Dead Space 3 - PS3 Review

Great presentation values, decent shooting mechanics... but a series that lost its way

Magic 2014 - Duels of the Planewalkers

Screenshots and the latest info on both the video and card game

Dead Space: Extraction - Wii Review

This on-rails shooter is a departure from Dead Space - does it work?

Dead Space - iPad Review

So, does going to the smaller screen hurt the Dead Space atmosphere?

Dead Space 2 - PlayStation 3 Review

I loved the original. Did I find the second game a worthy follow-up?

Friday, May 17, 2013

Dead Space 3 - PlayStation 3 Review

And onto the weekend! I hope you all have a great Friday, Saturday and Sunday - and I'll see you again come Monday with my wrap-up of the Dead Space series.

Dead Space 1 and 2 have been probably my favorite horror games of this console generation. Amnesia: The Dark Descent was a solid enough PC offering, and the Fatal Frame trilogy owned the PlayStation 2 era in my opinion, but this generation has lacked tense survival games.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Dead Space 2 - PlayStation 3 Review

I am just going to start off by saying that Dead Space was awesome. I loved it, reviewed it to a great score, and recommended it to pretty much anyone who showed an interest in it. Then I got around to playing Dead Space Extraction on the Wii. Very different kind of animal, being an on-rails shooter, but it was also a lot of fun.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Dead Space - iPad Review

I will spread out the posts a bit this week and next while trying to ramp up some new content. In the meantime, the Dead Space theme continues with the iPad version of the game.

The name confused me at first. Was this the original Dead Space remastered for the iPad? Without a sub-name added to the title, I was unsure when it first came out. That being said, I loved the original Dead Space enough to give this a go and see what it was all about.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Dead Space Extraction - Wii Review

In case you had not guessed by the background image, we are going to be talking some Dead Space for the next couple of weeks.

I really enjoyed the original Dead Space a lot, giving it a review score of 8.75 at the time. It was a game I picked up, kept meaning to play, but took a long time in getting around to it. Once I did though, I quickly found myself engrossed in the story and the game's dark atmosphere.


Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Magic 2014 - Duels of the Planeswalkers - lots of announcements

I am a huge Magic fan. I play it every night with coworkers, my son and I have decks we play at home and I have purchased every release of Duels of the Planeswalkers, having tried it on PC, iPad, PS3 and 360. You could safely say I am familiar with the content.


Well now information has been  released on both the video game as well as the actual card game. Here goes (press release copied below):


Magic 2014 - Duels of the Planeswalkers
In addition to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Steam®, PlayStation® Network and iPad®, Magic 2014 - Duels of the Planeswalkers will be available on Android™ tablet for the first time ever! With an easy-to-use tutorial, Magic 2014 is the best way for new players to learn how to play Magic, while also providing advanced game play modes and options to satisfy experienced players.
Magic 2014 builds on the success of previous games in the Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers franchise and adds several new features:
-       Available for the first time on Android tablet
-       Sealed Play which allows players to open booster packs and build decks to play against the AI and other players
-       Engaging storyline that gives players the opportunity to join the Planeswalker Chandra Nalaar in a quest for revenge through challenging gameplay
-       New take on the popular Slivers creature type
-       10 Brand New Decks
-       15 New Encounters
-       10 New Puzzle Challenges
-       Platform-specific promotions that will include 6-card Booster Decks featuring the following promo cards:
o    Steam, iPad, Android tablet – Scavenging Ooze
o    Xbox – Bonescythe Sliver
o    PSN – Ogre Battledriver
-       Special Edition Release including the base game and exciting mix of additional content (Steam only)
-       Loyalty Offer for players who previously purchased Magic 2013 (Steam and Xbox only)
In addition, integration between Magic 2014 – Duels of the Planeswalkers and the Magic 2014 - Core Set will provide Magic 2014 players with a first look at more than 50 cards from the Magic 2014 – Core Set releasing later this summer.  Five cards from Magic 2014 – Duels of the Planeswalkers will also be appearing as foil face cards in the Magic 2014 Intro Packs including Liliana’s Reaver, Garruk’s Horde, Chandra’s Phoenix, Jace’s Mindseeker, and Ajani’s Chosen.


The addition of Sealed Play will allow players to open booster packs and build decks to play against the AI and other players. Each sealed pool is comprised of 84 cards, mimicking paper TCG booster packs. The PvE experience includes a six-deck ladder where players take on mono-colored Sealed decks each corresponding with a particular Planeswalker, and finally facing a ‘boss’ Sealed deck.
Another feature debuting in Magic 2014 is a new take on the popular Slivers creature type. A fan-favorite, new playable Slivers in Magic 2014 decks will include the following:
− Sliver Construct
− Predatory Sliver
− Groundshaker Sliver
− Megantic Sliver
− Blur Sliver
− Striking Sliver
− Thorncaster Sliver
− Battle Sliver
− Sentinel Sliver
− Bonescythe Sliver
In addition, Hive Stirrings, a sorcery that creates Sliver tokens, will also be included in Magic 2014.

And for fans of the card game itself:


Magic 2014 - Core Set
The Magic 2014 - Core Set will provide players with a wider Magic experience including new cards, face-to-face gameplay and unlimited deck building opportunities. The Magic 2014 - Core Set is an exciting blend of brand new cards and returning fan-favorites, and will be available at participating Wizards Play Network (WPN) hobby game stores worldwide this summer. To find a WPN location near you, visit: Wizards.com/locator.

The Magic 2014 - Core Set will feature:
-       249 Cards
-       Planeswalkers – Ajani, Jace, Liliana, Chandra, Garruk
-       Slivers creature types
-       In-store events throughout the summer including Pre-release, Friday Night Magic and Game Day
 


Lots to look forward to for Magic fans. Are you looking forward to the new card sets and video game? Personally I think the sealed deck style of game sounds very cool, and I remember the Slivers from back around the Tempest releases (they played off of one another as well as any 'type' of card in the Magic series in my opinion) very fondly.