GameJam - Tomb Raider w/ MarkBWriting

On the last night of GameJam's Original vs Remake, Mark B Writing joins me as we play Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider Anniversary.  We play to the end of the 3rd stage with a very active audience in our chatroom and discuss many things ranging from Lara herself to the differences and improvements in Anniversary.

GameJam - Gunstar Heroes w/ Uberrich

On tonight's GameJam, I am joined by Uberrich as we tackle the legendary Sega Genesis classic, Gunstar Heroes by Treasure. Do we manage to beat this hard game in the 2 hour limit?

DHGF Review: R-Type Dimensions (PS3)

"I LOVE R-Type. It has been one of my favorite space sidescroller shoot-em up franchise for decades. I played it in the arcades, on my Commodore Amiga, Sega Master System, the Super Nintendo, and on Playstation. Irem, the company that created the franchise, was able to create new games in the franchise and somehow keep the series from going stagnant as the years went by. In 2009, we were graced with the release of R-Type Dimensions on the Xbox 360, but I never got around to buying it. R-Type Dimensions is a remake of the first two games in the series, following in the vein of other upgraded classics like Bionic Commando."

DHGF Review: R-Type Dimensions

GVN Review: Dead Or Alive 5 Ultimate (PS3/Xbox 360)

Dead Or Alive 5 Ultimate
Publisher: Tecmo Koei
Developer: Team Ninja
Release: September 3rd, 2013

It's been almost a year ago that Team Ninja released Dead Or Alive 5 to the masses.  It's been almost 7 years plus since the console release of Dead Or Alive 4, which graced the Xbox 360 as an exclusive title nearly missing the launch window.  Since then there was not a peep about a sequel for many years because Mr. Itagaki considered DOA4 his opus to the fighting game world.  In the quiet time since the last iteration's release, we have seen multiple releases and ports in the Ninja Gaiden franchise and Tecmo merging with Koei.  It wasn't until Hayashi (Itagaki's protégé), took the helm of Team Ninja development, that a new DOA game would be released.  What we received was Dead Or Alive Dimensions, a Nintendo 3DS exclusive, which was created as a means to test the waters to see if the franchise still had viability.

GVN Quick Review: The Last Of Us (Playstation 3)

The Last Of Us
Publisher: Sony
Developer: Naughty Dog
Released: June 14th, 2013

The Last Of Us is clearly one of the most ambitious and daring games to have come out this year.  The whole element of the game centered completely on the relationship of our two antagonists Joel and Ellie, and how the bond between the two would grow as the game progresses.  The Last Of Us' story covers the span of a little over a year and in that time we see Joel and Ellie's bond and it manages to make us connect with these characters in a way that would make major motion picture studios jealous.  As you progress you see the issue of morality and what you feel you need to do in order to survive as it weighs heavily on Joel and especially Ellie.

GVN Review: Remember Me

 

Developer: Dontnod Entertainment

Publisher: Capcom

Released: June 4th, 2013

 

Remember Me is quite possibly one of the most stylish and unique game that I have experienced in quite some time.  Remember me finally caught my attention when I saw gameplay footage that was released by Dontnod, the game's developer.  What they created was a game that involved a good balance of combat mixed in with platforming in a game with a setting similar to a cyber punk, Bladerunner setting.  Remember Me has amazing graphics, excellent voice acting, a beautiful world, and a good combat system all rolled up together.  However it is marred by some small hindrances like questionable controls, limited immersive experience, an inconsistent character driven plot, game length and little replay value.

GVN Review - Resident Evil: Revelations (PC)

 

Notice: This review does not discuss the multiplayer mode

This is my first Resident Evil game that I've played extensively in quite some time.  I played part 4 heavily but never beat it, Part 5 made me bitter and felt like the series was loosing it's charm, and part 6 I didn't bother to pick up.  I played the demo of Revelations when it became available on the 3DS and found it quite impressive but sadly I passed it up on release day because the reaction heavy gameplay didn't feel right on a handheld to me.

Some time later, Capcom decided to port it to consoles and PCs and I was honestly very excited.  Resident Evil Revelations received quite a graphical upgrade and had some gameplay mechanic tweaks since it was moved off the touchscreen handheld.  The scare and panic factor also makes their return, which has been missing since Code Veronica returning the franchise to it's survival horror roots.  So how well does the newest Resident Evil game compare after being released after the lukewarm reception of part 6?

GVN Quick Review: Bioshock Infinite (PC)

 

 

It is very difficult for me to sit here and write a review about a great game which has been out for over a month and come up with something that hasn't been already said.  So needless to say I am going to add to the praise that Bioshock Infinite has garnered since it's release.  From beginning to end, Bioshock Infinite is quite possibly one of the greatest highlights of gaming in the past 10 years.  Everything from the run and gun aesthetics, the story progression and the unique world ripe for exploration has exceeded all of my expectations.

GVN Review: Tomb Raider (PC)

 

As one might have expected from me, I was extremely pumped as well as apprehensive to play the new Tomb Raider reboot.  After voicing my thoughts on the franchise along with some friends in a documentary styled video mini-series, I was not shy in mentioning my concerns about the reboot.  My fear of the game being nothing more than a torture porn fest as we watch Lara Croft getting beaten and battered as she learns to survive in a brand new origin story was something I was truly concerned with.  Thankfully throughout the game that wasn't the case although Lara still does get quite roughed up throughout her journey.  So how well did the new Tomb Raider go about giving birth to a new Lara Croft?

GVN Review: Atelier Ayesha - The Alchemist of Dusk (PS3)

Atelier Ayesha is the second game in the fabled franchise I have played. My first being the unexpectedly good Atelier Meruru.  Atelier Ayesha is now the 14th console release of the long running series and begins a brand new adventure following the heroic fumbling's of our protagonist, Ayesha Altugle.  It is unsure if Ayesha is the beginnings of another trilogy but with the way the series has been going you can bet your money it is.  So what remains to be seen however is if Atelier Ayesha is worthy of living up to the name of the franchise.

GVN Review: Blades of Time (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

The premise of Blades of Time was very promising to me.   The game pushed hard to show off the way stylish combat, puzzles, and intense plat forming.  All of this was to be interwoven together with the game’s unique Time Rewind mechanic to offer you a unique gaming experience.  Unfortunately somewhere along the line the developers fumbled while executing this concept and what we ending up getting is a huge mess of frustration.

GVN Preview: Phantasy Star Online 2

For over ten years I have been waiting for a proper sequel to one of my favorite games of all time.  Between the time of the last iteration of Phantasy Star Online, Sega released the abysmal and poorly supported Phantasy Star Universe and the quite fun Phantasy Star Zero.  Universe left a sour taste in my mouth, while it was graphically superior to Online and had better character control, the game fell flat in many areas.  Mainly poor balance, poor variety of online missions, and lack of fun.  Zero had taken what Universe did wrong and took a few steps backwards.  Those steps backwards did not hurt the game at all as it allowed Zero to be a more accessible game since it was made for the Nintendo DS.