XCOM is difficult.

I just want to get that out of the way right up front. Not unfair, not cheap, not cruel… just really, really tough. Fans of the original XCOM series of PC games won’t be surprised to hear that, but newcomers may be taken aback by how unforgiving the game’s various systems are. Still, you’ll never be confused about what happened that forced a wipe of your squad and a trip back to the alien-fighting drawing board.

Before we get too far into that though, let’s take a step back and discuss the fundamentals. XCOM: Enemy Unknown is one of two modern day XCOM games, along with the now delayed FPS XCOM (no subtitle). Enemy Unkown hews closer to the series’ roots, a turn-based squad strategy affair with a base building, resource management meta-game.

There are supply lines to protect in the form of gunshy members of the worldwide government who provide funding to your secret unit… as long as you keep them safe. There are UFOs to shoot down… but only if you research, outfit, and field your team of interceptors and the satellites they need to detect incoming alien craft. There’s a base to build, enemy tech to research, and soldiers to train… but all of those things require you to use up your often very limited resources to complete, and XCOM ensures that there’s always a hard choice or two to make.

All of that is outside of the main crux of the game, though – the squad combat. (more…)

Photo via Last .FM

On Friday, November 9, the quaint little town of Phoenixville will come alive with the sound of frustrated rants and R-rated humor directed at decades-old video games and movies.

The Angry Video Game Nerd will be hosting an event at the Colonial Theatre. Tickets are $15 and the performance is rated R (anyone who gets riled up about such material spews forth that vitriol in R-rated language at the very least!).

AVGN will show two episodes of the program as well as some behind-the-scenes shares. Finally, he will reveal what every site member has been patiently awaiting: the official trailer for the Angry Video Game Nerd movie (which supposedly will include his much-sought-after review of the “E.T.” Atari game).

This event will be the only place on the East Coast that you will be able to see the trailer before it is posted online.

Check out the event page for more details.

The Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition is a little box that captures video from your PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. It comes with software that lets you upload your videos straight to YouTube, so you can share walkthroughs, Achievement hunts, or any other gaming session with the world… or just your friends. It’s a product intended for hardcore gamers looking to share their experiences with other people, and everything about it reflects that fact.

When I first unboxed the Hauppauge, I was impressed by how small and sleek it was. After following the “Quick Installation Guide,” I was still having some trouble getting the video to work at all. The main issue is that I was connecting it to my PlayStation 3 – a fact that may have just gotten me fired from this blog. Basically, you have to unplug the HDMI cable from the PS3 and connect the television to the box directly with that cable, then connect the PS3 to the box with a separate set of component cables that come with the box. (more…)

So if I say to you “Myst, but in cyberspace” … what does that conjure up? Mysterious setting? Cryptic player communication? Mind-bending puzzles? Paoli-based John Watmuff’s new PC game Anastasiya has all that in spades, and adds a potentially malevolent artificial intelligence and the titular satellite as a setting. John lays it out in more detail:

Anastasiya is a unique puzzle and visual novel adventure game that is currently being developed for the PC platform. We call ourselves the “Whale Team”. When we set out to create the game, we wanted to build a “cyberspace-Myst”. And that is exactly what we have begun to do.

Anastasiya is primarily a text adventure video game that will require gamers to solve a variety of difficult puzzles through text based command prompt windows. The puzzles have several different difficulties, but share a common cyberspace theme. The puzzles will come in many shapes and forms, and will have no specific formula or constraint that ties them together.

In addition to many puzzles, Anastasiya will feature a heavy visual-novel-like story. Our current plans are to continue to create a deep branching story that would require multiple play-through’s to fully absorb. The story, which has already begun, begins with the investigation of a missing Russian man who lives in Seattle — Pyotr Tsvetkov.

While investigating his disappearance, you are unfortunately absorbed into a untamed, wild, and dangerous cyberspace world. In addition to cities overrun by nature and a whole island filled with prehistoric creatures, a dark and mysterious guide named “System” has gained far too much power. And, of course, all of this digital fun takes place aboard a fictional satellite known as Anastasiya.

