I’ve found my gateway game, ladies and gents. As you can see, the game encourages its players to write about what they see onscreen in a manner somewhat like PC text adventure games back in the 80’s.
Or, to be a bit more precise:
In Elegy for a Dead World, you travel to distant planets and create stories about the people who once lived there.
Three portals have opened to uncharted worlds. Earth has sent a team of explorers to investigate them, but after an accident, you are the sole survivor.
Your mission remains the same: survey these worlds and write the only accounts of them that outsiders will ever know.
The game will have three worlds to explore, all based on the works of British Romantic Era poets:
Shelley’s World, based on Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley Byron’s World, based on Darkness by Lord Byron Keats’ World, based on When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be by John Keats
As you explore the landscapes, writing prompts will appear onscreen guiding you to write about objects you come across in any way you see fit. It seems that some prompts will ask for certain styles of writing while others will be free form assignments. The possibilities for creative freedom are boundless and it seems that this game may also make a handy tool to inspire non-writers to get their brains percolating. The game itself as well as what each player creates are only the beginning of the adventure. Dejobaan is hoping players will want to share their unique stories with others. There’s an option to have your words put into print using a few online book printing services or users can log into the Steam Workshop to read others’ tales and share their own. One of the best things about the game that makes it easy to recommend are its fairly low system requirements. The game will run on Windows (XP and up), Mac, Linux and SteamOS enabled systems. There’s no doubt Dejobaan wants as many people as possible to experience this one and write their own stories as they play.
Interestingly enough, I’ve always thought I’d be a lousy writer of fiction, but Elegy for a Dead World is certainly going to get me thinking outside the box I’ve tossed my brain into. We’ll see what happens in a bit, but I’ve got ideas bubbling up just from looking at screenshots. Back in a bit…
Well, I guess it’s as good a time as ever to note that when I first heard Arnold was doing another Terminator flick, I think I broke something laughing. Of course, we’re at the point in visual effects tech that the best and brightest can make anything or anyone real look like a CG effect and here’s living proof of that coming to a theater near you next year. Actually, the plot makes it sound like a reboot that’s burning the candle at both ends with the return of Kyle Reese, Sarah Conner and a few other elements from James Cameron’s original two flicks. Of course, the film should benefit from Alan Taylor‘s direction, as his Game of Thrones work is pretty strong.
Granted, other than more plastics and metals there’s not much of a difference between the gritty filth of Westeros and the gritty radioactive filth of the future setting here (and the gritty filthy present the characters will end up in). But if the film can capture all that made the first two Terminator movies so special, this one may do well outside the blockbuster-fed crowds that will rush out to see it when it finally opens next July.
On the other hand, if this flick slips up in any way, shape or form in the plot or tosses in too much for the modern “Wait, what just happened?” crowd who need stuff constantly explained to them, it may tank out after a month because word of mouth hit it harder than a T-1000 slapping Arnold with a sledgehammer. Balance is the key to success, I’m betting. And I’m also betting the home video version will pack in scenes that get left on the cutting room floor because that’s the trend these days. Anyway, that’s two formerly successful franchises making a comeback in 2015, so between this reboot/remake with a twist and Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, it’s the 1980’s all over again.
And yeah – that’s both a good thing and a not so good thing…
Well, this one’s a nice surprise. I was thinking we’d see a new chapter in the horror-themed Lumber Island saga from developer Dean Forge (the original and its sequel come highly recommended), but it turns out his next game is a total departure from the horror genre. The Great Story of a Mighty Hero is certainly one of the most generic-sounding game titles I’ve heard in a while, but it’s intentional, as is the game’s lovely polygon cartoon art style and tried and true hack & slash gameplay. If that’s Unity being used here, it’s certainly getting a nice looking game as you can see below:
Now, the game is supposed to be up and ready to go according to Forge’s site, but Desura hasn’t gotten around to getting it live and ready to try out yet. Boo! Oh well. I can wait a few more days just because I’m a big fan of this type of game (serious to silly) and I want to see how all that hard work turned out. If anything, getting this for the weekend would be sweet, as it would take my mind off the coming ceiling and wall repairs this Friday and all the noise, dust and daily super-cleaning of the apartment needed. Fun diversions such as this are great for helping save one’s sanity, that’s for sure…
Today was a nicely dull but annoying yet slightly productive one. My mood is shifting a bit restlessly with all this deconstruction and reconstruction going on. Moving some stuff around for the work to be done on Friday, vacuuming the kitchen again thanks to a busted Pyrex measuring cup (I didn’t do it, but I’ll miss that thing, as it was an old one that served me well over the many years I had it) and making a short list of gripes to discuss with the management here took up a lot of energy. In the midst of this, I completed Alphadia Genesis on the Wii U, unlocking what’s looking like a bonus chapter to the story in the process (nice!). That needs to be reviewed this week as well as a few other things, but we’ll see where I am tomorrow.
Okay, off to hunt for dinner – I just got some fun news in my inbox, but perhaps I’ll save it for tomorrow… we’ll see.
Another “enlistment” video from D3Pulisher in Japan for Sandlot’s upcoming Earth Defense Forces 2 Portable V2 on the Vita has more than sold me on this game. As a longtime EDF fan, I’ve known that EDF 2 was and is the best game in the series in terms of content and the developer really pushing the PS2 past its limits back when that version was initially released. The enemy variety was and still is the best in the series, the night maps with those spiders hopping about with glowing eyes were terrifying and those damned rolling pill bugs drove me up a wall figuring out how to get rid of them before they steamrolled poor Storm 1. All that and the game has one of the funniest levels in the series with a MASSIVE beast showing up as a surprise boss after its two rather large offspring get taken down while on a rampage.
This updated version takes content from the original version and the PSP update (which was great despite the sluggish frame rate), adds what’s looking like improved multiplayer and much cleaner visuals. It looks as if the controls will be the same and Pale Wing’s goofy running animation is intact. Well, at least she can fly and has the best weapons in the game. I do hope her experience growth is the same as in the other versions of EDF 2 and not the insanely low numbers she gets in EDF 4. My one major gripe about that game was how unfair it handled character leveling. Anyway, I’m hoping D3Publisher of America or some other smart publisher is looking to localize this and get it out at some point. I’ll import if I must, but I’d really LOVE to see a push to get this one out and done in North America just so Vita owners can have another must-buy title…
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 