Welcome to Hughes3D: A Gaming Blog, where the three D's stand for dice, d-pads, and design. Hughes3D is your portal for impressions and discussions on video games and board games, an exploration into game design, weekly web comics, and more.
Sunday, August 5, 2018
Saturday, August 4, 2018
God of War Review
Genre: Action-Adventure
Players: 1
Playtime: 30 hours (Includes beating the game on Normal difficulty and doing some side quests)
(NOTE: Content in this game is not recommended for all ages due to mature themes, strong language, and intense violence; Parental discretion is advised.)
The new God of War released this past April, 2018 marks the eighth installment in the prestigious series and also a bold new opportunity to reexamine the fundamentals of this iconic franchise. A new world of wonder and lore to explore as the setting now shifts to Norse mythology. A whole new tempo and thought to gameplay as Kratos now wields a magical axe and fights alongside his bow-wielding son, Atreus. A fresh and captivating perspective with a new camera system that never cuts away from the flow of the game. Santa Monica Studio has not only crafted an experience that feels rich with exciting new potential, but also a world which respects and illustrates the growth of Kratos and this series. Does this ambitious reboot reach the highest summits of the nine realms though? Brace yourselves as we rage forward into the pros and cons of this otherworldly fury of a review.
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Throwback Thursday - Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia. While this blog is rated E for everyone's safe and enjoyable viewing, I should mention this week's throwback is rated M for Mature. Parental discretion is advised for playing this game.
Speaking of which, making the break this week: The game of intense brain teasers and pondering theories feasible that is Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors.
Released on December 10th, 2009, Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (or 999 for short) was the first of what would become a trilogy of thought-provoking narrative / escape-puzzle games known as the Zero Escape series. The game revolves around nine people who are abducted and trapped together in a large freighter. Their abductor, known as Zero, forces each captive to participate in a game referred to as the Nonary Game. They are all given 9 hours to locate the door with the number 9 on it and make their escape. However, each character has been given an irremovable bracelet with an assigned number 1-9. These bracelets help them open the 9 doors scattered about their confinement, but also hold lethal consequences should any rules not be followed. As the characters split up and seek out a means to escape, you learn that every character has a bit more depth and relation to this situation than might have been initially suspected. And to that same effect, your situation also holds a great deal more mystery and fraught significance.
Speaking of which, making the break this week: The game of intense brain teasers and pondering theories feasible that is Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors.
Released on December 10th, 2009, Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (or 999 for short) was the first of what would become a trilogy of thought-provoking narrative / escape-puzzle games known as the Zero Escape series. The game revolves around nine people who are abducted and trapped together in a large freighter. Their abductor, known as Zero, forces each captive to participate in a game referred to as the Nonary Game. They are all given 9 hours to locate the door with the number 9 on it and make their escape. However, each character has been given an irremovable bracelet with an assigned number 1-9. These bracelets help them open the 9 doors scattered about their confinement, but also hold lethal consequences should any rules not be followed. As the characters split up and seek out a means to escape, you learn that every character has a bit more depth and relation to this situation than might have been initially suspected. And to that same effect, your situation also holds a great deal more mystery and fraught significance.
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Throwback Thursday - Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia. Saving the cosmos this week: The game of copying abilities and angry trees that is Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.
Released in the US on June 26th, 2000, Kirby 64 was the sequel Kirby's Dreamland 3 from the SNES in the ensuing battle against the encroaching corruption of Dark Matter through the greater universe. In this colorful adventure, Kirby teams up with friends, foes, and new faces alike as they journey to collect the many scattered crystal shards and save the fairy Ribbon's home planet of Ripple Star. New to the series and still standing as a unique highlight to this day is the mechanic of being able to combine powers from the enemies which Kirby sucks up. With 7 different base abilities (Fire, Stone, Ice, Needle, Bomb, Spark, and Cutter) and the various combinations in which Kirby can mix these, there are a total of 35 distinct abilities in this game. This is just as much joy from playing with this wide arsenal of powers as there is in experimenting and discovering the various combinations that lead to these abilities. What drives this concept further is each level contains 3 hidden crystals to uncover, many of which require use of specific powers, meaning the players naturally want to be continually tinkering and learning all of these abilities to be had.
Released in the US on June 26th, 2000, Kirby 64 was the sequel Kirby's Dreamland 3 from the SNES in the ensuing battle against the encroaching corruption of Dark Matter through the greater universe. In this colorful adventure, Kirby teams up with friends, foes, and new faces alike as they journey to collect the many scattered crystal shards and save the fairy Ribbon's home planet of Ripple Star. New to the series and still standing as a unique highlight to this day is the mechanic of being able to combine powers from the enemies which Kirby sucks up. With 7 different base abilities (Fire, Stone, Ice, Needle, Bomb, Spark, and Cutter) and the various combinations in which Kirby can mix these, there are a total of 35 distinct abilities in this game. This is just as much joy from playing with this wide arsenal of powers as there is in experimenting and discovering the various combinations that lead to these abilities. What drives this concept further is each level contains 3 hidden crystals to uncover, many of which require use of specific powers, meaning the players naturally want to be continually tinkering and learning all of these abilities to be had.
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Throwback Thursday - The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia. Conducting the ballad this week: The game of guardian acorns and magical conch horns that is The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.
Released in the US in August, 1993, Link's Awakening marks the Zelda series' first debut to the world of handheld gaming consoles on the Nintendo Game Boy. Unlike most other Zelda games, this game takes place outside the world of Hyrule or even the inclusion of Princess Zelda herself. Instead, players take control of a shipwrecked hero, Link, as he washes ashore a mysterious island, which atop the tallest mountain rests a giant, watchful egg. Finding guidance from a wise owl and local inhabitants of the island, Link sets off on a quest to obtain eight instruments of the Sirens and wake the Wind Fish that sleeps atop the mountain so that he can return home. The story is unique and so elegantly poignant, as the characters found in this game reveal a degree of self-awareness and quiet dignity in their solitary lives. Originally intended as a bit of spin-off for the Zelda series, the game is also not afraid to be weird as all heck when desired, featuring cameos from the Mario and Kirby series even. This combination of refined and quirky storytelling make for quite the memorable adventure.
Released in the US in August, 1993, Link's Awakening marks the Zelda series' first debut to the world of handheld gaming consoles on the Nintendo Game Boy. Unlike most other Zelda games, this game takes place outside the world of Hyrule or even the inclusion of Princess Zelda herself. Instead, players take control of a shipwrecked hero, Link, as he washes ashore a mysterious island, which atop the tallest mountain rests a giant, watchful egg. Finding guidance from a wise owl and local inhabitants of the island, Link sets off on a quest to obtain eight instruments of the Sirens and wake the Wind Fish that sleeps atop the mountain so that he can return home. The story is unique and so elegantly poignant, as the characters found in this game reveal a degree of self-awareness and quiet dignity in their solitary lives. Originally intended as a bit of spin-off for the Zelda series, the game is also not afraid to be weird as all heck when desired, featuring cameos from the Mario and Kirby series even. This combination of refined and quirky storytelling make for quite the memorable adventure.
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