Still can’t quite wrap your head around it? John and the team have made a demo of the alpha available; you can check it out here. Retro-inspired games have been picking up serious steam lately, including fellow Kickstarter and indie darling FTL – let’s help Anastasiya join the ranks.

The Project: Anastasiya

Creators: John Watmuff

The Sweet Spot: $5 will get you a copy of the game when it’s released in March, and for $15 you can get early access to the official beta ahead of your copy of the game.

Funding Deadline: December 7th, 2012

More Info: Read more about the game on the Kickstarter page, and check out the alpha demo over on Indie DB.

Every Monday Geekadelphia features a Kickstarter created by local Philadelphians. Check ‘em out and support our local geek scene. If you have a project that you’d like featured on site, contact [email protected]

On October 12th, PhilaMOCA will play host to local prog-rock chip-tune wizards Cheap Dinosaurs. In celebration of their new EP featuring the songs of 70’s progressive rock band Goblin, they’ll be playing a whole set of covers and delights from that cult classic band.

Goblin was the band behind the soundtracks to many of horror director Dario Argento’s most famous movies. They were also tapped by George A. Romero to work on some of the soundtrack to Dawn of the Dead. In fact, one of their songs was used as the theme song for the European version of the film. Don’t worry though, you can find their tracks scattered around the American version as well.

If you’re looking for a night of spooky prog-rock, then look no further than this. You’ve found the ancient accursed artifact that will consume your soul with awesome music.

Also on the bill are Tom Guycot, who will be toting along some sounds housed in his analog keyboards, and the Joint Chiefs of Math, who will delight your math-loving ear holes with their songs.

NO CARRIER will be coming down from NYC to provide a bit of lo-fi visual stimulus to the whole show using some fantastically repurposed old equipment.

For more info and to RSVP, click here.

Cheap Dinosaurs @ PhilaMOCA
Friday, October 12th, 2012
Doors open at 7:00pm

Four years have flown by in an audible hailstorm of 8 bit beeps and boops. October 11th will be the 4th Anniversary of 8 Static, the fantastic geeks holding down the chip-tune scene here in Philly. The fact that this October show is their 4th anniversary has not gone unnoticed. Prepare yourself for an all out, all night, ear shattering celebration of 8-Bit music.

Bit Shifter, co-founder of Blip Festival and 8 Static first show alum, will be caressing some buttons on his lo-fi equipment in order to get everyone dancing. This legend in the chi-tune community has played over 200 shows all over the world and is sure to put on one hell of a performance.

Ratlib will be bringing along a pair of vintage laptops so he can kick out the jams and force your feet to fly in formations you never thought possible. His upbeat and catchy tunes will be sure to keep you humming late into the after party.

Philly local An0va will be bringing along his style of mathematical auditory wonderment. His debut album, The Teaching Machine, is an incredible blend of melodies that will tickle the parts of your brain you didn’t know you had.

Nikola Whallon is no stranger to 8 Static. In fact, he’s been to several open mic’s and now will take his rightful place up in the headlining acts. His signature blend of moody music.

As is usual, some visual magicians will be in attendance to festoon pretty colors across your retinas. NO CARRIER, Chromacle, and Animal Style will be there to hypnotize you into a dancing frenzy.

But, this being their 4th anniversary, this show will be a little different. Instead of the usual workshop on creating chip-tunes, you’ll be treated to a lineup of TWELVE 8 Static Alumni who will be performing a one hour set.

Yes you read that correctly. 16 chip-tune artists are going to be packed into PhilaMOCA for a night of insane music and dancing. Power down your Gameboys folks and let the professionals take you for the ride of your life!

Saturday, October 13th, 2012
7:00pm at PhilaMOCA – all ages!
$7-10 (sliding scale)

Hey, geeks. Are you old enough to remember Robotron 2084? Right. Maybe not. You’ll just have to trust me when I tell you that it was super awesome, super difficult, and spawned a genre that has spanned decades.

