Video Games

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Forza Motorsport 6: Apex Review: Full-Course Caution

forza-motorsport-6-apex-bannerWith the nearly forced conversion of Windows 7 and 8 users to Windows 10 earlier this year, Microsoft also announced their Xbox Play Anywhere program that promises all Microsoft published Xbox One titles will be available on PC via Windows 10 and the Microsoft Store. Given some teething problems with games through the Microsoft Store and the Universal Windows App (UWP) format, no one would fault you for being concerned.

The first experience that I’ve had as a result of Microsoft’s push of Windows 10 as a gaming platform is Forza Motorsport 6: Apex. Unlike the upcoming Forza Horizon 3, this isn’t a full release of Forza 6 on PC but rather a jumped up tech demo. While Forza 6 is a decent experience and certainly worthy of the Forza franchises comparisons to PlayStation’s Gran Turismo series, I can’t help but think that Apex is a little lacking.

Continue reading →

Advertisement
Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Doom Review: Back to Basics

doom-bannerReboots are a tricky thing in entertainment. I’ve talked about this previously with Tomb Raider’s reboot. You want to do something fresh while retaining the spirit of the original. Something familiar without feeling like a retread of what people have already seen or played and loved. Doom 4’s lengthy start-stop development cycle saw the game lose the number at the end and have work scraped and started from scratch.

The end result is a fantastic reintroduction of the classic FPS franchise to the modern generation. It finds the right balance between new and modern gameplay with the classic mechanics and spirit of the 1993 original.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Battlefield 1 Open Beta Impressions: Back to the Future

battlefield-1-bannerThe fifth entry in the main Battlefield franchise and the thirteenth full game with the Battlefield name is the World War I themed Battlefield 1. While the name is confusing, DICE is moving forward with the franchise by going back in time and using lessons from Battlefront and Battlefield 4 & Hardline to improve their latest effort.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Digital Homicide Suing Steam Users, Considering Suing Valve after Valve Pulls Games from Steam

digital-homicide-logoTwo-man indie developer Digital Homicide has made more news and gained more notoriety from their response to criticism than from their games themselves. Despite having nearly two dozen games on Steam, they are perhaps best known for representing themselves in a lawsuit against critic Jim Sterling for $15 million in damages related to his reviews and first impressions videos of their games.

Now, Digital Homicide is taking their legal game to the next level. The developer is now in the early stages of filing lawsuits against 100 Steam users for $18 million and is considering taking legal action against Valve itself.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Overwatch Review: Heroes Never Die

overwatch-beta-headerIt’s been three months since Overwatch was released. Most reviews of the game dropped within a week of release which was before the game’s competitive mode was added to the game in June and even one balance change or patch was made. While I put in a lot of time into Overwatch in its early days, I felt that the game needed some time to breathe to see how enjoyable the game would be once the competitive mode was added, players had more experience, more weekly brawls were shown off and Blizzard added some additional content.

There was certainly a chance that the early buzz for Overwatch could have given way to numerous issues and complaints once the mass audience got a hold of it. Fortunately, Overwatch has largely lived up to the hype.

Continue reading →

1 Comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Batman – Episode 1 Review: My Parents Are Dead

batman-episode-one-headerThe latest in Telltale’s ongoing series of series based on licensed property is one that has a lot of fans excited. Even with the critical flops that were Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Knight on PC, Batman video games certainly generate quite a bit of buzz. Telltale’s take on Batman is very familiar to Telltale Games regulars but is a new take for Batman gamers as it puts as much an emphasis on Batman as it does Bruce Wayne.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops – Mission Pack 2 Impressions: Remember

starcraft-2-nova-covert-ops-bannerWhen you look at characters that would have interesting stories that continue on from StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, I wouldn’t have considered Nova among them. The likes of Zagara or Alarak who played bit parts in the various SC2 expansions could have interesting stories following the Into The Void missions based on LOTV and the epilogue. However, Blizzard got off on the right foot with the first mission pack of Nova Covert Ops. The second mission pack is a bit of a miss, though.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Death Road to Canada Review: Road Trippin’

death-road-to-canada-bannerI have this worrying feeling that Et Geekera’s favourite games of 2016 list might be truncated this year. We’ve crossed the seven-month mark of 2016 and the only games that have secured a spot on the list are Uncharted 4 and Overwatch. Just when things were starting to look dire, zombies came back into my life. While Death Road To Canada might not look like a game that will make many year-end lists, the little pixel art roguelike zombie game has certainly earned a spot on the shortlist for our best of 2016.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

The Cost of Video Game Fashion (Infographic)

Sure, cosplay is a popular hobby that spawned a short-lived TV series and has created some odd celebrity culture around it (and I say that as someone who owns some YouTuber merch). You can spend as much or as little as you want to dress up as your favourite video game character but going all out for some characters will cost a little more than others. Sure, you can a t-shirt that looks like Master Chief’s armor (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but if you want proper armor, that’ll cost you a not insignificant chunk of change. How much? Our friends at Sunglass Warehouse have crunched the numbers of how much it would cost to really be your favourite game heroes.

Continue reading →

Leave a comment Posted on by Steve Murray Video Games

Inside Review: Still Alive

inside-bannerI’ve never played it but Limbo is considered one of the biggest games in indie gaming. It released in 2010 to critical acclaim for its atmosphere and art style and was part of the rise of indie gaming that saw the likes of Minecraft, Braid, Bastion, Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac, among others, become critical and commercial hits.

It’s taken six years for developer Playdead to produce their second game, Inside. The spiritual successor to Limbo seems to be worth the wait as critics have universally lauded the game, even in comparison to Playdead’s previous effort. However, I don’t think it’s the 10/10 effort that most critics say that it is.

Continue reading →