UPDATE: It appears that the game has been pulled from steam. It seems that the creator is planning on refunding everyone and making the game free sometime in the future. In that case, you should definitely download it when they re-release it. Check out the announcement here.

FNAF World is the newest game in the Five Nights at Freddy’s series, but instead of another horror based game, we’re being treated to an RPG! Does this new title successfully transfer to other genres, or is the change unBEARable (sorry, we had to)? Let’s find out!

Story/Graphics:

As per tradition with a Scott Cawthon title, FNAF World on the outside seems to have a pretty straightforward, if not slightly confusing story. It’s not until you really play through the game a second time that you begin to understand things a bit better. With that said, the game is able to find a nice balance story wise. Graphics are also nice; the game features both a 2D sprite style for overworld progression, and a 3D style for combat. The models on the chibi sprites are simple, but very faithfully mirror their previous game counterparts. While the game visuals are solid, some of the 2D sprite sections can seem a bit stretched and blurry at some points, but it’s only on occasion.

Gameplay/Music:

Gameplay in FNAF World is split into 2 parts. The 1st part is overworld progression where you traverse the world around you in an 8-bit style similar to what mini games in the previous installments look like, while the 2nd style is the game’s combat. Combat is handled in real time akin to games like Chrono Trigger and Xenoblade Chronicles. While most battles are easy and fun to execute, the screen can get cluttered sometimes making it difficult to see what’s going on. The game also has some very bad loading times in and out of some screens. On average I had to wait about 15-25 seconds per loading screen, which certainly broke the immersion, on more than a few occasions.

Each character has a different set of abilities, and even though some characters do share some moves with others, most of the moves are specifically tailored for that person. Your group consists of 2 parties of 4 with a very wide range of characters that you’ll be able to unlock and play as over the progression of the game. You can also acquire special items to give you an advantage in battle ranging from new computer chips that give you speed and attack increases, to buying helping partners from a new character called Lolbit. Both are great helping a battle to turn in your favor.

For past games, Scott Cawthon would usually use royalty free music, but this time around FNAF World is composed by Leon Riskin. The music is nice and on the mark. From the upbeat battle music, to the eerie and mysterious caves, the music will help set the tone and mood of the game.

Verdict:

FNAF World is a bold change from the regular formula that fans have come to expect out of it, but besides a few technical issues at launch and a somewhat cluttered battle screen at times, the game has enough charm and replayability to justify its $10 price tag. If you’re just getting into RPG’S and are looking for a relaxing, but challenging experience, then you won’t go wrong with FNAF World.

RATING: 3/5.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsaXgePC2No

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 61 – ‘Derek’s Xbox Impressions Round 2 And Other Stuff Too!’

by GeekscapeStaffJanuary 15, 2016

Join Derek, Josh, Juan and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

This Week:

The Goat Simulator ‘Payday’ DLC Looks Insane.

Ratchet and Clank has a release date, sweet box art.

Metroid: Zero Mission available for Wii U now.

Neo Geo Pocket was awesome.

3 new characters announced for Pokken Tournament.

Pokemon 3DS bundle looks unreal, comes with Red and Blue pre-installed.

A Mythical Pokemon is coming each and every month starting in February.

Pokemon is getting a live action Super Bowl commercial

Amazon Prime 20% Discount for pre-orders / new release games.

Derek’s Xbox impressions.

EA Access.

EA Sports UFC.

Rare Replay.

Tomb Raider.

Fallout 4.

Fast Racing Neo.

Baby Watch 2016.

Splatoon.

Nintendo Badge Academy.

Corpse Party.

Earth Defence Force.

Amplitude.

Tales of Symphonia 2.

Tales Of Zysteria.

Destiny.

Listener Mission Objective:

Juan’s baby will be here any day now! What video game-themed name should he give it?

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 60 – ‘With Arms Wide Open!’

by GeekscapeStaffJanuary 8, 2016

Join Derek, Josh, Juan and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

This Week:

Derek orders an Xbox One.

Shane buys a spinner watch.

Guillermo Del Toro to present Kojima with the D.I.C.E. Hall of Fame Awards.

Oculus Rift release date and pricing revealed.

First screenshot for Outlast II.

Pocket Mortys looks genius.

Next ‘Tales’ game gets a mysterious trailer.

Shane talks about butt plugs.

Wii Fit U and Wii Sports Club.

Fallout 4.

Amplitude.

Corpse Party Blood Drive.

KOTOR.

Sketchparty TV.

Destiny.

Listener Mission Objective:

VR is essentially here for the mass market. What are you most excited to experience in Virtual Reality?

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 59 – ‘What The Hell Happened To 2015?!’

by GeekscapeStaffJanuary 2, 2016

Join Derek, Josh, Juan and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

This Week:

Mostly spoiler free discussion of Star Wars: Episode VII.

Namco-Bandai announcements.

Project X Zone.

New One Piece game announced.

God Eater game coming to the west.

Skylander’s Amiibo’s getting released individually.

Valve servers had a data breach over the holiday.

Tim Schafer and Double Fine Studios are doing some shady stuff over at FIG crowd funding.

Our Games of 2015!

Battlefront.

KOTOR.

Metro 2033: Redux.

Star Wars Force Awakens Disney Infinity.

Fallout 4.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III

Listener Mission Objective:

What is your favorite Star Wars game of all time?

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 58 – ‘Another Week And Still No Black Ops III Review’

by GeekscapeStaffDecember 17, 2015

Join Derek, Josh, Juan and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

This Week:

Smash Direct

Bayonetta added to Smash Bros. Lineup.

Corrin from upcoming Fire Emblem game added.

Kojima has officially formed a new studio, and is working with Sony Computer Entertainment.

Dead Or Alive Xtreme 3 Controversy.

Danganronpa 3 is coming… as an anime.

The Climb is going to be scary as hell.

Smash Bros. Cloud impressions.

Among the Sleep.

Shane plays COD co-op.

Fallout 4.

Valve fixed the rifles in CSGO.

Listener Mission Objective:

What is your most anticipated game of 2016?

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 57 – ‘I Guess We Should All Go Play System Shock Right Now’

by GeekscapeStaffDecember 11, 2015

Join Derek, Josh, Juan and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

This Week:

System Shock 3 information has been leaked.

Things get heavy when we talk about the race to the bottom / free-to-play market.

Final Fantasy VII in game footage released.

Nolan North was so funny at The Game Awards

Value of video games?

Ni No Kuni II announced.

Smash Bros. direct incoming.

Nintendo NX rumours and discussion about Nintendo’s future.

We have a lot of unplayed Steam Games.

CS:GO R8 Revolver and adjusted spray pattern controversy.

Fallout 4.

Yo-Kai Watch.

WWE 2k16.

John Cena!

Listener Mission Objective:

Do you think modern AAA video games are worth $60? More? Less? Why?

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 56 – ‘Stand With Kojima’

by GeekscapeStaffDecember 5, 2015

Join Josh, Juan and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

This Week:

The Game Awards happened.

Konami’s lawyers banned Hideo Kojima from attending Game Awards.

FarCry: Primal.

