Collaborations and Projects, Console, Previews and Trailers

Saturday Video Round Up: July 5 – 11

Sticky Leave a comment

The following post was submitted by Gamer Crash. See more trailers and news at GamerCrash.com!

–

After a short hiatus, the Video Round Up is back once again containing all of the best video content from the past week, even if we’re dead smack dab in the middle of the slowest release period of the year. Thankfully, Comic Con helped save this week a bit so lets get to the new stuff, shall we? Here’s a small taste.

With Comic Con is raging over in San Diego, meshing TV, movies, comics, and games together under one roof, Capcom took the opportunity to bring their highly anticipated fighter, Street Fighter V to the show floor. Better yet? A new character has also been revealed, to which I’ll let the trailer below fill you in on who it is.

The gaming industry is developing on a daily bases. Read about top-ranked genres, and which are the most played according to the gaming audience. Want to try something new and different? Then see our recommendation.

Fans of Treyarch’s zombies mode will be thrilled to learn it’s coming back in this year’s Call of Duty entry: Black Ops III. This time around, the mode takes place in a Mafia inspired 1940’s setting and brings Ron Perlman, Heather Graham, Neal McDonough, and the one and only Jeff Goldblum on as the four main characters. Time to queue up Goldblum’s classic Jurassic Park memes.

I’ve also got new videos for Tom Clancy’s The Division, Batman Arkham Knight DLC, Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 and so much more after the break, so come check out this week’s batch of trailers!

The full list of videos await you after the jump…

Continue reading Saturday Video Round Up: July 5 – 11 →

Gamer's Life, General Commentary

Playing the “No Spoilers” Game

Sticky 2 Comments

WARNING! POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD! (Though possibly not?)

Ever since I started giving into my online persona, both in terms of blogging and using social media, I’ve had to tread a fine line when it comes to games and spoilers. Sometimes, spoilers don’t matter, because there have been cases where they actually help build my interest in games that I might not have wanted to play before. But when it comes to games that I do want to play, it always seems that somehow, some way, even if I make the most brief of online appearances somewhere (like glancing through one of my Twitter lists), I’ll come across a spoiler…or ten. Then again, I have a pretty narrow definition of a “spoiler,” so maybe it’s my own fault for being too touchy. Yet, when I invest in a new game that, as usually happens, I’m not able to get to right away, there’s got to be a middle ground between comfortably being able to peruse the Internet and staying offline for a month.

Continue reading Playing the “No Spoilers” Game →

General Commentary, News

Top Anticipated Games: #gamersonwatch

Sticky 4 Comments

With E3 at a close, I must make a confession.  While I have certainly heard of this important gaming event, I admit that I don’t typically pay it much heed, and any news I do hear comes from random people or articles on the Internet.  Nevertheless, I have a short list for you all in celebration of E3 and our June community post, and I’m keeping it simple.  My favorite gaming news is whatever involves the release of interesting games, so I shall list (and briefly describe) the five games I look forward to most (whether they were mentioned at E3 or not). I must also mention the amazing promotions going on in the gambling scene as well. Lots of new players and new interest has been shown when it comes to slot games. You would think how do these types of games work and how do they make money? I would like to answer your questions, but I will let my friends from the Canadian casinos answer it for me, you can find them at the link above. Now, let's get back to the games of the year. In no particular order. Continue reading Top Anticipated Games: #gamersonwatch →

Commentary, Food For Thought, Gamer's Life

Outrage Isn’t Working

Sticky 9 Comments

DestinyMapImage Captured by Hatm0nster

There’s been quite a bit for us gamers to get angry about over the last couple of years hasn’t there? Poor PC ports, stupid comments from developers, poor digital store curation, nickel-and-dime pricing structures, manipulative marketing, preorder culture… the list of things for us to be angry about goes on and on. Most entries on that list are valid reasons to feel annoyed or even angry with those responsible, but I have to wonder how much good our righteous fury is actually doing. Every time a developer or publisher does something stupid or shady, the gaming community works hard to make our discontent clear. Once it becomes clear that we’re angry, those responsible always issue some sort of apology, sometimes offer us an extra little-something to show their sincerity, and we let them off the hook since we don’t want to be the entitled jerks we’re made out to be. This would be fine if the same people didn’t keep doing those things that made us angry in the first place. It’s often not long after the big “we’re sorry” that the same garbage is pulled and we all get angry all over again and start yet another instance of this cycle we’ve been stuck in for so long now. Perhaps it’s time to try another approach. Continue reading Outrage Isn’t Working →

Gamer's Life, General Commentary

If Happiness is a Battle System, then Xenoblade Chronicles Makes Me Smile

Sticky 9 Comments
Image by cary. It's mine, I tells ya! MINE!
Image by cary. It’s mine, I tells ya! ALL MINE!

