Laboratory of Mathematics and Writing

Visions of Mana I adored both Secret of Mana and Secret of Mana 2 (Seiken Densetsu 2 and Seiken Densetsu 3, respectively). They're not quite at the top of gaming mountain for me, but they're both enjoyable experiences worthy of multiple playthroughs. I haven't revisited them in years, but the first Secret of Mana remains my favorite by a small margin, largely because of its brighter color palette and catchier soundtrack. Visions of Mana is a welcome addition to the franchise and, while I wouldn't rank it above those classics, it's still a thoroughly enjoyable adventure in its own right. Gorgeous Visuals Let me start off by mentioning how spectacular the visuals are. This is exactly how I envisioned a 3D Mana game to be. It's bright, colorful, and the cartoon style is an absolute slam dunk. The environments are lush and bursting with color. Each area has a distinct identity. The vibrant green grass and tree ...

Witcher 3 It's difficult to believe this game was released over a decade ago. I left graduate school just a year prior and had just taken up teaching part-time at a community college. I had also taken up teaching full time at a high school that was populated by at-risk youth. Teaching college was my favorite job ever. Teaching high school was dreadful. There's no money in teaching, so dropping high school teaching was an easy decision. I did continue teaching college part-time. Unfortunately, there's very little money in it. Count me as one of those that was promised a high-paying job but didn't attain one after college. It wasn't exactly the best time in my life. My escape from feeling down on myself was of course PC gaming. That year, 2015, delivered two super fun games I escaped to: Fallout 4 and Witcher 3. Both are great, but Witcher 3 was on a whole new level. It cleaned up all the awards that year and is now regularly prais...

Mass Effect I actually recall when this series of games came out in the late 2000s and early 2010s. I was oddly hyped for them even though I had no intentions of playing them. I must have been hyped on behalf of gamers somehow. Perhaps I read it in a magazine or watched a commercial and fell for the marketing. What I garnered was that Mass Effect is supposed to be a more action oriented version of Knights of the Old Republic. Now, I did play the first KOTOR back in the day. While I did have quite a bit of fun, I was disappointed that the real time combat didn't exactly feel like real time combat. I was confused exactly how it functioned and how turns where determined. Luckily, it's not important to understand how each turn is determined. You could easily just select your actions and hack away at enemies. Real Time Combat I've digressed. The action in Mass Effect is indeed action oriented. There are no turns and there are no lightsab...

Elemental Gimmick Gear This game was released right in the middle of peak Y2K: 1999. However, upon first look, you could have mistaken the release year to be 1995 or 1996; at most 1997. You probably wouldn't guess that it was released on the Sega Dreamcast. It definitely has that Moebius inspired visuals akin to Panzer Dragoon. So, you could make another easy mistake and conjecture that Elemental Gimmick Gear was released on the Sega Saturn. It wasn't. It was released on the Dreamcast anno 1999. This game is incidentally a demonstration of how fast technology was evolving at the time. In just a few short years E.G.G. felt outdated. In fact, it began as a Saturn project that ended up being completed for the Dreamcast. Aside from being a solid game in it's own right, E.G.G. functions as a unique time capsule that bridges the fifth to the sixth generation of console gaming. Moebius Art E.G.G. is a top-down, 2D action...

MDK This is one of those games that is just simply outdated. The most obvious cue of that is the graphics, naturally. However, I don't think it's only because the game was released nearly thirty years ago - the art style itself didn't exactly age well, either. More accurately, it's both of these attributes in conjuction that makes the MDK look like a game that was made in, well, the mid-90s. It's also got some control issues, but they're not big and can be managed easily. Despite these setbacks, it is still fun to play. It has a certain charm to it that keeps you amused through its short but entertaining run. Outdated Visuals The graphical fidelity is definitely from three decades ago. It's low resolution, jagged, and very much limited by the hardware that was available at the time. Ultimately, I couldn't admire the art style. There’s a lot of dark, heavy color: greys, blacks, deep oranges, browns, an...

Stellar Blade I was actually hyped about playing this game. The influence of this game is absolutely obvious: Nier: Automata. I actually haven't played the game in a good seven years or so. I certainly remember enjoying it quite a lot, however. Perhaps it's time to give it another playthrough. But I gotta get through this backlog.... Anyways, I was hyped because of this influence and I am a total sucker for post-apocalyptic cyberpunk. I also enjoy mutated monstrosities for enemies to hack through. Any gamer loves a big, bad boss battle, too. Finally, Eve is a highly attractive female that's pleasing to the eyes. Call me a backwards neanderthal, but I prefer sexy women. Despite being hyped, my expectations wheren't exactly high. I expected a shallower version of Nier: Automata and that's definitely what I got. However, I must elaborate on just how much fun this game is. Story Premise The setting is about as typi...

