This Week In Games, August 31 - September 6 2014: The Sims 4, Hatoful Boyfriend, Joe Danger, Dead Rising 3, Runers, Velocity 2X, Dance Central Spotlight, Warframe And More!

Written By: Tyler

Hello everybody and welcome to another addition of This Week In Games, a weekly segment where I post random cat pictures and videos in an effort to gain viewership.

If you follow this blog then you know the skinny, but to those who are new to this thing, I go on Gamespot each week and see what games are coming out. I pick the more interesting ones, whether they're good or bad, and I write a little bit about them and give you the release dates. I used to be more picky with including ports and whatnot but now I just put whatever.

All the dates are North American releases, as well, because that's where I'm from. Sorry people from better continents.


August 31

There's nothing, games are dead.


September 1

The Fantabulous Adventures of Hedgehog Holmes

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Point-and-Click Adventure
Gameplay: I can't seem to find a video.

It's hard to really know what this game has to offer since it is hard to find anything on it, but it's a whodunnit story mixed with point-and-click adventure, all rolled up into a package full of cute visuals. Unless the visuals are just a way to throw you off the scent (get what I did there?), then it's probably a fairly simple, light-hearted take on the genre. But I say this ignorantly.


Hexcells Infinite

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Puzzle
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qi3ffxccFc

In this puzzler, which has 36 new challenges and the ability to randomly generate puzzles, you basically deal with patterns and destroying hexes that don't belong in the pattern. It's a little bit like Minesweeper, from what I understand. Anyway, there's a lot of content here for fans of this type of thing. Me? I'm too stupid to do puzzles.


September 2

Sims 4

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Simulation
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qi3ffxccFc 

The newest installment of the wildly successful Sims games comes out this week, promising pretty much a more in-depth experience with real personalities for the Sims. I haven't played a game in the series since the first, but I might check this one out to see where it has gone.


Velocity 2X

Coming Out For: PS4/Vita
Genre: Platformer
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGsrGmIWxV0

As part of a cross-buy program for PS Plus subscribers, this game is actually free for the systems so there's no reason not to play it. It's a fast-paced platformer and it looks like a hell of a lot of fun. Throw bombs around, shoot all over the place, fight boss battles both outside or even inside (when you fly in them and take them down from the inside). I heard that the first Velocity was really good, which I can't confirm, but this definitely looks like a solid sequel then.


Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair 

Coming Out For: PS Vita
Genre: Murder Mystery Visual Novel
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfOQV2UKiv0

There are three main game modes in this game: Daily Life, Deadly Life and Class Trial. Daily Life has you interacting with people, gaining things to trade in for skills and whatnot. Deadly Life is when you discover a crime scene and have to try to find evidence to help with the Class Trial, which is a trial where you have to find the culprit.

You also have things like a virtual pet that can be accessed by pressing the pause button, and it grows with each step you take. There are other mini-games as well present.


Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate

Coming Out For: PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One
Genre: Action/ Hack n' Slash
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCADiuSwGwg

Honestly, think Dynasty Warriors here, with perhaps a few little changes here and there to make them different. You beat down massive hordes of enemies like they're nothing simply by button mashing. I enjoy these types of games here and there, so I'm not being critical. I think simplicity is nice once in a while in games.


Dance Central Spotlight

Coming Out For: Xbox One
Genre: Dance
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEWATlmbWtY

Finally, the killer app for Xbox One is here. Forget Halo, this is it. Okay, seriously, I've never been one for Dance games but I know these have an audience. So get your Kinect ready and do what you always do in these games: dance along with some of the "hottest" songs. Woo!


Warframe

Coming Out For: Xbox One
Genre: Third-Person Action/Shooter
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi0emSy-oeI

I have a bit of a history with Warframe. On PC I couldn't connect with my brother to play it so we abandoned it. When it came out for PS4 we played it a bit... enough to know what kind of game it is. Gamespot gave it a 6, but it's better than that. It's a fun 3rd person game where you can run up walls and stuff, with a variety of different types of characters to play as. It's free, which does put some things behind a pay wall, and some of the mechanics could use some polishing, but it's still a fun game... so this is a good thing for Xbox One.


Runers

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Roguelike
Gameplay: http://store.steampowered.com/app/306550/

Runers is a roguelike, so what this entails is that it will have procedurally generated dungeons and death is final. However, you can collect runes to unlock unique skills, and there is apparently a bunch of customization, such as 20 races and 20 classes, the ability to be a long, mid or short-range fighter, among other things. If you're into Roguelikes, this looks like a fun addition.


Joe Danger

Coming Out For: PS Vita
Genre: Racing/Platformer
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krbY-qHR7rY

Joe Danger has been out for a while, but it's free on PS Vita this month. Stunt drive your way through the levels, flipping and crashing your way to victory. It got great reviews pretty much all around when it was released.


September 3

Apparently there's nothing here, according to Gamespot.


September 4

Cubemen 2

Coming Out For: Wii U
Genre: Action/Strategy
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7X5BkFqozs

I never heard of Cubemen until right now... and I think I'm picking this up if money permits. It's an action game where you command your cubemen in what looks to be a pretty intense game. There seems to be a lot going on. There are five different multiplayer modes, two campaigns, the ability to make your own levels and even cross-platform multiplayer. I hope this does well on Wii U.


Tappingo 2

Coming Out For: 3DS
Genre: Puzzle
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqwJ3VfT9rE

Here we have a puzzler for the 3DS. I put it here because it's a 3DS release. I know the original had some fans, and so maybe they'll be interested in a sequel.


Hatoful Boyfriend

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Dating Simulator
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SnF_Y2vnso

Ah, yes. Here we have the infamous pigeon dating simulator where you help pigeons get down. Will you succeed in this kinda awkward/kinda cool game?


September 5

Dead Rising 3

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Action
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObURLnfQxi4

The Xbox One launch game hits PC this week, so if you're interested in bashing zombies with whatever you can find -- I'm assuming that's still how it works -- then this is a game you may want to pick up. It will be an upgraded version, with better graphics and the like for all you PC master race members out there.


September 6

It's Saturday! So no, there's not a lot going on.



And there you have it... that's all the interesting games for this week. It's not a bad week, really. We got some big new releases, some interesting ports, and Hatoful Boyfriend. So the good, the bad and the weird are covered. If I missed anything feel free to yell at me on Twitter @ArtBathednCrime or just write in the comments below. Or write me a song and send it to me!

Fuck You Nintendo. Here Are My Thoughts On The New 3DS

Written By: Tyler

Sometimes it's hard to be a Nintendo loyalist. The Wii U had a botched launch, and they confused the hell out of more casual gamers to the point that they thought the Wii U was a Wii accessory. We're still waiting for a steady flow of Wii U games. Nintendo innovates in some ways, but then are so behind the curve in other ways, such as online gaming. Or there's the fact that in a game like Hyrule Warriors, they screw up the co-op by making one person play on the Gamepad while the other gets to play on a big screen (oh yeah, with no online co-op). There have been plenty of Nintendo blunders, both minor and major, but you get the point: Nintendo does awesome things once in a while, and once in a while they screw up. For every triumph, there seems to be a failure.

And yet I am a Nintendo fan, probably until I die. I have a love for Ninty that has been a gigantic part of my life for almost my entire life. I spent my youth playing games developed for the NES. I played these games before I even really understood what I was doing. In the immortal words of Brokeback Mountain, " I wish I knew how to quit you [Nintendo]."

