Last but not least, here is HST’s list of favorite video games from the past year. And what a year it was, with huge titles coming out and an epic fall season to cap off the year. Plenty of sequels and a few new IPs to boot, so there are plenty of games to mention even without the honorable title and seat on high as the crowned favorite. [Read more...]
HST’s Best of 2011: Video Games
01/05/2012 by Leave a Comment
Gaming Review: Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Campaign)
11/18/2011 by 2 Comments
I don’t mean to brag, but when I was little I was decent at climbing trees. I mean, I would get at least 10 feet off the ground. Ok, so that’s not that grand, but I had sensitive hands, and bark is all scratchy… The point is that for people with childhoods like mine, living vicariously through characters like Monkey (play Enslaved: Odyssey to the West if you haven’t), Altair, and Nathan Drake in all their platforming glory is the way to go. Goodness knows I don’t actually want to fling myself at a building. [Read more...]
Gaming Review – inFamous 2 (PS3 exclusive)
06/22/2011 by Leave a Comment
As far as I am concerned controlling electricity is not a power I would want to possess if I had my pick because I don’t plan on forgoing showers anytime soon. Good thing this isn’t The Sims and hygiene really isn’t a concern to Cole, the protagonist reprising his role in InFamous 2.
At the end of game one I happily went about my business running around the city I had just saved from immediate danger, collecting trophies that did not unlock during the main story, gleefully exercising my leveled up powers. Needless to say I might have created a false sense of calm that did not quite fit with the actual ending of the story. So color me aghast when at the start of InFamous 2 my playground of Empire City is wiped off the face of the Earth by a human-shaped goliath of a volcano. What!? You say I was warned about the coming of “The Beast” in the final moments of the story? My bad. I was probably too busy looking at a pretty pretty blast shard in the corner of the screen… [Read more...]
Gaming Review – God of War Collection (PS3 exclusive)
08/21/2010 by Leave a Comment
For some reason back when God of War was released on the PS2 I never thought to play it, though now that I think about it there was a good chance that my system was already broken… Stupid broken systems… Anyway, now with the collection on the PS3 I had no reason not to finally give them a go, and thank the gods I did because they still hold up with the best of the games currently coming out (a lot of which God of War has acted as inspiration for).
In these games you play Kratos, a Spartan warrior with a love for soaking the ground with blood as the errand boy of the gods. In the first installment Kratos is going on a mission to bring a stop to Ares, the God of War, who is terrorizing Athens. Spoiler alert: In the end Kratos, being as BA as he is, kicks some Ares booty and is given the title of the God of War. Which brings on the plot of the second game: Eventually the other gods on Olympus realize their mistake and devise a way to take this thrown from Kratos. By doing so, Kratos is fueled to once again set out on a revenge mission to bring about the fall of the gods, and he is not a man you want holding something against you. [Read more...]
Heavy Rain Chronicles: The Taxidermist (PS3 Exclusive)
04/04/2010 by 1 Comment
The first downloadable content for Heavy Rain was released this week, and though I am not sure if it’s worth the price, it provides one intensely creepy experience.
If we have learned anything about reporter Madison Paige from the main game it’s that her snooping tends to get her into trouble. This time around she is following another lead on the Origami Killer to the home of a taxidermist, finding a little more than what she expected inside.
This DLC is ridiculously short with a 20-minute completion time or so (the first couple seconds I had to dedicate to learning how to make her walk again), but these minutes are not wasted. Once you get inside the home the episode plays out a lot like a horror film with every moment spent snooping adding a little more tension as you pray that she will stop making so much noise or the owner doesn’t come home even though you know it wouldn’t be this game without something like that happening. [Read more...]
Gaming Review – Heavy Rain (PS3 exclusive)
03/15/2010 by Leave a Comment
When Heavy Rain was first introduced it was talked about as revolutionizing the way video games are structured, creating a more interactive experience rather than just an empty button masher. After playing it I can say that they achieved the majority of what they set out to do, and though I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I hope every game produced from now on follows the same structure as this, Heavy Rain definitely sets some bars high for the standards of gameplay I hope to see more frequently in the future.
Heavy Rain sets itself up as many films do today in which numerous characters all have their own goals to achieve and tasks to accomplish; with stories that weave together the deeper they go, all revolving around the ongoing case of the Origami Killer. The four main playable characters are as follows: Ethan Mars starts off as the happy family man who goes through a tragedy early in the game when one of his two sons is killed. [Read more...]
Gaming Review – inFAMOUS
07/08/2009 by Leave a Comment
(Originally written June 1, 2009)Talk about an ending… With a lot of games today the gameplay is all that seems to matter, with a story often tacked on without being smoothed out. These stories don’t necessarily take away from the gameplay, but when all is said and done it’s forgettable. But not with Infamous. Let’s just say that as the main story line ended my jaw was no longer attached to my face, but instead resting on the floor below. Now I am sure there are some of you out there who had an inkling as to how it was all going to go down, but color me shocked.
Gaming Review – Heavenly Sword
07/08/2009 by Leave a Comment
(Originally written Jan. 25, 2009)
Finally, a game that I don’t have to feel unskilled at when I resort to smashing buttons. This I will say was the original draw to the game and I did not expect much more from it, however, this allowed it to far surpass my expectations.
Though the story is far from original at its basic level, it supports the gameplay really well and becomes far more colorful with the ridiculous, and hilarious, characters filling it out. [Read more...]
Gaming Review – Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction
07/08/2009 by Leave a Comment
(Originally written Jan. 21, 2009)
After playing a game like Metal Gear Solid 4 I was ready for some simple fun, and Ratchet and Clank was the perfect game to turn to.
The most notable thing about it is the range of colors painted across each environment, keeping each planet just as visually stunning as the last, while setting them apart at the same time. And though this is one of the best things about the game, another thing that I am glad to see has stuck with this series over time is the humorous dialog found in the cutscenes.
Gaming Review – Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
07/08/2009 by Leave a Comment
(Originally written Jan. 12, 2009)
Though this is not far removed from other “cover, shoot, repeat” games with your random vehicle chases and wall climbing, it is definitely the most fun I have had doing exactly that in a long time.
The great thing about Uncharted is that no aspect of the game was sacrificed for the benefit of something else. The story worked great for a game of this genre, and it is well supported in every aspect. I never felt irritated when I was taken out of the control position and replaced with cut scenes because they were beautifully animated. [Read more...]
