Who would have ever thought in a million years we'd finally be seeing one of our favorite horror icons show up in a fighting game? I know we had the tech demo called "TerrorDrome" a year or two back but I'm talking officially licensed horror madness in a mainstream video game! There were rumors a while back about Freddy and/or Jason making their way into Mortal Kombat but at the time they were just that, rumors. Now we have official word that Freddy Krueger, albeit the new Freddy (with two claws, and the not really scary but nasty face). As you can see in the shots below they did a pretty good job of recreating the new Freddy for the game, also check out his bad-ass kombos in the trailer as well! My big question is, when they say he is the final downloadable character, do they mean for this current 4 pack, or for the game entirely? I'm beginning to wonder if he does well as a piece of dlc and makes them some more bank then could we maybe see future horror icons show up in this game? Or, could we even see a future game featuring these characters with their very own licensed storyline?
So here are all of the horror/sci-fi/games of note that were announced or had information released at this year's E3 event! These are all for the X-Box 360 system. Remember you can click all of the cover art to go to the game's official site! (please note that all trailers belong to their respective companies and also keep in mind some of the cover art you see is still pending.)
"Rise of Nightmares"
Introducing Rise of Nightmares™, a truly mature experience for Microsoft Kinect. Survive one hellish night as you fight hand to hand against undead enemies and mad scientists using the hands-free controls of Microsoft Kinect. Using knives, chainsaws and your bare hands, rip your foes limb from limb while uncovering the location of your kidnapped wife. Release Date: September 2011 "Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City"
Resident Evil: operation raccoon City delivers a true third person team based shooter experience set within the dark and sinister Resident Evil® universe. Not only does this setting provide a rich backdrop to the action but it fosters a unique and thrilling triple-threat battle scenario for the game modes. Zombies and Bio-Organic Weapons (B.O.W’s) add to the mix as players compete against their team’s opposing squad but also tackle this third unpredictable element that could only exist in the twisted Resident Evil universe. The result is a brand new style of gameplay that breaks the conventions of traditional third person shooters.
*Rewrite the history of the Raccoon City outbreak. Revisit classic moments from Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 and watch events unfold from the perspective of the Umbrella Security Service. Release Date: 12/31/2011
"Silent Hill: Collection HD"
Experience the horrors of Silent Hill all over again with this collection of Silent Hill 2 and 3, rendered in high-definition for the first time ever. Release Date: TBA
Metro: Last Light
It is the year 2034. Beneath the ruins of post-apocalyptic Moscow, in the tunnels of the Metro, the remnants of mankind are besieged by deadly threats from outside – and within.
Mutants stalk the catacombs beneath the desolate surface, and hunt amidst the poisoned skies above. But rather than stand united, the station-cities of the Metro are locked in a struggle for the ultimate power, a doomsday device from the military vaults of D6. A civil war is stirring that could wipe humanity from the face of the earth forever. As Artyom, burdened by guilt but driven by hope, you hold the key to our survival – the last light in our darkest hour... Release Date: TBA 2012
Pretty sick little line up of horror themed games coming soon for the X-Box 360!! Check back soon for part 2 of the X-Box E3 update!
So zombie are coming to Red Dead Redemption and I cannot wait!!! Also check out the side by side poster for the original game and the poster for the new "Undead Nightmare" pack, pretty sweet little take on the original!
Well we knew eventually it would come, but I was starting to get a little scared it wouldn't be in my lifetime! What am I talking about? Well obviously, a Halloween themed RPG. Thats right ghouls, the fine folks over at Double Fine have been working on a little treat for us thats all set to debut on October 31st on Xbox360 Arcade!! (Which I find a little weird since arcade games usually come out on Wednesdays, but who's complaining!) In case you don't follow video games I think it is of importance to note that the founder of Double Fine is the one and only Tim Schafer! Tim did most of the writing duties for two of my favorite games in the entire universe, The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: Lechuck's Revenge. Mr. Schafer also went on to work on such classics as: Full Throttle, Grim Fandango (go play this one now, I demand you!), Psychonauts, and Brutal Legend. Yes all of those legendary games have been helped along by the hands of Tim Schafer and hopefully this will be another one of those legendary games. In other words I'm hoping now we all have a reason to stay home on our favorite night of the year and fire up those Xbox 360s. Hopefully you'll be burned out from playing Halo: Reach enough to actually play something else by then! Here is the cover art (yes, even arcade games have cover art) and some screenshots for you.
