Play More Games: Week of 5/27/2012
Each week in Play More Games, members of the VGH team will chime in on the new video game releases that have piqued their interest.
Matt Kernan (@mkernan): I’m reluctant to proclaim that the PlayStation Vita’s dry spell is over, but the handsome handheld is receiving a much needed boost in the form of both a high-profile retail title and a lower-profile downloadable PSN game this Tuesday. Pure Chess probably won’t launch to much fanfare, but I’m interested to try out its asynchronous multiplayer mode. That functionality in VooFoo Studio’s other game, Hustle Kings, has been a mainstay of my Vita experience. Unlike Hustle Kings, buying the Vita version won’t give you free access to the PS3 version, unfortunately.
If chess isn’t your thing, Resistance: Burning Skies becomes the platform’s first first-person shooter, making full use of the system’s dual analog sticks and utilizing a bit of touchscreen trickery to make up for the handful of missing buttons that its big-boy brethren typically have access to. An all-new story featuring a NY firefighter and an 8-player online multiplayer mode round out the package. As a Vita owner and fan of the series, my interest is definitely piqued. Reviews won’t hit until the day of the game’s release, so how good the game is remains to be seen, but I’m cautiously optimistic.
Though not a full release, the demo for the upcoming open world superhero-ish game Gravity Rush rounds out the list of releases that make this Tuesday a pretty big deal for new release-starved Vita owners.
Those of you looking for an inexpensive racing fix filled with stunts and big jumps should take a look at Mad Riders when it hits PSN this Tuesday, as well as XBLA and PC on Wednesday. If you notice that it bears more than a passing resemblance to 2010′s ATV racer Nail’d, that’s because they both originate from popular Polish developer Techland. You know, the Dead Island and Call of Juarez folks. Taking the $10 downloadable route this time around is probably a good idea, considering the lukewarm reception that Nail’d received. I’m not even that big on racing games, but I’m considering picking it up simply because this launch trailer is so hilarious.
Randy Dickinson (@randy_wrecked): I think Matt and I are perfectly in sync this week. I actually don’t know how to play chess but I’m hoping that VooFoo Studios’ Pure Chess will inspire me to learn. I really admire their hardcore approach to casual games and I eagerly anticipate their inevitable take on lawn darts and Chinese checkers.
My most anticipated game this week is a little off the beaten path: Friday will see the release of Home, a pixelated horror/murder-mystery from indie developer Benjamin Rivers. You can pre-order it directly from Benjamin at the link above for only $2. Details on the game have been scarce thusfar but the trailer certainly intrigues and the price can’t be beat. Be sure to listen to the podcast in the coming weeks for my review of the game.
What are you looking forward to playing this week?
Due out this week:
Atelier Mercury (PS3)
Batman Arkham City: Harley Quinn’s Revenge (PSN, XBLA)
Dirt Showdown (PS3, 360)
Gravity Rush (Demo) (Vita)
Home (PC)
Mad Riders (PSN, XBLA)
Max Payne 3 (PC)
99 Seconds (DSiWare)
Pure Chess (PSN, Vita)
Rayman Arena (PSN)
Resistance: Burning Skies (Vita)
SEGA Classics: Golden Axe (XBLA)
SEGA Classics: Streets of Rage (XBLA)
If you buy your games from Amazon you can help support Video Game Hangover at the same time.
VGH #55: Pleasantly Supplied
As anyone who survived Blizzard’s Great Diablo Debacle last week can attest, always-on DRM in single-player games can be a giant pain in the ass. On this week’s show, we’re talking about how some devs are willing to sacrifice player experience in the interest of protecting their products and making a few bucks.
We’ve also got your Viewer Mail, talk of Max Payne 3 and Indie Game: The Movie, and more!
Play More Games: Week of 5/20/2012
What new games are out this week? The VGH crew weighs in on their top choices:
Matt Kernan (@mkernan): Anticipation for Sorcery has been pretty high, ever since the PlayStation Move title was first unveiled way back in June 2010 during Sony’s E3 press conference. After some extra time under development, it’s finally hitting store shelves this week. I played through it for review and came away pleasantly surprised.