My first blog post was a half-defense of the Wii U... one I still stand by. I enjoy the Wii U, and it sits firmly as my secondary console. I love the Gamepad. I love the exclusive titles I will see on the Wii U. The Playstation may be my primary console these days, but I will not go a generation without having a Nintendo console as, at least, my secondary. While I may play more Playstation, they don't have the loyalty from me that Nintendo does. No gaming company does.

After I got out of a movie last night, I had a message on Facebook from my older brother. It was a link to an article about Nintendo: more specifically, one about a new 3DS. I clicked on it cautiously. It turns out that they are releasing a 3DS with more CPU power, better 3D, more buttons, a new design, and more. It's really quite a wonderful release, and definitely moves the 3DS ahead.

The only problem is, they should have done this from the beginning. This is where I start to get angry.

The 3DS is a monster. I got one last year, and there were at least three games released on it that were among my top ten favourite games of last year. Animal Crossing: New Leaf won game of the year from me. Shin Megami Tensei 4 and Fire Emblem were high up there as well. While it doesn't see a lot of games, it certainly sees its fair share of quality games, and perhaps it isn't good for certain genres due to the limitation of only having one stick, but for things like platformers, RPGs, simulators, etc... it is wonderful.

Luckily Nintendo has decided to fix certain problems, by adding a C-Stick (among other things). Great. Why wasn't this originally in the plan for the 3DS? Or was it and they shipped an incomplete product to us originally? I am all for these upgrades, but they should have been there since the 3DS first shipped. They were painfully behind the times when they decided to only have one stick, and now they've finally decided to add one when people have already bought a fucking 3DS or even a 2DS, which came out less than a year ago.

So now we're expected to buy a new one, or potentially miss out on great games. There's a remake for Xenoblade Chronicles coming, and while I don't need it because I still own a Wii copy like a boss, that's a huge release. What other games will come out?

This shouldn't have happened halfway through its life cycle. They should have just rode the 3DS train until it was time for a new handheld, then implemented a lot of these features because unless everyone is just more understanding than myself, this is bound to create resentment.

Before anybody declares me as some whiny cunt, I'm cool with the 2DS because that was smart: release a version of the handheld without the unnecessarily 3DS shit and charge less. I'm cool with larger versions of the handheld that end up being a little more expensive. What I'm not cool with is segregating the audience by adding things that should have been there from the get-go.

This isn't an article about the confusion that the name may cause, even if that's true. This isn't an article filled with me hating on the advancements of technology. This is simply me ranting about the timing of a release like this. It isn't a money issue, because while I don't have an amazing job, I do well with buying games and consoles. I'm not being cheap, but it's stupid to expect us to buy a new one when the old one has only been out a little over three years.

Another thing that bothers me is that they are fixing something that isn't really broken. While it's true that it could benefit from a a C-Stick, more buttons, stronger technology, whatever, the 3DS is fine the way it is now. Nintendo should be focusing on the Wii U at this point, because they've already performed a magic trick with the 3DS and turned it around. It's time to concentrate on the console that has been a massive failure financially and critically.

Nintendo has not lost my loyalty. I'll get one of these when they're released in North America because I love games and am weak, but I will do so begrudgingly, because at the end of the day I feel like I'm being nickel and dimed. Not that it matters how much resentment I have when I buy it, because they will still be getting my money... but that doesn't make it morally right.

A Super Time Force Ultra Review -- It's Time To... Die, And Then Be Joined By Ghosts Of Our Former Selves

Written By: Tyler
Platform Played On: PC

The indie scene has a tendency of shitting out games that look similar to this one. There is a nostalgia associated with 8-bit and 16-bit games at this point, and it often charms us into thinking a game is better than it really is. There are games that pray on our weaknesses of looking to the past, and then there are games like Super Time Force that allow us to embrace both history and the future.

In STFU -- get it? Of course you do, every site points this out -- you play as one of many soldiers, each with their own unique pros, cons and different abilities. You are part of the Super Time Force, a time-traveling military lead by Colonel Repeatski. The basic goal here is the same as most games, except with time travel: you have to save the world. Whether this means going into the future or back to the dinosaurs, you have to do it because it is your civic duty.

The story is silly. Let's just get that out of the way. It's also important to note that the game is extremely self-aware (so self-aware that it may become sentinent, if you leave it alone), so the ridiculousness of the plot only helps the experience. Throughout the game, you will be treated to the mostly clever and quirky comments of all the characters involved, as they rip on stereotypes and ride the novelty of the story as far as it can go. It's not the funniest game ever developed, but if you're anything like me it will make you chuckle a couple times, or at the very least, put a smile on your face.

The graphics are gloriously old-school. They won't appeal to some people who can only deal with modern graphics, but for those who appreciate different art styles and don't just see this particular kind as an attempt to cash-in on nostalgia, there is a lot to like here. The character models are fairly detailed, given the circumstances, and levels are alive with colour. This isn't a drab, dark game... it gleefully uses a whole arsenal of colour. There is also a lot of things going on at any given time, like bullets flying at you, enemies jumping around, four of your characters all dazzling us with their gunplay and footwork. It gets really hectic but the game never looks bad because of it... just a little confusing.

Not only that, but the levels themselves are carefully crafted. Look at the background and you will surely see something going on, which makes the world feel bigger than the 2D stages that you exist in. You can see rust on objects, splatters, the whole nine yards. Some people think that creating a game with these types of visuals is easy, but it's not. It takes a different type of skill set to truly bring this brand of pixels to life. Super Time Force clearly had a lot of attention put into not just making a game that appeals to gamers from the late 80s and early 90s.

The music helps reinforce where the roots of this game lie. You're not going to hear an orchestra as you're blasting baddies. You're going to hear all the bleeps, bloops and blomps that you would hear in an NES game. It wouldn't really make sense to do it otherwise in this case, since the game is so entrenched in where it came from, but it's reassuring to know that -- like the visuals -- there was a lot of care put into making the music good on its own. It's not Shovel Knight good in this regard, with memorable track after memorable track, but it helps aid the experience. Unfortunately, as I played, there was so much going on the screen at a time that I didn't have a lot of time to actually concentrate on the music. I had to listen to the tracks as I wrote this review.

The most important aspect of Super Time Force is the one that sets it apart from other games of its ilk. It's Contra having a baby with Braid: only it's not as fun as Contra and doesn't have the emotional depth to support its gimmick like Braid.

I'll admit that the game looked like a lot of fun when I watched videos of it. I admired Capybara's attempt to redefine/innovate the classic 2D side-scrolling shooter by introducing a feature where you can rewind time at any given point, providing you still have some rewinds left (you get 30 each level). I still admire them for this, but I think the actual execution is a little bit lacking.

What you will most likely find out quickly, if you don't already know, is that it leans more on the puzzle side of things than the action side. Sure, you jump around, shoot things, platform to different ledges, shoot more things, fight a boss, kick some ass... but perhaps more importantly is how you manage time. You will die, and you will die lots, but dying is a learning experience here rather than a penalty.

This isn't even the scary part.

Every time you die, you can just rewind time and restart that particular area. Only something is different when you come back: the old version of you fights beside you, mimicking your own actions when you played as that particular character. What this means is that you could have a bunch of different "yous" on your screen at any given time, laying waste in a much quicker and efficient way than you would by yourself.

