tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637Thu, 05 Sep 2024 00:26:06 +0000Xbox 360reviewsshooteradventureXboxRPGimpressionsNintendo DSbrawlerfightingNintendo 3DScomic booklicensedPCPS3hack-n-slashplatformerpuzzlesandboxAndroidKindle FirehorrormobileMusicPS VitaPSNRoguelikeTable topXBLAarcadebetacarddrivingiOSpartysimulationstealthstrategytabletVideo games, PC games, or other interactive media that's currently caught my attention ...http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)Blogger98125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-8338504822094950773Mon, 22 Sep 2014 02:59:00 +00002014-09-21T21:59:08.829-05:00adventurePCplatformerPS VitaPS3puzzle Thomas Was Alone is not a new game. Well, "not new" in the sense of "we've-already-forgotten-this-summer's-memes-and-world-events-and-summer's-not-even-over" not new. It started as Flash-based game in 2010, but really started building momentum as a PC and Mac title in 2010, and notoriety among a broader audience in it's content-enhanced Sony PS3 and PS Vita versions in 2013. I http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2014/09/thomas-was-alone-ps-vita.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-7438056593599780540Fri, 28 Mar 2014 03:45:00 +00002014-03-27T22:45:09.449-05:00AndroidmobilepuzzleI'm digging Marvel Puzzle Quest. It's a good treatment of both licenses, polished and slick, and has been a good living case study of an evolving, licensed mobile free-to-play app. The game is free, monetized through purchases in the game, and for the most part, this isn't overly annoying - though it gets there every once in a while (there are distinct "I can't be competitive unless I spend moneyhttp://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2014/03/marvel-puzzle-quest-android.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-6001025615153578287Sat, 13 Apr 2013 22:17:00 +00002013-04-13T17:17:21.577-05:00AndroidcardfightingiOSKindle Firemobile I'm playing quite a bit of NAMCO Bandai Games's Tekken Card Tournament on Android (from developer C4M, also available for play online, on iOS, and Amazon Kindle Fire). It's a competitive / combative card game treatment of the long-standing console and upright arcade fighting franchise -- but whereas card games are pretty common on mobile and tablet devices now, Tekken is http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2013/04/tekken-card-tournament-mobile.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-2225879315305223312Sun, 30 Dec 2012 23:39:00 +00002012-12-30T17:39:43.949-06:00impressionsNintendo 3DSsimulationOK, I'm obviously not the target audience for Style Savvy: Trendsetters, Nintendo's fashionista simulation for its current flagship handheld. Aside from the title, that I'm not the target demographic is obvious -- not the least of which is my character constantly being referred to as "she", "her", and nothing but feminine pronouns and modifiers. It's also obvious in my lack of vocabulary http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2012/12/style-savvy-trendsetters-3ds.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-8046792887703243939Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:00:00 +00002012-12-28T07:00:00.663-06:00impressionsNintendo 3DSpuzzleWhat's the positive version of "More of the same"? Seriously -- This is important. Because I'm pretty sure I always want a Layton game in my handheld, and getting one for the 3DS is pretty great. Especially one that holds on the good, and adapts to the platform. Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask carries forward all of the stuff the series is known for -- deceptively simple http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2012/12/professor-layton-and-miracle-mask-3ds.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-7069330020012039272Mon, 24 Dec 2012 21:42:00 +00002012-12-24T15:42:25.158-06:00MusicNintendo 3DSRPGI've been playing a bunch o' Theatrhythm Final Fantasy for 3DS. Really, this game should be a system seller for Nintendo's current handheld for those longtime fans of the Final Fantasy franchise. It's cool to see an atypical entry in the FF franchise, which is typically exclusively role-playing (including some lackluster MMORPG attempts). Theatrhythm is a deep rhythm genre game that lets http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2012/12/theatrhythm-final-fantasy-3ds.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-584885324532477584Sun, 23 Dec 2012 04:55:00 +00002012-12-22T22:55:28.620-06:00impressionsNintendo 3DSRPGI've been playing Kingdom Hearts 3D [Dream Drop Distance] on Nintendo's 3DS handheld, and I'm really enjoying it. Typical of many Square Enix games, the production values are high, pre-rendered 3D cutscenes look almost  "current gen console", the voice work is robust and pretty comprehensive, and the gameplay is really, really diverse. Design-wise, the game does a good job of droppinghttp://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2012/12/kingdom-hearts-3d-dream-drop-distance.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-8065954958719690384Mon, 12 Nov 2012 17:00:00 +00002012-11-12T11:00:04.299-06:00adventureimpressionsshooterXboxXbox 360I'm ongoing fan of the Halo franchise, and have been eagerly looking forward to the latest entry in the series. Halo 4 is the first entry in the franchise to be done my Microsoft (343 Studios) after the separation of franchise creator and developer Bungie (to be fair, a chunk of those ex-Bungie folks are at 343). There's a lot riding on the title, both to show that Microsoft and 343 Studios "http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2012/11/halo-4-xbox-360.