Tech-Gaming Technology, Gaming, and Culture
In a Tale of Two Cities, Dickens wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. While the author’s parallelism probably wasn’t referring to a week in which Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! and Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition is released alongside Duck Dynasty and Petz Beach, the quote is particularly accurate is describing the incongruous quality of titles coming out this week, with impending successes sharing shelf space with looming bargain bin filler.
PlayStation 3
Best of Board Games (PSN, Free)
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! (also on PSN, $59.99)
Duck Dynasty (also on PSN, $39.99)
In Space We Brawl (PSN, $11.99 cross-buy)
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 (also on PSN, $39.99)
Sound Shapes Ultimate Bundle (PSN, $19.99, cross-buy)
Tears to Tiara II: Heir of the Overlord (also on PSN, $39.99)
The Evil Within (also on PSN, $59.99)
PlayStation 4
Duck Dynasty (also on PSN, $49.99)
In Space We Brawl (PSN, $11.99 cross-buy)
Lone Survivor: The Director’s Cut (PSN, $9.99)
Nidhogg (PSN, $14.99, Cross-buy)
Peggle 2 (PSN, $11.99)
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition (also on PSN, $59.99)
Sound Shapes Ultimate Bundle (PSN, $19.99, cross-buy)
The Evil Within (also on PSN, $59.99)
The Walking Dead: Season One (PSN, $24.99)
Wii U
Art of Balance (eShop, $8.99)
Castlevania Circle of the Moon (eShop, $7.99)
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 (also on eShop, $39.99)
Turtle Tale (eShop, $2.99)
Xbox 360
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! (Also on XGS, $59.99)
Duck Dynasty
The Evil Within (Also on XGS, $59.99)
Xbox One
Duck Dynasty
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition (also on XGS, $59.99)
The Evil Within (Also on XGS, $59.99)
3DS
Duck Dynasty
Ninja Battle Heroes (eShop, $2.99)
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 (also on eShop, $29.99)
Petz Beach (also on eShop, $29.99)
Petz Countryside (also on eShop, $29.99)
Poptropica Forgotten Islands (also on eShop, $29.99)
Riding Star 3D (eShop, $19.99)
PS Vita
Best of Board Games (PSN, Free)
Luxury Fun Triple Scoop (PSN, $14.99)
Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition (PSN, $19.99, cross-buy)
Muramasa Rebirth Complete Collection (PSN, $34.99)
Nidhogg (PSN, $11.99, cross-buy)
Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus (PSN, $39.99)
Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus: ‘Let’s Get Physical’ Limited Edition
Sound Shapes Ultimate Bundle (PSN, $19.99, cross-buy)
PC
Autocraft (Steam, $TBA)
Bik – A Space Adventure (Steam, $TBA)
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! (Steam, $59.99)
Deep Dungeons of Doom (Steam, $4.24)
Duck Dynasty (Steam, $39.99)
DIG IT! – A Digger Simulator (Steam, $TBA)
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition (Steam, $19.99)
Legend of Grimrock 2 (Steam, $20.39)
May’s Mysteries: The Secret of Dragonville (Steam, $TBA)
Raven’s Cry (Steam, $49.49)
Ryse: Son of Rome (Steam, $39.99)
The Evil Within (Steam, $59.99)
Windward (Steam, $17.99)
Robert’s Pick: While there’s no indication on my college transcripts, I earned an ersatz minor in Hong Kong cinema, pouring free hours into every John Woo, Tsui Hark, Andrew Lau, Stanley Tong, and Ringo Lam film I could get my hands on. Naturally, this fervent passion for action films translated into restrained excitement for the release of 2012’s Sleeping Dogs. While the game looked to deliver an exhilarating excursion through the seedy underbelly of Hong Kong, the title’s previous cancelation and development by a Western studio made me worry about quality and faithfulness to its source material.
Fortunately, my worries were unwarranted and the game become one of my favorite open-world experiences in recent memory. While this week’s release of Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition bundles all the supplemental content and adds a few graphical tweaks such as increasing the draw distance, the sixty dollar price tag is too elevated to recommend a double dip. Yet for next-gen or PC owners who didn’t play the original game, the re-release offers a chance to catch up on a gratifying sandbox experience.
