Midlife Gamer » Cormac Barrett

Games Out This Week March April 17th – April 23rd

Cormac Barrett — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:29:23 +0000

Games Out This Week April ^17th – April 23^rd

Dead to Rights: Retribution

Our protagonist awakens, covered in debris from a train wreck he managed to narrowly escape from. How did he get there? The game rewinds to earlier in the adventure, as our hero makes his way on a sordid journey towards the disastrous ride. Along the way, he’ll have to dispatch enemies, taking cover, mixing gun play and melee combat.

Nier

It’s the summer of 2049 and things aren’t going so well. The game’s main character, Nier, is saddled with a sick daughter, named Yonah, and some kind of evil book he implores her not to touch as he goes out to find food. Suffering isn’t limited to Nier and his daughter — the world at large is reeling from the effects of a pandemic. A cure was developed, but unfortunately that led to even more problems because its implementation somehow spawns even more powerful disease.

Monster Hunter: Tri

Monster Hunter Tri depicts an ecosystem where man co-exists with fantastic beasts that roam both the land and the sea. Featuring both online and offline cooperative modes, players can join online hunting parties with up to four players or play with two players on a single TV for select quests. Players also have the option to face Monster Hunter Tri’s quests as a single player experience accompanied by Cha-Cha, an AI hunting partner whose tracking and trapping skills will prove invaluable in the hunt.

As usual, check out the video and voice your opinion in the comment section.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVcGdyUHnug

Dead to Rights: Retribution
Formats: Xbox 360, PS3

Nier
Formats: Xbox 360, PS3

Monster Hunter: Tri

Formats: Wii

Release dates sourced from MCV and are accurate at time of writing

Games Out This Week March 27th – April 3rd

Cormac Barrett — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:36:50 +0000

Games Out This Week March 27^th – April 3^rd

It appears that the games industry have taken a break of releasing games as its extremely quiet this week as far as releases are concerned. Only two games of interest have caught my eye. The first being yet another disc based DLC for the xbox 360 exclusive Lips. Lips: I Love the 80′s is exactly what the title suggests. With 40 tracks from such artists as Frankie goes to Hollywood, Dexys Midnight Runners, Duran Duran and David Bowie it should be a right laugh, all your missing are some fine 1980 hairstyle wigs (maybe for the special edition?)

The second game is Dead or Alive: Paradise. This spin off of the original dead or alive extreme 2 appears on the PSP, allowing you to gawp at your scantily clad, pixelated beach beauties on the go. I am not sure which genre this game fits into but with lots of mini games and bikinis flying around, it should be fun!

As usual, check out the video and voice your opinion in the comment section.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYyvFIx8pKM

Lips: I Love the 80′s
Formats: Xbox 360

Dead or Alive: Paradise
Formats: PSP

Release dates sourced from MCV and are accurate at time of writing

Games Out This Week March 13th – 20th

Cormac Barrett — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:38:31 +0000

Games Out This Week March 13^th – March 20^th

Another busy week for game releases with some top quality games coming out. One of the major titles of the year, God of War 3, sees Kratos returning for some more insane skull crushing fun. This is one of the most eagerly awaited PS3 exclusives to be released and will end the trilogy of god of war games. If you want to catch up on the story, don’t forget that one can get the first two with updated graphics and trophy support (although currently it is import only I’m afraid).

A game which I have become very interested in, Metro 2033, is also seeing its release this week. I have a feeling that this will be a surprise hit and reminds me a lot of dead space in that respect. It is a very atmospheric game set in a desolate wasteland a la Fallout 3. With generally favorable reviews coming in (90 from xbox world 360) it’s definitely worth a look.

For all you racing fans out there, you will be looking forward to MotoGP 09/10 release this week. With not many bike sims out there, it is needed with the consoles being dominated with so many car sims. The game will feature teams and tracks for the 2010 season as a free downloadable pack shortly after its release. The game also lets you race with up to 20 people online, an arcade mode and online leaderboards.

If you PC fans are becoming restless and have started wandering to the dodgy corners of the internet, why not keep yourself busy with the new Command & Conquer game! Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight will be hitting shelves this week (or more appropriately occupying space on your hard drive).

