Author - Jerry Paxton

Arrow Video Unveils September Releases

2021/08/31

On September 14, Arrow will kick off its September releases with two exciting titles. First up is David Nelson’s 1982 slasher, Death Screams, about a machete-wielding madman that targets teens on the last night of a small-town carnival. This little-seen slasher is a bit of a departure from Nelson, who rose to fame as a child star on the television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Arrow presents the film restored from the only-known existing 35mm print.

The second September 14 release will be Cold War Creatures: Four Films from Sam Katzman. Katzman was a prolific studio exec that produced hundreds of films starting in the early 1930s and concluding in 1972, gaining great notoriety for his ability to turn a sizable profit on a minuscule budget. Arrow has compiled four of Katzman’s monster movies from the 1950s in one glorious collection and loaded them up with special features including an 80-page collector’s art book featuring reproduction stills and artwork from each film and new writing by historian and critic, Stephen R. Bissette. The four films include Creature with the Atom Brain, The Werewolf, The Zombies of Mora Tau, and The Giant Claw.

COLD WAR CREATURES: Four Films From Sam Katzman
[Limited Edition Blu-ray] (9/14)

DEATH SCREAMS [Limited Edition Blu-ray] (9/14)

THE SNAKE GIRL AND THE SILVER-HAIRED WITCH [Blu-ray] (9/21)

LEGEND [Limited Edition Blu-ray] (9/28)

CHILDREN OF THE CORN [4K Ultra HD] (9/28)

via MVD Entertainment Group

The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch comes to Blu-ray for the first time on September 21. This late ’60s Japanese horror entry comes from Gamera director Noriaki Yuasa. Adapted from the works of horror manga pioneer Kazuo Umezu, The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch is an effects-heavy film about two rival, shape-shifting sisters that don’t quite get along. The first pressing includes an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Raffael Coronelli.

Ridley Scott’s Legend comes to limited-edition Blu-ray on September 28. Tom Cruise stars as Jack O’ the Green, a man out to stop the Lord of Darkness (Tim Curry) from destroying the daylight and marrying the woman he loves. Legend didn’t connect with critics at the time but has steadily developed a large cult following over the years with fans cheering on Curry’s performance and Rob Bottin’s effects being hailed as some of the best cinema has ever seen. This limited 2-disc set presents the film in both its theatrical and extended director’s cuts.

The final release of September, also hitting shelves on September 28, is a UHD brand-new 4K restoration of Children of the Corn. Based upon a Stephen King short story, Children of the Corn is the tale of a religious cult in a remote town that believes anyone over the age of 18 must be murdered. Linda Hamilton and Courtney Gains star in this beloved King classic that Vincent Canby of The New York Times described as a film “full of beautifully evocative, broad, flat, sun-baked landscapes, in which even cornfields are made to seem menacing.”

King Arthur: Knight’s Tale Summer Update Trailer

2021/08/31

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

NeocoreGames is delighted to announce that King Arthur: Knight’s Tale’s summer update is out now, adding the sixth playable class, the Sage, to the game. The turn-based tactical game’s Early Access summer update also includes brand new features, such as controller support and difficulty modes.

We’re also releasing the first part of our Knight’s Tale video series, to take a look at how we are creating the game and what our players can expect moving forward.

The video includes:

A glimpse at the combat system of Knight’s Tale
How tactics shape battles
Morality and its role in an immoral world
The RPG-inspired character progression

The game’s summer update is also looking to shake up things around Avalon, with features such as:

A brand new class, the Sage: Sages are experts at providing utility for their team using frost-based magic, including protective barriers and ice walls
Controller support: So that players can kick back on the couch and enjoy the journey across the Once and Future King’s land
Difficulty settings: For those looking for more challenge, or to experience the game as more of a story
New abilities for existing characters and classes: To provide more options for Knight’s Tale’s veterans
And more…

Further details about the patch are available in the patch notes over here.

