May 2013 Game of the Month: Metro Last Light

For competent mechanics, extremely well realized atmosphere and world, and hilarious voice acting.

Also, tits.

Meanwhile, at Sony...

Games of the Month: 2013

I'm going to make this a regular thing, to at least get me posting once per month. Thus far, I would give it to:

January: Ni no Kuni, PS3
February: Fire Emblem: Awakening, 3DS
March: Bioshock: Infinite, PC/PS3/Xbox360
April: Monaco: What's Yours is Mine, PC

Some notes:

Monaco is shockingly good. Let yourself get into it a bit, the nuance of the game really shines at later stages and in multiplayer. It's also a proper stealth game.

Bioshock Infinite -- while I loved to criticize this game, I can't deny that the narrative is still very good. So good, in fact, I think the mechanical problems with the game are easily lost. The rhetoric surrounding the game was way over the top -- I don't even think it's the best game this year, much less an "industry-changing masterpiece" -- but, again, still very good, and still worth one, and only one, playthrough.

Ni no Kuni is currently GOTY for me, but that could change, of course.

Others:

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. I'm not sure if I should allow rereleases. I had much more fun with it than Bioshock, but my policy previously has been to ignore rereleases in "games of the year/month" rankings, but that may change. Currently, ports don't count and rereleases with more content don't count.

In-Game Advertisements and Social Media Integration

I think in the near future f2p games will feature a ton of social media integration that essentially incentivizes the players to advertise the game.

Also, in-game advertisements. I wouldn't be surprised to see both in Blizzard's fabled Titan.

Bioshock: Infinite Review

BIOSHOCK: INFINITE REVIEW

This is quite literally the best game I have ever played.

Nay, it is the best experience of my life.

I am weeping right now. Indeed, I am unaware how, from this day onward, I will be able to experience ordinary life such as this, knowing that it pales in comparison to the beauty exhibited in this game. Bioshock: Infinite has changed the way I view video games as a narrative medium, and how I view my life as a human being. It is the most perfect game ever constructed, the magnum opus of our time, and deserves a place among the works of artists like Goethe and Dante.

8/10

Update: Minor Absence

I'm in the middle of moving to another state, so updates will come even less frequently than I had originally hoped. My life has sort of been in flux for a while, but I plan on relaunching this as soon as things settle down.

What I'm kind of working on, or at least have planned:

Reviews of:

• FULL Review of Primorida -- it deserves it
• Ni No Kuni
• Fire Emblem Awakening
• Etrian Odyssey IV
• Atelier Ayesha

I may combine several of those JRPGs into a more broad look at the sudden influx we've had recently. (Also, when did I turn into such a weeaboo?)

Possible YouTube coverage of:

• Shattered Haven
• Other indie/gog games in the future

I'm planning to relaunch this entire thing because it's been rather unfocused. Originally, I had planned to do more industry analysis, which will remain, but I've also become more interested in informal reviews and analysis of games. Very likely that you will see some sort of YouTube commentary along with the relaunch, because I feel that is the superior medium to do reviews of games.

Otherwise, I'll still be around and drop whatever weird industry predictions I have on this blog, so it won't be exactly dead, but I'm giving you less pretense that there will be much else for the time being.

Blizzard TCG?

I'm guessing that the Blizzard announcement today is going to be something along the lines of a TCG or Tabletop. We'll see in a few hours at PAX.

... different from out other games...
... get your hands on.

Edit: Also, it may be called Heroes of Warcraft and be something along the lines of Hero Academy/MTG: Planeswalkers.

Flyers/leaks below: