TOMB RAIDER

When Crystal Dynamics announced that they would be rebooting the Tomb Raider series, it came with mixed reception.  Some fans were disappointed, as there has been a glut of overhyped "reboots" in recent years.  Others were glad to see the slate wiped clean, as Lara Croft's adventures had gotten pretty terrible in recent years (Angel Of Darkness, anyone?).  So with the team rebuilding everything from the ground up, how does this new game stand up as an origin story for one of the most iconic video game characters in history?


Pretty damn well.  

LIFE HAPPENS

There will be no Game-A-Week update this week.  Some major events have happened in my household this past weekend, completely shaking up my life and the lives of those I live with, in a terrible way.  I am not at liberty to explain what happened, but just know we'll pull through it and come out okay.  I'll be back to my cranky old gaming self in no time, I just have to heal from this.

So in the meantime, I need a week off.  From the site, the youtube channel, etc.  I might say something here or there on the facebook or twitter, but right now gaming is the last thing on my mind.  I will be back soon, I promise; I'm not going to leave my readers hanging.  I just need a little time.

Thanks folks, for reading and being here.  You guys are awesome.

GIMME ANOTHER DAY

Hey kids, just wanna let you all know I WAS going to post a review of the new Tomb Raider game today, but as I started into it, I realized I'd kind of actually like to finish the game first.  I'm nearing the end, and given that the spirit of the game is, first and foremost, a character arc for Lara, I want to complete that arc before I make any judgements. 

Stay tuned!

GAME-A-WEEK - MAGICKA

There are a lot of games out there with small yet dedicated fanbases.  Magicka, a wacky Swedish fantasy title from Paradox Interactive, hit with a splash in 2011 and has developed a cult following due to its never-ending litany of pop culture jokes, off-the-wall multiplayer, and a constant stream of DLC rivaled only by tower defense game, Dungeon Defenders.  After eyeing it for a long time, I finally decided to sit down and see what the fans were talking about.

THE ONE

Well, it's here...sort of.  Tuesday morning, Microsoft unveiled its next-gen console and successor to the XBox 360, called stupidly simply the "XBox One".  Unless you've been living under a rock (or aren't a gamer), you've probably already heard the criticisms laid against it, and heard the fan outcry.  Yeah, I honestly can't say as I feel a whole lot different.  But as a gaming blogger, I guess I'm kind of obligated to say something about it, right?

GAME-A-WEEK - METRO 2033

With last week's release of Metro: Last Light, I figured it was high time that I go back and play the original game, Metro 2033.  A bleak, dark survival horror FPS set primarily in the metro tunnels of post-nuclear Moscow, Metro 2033 is based on a series of novels by Dmitry Glukhovsky.  Reminiscent of both S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Fallout 3, I wanted to see if the original would capture my attention enough to warrant checking out the sequel.

REVIEW - FAR CRY 3: BLOOD DRAGON

The year is 2007...the not-so-distant future.  After we nuked Canada and invaded Australia, a former soldier gone rogue has seized control of a remote island and is threatening the world with weapons of mass destruction.  You are Sergeant Rex "Power" Colt, a Mark IV cyborg supersoldier and hero of the Vietnam War II.  Together with your hacker buddy Spider, you must stop Colonel Sloan and his cyborg Omega Force soldiers, liberate the nerds scientists, and save the world...AND AMERICA.

(Warning...this review, like this game, has a lot of profanity in it.  But in a good way...)

GAME-A-WEEK - X3: TERRAN CONFLICT (PART ONE)

Sometimes we dive into something without looking, and we end up in over our heads.  The only thing that I knew about the X³ series was that they were in-depth space simulators, and that they had a small but rabid, passionate fan base. I had no idea how deep that rabbit hole went.  And so I'm going to have to do multiple reviews for this game; one preliminary first impressions, and one once I've explored more and really gotten a handle on the mechanics.

Let's take a look, shall we?

SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T GO BACK

I've cited Just Cause 2 as one of my absolute favorite dumb fun sandbox games, great for when you just want to bang around, blow stuff up, and have silly, wacky fun.  It's more serious than Saints Row, more open and free for destruction than GTA, and graphically one of the more beautiful games out there.  Sure, the voice acting may be legendarily bad, and the plot is a thin veneer that just gives a half-assed reason to blow shit up, but that's all insignificant.  I own Just Cause 2 on PC, PS3, and XBox 360, and have hundreds of hours clocked in between the three.

