It’s happening, folks! We just hit May, but the storm of awesome movies is fast approaching and it starts with Iron Man 3. This usually means that gamers can expect the usual product placement of soda cans, fast food and rushed tie-in video games. Like death, taxes and split-second bathroom urges, this is inevitable. What’s less expected is how dedicated I’ve become in clearing out my backlog while the release schedule is light. In keeping with the “man” theme, I [...]
April showers bring retro gaming. The releases have hit a bit of a lull, allowing one such as myself some time to catch up and breathe (when allergies and stormy downpours aren’t thinking otherwise). What better excuse to hit up some smaller titles that remind me of the days in my parents’ basement in front of a TV that was neither flat nor high-definition. Don’t get me wrong, I’d go insane if I had to return to that barbaric way [...]
I’ve always wanted to love Tomb Raider. When I bought my PlayStation, I stocked up on the first three adventures of Miss Lara Croft and her tomb stories. However, I never found myself hooked or willing to overcome the control hurdles I faced amidst the temptation of exploring. It wasn’t until Legend that I completed a Tomb Raider game, but it felt like the opposite of what I wanted from the series. I’m proud to say that Lara Croft and I [...]
I’d describe myself as a “gaming tree,” firmly rooted to where my consoles and computers are like an expensive security blanket. On the surface, I can’t say I really have any issues with travelling. I definitely am aware of the benefits in getting away from the familiar and having unique experiences. Maybe the reluctance comes from in how video games let you go to places, both real and fictional, without actually having to deal with the time between points A and B. [...]
Back in 2007, I was surprised by a journey I took under the sea to a place called Rapture. It was majestic, yet dreary. Foreign, yet familiar. Wet. Very, very wet. The highest honor I can bestow upon Rapture is that I’ll never forget it. It’s not rare for video games (or anything, really) to root themselves deeply in a person’s mind and essentially live forever. Bioshock was less a game for me than it was an experience, getting pulled into [...]
Video games are some of the most comfortable forms of escapism available at my fingertips. If I want to drive a taxi off a pier, I can play Grand Theft Auto. If I want to jump-kick a sightseer off a pier, I can play Sleeping Dogs. Seriously, the pier is just a dangerous place. In terms of actually exploring the unknown and discovering the discover-able, I’ve indulged in a couple of titles that let me venture into the deep down darkness on [...]
Being a space engineer is a hard life. They’re expected to take on a myriad of tasks, whether it be repairing derelict ships or forcibly removing a mutant’s legs from its disgusting torso. What, then, could possibly make these tasks easier on a guy who just can’t seem to get a break? How about an extra set of hands for shooting and feet for stomping? Maybe it’s the inclusion of a partner in Dead Space 3 or the fact that [...]
A typical year in video games tends to be lopsided in terms of big name releases. Slow in the beginning, but everyone is swimming in AAA titles by the holidays. What happens as those big titles get completed? I’ve chosen to reach shoulder-deep into the dirtier side of gaming and play two poorly-received games, hoping for laughs and good times. In space, no one could hear me scream. In this week’s Radio Waves, everyone can. Two mouths, one marine Make [...]
I never thought I would be considering rehab. First, let me explain that I’ve got a problem. It’s not a “real” problem like being trapped in a gauntlet of traps run by a puppet, but is a problem nonetheless. When I first started gaming, it was an affair that required a computer, a monitor and a place to rest your bottom for some real fun times. Things are different now. You can play in your living room, secretly at your [...]
People seem to have the strangest fascination with non-human things having the ability to talk: cars, smartphones, Tom and Jerry. (Looking back, Tom and Jerry talking might have been one of the worst events in my childhood history and I didn’t even know it.) In the case of The Cave, seven unique archetypes approach a talking cave (only three enter) in the hopes of finding what they most desire. An adventurer seeks treasure, a hillbilly seeks love, a time-traveler seeks [...]
