Category Archive

Opinions/Editorials

The Best Games We Played 2017: Nier Automata

Posted on January 1, 2018 by Meghan Kass

As 2017 comes to a close, it is a time to reflect on the year, both the good and the bad. While there were many downs and it can be easy to focus on the negatives in a year, especially one as rough as this, we need to remind ourselves of the positive things that came out in a year and how they affected us. There were so many great video games that came out this year that all deserved to be recognized, but one that really stuck out to me in many ways was Nier: Automata from Platinum Games

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The Best Games We Played 2017: Night In The Woods

Posted on December 29, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

2017 is coming to a close and that means it is time for our contributors, editors and staff to look back on the best games that they played over the past twelve months. Whether that game was on the brand new Nintendo Switch, an aging Dreamcast or the original N.E.S, it matters not. If a game was played by our staff in the past twelve months it is eligible for one of these personal retrospective pieces. Contributor Jeb takes a look back at indie darling Night In The Woods, and why it resonated so strongly with them. If you enjoyed

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The Best Games We Played 2017: A Hat In Time

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Broken Joysticks

Contributor Victoria Rose shares her thoughts on the best game she played this year – A Hat In Time. Over the next week, into early 2017, our editors will be sharing their picks for the best game they played this year. They’ll also be sharing some of their choices for runner-up. “The Best Games We Played 2017” is a reflection of the year that was in interactive entertainment for our editors and contributors. To be eligible for mention in TBGWP 2017 a title need not be released this year, our editors and contributors simply must have played it. 2017 was the

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DOOM’s Nintendo Switch Port Will Have You Believing In The Dark Arts

Posted on November 16, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Over the past week I’ve been playing 2016’s DOOM on the Nintendo Switch and this game… just wow, what black magic did Bethesda use to make a game as visually striking and visceral work on Nintendo’s hybrid tablet?  Players new to this iteration of the classic FPS franchise will find themselves in the boots of the Doom Slayer, an unnamed marine who loves nothing more than ripping the limbs off of demons and splattering their guts across the floor. DOOM exists for two reasons: 1) to allow players to graphically murder countless demons in as comically over the top fashion as possible and 2) to provide the player

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Microtransactions Outpacing Game Sales Sets a Worrying Precedent

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

You might have already heard the news yesterday: Ubisoft mentioned on their Investor’s Call that “Player Recurring Investments” (read: microtransactions) have outpaced the sale of full price and discounted digital copies of their games for the first time ever. In terms of raw numbers of the 343 million euros the company made from their digital businesses 175 million Euros were the result of “Player Recurrent Investments” (which include microtransactions, add-on DLCs, Rainbow Six Siege Season Passes, subscriptions and those sorts of things). The 83% rise in microtransaction purchases over the past year for Ubisoft could signal the tipping point where small recurring payments within the AAA games

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A Eulogy To The Future That Kinect Promised But Never Delivered

Posted on October 25, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Kinect version 1.0 arrived hot off the heels of the motion control craze sparked by the Nintendo Wii with the marketing tagline “You Are The Controller”. Promising players a mixture of easy to understand motion based controls using their own bodies and a dash of science fiction, with almost Minority Report-like gesture control – it seemed like Microsoft had stumbled upon an easily understandable control scheme for those with the mobility to enjoy it. As Kinect is thrown into the technology wastebasket of products past their prime, where did things go wrong? This is a Eulogy for the future that Kinect promised but never delivered upon.  A Less Than Spectacular Launch Line-Up 

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The Splatoon 2 Splatfest Experience Retold In Screenshots

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Splatfests were one of the many highlights from the first Splatoon and I was really happy to hear that they’d be making their return for the sequel. This past weekend Splatoon 2’s first [thing] vs. [another thing0] competition took place – asking players to chose sides based upon their favorite condiment, either Ketchup or Mayo. Upon logging into the game your lobby is instantly transformed into neon infused night variant complete with a performance by brand new Squid idols – Marina and Pearl. The aesthetics aren’t the only thing that changes in the lobby as the background music gets bumped

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A 5 Year Old Freemium Sims Game Is My Mobile Guilty Pleasure

