Escapist’s favourite RPGs

I’m a hard core escapist and that is one big reason I love a good story with relatable multifaceted characters. When I was younger I read a lot of books and invented my own worlds, characters and events. The videogames I had at hand that time were a lot of fun, but they did not satisfy the need for fantasy and adventure, until they did. I found a roleplaying group for adolescents and fell in love with roleplaying games. Soon I found my way to rpg videogames and here we are! I LOVE rpg, be it old school Dungeons&Dragons pen&paper style, or videogames I can play alone at home burried in my sofa. So here’s a messy list of my personal videogame rpg favourites.

1.The Elder Scrolls. I’m sure that everyone knows this open world rpg game series, or at least the most recent volumes, Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls online. My personal favourites are the earlier ones, namely Morrowind and Oblivion. I prefer these games over the newer ones because they are way more rpg in genre than the other ones that are leaning more to fantasy adventure genre. Morrowind is the land of the dark elves(Dunmer) and it’s a beautiful and versatile world where you can spend hours and hours just exploring the world. The main plot is interesting and all the side quests are lots of fun too. Don’t even get me started on the add ons! They are brilliant. You need to play them. Of course the graphics are outdated but it IS an old game. Same goes with Oblivion which is based in Cyrodiil, the land of the Imperials. Oblivion has such beauty in it, that it’s hard to explain. And I’m not talking only about the scenery, something in the game’s world just sucks my soul into it everytime I play it. So these two games are a MUST for any rpg enthusiasts. Be warned though, these are games for “real” rpg lovers(well Morrowind is) and might not suit you if you are waiting for something like Skyrim and Fallout4’s mechanics.

2. The fallout series(from 1 to new Vegas). Now this is a classic game series that’s actually pretty old. I started my Fallout journey with Fallout 3 which is one of the most awesome open world rpgs I have played. It’s based on post-apocalyptic Washington D.C. that’s infested with all kinds of mutant creatures. The main plot is somewhat interesting, but the heart of this game(in my opinion) is in the DLCs that are simply brilliant. Except “mothership Zeta” that sucks(it’s basically a straightforward shooter, bleh). I have tried the earlier games and they are a lot of fun, I just have a problem playing on PC because of things, so I haven’t finished the first two games(+tactics!) BUT can totally recommend playing them! Fallout New Vegas follows Fallout 3 in the path of awesomeness but it’s events are based(mostly) in Nevada desert. This game is in a way trying to relight the experience of fallout 2 which is also going for post-apocalyptic western theme. New Vegas also has a vaguely interesting main plot, but very good DLCs that give so much to the spirit of the game that I can’t recommend playing the game without them. BTW check out Wasteland 2 if you want a new game that has the same feel as the early Fallouts!

3.Arcanum. Now this game right here is a seriously super duper extra awesome rpg classic. It’s oldschool, only for PC and it’s one of a kind. It’s actually a fantasy-steampunk game. There is magic and technology, there are dwarves,elves,gnomes and orcs and lots of ground to cover and stories to hear. The character creation and character sheet are almost like in real rpgs. It actually really matters if your character is dumb or smart, beautiful or ugly etc. The world reacts to your character in a very deep way and the conversations are made so interesting there aren’t many games that have been able to do that again(no wonder with these “conversation wheels” etc…). Anyway, Arcanum is a true oldie but goldie game and if you love rpg like I do, you need this experience in your life. Stat.

4.Dragon age: Origins. This truly beautiful fantasy game is an old school game made for modern gamers. The storyline, character creation, fighting, conversations and scenery are so good I actually played it 2 times straight, nonstop. And then I played it again a few times. And I still want to play it. The replayability is so great I was overwhelmed at first. Not only can you make very diverse characters, but whatever race& background you vhoose, you actually have a different intro to play every time! And not just a short 5 minute intro, depending on your gaming style the intro section should be at least 1 hour long. And of course your backgroung affects the game in many other ways too. Now this is one big reason why Dragon Age2(yuck) and Inquisition(meh) are NOT on my fav rpg list, the developers ripped off so many important pieces of rpg and replaced it with more “romance” content and more straightforward(and booooring) fighting and stories I refuse to recognize them as rpg, even in a vague way. Once again money wins, old fans lose. BUT let’s not linger on that, but revel in the fact that we DID get an awesome fantasy rpg which sadly, did not get worthy sequels. We can always replay the first one.

