Achievos

A Wolf Among Us

2015-05-16T08:07:00.000-05:00

I have spoken before about my love of Telltale Games. Their point and click creations are as intriguing as some of the best books I've read. A Wolf Among Us is one of their typical five episode games that came to the Xbox 360 back in 2013. It's based on the comic book series Fables, the stories of classic fable characters like Snow White, Ichabod Crane, trolls, ogre, princes, etc who have chosen to live in the non-magical world.

I am not much of a fan of fairy tales or children's stories. I personally much prefer a dark, adult plot with lots of realistic characters. But the Fable comics and the Wolf Among Us game made we want to dive deeper into these old, classic stories. Any game that makes me want to watch a Disney movie is pretty amazing.

The game follows Bigby Wolf (Big Bad Wolf) as he attends to the residence of Fabletown, a small community in the Bronx full of creatures glamored to look like regular humans. What made this game/story so interesting is that there is murder, romance, prostitution, magic, cut throat politics, and even a bit of fetishism. I don't want to go into too much detail because it's really hard to not give things away.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to express my love for this bizarre, complex game. I encourage you to play it if you haven't already. You will be pleasantly surprised.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

2015-05-05T08:51:00.000-05:00

Putting my prejudice for nostalgia behind me, I sucked it up and played The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. This game hit all the right notes for me. It reminded me of all the things I loved from the original game without cramming them down my throat. The music, enemies, surroundings, everything was just right and kept me aware that I was playing a classic Zelda game.

Additionally, the developers made sure to advance the game forward, making it relevant today. The graphics were hugely improved. The learning curve and difficulty were much more balanced that previous titles. There were more quests and collectibles which helped to make the game as short or long as you wanted it to be.

All too often, our generation clings to their childhood so hard that we all end up stuck with sub-par products. I know people want to play a classic 8-bit game with terrible music and no save files, but some players want to see developers stretch the current technology and blow minds. While A Link Between Worlds didn't break the mold as far as game design goes, it shows how easy it can be to make a game that serves to both old school and new school players.

Pneuma: Breath of Life

2015-04-06T21:17:00.000-05:00

Pneuma: Breath of Life is a puzzle game with a charming, protagonist. The player solves the puzzles in first person as the protagonist entity. While bodiless and nameless, the voice of the playing entity is constantly talking. As the game progresses, the voice goes from believing he is a god to believing he has no control in the world.

The game takes on this super bizarre, ultra meta feel. The voice begins to speculate and even panic that the player is the real god. He feels like he has no control and accuses the player of manipulating him. At one point, the voice ends up at a lone tree in a colorless world as the player reaches for what is implied to be the apple of Eden. There is a good chance I'm not smart enough to understand why the game goes so far as to vaguely reference the Old Testament. I'm not a theologian or a philosophy major, so the whole concept is just too far out of my wheelhouse.

The voice itself is really charming until the end when he loses his mind. Between the English accent and quirky comments, it reminds me a lot of Wheatley from Portal 2. I began to feel bad for him as he slowly loses his mind/realizes the presence of the player.

The game itself is short. I completed all six chapters and cleared all achievements in about two hours. The game looks amazing and plays really smooth. With that in mind, it's hard to justify the $20 price tag. It seems like a lot for something with almost no replayability that took two hours to complete.

If you have the chance to play it for free or at a reduced cost, it is definitely worth your time. But if your only way to play is through the full $20 purchase, you might want to wait until it's on sale.

One More Line

2015-02-15T07:03:00.000-06:00

One More Line is a free mobile game that has slowly taken over my life. It is one of those apps that is perfect for passing the time. Playing a round takes less than one minute. If you aren't very good at it, like me, it will take about 5 seconds.

The goal is to travel the furthest possible distance down a straight lane. There are small orbs scattered around that you must use to slingshot yourself forward. You die if you hit the walls; you die if you hit an orb. The replayability is akin to Flappy Bird. No story, just a single objective to keep trying.

What makes this game so much better than others like it is the amazing soundtrack. It's one song looped, but surprisingly doesn't get old. It probably becomes annoying for those not playing, but who cares about those jerks ? I once heard someone call the sound "futuristic space disco" and that is a fairly apt description.

The other great feature is the ability to take pictures of your run right in the app without having to take a screen shot. It will then save the picture or instantly post it to social media if you want. Why don't more games have this ?

Since it's free, just download it and save it for when you need to pass the time but might not have the attention for something difficult or story driven.

Check out some game play here.

Lego Marvel-ous!

2015-02-02T14:57:00.000-06:00

Yes.. I went there.

Lego Marvel Super Heroes is so flipping fun you guys. I literally can not stop playing it. It's one of those games that you start playing, and then you think, "Wow, I should really get to bed." Then 2 hours later you're still playing because you need to unlock Ms. Marvel oo and Ghost Rider ooo and Red Hulk oo and.... it just never ends.

That's the best part. The story is fun to play, and has all of the elements you expect from a Lego game. It's silly and funny, and overall fairly easy. I have to say that some of the puzzles in this Lego iteration truly did leave me puzzled. I actually had to Google a level because I could not figure out how to progress after I had run around, looked and destroyed everything. That is the one thing I trip up on in this game - I don't know all of the characters so I'm not sure what all of their special skills are. It doesn't make it less fun, but it does mean I spend some extra time trying and failing.

