Gamers Are Going to Have to Step Up Part 2: Hatred Edition (UPDATED)

Less then a month ago, I wrote the first part of this article. Since writing that, we have seen such motives in action. The day after I wrote it, the #Gamergte movement pushed a developer through Greenlight because some assholes online decided her involvement with it meant her game should not be sold. If you read the comments on part 1, we had a troll show up who didn’t like being told that OR that he apparently cared enough to post 6 of the 9 comments on that very article. It was amusing, but the really good news is this developer got through Greenlight because people have had enough of the SJW “do as I say or you don’t get work” bullshit.

But sadly, a darker event has now also occurred. Do you remember the game Hatred? It was announced a few months ago, and if you need a reminder, you can watch the trailer here, courtesy of PC Games. Now that you know what the game is, did you know it was on greenlight? I say was because Valve took it down, which is where I have an issue.

The Stanley Parable (PC) Review

Oh boy…where do I begin with this one. When I saw this game, it had my attention. I could not give one flying fuck about the awards I saw attached to it (which is a good thing considering recent events in the gaming world, it turns out), but the narrator, between his reactions to the player and the pure sarcasm that oozed out of his voice, I had to know more. So when the game went on a steam sale, I picked it up.

Having now had the time to play through this game and put down my mouse, I have to say, I’m glad I looked. This is not going to be a game for everyone, but I am going to do something I do not do for most other games I review. I am going show you a trailer… if it intrigues you, read on.

Courtesy of the Stanley Parable’s youtube page.

Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Adventure: Fright of the Bumblebees (PC) Review

I have to be up front about this one. I remember when the game was launched and I had to try the demo for Telltale’s newest game. I was hot off enjoying Sam & Max Season 2 and seeing another franchise I loved, I had to see how it worked… and I was unimpressed. It wasn’t bad, but it just wasn’t as good as what I had just finished playing by the same developer. So I let it go as not worth the cash and walked away.

A few years later, I picked it up dirt cheap on gog.com. They were just starting to have summer and and winter sales to compete with steam, and frankly I decided why not for a few bucks. I have now taken the time to play the first of the four games in the collection, and while I’m satisfied with what I’ve played, I also kinda feel sorry that I took so long to play it. Right now, it’s a good game I have a hard time recommending because it’s only going to get harder and harder to get your hands on.

Among the Sleep: Prologue (PC) Review

Sometimes a developer surprises you… for good or for bad. In this case, I was pleasantly surprised. When the original game came out, I was excited and wanted to play it as soon as I could. I walked away happy, but wanting more. Now there is more, and I had to come back to play it. Step in side with caution, however. This review is written like the expansion: assuming you played the original Among the Sleep. If you have, you are in for a nice little additional romp. If you are not, this review could be very SPOILERRIFFIC and I want to urge you to read the original review and consider the game based on that. You have been warned.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey (DS) Review

I do not think I need to tell anyone I know that I love the Persona games. I was introduced to the series by Persona 3 on the PS2 and I instantly adored it. I have since gotten my hands on all the games currently in the franchise and finished almost all of them. However, knowing this series was a spin-off drew my attention to a much larger series: Shin Megami Tensei. To this end, I have grabbed several older titles for the PS2, but seeing a new one coming out got me excited and at launch, I had to have this game.

Fast forward a few years and a few other portable RPGs and I decided it was time to take on this game. Over one-hunderd and ten hours later, I have finally put the game down. It was a bit longer then I had planned, but overall, this was a great throwback to old school dungeon scrolling I hope a lot more people didn’t miss.

Gamers Are Going to Have to Step Up

I really hate launching battlecries like this… I really do… but at this point, I believe honestly and completely it is within the best interest of gamers in general that we we take as much direct control of the games we get our hands on as we can. The reason for this is we are officially dealing with a blocklist run by the I.nternational G.ame D.eveloper A.association, of which there is serious concern will be used as a black-list, as previously threatened by their founder, for what game devs will not get any coverage, leaving their games unknown and their livelihoods threatened. This is obviously preventing people within the industry from feeling safe to speak their minds on the issue. Simply put this situation in unacceptable, and it’s time we detooth it.

Volgarr the Viking (Xbox One) Review

Another review by Joe’s Xbox Name

“Rise, warrior!” The Norse God Odin commands. A mighty Viking warrior rises from the earth with sword in hand. On the right side of the screen a chest awaits. Upon opening, a shield adorned with the mighty hammer Mjolnir presents itself. The weapon, thrust into the open air, collides with a man sized lizard; splitting his skull in twain. Continuing forward you find yourself at the edge of a clearing that overlooks a treacherous amazon. Who knows what other unnatural beasts lurk beneath the brush. For gold and glory you must press on. For you are Volgarr the Viking.