This is important because you only have sixty seconds per level, so you're always racing against the clock. There are ways to slow down time or add ten seconds onto the clock, but it is a very quick and stressful experience. Super Time Force aims to constantly put you on edge, with makes rewinding time a little hectic because you don't really have time to breathe.

Some will truly love that element of the game, but they contradict one another and lessened my enjoyment with the game. It's sad to admit because I am a guy who constantly gives praise to innovation because we're at the point where games that try something new should be encouraged, but I think I would have preferred if Super Time Force had less time manipulation and less Contra.

The mechanics are solid, and the game is extremely polished, but I felt myself getting frustrated more often than I had hoped. It's a pretty challenging game, but that's not my complaint. It's that this race against time spits in the face of the puzzle aspects. You may be thinking, "But Tyler, when you're rewinding time you can essentially take all the time you need in order formulate a proper plan," but that takes away from the action. Braid worked because it never shifted tones like this: it was always just a puzzler. Contra worked because it was non-stop action and required skill. Super Time Force is stuck in some kind of purgatory where sometimes it fumbles over the very mechanic that got it glowing endorsements originally.

That's not to say that the time mechanics aren't sometimes fun. Early in the game, you have to save someone, and this is an excellent usage of the core mechanic because it slows the game down and makes you solve a real puzzle, as opposed to making you just spawn different versions of yourself in order to complete a level. It was thrilling when it was used like that, but those moments are few and far between.

Super Time Force Ultra also includes bonuses that the original release did not. Namely, it has fifty challenges where the focus is on the puzzle aspect more than the shooting, for the most part. This is a little more rewarding because it's more straight forward and picks a side rather than flirting with both.

I know some people will think that I didn't enjoy the game as much as I had hoped because I suck, but that's not the case. I'm not awful at the game, but I'm not great. The problem was that I didn't feel a desire to get better because of the constant shifts between wanting to be an action game and wanting to be a puzzle game. I'm sure there is a way to make this work better than Super Time Force did, but I'm not reviewing a possibility, and as it stands, STFU is a completely solid game that can be really really frustrating.


Rating: 7.5/10
Verdict: It has its flaws, and the core mechanic of rewinding time actually makes the game stumble a bit more than it should, but it is still a fun game. We should praise it for trying something different, even if it's not something we'd prefer.

This Week In Games, August 24 - 30 2014: Madden NFL '15, Metro Redux, Infamous: Last Light, Lethal League, Hyperidemension Neptunia Re;Birth1, Steamworld Dig Wii U, Azure Striker Gunvolt, Super Time Force Ultra and Professor Layton Vs Phoenix Wright!

Written By: Tyler

Hello and welcome everybody to another edition of This Week In Games; the weekly feature where I teach you how to make the best peanut butter and jam sandwiches.

Each week I go to Gamespot and I see what games are coming out this week. I then write about the games that I think are interesting/important for the week. All the release dates are North American because that's where I was born and raised, on the playground is where I spent most of my days, so sorry to anybody who isn't from North America. I love you, I just can't cover your continent too.


August 24

Nothing.



August 25

Super Time Force Ultra

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Platformer/Action
Gameplay:http://ca.ign.com/videos/2014/05/02/super-time-force-release-date-trailer

If you follow my blog, I mentioned -- during Gamescom -- that this was one of the reasons I was jealous of anybody who had an Xbox One or an Xbox 360. I have neither so I missed out on this game when it was originally released. Luckily, PC is getting an enhanced version with a few new characters and challenge modes, so I'll get to play this lovely retro-inspired time-manipulating side-scrolling shooting death-defying son of a bitch.

Seriously, this game looks awesome and I like that it has the "rewind time" mechanic, a lot of characters to choose from and a lot of carnage to commit.



August 26


Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1

Coming Out For: PS Vita
Genre: RPG
Gameplay: http://www.gamespot.com/videos/hyperdimension-neptunia-re-birth1-official-trailer/2300-6419885/

I've never played Hyperdimension Neptunia, but I almost bought it one time. I can't remember why I thought it'd be interesting, but I did. Anyway, Re;Birth1 is a remake of the original on Vita so you'll get more bang for your buck. The warning here, of course, is that it looks very Japanese so people who aren't into JRPGs will probably want to avoid this.



Metro Redux

Coming Out For: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Shooter/Horror
Gameplay: http://www.gamespot.com/articles/remastered-versions-of-metro-2033-metro-last-light-hitting-xbox-one-ps4-and-pc-on-august-26/1100-6420698/

I've only played Metro: Last Light but it was lovely. It was dark, violent, scary and well put together so just based on that I'd recommend this package of both games. It's an enhanced edition, so better AI, graphics, that kind of thing. It's a perfect time to play these games if you haven't already.



Madden NFL ' 15

Coming Out For: PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360
Genre: Sport
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrKYDuZVbas

The newest installment of Madden is here and it looks like Madden! I'm not a football fan, and I can't remember the last time I played a Madden, but let's be honest: you already know if you're getting this or not because you already know how often you buy new EA Sports games.


Infamous: First Light

Coming Out For: PS4
Genre: Sandbox/Action
Gameplay:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xhNuUHs2_g

Here is the new DLC for Infamous: Second Son, a game that I enjoyed. I'm getting a little burnt out on Infamous at this point because after three games of essentially the same thing (yes I know you get more than one type of power in Second Son but they all function basically the same), I feel like there needs to be a change. They're still great games, worthy of at least an 8/10 though.

In the DLC, you play as Fetch... the girl who gave you the Neon power. They're promising that she will function differently because she's much faster than the main character of Second Son, and since she's had the power for a long time she knows how to use it better. I don't own Second Son so I won't be picking it up, but it could be fun DLC if you want to complete her story.



August 27

Lethal League

Coming Out For: PC

Genre: Action/Fighting

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j78X5LluM5U

Lethal League is an interesting mash-up, and now that I've actually sat down and watched a video of it I'm intrigued. Basically it's a fighting game where you can play with up to four people (plus online) and smash each other... only there's a projectile constantly moving so you have to be aware of that. You can hit the projectile back and forth to cause damage. It's actually quite cool when you see it in action because of the pretty awesome music and the art-style. This game has style, yo.



August 28

Steamworld Dig

Coming Out For: Wii U
Genre: Platformer/Action/Adventure
Gameplay: http://ca.ign.com/videos/2014/08/14/steamworld-dig-wii-u-gameplay-demo-ign-live-gamescom-2014

Steamworld Dig was released on 3DS and got great reviews with the mixture of Metroidvania and digging ala Minecraft or Terraria. I never got to play it on 3DS, and due to financial issues I may not get to play this right away, but it looks like a hell of a lot of fun, so you should definitely pick this version up if you're a Wii U owner.


August 29

Professor Layton VS Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney 

Coming Out For: 3DS   
Genre: Puzzle
Gameplay: http://www.gamespot.com/videos/professor-layton-vs-ace-attorney-official-trailer/2300-6412655/

I imagine this is a pretty big release for fans of the series, because crossovers are cool. This game will mix elements from both games, obviously, such as being able to examine scenes for clues or grilling people in a court room. I've never been into either of the games so I don't really even know if they're good.