And yet, I'd never played the original.  When the first Just Cause went on sale on Steam this week for $1.75, I figured it was high time I explored this series' roots.   This isn't a review by any stretch, just a slightly baffling comparison, as I sit here and wonder how something so awesome came out of something so...not awesome.

GAME MUSIC OF THE WEEK - 5/07/13

With yesterday's announcement of Plants Vs Zombies 2 from Popcap, I HAD to....    Enjoy!

NO GAME THIS WEEK

Sorry guys, it's been a really long week here in the Cranky Household.  I'm juggling work, looking for new work, household responsibilities, the YouTube channel, this blog, the twitter, and trying to have a personal life in there as well.  I've cranked out a few YouTube videos when I've had time, but I just have not had time to dedicate myself to a brand new Game-a-Week.  Only thing new I played was a couple hours of Brütal Legend, and not nearly enough to give it a full in-depth review.  

For the record, I AM still accepting requests!   Along the right-hand sidebar is my List of Unplayed Games.  That's what Game-A-Week comes from, if you're new to the site.  I had a giant pile of games I'd bought but never played, and GAW is an excuse to chew through them and play them.  If you read this blog and see something on the list you'd like me to play and review?   You can always email me at TheCrankyOldGamer@gmail.com with your picks from the list!

MY DISAPPOINTMENT WITH DOUBLE FINE

So the more I play of their games, the more I'm starting to rethink my opinion on Double Fine.  I have always considered their logo to be the mark of absolute, unerring quality.  I recently played and reviewed Costume Quest, and now I'm getting around to playing Brutal Legend.  Psychonauts is easily in my top ten list of my favorite games of all time.  I have played the first couple hours of The Cave, and I've played the entire demo for Stacking.  As I pull back and look at the bigger picture, I'm noticing a single thread of a trend that goes through all of them.  These are some of the most brilliantly conceived, creative, imaginative, clever, witty games I've ever played....but none of them are very fun to play.

GAME-A-WEEK - COSTUME QUEST

This week I finally get around to playing Double Fine Production's cute Halloween-themed game, Costume Quest.  When monsters come out to steal the neighborhood's candy and kidnap your sibling, it's up to you and a few new friends to don your costumes and save the day!

VIDEO: LET'S PLAY PATH OF EXILE - PART ONE

I am going to start posting some of my youtube videos on here, I think.  What I'll do is post specific videos, like my Indie Spotlight series I'm going to be making, and any Part One of a Let's Play series, but I won't post every single LP video as I put them out. 

So here's Path Of Exile Part One!  It's recorded in HD, so if you want to fullscreen it, you can.

GAME MUSIC OF THE WEEK - 4/23/13

This was one of my favorite little moments in Bioshock Infinite.  It was very easy to pass right by it, but if you stop and listen...this is a gorgeous gospel rendition of Credence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son".

GAME-A-WEEK - BINARY DOMAIN

Sega's 2012 third-person shooter, Binary Domain, was sort of slipped into the gaming domain quietly as a sleeper title.  Featuring a science fiction plot and philosophical themes, the game boasted an intriguing blend of thought-provoking story and original, immersive functions in its gameplay.  However, sluggish sales quickly relegated this one to the bargain bins of many game stores.  So was this to be another lost cause, or a hidden gem?

EXTRA LIFE CHARITY MARATHON - GIVING BACK TO THE WORLD

In my 30-something years of life, I've played a lot of video games.  They've brought me a lot of joy and happiness, inspired me, let me visit exciting and fantastical worlds, told me amazing stories, and allowed me to vicariously live exciting lives.  It's given me a lot.  However, I've never really known how I could give back with gaming, until now.

GAME MUSIC OF THE WEEK - 4/16/13

Whoops!  Little late on this.  Long story.  Anyway this kid made a surprisingly awesome medley of gaming music throughout the years, using the Mario Paint composer.  It's really neatly done! 

GAME-A-WEEK - HOME

Home.  A tiny one-man indie game that bills itself as a "unique horror adventure".  Well, I love horror, and I love indie games, and it's better to be unique than be just another cheap knockoff, right?   Sounds good to me...I think?

X-MEDIA WEDNESDAYS - THE WALKING DEAD COMICS

Okay, I'll admit this one's kind of a cheat.  My X-Media reviews were intended to be alternate media based on video games, not the media that video games are based on.  But I have very recently begun to play Telltale's Walking Dead game, and with all of the accolades and GOTY awards being hurled at the series, I feel that it's important to reflect on the source material to see where the game is coming from.