VGW: Read Beyond the Headline
Stu lives for action-oriented and narrative-driven games. Forever changed after playing Metal Gear Solid as a boy, he tirelessly searches for those perfect gems that blend addictive, open-ended gameplay and an unforgettable story. His turn-ons include infinite-ammo bandanas and inventive boss battles.
Raiden the lightning If you’re an avid Metal Gear fan, chances are you were disappointed by the shift in tone that accompanied the handing off of Metal Gear Rising to Platinum Games, leading to its updated sub-title, Revengeance. Kojima fans like myself tend to get very protective of the series, and news of the game’s changes sparked an [...]
For plenty of gamers, myself included, E3 is an event to look forward to all year; a fact that is especially true any year when new consoles are expected to make a debut. This year, I was indisputably excited to find out about these new powerhouses and the cool new games they would launch. As [...]
This year marks the launch of two major consoles, an event that always brings to mind long overdue sequels to games from generations past. Each generation, these dream sequels become less likely, while our hopes for them conversely grow stronger. With E3 happening this week, in the spirit of fruitless hope, I’ve put together my [...]
It’s no secret that gamers are an opinionated lot. Over the years, we’ve perfected the art of looking critically at developers, publishers, and the games they produce. Of these entities, more criticism tends to end up at the feet of those behind the games, rather than the games themselves; after all, a game is bad [...]
Adventure games have been around for a long time, and they’ve gone through many changes along the way. Graphics have improved dramatically, interfaces have gone from 2D to 3D, and battle systems have incorporated everything from turn-based “attack, magic, item” mechanics into more open real-time, combo-oriented battles. This very concept of change over time is [...]
Play a game online, and chances are at some point you’ll hear a stream of racist, homophobic, or sexist remarks aimed at yourself or one of your peers. It’s an ugly side of our community, but, thanks to an extremely vocal minority, it’s also an uncomfortably prevalent one. Sadly, this vitriolic hate speech is often [...]
My excitement for the reboot of the Tomb Raider series has been long building, and it stemmed primarily from the series’ gritty new cinematic direction à la Uncharted. I looked forward to getting away from Tomb Raider‘s increasing campiness and venturing into a newer, more serious adventure. As it happens, calling Tomb Raider serious was an understatement, and this game turned out [...]
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Metal Gear Solid 2, and Metal Gear Solid 4. When Metal Gear Rising switched hands from Kojima Productions to Platinum Games and gained the subtitle Revengeance, my heart sank. This news meant much more than a new direction for this most anticipated of games; suddenly, Raiden, a [...]
Nostalgia is a powerful tool for selling re-releases of last-gen titles, one which has helped the PS1 and PS2 classics sections of the PlayStation Network become attractive destinations for older gamers in search of bargains. Who can resist downloading old favorites for $10 or less? I, for one, was ecstatic when PS1 classics came to [...]
Further rumors surrounding Sony’s next console surfaced yesterday, when Edge released a report detailing aspects of the system’s specs and controller. According to the report the previously-leaked system specs are accurate, and the system will persistently record the most recent 15 minutes of gameplay, from which players can quickly post clips to the internet via [...]
It’s official, Bethesda has announced release dates for PS3 versions of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim DLC, and they’re all coming out this month. The latest pack, Dragonborn, releases first on February 12th. The smaller pack, Hearthfire, releases February 19. Lastly, the original DLC, Dawnguard, will follow on February 26th. Each title will be on sale at 50% off [...]
Media Molecule, the creators of LittleBigPlanet released a trailer for their new PS Vita IP Tearaway, that showcases the game’s Sogport location. If you’re unfamiliar with Tearaway, we recommend viewing the original announcement trailer here. The game takes place in a miniature paper world that you, the player, interacts with using godlike powers. These powers work through [...]
The Xbox One, transparency, and content ownership
Announcement of the Xbox One brought with it a multitude of reactions, many of them not positive. Complaints have ranged from the look of the console to the announcement’s lack of game-related content. Indeed, the presentation focused primarily on the Xbox One’s functionality as a multimedia device intent on changing the way we watch TV, [...]