Azure Striker Gunvolt

Coming Out For: 3DS
Genre: Action/Platformer
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAClxYeHqMU

I didn't know anything about this game but it shot up to one of the more anticipated releases of the week for me. It's this, Super Time Force Ultra and Steamworld Dig Wii U that I'm looking forward to most. Gunvolt is an intense 2D action game where you play as a 14 year old boy with psychic powers who is trying to take down an evil organization. I'm not sure why Japanese games always have little kids as characters, but still, count me in.

It has RPG mechanics in the sense you can level up, get new skills and develop new equipment, and the action looks crazy. Unfortunately this won't be a game that will drag people to Nintendo because it doesn't have massive name recognition (despite the legendaryKeiji Inafune executive producing it), but I'll be surprised if it's not one of the best 3DS games of the year.



August 30

Notta.


I think there are quite a few cool releases this week. We have some remastered/remade games, a yearly sports title that people love, some interesting indie games. There should be something this week to tickle your fancy.

Did I miss a game you're looking forward to? Yell at me on Twitter @ArtBathednCrime

Ye Indie Game Corner Volume 5: Vessel, Killer Smileys, To Be Or Not To Be. Nice, BlamBurgers and What Botched Rescue!

Written By: Tyler

Hello and welcome everybody to another random mixture of indie games. If you're unfamiliar with me or this feature, once in a while I'll just go on a site like Gamejolt and pick a few random indie games that were released recently. Then I will play them and give a really short review on each one.


Killer Smileys
Get It Here: http://gamejolt.com/games/platformer/killer-smileys/32754/

This game has three levels, and you are that robot thing on the left of the picture above. You shoot the bees and the smileys. The twist is that you can only shoot in one direction as far as I know, which makes it kind of weird if you're walking the other way. That's not really my problem with the game though... my problem is simply that it's not much fun. You can platform if you want but it's pointless because it's better just to stand in one place and blast until everything dies.

The developer throws in a space level, but it's awkward. I got stuck on nothingness and had to jump over said nothingness.

Rating: 3/10


What Botched Rescue
Get It Here: http://gamejolt.com/games/shooter/what-botched-rescue/32701/

If you follow my blog, it's probably no shock to you that I enjoy weird games. What Botched Rescue is a weird one. I think it's about a relationship, but it seems to be about more. It's one of these strangely told games with slightly odd visuals and tone. Luckily the gameplay is fun, though simplistic. It's just basically a side-scrolling shooter, but you do lose points when you blast so you have to make sure you hit them.

My only real complaint is with how the story is told. The text in between "levels" scrolls down automatically and it makes it really hard to read, so you just have to wait for it to come back around again. Besides that though, this is a fun little romp through an interesting and strange world.

Rating: 8/10



BlamBurgers
Get It Here: http://gamejolt.com/games/arcade/blamburgers/32775/

The gameplay in BlamBurgers only requires using the directional pads, and enter to progress the story. You go from room to room, platforming your way to get the burger bomb things before they explode. When they drop, there's a counter that counts down from 8 and when it hits 0 it explodes, thus damaging your ship. Luckily you can just run into them and disarm them.

The game suffers from PC controls. I hate platforming on PC, but the game is actually a lot of fun. It's a simple idea, but it's tense and difficult, and the developer threw in some things each level to change it up a little bit... like things that fling you in certain directions. This variety does help keep things fresh.

Rating: 8.5/10


To be or not to be. Nice
Get It Here: http://gamejolt.com/games/adventure/to-be-or-not-to-be-nice/32744/

You in need of an epic tale while you wait for The Witcher 3? Here is your game. Okay, it's not an epic tale, but I actually had some fun with this one. Basically you just walk around, collect things and solve very basic puzzles. I quite enjoyed the numerous jokes sprinkled in, and the little touches like what your equipment is, or the choices you have in what to attack things with (I picked a "cool look"). I also really enjoyed the choice of music.

There are some minor bugs like being able to walk up a wall, but it really is minor and the developer said there wasn't time to properly test it. Having dabbled in RPG maker a little myself I know how long it can take to do things.

It's a fun little adventure game with a sense of humour.

Rating: 7/10



Vessel
Get It Here: http://gamejolt.com/games/other/vessel/29980/

Here we are with another Jack King-Spooner game, and it's about more of the same. The visuals basically consist of bombarding you with images, in a style that is very much like a short film I really liked by Peter Tscherkassky called Outer Space. It's hard on the eyes in ways, but I really just love that he does this. His games can almost always just get by on his images and the usage of music, even if he rarely includes what I call "real" gameplay.

His games mostly consist of walking a bit and then watching. He's one of the few who can consistently do this and keep me as a fan. A big fan, even.

The story in this seems more straightforward than he has done in the past, but it's incredibly effective... telling a heart-wrenching tale of a robot.

Rating: 8.5/10



That's it for this edition. There were a couple other games I was going to play but I need to go off and do something so I think five games is enough. I got pretty lucky this time, played some solid games with only one blemish.

If you want me to play your game I will! Just let me know in the comments below or message/follow me on Twitter @ArtBathednCrime

The Gamescom 2014 Closing Ceremony - Best Game of the Show, Surprise of the Show, Disappointment of the Show, And More!

Written By: Tyler

Gamescom is over for another year, and like any respectable gaming website (ha), I need to give out a few awards. Let's get right to it.



Game of the Show
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

I gave Evolve the award at E3 this year because it does look like a special game, and I don't know if it's just because I'm starting to get burnt out on it or what, but I'm not giving it to Evolve this time around.

I think I have to give it to Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor because while I am well aware of the game and what it is promising, getting to see it in action more just left me more excited. I don't feel like I'm getting burnt out on it. Both Middle-earth and Evolve are revolutionary to some extent, but I dig Mordor more.



Surprise of the Show
Silent Hills/PT

It's really hard to beat a new Silent Hill announcement, especially when it's done suddenly and in the form of a seemingly unrelated teaser trailer.

Aside from that, I was really intrigued by Wild and I'm curious by what it's going to offer.



Press Conference of the Show
Sony

Even though the Microsoft press conference felt bigger with the emphasis on bigger titles, Sony had two of the biggest surprises of the show for me -- as mentioned above -- and it was just a solid collection of lesser-known games. There is a time for AAA titles and a time for indies, so I'm not really putting more importance on either, so it is literally just Wild and the announcement of the Silent Hills teaser that put it over the edge for me.



Disappointment of the Show
Dead Island 2 Has No Story, Assassin's Creed Unity Has Microtransactions


I was wondering why we had Dying Light and Dead Island 2 coming out fairly close to one another, but Gamescom has shown that they are a lot different. Though they have some similar elements, Dying Light has more parkour and more story, so it'll be more like the first Dead Island but better.

Dead Island 2, on the other hand, seems to be endless with no real narrative to drive it forward. Even though the first Dead Island, and Riptide, didn't have amazing stories it was still something. So unless I'm completely misunderstanding, I think Dead Island 2 will get boring because doing missions is not what it's all about. Give us something else.

I'm also disappointed with Ubisoft because there is no fucking reason for a AAA title to have Microtransactions. I always thought Ubisoft was a company we could love, but they seem to be going down an EA route in some ways. They aren't nearly as bad, but Ubi... don't mess this up. There is no justification for this, even if they claim it won't affect gameplay and you can acquire all the stuff without spending money. How do we trust that progression hasn't been tweaked to accommodate the cash grab?