I have to say that the games have become more and more polished as they've gone along too. In the early games (Star Wars, Harry Potter 1...) you could free play, but you only had access to a few of your characters. Now, even when you free play the levels, you have access to everyone you've unlocked. And you can save and quit at any time. Amazing! I think the characters are more dynamic in Marvel too. They all have interesting and different animations which makes it fun to branch out from your initial favorites.

Probably the most fun development is the free world map. The game is based in New York City, and in between levels you can free play the city. There are about 150 mini side quests to unlock characters and gold bricks. You can run, fly, drive, and explore the city from the subways to the rooftops. It's basically an adorable version of GTA IV. I love it. I do not love the racing quests, because I am horrible at driving and I think that they flying characters are hard to control... so that gets really frustrating really fast. But what's life without a few challenges?

So if you like Marvel, Lego, or just plain having fun this is the game for you. I highly recommend it.

Farming Simulator

2015-01-23T15:17:00.001-06:00

I will literally play anything if it is a simulation. Build a tower? Please. Live your exact same life, only digitally? Obviously. Run a hospital? In my sleep. So a farming simulator? Yes! It speaks to my Iowa soul. I have wanted this game for such a long, long time. It has hovered around the $30 mark as a download, and same for buying the disk, so when it was on sale this last week for $10, we snatched it up. I am frugal, and exceedingly patient. I also wanted to be careful. so I read reviews and looked at forums. I found lots of positive out there, it sounded so fun.

I'm here to lay some truth on you.

First off, it is fun. It is peaceful. But I'll be double dipped if it isn't confusing, and actually hard to understand. I honestly think you have to be an actual farmer to know what to do in this game, and all the farmers I know are too busy actually farming to pretend to be a farmer on their Xbox. The game offers shockingly little guidance. There are a few tutorials for basic tractor driving skills, and understanding a little about the whole planting/harvesting scenario... but when you start your own career farm you're just left there. Standing in a field. What now!? I have never before felt like I needed a walkthrough like I do on this game. A sim game. I've built thriving metropolises before, but I can't grow and harvest wheat?! I am boggled over how to feed a chicken?? What is wrong with me?

And the kicker is, I've looked back through the forums, searching for someone to commiserate with. A post about how hard it is to drive the front loader. Someone else who can't pick up a pallet. But no, it appears that I am alone in my struggles. So I am here for you, dear reader, if you have also fallen prey to the promise of a fun farming simulator and now you have no idea what to do and are somehow $126,000 in debt.

Won't stop me from playing though. There's nothing quite like driving a tractor.

Telltale and Gearbox Give Me A Much Needed Break.

2015-01-19T07:54:00.000-06:00

Tales From The Borderlands is one of Telltale Games' latest release. It fits the typical description of any Telltale experience including an episodic narrative, point and click game play, and choice based storytelling. Thankfully, Tales From The Borderlands brings a lot more enjoyment and lightheartedness.

One can easily say that they don't want to play Tales because they didn't like Gearbox's Borderlands or Telltale's flagship game, The Walking Dead. I would argue, that Tales From The Borderlands is the perfect game for those people. Don't like the fast paced yet somehow repetitive nature of Borderlands? Tales is strictly story driven and doesn't require side missions or level grinding. Don't care for the slow build and intense emotions that come with The Walking Dead? Tales provides funny characters and almost as much quick button action as there is dialogue.

Do yourself a solid and buy the first episode. Follow the ridiculous characters with their sophomoric humor on an adventure throughout Pandora.

Hide Yo Kids...

2014-04-15T13:19:00.002-05:00

I am fairly certain that we have covered this topic before, but I feel like I need to bring it up again. Little kids and video games. I don't have a problem with parents deciding that their child is okay to play an "M" rated game. I do, however, take major issue with little kids being all up on the mic.

When a game requires a clan, I see the whole idea as being a way to play together, socialize, group up, and engage with one another. MMOs are particularly meant for a social experience. When you take a game for adults (violence, skimpy clothes, F-bombs) and add small children (ages 12 and below), the parent is doing so at their own risk. Allowing those same small children to get on a mic in clan chat is painful for everybody involved.

Let's start with what should be the most obvious: my age vs their age. I am 31 years old and I sure as hell do not want to hang out with your 7 year old. That's weird. It's annoying to me that I now have to spend time with a small child in order to get things done with my clan of adults aged 40 and up.

Second, what the hell kind of parent is allowing their child to get on the mic and talk to complete strangers? Would you allow your kid to hang out in chat rooms online by themselves? Or approach and converse with strangers in a park by themselves? So why are there people that think it is harmless to allow their small children to be in a public lobby? There is nothing to keep me or anyone else from saying something violent, threatening, or sexual.

Lastly, the adults that allow these kids online are super inconsiderate. I was actually told in clan chat that I need to watch my language because there was a small child in chat. An adult game full of talking adults should be no kids allowed. It makes the game less fun and more awkward for everyone else.

So please, please leave your kids off the mic. It's inappropriate for everyone involved, and I definitely won't be sorry when I teach your kid some new words.

Just Spit It Out Already!

2014-03-26T12:37:00.000-05:00

Here's the breakdown of gaming at my house lately: I've been playing Defiance, my husband has been playing Sid Meier's Civilization: Revolution, and my daughters are obsessed with Animal Crossing: New Leaf. We're kind of all over the board. But do you know what the combination of listening to these three games has taught me?

