A reoccurring theme for this blog over the last year has been my disdain for racing games. Okay, so it hasn't been the only theme this year, not even close, but it's been one that I have tried to avoid as much as possible yet it still keeps popping back up at unexpected times. Trust me, going in to this year, I would have never expected a racing game to make an appearance in the final few weeks of this blog project, much less a Sonic racing game. But hey, that's how the cookie crumbles sometimes, right?

Despite my total and utter lack of interest in racing games, there is and always has been one type of racing game that I don't just tolerate, but actually enjoy thoroughly. Kart racing games are the cat's meow, as far as I am concerned, and more specifically, Mario Kart games. I have wrote about a couple of them, and I think they are always fun, from the very first one back on the Super Nintendo and every one after that. 

So when people I knew started talking about how this Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed game was something awesome and a lot of fun, I was skeptical at best. I couldn't tell if all the admiration for this game was because of the Sega characters in it, or the fact that it wasn't a Mario or Nintendo game. You know, some people actually do despise everything Nintendo related, as crazy as that sounds. There was an outside chance that this game was actually a good game, not because of who or what was or wasn't a part of it, but because they actually created something really cool and a worthwhile comparison to the long standing king of the karting mountain. 

Because of all the hype around me focused on this title, I had to finally give it a chance. I couldn't say I expected much going in to it, but I really wanted to see if any other company could put together a collection of its mascots into one quality game, a la pretty much every collection of characters game that Nintendo puts out. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. 

Knowing there were alternative vehicles in this racing game, my first thought went to Diddy Kong's Racing, which was okay, but nothing to write home about. What I didn't think would happen would be how seamlessly you transition between vehicles in a race, as it never felt like a gimmick or just a way to make this racing gamer different, but actually added a nice balance to each race, as well as a lot more strategy. Drifting a big part of this game, like most racers, and although I usually suck at drifting, this one seemed to go fairly well for me. Not sure exactly why, but it all flowed pretty well, and to be honest, I actually found myself enjoying what I was playing, which is a bonus for this blog. 

Here's the thing, though. While I know most of the characters that are in the game, I don't have many long-standing connections with them. I've played or know of all the games they come from, for the most part, but I don't have deep-seeded memories of them from my childhood, like I would with a Mario Kart game. I just simply love the Nintendo characters, and while Sega did its best to represent the company with the characters they have to draw from, all it did was make me more excited to play the upcoming Mario Kart game for the Nintendo Wii U. 


So I liked the game, which was a surprise. And it's a good place holder for the time being, but in all reality, it's just not a Nintendo game. No fault to them, and I applaud them for making me enjoy what I played. But unless you are a long-standing Sega fan, or a racing game fan in general, I can't say it's the best one out there.  

I don't know why I do the things I do, all the time. I like to think I make pretty decent decisions for the most part, and always try to base them on some sort of logic, common sense or knowledge and information that I have to help enable me to make the best decision possible for whatever particular situation I am in. Sometimes, however, I just do things on whim, knowing they wont end well or that my decision is totally the wrong one. 

This has been the case for several of my blog entries this year, and this one is no different. There was nothing going into this game that made me even hopeful of it working out or being a different experience than I expected, so I had no hopes or delusions of being impressed. So why in the world did I even bother playing MTBFreeride, a free Windows game, you may be wondering?

Mainly so I can try to picture the look on the face of my buddy Ben when he opens up this blog and sees this game. 

It's a downhill bike simulator, as you can see on the artwork for the game. It's also in first person perspective, which sounds cool on paper, if you're into that sort of thing. If you've ever wanted to experience intense biking down mountains through the eyes of a GoPro camera, this game is for you. 

If you get motion sickness at all, or freaked out about high speed thrill rides from the first person point of view, stay clear of this game. The notion that this game might actually have Oculus Rift compatibility down the road is frightening, as I am not a thrill seeking adrenaline junkie by any stretch of the imagination, and becoming more immersed in this experience is a horrible idea, in my eyes at least. 

The game itself feels like Trials, but less stressful, if only by a little. Trying to nail turns and jumps is excruciating and painful, especially when trying to be precise from first-person. I'm sure if I played racing games more, I would be more in tune with the game dynamics and physics of how it all worked and came together to make for a successful game, but my lack of knowledge in this genre is most certainly a handicap. But it will continue to be a handicap, as I don't see myself suddenly becoming enthralled with the racing genre, even if Ben begged and pleaded me to give it a fair shake.  

So did I use this blog post to totally troll Ben? Of course I did. There are 365 days in this year of gaming - might as well have fun with a couple of them, right?

