Where Have I Been? Game Informer Magazine!

Hey guys. I haven't written in a while and for good reason. I've been away on an internship with Game Informer Magazine! All game journalism and writings have been dedicated to GI. I plan on continuing this blog when I return in late April. So don't give up on me yet!

Missing You, Crash Bandicoot

 

 As a New Year's Eve special, I wanted to delve into everything Crash Bandicoot. Back when I was younger, the three major games I played religiously were Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, and Sonic the Hedgehog. Being dedicated to the classics, it is really hard for me to accept the games are morphing, and not for the better. I watched Spyro get a complete makeover into something I would never associate with Spyro the Dragon and turned into a little kids' toy collection. I recently played Sonic: Generations and thought I liked it at first, until I raged so hard after failing to beat the final boss that I swore against any other new Sonic games. 

Now Crash Bandicoot has also come under some unfortunate changes, changes that most diehard Bandicoot fans are aware of, and unhappy with. I played Crash Bandicoot up until Crash Bash and after that I didn't go any further. I can't really tell you why. Crash Bash came out in 2000. Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex came out after that and I dunno why but I never picked it up. At that time my family was moving around a lot and I can imagine we didn't get to unpack all of our crap every single time we moved. I think this was a time I fell out of video games for a bit, too. From what I understand, after the Wrath of Cortex, the games started to really go downhill. Recently, I tried a demo for Mind Over Mutant and absolutely hated it. The gameplay is all wrong and totally destroys the classic feel of a Crash Bandicoot game. Needless to say, I was pissed.

The design of Crash himself sort of fell below a cheesy level. It is really hard to describe in words, it is really something you  have to look at side by side. 

Old Crash

New Crash

Obviously, you can see the difference. Old Crash doesn't look as pretty or well-dressed. He has broad shoulders and means business. On the other hand, the new Crash has rolled up pants and is a lot skinnier than Old Crash. In other words, New Crash looks like a total pussy. If you think that can whoop Cortex, uh, you're wrong. I just do not like the new Crash, okay. He looks too nice, like I could trip him in a crowd and he would apologize for bumping into me. That is not what Crash is about.

The design of the game and characters got lazy and it is like they lost interest in the game. They were supposed to release a new Crash Team Racing in 2010 on PS3, but it got cancelled. I can't imagine how they could have messed that up. Crash Team Racing will always forever be one of my favorite racing games. All those Nintendo fans out there can play their MarioKart while all us Sony fans stick to Twisted Metal and Crash Team Racing.

I found this game online; it is actually an online Crash Bandicoot game handmade and is loyal to the original, early games. You can check it out here. It's not amazing, but it is something to help reminisce when emulators aren't available. Or when you are bored in class.

I cannot say I will ever want to pick up the latest Crash Bandicoot game because of the way the games have turned out along with the characters. I am loyal to such games as Crash, Crash 2, Crash Bash, and Crash Warped. I leave you with a video from Game Informer's website depicting Crash in Real Life.

Why Am I So Damn Impatient?

I know it's been awhile since I have written...anything. School and work have consumed me, but it's nice to jump back into things and get a grip on how it used to be. Needless to say, I've been missing the gaming world.



Something I have been thinking about a lot is what games are being released soon and how I feel about them. The most recent purchase I have made in relation to gaming was via Steam for a huge pack of the Painkiller games (damn Halloween sale...). Don't judge. I just really enjoy a good, ridiculous FPS with a multitude of equally-ridiculous weapons, tearing ass into a map and shooting up a shit ton of zombie-whatchamacallits. It's a good release sometimes and I like to have my Painkiller game series on hand, ESPECIALLY for finals week and the week leading up to finals.



1. Bioshock Infinite

I played part of Bioshock 2 on PC and loved it. Unfortunately, the only way I could play it was on my ex-boyfriend's computer and...well I don't have access to that anymore so I never got to finish it. I've been too lazy and poor to pick it up on my own computer or Xbox. From what I played, I was impressed. I am a sucker for a good narrative in a video game, hence my obsession with Jackie Estacado and The Darkness series. The story in Bioshock was so unique that it drew me in. At times, it was even a little scary (you know what part I'm talking about). Despite my limited contact with the Bioshock series, I am very intrigued by Bioshock Infinite and what I have seen and read. Its release date is set for February 26 this coming spring and it really has almost nothing to do with the previous Bioshock games, story-wise. Hey, I'm okay with that. I guess my opinion is obsolete considering I did not heavily play the earlier games, but the Silent Hill games were not entirely connected either and I still possess a love-hate relationship with those (it's complicated...). I saw the trailer for Bioshock Infinite and just knew I had to try this game out. Something about it tugged at me. This happens a lot when I first see a game trailer. I will know immediately whether or not I want to try out this game. You know what the best part is? When we get it in early at Family Video, I can check it out for a week before its official release date....muwhahaha.



