Category Archives: Archive

Blog: That Shaping Music – 01/23/19

Like a lot of people, I do my best to avoid ever having to open iTunes, but unfortunately a situation arose in which I had no choice. After the absurd amount of time it took to boot up, the several update notifications, and me needing to refresh my login credentials, I was finally face to face with my music library. A library that I’d been building on since my teenage years and oddly enough, hadn’t outgrown.

So I thought it would be a fun trip down memory lane to just highlight a few of the artists that influenced me in some way or another. To prepare, you’ll have to transport back in time, to the distant year of 2007(-ish). This isn’t a comprehensive list at all, rather it’s just to give you an idea of what 2007 Ari was and probably is still into.

BRAND NEW

I loved Brand New back in the day. I say loved because in 2017, shortly after they released what would be their final album, the lead singer was accused of, and ultimately admitted to, being a creep earlier in his career. I won’t go into it, but because of this, I no longer know how to feel about my former love for the band.

But up until this news came out, I thought the world of Brand New and the music they produced. I appreciated how they evolved and drastically changed their style from album to album, layering in more effects driven and experimental elements as time went on. It felt as if their music was growing up with me, and each album served as a bookmark in my life that I can distinctly remember where I was and how I felt when they were released.

Despite the gross revelations about the lead singer, I still can’t help but hold a special place in my heart for the music of the band as a whole. I just can’t listen to them with the frequency or the fervor in which I used to.

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA

I remember hearing some buzz about Manchester Orchestra back in the day, wondering what was so special about this orchestra that the bands I listened to were going on tour with them. Turns out, they’re a band; A really good one at that.

I’ll admit that I kind of lost the thread on the band as time has gone on, but that doesn’t diminish how I felt about them back in the day. Early albums like Mean Everything to Nothing and Simple Math remain my favorites, with most of their newer work not connecting for me. To my knowledge, they’re still out there making music. That alone makes me happy.

THRICE

In the same vein of Brand New, I think what I appreciate most about Thrice is that they were always evolving. Early on, they were churning out some real gut punching, face-melting music that was loud and angry and would get any teenager ready to write some hardcore shit on MySpace. As time passed, they stopped screaming as much and started belting out some real heavy and heartfelt stuff.

Eventually the band split, and the lead singer, Dustin Kensrue, went on to make some music that focused more on faith and God that was pretty good. But I recently learned that they came back together at some point in the last few years and are putting out new music again. Shamefully, I still haven’t listened to any of it yet.

SAY ANYTHING

This is a weird one for me, because it’s one of the bands that’s very existence carries so much baggage for me, and also I don’t think they ever had more than one good album. But I will say that Say Anything was a band that an ex of mine introduced me to, and we bonded over. There were lots of sing-alongs while we were driving around in my 91′ Saturn.

The lead singer doesn’t sing, but rather melodically speaks and makes edgy jokes that only a teenager in 2007 would have really appreciated. But hey, they knocked it out of the park with their album …Is a Real Boy and the eventual re-release with extra music, …Was a Real Boy, and I have some good memories associated with them. Too bad every album after those are just head-scratchingly bad.

YELLOWCARD

Yellowcard was so damn awesome and I don’t care what anyone has to say about that. They were a band that was consistently releasing better and better albums all throughout my time in high school, and more importantly, taught me that even violins can rock. And Paper Walls is their best album. Fight me.

METRIC

Like most things I did in high school, I listened to Metric because a girl I had a crush on was super into them. We never actually ended up dating, or having extensive conversations, but I did get a rad new band to listen to out of it.

In my opinion, Metric is a band that has one of the strangest arcs ever. The first albums of theirs that I listened to featured songs that fluctuated between coffee house music mixed with beat poetry, to driving pop-punk-esque singles. Later on they released an album called Fantasies, which is easily the most digestible and listenable music they’ve ever made. It’s filled with catchy pop-rock tracks that heavily lean on synth leads.

Now they’re kind of dipping back into the stuff that first got me interested in them, trying some more experimental stuff once again. It’s been fun to watch them grow in popularity, especially around the time they had music featured in movies like Twilight and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Also I should mention that I was super into the lead singer, Emily Haines… kinda still am.

TAKING BACK SUNDAY

And rounding out this trip through my iPod Nano of yesteryear is Taking Back Sunday. I remember having intense disagreements with a close friend of mine over which band was better, Taking Back Sunday or Brand New. Turns out, they were both really good and we were idiots.