Though I might have conked out on my self-promise to complete Metroid Prime, I haven’t given up on a number of other challenges that persist in my backlog, one of which is finishing Xenoblade Chronicles. Long story short, back in 2013, I started Xenoblade Chronicles, only to give it up after realizing just how long it was. At 60+ hours just to beat the main story (and 100+ to complete everything), I simply didn’t have that kind of time to devote to a single game. This past February, a copy of the game wormed its way back into my life, and I couldn’t turn it away this time. I picked the game back up, right at my last save point from two years ago, a mere five hours into the game. I’m now just over 40 hours in, the stress of me actually finishing the game is palpable. In fact, me stressing over this is actually stressing me out more right now, so that’s why I’m not here to talk about unfinished games, extremely long RPGs, or anything of that sort. Instead, I’m here to talk about battle systems, because Xenoblade Chronicles, for all its flaws (and yes, it has some), has one heck of a great battle system.

Continue reading If Happiness is a Battle System, then Xenoblade Chronicles Makes Me Smile →

Resonance, Retro

Resonance: Cave of Bad Dreams

Sticky 7 Comments

I have recently been in a big Rayman mood.  I’ve been replaying Rayman 3, and I have also been reading a pretty great fan fic for the series called When the Tables Have Turned which I’ve been following for a good year or two now.  Seriously, it’s awesome.  Ahem, well, a time came when her story made mention of the Cave of Bad Dreams from Rayman 2, and I was thrilled and excited at this reminder of a level I enjoyed just as much as it chilled me. Continue reading Resonance: Cave of Bad Dreams →

Commentary, Gamer's Life

Not Dead Yet! #gamersonwatch

Sticky 6 Comments

Beyond Good and Evil Jade

Image by Flickr user: adurdin (cc)

This year’s E3 will likely go down as one of the most successful of the last few years. Not only did we get a boatload of announcements and trailers that we were already expecting, but we also got some of the biggest out-of-left-field reveals to ever come out of the show! The new DOOM is alive and well, The Last Guardian was confirmed as still in development, and perhaps the most incredible of all: the Final Fantasy VII remake (a project many thought would never EVER happen) was confirmed to be a real game that’s actually being produced! It’s…just so incredible! Projects once thought either dead or nonstarters are becoming reality! If these games can make it into the light of day, perhaps there’s still hope for others as well! Here’s three games that we just might get to see after all if this trend continues! Continue reading Not Dead Yet! #gamersonwatch →

Collaborations and Projects, Console, News, Previews and Trailers

Saturday Video Round Up: Derek’s Picks Edition

Sticky 2 Comments

The following post was submitted by Gamer Crash. See more trailers and news at GamerCrash.com!

–

As many of you know, this past week was all about the new games and announcements at E3 2015. This year there was a ton of great stuff and overall, I found the show to be extremely exciting with awesome games all over the place.

As you know, today is also Saturday which means it’s time for a brand new round up. Being only one person with a finite amount of time on my hands, there’s absolutely no way I could realistically provide a round up of every new trailer or gameplay video that was released at the show. I’d need to find a way to clone myself or stop time.

So instead of running myself into the ground with trailers, I’ve decided to steal a page from the wonderful ROBO♥BEAT’s site and give you guys a look at some of my favorite trailers from E3. There was a ton of games to love this year so whittling down the list was pretty tough. After you’re done, make sure to let me know what caught your attention this week as well. Enjoy!

Continue reading Saturday Video Round Up: Derek’s Picks Edition →

Gamer's Life

A Day That Made My Heart Fill With Rainbows

Sticky 1 Comment

I recently experienced my second masquerade, an event I have been preparing for for the better part of a year.  My character of choice this time around was Lord Ghirahim, the villain of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and any details on the making of his (horrendously difficult) costume can or will soon be found on my blog, The Duck of Indeed.

I woke up that morning with a large task on my hands.  Putting on my costume.  It’s a lot harder than you’d think, really, as I had a great deal of body paint that needed applying, my own special blend of light grey to best match the Demon Lord’s flawless complexion.  I thought if I put the paint on first, then the clothes, it might rub off onto my clothing, but if I apply the paint after my clothes are on, it will be hard to get close to the clothing without getting paint on it.  This proved to be the most aggravating part of my morning preparation, and while I went with the latter method at first, I quickly found that I couldn’t get the paint under the edges of my clothing, nor could I hold the clothing away to a sufficient degree while applying said paint without painting my clothes.  I had to then switch to method one, which proved more effective.  But, it really didn’t matter in the end, because I had far more paint troubles to worry about in my future.  But, we’ll get to that soon. Continue reading A Day That Made My Heart Fill With Rainbows →

Collaborations and Projects, News, Previews and Trailers

Saturday Video Round Up: June 7 – 13

Sticky Leave a comment

The following post was submitted by GamerCrash. See more trailers and news at GamerCrash.com!

–

Welcome to an all new Video Round Up this week folks! I was going to lament at this week’s slower than normal video releases due to E3 next week but honestly, that hasn’t been the case. Companies seem to be revealing stuff left and right and I’ve managed to scoop up as much video content as I could. Next week’s going to be crazy but for now, lets get to what happened this week, shall we? Here’s a small taste.

