Reviews & Articles

It’s somewhat amazing that in the year 2013, pixelated graphics and high-definition polygons exist side by side. What’s even more amazing is that games are not being assessed just on the art style alone, it’s how well everything is pulled together and succeeds in helping the game obtain greatness. So allow me to introduce you to an indie game that will eventually be a household name: Anodyne.

I’m not too sure if there is a good reason why individuals like optical illusions. Life is full of these illusions. Some are fun, such as the stereograms and the flat holograms while others are more serious such as side mirrors of cars. So what’s the point of mentioning all of this? It’s the basis for an indie game known as Mutant Mudds.

As much as I identify as a hardcore gamer, I admit I’m highly guilty of engaging in casual gaming. Can you really blame me? There are days that I’m so tired from school and work that I just want (and some days need) a game that is completely lighthearted and provides instant rewards. As such, I go online for flash games. So how does this explain why I have enjoyed Plants vs Zombies so much? The answer is simple: It provides a lot of fun while having a higher degree of challenge that is rarely seen in the casual genre.

When it comes to what games to play, I like playing the hero. So I’m not sure why have I enjoyed Saints Row: The Third.

There’s something to be said about “irony.” And as a trope, it’s one of the hardest to master. Perhaps that is, in itself, ironic — or not. So what’s the point of this quick English 101 lesson that far too many individuals improperly use? It’s rather simple: It’s the basis for the game Unepic.

Back in 2008, I had my hands dipped in several indie games. While this exposed me to games I may have missed on my radar, I had no money to indulge in them past the demo. This brings the review to one game that I completely forgot about: Hinterland.

I have a soft spot for dungeon crawlers. I cannot really explain it. I think it has to do with my personality: I’m very curious and, if it isn’t in a drawer or nailed down, chances are I’ll pick it up and riffle through it for a bit. Oh yes, this typically isn’t a good idea as people do not want their private spaces violated and I’m no different. Thankfully, the genre allows me to express this trait without the legal or interpersonal issues becoming apparent. Welcome to one of my favorite games from college: Wizardry 8.

I stink at adventure games. It’s a simple fact that I keep ranting and raving about whenever I get my hands on an adventure title for one simple reason: I’m stuck in my own little box and I understand its rules. I don’t understand the rules for adventure games because the way the genre’s “box” is set-up makes no sense to me. It’s rare that an adventure game, at least to me, is intuitive enough and clear enough to help properly orient the player. So how about a psychological adventure game about relationships? Then I have found a game for you: Anna.

Stay Dead for the PC is a hand-to-hand combat game that’s very different from my usual fare. (Actually I don’t tend to do hand-to-hand combat games since I lose so spectacularly.)

Back in the summer of 2010, I was fortunate enough to attend that year’s E3. While there, one of the highlights was that I got to meet Erin Robinson. She is one of the few indie developers who actively tries to keep the adventure game genre alive. What was special about that year was that she was talking about her game, Puzzle Bots, and meeting folks at the Indiecade booth. Fast forward a couple of years and it has only been recently that I got my hands on that said game.

Horror is a challenging concept to do well. Many games (and movies) go for the thrills simply because it is easier than taking the time to craft a chilling universe. There are a multitude of methods of doing so, some with greater effect than others. I don’t pretend to be an expert on horror as I can’t stand the movie genre. Ironically, the video game genre of horror intrigues me. It doesn’t help that I don’t like blood and guts. So I go for the psychological version. I have currently gotten my hands on one of the most intriguing and truest psychological horror games in recent years: Lone Survivor on PC.

I love the indie gaming community because developers tend to feel free to experiment with gameplay and narrative. Sometimes things are a bit disjointed. Of course, this is to be expected considering that the majority of developers lack the budget to make their games shine like the majority of console games. So this makes Dark Scavenger the entire game cooler to me.

Shazbot is a word in the Tribes universe that implies displeasure, usually if used repeatedly, at losing a match within Tribes: Ascend. I’m not sure if I’ve caused many folks to have to use the keystroke to cause their avatar to say that, but really I’ve had too much fun playing Tribes: Ascend to have it really matter. I normally chuckle when I hear it and get ready for another round win or lose.

