The will likely be spoilers, but should I talk about something super new I'll warn ya. But consider this a pre-emptive warning! You're WARNED!

Monday, February 21, 2011

Yes, I love Mass Effect

I know, that's BIG NEWS. But really...I've had art on the brain lately and thus, art coming out of my hands lately (or, to be more precise, art coming out of whatever implement is in my hands), and the latest thing I done did is a card of Jack (aka Subject Zero) from Mass Effect 2 during the escape from Purgatory. Here it be, hot off my desk!


My personal website is undergoing...mmm, technical difficulties at the moment, so I can't point you to my batch of Mass Effect cards, which are posted over there. What I can do, however, is re-post them here! That, my friends, is the power of computers.





I love (most of) my Mass Effect 2 companions, but...sniff...I miss (most of) the OG gang.

Nerd out.

Happy Birthday, Link

Wow. The Legend of Zelda is 25 years old. I don't see how this is possible, since I clearly remember playing it on my NES when it came out and I just turned 21...but whatever. I don't get science.

For what it's worth, out of all the stick figure sketch cards I've done, this is one of my very favorites. *tear*

I've never been a huge Zelda-head. I never completed the first game. I was more miserable at the second game, the strange side-scroller The Adventure of Link. Never finished Ocarina of Time, never played Majora's Mask...new-gen stuff is out of my grasp console-wise. I did, however, really dig (and finish-GASP) The Wind Waker, which caused all sorts of nerd rage when the game's whimsical art style was revealed.


I haven't played anything Zelda-y in years, but this Birthday has got me all a-jonesin' to. Link is a gen-u-ine video game icon, and I'll be damned if the original theme song doesn't float through my head once in a while. It's ingrained, for better or for worse.

Anyway, if you care at all, Kotaku.com is celebrating Zelda all week long. If you don't care at all, then I bid you good day. I SAID GOOD DAY.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

survival horror's not dead

You guys, just...wow. Watch this.



I don't know anything about Dead Island regarding gameplay style, story...anything, except that it's got zombies. Right now, I don't care- I'm gonna just bask in that amazing trailer that's more evocative than 90% of the zombie movies out there. Wow. Great.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Man, that's professional LARPing

YOU GUYS I decided to post something abut Dragon Age today, which is totally weird, right?

See, the thing is, Dragon Age II is so close now, I can't think of much else. Well, I mean "much else" in a gaming context. I don't mean that I'm sitting on the edge of my bed, staring at the wall, forgetting to eat and making a mess (yes, that kind of a mess) because I'm dreaming about Dragon Age II.

Okay, maybe I mean that a little bit. But really, I mean that I've tried to play other games lately, but they don't seem to work out for the long haul. I'm all, "Metro 2033 I like you and all, but you're not Dragon Age. I think maybe we should just be friends because let's face it- when March 8th rolls around, I'm dumping you anyway."

As the release date draws nearer, news items are posted on The Internet with frequent frequency and this does not help quell my fever. A snippet of gameplay here, a screencap there and I'm taking to my fainting couch.

Today's unexpected DA news (well, unexpected by me, anyway) is that a live-action webseries called Dragon Age: Redemption is coming.


The six episode series is written by (and starring) Felicia Day, known to most folks as the mastermind behind the hit webseries The Guild. Redemption will follow the story of elven assassin Tallis (Day), as she...like...does Dragon Age-y stuff on a "quest to capture a renegade magician".

I haven't read much of the fan reaction to the announcement, but I'm sure that the idea of translating a beloved game property into a live-action series has plenty of nerds all ten kinds of up in arms. The opportunity to be up in arms, after all, is why The Internet was invented. This nerd's arms, however, are down. Or sort of down, I guess, since I'm typing. Why? Not only because The Guild is proof of her writing abilities, but because Felicia Day plays the GD game and she loves it. Over at USA Today, she opines: "[Mass Effect and Dragon Age], bar none, are my favorites now. The storytelling in games has gotten so sophisticated. I'm a huge fantasy novel geek, too. Dragon Age really is like living a novel." It would seem to me, then, that her enthusiasm for the game series will translate to the web series. What's not to look forward to? I mean, there are going to be elves and shit! This is only a good thing.

Of course, Morrigan disapproves...but then Morrigan disapproves of everything.


Mind you, the fact that I greatly anticipate Dragon Age: Redemption doesn't diminish the fact that I'm completely envious that Day got to write a Dragon Age webseries. I'm dealing with it.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

seven...err, nearly three minutes in heaven

YOU GUYS Dragon Age II is out in less than a month. Less than a month! March 8th! There's a downloadable demo coming on February 22 that will allow you to play through the game's prologue. Personally, I'm unsure if I'll play the demo, or if I'll just wait and mainline the entire thing when it arrives.

The point of all this is, I didn't think I could get more excited about this game, but then this three minutes of footage showed up and...well, is that a metaphorical boner in my pants or am I just happy to see this?