The long and storied PlayStation franchise, Ratchet & Clank, is making it’s franchise debut next year on the PlayStation 4. With E3 coming, Insomniac released a couple of trailers for the game which is based on a movie that’s based on a game. The first introduces players back to Ratchet & Clank showing off how incredible the game already looks. The second gives viewers over seven minutes of gameplay from the new title.

I’ll fully admit, I have not been following Adr1ft at all during it’s development. With it’s E3 trailer now out on the internet, I may have to start changing that. The game is stunningly beautiful…well that is until one of the worst things that can happen in space outside of an alien attack takes place. Check the video to see what I mean.

I’ve also got new videos for Mega Man Legacy Collection, Hellblade, LEGO Marvel’s Avengers and so much more after the break, so come check out this week’s batch of trailers!

The full list of videos await you after the jump…

Continue reading Saturday Video Round Up: June 7 – 13 →

Gamer's Life, Retro

The Day I Lost My Reliance on Save Points

Sticky 2 Comments
Image from Flickr User: //svensson
Image from Flickr User: //svensson

After reading Mr. Hatm0nster’s post on the video game, Jurassic Park 2: The Chaos Continues, I was reminded of my experience with another game on the SNES, titled simply Jurassic Park.  For a decade and more I was plagued by this game.  You see, it was among several SNES games I own that have no save points whatsoever, and since I don’t usually have a long enough attention span for such games, it was quite a long time before I ever completed any of them.  And then, surely due to some inexplicable desire for pain, I decided to force myself to suffer through the entirety of Porky Pig’s Haunted Holiday, another game lacking in save points that had terrorized my existence for many years.  I spent an entire evening trudging through this festival of horrors, all while eating goldfish crackers and listening to my cat snore.  It was a long and trying affair, but I finally defeated the final boss and reigned victorious.  With my conquest complete, I decided to set my sights on the one other game that had plagued me since ducklinghood.  The SNES adaptation of Jurassic Park. Continue reading The Day I Lost My Reliance on Save Points →

Gamer's Life, General Commentary, Getting Back To It

Getting Back To It: Super Mario Galaxy

Sticky 9 Comments

Image by Flickr user: Bludgeoner86 (cc)

Since I started following Simpleek’s example and started doing this challenge back in January, I’ve discovered a few things. First, the list of games I want to return to is much larger than I thought it was. Second, Fable II was never actually very good. I was more of a newbie to that genre back in 2008 than I had originally thought. Third and finally, it really is worth making time to go back rather than just continuing to move forward new releases. Gaming gems are always worth the time, no matter how old they are or how many time you’ve played them before. It was this month’s game: Super Mario Galaxy, that really drove that last point home. Continue reading Getting Back To It: Super Mario Galaxy →

Collaborations and Projects, Console, News, Previews and Trailers

Saturday Video Round Up: May 31 – June 6

Sticky Leave a comment

The following post was submitted by GamerCrash. See more trailers and news at GamerCrash.com!

–

The pre-E3 hype train has begun to roll out as companies big and small are revealing new things left and right. The Video Round Up this week has you covered with all the latest trailers and gameplay footage. It’s a stacked week of videos, so lets get to it!

News doesn’t get much bigger than Bethesda finally announcing Fallout 4 to the masses. While there’s still little to no information on the game, there is a very cool trailer which gives you a great look at the newly announced title. Plus, make sure you read my post on Fallout 4 from yesterday to see why I’m excited to dive into this one.

The other big revelation this week came from Firaxis and 2K as they revealed that the Advent Campaign wasn’t for a new BioShock but was actually signalling the return of XCOM. XCOM 2 is on the way later this year and looks to shake things up from the critically acclaimed XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The reveal trailer waits below.

I’ve also got new videos for Rainbow Six: Siege, Rise of the Tomb Raider, LEGO Dimensions and so much more after the break, so come check out this week’s batch of trailers!

The full list of videos await you after the jump…

Continue reading Saturday Video Round Up: May 31 – June 6 →

Collaborations and Projects, News, Top #'s

June Writing Challenge: All About Gaming News #gamersonwatch

Sticky 2 Comments

Hello everyone and welcome to another UWG writing challenge announcement! What’s in store this month for all you #gamersonwatch? Read on!

June marks the start of the summer season — a time when big game releases start to dwindle, studios recover from the early-year rush, and players work through backlogged games large and small.  But this doesn’t mean gaming takes a break during the summer. If anything, with E3 just a couple weeks away, now’s the time when we get ready for what’s to come; when our feeds become rife with news, speculations, rumors, and that which is promised to make our short-term and long-term gaming futures better and brighter.

