Saint's Row IV Trailer

Oh look, it's a trailer for Saint's Row IV.

Magrunner: First Contact Trailer

First person puzzling + cyberpunk + Cthulu mythos? Fuck yes I am psyched.

ABE

Nothing like a good psychopathic robot story!

You're Fine By Me, Neverwinter

Neverwinter, a free-to-play MMO from Perfect World (Star Trek Online, Champions Online) is releasing their Open Beta on April 30th. If you purchase a Founders Pack, you'll get early access, and a whole bunch of other goodies.

I had some time in Neverwinter in a closed beta weekend a few weeks back, and I really enjoyed it. The combat is quick and responsive, and the overall feel of the game is really solid. The coolest feature, though, has to be the Foundry, a feature that allows players to create their own dungeons and storylines, much like the modules in Neverwinter Nights from way-back-when.

Be sure to download the client, and start playing as soon as the game goes live!

Remembering Ebert

Today was a bit melancholy, as acclaimed film critic Roger Ebert passed away. His critical voice was one I always aspired to, as even if I didn't always agree with what Ebert said, I fully respected his process of getting to his truth. Ebert, alongside Gene Siskel, were a duo of critics that pushed the boundaries on what entertainment criticism meant, and how it should be handled. They left a significant impact, and did so by being honest.

I beat Bioshock Infinite earlier today, and it brought me to the 'games as art' debate, something that Roger Ebert was notorious for denouncing. A part of me wonders if Ebert just 'didn't get it', but part of me thinks he did, and he might be right. That's the sign of a good critic.

You'll be missed, and for all of us younger guys trying to find our voices in this crazy blogging world, thanks for everything.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Has A GDC Trailer

It seems GDC has been in quite the tizzy this morning as result of this Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain trailer. On a related note, I have been in quite the tizzy, as anything Metal Gear related gets my jibblies all jangly.

I have a few theories as to what's going on in the trailer, but trust me, nobody wants to read my 5,000 word thesis about nanomachines and comas and Big Boss' glorious facial hair. But, to put one theory to rest, how DOES Big Boss  have such glorious hair?

Spoilers: Nanomachines.

Blizzard Announces Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft

Blizzard had been ramping up some hype over the past few weeks for an announcement this morning at PAX East, and we finally know what the fuss was about. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is a free-to-play CCG releasing this year for Ipad, Mac, and Windows. 

Based on the presentation this morning, the game looks to be fun, easy for newcomers to collectable card games (like myself), and have a huge amount of winks and nods for obsessive Warcraft fans (like myself!). It features online multiplayer, and a versus AI mode with Normal and Expert difficulty levels. There's also 'The Forge', in which you can customize your own decks before doing battle with others.

Sure, it's not the earth-shattering announcement of Titan, or a new World of Warcraft expansion, but I'm a fan of this smaller, "return to our roots" form of game development. Not every Blizzard release needs to be a 300+ team member, half a decade ordeal in order to be quality, and it seems Hearthstone is a step in the right direction. Be sure to sign up for the beta (starting this summer) at the game's official website. 

Represent the Alliance with pride, soldier! Make sure not to get any filthy Horde blood on your swank threads.