Dragon's Dogma Captivate 2012 Videos: It's Getting Better And Better...

Capcom REALLY isn't playing around here with all these lovely Dragon's Dogma videos. Sure, they're going more for a "western RPG" look and feel rather than just making a Monster Hunter clone (like some crazed fans are wanting). But for me, that's a good thing, as I intend to explore every nook and cranny of that game world and get the most bang for the buck rather than blow through it for a quickie review that's going to miss all the fun stuff. Provided it's not packed with showstopping bugs and there's enough land to travel to keep me dialed in, this looks like the action/RPG of the summer once I finally get through with The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings on the 360. It's going to be one big, fat indoor party for me, that's for sure. Sunlight? What's that again?

Max Payne 3 Design & Technology Video Update: Stop, Bullet Time!

 

The latest MP3 D & T video shows what it's all about when it comes to Max' signature time-stopping gunplay. I like that from the beginnings of the series, there's never been a logical explanation for his talents (he's a mutant, I tell you!), but it's all good because it's done so well (and has been copied multiple times since in other games). Yeah, yeah, The Matrix sort of did it first, but as far as games go, it's been Max who was the pioneer.

Resident Evil 6 Captivate 2012 Trailer: Capcom Loves It More When You're Frightened Than When You're Cranky...

 

As usual there; some absolutely lovely stuff here, but Capcom can't seem to catch a break from some haters who continually knock them for one thing or another. I have to wonder if some of the louder voices out there actually buy any of the games the company publishes given their penchant for threatening boycotts, living in the past and generally being completely unhelpful to any innovations that the series tries for. Granted, not EVERY change the franchise has gone through has been for the better. But I'd rather have Capcom's dev teams go all out and try new things rather than keep shoving the same thing out the door year after year so all the zombies can go through the motions of playing and enjoying the same old thing year in and year out. Say YES to change, ladies and gents - your gaming life will be all the better for it...

Max Payne 3 Weapons Update: Shotguns, Anyone?

 

Rockstar is really making sure fans know that Max is on point and on target to become a huge hit, so you'd better be respecting all this hard work they're putting out. I'm in for the story, the amazing attention to detail and the refined gameplay more than any multiplayer antics, but I like that the dev team is making the MP mode a bit evolutionary in a few respects. Keep it up, guys and you'll have some Game of The Year nominations from a few places and maybe even win a few more awards. We shall see...

Game of Thrones Trailer Updates: Late, But Still Worth Watching...

Yeah, yeah - I forgot to run these earlier, but I've been busy doing way too much stuff again. Anyway, it's all good because the second season of the show has arrived and is even going to be better than the first based on the fantastic first episode. Cyanide Studios, Atlus and Focus Home Interactive are taking a nice gamble here with this action RPG, but the solid visuals make it look as if it'll be pretty decent as far as capturing the overall grim tone of the HBO series. As for the gameplay, well, it's not Skyrim or The Witcher 2, but again, without some hands-on time, it's hard to say how this will play. But I trust everyone working on the project, as I'm sure they're all fans of the books and show and they don't want the hardcore GoT fans to unleash hell on them if they get it wrong. We shall see how well Winter hits on May 15th when the game arrives foe PC, Xbox 360 and PC...

Playing Dead Q & A Part 3: More About Telltale's Must-Have Zombie Adventure Game

As promised, here are some more details on Telltale's upcoming The Walking Dead game which is sure to be a hit amongst fans of all ages of the comic and show. I say Telltale is pretty damn smart, figuring out over the years through a bunch of very cool episodic games just the perfect formula to get a wider demographic playing their games. Cranky old goats like me LOVE that adventure gaming isn't dead as a doornail while younger players get to see content spread out in chapters good enough to make you want to wait on the edge of your seat until the next part is released. Now about that disc version or perhaps a console version of this one...

Lollipop Chainsaw's Soundtrack Will Shake Your Bones More Than A Little...

 

The soundtrack of Lollipop Chainsaw features Jimmy Urine from Mindless Self Indulgence and the great Akira Yamaoka. I've never heard of Jimmy before, but as a huge Silent Hill fan, Yamaoka's work has soaked into my brain ever since the first game. Anyway, here's a cool behind the tunes video to watch. I get to see (and hopefully play) the game tomorrow as well as meet Suda 51 (finally!), so I'll be a happy camper (with a slightly sore back that I won't even feel once I get my hands on a controller)...

Max Payne Multiplayer Trailer (Part 1): Rockstar Brings The... Er, You Know The Rest....

 

Yes indeed, this is looking pretty solid so far and with Rockstar's rather innovative multiplayer coming into play here and the upcoming (whenever that is) Grand Theft Auto V, I'd say even the dopiest naysayers will want to clam up and support the company with two game purchases once they see how well it all functions. Just a thought (and a hope - in the words of Rodney King: "Can't we all just get along?")...