Shaq Fu sequel.

Psychonauts 2 crowd funding starts.

/r/slutoon.

Game Award Winners.

Mortal Kombat X get’s Leatherface & Xenomorph DLC.

Project M canceled.

Platinum Games announces TMNT arcade brawler.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III.

Splatoon.

Nintendo Badge Center.

Listener Mission Objective:

What is your game of the year?

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 54 – ‘Let’s Hurry This Up And Get Back To Jessica Jones’

by GeekscapeStaffNovember 20, 2015

Join Derek, Josh and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

This Week:

Heavy Rain & Beyond Two Souls coming to the PS4.

Sony developing PS2 backwards compatability for PS4.

Kotaku whines like little babys about being blacklisted by Bethesda and Ubisoft.

The Game Awards nominees announced & our predictions.

PS4 & Xbox One $299 Black Friday specials.

Fallout 4.

Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer.

Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival.

Yo-Kai Watch.

Xenoblade: Chronicles

Call of Duty: Black Ops III

Geekscape Giveaways:

Tweet @geekscapegames that you want Tales From The Borderlands, and you’ll be entered to win a copy of the game on Steam!

Listener Mission Objective:

With the ‘Tomb Raider’ reboot getting a director, who would you like to see as our new Lara Croft?

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 51 – ‘The One Where Shane Is On Time?’

by GeekscapeStaffOctober 23, 2015

Join Derek, Josh, Juan and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

This Week:

Hideo Kojima Drama.

Activision delays PS3 & Xbox 360 versions of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 5.

Harmonix putting up fake reviews of Rockband.

Pokken Tournament not doing so well in Japanese arcades.

Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate review emargo’d lifted.

Trillion God of Destruction announced for the west.

Guitar Hero: Live.

Metal Gear Solid 5.

Amnesia: Memories.

Yoshi’s Wooly World.

Fatal Frame.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon.

FAST Racing Neo.

Geekscape Giveaway’s:

We’re giving away a copy of Tale’s From The Borderlands! Listen to this week’s episode to find out how to win!

This Week’s Listener Mission Objective:

If you could play a Telltale style game based on any property, what would it be?

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

This Is The End: Watch The Trailer For The Final Episode of ‘Life Is Strange’!

by Derek KraneveldtOctober 19, 2015

Briefly: It’s going to be hard not to call in sick for work tomorrow.

I’ve been pretty vocal about DONTNOD’s Life Is Strange being the best game that I’ve played so far in 2015. Now, after a slightly longer wait than usual, the final episode of the title is set to release tomorrow.

Square-Enix has just debuted a trailer for the upcoming probably-heartbreaking adventure, which you can take a look at below.

Me? I’m staying as far away from the video as possible. Life Is Strange is a rare series that has consistently kept me on my toes throughout every single episode. This being the last one, and likely the last time we’ll ever see Max Caulfield, I’d like to be as surprised as possible.

And I hope that she’s okay. The end of Episode Four earlier in the year basically ruined my Summer.

You can take a look at the trailer below, and be sure to let us know if you’ve enjoyed the game so far!

Geekscape Games Reviews: ‘The Jackbox Party Pack 2’

by The_aczOctober 16, 2015

The Jackbox Party Pack 2 is anything but an ordinary party game. It’s an experience.

Releasing almost a year after the first one, The Jackbox Party Pack 2 is more of the same wacky humor you’ve come to expect, but with completely different games. So, is this the party of the year, or should you not bother with an RSVP? Just like my Rare Replay review, I’m not sure if I can do this game justice by giving it a regular review. That’s why I’ve decided to take a look at each of the 5 games separately and talk about what did and didn’t work.

Fibbage 2:

Out of all five games in the original party pack, this is the only returning game to the sequel, but for a reason. Fibbage 2 is still as charming and funny as it was when it debuted. For those who don’t know: Fibbage is a game where the players are given a true statement with a missing answer. The players, then, type in their own lies in hopes of the other players being fooled into thinking that it’s real. The updated sequel adds hundreds of new facts as well as a new DeFIBrillator which for one round can get rid of all lies but one, thus leaving you with only two choices. There’s really nothing bad to say about this game as it’s one of the best in the collection. Definite play if you’re picking the game up.

Quiplash XL:

Originally starting out as a small Kickstarter project earlier this March, Quiplash is another pre-existing game that has been updated for this new collection. This game tasks players with competing against each other to see who has a better response for the current on screen prompt. What do you NOT want to find in a burrito: A half-eaten turd or a dead rat? If there’s a downside to this it’d have to be that the game can end a little prematurely with only 3-4 people, so it’s best you play with at least 6-8 people. With 100’s of different questions and the ability to have over 1000 people playing at once, you’re in for one game you won’t forget anytime soon.

Bidiots:

Now we’re getting into the new games. Bidiots is a new drawing game that’s been stated to be the spiritual successor to one of the previous party pack titles, Drawful. In this game, you and your friends are a group of people at an art auction, and it’s your job to create and sell art for the auction in order to please your rich art clients. In-between rounds, you’ll get hints from your clients telling you what the prices on specific items are so you don’t end up over or under bidding on it.

You can also get free $1000 loans from the bank in order to ensure you have enough money to buy art pieces. Beware though, because at the end of the game you lose 1,500 points for each loan you take. Even though the game has some really good ideas and potential, the game ends up becoming a bit confusing at times with people not knowing what to do. While I do commend the team for trying something new with drawing games, it ultimately ends up being the weakest game of the pack. It’s good for a play every now and then, but not all the time.

Earwax:

I’m just going to say it right now in advance. Out of all the new games in this collection, Earwax is the game you’ll have the most fun with. Think Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity, but with sound effects instead. Each round, a judge is picked to determine a category, and afterwards, the rest of the players must choose 2 options from a list of 6 randomized sound effects. Once everyone’s done, Players get to vote on what they think was their favorite answer, but in the end it’s up to the judge to determine the winner. Sound effects are very varied and range from things such as an anvil dropping on someone’s head to a crying baby.

Not to mention Fart Noises. Lots and lots of fart noises. If there was one problem with the game though, it’d have to be that you can’t preview the sounds you choose. So, the first couple of times you play it might be a guessing game to see how well some sounds interact with others. Although, I can see why they didn’t as that’d make the game too loud and give away your answers. All in all, this is a must play if you’re planning on buying this game.

Bomb Corp:

This game is just weird; like really weird. In Bomb Corp, you and up to 3 players are hired at a bomb defusing company. Your job is to defuse as many bombs as you can in one day (while also filing the occasional paperwork.) The only catch with these tasks are that depending on how many people are playing, instructions on how to complete the tasks are scattered throughout everyone’s devices using the game. The humor is spot on as most of the characters joke about how they can die at any moment while also talking about other nonsensical things during their break. If you want to take a serious shot at beating this, it’s best to play by yourself, but if you and all your friends are drunk or just want to yell at each other, this is another great party game to play together.