Sorry, that was gross and didn't really make any sense. Still: OH YES MARCH 8th.



What class do you prefer playing? My first preference is rogue. I like to get all up close and personal ooh deadly melee style, and, much like Jill Valentine, I consider myself to be a Master of Unlocking.

(via Topless Robot. Thanks to John Cowan for the tip!)

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

i am totally scientific

After asking you guys to answer some questions yesterday, I figured it was only fair that I answer them myself, too. Before I do that, however (I know, so exciting!), please- keep answering in the comments on that post! It's all quite enjoyable to read. Y'all loves some FFVII, huh?

Let's do this.


What's your favorite game genre (RPG, FPS, etc)?

Hmm. HMM. This is a tougher question than I thought. Survival horror? 3rd person adventure? RPG? RPG. Yes.

What's your favorite game of all time ever ever EVAR? Just one game. ONE I SAY.

Oh man, this is even tougher! Mass Effect. There, I said it. No wait, Dragon Age. No wait, Mass Effect and Dragon Age. Dang, that's two...okay, MassEffectDragonAge. That works!


If a game features moral choices...do you generally play it
good or evil?

I always play through as "good" the first go-round, then "evil" with a different character the second time. My impulse is nearly always to be helpful and nice, even though...you know, it's not as if I'd be mean to real people or anything. But in a game, when it comes to, say, helping orphans or not, though, chances are I'm going to help them. It's usually a smart idea, too, as the "good" path tends to open up more missions and quests.

That's not to say there aren't times when I love being bad even on a goody-goody journey. I've punched plenty of people and stolen from them and more. Being bad in these games is frequently hilarious, which is why I need an "evil" playthrough, even if my behavior is sometimes cringe-worthy and totally over the top (I mean, have you ever executed Shiala on a Renegade run in Mass Effect? That's some cold-blooded shit!).

Do you play more than one major game at a time? Or play a game 'til its conclusion then move on to the next title?

I generally play through from beginning to end, lest I put a game down for too long and realize I have no clue what I'm doing when I pick it up again. Sometimes I'll break up a game by playing something that has no story to speak of (Rock Band, etc).
What's the first video game you remember playing?

Combat on Atari 2600, baby.


Which systems do you currently own/play?


Xbox 360 gets nearly all my love, but I still bust out the PS2 and GameCube, and I have a Super Nintendo sitting in my closet. I'd love a PS3...someday. And a Wii, too.

Do you participate in online gaming?

I'd have to say no, as I've only done it once. If I chose to engage in some online shenanigans, though, I'd only do it with people I know, even if I only know them in a cyber-fashion. The idea of jumping into a round of Halo with a bunch of unknown gamers gives me both the heebies and the jeebies.
Are you a release-day purchaser? Do you trade in games and buy used?

If possible financially, I'm definitely release-day for a few select series (Resident Evil, Silent Hill, anydamnthing from BioWare), but otherwise I wait for massive sales and price drops. As such, I'm generally way behind the curve on these things (who knows when I'll get to Dead Space 2?), but I don't mind.

I used to trade in games all the time as a means to save money on new titles, but I've stopped as I've really regretted getting rid of some games. For a few reasons, I've also stopped buying used unless the game is very old and out of print: you don't save much on recently-released games; I'd just...rather have new; publishers don't get any dough from used sales. I'd rather the people that make the game get some of my money rather than all of it going to the store selling it.

Oooh, I loves me some Resident Evil.

Are you more a console gamer or a PC gamer?

Console, although I have a couple of simple time-killers on my computer. My Mac is...well, it's a Mac, so there aren't a ton of games made for it, and besides- my Mac be old and it can run many games. I've nothing against PC gaming and if I could afford to make that happen for myself, I certainly would.

Do you play any "casual" games, such as the Zynga titles on Facebook (Farmville, Whateverville)?

None of the 'Villes, although the new Dragon Age game that'll be on Facebook is awfully tempting. I've played a few flash games in my day, though.

There. I think we all feel much closer now, yes?

Monday, February 7, 2011

totally scientific


Hey, game-players or people who do not play games: take part in my Curiosity Questionnaire by answering these questions in the comments. If you want. Could be fun. Maybe.

Curiosity Questionnaire!
  1. What's your favorite game genre (RPG, FPS, etc)?
  2. What's your favorite game of all time ever ever EVAR? Just one game. ONE I SAY.
  3. If a game features moral choices...do you generally play it good or evil?


  4. Do you play more than one major game at a time? Or play a game 'til its conclusion then move on to the next title?


  5. What's the first video game you remember playing?
  6. Which systems do you currently own/play?


  7. Do you participate in online gaming?
  8. Are you a release-day purchaser? Do you trade in games and buy used?
  9. Are you more a console gamer or a PC gamer?
  10. Do you play any "casual" games, such as the Zynga titles on Facebook (Farmville, Whateverville)?

Hooray, Curiosity Questionnaire!