Continue reading June Writing Challenge: All About Gaming News #gamersonwatch →

Retro, Unforgettable

Unforgettable: Haunted Hall

Sticky 6 Comments
Screenshot by Flickr User: Nathalia Gotik
Screenshot by Flickr User: Nathalia Gotik

I recently had the delight of replaying one of my favorite video games, Donkey Kong Country 2, and I found it rather amusing that after all these years and after all these improvements in the world of gaming, none of the fun of DKC2 has been lost.  I don’t care if games nowadays are so much more advanced, the graphics are better, and we have nifty wireless controllers and giant, widescreen TVs.  DKC2, even compared to all the new technology we’re all so excited to try out, is still amazing.

And as I worked my way through the game, my response to it was still the same as when I first started playing it over a decade and a half ago.  The ghostly ropes in Ghostly Grove still freak me out.  The pirate-themed Kremlings are still pretty darn cool, and Dixie is adorable with her little juice box.  And I still feel the same rush of adrenaline when racing the Klanks in Rickety Race and the same tension when traversing, well, pretty much any lava level. Continue reading Unforgettable: Haunted Hall →

Commentary, Gamer's Life, General Commentary

To the Lighthouse!

Sticky 5 Comments

Image by Flickr User: Ferino Design (cc)

I once wrote a post lamenting how unlockable content has largely become a thing of the past. Rewards that were once challenges to find and fun to show off to your friends are now just extras to buy. Where once we might have had to do something special to unlock Jason Voorhees in Mortal Kombat X, now we just pay $5 or so and boom, he’s available to play. This has been great in that many of us get to see everything a game has to offer, but it’s left most of our games without anything special to attain. Beyond a a handful of special weapon, costumes, or even a cheat, there’s hardly anything in our games that we need to strive for; barely anything that we can look at and recall with pride the effort it took for us to acquire it. So, even though I myself may never reach it, I just needed to express how excellent it is that Bungie has brought back a little taste of the unlockable content of old with their inclusion of “The Lighthouse” in their new House of Wolves expansion! Continue reading To the Lighthouse! →

Collaborations and Projects, Console, News, Previews and Trailers

Saturday Video Round Up: May 24 – 30

Sticky Leave a comment

The following post was submitted by GamerCrash. See more trailers and news at GamerCrash.com!

–

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to an all new Video Round Up featuring the best trailers and gameplay videos from the week that was. For those of you who are new here, welcome aboard. Now sit back, kick those feet up and crank the volume. Here’s a small sample of what’s below the jump.

This week’s big title appears to be Batman: Arkham Knight with a pair of videos for you to enjoy. PlayStation 4 owners can get a great look at some of the “exclusive” content coming with the game. Not only that, Rocksteady revealed almost 8 minutes of new gameplay footage all of which I have for you below. Just keep reminding yourself, there’s only a few short weeks to wait.

Considering all the hype that the movie is getting, Avalanche Studios released a brand new trailer for their upcoming open world game, Mad Max. This time around, the trailer focuses on the story line in the game with a good amount of gameplay and combat mixed in. For fans of The Road Warrior, this appears to be a title to keep an eye on.

I’ve also got new videos for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Yoshi’s Woolly World, Until Dawn and so much more after the break, so come check out this week’s batch of trailers!

The full list of videos await you after the jump…

Continue reading Saturday Video Round Up: May 24 – 30 →

Food For Thought, Gamer's Life, General Commentary

Why the Tony Hawk Games Matter to Me

Sticky Leave a comment

By Marco Verch (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Marco Verch (Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
With the recent announcement that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 is going to become a reality, our house has been abuzz with, well…let’s say cautious optimism, as well as comments like “they better get the controls right…” Though the Tony Hawk games don’t rule our gaming roost much anymore, they were once kings in our humble abode. I didn’t play the games, but they still affected me and my outlook on games and the people who play them. This I mused over in a post that I wrote a couple years back for Geek Force Network, shared below.

The following article was originally posted on Geek Force Network on August 2, 2013.

The X Games are in full swing this weekend in Los Angeles, and we’re tuning in as we’ve been doing for many a past summer. Though I’m not quite the extreme sports enthusiast that my husband is, I still enjoy watching the amazing output of these amazing athletes. The same notion definitely applies to his long-standing interest in skateboard video games and how much I enjoy watching him play those too. They’ve been THE staple summer games in our house since the release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater in 1999. Aside from building a few parks here and there, I’ve never actually played one of the games. Even so, this series has probably had more influence over my life than any games that I’ve played.

Continue reading Why the Tony Hawk Games Matter to Me →

Resonance, Retro

Resonance: Highland

Sticky Leave a comment
Classic gaming at it's finest
Classic gaming at it’s finest

You may recall the post I wrote for the Isle of Skye theme from Quest 64, a game which manages to occupy a special place in my heart despite all its many flaws, probably thanks to a combination of nostalgia and the many, many hours I spent playing the game because I had little else to play back then.  But, what I think really helped to give me warm feelings for a game I’m not even particularly fond of were two songs that really, well, resonated with me.  It’s time for the second of those songs and my favorite of the two, Highland.

