As I begin this review, my heart is pained. Not because Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is bad or anything, I was just playing it and I startled so badly I think I had a mini heart attack. If you are looking for another terrifying, if a tad short, jaunt, this game is for you. If the abundance of distance noises, suspenseful music, bone chilling laughter of children, and the squeals of pigs are too much for you, do yourself a favor and stay far FAR away from this game.

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs is an “indirect sequel” (think Final Fantasy sequels) to The Dark Descent, which was released in late 2010 and quickly became well known as one of the best horrifying, yet entertaining, experiences video games had to offer. Considering the success of the first game, it is no surprise a sequel was released. What is interesting is A Machine for Pigs was developed by The Chinese Room and only published by Frictional Games, the creators of the first. This worried me at first, but after some play time, I can say The Chinese Room did a fine job.

A Machine for Pigs definitely isn't the same game as the first. It is still a survival-horror game where the majority of the gameplay is exploration and relatively simple puzzles, but there are a few key differences. You no longer have to manage your oil levels, so you can use your lamp as much as you want, which honestly isn't that often. Also, you no longer had a health or sanity meter. Sanity is basically scripted events, and health is handled by the screen darkening as you take more and more damage. This lack of micromanagement barely reduces the urgency of the game and greatly increases the immersion into the macabre story since you no longer have to stare into candles and hope your light source is actually returning your sanity.

Unfortunately, some of that immersion is instantly torn away by the significant lack of interactable objects. As you explore the gloomy world the only things you can interact with are story items, puzzle items, teddy bears and, for some random reason, every single chair. No book, no crates, some bottles, but a dining chair? Pick that shiz up, give it a name and carry it around for emotional support.

The controls are very similar to the first game. Click to interact with objects, slowly or quickly open doors (standard). Two buttons to lean around corners (important) and a sprint (very important). The controls work as intended, which is the best compliment you can give controls. You almost never think about the controls after they are introduced to you since they only have occasional issues, like carried objects rarely clipping through walls or finicky manipulative puzzle objects. These issues can get frustrating, especially when you are trying to haul Geoffrey the Chair through the entire game and he suddenly disappears through a wall. I never had it happen to an object required for progression, even with substantial effort.

The story is dark, gritty, and cerebral--everything I was expecting from the sequel to The Dark Descent. Like Bioshock Infinite,a substantial amount of the story is discovered through notes scattered throughout the world which you can miss if you don’t fully explore the environments and check all of the drawers. The end sequence does a good job of answering most of your questions, but I do have to admit, after I finished I hopped online and read an explanation to make sure I understood what the crap was actually going on. The story, while good, isn't terribly long. I was a thorough explorer, and I still finished the game in under six hours.  

While the story was unpredictable, the horror was not. Quite often I would find myself saying, “There’s going to be a scary bit right HERE.” And I was correct more often than not. It’s really not that big of a deal, especially since there were still plenty of moments that made me jump, but the strength of this game is definitely in the atmosphere, not the jump scares.

The presentation both helps and hurts the immersion. The creatures are suitably disfigured and environments are ominous and very dark. I wish the engine was a little more robust or used higher resolution textures though, because certain areas of the game look rather basic, such as the water effects. In some of the later areas of the game you can also see visual seams in the junction between walls and floors, which is a personal frustration.

The sound design is very well done (especially if you are using a surround sound setup) and the echoing screams and squeals will probably haunt my nightmares for weeks to come, but like the visuals, there are some issues. Occasionally I noticed a sound byte repeating endlessly at the same volume, not matter how far you walk away from the area. It stopped after a nearby level transition, but it is definitely a sign of weakness.

This game is definitely not free of bugs. Not only do you have the occasional object clipping issue and presentation oddities, but at one point I fell through the floor and was able to view the map from outside. Eventually I fell to my death, but once I respawned, the game was broken to the point of completely blocking me from progression, so I had to jump back a save and lose half an hour of playtime. This only happened once, and replaying the section wasn't really that big of a deal since I knew the puzzles and obstacles, but it definitely wrecked the atmosphere for a while.

While Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs has some issues, it is absolutely worth playing. The story is well-crafted and intriguing, and the gameplay rarely gets in the way. Occasional glitches may arise, but that didn't tarnish my experience. Go get this game, have fun. Sure, it’s short, but for $20 bucks it is a good buy.

Final Verdict:

More sensitive individuals might want to stay away, but otherwise, play it.