Posted on July 11, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

The Sims has been a staple for simulation fans for the better part of two decades now, the original (released in 2000) is almost old enough to drink in the United States.  While I’ve been a fan since the first iteration, I can’t profess to have partaken in any of the mobile entries in the franchise with the sole exception being The Sims 3 on the Nintendo 3DS, which I found to be so sub-par it wasn’t worth playing. Perhaps that is why it is so perplexing to me that my mobile vice at the moment is a five-year-old Sims

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Loot Anime Death Box – Unboxing

Posted on July 7, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

What awaits us beyond the world of the living? No one truly knows but the folks at LootCrate put together a curated box of anime inspired goodies themed around the end of life itself. Featuring items from Parasyte, Death Note, Mob Psych 100 and other series – this unboxing might just send shivers down your spine by simply thinking about it… actually the more I write this post the more I am reminded of Halloween *shrug*. Featured Items: Parasyte Omnibus Manga Vol 1 Psycho Mob 100 Shirt Exclusive Snap Back Hat Death Note Glow In The Dark Mug Phone Charm

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Final Fantasy XIV Stomblood Impressions #2 – Vising The Great City

Posted on July 3, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

It has been a week since the launch of Stormblood, the latest expansion for Final Fantasy XIV and I thought it would be a perfect time to share some updated impressions now that I am several hours further into the expansion’s narrative. Unlike my last impressions entry, this one is not free of spoilers, be forewarned that ahead of this paragraph are bullet points that may contain story, quest and NPC related spoilers. If At First You Don’t Succeed, Try and Try Again Throughout the first four levels of the campaign (60 – 63) the Warrior of Light & Co.

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FFXIV: Stormblood Early Access Impressions – The Revolution Will Not Be Televised Due To Server Errors

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

The latest Final Fantasy XIV expansion, Stormblood has been in early access for the past 72 hours and despite constant disconnects, server crashes and long queues I’ve played through the first story arc until level 62. Here is a point by point recount of my experience with the game. Thoughts of Level 60 – 70 Bard Changes Bards are now a lot more mobile thanks to the removal of “casting times” during the usage of Wander’s Minuet. The mobility is certainly welcome but I was used to the split second timing of waiting for the cast time and then moving

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The Wins & Fails of E3 2017

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Another E3 has come and gone and now all of the developers and publishers have packed up from the LA Convention Centre for another year. After a week of impressions, live streaming videos and major announcements – what games & announcements can we can put in the ‘win’ column and which left a sour taste in viewers’ mouths?  Here are three of the biggest wins and fails of E3 2017. Let us know your pick the for win and fail of E3 in the comments section! Win Michel Ancel Finally Gets To Debut Beyond Good & Evil 2 BG&2 has

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How Was Destiny 2’s Showing At E3 2017?

Posted on June 14, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

With the 2017 entry of E3 coming to a close tomorrow let’s take a quick look at how Destiny 2 fared in terms of publicly available coverage coming out of the show. An in-engine “PlayStation Exclusive Content” trailer debuted at Sony’s press conference this past Monday, the PC version was delayed and Bungie devs took questions on PlayStation’s live stream but very little tangible video content came from the expo floor. It is likely that while anyone attending E3 can try out Destiny 2, video capture is probably not permitted. Major Announcements Surrounding Destiny 2: Player Vs. Player Combat will

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Quake Champions Open Beta Impressions

Posted on May 14, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

The Quake franchise was once a multiplayer staple during the early 1990s and while the franchise has tried to reinvent itself twice in the mid-2000s it has been almost a decade since we heard from this formally prominent frag fest. Now id Software in collaboration with Sabre Interactive and publisher Bethesda are preparing to bring back Quake for a new generation with the open beta of Quake Champions which launches this weekend. Bethesda was courteous enough to invite me into the Closed Beta Test for Quake Champions and over the past five weeks, I’ve been able to experience multiple builds

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Visit Another World With This Loot Anime Unboxing Video

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Rae Michelle Richards

Anime and video game fans certainly know a thing or two about escapism. Some of our favorite works in either category allow us to become transported into impossible places and do amazing things that just can’t be done in our everyday life.  My latest Loot Crate unboxing video posits the question: “Where would you go if you could travel to another world?” Featuring a selection of items curated from a number of series that are all tied together by the theme of entering another plane of existence this box provided subscribers with a brand new figure, manga and an amazing

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