I'm not gonna lie... I pre-ordered the new Wolfenstein game because this game looks totally sick. That said, the few trailers that have dropped contain some really violent and shocking imagery. Don't get me wrong, I am no slouch to violent stuff. I loved the film Inglorious Basterds so much it sit's on my movie shelf. That said, it seems Wolfenstein: The New Order even ratchets things up quite a bit. To it's credit, to be sure.
I played Wolfenstein: The New Order at PAX prime this last summer and from what I played it was a really polished shooter. Can't wait to get my hands on the game and take down them Nazi's one more time...
I'm not gonna lie... I pre-ordered the new Wolfenstein game because this game looks totally sick. That said, the few trailers that have dropped contain some really violent and shocking imagery. Don't get me wrong, I am no slouch to violent stuff. I loved the film Inglorious Basterds so much it sit's on my movie shelf. That said, it seems Wolfenstein: The New Order even ratchets things up quite a bit. To it's credit, to be sure.
I played Wolfenstein: The New Order at PAX prime this last summer and from what I played it was a really polished shooter. Can't wait to get my hands on the game and take down them Nazi's one more time...
Microsoft has released more information about Age of Mythology: Extended Edition in the form of a pretty awesome new trailer. The trailer shows the old version and new version side by side. The trailer goes over the new updated HD visuals, water effects, global lighting, day and night cycles, Twitch.tv streaming & Steam multi-player and workshop integration.
Age of Mythology is a really great game that deserves the HD re-release treatment. I really enjoyed the multi-player of Age of Empires and Age of Empires II but didn't like the single player game. Age of Mythology not only has great multi-player but the single player is well worth the price of admission alone.... Read All
Microsoft has released more information about Age of Mythology: Extended Edition in the form of a pretty awesome new trailer. The trailer shows the old version and new version side by side. The trailer goes over the new updated HD visuals, water effects, global lighting, day and night cycles, Twitch.tv streaming & Steam multi-player and workshop integration.
Age of Mythology is a really great game that deserves the HD re-release treatment. I really enjoyed the multi-player of Age of Empires and Age of Empires II but didn't like the single player game. Age of Mythology not only has great multi-player but the single player is well worth the price of admission alone. Taking into account that they are putting in the original Age of Mythology content plus the Wrath of the Titans expansion, this is a pretty great deal.
I wonder if Age of Mythology will get more post-release content expansions like Age of Empires: HD?
I have mixed feelings about Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
On the one hand, more Borderlands! And we finally get to go to the moon base that everyone has been wanting for years now.
On the other hand, it isn't being developed by Gearbox. In the past we've seen good and bad things come from franchises that get games passed around like this, so I'll hold out hope for good things. It's still staying inside 2K, and Randy Pitchford loves the way 2K Australia is handling it, so I'm choosing to trust them until I'm proven otherwise.
The game takes place between Borderlands 1 and 2, and you'll play as familiar characters from the franchise, including Claptrap. Yes, Claptrap is a... Read All
I have mixed feelings about Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
On the one hand, more Borderlands! And we finally get to go to the moon base that everyone has been wanting for years now.
On the other hand, it isn't being developed by Gearbox. In the past we've seen good and bad things come from franchises that get games passed around like this, so I'll hold out hope for good things. It's still staying inside 2K, and Randy Pitchford loves the way 2K Australia is handling it, so I'm choosing to trust them until I'm proven otherwise.
The game takes place between Borderlands 1 and 2, and you'll play as familiar characters from the franchise, including Claptrap. Yes, Claptrap is a playable character. The four new characters fight alongside Handsome Jack as he gains power.
It's running on the Borderlands 2 engine, and from the screenshots it looks very similar, which isn't a bad thing. Borderlands 2 was quite a beautiful game.
Like you I have some doubts too. That said, all they need to do it make it awesome and I guess the formula is pretty well established. The game could suck but if the mechanics are right, it should still be a fun game.
Odd thing, they are only releasing on ps3, 360 and PC. My thought it this might just be using the BL2 tech and skipping by the PS4 and XBox One? Odd to see a release not target them.
Travis Admin Post Author
wrote on 04/09/2014 at 04:40pm
I saw something else (and I thought it was in this article but apparently not) that the reason they're targeting the previous generation is the install base. It would be expensive to add new platforms and not as much reward.