A new expansion for Dragon Age: Origins is arriving this week. Titled “Awakening” it allows you to import your character from the main game or start from scratch. “The expansion will include new content, more storyline, five new recruitable party members and Oghren a character from Dragon Age: Origins, new spells and abilities, a raise in level cap, and new items”

To finish things off, we have an interesting Wii game coming out. Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon is a RPG that focuses heavily on drama throughout the game. What is most notable about the game is the soundtrack and beautiful artwork which accompanies the gameplay. Only a couple of reviews so far but it is a title to keep your eye on.

As always, take a look at the video below and have your say in the comment section.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5js3Z2yVhhs

God of War 3
Formats: PS3

Metro 2033
Formats: Xbox 360, PS3

MotoGP 09/10
Formats: Xbox 360, PS3

Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight
Formats: PC

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Formats: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Fragile Dreams
Formats: Wii

Games Out This Week March 6th – 13th

Cormac Barrett — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:15:22 +0000

Games Out This Week March 6^th – March 13^th

A bit of a quiet week on the game releases front, apart from one of the most anticipated games of this year, Final Fantasy XIII. I probably don’t have to explain what type of game this is. Having been in development for years, it is finally getting released. If you are into your JRPG’s, this is a must own.

All you Warhammer fans will be rejoicing to hear that the new Dawn of War 2 expansion, Chaos Rising is arriving. The expansion offers new campaign missions in both single player and multiplayer, a raise in level cap (from 20 to 30) and new weapons.

If you are not into clicking away on a keyboard, Yakuza 3 is also arriving this week. The PS3 exclusive is the latest installment in the action-adventures series that is Yakuza. The game is set in a fictional version of Tokyo’s red light district. The game also boasts real life landmarks within the game. If you are undecided, you could always grab the demo from the PSN store.

If you are not keen on keyboard and mouse or PS3, don’t worry. The multi platform game, Ben Ten: Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks is hitting shelves this week. Available on Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, DS and PSP, you play Ben traveling back in time to help save the earth from Vilgax and his gigantic Null Void Projector.

A Wii exclusive concludes this weeks games of interest. Dancing on Ice is a game based on the popular TV show of the same name. The game involves you training and being judged by the panel. With the Wii control scheme its hard to see if you will be immersed within the game but having not played it yet, I will reserve judgment. If you are a fan of the show, this may be the game for you.

Click play on the video below to check these games out and leave a comment if you have any opinions.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsJDlk1Uedk

Final Fantasy XIII
Formats: PS3, Xbox 360

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 - Chaos Rising
Formats: PC

Yakuza 3
Formats: PS3

Ben Ten: Alien Force: Vilgax Attacks
Formats: Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, DS, PSP

Dancing on Ice
Formats: Wii

Release dates sourced from MCV and are accurate at time of writing

Games Out This Week Feb 27th – Mar 6th

Cormac Barrett — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:00:45 +0000

Games Out This Week February 27^th – March 6^th

The blockbuster game released this week Battlefield Bad Company 2 is hitting the retail shelves this week, available on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The eagerly awaited FPS sequel is set in WWII across various locations on the west coast of America. The locations are also varied, from the snowy mountains in Alaska to the jungles of South America. The developers have also updated the destructible enviroments from the previous game, now allowing you to blow up whole buildings.

Two PC titles of interest, Supreme Commander 2 and Silent Hunter 5 are also out this week. Supreme Commander 2 is a real time strategy being released by Square Enix. Silent Hunter 5 allows you to take control of a German U-Boat during the period 1939 - 1943. It reminds me of a Das Boot game.

Way of the Samurai 3 is a Japanese action adventure game finally making its way over here after being released in November 2008 in Japan. However, with only mediocre scores coming in from reviews, the wait didn’t seem to to the game any favours.

An interesting game out for the DS this week, Defendin De Penguin. It seems like a “my first tower defence game” aimed at children. Again, mediocre scores doesn’t help (IGN: 56, GamePro: 60).

As with many big films, a game tie-in also has to make an appearance. This is the case with Alice in Wonderland. It seems like a typical childrens game and includes many ways of playing the game including manipulating time, making objects invisible and altering perception.

