Our good friends over at Cipher Prime recently re-released Fractal, their very first title, in the Valve Steam store.

Complete with all the “tweaks and improvements [they] added to the game for [their] Mac Store release, including rebalanced play modes, updated graphics, and improved music and sounds,” Fractal has been available on Steam since the end of November.

Dustin reviewed Fractal and loved it, and now we want to give one of you a chance to love it as well. Have Steam? I’ve got a download code for Fractal and Auditorium (another award winning game from our favorite local developer), up for grabs.

Entering is easy. Just leave a comment. I’ll pick one of you at random sometime next week, and email you the code. You can consider it an early Christmas gift. Good luck!

Today’s Geek of the Week is Greg Lobanov, a student at Drexel University.

He’s roughly a decade younger than the average Geekadelphia writer and already cranking out multiple video games, effectively making us oldheads look bad.

Are you currently in school? Where do you go and what for?

I attend Drexel University, studying Digital Media. I’m currently in my second year, and it’s been quite a learning experience thus far. It’s been my first time working with 3D modeling and animation, I must say it’s been quite a challenge.

How did you get into game design?

I can’t pin it to a single moment or reason—from a very young age I enjoyed making games, though back then it was with paper, cardboard and markers. Something about it felt very natural to me, defining rules of play and making the pieces. I also loved drawing comics and writing stories to go with them. When I started to get into computers and the internet, all those things got tangled up, until some point I was making computer games.

What kind of games or people inspire you?

I think the best (and most inspiring) games are the ones that give the best “feel.” You might be thinking that’s very vague, but I stand by it. I find a lot of games very interesting and effective for all very unique reasons. The qualities that make a good game are far from universal; they’re hard to define in strict germs. Generally, I think that you can realize a game is great from the point of being able to nearly feel the passion that the artists and designers put into it. That passion transfers into my own work.

I liken myself to director Quentin Tarantino and musician James Murphy in the respect that my inspirations are often shown very clearly through my work and combining them in unique ways. (more…)

Contest Closed! Thanks for playing.

Assassin’s Creed. I absolutely adore this video game series, and when Ubisoft released the outstanding Lineage mini-series, I was psyched. Live action Assassin’s Creed? Hells yeah. You can watch the full thing for free on YouTube, or if you’d like to scope it out on the big screen in HD… you could pick it up on DVD or Blu-ray.

Assassin’s Creed: Lineage serves as the prequel to Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood and Revelations. In the story we’re introduced Giovanni Auditore… Ezio’s father. Hunted in the midst of a conspiracy (a popular trope in the Assassin’s Creed series), he’s forced to fight for his life as he tries to expose a dark secret held by some of the most powerful families in Italy.

This is a pretty easy Blu-ray to talk about, considering the entire short film runs a little over half an hour. What you’re really paying for here is the amazing digital transfer (it looks gorgeous) and a number of short featurettes, including some making-of clips and developer diaries. All in all, with the series and the features, you’re looking at about an hour of content here.

On DVD, Assassin’s Creed: Lineage goes for a cheap $10, on Blu-ray, about $12 . The cheap price point, the solid story, and decent mini features, make this a great purchase for that mad Assassin’s Creed fan in your life, or even for yourself. It’s definitely worth the buy if you’re a diehard fan.

Now, for those crazy fans still reading, I’ve got THREE copies of Assassin’s Creed: Lineage on Blu-ray to giveaway. Just leave a comment about your favorite Assassin’s Creed character for a chance to win. I’ll email winners sometime next week.

Requiescat in pace…

Local game developer Cipher Prime, award winning creators of the games Auditorium and Pulse, have recently released an updated version of their addictive music/puzzle game called Fractal. Featuring colorful graphics, cool music, various play modes, and deceptively simple gameplay, Fractal will keep you hooked for hours.

Fractal’s main campaign starts you of creating “blooms”, which is when you connect a group of similarly colored pieces called fractals to create a giant hexagon cluster on the board. For every bloom you create, you also are rewarded with music. The more blooms you take off the board, the more music you hear within the level.

The catch is that you only have  a certain amount of fractals to put on the board while also trying to achieve a certain amount of points per level. As you move through the campaign, the difficulty certainly ramps up. Multiple colored fractals pop up on the board, suddenly making the player have to be aware that the upcoming fractal might destroy an attempted bloom combo.

While playing Fractal I was reminded of the game Lumines, but while that game had a style of gameplay very reminiscent of the classic puzzler Tetris, Fractal feels like it’s own thing. It has its own style  and pace. The campaign doesn’t have you trying to complete a level within a certain timeframe, nor does it suddenly ramp up the speed of gameplay. It all comes down to the player. How the player decides to interact with the level determines the tension and complexity of each level. Needless to say you can discover multiple ways of creating blooms within a level which certainly ups the replay value of the game. (more…)

Ben Franklin is well known as a number of things: author, printer, politician, scientist, musician, inventor, civic activist, and statesman. Lesser known? Zombie Hunter.

