Weirdworld Comic Series Review

Weirdworld, volume 2, is a Marvel comic book series written by Sam Humphries and features artwork by Mike Del Mundo. Weirdworld takes place in a less frequented corner of the Marvel Universe. This is a place ripe with magic, barbarians and adventure. Volume 2 of Weirdworld follows the journey of a teenager named Becca who hails from Marvel’s version of Earth. Becca was flying from the United States to Mexico when her plane somehow crash lands in Weirdworld.

SonicMercury.com/Weirdworld — “Becca’s introduction to *Weirdworld*.”

Weirdworld SonicMercury.com — “Becca’s introduction to *Weirdworld*“

At first glance it might appear as a typical fish out of water story, and it is to an extent, but there is so much more than that here. For a story that takes place in such a fantastical setting, Becca’s personal journey is surprisingly deep. It’s not long before you find out the reason for Becca’s plane trip was to deliver her mother’s ashes to her mother’s favorite place in Mexico. Now she must carry out a daring quest, with unlikely travel companions, to escape Weirdworld and deliver her mother’s ashes to their final resting place.

Weirdworld comic review, Sonicmercury.com — “Becca checks on her mother’s ashes as ghosts in Weirdworld stalk her.”

My initial impression of Weirdworld was that of an 80’s epic fantasy adventure in the vein of Heavy Metal, and the lesser known Rock and Rule. It was pretty easy for me to imagine the person who narrated the trailers to those films narrating the opening to Weirdworld. Becca’s first companion in Weirdworld is Goleta, who takes on Becca as her squire.

Weirdworld Review, Sonicmercury.com — “Becca suits up for Weirdworld.”

For Goleta is a brave Viking woman who enjoys good drink…

…and good battle. She particularly hates wizards.

Oh, Goleta also drives a badass hot-rod. Weirdworld is pretty awesome. Becca and Goleta’s trio is completed by the wise Catbeast.

Catbeast offers his knowledge of the lesser known parts of Weirdworld to help the trio complete their quest. I don’t want to spoil anything else because I want you to enjoy this adventure as much as I did. The bad news is, it looks like Weirdworld has been cancelled by Marvel. Several forums suggest the writer Sam Humphries has left Marvel to write exclusively for DC Comics. The good news is, this adventure exists. Individual issues might be hard to collect, but the trade just came out covering the entire six issue arc.

It’s been too long since I’ve picked up a story and felt totally immersed by completely new characters in a completely new world. Becca, Goleta, and Catbeast carve out quite the epic quest in their short run. It’s a story that quite honestly would make an incredible film. This adventure is just as exciting as it is heartfelt. They say Weirdworld is “a place where the lost can be found.” Don’t let this story become lost. It’s too good to go unnoticed. Del Mundo’s artwork is fantastic, and Humphries’ writing is just as good. I will definitely be looking forward to their future endeavors.

Who knows, if enough people pick up the back issues or trade, maybe Marvel will continue the series. What I do know is that Becca is too good of a character, and her adventure too much fun, to just fall off the face of the Marvel universe. In the mean time, I hope you enjoy Weirdworld as much as I did.

-Bryan DeMarco

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*All images scanned from the paperback trade of Marvel’s Weirdworld. I do not own the rights to any of the images used and they are displayed for review purposes only.

October 1, 2015October 1, 2015

I’m Back Baby!

Hello!

I know I have been gone for quite a while, and for that I am sorry. The truth is I am currently working on an MFA in Creative Writing for Entertainment, and that takes up quite a bit of my time right now. Maybe you’ll notice an improvement in my writing. Maybe not. Anyway, hopefully in the near future I will be writing lots of fun stuff for all of us to enjoy in many different forms of media.

It’s October again, and Pat is once again treating all of us to his 13 Days of Halloween Spectacular. So, while I will be making no promises like last year to update every single post he does this year; I will be making this post to remind all of you to watch Pat’s show. Click the giant link to check out episode #1 of this year’s special. The episode is about one of my all time favorite franchises The Evil Dead.