Voice overs are totally important.

All three games have a different way to handle voice overs. Defiance has inane, repetitive chatter, but it's completely voiced and in English (or whatever language, I'm guessing??) Civilization has constant, interruptive voice overs, but the characters just jabber. Kind of like Sims. And Animal Crossing is completely voiced, but it's just bleeps and bloops, not really word sounds at all, except when you type it says the letters you hit in a majorly robotic voice.

So different, and what do they all have in common? SO ANNOYING.

Of the three, I would say Animal Crossing is the least offensive. I am not crazy about the fact that every time a character talks to you it makes a steady stream of noise not unlike a dial-up modem in the 90's, but it's easily tuned out. Civilization might be the worst. You have advisors helping build your civilization, and they are constantly popping up to talk at you. It stops game play to have you read their blurb and make a decision. But the whole time they're up they are just jabbering away in nonsense. Why? Why did they even spend the time recording this inane blabbering? If you're going to record someone talking away, just have them actually speak the words. It's super annoying to me. I wish they were just silent. My husband stands up for the game by saying this way it could be shipped worldwide without recording multiple languages. It still grates on me.

And Defiance voice overs are annoying in a category all their own. There is tons of voiced dialogue during quest hand-outs and cut-scenes, all voice acted and well done. But during actual game play you have your very own Navi-like computer chick, who talks incessantly but repeats the same lines over and over and over. Everyone who plays can recite EGO's lines. And everyone hates her. I'm not generalizing.

I love the work programmers and designers put into games...but how about going that extra mile, or going a mile less, and just not annoying the gamer?

Titanfall: Doing It Right

2014-03-18T04:32:00.002-05:00

I have always enjoyed games from the Call of Duty series. I think they are a fun, brainless way to pass time, laugh with friends, or vent frustrations. With the last couple releases, the Call of Duty online experience has become so intense that there is little value for the casual player. Having releases every year causes the learning curve to approach so fast and so steep that it can be impossible to keep up.

Titanfall provides the action and fun of the online multiplayer experience, without all the baggage. Of course, there are some players that magically become pros the instant the game loads up. But for the most part, everyone is wading through these foreign waters together.

There has always been a presence on the Internet that would like multiplayer and solo campaign games to be separate. In the case of CoD, even the zombie levels should probably consist of their own title. Instead of cramming all this into one, Titanfall poured all their attention into the multiplayer game. With no focus being given to a single player story, the end result of Titanfall is near perfection.

The only decision I don't quite understand about Titanfall is why there is a multiplayer campaign. The story is almost non-existent. I played through and I don't remember any part of it; I was too busy messing with my loadouts. The campaign consists of lobbies that play exactly like the regular, multiplayer game. Developers really could have just left the game as Red Team vs Blue Team; we don't need a backstory.

While I have never enjoyed achievements that are based on online play, I think the goals they set are manageable. For those of you who were raised in the Call of Duty era, give Titanfall a try for something a bit more fresh.

When Good Games Go Bad

2014-01-25T11:23:00.001-06:00

Yeah, I know, the title is a bit on the dramatic side...forgive me, it sounds awesome and I had to use it.

Debbie & I have been playing a ton of Defiance on the 360 lately. It came out in April 2013 and the price point dropped embarrassingly fast. It is an MMO which is pretty intriguing and awesome on the console, as my MMO experience before this was only WoW.

Us ladies of Achievos have fairly similar taste in games, but somehow we rarely end up playing the same stuff. If we do play the same game, I'm usually playing it about a year after Debbie has already completed and re-sold it. So it has been super fun to have this game that we can run around in together and kill all the evil, diseased masses. The game is an MMO, so we do see lots of other people in game as well. But seeing them running around is pretty much as much interaction as you're going to get.

And this is where the good game goes bad.

Defiance has an unbelievable amount of potential. It is fun. It is a functional console MMO. It has a large world map, easy travel, a number of weapons that would rival Borderlands, and multiple skill trees to build out your perfect character.

That said, it is the least multi-player MMO that I have ever heard of. The grouping option is sloppy at best,

Hey, I see you over there. Wish we could interact.

as we are constantly booted from our group for no apparent reason. And the group questing is also confusing. If one character has already completed the mission, they often can't see everything going on, and their partner will freeze and disappear during cutscenes or to fight bosses that are no longer available to you. There are clans, but we have unsuccessfully joined a couple and there doesn't seem to be much benefit to being in them. Although that might just be because we haven't found a great, active one yet.

The world map is large, but the quests are extremely repetitive. I hope you like ranchers, because you're going to be saving the same few groups of them day in and day out. Yes, it is a reputation daily quest, but there are story lines and side missions that have you doing the same thing over and over too. And the game is notoriously bad for having you travel 100 meters to pick up a quest, then 200 meters to get the next piece of information, 150 meters to kill 3 guys...etcetc.. It gets old quick. At least there is fast travel, and the vehicles (while easily stopped on any small barrier) are super fun and quick to drive.

Finally, the weapons. There are approximately 80 gazillion to choose from. There are all of your favorite types. Prefer pistols? Snipers? Shotties? We've got it all. And on top of that, there are 4 or 5 different variations. Sawed-off shotguns, pump action, combat... And you are constantly getting loot. New and amazing things to shoot. And mods to make them even better! But heaven help you if you can manage all of this with the awkward menus, impossible to compare weapon lists, and constant juggling of those mods. It's fun, but good luck. I find myself keeping my old trusty weapons and mostly scrapping or selling everything else.