How about Everyday Shooter, Super Stardust HD, or Geometry Wars? There we go. The twin-stick shooter has been a winning gaming formula since pretty much the very beginning, and now Philadelphia’s own Quadratron is taking a crack at the genre with “Monsters!”. The game’s creator, Zenas Bellace, has the details:

Monsters is a 2D action shooter inspired by the classic arcade game Robotron 2084.  Wielding “twin stick” controls, the player aims to defeat waves of enemy monsters bent on his destruction.  The player must use caution, however, as every shot drains the player’s life/energy.  The only way to stay alive is to continuously collect the hearts of the slain monsters.  In addition, hearts of different colors provide a variety of “power-up” like abilities that the player can use to their advantage.

The player uses two sets of controls, one to move, the other to fire.  Each wave is a single screen populated with a number of enemy monsters of varying types.  Coming into contact with an enemy or an enemy projectile will decrease the player’s life/energy.  Defeating each wave of monsters will allow the player to progress to a more difficult wave.  There will be forty waves, divided into four themed sections such as bone, bile, phlegm, and blood.

The core game mechanics have been developed and implemented over the last few month but I am currently estimating that the game needs a few more months’ worth of development. I’m currently working with a pixel artist Travis Carter on crafting the visual aesthetic for the game. The soundtrack, being created in the chip tunes style, is being composed by Philadelphia game developer Shawn Pierre, and the storyline is being written by Nicole Kline and myself.

That’s right, Geedadelphia’s very own Nicole Kline is lending her pen to this one, so you know it’s going to be extra awesome. QuadraTron is a staple in the local indie game dev scene. Show the team some love and let’s get this thing made!

The Project: Monsters! – A 2D Shooter for Windows, Mac, and Linux

Creator: Zenas Bellace

The Sweet Spot: $10 will net you the game and a spot in the credits, and for a paltry $75 you can scoop up the basics plus the digital soundtrack and an original piece of pixel art from the game created by Travis Carter.

Funding Deadline: October 18th, 2012

More Info: Check out the Kickstarter page for loads more info on the game and a free demo! You can also read more about Zenas, the studio, and the game’s development on the QuadraTron site.

Every Monday Geekadelphia features a Kickstarter created by local Philadelphians. Check em out and support our local geek scene. If you have a project that you’d like featured on site, contact [email protected]

When the original Darksiders came out, it was something of a revelation.

It was a beautiful, visceral homage to the Zelda gameplay and style that we’d all grown up with, but wrapped in the incredible art and direction of Joe Madureira, the guy behind Battle Chasers and the best Uncanny X-Men artist since Jim Lee. The story focused on War, one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, and its closing moments (as well as strong sales and a positive critical reception) left no doubt about the fact that a sequel was on the horizon.

After two long years, that sequel is upon us. Darksiders 2 is set during the same time period as the original, only this time players take the role of Death as he attempts to resurrect humanity. Trust me, it makes sense. (more…)

We’re proud of Philly’s beloved game development studio, Cipher Prime, and you should be too!

This weekend they announced that their latest game, Splice, was selected to be part of The PAX 10, an indie games showcase at the Penny Arcade Expo. A lot of game devs submit to this, and Splice made the cut. Cipher Prime will be traveling to Seattle in September to showcase the game.

Want to try out the game and see what all the fuss is about? All of Cipher Prime’s titles are currently half-price on Steam during their Summer Sale, running through July 23rd. This includes Splice, Fractal, and Auditorium. Go buy these games. Now.

Congrats to the Cipher Prime crew! Good luck at PAX!

Spec Ops: the Line is a deceptive game. Anyone that’s kept up with the long development cycle or has seen the ads has a pretty good idea of the basic premise: You’re a member of an elite commando unit, in this case Delta Force, sent in to complete a mission that no one else can.

This time, that mission is heading into Dubai six months after a massive sandstorm has decimated the thriving bourgeois oasis. An entire Army battalion, the Damned 33^rd, was sent in under the command of decorated combat vet Col. John  Konrad to evacuate survivors and keep the peace, but they haven’t been heard from since shortly after they arrived. It’s up to you and your two squad mates to get in there and see what’s what.