Randy Dickinson (@randy_wrecked): Anyone who’s listened to an episode of our podcast in the past year knows that I have something of a love/hate relationship with the Nintendo 3DS. While intriguing games have been few and far between for the device, I do find myself strangely drawn to Mario Tennis Open. I don’t like sports games and I’ve never held a tennis racket in real life so I’m not entirely certain why I’m looking forward to it. Maybe it’s the promise of online multiplayer which, like in Mario Kart 7 before it, will allow me to eke out narrow victories over vicious 14-year-old Japanese school girls? Don’t judge me. I take my wins where I can get them.
I’m also hoping that the arrival of the PS2′s Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain on PSN is part of a campaign to reacquaint the gaming public with Gabe Logan and the excellent Syphon Filter series…leading to the announcement of a current-gen Syphon Filter title at E3 this year. Please please please.
D.J. Ross (@metaly): I’ve got mixed feelings about Dragon’s Dogma. Although I gave it a couple tries, the demo didn’t do anything at all to hook me (aside from having a robust character customization system that let me create a sidekick who looked vaguely like David Bowie). However, I’ve seen a lot of positive reviews saying the game becomes much deeper and involving as it goes on. I’m intrigued—definitely not enough to pick it up right away, but I’ll be keeping my eye on it for sure.
What will you be playing this week?
New releases due out this week:
Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (PC)
Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (PSN)
Dragon’s Dogma (PS3, 360)
Joy Ride Turbo (XBLA)
Mario Tennis Open (3DS)
Men in Black: Alien Crisis (360, PS3, Wii)
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (PSN)
Sorcery (PS3)
Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain (PSN)
Table Top Tanks (PSV)
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (360, PS3)
If you buy your games at Amazon you can help support Video Game Hangover.
VGH #54: The Incident
The folks at Treyarch are feverishly assembling the next Call of Duty game and promising several changes aimed at roping in new players. Will it be enough to get us on board?
In the Hangover this week: we’ve all spent some time with Starhawk but Paul can’t seem to put down Radiant Historia long enough to talk about it. Also, Randy learns a valuable lesson in “save early and save often”.
Lastly: want a free copy of Minecraft for your Xbox 360? Listen to this week’s show for instructions to get extra entries in our contest!
Play More Games: Week of 5/13/2012
Due out this week:
Max Payne 3 (PS3, 360)
Game of Thrones (PC, 360, PS3)
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (PC)
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (PSN, XBLA, PC, AND)
PixelJunk 4am (PSN)
Red Faction 2 (PSN))
If you buy your games at Amazon you can help support Video Game Hangover.
D.J. Ross (@metaly): I’m pretty sure I’ll be getting Diablo III this week, although it dawned on me a couple days ago that I didn’t even know which character classes the game would have. It says a lot about Blizzard’s track record where I can be set on playing a game having spent a bare minimum of time following it. I do have fond memories of playing a ton of Diablo II waaayyy back in the day—pretty sure I’d slog through a dungeon and a few hundred skeletons on my paladin after coming home from my summer internship in high school. As long as Blizzard can once again deliver that same dungeon-crawling, frantically clicking action RPG experience, I’ll be satisfied.
(Note: I decided to educate myself on the character classes and in the process learned that the demon hunter can wield dual pistols, so pretty sure I’m going to go with that. Also, guns in Diablo? Sure, why not?)
Randy Dickinson (@randy_wrecked): It’s been 9 years since the last Max Payne game but I still have fond memories of trying to exploit the series’ signature bullet-time and shootdodging mechanics to execute the most elaborate kill sequences I could imagine. Jump backwards down a flight of stairs in slow motion while unloading my 9mm into the heads of would-be attackers? In Max Payne, I could do that. It was like someone pulled all of the choreographed insanity from a John Woo movie and dropped it in to a character-heavy tale misery, mystery and revenge. It was exactly what I wanted out of a video game in 2003 and, in this post-Uncharted world, it’s the primary reason I still find gaming compelling today. For these reasons alone (and perhaps for the promise of getting to use bullet-time in the new multiplayer mode), I’ll be picking up Max Payne 3 this week.
What will you be playing this week?
VGH #53: Führer Furor
Villainy! Treachery! Deceit!
