Have you ever wanted to play a classic game from before your time, but wondered if you were going to like it? Of course, everyone says it's a great game, but how much of that is objective truth, and how much is nostalgia? How about an obscure indie title from 10 years ago? Is it … Continue reading Welcome to Fine Aged Gaming
Solasta: Crown of the Magister Review-The Budget Alternative to Baldur’s Gate 3
In the world of cinema, there is a phenomenon known as twin films. Every few years, two or more movies with a very similar premise will inexplicably come out around the same time. There's plenty of famous examples. Dante's Peak and Inferno. Antz and a Bug's Life. Observe and Report and Paul Blart: Mall Cop. You probably already know a handful of these examples yourself. Sometimes, its just a matter of one film trying to ride on the coattails of a bigger, more successful production. But most of the time, its more or less pure coincidence. Although it is not quite as well known, this sometimes happens to video games too. Case in point, Baldur's Gate 3 and Solasta: Crown of the Magister.
20 Great PC Games That Actually Deserve a Remaster
Remasters are all the rage these days, aren't they? In concept, the idea of updating an older game to be enjoyed by current generations is fairly popular among gamers, and it certainly has a better track record than doing the same to, say, movies(as a thousand "Han Shot First" T-Shirts can attest). But in the … Continue reading 20 Great PC Games That Actually Deserve a Remaster
Resident Evil 4 Review-Is This Classic Horror Game Still Scary in 2022?
I was about 10 years old when I first tried to play RE4. Back then, I didn't quite understand what a horror game was supposed to be, and it didn't look particularly different from the action games I was familiar with. But the control scheme felt instantly wrong(keep in mind, I was playing mouse and keyboard too), and the constant lack of ammo was extremely frustrating. About 2 hours into the game, I got a random button prompt flashing on the screen for about half a second, then a boulder fell on Leon's perfectly coifed head, and I lost. That was about it for my first taste of Resident Evil. Coming back to it years later, this time armed with a controller and some knowledge of what the game was trying to do, I can't say I felt much different at first.
Ubisoft is removing some of their products from your Steam account. Here’s why you should care.
A little over a couple of weeks ago, Ubisoft announced that starting September 1st, Assassins Creed Liberation HD, will be pulled from sale, alongside a few more obscure titles. More importantly, they have also announced that they're shutting down all online features for a ton of their older games(full list here). What this means is that, in addition to no longer being able to play these games online, you will also lose access to all DLCs, regardless of whether you own them or not.
INSIDE Review-A Masterclass In Minimalistic Video Game Design
At first glance, Inside seems like a game that's a bit too recent and high profile for me to cover. The long awaited spiritual successor to indie critical darling Limbo, it was met with both immediate critical acclaim, and massive commercial success(well, for a 2d puzzle platformer at least). But for all the attention it received for it's striking aesthetics and wordless storytelling, it seems like much of what makes this game special has never quite made it's way into the cultural zeitgeist in the way it deserved to.
The 20 Greatest Cities in RPG History
There comes a point in almost every RPG when you have to leave the lush countryside behind and journey into the big city. It can be a point where the action ramps up, replacing the low stakes and simple good against evil storytelling of the early levels with moral complexity and hard choices. It can be a change of pace, switching focus to intrigue or character building. Or it can even be a small reprieve from all the action. What it rarely is however, is boring.
Freelancer-The Ultimate Cult Classic Space Trading Game
When reviewing a game with an interesting backstory, there's always a dilemma of how much to let said backstory influence the tone and content of your review, and how much it subconsciously influences it regardless of your desires.
Why Hollywood Keeps Adapting the Wrong Video Games
Not too long ago, the concept of a video game adaptation was synonymous with box office poison. Critics and audiences alike scoffed at such "classics" as Street Fighter: The Movie(really creative guys) or Super Mario Bros.(the one without Chris Pratt). But recently, the tide seems to be shifting. Netflix has experienced tremendous success with the likes of Arcane, Castlevania and The Witcher(which is of course, technically based on the books, but I doubt it would have happened if the games weren't a thing). Sonic the Hedgehog wasn't outright terrible. Detective Pikachu was actually pretty damn good. And the dam seems to have burst with how many video game properties are now getting adaptations. But have Hollywood truly learned their lesson? Are video game adaptations going the way of superhero movies? I think not.
The Rise and Fall of Environmental Storytelling in Video Games- Part 2- Morrowind- An unsurpassed masterpiece
Caius Cosades is one of the first major characters you meet in Morrowind. He's a guy who gives you quests and teaches you about the game world and mechanics. In any other game, he'd be a stock "helpful NPC" character. But this is Morrowind, so of course, he's a crackhead secret agent.
The Rise and Fall of Environmental Storytelling in Video Games- Part 1
I was playing one of the newer Tomb Raider games recently, and although I was enjoying myself immensely, something was bothering me. This is a series that's ostensibly all about archeology. Of course, this being Hollywood Archeology, protagonist Lara Croft has more in common with James Bond than a stuffy academic, but nevertheless, she is all about raiding the titular tombs( although increasingly less so over the years) and uncovering their mysteries. But, for a game that's supposed to be all about piecing together a story by looking at the environment, there's really not much thought put into your surroundings.
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