This weekend we wrapped up the GWJ annual executive board and shareholders meeting, which is to say that Shawn Andrich came to visit and we drank gin and suffered through a thrashing in Monopoly as delivered by my nine-year-old. It is possible that the gaming failure was an indirect result of some poor land deals I executed with my real-estate-baron child and my dramatic undervaluing of the railroads. Who could possibly say for sure?
This week, Stardock releases Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes, which apparently I still get for free as a purchaser of the original and widely panned Elemental: War of Magic. Fallen Enchantress is one of those games that I check in with every few months, and which does, I have to admit, keep improving. The difference between what Elemental was on release and what it is now can not be overstated, and I'll definitely give Legendary Heroes a try to see where the game has come now.
It's been years now, and for whatever sins can be laid at the feet of Stardock, their commitment to make things as right as they possibly can for Elemental is wholly remarkable in the gaming industry right now. They could have long ago just said, "ok, Elemental wasn't great so here's a coupon to get one of a few select Stardock games for free. We cool now?" No, we would not have been cool. But having gotten Fallen Enchantress and now Legendary Heroes for free, not only do they seem to be still trying to atone for the launch or Elemental , but they are doing so by aggressively supporting a game that, by all rights, they should've long since given up for dead.
So, yeah, Stardock. We're cool now on the whole Elemental thing. Here's hoping that Legendary Heroes keeps moving the game forward. In a week of otherwise middling games (my interest in anything Resident Evil long since exhausted), my nod goes to a company that, successful or not, seems willing to keep trying to prove that they value me as their customer. There are a lot of things you can say about Brad Wardell or Stardock, but I don't think that you can question whether they are interested in building a relationship with their customers.
I know it may be a somewhat controversial pick, but my nod for the week goes to Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes.
PC
- Call of Juarez Gunslinger
- Dust: An Elysian Tail (download)
- Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes (download - $40)
- Fast & Furious: Showdown (download)
- Resident Evil: Revelations
- Skyward Collapse (download - $5)
- The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing (download - $15)
Xbox 360
- Call of Juarez Gunslinger (XBLA)
- Fast & Furious: Showdown
- Resident Evil: Revelations
PS3
- Call of Juarez Gunslinger (PSN)
- Fast & Furious: Showdown
- Resident Evil: Revelations
Wii U
- Fast & Furious: Showdown
- Resident Evil: Revelations
- Sniper Elite V2
Vita
- Men's Room Mayhem (PSN - $2)
- Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault (PSN)
3DS
- Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
- Fast & Furious: Showdown
Comments
Ooh, DKC on 3DS. Tempting.
Well Minarchist was no help at all.
Fluff piece!
How did I live before digital distribution of old, cheap games?
MilkmanDanimal wrote:You did live before digital distribution of old, cheap games. Now you just play games.
RPS's John Walker praised Call of Juarez - Gunslinger, so it's now on my Steam wishlist.
Steam: [GWJ]MeatMan | "Now I know where to go if I have a hankering for testicles." –Higgledy
Resident Evil: Revelations is great fun on 3DS (especially the Raid Mode, which is fantastic) so that's already pre-loaded and ready to go. I hear good things about Dust : An Elysian Tale as well. AND that van-helsing game might be a competent diabo-a-like.
Lots of interesting things this week it seems.
..think I'll pass on Men's Room Mayhem though.
inactive here until further notice.
I'm conflicted on the fact that I read that review. On the one hand, it wouldn't have been on my radar at all and now it is, which is good. On the other, I would have loved being surprised by some of that stuff mentioned in there. But if I hadn't read it, I wouldn't play it...argh. Brain sore.
XBL/PSN/Nintendo: tanaraq
3DS: 2492-5318-6800
Steam
Yeah, it wasn't on my radar either. That review, plus watching a few minutes of gameplay, plus the fact that it's $15 means that it got added to my wishlist and that I'll end up playing it at some point.
Steam: [GWJ]MeatMan | "Now I know where to go if I have a hankering for testicles." –Higgledy
I'm tempted to double dip on Resident Evil: Revelations. I really enjoyed it, played through it 2.5 times having great fun. It's not perfect, but I'd call it the best Resident Evil since 4.
I have a theory if the port sells well then Capcom will go back to that more survival-horror style of play. Unfortunately, I don't know if the game is actually getting a real marketing push, something Capcom seems to really suck at these days when it comes to games that ought to sell well.
So if anyone is at all interested in the Resident Evil franchise, I would greatly encourage them to take a look at Revelations.
Just...don't expect much out of the story. It's crazy go nuts.
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Dust: An Elysian Tale was one of my favorite XBLA games of last year.
You've never known true joy until you've shaken a lich stick at someone.
Wow! Talk about a slow week. Nothing really catches my attention... at least nothing that hasn't already been released in some other platform.
Let's hope the dearth of games continues for a bit, as my pile greatly appreciates.
Now Playing: Crimson Shroud, Blood of Bahamut, SMT IV, RDR, SBCG4AP, Octopath Traveler, The Baconing, The Legend of Dragoon.
Switch Friend Code: SW-7025-5637-0902
I'm actually looking forward to trying out this final Elemental release.
Switch: SW-5816-4534-9106
GOTY
Xboxlive: cabdodger Battlenet:cabdodger#1835
GOTY
Xboxlive: cabdodger Battlenet:cabdodger#1835
This looks fun as hell.
How did I live before digital distribution of old, cheap games?
MilkmanDanimal wrote:You did live before digital distribution of old, cheap games. Now you just play games.
You might change your tune after the Senator Larry "foot tap" Craig level.
After all, he sure did.
It actually kind of does. It appears to be similar to the air traffic control game on mobile devices.
Xboxlive: cabdodger Battlenet:cabdodger#1835
Sean, if you weren't joking about playing Monopoly, after all this time covering gaming as a culture and as an industry, from digital to tabletop to LARPing and smelly hippy RPGs, from GameStop managing to PAX-panel hosting...then you've wasted all those years and learned nothing. No, the one sole acceptable reason to ever play Monopoly is for historical demonstration purposes for your children: "you see, son, this is what gaming was like before people were smart." And then you must promptly decontaminate yourself and your home of its festering vileness.
Re: Larry Craig joke....you guys. ...you guys.
"Fairy Braincess" - - - L4D4Ever!
Keithustus on Steam, XBL, iOS GC, EA Origin, & elsewhere
What about demonstrating to your children that real estate is a rat-race of depression and wringing every drop of profit from those you love?
Words... are a big deal.
Jill Lapore wrote:Editing is one of the great inventions of civilization.
Play Acquire
"Fairy Braincess" - - - L4D4Ever!
Keithustus on Steam, XBL, iOS GC, EA Origin, & elsewhere
:lol:
Words... are a big deal.
Jill Lapore wrote:Editing is one of the great inventions of civilization.
I've long since been comfortable with the idea that my epitaph will probably be something along the lines of:
Here lies Sean Sands
He learned nothing
The thing about smart people is they seem like crazy people to dumb people -- Thing I saw on the Internet
Man, I got so confused when I saw Resident Evil: Revelations. It's just an HD port of the 3DS game.
Dust: An Elysian Tale got robbed for gotw.
Come on, Elysium, how could Elysian not get gotw?
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