Unrealistic Desire For Gamescom
An Announcement of a New Perfect Dark

Before Gamescom, there was talk of a new Rare game that wasn't focused on Kinect. I'm all for that. While other people said a new Conkers (which would be awesome, don't get me wrong), Banzo-Kazooie or even a Diddy Kong Racing, I wanted a new Perfect Dark because I loved the first one and Perfect Dark Zero, even if Zero was a bit of a step down. Alas, no such luck. I knew this though, because PD doesn't seem to be the series that people want to see Rare revive. I don't get it though, because Rare became truly legendary with Goldeneye for the N64 and Perfect Dark is actually a better game.


The Trend of Gamescom
4 vs 1 Multiplayer, Player Invasion In Single-Player

There is no doubt that this year, the trend of Gamescom was a focus on 4 vs 1 multiplayer. When Evolve was first shown, everyone thought it was really cool. It still is, but games like Shadow Realms, Dying Light and I think a couple others are now jumping on the bandwagon. I'm not criticizing it, I'm just simply saying that it seems to be the newest trend in gaming.

There is also a focus on having multiplayer that blends seemlessly into the single-player experience. We've seen a few games in Gamescom like this, such as the new Metal Gear, Dying Light, etc. I'm iffy on this because when I'm playing a single-player game I want to enjoy the single-player without fearing that I'm going to miss out on stuff in my campaign because I'm not playing multiplayer. It's still a very cool idea, however.

This Week In Games, August 17 - 23: Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition, Hotline Miami, Tales of Xillia 2, Counterspy, Sentris, Plus A Pigeon Dating Sim! And More.

Written By: Tyler

Hello people, and welcome to another edition of This Week In Games, a weekly feature I write where I try to crack the Da Vinci Code.

Every week I jump onto more popular video game websites like Gamespot and I see what games are coming out. I then give a quick little rundown on the games that I think are important and/or interesting and tell you a little bit about why I think they look good or bad. I don't include every game -- just games of interest.

I stick to North American release dates because that's where I live, and I don't focus a lot on ports, but if a port is interesting I will include it.


August 17

It's a Sunday, there's hardly everything released on a Sunday.



August 18

There's really nothing of real interest on this day.



August 19


Tales Of Xillia 2

Coming Out For: PS3
Genre: JRPG
Gameplay:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnb2mVs-c-8

To be honest, I never played the first Tales of Xillia because even though JRPGs are in my blood, I'm kind of beyond playing any of them that I see. I spent my childhood playing them, and the first Tales didn't really stick out to me as one that I needed. Even though the video above isn't in English, you get the general idea of what is going on (unless you can actually speak the language, then you're awesome!). It looks like an okay JRPG, but nothing that is going to go down as a great one. Still, it's an important release because I know there are people who loved the first, and Tales games get good reception most of the time.


Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare

Coming Out For: PS3, PS4
Genre: Third-Person Shooter/Tower Defense

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gin3uYn95QU

Copied from an older This Week In Games:
I've never actually played Plants vs Zombies, but people really dig it. This is actually already out on console but it's coming out for PS3/PS4. It actually looks like a fun blend of third-person shooting and tower defense, which is a mash-up I've been a big fan of since Dungeon Defenders. It looks to have a sense of humour, a colourful art-style, and it should be worth your time if you haven't played the console version.


Counterspy

Coming Out For: PS3, PS4

Genre: Side-Scrolling Stealth/Action

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGr5uMwvMEI

This is an interesting one. I never heard of it, but I think I'm in love. Even though it is a 2D stealth game for the most part, they seem to have added a 3D element to it by allowing you to press up against certain walls and look down them in a more 3D view. It's a nice blend of the two genres.

You play as a spy and apparently it's a bit of a twist in the narrative sense because you don't actually think the organization you work for is good. You're actually kind of just like, "Hey, maybe the things we're doing here are bad."

Aside from that, it has a neat visual style and the stealth gameplay looks solid. I'm not sure how the AI will be -- because it didn't look great in the video above -- but they're also a small team and AI is extremely difficult. Chalk this up as one of my most anticipated releases of this week.



Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition 

Coming Out For: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Genre: Action-RPG

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6Tkg9GHjqk

I've gone on record and said that while the Vanilla version of Diablo 3 was good, there were definitely some problems with it. I've also gone on record and said that with Loot 2.0, the many updates and Reaper of Souls, Diablo 3 is now awesome. In fact, it's one of the best games in the genre and is only held back by the leveling system... which is something they've modified and made better, but is still not up to par. Unfortunately it's something that they'd have to give the game a complete overhaul to fix.

Besides that, everything else about Diablo 3 is a lot of fun. I don't care what Diablo elitists say... this is awesome hack n' slash action. The graphics are pretty, everything feels good (like bashing enemies), there is sufficient loot, Reaper of Souls is an amazing expansion with an amazing soundtrack, and it's a lot of fun to play with friends.

The Ultimate Evil Edition has Reaper of Souls, a few bonuses and it's been tweaked for consoles. Now is a good time to pick it up.



Hotline Miami  

Coming Out For: PS4

Genre: Action

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5AJtaYx1Eg

Hotline Miami is a game I loved for PC, though it had some minor flaws. I hope the PS4 version fixes them, but I strongly encourage picking it up because it's really weird and violent, but there is actually a strong puzzle element to the game. It's the funnest game cactus has been a part of in a strict gameplay sense, and it has all the charm that his lesser-known games have.



Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment

Coming Out For: Vita

Genre: RPG

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsxQg73hnA4

This game looks interesting but unfortunately I don't have a Vita to play it. It's not an MMO, but apparently feels like one because it takes place in a large virtual reality world. The combat looks fun and chaotic with some depth to it, it comes with the first game embedded in, and there are little elements of a dating Sim as well (of course, it's from Japan). Check it out, let me know how it is.



August 20

Just some releases of Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment and Hotline Miami elsewhere in the world.



August 21

Shadowgate

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Adventure
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McO80u6oFqQ

A 2014 version of Shadowgate was Kickstartered and now we're seeing a release. It harkens back to the old school, with a first-person view as you traverse large labyrinths and see what you can find. Some will find this gameplay very outdated and thus turned off, but the people who played these games back when they were more popular will definitely have something to sink their teeth into.





Hatoful Boyfriend

Coming Out For: PC
Genre: Dating Sim
Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SnF_Y2vnso

This is a game about setting pigeons up with other pigeons. That sentence is all you really need to know because that's all that matters. Don't judge, pigeons need love just like we do.




August 22

Demon King Box

Coming Out For: 3DS
Genre: Strategy-RPG

Gameplay: Can't seem to find a video.

What's up with these obscure 3DS games? I had a hard time finding anything on the Ninja Turtles game a little while back and now this. It's another strategy-RPG to add to the 3DS canon, where you capture, feed, upgrade and combine your demons to do battle. Nothing real original, especially when a game like Shin Megami Tensei 4 exists on the system, but who knows, it could be good. Doesn't look great, though.



Sentris

Coming Out For: PC

Genre: Music

Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyNAlMrv_ro

Ever get interested in making music but you lack talent like I do? Sure, I dabble in Fruity Loops here and there, but I can't play an instrument to save my life. Do you like video games? Of course you do, otherwise you wouldn't be reading an obscure blog on the subject. You like the idea of a video game that acts as a puzzle game and music generator at the same time? Here we have Sentris.