Shadow Complex (Xbox 360) Review

I have a confession to make. While I have made a point to get pretty much every system in the previous generation, there was one machine I never tried to get. I started with a PC and due to how different it played to anything I could get for it, my next machine was a Wii. Finally, the PS3 managed to build up enough of a library I was interested in that I couldn’t get on what I had already to make it worth picking up. But, despite having one of the controllers for it on my PC, I never found myself picking up a 360. It’s library was too close to the PC for me to give it much of a look, but it did have one game that I wanted to play. So when my brother moved out to his own place and left his 360 here, I decided I was going to get Shadow Complex for it. Now, as I finish it, I’m glad it didn’t spend the cash on the system, for I could not imagine this game being a system seller. But at the same time, I am glad I finally got the chance to play through what is ultimately a very good game on it’s own.

Crimson Dragon (Xbox One) Review

An Xbox One review from Joe’s Xbox Name:

Xbox exclusive and next gen launch title, Crimson Dragon casts players as a mystical dragon rider. Aided by your airborne reptile companion, your job is to blast everything and anything on sight as you progress through an eight to ten hour campaign alone or paired up with a wingman (Either an NPC of your choice or a buddy.) But does this game soar or never leave the runway?

Extra Life 2014 recap

Hello again, and thank you to everyone who joined us to play and/or donate for the children who need it most. Last weekend could simply not have happened without all of you, and happen it did. Before we recap the events of the night, let’s talk numbers.

Last year, when the donation pages finally closed down in Dec, we had collectively raised over $4,000,000 for sick kids around the world, doubling our previous year, and 1/4th of that was after the big Extra Life night. As of Sunday morning, without any extra time, the Extra Life total raised was…

$5,102,500

This is now officially the biggest Extra Life event we have yet to have, and it hasn’t stopped yet. In just the few days, we had an announcement from Extra Life’s Facebook page that we had broken $5,500,000! And on top of that, this weeken we will see a raindate of sorts for people who couldn’t play last week AND people who want to go again and do more! In fact, a friend of mine will be doing her 24-hour run this weekend, so please support her!

Of course if you want to support us as well, we are more then happy with that choice, too, and you can find our team page by clicking the Thermometer to the right of this page. But with these details, in tow, how was the marathon? Read on, my friends, read on.

Extra Life Update: 10/23/2014

Well, Extra Life is now coming up fast as this Saturday gamers the world over will be playing for the kids, having a great time as we do what we do best in their names, honor, and to help them in their times of need. And so far, we are doing an incredible job!

Case 004: Costume Quest (PC)- Cranky creatures curious caper to capture candy!

 

It’s October, and here at the Red Sector we like to celebrate with style. That means a sick amount of candy and booze. Games are good too! Being that time of year I thought I’d dive into some games that showcase this holiday’s essence and boy does this one have it in spades!

Case 003: Of Orcs and Men- (PC) The rising of a rebellious revolutionary rumpus!

 

 

Oh, it’s you. You’ll have to forgive me, I had JD for breakfast. Normally, I don't take to drinking so early, but I bend the rules when I get my ass kicked before the early cycles. It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before, talked to the wrong dame, talked AT the wrong guy. You know how it is. Anyway, let me say that this is a case file that surprised me and I think it will surprise you too.

I found this file while cleaning out some of these data caches, this is relatively new, so give it the once over while I get something for this shiner.

Shadowgate 2014 (PC) Review

To explain why I absolutely needed this game, you have to go back to my days as a young child. My parents had bought me and my little brother an NES for Christmas fairly recently and we loved playing on that thing. In fact we were into it enough they actually subscribed to Nintendo Power for us, and this was how I met Shadowgate for the first time. One of the earlier magazines included a walkthrough for the game up till you face off with the fire drake about 1/3rd or so through the original title… and I devoured every inch of those pages, loving everything I found about the game. I knew a game this intricate HAD to be in my library.

My parents were apparently listening as I got the game for my next birthday… and then I had my first encounter with the grim reaper. Maybe as a kid, I had not had enough exposure to horror to be ready for it, but that thing creeped me right the hell out, and yet I couldn’t let him beat me. With that in mind, I faced off with the game again and again and finally, it was, if I’m not mistaken, the second game I ever finished since I started playing video games. (In case you are wondering, the first was Life Force, which I borrowed from a friend and took out with the 30 life code.)

Suffice it to say, this game stuck with me, enough so I would speed run it a few more times before I put down the cart forever due to the nature of the game itself. And I would ultimately get an N64 almost exclusively to play the one sequel I was aware of (even if I got it after it finished it’s run cheap). So when I saw the original being remade with new puzzles on Kickstarter, I got excited and already knew I would have this one too. And now that I finished my first playthrough of the new version… I have to say, it was worth the wait. Welcome to Castle Shadowgate!