Slave Zero This game was released right in the middle of the Y2K era: 1999. Naturally, the art direction totally matches the era. It's got the green, black, and steel grey aesthetics that belong in the most Y2K movie ever: The Matrix. It's also got emphasis on distant technologies. In this case, it's about growing massive cyborg mechs out of oversized embryos. It goes into vague detail about how this process is acheived using dark matter compounds. It's not particularly important. What is important is how the game plays and it plays fine; repetitive, but fine. Generic Fun This game is about as generic as you could possibly get. It's also quite repetitive. It also happens to be quite a bit of fun. You are Chan, a member of the Guardians. You are in control of a giant biomech on a quest to take down the tyrannical SovKhan and free humanity from his quest for global domination. You will have to destroy SovKhan...

The Greatest First Person Shooter Both of the Half-Life games can be regarded as masterpieces. Anybody that dislikes Half-Life is a hater. Don't make friends with haters. In case you haven't played these gems and are wondering "Do they really live up to the hype?", the answer is "Yes, absolutely!". So, go out and play Half-Life. Both of them. If you're in any way disappointed, you belong in jail. First Experience My first experience with Half-Life is with Half-Life 2 on the original Xbox. I've previously relayed my experience and love of Halo on the original Xbox, but upon finishing Half-Life 2 twenty years ago, I easily concluded that Half-Life is better than Halo. Which is saying alot since Halo is awesome. What's crazy is that Half-Life 2 on the Xbox is a diluted version compared to its original PC release. Despite all of its flaws, it still ruled. I had an absolute blast playin...

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Solid I typcally ignore hype. However, I grabbed this game on sale for $35 instead of the usual $50 sticker price. It is a price worth paying. I'm a cheapskate. So, fifty bucks is too much for me. I can still recommend this game even at it's fifty dollar price point, especially if you're into turn-based RPGs. I am personally not into turn-based RPGs. I tried Evolution: World of Sacred Device and, though charming, it was slog to get through. I played through Super Mario RPG, which is generally regarded as one of the best on the Super Nintendo, and I would be okay with never playing it again. Now I am working my way through Clair Obscur and I can safely say that I would rather play this game than the other two I mentioned. However, it still doesn't move my needle towards appreciating turn-based combat very much. Just like with Super Mario RPG, it was an entertaining game that I have no intention of ever pl...

Parkour I remember watching an old friend of mine play Mirror's Edge. I was barely familiar (and still am barely) with parkour, but it was obvious that this game was inspired by parkour. I would never perform any of those death defying stunts. So, I'll have to settle for doing them in a video game. I want to experience the rush if jumping from one building to the next, but I also don't want to experience coming close to dying. Playing a video game instead is a safe compromise. It is indeed quite fun jumping over barriers, sliding under tight spots, jumping from one building to another, vaulting over fences, and scrambling up ledges. Stringing all of that together is what makes for exciting gameplay. Most importantly, I won't actually die if I screw up, which happens frequently. Simple Story, Simple Objective The story is simple, but interesting. You are Faith, a "runner". A tyrannical government is in ...

The Ascent I'm a sucker for cyberpunk settings. I love both of the Blade Runner movies as well as Akira. I also enjoyed Cyberpunk 2077 and the old Shadowrun on the Super Nintendo. In fact, I would compare The Ascent to Shadowrun the most. Sure, Shadowrun is old as hell and the art direction isn't the same at all, but it is an isometric shooter just like The Ascent. They both take place in a typical high-tech, low-life dystopian world. They both have non-human characters that you can interact with. You get to roam around freely in a neon city environment. You can cybernetically enhance your character in both. They both allow the use of a variety of weapons; although the variety is much greater in the Ascent. They both make use of hacking; although, Shadowrun opens up a mini-game instead of the single-button press in The Ascent. Cyberpunk Setting Perfected An absolute win for The Ascent is the overall setting and atmosphere. It tot...

Cel-Shaded Xtreme Sports Saga I love the "Cel-Shaded Xtreme Sports Saga". That's what I am going to call it. I am not an authority in any capacity, but I am going to make up my own terminology anyways.The Cel-Shaded Extreme Sports Saga consists of three games: Jet Set Radio, Jet Set Radio Future, and Bombrush Cyberfunk. There's probably many more games out there that can be included in the category of Cel-Shaded Extreme Sports, but these are the most obvious selections and they are intimitely linked to one another.All three are absolutely worth playing and among my favorite games ever. If I where to rank them from best to worst, it would be thus: Jet Set Radio, Bombrush Cyberfunk, then Jet Set Radio Future. Jet Set Radio Future Jet Set Radio Future is my least favorite. It's still an amazing game that I will always wholeheartedly recommend it. I just prefer Bombrush and the original Jet Set Radio. A big reason is that the story ...