To my knowledge, Taking Back Sunday is still out there making music. The last time I heard some it, I felt it lacked the punchiness of their older work. I’m all for bands changing it up over time, but I never got the impression that they were trying to evolve their style, rather just trying to recreate what worked in the past. Maybe I’m off base with that, but it doesn’t change the fact that their music still gets regular play in my car.

There’s way more to tell about the music I used to bump on a regular basis that I might get around to one day, but for now, this is a good and broad look at some of the more popular acts I followed back in the day.

The 2019 Reset

Leave a reply

As you can probably tell, things look a little different around here. Some stuff got shifted around, the artwork is looking a little different and our YouTube channel is a little… barren. But that’s all part of the plan. See, we’re working on revamping The Bonus World a little, and trying to make it more diverse and sustainable.

Last year we tried streaming a lot of stuff to mixed results, and while it was a lot of fun, it just wasn’t something we could all reliably do. So we stopped doing any video work for a while, and though it sure made my workload a lot lighter, it did leave a large gap in our website.

So we’re trying some new things out here. Or rather, we’re trying to find a method that works for us. We’ve got a new video coming out this Friday at 3:00pm ET, which is exciting, and the written stuff on the site is still going at it’s normal pace.

There are a lot of things I’d like to do in 2019 in regards to The Bonus World, and bringing back video is a big one. We’d also like to start streaming at some point in the future, but it’s unclear as to when that’ll happen. But till then, the blog will continue to update weekly, articles will occasionally pop up, and video features are going to make a return.

If you want to watch any of our content from last year, it can still be accessed on the site in the Archived Shows portion of the drop down video menu. Lastly, the site is going to fluctuate a bit as I finalize the design and layout of things, so if menus move around, or the art changes again, it’s probably just me fiddling around on the back end because I can’t ever just leave things alone.

Thanks for continuing to hang with us, and we hope that we can make some big strides in 2019. Fingers crossed.

Blog: Combat Specialization – 01/16/19

Leave a reply

On the last day of the winter sale EA was running, a friend of mine decided to pick up the poorly titled, Battlefield 1. This was great timing considering our friend group has been looking for something new to play, and this seemed like a cheap way to get us all together once again. Despite me having some of my most memorable online experiences with previous Battlefield entries, upon jumping back into action I quickly realized that I think I actually hate the Battlefield games.

Battlefield, like most other competitive shooters, lives and dies by the quality of their maps. The things I like about a multiplayer map is when it’s designed in such a way that every play style is viable on it, but can always be countered. A sniper should be as effective and vulnerable as the player running laps around the map with a shotgun. I know that’s easier said than done, but my point is that I value not making someone feel bad for playing the way they want to.

However in Battlefield, the matches I end up playing are usually swayed by air superiority and effective sniping, whereas everything else never feels as important or effective. I’ve never felt quite as useless as when I pick a shotgun in one of these grand battles that Battlefield operates in. I’m not great at sniping and even worse at driving in these games, but they seem to be the only real way to make a difference in any given match.

When I compare Battlefield to something like the Call of Duty series, I find I have more fun with the latter because it favors faster gameplay in more tightly constructed environments. That isn’t a qualitative statement as much as it’s a preferential one. I like getting back into the action fast and being able to see my enemy (for the most part) before I’m dispatched and ultimately reborn, cursed to endure that cycle until the timer runs out. Both games can be eternally frustrating, but I have much more fun with Call of Duty than Battlefield for this and other reasons.

In theory, I should love Battlefield. These grand scaled battles that occupy various forms of combat simultaneously, a large player count and destructible environments should be a slam dunk for me, but it always ends up leaving me feeling more frustrated than satisfied. If only there was some sort of shooter on the market that was able to blend the fast and frenetic action of Call of Duty with the scale and scope of Battlefield. Oh wait, it’s called Titanfall 2, the game I was thinking about is Titanfall 2, and it’s phenomenal and didn’t deserve to be buried the way it was when Battlefield 1 came out.

Blog: Nintendorama – 01/09/19

Leave a reply

I’ve been toiling away in the Nintendo mines lately, chipping away at some of my ever expanding backlog when I came to the incredibly rare and never before talked about realization that those folks at Nintendo know how to make fun games. This may come as a surprise to some of you, but I’m serious. I think they might be onto something.