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-2703688035486182720Sun, 14 Oct 2012 00:57:00 +00002012-10-13T19:57:45.202-05:00impressionsRPGshooterXbox 360I'm sinking a lot of time across multiple characters in Borderlands 2. I dig any sort of sequel that is not just "more of the same", and not "just a bit better" -- but actually holds onto all of the good of the previous version, and blows the lid off with new [gameplay|story|polish|features|etc.]. No, it's not perfection -- It's still way more compelling for me to play the game in a group than http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2012/10/borderlands-2-xbox-360.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-5260521420997216946Mon, 21 May 2012 03:01:00 +00002012-05-20T22:01:17.384-05:00Kindle FireRPGtabletI'm playing a lot of stuff on my Kindle Fire, getting the lay of the land for the gaming tablet scene (works will for all of the Biz travel I'm doing right now, too). Right now, I'm working through a ton of RPGs -- like Zenonia 2 -- looking at how they're taking advantage of the form factor, evolving the genres, and (if applicable), improving across sequels. Zenonia 2 doesn't do much over http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2012/05/zenonia-2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-1146143669208352527Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:22:00 +00002012-01-06T13:22:31.213-06:00adventurebrawlercomic bookfightingimpressionssandboxXbox 360Batman: Arkham Asylum was one of my favorite games. I'm multiple hours (but not done) with RockSteady Studios new Batman: Arkham City, and it pretty much surpasses everything I dig about the first game, without losing the stuff that made that first game great. It could be a little overwhelming if you're not big into games, and/or haven't played Arkham Asylum  -- there's a ton of http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2012/01/batman-arkham-city-xbox-360.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-8034807968204088906Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:07:00 +00002011-10-22T11:07:17.604-05:00adventureimpressionsPS3RPGDark Souls is the spiritual successor to Demon Souls. (I love that sentence.) And it is a brutal, brutal game. I spent an hour getting my tail handed to me because I attacked a guy I was not ready to face, and kept respawning and could not undue the bad decision I had made, and I hadn't mastered the early-in-the-game battle mechanics needed to hold my own. And I didn't get my shield (which I http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2011/10/dark-souls-ps3.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-2529821923594607594Sun, 09 Oct 2011 20:33:00 +00002011-10-09T15:33:01.417-05:00brawlercomic bookimpressionslicensedXbox 360I mentioned a while ago I was looking forward to what Silicon Knights was going to to with the X-Men franchise, and picked I picked up X-Men: Destiny yesterday to check it out. I'm a Marvel fanboy, and a Scott Porter fan. Scott's a good actor, a nice guy in person, and he voices Adrian Luca, one of 3 characters you can choose to play through the single-player only game. I'm only a a few http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2011/10/x-men-destiny-xbox-360.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-3285689457049357168Sun, 02 Jan 2011 07:45:00 +00002011-01-02T01:45:03.580-06:00impressionsstealthXbox 360I'm about a quarter of the way through the single player side of Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, and a few nights into the multiplayer mode. Color me wicked impressed. The single player -- the third installment in the series -- maintains its high production values, a coherent story and themes across titles, and refines the gameplay mechanics that worked well in the first two console http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2011/01/assassins-creed-brotherhood.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-1458798694827795398Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:45:00 +00002010-09-05T21:02:48.991-05:00shooterXboxXbox 360I played the Vanquish demo on my Xbox 360, and I'm stoked and sad at the same time.Stoked, because I like how slick, polished, and punishing Platinum Games titles can be.I just noticed my Bayonetta review seems to have been lost to the ether. I've been calling that particular Platinum title, "The slickest, wildest I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-this I've played in some time." Production values are http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2010/09/vanquish-xbox-360.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-8459752206022229421Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:50:00 +00002010-01-10T12:26:44.536-06:00PS3PSNshooterWith MAG doing an open beta this week (through today), me being a shooter fan, having access to a PS3, and wanting to see if they could pull off 128v128 online play, I spent some time tooling around the game.Brass tacks is the game has tremendous promise, and I hope people look at for what it is: A PS3-exclusive massive military-based shooter, who's promise lies in its premise -- a large-scale http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2010/01/mag-ps3.