Destiny (Xbox One) Review: Second Opinion

Once again, please welcome Joes Xbox Name with his own take on the game Destiny:

On September 9^th 2014, Destiny was released for Xbox360, PS3, XboxOne and PS4. Being Bungie’s first outing since the well-received Halo Reach in 2010, and the most expensive original IP to grace the videogame industry, Destiny has been heavily watched during its four year development cycle. Not only was Destiny produced by the company who created a defining game franchise of the FPS genre for the past decade, but the longevity of the game was bolstered through a ten year additional content plan after the initial release. To many this seemed like the end all be all for the FPS genre if not for the entire generation of gaming. But does Destiny live up to the hype?

Extra Life Updates 10/4/14

We are now in the final lap for Extra Life 2014, and things are moving for the event with as much momentum as we could collectively hope for! For starters, Extra Life has now broken the big $1,000,000 barrier on October 1st. According the entries on Extra LIfe’s facebook page, this is double the speed we reached this barrier last year… and last year we broke records with a grand total of over $4,000,000 raised for the hospitals who will help kids with serious illnesses and injuries. Since then the donations have continued to roll in and as I type this, we are now at $1,116,022 according to the official Extra Life page. And we still have 20 days to go!

Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition (Xbox One) Review

Written by Joes Xbox Name

Diablo III was originally released in 2012 exclusively for PC. Having waited the better part of a decade for a sequel to my favorite PC game of all time, I splurged on the special edition. Although the skull with the soul stone thumb-drive and giant box were pretty awesome, the game itself was a disappointment. This was due to the loot system’s real money auction house making the drop rate of any useful item infinitely low, the graphics were subpar, and the character customization was severely limited. Tack on a lack of PvP and fixed online status, I ran through the game once, put it in its box, and never looked at it again.

Destiny (Xbox One) Review

And here we have it, the single biggest hyped game of 2014, and for my brothers, it was the reason they both bought Xbox Ones. I promised them I would play with them, starting with this game, so of course reserved and picked it up myself. And now I’ve finally put my controller down as I have finished playing. So what did I think? Well, to be quite honest had I known what this game was going to be like, we would likely not all have Xbox Ones yet. This was simply not worth it.

We are Curators!

If you play PC games, it’s almost a given that you have at least heard of Steam, and if you use Steam, I do not need to tell you about their updates from last week. For those who are not however, last week went by with absolutely awesome updates for it’s users, the biggest one in the software being a built in MP3 player so you can supply alternate music to any game you have without a second program running anymore.

But for those of us who use Steam as a store or want to help other find great games, Valve has re-built the store page itself and given users the ability to become “curators.”

How Do You Know You Are Winning? A #GamerGate Story

I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to write on this again so soon, but I was pointed to a rather disgusting practice that surfaced recently involving this story, or rather people who oppose it. If you pay attention to this story, you already how traffic to the websites still standing on how gamers are shit is taking a nose dive, while others who have adjusted their ethics (shout out to Escapist, Gametrailers, and everyone with the Defy Media company) in the name of integrity on their site are instantly doing much better.

But now we have individuals who have made it their mission to make a movement about journalist integrity look as misogynistic as possible… by selling off coveted game codes.

My Personal Response to #GamerGate

Hi everyone. If you are reading this, you are probably a fellow gamer who is fully aware of the events surrounding the online movement currently referred to as #GamerGate. For those of you who do not know, this is basically an all-out war between gamers and game journalists that has been going for almost a month. To put this into perspective, the internet and gamers on the internet tend to have an exceptionally short attention span for current events. It is exceptionally rare for anything in the gaming sphere to be big news even so much as the next day so for this to be going strong this long is rather unheard of.

And going strong it is, even if one side (the journalists) are desperate to say it is not. There is no other explanation for the attempt to completely silence the story, outright abuse of gamers who have taken notice and offense to this (the gamers in this fight) and even the hashtag #GameOverGate as an attempt to claim victory and go home. In case you have yet to figure it out, personally side with the gamers of this debate, and having explained my position a few times now on a couple of sites, and even to a blogger who I once looked up to, but has since fallen heavily, I would like to put it down here once and for all so that I need not repeat myself again. Please note what follows is based heavily on my reply to this blogger.

From the “Yes these Morons Exist” Files

Well we are here. It seems like the internet has fucking lost it. I have no other description of the events ever since the “Quinspiracy” broke and brought to question the integrity of “gaming journalism” even more then it ever was previously.

But I think we have officially hit a new low and when the internet heard how Anita Sarkeesian fled her house afraid of “gamers” who twittered her threatening to attack her. I do not pretend to know what was said or even if any of it was real. After all, we are talking about a woman who has been caught in everything from stealing artwork and video from gaming speedruns to buying her way into TedX and then claiming Ted Talks invited her to speak (while they are not the same thing). With this kind of “honesty” on display, I am actively reserving judgment on what actually happened that night. However, I only bring it up right now due to the aftermath.