Overall:

Overall, The Jackbox Party Pack 2 is the most fun I’ve had with a party game since last year’s Jackbox Party Pack. The team really tried something new with these 5 games and didn’t want to just re-skin the 1st pack. While Bidiots feels like a slight misfire, other games like Earwax, Fibbage 2, and more make this collection even more memorable than its predecessor. If you haven’t picked up the game yet, I strongly suggest dropping $25 on both collections if you haven’t yet, because you’re going to be in for one hell of a family game night. The Jackbox Party Pack is Available now to Download on PS3, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Amazon Fire TV.

Final Score: 5/5 BUY IT!!!

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 50 – ‘Criminal Girls Promotes Good Hygiene”

by GeekscapeStaffOctober 16, 2015

Join Derek, Josh, Juan and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

This Week:

Destiny Emotes are overpriced.

Fallout 4 Live Action Trailer is badass.

Fallout Shelter has cloud syncing saves.

Star Wars: Force Awakens Disney Infinity 3.0 figures announced.

Battlefront will not have VOIP support.

Set photos from the Assassin’s Creed Movie released.

Rocket League gets a BTTF DeLorean.

Criminal Girls 2 get an overview trailer.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 5.

Minecraft Story Mode.

Amnesia.

Disney Infinity 3.0.

Chibi Robo.

Splatoon.

Star Wars Battlefront Beta.

Metal Gear Online.

Lost Planet 2.

Extra Life 2015: 907Gamers

This Week’s Listener Mission Objective:

What control scheme do you use? Inverted or normal?

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

The Final Episode Of ‘Life Is Strange’ Gets A (Probable) Release Date!

by Derek KraneveldtSeptember 21, 2015

Briefly: If you’re a Geekscape (or Geekscape Games) regular, you know full well just how much I’ve loved the first four episodes of DONTNOD’s Life is Strange.

2015 has been a year filled with incredible game releases (with a few more still on the way). yet every time I think about the best titled I’ve played so far this year, my mind always wanders back to Max and Chloe’s incredible time-jumping adventure.

Four episodes of the game’s first season have been released, each somehow better and more emotional than the last, and DONTNOD today (on Max’s birthday, no less) have finally revealed just when we’ll be able to get our hands on the game’s fifth and final episode.

“We don’t normally announce a date until we know the game is 100% ready but in the spirit of Max’s birthday (today) we wanted to let you know early that we are aiming to release Episode 5 ‘Polarized’ October 20.”

I’m both excited and terrified for the upcoming release, as those who are up to date with the game know the horrifying situation that Max found herself in at the close of episode four. I honestly have no idea what will happen at any moment of ‘Polarized’, but I sure hope that Max makes it out okay.

DONTNOD has stated that if the game gets a second season, it’ll likely feature an all new cast and plot. I’m a huge fan of fresh experiences, but it’s going to be hard as hell to say goodbye to Max and Arcadia Bay.

Are you up to date with Life is Strange? What have you thought of the game so far? What do you think is in store for us with episode five!?

Source: Square-Enix

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Super Mario Maker’

by The_aczSeptember 18, 2015

It’s hard to believe that the Super Mario Bros. Series has been platforming into our living rooms for thirty years.

Released on September 13^th 1985, Super Mario Bros. has gone to become one of the most popular video games to date. It even went on to sell over 40 million copies and spawn endless spin-offs and sequels that continue to this very day. Even Mario himself has become one of the most recognizable icons in history. Flash forward 30 years, and fans are finally getting one of their biggest wishes granted with Super Mario Maker.

Super Mario Maker is Nintendo’s love letter to the Mario series and fans alike, allowing anyone to make their own 2D Mario levels from scratch. What really makes this game special is that not only can you make your own levels from the original Mario, but you can also choose art styles from its most popular iterations. These include classics such as Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, and even New Super Mario Bros. U. There’s also a wealth of locations to choose between including above ground, underground, underwater, ghost house, air ship, and bowser’s castle.

Today's Fuel Economy -By Josh — Today’s Fuel Economy -By Josh

The tool layout is very simple to pick up and use. All you do is tap on an item you want to use and you can summon that item at will. Most items are usable in all art styles excluding a couple of items. These include the goomba shoe in Mario 1 and Mario 3, turning into Yoshi eggs in Mario World and Mario U, and the Mystery Mushroom (more on that in a second) turning into each art styles specific flying item. Mario 3 has the Raccoon Leaf, Mario World has the Cape, and Mario U has the Propeller Hat.

One of the most fun additions to Super Mario Maker has to be the inclusion of the Mystery Mushroom. By tapping a corresponding Amiibo, or completing a run in 100 Mario Challenge (A mode where you adventure through randomly generated user levels) you can unlock a special character outfit for Mario to use in the original Super Mario Bros. theme. Want to go through a level as Donkey Kong, Samus, Kirby, or even Megaman? Well now you can! Just playing 100 Mario Challenge to see what character you’ll unlock next will have you occupied for a long time to come considering that there’s about 100 different costumes.

Now to the part everyone’s been waiting for: the user generated content. Content is separated by 100 Mario Challenge, Courses, and Makers. Courses can be sorted by featured, top rated, and up & coming. They can also be searched by difficulty, but not name, location or time period even though the options are there. This is one of the biggest flaws in the game since if you want to play a specific level from someone, you have to be either following them, or enter a 16 digit code. I’m really hoping for an update that can add a better search engine because as it is right now, it’s kind of useless.

Even aside from the search engine problems I still have a couple of minor complaints with the title. For starters, Even though there’s a nice amount of objects and enemies to use, there are still some really iconic items missing from the game. These include not being able to make slopes, as well as there being no Desert or Forest levels as well as the exclusion of popular enemies such as the Angry Sun and the Charging Chucks. There’s also a problem with content creation item unlocks.

The game starts you off with only one row of objects and enemies, and from there you have to gradually create for 5 minutes for 9 days in a row, or spend time nonstop creating every 15 minutes. While I understand this is done to prevent younger children from getting too overwhelmed with the pallet, it would have been nice to at least have an option to start with everything. This option could have allowed veterans to jump straight into the more advanced techniques.

Overall, Super Mario Maker is one of the Wii U’s best offerings right beside Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Super Smash Bros, Bayonetta 2 and more! Creating levels is very easy and the tools are very accessible to all ages. The complaints I have about it aren’t enough to ruin the experience and I can see myself already planning more stages to create and play. Even if you aren’t a creator, there are still a boat load of original and creative levels that’ll keep you playing for months and even years to come (perhaps I’ll highlight some of my favorites sometime.)

Bowser's Construction Issues -By Jirard — Bowser’s Construction Issues -By Jirard

Rating: 4/5, BUY IT!!

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 45 – ‘Can Pokemon Save The World?’

by GeekscapeStaffSeptember 10, 2015

Join Derek and Shane as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

This Week:

Destiny 2.0.

Destiny V Marty O’Donnell lawsuit resolution.

Destiny story cut two months before release.

Destiny: The Taken King Live Action Trailer sucks.

Pokemon GO announced.

Apple TV with game support is here.

DOOM custom map creator looks awesome.

Pikmin 4 announced.

Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain.

This Week’s Listener Mission Objective:

What is your favorite Playstation memory of the last 20 years?