No longer. Thanks to the guys over at Neo-Pangea, Big Ben’s zombie killing exploits are your to relive any time you’d like. In the new Flash11 and Stage 3d-powered game Deadcoats, Philadelphia’s favorite founding father is tasked with stemming the tide of an overwhelming army of risen Redcoats with only his trusty lightning gun, iron resolve, and witty one-liners to aid him.

Reading, PA based Neo-Pangea can normally be found crafting beautiful interactive experiences for companies like National Geographic and the Travel Channel, but this particular project was a personal labor of love created from start to finish in just three weeks using brand new tech.

I’ve spent more paid work hours than I care to count headshotting the living dead with my thunderbuss, but I recently had the chance to chat with some of the team over at Neo-Pangea about the process of making the game.

Where’d the idea come from? Why Ben Franklin? Why zombies?

Aaron Beaucher, Ambassador of Inspiration: We have been wanting to do something zombie related for some time now – so when we were looking to showcase these new Flash 11 features and our own capabilities it seemed like a great opportunity. Brett really headed up the concept of Ben Franklin vs undead redcoats, seemed to be a good fit due to our ties to Philly. The lightning gun in the game is actually modeled from a real prop gun we have in our studio… now we just need to get our jetpack into something.

Brett Bagenstose, Baron of Pixels: We are so excited about the possibility of GPU rendered video that we had to have an experiment right out of the gate. But, we wanted to make something more than just a typical proof of concept. A typical, modern day zombie shooter seemed pretty cliché… it needed a purpose and a grounding to Pennsylvania. Ben Franklin kind of wrote his own role.

Jason Morris, Royal Alchemist: Why not? Ben is a local legend, and his love of zombie fighting isn’t as well documented through history as his fondness for French “pastry”. We just figured it was time to show the side of the story that people don’t usually get to see.

(more…)

Halo: Combat Evolved was to the original Xbox what Goldeneye 007 was to the Nintendo 64. In other words, Master Chief’s struggle with the Covenant not only sold a lot of consoles, but set a new standard for multiplayer shooters.

A long 10 years later, we celebrate developer Bungie’s contribution to video games by–how else?–playing more Halo. The Spartans’ baton has been passed to Microsoft’s own 343 Industries, and its first order of business was to commemorate a decade of Halo with Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

Frankly, any self-respecting Halo fan owes it to himself (or herself) to fork up the $40 for Halo Anniversary. And that’s for far more reason than the simple fact that it’s a Halo game. This is the most feature-rich, loving revival of a classic game you’ve likely experienced in a long while.

The point of an HD revival is to remind you of the wonderful experience you enjoyed years ago with a fresh coat of paint, but 343 has made that reminder even more powerful. (more…)

On the surface, the Saints Row franchise appears to be little more than a GTA clone (both are sandbox adventures with a serious bent towards graphic violence), but the latest entry in the series has a serious amount of polish, is ridiculously funny, and most importantly, a ton of fun. It’s far and away the best Saints Row yet, and a worthy holiday season release even with gaming juggernauts Modern Warfare 3, Uncharted 3, Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, and Battlefield 3 competing for your hard-earned dollars.

While the story isn’t exactly a Puzo-esque tome, it’s good enough and has some legitimately funny moments. You’re the leader of the 3rd Street Saints gang, and are the most popular and powerful posse in Steelport (a much more interesting version of Pittsburgh blended with NYC). The Saints celebrity has gone out of control (passers-by ask you for pictures and autographs while you’re in the middle of boosting a car, etc.) and your gang must keep away contenders to the throne. That’s about as deep as it goes.

What makes Saints Row great, though, is the slick gameplay, extensive character customization, and unparalleled outlandishness of the game. Whether you’re tasked with causing $250,000 worth of damage in a neighborhood while rolling around in a tank, or beating up an old lady with a giant dildo-bat after base jumping off of a luxury high-rise, it’s consistently engaging. The controls are intuitive, and the updated combat system – which rivals Batman:AC in terms of smoothness and combo-linking – are a joy to behold. Aiming weapons still sucks ass, but never becomes a serious hindrance. The number of WTF moments in the game is off-the-charts and includes: getting a sex change, participating in a murderous Japanese game show, and dismembering Mexican wrestlers. I spent two hours perfecting the look of my playable character, who ended up a spitting image of Walter White from AMC’s hit show, Breaking Bad. (more…)

It’s looking like NBA 2K12 is the closest basketball fans will get to an actual season this year. The league may have failed you this season but 2K Sports has created a worthy successor to last year’s sleeper hit. Regardless of genre, I believe that immersion is a necessary component to an enjoyable gameplay experience. NBA 2K12 acknowledges this while actually improving upon where its critically acclaimed predecessor left off.

The game essentially draws on nostalgia, dream match ups and competitive gameplay to create an accessible, fun product for fans of all ages. This years installment is a lot more than last years addition of Michael Jordan. 2K12 sees the playable debut of 10 new basketball legends including Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell and a host of others to create modern-era matchups. NBA fans will surely nerd out at the attention to detail in 2K12. Select to play as circa 1960’s Boston Celtics and witness the transformation of modern day gameplay to a black and white television broadcast throwback with genuine announcers in uncanny detail.