Sounds… generic, right? Well, it is. And that’s where the deception comes into play. Spec Ops isn’t really about that Clancy-esque NYT bestseller plot at all. In fact, as you guide Capt. Walker and the rest of Delta deeper into the city and run in to remnants of the 33^rd and local rebels things start to unravel very, very quickly. To go into too much more detail would be to spoil the real joy of playing the game but suffice to say that what starts as a generic, mechanically mediocre shooter turns into something much more. (more…)

It wasn’t so long ago that we featured DeadCoats, a fantastic Flash game from our talented friends over at Neo-Pangea. Well, we weren’t the only ones to take notice, and a global following has sprung up. Tens of thousands of patriots continue to rise and face the undead hordes monthly. The game also got tons of attention and great press at the recent Game Developers Conference out in California and may soon be part of Gamefly’s Stage 3D game library.

What does all that mean for you? Hopefully lots more DeadCoats. The thing is, the guys over at Neo-Pangea put the beta version together in about three weeks as a little side hustle. Getting this thing to the big time is going to require some more money – fighting the undead ain’t cheap, you know. The team has launched a Kickstarter to fund additional development, starting with the implementation of some player feedback and expanding to a full story and multiple new levels. From the Kickstarter page:

It’s being proved more and more every day: when players gets to contribute directly to a project, the final result makes everyone happier. Studios that don’t have to answer to big company names can operate with the power of the independent spirit, and create the wonderful things that they want to create. We at Neo-Pangea are humbled by the way DeadCoats was received in its test-state, and would love to move forward, polish it up, and create something even more amazing. No one likes playing games clogged with ads, so we’re going straight to the community of game-players and game-creation enthusiasts to fund the next step forward for the DeadCoats experience.

Now, we’re not promising the next Massively Multiplayer First-Person Competitive Shooter here, but the sky’s the limit when you put the power in the hands of the community itself. Every cent put toward funding this project will go toward making a bigger, better, and deader final product. We absolutely loved making DeadCoats, and would enjoy nothing more than creating as much content as you guys and gals want. If there’s demand for it, we’ll keep supplying.

DeadCoats is in its test state at the moment. It was originally made to quench a creative thirst and test the boundaries of a new technology, but it quickly became more than that. Now DeadCoats is looking to become a fully-fledged game. This project (if successfully funded) will start the ball rolling. Firstly with community suggested tweaks and changes, followed by the addition of new content. Our goal is to add a humorous and interesting story, immersive levels, new weapons, robust characters, and as much zombie-blasting enjoyment as we can cram in.

So, yeah. Everyone loved the tasty little morsel the team released last Halloween. Just think about how much more awesome a full-blown game will be. Above all else, remember the words of Big Ben: Well done is better than well said. Get out there and do something to make this a reality.

The Project: DeadCoats – A First-Person Zombie Revolution

Creators: Neo-Pangea

The Sweet Spot: Every donation counts, but $30 will get you listed as a Defender of Freedom in the credits, as well as an unlockable character (or weapon) and some other sweet swag. Not enough? Get your mug mapped into the game as a zombie at the $300 level.

Funding Deadline: July 31st, 2012

More Info: Check out the fantastic Neo-Pangea site for more info on what else the guys are up to, and be sure to hit the main Kickstarter page for all the other details.

Every Monday Geekadelphia features a Kickstarter created by local Philadelphians. Check em out and support our local geek scene. If you have a project that you’d like featured on site, contact [email protected]

No matter how old or young you are, everyone knows about Pong. There are even some of us who are old enough to remember actually playing it. The granddaddy of video games, this simple 2D tennis simulator has earned its place in gaming history and gamers owe it a debt of gratitude.

But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t use an upgrade.

Atari is currently running a contest to reimagine the video game classic for the iPhone/iPad and bring it to the App Store. And they are giving this awesome responsibility to an up-and-coming indie game development studio.

The semi-finalists have been announced and among their number are not one, but two Philly based developers. SmugBee Games and Island Officials both have remade versions of Pong in the running and they both look incredible.

The finalists are going to be announced tomorrow, June 26th, so check out the YouTube trailers and see what you could be playing in the near future. With any luck, it will be a new Pong for a new century developed by a bunch of local Philly talent.

That alone would make getting an iPad worth it.

Pong Indie Development Challenge
www.atari.com/pongdeveloperchallenge