PC Gaming

Legend of Dungeon Launches for Mac/PC/Linux on Steam Today!

I wrote about the Kickstarter and early development of Legend of Dungeon, noting the title made me roll my eyes – but the trailer made me smile! I called it “a classic, lo-fi dungeon-crawling, rogue-like, real-time, beat-em-up, co-op romp that doesn’t take itself too seriously?” I’ve played some and it is fun, and now it’s available on Steam for $9.99! Here is the basic description: As you journey deep into the dungeon, you will find weapons, items, and long forgotten magic.. ..if you’re lucky, it might help you to fight off the droves of mysterious creatures you will encounter. There…

Gear Bits

GoG.com Kicks Off 5th Birthday Celebration With ‘Pick 5 for 80% Off” Sale!

GoG.com is kicking off their 5th birthday celebration, and as always we get great deals on games! The first sale is ‘Pick 5 Games & Save 80%’. It is pretty simple – choose five games from a great list of 25 games, and you will have then all for around $10. What are you waiting for?!? Head to GoG.com now! Also, they have added System Shock 2 as their one-day ‘Gem Promo’ – so it is $2.49, which is a complete steal for one of the best games in the history of gaming!

Game Diary

Bloodlust Shadowhunter – Demo and Gameplay for New Action-RPG!

Action-RPG games are fairly rare, and ones about vampires are rarer still. Aside from Vampire the Masquerade: Redemption from 2000 and Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines from 2004, there is … not much. Enter Bloodlust: Shadowhunter, which has a new twist as you play a resurrected vampire hunter now a vampire – and must decide to embrace or destroy your destiny! The game hasn’t been released, but there is a playable demo with a tutorial and loads of resources to help you get through alive (or is it undead?). Check out the gameplay trailers below (more on their channel) and then…

Gear Bits

Avadon 2: The Corruption Gets Trailer and Release Window

In early 2011 I reviewed Avadon The Black Fortress, calling the opening of the new franchise a resounding success. Now we are in the final months of waiting for the sequel, as Avadon 2: The corruption is set to release this November with more intrigue, role-playing, plot twists and strategic combat the fueled the original. Here is the trailer!

Gear Bits

GoG.com Offers Amazing One-Day Wizardry 6-8 ‘Gem Promo’ Sale!

Every week GoG.com offers a ‘Gem Promo’. This week they feature the Dark Savant Trilogy – Wizardry 6+7 and Wizardry 8, an RPG epic from the golden age of PC dungeon crawling for 60% off. Pay $2.39 for one, and $3.99 for the other if you get both, or get one for 50% discount. Promo is for 8/26 only.

Game Diary, News & Features

EA Offers ‘Great Game Guarantee’ Refund System on Origin

Imagine you bought the recent Realms of Arkania game, and within an hour you were horrified at the bugginess. Steam and GoG.com are good about refunds in these cases – but what if it was an acclaimed game like Skyrim, and you just couldn’t connect? Tougher sell for a refund – so now EA’s Origin has a ‘Great Game Guarantee’. The ‘Great Game Guarantee’ is fairly simple in theory: you can return EA full game downloads (PC or Mac) purchased on Origin for a full refund–within 24 hours after you first launch the game, within seven days from when you…

Gear Bits

Trailer for Hotly Anticipates Indie RPG ‘Eschalon Book III’ Arrives!

Back in 2007 I called Eschalon Book 1 the ‘Indie Game of the Year’. In 2010, Book II arrived and was even better, so the final chapter is hotly anticipated by RPG fans – and the trailer has arrived. Enjoy the video, knowing the game will launch in time for the holidays.

News & Features

Plantronics Gaming Throws Down with Their New RIG Headset

Plantronics has a message to gamers: “If you’re into your games AND your mobile devices, we’ve got the headset for you!” The RIG headset and mixer audio system let you play interactive video games, take calls, and listen to music from your smartphone or tablet. It’s the first member of the RIG family of gaming devices, and it is coming this fall for $129.

Gear Bits

The Bureau XCOM Declassified

The XCOM universe expanded to include one of 2012’s best PC games and one of 2013’s best iPad games. This week it expands further with a cold war look at a secret agency in The Bureau: XCOM Declassified. The image shows it’s loaded up in Steam waiting for me to get started playing – look for my review next week! For now, check out the launch trailer! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8s6yQylyBWs

Crowdfunding, Game Diary, News & Features

Larian Studios Releases Launch Trailer for Dragon Commander

Once again, I have cool news about Larian Studios, the creators of one of my all-time favorite games — Divine Divinity. In early April I talked about the Divinity: Original Sin Kickstarter, and a couple of weeks later noted the addition of a tier that also gave you a digital copy of Larian’s RTS (real-time strategy) game Divinity Dragon Commander. Well, today is the release date for Divinity Dragon Commander, and Larian Studios has published a launch trailer. Rather than some bland cinematic, this trailer actually shows you the purpose of different elements of the game, how you play and…

Editorials, Game Diary, Reviews

Hands-On with the Realms of Arkania Remake – Just Say ‘Nein’!

Every now and then a game comes along that is so special that you just have to pre-order it, to offer up money to make sure it happens … and then when it arrives it is such a bug-filled and unfinished mess that it is hard to even contemplate how someone ‘released’ it. Such is the case with Realms of Arkania – not the original game, which is an absolute classic released by Sir-Tech in 1993 (translated from German). I am talking about the just-released remake. Here is the description: A legend reborn as Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny…

Game Diary, News & Features

EA Games New Cash Cow? The iTunes App Store!

