This Week in Games - 9/21

Ugh. Long week working a convention means that I didn't have much time to keep up with gaming news. A few interesting items this week, though.

FTL: Faster Than Light released this week to near universal applause. I may have to get this one soon. Or sooner than soon. I may be downloading it right now...

This, this here actually sounds like a great concept. I really hope the modding community latches onto it. Anyone remember playing CounterStrike and Day of Defeat in Dorchester?

There is a new Humble Indie Bundle out this week. If you're not familiar with this deal, it's basically a package of 5-6 well-regarded indie games available for a price of your choosing. You can even choose how much of the money goes to the developers and how much to charity. Hard to find a better bang for your buck.

This Week In Games - 9/14



Please drop what you're doing and play this right now.
NOW.

I finished up Driver: San Francisco. A short game, but fun all the way through. One of my favorites of the year. I also picked up the latest Mortal Kombat, which is a total hoot, and am still enjoying the lovely Sine Mora.

Slow news week this week. Although I will say, when Ben Kuchera tells you that Mark of the Ninja is not optional, he isn't kidding. Download that demo right now.

This is pretty hilarious. Is this a regular bit? I might actually start watching Conan now.

Your weekly dose of nostalgia. Makes me want to dust off my trusty Maverick.

Driver: San Francisco

I'm several hours into Driver: San Francisco, and it is a weird, wild, and off-beat little game. It's also an incredible amount of fun.

The original Driver was way ahead of its time, and was one of my absolute favorite games on the original PlayStation. Two years before Grand Theft Auto III revolutionized open-world gaming, Driver gave you a wide-open city (four, in fact) to just cruise around in as stuntman-turned-undercover officer John Tanner, picking up missions at will or just seeing how long you could evade the police. That seems old hat now, but in 1999 it was a revelation. It also had an incredible "Film Director" mode, that allowed you to record your car chases from different angles and even edit clips together. I don't remember seeing a feature like that on consoles again until Halo 3. Like I said, ahead of its time. Subsequent entries in the series didn't fare quite as well, aping the more complex GTA series with some ill-advised on-foot sequences, but the original still shines like a beacon in my memory.

This Week in Games - 9/7

Sine Mora

I wrapped up Transformers: Fall of Cybertron this week. I may or may not write about it. Bottom line: on a technical, graphical, gameplay level, it made big improvements...but the story left something to be desired. I am enjoying the multiplayer, though. Driver: San Francisco is my next game, and I have already started writing a post about it; expect that very soon. I also picked up Sine Mora on the Xbox Live Deal of the Week. It is a gorgeous game, in more ways than one, and you should get it while it's still on sale.

I was afraid to love again, but I find myself getting more and more excited for Halo 4. I especially have high hopes for the Spartan Ops episodic co-op mode. I mean, look at this trailer. GAZE UPON IT AND BE AMAZED. But for maximum enjoyment, I'm gonna need a regular crew to roll with. I know Joseph P. Buzzkillington will have my back. Anybody else interested, shoot me a message.

The ongoing DRM wars enter an interesting new chapter.

I really have to get my ass to PAX one of these days.

See below for AWESOME.

This Week in Games - 8/31

I kind of want this. How tight do you think security is at Nintendo World Store?

A hilarously educational Reddit thread on suspensions for offensive names and language in Guild Wars 2. Because watching the banhammer fall is always, always entertaining. Plus I love companies that emphasize transparency and communication with their customers.

This article is just great.

First, this harsh critique of ads on Xbox Live. Then, another body blow about their unasked for "political coverage" on the dashboard. Now, this blistering comparison to PlayStation Plus. I'm beginning to feel less and less pleased about giving Microsoft my money.