2. Tomb Raider

I wrote an article on this game awhile back for Metal Arcade. Memories of Tomb Raider go back all the way to when the Butler at her mansion would following you around with his rickety tray and I spent a good couple hours locking him in rooms and trying to run away from him (I swear there's a reference to this in the second Sherlock Holmes movie). I used to watch my Dad play the old Tomb Raiders on our Playstation and shit looked hard, so it took me awhile to actually want to try myself. So Tomb Raider is a big part of my gaming childhood. A lot of people are giving this new game shit because basically Lara Croft is going to be seen at a time in her life when she wasn't always badass, when shit went wrong sometimes, and she wasn't as nimble as she is now. I like the idea of the story, delving into a time when she was just starting out. It makes her character feel more real. It brings her story to life. Me being a lover of the narrative, this absolutely draws me in because it is unique. This game is set to release next Spring.



3. Metro: Last Light

Let's be real here, I am a sucker for post-apocalyptic video games. Zombie games in particular have lost their thrill for me after I wasn't too happy about Dead Island. But the post-apocalyptic society intrigues me. I played Metro 2033 awhile ago and (unsurprisingly) fell in love with the story and the atmosphere of the game. Metro: Last Light takes place in 2034 and the stations below ground are fighting over a doomsday device, which would ultimately signify who has the biggest cock...basically shit's going to break out and crazy will leak from the walls in every corridor. This game won't be out until March, but hopefully it is as good as the first.



4. Prey 2

I first picked up Prey by accident at a local video games store because it was so cheap. I was told it would suit my style, so I gave it a whirl. Okay so I loved it. Somehow it reminded me of a Native American version of Jackie Estacado and though a little twisted, the story was pretty interesting...I'll tell you the first part. Native-American-Jackie is at some bar on a reservation trying to talk to this girl (Native-American-Jenny...?) whom he is in love with apparently and while at the bar, a UFO attacks...The alien ship is pretty gruesome and it's all about getting off the ship alive. When I saw they were making a second one, I was pretty stoked. The date for this one is TBA2013, but I am sure it will be worth the wait.



5. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

I know this list was supposed to be for games I was excited about but...this one just irks me so much I have to throw a game in that I want to bitch about.

I am a dedicated player of the Castlevania series. I spent countless hours playing Castlevania: Symphony of the Night when I was younger and when I saw they were making a new and 3D version of Castlevania, I was extremely thrilled. I rented it on the first day it came out. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow bit the big one. I sat there and nearly broke my controller because I raged SO much. I could barely make it through the first boss because it was so flipping hard. It had reached a difficulty that swiped the fun out of it for me. I could barely advance to the next area and I wasn't even CLOSE to the castle. Even the older Castlevania's weren't THIS hard. I replayed every area nearly ten times before I beat it. It was just taking way too much time for how long this game actually was, so I said "Fuck this." So now they are coming out with a second game and they couldn't even have the decency to rename it...like Castlevania:blahblahblah. Just tacked on...Lords of Shadow 2...yeah that's creative. Really makes me want to pick that beast up again.. .Alright done with that bit of babble.

So, though I expected more out of the Xbox gaming world, I guess there are some reasons to be excited for this next year. I haven't even looked at the PC games coming out (next post) and to be frank, I am more excited about that. I do not spend as much time on my Xbox as I used to...it's all PC now.

WTF: Silent Hill: Revelations (SPOILERS)

Okay, ready to hear me bitch? I am actually going to start out quite positive. For those who know me, I was going into this movie as critical as ever. After the first film fucked up, I can say I was eager to see how this one would turn out. I haven't played completely through the third game, but I did read a very detailed plot summary to check out the ending and whatnot. So I went into the movie knowing what to expect, basically, what to look for and compare and contrast.

I am going to be completely honest, the beginning of the movie really drew me in. The action was intense and the creatures of Silent Hill were wicked in the best way possible. That same fear I felt playing Silent Hill at night, with the lights turned off and surround sound system on, was the same intensity I felt during the movie. The fact that this film even came close to capturing that fear really impressed me. The first film hardly scared me at all, and it seemed too light and feathery. This movie, just in terms of lighting, was more dark and gory. I loved it.

The ending, well the ending is where things are supposed to get real fucked up. But in this film, this is where the film FUCKS up. It seems like they put all this passion and hard work into the first part of the movie, and as it winded down, they just wanted to get it done and over with. In the game, there is the coolest part when Heather vomits up the evil deity in fetus form and Claudia eats it and births the new evil deity. Heather must defeat it. So cool, right?