Just when you think you know the Grand Theft Auto series and everything the developers have put into the universe they created, they go and switch up on you. Granted, if I had paid attention to any of the games that came out after the original Vice City game, I probably wouldn't be as surprised as I was when I dove into Grand Theft Auto IV. However, my lack of knowledge going into some of these titles has led to some fantastic first-time impressions, which I can't complain about at all. 

Talk about reinventing the wheel, though. In GTA IV, players return to Liberty City, set in present day (2008), but this isn't the Liberty City you grew to know and love. The city before was designed from the ground up , and players spent so much time in it, it became almost a staple or calling card of the series. However, everything that fans thought they knew about Liberty City ended with the GTA III era, and the older consoles that those games were released on. GTA IV, however, was the first Grand Theft Auto game developed for the next generation of gaming consoles, the PS3 and Xbox 360. 

Finally, Rockstar had the ability to make the kind of game they envisioned making since GTA III, and what they tried to do with every game since that one. Of course they were limited in scope of what they were capable of doing from the technology standpoint, but you could always tell they had grand ambitions for what they wanted to accomplish. 

Well, in GTA IV, they seemed to finally understand what they were trying to accomplish. And by that, I mean redesign Liberty City into what they envisioned it to be. Now it bares a stark contrast to New York City, complete with individual boroughs, familiar neighborhoods and islands, and even the Statue of Happiness, which is creepy yet eerily similar to the Statue of Liberty. While Liberty City used to be it's own character, now it feels less like a video game and more like the real deal. And in doing so, what was once a character now is a living, breathing organism in the universe, full of life and personality unseen before in a GTA game. Liberty City is now a place to call home.

The main character is Niko, a European immigrant with a mission, who quickly falls victim to the corruption and seedy lifestyle that Liberty City seems to inject onto everyone in sight. I remember when the game first came out, there seemed to be some backlash or resistance over having a European as a main character. Maybe I am remembering wrong, but I seem to recall that being a thing. After playing the game, I can't understand why there would have been a problem with it. Niko is a great character, someone you can connect to in ways that are really hard to explain. 

Overall, this game feels groundbreaking, and a real step forward in the gaming industry, looking back at when it was released. It was the first exceptional showcase of what the new consoles were capable of, and well deserving of the critical acclaim. In fact, for the longest time it was the highest rated game on Metacritic (fluctuates up and down a spot or two as random reviews happen). In other words, it has been the gold standard for video games for a generation. 

But now, a new generation is about to start. 

When Grand Theft Auto III was released, it sent the nation into a frenzy, as I already wrote about. Not only did gamers go crazy for this groundbreaking game, but it was prominently featured in news headlines across the country for featuring all of the adult-themes it did. It turned into a scapegoat whenever there was violence in the country, and pundits activists pointed fingers at the game for corrupting the youth of society. 

So recently, there was a pretty big game that came out. "Big" is a description for the game in many different ways, from the amount of content within the game play experience, the size of the map that the game utilizes as it's world, the insane level of hype the game got before it's release (and even afterwards), or the sales numbers and bank account number that Rockstar Games is enjoying currently. Yes, Grand Theft Auto V is the biggest thing in the video game industry right now, knocking the new consoles off their throne for the time being. Trust me, any game that can make consumers and fans alike forget about the upcoming PS4 and Xbox One, even momentarily, is doing something right. 

Because of this, I figured that the entire franchise of Grand Theft Auto was worthy of a little spotlight (as if they don't get enough already), which here on TheNoyse.com can only mean one thing: Another "My Week Of..." series! For September, I am going to attempt a week long GTA experience, aptly titled "My Week Long Grand Theft Auto Crime Spree," as you can see from the top banner. Remember, I'm not going to complete each game, as that's not what this blog is about, but rather just play the games and get something out of each one. 

I have no real objective for this week, other than to pay homage to one of the most successful and controversial franchises of all time, focusing on the evolution of the series and maybe trying to figure out just how they got to this point, the top of the mountain. 

I wanted to start at the first Grand Theft Auto, the game that started it all. Unfortunately, when I purchased that game (along with GTA 2) in a package deal on Steam, I didn't realize that these first two games weren't compatible with Windows 8, naturally. Apparently Steam and Rockstar are "looking into the issue," but of course, that doesn't help me at all for this week. I wasn't completely bummed out, thought, as the first two games are mere shells of the franchise as it stands today, and it wasn't until GTA III that the franchise took off in mainstream appeal, and created the look and feel of the games that we all know and love. Besides, this way I can fit in a couple of other games I originally wasn't going to have room for. Win-win for everyone, I hope. 

