Dragon's Crown (PS3/PSN)

The skies opened up, angelic voices sang, and the gods and goddesses of old bestowed there blessings upon me the day that I received the code for the upcoming release of "Dragon's Crown"! Just kidding, but even so it was a blessed event to me. I've been longing to get my hands on this game for what seems to be an eternity, and to be lucky enough to get early access to it was a privilege indeed. Both myself, and the staff at Atlus have been dropping hints for the past two months (or so) about how cool of an experience it was going to be. The fact that the pre-order bonus comes with a most excellent artbook is alone a testament to the effort Atlus has poured into the marketing/creation of this game. Keep in mind that Atlus, and Vanillaware titles are few, and far between so getting them while you can is definitely a wise decision. Most of you out there will know that Atlus's game releases/co-releases are usually gems, and end up with cult followings becoming harder to find as time passes. This is why I stressed so much to pre-order the game. Not only will doing so get you the game (PS Vita/PS3) itself, but by pre-ordering it you will also get a limited edition artbook with art by Vanillaware's George Kamitani. It's a win-win situation.

Online Injustice, Martian Manhunter & A Steaming Pile of ...

Like many enthusiasts in the world gaming journalists, and gamers themselves are often times compelled to voice their opinions about certain things that concern the subjects that they are most passionate about. I find that this moment in time I'm at that particular boiling point when I too have to get something off of my chest. This "issue", as I'm going to call it pertains to Netherrealm Studio's own unique brand of bullsh*t. Anyone who has been playing "Injustice: Gods Among Us" online these days will admit (assuming they are not doing it themselves) that the online lobbies are filled with lagswitchers, hackers, and cheap ass gamers. The game is broken as hell, and the guys over at Netherrealm Studios seem to be doing diddly squat about it. Sure Microsoft deals with most of the online BS (supposedly), but damned if I don't keep running into the same jackasses I report over, and over again. Something's not right here folks. Someone, somewhere is not doing their damn job.

Do Not Fall (PSN)

During my playthrough of XPEC's latest release of "Do Not Fall" a couple of things kept on popping up in the back of my mind. One such thought was that the main character "PiPi" reminded me an awful lot of the old "Nestle Quick" bunny from the animated television commercials, and secondly that the name "PiPi" reminded me of something I ought not mention here (Childish Laughter Follows ^.^). The game as odd as it is revolves around some interesting characters/creatures, and their pursuit to make the ultimate drink via the inside worlds of a vending machine. Some of you may not be sold on such an off-the-wall idea, but it's these out-of-the-box creations that generally gain most of my respect when it comes to video game offerings. The developer definitely knew what they were doing with the design, and theme of the game, and executed it all in what I like to call a "Perfect Storm". Do Not Fall, as cutesy as it may appear is a hardcore mind !@#$% that will have you returning for more, and cussing as you try your hardest to perfect your playthroughs. While this description would likely turn away a lot of you it's certainly not a bad thing.

Fran Bow (PC): "Sneak Peek"

Recently, through Twitter I was contacted by a Swedish game developer (Natalia Figueroa) who has co-produced a game with her partner Isak Matinsson. This team of developers who run a game development studio called Killmonday has brought to my attention a very special PC based indie title. This indie, otherwise known as "Fran Bow" takes the innocence of childlike storybook imagery, and warps it six ways from Sunday. The psychological tale of gore ridden murder, and the fantastically twisted imagination of a girl named "Fran Bow" takes bold steps to impress a more mature audience. It could easily be compared to the tale contained within American McGee's "ALICE", but stands entirely on it's own with a wholly unique spin on insanity. It was the images of the game that Natalia had shared with me that really captured my attention. The surreal, and often times gory images had a Gothic tone that definitely peaked my morbid curiosity, and will no doubt capture the attention of many other like-minded gamers.