Well, this is how the film ends. Apparently, it is announced that Pyramid Head is Alessa's guardian (Alessa is the evil part of Heather and creator of the Darkness in Silent Hill). Claudia, who never ate a fetus that Heather NEVER vomited, turns into a creature after touching this golden key with the Silent Hill crest on it, and proceeds to whack the shit out of Heather. Pyramid Head steps in and blocks the hit and fights for Heather.

BULLSHIT! Pyramid Head is not a fucking guardian, saint, or anything of the sort! Pyramid Head is a manifestation of James' guilt of his wife's death  from the second game! He is BAD! Bad bad bad! By doing this, they may as well have chopped off Pyramid Head's penis and gave him a pillow to throw around rather than his blade. The boss fight lasted...oh not even two minutes...and I swear it looked like a bitch-slap fight. Even the decapitation wasn't that cool. I sat through all of this depressing shit to watch a couple of creatures bitch-slap each other? And watch a badass symbol of Silent Hill become a pussy? Vincent, who dies in the game, survives in the movie and becomes Heather's new boy toy. All is happy...bleh.

Douglas, the private investigator, hardly played a role. In the game, he has a huge role and makes it all the way to the final scene. In the film, they killed him off almost immediately and I sat there wondering, "Why even introduce him if you aren't going to develop his character?" It was completely senseless. People who haven't played the game are probably wondering, "Who the hell was that and why was he in this movie?" If only they knew...Even if you took it as a movie by itself, he looks like he won a walk-on role in some cheesy internet contest.

BUT...the movie quickly made up for it at the VERY end. Heather and Vincent are walking out of Silent Hill, and despite endangering her life for her father, she seems completely and oddly cool with the fact that he decided to stay in Silent Hill to look for his wife (from the first film). As they are walking, they flag down a semi and hitch a ride with the driver. He introduces himself as Travis Grady. I nearly jumped out of my seat.


I let out a hearty laugh...no one else laughed. Travis Grady was the semi driver from Silent Hill Homecoming who picked up Alex Shepard to bring him into town. The next one had me really laugh.


I notice as they are driving, sirens are coming in the distance. I just figured they were going to investigate all of the deaths and weirdness of Silent Hill. Lo and behold, in between these sirens was a prison bus. Fuck yeah! I threw my head back in laughter...and no one else laughed. I wanted to turn around and say, "Come ON guys! It's that bus! From the last Silent Hill game!" It was Murphy's prison bus from Silent Hill Downpour, which cleverly explained the discontinued falling ash in that game (the ash stopped falling when Heather and everyone escaped and the creature was defeated). In Downpour, it is only fog and the "otherworld" never shows itself. It was this film that made it make sense to me. It blew my mind, and I applaud them for that.

Overall, I am pretty satisfied. Despite the pussy fight and ending, the very ending left a good taste in my mouth and the intensity of the fear and creature design blew the first Silent Hill out of the water. As a diehard Silent Hill gamer, I can openly say I highly recommend this movie to other gamers. It is quite entertaining when you aren't analyzing the shit out of it.

Drunken Thoughts on World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria

Please excuse all spelling errors. It's not my fault. Well, nevermind, it is my fault. 

Yes, precisely, I am drunk right now. And do you know how I got drunk? No, I DON'T do frat parties, I DON'T get trashed at the bar. No. I am with friends, drinking, as we watch YouTube videos like Team Fortress 2 parodies and Meet the Pyro (so good). Videos like Cyanide Happiness and game mod music videos (Oblivion, in particular). Potter Puppets and Skyrim raps. Yep, this is how I spend my Friday nights, if I am not playing World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria.

This is my first OFFICIAL experience playing World of Warcraft. I know...GASP! I began the starter edition over the summer and finally dropped the dollars to get Mists of Pandaria. Upon seeing the commercials, I had initially thought this game would be like Kung Fu Panda on crack. I actually have no idea why I even purcahsed the game. Maybe I needed something new. No, that can't be it. I just got Borderlands 2 for free, and I purchased Torchlight 2. And I pre-rented Dishonored, how can I possibly be bored?

Anyways, the game. Okay, I actually like World of Warcraft. I know people get all touchy about the subject, saying people who play WoW never shower, have no friends and no life except for on WoW. As I have come to find, this is NOT true. It's a pretty fun game, and I found myself spending countless hours on it very easily. Until you get fucking lost on a crazy twisted map and all you want to do is complete your objective so you can advance to level 10 and join the Alliance or the Horde and get on with your godforsaken WoW life...Jesus. Sorry, I am lost on a map right now as a level 7 Night Elf and it's really annoying because the map isn't that difficult...