Take a look at the video below to see these games in action.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cI0TLJihvI

Battlefield Bad Company 2
Formats: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Supreme Commander 2
Formats: PC

Silent Hunter 5
Formats: PC

Way of the Samurai 3
Formats: Xbox 360, PS3

Defendin De Penguin
Formats: DS

Alice In Wonderland
Formats: Wii, PC, DS

Release dates sourced from MCV and are accurate at time of writing

Games Out This Week Feb 20th – 27th

Cormac Barrett — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:07:11 +0000

Games Out This Week February 20^th – February 27^th

This week sees the release of one of this years biggest games, Heavy Rain. The PS3 exclusive takes a different approach on how you play a game, with multiple choices deciding the outcome of the game and being controlled by quick time events. With top scores coming in from many major gaming magazines, this is a must own for any PS3 owner.

If you don’t own a PS3 and feeling a bit deprived of games, the multi-platform racing game Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is also arriving this week.With playable characters from all across the Sega franchises and the Mario-Kart-esque game play, it is sure to please many people.

For the PC strategy fans, the next installment in the Total War series Napoleon: Total War is marching its way over to your keyboard and mouse this week.

The PSP (thankfully) gets two games this week, which ends the drought of original PSP games being released. Undead Knights, a zombie “hack n’ slash” will fill your PSP screen with bloody bodies but with a meta critic score of 66, you may want to reserve your judgement. The second game, Adventures To Go is an action RPG. The game play and overall look of the game reminds me a lot a a Pokemon game. Again, the metacritic score is mixed and only manages a 58.

Take a look at the video below to get your juices flowing for the games coming out in the following week, and if you have an opinion, make sure to leave a comment.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExD5bhpMrqg

Heavy Rain
Formats: PS3

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing
Formats: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS

Napoleon: Total War
Formats: PC

Undead Knights
Formats: PSP

Adventures To Go
Formats: PSP

Release dates sourced from MCV and are accurate at time of writing

Games Out This Week Feb 13th – 20th

Cormac Barrett — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 11:26:44 +0000

Games Out This Week February 13^th - February 20^th

This weeks game releases has a bit of something for everyone. Aliens vs Predator has been on many peoples radar but can it live up to the hype? If you haven’t already, make sure you check out the demo to get a taster of what its like.

If shooting aliens isn’t your thing, maybe swinging a weapon into hordes of enemies gets you off. The button masher that is Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce is ported to the consoles, having originally been on the PSP platform.

Yet another Guitar Hero disc is released, this time by the artist Van Halen. Even though this could be a DLC pack, I’m sure a few people will enjoy bouncing to “Jump”, even without a keyboard peripheral.

If you have been itching for another monkey island game, you may want to check out Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island. With the concept and graphics by William ‘Bill’ Tiller (of Curse of Monkey Island fame), it looks more like a sequel than an original game.

If you have been watching the Winter Olympics and have proclaimed that you could do better whilst slurping your beer, perhaps you should dust off your Wii and slide in Family Party: Winter Fun. With 30 games to choose from, you are sure to have a few hours of fun.

Have a look at the video below to check out the games.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=khuCdlnOSX0

Aliens vs Predator
Formats: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce
Formats: Xbox 360, PS3

Guitar Hero: Van Halen
Formats: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii

Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island
Formats: PC

Family Party: Winter Fun
Formats: Wii

Release dates sourced from MCV and are accurate at time of writing

Games Out This Week – Feb 6th – 13th

Cormac Barrett — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:33:50 +0000

Games Out This Week February 6^th - February 13^th

Hello, as this is my first blog post, I will give you a little insight about what this weekly post is all about. I combine game trailers of interest that are being released in the upcoming week. This helps you view the games in one manageable video rather than scouring the length and breadth of the internet to dig up trailers. I aim to encode all my videos in HD to provide the best possible viewing experience.

Due to the time limit on YouTube, there is only so much you can fit into 10 minutes. I try to include all the games being released but occasionally I may miss out on a title. This is due to no media being available to me or if I believe a title isn’t of interest. So, if I don’t include the latest trailer of Forklift Truck Simulator and you are looking forward to it, I apologise in advance.

Now that the new site is up and running, I will be taking advantage of all these new snazzy features and make this into a weekly section. Thanks for your time and hope you enjoy my future posts.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejMtTJVgeds

Bioshock 2
Formats: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Star Ocean: The Last Hope International
Formats: PS3

Memento Mori
Formats: PC

Super Monkey Ball Step & Roll
Formats: Wii

Phantasy Star Zero
Formats: DS

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
Formats: Xbox 360, PS3

Release dates sourced from MCV and are accurate at time of writing