Eric’s Pick: This is it. The true test for the PS Vita is this week as the evergreen sensation, Minecraft, hits Sony’s second place handheld. Unlike Mincraft: Pocket Edition on mobile platforms and tablets, Minecraft: PS Vita Edition is based on the home console version, making it the most faithful portable version to date. Better yet is that the Vita port is Cross-Buy with the PlayStation 3 version, meaning that those who bought it on PS3 will receive the Vita version at no additional cost and vice versa. At the bargain price of only $20, Minecraft: PS Vita Edition is an easy recommendation.
Jeremy’s Pick: This seems to be a year of all kinds of anniversaries in gaming, and I don’t think it’s a trend that’s going to stop, or stop making me feel old. This week I’m looking forward to the remake of a favorite point-and-click Sierra title of mine, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers.Sins of the Fathers is a beautifully conceived supernatural-mystery-thriller-romance, and executes the concept with more panache than similarly themed fare in TV, books, or movies. I’m excited to see how the characters and environments have been reimagined by Phoenix Online Studios, who are accomplished game makers but also fans themselves working with some of the original game’s creators. Given the span of time since the original release and consumer appetite for hot detective dudes chasing supernatural quarry, it’s hard not to recommend that everybody experience Sins of the Fathers, as they say, “again… for the first time.”
Gonçalo’s Pick: The original Legend of Grimrock was one of my favorite 2012 releases. It was the perfect love letter to Westwood’s classic Eye of the Beholder series, featuring a punishing difficulty, puzzles and several optional sliders those who want an easier/harder quest. Now, two years later Legend of Grimrock 2 is finally released. The siren’s call for this one comes in the form of freedom to explore towns, wilderness and other locations whereas its predecessor limited players to one dungeon. It even promises a dungeon editor for those who want to build and share their own quests, something which I’d like to try my hand in.
Uh, why does this week’s loli have man hands?
Lolis for 3 weeks straight.
I think she’s wearing gloves.
Its that grip she has on the book. It’s like she’s grabbing ass.
What was the word on Peggle 2? Good or should I skip it?
Not picking Tears to Tiara II makes a lolita cry, you know.
Who still buys all that Petz shit? Aren’t kids born knowing its crap now?
There’s always a new generation of little kids who don’t know any better.
$60 for Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition? I’m sure that will drop quick, like Tomb Raider did. You’d be a fool to pay full price.
Turtles, dogs, and ducks in the same week.
Jesus, Robert, you forgot Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus!!!!
Wow, that has the makings of a scandal. #LoliGate
(deep bow) Thanks for bring it to my attention!
Sorry, I deleted a few entries when adding additional games.
(high fives!)
Just don’t let it happen again! (LOL)
You might want want to update Minecraft with a $20 price and crossbuy.
Duck
Dynasty
Tell, that’s not your pick. If it is, can someone please bring the ban hammer?
noooo. I’m just shocked that it exists. If I had to pick something from the list, it’d probably be Circle of the Moon. I got that game on my 16th Birthday, and dressed up as Nathan Graves for Halloween that year.
Did you have to fight off the women with a whip?
So, yeah, 30s kind of suck.
No, wabbit Season.
I heard Gabriel Knight kills any good memories the original game made. 🙁
That’s a comment I did not expect to see around here, mostly because I didn’t think any of you would care for Gabriel Knight. Fact is, out over 30 something reviews we have gotten so far, I can confirm about only 4 being openly negative so far, not surprising either considering a few of those have taken the job to nitpick on the game even before any demo build was even released. Also, I have been working day and night before/during/after the launch went live in all distribution platforms, our largest one is Steam with about 92% positive comments to date, and the game is currently 72 on Metacritic. I can say handling most of the data coming from GK thus far, it has been quite positive.
Well, Jeremy did pick it. And I really like his game ‘dumps’ on the podcast and his review (so far) have been great.
Not speaking for all, but I like Eastern and Western games. I’m a gamer, I play everything I can get my hands on.
Bought GK a few days ago. Happy so far with it.
Well, to be fair, Jeremy is a big Sierra fan. Also, happy to read you like GK so far. Thank you for supporting Pinkerton Road, I seriously hope to see more of Jane Jensen in the future.
I like adventure games too. I dont have thr reflexes for action.
Still not forgiven for his indifference toward anime!
lol.
Where’s our Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus review?