[Gaming on a Budget] The Kingdom of Loathing, Where an Adventurer is You

Kingdom of Loathing is a turn-based role-playing game created by Asymmetric Publications.  The premise of the game is simple enough: you're an adventurer traveling through the magical Kingdom of Loathing in search of wealth (in this case piles of meat), power, and fame.  How you accomplish this goal depends on which class you select upon character creation. The six character classes (described on the website as "intoxicating and intoxicated") are the Turtle Tamer, Seal Clubber, Pastamancer, Sauceror, Disco Bandit, and Acordian Thief.  If you haven't realized this already, the Kingdom of Loathing does not take itself very seriously. As in most RPGs, the Kingdom of Loathing also makes use of an ability score...

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[Gaming On a Budget] Slender

After taking another hiatus from my journalistic pursuits (to continue all that romancing and Great American novel writing I told you all so much about in my last post), I've decided to come back and write another article for our "Gaming On a Budget" section.  Since I figure the six-member audience this blog has is comprised mostly of college students, graduate students, and post-college/graduate students, the amount of money in our collective pockets probably isn't enough to buy the latest and greatest video game that just hit the market.  I just want to point out now that I do not consider Madden NFL 13 to be the latest and greatest video game.  Anyway, let's get the meat of the article. Image Courtesy of Gameranx Slender...

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[Gamer's Review] The Sims 3

Oh yeah. You read that correctly. I played the Sims. And what's more - I enjoyed it. I recently had the opportunity to interview with EA: Salt Lake, so I decided to prepare for the interview process by diving into a game I’m only somewhat familiar with – The Sims 3. The Sims franchise focuses on the lives of simulated people as the go about their day-to-day activists. You, the player, effectively act as a deity that can control their actions and alter their world. As a side note: I've only played the game with NO additional expansions or "stuff" packs. The Sims 3 cover art - www.wikipedia.org Character creation screen | video.agaclip.com In the Sims 3, there is a lot you can do. When you start the game, you first have to create...

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[Gamer’s Review] Portal 2

Hey readers. I know it’s been a while but I’m back with an exciting article on a game I recently got to play for the first time: Portal 2.   Image courtesy of usatoday.net Chell with the Portal Gun | portalgame.wikia.com In case you haven’t played Valve’s innovative title or its predecessor, the Portal series focuses on you (playing the role of Chell, the mute protagonist) in a test facility ran by Aperture Science. In the first game, you are awakened from stasis to complete tests in order to receive the ultimate prize: CAKE! I know, cake doesn’t sound like a great prize… but supposedly it’s very delicious cake!  The title is mainly a puzzle game designed in the manner of First-Person Shooter, but unlike other...

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[Gaming On a Budget] Strike Force Heroes

It's been awhile since I last sat down and wrote an article.  While I'd love to say it was because I've been spending most of my time working, romancing my girlfriend, writing the next Great American Novel, or spending quality time with friends and family, it's really not.  Not that I haven't been doing that (because I totally have, ask anyone), it's mostly because the semester ended and I was tired of doing anything related to journalism and also because I'm lazy. Mostly because I'm lazy. But then today while I was trying to avoid writing with all of my considerable might and willpower I came across a gem of a game: Strike Force Heroes. Even the loading screen is pure awesome. | Armorgames.com I saw the game on NotDoppler...

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[Re-Play] The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX

Before Inception, there was The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. Don't know what that means? You probably haven't played it. And if you have and still don't get it... listen to some Notorious B.I.G. for the big reveal! Growing up, Zelda games were some of my favorites. I didn’t get into handheld gaming until the Gameboy Color was released. I'm not counting GameGear, because all I did on that was die as Sonic in one of his portable editions. Oh, and that Tom & Jerry game...  If I recall correctly, when I finally got into GameBoy, I played two games: Pokémon: Blue Version (my brother had Red) and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX. When I wasn’t thwarting Team Rocket’s plans, I was on Koholint Island exploring its mysteries and...

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Rockstar Games Social Club

I came across Rockstar Games Social Club during the course of my classwork today. I decided to just briefly look over it and assess its importance in social media. Social Club logo | igrandtheftauto.com Rockstar Games, makers of the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead series, have announced that they are releasing Max Payne 3 later this year for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. In addition to releasing the game later this year, Rockstar will be utilizing social media and will attempt to create a community around Max Payne 3 with their revamped Social Club. The full article on this announcement can be found here. From what I understand, it seems that the Social Club is a forum for gamers to utilize when they play any Rockstar Games title. Users will...

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[Gamer's Review] Mass Effect 3

Spoiler Alert!  The following discusses Mass Effect 3 in detail, including the ending. You’ve been warned. If you’re looking for more general information on Mass Effect 3, check out the Mass Effect 3 wikia. ME3 Cover | technabob.com Alright… There’s an elephant in the room, so let’s get it out. The ending of Mass Effect 3 wasn’t the best. In fact, it wasn’t even very good… Okay, let’s face it; each potential outcome was the same exact thing, with different colors and slightly different textures to accompany those colors. Oh, and the flashbacks? Not necessarily of your romantic lover or your favorite squad member... just, ya know, arbitrarily picked friends. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Check the YouTube video to...

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[Re-Play] Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

When not playing Mass Effect 3 (due to lack of an HDTV), I have been once again exploring the world of San Andreas on my MacBook. Admittedly, I am not a big computer gamer, so if it exists on a console, I’ll probably play it there first. What better way to become familiar with an unfamiliar medium than to play a game I already completed on console years ago. After a few minutes of configuring controls and learning how things worked with a keyboard and mouse, I quickly got my groove back and was able to start progressing through the pseudo-Golden State. Just another day in the neighborhood | www.teamxbox.com A shake of a spray can and the RockStar Games “R” logo appeared. This is the peak of open-world gaming in the GTA3 era. In control...

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