Gaming

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“Gemini Rue”

We Are More Than Memories

GeminiRue_wallpaper_1920x1200 Ex-assassin Azriel Odin – who has been working with the police to counter organized crime – lands on the mafia-controled planet of Barracus to meet a friend from ten years ago – and his own brother – who now hope to defect to the police.

Meanwhile, a young man called Delta-Six wakes in a forbidding facility  with no memory. He’s told that his memory was wiped after an escape attempt, and that if he cooperates with certain “tests” he’ll be released.

What can I say? This game’s premise grabbed me from the start, and with the gameplay, puzzles, characters, story, and ending, it delivered an experience that still has me in “game-hang-over.” Continue reading →

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Vote DESTINY 2016!

With the clock counting down to the U.S. election, many are in a tizzy over who to vote for in November.

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The post apocalypse: when most problems can be solved with a bigger gun. Or a rocket launcher.

Not me. I’ve got my ticket – right down to what cabinet assignments I’d make. So, without further ado, here’s the presidential ticket we need to put America back on track: Continue reading →

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Top 5 Namesakes

Five Reused Names

The Top Ten Tuesday subject for today is “Ten Characters I’d Name A Child/Dog/Cat/Car/Etc. After”. Fictional characters frequently have cool or memorable names, don’t you think? I’ve only been able to think of five examples of fictional namesakes – and yet it’s curious how many names we’ve snitched over the years.

1. On April 27, 2006, I created a ranger character for a D&D campaign my dad was game-mastering. I named this character “Elwin“, after Elwin Ransom in C.S. Lewis’s space trilogy. Continue reading →

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All About Audio #TopTenTuesday

I don’t know about you, but I like to listen to music while I write, and frequently the words or mood of a song will inspire a story or connect to one of my stories in a special way.
For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday post I’ve chosen to share ten examples of the music that has spoken to me the most.

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Image credit: Amazon

1. “Glory to God” – Matthew Ward, Armed and Dangerous
This song begins with a lilting descent that ends on a trill, a fascinating draft that repeats (with musical variation) for the opening chorus — this sequence is one of White Mesa’s recognition signals 😉.

Paired with this energetic yet flowery melody, the lyrics are a beautiful prayer for praising God. Continue reading →

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Loom

250px-LOOM_Cover_Art In Loom, we take on the role of Bobbin Threadbare, an inexperienced member of the Guild of Weavers, who must quickly master the magical arts of the Weavers to travel the lands of the Guilds and battle Chaos.

While the gameplay is pretty simplistic and the humor child-friendly, Loom provides genuine entertainment for the undemanding fantasy fan. Continue reading →

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Surprise, Don’t Tell: Half-life vs. Halo

It’s Not What’s Said, But What’s Not Said

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Image credit: es.Valve.wiki.com

There are different ways of “telling” someone something, and there are different ways of “showing” someone something. Don’t think that just because video games are largely visual experiences – rather than text – doesn’t mean they’re not “telling” (or, violently shoving information on the audience). Continue reading →

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Hint, Don’t Tell: Half-life 2

How It’s Done

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Photo credit: PC.gamespy.com

“Show, don’t tell.” We’ve all heard it. But applying it is something else, especially when there are different ways of showing and different ways of telling. I’d like to focus on one example of some first-rate “experience-giving” vs. “info-dumping”: Half-life 2. Continue reading →

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“Ghost Trick”

Make Unforgettable Friends

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Identity crisis. Powers of the dead. Time-warping, mind-hopping fun.

Ghost Trick is a puzzle game developed by CapCom, and available for the Nintendo DS and iOS. With a smooth, touch-screen-oriented interface, challenging yet rewarding puzzles, and an enthralling storyline, it offers hours of rewarding entertainment. Continue reading →

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“Beneath a Steel Sky”

Beneath_a_Steel_Sky_Coverart “Beneath a Steel Sky” is a science-fiction puzzle game created by Revolution Software and Virgin Interactive. On launching the game, a five-minute intro cinematic (played in a comic-book style) introduces us to our protagonist and the character whose persona we will be adopting: Robert Foster. Although I found the game absorbing and funny, I cannot offer a recommendation without certain caveats. I’ll cover those first, and move on to my take on the gameplay, before touching on the storyline. Continue reading →