A Year of Surprises and Disappointments
posted by Derek "Dewar" Harwell
Over the last few months, I haven’t had a lot of money to pick up most of the popular releases and even less time to play the ones I have been able to grab. With my lack of variety and experience this year, I don’t really feel qualified to join the typical game of the year discussions. So I thought, rather than writing another article on how great Skyrim is, I’d talk about a couple of quality games that surprised me this year, and a couple not-so-quality ones that were pretty disappointing. continue reading
The Many Lists of 2011
posted by Leah Haydu
First things first.
It’s my fault that our 2011 lists are so late getting out. I asked GamerDork’s wonderful writing staff back in December to start thinking of “Game of the Year” lists, or explorations, or whatever they felt like doing to commemorate the year, so that I could have a whole bunch of stuff to start off the new year with a bang.
Then my computer exploded. Well, sort of. Anyway, the end result, excuses aside, is that a lot of great stuff has been waiting patiently in the background to be seen, and that’s what will be featured on GamerDork this week. Before I launch into other folks’ experiences, I just wanted to be up front about why they’re a little late.
Also, I wanted to get my own list out first. Editorial privilege, you know. continue reading
8Realms Beta Key Giveaway
posted by Leah Haydu
Because we love you….
We’ve gotten our hands on some beta keys for Jagex’s upcoming title 8Realms, and we’d like to pass on the happytimes to YOU! Read on to see what this is all about and how you can get in on the fun. continue reading
Q&A with Serious Sam’s Croteam
posted by Leah Haydu
Shortly before the release of Serious Sam 3: BFE, our own Dezm0nd got the chance to catch up with Croteam, the game’s developers, and ask a few questions. We thought you might enjoy what they had to say. Be sure to check out the review and gameplay footage as well! continue reading
Serious Sam 3: BFE Review
posted by Dezm0nd
The timing of Croteam’s latest and greatest release couldn’t be more fitting with the overall theme of the game. It’s Sam versus so many triple-A video games in the real world this winter, and yet it’s Sam versus thousands of enemies in the virtual world. Serious Sam is back and he’s fending off Skyrim, Gnarrs and Zelda all at once!
Serious Sam 3: BFE stands for “Before the First Encounter,” so before any of you get excited with the theory of it being a pun, I can tell you for sure it’s not a pun on any Doom gun. This game takes you back to a time when Mental’s alien race invades planet Earth for a reason I couldn’t explain to you — but who really comes to Serious Sam for the “narrative” (if there was one to begin with)? continue reading
ReDork: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim review
posted by Paul "Mordecai" Brown
Chapter III
My Skyrim Collector’s Edition Story & Review
Ever been swiftly walking through a big area of crowded people that seem to despise the ground you walk on? Glaring intentionally (but “innocuously”) at the giant flashing sign that floats just above your head, pointing down at you, screaming “SCUM!” or “DORK WITH NO LIFE!” for some reason or another? Yeah, that was me on Friday as I was lugging my gigantic box of Skyrim through a busy shopping centre. I was slanted on one side, as I carried the heavy beast of a box through the masses of general public who judged me so harshly. Only a little slanted though, to show I’m at least semi-strong. So, was straining my shoulder and risking tomatoes and cabbage thrown at me, not to mention the price, worth it for some extra content with my copy of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim? continue reading
Review : Girl With A Heart Of
posted by OnyersixTags: bent spoon games, bentspoon, Girl With A Heart Of
Gamers these days are spoilt. Every year sees video game characters looking more and more lifelike, and the games themselves are often epic adventures over many, many hours. I come from a generation that saw text adventures occupy our time, and also taught us big words like “inventory”. Today’s gamer rarely has much input on an otherwise linear story. Even the interactive conversations usually force you to commit to a particular direction of dialogue.
Girl With A Heart Of offers a chance to return to the days of the text adventure. The player takes on the role of Raven, an eleven-year-old girl, who wakes in a stranger’s house, separated from her parents. continue reading
Serious Sam: The Random Encounter review
posted by Dezm0nd
I found it hard to write this review. Not because the game is layers deep with gameplay mechanics and an intricate storyline; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. The problem with Serious Sam: The Random Encounter is that it basically shows you what you’ll be playing for the rest of the game in the first five minutes and the thought of repeating that over and over again at my computer wasn’t a very appealing one.
The Random Encounter is exactly what the title says on the tin. You will indeed encounter many familiar enemies from the Serious Sam universe as you traverse these basic, overhead maps at random intervals — a gameplay mechanic I am not totally fond of to begin with. continue reading
Review: Batman: Arkham City
posted by Leah Haydu
Sequels to good games are chancy. Licensed games are even chancier. If you do the math, it seems like a sequel to a licensed game should be a bad idea right out of the gate. Thankfully, Batman: Arkham City bucks these notions and ends up delivering an experience that’s every bit as good — if not better — than its 2009 predecessor, Batman: Arkham Asylum.
Without being too spoilery (and there are likely to be some spoilers herein, but I’ll keep them after the break), the plot of Arkham City is thus: one year after the events of Arkham Asylum, Quincy Sharp (former head warden) has become mayor, and has used his influence to have a new prison system instated; a huge chunk of Gotham is walled off and used as a space to contain criminals, under the supervision of resident wacko Hugo Strange. Sounds like a great idea, right? I don’t know why more cities don’t subscribe to this model.
As Bruce Wayne, you are thrown into Arkham City for having the gall to publicly oppose Sharp and his policies; as Batman, you must then use your new position to expose the sinister plans of Sharp and Strange, all while running a seemingly endless string of errands and favors for a full roster of familiar Batman faces along the way — when you aren’t trying to punch said faces in, of course.