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

The Saint Mort Show Episode 136: The NXT Takeover and SummerSlam Pre-Show

by SaintmortAugust 21, 2015

Once again I am joined by Geekscape Games co-hosts (and wrestling fans) Juan and Josh as we breakdown not one but TWO pay-per-views happening this weekend. First we talk NXT Takeover Brooklyn and then the 2nd biggest WWE Pay-Per-View of the year… Wrestlemania.

If you’re curious where I’ve been I’ve been working on my new podcast Horror Movie Club. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud, Reddit and Geekscape.net!

Follow Saint Mort on Facebook and Twitter and SoundCloud.

If you really like the show get Matt something nice off his AmazonWishList

Subscribe to Us on iTunes

Geekscape Games Reviews: ‘Shiftlings’

by The_aczAugust 15, 2015

Sierra is a company near and dear to my heart. Besides Rare, they were my first introduction into the world of videogames. Founded in 1980, by Ken and Roberta Williams, Sierra would go on to create such classic adventure and puzzle games such as The Incredible Machine, Leisure Suit Larry, King’s Quest, and many more. Sadly, the company has been missing for the last 6 years. Fear not though, because just last year, Sierra has re-opened their doors and is ready to start making new memories with a brand new generation of gamers. This brings us to one of their first new outings, Shiftlings.

This Adventure Puzzle game is about 2 alien janitors who are connected together by a cord and can inflate themselves at will. Together, they will travel across 5 different planets and 50 levels to overcome all odds. Oh, did I also mention that they’re being recorded as part of a reality TV show called Shiftlings? Weird, huh? So, can Shiftlings re-capture the fun and quirkiness that Sierra games of old had?

Art Style & Sound

Art style in the game is very nice. All the backgrounds for all the different levels and worlds are nicely textured and extremely bright and colorful. Even in the most basic asteroid space level the colors pop out nicely and really help make the levels and worlds feel different. Sound effects are very animated; making the game feel like it’s straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon. To further help with that is the music, which is very ambient and help sets the tone that these 2 janitors are all alone on these planets. There are also cut scenes, which are very well animated and voice acted. They help break up the game in certain sections and provide just enough laughs to keep you going to the next.

Gameplay & Negatives

The gameplay in Shiftlings is easy to learn, but difficult to master. At any point in a level you can switch which characters to move and which one to inflate. You can also move both of them at once in order to bounce across large gaps and collect hidden collectible cola bottles in each level. As you steadily progress, the game starts introducing new mechanics such as doors, rotating platforms, and many more. And what kind of Sierra game would this be if there weren’t a variety of death animations? Everything from getting electrocuted, to being incinerated by flames and you’ll want to die as many times as you can. You also have a narrator voice commenting on each of the levels you play and that really helps cement the fact that this is a reality TV show.

While the game excels in many places mentioned above, there are some problems with it. One of the biggest problems is its difficulty. There are some cases where it can ramp up a little too fast, and that may cause novice players to get a little too frustrated with the game. The controls can also be a bit confusing when first starting the game, but after a while you will settle into them.

Final Thoughts & Rating

Shiftlings is a very smart, if not difficult, puzzle game that really re-captures the magic of what made Sierra such an unusual and fun company. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the game and recommend it to expert puzzle fans, I’m not quite sure if novice players would find it easily accessible. In this case I’d recommend downloading a demo of it since it’s on all major platforms with the exception of Wii U (sorry Nintendo fans the E-shop doesn’t have a demo of it.) If you still like it afterwards, then I whole heartedly recommend picking the game up.

FINAL RATING: 3/5. Try it first, then buy it.

Geekscape Games Reviews: ‘Rare Replay’

by The_aczAugust 7, 2015

One of the first games I remember playing as a kid was 1994’s Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo. I spent countless months playing the game alongside my older brother. We’d constantly spend every day after school trying to find every bonus room we could while taking turns trying to beat those now infamous mine cart levels. All those memories and more were thanks to a then fairly new company called Rareware.

Replay collection — All 30 games in Rare Replay in one image. That’s a lot of games.

This year, Rare (now owned by Microsoft) is celebrating their 30^th anniversary of being in the video game business. To celebrate this amazing milestone, they’ve gone and compiled their 30 best games from the past 30 years, all into one package for the shockingly low value of $30. Everything from their spectrum games like Jetpac and Sabrewulf, to their newest outings such as Viva Piñata and Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. To sweeten the deal even further, they’ve gone and added a challenge mode where you can play specific parts of classic era rare games in order to earn stamps. Those can then be used to watch exclusive behind the scene interviews with some of the brilliant minds responsible for these most beloved franchises.

This time, instead of doing a normal review where I talk about all aspects of the game, I thought I’d try something different with Rare Replay seeing as how a lot of people have already played these games before. So for this review, I’ll be going through my favorite games of each key Rare era. Let’s begin.

Spectrum Era: Jetpac

This was probably one of the trickiest categories to choose because the Spectrum games shown in this collection are really odd. Most of them require an immense amount of fast-twitch skill and trial and error. That is, except for Jetpac. Jetpac is the Spectrum game that you’ll be playing the most out of the collection, and there’s a reason for that. The gameplay is super simple, and plays more like an arcade game than anything else. Your goal in the game is to find the missing pieces of your rocket ship so you can get home. Each level randomizes the layout and enemy structure so the experience is always fresh and new. You’ll be spending countless hours blasting away at aliens while you’re trying to get the last tank of gas into your rocket for liftoff.

Nes Era: Battletoads

As much as Rare Replay has introduced me to new NES titles from their library, Battletoads is still the pinnacle of Rare’s early Nintendo years before they became the 2^nd Party we all know and love. Once you start the game, you get dropped into the action immediately, but unlike the spectrum games, you don’t feel vulnerable. Since it’s a beat em up, you already instinctively know how the game works. Run, jump, and beat em up! Not only is the first level a great introduction, but it slowly teaches you about the game so you can be prepared for the increase in difficulty after each level. The difficulty of the game dose increase fast, but it never seems unfair or not fun. especially since Rare has added a new feature that softens the blow. In any game up until the end of the NES/Battletoads Arcade era, you have the option of holding down the left trigger, which activates a rewind feature that you can use to rewind your game for up to 10 seconds. Never again will you struggle with the infamous turbo tunnel. Don’t let this feature fool you though, because this game is still as tough today as it was back then. 10 Seconds may save you one time, but it may be too late for others.

N64 Era: Conker’s Bad Fur Day

Coming into the N64 era, there was a lot to consider. This is the era that Rare really shined the brightest in terms of quality and quantity. While many are eager to crown Banjo Kazooie as the top spot, this is not the case with me. In my opinion, Conker outshines every other title in this era to prove that over 10 years later this once overlooked gem has become one of the most infamous and controversial games of its time. Everything from foul mouthed animals and barn equipment, to a pile of singing poo and a giant sunflower with rather large “stigmas”, really set up a game that in no way wants you to take it seriously. Not to mention the introduction of “Context Sensitive” gameplay where you conveniently find and use tools that you need in that moment of time. Throw in a fun 4 player split screen multiplayer with plenty of game modes to keep you interested, and Conker’s Bad Fur Day easily earns the title of the best N64 era Rare game.

