My Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Thoughts & The First 15 Minutes Over @ IGN

by Joshua Pruett

You had me at that logo. Look at it. It was a sealed deal with "Blood Dragon" in the title. I am just completely enthralled with that hot pink/electric blue gridded terrain and the font that looks like word art from Microsoft Works. (Yeah, I went there.) It's actually what piqued my interest to even look into the game a couple months ago. I loved Far Cry 3, don't get me wrong, but another game in that sandbox would get kind of old for me.

However, if you slap on a coat of paint that layers over-the-top, ridiculously outlandish throwbacks to my favorite '80's action movies/cartoons, then count me the heck in. Speaking of the 80's, the color palette in Blood Dragon makes this a far cry from being Far Cry. Not to say that Far Cry 3 wasn't colorful. Blood Dragon just magnifies the saturation levels to such greater heights.

Crimson red skies and bright cyan lens flares serve as a backdrop to brilliant fiery-orange explosions as you rip your way through the world's firefights. (I couldn't help but love the evil emblem of Colonel Sloan's army being projected from the rooftops. Reminds me of Cobra. Nice touch.)  I mean, you run around with a blade that glows light purple? Okie-dokie! I assume you will see every color within the spectrum. So much as they should have called it Far Cry 3: ROYGBIV. If you are color blind, it should be even more of a wild ride. Sure it's bold and flashy, but it's a world that I would love to explore because of it. Although it probably won't be for everybody, you got to admit it grabs your attention. Everything you do produces the results of rainbows hemorrhaging more rainbows.

This shouldn't deter FC veterans and fans too much. As far as story goes, there doesn't appear to be any correlation with the FC universe. It does take place on a remote island, but it seems like the only familiar thing to Far Cry 3 is that Blood Dragon just utilizes the engine and some of the game mechanics. It's not a rehashed, uninspired ripoff with a new skin either. That's clearly obvious. I am pretty curious to see what kind of surprises unfold, what enemies you will encounter and what weapons you will have access to as the game progresses. Another interesting venture would be multiplayer. I haven't seen anything concerning that, but given the setting, some co-op and/or deathmatch options would be wholeheartedly enticing.

Yes, the picture above actually happens. I loved it so much that I took this screenshot to use for this post. Cut scenes are righteously crafted. Pixel art is the perfect medium to totally capture the cheese factor for this game and to my knowledge, all of the cut scenes make use of it. The beginning shots of Rex being assembled had me rolling. There is plenty of voice acting that is just downright hilarious as well. (Rex is voiced by Michael Biehn from Terminator.) Check out the tutorials and note the animations. They are some of the funniest I have seen in a game. As far as music goes, the band Power Glove takes care of the soundtrack and boy, it really amps up the atmosphere with a Tron meets Terminator vibe. (PC players get the digital soundtrack when pre-ordering as a bonus.)

The most radical thing is, it's a standalone game. You don't have to own Far Cry 3. The asking price is $14.99, which is well worth it if you ask me. Do yourself a favor and go watch the video of the first 15 minutes from the boys over at IGN. You will laugh at this game's awesomeness and you will want to play it yourself. Trust me, if you love any references to action movies and cartoons from the 80's, this should be your bag. Who wouldn't want to mow down evil baddies with a chain gun from your helicopter while Little Richard blares in the background?

So who's planning on playing this?! What are your thoughts?! I want to know what you think!

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is expected to release May 1 on XBLA, PSN and Steam.
(However, PSN says April 30th?)

Photo credits: PC Gamer, IGN

Video credit: IGN

Best Upcoming Games of 2011 (Xbox 360, XBLA, PS3, PC) - Part 2

Continuing the slew and onslaught of the "Upcoming Games of 2011", here's part two.  There are some dandy games on the horizon and funny thing is, below are mostly downloadable multi-platform titles!  Are we seeing a trend in the gaming industry?  That aside, I CANNOT WAIT!

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From Dust - XBLA, PSN, PC
Genre: Simulation (God game)
Developer: Ubisoft
Release: July 27

This game looks so impressive. You have to check out the trailer to really get what I mean. It's a God simulation where you have different tools to build a world "from dust." Use lava to bubble where you move the cursor, watching it cool to form land. Use dirt to provoke vegetation and watch as water takes over, making it's own tributaries and rivers. Awesome? Yes. Dynamic? You bet. I am not sure how the rest of the gameplay will be besides creating, but you seem to have influence over the people that populate your world. Reminds me of Peter Molyneux's Black & White. This looks really interesting and can't wait to see it unfold. Another stellar arcade download coming to us!