Set in a dark fantasy world based on the Arthurian myth (and our previous King Arthur strategy games), this Tactical / RPG hybrid begins right after the famous battle of Camlann, with a twist:

You are Sir Mordred, the nemesis of King Arthur, the former black knight of the grim tales. You killed King Arthur, but with his dying breath, he struck you down. You both died – and yet, you both live.

The Lady of the Lake, the ruler of the mystical island of Avalon brought you back to end a true nightmare. She wants you to go on a knightly quest. She wants you to finish what you have begun. Kill King Arthur – or whatever he has become after she took his dying vessel to Avalon.

World of Tanks Blitz Celebrates 1st Anniversary on Nintendo Switch

2021/08/31

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Nintendo Switch, Trailers / Videos

It’s been exactly a year since World of Tanks Blitz, the world-renowned cross-platform tank shooter with 170+ million audience, stormed into Nintendo Switch^TM. Over that time, the game has garnered 1.5+ million installs by Nintendo Switch users who in the first year of launch have enjoyed over 78 million battles!

To mark the milestone and to reward the game’s fans on Nintendo Switch for their effort and loyalty, the developers will present each of them with an anniversary container including:

A brand-new animated camouflage “Fires of War” for a personal choice of up to 10 tanks
3 days of Premium Account
100,000 credits
10 epic boosters for credits, XP, Crew XP and Free XP.

And to get all this, one only needs to log in to World of Tanks Blitz before September 13 and claim the free container from the Premium Shop.

Newcomers will not be disregarded, too. All new players will be entitled to a special offer on World of Tanks Blitz exclusive DLC bundle ‘M6A2E1 & Resources’ in Nintendo eShop, containing:

The M6A2E1, Tier VII American Heavy Tank
A Garage slot
The animated camouflage “Radioactive Glow”

“Having passed the 1-year milestone on our Switch journey, we wanted to reward the game’s fans on Nintendo Switch with memorable presents,” states Natalia Pershyts, Publishing Product Director, World of Tanks Blitz. “The 1.5 million installs on the platform over this period makes us believe that our product managed to click with a new audience, and we are set to keep delivering high-quality gameplay to both new and existing players.”

To get more information about the anniversary festivities in World of Tanks Blitz, please visit the game’s official website.

Sabaton and World of Tanks Unveil Music Video and In-Game Event

2021/08/30

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

Get ready to headbang with the latest collaboration between Swedish metallers, Sabaton, and World of Tanks. The two giants of heavy metal are about to put on the ultimate show. Kicking it off in full force is the ‘Steel Commanders’ music video and song. This battle anthem will become an essential addition to every tanker’s music playlist. Sabaton will also be staging a massive in-game event that will reward tankers with a little bit of history: the first-ever Tier IX Premium tank!

“It’s been a great experience working with the World of Tanks and Wargaming guys on this huge project. Together, we made an epic music video for ‘Steel Commanders’ and it’s the perfect way to kick off our massive collaboration,” states Joakim Brodén, lead vocalist of Sabaton. “We’re proud to be part of this brand new in-game event that features the first-ever Tier IX Premium tank as the ultimate prize, as well as us as crew members!”

Apart from the music video, also featuring the GRAMMY Award-nominated virtuoso cellist Tina Guo, Sabaton are headlining a new World of Tanks in-game event: Spirit of War. The event will see tankers take on challenges to reap the ultimate reward: the game’s first-ever Tier IX Premium tank, the Strv K. Eagle-eyed viewers will have spotted it in the ‘Steel Commanders’ video, and it will be manned by a Sabaton crew that includes lead vocalist Brodén, who recorded a custom voiceover that’s full of Easter eggs for fans to discover. Once tankers earn their Strv K, they will be tasked with getting the exclusive ‘Spirit of War’ 3D style.

