Not A Game Review

This game will forever be imprinted in my memory as the one that burned through my monthly data limit that I didn't know existed. It was neither story-rich (compared to the other games I prefer) nor did it feature any groundbreaking innovations in gameplay. However, credit where credit is due - Star Wars: Battlefront II is a visual marvel. And this is its biggest appeal. Sadly, its only appeal. Some scenes are more than AAA; it feels like they're right out of a movie. The environments are just as lush and richly detailed; the world of Star Wars has never been more alive in a game. However, once you manage to wade through this shiny top layer, you realize there's not a lot of depth or emotional investment in the story. The game follows a formula - thrusting you into one battle after another; there's no puzzle solving, or emphasis on stealth for that matter. I might be asking for the wrong things from this game - but then it's these innovations that eleva...

Cover used courtesy of 'Rewind' In a departure from my usual entries, major plot points for the game follow. I'd advise you to avoid this piece, if you haven't played it yet.  Do not mistake this game by its title or the 'point-and-click adventure' genre that it falls under for being anything other than downright dark, disturbing and uplifting at times. Puzzled? Welcome to Fran Bow.  Never one to shy away from depicting horrifying visions of death and despair that the 10 y/o protagonist is prone to, the game is the first such I have played in the point-and-click adventure genre. Admittedly, it's one of those niches that I am yet to fully explore, and have only managed to play a handful of, the biggest title being The Longest Journey. And surprisingly, many of the quests that Fran comes across in the game did remind me of some classic TLJ quests. However, this differs from the aforementioned classic in its portrayal of brutal death - simply ...

Cover used courtesy of 'Rewind' I won't be writing a lot about this one - though not an emotional tearjerker,  it's a pretty straightforward, unique experience lasting about 4 hours. A convincing storyline, very realistic characters and events that mirror those in the real world in more ways than one make for a gripping experience.  The entire game plays out with you controlling the interface of the 'Orwell' system - delving more into what that entails would spoil the fun. As far as surveillance-based games go, this was my first one, and I enjoyed it more than I had predicted. This is, in fact, the second game in the series; I ended up playing them out of order. Several events from the first game do appear in the second one, even though it focuses on a different set of characters. I'd recommend playing them in order to get the best possible experience from the Orwell series. If you enjoy playing God and going through strangers' texts, emai...

      I'll be honest, folks - the next week seemed tough to get through. Hailing from one of those weird families that never really celebrated anything, it amazes me just how much cheer and spirit people exhibit for certain events around the year - Christmas (and the subsequent New Year's Eve) being one of them. There are family dinners, meeting up with loved ones and of course, gifts - it's the one time of the year when you can see the infectious exuberance on the faces of people on the streets; and in stark contrast, here I am, failing to recall when I last felt such joy without staring at a screen as some or the other piece of entertainment unfolded before my eyes.  Um, I-I guess my question is do you... do you think it's too late for me?  It is in this state of mind - and wondering whether I should order some fast food (Subway! Yes, I call it fast food) on Christmas Day so I don't have to cook the same old pasta/burrito/rice meal that I do ev...

It is when you're left with no real connections to any human being around you for years on end, that you finally give up all hope and place your trust in fictional characters from games and series. After all, they can never discard you - it's the other way around. I realize for most people, these are nothing but hobbies, or simply a way to pass the time, but for me, certain games and shows hit home hard. It goes deeper than just relating to the story or characters. That will probably not make sense to most; but I digress. So: if life is a dark pit of self-loathing and despair, then these 'friends' are the lights that flicker on every once in a while- even if it is only for brief flashes - providing reassurance and hope to keep moving forward. 11-11 Memories Retold: by far the most moving game I have played in 2019. This will probably be the last game I complete this year and I am glad I will be ending on this bittersweet note. I say bittersweet, because t...

                                         In hindsight, it seems fitting that I ended this journey wearing my Hawt Dawg Man T-Shirt, which I didn't even realize until a few seconds ago. And what a journey it was. The first thing that strikes you  is the obvious upgrade the graphics have received - it's a welcome change which allows for greater immersion in the story. The idea of not possessing powers but rather shaping someone else who does is also unique, and I really loved it. This is certainly an unmissable game, for fans of the franchise. I'd suggest getting it during a sale though. I was surprised at the number of endings; the one I got failed to evoke the feelings in me that I experience every time I reach the end of Life is Strange. I attribute this purely to the fact that I relate to Max way more than I ever could to Sean, which allows for that extra emotional i...

People who know me well are very aware of the fact that I joke about what upsets me the most. Only a couple of those people also know just how much I joked about the 'love cards' in The Witcher (yes, that's what I am calling them, and yes, you know very well what cards I am talking about). The Witcher - a gripping political adventure for some, blatantly offensive and sexist to others. I fall somewhere in the middle. I am glad it was released when it was - doing that in today's political climate would be a total disaster. Now before the hordes of people saying 'that's-how-it-was-back-then' descend upon me, I would like to clear my position: I understand that to portray a medieval fantasy world, you have to mimic the times, which could include regressive remarks on a woman's abilities. What bothers me the most is the indulgence in an obvious teenage fantasy of collecting near-nude graphic cards of every woman you have sex with. I had t...