By the way I am still fairly active on Twitter, and if you want to get a glimpse of what I have been up to this last year check out my Tumblr page.

13 Days of Halloween 2015 – #1 “THE EVIL DEAD TRILOGY”

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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February 21, 2015February 21, 2015

Gamer News

(IMAGE APPEARS COURTESY OF IGN)

The Order 1886 is a game in hot contention right now. It seems to be under fire from all directions with some of gaming’s biggest outlets panning the Order as nothing more than a graphical showcase. This is sorely misinformed. I am forced to wonder if I played the same game that they did.

Having just completed the games campaign as I am writing this. My first thought is I cannot wait for a sequel. My impressions of the game start with how fresh I found the setting. It was just really nice to escape into a world that felt new and different. From the very outset of The Order 1886, a very robust and intriguing mythology is developed.

First off. Yes the graphics are gorgeous, but their was so much more to the game than just a visual feast. The other criticism made about The Order 1886 is that it is too short. Admittedly it took me about 9 hours to complete on normal difficulty but for perspective the first Uncharted game was shorter than that by almost 2 hrs and that game started one of the biggest franchises in gaming right now.

You play as Sir Galahad a veteran of The Order although very noble he tends to follow his own moral compass. His team including himself is made of four unique characters with distinctive personalities and interesting backgrounds. Sir Perceval serves as the squad leader, delving out wisdom he and Sir Galahad are old friends and Galahad does not take Perceval’s advice lightly. Lady Igraine or Izzy as she is referred to in the game has a big ego and is often the first to kick in a door. Rounding out the team is the passionate Marquis de Lafayette a freedom fighter who fought in both the American and French Revolutions. Together this team serves as a sort of special forces where encounters with the occult and supernatural seem like a normal occurrence.

The story is fascinating, ripe with the possibilities historical fiction allows for in the Whitechapel district of the 1880’s. For instance Jack the Ripper’s infamous murder spree is in full swing, Nikola Tesla not only makes all of your tools and weapons he is also one of your best friends and confidant’s, and you occasionally fight werewolves. The combat is really satisfying. Every single weapon fires differently and has a different feel to it. Specifically the weapons that Tesla has created are fun and imaginative. For instance one weapon is basically a giant electric arc generator and another shoots clouds of flammable gas that you can engulf multiple enemies in before launching the weapons secondary incendiary function taking down multiple enemies in a giant fireball. The cover system works very well too. Using the circle button to cover and the X button to break cover makes it harder for you to stick to cover by accident.

The Order 1886 is truly an immersive experience. It is obvious a ridiculous amount of effort went into crafting this game. Every level down to the tiniest detail looks incredible. The characters are likable and engaging. Combined with the story The Order 1886 is successful in creating a fresh experience for the gaming community. Most importantly the game is just fun to play. I found it hard to put down.

As for all the bad reviews and negative press this game has garnered over the last few days I just find it bewildering. I have noticed this mindset more and more in reviews over the last few years. Some outlets have made a conscious effort to stay away from it and fight hard to be unbiased. However if you read between the lines of a bad review sometimes you will notice it. People will sometimes give a game a bad review, not because the game is actually that bad but because its not the game they wanted. I think that this is exactly what has happened with The Order 1886. The game has been highly publicized since it was announced and their was a lot of hype for this game being one of the first big next-gen console exclusives and it just simply wasn’t the kind of game the critics wanted. By no means however does that make this a bad game.

Obviously this is just my speculation. The only other reasoning I can validate as to why The Order 1886 got such a bad review is because of some background politics between the publisher and the big name outlets because quite honestly I thought the game was brilliant. I thought the story was really interesting and I found the conclusion really satisfying. My hope is that word of mouth will triumph over these superficial reviews because this game is worth playing and I really hope they make a sequel or at least some big DLC content because I don’t want to stop exploring this world.