“We’ve really enjoyed working with the Sabaton guys and we’re happy to have them onboard this project,” states Max Chuvalov, Publishing Director, World of Tanks. “Our players love their music, and we complement each other as we are both fascinated with military history. Plus, we hope the new tune will inspire tankers to go that extra mile for the victory.”

Even if players ultimately do not finish the marathon, they will earn plenty of rewards along the way and each stage they clear will allow them a set 10% discount on the purchase of the Strv K, and the 3D style. The Strv K also features its own Sabaton soundtrack and will allow you to earn bonds in Random Battles, so it’s a vehicle no tanker will want to miss out on, if not for owning a piece of World of Tanks history. The Spirit of War event will run from August 27 through September 6.

For more information about the Spirit of War event, visit worldoftanks.com.

Dead Space Livestream Announced

2021/08/30

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, News, PlayStation 4 News, PlayStation 5 News, Windows PC News, Xbox One News, Xbox Series X News

This Tuesday, August 31 at 10:00 am PT / 1:00 pm ET, members of the Dead Space development team will be hosting a special Dead Space livestream for the community on the Motive Twitch channel.

During the livestream, fans will get a look at an early development build of the game and hear from Dead Space leads at Motive, including Senior Producer, Philippe Ducharme, and Creative Director, Roman Campos-Oriola, speak about their vision for this remake. In addition, the stream will also feature some special guests from the Dead Space Community Council, a group made up of some of the franchise’s biggest fans who have been consulting on this project.

It’s important to note that the build that will be shown in the livestream is an early prototype of the game and not final in any capacity; it is meant to illustrate Motive’s vision of Dead Space in motion for the community.

What: Dead Space Community Livestream and Early Look at the Development of the remake
Why: Motive is dedicated to developing Dead Space alongside the passionate Dead Space community and will be providing players with an early look at the creation of the game with an early development build to illustrate the vision of the remake
Who: Motive’s Senior Producer, Philippe Ducharme, and Creative Director, Roman Campos-Oriola; Dead Space Community Council members
When: Tuesday, August 31 at 10:00 am PT / 1:00 pm ET
Where: Motive Studios Twitch Page

Tinytopia Launch Trailer

2021/08/30

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

Video game publisher Mastiff is excited to announce the release today of developer MeNic Games’ one-of-a-kind toy city-builder, Tinytopia, for PC and Mac. Tinytopia delivers a playful combination of traditional city-building with replica cities like NYC and Tokyo, as well as toy-inspired challenges featuring bike pedals, a coin pusher and more. Tinytopia is available now on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG.com for $14.99 with a 10% launch discount for the first week.

As the mayor of Tinytopia, you’ll build flourishing toy towns and cities for your citizens and protect them from all sorts of cute catastrophes. Use toy building blocks to create awesome megastructures and transform charming villages into bustling metropolises. Tinytopia delivers a tremendous experience on a tabletop scale that’s as challenging or relaxing as you like.

Tinytopia gives you full creative control of the city-building process. Want to stack houses on top of one another? Cool! A skate park on top of a skyscraper – go for it! Discover Blueprint plans to unlock greater combinations and structures to reach new heights. Tinytopia offers a totally unique range of physics-based gameplay and challenges with inventive builds and scenarios: balance cities on a seesaw, keep a town stable on a spinning turntable and more!

Key Features:

Big Cities, Miniature Pieces: A playful blend of city-building, physics-based challenges, and oh-so-satisfying destruction. Use a collection of toy structures, tools, and services to create your own digital desktop destinations across 24 levels.
Craft It Bigger & Better: With an innovative, physics-based mechanic, miniature building blocks can be combined and stacked on top of one another to form awesome megastructures! There are more than 80 building blueprints to discover!
Balance. Stack. Plan. Play! Looking for a challenge worthy of a mayoral mastermind like yourself? Tinytopia’s Challenge levels are full of imaginatively fun scenarios that will test the limits of your planning and balancing skills, timing, and creativity.
A Smashing Good Time: Protect your tiny citizens from catastrophes like tornadoes, fires, monster attacks, UFOs, and more. Or flip a switch and watch it all crumble down!