But then, there won't be people flocking to the new platforms without games, so... it's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy. But, like Randy Pitchford, I'm not in a hurry to jump onto the next generation yet either.
Now that PAX East is upon us the flurry of Indie gaming news is starting. I was happy to see the new trailer drop for Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. Focusing more on many of the new gameplay elements the trailer really showcases the additions Dennation Games has added to the Hotline Miami formula.
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number will release this year on PC, Linux, Mac, PS3, PS4 and Vita.
Now that PAX East is upon us the flurry of Indie gaming news is starting. I was happy to see the new trailer drop for Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number. Focusing more on many of the new gameplay elements the trailer really showcases the additions Dennation Games has added to the Hotline Miami formula.
Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number will release this year on PC, Linux, Mac, PS3, PS4 and Vita.
Recently The Simpsons parodied Minecraft in the show intro. Not as much funny as it is cool to see the Simpsons do it. It's a sign of cultural relevance that certain people and things achieve to be parodied by The Simpsons and Minecraft is popular enough to warrant it.
Recently The Simpsons parodied Minecraft in the show intro. Not as much funny as it is cool to see the Simpsons do it. It's a sign of cultural relevance that certain people and things achieve to be parodied by The Simpsons and Minecraft is popular enough to warrant it.
Azurephile Super Member
wrote on 04/08/2014 at 03:05am
I appreciated Moe the creeper exploding at the end because it shows at least a surface knowledge of Minecraft. I thought everything was just going to be blocky, and that looks cool, but at least someone's actually picked up the game and played it once or twice at least :)
Azurephile Super Member
wrote on 04/08/2014 at 10:43pm
I agree Adym, without a Creeper (at least), it just couldn't really fully spell Minecraft (and what I hate about it, but still love the game).
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Azurephile gives this an astounding "Must Play" on the Ghost Scale
This achieves something special, and it would be a shame to miss it.
Azurephile gives this a "Must Play" on the Ghost Scale
This achieves something special, and it would be a shame to miss it.
Quick Review
Recommended
Seems short
Different playable characters with unique abilities
Not too difficult
Level up Kerrigan and the swarm
New units
Replay-ability and achievements
Multiplayer available
Last night, I finished the expansion to StarCraft II, Heart of the Swarm. It didn't seem to last as long as the campaign, Wings of Liberty, but it was still a lot of fun.
Synopsis: In Heart of the Swarm, you are Kerrigan, pretty much, and are working on getting the swarm back together to get revenge on Mengsk. There are a few different characters you get to control instead of just Kerrigan. Each character has their own unique abilities and roles to play. However,... Read AllQuick Review
Recommended
Seems short
Different playable characters with unique abilities
Not too difficult
Level up Kerrigan and the swarm
New units
Replay-ability and achievements
Multiplayer available
Last night, I finished the expansion to StarCraft II, Heart of the Swarm. It didn't seem to last as long as the campaign, Wings of Liberty, but it was still a lot of fun.
Synopsis: In Heart of the Swarm, you are Kerrigan, pretty much, and are working on getting the swarm back together to get revenge on Mengsk. There are a few different characters you get to control instead of just Kerrigan. Each character has their own unique abilities and roles to play. However, Kerrigan is the only character that you work towards leveling up by completing certain objectives in missions. These objectives weren't very difficult to achieve and I was able to level her up to the max by the time I was at the end of the expansion.
Kerrigan and swarm evolution: When leveling up, Kerrigan gains HP and special abilities. Not only do you work on evolving Kerrigan, but you also work on evolving the swarm, your army, by completing missions in the Evolution Pit. This was a fun part of the game where you learn about a creature that acts a certain way and, as a Zerg, you must destroy it and adapt its essence into the swarm.
New and old units: Familiar Zerg units have returned, but they have various mutations that you can choose. There are also new Zerg units, but that applies to the Terrans (in Wings of Liberty) as well. As for the Protoss, what little of them I got to play in the Wings of Liberty campaign, they had some new changes as well. As for the Protoss, we have to wait for their expansion to be released, which, at the time of this writing, has no release date.