In all seriousness, I’ve been grinding my way through some Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and am having the most fun I’ve had with that series in ages. I know a lot of people didn’t like the concept of having to unlock most of the 7000 characters in the game, but it’s kind of kept me on the hook longer than I expected. I don’t know what will happen when I unlock everyone, but for the moment it’s enough motivation to keep me coming back.

Speaking of getting them all, I’ve also been playing Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu and am having a similar experience to Smash Bros. Ultimate. I’ve never been a huge Pokemon guy, but this game is so darn delightful that I can’t help but be charmed by it. I think my favorite part about it might be all the bullshit they’ve cut from the Pokemon formula. Random encounters are gone now that you can see all the little critters rustling around in the bushes, swapping Pokemon in and out of your party is no longer something you need to return to a town for, and all your little Poke-pals get experience just for being there after a battle. Although I guess I don’t know for sure if these are new changes to the series, but they’re new to me. The game thus far is a low stress experience and I hope it remains that way.

2019 seems like it could be a big year for Nintendo with upcoming titles like Animal Crossing and Metroid Prime 4, and I can’t wait to see how it pans out. Like tons of people my age, I grew up with Nintendo, and after seeing the disappointment that was the Wii U, it’s nice to see them back on top with the Switch and it’s lineup of fantastic first party games, as well as overwhelming indie support.

Blog: 4K All Day – 01/02/19

Leave a reply

Who’s got two thumbs and was so wrapped up in the holidays that they forgot to write an actual post? This guy. Yeah, I really goofed it up this time and lost track of the days, so we’re gonna have to make due with something light this week.

I guess the thing I’ll talk about is my experience with buying a new TV. After over a decade of rocking with the same TV, I decided it was high time that I upgraded and joined the modern era with one that has more than 1 HDMI input among other things. I was interested in a 4K display, but didn’t really consider it too hard until I saw how cheap they had become.

I picked up an Insignia 43 inch Fire TV because it was affordable, pretty, and was still in stock. After fumbling around with the settings and getting the display to a place I liked, I thought it was high time to test out the 4K and HDR capabilities in earnest. It was then I realized that all of my hardware is incapable of doing that.

See, I have a regular launch PS4, that sounds like it’s taking a trip to Mars every time I play something, as well as a GTX 970 in my computer which in all fairness is a great graphics card, but not so great at doing anything in 4K. I booted up NBA 2K19 and while it was absolutely stunning to look at, it felt less like watching a game on TV and more like watching a low frame rate GIF.

But it isn’t all doom and gloom, because I loaded up Red Dead Redemption 2, and despite the PS4 not being super powerful, the HDR capabilities of the console really made the game look new all over again. I sat there slack-jawed at how impressive everything looked. You might be wondering why this is such a big deal to me, so maybe it would help if I mentioned that my last TV only output at 720p. So literally everything I put on this TV looks fucking fabulous.

One day I’ll get a graphics card and a console that can fully take advantage of the TV, but as it stands I’m very happy with my purchase, even if it has made me fully aware of how obsolete my other hardware is becoming. Also, Happy New Year. Probably should’ve led with that.

Game of the Year [2018]

1 Reply

I don’t know how 2018 managed to do it, but it simultaneously felt like the longest and shortest year of my life. It was tumultuous to say the least, but we made it through and there’s no way things could get any worse, right? But throughout it all we were graced with some pretty phenomenal games to play. Here are what I consider to be the best of the year.

#10 – House Flipper

This is a weird one to kick off the list with, but hell, I played so much of this damn game that I’d be lying if I didn’t put it somewhere on this list. I wrote about the function of games like House Flipper in my life earlier this year, and this was the one that spurred it on. Oddly enough, the reason why I enjoyed House Flipper so much was because of my ability to disengage with it and just play it in the background. Despite it being janky, and a little crashy at times, I really enjoyed the loop of restoring, decorating and selling homes.

There’s something oddly therapeutic about House Flipper and games of its ilk, and that’s mostly why it now is immortalized in my list.

#9 – God of War

So look, I really enjoyed God of War this year, but definitely not as much as a lot of people out there did. Don’t get me wrong, it was a joy to play given the rewarding combat and engaging story, but that was about it for me. I didn’t get hooked by any of the side missions or additional challenges, and I felt a little underwhelmed by some of the enemy encounters. I really got sick of fighting that ogre with the rock, over and over again. But still, God of War is a tremendous game that I enjoyed from start to finish, even if I did just power through the story to get to the very satisfying ending.