The Order 1886 is a PS4 exclusive and is rated M for mature.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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September 28, 2014September 28, 2014

“Friday the 13th” Returns in 2015

London 1888, Christopher Ott, SonicMercury.com

(Image appears courtesy of Christopher Ott and London 1888)

New Info Surfaces on next

“Friday the 13th” Film

According to an article posted on fashionnstyle.com recently, the 13th installment featuring the hockey masked horror icon Jason Voorhees is slated for a November 2015 release date. Titled “Friday the 13th 3D” the newest chapter in this storied franchise will be the series second film to be in 3D as Friday the 13th Part 3 was also in 3D. Part 3 is also significant because it is the first entry in the series where Jason dons the now legendary hockey mask that defines his image.

In 2013 Warner Bros. relinquished its rights to the Friday the 13th Franchise and also a potential new South Park film to partner with Paramount Pictures on Christopher Nolan’s film “Interstellar.” Nolan’s Batman trilogy was very successful for Warner Bros. and it seems they’re not ready to split ways with the esteemed director. This move gave Paramount the sole rights to the “Friday” franchise and it looks like they aren’t going to waste the opportunity to take advantage of the deal.

Little is known about the film at this time as it is still listed in development. According to fashionnstyle.com the producer Brad Fuller has stated that the script isn’t quite finished and it is unlikely that any of the previous actors, including Derek Mears who played Jason in the last installment of the “Friday the 13th” series will be returning. It seems plausible that “Friday the 13th 3D” will ignore the events of “Friday the 13th (2009).” That’s probably a good thing given that the 2009 version had a lukewarm response at best from longtime fans of the series despite performing respectively at the box office. Like it’s hockey masked antagonist the “Friday the 13th” franchise just won’t stay dead.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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June 2, 2014

Gamer News

Sonic Mercury Mortal Kombat X,Mortal Kombat X

Mortal Kombat X Revealed

Hey, so uh, yeah its official. Mortal Kombat X is real! An announcement trailer has surfaced today featuring staples of the franchise Sub-Zero and Scorpion battling it out in a winter forest setting. The two donned costumes that were reminiscent of their original ninja designs yet they appeared updated and far more detailed than ever before. The end of the trailer teases a 2015 release. With that info in mind I think it is safe to say that this trailer is not in game footage but likely a CG rendering of what we can expect in the new game.

Based on the “kombat” shown it looks like the x-ray attacks from the last game will be present. It looks like the game will again be 2.5D in presentation meaning a 2 dimensional presentation in a 3D environment. This means no side stepping but the character models and levels will still be rendered in 3D. (More confused? or less?) Think Street Fighter’s presentation versus Tekken’s. The environment seems to play a bigger role this time as both Scorpion and Sub-Zero were shown interacting with trees during their battle, bouncing off of their trunks and using their branches as weapons. Individual character weapons appear to be making a comeback as well.

The setting of a snowy forest at night is noticeably less fantastical than in previous games. It looks like Scorpion and Sub-Zero are fighting in an actual forest. The overall atmosphere is darker than in previous games and the tone is serious. Despite Scorpion and Sub-Zero’s magical powers it is the most realistic MK rendition I have seen. I won’t spoil it for you but the fatality shown at the end of the trailer is just brutal.

IGN reports that every match played in MKX will have an impact on the online portion of the game. Most interesting is that it is being reported players will be able to select different versions of the same characters, effecting both strategy and fighting style. Mortal Kombat X is said to feature an original story encompassing both classic and completely new characters in the fight of good versus evil. Luckily MKX will be on show next week at E3 so we will not have to wait long to learn more about this title. Mortal Kombat X will be available on PS4, PS3, XBOX One, XBOX 360 and the PC.

Here is the link to the announcement trailer for Mortal Kombat X as posted on the Mortal Kombat Community YouTube page.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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May 30, 2014

Horror News

Sonic Mercury, SonicMercury.com/theevilwithin

The Evil Within Release Delayed

Highly anticipated horror title The Evil Within has seen its release date pushed back. Director of the title Shinji Mikami and his development team requested more time to polish the game. Publisher Bethesda Softworks included this quote with the delay announcement.

“Shinji Mikami and his team at Tango Gameworks have asked for additional time to further balance and refine the game in order to deliver the polished, terrifying pure survival horror experience they set out to create.”

