Brutal Gamer News Wrap: 3/19/14

The long (long) awaited single-player mode for Maxis’ latest SimCity is finally here. And whether or not that sways you into the wonderful world of city-building is up to you. That’s really what it comes down to as SimCity’s update basically brings the offline mode and little else too, with only a few scant improvements other than the mode, which many would argue should have been ‘in the box’ at launch. 

Read through this link if you’d like to see the full story and the entire list of what’s new.

DC Comics video games are on something of a roll over the last few years. The Batman: Arkham games have set the high-water mark of course, but games like Infinite Crisis have given gaming comic fans something to really sink their teeth into in the interim.

A MOBA in style, which are all kinds of popular at the moment, Infinite Crisis sets players up with quite an impressive list of options. Tons of characters, interesting levels based on DC lore, and alternate versions of some of the biggest characters in comics all make Infinite Crisis something that fans shouldn’t pass up on at least trying- even though it is a free-to-play game.

Have a look at the trailer for the open beta that just started up and see if it doesn’t interest you, at least a tad.

Grey Goo oozes onto the RTS scene this Fall

Yes, I know the name is dopey, but it’s actually based on a real idea from DARPA where infinitely replicating nano-machines could theoretically destroy an entire world. Sound cooler? Yeah, I though so.

Functioning as a standard RTS in its gameplay, developer Petroglyph is looking to streamline the genre with this one and work out all of the “tedium and boredom” that the genre can entail. At it’s core too, this is one pretty looking RTS. And with a total of three different races (which all play differently) and titanic ‘epic’ units to level the battlefield with, it should be something else.

Check out the trailer and some screens here, and then mark your calendar as Grey Goo hits the PC this Fall.

Bravely Default outsells Lightning Returns in US

Well this is an interesting turn isn’t it? Square Enix’ brand new IP, Bravely Default, is beating the venerable Final Fantasy’s franchise’s latest installment (Lightning Returns) in the sales department.

Could this be a changing of tastes for JRPG gamers on a larger scale? Or might it be a turning back towards the simpler, but rock solid, design that eastern RPG’s carried years ago? Might be a little bit of both to be honest.

Take me for instance; I haven’t played a JRPG in years, but I used to love ’em from the SNES all the way through to the PSOne. Since then? I don’t know, most seem like shallow grind-fests to me and not really something that I want to spend upwards of 40 hours on.

But don’t take my word for it, have a look at the original story and make up your own mind.

The best of the rest

While that was some of the biggest news of the last few days, there was way more going on in the world of gaming and comics this past week. Here’s a few of the other big stories that appeared on BG:

• IDW Games brings the X-Files board game out of the shadows
• Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land (PC) review
• Steampunk: An Illustrated History (Book) Review
• D-Link Gaming Router AC1300 (Hardware) Review
• Feature Friday: Is the Golden Age of Gaming Over or Just Beginning?
• Kingdom Hearts 2 (Retro) Review

Want more? Check back right here on DDNet every week for the Brutal Gamer News Wrap, and don’t forget to check in daily for all the latest news and info from the worlds of gaming and pop culture on BrutalGamer.com