#8 – Celeste

For the first few levels of Celeste, I was pretty lukewarm on it. I didn’t hate it or anything, it was just fine. But a few levels in and Celeste started to show a little more of its hand, and hint at what the game was really about. Celeste isn’t just a game about climbing a mountain, it’s about coping and acceptance. The game, very literally, reveals that it is about the main character accepting herself for who she is and utilizing every aspect of herself to continue pushing forward.

That’s when I was on the hook and and really started to feel compelled to press on. Celeste is one of those games that’s so good that any quibbles you might have with it are overshadowed.

#7 – Hitman 2

Hitman 2 is more Hitman 2016 and there isn’t a damn thing wrong with that. I love the new Hitman games and everything they’re bringing to the table. Blending into crowds and bushes are welcome additions to the formula, but overall this is just more of a good thing. I can’t say for certain, but in terms of objectives, map design and just what options are available to you, it feels like the developers are leaning into Hitman being less of a serious game, and more of a comedy sandbox. For that, I’m eternally grateful.

#6 – The Messenger

Holy moly The Messenger caught me off guard this year. When I heard people raving and ranting about this game, I was fully expecting it to be mostly hyperbole. It looked like a pretty neat homage to Ninja Gaiden and the like, but the more I played of it, the more The Messenger made it clear that first impressions are deceiving and that there was something truly special here. The Messenger was a blast to play and honestly, it’s really well written too. There’s also a pretty insane twist in the middle of the game that fundamentally changes everything, and while the change itself isn’t groundbreaking, it was definitely surprising.

In a year of phenomenal platformers and action games, The Messenger is definitely one of the best.

#5 – Dead Cells

Speaking of killer platformer and action games, how about we talk about Dead Cells? Boy howdy is Dead Cells a good game. If there was an award for “Best Feeling Game to Play,” Dead Cells would win it. It’s one of those games that whenever things go bad for you, you’re immediate thought isn’t to blame the game, but rather yourself. Dead Cells will punish you and try to break your spirit, but will leave you feeling so accomplished when you clear a level or beat a boss. Aside from that it’s also got a real good look to it that I appreciate.

My only real gripe is that I’m not a big fan of rogue-like games, and Dead Cells is most certainly one of those. While it wasn’t ever difficult to make it through the first few stages, I did start to feel burnt out on them and just wished for some sort of level skip feature or something. Despite that though, I love the hell out of Dead Cells.

#4 – Yoku’s Island Express

I’ve had a passing interest in pinball at best throughout most of my life, so the concept of a pinball based platformer wasn’t something that I had pictured I’d enjoy as much as I did. But here we are, talking about a game that in addition to having a really unique take on the Metroidvania style of game, is also immensely charming. Within moments of booting up Yoku’s Island Express it managed to win me over.

It’s also an immensely chill game to play. There aren’t really any enemies or fail states, and there never is any real pressure put on you. But what I really appreciated was that the game is tight experience that didn’t take more than a few hours to complete. It never overstayed its welcome, and left me satisfied at the end.

#3 – Dragon Ball Fighter Z

I did not expect to enjoy a fighting game as much as I did, let alone a Dragon Ball Z themed one, but here we are. Dragon Ball Fighter Z was a constant for me throughout the year, being one of my go-to games whenever I was looking to pass some time. I think what I really appreciate is how accessible the game is, and how whether it’s through some visual cue or mechanical one, it always makes you feel as if you’re playing well. The auto combo system is generous and allows new players to feel competitive early on, while also rewarding players for learning actual combinations and moves.

Dragon Ball Fighter Z can be a little hectic though. Sometimes I’ll lose myself in the action and lose track of what’s happening or where I’ve gone, but I think that’s just me admitting that I’m getting old.

#2 – Marvel’s Spider-Man

I really loved Marvel’s Spider-Man this year. Sure it had some problems, like bad stealth sections and bland side activities, but it was still overwhelmingly fun to play. Like a lot of people out there, it was one of the only games in a while I achieved 100% completion in. Normally I don’t try to achievement hunt in games, but I was looking for any reason to play more of the game that I could find.