Highland plays in Brannoch, the final town in the game.  Brannoch was always a depressing place, I thought, with the night sky and the kingdom’s war-hungry king, not to mention the fact that this place is set within a wasteland the player only reaches after a long and trying trek through the Boil Hole.  The setting does a fine job of giving this place an ominous feel, while its theme plays an integral part in setting the mood and letting you know as soon as you escape from the horrors of the Boil Hole that you’ve nearly reached the end of the game, and things are only getting to get worse.  (It might be interesting to note that this is also the location of some of the only plot in the game.  At least, I think this game had a plot.) Continue reading Resonance: Highland →

Gamer's Life, General Commentary

A Major Improvement

Sticky Leave a comment

Image Captured by Hatm0nster

I thought I was more or less done with Destiny at this point. I’d long ago maxed out my favorite class, acquired all the weapons and armor I’d wanted, grown tired of the bounties, detested the story missions, and had had my fill of the Raids (even though they were quite fun!). I’d had enough of the grind and had moved on to other games. That is, I did until House of Wolves came out.
Continue reading A Major Improvement →

Collaborations and Projects, News, Previews and Trailers

Saturday Video Round Up: May 17 – 23

Sticky Leave a comment

The following post was submitted by GamerCrash. See more trailers and news at GamerCrash.com!

–

Saturday is back and so to is a brand new Round Up. Once again, it’s bringing the latest trailers and the biggest gameplay footage for your enjoyment. Kick those feet up, crank the volume and relax as we dive into the biggest videos from the week that was. Here’s a small taste of what’s below the jump.

After taking a year off, the long running franchise, Need for Speed, is making a big comeback this year with Ghost Games back at the helm. While officially announced, we don’t have many details for the upcoming racer but we do have this interesting teaser trailer. Expect more in a few weeks at E3.

After laying dormant for a couple months, out of nowhere Capcom unleashed a brand new trailer revealing the next character for Street Fighter V. The one and only dictator, M. Bison, is the fourth playable character and from the looks of the trailer, he’s packing a few new tricks this time around.

I’ve also got new videos for LEGO Dimensions, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Batman: Arkham Knight and so much more after the break, so come check out this week’s batch of trailers!

The full list of videos await you after the jump…

Continue reading Saturday Video Round Up: May 17 – 23 →

Gamer's Life, General Commentary

Metroid Prime: Throwing in the Towel and Final Thoughts

Sticky 6 Comments
Image by Flickr user Umesh Bansal (CC)
Image by Flickr user Umesh Bansal (CC)

A little less than a year ago, I made a promise to myself to beat Metroid Prime, a game that had long been shamefully lingering in my backlog. At first, it was “All Systems GO!” I conquered the Pirate Frigate and the Parasite Queen. I bravely explored the Chozo Ruins and put an end to Flaahgra. I beat the heat of Magmoor Caverns and found solace in the Phenandra Drifts. I had a terribly rocky time with Thardus but came out on top. I found the crashed frigate and carefully crept through the Phazon Mines. The Omega Pirate was nearly my undoing, but once I remember the difference between the X-Ray Visor and the Thermal Visor, the Omega Pirate was no match. I rambled through the Impact Crater and met Meta Ridley undaunted.

The time I spent with the game, though fragmented, was filled with purpose. But by the time I finally faced off with the Metroid Prime this past February, I was tired, and I was tired of continually losing to this formidable foe. I then questioned my future with the game, and put it on the backburner for awhile.

Continue reading Metroid Prime: Throwing in the Towel and Final Thoughts →

Resonance, Retro

Resonance: Isle of Skye

Sticky Leave a comment
Classic gaming at it's finest
Classic gaming at it’s finest

After Jacob’s Resonance post on the Dark Jungle from Jurassic Park 2 (the game, not the movie, silly people), he got me thinking about songs I have enjoyed from games that aren’t super great, and the first game that sprang to mind was Quest 64.  I believe I had written posts on the game before, as it has a special place in my heart because of how long I’ve owned it and all the memories I’ve gathered while playing through it.  But, if I’m being completely honest here, the game is just…so boring.

Nevertheless, there are two songs I have always loved, enough that I actually created save files in their respective locations just so I could go and hear them whenever I wished.  (That was back before I knew about Youtube.  Though, actually visiting the location in the game is always better than merely finding a video of it online anyway.)  These songs somehow managed to make the endless hours of trekking and leveling up worth it and are probably the best examples of songs that resonate with me that I can possibly think of, and that is why they must be shared with the rest of you. Continue reading Resonance: Isle of Skye →

Commentary, Gamer's Life

Hunting The Truth

Sticky 2 Comments

Image by Flickr user: Corrinne Yu (cc)

The Halo series is going to be 14 years old come this November. It’s hard to believe, but we are now 14 years out from the launch of Halo: Combat Evolved back in 2001. That’s 14 years of games, comics, and books to fill in the lore, and 14 years for Halo fans to get familiar with it. We as fans know about the origins of the Master Chief and the SPARTAN-IIs. We know every explicit detail about the whole sordid affair: about how they were abducted as kids, how they were trained to fight from an early age, and how they were replaced with clones doomed to die. Indeed we’ve known this and so much more, and we’ve known it all for a long time now. It’s old news and uninteresting…well for those of us in the audience it is… Continue reading Hunting The Truth →

Collaborations and Projects, News, Previews and Trailers

Saturday Video Round Up: May 10 – 16

Sticky Leave a comment

The following post was submitted by GamerCrash. See more trailers and news at GamerCrash.com!