Achievements: I can still replay some missions and get achievements that I missed, but I think I've pretty much gotten most of them. Some of them require meeting a certain objective on Hard mode, something I'm not really interested in. I haven't looked up specifics in what you get with the various achievements, but I'm sure I've gotten all the ones that I really wanted. I replayed some of Kerrigan's missions so that I could level her up all the way. There are also multiplayer options for the game, but I'm not really interested in that.
I'm kind of sad to be done with StarCraft II, as I am when finishing a game that I really enjoyed. What's next? Well, I think I'm going to give this Diablo III demo a try.
Anyway, in summary, if you liked StarCraft, you'll probably like StarCraft II and the expansion, Heart of the Swarm. I'm really impressed with Blizzard for the games I've played (Warcraft I & II, StarCraft I & II). I'm also really impressed that after all of these years, StarCraft got a sequel and it was done with excellence.
I really liked Heart of the Swarm. It was everything I wanted from a Zerg expansion(my fav race). I am really eager to hear about when Legacy of the Void will come out. Now that the new Diablo III expansion is out I hope they mention it's release date or just talk about how development is coming along with it.
Oh and I didn't get all the achievements either. I went back to Wings of Liberty to try and complete them all and did some but not all.
Azurephile Super Member Post Author
wrote on 04/08/2014 at 03:15am
I really liked Heart of the Swarm as well. One thing I forgot to mention was that it reminded me of Spore, how you have to gather essence. I'm not sure who my favorite race is, I'm thinking the Terrans because I like their bunkers and some of their units (like the Battlecruiser and Ghost). Which reminds me of a game called StarCraft: Ghost. I don't think it ever made it to being released. I also look forward to the new expansion. I saw a heading that alerted me to its existence and I researched it while writing one of my last entries (the one where I provided links for more info).
As for Diablo III, I just finished the Starter Edition. Travis was trying to talk to me, but I had some issues with getting my messages to him. It would tell me whatever I typed and is "not a valid chat recipient." He said it was probably while he was switching characters, but it could also because I've been having some local network connection issues since I got the new computer. I think I just need a new main Ethernet cable as I know it has a short in it.
Anyway, I think I chose a Barbarian. I was thinking, "is this game really this easy at the beginning or is my character really that much of a bad ass?" It was easy, though I died once in the beginning. I can now saw I've finally played a version of Diablo. I'm not sure that I'll go out and buy it. It was generally ok, but didn't peak my interest. Maybe I'd like it more if I played more of it or one of the older ones.
Still, this brings me back to a point in my gaming life that I hate, what do I play next? I hardly played Lightning Returns and Dragon Age Origins, perhaps I should get back into those games, but I guess they didn't quite peak my interest either. DoTA 2 was ok as well, but none of these games have really captured me like Minecraft, Terraria, and StarCraft II did. I've got to find something else that's epic and awesome.
Yeah you don't want to use a cable you know has problems.
Also, if it didn't pique your interest, you may consider trying a different character or upping the difficulty a bit.
Azurephile Super Member Post Author
wrote on 04/08/2014 at 10:49pm
It's a very long Ethernet cable, maybe 20 ft., it connects my switch down here in the basement to the wireless router a floor above. I think something told me there was a short in it and where, but it's been so long and I don't remember what told me that, it may have been something I found out with my NIC. My networking issues are kind of random and last for a few minutes. I haven't thoroughly investigated or troubleshot the issue. Perhaps it's the additional network traffic of having an extra computer running on that cable as well. I don't think it's the wireless router or DSL I'm connected to as it seems to only cause an issue on the two computers here in my room (which are connected to the switch along with the PS3 and Wii).
I'm glad you, Travis, read this post as I was wishing I could "tag" you in it since I mentioned you and wanted you to see what I had said about D3. I was going to send you a message on here to check it, but luckily you already did. As for the game, it did look great and it did function very well. Upping the difficulty a bit would just make things worse. LOL I enjoy being a bad ass character and defeating my enemies without too much trouble. Basically, I like over kill. Hahahaha.
