video games

Girlfriend Gaming – Wonderbook: Book of Spells

JettLeave a comment

Steff is the biggest Harry Potter fan I know. She’s read all the books. She owns all of the movies. She’s brought me to platform 9 3/4 in England. She can even claim that the actor that plays Draco Malfoy was totally checking her out when they met for a photo-op a few years back at Fan Expo. I’m still a bit bitter about that last part, but I digress.

When we saw Wonderbook: Book of Spells at Sony’s E3 2012 press conference, she made it clear to me that this was something she needed to play someday. Having been a good girl this year, she received it from Santa for Christmas. Though I didn’t play much of it myself, I did watch her play a bunch of it. Was it as magical of an experience as its source material would imply?

Continue reading →

Initial Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon Impressions

Jett1 Comment

The Earth is screwed. Or at least that’s how things seem when you boot up Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon. Our planet has been attack by a giant race of ant-like aliens, and it’s up to you and the Earth Defense Force to stomp them out.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: this is not a triple-A title. Nor does it have any ambitions of being such. It’s budget price and low-quality production values clearly indicate that notion. With that said, B-movie experiences can be enjoyable in their own way (I’m looking at you, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand). Does Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon provide a fun experience at a budget price?

Continue reading →

The Recurring Bosscast: 009 – Working The Corner

JettLeave a comment

With the big Sony announcement looming, the Bosscast take some time out to look back at the life and times of the PlayStation 3. Also covered on the show are the games we’ve been playing, which include Far Cry 3, Fire Emblem: Awakening, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed on the 3DS, Borderlands 2, Picross 3D, and Trials HD.

Jett – In Third Person
Jason – Downstab
Mat – Biff Bam Pop

Sleeping Dogs Review

Jett1 Comment

The Sleeping Dogs origin story has been documented ad nauseam, so I won’t do that here. Nor did it matter to me much, anyway. I’d never played a True Crime game before, and even after it came out to mostly positive press, it still wasn’t a game on my radar. Had it not been for its awesome demo, I probably would have let this one slide. Though I can’t speak to the game’s quality before it came out, the end result is pretty rad. This is one of the most fun open world games I’ve played since Grand Theft Auto IV, and might be my favourite one yet.

Continue reading →

Skylanders Giants Review

Jett1 Comment

Size matters, or at least that’s what Activision wants us to believe with Skylanders Giants, the follow-up to the smash-hit Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure. Besides providing gamers with an all-new adventure, some new characters and new figures, it also introduces the concept of giant Skylanders, which are larger figurines that manifest into larger in-game characters. But does the age old ‘bigger is better’ adage apply here?

Continue reading →

Dollars and Sense

Jett5 Comments

Though I am far from rich, money historically hasn’t been much of an issue when it comes to my gaming related purchases. Sure, I couldn’t afford to buy every single game I’ve ever wanted brand new, but I’ve been able to buy virtually every game I’ve ever wanted since I started working over a decade ago. Even as a teenager making minimum wage as a stock boy, I had room in my budget for hot new releases or games I passed on initially that have dropped in price.

This year, while in the midst of planning for Steff and I’s move, I had an epiphany: I can’t keep spending like this anymore.

Continue reading →

The Recurring Bosscast: 008 – Hawk and Awe

JettLeave a comment

Mat returns from a press-only Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance event and shares his stories of slicing, dicing, and dying repeatedly. Jason and Jett talk way too much about who they think are top-tier Skylanders. The Bosscast also open up their hearts to talk about the role of emotional response in video games. Beyond that, tune in for chatter about Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, Street Fighter X Tekken Version 2013, Sleeping Dogs, Balloon Fight, Fire Emblem: Awakening, and Sneak King!

Jett – In Third Person
Jason – Downstab
Mat – Biff Bam Pop

Bayonetta Impressions

JettLeave a comment

Not too long ago, I played through Lollipop Chainsaw. It was mediocre at best, but its humour and short length offset its failings just enough for me to play it through to completion. While Bayonetta in many respects is a better game, I don’t think I’ll ever get past its halfway point. What gives?

Continue reading →

ZombiU Impressions

JettLeave a comment

Great. Another zombie game. We don’t already have enough of those yet, right? While I’m more than tired of the zombies  in video games and other forms of fiction, I’m willing to let my fatigue slide if a particular piece of media brings forth a new twist on the trope. From Plants vs. Zombies cutesy tower defence, to the human drama of The Walking Dead, there’s still room for growth.

ZombiU draws heavy inspiration from Dark Souls, while making great use of the Wii U GamePad’s defining features to create a survival horror experience unlike anything out there. Though it has its quirks, and the overall gameplay may turn off some, it’s very cool for what it is.

Continue reading →

Coming Soon: Street Fighter X Tekken Version 2013

Jett2 Comments

Up to this point, this match made in fighting game heaven has been anything but. Having lost many of its potential fans through the on-disc DLC debacle, and a myriad of gameplay issues (among other things), this seemingly sure-fire hit has been the biggest bust in the genre for quite some time.

With that said, fighting games always evolve. From Street Fighter II to Super Street Fighter II Turbo, it can take a few iterations before perfection is found. Capcom is hoping that they get it right the second time with Street Fighter X Tekken Version 2013, which is a free major patch being introduced tomorrow.

Continue reading →