Xbox Era: Viva Piñata

Out of all of the eras and games in this collection, the Xbox era stuck out to me the most from all the others. This comes from the fact that I had constantly heard about the games in this era, but never had the chance to play them. The only game from this section that I had played was Grabbed by the Ghoulies, which I think is an underrated gem. I was also eager to finally try out the mixed received Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. In the end, it ended up being a toss-up between N&B and Viva Piñata. Nuts & Bolts was going to be crowned winner, but sadly the game was still suffering from some pretty bad frame dropping in the hub world. I was hoping for them to fix this problem when I played it earlier this year at comic con (hopefully it gets fixed in a future patch). I’m happy to say that Viva Piñata is one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve ever played. All you do is create a garden for growing and harvesting piñatas, but it’s got that rare charm that makes it a step above the rest. Never have I spent so much time watering plants and tilling my land in order to attract the most beautiful and rare Piñata creatures. Top that off with classic rare humor and an absolute mouthwatering score from composer Grant Kirkhope and you have yourself one of the best and most addicting games to come out of the company PERIOD.

Final thoughts

At the end of the day, I can’t say enough good things about Rare Replay that everyone else has already said. This is possibly the best collection of games ever compiled. $30 is a steal of a price for how much value that both gamers, and non-gamers will be getting out of it. If you have an Xbox One, you owe it to yourself to buy this amazing package and see what all the hubbub is about.

Rating: Buy

GamesCom 2015: ‘Killer Instinct Season 3’ Goes Green With Release Date & ‘Battletoads’

by The_aczAugust 4, 2015

EDITORS NOTE: The Rash Beta Test is only available right now for people who have purchased a season of Killer Instinct or have purchased Rare Replay and booted up the NES version of Battletoads.

Big news for Xbox One fans eagerly awaiting the announcement for a 3rd season of Killer Instinct! Microsoft has just announced today at Gamescom that KI Season 3 is expected to launch sometime in march of 2016. They also announced that in honor of the release of Rare Replay, (expect our review later on that later this week) that Rash, from Battletoads, will be making his way to the fight. The best part about this announcement? His beta test available RIGHT NOW FOR FREE!! Users will have the chance to preview the new fighter up until September 8th. After that, they’ll just have to wait for the official release. Will you be Maining Rash?

For more info on how Rash works, check out the official KI website.

Geekscape Games Reviews: ‘Project Spark: Conker Play and Create’

by The_aczAugust 3, 2015

Over one year ago during E3 2014, Microsoft showed off a trailer for one of their upcoming titles called Project Spark. For those who don’t know, Project Spark is a creator driven game along the likes of LittleBigPlanet in which the game’s campaign mode is made entirely from the in game level editor. This makes it possible to perfectly re-create those levels, or even design your own. At the end of the trailer, everyone was greeted to a nice surprise; as it was announced that Conker the squirrel would be a playable character in some form or another. It was also announced that he’d be voiced by the creator of the Conker series himself, Chris Seavor.

Flash forward to about a year later, where it’s now revealed that the Conker content for Project Spark will be an episodic series of games along with creation assets, so fans can make their own Conker games. Now, even though the creation pack has been out for some time, I’ve only now gotten around to it, because Project Spark is celebrating their first successful year after launch. To commemorate this, many expansions and bundles are half priced including the Conker set. I figured I’d check it out since I had $5 in Xbox credit from pre ordering Rare Replay.

So, Is the Conker Play and Create Bundle a steal of a deal, or does it have the makings of another bad fur day? When you buy the Bundle you get 2 things. These include Conker’s Big Reunion Episode 1, and Conker: Hail to the Remix. Let’s start with Conker’s Big Reunion First.

The story of Big Reunion takes place 10 years after the events of bad fur day, but instead of being a direct sequel, it’s just a side story. The plot synopsis is as follows: 10 years have passed since the events of Bad Fur Day, and to celebrate, Conker is hosting a reunion for all of his friends at his favorite bar, The Cock and Plucker. Once he arrives, he is unable to enter because he is told by Birdy the Scarecrow that he has a $300 bar tab he needs to pay off. From there, Conker sets off on a brand new adventure to pay off his tab and join his reunion.

Art style & Sound

To start off with, the art style is very nice. The game takes a bit more inspiration from the original Bad Fur Day instead of Live and Reloaded. Environments are bright, and Conker and co. are very nicely re-designed to look a bit more simplistic, but also very detailed. Everything from Conker’s fur to Birdy’s loose hay, to even the Tediz fluff and hand stitched texture are really welcome and suit the characters very well.

Sound is also pretty top notch. Original BFD composer, Robin Beanland, returns, once again, to score Big Reunion. Most of them are just slight updates of previous Conker tunes but are still as catchy and memorable as ever. The voice acting is also top notch. Once again, Chris Seavor, creator and voice of everyone’s favorite squirrel himself, returns to voice the titular character himself and all of his friends. Seavor is just as sharp witted as ever and never misses a single joke or beat.

Gameplay

Gameplay is identical to Bad Fur Day. Conker can run jump and even use his tail helicopter to double jump and hover across large gaps. He also comes equipped with his trusty Frying Pan which he uses to clobber any Tediz in sight. There are 3 specific areas in this episode that you’ll be exploring; each of which comes with their own gameplay style.

There’s the Tediz secret hideout which consists of a first person shooter segment, and a battle that you could say is very BALLSY. The Tediz brewery, which focuses on platforming, and even getting drunk enough to bypass a wall of beer that is aggressively spraying you off the edge. 3^rd and final, you have the Tediz lumberyard, in which you have to sneak your way through the forest Metal Gear Solid style and even face off against a chainsaw wielding maniac with a twist. There’s some more stuff in there, but I’ll save that for if you decide to play through it. The different gameplay styles are very welcome and help the game from becoming too repetitive and stale.

The only real downsides are that the game is on the very short side. It’ll only take you about 30 minutes – An hour to complete the game, and there really isn’t anything to go back to after you complete the episode. Other than that, Conker’s Big Reunion is a fun, if not short, fun tribute to the series. Hopefully we won’t have to wait much longer for the developers, Team Dakota, to make the 2^nd episode.

Hail to the Remix

The last thing to touch upon is Conker: Hail to the Remix. This is the creation pack that you get when you purchase the play and create bundle. This creation pack comes with everything seen in Big Reunion Episode 1. Everything from Conker, to Birdy, to even Fajo the Money Wad is there. It even comes with the Windy Grasslands Biome used to make the setting for the episode. The creation tools are very extensive and have given way to some very cool community levels. I’d recommend trying out R.T and Conker’s Other Bad Day Tribute just to name a few.

