Games Corner - Apr 2017
News Blitz
Journalist declares games should not have stories, games journalism is set on fire
Ian Bogost, a long time games critic known for his controversial opinions, published an article proclaiming that games should stop trying to tell stories. This created a heavy backlash from gamers, developers and critics, creating a flow of counterarguments as to why games do and should have stories.
I can kind of maybe a little bit see where Bogost is coming from, but let's be real - this criticism reads very much like some white boy middle-to-upper-class bullshit. The piece comes across as shallow, making the author look like he only seems to understand one slice of the pie that makes up video games. If anything, the spawning of think pieces across the gaming sphere show just how important story is to games and those who play them.
Video Games Are Better Without Stories
Video Games Don’t Have a Choice But to Tell Stories
Stories in Games Aren't Problems, They're Solutions
Call of Duty WW2 is official, get's trailer
This month saw the totally unpredictable and utterly surprising announcement that COD would be going back to World War 2, with a trailer to boot. Not much else to really say about it, other than that the devs apparently want to prevent World War 3 from happening with this game??? Given that this is.. well... Call of Duty, a game series known for it's cinematic nature and is based on literally killing 1000's of people, I'm skeptical, but good luck to them.
Games Releases
PaRappa the Rapper Remastered - PS4
The flat rapper dog is back! While the gameplay isn't actually that great, those who have nostalgia for the game will probably love it.
Persona 5 - PS4
Could probably take the title of "most stylish game ever", this 100+ hour JRPG is weird and wonderful in so many ways.
Bulletstorm Full Clip Edition - PC/PS4/Xbox One
A remaster of the 2010 shooter for the new consoles. Has Duke Nukem as a playable character. Very much an over-the-top slapstick humor style FPS.
Yooka-Laylee - PC/PS4/Xbox One
The developers promised a Banjo-Kazooie game in all but name, and whoo boy, did they deliver on that. Takes the good and the bad of that game and makes it pretty.
Syberia 3 - PC/PS4/Xbox One
A game that's first release date was announced as 2007, this game feels strangely rushed and not that great.
Wonderboy 3 The Dragon Trap - PS4/Switch
A remake of an old classic.
Outlast 2 - PC/PS4/Xbox One
Nope nope NOPE horror as fuck get AWAY
Little Nightmares - PC/PS4/Xbox One
A 2D platformer that deals with childhood horrors. Man what is it with all these games wanting to freak us the fuck out
Dawn of War 3 - PC
An RTS from a series that can't seem to nail down it's core premise. Apparently a good game still, at least single player wise. Fans of the franchise/genre and all that.
What Remains of Edith Finch - PC/PS4/Xbox One
The new project from the creators of The Unfinished Swan. A fascinating story game. In the vein of Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Gone Home, Dear Esther etc.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Switch
A port to Switch for one of the best Wii U games, comes with a revamped battle mode, fixing the one problem with the initial game.
Games Played
NieR: Automata
You can see my article for my full thoughts, but man... incredible. Truly incredible. A have a weird list of all time favourite games, of which there are 7, and this is has become one of them. Even Breath of the Wild didn't make it to this list.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Yep, still playing more of it. 118 Shrines down. Still a ton more to explore. This game is so rad.
Tales From the Borderlands Episode 3 & 4
Only one to go! I'm glad this is the one Telltale game I decided to go with. Most of the actual of the gameplay is annoying, but hte story is worth it. Some genuinely funny and touching moments throughout each chapter.
Worth Watching
The Witness - Noclip Documentary
The stuff Danny O'Dwyer (formally of Gamespot) and co do over at Noclip is on a level that the games industry hasn't really seen before as far as documentary style video goes. This interview with The Witness creator Jonathan Blow is an intriguing look at the 7+ year process of creating this unique game.
toco toco ep 49, Yoko Taro, Game Creator
The creator of the Nier and Drakengard series, Yoko Taro, is an insanely fascinating guy. This 13 minute dive into him as a person and the development of Nier Automata is a great overview.