Category: PC Gaming

Charles Dance to Star in Witcher 3

CD Projekt RED has announced that Charles Dance will voice the Emperor of Nilfgaard in Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. This is completely awesome. Why is this completely awesome? Because Charles Dance is completely awesome! That’s why. In recent years, fantasy nerds have marveled at Dance’s portrayal of Tywin Lannister in HBO’s Game of Thrones. While he has been brilliant as that character, Dance’s brilliance to the nerd community goes back a long ways. Many of you RPadholics know and love Dance from The Golden Child, in which he played Sardo Numspa (Brother Numsie!). Lastly, Dance completely owned in Last Acton Hero as Benedict, one of the coolest bad guys to grace the silver screen.

I was already looking forward to Witcher 3, but now that Sardo Numspa/Benedict/Tywin Lannister has been revealed as one of the game’s voice actor, I want the game even more. To celebrate this awesome news, let’s take a look back at some of Charles Dance’s best scenes.

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

This weekend will be full of errands. Today, I have to go back to the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China. Last time, I waited nearly two hours before being told that I needed additional papers. It’s back to the front of the line again. Hopefully the wait won’t be as bad…but it probably will be.

After that, I have a bunch of notes housekeeping to do. As I mentioned earlier in the week, my beloved Catch Notes is shutting down at the end of August. After trying a few alternatives, I’m begrudgingly going with Evernote. It has way more features than I need, but the barebones alternatives I tried were too barebones. Plus, I’m confident that I don’t have to worry about Evernote shutting down the way that Catch Notes did…though I’m still kind of worried. *sigh* Too bad Google Keep isn’t better and Apple doesn’t have a note-taking program that syncs with iCloud. Anyway, I’ll be undertaking the incredibly mundane task of transferring my Catch Notes files to Evernote. Too bad RPadholic 1ceman’s receptionist isn’t around to do this for me. She’s yummy.

BioShock Infinite Coming to OS X on August 29

As wonderful as Apple’s Mac OS X is, it kinda blows as a gaming platform. Thankfully, the folks at Aspyr are here to help OS X fans use their computers for something other than productivity. The company recently announced that BioShock Infinite will be available for OS X through the Mac App Store and Steam. A grand adventure can be experienced on iMacs and MacBook Pros for $59.99.

If you’re sure you want the game then you should consider pre-ordering. Aspyr is giving away the “Columbia’s Finest” DLC pack as a pre-order bonus. It includes, “500 Silver Eagles (in-game currency), 5 Lock Picks to help you navigate through Columbia, six unique Gear items, and two weapon upgrades: Comstock’s China Broom Shotgun and Comstock’s Eagle Eye Sniper Rifle.”

Source

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I’m giving Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons another whirl before I post my review. There’s a lot that I love about the game, but it also has elements that aren’t for everyone. I’m under embargo, so I can’t really say more. On a videogame-related note, I plan on reading Nobuo Uematsu’s interactive book Blik-0 1946. It’s available for the Apple iPad and Amazon Kindle. Many of you know Uematsu for his unforgettable Final Fantasy music. In Blik-0 1946, you’ll get to enjoy some new tracks from the maestro, as well as some cool art and a touching story. If you happen to pick up Blik-O 1946, please share your thoughts on it in the comments section. I’d love to hear them!

Now here’s the part where I go, “How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?”

Neil Gaiman Gets Into Games in Wayward Manor

Fall is going to be an awesome season for Neil Gaiman fans. He’s returning to Sandman in Sandman: Overture and he has a game coming out. Wayward Manor is a serialized game being developed by Gaiman and The Odd Gentlemen. It will be available for Windows and Mac OS (and possibly more platforms). To fund the game, Gaiman and company have set up a Kickstarter-like page that allows you to pre-order the game and pay additional money for bonuses. The goodies include wallpapers, the soundtrack, an art book, naming a character in the game, and having dinner with Gaiman himself.

I could describe the game, but it’s better you hear it from Gaiman. Check out his description of Wayward Manor below:

While there have been several Kickstarter videogame projects that have failed to acquire funding, many successful ones were headed up by people or companies that are respected and beloved. As an author, Gaiman is both, so it’s a fairly safe bet that his fans will provide the funding that The Odd Gentlemen needs to launch the game.

What do you think of Wayward Manor? Are you excited for it? Will you fund the project? Do you think Gaiman’s reputation in the nerd world will lead to a successful funding campaign? Share your wayward thoughts in the comments section (please!).

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

I received my review code for Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and I’m excited to play it this weekend (after a lunchtime viewing of The Wolverine). I was high on the game after seeing it in October. The gameplay is clever and simple, while the graphics look like a water-colored painting come to life. In many ways, it’s like a mashup of Ico and Heavy Rain. I adored both of those games, so hopefully I adore this one. The game hits on August 7, as part of the Xbox Live Arcade “Summer of Arcade” event. My review is under wraps until then, so stay tuned.