Check out this insanely awesome 30-foot dragon robot called Tradinno. It was created by Zollner Elektronik AG, and as you'll see, it's kind of mind-blowing. They packed it full of all kinds of stuff that make it work, and it can flap its wings, walk laterally, squirt out 21 gallons of stage blood, and breathe fire from his nostrils and mouth! Check it out!

Via: Kotaku

I hate when this happens. AMC has decided to split the final season of Mad Men into two parts. They did the same thing with Breaking Bad's final season, which I thought was ridiculous. The final season of Mad Men will get 14 episodes, the first half of the season will air in spring of 2014, and the second will air in spring of 2015. They might as well just give them their own seasons. I don't know. I personally think the breaking up of these final seasons is ridiculous and uncalled for, but it's not like the audience has a say in the matter. AMC president Charlie Collier had this to say in a statement,

“This approach has worked well for many programs across multiple networks, and, most recently for us with Breaking Bad which attracted nearly double the number of viewers to its second half premiere than had watched any previous episode.”

Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner added, 

“We are determined to bring Mad Men a similar showcase. We plan to take advantage of this chance to have a more elaborate story told in two parts, which can resonate a little bit longer in the minds of our audience."

What's funny is that they love the idea, but the viewers hate it. I don't know any Breaking Bad fans that enjoyed the fact they had to wait so long to see how the show ended. It does no good to complain though, they've made their decision and now fans of the series will be forced to wait. 

Here are a couple of Doctor Who goodies for you today! Above you'll find a TARDIS door cling, which transformers any door into an entrance to the TARDIS.  It's available over on Think Geek, and here's their description:

We know it probably won’t happen, but we still imagine what it would be like to run into the Doctor someday. We listen for the recognizable sound of his timey-wimey craft and sonic screwdriver, we jump a little bit when we see a recognizable bowtie, fez or scarf… and we cross our fingers that we’ll run into a big blue door that says “Police Public Call Box.”

Perhaps the Doctor’s path may never cross ours, but you can turn any door into the entrance to that famous blue time-travelling machine with this high-quality, reusable door cling.

Then below you'll find a rendition of the Doctor Who theme song played on harps by the Harp Twins.

Can you believe that The Simpsons is in its 25th season? I wonder how much longer it will go! This will be the 24th year that they put on their annual "Treehouse of Horror" special. "Treehouse of Horror" has always been one of my favorite things about this series, but I feel like it kind of lost its flavor over the last few years. It's been announced that Guillermo del Toro helped with this year's Halloween special, so hopefully it will go back to its horror roots.

Treehouse of Horror XXIV arrives on October 6th, and according to the press release, it sounds like it could be really good! Read all about it below! 

The opener of the 24th annual “Treehouse of Horror” is from Guillermo del Toro and features monsters and classic characters from horror films throughout history. In “Oh The Places You’ll D’oh,” the first of three spine-tingling stories, Homer rides around Springfield wreaking havoc as “The Fat in The Hat” in a rhyming Dr. Seuss-ian tale. In “Dead and Shoulders,” Bart is beheaded during a kite accident, his head is attached to Lisa’s body and they must live together as one. The final terrifying tale, “Freaks no Geeks,” features Mr. Burns’ traveling circus, The Burnsum and Bailey Circus, which has stopped in Springfieldland in the 1930s. Trapeze artist Marge and Strong Man Homer are performers and things go awry when circus freak Moe starts to make advances towards Marge in the all-new “Treehouse of Horror XXIV” episode of The Simpsons” airing Sunday, Oct. 6 (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Do you think Treehouse of Horror XXIV is going to be good?

Check out these two awesome futuristic combat and space suit designs created by CGHUB artist Patryk Olejniczak. These are so cool. It'd be great to see them brought to life. 

Apparently while Thor: The Dark World was in production, Alan Taylor was having some script issues, so Joss Whedon was brought in to fix them. It seems like Whedon has become the go-to guy to help fix things for Marvel. His pen is truly mightier than the sword... or in this instance, Mjolnir. In a recent interview with SFX Magazine, Taylor talked about bringing Whedon in to help, saying,

"Joss came in to save our lives a couple of times," laughs the director. "We had a major scene that was not working on the page at all in London, and he basically got airlifted in, like a SWAT team or something. He came down, rewrote the scene, and before he got back to his plane I sort of grabbed him and said, 'And this scene and this scene?' And he rewrote two other scenes that I thought had problems. Then finally we let go of him, he took off again, and we shot the scenes; and they were just much better and much lighter on their feet. Much more fun, much more surprising than what we had been trying to do. I can relate to guys who come out of the TV world, since that's where I come from. And being able to land and work and solve a problem quickly... I really was grateful."