Now you may be wondering why we're playing if it's just got so many hiccups. Why? Why are we pouring hours and hours into leveling up our guns and characters and searching Paradise for the random information stash? Because it is really fun. Even though the game has its issues, it is still a blast. And remember when I said the price point was embarrassingly low soon out of the gate? That is a glaring hint to you, readers. If you haven't picked up this game, go get it. The more of us who play, the more fun it will be.

Kinect Is Watching You......

2014-01-08T08:16:00.001-06:00

Let's start by acknowledging that this is not a review. There are numerous reviews of the Xbox One and the new Kinect, therefore I will save us all the time of running through the specs. This is just a few bits of information and mild anecdotes to help you make an informed decision.

The new Kinect that comes with the Xbox One is about twice as tall as its predecessor, but the height is worth it. The original Kinect required a shockingly large amount of space. The new Kinect allows playing in a much smaller area, significantly closer to the sensor and the TV. With that comes the warning that the Kinect can see everything. That person in their underwear walking 15 feet off to the side of you will be plainly visible to the relatives you are Skyping with.

The face recognition is neat and indescribably creepy. I sit down in front of the console and it logs me in using my face. If Kevin walks by in the far corner for just a split second, the Kinect chirps in with "Hi, Kevin!". I was testing out a game under Kevin's profile, and the Kinect wouldn't let me. It kept seeing my face and the IR sensors of the controller and kept automatically switching to my profile. Not until Kevin was standing behind me and the IR censors were blocked by a pillow did the console let me use his tag. My Kinect loves Kevin.

When it comes to dancing and movement, the new Kinect is hugely improved. I was playing a Zumba game and that thing picked up all the head flicks and hip shakes I could muster. Everything matches pretty well and there is longer any of the distortion when identifying body parts.

If you acquire the Kinect, I highly recommend you turn the microphone off. There are numerous times when someone else is having a conversation in the room and they use the word "Xbox" in a sentence, and Kinect takes that as a cue to start listening. When I was playing Call of Duty, about once per match someone would start yelling into their mic "Xbox: Stop Listening". This thing is desperate for attention.

If you used the Kinect a lot before, then the new one will be amazing. If you thought it was clumsy, find a friend that has one and try it out. If you absolutely despise motion control, this won't change your mind. But above all else, remember that Kinect is watching and listening. If this thing isn't the first step towards a real life Hal 9000, I don't know what is.

Disneyland, but Cheaper

2013-10-04T18:06:00.000-05:00

It is NOT this easy.

So the kids and I recently remembered that we have the very fun and engaging Kinect Disneyland. So we've been trying to play it.

Trying is the keyword.

I basically don't know how families stay together after trying to play this with my 3 year old, my (now) 6 year old, the 1 year old wandering around, and my husband.

First, the baby. When two other big kids/me are playing, and he wanders in front, it somehow totally removes us as player and accepts him. This is beyond annoying.

Then the 3-year-old. She desperately wants to play this. She's probably the most age-appropriate for a Disneyland game... and she can barely do it alone. It is impossible to help her with the proper motions, and have you ever tried telling a 3-year-old, "Lift your left hand.. no your left. Your other hand. The one close to me. Now lift it. Less. Lift it just a little. Now lower. Higher. Like this. Do what mommy is doing. Oh for the love of Pete, you're on your own."

The 6-year-old has a great grasp of it, and can properly control it. Phew. I suppose I also fit in this category.

And then there's my husband, who somehow always has to walk across the room, and since this is the most finicky Kinect game it either picks him up as a player, or the brief second he passes the Kinect totally blanks us all out.

I can't understand why some Kinect games are so good at tracking and keeping you logged in, despite madness in the room, and others are just absolutely awful. Disneyland fits in the awful category. And it's marketed for children. Ironically, Once Upon a Monster is also awful, and also for children. Does Xbox/Kinect want parents to kill themselves over their children crying that the characters won't dance with them??

I don't think it's reason enough not to buy the game. It is super fun. I am an unapologetic Disney lover. Disneyland was truly the most magical place on Earth for me. And it is faithfully recreated in this game. It's so fun to walk around and see the same corners of the park that we walked in. "Hey look! That's the bathroom where we cleaned up that giant poopy diaper! Ahh..memories."

Just, when/if you buy it, prepare yourself. I suggest a glass of wine. Or just playing it after the kids go to bed. You know you want to.

Offline Mode

2013-09-07T12:01:00.000-05:00

So with the onslaught of new responsibilities that have come with having a kid in school, I find my gaming time has become even more limited than before. I know. This has been a constant complaint for me, and I imagine it will be until, well, until the day I die. There just aren't enough hours in the day. And to top that off, I have four people in my house who are active on a single TV screen, housing all three of our main systems. Sure I have my PC and my 3DS, but I find that sometimes I just have to unplug from all the of it.

Ironically, then I turn to my Kindle. I clearly can't escape the screen. But you know what - I love it.

Lately I have been reading dystopian lit, focusing on the idea that virtual worlds or games have taken over because they are so much better than the real life people have. I've read a few Neil Stephenson books, and then I read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Dude. Go read this book, right now.

