Strategy Guide Reviews

A Strategy Guide for your Strategy Guides

Monday Gaming Diary: It’s Backlog Time, but I Get so Distracted

By Leave a Comment

3upi4pIt’s the summer, and I have that most-coveted reprieve in between game reviews. That means the time is ripe for getting through that horrid, horrid stack of shame. With Dragon Age Inquisition looming in early October, I have a supreme mission to finish up Dragon Age Origins before that time. I have my last save, and friends have said I’m somewhere between halfway and two-thirds of the way through. Obviously I’m going to need more time than I want to just get back into the groove, but this should be more than enough time, I would think.

I just have to actually sit down and do it.

Instead of restarting DAO last week, I instead spent gaming time replaying Murdered: Soul Suspect so I could find those last few collectibles I was missing to get a Platinum trophy. Since the final save doesn’t allow you to go back out into Salem (grrrrr), I had to start a whole new game. Fortunately, the collectible counter does not reset with a new game, so I didn’t need to play the entire game again. I had to play about half thanks to where some of these wayward collectibles were, but I didn’t have to do the last couple of levels again that I loathed because I’m so terrible at defeating demons in an efficient manner. But I did get the Platinum trophy in just a couple of days, which prompted me to dance around my office like I just won the lottery.

Over the weekend, I fully intended to play DAO, but it would have helped if I didn’t have Bravely Default downstairs on the couch. After putting the kids to bed, I played just a little bit of BD to wind down. Next thing I knew, it was three hours later and well past midnight. Somehow this happened every night. I have no idea how.

I feel a bit of the E3 haze lifting, so maybe I can get back on task this week. Do not let me go to Toys R Us and pick up my own copy of Skylanders SWAP Force for the PS4. I want to, but that is such a bad, bad idea. Dragon Age won’t play itself. Must stay focused. Must stay on target.

Monday Gaming Diary: The Games E3 Has Gotten Me Excited About

By Leave a Comment

I had an absolute blast at E3 to say the least. I was incredibly busy, and if you want to see most everything I saw at the show, my boss at Action Trip has compiled a nice list that I believe he is still updating as he adds more of my previews.

One thing that did happen at E3 that I did not expect was excitement about games I previously had zero interest in. A few I was able to either play at the show or see at an appointment, but even those I did not still had me pumped.

Sunset Overdrive

sunsetoverdrive_6

I’m a fan of Insomniac Games. While I never played any of the R&C games because, well, platforming, I greatly appreciate what Insomniac did with the franchise. I also loved the Resistance series and I was one of the few who loved Fuse. However, when they showed off Sunset Overdrive last E3, I was less than impressed. Oh yay, another zombie-apocalypse-like shooter that just has brighter colors. Another Resistance that has more than brown in it. Yeah, the Microsoft press conference showed me just how wrong my assumptions were.

Upon seeing the very first word effect in the trailer, I knew I had to have this game. I love it when a game incorporates this type of humor and is willing to make fun of itself. It may be another zombie-apocalypse game, but at least it’s one that has humor AND bright colors.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

acunity

I have sworn off Assassin’s Creed after my horrific experiences with both Revelations and Assassin’s Creed III. I couldn’t finish Revelations due to pure boredom, and my copy of AC3 was so broken, by the time they fixed it, I stopped caring. I didn’t even attempt Black Flag after I heard about all of the sailing, as I loathed that part the most in AC3. So yes, I was ready to be very against Unity prior to E3.

And then they announced co-op gameplay, bringing the multiplayer-style play that I originally wanted when they announced multiplayer for Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood.

Not to mention, all of the crowd elements that they’ve incorporated for you to use as you see fit…to use as a distraction or to complete side quests…it’s completely mind boggling and I must play it.

Just as I get out of AC entirely, they rein me back in! Curses!

Far Cry 4

I never played Far Cry 3, and I never really wanted to. I heard great things about it, but I was afraid it was more about stealth than anything, and I would of course masterfully fail. I knew a Far Cry 4 announcement was coming at E3, but I didn’t expect to have any interest in it at all. What did it? Well, two things: 1) co-op play and 2) the ability to ride elephants.

I love the idea of playing the game along with a friend to help with a mission, and wait, you can ride elephants to wreck shit? Oh sign me UP.

After playing the hands-on demo on the showroom floor, now I really want to play Far Cry 3. Not sure when I have time, but I’ll have to try to figure it out somehow in my schedule.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

cod-aw_advanced-world

Here’s another series I feel that has been played to DEATH over the course of several years. I haven’t been back to CoD since MW3, and I wasn’t planning on it anytime soon. Thanks to E3 pressers and my appointment with Activision, I see so much potential and, well, FUN. For the first time since probably CoD III, the focus appears to be back on the single-player campaign, which of course makes this story gamer really happy.

I’m a little nervous about the stealth-only portions they showed, but hey, BradyGames confirmed at E3 that they will publish a strategy guide for it. Hooray for stealth hand-holding! This chick needs it badly, like a wizard needs food.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Middle-Earth-Shadow-of-Mordor

An action-RPG that takes place in the world of LOTR? Snoozefest! No matter how many great news stories I read and had to write about, it took seeing it at the show to get me pumped up about it. I now see the potential that the game has and I’m eager to get my hands on it and see how many awful decisions I make.

