F.E.A.R. my Bone
F.E.A.R. Combat: It’s free, it’s fun, and we’re playing the hell out of it. But this week isn’t all about tactical shooting, it’s also about adventure! We bring you a look at Bone: Out from Boneville, the first in the Bone adventure game series from Telltale Games. Microsoft and Sony trade volleys of B.S. press releases in the news and we’ve got enough new releases to feed a small nation. Grab it.
This is your game on drugs. Any questions?
My must play title is called “Tranquility” and it’s a web based game that I could only describe as a “Puzzle Platformer”. This game will soothe you, make you seasick, and teach you how to pleasure a woman with your mouse all in one session.
You know what they say: Better late than never. Devil’s Advocate has a look inside SiN Episodes: Emergence and Ruckus finds a good budget title in UFO Aftershock. This week we’ve got on-location news reports and ripe (but not smelly) new releases. Have at it.
Come closer, you’re almost in obelisk range.
Oh me, oh my. Look what came to us over the wire today. Joe Kucan is returning to fill the role of Kane in Command & Conquer 3. I cannot express how pleased I am that C&C is getting back to its roots with the struggle between the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the Brotherhood of Nod. Alas, we must wait until 2007 for the return of the king.
Levelling up is frequently accompanied by electrocution
It has been a long while since I satisfaction at the completion of a video game such as that at the end of Guitar Hero. My very very recent conquest (10 minutes prior to starting this post, actually) was not a decisive one by any stretch. I fought hard for this victory and I plan to savor it for the remainder of the evening over a glass of expensive scotch. Let me show you my favorite screenshot of the month:
Go forth and rock the shit out of the planet.
And as if being congratulated by the beast itself was not enough, I was rewarded even further:
Equally useful for rock and for fighting off zombies
We haven’t talked much about Guitar Hero on EMB, so let me give you the summary since my hands are too tired to type a full-blown review. In Guitar Hero, Harmonix has created one of the most polished, most accessible, and most entertaining games I have ever laid my hands upon. Their goal to put the feeling of musical accomplishment in the hands of musicians and non-musicians alike has been reached and with serious style. The first time AJ picked up the guitar controller, he was ready to suck. But after a few bars of “I Love Rock & Roll”, he was in the zone.
Part of Harmonix’ development process on Guitar Hero was to constantly always ask of its artists, designers, musicians, and programmers, “Does it rock?” It does. My hat is off to the good people at Harmonix and to the folks at Red Octane for creating a guitar controller worthy of the accompanying game.
When it comes to video games I have to admit that it’s the little things that amuse me. I love a good story and eye candy as much as the next guy, but if there’s a humorous device in a game it’ll keep me entertained for hours. When I spend hours playing with a gun that turns my enemies into sheep or with a talking skull that tells knock-knock jokes, I like to think that it’s my brain taking a break from all the meaningful and ponderous manners that I normally spend my days on.
The new demo of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic has just such a device. They’ve devised a way in which the venerable “kick” can play a significant role in combat. I’m not talking about a high falutin’ kick of the “No Shadow” variety, I’m talking about rearing back and delivering a boot to the chest that an FBI agent might use to open a locked door. Kicking your foes around can be patently amusing as the dungeons in DMoMM - if I may use such a contraction - are, like my childhood home, sprinkled liberally with spiky walls:
Stick around!
Perhaps even better than the spiky walls are the high cliffs, which sentries are prone to standing next to:
Nice view, huh?
Why don’t you take a closer look?
I’m pretty sure that the physics are a little off in this particular action as I am positive that kicking a grown man wearing armor will not in real life send him flying through the air like a tire hunting for Mary, but goddamn it’s fun. It’s a 1.7 gig download for a fifteen minute demo, but man, the kicking is completely worth it.
Would you like to burn some?
Attention gullible gamers! For the price of a FilePlanet subscription, you can become one of the chosen (read: paying goons) to beta test Battlefield 2142. The role of beta tester, one that has forever been voluntary and sometimes even paid, has been identified as a money making opportunity. To think that some people are going to pay to beta test and then pay again to play the full game… I hope this tactic isn’t truly representative of the average video gamer mentality.
Zombies or Death? Or would you like a combo?
This week we’ve got a PSA for those of you with zombie problems and Brixtone gives a must-play update with a look at Grim Fandango. The news is sliced thin, just the way you like it and the new releases are light on the mayo. Give it a taste.
This week’s music:
The Shanghai Restoration Project
Undercover Culture Music