The idea is that you can switch instruments, and you drop boxes down below, thus being a game where you solve a puzzle-of-sorts, but it also creates a song that is uniquely your own. Very cool idea.



August 23

Nothing today. Enjoy your weekend!




Well that's it for this week. Any games you wish I would have included? Tell me in the comments below or verbally abuse me on Twitter @ArtBathednCrime

Gamescom 2014, Day 4: Project Cars Bought IGN! Mario Maker Is Mario, Super Smash Bros Looks Awesome And This Just In: Evolve Still Looks Awesome. Plus More Stuff!

Written By: Tyler

Hello peoples, and welcome to another day of Gamescom 2014 and my coverage... which consists of me watching IGN streams. I'm truly a hero.

This post consists entirely on my impressions of the streams I watched for various games, and it seemed to be pretty Nintendo focused today. Unfortunately, Gamescom is coming to an end, but never fear because tomorrow I will be putting up my Gamescom Awards post where I give meaningless -- in the grand scheme of things but dammit they're important to me -- awards to developers and games that will probably never see it anyway. Let's get into this.




Project Cars -- Project Cars is a sandbox motorsports racing game coming this fall.

The demo showcased the driving, obviously, and it looked pretty. Unless I played it I couldn't really comment on how it feels, and that's pretty important in something like racing. I'm probably one of the worst people to cover racing games though because unless it's Kart racing or something like Blur that has Kart elements, I probably won't play it.

The IGN stream restarted so I didn't get to see a lot of it. Then I watched the beginning of it a second time and it restarted... again. And again. And once more for good measure. Oh wait we aren't done yet, let's repeat again. What just happened? That's right, another repeat. Oh hai Project Cars... another repeat. I'm just going to stop writing something every time it repeats because this is ridiculous. I feel like I'm in Groundhog Day. Way to go IGN.

The worst part is, Daemon Hatfield has to keep reliving his screw-up on pronouncing Germany at the beginning, over and over again, so nobody will ever forget.


Then after they finally realized that we were onto them, they took down the stream and this was the last thing we ever saw:

IGN: Brought to you by Project Cars.

IGN decided to finally show the stream, so while it wasn't live anymore, I could still watch the games in action.



Evolve -- A lot has already been said about Evolve. It's got incredible looking and exciting multiplayer, and I think it's a game that will do very well for itself. The 4 vs 1, hunter vs hunted, multiplayer where the environment is also dangerous, will be a lot of fun.

I just wonder how much replay value it will actually have. I thought that the game was going to have a single-player campaign to beef it up, but it turns out that you can do the same thing offline but with AI. I don't see myself playing this mode over and over again for hours upon hours, so unless I'm missing something I think it'll be a lot of fun for a short period of time.



Ori And The Blind Forest -- In the demo for Ori, they showed off one of the abilities: bash. Basically it allows you to slingshot yourself in any direction you want and it seems to be an important mechanic in the game. Because the person playing helped design the game, he's really good at it so it's interesting to see what a pro can do once they've mastered bash.

And my Lord, Ori is a beautiful game. The environments are detailed and colourful, though the level in this particular demo has a darker atmosphere. However, that doesn't stop it from having purples, greens and blues in certain areas to lighten it up. I love the visual style in this.

It also has light RPG elements in the sense that it has a skill tree. You are able to get all the abilities in the game in one playthrough if you explore and collect all the ability points.

The end of the demo is Ori escaping from the dungeon as water gushes up. This is something used a lot in games but it was pretty terrifying to watch.

Ori should be a special game.



Splatoon -- I pre-ordered this because I generally support Wii U exclusives, and I thought the multiplayer looked interesting. My fear going in is the same as Evolve, where I don't know if there will be a lot of replay value... because if you're just playing the same one or two modes over and over it'll get boring. Apparently there will be some sort of single-player mode but they didn't really talk about it.

If you are unaware, it's a third-person multiplayer game where you have to spray the ground with your ink. It sounds silly but looks prett fun and original.

The game uses the Gamepad as a map and a way to "super jump" to your team mates. You can tap on their image and you will instantly go to them.


I really like the concept so I hope it grows into something great that offers hours of value, because as far as I know it is a full-priced game.



Bayonetta -- Next we got to see Bayonetta. No, not the second one... the version of the first that ships with Bayonetta 2.

It has Nintendo elements to it, such as a hand cannon and the Master Sword. This demo has her dressed up like Samus, Link and Peach for a while.

I dig Bayonetta and I have since it originally came out. I love its brand of third-person, insane action.  Bayonetta 2 is a no-brainer purchase for me, especially since you got two games for the price of one.



Mario Maker -- Here is a game that I'm really excited for, and I'm sure a lot of other people are too. The idea of being able to create a Mario level is an awesome one that should have been done before.

The creation tool is very inspired by Mario Paint, which just adds to it because Mario Paint was the shit. It makes me wonder why we haven't gotten a new Mario Paint, since the last one was on SNES.

In the demo we got to see some of the ways that the interface works, and it's very easy to do stuff so you won't get bogged down in useless crap. It's as easy as simply selecting things with the stylus and placing them, or shaking it to make Mario become Super Mario. Thelook of the game can change. The demo has two graphic styles; the classic style and the New Super Mario Bros. style. That's a nice touch I reckon.

My main concern is level sharing and it infuriates me that they still refuse to comment on it. This is an extremely important aspect of the game and it should be announced. It will literally be the difference between cancelling my pre-order (though now they aren't sure if its retail or digital only) or keeping it, because if you can't share it online with people and download the levels made by strangers across the world then it's not worth buying. And yes, I go on record saying that, because it doesn't matter how great the creation tool is, if you can only play it yourself or with your friends then it defeats the purpose.



Kirby And The Rainbow Curse -- Geez, more Nintendo, not that I'm complaining. Here we have a new Kirby for Wii U.

You use a temporary rainbow line to traverse the levels while collecting the stars. What this means is that you will spend a lot of time using the gamepad and drawing lines, which is great in a way because it's going to give the gamepad more of a purpose... but I don't think I'm terribly interested in a game build almost entirely around doing that.



Mario Party 10 -- I haven't played a Mario Party in years. I can't even remember the last one I played, so it's interesting for me to see where it's at now.

The demo started with a battle with Bowser, and the player was controlling Bowser and shooting fireballs at the other players. Then it showed a mini-game where the player controlling Bowser had to tilt the gamepad to move the world and hit the other players with the rows of fireballs. We got to see a bunch of mini-games where one person controlled Bowser. It's an interesting mechanic, and it plays into the recent trend of new games in development that do this "4 vs 1" multiplayer.



Super Smash Bros Wii U -- When you play a Smash Bros you basically know what you're going to get. They can tweak and change things, but the core gameplay is fundamentally the same. That's fine because they don't milk the series at all.

I actually don't bother watching Smash Bros videos most of the time because I know what I'm going to get, so outside of learning what characters are in it... it doesn't really matter. They got my money and I know I'm going to love the game.

They talked a little bit about Mega Man, showed off a new stage that's more open than other ones, and showcased the insanity that is Smash Bros.

You can also unlock different sets of special attacks in a variety of different ways.