The crux of the game lies in two places: 1) the decisions the player makes and 2) procedural generation. Everything is procedurally generated, and I mean everything. The NPCs, the bosses, the maps, it’s amazing how much different your game can be compared to someone else’s. During the demo, the presenters said they hadn’t even had the same demo all day long, and I saw it in the late afternoon, after several presentations. That’s insane.

On top of it all, you can play the game how you want to, whether it’s stealth, action, or a mix. It’s a fantasy RPG that should have my name written all over it. I just hope they don’t screw up Tolkien’s world too much, even though the game takes place centuries after Return of the King.

Monday Gaming Diary: Luigi Needs Anger Management Classes

By Leave a Comment

luigi-death-stare

No, you’re not hallucinating when you see the diary for this week is not by Keri. Keri is probably trying to calm down before she starts the madness that is E3. I’m sure she will have a blast and accomplish many great things, but that doesn’t diminish my envy. I am looking forward to an abundance of text messages about games I want to see, but enough about her!

I recently picked up Mario Kart 8. I mean, the Wii U receives so few titles that when something as hype as this is drops, it is almost an instant must buy. I was cautious and so I watched a few of the launch party streams on Twitch before I bought the game, which is becoming a new trend for me. I can honestly say, this is some of the most fun I have had in this series. It’s bright, it’s colorful, there is FINALLY a way to combat that friggin blue shell of epic frustration, and it is just a darn good time.

There is one thing about the game that is a bit disturbing, and that is the recent discovery that Luigi has some serious anger issues. Just jump on Twitter and search for #LuigiDeathStare and be prepared for loads of videos and memes revolving around the look that Luigi gives after he destroys someone with an item. It is almost freaky to see the fun loving plumber of my past sport a look that would scare the likes of Hannibal Lecter. I know it is the year of Luigi and all, but should Mario be concerned for his safety?

The fact that this is now a trend on social media proves a solid point. The point is that Mario Kart 8 is one game that has managed to numb some of the complaining and hate on the Internet and replaced it with excitement. It has been a long time since I’ve seen people have this much fun with a game, and it is a welcome change. Sure, us Wii U fans might be small in number, but we also have a blast with our games! Wait, is that my Wii U turning itself on? I MUST PLAY MORE!

Monday Gaming Diary: So, uh, Skylanders…

By Leave a Comment

Skylanders_year_of_the_dragon_pic

After watching my eldest play more Skylanders SWAP Force, I asked him if I could start my own game when he finished Sunday afternoon. That was a huge, HUGE mistake, as I now want Skylanders of my own. I don’t mean I want to collect my own toys, although yeah, I want my own of those too, as I like the dragons and he’s all about the silly-looking monsters. I’m actually considering picking up my own copy of the game for PlayStation 4, even though we can easily share one copy on the Wii U.

By having my own copy upstairs, I could, uh, get trophies (most important) and play whenever I want, not just when the big TV downstairs is free. Plus, we could share our Skylanders between one another, as I know we won’t have many of the same characters.

Okay, okay I admit I just want my own copy that isn’t on the Wii U because I’m selfish and I want those ridiculous trophies. And whenever he starts to play, I want to play as well. If I had my own copy, I could just go play. Or I could be the responsible and nice parent and sit with him and help him out whenever he needs it, as he does need it often.

It’s not as though I don’t have a ton of other things to play on all of my consoles already, last generation and new, so I probably shouldn’t look into a new game with toys just yet. Yet.

Right now I’m waiting on the delivery people to bring me two things so I can hammer out reviews before I run off to LA for E3: strategy guide for Watch_Dogs and a copy of Murdered: Soul Suspect. I’m still sadly dreading WD, even though I hear it is great. I’m beginning to think that open world games are just not for me after my dismal experience with Skyrim.

Must remember to keep an open mind. Don’t want to be another uneducated hater on the Internet.

Tuesday Gaming Diary: So the kid now has Skylanders…

By Leave a Comment

skylanders-swap-force-achievements-guide

My eldest son’s sixth birthday party was last weekend with all of his friends, but my in-laws really wanted a family party, so they invaded over the weekend while my parents were also in town to throw Gabe yet another birthday party. His real birthday hasn’t happened yet, I must add.

One of the gifts he received was Skylanders SWAP Force, a game he really wanted because well, Skylanders. I knew nothing about the game as I have avoided it entirely. He has friends who have the game, so naturally he has seen it and heard about it every now and then. Every time we’ve gone to Toys R Us to buy a birthday present for one of the thousands of parties we have to go to, he always asks to just go look at the Skyanders.

Now he has the game and three starter Skylanders. Since he can’t read yet, I had to help him start up the game, and I folded laundry while watching him play. He was having an absolute blast. One thing I’ll say about Skylanders over Disney Infinity is that the game allows and encourages players to swap out the Skylanders whenever you want. If you swap out characters playing Disney Infinity and you aren’t in the Toy Box mode, it shuts down what you’re playing and switches modes, since each character has their own play arena. For a little boy, that’s hard to stick to just one thing at a time, especially when you have other toys you want to play with.

While I watched him play, something disturbing happened to me. I started to want to play Skylanders SWAP Force too.

The game is brilliant in so many ways. There’s combat, exploration, and unlockable exploration that requires certain abilities or certain Skylanders, which of course forces you to buy more toys if you want to get through those area. It’s absolute genius.

I’m actually looking forward to watching him play tonight. He still hasn’t gotten the concept down that he needs to break things to earn more money, but I think this is the perfect game to teach him how to loot.

Oh and I played and finished Wolfenstein: The New Order over the weekend. But more on that later.

Top Posts & Pages