Don't mind me, just plugged in.

We live in an increasingly connected world. I mean, I think the Xbox One's Kinect is pretty much going to try to live inside of us. The current Kinect is creepy enough. The One can see your heartbeat. And your soul, or so I'm speculating. In these books, the characters are escaping their crappy real world lives for a glamorous second life, completely online. The wear visors or goggles so they can completely immerse visually, and in some they even have full body suits so they can feel and interact with their virtual world. They live there, work there, fall in love there... It's crazy, but it definitely seems like that's where we're headed tech-wise.

And it is fun to speculate on.

And don't tell me you don't like to read. I hate to break it to you, but you're reading right now. Your cell phone? Constantly reading texts, Twitter, Facebook... And all those games. You're reading the screen, reading the story line, directing your character's speech. You read all the time. So just read a book. It's fun, I promise.

I Want More Than A Just Movie

2013-08-25T09:16:00.002-05:00

I learned something new over the last week about video games. I already understood the obvious statement that everyone loves great game play with a great story. I understood the idea that not all great games had stories, but they are still fun to play. What finally occurred to me was that an amazing story doesn't make up for mediocre game play.

After years of putting it off, I finally finished Alan Wake last week. The story for this game is pretty intricate. It offers up compelling characters, excellent voice acting, and an interesting narration that hasn't been used before in too many games. With all these things in mind, I found the game play to be really uninteresting and redundant. I would have to make my way from point A to point B. Along the way, I grab a couple weapons and upon arrival, an extended cut scene to tell the story. After the cinematic ended, I would have to travel from point B to point C and the routine of weapons, shooting, and walking would continue. This cycle happened over and over and over.

I reached the point where I was begrudgingly playing the game just so I could find out what happened next in the story. Towards the end, I started to care less and less about the outcome because I was so frustratingly bored with the actually game play. Luckily, I stuck it out just for the sake of seeing it through to the end.

Plenty of people are going to disagree with me and say that they loved the game no matter what. Don't fret, this is far from a review. I realized that as much as we preach about the value of a well told story, there has to be some respectable game play to go with it. I don't know why it took me so long to realize that. With my new found understanding of just how detrimental this can be, I'm going to have a little more appreciation for games with solid game play.

No Shame In My Game

2013-08-18T07:55:00.002-05:00

For years, I have heard about the game Half-Life 2. Despite owning The Orange Box since 2008, I have never really tackled that particular title. This isn't a review, or a sermon about gaming nostalgia. I'm writing to come clean: I played this game on "easy".

I am habitual about playing games on the hardest difficulty I can muster. I like the challenge of a difficult game almost as much as I like the bragging rights. But with Half-Life 2, I didn't even attempt the medium setting, let alone the hardest. There is always this underlying talk in the gaming community about how much people are waiting for Half-Life 3. It was obvious, that the second game in the series left players on quite the cliffhanger. I had to experience this for myself.

There have been many games that I played with the difficulty cranked to eleven, but in doing so, I was usually so busy blasting through enemies to pick up all the story details. With such casual game play, I discovered that Half-Life 2 is the source for a lot of Easter eggs in newer games. While I didn't go so far as to play the first Half-Life, I was able to absorb the entire story by simply playing the game on easy and taking my sweet time.

With this revelation, I decided to replay Bioshock Infinite. It helped that I needed to knock out a few achievements for collectibles. Instead of combing through the game on 1999 mode (which is also an achievement), I set it down to the easiest setting. It was the best decision I made in that game. I noticed tiny details in the environment, the excellent music that surrounded me, and I truly understood all the twists and turns in the story.

So I have no shame when I say "I played that game on easy". While it's fun to brag and give yourself a challenge, you should try dialing it back once in awhile. Think of it as the difference between finishing a marathon, and going for a walk with your best friend. Both are winning situations.

Se-gaaaaaa

2013-08-08T12:41:00.000-05:00

Now I make no qualms about the fact that I love a sale. It is the highlight of my Tuesday to check out the new Gold Deal of the Week on Xbox. In May or June, there was a huge deal on Sega games, and I excitedly bought up Sonic 1, 2 and 3 for like, 160 MSP each. Dude. All that nostalgic fun for under $5!? Heck Yes.

And playing them has led me to the conclusion I always make when I go back and play old games. How the heck did gaming get popular?? These games are so difficult it makes me want to chuck my controller out the window. I am seriously struggling to get past the first world in Sonic 1. And I got all the way to the end and the airship defeated me and all of my continues on Sonic 2. I have barely even tapped in to Sonic 3.

I have also had a few other observations. I was just playing and really wished I had the patience to live tweet the level, because I felt exceedingly clever at the time. Let's see what I can remember.

First of all: Sonic is a game made to be played fast. Like, unbelievably fast. Sometimes Sonic isn't even on your screen because the little dude is zipping all over the place. That said, the game is designed so that if you play it that fast, you will die. All. Of. The. Time. Because there are like a billion bad guys and they are all strategically placed so that when you come off of that ring, you will hit him. When you bounce off of that wall that you didn't expect, you will be shot backwards directly into a crab. Oh yeah - and everything shoots random bullets, and all of them kill you too. And they will ride across multiple screens with you, or get to your screen before you've even see the bad guy. Awesome.

Sonic has a serious case of bitchy resting face.

