As we’ve rolled over into October (already!) here’s our regular monthly look at what the other sites in the Character Select Network had to offer up for your reading delectation during the month of September.
While we only cover download titles here at Console Arcade, there’s plenty of other good stuff about gaming in general on the Network. So without further ado here’s our pick of last months content:-
GamerDork staffer Johnny Tigs gives his view on what it’s been like as an early adopter of Nintendo’s most controversial handheld release in decades, looking at whether what’s happened over the last few months of the devices lifespan is a good or bad thing…
“Times are tough in the portable games market with more people using their phones as a console than looking for a stand-alone piece of hardware. Nintendo would not have done this if they didn’t have to in order to compete. I’m sure they would love to be making $80 more on each unit sold but it’s just not feasible. President of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata, took a 50% pay reduction as a result of this, not to mention other executives and directors will take a 20%-30% cut in salary. If you didn’t think it was serious before these pay cuts should be proof of how dire the situation may be.”
Leah Haydu looks at the most recent batch of games that try to introduce morality into the mix and asks the question as to whether games are anywhere near getting it right yet…
“The way I see it, the major problems with how most games end up incorporating a “morality scale” all circle around the fact that once a game has decided to have one, ambiguity goes straight out the window. The scale never has dimensions; instead, it has poles. It’s a straight line. In games like Fallout 3, Mass Effect, and Knights of the Old Republic, just to name a few, your character’s choices inevitably push him or her toward one end of the completely linear spectrum: higher or lower karma? Paragon or Renegade? Light Side or Dark Side? Rarely if ever will you be presented with a choice that has elements of both, and if you are, you may be assured that it won’t have a perceptible impact on the storyline, or indeed, on the development of your character.”
Dan Bendon reviews the final chapter of the current Gears of War trilogy for Xbox 360 and sees whether it’s a fitting send off for one of the consoles best known franchises….
“While it is often thought that a sequel that merely improves upon its predecessor is somehow unworthy of greater critical acclaim, in this case it is more than justified. Playing through the Gears of War 3 campaign alone was an absolute pleasure, and in co-op it’s even more of a blast. The multiplayer continues in the footsteps of the series but manages to improve upon it with every subtle change and new modes. In all it’s a great package and a fitting end to the trilogy, both creatively and technically. “
Ico & Shdow of the Colossus Collection Review
…while Kirsten Kearney looks at Sony’s best ever decision for a HD remake and the re-release of two of the PlayStation 2′s greatest titles.
“The restoration of these games has been done brilliantly and I hope it proves to be a financial success because there are plenty of games out there that we would all like to see brought up to today’s visual standards They also stand as reminders that games haven’t actually gotten better in every way. There are elements of story telling and atmospherics that haven’t been bettered for a long time and taking another look at these classics reminds us just what the medium of videogames is capable of.”
Thumb Culture Interviews Chris Scullion
Ross Keniston speaks to Chris Scullion, the Games Editor for Official Nintendo Magazine about breaking into professional games journalism, the current Nintendo situation and giving Suda 51 a personalised Celtic shirt…
“Games journalism, right? Being paid to play, write and discuss games. Travelling the world to witness an unveiling, playing all the latest games first and knowing about secret games before anyone else. Sounds completely perfect, right? Hell yeah it does. What’s the reality like, though? Well, to find out Thumb Culture spoke to Chris Scullion, the current Games Editor for Official Nintendo Magazine here in the UK about what it really takes to get into the most impenetrable of industries,”
Meanwhile Aston Taylor went to the recent Eurogamer Expo 2011 and gives us the highs and lows of what he managed to see (when he wasn’t enjoying that fine British past time of hanging around in massive queues).
“Another Eurogamer gone, another year to wait for the next, what did I learn this time? The same thing I learnt last year, I really hate queues….
And some of those queues were STUPID! I peeked into the 18+ section, my hands twitching to play BattleField 3 and Modern Warfare 3, and what did I see? An endless stream of people, who had already been waiting several hours to play…Personally, I was like ‘Hell no! I’m going to play Tag 2.’ Which is exactly what I did, and what a game….”
