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Monday Gaming Diary: Getting back to reviewing strategy guides

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I don't have to do all of these markers...AUGH OKAY YES I DO.

I don’t have to do all of these markers…AUGH OKAY YES I DO.

You know that thing I’m supposed to do here? Review strategy guides or something? Yeah, I’ve been severely slacking to say the least. I definitely couldn’t have survived without all of Chris’s help, from reviewing his strategy guide load, to his new column, to kicking off our podcast.

Now that I have turned in my second-to-last review of the year for work, it’s time for me to kick my own ass and get in gear with review my stack of strategy guides. I’d love to say that I’m going to get all of these done by the end of the year, and that may happen, but I’m doubtful. It’s a great goal, though!

My first priorities are going to be Assassin’s Creed Unity, Skylanders Trap Team, Sunset Overdrive, and Far Cry 4. I hope to squeeze in Call of Duty Advanced Warfare, but I’ve already started/finished those other games, so they take precedence. Sad thing is, I can’t stop playing Assassin’s Creed Unity even though I have finished the main campaign. I have so many side quests to tackle! And the co-op is still an absolute blast to play. I WILL clear out all of those side quests and hopefully play enough co-op to buy all of the skills so I can unlock all of the chests. Yes, I have a problem, but it’s not a problem. Really, it’s not.

And you know, with all of these guides I still have to review, I’m kind of glad that a strategy guide for Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMix didn’t release, because I definitely wouldn’t have time for that. Even though…my strategy guide bookshelf is quite lopsided without the 2.5 partner to my 1.5 HD ReMix strategy guide. It looks so incomplete and lonely.

The Corner of Randomness: 20 Years of PlayStation Greatness

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I still love you!

I still love you!

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the PlayStation, and boy do I remember it fondly. Sony was a newcomer to the console market. Super Nintendo was the dominating console in my home, seconded by the NES, and the lowly Sega Genesis just sat there and collected dust. This new PlayStation thingy had promise, but it was $300 at launch and my meager bus boy job did not allow me to buy this console right away. However, I saved like a boss and three months after its launch, I acquired this mythical new console…from Funcoland. Yeah…let that sink in for just a moment.

Over the past 20 years—God I feel old now—I have played countless games on the Sony platform. I raced an obscene amount of hours in Destruction Derby. Crash Bandicoot filled me with glee. There was also that first moment I jumped into the original Tomb Raider and felt completely blown away and awe struck. Oh, and let’s not forget that I would race home from school, throw any homework I had to do on the floor, and jumped into Final Fantasy VII. Finally, there was the original dual shock controller, which became a necessity for playing Gran Tourismo.

I have so much love for the PlayStation. It ushered in a new era of gaming when some of us thought that cartridge games were the only way to go. The analog stick was a revolution when it came to home consoles. The music was no longer chip tunes, but full blown CD quality orchestral greatness. The cinematic cutscenes for games drew me in as though I were watching something only the Lawnmower Man could come up with. I was able to just take a small memory card to a friend’s house to show off my kick-ass Tekken skillz…with a z for emphasis on my greatness. We finally saw arcade quality games coming to our obscenely large CRT televisions planted in the living room at home. It was nothing short of epic, and immensely exciting.

Like all things technology, the PSX would soon become a retro console, replaced by the PS2, then the PS3, and now the PS4. All of these consoles have provided me great memories, but the PSOne was the first console to pry me away from my beloved SNES, which was no easy task. While it now feels like new consoles are just an evolution opposed to a revolution, twenty years ago it felt like games just leaped forward into some fabled future and we had no idea where that future would take us. With that, I raise my beer to you PlayStation. Thank you for the countless memories and god knows how many lost hours of traversing the virtual worlds you have provided me!

Monday Gaming Diary: Turkey and Far Cry 4

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Elephants rule.

Elephants rule.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving break! I packed up my PS4 for our family trek to spend the turkey day with my family. They go to bed super early, so I knew I’d have plenty of time to work on games. My biggest focus was Far Cry 4, which I had to review for work. I did bring my strategy guide as well, and I’m so glad I did as I’m incredibly terrible at it. Stupid eagles are so damn cheap at how they swoop down and claw at you, preventing you from shooting their feathery asses as they hold your arm in a death grip. They’ve foiled me a couple of times while I was trying to be all stealthy. Them and the Bengal tigers. Jerks, all of them.

Like Assassin’s Creed Unity, I had to burn through that as quickly as possible for work purposes, but I’ve saved the side quests for reviewing the strategy guides. And maybe, with Far Cry 4, I’ll make new choices.