BioShock Infinite Heavy Hitters # 4: That Siren You Hear Isn't An Ambulance. You'll Need One Afterward, Though.

I've been so busy working on a ton of stuff that I'd been running the other Heavy Hitters videos here, stupidly posting them without watching them completely first. They're really not scare the kids out of the room "Mature" stuff that will turn little Johnny into a psycho within seconds of viewing, but informative bits of info about some of the more annoyingly creative enemies you'll come across while playing BioShock Infinite. Oops. Nevertheless, "rules is rules" and 2K wants them tucked away safely, so here you go. I love the idea of a foe that revives deceased enemies to do her dirty work while being a huge pest herself, so I'm imagining the first encounter will be a memorable "kill it before it make the whole room of pain I just took out come back!" battle worth babbling about to friends without the game...

Lollipop Chainsaw Voices and Bosses Videos: Listen Up Plus Duck and Cover

 

Whee! I get to FINALLY play Lollipop Chainsaw next week, as WBIE is coming to town with it and a few other awesome titles (Mortal Kombat for the Vita and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings for the Xbox 360) Anyway, in case you still haven't seen these videos elsewhere, here's a peek at the voice cast and some of the hideous (and amusing) bosses you'll face off against. I can't wait to see how this one is turning out, as you can't go wrong when it comes to weird with a Grasshopper Manufacture title.

Yakuza: Dead Souls Controls Tutorial: Not Your Average Third-Person Experience...

 

When you have to have a video that teaches you about the controls in a third-person game, that's not a good thing most of the time. However, given that Yakuza: Dead Souls is a bit "special", I'll cut Sega some slack. Pay attention, grasshoppers and you'll be shooting down undead Tokyo denizens with relative ease as you hoof it to the geisha lounge for some fun times. Or don't pay attention and die a lot - it's your move...

Playing Dead Q & A: The Dev Team Tells Tales (Plus More...}

 

Here's the first two in an ongoing series of excellent Q & A sessions about Telltale's upcoming The Walking Dead game. I'm gathering from some of the questions asked, a few folks were expecting the game to follow the comic and/or TV series rather than bring an all-new storyline to the table. Again, for someone like me, a NEW plot and characters is a lot more appealing that stretching out a story that's already been told twice (and in two VERY different ways, at that). Let's hope some of the more stubborn fans get this point as well... 

And Now, A Message For The Guys From Yakuza Dead Souls: Be Nice To Your Hostess (Or Else)...

 

Sega's latest entry in the Yakuza franchise (which has so far stayed exclusive to Sony systems) isn't a sequel at all, but a funky chunk of zombie slaying set in the same Tokyo locales as previous installments. I haven't had the chance to play this one yet, but a few friends seem to like it, flaws and all. I like what the dev team has done with the humor from all these trailers, but nope, in no way, shape or form is this one for the kids.  While I have no clue as to if Sega plans to ever get the series out on the Xbox 360 or any other console, I'd really love to see the all the games get the HD remix treatment with ALL the chopped content restored. C'mon Sega, we're all adults here and wacky Japanese trends won't make us crazy. Well, those of use who understand cultural differences and can see how our own views on certain things are twisted to even more extremes...

Activision & Radical Have 11 More Reasons You Need Prototype 2, A Few Too Many Other Folks Have One Or Two Reasons You Don't...

Every time I see new footage of Radical's vastly improved sequel, I just have to smile. The team has pulled out all the stops and the game should definitely please fans of the original thanks to all the changes and improvements. Sure, some folks are complaining quite vocally about having to pre-order a premium edition of Prototype 2 to get that cool bonus DLC, but that's how things have worked for a while and as far as I'm seeing, it's not changing anytime soon, Still, it's kind of funny that no game publisher out there seems to have predicted any sort of major backlash against locking out disc content or only allowing those who have broadband connections to access "the good stuff". Me, I've been predicting a certain segment of would eventually have enough of this deal for years now, but no one listened back then. Now, it seems that anyone angry about DLC gets not an word listened to by those that can (and should) make things better for EVERYONE who wants to spend their hard-earned money on a new game.

Thw Walking Dead "Playing Dead" Blowout: Parts 1 - 3

Yeah, I'm playing catch-up here BIG time, but Telltale Games' upcoming The Walking Dead episodic adventure game just might be their best one to date. I'm running all three of the Playing Dead series here with the two Q & A sessions in a separate post because I'm nuts like that. Actually, I want to break up the posts a bit and squeeze some other cool stuff in between so you don't burn out on zombies all in one go. Me, I'm happy to see the game NOT be focused on the group from the comic and TV series, as there are a million other stories to tell in the world of the Walking Dead that deserve to be heard (and seen, and played). I'd actually LOVE to see this get a retail release just so I can play all the episodes at once and maybe on a console, at that...

More Playing Dead after the jump...