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Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Campaign Review – Style *and* Substance

I think it’s fair to say that the Call of Duty games are something of a divisive element in the Gaming community nowadays. For some, the annual installment of Activision’s First Person Shooter – by whatever Developer – represents the very pinnacle of Gaming, what with their huge budgets, A-list casts and frenetic, non-stop action; and they are, as sales figures would strongly suggest, pounced upon by plenty of Gamers who can’t wait to test themselves in the Alpha, ubertwitch-ey arena of the world’s most pre-eminent Shooter. For others, however, they represent something close to an annual nadir – and for pretty much the same exact reasons – and for these people, CoD games are to be avoided like the plague; becoming something akin to a symbol of everything that’s wrong with the Gaming Industry.

There are yet others though, who kinda see both sides, indeed sometimes fluctuate between the two opposing viewpoints, but who will neither commit to – nor rule out – picking up a given installment a priori; choosing instead to see how shit plays out and whatnot. Continue reading “Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Campaign Review – Style *and* Substance” →

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Christmas and Gaming

Yay, it’s finally December, and my (self-imposed) rules now allow me to get my Christmas freak on, so today will be a veritable feast of yuletide-y yuletideness, up to and including this here blog. And, actually, especially this blog – because, as I’m about to explain, for me, Christmas and games are, in many ways, inseparably linked to each other. Ordinarily, I tend to keep my general geekery reasonably well hidden, and I definitely try to tone down how much I bang on about games, but given I set this place up for exactly those things – I’ma go to fucking town with that shizzle. And because it’s December, I also get to let all the stored-up Christmas stuff spill from my brains too, so basically – hashtag: winning.

Anyways, without further ado, here are my thoughts on Christmas and Gaming….. Continue reading “Christmas and Gaming” →

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Batman Arkham VR Review

I already gave a brief rundown of Batman Arkham VR in my overall review of PlayStation VR, but I think it’s actually deserving of a full review in its own right. Mostly because it’s pretty freakin’ awesome as a VR experience, but also because I really want VR to succeed, so I’ma go ahead and bang on about VR games as much as I possibly can.

Anyways, if you did read my PlayStation VR Review, you’ll already know that actually ‘being the freakin’ Batman’ was something of a highpoint for me, so, like, let’s start with that, shall we!? Continue reading “Batman Arkham VR Review” →

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PlayStation VR Review

I’ve been stupidly excited about VR for pretty much my entire life, and I distinctly remember seeing (a reeeeeaaaally early) version of it on ‘Tomorrow’s World’ way back when my Master System was busy Gateway Drugging me as a young ‘un. More recently, since rumours/promises of a PlayStation version began to circulate, and especially since I tried a few VR demos last year, I’ve been whipped into something of frenzy by the thought of strapping on a big ol’ headset and VR-ing the shit out of stuff (or whatever the correct verb is).

That, right there, is a lot of expectation (it makes the wait/anticipation for even The Last Guardian seem minor in comparison) and it’d be perfectly understandable if (Virtual) Reality didn’t match up to that Expectation given VR’s long road to fruition. Moreover, because we’re spoilt by the general awesomeness of technology nowadays, and because we’re now used to superb gaming experiences, there was always going to be the possibility that anything short of the Star Trek: TNG holodeck might be considered decidedly underwhelming. Continue reading “PlayStation VR Review” →

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Thinking Aloud: Should I stay or should I Pro?

I’ll shortly be heading to New York, New York (start spreading the news, etc, etc) – and in one of those (if my girlfriend should ask) *totes* accidental twists of fate, my time there will coincide exactly with the release of Sony’s PS4 Pro. Honestly, the timing couldn’t be better (almost like I’d planned it, making up some bullshit reason like ‘I’ve heard Central Park looks spectacular in the Fall….but only if you’re there in whatever week includes the 10th of November!’) and – availability permitting – I’d be overjoyed to get my stubby mits on Sony’s upgraded PlayStation. That said however, I’m currently wrestling with one of them internal dilemma whatsits that people (with generally more self-control than I) have when they’re deciding whether they really need to spend a chunk of cash on something-or-other. Continue reading “Thinking Aloud: Should I stay or should I Pro?” →

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Battlefield 1 Campaign Review: A Surprisingly Substantial and Solid Effort!

Back when it was revealed that the next installment of EA/Dice’s ever-popular shooter series would actually be set in the First World War, a few people – myself included – found themselves somewhere between intrigued and sceptical. On the one hand, The Great War provides ample Narrative opportunity (see the really rather excellent Valiant Hearts, for example), but on the other, given the conflict was most famously characterised by Trench Warfare, it seemed to many that this facet might prove difficult to reconcile with the large, sprawling theatres of war that have become the trademark of the Battlefield series. Likewise, as most First Person Shooters seem Hell bent on disappearing into the distant future (in order to give players an interesting(/increasingly daft) arsenal of futuristic weapons and gizmos), Dice’s decision to leap backwards a century – to a time when even electricity was relatively novel – seemed somewhat anathema, and possibly even quite risky. Continue reading “Battlefield 1 Campaign Review: A Surprisingly Substantial and Solid Effort!” →

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Nintendo Switch Reveal – Initial Reactions (and a cynical note of caution)

If you’re one of the two people who haven’t seen it yet, below is the “reveal” video for the Nintendo Switch, the new official name for what was previously known only as the NX.

 

 

Now, because everybody else has weighed in on it, I thought I’d go ahead and share my own thoughts on it too. I know you didn’t ask for ’em, but them’s the breaks, innit!?

First off, I think it’s fair to say that I’m both intrigued and excited – and that’s really not a bad note for a reveal to hit. Continue reading “Nintendo Switch Reveal – Initial Reactions (and a cynical note of caution)” →

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What I Learned from My 24 Hour Gaming Marathon

By Richard Keech

 

Recently, for reasons I won’t go into just now, I got involved with the Macmillan Cancer Support – Game Changers events. For those of you who may be less aware of the charity or the event, it’s quite straightforward. Macmillan is a charity that work hard on supporting individuals (and their families) who have been diagnosed with, are receiving treatment for, or are recovering from cancer. “Game Changers” is one of Macmillan’s fund raising schemes – people pledge to host or join a 24 hour gaming event and ask friends, family or total strangers to donate money to the charity in the name of you and your event.

I learned quite a lot from the experience and hope to pass on some of that wisdom to you – fair reader – in the hope that you may feel inspired to do the same; feel better prepared for what to expect from taking part in such an event; and maybe make an even better job of it than I did. Continue reading “What I Learned from My 24 Hour Gaming Marathon” →

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Blogger Recognition Award

Don’t Even Think About It, Kanye……

Right away, I’d like to thank Anidaan over at The Moral of the Story both for the nomination, and for the exceptionally kind words that came with it. If you haven’t already, you should totes check the place out, because it’s quite impressive. As somebody who constantly analyses and dissects narratives anyway, I was immediately taken with Anidaan’s ability to do it with Video Games (and other stuff too), and it’s always interesting reading what he took from a particular experience. Sometimes it’ll be something that I missed entirely and his insights, and his skill in delivering them, are always rewarding to read. Continue reading “Blogger Recognition Award” →

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