I fear I’ll sound like a cliche here, but it felt so damn good to swing around as Spider-Man and just make my way through the city. What helped even more was the music that would swell every time you’d pick up momentum. Even the combat, despite being repetitive, felt so good. Something about just launching dudes off buildings and watching their bodies automatically web to the nearest surface was just so satisfying.

Marvel’s Spider-Man is not a perfect game, but I had a hell of a lot of fun with playing it. Also, turning J. Jonah Jameson into an Alex Jones-esque podcast host may have been the best decision ever.

#1 – Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is easily my favorite game of the year. It’s also ironic that the parts I least enjoyed about it were the parts where you actually played it. It felt like the game had an identity crisis at some point, wavering between being a survival game and an action game, but ultimately being extremely mediocre at both.

But it was everything around the periphery of the core mechanics that really won me over. Aside from a very enjoyable story with some really gut-wrenching moments, the random encounters and side missions were such a pleasure to track down and complete that it was worth fumbling around with the muddy controls to get to.

It’s one of the few game worlds that I enjoy taking my time in and exploring. It’s one of the few games that I just like to boot up and waste time in. Rockstar did something more impressive than make a good game, they made a world worth visiting. A place that is so rich and diverse, that rewards me whenever I decide to spend time in it.

Red Dead Redemption II isn’t a perfect game, in fact, I’d hazard a guess that it’s actually an incredibly polarizing game. But for me, coming into Red Dead Redemption II expecting a rewarding action game isn’t going to get you very far. I found that it was better experienced as a sort of cowboy themed life simulator, where you can just experience life in old west as an incredibly deadly man who also likes to pet dogs and get into bar fights.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

The Gardens Between

The Garden’s Between is a short puzzle game about two children reliving their memories one last time before one of them moves away. The hook is that you control time, and not the children. You’ll solve puzzles by manipulating the flow of time in ways like changing the order in which they punch in numbers on a giant calculator, or rewinding debris that’s floating in a river to provide a bridge for both of the children who are walking at different paces.

It’s all extremely stylized and has a soothing ambient soundtrack which I was very much a fan of.

Florence

What I liked about Florence the most was how it reveled in the mundanities of daily life, in and out of a relationship. You play as Florence, a girl who is increasingly dissatisfied with her life. She meets a nice young gentlemen and eventually falls in love with him. Through this, you explore their relationship by doing things such as moving some of your stuff off of the shelves to make room for his things. It’s simple yet effective in the message it sends and how it sends it.

The story went some places, and maybe I got a little choked up, but there’s no way of knowing for sure. Regardless, Florence is a delightful little experience that you can play on your phone and finish in about 20 to 30 minutes.

Blog: I’m Into The Spiderverse – 12/26/18

Leave a reply

Hey, this is gonna be a real short one cause it’s the holidays and all, but I did want to shout out Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse real quickly because of how damn awesome it is.

From top to bottom, this Spider-Man movie is arguably one of the best ones that’s existed, paying homage to the best and weirdest parts of the character and his lineage. It’s one of the few times where fan service is done right, rewarding the hardcore Spidey fans with some real deep cuts, while still being fun for new fans as well.

The movie was visually impressive, blending various animation and art styles to represent changes in the story and the characters that were included at that moment. It was downright beautiful. And huge shout out to the soundtrack for being so good at amplifying the mood no matter what was going on. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has what we like to call, style.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse for being a hilarious yet emotional film, that highlights a different incarnation of the web-head to the big screen. While Miles Morales isn’t a new character in the history of Spider-Man, he is new to a ton of people who have only seen the movies. That combined with the bevy of other Spider-folks that are involved in the film do a great job of reminding people that Spider-Man is an old character that they’ve done some weird stuff with.

Without spoiling anything, the end credits scene sets up some really exciting possibilities about what’s to come, whether it be more movies or a television series or whatever. Regardless of what they do to follow up Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, I really hope they do something, because this was a phenomenal film from tip to toe, and it’d be a shame not to explore the vast possibilities that this movie’s success has unlocked.

Blog: Hey December, Can You Chill? – 12/19/18

Leave a reply

Hey, what the actual fuck is going on? December has been popping off in a way I wasn’t entirely prepared for in regards to game releases. It’s borderline irresponsible how many really good games have come out this month. See, traditionally game releases slow the hell down once Black Friday passes us by, but this year isn’t playing by the rules. Let’s go ahead and take a quick gander at some of things I’m talking about.

