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The Corner of Randomness: My Favorite Gaming Experience for 2014

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So much fun!

So much fun!

I’ve had a lot of gaming experiences this year. Just thinking back, with the PC/PS3/PS4 versions of Diablo 3, I can’t even begin to count the hours of time I have sunk into that game. I’m currently racing around in both The Crew and Mario Kart 8 thanks to the new Hyrule DLC! There there are the countless hours I have sunk into RPGs like Dark Souls 2 and Tales of Xillia 2. 2014, you have been such a great year to for me.

Thinking back on it, I’ve had a good amount of gaming experiences. Yet, there is one that I still look back on and laugh, and that is when I was playing TowerFall Ascension. For those that might not know it, Keri and I joined Blake and Ross for a few rounds of this game during our Extra Life event. Maybe it was because we were exhausted. Maybe it was all the junk food coursing through my veins. Whatever it was, I have not laughed so much in such a short period of time. You know, maybe it was actually because we were all sitting around the television, controllers in our hands, doing battle and talking smack. It was almost like being a kid again and fighting with my best friend in Super Street Fighter II Turbo.

While I have visited a good amount of digital worlds, nothing makes me smile like that morning with the four of us. It makes me wonder what 2015 will bring. There are plenty of games on the horizon that I am excited for, but what will give me that one memorable experience that I’ll most likely take to my grave. Which will make me look back in a few years, smile, and be thankful that I got to enjoy that moment? Only time will tell, but I’m pretty sure that moment will be complemented by good friends.

What about you? What was that one video game experience that made 2014 a great year for you?

The Corner of Randomness: The Always Online Conundrum

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DAMN IT!

DAMN IT!

There is a lot of stink over games requiring an always online connection. My first real experience with this issue was with Diablo 3 on the PC. When I first heard that this game was going to require me to be constantly connected to the Internet, I hated the idea. It felt dirty to me. I thought about the places I have lived throughout my life and realized that some of those places still don’t have a broadband connection. To play Diablo 3 under those circumstances would mean I’d just have to stare at the title screen and cry.

However, I am lucky. Since my college days, I’ve always had a broadband connection. Even when I lived in a tiny town in Missouri, I had access to DSL. Sure, DSL isn’t exactly great, but it’s a heck of a lot better than dial-up. This means that the always online requirement for games would be, somewhat, a non-issue.

This brings me to today. More and more games are starting to require a connection to the Internet. While it still sucks, like this past weekend when the PSN went down and I couldn’t play Destiny, The Crew, or even Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn on my PS4, there are still plenty of upsides to this requirement. For example, in Diablo 3, my friends and I could easily jump into each other’s gamers. It was effortless. It was fun. It almost felt like a LAN party, minus all the smack talk and PC hijinks.

This past weekend, I found myself loving the always online deal. While playing The Crew, I was able to easily help other racers out, just as they were able to help me out when I asked. My friends and I jumped into a few games of Destiny thanks to this requirement. It was fun. It was effortless. It consumed, and still consumes, countless hours of my life. While connection issues still need some work as a whole, I’m finding the games I enjoy the most are those that make me stay connected to the Internet, yet provide me a great experience for having to deal with this headache.

Sure, we can hate always online games, but they are getting better. Internet connections continue to improve. Video game developers continue to make it worthwhile to be online. Love it or hate it, this is most likely where games are headed, and I can say I’ve changed my stance on it. I love the advantages it provides. It’s been enjoyable. Sure, I’ve had some days where I couldn’t play a specific game or two, such as this past Sunday, but those time are rare when I can go months without issue. Dare I say it, but I hope something like the next Assassin’s Creed or Grand Theft Auto requires me to be online so that I might wreak havoc in my friends games…cuz I am a saint like that.

The Corner of Randomness: 20 Years of PlayStation Greatness

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I still love you!

I still love you!

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the PlayStation, and boy do I remember it fondly. Sony was a newcomer to the console market. Super Nintendo was the dominating console in my home, seconded by the NES, and the lowly Sega Genesis just sat there and collected dust. This new PlayStation thingy had promise, but it was $300 at launch and my meager bus boy job did not allow me to buy this console right away. However, I saved like a boss and three months after its launch, I acquired this mythical new console…from Funcoland. Yeah…let that sink in for just a moment.

Over the past 20 years—God I feel old now—I have played countless games on the Sony platform. I raced an obscene amount of hours in Destruction Derby. Crash Bandicoot filled me with glee. There was also that first moment I jumped into the original Tomb Raider and felt completely blown away and awe struck. Oh, and let’s not forget that I would race home from school, throw any homework I had to do on the floor, and jumped into Final Fantasy VII. Finally, there was the original dual shock controller, which became a necessity for playing Gran Tourismo.