Gamescom 2014, Day 3 -- Hellraid, Dead Island 2 Has No Story, Shadow Realms Is Less Nerdy Than D&D And Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Has A Badass Claptrap

Written By: Tyler

Hello again people, and I hope you're enjoying Gamescom. I was occupied with a bunch of stuff today so I didn't get to stream every demo shown on IGN like I did yesterday, but I have a little bit before bed so I wanted to take a moment to give my impressions on a few of the demos shown today. I only picked the ones I was interested in, or games I never heard of. Tomorrow I will have a more complete article.



Hellraid -- Hellraid is a first-person hack n' slash game. First-person melee combat has a habit of not being that fluid, so I hope Hellraid can get it right. It'll have light RPG elements and is "somewhere in between RPG and action." It was described as Dead Island meets Elder Scrolls and I think that seems like a decent comparison.

It has three gameplay modes; mission mode, story mode and arena. Story mode is obvious, and with mission mode you basically just do missions and get points. Arena mode is just basically survival. You can play all three modes in single-player or co-op.

I don't really think Hellraid will be much, but it'll probably be okay. Since there apparently isn't a lot of RPG in this and exploration is there but not on the scale of an Elder Scrolls game, it's pretty dependent on the combat and I don't think, from this demo (and yes I know it's early), that Hellraid will deliver an exciting experience.



Dead Island 2 -- Dead Island 2 takes place in California and promises 8 player co-op gameplay. I'm going to be honest: as long as it gives me a similar experience to the first Dead Island, minus the bugs and glitches, I'm in. I am all for playing an open-world zombie game with someone.

It doesn't appear to change the formula much, but it is evolving it a little bit. Now you can do things like light the grass on fire, Far Cry style, or dual wield weapons.

Oh wait, supposedly you can't really beat the game, because it keeps going and you keep getting missions. So... there isn't a story? I don't know about this. Even though Dead Island had a stupid story, it was still something driving the game forward and this worries me. I think Dying Light will shit all over this.



Shadow Realms -- I was a little confused about this RPG. It's a more modern Fantasy Bioware game but they seem to be doing something a little different this time around.

The core gameplay is 4 vs 1 where the other players where one player is basically a Dungeon Master (Shadowlord in this game) and can take control of everything while you and your friends team-up and try to beat the missions.

It has elements of Bioware with the conversations and whatnot, but they're putting a spin on their own formula. It could be good but I don't know. I have faith in Bioware, but I'll have to wait and see when it comes to this game.



Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel -- In this demo we got to see Claptrap. I love that little bastard, so I'm down.

It starts with them putting points into his skill tree. I enjoy that he has a highfive skill where if you return it  you'll get buffs but if you don't only he does.

Aside from that, this is Borderlands and I'm okay with that. I would have preferred Borderlands 3 on more powerful hardware rather than this spin-off on last-gen (and PC), but they are doing a few new things with it so I'm up for another Borderlands adventure. They're fun with a friend.

Gamescom 2014, Day 2, Part 1: Far Cry 4, Dying Light Encourages Competition, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Is Call of Duty With SCIENCE, Two Assassin's Creeds, Alien: Isolation Scare Your Pants Off, Shadow of Mordor Is Awesome And More!

Written By: Tyler

I'm back for another day of Gamescom, and this one will have more gameplay impressions since IGN will now have a livestream for games. Since I have the day off I will be doing two parts, with the first part being more focused on gameplay impressions of the demos I watch, and the second part will be later today and will focus more on the news of the day. Let's start off with some news, and the opinions on the games will come right after.



News 

Sony Is Going To Announce New PS4 Games At TGS 2014
http://ca.ign.com/articles/2014/08/14/sony-to-unveil-new-ps4-games-at-tgs-2014-says-boss

Sony didn't have enough time during their Gamescom press conference to unveil all the games that they wanted, so they teased more games for the Tokyo Game Show that takes place in September.

The highlight of the article for me was actually in the comments, where one guy posted a gif of The Last Guardian and another said, "Stop. Its like watching a funeral." Well played ConsoleHighElf, well played.


The Last Guardian Isn't Cancelled
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-last-guardian-making-great-progress-but-we-pro/1100-6421717/



 Sony once again told us that The Last Guardian isn't cancelled, but we won't be seeing it at TGS. This is hardly news at this point, but I guess it helps ease the fears of fans who think that the game may not be in development anymore.


Really, Ubisoft? Microtransactions In A Full-Priced, AAA Title? Assassin's Creed Unity Has 'Em
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/assassins-creed-unity-has-microtransactions-but-ub/1100-6421724/

In frustrating news that secretly makes a person want to rage quit games, Ubisoft announced that there are microtransactions in Assassin's Creed Unity, though they stress that you can unlock everything in-game. It's still ridiculously stupid to have this kind of thing in a game that is going to retail at full-price. This is okay in a free-to-play, but this is terrible. 



Video Game Impressions

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt -- I have never played a Witcher game but I'm still really excited to get into the series with this one. Months ago I said on a Podcast that a great RPG is more exciting and better than any genre. You can throw your best shooters, platformers, etc at me and the best RPGs will almost always win... unless you're Metal Gear. Metal Gear always wins. Anyway, because The Witcher 3 is a huge RPG, I'm genuinely excited to get lost in the world. I've only heard great things.

This demo mostly shows the main character walking through the woods, but you can already tell the care that was put into crafting this Fantasy world. It looks wonderfully realized. The combat looks fluid and exciting even though we didn't see a whole lot of it.

There's a feature called The Witcher Sense and it will allow you to track enemies and it "opens up a new layer to explore the open-world." It's important with quests and monster hunting. You will be able to ask around the cities for information on it, such as asking if there has been any weird disappearances lately. There's also a day-and-night cycle which basically amounts to day = easier and bad = holy crap the monsters are tougher! You can also fast-forward through the days or nights.

There is also sea combat, but they couldn't talk about it now.


Assassin's Creed Rogue -- I don't care about Assassin's Creed. I only care about Unity because of the co-op mechanics. I don't know why I've never been able to get into the series because there are things about it that I dig.

In this demo we get naval gameplay. Not to be confused with natal. Okay, that was cheesy. Wait, come back!

We got to see combat on the sea, which included ramming other ships, shooting cannon balls and then inevitably boarding a rival ship. After you conquer the ship you can use it for a few different things, such as adding it to your fleet or using it to repair your ship.

More importantly, we saw a polar bear as our character was traversing the landscape after he left his ship.

Then we saw him walking around a village in a second demo, and the gameplay here should be familiar to any fan of the series. Jumping around, platforming like a boss, taking people out with a combination of stealth and melee combat using all your little gadgets. Nothing out of the ordinary as far as I can tell, but again, I'm not an expert when it comes to this series.

I mean, the game looks alright. Hell, it looks good, but I don't really have any desire to play it.



Assassin's Creed Unity -- We get to see the first assassination mission. Paris as a 1:1 scale and you can go in one building for every four. Climbing has been improved and it's quicker to get down to ground level.

In this demo they are focusing on stealth, and we see him killing people and walking off. Why not just leave a dead body laying there after you've slit his throat? Good work assassin!

You can do murder mystery jobs. You investigate, find clues, follow characters, interrogate said characters, and once you have suspects you can accuse people. Whoever you accuse gets put in jail which is very democratic.

The gameplay looks very Assassin's Creed, and that won't be a bad things for the fan. Seeing it jump to the current-gen will allow them to do much more, such as co-op. I wanted to see a co-op demo, and while they discussed it a little, they didn't show it.