There would be a lot of other games I love, but I ‘ve already wrote so much they’ll have to wait for another time. I’ll give you a list of other rpgs that are worth playing, so you can check them out yourself if you care to!

Shadowrun(original&returns&Hong Kong), Jade Empire, Icewind Dale(1&2), Forgotten realms, Mass Effect 1, Baldurs Gate(1&2), Wasteland (1&2).

Play with passion!

auburn.geek

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zombies Everywhere!

So, I’ve been in the mood for some good old zombie apocalypse theme in games and movies for the last few days. It may have something to do with the fact that we’ve been roleplaying an awesome pen&paper rpg All flesh must be eaten, which is the most awesome horror survival you can play old school style. It has been super fun and it’s inspired me to play some cool zombie games on my xbox 360 and playstation 4. So the point of this post is to make a list of a couple of my favourite zombie videogames and see if you get inspired to try out or re-play some of them too!

1. State of Decay. This game seems to have it all. You get to play different survivors depending on what skills and other qualities you prefer in a character. You get to build, upgrade and protect one or several bases, this is made easy and fun so you are quite free to try out different options. The map in this game is pretty big, at least for a survival game, and there are lots of things happening 24/7, quests to complete and people to help. You may also lose playable characters since when you are not controlling them, they do stuff on their own and might get in trouble. It’s a fun and lively game, no way this get boring!  Available for Xbox 360 and Xbox One, also available on Steam.
2. Dead Island. This game is pretty straight forward: you try to help yourself and people around you in a zombie infested paradise island, and your only option is to try and get a hold of some good weapons and hack your way through many different kinds of zombies. The game does have some negative qualities, I personally think most of the voice acting is poor and some tasks given are a bit weird when you think of the fact that you are trying to survive here and not fetch some lost jewelery etc. BUT these features are of minor importance and the game is very much fun. One  warning though if you want to co-op with your friend on the same sofa, it seems on the game cover that you could play the game co-op locally(split screen style), but that only works if you have another set of tv, xbox and another copy of the game(or the same with a computer). Dead Island 2 is on it’s way, it’s good to know there’s more to play when I get bored with the first one! Available for Xbox, playstation and on Steam.
3. Resident Evil Remake. You’ve probably heard of this game series a lot already, but if you are into some real horror survival and not just hack&slash style zombie games, this remake of the first game is the one you want. The remake is very faithfull to the original(well it IS a remake) and I think it carries through the scary ambiance very well. In this game you get to kill zombies, solve some puzzles and follow an interesting plot line. You can also choose between the two main characters, Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield. The game is a bit different with each character. The game is available for Xbox and Playstation and on Steam.
4. How to Survive.  Now this is a fun and challenging zombie survival game! And you can play co-op with your friend! The game is pretty simple both in idea and graphics but I think that’s what makes it more awesome, not trying too hard to look like the bigger games. We are getting a sequel for this game soon too and it’s actually already on early access phase as we speak, if you are interested. How to Survive has a variety of different zombies, many weapons and crafting options, and it monitors the character’s hunger, thirst and sleep levels giving the game a more real feel of battling for survival. One thing that annoyed me a bit was this Kovac character(whose survival guide we are following in the game), I’m not sure if it’s only me, or if he really does seem a bit too Borderlandsy(mimicing the game series Borderlands). This game can be bought for Xbox and Playstation(a demo is available for these two too!) and on Steam.

I hope you’ll find something new to play or something old to replay after reading this zombie inspired post! If you are still needing more zombie themed stuff to do, here’s some of my favorite zombie flicks if you wanna watch them: Dawn of the Dead(2004), 28 days later/28 weeks later, Zombieland, Resident Evil(2002), Shaun of the Dead.

Play with passion!

auburn.geek

 

My Thoughts On Top Game Firewatch

Hi everyone!

Today I’m taking you for a little tour to a gaming experience that I had recently. Some of you probably have played Firewatch through already, but for the sake of those who are still new to the game, I will avoid spoilers! This will only be a short description and introduction to Firewatch. If you want to know more just click the link in the next paragraph or buy the game and see for yourself!

Firewatch is a story driven adventure game made by Campo Santo, you can buy it for your Playstation4 in the Playstation store, or for your computer on Steam if your user interface is either Windows, MAC or Linux.