Just Cause 4 (12/04/18)

Just Cause 4 came out to a pretty mixed reception, but it’s still worth mentioning. What’s more interesting about this is that Just Cause 3 also pulled this stunt 3 years ago on December 1st.

Ashen (12/06/18

I wrote about Ashen and how updates about it were oddly silent. Turns out, it just wanted to surprise everyone with a surprise launch at The Game Awards this year. While I’ve been pretty excited to play it in the past, I’m finding it hard to get excited about it the more I see of it.

Katamari Damacy Reroll (12/07/18)

Katamari Damacy got a remaster this month, which while it isn’t a new game technically, it’s still a fucking awesome game that is worth playing. It’s definitely one that’s fun to zone out with.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (12/07/18

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the biggest Smash Bros. fan, but it’s still a really novel game in my eyes. There’s something wonderful about getting all of these Nintendo properties fighting each other alongside some other notable characters from across the gaming landscape. There’s something cozy about Smash, that is until you take even the slightest of peeks into the competitive scene. That place is a nightmare.

DayZ (12/13/18

This isn’t a joke. DayZ is a real game and not just the prime example of why early access is a dangerous bet. I have zero interest in playing DayZ nor have I looked up anything about it, but I’m just amazed it exists at all.

GRIS (12/13/18

GRIS does the thing that I like where it looks fucking awesome. I’m a sucker for style and GRIS is oozing with it to an unhealthy degree. While some of the footage I saw about it made the platforming seem a little stiff, I’m still more than willing to give it a shot. It’s a puzzle-platformer too, which is also kind of my jam.

Below (12/14/18

As if DayZ coming out wasn’t enough of a sign of impending apocalypse in 2019, Below actually releasing should definitely tip you off. Like, I had no idea what Below was before it released, and even now that it’s out I’m pretty unclear. I think it’s a rogue-like experience, but I can’t say for certain. I’d say I’m going to give it shot, but I genuinely don’t know if I’ll ever get around to it.

2018 has been an unruly year that just wont end. I’d say that this was it for games, but apparently stealth releases are in vogue this month and maybe tomorrow Half Life 3 will just appear on Steam. Who fucking knows anymore? Knock it off 2018, go to bed already.

Games to Keep an Eye on in 2019

Leave a reply

With 2018 on the out, it wouldn’t hurt to take a quick look at what confirmed 2019 releases I’m interested in, and think you might be as well. Most of these are games I’m genuinely looking forward to, and some are pure curiosities.

The first part of this list is going to highlight games that I am actually excited to play. I’m not saying they’ll all be winners, but these ones are things that have really captured my interest.

The Last Campfire

Announced at The Game Awards of 2018, The Last Campfire is being produced by Hello Games, the folks behind No Man’s Sky. While my feeling on their previous release is mixed at best, I am interested to see what Hello Games does with a smaller, more focused project. Considering how much I enjoy the aesthetic of No Man’s Sky, it’s no surprise that The Last Campfire has piqued my curiosity.

Control

I’m not entirely sure what Control is or what it’s going for, but it gives me this weird Psi-Ops vibe and I’m okay with that. The game certainly has a style and looks like it’s going to do some pretty abstract stuff aesthetically.

Afterparty

Maybe you remember Oxenfree, maybe you don’t, but the folks at Night School are making another intensely charming game, yet this time it has an even more unbelievable premise: You have to beat the devil in a drinking contest to come back to life. Regardless of whether you think this game would be for you, you have to admit that it has a pretty amazing premise.

Sable

I have no idea what is going on in Sable, but I know that I love everything about the way it looks already. It’s pitched as a “coming-of-age tale of discovery through exploration across a strikingly rendered open world desert.” and I think that sounds pretty exciting. Plus, just look at it.

Cloudpunk

You know what would make 2019 an infinitely better year? More cyberpunk themed games. Cloudpunk certainly nails the aesthetic, but I’m genuinely curious if it delivers on more than the cyberpunk standard tropes that talk about how evil the corporations are. Like, yeah, we know they’re evil, but tell me about your cool robot arms. Hopefully Cloudpunk delivers a fresh take on this well-worn territory.

Tunic

Every time I see Tunic, I’m reminded of just how impressive it looks. I really like the style it’s going for, but the game-play looks like it’ll hold up it’s end of the bargain. But first impressions can be deceiving. We’ll find out soon, I suppose.

