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, September 30, 2018
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Throwback Thursday - Limbo
Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia, now examining the cream of the crop with the Top 20. While this game is only rated T for Teen, there are many gruesome variances of death sequences to be found in this somber world. This blog is rated E for everyone's safe and enjoyable viewing, but I'd advise some parental discretion for playing this game.
Speaking of which, taking a stab this week: The game of brutal deaths and fun with physics that is Limbo.
Released on July 21st, 2010, Limbo starred as the eye-catching new indie game of Xbox's "Summer of Arcade" promotion. And boy did it turn some heads, with its simplistic and yet incredibly gripping art style and gameplay mechanics. By stripping down the components of its design, this is a game that manages to be both surprisingly accessible and deeply engaging. As a puzzle-platformer, players explore this entrancing world filled with all sorts of interesting puzzles, either comprised of new ideas or familiar elements with new layers of complexity. The main basis of most of these puzzles and the game centers around a trial by error system (or "trial by death" as the creators put it). This may sound frustrating dying over and over again, but such is kept from feeling grinding thanks to generous checkpoints and the many varied horrific, yet strangely captivating deaths. The deeper you dive into this haunting world, the more you develop a sense for anticipating these devious traps and a satisfaction for overcoming such.
Speaking of which, taking a stab this week: The game of brutal deaths and fun with physics that is Limbo.
Released on July 21st, 2010, Limbo starred as the eye-catching new indie game of Xbox's "Summer of Arcade" promotion. And boy did it turn some heads, with its simplistic and yet incredibly gripping art style and gameplay mechanics. By stripping down the components of its design, this is a game that manages to be both surprisingly accessible and deeply engaging. As a puzzle-platformer, players explore this entrancing world filled with all sorts of interesting puzzles, either comprised of new ideas or familiar elements with new layers of complexity. The main basis of most of these puzzles and the game centers around a trial by error system (or "trial by death" as the creators put it). This may sound frustrating dying over and over again, but such is kept from feeling grinding thanks to generous checkpoints and the many varied horrific, yet strangely captivating deaths. The deeper you dive into this haunting world, the more you develop a sense for anticipating these devious traps and a satisfaction for overcoming such.
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Tips for Pandemic - Surviving the Outbreak
As is the case with many a cooperative board game, victory is often far and few between as the brutal mechanics of the game have players frantically scrambling to stay alive. And the viral outbreak of a game that is Pandemic is no exception. With so many small, nuanced decisions to be made, there is always much deliberation to be found as what the proper course of action should be to contain the situation from spiraling out of control. While there is technically no one right answer, there are a few tips and tricks to help give your team of emergency respondents that leading edge. So with no time to waste, let's get the rundown on those tips to ensure your next game night still has vital signs come its conclusion.
(NOTE: These tips apply to the standard, base version of Pandemic, though they may also assist with some of the expansions. For a brief overview of Pandemic and the general mechanics of the game, see previous Tabletop Tuesday post on such here)
(NOTE: These tips apply to the standard, base version of Pandemic, though they may also assist with some of the expansions. For a brief overview of Pandemic and the general mechanics of the game, see previous Tabletop Tuesday post on such here)
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Thursday, September 20, 2018
Throwback Thursday - Super Mario World
Welcome to another Throwback Thursday, our weekly look into my Top 100 games and general nostalgia, now examining the cream of the crop with the Top 20. Making a sprint for the goal this week: The game of spin-jumps and 1-ups that is the classic Super Mario World.
Released in the US on August 13th, 1991, Super Mario World was the debut Mario title to launch with the new Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It's a little difficult not to be a little bias in regards to my affinity for this game as it also marks my first foray into the world of video games. And what a superbly jolly and creative introduction into the medium it was. Players take control of this mustached hero as he dawns bright yellow capes and mounts adorable green dinosaurs, soaring to the skies to rescue the princess on a island named entirely off delicious sweets. Sounds like the perfect start to a very memorable adventure.
Released in the US on August 13th, 1991, Super Mario World was the debut Mario title to launch with the new Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It's a little difficult not to be a little bias in regards to my affinity for this game as it also marks my first foray into the world of video games. And what a superbly jolly and creative introduction into the medium it was. Players take control of this mustached hero as he dawns bright yellow capes and mounts adorable green dinosaurs, soaring to the skies to rescue the princess on a island named entirely off delicious sweets. Sounds like the perfect start to a very memorable adventure.
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom Review
Genre: Action RPG
Players: 1
Playtime: 40 hours (Includes beating the game and completing a good portion of side quests and kingdom building)
The original Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch marked an ambitious RPG developed through the collaborative efforts of game company Level-5 Inc and animation film-makers Studio Ghibli. The result was quite impressive and incredibly charming, like being able to walk inside and interact with one of Studio Ghibli's beloved movies. Five years later, we now see a return to this magical kingdom with its sequel Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom. While Studio Ghibli is no longer part of this project, the developers of Level-5 still strive to carry the same polish and charm of its aesthetic wonder, while expanding upon the gameplay in bold new ways to tell a whole new story. Is this ambitious sequel able to find the same success again though? Let's gather our Higgledies and jump into the fro of the pros and cons to be found.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)