Part of the allure of narrative, choice-based video games is the chance to steer the story towards a particular outcome. Whether it’s a good one or not depends on the big and small decisions a player makes. Developer Interior/Night’s newest game As Dusk Falls takes the best of the narrative choice-based genre to create a sophisticated and surprising storytelling experience.
Continue reading “Video Game Review: As Dusk Falls”Ever since French studio Dontnod Entertainment released Life is Strange in 2015, the decision-based, story driven adventure game about a teenager who has the power to rewind time, it went on to become one of the best interactive video games of the year. By combining the supernatural with the highs and lows of being a teenager, Dontnod created a compelling episodic narrative full of characters with nuance, unexpected twists, and a hella good soundtrack of indie artists to set the mood and tone of the entire game.
Developer Deck Nine continues the legacy Dontnod Entertainment started with the new game Life is Strange: True Colors.
Continue reading “Video Game Review: Life Is Strange – True Colors”Sometimes you’ll go into a video game not knowing what to expect, but give it time, and you may find the hidden jewel underneath. The 2018 game Gris by Spanish developer Nomada Studio, and published by Devolver Digital, is one of those games that will stand out in your mind as a uniquely crafted game full of beauty and emotional depth.
Continue reading “GRIS: A Deeply Moving And Affecting Video Game On Grief And Depression”The feeling you get when you reach the end of a video game can be exciting and satisfying. Or unsatisfying if the ending wasn’t what you expected. After spending seven long months on Cyberpunk 2077, I witnessed one of many possible endings the story could have. While the ending I got had some really good moments, it wasn’t the emotional payoff I had hoped it would be. I’ll try to keep my discussion of the game as spoiler free as possible.
Continue reading “Cyberpunk 2077: A Video Game That Could Have Been So Much More”The best kind of RPGs are the ones that have the right balance of good storytelling and gameplay. Personally, if the story is really good and the gameplay is mediocre at best, I can actually forgive the less than stellar game system. If the story isn’t so great, but the combat system is amazing, then it’s a lot harder for me to be engaged with what’s going on. This best describes my experience with playing Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.
Continue reading “Game Review: Kingdoms of Amalur – Reckoning”
It’s amazing how quickly (and maybe a little obsessively) I go through games that has me hooked. It definitely wasn’t that long ago since I wrote a review for my thoughts on the first Mass Effect. Now I’m back with another game review for Mass Effect 2.
The Mass Effect series is truly an amazing game to play. The second part of the series makes it even better than the first. When playing Mass Effect 2, you get to import your Commander Shepard from the first game. Actions and decisions you have made in the first game will influence the second game in some way. I enjoy the idea of importing characters from a previous game to have their personalities and actions get shaped even more in a new installment of a series.
One of the games that have gotten me into playing and owning the Wii/DS back in 2009 was the Cooking Mama games. I finished Cooking Mama: Cook Off for the Wii a while back. The game is simple, you select a recipe and then follow the onscreen instructions to crack, chop, and fry your way into Mama’s good graces to award you with a gold, silver, or bronze medal. There are plenty of recipes to unlock coming from different countries around the world. The graphics in the game are nicely done, and for animated food it looks pretty mouth watering inducing in my opinion.
Recently I finished Kirby’s Epic Yarn for the Wii. With this game, like most games I do play, I always get really excited when I complete a game. I don’t know how my friends manage to own so many games and find the time to finish them within a week or a month. I suppose dedication and lacking sleep to finish a game will do that to you.
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