My Friend Pedro

Just look at this darn game. It’s absolutely bananas and I don’t actually believe that it’s going to be anything more than a “cool moment” generator, but just look at some of the stuff you can do. I don’t think anything else has been said about the game, but I’m super interested in what’s been shown off so far.

Ooblets

Ooblets looks like the beautiful lovechild between Harvest Moon, Pokemon and Animal Crossing. It’s such a delight to look at and it just seems like it’s gonna make you feel good to play. I’m always up for a game that charms me so much that my cheeks hurt from all the smiling.

Body of Evidence

I’ll be the first to admit that Body of Evidence doesn’t necessarily look like a game that’s gonna take the world by storm, but I just really like the pitch that it puts forward. Cleaning up the evidence from a crime scene? Count me in. I already have a weird fascination with these simulation games, so this just seems like a fun spin on one of those.

Untitled Goose Game

Yeah, you know this game had to be on the list. I aspire to be a horrible goose prankster everyday of my life, and soon there’s going to be a game that allows me to do that? Yeah Untitled Goose Game, I’m picking up what you’re putting down. And I sure hope they never change the name of the game.

Animal Crossing

Animal Crossing is so good. It’s such a wonderful and pleasant game that I wish had a better mobile version than it got. While in my mind I’ve envisioned a fully realized version of Animal Crossing existing on my iPhone, having on the Switch is the next best thing. Here’s to hoping it lives up to expectations.

The Zone of Curiosities

Whereas everything you’ve seen up till now are games that I’m actually pretty excited for, the next few are games that I’m still not entirely sure how to feel about.

Anthem

The first game I’d like to highlight in The Zone of Curiosities is Anthem. I was not a very big fan of Destiny, and I know this is a different thing, but that’s the comparison that EA has opened themselves up to with Anthem. I would love for Anthem to be it’s own unique thing and really impress me, but I’m just so weary of multiplayer focused games these days.

Crackdown 3

I want Crackdown 3 to be good, I’m just afraid that the Crackdown formula doesn’t work in modern games anymore. Even when Crackdown came out on the Xbox 360 it felt a little archaic. I would love to see a modern take on the franchise, but somehow Crackdown 3 doesn’t seem like it’s doing much to innovate. But I guess I don’t really know anything about it.

Shenmue III

Even if you aren’t a fan of the Shenmue games, you have to be curious right? I have no real issues with the Shenmue games, but I haven’t played them in years so who knows how I’d feel today. But damn, I am so curious to see how this thing pans out.

In the Valley of Gods

I loved Firewatch and that alone is reason for me to be excited for the next game from Campo Santo, but I just feel like I know literally nothing about this game. It sure looks like it’s got the Firewatch vibe nailed down, but I want to know more.

Psychonauts 2

Psychonauts is one of my favorite games, and for years I’ve wanted a sequel. It’s actually happening and I’m eager to take a look at what the sequel to a game released in 2005 actually looks like. Psychonauts was a good platformer that won so many people over because of it’s charm, but I wonder if they can replicate that in a a sequel over a decade later.

Blog: For Who? – 12/12/18

Leave a reply

There’s a specific moment that I recall from my early teenage years that has lingered in the back of my mind ever since. It’s a small memory, but an unsolved one at that. Even weirder, it involves our favorite green plumber Luigi.

It was around Christmastime and like any kid, I was keeping an eye for presents. I had picked up a Playstation 2 a few years earlier and was content with getting some games for it or something in that vein. What I didn’t expect was to see my father come home from work with a copy of Luigi’s Mansion. Yeah, the Luigi’s Mansion that was exclusive for the Gamecube.

I asked him about it, and he told me to mind my own business. In retrospect I should’ve been curious as to why he’d just be brandishing it so openly, but at the time I was fairly certain I was getting a Gamecube for Christmas. I mean, the game in our house was a pretty good indicator I thought.

Apparently I was way off. Christmas came, and while I don’t remember the gifts I got, I can damn well tell you that there wasn’t a Gamecube involved. It was as if it had vanished from this plain of existence completely. My father played dumb and insisted that he never had the game, but being the rambunctious little shit I was, I found it in his closet and held it in my hands. I know it was real.

So my remaining theories are that he realized I didn’t have a Gamecube at some point and returned it, or I had a secret brother that was getting a Gamecube for Christmas. Over the years I’ve asked him occasionally about it, but he doesn’t remember this moment at all. That, or he’s still hiding the truth.