Tinytopia will also release on the Microsoft Store for PC on September 27. Linux support for Tinytopia will be available in the near future. For more info, visit the game’s website and join Mastiff’s Discord.

ROCCAT Torch USB Microphone Review

2021/08/30

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Reviews, seal of excellence, Tech News, Tech Review, Trailers / Videos

The creator microphone market is packed with options for those people out there making content. In fact, the technology out there can get fairly high-end and complicated based on what your neeeds are and where your content is distributed and made for. Finding a microphone that is easy to use, feature-packed, and a good value in terms of money is important. Enter: The ROCCAT Torch USB Microphone.

The ROCCAT Torch has some great features going for it and, amazingly, it is ROCCAT’s first microphone of this type! While not necessarily important to every type of creator, the look of the equipment that they use can be a consideration – especially if their workstation and setup are on video. In the looks department, the ROCCAT Torch USB Microphone has a very high cool-factor. It’s actually two different units – the microphone and the base station. The microphone is plastic and metal, has a cool style and light weight, and features a 3/8 inch mounting screw input on its bottom side.

The base station is mostly plastic but features all of the microphone’s controls. The ROCCAT Torch’s lighting effects are present but not overpowering, and actually serve an informational function for the user (you can adjust the brightness of these LEDs as well). The color of the light bars on each side of the microphone tell the user what pick up pattern the Torch is set to. In addition, these side lights move farther up the microphone depending on the level of gain selected on the base station.

When set to stereo pick up, the light is purple. In this pick up pattern, the Torch is listening to sounds coming in both sides of the microphone. This is great for recording conversations with multiple people in the same space, or whenever multiple audio sources need to be recorded at once. When the caridoid patten is selected, the Torch is listening to sounds mostly in front of the microphone – this is a great pattern for recording one speaker. The light turns blue when the whisper patten is selected. This is a really cool mode as it works similar to the cardioid mode but it automatically boosts the gain to listen for low-volume audio sources – like a game streamer who is streaming late at night and can’t be too loud. Even cooler in this mode is that the gain with adjust itself depending on how loud the speaker gets. If the person streaming is whispering then begins yelling in excitement because they did something cool in the game they’re playing, the whisper mode will decrease the gain in turn.

Another awesome feature of the ROCCAT Torch is that it has its own built-in pop filter. This is so handy as, despite giving your setup a professional look, those filters can be a little cumbersome in practice. The ROCCAT Torch’s base station is where all the controls of the microphone are located. There you’ll find a knob which controls the previously-mentioned pick up pattern selection – but, you’ll also find a gain slider. Finally, you’ll find a second knob which controls the volume of the sound being sent out to the headphone monitor port on the back of the base station. Pressing that button in will also toggle mute. In order to mute the microphone you can also wave your hand over the microphone head itself. A very interesting feature, this allows you to mute the mic without hitting any physical button – thus, eliminating the sound of any button being pressed. However, this no-touch feature is finicky at times and would not always register the wave of our hand of the microphone.

When recording, the Torch has a lit-up “LIVE” light on the front of the base station that does not display when not recording. The base station also features a ball/screw mount for the microphone to attach to and the two units communicate by way of a short USB-C to USB-C cable included in the box. If you would like to separate the two units and have the microphone on, say, an articulating desk mount, ROCCAT was smart and included a much longer USB-C to USB-C cable in the box. Speaking of cables – every cable in the box is of the braided variety for flexibility and durability.

Connecting the ROCCAT Torch to your computer is very easy, as it connects via an included USB cable. Setting it up takes next to no time as you pretty much set its levels to maximum in the Windows sound settings, then use the onboard controls and any creator software to control the microphone. ROCCAT does have a piece of software on their website called ROCCAT Neon. However, it’s not really worth downloading for the ROCCAT Torch as it just allows you to change the color of the logo on the microphone – not the color of the side LEDs. If they updated the software to be able to change the mode setting light scheme – that would be very cool!