Here's the lowdown on the game as seen on the Double Fine website;
Explore, Collect, Battle!
Play as Wren or Reynold, in this action-adventure role-playing game that unfolds on Halloween night across seemingly peaceful suburban neighborhoods, a mysterious village carnival and a monster-infested shopping mall.
Go door-to-door collecting candy, points, cards, battle stamps and quest assignments to prepare for combat. Use your wit, bravery and home-made costumes with superpowers to rid the neighborhood of creepy monsters and SAVE HALLOWEEN!
Sounds like absolute video game gold to me! Come Halloween I'm sure Double Fine will have us all sitting in front of our t.v. screens playing this instead of watching the same old lame Halloween movies right? (Just kidding, I would never talk that way about our most beloved seasonal movies, but I'm sure we will be bumping one or two of them off the list to make room for this game) Below you can watch the trailer for the game and a behind the scenes video of Mr. Schafer and Tasha Harris, the games creator. Also I can't say much more right now, but if all goes as planned (and this is not for sure, just something I'm working on) then hopefully this isn't the last you've heard from myself and Double Fine this Halloween season. Keep your eyes tuned to HalloweenOverkill and hopefully I'll have some more treats and not just some tricks coming your way! Although maybe I could turn some tricks to get us some more treats here at HalloweenOverkill. Hey honey, I have an idea!!!!!! haha
This behind the scenes video was shown on 1up.com and can also be seen here. By the way this might be the last time I remind you ghouls but we still need like 2 more fans to enter the horror draft. Click here and sign up please!
So I finally got around to finishing the new thriller/horror game title from Remedy entitled Alan Wake. If you ghouls remember way back I had a post talking about the upcoming game and how excited I was for it. Well do you wanna know if it lived up to my expectations? I have to say that the game did indeed live up to what I was expecting, however I could understand how some may be a bit let down by the finished product. The game was originally intended to be a "free roaming" type game where you were free to roam about Bright Falls as you pleased during the day and the action and story would unfold during the night sequences. However during the development cycle Remedy decided to do away with the free roam and instead set the game up as different episodes, each ending with a giant cliffhanger, and doing away with much of the actual "free roaming." During each episode you are still roaming around different parts of the town, but there are boundaries set up as to not let you stray too far off the beaten path. The only thing I could see as a let down for some fans is the decision to do away with the "free roaming" portions of the game. In my humble opinion I think it actually helped the game and gave it some very nice pacing, which is what really keeps this game going as each episode ends on a huge cliffhanger and just begs you to come back and play the next one. Another advantage to the episodic content is how each are presented so much like a show that you don't even have to be playing the game to enjoy it. My wife actually sat with me and watched as I played through the whole thing. She said it was like watching a TV show. A rather nice touch Remedy also made when crafting this game was that, after each episode ends, the game shifts to a credits scene while some very appropriate licensed music plays including songs like "In Dreams" by Roy Orbison and "Haunted" by Poe, among others.
The story is quite difficult to explain but involves the disappearance of Alan's wife from the cabin they rented to help get him out of his writer's block. Alan then begins to question his sanity, and as the viewer/player you soon begin questioning his sanity too as you go through each episode. At some points in the game I wondered if Alan was just dreaming, at other points I wondered if what I was watching was some twisted TV show that Alan himself wasn't aware he was in, another thought I had was that I was watching a book that someone was writing if that makes sense. Finally I started to think he was just plain old insane in the membrane. I won't spoil the ending, or if any of these scenarios are what is actually going on but I will say that most but not all things are wrapped up, though not in a very explanatory way. Hopefully the next two episodes which are downloadable content should help to explain some of the mysteries left open.