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Dead Island - 360, PS3, PC

Genre: First Person Action
Publisher: Deep Silver
Developer: Techland (Poland)
Release: September 6

So when I first saw this trailer, I had to hold back tears. I don't think a game trailer has ever done that. I mean, I've cried almost from being so pissed off at a game, but this is different. It's gotta be the little girl. Talk about a shizznitty vacation. Anyway, the game looks to offer some intriguing features to first-person melee and include some role-playing elements with open mission structure. Plus, it's 4-player co-op. That's always welcomed. Make sure you take a look at the trailer and note the beautiful particle and blood effects running rampant throughout. It's zombies with dismemberment, decapitations and the like. Not for the squeamish. The game has my interest and I am curious to see it shape up or ship out.

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Gears of War 3 - 360

Genre: Third-Person Shooter
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: Epic Games
Release: September 20

Until recently, I have had a late arrival to the Gears franchise. I picked up the combo pack a couple of months ago, beat Gears 1 but still haven’t gotten around to playing through Gears 2. I did get into the Gears 3 Multiplayer Beta via Bulletstorm and thoroughly enjoyed myself. As the story goes, this is the final countdown to the fate of Marcus and his team. Having not played Gears 2 yet, I’m not too sure where the status of the struggle lies, but I am pretty excited to see the bond the team has during this campaign. From the footage I have seen, their dynamic looks more fleshed out (which I am sure to get filled in when playing Gears 2). However, this time around, the team looks well seasoned and the story will be tying up loose ends which I am already looking forward to. New guns, the mech suit, gameplay tweaks, enhanced graphics, Horde Mode 2.0 and the most robust multiplayer experience looks to ensure a ride of epic proportions in Gears 3.

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Trine 2 - XBLA, PSN, PC

Genre: Action / Platform / Puzzle
Publisher: Atlus
Developer: Frostbyte
Release: Q3 2011(September 30 rumored)

Whoaseph. Holy cacao! Remember how I mentioned that I was a sucker for every kind of fantastical art? This game has been in my sights ever since I saw the first trailer. Trine 2 looks absolutely gorgeous. In fact, it could be the most beautiful Xbox Live Arcade game I have ever set eyes on. This trailer forced me to buy Trine 1 through Steam. (Which by the way, is available for Mac for all of you Apple users like myself.) I figured I should get acquainted to know what to look for in Trine 2. From what I have played thus far, I love! Trine 2 looks to expand on the gameplay elements from it's predecessor, returning with the same thief / wizard / warrior characters and garnishing their puzzle- solving dynamics with new abilities. Challenges look to be more creative this time around. If it's anything like the first and being improved upon, I am going to be one happy camper.

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Fireburst - XBLA, PSN, PC
Genre: Racing Action
Publisher: Zoo Games
Developer: ExDream
Release: Summer 2011

Did anybody play Vigilante 8 or Twisted Metal? How about Blur? I really loved Blur. What a kick ass game. This looks to fall into that vein of destructive vehicular combat, all whilst screaming down a track, trying to keep from blowing up. The arcade racer features an oddball cast each with specific cars and abilities. Cars are divided into four different classes including buggys, trucks, offroaders and muscle cars. Each of these cars offer a distinct Fireboost ability like Fireblast, which you can use to annihilate opponents. Firewheels is another nifty trade that gives your screeching tires flame tracks that damage anyone tailing your blazing path. Graphically, the game looks pretty amazing, especially considering it's a downloadable game. Tracks look dynamic, cars look detailed and the particle / fire effects look radical. Another hot contender in this array upcoming games.

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Dangit.  How the crap to keep up with so many titles?  Guess I can't complain.  Would rather have too many good games to play than not enough!  I'm currently working on part 3 of "Best Upcoming Games of 2011" which starts the beginning of the giant franchises.  Let me know if there are any games you want reviewed, previewed or discussed!

Even bigger games coming, so stay tuned and thanks for reading! ~ Joshua

By the way, here are the games that I'm currently playing through:

• Dungeon Siege III - Xbox 360
• L.A. Noire - Xbox 360
• Trine- Mac
• Mortal Kombat - Xbox 360
• Gears 2 - Xbox 360

----> BEST UPCOMING GAMES OF 2011 PART 1 HERE!   
----> BEST UPCOMING GAMES OF 2011 PART 3 HERE!                       
----> GREEN LANTERN MOVIE REVIEW
----> WHO OK'd THIS? - FUNNY VINTAGE COMICS 

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