Tag: Video Games

Day Five with Fallout 4: Friendly Robits, Building a Wall and some Weirdness with Toy Rockets

A Depressed Press SeriesPart 5 of 36 of Fallout 4
Less bad-ass and more "Beetle Bailey", but it has such a high damage resistance!

Less bad-ass and more “Beetle Bailey”, but it has such a high damage resistance!

I continue my play diary of Fallout 4. I helped out some robots today and had my first serious run-in with Super Mutants. I then spent way too much time (and not an insignificant amount of frustration) with the settlement crafting system.

After dying twice on mines, I took the third level of the Sneak perk. I’m still having trouble recognizing the new traps. I also broke down and took the first rank of Gun Nut and built a very nice sniper rifle, if I do say so myself. I’ve also taken to wearing a dirty army helmet since it accounts for nearly a quarter of my damage resistance.

Obviously, there will be spoilers ahead!

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Day Four with Fallout 4: Boston, the Comic Shop and a Seriously Pissed off Swan

A Depressed Press SeriesPart 4 of 36 of Fallout 4
I can never resist a comic shop!

I can never resist a comic shop!

I continue my play diary of Fallout 4. I decided to wander around Boston, which turned out to be rather more dangerous than I expected. I also found several landmarks and one extremely pissed-off super mutant behemoth.

For my personal development, I added a rank to sneak, which will hopefully eliminate some of the deaths I’ve been suffering due to traps. I also added a rank to locksmith because I just hate not being able to get into places.

Obviously, there will be spoilers ahead!

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Day Three with Fallout 4: Some Dangerous Weather, Diamond City, a Teddy Bear on the Toilet and a Really Weird Fish

A Depressed Press SeriesPart 3 of 36 of Fallout 4
Fallout 4_20151113010443

I’m all gussied up to head inta town!

I continue my play diary of Fallout 4. I continued my push south to support the Minutemen and, since Preston and I ended up so close anyway, finally reached Diamond City.

For the occasion, assuming that I’d be doing a lot of talking and trading, I put together my city clothes: fashionable glasses, a fedora and clean black suit to pump up my charisma to a respectable seven points.

I also broke down and spent two perk points on improving my Intelligence and the first rank of “Hacker” because I was getting so annoyed at having to ignore terminals.

Obviously, there will be spoilers ahead!

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Day Two with Fallout 4: The Corvega Plant, a Tour with Lucas Miller and the Legendary Mole Rat Brood Mother

A Depressed Press SeriesPart 2 of 36 of Fallout 4

Still so very badass!

I continue my play diary of Fallout 4. Today I dug into the crafting and workbench systems. I understand them more than I did, but am still far from comfortable. I also had the chance to do some character building, planning and a little regretting.

Most of the day was spent in the surprisingly enormous Corvega factory battling a veritable army of raiders. I capped off the day by taking a little tour of wastes with my new buddy, Lucas Miller.

Obviously, there will be spoilers ahead!

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Day One with Fallout 4: First Impressions, Meet Jimmy and Oh boy, that Deathclaw!

A Depressed Press SeriesPart 1 of 36 of Fallout 4
Yeah: I'm all kinds of bad ass.

Yeah: I’m all kinds of bad ass.

I, like everybody else, have started my play through of Fallout 4. Since I’m a father with a job I can’t do the whole “let’s play” streaming thing. Instead, I’m going to do a series covering my gameplay highlights and thoughts as I progress.

By way of background: I’ve worked hard to avoid spoilers for this game. This likely means that I’ll make some silly mistakes, but I’d rather experience the game as freshly as possible. I have, of course, played all of the previous game in the franchise, and I hope that experience serves me well here. I’m playing on the PlayStation 4 and all media are native captures from that system.

Obviously, there will be spoilers ahead!

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Game Review: DMC: Devil May Cry

Boxart, DMC PS3Reviewed on Playstation 3, Official Website

Rated “M” for Mature (17 and Up)

My financially necessary “I can’t pay full price for games” rule often means that I let amazing experiences pass me by. If I’m lucky, I find them later – much later than everybody else – in the bargain bins. I then wander around desperate to find people to boisterously discuss something that, for them, has already become quietly nostalgic.

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Remember When Gaming Used to be Sexist?

This is the May, 1982, cover of “Electronic Gaming Monthly”. This was a very popular magazine (kids: think “paper internet”) and told my 11 year-old self what to think about pretty much everything important. I was born in late April, so I had plenty of convertable-to-quarters birthday money when this particular issue came in.

Good thing, too, or I might not have been properly warned to “move over” at the arcade because here-was-coming the “gals”. Even more inclusive, the gal in the picture is clearly disabled by some terrible spinal condition as well. I assume those are orthopedic fuck-me boots.

This began, for me, nearly 35 years of playing video games with “gals” but being periodically told that that they had just started doing so a few short minutes prior.

Electonic Gaming Monthly, May 1982

I’m just thankful that the fine journalists of the day were looking out for me. Without them, I may have fallen victim to some kind of systemic sexism!

The Last of Us: One Night Live

I’ve written at some length about The Last of Us in the past. Recently, having never played the “remastered” PS4 edition, I’ve restarted the game. It’s sparked the same depth of interest that I had initially and I came across this wonderful video that had slipped past my attention.

To promote the PS4 edition of the game, Naughty Dog and Playstation arranged for this one-night-only performance of the games most memorable scenes and music by the original cast and composer.

[Although this is the official video, Playstation inexplicably kept the 30 minute timer countdown intact. I’ve skipped it.]

The joy and passion that the performers bring to the roles and the camaraderie that clearly developed offers a clean, new perspective on the work. The writing and performances are top-tier regardless of the genre or medium and seeing them celebrated this way is a real treat for fans.