October 2012

There are a few isolated moments amongst thousands that are easily recalled when contemplating growing up. Paying your own dentist bill. Buying a house. Being responsible for more than just yourself. Often they come out of nowhere, requiring on-the-spot common sense and a lingering afterthought of “gosh, I hope I did that right.” We as gamers face common challenges when we mature; social pressures to play less, other hobbies, relationships and work all can disrupt a good game session. Sometimes they should. But beyond that, do we still feel the same when we play games as we get older? No doubt we are wiser, and probably harder to impress, but do we still enjoy them as much? Do we enjoy them the same way? READ MORE

This column contains a ton of spoilers for Dishonored. If you haven’t had a chance to finish it yet, I suggest doing so before reading ahead.

Dishonored is a game all about player choice, focusing less on Mass Effect-style dialogue options and more on your decisions through actions. As you quickly discover, you will be choosing to kill or spare many of those who wish to impede your ultimate goal of revenge. But Dishonored does more than simply give you the tools to decide the fates of those who betrayed you; it offers you a new perspective on a character who never utters a single word and it does so through the words and actions of others. Even the smallest details are enough to help form the most intriguing character I’ve seen in a game in years. READ MORE

The 1980 classic arcade game Warlords has been updated several times over the years. Released initially in cabinet and table arcade formats, this game is designed to be played by up to four people. You play as a warlord who must successfully defend their castle from dragon fireballs, enemy Snoots and the random Black Knight attack. Luckily, you have your own Snoots who repair walls, capture bonus nodes and attack other castles as you command. READ MORE

I hate spiders. They’re basically the worst things, and I don’t want them to be around me. Alien Spidy, though, is an alien, which somehow makes it okay that he’s also a spider. But what is he doing in the game in which he serves as the titular character, and how is it fun? READ MORE

It wasn’t looking good for my Pomeranian. The toxicity in the air was growing. A desperate female had come to follow me as she gleefully followed me back to my nest. Unfortunately, because she was desperate, she had brought more than her love for me along. She had given me fleas too. As if it couldn’t get any worse, I was starting to lose my health due to no food being in the area, and I was getting old.

Welcome to the jungle. READ MORE