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

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 As we move further and further away from what has become outdated and no longer “in”, sometimes, I do appreciate going back to what once was the darling of the gaming world.

Continue reading “The Video Game Nostalgia Wave: The Comfort Of Returning To Older Gaming Devices”

Video Games In Review: What I’ve Completed In 2021

Whenever I choose a video game to play for the next few months the hope is I’ll stick with it and not stop halfway in the middle of the game. That has happened with a few games I played in the past where I start off excited to devote most of my time with a game only to abandon it for another game, or not being in the mood to play for a little while. This is why when I do commit to a game and see it all the way through, it’s a massive achievement for me personally to consider it finished and crossed off my backlog.

Here is a list of all the video games I played and beaten in 2021.

Continue reading “Video Games In Review: What I’ve Completed In 2021”

Tomb Raider: A Thrilling Story Of Survival And How A Legend Was Born

Whether you’re a gamer or not Lara Croft has been one of the most recognizable video game characters since her first introduction to gamers in 1996’s Tomb Raider, and movies based on the games, starring Angelina Jolie, followed in 2001. Crystal Dynamics’s 2013 game Tomb Raider, and published by Square Enix, sought to refresh the series by giving Lara an origin story, and serves as a wonderful entry point for those who may not have ever played a Tomb Raider game before.

Continue reading “Tomb Raider: A Thrilling Story Of Survival And How A Legend Was Born”

The Things We Remember: Dontnod Entertainment’s Continued Fascination With Memories In Their Video Games

Over the the last few months I have been going back to much older video games to pick up where I left off and finally complete them. Among those games I’ve returned to is Remember Me, a 2013 video game developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published under Capcom. I had forgotten that the studio behind the widely successful Life Is Strange series were the same people who did Remember Me seven years ago. After playing the game and beating it a few weekends ago, one of the things that stood out in my mind was the recurring theme of memories that has popped up in the French studio’s later titles.

Continue reading “The Things We Remember: Dontnod Entertainment’s Continued Fascination With Memories In Their Video Games”

Dusting Off The Cobwebs: Revisiting And Playing Older Video Games

Retreading video games you started years ago, but never finished, brings forth a number of feelings. It’s like someone you met briefly but never really got to know better, or recalling memories that now seem vague and hazy with the passage of time. Since the pandemic has forced many of us to stay at home longer than we would have under normal circumstances, it has opened up opportunities to shift your attention on other activities that used to be deemed as “I’ll get to it eventually.” The much older video games in my backlog have been getting a lot more love and attention in recent months.

Continue reading “Dusting Off The Cobwebs: Revisiting And Playing Older Video Games”

The Complexity And Surprise Of The Witcher 2: The Assassins Of Kings

Making the most out of a crap year means retreating into the things that give you a measure of joy and escape. Being stuck at home a lot of the time has encouraged me to revisit video game backlogs and select games I’ll want to pick up again after not touching some of them in months or years. When I’m able to fully focus my attention on one game I accomplish a lot. Recently I finished playing The Witcher 2: The Assassins of Kings, and I’m thoroughly impressed with the work CD Projekt Red had put into this 2011 game.

Continue reading “The Complexity And Surprise Of The Witcher 2: The Assassins Of Kings”

Let’s Get It On: Why Sex Scenes In Video Games Is One Experience I Can Live Without

Video games offer another entertainment medium and outlet for escapism and stepping into the shoes of someone else’s life. I’ve played a fair amount of video games where I was a human Grey Warden, an N7 soldier, a crown prince trying to take back his throne, or a teenager attempting to get a handle on her time traveling abilities. In every role I assumed during my time with a game, it allowed me to really get inside the head of these characters and truly understand what their experiences were. But one experience I could probably do without are the sex scenes found in some mature video games.

Continue reading “Let’s Get It On: Why Sex Scenes In Video Games Is One Experience I Can Live Without”

To Side Quest Or Not To Side Quest: When Playing The Main Story Becomes The Number One Priority

Let’s face it—being an adult sometimes sucks. Not only do you have more obligations and serious concerns to think about, but your time becomes far more precious. You’re lucky if you can spare 20 minutes for yourself. One of the downsides of developing an interest in video games later in life is not being able to spend as much time as you want on it. You either have to take care of more pressing issues going on in your own life, or you want to be able to play another game you have been meaning to play from your backlog. I’m coming to terms with probably not being able to get to every game I currently own, but at the same time, I’m thinking maybe the workaround to getting close to playing everything is cutting out most side quests from my gaming time.

Continue reading “To Side Quest Or Not To Side Quest: When Playing The Main Story Becomes The Number One Priority”

Revisiting The Backlog: Using The Additional Time At Home To Play What I Have

Spending a significant chunk of our days at home will most likely prompt many of us to be creative with the time we’ve got when we’re not dealing with real world problems. We all need time to relax and de-stress because, let’s face it, living through a global pandemic is depressing and rife with a lot of anxiety for many of us. A running joke I have seen on social media is how introverts are more capable of dealing with long and extended amounts of time inside than the extroverts and social butterflies of the world. As a self-professed introvert much of the time, I do think there’s a grain of truth to that joke. I’ve got plenty of home activities to keep me busy for however long I’m expected to stay home. Being unable to commute to the office or go out in general doesn’t bother me too much, but I do miss seeing friends and family in person. Despite the extraordinary circumstances, I’ve taken this as a good opportunity to draw my attention back to my video games backlog.

Continue reading “Revisiting The Backlog: Using The Additional Time At Home To Play What I Have”

Summertime Play: A Video Games Update

The summer season tends to encourage people to go outside or plan vacations. Other times it’s a good reason to catch up on other leisure pursuits, like gaming. My summer has been getting away from me with vacations, social engagements, and general errands that have been keeping my schedule jam packed. But I have managed to fit an hour or two of gaming on some weeknights and weekends.

Continue reading “Summertime Play: A Video Games Update”