Thankfully the new release date is only a few months so instead of a late August release we will see The Evil Within release in late October, just in time for Halloween. Also included in this announcement were details about in game perks rewarded to people who pre-order The Evil Within. Dubbed The Fighting Chance Pack here is what it comes with as listed on Bethesda Softworks home page.

Medical Kit – A vital health enhancement to enable Sebastian to fight on.
Green Gel – Used to upgrade Sebastian’s attributes.
Double Barrel Shotgun and Three Shells – A larger and more formidable shotgun than the regular shotgun, it’s useful for tight situations with multiple encroaching enemies.
An Incendiary Agony Bolt – Capable of showering nearby enemies with damaging fire sparks.
A Poison Agony Bolt – Will draw enemies towards it and poison them, allowing Sebastian time for a quick escape.

The Evil Within has been on everyone’s radar because the director of the game Shinji Mikami is the creator of the Resident Evil series and this new title is said to be his desire to return survival horror to its roots. From the different sources I have seen who have had the opportunity to go hands on with The Evil Within it sounds promising that Shinji and his team at Tango Gameworks will make good on their promise. If the game does live up to expectations it will be well worth the wait. The Evil Within is slated for release on PS3, PS4, XBOX 360, XBOX One and PC.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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May 21, 2014

Gamer News

Microsoft to Make Kinect Optional for XBOX One

Starting June 9th of this year you will be able to pick up an XBOX One sans the Kinect motion sensor. This is good news for many people who were turned off by the peripheral. For starters the Kinect-less XBOX One will be available for $399, dropping the cost by $100 and matching the price of its biggest competitor the PS4. More good news for XBOX One consumers is that the console supposedly will have its performance boosted by freeing up memory designated to running the Kinect.

This was a much desired concession made by Microsoft that critics of the Kinect have wanted since day one. However the decision seems to have been abrupt as multiple developers who were working on XBOX One and Kinect titles have expressed disdain. Everyone developing anything for the XBOX One less than a few weeks ago were under the impression that Kinect was a mandatory part of the system. Some developers are currently creating games that exclusively use Kinect controls and they will definitely see an impact on sales now that the Kinect install base will shrink. Even the XBOX One interface has been retooled as it was designed to function with the Kinect.

While removing the Kinect is a popular decision within the hardcore gaming community it still seems a shame that Microsoft has made it optional. I know that I was someone who in the beginning was fiercely opposed to the Kinect but now I feel like the last part of Microsoft’s identity has been lost. Games that specifically only use Kinect controls don’t necessarily appeal to me but I can’t help wondering now how a future XBOX One exclusive may have took advantage of the Kinect’s unique features to create an experience only available on the XBOX One.

There are a few reasons as to why Microsoft may have chosen to remove the Kinect so swiftly. The PS4 is still outselling the XBOX One and Titanfall didn’t turn out to be the system seller Microsoft hoped it would be. Forbes estimates that if current trends keep up the XBOX One will have close to half the install base of the PS4 by the holiday 2014 season. This information combined with the fact that XBOX One cost $100 more than the PS4 fueled the decision makers at Microsoft to make a drastic decision. Once the decision was made to make Kinect optional Microsoft felt it better to make the news public as quickly as possible as to dissipate some of the negativity that might have been associated with this move before E3.

I’m sure that the XBOX One will still have some amazing exclusive content without the Kinect and the price drop is definitely favorable. My concern now is that in removing the Kinect has the XBOX One become too similar to the PS4? With less to differentiate itself from the PS4 will the price cut be enough to persuade consumers away from the highly popular PS4? Finally does the removal of mandatory Kinect herald the end of motion gaming?