The ROCCAT Torch USB Microphone is available now and is loaded with great, easy to use features at a competitive price point. It retails for $99.99 and I can’t recommend it enough for people looking to make recording audio for their game stream sessions, podcasts, video conferencing calls, etc. It’s not a super high-end microphone, but it’s an outstanding choice at its price point.

DYING : 1983 Gamescom Gameplay Trailer

2021/08/30

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 5 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

Nekcom and 2PGames recently announced the upcoming release of DYING : 1983, a new first-person horror adventure that will come to PlayStation 5 in 2022 as a timed exclusive title. In this nightmarish escape room video game, players will explore a series of rooms in a surreal world to solve the mystery behind its puzzles. Similarly to the previous chapter of this franchise, DYING: Reborn, a mysterious fish-headed creature and more horrible monsters will follow your steps to dissuade you.

The Chinese studio revealed a new gameplay trailer at Gamescom last Friday, where they also revealed the main voices of the official cast for DYING : 1983: Miyuki Sawashiro (Fatal Frame IV, Catherine, Danganronpa) and Shunsuke Takeuchi (NEO: TWEWY, Genshin Impact, Danganronpa), two renowned actors with a lot of experience in dubbing anime and video games.

ABOUT DYING : 1983

DYING : 1983 is the second game in the DYING franchise, a first-person horror game series with puzzle solving and exploration elements. In this chapter, players will follow a shady physician who is contacted by a mysterious organization to participate in a secret investigation. After reaching the research facility designated for their meeting, the doctor will realize that something weird is happening there…

The game will be released in 2022 as a timed exclusive game for PlayStation 5. The PlayStation 4 and Steam ports will be released at a date that is yet to be announced.

RiMS Racing Review | PC

2021/08/28

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Reviews, Windows PC News, Windows PC Review

I recently got the chance to dive into the new motorcycle racing game/sim, RiMS Racing. So, I fired the game up and began navigating its menus and trying to get a race going. Once on the track, I was stoked to run some laps… What followed, however, were some very frustrating and unintentionally-hilarious moments. You see, motorcycle racing simulations are an interesting genre to take on – especially when compared to reviewing a car-based racing title. This is mainly because riding a motorcycle (which I do IRL) is a lot more of a full-body experience. It is simply too complex and nuanced for most standard gaming peripherals to allow you to smoothly control and maintain a certain level of fun. Countersteering, leaning into a turn, and jutting out your knee to slide around a corner is something that is very difficult to properly experience playing a motorcycle simulation on a game console or PC.

When I began playing RiMS Racing on my PC, I was using my keyboard, which was hilariously not up to the task. It is simply not precise or robust enough. My racer was high and low-siding constantly and, while frustrating, it sort of cracked me up that he just kept doing it over and over again (I shuddered at the thought of his digital medical bills). He should have been pulled out of the race for being a danger to himself and others. But, I digress… I plugged in my game controller and things improve somewhat – although I was still having a frustrating time trying to get the hang of the simulation aspect. RiMS Racing, when set on anything other than the easier difficulty settings, is a very hard sim to play. RiMS has modeled seemingly every detail dealing with the weather, track, bike, rider skill, you name it – they even take factors like brake disc temperature into account! Even easy mode isn’t that easy, and will provide challenge to many racing gamers out there.

Despite this learning curve, if you can find a control setup that allows you enough precision (it would be great if a company came out with a set of motorcycle-specific racing controls – I wonder what that would look like!), RiMS Racing is one of the most advanced motorcycle simulations ever made. This extends into choosing and maintaining your bike as well. There are 8 high-end racing bikes in the game (Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10 RR, Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory, BMW M 1000 RR, Ducati Panigale V4 R, Honda CBR1000RR ABS, MV Agusta F4 RC, Suzuki GSX-R1000R, and the Yamaha YZF-R1) and you can customize them with a ton of tweaks and parts. Only having 8 bikes might be a turn-off for some as that isn’t a whole lot in most racing games. However, I would just bring up that RiMS is, first and foremost, a detailed simulation which makes it a difficult situation to simulate a lot of bikes equally well. I am actually surprised they were able to model 8 so well!