Have you ever heard of indie XBLA developer Radiangames? I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of the company as I haven’t played many of their games. The one I do own I blasted through, loved and haven’t touched since the day I bought it. Yeah, it’s a bit sad. On the plus side, I have its spiritual successor, Inferno+ on my PC to keep me warm.

Believe it or not, I’ve raised a fair amount of different animals. I’ve taken care of goats, llamas, chickens, sheep, dogs and parrots. While that may sound like bragging, the point is that I know a bit about animals (and I love them, too). Goats are by far, the most interesting and intense.

When was the last time you played a game that was inspired by real-life events? Munchies’ Lunch is a cute family logic game whose story figuratively honors the struggle and tenacity of one family to leave a country (in this case former Yugoslavia) torn by civil war. Munchies’ Lunch starts with a family that is separated in a fantasy land ruled by the evil Hungries. The main protagonist of the game is Mrs. Munchie, a mother, who with her two kids needs to traverse the game’s dangerous land to reunite her family.

It has been a few years since the last Penny Arcade Adventures game was released. And it was a fun, though short, game. There was talk of a third game, though it quickly became accepted that it was stuck in developmental purgatory due to the developer Hot Head Games becoming absorbed in their own personal projects (among other unknown factors). So it was a pleasant surprise to see the third installment, Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode 3, on Steam for $5. So was it worth the wait?

LaserCat follows a feline who happens to be made out of a laser. Anyway, his best friend Owl gets kidnapped by an evil toad and hides 30 keys throughout his master’s castle for LaserCat to find. So like any good kitty, he goes off to save his friend.

QuakeCon began in 1996 and has since transcended into a pilgrimage for the fans of video games. This year's QuakeCon was visited by close to 10,000 gamers and took place at the spacious and ultra-luxurious Hilton Anatole hotel near downtown Dallas. This five-star hotel has on its campus a huge exhibit hall, which this year was host to 2,850 computers, which formed the largest gaming LAN in North America, aka the BYOC (Bring Your Own Computer) network.

So I sat down for A Farewell to Dragons, expecting it not to be a first-choice game for me — a hardcore Bethesda/Bioware fan — but it wound up being a pleasant surprise in its own way. What I found was not the riveting storyline that would string me along in an epic of binge playing. Instead, I found myself sitting for shorter play sessions, taking the story at my own achingly slow pace and seeing a bit of the world around me. Especially early on when you could watch hunters wander through the woods and fight any bandits they came across.

The official name on the splash screen is Engaged to Kill — which is pretty appropriate. This is a hidden-object game that wrapped in a police procedural. A lot of hidden-object games hang their scenes together by the loosest of threads. This game actually makes sense within the overall story. It’s a refreshing change.

Zombies really are the best videogame enemies, aren’t they? They can be bashed, sliced, shot and blown up — all without the slightest twinge of guilt. No one knows this better than Capcom, who presented the sequel to their ultraviolent zombie game, Dead Rising 2.

I have a soft spot for first-person dungeon crawlers. And it shows in my back catalogue of reviews. I think it has to do with immersion, which is a big part of the reason the shooter genre has embraced it. The role-playing genre, on the other hand, has moved away from it in favor of third-person camera angles, which allow for more dynamic presentation. It’s also far more practical. It’s challenging to create a world from the first-person perspective because every little detail has to be just right. This is the tone that needs to be kept in mind with the Legend of Grimrock, an indie first-person RPG.

My first memories strategy space gaming are from Masters of Orion, one of the best 4X games ever. This is arguably the granddaddy of all space strategy games that followed. Following in its ion trails, we have Sins of a Solar Empire, an ambitious RT4X game, developed by Ironclad and published by Stardock. If you're a space strategy junkie then this is a must have game. Its expansive detail, and easy pace, combined with stunning graphics screams play me. The gameplay is deep and expansive yet the hours will go by fast as you build your empire from a single planet to a mighty empire.

World of Warcraft is an all-around good time. Its no wonder this game has topped the MMORPG genre for so many years. Every so often, a phenomenon hits the gaming world — no matter the genre — that appeals to a very large population. And with constant growth and change, the game keeps its players coming back for more.