Wow, too many god damn people work for this site
You guys might not know this, but some of us here at Destructoid are big fans of videogames. For a change of pace, we’d like to share that interest with you all and fill you in on some of the games we’re playing right now.
I mean, not right now, right now. More like this last week. It’s the 4th of July right now. No one hates America more than me, but I’ll take an excuse to skip out on work in favor of hot links and tequila. We’re with our families, friends and loved ones, sitting out in the sun, sharing stories, throwing sports balls. Some us are planning to lose a few fingers to explosives as the sun winds down and the alcohol compromises our equilibrium and decision making.
What kind of sad loser who smells bad is sitting around playing videogames and browsing the internet on 4th of the July, I ask you.
Anyways, let us know what you’ve been playing these days in the comments!
I’m very busy rearranging my life so I don’t have time to play much. I just startedEA Sports’ UFCand can’t get it to glitch out like I keep seeing in the GIFs. Disappointing! I’m also regularly checking in withTomodachi Life, which I haven’t put down since launch. That game is ridiculous. Finally, my bedtime game is nowAtelier Rorona Plus, which should provide some sweet dreams.
I’ve been playing a ton ofHero Siegethanks to the Steam sale, I also just played throughSpec Ops: The Lineagain because of it’s amazing story. Also been playing throughPushmo WorldandHow to Surviveon the Wii U with my daughter. It’s funny, she asks me every day if I’m going to play the zombie game (How to Survive). She’s totally invested in the story, I’m not sure why… Oh, andMario Golf: World Tour. Lot’s and lot’s ofMario Golf: World Tour.
If you didn’t already know, I’m obsessed withPokemon. One of my favorite things to do with my IRL friends is challenge them to random pokebattles through this awesome web app called Pokemon Showdown. (http://play.pokemonshowdown.com/) I’ve been playing a ton lately so lets battle sometime!
Super-embarrassing confession: I never finishedThe Witcher 2. I played it a bunch when it came out on 360 and didn’t really “get it.” After seeingThe Wild Huntat E3 last year, I ran home with a raging hard-on and started a new game, actually getting into it. After a few weeks, I was promptly sidetracked by work, other games, moving house, and real life. So, after seeingThe Wild Huntat E3 again, I’ve resumed by adventures as Geralt yet again. Other than that, I’ve had some fun drunkenly crashing cars and dying a lot in theBattlefield: Hardlinebeta. I’m honestly not sure who’s having a harder time playing: me, my internet connection, or the game itself.
I just beat the firstBioShockagain yesterday, and man do I love that game. The characters, the storytelling, the plasmids, it’s so great! I’ve had an influx of newAnimal Crossingvillagers recently and I’m pretty keen to all of them. I just wish Queenie would freaking MOVE OUT. Other than that I’ve been working my way through1001 Spikes,Mario Kart, andMario Gold: World Tour.
I cannot stop playingBoom Beach. No, seriously, I’m going to upgrade my sniper tower as soon as I send this email.
I’ve been working my way throughMario Kart 8Grand Prix a little bit at a time. I’ve finished 50cc and 100cc, and am just getting started on 150cc. Otherwise, I’ve been spending a lot of my free minutes here and there playingBravely Default, which I’m liking a lot more than I expected to. It’s nice to be able to just flip open my 3DS, grind a little bit, then close it. When I have more time (usually before going to sleep), I try to actually advance in it. Lastly, I’m still playingBorderlands 2with friends who only recently got it. With the Steam Sale, I have a new set of friends who are just starting out, so I’ll probably be at it until thePre-Sequelcomes out.
I’m currently playingValiant Hearts, and that’s a good thing because I’ve not yet found a title this year that I can more highly recommend. It’s a game that highlights the atrocities of war without forcing the player to reciprocate them. It’s an emotional journey where subtlety weighs far heavier than the most overwrought dramatics. Simple cues like the curve of lips or the slumping of shoulders expertly convey the immediate and long-term toll of violent engagement. I’m only half-way through with no idea where the protagonists will end up. While their stories are central, the war-torn landscapes and people you meet (and usually help) only briefly teach the more important lesson — there are no winners when it comes to war.
I finally uninstalledSpelunkyafter 314 hours… As much as I loved it, I know it distracted me from really getting into other games. So now, I’m in Steam sale mode but I’m really being picky with what I’m buying. So far I’ve played a bit ofThe Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing IIwhich is scratching thatDiablo/Torchlightitch. I’ve also picked upNoir Syndromewhich looks like a really interesting adventure game.
I also bit the bullet and gotRocksmith 2014which I’ll start to play once my required cable turns up from Amazon and I retrieve my brother’s electric guitar from my parent’s house. Early onset of a mid-life crisis? Nah.