With Mother’s Day right around the corner, we’re dedicating this week’s show to the video game characters that only a mother could love. What makes a great gaming villain? Who are our favorites? Tune in to find out.
We also take some time to talk about Catherine, Sniper Elite V2, Awesomenauts, the $99 Xbox and more.
VGH #52: Squirrel Punching
Inspired by the imminent release of The Avengers movie, we’re setting our sights this week on the best and worst superhero-themed video games. We’ve also got talk of The Walking Dead, Kid Icarus, Modern Warfare 3, and the sexual proclivities of Batman.
VGH #51: You’re Really Just Playing Pong
We can’t believe that we’ve made 51 episodes already!
On this week’s show, we discuss a whole slew of other gaming-related things that we simply can’t believe: Call of Duty‘s success, the Wii’s dominance, Mass Effect‘s overlooked accomplishment and the possibility of a single-console gaming future.
In the Hangover segment, we explore our love/hate relationships with Disgaea, Radiant Historia, Kinect, Witcher, and Bit.Trip Saga.
Finally, we wrap up with a Last Call that somehow references Kid Icarus, Megan Fox, and collectable fine art pieces.
VGH #50: The Enhanced Edition
Our 50th episode! How freakin’ crazy is that?
Can a game be good without a strong narrative? Inspired by the effusive reviews that The Witcher 2 has been receiving, we’re dedicating this week’s discussion to the importance of story in video games.
In the Hangover, we’ve been playing Fez, Bit.Trip Saga, Driver: San Francisco, and more.
We wrap up the show with Last Call and talk of Record Store Day, the day before Record Store Day, and advice for indie game developers on how to graciously accept praise for their creations.
Be sure to get your voice heard on our monumental 51st episode! Leave us a message at http://audioboo.fm/vghangover or just call us at 682-999-VGH1. What’s your most memorable video game hangover? What should we talk about on the show? Give us a call and chime in.
VGH #49: Slinging the Purple Fire
Grappling hooks for everyone! On this week’s show, we’re talking about our favorite (and regrettably underutilized) gameplay mechanics. Red Faction, Crackdown, Super Mario Galaxy, Just Cause, Mother 3, and more are mentioned during our conversation.
In the Hangover this week, we’re revisiting Bioshock, playing with our balls in Hustle Kings, and trying to learn all of the moves in Skullgirls.
We’ve also got talk of poop, divorce, bad-assery, QTE’s and fighting games. You’ve been warned.
VGH #48: Fighting for Love and Whatever
It’s a Hangover takeover! Rather than squeezing this week’s gaming talk into the first segment of the show, we’ve decided to dedicate the entire episode to Kid Icarus: Uprising, Xenoblade Chronicles, and the recent Battlefield 3 updates. Game on!
VGH #47: Vegetable-Based Objectives
Oh, Mass Effect 3…where did it all go wrong? Inspired by Bioware’s recent debacle, we’re seizing the opportunity this week to discuss video game endings: the ones that got it right and the ones that missed the mark. Also: Mulchers, hand cramps, vagina monsters, generic white men, and the importance of carrying enough arrows.
In the Hangover: Paul is having fun losing with Dark Souls, D.J. addresses some concerns with the Starhawk beta, and Randy la-la-la-la-loves Gears of War 3.
For our Last Call this week, we shine a light on our killer new theme music from Shane Reaction: Zombieland.
The end is nigh!
Warning: Episode contains spoilers for Super Mario Bros. 2.
VGH #46: An Enormous Scarf
Our love for thatgamecompany’s Journey can not be contained…nor could our discussion of the game be confined to just one episode. On this week’s show, we engage in some nothing-held-back talk about our experiences with the game and what, if anything, it all means.**
VGH #45: Zoo Hunter
Every gamer has a story about the one that got away. Red Dead, GTA, Fable, Dead Space…
On this week’s show, we’re talking about the games that we’ve played but somehow never finished. Sometimes life gets in the way, sometimes we have to force ourselves to finish a game that just isn’t fun…and sometimes Randy just can’t get past a certain boss battle and won’t stop talking about it.
