Category: game/play

This is probably going to consist mostly of me whinging about whatever rpg’s Im currently running, playing in or planning to run. Though conceptually its meant to cover all aspects of gaming which I indulge in. So we’ll see how it goes.

RPG Blues

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Hmm blog software seems to have gone a bit wonky. Ive re-installed it from a backup and so far it seems to be running ok. But if you notice it fucking up please let me know.

Its been almost a year since I last ran or played in an rpg. And for some reason I just cant seem to get myself interested in playing/running on again. On one level I really want to and random ideas for games to run keep getting kicked around the old noggin; but on another level none of these ideas never seem to go anywhere. And all for the same reason, lack of enthusiasm. When I come up with the idea I think its cool but then the amount of hassle involved in getting it into even a semi-playable form just kills my interest. I suppose I wouldnt mind playing in a game, even one of the more “modern” games which require a larger amount of player input. Continue reading…

Heavy Rain – Umbrellas & Origami

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Basically no-one in Heavy Rain uses an umbrella, even though, as its title suggests, its raining all the fucking time. Though thats not really particularly important, on the other hand Heavy Rain may be. It’s a flagship title that doesnt fall into an easily labelled box. Depending on how it does it could even be taken as an example of how computer games are growing as an entertainment medium. Continue reading…

Bioshock 2 – The Sophmore Slump

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If I were to sum up Bioshock 2 in one word that word would be disappointment. In many ways I feel that this is a game that shouldnt have been made. Bioshock was entirely complete as is. It had a story to tell and a world to tell it in and it conveyed the story and the world to the player through an excellent mixture of graphic spectacle, engaging storytelling and enjoyable gameplay. Needless to say I really enjoyed Bioshock.
Continue reading…

Mass Effect 2 – The difference between good and great

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I really enjoyed Mass Effect 1, unlike Jade Empire it actually managed to live up to they hype. While it did have some technical and gameplay issues (texture pop-in, terrible inventory system and those fucking elevators) it was still a great game. In particular I liked the world it was set in. The story itself was also pretty enjoyable and well constructed. So needless to say I was looking forward to Mass Effect 2 quite a bit. Continue reading…

Don’t look so frightened, this is just a passing phase

Michael Leave a comment

APOC1 – Book 2 – Entry XX – Culled from the apocrypha left by one of the early splinter cults which practiced a debased version of the widespread worship of “Mick”. Recovered from the outlands of Gundalk, one of the areas worst hit by the Fall in 07. The widely meandering and rapidly changing subject and tone is clear evidence of their mental degeneration – within a few (unwieldy) paragraphs it examines the supposed life of Mick, his feelings of existential angst, plans for the future, spirituality and questionable emotional stability. It then veers wildly into a strange discussion of “cosplay” before petering out in a tedious history of his infatuation with fighting games and an alleged round up of the various media products this fabled “Mick” engaged with – barely worth reading as anything other than a historical curiosity Continue reading…

Around the noble god are borrowed things

Michael Leave a comment

To quote myself:

“I also think I shall unleash some rating fury on the tried and tested one to five scale (1=crap 2=average 3=good 4=excellent 5=”perfect”). I suppose I should come up with some kind of unit for these as well, but I’ll hold of on that for the moment and go with stars. I would also like to point out in advance that the reason so many of these ratings are so high is that I usually research what I’m downloading/buying and try to weed out the shite in advance.”

Also, because I love you so (and certainly not because I’m an anal retentive with too much spare time), the titles of all the items below are linked to further (and almost certainly more objective) sources of information about the item in question. Continue reading…