Jon did tell me a while ago (before the expansion's release) that the game was only $20. That's cheap and it wasn't a horrible experience, or bad even really, so I could easily pick it up. Actually, I could just upgrade my Starter Edition and do it digitally. Usually I like to get a hard copy of the game, but there are other factors to think about. Now that I'm running on 3TB, I have plenty of room for digital games and that option would be cool because it'd mean I wouldn't have to drive to GameStop. One more plus about digital copies is that I don't know where my Heart of the Swarm disc is. Luckily, to get HoS working, I just had to download some data and insert the disc key, so I don't need it for a while. It'll show up eventually, I'm sure.
The game isn't hard at the start. If you want more of a challenge try a different difficulty mode. Diablo has some REALLY challenging modes now and if you want to ramp it up right away, setting it on higher will do it. If that is still too easy, go one more until you find the right balance.
And yeah, with digital games I don't "lose them." That said, some games I have in Steam get effectively lost right? Because I have so many games I can't really play them all.
I have tons of games with replay value to Greg. In fact, if I stopped buying games i'd be set for years.
Still want to replay Starcraft 2 Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm. I recently started a new character in Diablo III and hit acts I - IV again, which was rad. I come back to Link's Awaking every few years and love it. I've been itching to play Earthbound and Final Fantasy VII again.
I also will prob play PixelJunk Monsters, FTL & Terraria until I am in the grave as well :D
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Seriously, cataloged in this YouTube video is every Super Nintendo game start sequence in alphabetical order. If there is no English translation of a game, they use the Japanese version. The video is only 9 hours and three minutes so start watching now!
Seriously, cataloged in this YouTube video is every Super Nintendo game start sequence in alphabetical order. If there is no English translation of a game, they use the Japanese version. The video is only 9 hours and three minutes so start watching now!
I watched this for about 5 mins, and jumped around for another 5 mins or so. Even with all the games I've never heard of, there is something inherently charming to me about Super Nintendo game sounds. I love the midi soundtracks and the occasional recorded voiceover.
So much random stuff here lol. WINTER GOLD! The MOST intense winter games game you'll ever see! Plus! Dancing Women! http://youtu.be/w9V-A_26s0M?t=8h37m52s
jdodson Admin Post Author
wrote on 04/08/2014 at 01:08am
That one might take the cake for the worst SNES intro i've ever seen.
Kero Blaster is Studio Pixel's latest game that will launch May 11th on PC and iOS. Studio Pixel was the company behind Cave Story and it seems Kero Blaster falls in the same genre. I like the NES aesthetic of Studio Pixel games and appreciate how the main character of Kero Blaster is a frog with a gun.
Kero Blaster is releasing on PC on the Indie Game site http://www.playism-games.com/ It's an interesting service I hadn't heard of that is similar to GOG.com or the Humble Store.
Kero Blaster is Studio Pixel's latest game that will launch May 11th on PC and iOS. Studio Pixel was the company behind Cave Story and it seems Kero Blaster falls in the same genre. I like the NES aesthetic of Studio Pixel games and appreciate how the main character of Kero Blaster is a frog with a gun.
Kero Blaster is releasing on PC on the Indie Game site http://www.playism-games.com/ It's an interesting service I hadn't heard of that is similar to GOG.com or the Humble Store.
When Diablo III first launched I was hooked. I enjoyed running through Sanctuary with SnuggyBunny, my Witch Doctor, collecting loot and murdering evil. That said, after I killed Diablo a few times I started having less and less fun. The loot started to suck, I didn't enjoy having to relive the story over and over and the game wasn't that challenging. My interest died off but I would occasionally come back to SnuggyBunny to dispatch evil.
When the loot 2.0 patch hit what little I played I loved. Diablo III was fun again and I was getting some really amazing gear. Many of my friends came back to the game and we were enjoying playing it together. A bit after loot 2.0 hit... Read All
When Diablo III first launched I was hooked. I enjoyed running through Sanctuary with SnuggyBunny, my Witch Doctor, collecting loot and murdering evil. That said, after I killed Diablo a few times I started having less and less fun. The loot started to suck, I didn't enjoy having to relive the story over and over and the game wasn't that challenging. My interest died off but I would occasionally come back to SnuggyBunny to dispatch evil.
When the loot 2.0 patch hit what little I played I loved. Diablo III was fun again and I was getting some really amazing gear. Many of my friends came back to the game and we were enjoying playing it together. A bit after loot 2.0 hit I decided to stop playing until Reaper of Souls was released so I could bottle up the excitement I had for the game. I am happy I did that because...