You also get a Conker as a playable champion for some of the other modes in Project Spark including Crossroads Adventure and Champion’s Quest: Void Storm. In these modes, Conker comes equipped with his Baseball Bat that he used in Live and Reloaded and his trusty SMG. He also has a special ability you can activate. When you defeat enemies, they will leave behind a wad of cash which Conker can collect. Once Conker collects at least 4 of those, you can summon a giant Context Sensitive Button out of nowhere and unleash a devastating special attack. Depending on your level, your special attacks can be anything from Deadly farts and throwing flaming cocktails, to turning into a giant lizard monster and calling in poo air strikes.

Final Verdict

All in all, the Conker Play and Create Bundle is a love letter to all things Conker. People who have played Bad Fur Day, wanting desperately for a long awaited sequel won’t find that here. However, they’ll still find enjoyment in it. This is also great for people who need a quick Conker fix before Rare Replay comes out. I was able to snag it for only $5, but even $10 is a steal for this pack and definitely worth picking it up. What’s even better is that Project Spark is FREE on both Xbox One and PC.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and create some awesome new Conker games!

Final Rating: Buy

Geekscape Games Review: ‘The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth 3DS’

by The_aczJuly 26, 2015

Editor’s Note: It should be stated that the handheld version of The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth is only available to New 3DS owners due to technical limitations with the regular 3DS/2DS systems.

After almost a year of fan outreach and many private discussions with them, Nintendo owners have been finally graced with The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth for the Wii U and New 3DS. Created back in September of 2011 for the PC, The Binding of Isaac follows a young boy named Isaac, who escapes into his basement after his religious mother is told by God himself that she must kill her own son to prove her loyalty to him. With 6 playable characters, and more than 100 different items and dungeon possibilities, the original game went to sell over 2 million copies as well as receive a DLC pack which added an additional 100+ items, a new character, and much more.

Now with Rebirth, on top of everything mentioned above the game has received a graphical upgrade as well as an additional 4 characters, another 100-200+ items, and even more things that would take me this entire review to talk about. So, now that the game has finally been reborn on Nintendo systems, was the wait really worth it? The answer without a doubt is a big resounding YES! Not only is The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth just as addicting as ever, but a couple of tweaks and changes made to the handheld version make the 3DS the definitive Binding of Isaac experience.

Art Style

Let’s start with visuals. The game’s 16-Bit visual art style is just as beautiful on the 3DS as it is on the home console versions. All of the characters are nicely animated and the paper drawing cut scenes during the intro and ending of the game provide a charm to the overall presentation. There are also fully animated endings for every attainable finale, each looking very crisp and smooth. You can tell a lot of effort was put into making the visuals the best they can to fully take advantage of the New 3DS’s hardware.

Gameplay and Controls

The gameplay also makes the game stand out from the rest. The game plays as a top down roguelike dungeon crawler. Think of a game entirely based of the dungeons from The Legend of Zelda, but each time you play, the entire dungeon is different. Everything from the dungeon layout, to the items, enemies, and even bosses promises a brand new experience each time you start the game. You can however, play some of them over again. The game has a feature where it gives you a special seed code that you can enter to always get that layout. This is good if you’re hoping to speed run the game or just practice a specific enemy or boss attack pattern.

The controls help on delivering a satisfying experience. You can move and shoot 2 different ways. Moving is done using the circle and the D-pads, while shooting uses the 4 main face buttons and even support for the New 3DS C-stick. L places a bomb, and R activates secondary items such as pills tarot cards, and plying cards. If none of these control options suit you that’s fine. Controls are completely customizable so change and test them to your heart’s content.

Replayability

In terms of replayability, the possibilities are endless. Every time you finish the game, the next run gets just a tad bit longer. From there, the basic length time stretches from about 30 minutes to 45 minutes to possibly even an hour. The game has 16 endings and an epilogue. Trying to get them all will lead to the most frustrating and fun times you’ll have with this game.

Negatives

Now for all of its positives, there are also some negatives about the game that could heavily influence your decision. For one thing, the local co-op that was present in the console versions of the game is no longer here. This may disappoint many, but I don’t mind it since I don’t really think it was very well implemented to begin with. What also surprised me was that there was no support for stereoscopic 3D in the game which I think is a missed opportunity. Hopefully we can get a future patch to add that.

Verdict:

At the end of the day, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth for the New Nintendo 3DS is the most satisfying Isaac experience to date. If this is your first time playing this award winning indie game or wondering which version to get, there should be no doubt. Portability alone is a good enough reason to buy this game. Heck, I’m still playing the game as we speak. Now all we have to hope for is for the future Afterbirth DLC to come to the system.

Final Rating: Buy

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is now available on the Nintendo E-shop for $15.

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 38 – ‘My Little Weaboo’

by Derek KraneveldtJuly 23, 2015

We’re down two hosts this week, so join Shane and Josh as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Street Fighter V

Shenmue Kickstarter

Minecraft Movie announced

Guitar Hero Live weekend event at Best Buy

Drive Club PS Plus Edition

Hyper Dimension Neptunia

This Week’s Listener Mission Objective

If you could have ANY director work on your dream Video Game movie, who would it be and why?

CONTEST!

Want to win yourself a Darth Vader Disney Infinity 3.0 figure? Yeah you do!

Tweet or Facebook either THIS article or THIS article, about Disney Infinity. BE SURE TO USE THE HASHTAG #GeekscapeDisneyInfinity. You can be entered TWICE if you also show us a picture of your current Disney Infinity collection, with the hash tag #GeekscapeDisneyInfinity.

This way if you don’t have a Disney Infinity collection, we can be your firsts!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

New ‘Life Is Strange’ Episode Coming Next Week, Watch The Trailer!

by Derek KraneveldtJuly 23, 2015

Briefly: I’m so freaking excited.

Over its three already-released episodes, Life Is Strange has evolved from an intriguing, mysterious adventure title into arguably my favourite title of 2015. Seriously, you really shouldn’t waste you’re time playing anything else.

A trailer for the next episode of the game has just debuted online, and though I won’t watch it (because spoilers, duh), DONTNOT has also revealed that the episode will finally release next Tuesday. This means it narrowly made its July deadline, and that I’m only a few days away from being able to finally play it!

Square-Enix also revealed today that Life is Strange has surpassed one million units. This is a fantastic milestone, and DONTNOD notes that “This is a huge achievement for the small team working on the game.”

Take a look at the new trailer below, and let us know what you think we’re in store for next week.

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 36 – ‘Happy Canada Day, 4th Of July, Labor Day Or Possibly Halloween Depending On When We Release This Episode

by Shane O'HareJuly 7, 2015

Join Shane, Josh, Derek and Juan as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

This Week

Warner Brothers KNEW the state of Batman: Arkham Knight and released the game anyway.

Scrolls is shutting down.

Best Buy fixes their exclusive Amiibo experience. Sorta.

Club Nintendo shuts down.

Pokemon Shuffle coming to mobile.

Playstation is HUGE in Europe.

PT Spiritual successor, Allison launches with a gameplay trailer.

CEO competitive results are here!

EVO entry numbers released.