The graphics and sound were both exactly what you would expect from a 360 game, which by the way is the only system this game is available on. The only complaint I had about the graphics, which you will also read about on other game review sites is that there was a lot of screen tearing. Screen tearing is when the screen gets all fuzzy and distorted at points during the game. The gameplay was again a very strong part of the game and though it is quite repetitive I never found myself getting bored. Alan doesn't have access to machine guns or laser pistols as seen in other games, but what little he does have comes in handy. You can use a basic pistol, hunting rifles, shotugns, even flareguns to take out your enemies, AKA "The Taken." Another tool you have at your disposal are flashlights of different varieties. These are used to weaken the Taken until the point at which they can be shot. Ammo isn't really a problem when playing the "Normal" mode of the game and I have yet to experience "Nightmare" mode which is unlocked after beating the game on normal so I can't really tell you how much harder it gets. One more cool note about the game is that while you are adventuring through the Pacific Northwest which is where this game takes place you will find pieces of a manuscript which helps to explain exactly just what is going on. A tip for anyone reading this is as you find the manuscripts don't actually read them until you beat the game because they can spoil upcoming events before they actually happen. You will also find coffee thermoses hidden throughout each episode as well which is an obvious reference to Twin Peaks, and fans of the show will understand. I highly recommend a rental of Alan Wake at the very least, but if you enjoy Thriller/Horror action style games on the XBox 360 then you just might want to go out and purchase this one.
Oh and by the way I added some Facebook badges over there on the right so go ahead and click them and become friends with me and "like" the official HalloweenOverkill Facebook page which you can link to from another Facebook badge a little bit more towards the top of the blog. I will be doing exclusive posts and giveaways over there, but don't worry this is still your HalloweenOverkill home and should be the first place you check for some wonderful Halloween deliciousness! Also check back tomorrow for my 4th of July giveaway which actually has nothing to do with the noble holiday, and I will also show you ghouls something I discovered in my closet as I was packing today (what was it? you'll have to come back tomorrow to see, but it's pretty neat) as we get ready for the big move to Monroeville, YES you read that right Monroeville, the home of the Monroeville Mall from the Romero classic Dawn of the Dead.
I have decided that the blog must be energized! Not sure how I went from posting everyday to just once in the past few days, and lets be honest those birthday posts weren't very exciting were they? I'm sure we've all had these crazy weeks before right? Finishing up school (Dean's List again!), Grandpa recovering from a nasty infection which left him in the hospital for a week, birthday celebrations (my Sister and I are a day apart, so this weekend was crazy), and getting ready for the big move, have all put the blog on the back burner. Sorry Ghouls! Anyways all is well and much of that is in the past now (except for the move) so what better way to get this summer started than to do my first few movie reviews! I'll have plenty of those reviews coming up soon for you followers out there complete with a rating scale that will be implemented with said reviews. Also keep your eyes glued to Halloween Overkill because coming next week I will finally be having the blog's first giveaway!!! That's right the amazingly astonishing wonderful folks over at Wild Eye have provided me with some goodies to giveaway (the picture above is of one of their titles, Gothkill). The giveaway/contest (haven't decided what to do yet) should take place around sometime next week or maybe even this weekend. So overall these things should get the blog moving and I myself promise to keep them moving form here on out. Also if you're interested, my wife and I are about halfway through Alan Wake, the new psychological thriller for the xbox 360, so I should be doing a review for that soon as well. So, what do you think, sound like a decent kickoff to summer? Also I'd like to note that my editor (a.k.a. wife) is already sleeping so there will be no editing of this post, terrible right? I know.
Mark your calendars for May 18th!! Alan Wake is finally hitting store shelves after a very long development cycle of about 5 years. Alan Wake follows the story of a writer who is having some troubles in his career. What happens next is a bizarre chain of events that begin with his wife taking him to a city in the Pacific Northwest known as Bright Falls to try to help him with his writers block. In a very strange twist Alan's wife is kidnapped and Alan begins encountering some very disturbing creatures in the form of the "Taken". The town and its inhabitants begins to resemble something very familiar to Alan: the current novel he is writing! The game is very story driven and also has some fantastic action elements according to most reviews. So far the game has received very high reviews and most of the only complaints are about the length of the game itself which is said to be around 8-12 hours depending on the skill level you play the game at. The game also features licensed music, live video television shows within the game, and a unique new attack system which involves using flashlights and flare guns to attack the deadly creatures. The game isn't being called a survival horror game but is being billed as a psychological action thriller. The game will also feature a unique system wherein you play the game through episodes like a television show where each episode ends with a cliffhanger which will leave you wanting to come back to see what happened. Following the release of the game the developers Remedy Entertainment plan on releasing down-loadable content in the form of more episodes. So if you have an X-Box 360 this looks like it should be one of the must own games of this summer. Also check out www.brightfalls.com for some live action video sequences that were filmed to help promote the game. Hopefully I'll be getting this as a b-day gift in about 2 weeks, so a review should follow soon after. Hype it up in the comments below!