Remind you of any other poster? 21st September, 2018.  While the people whose lives didn't revolve around waiting for the next episode of the final chapter in Clementine's story (yes, they exist) went about their daily routines unaffected, fans of the game - which had seen the first episode of the final season released less than a month ago to much anticipation - were left heartbroken upon hearing of Telltale's sudden closure. All planned projects were scrapped, and The Final Season was assumed to be in limbo. Enter Skybound. Taking charge, the game was finished up by Skybound Entertainment, and I am so glad everything worked out the way it did - it would have been crushing to see this story not have the conclusion it deserved.  Playing the game was a special experience - knowing this was probably the last time I'd be seeing Clementine in a Telltale game. As such, I cherished every single moment of it - be it an overly-familiar mini-game or action se...

You know the feeling when you go in expecting something and it turns out exactly the way you thought it would, and now you don't know whether you liked it or didn't? That is what Conarium felt like.  I am not exactly well-versed with H.P. Lovecraft's works (yes, shameful, I know. While we're at this, let me also say that I haven't played the Witcher series yet) so I can't say whether Conarium - said to be heavily inspired by his works - does justice to the atmosphere and content of Lovecraft's writings.  The story's ... good, the graphics are surprisingly well-done ... no major complaints, really. It's just that the plot really didn't grip me as much as I would have liked it to. Overall, I had fun except for a couple of sequences where I couldn't figure out what to do (if you've played it, you know what I am talking about - yes, the monster chase) and some puzzles proved a bit too tough for me.  Seeing it took me slightly l...

Once or twice a year, I end up playing a game that I just can't bring myself to write something witty/funny about. Infinite is definitely one of them. "Bring us the girl, and wipe away the debt." It's been 4 days since I finished it, and the OST (more specifically, 'Will the Circle be Unbroken') and ending just keep swirling in my head. I honestly have no jokes - that feels like belittling the great story that Infinite boasts of.  All the time - despite the gorgeous visuals (dated for many, but I enjoyed them) - I believed it was going to be just another Bioshock game. But the ending ties in all the threads neatly - it's a delight to watch everything come together on the screen - that one magical moment when things fall into place, a puzzle piecing itself together in front of you when you didn't even realize that you were staring at one all the time. I found the ending to be tragic and perfect at the same time - although it left me as...

       In the recent past, there was a time when I didn't leave the house for almost two weeks. I'd practically eat and work (big surprise - I don't play games all  the time) at my desk, and walk the two paces to bed whenever I wanted to sleep (it's a small room, what can I say? I wish it was two paces because I was taller), leaving the room only for base necessities. Concluse makes me want to do the same - only this time, out of an unshakable feeling of being unsettled. Also, it's way past 1 as I write this and I scare easily (no, mom, I don't sleep at 10; I'm not  eighteen  five anymore, ok?)  Concluse is a unique game, in the sense that it's the first title I have played spontaneously, in a totally unplanned fashion in a long while - effectively bringing to an end years of nitpicking and fussing over what game I'd play next. It showed up on my Steam recommendations unannounced and I just said 'Let's go for it.'  An...

                                                                                   Okay, I admit it. I have not played Limbo.  Well, I actually did play it, but I was far too young to appreciate what was going on, and probably stopped playing a few minutes into it for lack of an exciting, immersive open-world (looking at you, GTA: San Andreas). Inside makes me realize just what exactly I had missed out on.  Inside is a weird game. Not weird because of the total lack of dialogue - the atmosphere and beautiful artistic environments don't let you dwell on the absence of voice for a second - but because of the buildup to the ending, and the ending itself (more on that later). Now, just to be clear (and before anyone gets offended - because that happens a...

A really fast-paced action game with a gripping story (and subtle humour sprinkled throughout), Hitman: Absolution was a welcome return to the franchise for me after a long, long hiatus (the last game I played was Blood Money; I was a ninth grader at that time). Naturally, I was curious - and a bit nervous - about the newer additions to the game mechanics, such as 'Instinct' and 'Point Shooting.' The game didn't disappoint - far from it. This might be just because I am returning to a beloved franchise that I spent a lot of my early teenage life immersed in, but I think Hitman: Absolution just became my favourite Hitman game of all time. The aforementioned additions, in my opinion, do more towards breathing new life into the series rather than detracting from the core stealth that is associated with the Hitman games.  Without delving into any major details, I'd just like to say that the game has your favourite bald assassin protecting a girl who has ...

