-
God Of War 3 Art Director Surprise-Releases Indie Narrative Game
The Fidelio Incidentis a narrative game, out now on PC, designed by former God of War 3 art director Ken Feldman and the team at Act3 Games. With a gorgeous game world and genuine sense of mystery, it manages to tell a compelling story, but it works a bit too hard to impress. The Fidelio…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 23, 2017 -
Battlefield 1 DLC Adds Female Soldiers
Battlefield 1‘s upcoming DLC In The Name Of The Tsar will open up the Eastern Front with the addition of the Russian Army. In doing so, it will bring an underrepresented group to the battlefield: women. Who will kick your ass. In a tweet yesterday, the official Battlefield Twitter account confirmed that the Russian Army’s…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 23, 2017 -
Players Are Turning Battlegrounds Into A Zombie Nightmare
In Battlegrounds, players engage in a battle royale where they must scavenge weapons and gear, sneaking around to kill each other until only one of them is left standing. A new community-created game mode, popular with streamers, pits one squad against countless ravenous zombies for that turns the tactical shooter into a full- blown horror…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 22, 2017 -
Tips & GuidesTips For Playing Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is the newest installment in the popular tactics game series. Whether you’re a fresh faced rookie or a war weary strategist, there’s a few things you should know if you want to conquer the battlefield. Choose Your Difficulty Level Wisely You can pick one of two difficulty levels as…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 19, 2017 -
The Surge Is Like Dark Souls Except You Can Dismember Everyone
The Surge is a futuristic action game in the vein of Dark Souls that pits players against a host of robots and power-suit-wearing goons. It’s fun to bash on zombies but even better to cut their limbs off to steal their loot. Item acquisition in Souls-like titles tends to be abstract. You wail on a…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 19, 2017 -
Red Dead Redemption Is All About Failure
Red Dead Redemption released seven years ago today and remains a triumph. The tale of John Marston’s failure might be Rockstar’s finest story. SPOILERS AHEAD A spiritual sequel to 2004 shooter Red Dead Revolver, Red Dead Redemption traded curated levels for a vast open world. The wild west setting was distinct, full of warm sunlight…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 18, 2017 -
OpinionA Platformer That Leapt Out Of A Sketchbook
2 is an experimental platformer by hubol that seeks to combine curiosity and platforming. Full of wild visuals, tense boss fights, and cute mini-games, it’s a playful experience that’s a perfect choice for this week’s Indie Pick. One of the things I appreciate most about 2 is the scope. There’s a genuine sense of adventure…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 18, 2017 -
Phantom Dust Is Still A Great Time (And Totally Free)
Phantom Dust is a 2004 action game that mixes Magic the Gathering deck building and frantic arena brawling. A free remaster was released yesterday for Windows 10 and Xbox One. Heather and Chris collect magic spells and slash their way to a few victories in this archived stream. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, Phantom Dust…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 17, 2017 -
CultureThe Bootleg Amiibo Business Is Booming, Thanks To Nintendo
With Legend of Zelda Amiibo figures perpetually sold out and fetching prohibitively high prices on eBay, many fans are turning to bootlegged “Amiibo cards” instead. Many sellers of these cards see themselves not as mere pirates, but as modern-day Robin Hoods, providing fans with the in-game content that Nintendo won’t sell them. One seller from…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 17, 2017 -
Reviews
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows Of Valentia: The Kotaku Review
There’s a special kind of beauty in tactics games. Navigating the intricacies of battle and bringing your soldiers home alive is a unique thrill; half puzzle, half bloodbath. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia excels in providing such thrills. Rich combat and a well-presented narrative drive a satisfying experience, even if it might be a…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 17, 2017 -
Sonic Forces’ Character Creator Will Bring Your Fan-Fic To Life
Sonic the Hedgehog is pretty damn cool but can he compete with Chester the Bespectacled Wolf-Dog? Sonic Forces will allow players to create their own animal heroes to run alongside everyone’s favorite blue blur. Announced via official trailer, Sonic Forces will include a character creator for crafting your own furry personas. (If only there was…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 16, 2017 -
Quake Champion‘s Beta Is A Bloody Disaster
Quake Champions is an upcoming free to play arena shooter that revives the beloved franchise. It is currently running a closed beta. It’s bloody and fun in short bursts but it is also amazingly frustrating. I wanted to enjoy my time with Quake Champions. Old school shooters formed a cornerstone of my time as a…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 15, 2017 -
The Hitman Series Has A Long History Of Excellence
Yesterday, Square-Enix announced that it was parting ways with Hitman developers IO Interactive. So why don’t we take some time to appreciate one of the best crafted stealth series around? Hitman is an action-stealth series that forged a unique identity in the early days of the genre. While games like Metal Gear Solid (1998) focused…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 12, 2017 -
CultureWind Waker HD Speedrunner Averts Disaster With Clutch Trick
Even the best players run into bad luck. Dying to some enemies should be enough to kill a speedrunner’s attempt at a fast time. But thanks to some quick thinking and a tricky glitch, a Wind Waker HD speedrunner brought Link back from the dead and saved their run. gymnast86 is a Zelda speedrunner who runs…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 11, 2017 -
Opinion
Paisley Princess Is A Terrific, Tiny Adventure Game In A 5×5 Grid
Paisley Princess takes all of the excitement and charm of a grand adventure game and shrinks it down to a snug 5×5 scale box for a pint sized bit of hacking and dungeon delving. It’s this week’s Indie Pick. Designed by Will Blanton (aka 01010111) Paisley Princess is a cute, Zelda-esque adventure that you can…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 11, 2017 -
Four Hours In, I’m Enjoying The Challenge Of Fire Emblem Echoes
I’ve just started up playing Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. It’s a remake of the Famicom exclusive Fire Emblem Gaiden. I’m making my way through the early hours of the campaign. It’s been a challenging game that I can’t put down. Fire Emblem Echoes tells the story of Alm, a simple peasant, and Celica,…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 10, 2017 -
Culture
For Many Speedrunners, It’s Not About The World Records
Speedrunning is all about going fast, which can mean shattering world records or performing wild feats. But for many players, speedrunning is less about spectacle and more about self-improvement. From Any%, which seeks to beat a game as fast as possible to the daunting 100% runs that collect every little knick knack, there’s all sorts…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 10, 2017 -
We Filled Retro Monsters Full Of Lead In Strafe
Strafe is a fond throwback to games like Quake and Doom. Seeking to capture all bloody fun of old school shooters, it has one hell of a shotgun and a lot of baddies to blast into bits. Heather and Chris sat down to take on its twisting corridors in this archived livestream. Created by Pixel…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 9, 2017 -
Culture
Speedrunner Completes Homestar Runner Game In 17 Milliseconds
Speedrunning is all about beating games as fast as possible. One speedrun through a free Homestar Runner web game is so fast that you can literally blink and miss it. Where’s An Egg? is a quick puzzle game where players guide an inspector around on a journey to find an egg hidden on someone’s possession. The…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 9, 2017 -
Why Mario Kart Is So Fun
Mario Kart has been around for 25 years and the fun has never let up. How has the beloved racing manage to stay so exciting over the years? We take a look in this critical video. Transcript: There’s something inherently exciting about a Mario Kart race. The breakneck speed leads to frantic chases towards the…
By Heather Alexandra Published May 5, 2017
Heather Alexandra
Heather Alexandra's posts