And the little sign at the end? When you spin it around Sonic gives you the peace sign. He might as well just be flipping you off. Dude is a grouchy little guy. He's got that crabby face all the time, and heaven forbid you stop moving the controller for a second. He's immediately impatiently toe tapping. Alright, man, if you're so ready to get flung into the next pit of lava, let's go.

Also, what kind of lesson is it teaching us that if you have money, you can't die? But the second you're broke, you're toast. Nice one, Sonic. The original gold digger.

Finally, and most fun, playing a game that I haven't played in years reminds me of awesome game memory. These classics imprint themselves on your mind and never leave. I still remember which trees hide coin blocks. Where to jump to get to the secret high locations full of rings. And, of course, which bad guys will get you. Every. Single. Time. Those I remember best. I wish I could go back in time and make sure that you guys all got to take advantage of the sale and play these great games again, for super cheap. But regularly priced they are still a steal. Go pick at least one up, and relive your youthful frustration.

A Little Something About Narrative

2013-08-05T06:34:00.000-05:00

In the time that Linz and I have taken our hiatus, I managed to squeeze in a ton of gaming every chance I could. Long, short, mobile, flash, shooters, puzzle, PC, console, and more. Predictably, I am drawn to games with story and a strong narrative. But I am learning that there are very different types of storytelling within games.

One of the few games that I actually didn't play was The Last of Us. I was playing side by side with someone else, each our own games. When cut scenes popped up on their play-through of The Last of Us, I would pause whatever I was doing and listen in. It is an intense game with beautiful art and graphics. The whole experience was very moving and each cinematic told more and more story.

Alternatively, I have been playing Half-Life 2 for the first time. This game is steeped in storytelling and it's own serial mythology. The graphics are almost a decade old, so clearly they don't come near the standard set by Naughty Dog for The Last of Us. However dated, I am far more attracted to the story in Half-Life 2. The only thing I can attribute this to is that the story unfolds within the game play. I am actually playing the story and finding things out along the way. We try something and it fails, now the team has to move on to something new. Or we discover new types of enemies together and work out ways to kill them.

Thinking things through, I seriously doubt that one way of storytelling is better than the other. Cut scenes with amazing graphics have a great way of showing me what is happening in the classic sense. It does, however, remove me more from the experience that is just playing the game. I am forced to sit still and watch what can sometimes be a very lengthy scene. Alternatively, Half-Life 2 allows me to stay in that character. I don't have to leave my first-person vantage. However, there are times when important things are being said by some NPC and I'm missing it because I'm busy shooting, or screwing around in a room trying to jump on boxes or find new areas. In these cases, I am my own worst enemy.

It's really up to each individual which type of game and storytelling they prefer. Both games are pretty awesome and you should take the time to check them out if you haven't already. But this should give you something to think about and talk about at the breakfast table.

Kinecting

2013-05-01T12:39:00.000-05:00

Well hello there, fellow Achievos!

Here's a quick catch up:

Debbie
Gamerscore - 43,280
Recent Games - Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning; Catan; and a variety of arcade games on her new Windows phone.

Linz
Gamerscore - 22,165
Recent Games - Kinect game after Kinect game after Kinect game; arcades thrown in for fun (I got Debbie to buy Catan, and she totally dominates me at it. Grr!)

So that's what we've been up to.

I am shocked at how much my Xbox has become my Kinect machine. I have been trying to do Dance Central 3 or Just Dance 3 as work outs every day. I've got my kids playing Once Upon a Monster, Kinectimals, Kinect Party, and Kinect Disneyland to burn off some of that excess kid energy. And we are having so much fun with it. The variety of things to do, even within a single game, has us up and playing for hours a day. The Kinect's "Tired or sore? Take a break!" banner is pretty much our bestie. But I figure if we're going to be around the house the kids might as well be moving. And heaven knows I won't exercise unless I'm having so much fun that I don't realize I'm exercising.

Kinect Party - super fun and silly

That being said, I still am boggled by how Kinect games are so different. The dance games are exceptionally good at tracking and never losing the player. The arcade games for Kinect are also great at this. For some reason though the kid's games are awful!! We played Kinect Disneyland for the first time last night, and ended up quitting after about half an hour because Kiera (5-years) was so mad when the game kept losing her and she couldn't complete objectives. We'll try that one again, but have had similary problems. Once Upon a Monster can also be frustrating. They're great games, but why can't they track us as well as other games? And with Kinect it's not as easy as grabbing a controller and helping the kids out.. As fun as it is, there is a lot of room for irritation. That's why a game like Kinect Party which is totally forgiving and just about being up and having fun without objectives is really nice, especially for my little ones. And me. I mean...who doesn't like silly mini-games?

So what've you been up to?

I Like to Move It, Move It

2013-01-26T18:23:00.001-06:00

According to Wikipedia, Kinect was launched on November 4, 2010. It took me quite some time to get my hands on one, and when I did I was initially thrilled, and skeptical. In all honesty, two years later not much has changed.

I love the Kinect. There is nothing greater than being in the kitchen and controlling my Xbox by calling out, "Next episode!" (Any parent of young'ens with Netflix can attest to this.) It is no less loved by me when I am snuggled up under a blanket and want to see that next episode of Tudors without having to move. Ugh, movement, am I right? ... wait ... The voice controls are less of my friend when I'm just having a chat and suddenly the Xbox is rewinding my show, or bouncing around menus. Once my husband said "that's the way it is" and it Bing searched "gay suede shoes," obviously.