Life is Strange Episode 2 & 3

Far Cry 4

Driveclub: PS Plus Edition

Batman

Nep

This Week’s Listener Mission Objective

Come meet up as our booth at San Diego Comic Con! Booth #3919

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 35 – ‘We Are Suspending Production Of Geekscape Games To Address Technical Issues And To Satisfy Our Quality Standards… JUST KIDDING’

by Shane O'HareJuly 2, 2015

Join Josh, Derek and Juan as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

This Week

Batman: Arkham Knight PC issues and halt of sales.

Halo 5 Preorder DLC can be earned in game.

Destiny: The Taken King $80 DLC bundle debacle.

Dying Light gives DLC for drinking water.

Humble Bundle Borderlands Edition.

Same Sex marriage coming to Fire Emblem

Sony comes out and admits to funding the majority of Shenmue 3.

Fallout Shelter.

Her Story.

Kirby’s Canvas Curse

Batman Arkham Knight

Federation Force

Earth Defense Force

Corpse Party

Lost Dimensions

Danganronpa Another Episode

Amnesia

HDN Rebirth 3

This Week’s Listener Mission Objective

With 2015 over halfway through, what has been your favourite game so far this year?

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

Geekscape Roundtable: What We’re Looking Forward To At E3 2015!

by Derek KraneveldtJune 10, 2015

Another year has passed, and another E3 fast approaches. What an interesting and frustrating year it’s been. Sure, we saw some phenomenal titles released over the last 12 months (The Witcher 3 has already become one of my favourite games of all time), but we also saw some titles that looked so promising release without much content (Destiny), more delays than we can count (Zelda, Batman, everything else), and nearly two years into their life-cycles, both the PS4 and Xbox One are plagued with remastered versions of last-gen titles instead of all new experiences.

But E3 is where everything (hopefully) changes. We’ll see a myriad of new announcements, promising titles from indie devs and AAA studios alike, a ton of VR, and hopefully some things that we haven’t even imagined to this point. With one of our most anticipated titles being announced the week before the expo, it’s going to take some big reveals to top Bethesda showing off Fallout 4.

It’s been awhile since we’ve done a roundtable piece here at Geekscape, and with most of our writers being gamers as well, what better way to bring the roundtable back than by asking everyone what they’re most looking forward to at E3 (or what they predict we’ll see).

Check back with Geekscape for E3 news as it happens, and be sure to listen to the Geekscape Games podcast, where Shane, Juan, Josh, and Derek chat video games and more each and every week.

Jonathan London

For the first time in years, I’m not attending E3. Repeatedly, while Xbox and Sony beat each other up in a race to announce the next exclusive or HD next-gen remake of a last-gen game, the excitement on the floor has centered on the indie marketplace games coming to Steam, PSN, Xbox Live and Nintendo’s eShop. It’s where I find the most exciting and risk driven titles each year. Or maybe just the most hilarious like last year’s Bro Force and Cloudberry Kingdom from two years ago. As I get busier, the number of giant Triple-A titles I can consume each year shrinks and I find myself able to play more titles like Guacamelee or Pokémon Shuffle for 15 minutes at a time than anything else. Not to say I’m not looking forward to Arkham Knight, but the urgency is no longer there.

That is, unless we’re talking about Zelda for the Wii U. If the rumors are true, this E3 will be all about Star Fox for Nintendo, and for sure I’m looking forward to it. But as one of my top 3 franchises in all of gaming, and after that long gameplay trailer we saw a few months ago, I couldn’t be more excited for Zelda’s arrival to the world of HD (I’m not counting Windwaker HD!). Zelda Skyrim, as many of us are calling it, shows all the promise of the best Zelda game yet and hopefully we don’t end up with another fetch-quest based game like Skyward Sword. Still, I’m getting my hopes up. As much as I’d love some more news on Zelda Wii U, I’ll be patient and realistic. The game has been delayed in order to implement more ideas and will probably barely get a mention from our friend Reggie. I’ll let Starfox tie me over this year and look forward for a big return to Hyrule in 2016. I just hope it’s not buried by the coming of the NX, or whatever Nintendo’s next mystery console ends up being.

Megan Haley

I’m really excited to see all the new HD remastered versions of games that I played last year. I mean, who wouldn’t be excited for Knack: Remastered! Hopefully they would remake it into a something that resembles entertainment this time around.

Seriously though, I’m excited to see what Vicarious Visions is doing with the latest Skylanders game. I always felt that the series had more potential as a game than what Activision has ran with so far. The original Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure for 3DS was amazing gameplay-wise, and I’m hoping that with VV back at the helm that they can bring back some of the same stellar gameplay from the first DS incarnation.

I’m also looking forward to what new tech they’ll show for VR hardware. I’ve had a few hands-on with Oculus Rift before and the future of VR technology is super exciting.

Eric Francisco

I’m absolutely conflicted about E3 this year. On one hand, I’m jaded. The current console generation in its entirety hasn’t captivated me enough to want to stay plugged in. Believe it or not, I’m still playing on my Xbox 360 taking care of unfinished business — achievements I could still go after and games I hadn’t completed.

Neither the Xbox One or the PS4 have too many incentives to pick one or the other. The only reason I have an Xbox One is because I took advantage of a retail promotion. If it weren’t for that I wouldn’t have one at all.

On the other hand, this might be the year the generation finally matters to me. Arkham Knight is out in just a few short weeks, Halo 5 is on the horizon, and Final Fantasy XV is somewhere around the corner.

I could bother to mention more games that might make me glad I’ve joined the current gen, but there is only one, and ONLY one game that will make or break E3 for me: Mass Effect 4. I want to know as much about that game as possible, and if they happen to announce a 2016 release date I may immediately suffer a heart attack.

Jake Lopez

A Summer hallmark among my circle, E3 continually provides cheers, empty promises, and, if we’re being honest, sadness. If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about E3 2015 is the lack of major leaks before the show kicks off. Anyone who’s really in tune with leaks will be able to find them through a few minutes of google searches, but I believe presenters have a few tricks left up their sleeves. Hopefully we can actually be surprised this year.

One thing that worries me is the potential for remastered collections of past video games. Up until now, gamers were treated to upgraded versions of GTA: V, Halo, Last of Us, and Tomb Raider. It won’t stop there. In fact, I’m sure we can expect a couple of remasters on both the Microsoft and Sony platforms. I’m all for remasters, but lets just hope they’re not the center of attention in this year’s keynotes.

Now, for some wild predictions:

Nintendo announces a new console
An announcement from Activision/Bungie for a new Destiny title
Microsoft announces a few cross-platform titles that will group console gamers with PC gamers
Rockstar announces a new Red Dead title

Juan Carlos Marquez

It should come as no surprise that Nintendo’s E3 presentation is the one I’m looking most forward to.

With the announcement of Zelda Wii U being pushed back to 2016, I’m curious what Nintendo plans to release this holiday season–especially when they are going up against Halo 5 and Star Wars: Battlefront. Star Fox Wii U is still on track to be out this year, but I don’t know if Nintendo would place the weight of their holiday sales hopes on the shoulders of Fox McCloud and company. Unless Star Fox Wii U ends up blowing us all away at E3 with incredible game mechanics and multiplayer modes which made StarFox 64 a commercial success, Nintendo needs to show off a new Metroid or Super Mario Galaxy game. Devil’s Thirds, Mario Maker, and DLC for Smash Bros. and Splatoon will undoubtedly get Nintendo fans hyped up for the remainder of 2015, but what will attract those who have yet to purchase a Wii U?