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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May 7, 2014

Gamer News

Tuesday May 13th the High Life Update is finally set to arrive for GTA Online. The addition of new high-end properties and the ability to own more than one property including garages is something online players have been wanting since day one. Five new locations with new interiors have been added to the real estate of Los Santos. Three new cars will be available, the Zentorno, Massacro, and Huntley S. A new motorcycle the Dinka Thrust. There is a new weapon the Bullpup rifle. Fifteen new missions will be added as well as new high-life themed attire. A feature many fans of GTA’s races will take note of the new “non-contact” mode where racers will no longer be able to bump each other off the road. Traffic and other obstacles will still remain. New vehicle horns as well as new player salutes will be included in the High Life Update. Lastly a new Mental State stat will appear for all players. The is designed to show how passive or insane your fellow players are.

Still glaringly missing are the heists promised for GTA Online from day 1. This update does add some much asked for additions, namely the new property and garage features. As someone who personally has really enjoyed GTA 5 and its online mode for what its worth, I can’t help but feel that the overall online experience including the updates has been far shallower than expected. GTA Online is far less populated by players now than when it was launched last September. Much of the mayhem and unprovoked hostility in GTA Online stems from this shallowness. There is little to no incentive for players to work together outside of certain missions and even then as soon as a mission is over it is fairly common for one player to murder another for the money they earned together on that same mission. These factors combined with a dwindling online community, mostly out of sheer boredom of repetition and a caustic peer to peer environment, make me think that Rockstar has dropped the ball on this one.

The next update after high life is supposed to be the one featuring heists. It just feels like too little too late. The large community that first participated in GTA Online has for the most part moved on. The updates have been mostly superficial and I’m curious to see that whenever the heists update finally does come out if that many people are really going to care. How many players are going to want to come back to GTA Online after playing every other aspect of it to death. I theorize that Rockstar might have an announcement regarding all of this at E3, probably regarding GTA on PS4 and XBOX One. Are you still excited to play the heists missions in GTA Online? Leave a comment below.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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May 7, 2014

Gamer News

Sonic Mercury,sonic mercury gaming news, Mortal Kombat 10?

Ed Boon co-creator of Mortal Kombat has been tweeting cryptic messages that decipher into a countdown which ends on June 2nd. Needless to say their is a LOT of speculation going on. Is it a sequel to the well received Injustice: Gods Among Us title featuring DC Comics all stars? or is it the much rumored Mortal Kombat 10? Ed Boon is certainly having fun with fans with tweets like this.

Man, I love the Simpsons.https://t.co/8venKdql5n

— Ed Boon (@noobde) May 6, 2014

It is possible that we may get an announcement for both Mortal Kombat 10 and Injustice 2. The good news is hopefully we will only have to wait 26 days to get to the bottom of this mystery. E3 starts June 7th so if Ed Boon does indeed have a new game announcement up his sleeve it might be only a few days before we get to see it in action. Recently production on a Classic Mortal Kombat HD remake was cancelled in favor of just porting the original titles with online support. Perhaps this announcement will shed some light on why the remake was cancelled.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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May 7, 2014

Pat’s Metal Reviews

Pat is back with an all new hit list. Learn about one of heavy metal’s most popular sub-genres power metal. Pat lists 6 of his favorite power metal songs, breaking down the artists behind each song and why they resonate with him. For anyone interested in metal and music in general this is a good one to watch. Here is the link to The Official GessNation YouTube channel for your viewing pleasure.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack

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May 7, 2014

Gamer News

Nintendo will not be holding a traditional conference at E3 for the second year in a row. Instead Nintendo is opting for a similar approach to last year’s E3. Nintendo will have a presence at E3 showing off new software and hardware on the showroom floor but instead of the traditional conference they will broadcast an E3 specific online special called the “Nintendo Digital Event.” Along with the “Digital Event” Nintendo will be broadcasting live all 3 days from E3 from the “Nintendo Treehouse.” Nintendo will also be holding a Super Smash Bros Tournament during E3 among 16 high skilled players. Like last year, Nintendo will again have a presence in Best Buys across the country. This year the new Smash Bros will be playable on the Wii U for fans to try at participating Best Buys nationally.