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-8995437540869438521Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:13:00 +00002010-01-03T15:25:47.107-06:00adventureNintendo DSI've been playing Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks since it came out, and I'm pretty sold on it.It's a great little adventurer that fits into the Zelda canon, with intuitive but clever puzzles that are for the most part challenging without being frustrating. It's got the trademark fun and humor inherent with the franchise (Princess Zelda is particularly a hoot).I'll save my larger write-up for whenhttp://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2010/01/legend-of-zelda-spirit-tracks.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-8413749406023919677Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:59:00 +00002009-10-14T16:27:35.064-05:00shooterXbox 360(Here are my single-player impressions for Halo 3: ODST. I'd like to give co-op and Firefight impressions as well, but my yahoo friends who also bought the game never have time to play this title, so updated impressions will have to wait.)First, to get things out of the way, I'm a bit of a Halo Whore. This is partially because of the gameplay, universe, and mythos; partially due to my being http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2009/10/halo-3-odst-xbox-360.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-4049892882988434034Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:12:00 +00002009-10-04T20:00:21.403-05:00comic bookRPGXbox 360(First Impressions.)OK, I need to spend more time with Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 ("M-UATU", for those who have been paying attention).I've been looking forward to it for a looong time, and it's ambitious as all get out -- multiple combinations of players and powers; two continuity arcs re-imagined; truly taking advantage of next-gen hardware (the last one was early in the hardware cycle); http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2009/10/marvel-ulimate-alliance-2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-3611975890518245168Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:39:00 +00002009-09-30T16:38:53.019-05:00I downloaded and played the new Crash Course DLC for Left 4 Dead with some co-workers last night.Very different, in that there are pickups (weapons, ammo, etc.) freaking _everywhere# (at least comparatively). It's also very short, plays fast, and throws a lot more special infected (notably, Tanks) at you.I'm curious as to which of these gameplay tweaks are a nod to those changes in L4D2.At least http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2009/09/l4d-crash-course.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-1870659889415599776Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:20:00 +00002009-09-17T01:25:37.271-05:00Nintendo DSRPGI'm on the road a lot lately the last several weeks, so that means I'm DSing it.Having missed Chrono Trigger the first time around, I'm now playing it on the Nintendo DS, and it's stellar.Being updated to take advantage of the DS control scheme and touch screen is keen, as is the implementation of dual screen support. I also dig the the real-time battle option.I'm spoiled; not sure I could have http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2009/09/chrono-trigger.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-5845496967469236987Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:10:00 +00002009-08-27T13:25:12.545-05:00adventurebrawlercomic booklicensedXbox 360I'm playing the new Batman: Arkham Asylum game on the Xbox 360, and I've been pretty impressed so far.This is a solid, dark treatment of the license, the full game is more polished than the demo (which itself was a good concantenation of a few segments of the game to show scope and diversity), the detective mode has been tweaked (and is pretty slick), the art direction is cool (and consistent), http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2009/08/batman-arkham-asylum-xbox-360.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-2453081754160959625Sat, 15 Aug 2009 03:06:00 +00002009-08-14T22:18:48.852-05:00adventureNintendo DSRoguelikeRPGI picked up Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer for the Nintendo DS because I wanted to play a polished roguelike on the handheld.Liking it so far, though I think after it, I want to find a darker roguelike game. If I can't find one, I may make one.http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2009/08/mystery-dungeon-shiren-wanderer-nds.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-6985325138935104370Sat, 01 Aug 2009 20:34:00 +00002009-08-01T15:51:16.207-05:00fightingXbox 360I'm a bit of a Mortal Kombat fan. I'm a comic book fan. I sooo wanted to be a fan of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.Unfortunately, so many things worked against the title for me, that I'm not a fan.Granted, since I'm a fanboy, I had expectations. And they were dashed.The fighting is frustrating, it devolves to button mashing that's not even fun (like Soul Calibur is fun), feels unpolished (art to http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2009/08/mortal-kombat-vs-dc-universe-xbox-360.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17473637.post-1836845958491548936Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:26:00 +00002009-07-20T17:09:11.504-05:00adventurebrawlerhack-n-slashlicensedXbox 360OK, Conan is an oldish 360 game, and I finished it months ago, but I've been meaning to write about it ever since. Reason for the delay is the final boss battle (more on that later).This a the kind of game that makes me irritated at game reviews/reviewers.This is a solid licensed title that is ambitious and has so much going right for it, that -- especially given the stigma for a licensed title -http://playing4realz.blogspot.com/2009/07/conan-xbox-360.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Adam Creighton)0