Archive - 2011

The Thing (2011) Ice Block Film Clip

In this new clip from Universal Pictures upcoming The Thing – prequel to the 1982 John Carpenter film of the same name, the titular creature startles one of the Norwegian camp members. To quote a character from the original flick, “I don’t know what the hell’s in there, but it’s weird and pissed off whatever it is”. The Thing is set to be released on October 14, 2011.

WARNING: If you are trying to remain spoiler-free for this one, avoid this trailer. You have been warned.

Fallout New Vegas: Old World Blues Review (XBLA)

The latest expansion to Fallout: New Vegas, Old World Blues, once again takes you far away from the expanse of the Mojave Wasteland to a secluded area known as Big Mountain, or the Big MT (get it?). Does this expansion justify the download, or does it leave you feeling empty (get it? Again?). If you’re a fan of New Vegas you may have found yourself feeling a little disappointed in Dead Money’s awkward survival horror slant and Honest Hearts felt a little too unspoiled outdoorsy for your tastes, let me introduce you to Old World Blues.

In a nutshell, if Old World Blues was a member of your family, it would be your drunk uncle: Nonsensical, rambles on a bit too long at times, gut-bustingly hilarious, and an absolute blast to hang out with.

Old World Blues finds your courier responding to an invitation to a midnight movie at the old drive in. Upon pressing play, you are whisked away to a fantastic world full of mad scientists, robot scorpions, and a talking toaster.

You wake up to find yourself sans brain, spine, and organs. Why? Why not! A victim of some heat-of-the-moment surgery by an insane group of mad scientists, you are forced to track down your brain who may or may not have grown legs of it’s own and trotted off to spend time with an even madder scientist than those who removed it in the first place.

Old World Blues earns high marks for being the most hilarious addition to any Fallout game to date. The writing is top notch and the expansion is full of unique characters, like a toaster with dreams of being a heat powered death ray.

While it is quite long for an expansion, it can get quite lonely. Unlike the previous expansions to New Vegas, you have no companions throughout the Big MT. Instead you are on your own throughout the full five hours or so of gameplay and the fetch quests can get a little repetitive. To offset this however is some fantastic voice acting as your captors will frequently spout insanities over the speakers throughout the research facilities.

Once again, the level cap is raised by five and there are a handful of new perks to choose from, including one that let’s you respec your character should you decide you want to change things up a bit.

In the end this is a must buy for any New Vegas fan. With a host of awesome loot to bring back to the Mojave Wastes and some of the funniest dialogue this side of GLADOS, you’d be hard pressed to not enjoy a vacation in the Big MT.

Neopets: Treasure Keepers Facebook Game Launches

Nickelodeon’s Virtual Worlds Group has announced the official launch of their Neopets: Treasure Keepers game on the Facebook platform.

About Neopets: Treasure Keepers

Free to play, Neopets: Treasure Keepers offers an exciting and engaging experience for Facebook’s teen and adult audience. The standalone flash-based game invites players to create and manage their own online shops, while completing quests and collecting a variety of items. Treasure Keepers is launching with four environments and 60 quests for users to explore.  Players have access to 500 items to collect and sell, creating a truly customizable social game play experience.   To shop for upgrades and décor, users can purchase Facebook credits. Building upon the rich heritage of Neopets, Nickelodeon partnered with the virtual world’s original creators, who are now at Meteor Games, to develop Treasure Keepers. Leveraging the nostalgia of Neopets’ longstanding social community, the evolution of the world to Facebook offers a new touch point for Nickelodeon to reach its fans.

Launch Screenshots

SimWare Simulations Demoing Bohemia’s Take On Helicopters

SimWare Simulations has announced that they have partnered with Bohemia Interactive to demo the company’s upcoming helicopter simulation, Take On Helicopters, at two upcoming flight sim events in Europe. If you are a European in the area, you should stop by and check it out!

Demonstrations will take place at:

·       SimWare Simulations VIP Days – Brussels (Belgium) – Sept. 17, 2011
·       Mondial Simulation – Paris (France) – Sept 30 & Oct.1-2, 2011