How awesome is that!? Whedon was brought in to save the day, and up the quality level of the movie. I'm so glad that Marvel has Whedon help make their movies more awesome! He might just be the best thing to ever happen to Marvel. Hopefully they can hold on to him. 

Via: CBM

There is so much cool cosplay out there, and we want to be able to share more of it. Cosplay Attack will feature 4 or more cosplay artists each week.

Elastigirl

Jessica LG is Elastigirl | Photos by Chris Gomez | Via CBM

Gambit

Nadyasonika is Gambit | Photos by Andreas Schneider | Via Geeks Are Sexy + Cosplaymation

Elektra

Eve Beauregard is Elektra | Photo by WhatABigCamera | Via Women of Comicbook Cosplay 

Hermione Granger

A-Scudder is Hermione Granger

Here's a great piece of fan art for Back to the Future, created by Sean Gordon Murphy, that I thought a lot of you would really enjoy. This is one of my favorite movies of all time, and it's always fun to see different visions and tribute art for it. This one is really cool. 

There’s something poignant about being a mother badger. That is the experience given to you by Might and Delight in their new survival adventure game, Shelter. The game, Greenlit and recently released on Steam, puts you in the shoes (paws?) of a mother badger trying to lead her cubs to safety while feeding them and protecting them from the harsh environment. Shelter is a simple, beautiful game. There is no HUD, so the screen looks nice and clean, which enhances the experience of guiding your cubs through nature. There are few commands, as all you need to do is traverse through the wilderness with your cubs in tow, occasionally stopping to pick some fruit or hunt down a frog to feed them. Even in measuring how hungry your cubs are, the game is simple and effective. There is no meter of any kind, but as one of your five cubs grows hungrier, his color fades from a healthy brown to a dull gray.

The graphical style is brilliant and unique. Objects are draped in pictographic textures, giving the environment a strange, abstract feel. It is strange and different, yet effective. The overall subdued color scheme contributes largely to the feel of the game--the you-against-the-world feeling of being an animal trying to survive in the wild.

While the simplicity of the presentation is a strength, the simplicity of the gameplay is its biggest downfall. It’s just...too simple. You walk through the forest as your cubs follow you. You need to keep them fed, but food is pretty abundant. You need to protect them from eagles, but that just comes down to basic timing as you dart to cover. I wanted it to be some sort of open world exploration survival game, but instead it just becomes a game of getting from point A to point B while picking up food along the way.

Where the game does succeed, though, is in emotional impact. It does what it sets out to accomplish; it gets you attached to those cubs, and it rips your heart out if you let one die. After spending so much time collecting food and shepherding the little guys safely through the eagle patrols, I encountered a raging river. After a misstep while fording the river, I noticed that one of my cubs had been taken by the waves. I let out an audible gasp--I was devastated! Yes, it’s pretty easy to restart a level so you can do it without losing anyone, but still, the impact landed.

Shelter is really a beautiful, emotional game. It’s simple. Simple, minimalist graphics; simple, raw emotion; and unfortunately, simple gameplay.

A couple of months ago Warner Bros. announced that they would be developing a Ninjago movie based on the LEGO property. That movie now has a director, and that director is Charlie Bean, who worked on the awesome Disney XD animated series, Tron: Uprising.

The movie is currently being written by Dan Hageman and Kevin Hageman, who helped develop the story for The Lego Movie, which is currently in development.

There's also an animated series for Ninjago, which is "inspired by Chinese and Japanese myths and culture and features dragons and mystical snakes like the Great Devourer. The main character is Kai, the red ninja of fire."

Of course the film will feature a new take that diverges from the TV series. This could be a really cool film if done right. The upcoming LEGO movie looks pretty awesome. 

Via: THR

Neill Blomkamp's futuristic world of Elysium almost included sex robots, but they never made it in the film. Why? Probably because they are disturbing looking. Here's a collection of new concept art from Weta artist Aaron Beck that he posted on his blog. On top of the sex-bots, there is also concept art for military robots and various other designs with descriptive names like "Stompy McStompStomp" and "Fuck You Up Bot." Make sure to head on over to Beck's blog for even more concept art.