–

The Round Up has once again returned, bringing with it the latest trailers and the biggest gameplay footage. Kick those feet up, crank the volume and relax as we dive into the biggest videos from the week that was. Here’s just a small sample of what awaits you below.

Instead of giving us a tease like they usually do, Ubisoft opened the vault and showed off quite a bit of the newly named Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, opting to not wait for E3. I’ve got a pair of trailers for you below dealing with the game as the first introduces us to one of it’s main characters, Jacob Frye, and all of his tricks of the trade. The second is a more traditional trailer, giving you a good look at the Victorian era London that players will be able to run around in. It’s a solid start for the new Assassin’s Creed developer, Ubisoft Quebec.

The day many fans have been waiting for is finally upon us at The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt releases next week. To celebrate, CD Projekt RED released a gorgeous CG trailer showing Geralt of Rivia squaring off against some sort of humanoid looking creature. It’s a fantastic looking trailer.

I’ve also got new videos for Rainbow Six Siege, ARK: Survival Evolved, SMITE and so much more after the break, so come check out this week’s batch of trailers!

The full list of videos await you after the jump…

Continue reading Saturday Video Round Up: May 10 – 16 →

Commentary, News

The Oculus Rift: Gimmick or Game-changer?

Sticky 6 Comments
Image by Flickr user Sergey Galyonkin (CC)
Image by Flickr user Sergey Galyonkin (CC)

As far as game peripherals go, the Oculus Rift is kind of cool but still kind of out there. Last week, Oculus VR announced that the virtual reality headset is going to start its run as an actual consumer product early next year. With E3 a month away, this device is sure to garner plenty of attention at the event. In my house, talk of obtaining an Oculus Rift is, well…happening, but not in a serious way. As cool as the device sounds, there’s nothing that make it a “must buy,” not for us anyway. Because the last time we bought into something gimmicky that was game-related, we picked up a 3D TV and couple games that were 3D-compatible. You know how many times we’ve played 3D games on our 3D TV? Zero. Unless you count the initial trial in which we had to see if it actually worked. Then I guess you could say we’ve got thirty minutes of 3D gameplay under our belts. So worth the money we shelled out.

Continue reading The Oculus Rift: Gimmick or Game-changer? →

Console, Gamer's Life, Retro

The Fateful Day: What Happened to My SNES

Sticky Leave a comment
Image from Flickr User: lucy photography
Image from Flickr User: lucy photography

I was long proud to be one of those few lucky individuals who still had a working Super Nintendo.  The old gal served me for a good two decades before I started to notice something was a bit off.  The SNES was always a pretty reliable console.  It rarely froze.  On the large part, it just did what it was made to do.  (The only real issue was when I accidentally touched the cartridge while it was turning on and corrupted all my Donkey Kong Country 3 save files.  Woops.)  Until I started to notice it, this slight bounce in the picture.  Every few seconds, the screen would do a small bounce that I had never noticed before.  The games were still more than playable, but it was baffling.  And a bit worrying. Continue reading The Fateful Day: What Happened to My SNES →

Commentary, Gamer's Life, News

A Platformer Rare-vival!

Sticky 3 Comments

(Image and title pun from Yooka-Laylee Kickstarter page)

It’s actually happening! I can hardly believe it, but Yooka-Laylee (formerly ‘Mingy-Jongo’) is actually alive and very, very well! I found out about this on May 1st and I’m still somewhat stunned, we may yet get the chance to enjoy a spiritual successor to the brilliant game that is Banjo-Kazooie, especially now that it’s raised more than 7 times its original goal on Kickstarter! It’s actually happening, something that is absolutely amazing considering that it almost didn’t. Continue reading A Platformer Rare-vival! →

Collaborations and Projects, Console, News, Previews and Trailers

Saturday Video Round Up: May 3 – 9

Sticky Leave a comment

The following post was submitted by GamerCrash. See more trailers and news at GamerCrash.com!

–

Hey, look! It’s a brand new Video Round Up! It was a busy week here on the internet and as such there was an avalanche of new video content. Brace yourself for a whole week’s worth of videos touching on the latest trailers to the biggest gameplay footage. Sit back and relax as we dive into the biggest videos from the week that was. Here’s a taste of what’s waiting for you below the jump.

