I am publishing my reviews in blog form from now on

Oni

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Edited By Oni

...Because no one seems to read the damn things otherwise, judging from the amount of comments they get!

I feel very lucky, because my Super Turbo HD Remix got picked up by Brad for the community review roundup feature. That really feels very encouraging, as a wannabe games journalist/critic/whatever. So thanks Brad/Giant Bomb!

As long as I'm blogging, might as well write about what's been keeping me busy...

Shooting zombies!

I got Left 4 Dead a few weeks ago, despite the fact that the demo left me unimpressed (as I've blogged earlier), and I ended up loving it. Still fire it up regularly. I only discovered how much fun Versus is a few days ago when Sweep made me play it. Downside? Even more so than regular campaigns, versus lives and dies with the company you're keeping. Playing with dudes that don't coordinate/communicate? Garbage. No fun at all. Also played some more on Advanced, which is already quite hard and requires solid tactics and teamwork. I can't even imagine trying to complete a campaign on expert, where 5 hits from any regular Infected will kill you... yikes!

Playing drums!

...On Rock Band 2, anyway. ION drum kit + Rock pedal = awesome kit. Hitch a Ride by Boston is still the funnest drum song, ever. Also, Afterlife and Almost Easy by Avenged Sevenfold. Anyone (non-drummer) wants to play online sometime and help me grab some achievements, add me, GT is in my profile. Still need 90 seconds consecutive overdrive, full band multiplier, million points etc etc.

Writing blogs!

Spoilerific ones, about the ending to Prince of Persia. Turns out Stephen Totilo agrees with me, over at MTV Multiplayer. Again, don't read unless you've finished the game. It's interesting! Also I want to thank everyone who commented on my PoP blog, it fostered some good discussion. Hell, thanks to all commentors in general!

...among other things. I've picked up The Witcher again, beginning of Chapter 4 now. That game is definitely very interesting. In a year that was dominated by choice and freedom in games, the one that did it best of all, in my mind, slipped under almost everyone's radar. Hopefully, the upcoming console version will give it the attention it so richly deserves. If you'll just permit me to quote Tycho from Penny Arcade here, as he sums up my thoughts on the game better than I could ever hope to:

Not business as usual! Probably won't make the console version.

"I was sad to finally complete The Witcher last weekend, leaping immediately into the side stories that are included with the Enhanced Edition (or available online). I really didn't want it to be over, and wondered if some mild, self-inflicted head trauma would allow me to play it fresh. They made a number of decisions with the narrative that are fascinating, especially if you've played around with dialogue writing: in most games that allow "choice," you can usually just reload a save and try the other path. The larger decisions in The Witcher tend to change not just the game's state but the state of the world as well, so that paths you take are happening in a context created by an earlier decision, and so on. They delay the effect of some actions, so events feel as though they develop organically. At a late point in the game they actually dial the drama back, and the developer doesn't use the end of the narrative as a bludgeon to show you how incredibly clever they've been - they let you tumble to the truth of it yourself. In many ways, the game is not business as usual. If it weren't for the stability concerns I'd had earlier, I would be recommending it to you with the full measure of my power."

Also, today I picked up Dead Space for the 360 and Siren: Blood Curse for the PS3 (which has gone mostly neglected since, oh, MGS 4). Just started up Dead Space, only in chapter 2, but I'm loving it. There's something to be said for such a singular experience, especially in a year dominated by games all about "the freedom of choice".

Okay, I'm spent.

15 years ago

Oni

Follow

2345

Forum Posts

5885

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 26

User Lists: 12

#1 Edited By Oni

...Because no one seems to read the damn things otherwise, judging from the amount of comments they get!

I feel very lucky, because my Super Turbo HD Remix got picked up by Brad for the community review roundup feature. That really feels very encouraging, as a wannabe games journalist/critic/whatever. So thanks Brad/Giant Bomb!

As long as I'm blogging, might as well write about what's been keeping me busy...

Shooting zombies!

I got Left 4 Dead a few weeks ago, despite the fact that the demo left me unimpressed (as I've blogged earlier), and I ended up loving it. Still fire it up regularly. I only discovered how much fun Versus is a few days ago when Sweep made me play it. Downside? Even more so than regular campaigns, versus lives and dies with the company you're keeping. Playing with dudes that don't coordinate/communicate? Garbage. No fun at all. Also played some more on Advanced, which is already quite hard and requires solid tactics and teamwork. I can't even imagine trying to complete a campaign on expert, where 5 hits from any regular Infected will kill you... yikes!

Playing drums!

...On Rock Band 2, anyway. ION drum kit + Rock pedal = awesome kit. Hitch a Ride by Boston is still the funnest drum song, ever. Also, Afterlife and Almost Easy by Avenged Sevenfold. Anyone (non-drummer) wants to play online sometime and help me grab some achievements, add me, GT is in my profile. Still need 90 seconds consecutive overdrive, full band multiplier, million points etc etc.

Writing blogs!

Spoilerific ones, about the ending to Prince of Persia. Turns out Stephen Totilo agrees with me, over at MTV Multiplayer. Again, don't read unless you've finished the game. It's interesting! Also I want to thank everyone who commented on my PoP blog, it fostered some good discussion. Hell, thanks to all commentors in general!

...among other things. I've picked up The Witcher again, beginning of Chapter 4 now. That game is definitely very interesting. In a year that was dominated by choice and freedom in games, the one that did it best of all, in my mind, slipped under almost everyone's radar. Hopefully, the upcoming console version will give it the attention it so richly deserves. If you'll just permit me to quote Tycho from Penny Arcade here, as he sums up my thoughts on the game better than I could ever hope to:

"I was sad to finally complete The Witcher last weekend, leaping immediately into the side stories that are included with the Enhanced Edition (or available online). I really didn't want it to be over, and wondered if some mild, self-inflicted head trauma would allow me to play it fresh. They made a number of decisions with the narrative that are fascinating, especially if you've played around with dialogue writing: in most games that allow "choice," you can usually just reload a save and try the other path. The larger decisions in The Witcher tend to change not just the game's state but the state of the world as well, so that paths you take are happening in a context created by an earlier decision, and so on. They delay the effect of some actions, so events feel as though they develop organically. At a late point in the game they actually dial the drama back, and the developer doesn't use the end of the narrative as a bludgeon to show you how incredibly clever they've been - they let you tumble to the truth of it yourself. In many ways, the game is not business as usual. If it weren't for the stability concerns I'd had earlier, I would be recommending it to you with the full measure of my power."

Also, today I picked up Dead Space for the 360 and Siren: Blood Curse for the PS3 (which has gone mostly neglected since, oh, MGS 4). Just started up Dead Space, only in chapter 2, but I'm loving it. There's something to be said for such a singular experience, especially in a year dominated by games all about "the freedom of choice".

Okay, I'm spent.

15 years ago