I think the original reasoning for Nintendo to take this approach last year had a lot to do with the extreme hype and momentum Sony and Microsoft were carrying into last year’s E3. It also had to do with the fact that the Wii U was tanking and overall Nintendo hardware sales were down. Opting out of a traditional conference felt like Nintendo bowing out of the ring to let Sony and Microsoft duke it out for console supremacy, and to an extant that is what happened. On the other hand this new approach by Nintendo is perhaps more clever than credited. The Wii U is still tanking. Even after Nintendo severely cut yearly sales expectations the Wii U still failed to meet the quota. It’s no secret that while the Nintendo DS is still selling well, Nintendo as a whole is hemorrhaging money.

Foregoing the traditional conference saves Nintendo money. By having a live Nintendo specific channel in the “Nintendo Treehouse,” Nintendo has guaranteed coverage of everything it wants to show off during the entirety of E3. They don’t have to rely on third party outlets like IGN or Rev3Games to provide coverage on their products. This way Nintendo can ensure anything and everything they want to show off will get full coverage. The downside is that it is largely possible the only people who will tune in to the “Nintendo Treehouse” are the hardcore Nintendo fans, people who already own the Wii U, and therefore a limited audience with limited potential to grow the console install base. Showcasing a new game at local Best Buys has more potential to reach a larger audience and is a cool way to try to share the E3 experience with people who may never get to go to the actual expo.

In the end Nintendo does have fairly deep pockets so it is unlikely they will be going anywhere soon. Will this new approach to E3 payoff in the long run? If nothing else at least Nintendo is making headlines by changing it up. I mean I wrote this post right here about it. There was a rumor circulating recently that Nintendo might unveil a new console this year and just cut their losses entirely with the Wii U. I find this really hard to believe as research and development for a new console is really expensive and Nintendo is no stranger to struggling hardware. Outside of the Wii, the N64 and the Gamecube both had modest install bases compared to their competitors. E3 2014 starts June 10th this year and thus another chapter in gaming is only a month away. Where Nintendo’s story goes from there is anyone’s guess.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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April 30, 2014

Gamer News

In my last post about Wolfenstein: The New Order I had mentioned that some stealth elements would be present in the gameplay. Yesterday a new YouTube trailer was released on Bethesda Softworks official page and it sheds some light on just how stealth plays into Wolfenstein. The trailer subtitled Stealth Vs. Mayhem shows two alternate ways of approaching the same level. From the trailer it appears that stealth is actually quite viable and it appears more involved than previously believed. Using silencers and picking locks, protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz quietly progresses, dispatching unsuspecting enemies along the way. The mayhem approach is pretty self explanatory. Go in high profile with guns blazing, which admittedly looks like a lot of fun and probably the way I would play the game. A few high powered weapons are shown off as well as the ability to duel wield different weapons. Let’s be honest though hearing me describe this stuff isn’t nearly as fun as watching it for yourself so here is the link to Bethesda’s Official YouTube page so you can check it out for yourself. I would say the gameplay trailer is probably NSFW as it is pretty violent. You can read the disclaimer at the beginning of the video and decide for yourself. Wolfenstein is slated for a May 20th release for PS3, PS4, XBOX 360, XBOX One as well as on the PC and of course if you pre-order it you will be given access to the DOOM beta. For more on Wolfenstein: The New Order and games like it subscribe to Sonic Mercury’s mailing list at the bottom of the page.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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April 24, 2014April 25, 2014

Pat’s Metal Reviews

Avenged Sevenfold, Protest the Hero,Sonic Mercury,The GessNation

Check out the newest episode of Pat’s Metal Reviews and don’t be afraid to like and subscribe to his YouTube channel. Join the GessNation dammit! Do it! Do it now!! In his latest installment Pat holds his first ever grudge match. Avenged Sevenfold Vs. Protest the Hero. Pat gives an in depth breakdown of each band and their newest album with side by side comparisons. Honest opinions from a true metal head packaged in an entertaining show for your enjoyment. So click the link here, Avenged Sevenfold Vs. Protest the Hero, to see how these two bands fare. Sit back relax and put your horns up its time for Metal!!!