Of course, this wouldn’t be E3 without some Smash Bros. talk, so let’s get right to it. With Mewtwo making his long-overdue return and Lucas arriving June 14, I’m willing to be Sakurai makes an announcement concerning the addition of at least two more DLC characters. Will it actually be Ryu and Roy as rumored back in April, or will it be two new fighters from the Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot? (Shovel Knight, please). Hopefully we also get an update on the online tournament mode. That feature alone would keep the online community satiated for years.

And while we won’t get to purchase a new Zelda game this year, I’m sure we will get an update on what Aonuma and his team have developed thus far with the extra time alloted. Another teaser trailer wouldn’t be too much to ask, right?

My mind is just flooding with possibilities and wild hopes, and I know Nintendo will have a slew of titles that will keep many Nintendo fans like myself happy, but one thing is for sure—I won’t be hoping for any news of The Last Guardian. I’m done waiting in that pumpkin patch.

https://youtu.be/7jZKDfh1xhs

Shane O’Hare

E3 2015. I am so incredibly torn on this years conference. Last year my favorite developer, Ubisoft, really lost my faith. The entire AC: Unity debacle (and their dubious decisions with Tetris) made me question their sanity.

That being said, like a domestic abuse victim, I couldn’t be more hype for their press conference. Rainbow Six Siege, The Division, the new Assassins Creed and any new original IPs they come out with (thought I honestly think this year won’t be the year of anything brand new from the Frenchies) will get me going.

I pray that there will be more Battlefront info, maybe a playable demo or beta invites?

I have a feeling that this year may be the year Sony announces a new handheld to compete with the New 3DS, at the least they’re going to announce and even SLIMMER Vita!

I expect the DOOM reboot to have some serious in game content at the Bethesda conference.

My biggest wish would be some new, first party games from Valve. A huge expansion to Global Offensive? More info on Source 2? Half Life 3? Half Life 2 HD Remake?

Derek Kraneveldt

Whatever happens at this year’s expo, I’m already a happy camper: one of the games that I’ve been waiting for for years was announced last week (instead of stealing the freaking show). Fallout 3 is one of my favourite games ever, and I didn’t love New Vegas, which means I’m more than ready to see Bethesda Softworks at the helm of this one. Seriously, it looks so good.

Really, the stuff that I want to see announced, well, never gets announced. So maybe this year, if I don’t think about The Last Guardian or Half Life 3, they’ll actually happen? A watched pot never boils, right? Right.

Some of the games I’m most looking forward to seeing this year are new iterations of games I played when I was younger. I put countless hours into Need for Speed Underground and Need For Speed Underground 2, and EA’s newly announced title (so far) looks like a spiritual successor. Awesome. Plus, Tony Hawk is coming back, and if it’s even a little better than the last seven or eight Tony Hawk titles, it should be pretty alright.

Had things gone a little differently, I’d probably go off about how freaking excited I am to see more from Konami and Silent Hills. The clever announcement of that game coming from Hideo Kojima, Guillermo Del Toro, and Norman Reedus, may have been the most excited I’ve ever been for a game. Silent Hill is my favourite game series, and it’s a series that fell from greatness, became absolute trash, and apparently can’t get back up. Damn. On the horror front, I hope that The Deep End Games is on the floor with Perception, because that game looks insane, as does Frictional Games’ Amnesia follow-up, SOMA.

One last thought. Please, Nintendo, hold back on the Amiibo announcements. You’re already making me broke, and I’m living in constant fear that I’ll miss a pre-order because your company has no freaking idea how to keep stores even semi-adequately stocked.

There’s just a week until showtime, so be sure to let us know what you’re hoping to see at this year’s E3!

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 32 – ‘Why Don’t You Go Play Shovel Knight, You Dick!’

by GeekscapeStaffJune 8, 2015

Join Shane, Josh, Derek and Juan as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

This Week

Fallout 4.

Adam Sessler & Morgan Webb hosting Bethesda conference.

ScreenSavers return!

Leo Laporte shows off dick pics.

Chibi Robo Amiibo and 3DS game.

Monster Hunter X announced.

Nathan Drake Collection details, and Josh’s new game of the year!

Juan has a run in with pretentious douchebag gamer.

Persona 4 Dancing All Night.

This War of Mine iOS edition announced, kinda…again.

Hitman: Sniper released.

Steam Machines go up for preorder.

Splatoon.

Puzzles & Dragons.

Destiny: House of Wolves.

Senran Kagura Shenobi VS.

Chiller Arcade.

Neptunia Victory.

Walking Dead Season 1.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

Hatred.

This Week’s Listener Mission Objective

What is your favorite of E3 past? It could be an event, an announcement or otherwise.

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 31 – ‘What The Heck Happened To Level 30’

by GeekscapeStaffMay 30, 2015

After an unfortunate hiatus (sorry guys), join Shane, Josh, Juan, and Derek as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Scroll to the bottom of the show notes to listen on this page!

This Week:

– No Cyberpunk 2077 news until 2017.

– Perception hits Kickstarter, looks amazing.

– Chip’s Challenge 2 is finally here, and Shane isn’t going to play it!

– Amiibo Heist wut.

– Mad Max game discussion.

– Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes goes free on Playstation Plus.

– The Witcher 3

– Mario Kart 8 DLC

– Destiny: House of Wolves

– D&D 5E

– CSGO: Operation Breakout

– Senran Kagura Vs

– Splatoon Global Testfire

– Puzzles and Dragons

– Swords and Soldiers 2

– DMC Definitive Edition

This week’s listener mission objective:

What do you hope to see announced at this year’s E3?

Keep listening for some AWESOME news!

Also, Geekscape is looking for writers! Want in? Listen to the episode for details, and email jonathan@geekscape.net.

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:18:31 — 53.9MB)

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 29 – ‘California Girls’

by GeekscapeStaffMay 10, 2015

Join Josh and Juan as they discuss the last week in video games!

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Scroll to the bottom of the show notes to listen on this page!

This Week

Silent Hills dead dead dead dead!

Banjo Kazooie successor Yooka-Laylee hits all of kickstarter goals.

Misadventures of Tron Bonne hits Playstation Store.

ESPN 2 airs Heroes of The Dorm tournament, ESPN radio host denigrates the

sport.

Nintendo Direct predictions.

Splatoon bundles.

Nintendo officially acknowledges the Amiibo shortages.

Wrestler AJ Lee started a scholarship for Girls Make Games.

Disney announced Disney Infinity 3.0 with Star Wars roster.

Project M.

Puzzles and Dragons Mario Edition.

Destiny.

Attack on Titan Humanity in Chains.

Hyper Dimension Neptunia U.

This Week’s Listener Mission Objective:

What is your biggest gaming news let down?

Subscribe to us in iTunes!

Subscribe with another program!

Subscribe to our Twitch Channel!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:12:47 — 50.3MB)