Knights of Pen & Paper +1 Edition Review

Knights of Pen & Paper is an RPG that gives players an interesting view, where you play as the players of a dice-rolling pen and paper RPG! This fun little game by Paradox Interactive is available now on PC in addition to iOS and Android. If you like turn-based RPGs you'll want to check this out!

Shadowrun Returns' Release Date Announced

Harebrained Schemes has announced that Shadowrun Returns will be launching simultaneously for PC and mobile tablets on July 25, 2013. Shadowrun Returns will be available on Steam for purchase for PC. They have announced that they will be releasing the campaign files alongside the editor with the game.

"The idea of releasing all of the editor files for the Shadowrun Returns campaign was based on my experience working with Trent Reznor on the Alternate Reality Game (ARG) for his album Year Zero. Trent empowered his fans to re-mix his music anyway they wished by releasing the GarageBand tracks with the album. With Shadowrun Returns we are doing the same thing, players can start from what we have created and build on it, revise it, or use it as a starting point for completely new stories. I believe we are the first to release an editable version of an entire campaign, and we are excited to see where the players take this universe," said Jordan Weisman, founder of Harebrained Schemes and originator of Shadowrun.

Backers for their Kickstarter campaign have already been playing around with the editor and have created some content for Shadowrun Returns. It will be exciting to see what the creative minds of the community will come up with once the editor is available to the masses.

To learn more about Shadowrun Returns, go to Harebrained Schemes web site http://harebrained-schemes.com/shadowrun/what-is-shadowrun-returns . Pre-orders for Shadowrun Returns are being taken now on Steam <http://store.steampowered.com/app/234650/?snr=1_7_15__13 .

Thoughts on The Last of Us

The Last of Us released on the 14th, so after picking it up I got to playing this game, and so far I've been having an awesome time! The Last of Us is an action-adventure survival horror game developed by Naughty Dog for the PS3. The game tells the tale of a man traveling cross-country to smuggle a girl to a group called the Fireflies.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II Announcement

[This is an unedited Press Release announcement, thanks to NecoreGames Press Newsletter]

Budapest, Hungary – June 12, 2013 – Esteemed indie developer NeocoreGames announced today The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II for PC, bringing players the follow-up to the popular gothic-noir steampunk action-RPG influenced by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Returning fans will be able to import their characters from the first adventure, while new hunters will have the opportunity to create their own legendary monster-hunter.

"In the first game it all seemed so simple," said Viktor Juhász, narrative designer at Neocore Games, "defeat the mad scientist, free the land and ride into the sunset, but sometimes the fall of a villain only opens the way to more sinister foes.”

The incredible adventures continue, and Van Helsing, the famous monster-hunter returns to save the day again with the help of his charming, ghostly companion, Lady Katarina. The gothic metropolis of weird science is on the brink of destruction as chaos rules the streets and a new enemy plots revenge. It’s time to enter the dark side of Borgova and the forbidden wilderness, but beware: you are not the only one behind a mask.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, currently available worldwide $14.99 via Steam on Windows® PC, is a one-of-a-kind action-RPG that pits players in fierce battles against familiar supernatural foes and enables players to partake in a tower-defense mini-game within Van Helsing’s upgradable lair to ward off evil that attempt to overrun the base by way of force.

Anthymn Information Update

Anthymn has released a video update detailing gameplay and game mechanics! It's a half-hour video filled with information about how the gameplay will turn out, and it's very exciting! The group combat sounds very interesting, I can't wait to group up with some friends and get in-sync with each other! Check out the video FAQ on youtube, and if you haven't already seen it, take a look at their kickstarter campaign.

Anthymn Kickstarter

Anthymn is what looks to be an MMORPG that`s all about music. From learning about music and everything about it to composing music together with others to shape the story of the world. This project highly excites me, and I just really want to share it with everybody. Anthymn is being created by String Theory Entertainment, and you can find the site on it at www.theanthymn.com

They`ve also put out an Anthymn kickstarter, and their initial goal is for 600k. It`s a big project, with a big goal, and I sincerely hope they reach it and all the stretch goals. Just imagining the idea that players will be learning about music together in an online game format gets me really excited! Go and check it out now!

Prime World: Defenders Review

Prime World: Defenders is a new kind of tower-defense game, one that mixes in a little bit of trading cards to the gameplay. This game even has some RPG elements, making for a unique gameplay experience.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Review

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, what a name. It's slightly misleading though, since the game is entirely about one adventure. Never-the-less, it's got all the gun-slinging and sword-swinging action you would expect of something Van Helsing. This time, we're off to save Borgovia from some mad scientists! The big question is how much fun the journey is, and the answer is a lot of fun!

Legends of Aethereus First Impressions

Alright, Legends of Aetheureus. This is a game that's still in development by ThreeGates Studios, and it's a game I also backed on Kickstarter back a while ago. What attracted me was the idea of how the combat works, they were going for a skill-based game like Dark Souls, and I really enjoy Dark Souls so I backed them on this one. They also promoted a highly customizable crafting system for everything, and great multiplayer action.

So, what am I thinking of the work they've done so far? Well, the crafting system is quite nice, lots of customization options and such. They've done a good job with it already, and I'm sure they'll continue to work on everything as release comes closer. Combat is well on it's way, skill really does help when it comes to fighting enemies. The stats you gain actually make you feel stronger, rather than as though you could finally just keep up with tougher enemies. As of now it still needs more polishing but I'm sure it'll be an amazing combat system when ThreeGates is all done with it.

So, my first impression of this game, it's looking good so far! If ThreeGates keeps up their good work then I'm sure we'll have a great game on our hands.

Rambling about Roguelikes

I've played... wait, scratch that, tried playing several roguelikes. I've probably only made it for 10 minutes in most of them for each of my lives, never really getting very far. I guess I'm just not very good at planning out things, or I've been screwed by the RNG every time. Even though it's clear I'm pretty bad at playing roguelikes, I do like them a lot because I can't breeze through even the most basic of levels. That and random stuff happening is always awesome.

Horror Games and Their Scares

I hate horror games. I'm easily scared, I don't enjoy getting scared, but I still play some of them anyways. Some horror games have very tense atmospheres, and for whatever reason, I like getting that feeling now and then. It still doesn't change the fact that I hate it when the tension breaks and the screaming begins, but I'll keep going and try to play if I can.

Dust: An Elysian Tail Review

Dust: An Elysian Tail is a sleek and beautiful hand-drawn and fully animated game by Humble Hearts. A side-scrolling platforming action RPG with a very streamlined combat system and great dialogue throughout the game makes Dust a huge joy to play from beginning to end.

Reus Review

Reus is a god game, and is one of the few games out there that are a part of this genre. Not only is it unique, it's a lot of fun! It's a stunning debut for Abbey Games, an indie dev group based in the Netherlands. Beautiful art, great gameplay, and a unique design make this game a huge joy to play.