Extra Life Updates: 8/23/14

October 26th is quickly coming up, and with it the big gaming marathon to support sick kids around the world, and it’s time to ramp up our efforts. So far as a community, we have raised $411,340 and we still have 2 months to go. And of course I'm going to encourage you to join us that day and donate to the cause. To see how, and more of what is new in the Extra Life world, please read on.

How Bad is Gaming Journalism? (Updated)

Update: NORMALLY I would post an update like this at the end of the post, but considering how core this video is to the point I was making with this article, I felt it was worth adding here. And without further adue… an update from Internet Aristocrat:

Courtesy of the Internet Aristocrat

And with this, on with the original article.

Let’s face it. We all knew for a while now that the big gaming websites are more shit then shine. From Gamespot catching heat for firing a reviewer over rating Kane and Lynch poorly to the Escapist being noted for being more of a hub to push a social agenda then really reviewing games. Or how about the classic line “You can’t spell IGNorant without IGN!” And don’t even start about the reputations of Polygon or Kotaku. We have all become pretty jaded about how bad things are. But in most cases, we understand the reason is either the takeover of the SJW movement for a site or pure green cash from AAA publishers who are actively doing their best to buy their scores.

So we don’t really trust them… but hey, at least indie games might do better, right? RIGHT? Wrong… at least if you are of the gender the reviewer is in and willing to put out. I am not exaggerating, as in the past could of days, a scandal has hit directly placing the reviewers of a specific indie game in a sex scandal with the developer of the game. Read on to be as appalled as I was.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope (PS3) Review

Here we are. I finally finished playing yet another one of the original 5 games that convinced me to buy a PS3. When I first saw this game, I got a very “Phantasy Star” vibe from it, and being a huge fan of that series, I knew I wanted this game. Fast-forward to about a month ago, I decided it was time to play with the PS3 and having been kinda bummed out by the odds that we would never see Phantasy Star Online 2 officially hit the United States, I came back to this box. It was better then nothing, and I refuse to hack a game to play it when I have so many others to play now, so I wasn’t going to be playing the Japanese PSO2 anytime soon.

I finished the game today, and all I can say is you might want to sit down for this one. What I’m about to say isn’t pretty, but it must be said. While this game really isn’t bad, it definitely isn’t good… and there are a lot of parts to it that downright suck.

3rd Party Game Subscriptions: It has Really Come to This (Updated)

It has been a long journey, but after 16 years, we have finally reach this point. Back then, no one paid attention. After all, when Sega charged a monthly fee to play online games on their final console, it was by a built in dial-up modem on a platform that just couldn’t survive the oncoming Sony juggernaut that was the Playstation 2. But here we are over a decade and a half later with two of the four major gaming platforms already demanding a subscription fee to play online successfully when the next logical step is being taken: EA Access has been announced for Xbox One.

From the Gamestop Files: Predictions Have Come True

We’ve been hearing it for a while. Hell, when we started to see game retailers get exclusive in-game stuff like skins for specific chapters in Warhammer 40,000: Ultramarines depending on who you pre-ordered from, writers and bloggers began to get nervous of how far this could go. Today, their reason for worrying has been justified.

Among the Sleep (PC) Review

Yet another game I have been eagerly awaiting for some time has finally dropped on us. When I first heard of Among the Sleep, it was due to seeing it Steam’s Greenlight games, and listening to the studio making the game talk about it got my attention. However, it was upon seeing clips of the game in action that I figured this was going to be a winner. After all, who could make a game that could make something as simple as the family kitchen creepy as fuck? Someone who mastered lighting and made plates suddenly fall like something took a swipe to grab you and didn’t give a shit what was in the way, that’s who, and from that moment, I knew this game had potential.

Fast forward to a week ago when the game launched. Wanting to see if it still held that promise, I resisted the urge to watch a let’s play of the whole thing, but instead found one of the “alpha” build that was (and might still be) offered for free on the site’s kickstarter page. And man, this game even in an early build had the promise of scaring the FUCK out of the player. I bought it then and there.

So as soon as I finished with Wolfenstein, I loaded this one up and started playing. On the one hand, the game did NOT disappoint. It was every bit as disturbing as it promised. But on the other, it also did little else. It didn’t tell a story that had very much to it. It didn’t make me figure out anything at all. It didn’t even make me have to realize how to deal with the monster chasing me down the entire time. It made for a dipolar experience, that perhaps we should talk about. Step inside.

Case 002-Bionic Commando (PC ) A Bellicose Biography Of Belligerent Bionics

Well, well I see your back. Good to see you haven’t been run off, this part of the sector can get pretty rough. I tell you, I wasn’t in the office more than a few cycles and already the local sec-copper give this place the once over. “Scanning for content” he says, Yeah yeah. Anyhow, been lookin’ through some of the old files and came across one you might like.  You like Cyborgs?  You like CLASSIC Game properties? Oh man, is this the case for you. While you give it a look, I’m going to have a tip from the bottle.