In the Hangover: Matt buys a Vita, D.J. prepares himself for Mass Effect 3 by getting his Shepard in order, and Randy gets closer to God with El Shaddai: The Ascension of the Metatron. D.J. also got his hands on the yet-to-be-released fighting game Skullgirls, and Randy and Matt keep their Journey talk 100% spoiler-free.
In Last Call: Quantic Dream follows up on Heavy Rain with something very moving, Stromkern emerges from hiding with some killer new music, and EA’s Origin service seems to be getting its act together.
Lastly, we pay tribute to some of our favorite fake radio ads from the Grand Theft Auto series in this week’s Video Game Community Theatre segments.
The Video Game Hangover podcast: it moistens your mouth and it’s mildly offensive to French people.
Mais non! Pas du tous!
VGH #44: Too Many Ninjas Everywhere
Opinions? We has them.
On this week’s show, we chime in on the big Mass Effect 3 DLC debacle, the rampant rumors about Valve’s “Steam Box” home console, and the recently leaked (then quickly confirmed) Assassin’s Creed III.
In the Hangover: Randy wraps up both inFAMOUS 2 and Syndicate, Paul gets a fancy-pants smartphone and finally plays Game Dev Story, and D.J. does NOT, in fact, revisit Mass Effect 2.
In Last Call: a classic fighting game gets inexplicably turned in to a board game and Slate.com wonders if Dark Souls would have been better if it were only 5 hours long.
Too many ninjas? Is there really even such a thing?
VGH #43: The Internet Was Upset
Would Uncharted be just as fun as a kart racer? New series reboots of Syndicate, XCOM and Kid Icarus bear little (if any) resemblance to the classic games that they’re based on. Naturally, purists and fanboys around the ‘net have mixed feelings on the matter. On this week’s show, we offer up our 2 cents and talk about how important genre classification is to our favorite games.
In the Hangover: Randy declares which game stands out as his favorite in the huge PS Vita launch line-up, Paul plays a game that isn’t really a game, and D.J.’s love affair with SoulCalibur V continues unchecked.
In Last Call: delicious baked goods, classic sitcoms reconsidered, and amusing (but ultimately heartwarming) nonsense from Twitter.
Somewhere in all of this, Phoenix Wright makes his first appearance in our Video Game Community Theatre segment. We hope you don’t object.
VGH #42: Comedic Levels of Violence
It’s been a big week in gaming and this episode of the Video Game Hangover podcast is super-sized to match!
We kick off the show this week with some in-depth analysis of the new single-player and (gasp!) multiplayer demos for Bioware’s upcoming Mass Effect 3. We also dig in to some other recent plays including Shank 2, Rhythm Heaven, and Double Fine’s Happy Action Theater. Boredom also gives Randy the excuse he needed to reconsider Red Faction: Armageddon and…guess what? It’s actually pretty fun!
The heart of this week’s show is our conversation about Sony’s brand-spankin’ new handheld, the PlayStation Vita. Can a dedicated gaming system compete in a world of Androids and iPhones? We don’t care…we just want to play awesome games! Tune in for our impressions of this insanely sexy new piece of hardware along with new Vita games like Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Little Deviants, Escape Plan, Gravity Rush and more.
We may be super-sized but that just means there’s more to love.
VGH #41: Quad-Wielding™
The new PlayStation Vita is grabbing headlines this week but we’re not quite done with the PSP. On this week’s show, we celebrate the life, love and times of Sony’s last-gen portable by remembering the system’s best games.
Also: The winter gaming drought is finally over as the VGH team chimes in on three big recent releases. Randy really likes The Darkness II, Paul is lukewarm on Kingdoms of Amalur, and D.J. takes a second shot at Soulcalibur V.
Finally, we seriously stretch our acting chops with a scene from the first Dragon Quest game. Thespians!
VGH #40: Big Bombs
Epic fail! Despite the best intentions, not every video game release is a hit. On this week’s show, we’re talking about some of our favorite gaming flops. We also chime in on the Syndicate co-op demo, Soulcalibur V, Osmos HD, and the Art of Video Games.
VGH #39: Tasteless Comedies for Lonely People
On this week’s show, we discuss the finer points of the current generation of consoles! Also: the glorious return of Video Game Community Theatre! There’s a gun inside.
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