I have so much love for the PlayStation. It ushered in a new era of gaming when some of us thought that cartridge games were the only way to go. The analog stick was a revolution when it came to home consoles. The music was no longer chip tunes, but full blown CD quality orchestral greatness. The cinematic cutscenes for games drew me in as though I were watching something only the Lawnmower Man could come up with. I was able to just take a small memory card to a friend’s house to show off my kick-ass Tekken skillz…with a z for emphasis on my greatness. We finally saw arcade quality games coming to our obscenely large CRT televisions planted in the living room at home. It was nothing short of epic, and immensely exciting.

Like all things technology, the PSX would soon become a retro console, replaced by the PS2, then the PS3, and now the PS4. All of these consoles have provided me great memories, but the PSOne was the first console to pry me away from my beloved SNES, which was no easy task. While it now feels like new consoles are just an evolution opposed to a revolution, twenty years ago it felt like games just leaped forward into some fabled future and we had no idea where that future would take us. With that, I raise my beer to you PlayStation. Thank you for the countless memories and god knows how many lost hours of traversing the virtual worlds you have provided me!

The Corner of Randomness: The Holiday Season Rush

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Time to make a sandwich.

Time to make a sandwich.

Ah the holiday season. This is that glorious time that we see heaps of games dropping, massive Steam sales (I’m sorry bank account), and countless hours sunk into completing those random games on our stacks of shame. Of course this is only complicated by all the holiday parties and potlucks that force us to take naps in the middle of the day. It’s a glorious time, yet stressful as well.

I figured with much of us in the U.S. taking time on Thursday and Friday to gorge ourselves on food and gaming, I’d share some of what I’m most looking forward to during this crazy season. I mean let’s face it, between now and December 31, it’s not like we will really be focusing on work. Sure, we might pretend to work, but really we are all just slacking off and trying to make it to the next paid holiday day off. At least, that is what I always did!

Right after the Thanksgiving break, I plan to pick up Assassin’s Creed: Unity. Keri speaks so highly of it, and I have always enjoyed the series. I’m upset at myself that I haven’t snagged this title yet. I also plan to try and beat Pokémon Alpha Sapphire over Thanksgiving. I gotta admit, a remake of the original Pokémon that got me hooked is definitely pulling at my heart strings.  Let’s not forget that Smash Bros. WiiU also came out, and I have a lot of work to put in before I feel comfortable getting my butt handed to me online. Finally, I have countless hours to sink into Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. I mean, my white mage isn’t going to level himself!

I have so much to do, and I so look forward to tackling it all. That brings me to you. What are you most looking forward to playing over the holiday rush? Do you plan to tackle that immense stack of shame, or will you dive into some new games. I know this, plenty of egg nog and pumpkin pie will be consumed while I tackle this massive list of gaming happiness!

Introduction to the Corner of Randomness

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Let me introduce you to the Corner of Randomness. This is a free flowing column where I’ll write about random things relating to video games. Some days I might highlight a fun Twitch streamer, where other times I might just babble on about a game I’m looking forward to. The end result is to have a place where I celebrate all things video gaming. I mean, with everything going on in this industry, we could all use a place to come and just enjoy some good vibes. I can’t think of a better way to start this column than with the death of my beloved hardcore wizard in Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls.

For those that might not know, Keri and I are Diabros that are bound together by our Zelda tattoos. During our Extra Life event, we decided to see how far we could make it with some fresh hardcore characters in Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls. We did this in our sleep deprived states thinking it would make the game harder. Sadly, this was not the case.

In fact, Keri and I have both played so much Diablo 3 that we pretty much went on autopilot during our early levels. When she would start to blink overly long, I’d clear the screen of monsters and pull her to our objective. We carried on like this until we bested the Skeleton King, at which point we just called it a day and went to play TowerFall Ascension with Blake and Ross.

Since that time, I’ve played my little wizard that could. I slowly, and carefully, worked my way through the various Acts. I never thought I’d make it past Diablo, but I sent him back to the hell he came from. I started to get cocky, and thus brought my downfall.

You see, my hardcore wizard prematurely met his end. I was oh so close to finally getting to Malthael. I was half a level from 50. I was so close to finally getting those achievements when tragedy struck. I had just decimated some enemies that explode on death. I was, like a fool, standing in the blast radius. Before I could get out, I was then frozen in place by some jerk demons. I could do nothing but sit and watch my health bar drop to zero. I held onto hope for a brief second, but the finality of it reared its harsh and brutal face. My Extra Life wizard was no more.

Why you so mean?

Why you so mean?

I immediately messaged Keri to let her know of this tragedy. I shed a tear. I ate chocolate to console my broken heart. I still can’t believe he is dead. All those memories we made. Yet, like the Diablo 3 addict I am, I will make a new hardcore character and attempt to finally beat the game. I will get that level 70 achievement. That game is like a drug that I just can’t quit. What is that Cain, you have a story you need me to listen to? I’ll be right there.

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