Extra Life Update: 6/8/14

As time ticks on, Extra Life will only slowly make it’s way here. Remember, on October 25th at 8 AM, the real event begins, and the gamers take to the net raise money and help sick children around the globe in a no-holds-bar 24-hour gaming marathon. All kinds of games will be played and enjoyed while all kinds of cash is raised to help these children.

While this year got off to an early start, we are right now at the point in the year when traditionally the date would be announced and the Extra Life website would have gone up for the new event. With this in mind, the cause has gotten a head start, as we have now collectively raised over $183,000. But there is still a long way to go, and we at the Red Sector want to do our part.

To this end, if you have been with the site for a while, you know we are running a raffle for steam games based on donations to our page. If not, well, this is your chance to find out! Come on in and see the details!

Wolfenstein: The New Order (PC) Review

Wow, this franchise and I go way back. I remember playing it in high school on my 486 I had just gotten my hands on prior to becoming a freshman. It held a special place for me, as I honestly preferred it’s pure and simple flat layout to the levels offered by the shareware version of Doom (I didn’t get that full masterpiece till much later) or the still good but not as good Doom II.

As a result, I have taken the time to get and play each game of the franchise, though this is the first one I actually planned to get my hands on and started playing the week it launched. And now, I put it down, I am both pleased, and rather annoyed at the same time. The game for the most part was very good, if not a masterpiece, but that ending has left a bitter taste in my mouth. Please, come inside and we will talk.

uPlay Suckage: It’s not just for PC anymore. (Updated)

This article is not just pointing and laughing at the egg on Ubisoft’s face. It is actually a warning. I thought once they were going to try to turn themselves around and they were learning, but I was wrong. So HORRIBLY wrong. They learned all right, but not what we needed them to. Right now most people who bought Watch_Dogs at launch can tell you uPlay sucks, as they could not play online at all (and many still can’t). Their platform of choice was plagued by online issues as the uPlay servers all versions use were destroyed Diablo 3-style. But at least they could play single player games, right? RIGHT?

Sadly, this too, may have just been fucked up for everyone.

Case-001 Venetica (Xbox 360)- A valiant venture into a valorous venue

 

Oh, Hi! Didn’t see you there, The name’s VonBlak, Kuro VonBlak. I’m rather new here at the Red Sector but please, have a seat. Never let it be said that I’m not a gentleman and good host. We're of equal rank here. I'm older, but you're far better looking, probably. I can tell we're going to be grand partners.

I’m sorry my office isn’t cleaner, I have a LOT of interests here, old cases and whatnot. Cases you ask? Yeah, I delve back and look into things some people ignore; some are lost gems and others should just remain in the void for as log as possible, only showing up as a warning to others.

So come on in, kick back with a glass of vintage Italian wine and lets check the latest case to saunter across this old desk, a black lacey number called: Venetica.

Devil May Cry HD Collection (Xbox 360) Review

Written by Joes Xbox Name:

The Devil May Cry games are filled with nostalgia. For those of us who played PS2 in the early 2000s, DMC was a ground breaking series of games that helped to define what action games are and even lead up to today's market. There are currently 4 games in the original series: DMC 1 – 3 were released on PS2 between the years of 2001 and 2005 while 4 was released on Xbox360 and PS3 in 2007. This collection comes with the original trilogy of PS2 games in all their original glory with a gloss of HD thrown over them. If you are looking for some nostalgia, a 40 dollar price tag is well worth what you are getting. However, if you are looking for new content, save your money.

Deadspace 2 (PC) Review

This has been a weird couple of months for me game-wise. Never have I been excited at so many games coming out at once. We are now in May and I’ve already played through four games I was thrilled to see released and wanted the first day! And even as we speak two more just hit the market! I’m usually lucky if three such games hit in a single year. But at the same time, I had space between titles this time, so I found myself looking at my ever-growing backlog. So while I waited for the next one, I decided to pick up this little gem and play it through. After all, I enjoyed the hell out of the original, so why wouldn’t I like this title?

Long story short, I loved it. Come on in and lets talk.

Beaten Back: Microsoft Changing XBL Gold (mostly) for the Better

What the hell was that plopping noise? Why the hell did pig shit just drop from the sky? Do I really want to look up and risk the pig dropping another one? Well cause and effect time and the fact that this pig is flying can be shown in moves Microsoft is making. Incidentally, apparently it has become hockey season in Hell.

Jacked up Requirements?

