Link Dump Friday
Sorry to disappoint all you hardcore extreme couponers out there... not only do we not have any Vitamin Water for you, but you don't have to clip anything to win a free game this week... just be your normal charming self! This week's Link Dump Friday somehow wound up a lot more ghoulish than expected, and with all these zombies and fleshy mutants and potent psychological drama shambling around, you'd think we'd be nervous, but honestly, this is pretty standard for us here at JiG HQ. Besides, ever since Jay punished me by making me watch that Jersey Shore marathon, nothing scares me.
CONTEST: Prizes, Terror, and Emotional Trauma If you want horror that's both disgusting and cerebral, then Jasper Byrne's surreal adventure Lone Survivor is an easy recommendation. It follows you, as apparently the only person immune to a disease that turned the rest of humanity into vicious beasts... at least, you think that's what's going on, and judging by the pills and hallucinations, there might be a bit more at work. We're giving away three copies and all you have to do for a chance to win one is leave a comment telling us the game hero (or villain!) you would most like to survive the end of the world with, and the three things you'd take with you to ensure your survival. Rules: Entries must be submitted by July 6th, 11:59 p.m. EST (GMT-5). Winners will be notified by e-mail shortly thereafter. Winners are selected randomly. One entry per person only. You must be at least 18 years of age or older to enter. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.
The Continuing Adventures of BRAAAAAAAAAAINS! I kind of loved the first installment in TellTale's brutal adventure series based on the source material The Walking Dead, and if you felt the same way you'll be just as excited as I am to know that Episode Two: Starved For Help is releasing this Friday, June 29th... or, in other words, the day this article goes live! TellTale defied expectations with their gory but surprisingly tense and heartfelt game, and they've given themselves a tough act to follow. Will they succeed? Only time will tell!
The Trees Have Eyes Survival horror via RPG Maker 200? Hmmm, and hmmm again! Developers Outhouse Studios thinks it can be done, and with the July 15th release of Eyes of the Forest, they might just do it! The game, set in Victorian Europe, follows Samuel, despondent ever since his wife's death, who answers a letter from a colleague in Germany claiming to have discovered "something big". Apparently, nobody told Samuel he was the protagonist in a horror game, or suggested that maybe a place named Rottgarten is a terrible place to visit, and things go about as good as you'd expect. Promising full 3D cutscenes, multiple karma-based endings, and several hours of play, it looks like it could be a great way to creep yourself out for an evening... although hopefully those typos in the screenshots get cleaned up before the release!
Vlambeer: Enemy of Boredom and Producitivty Vlambeer has this really terrible, wonderful habit of releasing "just one more turn" games like Super Crate Box that you kind of live in perpetual dread of being reminded of, since you know the moment it happens all semblance of responsibility will go out the window as you lose your time to it all over again. So you should be excited but nervous about Luftrasers, an improved version of the original. Adding upgradeable ships and more enemies is just the tip of the iceberg and could turn the original top-down arcade shooter into a serious contender. Keep your eyes peeled for this one!
Do you know an upcoming indie project or some community gaming related news you think deserves some attention? Send me an e-mail with LINK DUMP FRIDAY in the subject line at dora AT casualgameplay DOT com with the info, and we'll judge it with the all-seeing glare of our own self-importance for inclusion in a future Link Dump Friday article!
Albert Wesker.
Hanging around people who don't want to die increases your morale and chances of survival.
Bring along a survivalist (Bear Grylls), crowbar, and a bag of holding.
Abe Lincoln is apparently a Vampire Hunter. So he could probably take care of zombies too. So I'll go with him.
I'd probably take Samus Aran because she has a spaceship and her suit is probably bite proof. I'd bring an hamster in a hamster ball (bait), a crowbar (thanks Freeman!), and Twinkies. Gotta have Twinkies.
I'd bring Duo from Mega Man Battle Network 4. He's a giant space god that shoots face-lasers of concentrated rage. I don't think it gets much better than that. If the 3 items I bring can be fictional, then Maxwell's notebook from Scribblenauts, the Book of Prophecy from Avalon Code, and the device Aiden Pearce uses in the upcoming game Watch Dogs. If the items must be real, then I guess I'd go with...my sketchbag, my laptop, and my deck of trading cards I've had since childhood, which is really more of a superstitious charm than anything.
Buffy. She never dies. If she does she comes back to life and she wouldn't leave me behind. :)
To survive the end of the world, I'd choose the Avatar from the Ultima series.
I would bring a ring of regeneration, a spellbook, and a bag full of reagents. ;)
John Marston
I'm so nerdy for choosing this one, but I would go with a bronze colossus from Dwarf Fortress. I would ride on its shoulders as it walks over cars, floods, or zombies. The only thing we would have to fear is someone throwing fluffy wamblers. Then my colossus might be in trouble.
For what I would want to bring, I would being a first aid kit, a pack of water bottles, and a sniper rifle to pick off anything that might attack me.
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