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

For more from Pat check out his YouTube Channel The GessNation or his Facebook page The Shred Shack

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April 22, 2014

Gamer News

No there is not a DOOM Wolfenstein hybrid game coming out soon but there is a connection. Both titles are being published by Bethesda Softworks and if you pre-order Wolfenstein The New Order before May 20th you will gain access to the DOOM beta. May 20th is the date of the U.S. release. DOOM originally called DOOM 4 was announced in 2008 and has had a rocky development cycle with rumors indicating that a version of the game was completely scrapped in 2011. John Carmack former head of iD Software the developer of DOOM was the one who made the original announcement for this new DOOM game back in 2008 and recently left iD this past November to work exclusively at Oculus VR. It is also of note that iD Software had made it public that development on all other projects had been put on hold so the team could concentrate solely on finishing DOOM.

Wolfenstein The New Order once again finds series protagonist William “B.J.” Blazkowicz fighting against Nazi foes. Only this time “B.J.” wakes up in the 1960’s in a world where the Nazi’s won WWII. The New Order promises old school fps game play with plenty of nods to the original source material including familiar enemies and weapons as well as hidden pathways. Stealth elements have been added. Taking place in an alternate timeline and being a Wolfenstein game bizarre science fiction weapons and enemies will also be present. Here is a link to the gameplay trailer on the Bethesda Softworks YouTube homepage so that you can take a look for yourself. (NSFW Violence and Language) You can decide if you think it is worth it to pre-order Wolfenstein The New Order just to get some early hands on time with the new DOOM.

Personally I am excited to play both Wolfenstein and the new DOOM. Being someone who grew up with the original titles I think such storied franchises deserve a spot at the top again. I will say that the last title I played by iD Software Rage blew me away. It had its flaws. The story and characters could have been fleshed out a lot more. The loading times were a bit long and the overall game was way too short for me, mostly because I was having way too much fun. Overall though I thought the graphics were absolutely stunning. The weapons customization, in game physics and enemy AI made for highly entertaining and addictive game play. The character designs were highly detailed and I really enjoyed traversing the wasteland in custom vehicles it really added to the atmosphere of the world.

Rage came out 3 years ago and despite the previously mentioned flaws it still sets the bar pretty high. I’m very excited to see what a new iD Software game looks and plays like post Rage. On that same note I’m hesitant to get my hopes up. There have been many cases of long gestating games released in the last few years that have been sub par to say the least. So it is with guarded anticipation that I look forward to playing the newest entry in the DOOM series. Needless to say my fingers are crossed. Wolfenstein The New Order will be available on PS3, PS4, XBOX 360 and XBOX One.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

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April 10, 2014

Horror News

A new gameplay trailer for The Evil Within has surfaced. The trailer shows off many new areas including a forest suggesting the world for this new survival horror title may be more diverse then has been shown previously. Up until now The Evil Within appeared to take place all inside one building but it is now apparent that this is not the case. There is also a scene showing the main character walking towards a barn through a field of surreal sunflowers suggesting that our journey through the game may feature lapses in sanity. Many different creatures, monsters and other nasties can be seen as well.

The Evil Within is being developed by Bethesda Softworks and directed by Shinji Mikami the creator of the original Resident Evil Games. Mr. Mikami has previously stated that he was unhappy with the current state of survival horror games and began creation of The Evil Within with the intent of bringing the genre back to its roots. Mr. Mikami has also stated this will be the last game that he directs. According to the new trailer the release date for The Evil Within will be August 26th 2014. As this trailer was created for this weekend’s Pax East conference in Boston I think it is safe to assume this is the U.S. release date. It was speculated The Evil Within could potentially have been in development until 2015 so it is exciting to know we will be able to get our hands on this one sooner than later. Here is the link to the new trailer via the official Bethesda YouTube channel. The Evil Within. (NSFW – Violence and Blood)

I will say I definitely get an old-school Resident Evil vibe from the atmosphere in this trailer. The good news is we will only have to wait a few months to find out if this new title makes good on the promise of old-school survival horror. For more on The Evil Within and games like it subscribe to SonicMercury.com’s emailing list at the bottom of the page and subscribe to the links provided at the end of this article for even more updates.

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