As I write this, I certainly have my suspicions. In case you are wondering, I’m talking about the recent release of the “requirements” for Wolfenstein: The New Order. Listed on Bethesda’s blog, they are as follows:

PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

64-bit Windows 7/Windows 8
Intel Core i7 or equivalent AMD
4 GB System RAM
50 GB free HDD space
GeForce 460, ATI Radeon HD 6850
High Speed Internet Connection
Steam account and activation required

And while some people who haven’t played PC games in the past few years are probably stammering at the whole list, let me assure you, most of it actually makes sense.

Extra Life Raffle

 

A month and a half has come and gone since we announced we are taking part in Extra Life, and we are as resolute as ever. And while we understand October is a LONG way away, as a gaming community we are off to a terrific start, already having raised over $125,000.

As proud gamers ourselves, we want to help in any way we can and that is why we back then we announced we are raffling off ten Steam games for donations to our Extra Life team page. Well, it seems this early on, we will have to sweeten the pot a little, and so we shall, as we add 3 additional titles to the bundle up for grabs. Remember, to enter all you need to do is donate to our team page. You can get to this page by clicking this link or the thermometer on the side of this very page. Doing so not only gets you a chance to get the whole collection of titles we have waiting, but it will also help the kids for who we are taking part in Extra Life to begin with.

So please, help us help them. And for those who want to see what games are now up, please follow us after the break.

The Times are Changing: Gamestop

You may have heard the news by now, and probably reactions from apocalypse and/or desperate denial of such to celebration and elation over it. But all the reactions are based on one story reported in gaming and general journalism: Gamestop is shutting down over 120 brick and mortar stores in favor of AT&T tablet exclusive and Mac exclusive ones.

Diablo 3: Reaper of Sould (PC) Review

A game with a storied past, Diablo 3 had a very polarizing effect when it first launched. Fans of the game adored it to fanboy levels, while others hated the game with a passion known only in places that either start with H or have 7 suns to talk about the fires of. I myself had fun with it, but I didn’t find anything particularly exceptional besides the volume of polish (as much as I still personally love the Belial fight). So when I finished the game, I reviewed it for FrontTowardsGamer.com and pretty much was done. I don’t tend to play games a second time.

But when the expansion was announced, I pretty much knew I was returning. The idea of fighting the Grim Reaper himself was too much to not want to try. And with friends I knew would be right there with me for the fight, how could I resist? I picked the game up opening week, though I knew it was going to wait a little while due to all the games coming out at the moment that I wanted to play… one after another. So how was it? Actually, it was really good.

Ether One (PC) Review

When I saw Ether One’s trailer, I saw the potential to really play with an idea. After all, what could be cooler for a game then to go into a diseased mind to fight the disease? The potential was there to do some amazing things with this, and the trailer suggested you were going to be in danger in the mind you were trying to fix. This had all the potential in the world to be something cool, interesting, and if not a technical masterpiece, at least something to be remembered. Well, they got the last part right, but not much else. If you play, you will remember it, but you will likely also remember wondering why the hell this was even made as a game.

Gamespy coming to an End, and how to get Ready for it.

Friday, the news was released, and we found out Gamespy, a service that was at one time synonymous with PC online gaming (and even played a roll in many console games going online), is officially shutting down at the end of next month. This news obviously brought out the troll fights online as suddenly every console fanboy saw ammunition to fling at their life-long hated enemies. Suddenly “PC games lose server support too! SUCK IT PC GAMERS!” was the battlecry across several comment sections. The sad point they missed is no one ever said that at all. But, as a writer who talked about Nintendo pulling the plug on their online service and talked about it as a warning for games disappearing when that entire generation ends, I feel this point really should be addressed. (Incidentally, the fact that Gamespy is shutting down scant days after Nintendo turns off the Wii network, and were intricate in creating it is rather suggestive in my opinion.)

Deus Ex: The Fall (PC) Review

I heard all the warnings. I read the Steam forums as this game was getting ready to launch. Everyone warned me and anyone else who would spend the time reading not to buy this game and that it would be terrible. And yet I couldn’t help but think their reasoning was flawed. It seemed that everyone had shot the game down because it was a port from iPad, rather then even look at the game itself. I suspect most people complaining had never even played the game in any form before they started bitching.

With this in mind, I took the plunge with the intention to play, review, and report to you all if the game actually is any good. And as I finish it, I find myself disappointed. It was not the doom and gloom that the always complaining Steam forums made it out to be, but it definitely wasn’t good either.