New York Comic-Con is right around the corner, and I'm sure that it's once again going to be an awesome adventure. For those of you who plan to attend, DC Entertainment has released their plans, which you can check out below. It looks like they'll have some cool stuff of the fans to check out!

Here's the full press release: 

DC Entertainment, home of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes and the comic book industry’s most talented artists and writers, today announced a stellar program of New York Comic Con panels, signings, announcements and other events certain to excite fans of all ages, led by a jaw-dropping display of eight historic Superman costumes from the big and small screen in celebration of Superman’s 75th Anniversary.

With an array of costumes previously worn by the likes of Christopher Reeve, Henry Cavill, Brandon Routh, Dean Cain and Tom Welling – the scope of this epic exhibit will expand the publisher’s convention presence beyond the floor of the Jacob Javitz Center and into the building’s public entryway – making DC’s expanded footprint undeniable to convention attendees and the public at large, and making for a convention-wide 75th anniversary celebration of The Man of Steel. A star-studded panel honoring the Man of Steel and discussing the beloved character’s many personifications, impressive history, and ongoing relevance within society and entertainment, is also in the works.

DC Entertainment will further put its stamp on this year’s convention through appearances by some of the biggest creative names in the comic book industry – including the writers and artists from Batman, Green Lantern and Superman family of titles, MAD Magazine and many more. Legendary author Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed SANDMAN series will also be a highlight as fans clamor for the first issue of THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE, a centerpiece of the ongoing reinvigoration of the Vertigo imprint. Additionally, for the first time DC will host over 50 creator signings at an exclusive DC Entertainment area in the increasingly popular Artist Alley.

The largest English-language publisher in the world will continue to make its mark with a packed schedule of panels, and fantastic collection of additional appearances and signings, exclusive announcements and other events.

• As their epic BATMAN: ZERO YEAR storyline expands into the rest of DC Comics – The New 52 and BATMAN VOL. 3: DEATH OF THE FAMILY prepares for its October release, superstar creators Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo will share the latest insider’s view on The Caped Crusader and their unique creative process. A Batman panel featuring this “dynamic duo” and creators such as John Layman, Ann Nocenti, Peter Tomasi and James Tynion IV will be a convention highlight. Following this year’s show, Snyder and Capullo will be the guests-of-honor at a Q&A and signing for BATMAN VOL. 3: DEATH OF THE FAMILY on Monday, October 14th at 7:00 p.m. the Union Square Barnes & Noble in NYC.
• Set for release on October 30, Vertigo’s THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE will also be a convention highlight as Neil Gaiman returns to the iconic comic book series that launched his career. Vertigo will be celebrating its 20th year in publishing through panels, signings and more, casting a spotlight on the imprint’s horror, mythic fiction, and sci-fi titles – including the dark fantasy COFFIN HILL, the epic adventure HINTERKIND, and THE SANDMAN spin-off THE DEAD BOY DETECTIVES as well as the new series THE WAKE, TRILLIUM, FBP: FEDERAL BUREAU OF PHYSICS and more.
• Kicking off on October 2 and spanning across all GREEN LANTERN family titles throughout the month, the “Lights Out” crossover event will change the Green Lantern universe forever! Convention attendees will collect more behind-the-scenes knowledge on this ambitious storyline by attending the October 13 panel featuring creators Bernard Chang, Van Jensen, Justin Jordan, Charles Soule, Brad Walker, Robert Venditti and more. The storyline ties together every Lantern of every Corps who has ever appeared in any comic book – ever. Nothing is held back, and devoted fans will want to know more!
• Fresh off the release of FOREVER EVIL #1, written by comic legend Geoff Johns with artwork by the infinitely talented David Finch, as well as the unprecedented “Villains Month” unveiling of 52 villain-centric 3-D Motion covers from across The New 52, fans will get the chance to learn more about the FOREVER EVIL storyline (and all of the dastardly villains that everyone loves to hate) at the Justice League – Forever Evil panel on Saturday, October 12. Boasting a collection of DC creators that includes Finch, Ray Fawkes, Matt Kindt, Joe Prado, Ivan Reis and more. Convention attendees will also get a sneak preview of the all-new documentary “Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics,” which investigates the inner-workings of the most nefarious collection of baddies in comics history. Narrated by legendary film bad guy Christopher Lee, “Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics” will be released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on October 25.
• Get an inside look at INSIDE MAD, the hugely anticipated collection being released on October 29 from “The Usual Gang of Idiots” at MAD Magazine. Those looking to get an additional dose of the iconic magazine’s acclaimed wit and snark can visit the Mad About MAD panel on October 12 – led by Editor John Ficarra and a laughter-inducing cast of characters.
• A wide variety of exclusive offerings will be available throughout the weekend at this year’s New York Comic Con – including giveaways throughout the weekend as well as FOREVER EVIL #1, BATMAN #24 and SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #1 variant covers priced at $10 each. DC Collectibles also has two exciting convention exclusives lined up for New York, including a DC Nation: Super Best Friends Forever Poison Ivy statue and DC Super Heroes of Green Lantern 3.75” action figure two-pack featuring Hal Jordan and Blue Lantern Saint Walker. Each of these exclusive offerings will be available for sale at the DC Collectibles Boutique at the Graphitti Designs booth (#755).
• Fans can get all the latest information on New York Comic Con and other DC Entertainment events by downloading the free DCE Events app for iOS and Android smartphone users. It’s available for download today on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store.