With the long development cycle of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt finally coming to an end, CD Projekt Red has been ramping up the hype train these past few months. This week was no exception as we got a brutal new gameplay trailer and a developer diary highlighting some of the monsters Geralt will square off with.

It’s another week and another video for Batman: Arkham Knight graces our screens. Instead of focusing on actual gameplay, Warner Bros and Rocksteady have instead given us a behind the scenes look with some of the major voice actors that you’ll be hearing come June once the game is out.

I’ve also got new videos for Project CARS, Disney Infinity 3.0, Mortal Kombat X and so much more after the break, so come check out this week’s batch of trailers!

The full list of videos await you after the jump…

Continue reading Saturday Video Round Up: May 3 – 9 →

General Commentary, Review

Fruit Has Never Before Been This Exciting

Sticky 10 Comments
Screenshot by Flickr User: Gieson Cacho
Screenshot by Flickr User: Gieson Cacho

I get stressed very easily. You have no idea how much a tough battle freaks me out or the mere thought that I might be unable to progress through a game, causing me to ponder with unease all the fun I might be missing out on if I’m never able to overcome the challenges set before me. I know these are just games. They are for fun, and thus, there is no pressure to complete them. There are no global consequences as a result of our inability to traverse a series of tricky obstacles or pummel a monster into submission, but that knowledge doesn’t seem to help. And yet, what would seem like quite a contradiction is the fact that I seem to like stressful games.

Or something like that. Continue reading Fruit Has Never Before Been This Exciting →

Challenges, Gamer's Life

Getting Back To It: Fable II

Sticky 9 Comments

Image captured by Hatm0nster

In my ongoing mission to finally return to the games that have been languishing on my replay list, this month I finally got back to Fable II. The game was a favorite of mine back in the early days of the Xbox 360, when menu blades were still a thing and the Kinect was only a pipe dream. I hadn’t picked it up since completing the game back in 2009, so I’d forgotten just about everything about it except that I’d really liked it. So, this month’s revisit carried a purpose with it. That purpose being to answer two questions: Why was this game a favorite? And why would a so-called favorite be left to rot for so long? Well, I’m happy to report that not only did I finish Fable II once more, but I was indeed able to answer both questions!  Continue reading Getting Back To It: Fable II →

Collaborations and Projects, News, Previews and Trailers

Saturday Video Round Up: April 26 – May 2

Sticky Leave a comment

The following post was submitted by GamerCrash. See more trailers and news at GamerCrash.com!

–

It’s a brand new Video Round Up! Brace yourself for a whole week’s worth of video content from the latest trailers to the biggest gameplay footage. Sit back and relax as we dive into the biggest videos from the week that was. Here’s a taste.

After giving us a taste of their Mad Max game last week, Avalanche opened the gates with the gameplay reveal trailer for the explosive action game, Just Cause 3. Speaking of explosions, I don’t think Michael Bay’s wildest dreams could simulate the amount of explosions going on in the short minute and a half clip.

Monday didn’t stop with the high action of Just Cause 3, as we also got another look at the work Rocksteady is putting into Batman: Arkham Knight. While touching a bit on the story element, the big news came when the trailer revealed that Catwoman, Azrael, Nightwing, and Robin would all have bigger roles this time around. Catwoman, Nightwing, and Robin can also be swapped to during gameplay with a system they’re calling dual-play. Certainly makes fights even more exciting!

I’ve also got new videos for Destiny – House of Wolves, Killer Instinct, Call of Duty: Black Ops III and so much more after the break, so come check out this week’s batch of trailers!

The full list of videos await you after the jump…

Continue reading Saturday Video Round Up: April 26 – May 2 →

Gamer's Life, General Commentary, Polls

Setting Paths and Changing Outcomes in RPGs

Sticky 21 Comments
Dragon Age: Inquisition screenshot by Flicker user Mark Molea (CC)
Dragon Age: Inquisition screenshot by Flickr user Mark Molea (CC)

Recently, a number of our posts here have focused, in ways directly or indirectly, on challenges associated with being adult gamers. As much as we might not like to admit it, as we grow older, our gaming habits change, sometimes by choice, often by necessity. Demanding jobs, growing families, and surmounting financial concerns all eat away at free time that we may have once had to devote to games. In my gaming life, the requirements of the real world have especially impacted one of my gaming habits in particular, that of playing through a single game with multiple characters and having each follow a distinct path.

Continue reading Setting Paths and Changing Outcomes in RPGs →

Game Development, News

Kerbal Space Program has Cleared the Tower!

Sticky Leave a comment

Image from publicly available images page of the Kerbal Space Program website

That’s one small step for Jebediah Kerman, and one giant leap for Kerbal-kind!

This past Monday, one of the prodigal sons of indie game development has finally left the confines of Early Access and has found its way into the wilds of full release. Kerbal Space Program has launched version 1.0, closing the book on one of the most remarkable examples of a playable beta since Minecraft. With a strong core concept, endless replayability, and a strong community of gamers, modders, and streamers, you have a formula for indie greatness.