Borderlands 2 DLC: Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep (PC) Review

When the DLC for Borderlands 2 was coming out, I pretty much had no interest in any of them. Perhaps it was because I had played through all the DLC for the first game one after another and pretty much right after finishing the original, and frankly didn’t want to get worn out on such a good game again. Maybe they just didn’t offer me anything on the surface that interested me. I don’t know, but this expansion was different. I knew when I saw it I was going to have to play it. It just looked so different from anything else in the franchise. So I picked it up on a Steam sale when I got the chance. I then proceeded to begin playing it with a group of friends. However, that would be short-lived as we never finished the game as a group. Most of the guys moved on to the next game before we finished this one, so it remained partially complete, but never finished…

Until last week. Last week, found myself in an odd situation where South Park didn’t take nearly enough time to finish, and yet Deus Ex: The Fall was supposed to be out 2 weeks from then. It was an unexpected skip in my gaming schedule. So, without a clue how I wanted to fill it in, I found myself returning here. It was time to finish and review Tiny Tina’s adventure. So how was it? Why don’t you step inside…

It’s Extra Life Season: Let the Raffle Begin!

Yes, we are holding another raffle for Extra Life. This time, however, we have learned from our mistakes and are changing the game a little bit, starting with our announcement. Rather then make one a few weeks AFTER the big event, we are starting one now, well before it. And the games up for raffle are only going to grow as over time I will be adding titles here and there. Want to know what’s up for grabs? Want to know how to enter? Want to know how to help kids at the same time as take a chance to win? Step on inside.

South Park: The Stick of Truth (PC) Review

This is it. The first big game of the year that I was excited to see and had to play day one! I was excited enough, that I actually spent 2 weeks without a main game since finishing Saturday Morning RPG so that I could open this up and start playing that day! On that fated Tuesday, I went to several stores to pick this up for PS3, but found everyone sold out. It was annoying, and left me with a choice: do I get it for PC where I am very reluctant to get anything by Ubisoft due to their uPlay system, or do I get this on 360 where I have an old one my brother left at my place? With a little research, the game found it’s way into my Steam collection, as uPlay is not in the game and the console in question is one of the old white 360s which are known for certain issues. I started playing that night, and the game blew me away for the first few hours.

But as I finish the game last night, I find myself not so hyped for it and not so excited. The game is fun, but it is not anything as good as it could have been, and not near worth it for the asking price of a AAA game.

This Time, It’s NOT a Theory. Gamestop is Ripping You Off.

Have you bought one of the new consoles yet? Did you pick a WiiU? An Xbox One? Or maybe a PS4? If you chose one of the first two, feel free to relax, but take this as a cautionary tail when dealing with Gamestop. Unlike the Xenoblade Chronicles scandal not even a year ago, there are no theories here or preconceptions. Gamestop is looking to rip off PS4 gamers right now as I type this.

Milestone Achieved! 10000 views!

Hello everyone! This is only a short notice, as I have things Im taking care of back home at this exact moment. But I woke up this morning to find it had finally happened! We have officially hit out 10 thousandth view! Once again, for a website that does not do advertisement and really spreads the word by twitter, facebook, and an occasional link on a few boards I personally visit, this is not bad! Thank you so much for sticking with us.

But as always, we are looking to grow, and move faster. That is the way of the internet after all, correct? So expect more soon…

Wii and DS are Going Offline (UPDATED)

Well, it was a matter of time, really. And how much time often depends on the company. But whenever the newest model comes out, a company eventually stops supporting the old model. Yesterday, it was announced to the world that it won’t be long before the remaining online functionality for the Wii as well as all the online functionality of the original DS will be turned off. In both cases this means Nintendo will be the first company shutting down their online offerings on their last gen consoles.

Saturday Morning RPG (PC) Review

“You’ve got the touch! You’ve got the power! When all Hell’s breaking loose you’ll be riding the eye of the storm!”

Do you know the title of the song? Did you hear it in your head when you read this? Were you singing the song with? If so, then you definitely want to step inside, as this game was made just for you.

Seriously, Activision? Couldn’t You Just Leave Bay Out of This?

If’ you’ve seen the video, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If not, have a look:

Courtesy of IGN.

Notice something about this trailer? Something glaring, off-putting, and a warning of what might be coming? You are not alone.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (PC) Review

Sometimes, you just have to play the classics. And knowing I had missed this title in favor of Deus Ex (still my all time favorite title) back in the day, this was a game I knew I would have to eventually get my hands on. However, I also knew that the game is notoriously buggy on anything later then Windows XP. So imagine my surprise when I heard the game was being released in a collection with the sequel! Finally! A version of the game cleaned up and working on newer computers the way they were meant to be played! And at $20 for both this and it’s sequel, how could I say no?

Well, as I finish up the game, I wish I had known better dropping the cash on it. Everything I wanted out of it pretty much did not happen, leaving me with the same buggy mess I would have had had I played the old CD-ROM edition of it my brother owned. I guess for historical points it’s still worth having as the last thing released by Lucas Arts before being shut down, but, I would not really recommend this one. Not when we have moved on so far in the genre, and frankly, I can imagine alphas more stable then this.

Troubled Times for Many But Only for Now.