Highly, highly recommended.  The one thing I regret in this new chapter of my life is the inability to devote as much time to video games as I used to. I often feel that critically acclaimed 'best games of all time', such as The Witcher 3 (I can't wait to play it!) or GTA V (Do I think it is one of the greatest games ever made? Yes. Is it one of the greatest games ever made? Debatable, but let's not get into that right now) require a certain level of dedication in terms of time that I am not able to provide. Which is why I require games that a) have a well-written, engaging story and b) shouldn't take up more than an hour. And that's where the problem arises. There are few games that fit into this criteria - What Never Was and Marie's Room are two excellent examples of the type of games that I dearly loved and enjoyed. Though I love the occasional all-nighter to enjoy a game like Firewatch, those are becoming less and less frequent.  Answer Knot fits perfec...

I went in thinking that the title was a fun reference to a humorous game. Ten minutes in, I realized that they were earnest about the title - it is  what it is. No joke intended. The game delivers exactly what you would expect: you're a dead detective and you need to figure out who the killer is, in order to move on from this life. I am still not sure how I feel about this game; I am not tearing my hair out in frustration or staring at my screen the way I did when SOMA ended. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. It's like that random person you chat with on a short bus ride; you feel good while talking to them, it helps you pass the time, but you can't even recall their face after a week has elapsed. I think the main reason this is so is because the story contains several  cliché elements: a disgruntled teen who helps you in your quest, a mysterious killer, a cop with a shady past... you get the idea. The story is fast-paced enough so that you (...

"Cool guys  girls don't look at explosions." No, I have not stopped playing games. I'll keep it short from now on. Too much has been going on the last few months and I just haven't had the time for getting back on here. As for Tomb Raider: I had fun, it's got a gripping story. You end up on an island, and you're not alone. All elements that make up a good game are present here. Too many explosions for my taste, though.  Seriously though, this game is an extremely engaging origin story, one that definitely deserves your attention. 

I just completed this very special game, and I felt I had to write about it right away. No clever comments, no jokes. I believe any of that would be an insult to what I am feeling right now. This indie RPG is one unique experience. To the Moon had been on my to-play list for a long time; a highly positive review on Steam finally provided me with the necessary impetus to try it out at once. Now, I can't believe I have let this game just...be, all this time, without experiencing it. I won't spoil anything here - you will enjoy it best if you go in knowing as few details as possible. It checks all the boxes for a great gaming experience: a haunting story and soundtrack, the ability to punch you in the gut (in a way only certain games can) when you least expect it, the ability to make you feel . Also, there's a small part of the game that really tugs at my love of "this action will have consequences." Be prepared for a ride full of emotional highs and lows. (A...

The title can be misleading - the game wasn't released in 2014 as a whole, but in an episodic format over the next two years. Now that that's out of the way - welcome to Dreamfall Chapters. Where you curse at everything using the words "Shadow!" and "Light!" alternatively. Where certain lines (and scenes) seem like they were borrowed from a scrapped Star Wars script. Where you visit an establishment whose emblem has a kitten riding a rooster. Where a disgraced wizard puts on a puppet show called The Fingerlings. Or as he calls it, "fingering. Trademark and patent pending." Oh, and "the women in particular are quite ecstatic about it." (I'm not making that up)                                                                                             ...

I almost gave up on BioShock. Another one of my Steam sale acquisitions - yes, I bought it along with SOMA, if you were wondering - this was a game I had always wanted to play but never got around to actually playing it.                                                                                                     I also got the Remastered version bundled with the regular one - of course I opted to install the former. And turns out it had audio issues. I lost all sound after the intro. Apparently, it's a very common issue, but none of the fixes - that seemed to help everyone - could help me. I tried everything - from obscure forums to the Steam forums to random sites - and nothing worked. After two days, I uninstalled the gam...

I'll start by saying this- I'm not a fan of the horror genre. I hate the fact that I'm not brave enough to sit through horror movies, while almost everyone I know brags of doing just that. I hate the fact that horror has the potential to reward me with sleepless nights, even though I'm an adult and know very well that those "things" cannot get to me.  And yet, I ended up purchasing SOMA during a Steam sale. I don't know what made me make up my mind - the heavy discount (I got it for less than 100 Rupees (that's like $1.40 as of 10:44 pm on 16 Feb. 2019, in case you were wondering) or all the praise the game has received. In hindsight, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.                                                                   SOMA is a unique experience. It's the best atmospheric horror I'...

It's been a while since I played this (I played it shortly after I promised to write about it the first time), but it's a testament to the quality of the game that I'm attempting to talk about it after all this time. I usually avoid writing about games that I played a long while ago (that's why you don't see titles like The Wolf Among Us, Among the Sleep, San Andreas (the game, obviously) on this blog).  So, Hellblade. First off, it's gorgeous. I had a hard time believing it was an indie game (it's self-described as an "independent AAA game"). I loved every component of the game - be it slashing down enemies or aligning runes. And the performances - both voice and motion capture. Just amazing.                                                  I won't discuss the plot - it's much more fun when you go in knowing very little besides the fact that it...