Basically it's about character progression. You get skill points and whatnot to advance your character while you're playing with your friends. I really hope the co-op is killer because I admittedly got pretty excited when I first saw it.



Alien: Isolation -- You can take my gamer card away but until today I hadn't actually ever seen footage of the game. It sounded really cool, but I never watched anything.

We got to see Ridley's daughter walk through the dark on a ship while avoiding Alien. The gameplay doesn't appear complex, as it's mostly a cat-and-mouse type of experience but that's what the first movie basically was, and that's why this game should be great. We've seen a bunch of horror games like this in the last few years. In the demo we got to see a few different ways to get away from Alien.

We also saw human enemies, and in the demo they used Alien as a way to get rid of them. It was actually really cool. The player used something to bring Alien into the room and Alien then dismantled some of the humans... but in this game something like that is risky because now Alien is in the room.

The idea of blurring the rest of the screen when you're using the motion sensor is such a simple but effective one. You also can't use the same strategies over and over in order to survive because Alien will learn and adapt to that.

Use your senses and the limited technology that you have to survive when Alien: Isolation drops in the coming months.



Far Cry 4 -- In this demo we're in the Himalayas, watching the main character kill people with knives, crossbows, shotguns, etc. We also saw him shoot at some animals and use a wind suit and fly through the air. It is a gorgeous game.

After the short Himalays demo, we get to see their interpretation of Shangri-La. We got to see a lot of the area and a little bit of gameplay as it's explained that Shangri-La is more linear than the rest of the game. As to be expected, it is also beautiful. They mentioned how the environment is the main character when you really get down to it, and I think it's very true. I also think it'll be fun to have this different feel to the game, even if it only lasts a little while.

They mentioned Hexen briefly, and why not have a new Hexen? I'd buy a new Hexen. Hexen Hexen  Hexen.

Far Cry 4 looks like it's going to be a few interesting things narratively that the third did not, but from what I've seen it doesn't really redefine the experience. On the same note, does it have to? People like Far Cry for what it is (myself included).



Super Time Force Ultra -- And now time for a true AAA experience; Super Time Force Ultra. Super Time Force was a game I didn't have the option of playing until recently and I have yet to pick it up. This version (STFU) is coming to PC so I may as well just wait and get it on there.

They added fifty new levels called the Hellideck (I think that's the spelling) that is basically a set of challenges that you have to use your abilities to manipulate time to solve.

I still want to play this. Pick Ultra up on PC on August 25th.


Somehow I'm still not sick of the Dead Island 2 commercial even though it plays before every demo. I think that's a testament to how good the song -- The Bomb by Pigeon John -- is.




Below -- The demo is the beginning of the game. You sail up to an island and you instantly feel very, very tiny. The world is a massive, scary place, and you are only a miniscule fraction of it.

Since it's a Roguelike, death is permanent, but you can loot your own body and get stuff back. You will die, of course, and in death you are expected to learn what everything is, such as traps and whatnot.

I missed a bunch of the rest of the demo, unfortunately so that's all I got.



Toy Soldiers -- This is the first new game I've seen today, but I've never invested any time in the first two Toy Soldiers games. The demo starts with a guy on a turret laying waste to hordes of enemies in a mixture of Tower Defense and action, where you can take control of any part of the battlefield.

It also has destructible environments so you can change the path of the enemies.We saw that in action when the player shot a bridge and it collapsed, forcing the enemies to go a different route.

For some lighthearted, action packed Tower Defense, make sure to check out Toy Soldier when it launches in 2015 on multiple platforms.



Steamworld Digg Wii U -- The acclaimed "platform mining adventure" is coming to Wii U, and I ignored it when it came out for 3DS.

You dig for minerals, upgrade your equipment by talking to people on the surface. Eventually, in this randomly generated world, you will find upgrades underground, such as speed boost or "really funky" upgrades. Of course, there are enemies underground as well. The game has elements of Metroidvanias.

In the Wii U version we will have better graphics, new animations, an expanded soundtrack and secret areas that are going to remain a secret for now... but they're apparently a tribute to Nintendo. My whole existence is a tribute to Nintendo so I'm okay with that.



Dying Light -- We get to see co-op and PvP for the first time in this zombie game that I'm really excited for. The demo starts with a couple people smashing zombies and then going down an elevator.

There appear to be challenges that pop on the screen that make you abandon your teamwork briefly, such as being the first person to escape a place or putting a bounty on a zombie head. The challenges hare split into different branches like strength and agility so if you win the agility challenge then you will get bonsues in agility.

Then we see, for the first time, a player comes into the game as a zombie. Whenever night time comes, it's possible for a player to invade your game. In the demo the player played as a night time zombie and he was sensitive to light. You have to destroy hives in combat, and if you do that, you win the match. When you win, you get extra experience and access to different crafting materials. The zombie player has his or her own skill tree for unlocking stuff.

I think that the PvP is interesting but I'm not sure if this is the type of game that I want people invading. And I don't like not being able to create certain things if I don't get involved in it. Regardless, I'm still excited for Dying Light because I'm a fan of the Dead Island games -- despite the flaws -- and love just playing co-op in a big zombie open-world.



Star Wars: The Old Republic -- This demo is about the new expansion that is coming next Tuesday where players can have individual strongholds and conquer the galaxy in their flagships. You can conquer a planet and own it for a while, getting bonuses while you rule with an iron fist. Or nicely, I don't know what kind of person you are.

I like the idea of adding houses and galactic combat to the MMO. Players can spend hours Simsing their Star Wars game. I mean, I don't play it so I don't know what it looks like these days but I did play it a little bit back when it first went free-to-play and I don't think I gave it a fair shake. 



Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare -- They showed off some Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare multiplayer. It was one match and was meant to showcase the most important part of the CoD experience.

I like that they're trying something a little new with the series. It still looks and feels the same (from what I gather, though ultimately I won't know until I get my hands on it), but has more emphasis on verticality. There are dynamic events that happen in matches, such as a whole new room being dropped in, as we saw in the demo.

They seemed to make a lot of the CoD experience bigger, with more customization, and tweaking perks and other existing features, but I'm still only mildly excited for this. When the game was first revealed I was pretty pumped because it seemed fresh and new, but now I think about it and I don't know if I need it. Titanfall is different, and has giant mechs, but the game handles the same as CoD and though Titanfall has fewer features, they're similar enough that I've lost a little bit of interest in Advanced Warfare.



Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor -- The final demo on IGN for today is a game I'm ridiculously excited for despite not being a Tolkien fan at all.

After watching the demo: wow. The game just keeps getting better and better. The demo basically showcased how character and enemy progression happens, and how your relationships with the enemies and the world evolve. Any enemy can gain experience and they will remember you. Everything is connected, and there are a bunch of options on how to complete your goals. For example, you could take over a War Chief bodyguard and have him betray his master. Not only that, but after he betrays the War Chief and kills him, he will become a War Chief. It's an incredibly fascinating dynamic.

Not only that, but when you die, the world continues and relationships change while you're reviving. So you could die and a bunch of things would change, thus changing your own tactics.

The combat looks fluid and exciting, and it seems to have some depth and a bunch of different possibilities.

The demo was really awesome. If this isn't one of the best games of the year it will be a tragedy.