Tag: games

Video Games Rewind: Games I’d Return To If I Had Nothing To Play

March 27, 2023

A few weekends ago I was talking to my cousin and the topic of video games came up. Out of the blue, he threw out this question to me—what video games would you come back to again and again? After all the games I have played since the time I became a gamer, a small but growing list of games has become obvious replays for me, if I weren’t going through the backlog of games I have accumulated.

Here are the games I would 100% replay if I somehow managed to play everything in my possession.

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The Joys And Frustrations Of Hunting In Rise Of The Tomb Raider

January 30, 2023

Video games have a funny way of making recreational activities you wouldn’t normally be interested in doing, like fishing or hunting, in real life far more appealing. My latest enjoyment is hunting in Rise of the Tomb Raider.

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Video Game Review: As Dusk Falls

September 26, 2022

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.

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Playing Catch Up: What I Have Been Focusing In On With Video Games, Books, And Television

September 19, 2022

At the beginning of each year I like to set some small goals with the leisure activities I enjoy taking part in. That mainly includes going back to my video game backlog and finishing up anything that still needs to be played, reading a certain amount of books before the end of the year, and trying to watch as many shows as I can with all the numerous streaming platforms now at our fingertips.

My recent move to a new apartment has thrown me off track with what I set out to do with my hobbies, but I’m taking it in stride and seeing what I can still accomplish before we say goodbye to the year 2022.

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The Video Game Nostalgia Wave: The Comfort Of Returning To Older Gaming Devices

May 9, 2022

Each console or handheld generation gets updated every few years. The tech is newer and shinier, and the capabilities are greater than what came before. For instance, the Nintendo Switch has become groundbreaking in what it means to game on the go or stationed on a dock to play at home. Whatever your needs are, the Switch has become the gaming device to adjust accordingly. As we move further and further away from what has become outdated and no longer “in”, sometimes, I do appreciate going back to what once was the darling of the gaming world.

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Tying Up Loose Ends: Wrapping Up Previously Started Video Games

April 11, 2022

Getting a brand new video game feels a little like Christmas morning. You’re excited and can’t wait to get started. The very idea of it being new is enough to entice you to take a peek at the game, even if you’re already in the middle of playing something else.

I have been guilty in the past for starting games and getting pretty far with some of them, only to stop just as I’m so close to the end. Now, I’m trying to go back and finish some of the games that have been outstanding for a while.

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Coping With Uncertainty Through Hobbies

March 21, 2022

Having so many interests can be both a blessing and a curse. When the pandemic first started and everyone was asked to minimize social interactions and only go out to buy your essential needs, it wasn’t a difficult adjustment for me to make. Being more introverted than extroverted, it was easy to stay inside and keep busy with what I had at my disposable. TV, books, video games, and writing had kept me occupied for the last two years and made weathering the uncertainty of a new virus we knew nothing about easier to manage. With plenty to do at home, the hard part was figuring out how to make equal time for each hobby.

Between the constant reminders of our ecosystem on the verge of collapse and the horrifying conflict currently happening between Ukraine and Russia, all these unknowns can be crushing and devastating if you don’t have something to distract you. No matter how temporary it is.

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Video Game Review: Neo – The World Ends With You

January 24, 2022

Sequels to beloved video games can either be everything you hoped for and more, or it can barely hold a candle to the original game. Neo: The World Ends With You is the long anticipated followup to 2007’s The World Ends With You, which originally came out on the Nintendo DS. While there is plenty to love about the game, with an upgraded battle system, wider areas of Shibuya to explore, and a soundtrack that continues to stay on point, there’s also some weak spots that made playing the game frustrating at times.

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The End? The Fake Ending In Video Games

January 17, 2022

Reaching the end of a video game can be exciting. After spending many hours with a story and characters, going on a journey and getting to know the characters until they start feeling like good friends, the end can feel bittersweet but hard earned to finally see how it all ends. As the anticipation builds toward the end, something happens in the game that pulls the rug from right under you. Maybe the end credits roll but you’re left flabbergasted, thinking, “That can’t be how it ends?!” or a chapter labeled as “Final” actually opens up a few more subchapters that eventually get you to the real ending of the game.

This has been my recent experience with two video games in particular—Control and Neo: The World Ends With You. Fair warning, there are some light spoilers for both of these games.

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