The game is based in the Wyoming wilderness in the year 1989. The main character, a middle aged man named Henry, joins the Firewatch team as a fire lookout to have a little time alone with his thoughts after having some hard times with his life. Henry’s only social interraction in the game happens through walkie talkies with his supervisor Delilah and this is the most important building block of the game. I thought the different dialogue options were authentic and the conversations were engaging. The atmosphere is well constructed and the events that come up during the story are many times pretty surprising. There is some well built suspension and even hints of dread. The graphics are minimalistic but beautiful and wandering in the wilderness and watching the scenes is entertaining. The whole game is a sweet well- balanced cluster of beauty and thrill. I give a few negative marks on some illogical restrictions to player’s movement (can’t get through some invisible wall or a bush thats only 1m high). And I myself was a bit unsatisfied with the ending, because i thought it didn’t fit that well to the awesomeness of the rest of the game. The careful and thorough build up of tension during the story kind of fell flat. But that may be because I ‘ve studied too much story structure in my university and I can’t avoid nitpicking. All in all Firewatch was an enjoyable package and if you like beautiful story based adventures you should try it!

Play with passion!

auburn.geek

Microsoft Wants To Extend Cross- Platform Functionality

Interesting bit of news people!

Microsoft has enabled Xbox One’s cross platform functionality to Rocket League’s PC version and they wish to see more platforms connecting. Microsoft has announced that opening Xbox Live to PC games is also “an open invitation for other networks to participate as well.” Now both Xbox One and Playstation 4 have opened a channel with PC online players, will they connect with each other in the future? I first saw this news on Gamespot.com and I got quite exited, so I wanted to share this with all of you. There is no guarantee that this idea will be actualized, but at least this is the first move towards a world where console gamers could play more freely with each other. This would open a lot of neat possibilities in the gaming industry and in the gamer community. I for one would love to play The Elder Scrolls online with friends who have it on a different platform.

Play with passion!

auburn.geek

So what DO you play then?

Hi everyone,

I already wrote a short introduction before so you know a little bit of what to expect when reading my posts. Today I wanted to clarify my style in more detail and tell you about my gaming attitude which is that i play(and thus write about) whatever I want at any given time, not what is the next new or cool thing. Okay sometimes I get hyped just like anyone else and get sucked into the current game of the moment if it interests me (I’m not a hipster after all!). The reason why I’m telling you this is because my topics are not always following the hot gaming trends, but rather whatever I’m experiencing at the moment as a gamer. This may at times confuse someone who is following my posts so I think it’s important to explain myself a bit.

One question that I hear all the time is:”Do you play any cod/destiny/halo/Bo3?” and some people seem to think it weird that my answer is:”no, I do not play those games”. Why? Well they just don’t appeal to me. Not every gamer likes the same games, even if the games at hand are very popular among most. Anyway, after I tell people that I don’t play online shooters they usually ask “so what DO you play then?” as if these were the only games worthwhile. Well for everyone’s information I enjoy story driven roleplaying games like Arcanum, Morrowind and Fallout New Vegas the best. I love creepy horror games like Silent Hill 2 and Dark Fall. And I adore the passion of indie games like The Vanishing of Ethan Carter. These are of course just a scratch on the surface since my gaming hobby is 20+ years old. But my point in this chaos of a post is that there are a whole lot of very good and interesting games in the world, some of which are old and/or unknown to the newest generation of gamers, and I love every freaking piece of it. This is what I am about, and what my posts are about. Games that I love, no matter what the platform or the age. I hope you will find something new everytime you visit my blog section, be it a game you never heard about or a gaming related idea you find interesting.

Play with passion!

auburn.geek

 

An Introduction From ‘Our New Geek In Town’ Auburn.Geek

Hi everyone!

I’m Jade aka auburn.geek and I’m the newest addition to the Skatronixxx site. This post is a short intro to my section of the blog! You will get to know me better by reading my future posts, which will be about gaming and other geeky topics. I will do my best to entertain you in a casual style, please note that I am not a professional writer and my opinions are my own! If you have any thoughts, topic suggestions or questions please leave a comment! Any rude or foul comments will of course be ignored and deleted, so let’s try to behave ourselves and have fun, right? If you want to see more content from me, check my instagram profile @auburn.geek  where I post random stuff daily.