Electronic Arts (EA) launched the Origin content delivery service called Origin in 2011 to combat Steam in the exploding digital game delivery market. The big concern apparently wasn’t about games themselves as much as the highly profitable in-game DLC purchases. EA could deal with paying a chunk to market the main game – after all they’d been doing that with GameStop for ages. What they wouldn’t do was sacrifice any of the DLC profits – and that has proven to be a very strategic decision, only not related to Origin. In the most recent earnings call, Electronic Arts announced that…

Crowdfunding, Game Diary

Open World Fantasy RPG Balrum Launches Kickstarter Campaign!

I love the classic game Ultima VII, and it has inspired dozens of games since it was released in 1992. The most recent example is the Eschalon series from Basilisk games – another excellent set of games! Now I am reminded of the greatest Ultima game as I watch the Kickstarter video for Balrum. Project Title: Balrum Status: Active Closing Date for Funding: Thursday Aug 15, 3:32pm EDT. URL of the Project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/balconyteam/balrum From the developer: Here are some key features: An open world fantasy RPG with building, farming and crafting. For PC, Mac and Linux. The game is a…

Crowdfunding, Game Diary

Black Forest Games is Back with their Project Ravensdale Kickstarter

We are now getting to the point where we know we can trust developers we are seeing on Kickstarter – because they have delivered already! One such developer is Black Forest Games, who last year had a successful project with the multi-platform hit Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams. They have just launched a new Kickstarter project – Project Ravensdale, a side-scrolling platform shooter that looks simply amazing! Project Title: Project Ravensdale Status: Active Closing Date for Funding: Friday Aug 16, 7:59pm EDT. URL of the Project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/project-giana/project-ravensdale From the developer: Here are some key features: Ravensdale is based on classic arcade…

Game Diary, Reviews

Green Jelly Brings Gelatinous Gaming Goodness to the Mac!

When Green Jelly was released for the iPad and iPhone last December I enjoyed the physics-based game, and now it is available on the Mac! How does a very finger-friendly game translate? Let’s take a look! Type of app: Physics/Puzzle game Platform/where to buy: Mac; available in the Mac App Store Developer: MaxNick / G5 Entertainment Description: Green Jelly features include: ? 60 Levels in three locations: Cake, Chocolate and Waffles ? Over 10 types of objects for physics-based interaction ? 20 Funny achievements to share with friends ? Cute graphics and amusing sounds ? Updates with new levels to…

Game Diary

Massively Multiplayer RPG Murim Wars Shutting Down July 1st!

Last December I wrote about the promising online RPG Murim Wars, an innovative game that sought to push boundaries by bringing the online gaming experience across PC, iOS and Android. After it launched I played a bit, but the game was really not in a style that captured my interest. This must have been true for many others as well. The game is getting shut down on July 1st and the process has already begun- when I went to install the game it showed up as ‘not available in your country’ already! Here is what the notice says: With a…

Game Diary

Summer 2013 Console/Computer Game Guide

The kids are out of school and summer time is in full swing. Look for these great console and computer game offerings when you need a break from the heat. You can keep that summer feeling on your down time with The Sims 3 Island Paradise on PC/Mac (also in limited edition with extra content). Construct and manage a five-star resort hotel; explore the endless ocean, and/or build and sail your own houseboat in this extensive expansion pack (requires The Sims 3). Other PC releases include Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded (PC/Mac) and Machines at War 3 (PC/Mac), the sequel to…

Game Diary, Reviews

Red Crow Mysteries Legion Brings Another Great Hidden Object Mystery to the Mac

When I reviewed Red Crow Mysteries: Legion for the iPad, I was thrilled to check it out because I had enjoyed the games I had played by developer Cateia Games, including Where Angels Cry and Fate of the Pharoah. Each of these had compelling gameplay and interesting stories, so I assumed that would carry over to Red Crow Mysteries: Legion – and I was right! Let’s see how the port to the Mac went!

Editorials, Game Diary

Microsoft Was Right with Their DRM and Online Approach

I just wrote about how Microsoft has done an about-face on much of the online-requirements and DRM associated with the upcoming Xbox One. The timing of their announcement was ironic, as I was about to write a post saying that in reality Microsoft was absolutely right in what they were doing with DRM, and that everyone is just getting wrapped up in ‘internet outrage’ that would pass, and they would buy the Xbox One come holiday time. Wait … WHAT?!?

Editorials, Game Diary

Microsoft Does a 180 on Xbox One DRM, but At What Cost?

There are two elements to every pitch – the idea and the delivery. There is also the context of the surrounding world at the time of the pitch, the mind frame of those receiving the pitch, and the competitiveness of the landscape. That said, there is fairly widespread agreement that Microsoft got everything wrong with the initial introduction and E3 pitch for its upcoming Xbox One console. It was so bad that Sony ‘won’ simply by not being Microsoft, and Nintendo got loads of attention by declaring ‘we’re all about games’ – something that ended up sounding all but revolutionary…

Game Diary, News & Features

Apparently the Future of Consoles IS PC Gaming?!?

Everyone who has followed the E3 game conference for more than a year knows the basics – new hardware is introduced, and hot new awesome looking games are trotted out just to demonstrate how hot and awesome everything will be once it all ships. In years past some of this was done by way of screenshots and trailers … but those became known as ‘bullshots’, because it became immediately clear that none of it was actually real game screens or footage. More recently the bullshots moved to E3 product demos, in which product managers showing off games would take their…

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