I have not really used its functionality on games like Mass Effect 3. I rarely even remember to hit the buttons to direct my squad; therefore I'm definitely not going to remember to sit on my couch, alone, at night, talking to my television. Besides I'm not a very direct leader. I'd be like, "Kaiden, take cover. No, seriously...Kaiden. Cover. Ok wait, shoot that guy. No, that one. Jeeze.. ok just do whatever you feel is right."

But of course the main point of Kinect would be Kinect games. And they are fun, like...75% of the time. The remaining 25% of the time I'm getting frustrated trying to make my Kinect recognize me. Track me. See me. See my daughter. Not see my other daughter on the couch just trying to watch. The Kinect is notoriously fickle, and the fickleness fluctuates depending on what game you're trying to play. I find no issue doing 2 player on Dance Central, but Kinect Adventures is like, "Nope, no friends for you." Fruit Ninja is fun for all, as are the Kinect Fun Lab games, but Carnival Games is rarely accommodating. How does this make any sense? I actually got rid of The Michael Jackson Experience after one day of play because it was so awful at seeing me that I literally could not even play the game.

Oh yeah. Nothing embarrassing about that.

And I still love it! I still return to it! I feel so frustrated when my body is physically too tired to play the games I want to play. That is a bummer. And a reminder that perhaps I should be playing a little more often...because I doubt getting winded by Carnival Games is a good sign. Uhh..*shameface* But I can hardly play with an audience, because...really. See image at left.

On the flipside, my husband hates the Kinect. I can not coerce him into playing any Kinect titles with me. He has little to no desire to stand up and move to enjoy a gaming experience. How do you guys feel about it? Love it? Hate it? Forget you have it since you never use it?

It's Like Riding A Bike

2013-01-11T10:20:00.000-06:00

Wowzers.. I know this is not the first time I've come back and apologized for extended radio silence on our end. My husband deployed out, so I was away for a few months to be with family. That put me in a position to be more sane throughout my days - but without internet and therefore no Xbox Live. Trust me when I say that I was still getting my game on to the best of my ability.

I finally entered the world of smart phone owners, which just means that while I was away I could regularly play the "With Friends" games. I am awesome at Scramble, and totally suck at Hanging with Friends. Go figure. But it keeps me busy. We also have an iPod so I got totally addicted to Tiny Tower. I rounded out my gaming with the 3DS, and, as always, Mario is my bestie.

All of these game types got me thinking though, and in the end I realized I was getting used to what I came to think of as no-risk gaming. Obviously the only danger in losing in the "with friends" games is just the shame of losing to your friends (in some cases over and over...) But my fascination with Tiny Tower really got to me. There was absolutely no way to lose in that game. There are no consequences for not checking in, not clicking your building, not stocking the shelves. It's a bonafide time waster.. And I still kind of love it.

And then there's Mario. I love Mario. He's been around a long time, and he continues to be fun and interesting. But, again, there is no punishment for dying. You don't lose progress. You don't lose coins. You just have to start again at the beginning or middle of the level. Even if you kill off all of your lives you continue without any cause for distress. Not that I'm complaining. I never could get through the original NES Mario Bros. Wayyyyy too frustrating to die and have to start at the beginning. Now those were the dark ages.

I'm not lamenting no-risk gaming, or hating on it. It is great for a more fun session, and perfect for the little ones. And now that I'm back on my beloved Xbox and playing Borderlands almost non-stop, I get so furious when I die and lose money. It's a small setback, but it is motivation to keep myself alive! And sometimes it is motivation to turn off the Xbox, check on my Tiny Tower, and maybe read a book for a while.

Skyrim Hearthfire

2012-09-15T19:51:00.001-05:00

It's common knowledge that I love the Elder Scrolls games. All of the character customization and ability to sort through weapons, armor, ingredients, and other loot speaks directly to my soul. So when the video preview for Hearthfire appeared, promising me the ability to design and build my own house, my heart was aflutter. What I envisioned was a dream-come-true combination of Skyrim and Minecraft. Instead, I received a really limiting and less fun version of Kingdom for Keflings.

Players are allowed to purchase three specific lots of land and build a house on them. Each house begins as a small starter home and then is built upon after that. Players have the option to add a Main Hall and three other wings such as a kitchen, armory, greenhouse, bedrooms, etc. There is a limit as to which wings you can have and where they go on the house.

As far as decorating inside the home, each room has a workbench that allows you to build everything the room needs. The game places each piece of furniture and fixture into the room for you and there is no way to rearrange items. The only customization is that you don't have to build everything in your room. You can leave it barren or not have as many benches or decorations, but that's about it.

There are a few advantages to these new houses. First, the greenhouse wing allows you to plant any growing ingredient you want and mass produce them. For example, I had a quest that required 20 jazbay grapes. Instead of hunting for the obscure grapes, I simply planted some in my greenhouse and harvested a couple in-game days later. There is also a library wing full of bookcase that allows you to place all those books you collected onto shelves for display. Other wings provide similar functionality.

