Stefano’s E3 2014 Report Part 1: The Witcher 3

Hey, everybody!

I just got back from my first day at E3, and I had a great time! I saw a lot, played a lot, and wore down the soles on my shoes! I can’t say that this is a comprehensive E3 2014 report, as I focused on the stuff that interests me. Below is Part 1 of my summary of the stuff I saw. I’ll be uploading my photo gallery as well a little later. So, read on to find out what I thought of E3 2014!

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Review

by Stefano Terry

Genre: FPS/Action/RPG

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Developer: Eidos Montreal/Nixxes Software

Price: $29.99

I remember the first time I played Deus Ex back in 2000 on my best friend’s PC. At the time, the graphics were amazing, and the combination of first person shooter and RPG was addicting, and pretty new to me. The futuristic, cyberpunk setting and complex, conspiracy laden story had me hooked from beginning to multiple endings.

I passed up on the sequel: Deus Ex: Invisible War, mostly because I heard it just wasn’t that good, and failed to live up to the expectations set by the groundbreaking original.

When I heard that a new Deus Ex was releasing, 8 years after the sequel, and a whopping 11 years after the original, I was skeptical. When I heard that it was a prequel, set before the events of the first game, I was downright convinced that Deus Ex: Human Revolution, would be nothing more than a mediocre cash in on a series that could have been so much more. I was so, so wrong.

Alice: Madness Returns Review

by Stefano Terry

Genre: Action/Adventure

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Developer: Spicy Horse

Price: $29.99 (USD)

I never played American McGee’s original Alice, but I found myself drawn to the sequel due to it’s intriguing concept and atmospheric art design. I didn’t know much about the title beyond it being a dark tale inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Ironically, Alice in Wonderland isn’t exactly one of my favorite stories to begin with. It never quite grabbed me like other fairy tales.

With that said, I dove into Alice: Madness Returns with pretty moderate expectations. I often find that going into new things with moderate expectations helps to avoid the disappointment that often comes with hype. Although, by the time I had got my hands on Returns, I had heard many negative things about the game. I shrugged them off, preferring to make up my own mind when it comes to what I should and shouldn’t enjoy (and then write a review for others to read, of course!)

Terraria Review

by Stefano Terry

Genre: Sandbox Building RPG
Platform: Windows
Developer: Andrew “Redigit” Spinks
Price: $9.99 (USD) Available through Steam

I’m sure many of you have heard of a little game called Minecraft, developed by indie developer Markus Notch. For those that have not, I’ll describe it’s basic gameplay briefly, as Terraria shares similar game play elements. Minecraft is a 3D “sandbox building game,” which is emerging as a new genre in the industry.

The core mechanics are simple: you are presented with a randomly generated world, and are free to explore it to your hearts content, mining for resources such as wood, iron, dirt, and more, and then using those resources to, well, “craft” things.

Hence, “Minecraft.” You mine and craft. Simple enough, and yet it doesn’t seem terribly compelling as a game play mechanic. Needless to say, Minecraft has proven to be addicting to thousands of gamers, and has made Markus Notch a lot of money.

Mass Effect 2 Alternate Appearance DLC Landing on PC and Xbox 360.

Bioware has announced that they will be releasing a downloadable content pack for their epic Sci Fi adventure Mass Effect 2.

The content will be additional costumes for Garrus, Jack, and Thane. The pack will launch on March 23rd for the Xbox 360 and PC, and cost $2.

Assassin’s Creed 2 Review

by Figboy

Genre: Sandbox Action/Adventure

Platform: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Price: $59.99 (USD)

Despite the original Assassin’s Creed’s highly intriguing premise and impressively realized cities, the game play suffered from extreme repetition and blandness. Even so, I found it to be, overall, a compelling, interesting game. The ending left me a bit irked at it’s abrupt nature, and blatant attempt at shilling a sequel. Still, I figured it was just laying the groundwork for an even more impressive sequel.

And I was right.

Right off of the bat, Assassin’s Creed 2 establishes a more compelling world and characters. Players once again step into the shoes, or should I say, genetic memory, of Desmond Miles, who has been spirited away by fellow assassin Lucy Stillman, in order to be hooked up to the “Animus 2.0,” and uncover further information about the Templars and their latest plans.

Select/Start Games Best of 2009 Awards

2009 now draws to a close, and for gamers, it has been one of the best years of this generation, if not the best year this generation in terms of quality software. It seemed like no matter what the genre or platform, you could find a game that simply screamed quality, even amidst the many game delays that plagued the year. These awards are by no means comprehensive, or to be taken as law, but they are certainly the games we felt really summed up 2009. Enjoy.

Bioshock 2 Hitting February 9th

2K Games announced today that the much anticipated sequel to 2007’s underwater dystopian FPS, Bioshock will be landing on store shelves on February 9th, 2010.

The game is releasing on the PS3, PC, and Xbox 360, and is set about 10 years after the events of the original game.

Borderlands Official Box Art

Today, Gearbox Software finally revealed the boxart for upcoming FPS RPG Borderlands.

It has an almost retro, old school indy comic book style look to it (thanks to the revised graphics engine), and I rather like it. I find it very unique compared to other box art, and it’s sure to be catchy on store shelves next to it’s contemporaries.

Borderlands is slated for an October 20 release on the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.

Fallout 3 DLC Mothership Zeta Now Available on XBLA

Xbox 360 and PC Fallout 3 fans get to take a trip to the extraterrestrial side of things today, as Mothership Zeta, the latest downloadable content for the post-apocalyptic RPG/FPS lands on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

The DLC, which costs 800 MS Points ($10), includes a mysterious new space ship to explore, new weapons, new enemy types, and of course, outer space. No word on when this content will release on the Playstation 3 version of the game, as PS3 owners are still waiting for the first batch of DLC to release sometime late this month, early September.