The career mode provides a lot of instruction in motorcycle handling and customization as well as allowing gamers to upgrade their bikes over time. It’s a bit light when it comes to career choices and more RPG elements that have become all the rage in sports games these days, but its focus is always on the racing so I can’t help think its a design choice instead of an accidental ommission. Despite this, career mode feel a bit tacked-on, and some of the game design choices I can’t let go so easy. For instance, you can’t find out what track and weather conditions are for an upcoming race until you’ve purchased a research team. There are teams for everything, but how hard would it be for a racer to simply call up the weather for a city on the day of the race? They should allow you some basic info at least – then give you more specifics once the team is in place.

Visually, RiMS Racing is good for the hardcore simulation that it is, although in sunny and clear weather conditions the shader seems to make things appear very… Artificial. The object pop-in when the scenery clears out is also a little jarring. However, things improve when weather kicks in and that’s where the game’s graphics engine shines. Weather is presented in such a way that it adds intensity – not just on a motorcycle performance level but on a human anxiety level. Seeing that wet track all around you, knowing your traction is going to take a big hit amps up the stakes – especially in a career mode where you can’t restart a race if you’re not doing well!

Overall, RiMS Racing is one of the most advanced and realistic racing motorcycle simulations ever. You just need to make sure you’re using a difficulty level within your skill level and a control setup that allows you to take as much advantage and control of the bike as possible.

Jurassic World Aftermath: Part 2 Release Date Trailer

2021/08/27

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

Coatsink, in collaboration with Universal Games and Digital Platforms, today announced that the highly anticipated conclusion to the suspenseful VR survival adventure, Jurassic World Aftermath, based on Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s blockbuster film franchise, is set to arrive on September 30, 2021 with Jurassic World Aftermath: Part 2, available exclusively on the Oculus Quest platform for $14.99, £10.99, €14.99.

Crash-landing on Isla Nublar after the fall of the Jurassic World theme park, players find themselves trapped in an abandoned research facility when their mission to recover valuable information goes disastrously wrong. To survive, they’ll need to explore and solve puzzles, while evading a menagerie of ferocious dinosaurs, including ravenous Pteranodons, cunning Velociraptors, and the terrifying T. rex.

Featuring all-new locations, puzzles and dinosaur encounters, Jurassic World Aftermath: Part 2 builds on the wonder and excitement at every turn as players venture to the opulent heights of Dr. Henry Wu’s office and delve into a secret vault deep beneath the facility, leading to the story’s thrilling conclusion.

“Jurassic World Aftermath: Part 2 lets you experience what it’s like being on Isla Nublar, and you’ll need your wits, quick reflexes and a cool head to stay alive,” said Coatsink Narrative Designer, Jon Davies. “Continuing the story from Jurassic World Aftermath, Jurassic World Aftermath: Part 2 is a white-knuckle adventure that’s full of surprises – especially for fans of the film franchise.”

Features:

Gripping gameplay that combines strategy, skill and non-stop thrills.
Action-packed dinosaur encounters that require quick thinking to survive.
A variety of devices to solve puzzles and discover secrets.
Distinct cell-shaded art style that comes to life in VR.

Jurassic World film franchise stars Jeff Goldblum and BD Wong reprise their voiceover roles as Dr. Ian Malcolm and Dr. Henry Wu, and Laura Bailey (The Last of Us: Part II) returns as park geneticist Dr. Mia Everett.

To celebrate the announcement, Jurassic World Aftermath: Part 1 is available for 20% off from the Oculus Store starting midnight PST on August 27 for 24 hours.