Overall, it's not a bad DLC. I like the extra functions that the houses serve as far as storage and production goes. I also like that building these houses helps to boost skills like Smithing and Alchemy if you put in the time. The developers appear to have fallen short of their advertising implication of customization since the ability to make the houses truly your own is very limited. At the cost of only 400 MSP or $5, I think this DLC is worth it in the end. It adds a little something new to the game that players haven't seen before and it gives everyone a reason to put that Skyrim disc in one more time.

Mass Effect 3 DLC: Leviathan

2012-09-01T18:04:00.002-05:00

Mass Effect 3 has had plenty of free DLC. There have been several new maps added to the multiplayer portion of the game. There has also been an extended ending added at the demand of the fans. But can the first major single player, post-release DLC live up to the in-depth story and compelling game play? This is Bioware, of course it does.

The new content, Leviathan, takes Commander Sheppard and the team on several missions to discover the origins of some ancient artifacts. Beyond that, I can't tell you much without giving away the story. But I will tell you this, it's a hell of a good story. The add-on really expanded the mythology of the series and contributed to the history of the galaxy and even somewhat the ending of the third game.

The cost of the DLC is 800 MS points or $10. For this price, it's an extremely short addition. I hunted in every corner and slaughtered every enemy and still barely dragged out two hours. There were some intensely memorable moments with breathtaking cut scenes; I just wish there was more.

Overall, I think that this DLC is worth the purchase. The achievements are easy, the story is amazing, and it's nice to have a reason to pick up the single player campaign again.

Skyrim Dawnguard

2012-08-25T16:16:00.002-05:00

I have never made any apologies for how much I love the game Skyrim. So it should be no surprise that Dawnguard scored some pretty high marks with me as well. While this add-on was well received, there were a few minor missteps along the way.

First off, if you didn't like Skyrim then you won't like the Dawnguard DLC. It plays, looks, and feels exactly like the main game. The graphics are really amazing and include some stunning new areas to explore, complete with creepy enemies and entrancing vistas. Like I said, identical to the initial offering.

The content itself allows for hours and hours of game play. Thus far, I have drawn out about 20 extra hours. While some games give you 6 hours for $60, Dawnguard gives 20+ for $20. Spending your money on this expansion is certainly justifiable and well worth it. What makes this game so long is that there are two very different ways to play. One way allows the player to help vampires reign supreme and the other way helps the vampire hunters. Both story lines have some similar areas, but the change in perspective and different missions give it high replayability.

One aspect of the game that fell short was that the general idea of vampires is so overdone. I expect the best from the Elder Scrolls series and tapping into such an over-saturated pop culture topic is annoying. Granted, the vampires aren't glittery or sexy, I'm still definitely tired of hearing about them. And the only vampire hunter I will ever respect is Buffy. I hope that next time they explore some of the creatures we know less about, it will be the Snow Elves or the Dwemer.

The only other thing I wasn't thrilled about was not even really game related. The DLC comes with an achievement that requires the player to kill a legendary dragon. Unfortunately, legendary dragons don't spawn until at least level 70. Despite having over 140 hours into my main character, I was only a level 52. I spent all my time doing things that don't generate xp like harvesting ingredients or talking with villagers. In order to unlock this one last achievement, I have to grind, grind, grind my way to level 70.

Other than those two very minor gripes, the Dawnguard DLC totally lives up to the hype and its namesake. If you loved or even just liked Skyrim, download this content. If nothing else, it's something new that will keep you busy for the next couple weeks until all the big games start hitting the shelves.

Lessons From the Controller

2012-08-14T18:19:00.000-05:00

In my life, I have two separate females that have taken it upon themselves to become gamers. They looked at a handful of friends that played games and decided they were going to as well. I should be hyped that my lifelong hobby is expanding to include new people, but this continually growing activity is bringing in some unwanted company.

My general problem with these two people is that they don't actually play. They bought an Xbox or downloaded a PC game and never play them. They make status updates about how much they love playing games and include random aspects of their "gamer" lives, even posting pictures. And when they engage in real world conversation about video games, it always includes generic comments, listing off a few classic titles, and patting themselves on the back for making references that are so well known my grandmother could have made them. To be fair, Grandma Schweers was pretty bad ass.

In essence, these women can talk the talk but in no way can they walk the walk. It's hard to understand where they come from. Perhaps they thought that owning a few triple A titles would make them seem cool, elite, or maybe even smarter? Or maybe they are just trying to get in on this new "nerd is cool" wave that is rolling through pop culture right now. I have never looked at games from that point of view. I play because I simply always have. I like it, so I do it; I have no justification.

Video games becoming more and more popular has brought in a lot of people like this, both male and female. Some people that join the culture actually do play the games but don't really show the appreciation or respect. They get on forums, into chat rooms, or log into game servers only to yell things like "Halo is for fags, Battlefield rules!" I don't need that, no one does. But despite all this, I still think the video game world is a "more the merrier" situation.

So my general life lesson from all this is that I have to take a deep breath and let go. As much as I want to nurture and protect this passion of mine that has been present my entire life, I have to accept the fact that I can't. I want the industry to grow as big and fruitful as possible. I want more developers with creative ideas and new, amazing technology to blow my mind. I want to play with new people, have long debates and hear new points of view about my favorite games. And more players mean a more sustainable industry. All those things are happening, but with the good comes the bad. In order for growth, there must be growing pains, both in the video game landscape and in life. So as much as people talk up games but don't actually contribute to the culture in any positive way, I must accept them for they are signs of progress.