Every morning and every night before bed, I check in with my Miis inTomodachi Life. I’ve been playing it consistently ever since its release, and I’m happy to report that Geordi LaForge is best friends with Vladimir Putin. Daria and Naked Snake are getting along swimmingly, though Dr. Steve Brule was jilted by Daria and fell into a deep depression. Jon Snow is dating Arya Stark against my better judgment, and we’re celebrating the birth of our very first, oddly-misshapen Mii baby. Seriously, its head looks like a potato. I don’t claim it. I’m also playing this super difficult game called “Looking for An Apartment That Isn’t In The Gross Part of Town,” and while the graphics are decent, the replayability factor is horrid. In my increasingly rare bouts of down time, however, I’m playing throughCommander Bloodagain and backtracking some inHarvesterto relive some of my favorite moments. What’s next? I’ll probably pull outLoomand go through it again.
Far Cry 3was cheap enough in the Steam sale that I couldn’t hold off any longer, especially considering I’ve already played and enjoyed the hell out ofFar Cry 2andBlood Dragon. It’s about damn time I got this. For as much fun as I had sneaking through all of the outposts and getting jump-scared by random crocodiles, more than anything, it just left me wantingFar Cry 4given its far more interesting locale. Questionable story aside, great game, though. I’ve now moved on toShovel Knightand I wish I could put life on hold to marathon it.
I’m working through all threeRhythm Heavengames at the same time! It’s great because I travel a whole ton, so I can take the DS or GBA version with me and never be without it. When I’m home I play it quite often and you can catch me cursing or praising it on twitter.
After E3 winded down there wasn’t a whole lot to review, so whenShovel Knightcame across my desk I was pretty thrilled to get my hands on it. I’m on my third playthrough and I’m loving it — one of the best modern day retro games ever. I’m also playing theMountaingame from the guy who directed the videogame scenes inHer,WildStar,Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark, and I just completed my fourth level 50 character inFFXIV(Bard).
Blizzard stuff;WoWmostly, but also a lot ofHeroes of the Stormand a sprinkling ofHearthstone. Also forcing myself throughDeadspace 3and holy FUCK that game is boring so far. Will probably replaySpec Ops: The Linesoon since Bill Platt bought it for me on Steam.
Picked upMLB 14: The Showon PS4 this week because it’s the summertime and I can’t think of anything more summer than baseball. It’s super good. Also finally picked upMetal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroeson PS4 so I’ve been playing that when I’m not baseballin’. I like getting the tank and just running all the guards over. Other than that it’s the occasionalMario Kart 8,Final Fantasy X HD, andFinal Fantasy XIV: A Real Rebornas usual here and there to get some things done in those when I can.
A real busy month at the day job has kept me unable to play anything for more than half an hour, which means I’ve been pretty much limited to playing inStar Trek Online‘s annual summer event has been the limit of my gaming. That, and playingDragon’s Crownon the can with my Vita. When I do find the time, though, I really want to sink my teeth into some of the indie games I bought into this Steam sale, likeBlade Symphony,Overgrowth, and some obscure unknown thing calledCall of Duty: Ghosts.
Thanks to Nintendo having the audacity to feature games I want at e3, I went ahead and picked up a Wii U. Currently I’m working to unlock all the characters inMario Kart 8, have startedSuper Mario 3D World, and been enjoying Nintendo Land with friends. I’ve been getting my nostalgia on withWario WareandSuper Punch Outon Virtual Console andNES Remix 1 & 2as well. I also started playing through Shadow of theColossus HDfinally.
The Last of Usstill has its hooks in me. BetweenShovel Knightsessions and working on various reviews, I’ve been consumed by the oft overlooked multiplayer element of Naughty Dog’s latest. I play a stealthy build and really enjoy creeping around in the shadows with my bow and silently moving around the flanks to catch enemies off guard with a quick shiv in the neck. It’s less disturbing than it sounds. Probably.
I’m currently knee deep in theDead. I’m about 3/4 of the way through a co-op playthrough ofDead Space 3with my brother-in-law, which has been… interesting. I’m an enormous fan of all thingsDead Space, but playing with another person — while fun — just doesn’t feel veryDead Space-y. Still, it’s given the game some extra miles and given my brother and I something to bond over, so I’m not complaining. I also just finishedDead Islandafter pouring over 30 hours into it, and I’m SO happy I went in with low expectations… because I had a blast! Seriously, I haven’t had that much mindless fun in a long time. And as soon as I put that one aside, I booted upDead Rising 2, donned Chuck’s heart boxer shorts, and started hacking and slashing my way through Fortune City, which is always a good time.
Also,Mario Kart 8.
I have been drowning in work the last few weeks so I have played virtually nothing other than the occasional game ofLeague of Legendsand the first stage ofShovel Knight.
I’m flying to Boston for the entirety of next week though. Even though I gotShovel Knighton PC, I might pick up the 3DS version so that I can play it on the plane and in my hotel. I’m also going to try to get back toKirby,Mario Golf, andSoul Sacrifice Delta, since those have been my go-to travel games recently.
I’m reading a nice book calledTypical American. I recommend it. A move cut into myDark Souls IIprogress. E3 killed my replay ofCatherine. I want to get back to the latter & write about it. Last weekend I started a newXCOM(Enemy Within) campaign and then by 4AM realized I shouldn’t get myself hooked onXCOMagain and deleted the save file. I still need to finishTransistor(I don’t know why I refuse to turn limiters off).