I’ve loved this fall, I really have, but I am ready for a break! So much great stuff has released, and I haven’t had much time to get to all of it. Looking forward to taking time in December and January before February hits to play some catch up and maybe finally finish Dragon Age Origins once and for all.

Oh and that reminds me, the Zelda poll has been closed, and I’ll be giving Wind Waker HD my attention before any other Zelda game. WW won by a major landslide, with only 2 votes for Twilight Princess and no love at all for Ocarina of Time 3D, which surprised me.

This actually makes me relieved there’s no strategy guide for Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMix.

The Corner of Randomness: The Holiday Season Rush

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Time to make a sandwich.

Time to make a sandwich.

Ah the holiday season. This is that glorious time that we see heaps of games dropping, massive Steam sales (I’m sorry bank account), and countless hours sunk into completing those random games on our stacks of shame. Of course this is only complicated by all the holiday parties and potlucks that force us to take naps in the middle of the day. It’s a glorious time, yet stressful as well.

I figured with much of us in the U.S. taking time on Thursday and Friday to gorge ourselves on food and gaming, I’d share some of what I’m most looking forward to during this crazy season. I mean let’s face it, between now and December 31, it’s not like we will really be focusing on work. Sure, we might pretend to work, but really we are all just slacking off and trying to make it to the next paid holiday day off. At least, that is what I always did!

Right after the Thanksgiving break, I plan to pick up Assassin’s Creed: Unity. Keri speaks so highly of it, and I have always enjoyed the series. I’m upset at myself that I haven’t snagged this title yet. I also plan to try and beat Pokémon Alpha Sapphire over Thanksgiving. I gotta admit, a remake of the original Pokémon that got me hooked is definitely pulling at my heart strings.  Let’s not forget that Smash Bros. WiiU also came out, and I have a lot of work to put in before I feel comfortable getting my butt handed to me online. Finally, I have countless hours to sink into Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. I mean, my white mage isn’t going to level himself!

I have so much to do, and I so look forward to tackling it all. That brings me to you. What are you most looking forward to playing over the holiday rush? Do you plan to tackle that immense stack of shame, or will you dive into some new games. I know this, plenty of egg nog and pumpkin pie will be consumed while I tackle this massive list of gaming happiness!

Introduction to the Corner of Randomness

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Let me introduce you to the Corner of Randomness. This is a free flowing column where I’ll write about random things relating to video games. Some days I might highlight a fun Twitch streamer, where other times I might just babble on about a game I’m looking forward to. The end result is to have a place where I celebrate all things video gaming. I mean, with everything going on in this industry, we could all use a place to come and just enjoy some good vibes. I can’t think of a better way to start this column than with the death of my beloved hardcore wizard in Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls.

For those that might not know, Keri and I are Diabros that are bound together by our Zelda tattoos. During our Extra Life event, we decided to see how far we could make it with some fresh hardcore characters in Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls. We did this in our sleep deprived states thinking it would make the game harder. Sadly, this was not the case.

In fact, Keri and I have both played so much Diablo 3 that we pretty much went on autopilot during our early levels. When she would start to blink overly long, I’d clear the screen of monsters and pull her to our objective. We carried on like this until we bested the Skeleton King, at which point we just called it a day and went to play TowerFall Ascension with Blake and Ross.

Since that time, I’ve played my little wizard that could. I slowly, and carefully, worked my way through the various Acts. I never thought I’d make it past Diablo, but I sent him back to the hell he came from. I started to get cocky, and thus brought my downfall.

You see, my hardcore wizard prematurely met his end. I was oh so close to finally getting to Malthael. I was half a level from 50. I was so close to finally getting those achievements when tragedy struck. I had just decimated some enemies that explode on death. I was, like a fool, standing in the blast radius. Before I could get out, I was then frozen in place by some jerk demons. I could do nothing but sit and watch my health bar drop to zero. I held onto hope for a brief second, but the finality of it reared its harsh and brutal face. My Extra Life wizard was no more.

Why you so mean?

Why you so mean?

I immediately messaged Keri to let her know of this tragedy. I shed a tear. I ate chocolate to console my broken heart. I still can’t believe he is dead. All those memories we made. Yet, like the Diablo 3 addict I am, I will make a new hardcore character and attempt to finally beat the game. I will get that level 70 achievement. That game is like a drug that I just can’t quit. What is that Cain, you have a story you need me to listen to? I’ll be right there.

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