Reaper of Souls is an great expansion to Diablo III.
The Tale of Westmarch
Reaper of Souls starts off with Malthael the angel of death stealing the soulstone from Tyrael. Ultimately you are sourced with retrieving it and halting Malthael and his plot. (I am being vague here to avoid spoilers) I really enjoyed the addition of Act V and felt they really upped the ante from the base Diablo III experience. In Act V there are more things to explore, the world they created is deeper and the story isn't as chuckle-worthy.
Act V contains about 8 parts and starts in the battle ravaged town of Westmarch. The level design and art direction really shine and you don't go too long without seeing something totally new to look at. The mini-boss encounters are fun and the final battle with Malthael is much more challenging.
The Music of The Reaper
Some have said the music in Reaper of Souls is better than the music from the base Diablo III experience. I don't agree with that but I will say the music for Reaper of Souls is very different and more immediately memorable. Derek Duke takes the helm to pen a really massive score that reminds me of something from a modern film and less a Diablo game. Not to say the score doesn't seem like it comes from the world of Sanctuary, just that it seems to have evolved much from it's Diablo and Diablo II roots.
Bounties, Rifts and Adventure Mode
One of the strongest elements of Reaper of Souls is Adventure Mode. Adventure Mode allows you to go to whichever Act you fancy to complete Bounties. Bounties are in game goals that upon completion award you experience and rift tokens. Collect enough rift tokens and you can open a rift that is a random dungeon filled with tons of monsters and loot.
I like Adventure Mode because I can head into the game and complete 5 bounties in under an hour. Competing a set of bounties nets you a Horadric Cache which gets you an assortment of rift tokens, gems and loot.
The Crusade Marches On
The first thing I did when Reaper of Souls hit was start a Crusader and head back into Act I.
If you are curious what HammerTime, my current Crusader build is, clicky click.
I need to start focusing on socketing diamonds for all resist to make him less brittle. Currently he can hit pretty hard but doesn't fare too well against dense mobs. The Crusader has many skills that increase his block chance and I need to figure out a good build in that regard. Currently HammerTime feels "too glassy" and I want to change that.
Currently my DPS is high enough and when the Crusader starts throwing around his hammers it's insta-death for most mobs. I have heard that Blizzard is planning on patching the Crusader soon and I look forward to it. Some of the Crusader skills are not great and i'd love to have them changed such that they make sense to use.
The Final Verdict
If you love point and click RPG games, Reaper of Souls is well worth a look. If you are nervous about dropping the coin on Reaper of Souls because your were disappointed with Diablo III then just head back in and check out loot 2.0. The game has been changed considerably from when it initially launched two years ago and I think many of the major problems have been addressed. But really, at the end of the day I recommend it because killing things and looting the remains is just a lot of fun.
I hope he takes us back to the past and makes a movie that doesn't suck ass(sorry I had to)... I like what I am seeing from it more now that I saw before.
What do you think about the AVGN Movie Update? Will you watch this when it drops?
"It's been 2 years since cameras first rolled on Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie. For the occasion, I've decided to give everyone this special inside look on the making of it.
Last December, we finished shooting the practical effects shots. Since then, we've been working on the VFX shots (any effects done during post-production) which are approximately 3/4 finished. The next step is Sound Design and then Music.
I expect the film to be... Read All
I hope he takes us back to the past and makes a movie that doesn't suck ass(sorry I had to)... I like what I am seeing from it more now that I saw before.
What do you think about the AVGN Movie Update? Will you watch this when it drops?
"It's been 2 years since cameras first rolled on Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie. For the occasion, I've decided to give everyone this special inside look on the making of it.
Last December, we finished shooting the practical effects shots. Since then, we've been working on the VFX shots (any effects done during post-production) which are approximately 3/4 finished. The next step is Sound Design and then Music.
I expect the film to be done by the end of this year."
The more I see of this, the more I want it.
I was just about to write some "meh, not my bag...", until I watched this: http://youtu.be/FS2_maInRLk
Now I'm interested.
Also, I'm sorry I'm 5 days late :(. The time, it escapes me.
Going to watch that video now.
WOW. I am more excited that I was. That said, the more I see from the game the more some visuals seriously disturb me.