Speaking of the graphics, many of the players have noticeably improved from 2K11’s somewhat extraterrestrial looking player aesthetic. Lebron James and Dirk Nowitzki are crafted meticulously as you control them rather fluidly up and down the court. New players will feel a slight learning curve with the sequence of controls. You can essentially micromanage everything that is going on in the game while on the court, both offensively and defensively. (more…)

You know how on Cheers whenever Norm would enter the bar everyone would shout his name? I plan on spending as much time at Barcade to earn myself such a welcoming.

The just-opened Fishtown bar combines two of this Geekadelphian’s favorite things — old school video games and craft beer. The result is the sort of place that hardcore gaming geeks and the general populace can all call their home. Having already opened successful Barcades in Brooklyn and Jersey City, owners Kevin Beard, Paul Kermizian and Pete Langway complete a hat trick of awesomeness with the opening of the Philly location.

The beautiful space features such yesteryear classics as Burgertime, Tron, Tapper, Joust, Super Mario Brothers, Tetris, Popeye, Double Dragon, Rampage, the ageless Ms. Pac-Man and many others. The best part? They will still only cost you a quarter, which will leave you with plenty of cash to sample the bar’s impressive beer selections. I recommend the Southampton Pumpkin Ale. If all the vigorous games WWF Wrestlefest have you working up an appetite, there’s food ranging from Siriracha-infused deviled eggs to a 3-cheese grilled cheese sandwiches available. Seriously, once you go there you are totally going to want to move in.

In conjunction with Barcade’s opening, I had the chance to talk with co-owner Paul Kermizian (who also directed the 2004 documentary American Beer) about the business, video gaming and what visitors can expect. Here’s what he had to say. (more…)

Crazy Machines Elements is the latest entry in a series of wacky physics based puzzle games from German developers FAKT Software. Elements feels like a throwback to the glory days of simple but logical video gaming. Long before being a gamer was defined by how fast you could button mash a keybinding macro on World of Warcraft, puzzle games harken back to the glory days of the 8-bit. All nostalgia aside, what Elements does, it does well… it excels at being widely accessible to all types of gamers while communicating the importance of physics and creativity in solving problems.

In Crazy Machines Elements players must utilize physical and interactive objects in order to create a series of chain reactions in order to advance to the next level. Throughout each level, the player must determine creative ways to harness the elements and objects like pinwheels, cloud machines and flamethrowers in order to meet the puzzle’s objective. Each puzzle gets progressively difficult while involving more and more objects or elements to manipulate within your environment to advance.

The developers did a tremendous job making the player feel rewarded along the way as you progress throughout the game, unlocking more levels and miscellaneous challenges. Elements also features a level editor mode which enables the player to create custom puzzles, sans the ability to share with friends on XBOX Live unfortunately. While Crazy Machines Elements is no Limbo, it’s still an ambitious puzzle game with solid positives – hypnotic replay-ability, immersive soundtrack and old school puzzler roots – that make it worth a look! Crazy Machines Elements is available for download on the XBOX Live Marketplace for 800 Microsoft Points.

One of the hardest parts of being a fan of role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons is the learning curve. If you are older and have children, you really want to share with them the joy of creating a character, exploring a dungeon and fighting an orc with nothing but your imagination. But little ones are too young to follow all the myriad rules and when they get older, try telling them to read 6 hardcover rulebooks before you can even get started.

Enter Kids Dungeon Adventure.

Created by Ben Garvey and his 4 year old daughter, Sasha, it is a download, print and play rpg that has everything you need to share the fun of role playing with your children. You just print up instructions, card and hitpoint sheets, build a dungeon with your child’s blocks or legos and you’re off to the races. It adds a visual element to rpgs that younger children need to enjoy a game like this. And as they get older, it serves as the perfect gateway into games like Dungeons & Dragons and Rifts.

So turn off the Playstation 3 and the Nintendo 3DS for a couple hours and teach your kids all about the best video game ever created: the imagination.

Kids Dungeon Adventure
www.kidsdungeonadventure.com

Let’s get this out of the way right now. Warhammer 40k: Space Marine is the biggest gaming surprise of the Summer. In fact, it might be the biggest game-related surprise I’ve ever had. When THQ emailed me about the title, I shrugged it off as shovelware… but wow, it’s as though Gears of War and Darksiders fell in love and had a beautiful baby clothed in an ostentatious suit of armor… wait, wait. Space armor.

Switching on this game, there is no opening cinematic, just a brief blip about something going wrong on some random planet. Right away, you’re thrust into a world full of questions. Why are there Orcs in space? Why do other soldiers treat your character like he’s a deity of some kind? Why do the Orcs (who are in space) have cockney accents? What’s with the floating skulls scanning dead people and emblazoned on every single door? What are these Titan war machines, and why do citizens refer to them as The Machine Gods?

All these questions and more are raised, but never answered. And you know what? It doesn’t matter. Because you’re too busy having fun to give a damn. All hail the Emperor, whoever the hell he is. (more…)