Sorry. Yes, Alliance vs. Horde. I didn't realize how intense the rivalry was between Alliance and Horde until I saw some people smack-talking the Alliance on the public chat. And then I asked some of my Horde friends about the Alliance and they got all bent out of shape, saying Alliance are stuck up. It's like fucking liberals and conservatives (I'm Alliance). It's batshit insane...okay not that insane, but you know what I mean. WoW is a whole 'nother world with a whole 'nother set of responsibilities and friends and...dare I say...lovers. It's another life out there, and I find it absolutely amusing as all hell. That's why I keep playing. I love leveling, joining guilds, completing quests and finding new ones - shit, it's flipping entertaining. I have this need to level higher, get better weapons, better armor - fuck I haven't even done a raid yet! I'm still a n00b, but I love learning and getting more experience.

Did I mention, the panda's dance cracks me up every time? If only I could dance like a panda...

Perks of Working at a Video Store: Let's Talk "Dishonored"

Last night while working at my second job, I opened the drawer of the new releases (yet to be shelved for debut on Tuesday) and saw Dishonored. We, as employees, are allowed to rent out movies and video games before they are released, so I took it upon myself to take advantage of this opportunity. The only problem was, it was Sunday and it had to be back by Midnight tomorrow. And did I mention, it's free?

So yes, Dishonored. The premise of the game is, you're a guy who just got fucked over hard, and now the Empress is dead, you're getting framed for her murder and it's up to you to rescue the Empress's daughter, wherever the hell she may be. There is a God-like being called The Outsider who marks you and grants you supernatural powers, including things like possession and teleportation of a sort. Your abilities depend on the amount of mana you have, and what abilities you have depend on how many runes you find. So many runes buy you more abilities. In a time of the plague, the rats and fish are dangerous to you. The rats move in packs and you will see them gnawing on a corpse every once in a while. I was attacked by a pack of rats while trying to spin a wheel to open a door, which was a bitch, because every time they attacked me, I dropped the door.

The makeup of the environment is pretty cool, and includes steampunk-esque setting in the dank depression of a dark time. It's almost medieval--with a twist. You have a string of secret allies backing you up, who provide you weapons like crossbows and guns and swords. You are almost always carrying two weapons: more than likely a sword in the right hand, and in the left hand it can change anywhere from a weapon to an ability. With your creepy, iron mask, you are 100% badass.

From what I played, the story, setting and gameplay all rated pretty high in my book and I highly recommend this game to those interested in like Metro2033 and Fallout.

My Job Interview with Riot Games

I think it's safe to talk about this now. As most of you probably do not know, I applied for a Writer position with Riot Games a couple months ago. After forgetting about the application completely, I was emailed and asked to schedule a phone interview with another writer for Riot Games. It was 1AM when I got the email, and when I did, I ran around my apartment screaming like a little girl and jumping up and down on my bed...It's not every day a big-name video game company wants to interview you.

The days leading up to the interview were torture. I spent a lot of hours researching Riot Games...a.k.a playing A LOT of League of Legends. When the interview finally came around, I had constructed a board of interview questions and their answers, so that I could be prepared. This included in-depth research of questions Riot Games has asked candidates in the past. This was my dream job, and despite it being all the way out in bum fuck, California, I still wanted to gain the title "Riot Games Writer." Somehow, amidst all of my research, I forgot to look at the writing on Riot Games' website.

She told me immediately that everyone was really impressed with my resume cover.

She told me it had been circulating around the office and that people loved it. She also loved a quote from my rewrite writing sample, "Grab professionalism by the testes." I was so sure I had it. 

She called me and despite telling me in the email the interview would last 45 minutes, it only lasted about fifteen. And of course, they asked me about the voice of Riot Games writing on the website. I bullshit my way through it. 

Needless to say, I didn't get it. Then again, I didn't want to move all the way to California, but at the same time, it set me up for life and I know I want to be involved with video games somehow, some way. I could be like the other posts I read and bitch about how Riot Games doesn't know how to interview potential employees, how their system for hiring is skewed and the professionalism lacks. But truth is, I had a blast geeking out with the girl on the other end of the line. It's not every day I find someone to geek out with, let alone another female. We went into intense detail about Champions we use, the abilities we admire and Champions we hate. As a Riots employee, I could've gotten a loaded LoL account. I am not exactly sure what that means, but I have a pretty good idea, and just the thought of having that nearly blew my mind. I played against a Riot Employee the other day on LoL and he kicked my ass, probably because his account is LOADED. Despite failing the interview, I wouldn't have wanted to spend those fifteen or so minutes any different. 

 I am currently waiting to hear back about my internship application at Game Informer Magazine. Hey, not everyone can say they caught the attention of and interviewed with a national video game company.