Now how about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians Preview/Interview

Last week I caught a demo of Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians, a unique platform/music game developed by Threaks and being published by Reverb. Executive producer Ted Lange took me through the game and chatted with me after the demo. Beatbuddy features a story by Rhianna Pratchett and music from Austin Wintory (Journey). Lange described the game as being “familiar and different.” It has platform elements that will instantly feel familiar to gamers that have played loads of Mario and Sonic games, but also has a distinct art style and makes very unique use of music.

Beatbuddy stars a globular hero named Beat. He’s one of three musical spirits, along with Harmony and Melody (though he totally looks like a water-type Pokemon to me…perhaps Manaphy’s cousin). The evil Prince Maestro wants to enslave music, while the ethereal music spirits think that music should be free for everyone. It’s up to Beat to lead the charge and liberate music. (Rumor has it that Beat, Harmony, and Melody are in cahoots with Kim Dotcom.)

As I mentioned in the intro, the game features unique use of music. Each level’s track is broken up so that different objects and enemies represent different musical instruments. For example, a menacing creature will pulsate to the rhythm of the track’s bass drum, while obstacles will move in time with the hi-hat. As Beat moves closer to a particular enemy or object, the corresponding instrument’s sound will become louder. The music — and the individual instruments that make the track — define the level as much as the art and layout. It’s a unique twist that adds a cool layer of interactivity.

The game’s art is beautiful and distinct. In an age where 3D rules the roost, it’s refreshing to see a videogame with hand-painted art. The color palette and style give the game a charming look, while the use of layers gives it a pseudo-3D feel.

Check out my interview with Ted to learn more about the game. As a fan of old-school NES and SNES platformers, as well as a fan of music games, I’m really looking forward to Beatbuddy. After you’ve watched the vid, leave your thoughts on the game in the comments section (please!).

Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians will be released on August 6, 2013 for Windows PC, Mac OS X, and Linux for $14.99.

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

This weekend I’m going to jump into some of the iOS freebies I downloaded during the App Store 5th Anniversary Sale. First up is Badland. It’s a platform game with some of the sweetest art I’ve seen in a mobile game. Next on the list is Tiny Wings HD. Lots of my friends were high on the original game when it first came out. I want to see what all the fuss is about, but I’m going to do it with updated graphics. Since I’ll be glued to my iPad, a few games of Civilization: Revolution are inevitable.

How about you? What’s on your weekend playlist?

Coffee Talk #594: Your Favorite Game of 2013 (Thus Far)

Half of 2013 is over and I want to hear about your favorite game of the year (thus far). Were you enthralled by BioShock Infinite? Were you captivated by Lara Croft’s return in Tomb Raider? Perhaps Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch brought you a slice of gaming heaven. I know that some of you are down on The Last of Us, but it has been getting rave reviews, so maybe the game is working for some of you? Please talk about the best game you’ve played this year in the comments section.

As for my choice…more

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, how The Rock satisfies his women, the Dwight Howard Greg Oden sweepstakes, or 4th of July sales like the excellent Bastion for iOS currently costing 99 cents, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Half of 2013 is over and I want to hear about your favorite game of the year (thus far). Were you enthralled by BioShock Infinite? Were you captivated by Lara Croft’s return in Tomb Raider? Perhaps Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch brought you a slice of gaming heaven. I know that some of you are down on The Last of Us, but it has been getting rave reviews, so maybe the game is working for some of you? Please talk about the best game you’ve played this year in the comments section.

As for my choice, it’s an oldie but a goodie. Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition for OS X was old-school RPG bliss for me. The original is one of my all-time favorites (played through the frickin’ thing 18 times) and it was nice to experience it again with updated elements. The enhanced version of the game brought improved graphics, new characters, and gameplay improvements from the sequel (class kits!) to the mix. It was everything I loved from the first time around, with a few bells and whistled that improved the overall experience. I’ve played through the BGEE multiple times with multiple characters. So yeah, I kind of loved it and it was easily the most satisfying gaming experience I’ve had in 2013 (thus far).

Now it’s your turn! Kindly talk about your game of the (half) year in the comments section!

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

It’s going to be a violent and sarcastic weekend for me, because I’ll be hanging out with Marvel’s lovable merc with a mouth while I play Deadpool. I’m really looking forward to this game, but in a rather unusual way. I’ve heard…not-so-good things about the gameplay. I’m prepared to deal with that. Since Deadpool is one of my favorite Marvel characters, I’m super looking forward to the game’s writing, characterization, interactions, etc. Although I’d love for the gameplay to rock, I’ll be content if the game delivers the Deadpool that I adore so much in the comics. Duct tape duct tape duct tape!!!