Let’s be real here for a second. As gamers, I have said many times we are due for some serious shifts. Hell before Microsoft turned everything around on the Xbox One, I predicted they would be out of the console race this generation. Now as the 2 newest systems finish up their second months, we are seeing both of them already break 3 million units sold, which is nothing to sneeze at.

But at the moment, that prediction may show itself to not just be wrong, but amazingly so. It’s not time to call anyone out of the race just yet, but we just might be able to see it from here. But for us as gamers, whatever happens should be nothing more then a temporary setback.

Well That Could Have Gone Better, Eh Machinima?

The news has been buzzing around for a day or so now, and bringing it up here will likely get me called some kind of fanboy, but… we really should talk about it, as it brings into question the value of anyone you don’t know’s word rather directly. So here we go. It appears that over the past few weeks, Microsoft and Machinima have had a backdoor deal in which the big Ms were paying off youtube channels to promote the Xbox One. Now this in itself wasn’t that big a deal, considering we see things like that all the time in movies, games, sporting events and many other public actions. A company or three will sponsor the event provided they get some positive publicity from it.

But the problem here arises in that the very terms of the event required the people doing it to not breath a word that about this sponsorship.

Platforms of the Platform: 3rd edition

Well, it’s that time again. As the new platforms roll out, gamers are choosing what they want to be their main gaming beast for the next several years. Some will pick Xbox One. Other will pick the PS4. Still more might even pick a WiiU. But there is a trend of gamers who are considering walking away from the console mess and starting anew with PC. Each and every one of these gamers making a switch will of course need a little time to adjust, but the PC might prove the most interesting (and confusing) switch. To these gamers, they will be moving from static machines to something flexible, fluid, and full of choices they frankly never had to consider.

Now, as far as hardware goes, these choices have been covered again and again from professional websites to forum members eager to welcome someone to their ranks. But no one seems to consider where to get your games, and what sources to welcome in. Allow us to help with that. In what follows, you can get to every source we talk about by clicking on the picture for it, so if it appeals, have a peak. And welcome. Although I do not believe you should abandon your console field, but add PC to your selections, welcome and enjoy.

SimCity is About to Become Offline…

This is something I stumbled on yesterday, but have not had time to talk about till now. According to an article on PC Gamer, the next update coming to SimCity is going to give the game an offline mode. As they read this, I’m sure there are a lot of gamers throwing their hands up in vindication as they see the proof that they were right and online only was nothing more then “shitty DRM from from a shitty company producing nothing but shit” and will then proceed to say they still won’t buy the game because “something something something EA sucks.”

But I personally find this to be a very immature attitude to take with games, which is why I have never been able to support the rage that followed the Mass Effect 3 ending… and in this case, I am not sure if this is a win for gamers or just a glob of shit-icing that morons will celebrate because “fuck you.”

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (PC) Review

I remember the launch night of this game like it was yesterday. It was a midnight run, and we happened to live close by the store where Curt Chilling and R.A. Salvatore would be there to sign new copies. My brothers and I headed out with eager anticipation, and got there to not only find a small line, but that we would be joined by several members of 38 Studios as well!

Then the store opened, and shortly after my brothers got their copies of the game and were in line to get them signed, I picked up my copy of Darkness II, also launching that day. You see, they were all about checking this game out, but I really didn’t see enough to draw me in when Jackie’s new and actually deserving title was coming out the same day. I had drawn my lot, and as you can tell from my review of it, I loved every second.

With some time, this game became the center of some of the saddest drama I have ever witnessed in gaming history, with the studio closing down, deep in debt and the state of Rhode Island auctioning off everything. It was not something anyone wanted to see. And EA quickly dropped the price of the game after, so I somehow doubt it did as well as they wanted on top of all of this. But due to this, someone who has cash on Origin because bioware points for Mass Effect 3 expansions can sometimes pick up something interesting cheap, and so, when this was $5, I picked it up. I finally finished playing it last night, and while it wasn’t bad, it certainly wasn’t good either.

This is why I Generally Don’t Bother with CES

Why, Razer, WHY?!?!? Who the HELL wants or needs this? As it stands, upgrading your PC is basically about as complex as playing with expensive Legos that you should probably touch the doorknob to your room first. In the absolute WORST case scenario, you could find yourself needing a small tube of CPU paste to better the connection to the heat sink above it… so what the hell is with THIS monstrosity?

CES is going to be BIG for PC Gaming this year

As the convention gets set to begin in Las Vegas tomorrow, a lot of gamers will let it slide by. After all, console gamers will have no interest in what the new hardware is because theirs is already set and console gaming isn’t exactly the biggest part of this convention. A lot of PC gamers (myself included) also tend to look the other way since new hardware is not so much new and exciting as just something we know is coming due to the gradual nature of our choice device. But this year, I think there are a few participants who will make it worth our while to pay attention.