So, in honor of Kerbal Space Program’s momentous release, let’s take a look at where it came from, what it is, and to what galaxy it may be going next.

Continue reading Kerbal Space Program has Cleared the Tower! →

Gamer's Life

Animal Crossing: Just Livin’ Life

Sticky 12 Comments

Image captured by Hatm0nster

As time passes, I’ve been finding myself less and less able to dedicate it to playing video games. Where once I had full nights, and even days to spend in the digital realm, I now have a mere handful of hours each week. Those hours have become a precious commodity; something to be spent wisely making as much progress as possible in one game or another rather than idly whiled away in multiplayer or simply wandering around. “Making progress” has somehow become very important to my gaming experience; it’s even gotten to the point that I have difficulty considering games like Bloodborne simply out of concern that I’ll somehow end up wasting time with them (what with all the difficulty and retrying, and well you know…death). Oddly enough, there is an exception to this. An oasis of stillness amidst the almost absolute desire to “make progress”. That bastion being the admittedly odd, Animal Crossing games. Continue reading Animal Crossing: Just Livin’ Life →

Collaborations and Projects, News, Previews and Trailers

Saturday Video Round Up: April 19 – 25

Sticky Leave a comment

The following post was submitted by GamerCrash. See more trailers and news at GamerCrash.com!

–

It’s a brand new Video Round Up! Brace yourself for a whole week’s worth of video content from the latest trailers to the biggest gameplay footage. Sit back and relax as we dive into the biggest videos from the week that was. Here’s a taste.

After going completely silent since it’s original announcement, Avalanche Studios has finally released a compelling trailer showing off the many gameplay features of their upcoming Mad Max game. From the looks of the footage, it’s going to be a beautifully huge game that stays true to the spirit of the franchise.

Get ready for more Call of Duty as Activision and Treyarch released a 3 minute teaser trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops III. It has a heavy Deus Ex feel to it, complete with augmentation, controversy of wearable tech, and eventual conflict. Hey, the trailer got the attention of Eidos Montreal.

I’ve also got new videos for Splatoon, Project CARS, Rainbow Six Siege and so much more after the break, so come check out this week’s batch of trailers!

The full list of videos await you after the jump…

Continue reading Saturday Video Round Up: April 19 – 25 →

Console, General Commentary, PC, Posts By Active Authors, Secrets/Extras

Sentient Ostrich Weapons and Cyber Dragons: Celebrating Pranks

Sticky 2 Comments

The following post was submitted by GamerCrash. See more trailers and news at GamerCrash.com

—————————————————————————————-

Considering my schedule these days, it’s hard to know if I’m coming or going. My good friends over at United We Game held a celebration of sorts this month, looking at some of the best April Fools pranks, tricks, and hoaxes. I could have sworn that I missed all the fun but as it turns out, I made the cut in the nick of time. Better late than never though, right?

While I’m not a person to obsessively pour over a game trying to unlock every secret or delving into the smallest of places on a map to potentially discover an easter egg, there are a number of tricks and fun pranks I’m pretty fond of. For more, (Shameless site plug) check out my April Fools recap posts here.

Here’s my short list:

Continue reading Sentient Ostrich Weapons and Cyber Dragons: Celebrating Pranks →

Gamer's Life

Video games, will you still love me when I’m 64?

Sticky 6 Comments
Image by Flickr user MTSOfan
Image by Flickr user MTSOfan (CC)

For the past several years, it’s happened without fail. April comes round and BAM! life kicks again into high gear after a slow, cold winter. In and among all the wonderful chaos that takes up my springs, summers, and autumns, gaming goes waaaay down on the priority list. And even though I know this change comes every year, it’s not one to which I look forward, especially when Spring usually brings round a crop of new and exciting games. Here’s a post I wrote for Geek Force Network in which I further pondered this yearly event, as well as my possible future with games.

Another year, another birthday – that’s life. There’s no avoiding it; it just happens. A certain day goes by and poof!, suddenly you’re one whole year older than the day before.  My birthday is still several months away, but it’s an unsettling one with terrible thoughts of MID-LIFE CRISIS AHEAD looming in the back of my mind. But throwing personal messes aside, this year has really had me questioning my future with video games. Not questioning their perceptual existence in my life but questioning the role that they will fulfill in the future.

Continue reading Video games, will you still love me when I’m 64? →

Gamer's Life

If You Could Package Nostalgia

Sticky Leave a comment
Image from Flickr User: Shaunté Symone
Image from Flickr User: Shaunté Symone

I was recently introduced to Man Crates and tasked with writing a post about gaming nostalgia.  What is Man Crates, you ask?  Well, after checking out their site, I found that they sell some pretty cool gifts for dudes.  In crates.  That need to be opened with a good, old-fashioned crowbar.  Think of it like a hardcore gift basket. Continue reading If You Could Package Nostalgia →

Play, Share, Unite!

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 2,946 other followers