We've got some more great fan-made posters for the rest of the fake Seinfeld movies! The poster designs come from Next Movie, and to see the other previously released posters, click here. In this collection we have films like Agent Zero, Brown Eye'd Girl, Mountain High, Firestorm, and more!

Walking Dead star Michael Rooker is playing the character Yondu in James Gunn's Marvel film, Guardians of the Galaxy. The actor recently did a question and answer session on Twitter and while he was doing it he talked a little bit about the comic book film he was working on and the character he plays.

Here's a few points of interest that he discussed: 

• When asked what movie he would like to do after Guardians of the Galaxy, Rooker answered, "Another Guardians. Duh." 
• Rooker said that it takes "about an hour and a half and two more days to make sure" his blue body paint (for the role of Yondu) is all off. 
• While talking about joining the Marvel universe, Rooker jokingly said, I'm in a Marvel movie and its paying my mortgage right now. Love Marvel. Sh*t Yes!!!!!!" 
• Rooker first heard about Guardians of the Galaxy from director James Gunn. 
• When confusingly asked if he had spent any time with Yondu before playing the character, Rooker joked, "Yeah I visited Yondu. We had a couple pints in London". 
• When asked if he had to learn a new skill for Guardians of the Galaxy, Rooker joked, "No, I showed them a few." 
• Apparently, Rooker is still filming scenes for Guardians of the Galaxy. 

Via: Guard the Galaxy

Superman himself, Henry Cavill, recently appeared on Sesame Street alongside Elmo in a segment called "Word on the Street," in which he teaches us and the rest of the kiddies about Respect. 

FilmDistrict has launched a viral campaign for Spike Lee's upcoming Oldboy remake. A new dark clip and a few posters that feature the nightmarish accommodations of the hotel that Josh Brolin's character is forced live in for 20 years have been released. I've stayed in a hotel that looks as bad as this before. Those were some good times! You can check out more from the movie at the Tumblr page HotelOldboy.com. 

The movie is set to be released on November 27th, and I'm hoping it ends up being better than I think it will be.  

We've got a cool sci-fi superhero short film for you to check out today called "Genesis." The short was directed by CJ Johnson, and it was shot simultaneously on the iPhone and the Red Epic camera. Here's the description of the story:

This is a passion project, set in an alternate present day, people with super abilities known as "genesis subjects" are hunted down by the government as a larger political debate is happening worldwide. When a "hunter" comes face to face with an old friend who refuses to go quietly into the night, he's faced with his toughest mission yet. Discovering that he may just be a pawn in a much larger game. This is a gritty take on a world filled with people with super abilities. No costumes. No capes. Just a simple question… if someone you knew had special powers, does that mean that they still have the same rights as everyone else?

The original plan was to turn this story into a feature film, but now it's being pushed for a potential TV series. I think it the short turned out great, but check it out for yourself, and let us know if you think it would make a good TV series! 

Your game collection can have an air of sophistication with these custom made game box covers. They look like classic books from Penguin Book. Compared to your current game covers, they're a lot cleaner, and the titles on the spine read more easily. You can even color code them by genre.

If they weren't sold out, you could get them on Esty from JamesBit.

You can also try your hand at creating them yourself by using templates from Thomas Knapp Design.

These are so bad they're good. The last one in particular got me, although I don't know how you could work it into a joke if you aren't Heisenberg. Do you have any Breaking Bad jokes? I do, but most of them end before you find out what happens. EH?!