So Grand Theft Auto III. The games that mom's love to hate, and one of a handful of games to be put in front of the pubic's eye and attention as both an overwhelming and critical success, but also as one of those games that politicians, activists and finger-pointers turned to as a scapegoat for all things wrong in society, especially when it came to the youth in America. It was mentioned in every news story that involved violence or mischief, especially when juveniles were involved, regardless if those involved even played the game. Despite the hate and backlash that it received, it was still well loved and cherished by gamers old and young. 

I remember when I first played it, over at a friend's house. I was out of high school by then, and was close to my now infamous gaming hiatus. I didn't own a PS2 at the time, so the only chances I had to play it was over at his house. And after the first time playing it, I was hooked. Sure, the missions and stories were cool, but we (like most people I'm sure) spent more time than not just driving around, wrecking havoc on Liberty City and living vicariously through the digital thug we were controlling. And it was glorious. 

Playing this game again brought back all those memories I had mostly forgotten. I forgot how awesome the Chatterbox radio station was. I forgot how we thought the graphics were amazing back then, but now, they look like a polygon disaster, yet somehow, still manages to look good, all things considered. I forgot how bad most of the mechanics were (driving, shooting, camera, etc.), yet somehow they were groundbreaking and we did't care. 

Essentially, I forgot how fun GTA III was, and despite it's flaws and stigma surrounding it, we owe a lot of what we see in video games today to Rockstar and this generation-defining game.

Speaking of defining generations...

I hesitated about buying this game. I looked at the price, being $18 on Steam (on sale currently, as usually it's $20), and asked myself if it was worth it. Then I went to Twitter and asked around to people I knew had played it, to see if they thought it was worth it. After asking this, I realized just how stupid that question is. Something is only worth what you get out of it. What one person sees as a deal, another feels is a complete rip-off. It's just not something that can be asked, especially about a game. ESPECIALLY about a game like Gone Home. 

Gone Home. Wow. I don't even know where to begin. 

Obviously, I decided to buy it. From everything I heard, it was a game that needed to be experienced.Sure, I thought about the possibility of this game going on a Steam Sale or being packaged within a Humble Bundle, but honestly, something told me that waiting wasn't something I wanted to do. Not for this game. Not for this experience.


The game is a point-and-click adventure type of game. You're just getting home after being overseas, and right off the bat, something feels weird, different ... not right. You're mission is to wander the house, looking for clues, trying to figure out what is wrong. You don't know what the end game will be. You don't know what you are trying to find or look for or how to even complete the game. You just know that at some point, the mystery will have a conclusion. The build up to that mystery is the experience. 

The game is creepy, moody and filled with atmosphere that will give you chills. I can honestly say that sitting here, with headphones on, I had chills and goosebumps on several different occasions, all of which were probably just induced by my own imagination, which was made to run wild because of the events in the game. A game that gives you chills without actually doing anything to give you chills? Yeah, that's something you don't play every day. 

The entire game, I knew where the game was going. All the subtle clues, all the writing on the wall - I was absolutely sure I knew how the game would end. And that scared me to death. I didn't want the game to end the way it did, because I wasn't sure if I could handle it, emotionally. Even though it was roughly an hour and a half long, I wanted to stop and come back to it at another time because my emotions were bouncing all over the place. I was freaking out in anticipation of getting to the end, but I knew that's what the experience was all about. I wouldn't get the same connection, feel the same emotions or experience the same story if I did it in several sessions. I had to man up and play on, despite my fear of completion. 

Let's just say that no matter how ready I thought I was for the ending, I wasn't. Not in the least bit. I spent the entire time playing the game psyching myself into finishing it, but when it was over, I didn't know how to feel. I had such mixed emotions bouncing around my confused mind that I'm still not sure what I feel, or even how I'm supposed to feel. 

So was it worth it? You tell me. 

When I first got my gaming laptop and found my way onto the PC gaming scene, one of the first things I wrote about was my longtime desire to play Diablo 3. I actually mentioned how when this game came out, it was almost enough for me back then to get a gaming PC or laptop, just for that game. Well, it obviously didn't happen then, but as you should know by now, I eventually made the leap.

Ever since then, I have vowed to get and play Diablo 3. I jumped into Torchlight 2 first, as I heard it was a great stepping stone for those looking to get in to Diablo 3. I was fairly impressed by the game, but I knew it wasn't exactly what I wanted when I thought of the Diablo-style game play I so wanted to experience. Shortly after that, I actually got Diablo 3, and have been playing it off and on since then. I didn't want to write about it back then, as I wanted to finish it first so I could write about a full experience of the game. 

However, because I have been slacking on the game, I never did get around to finishing it. But, my recent enjoyment with Dragon's Crown has inspired me to pick it back up and again and see what happens. So that's what I did, to mixed results, unfortunately.

I really do like this game. It is head and shoulders above Torchlight 2, as far as I am concerned, as I found it much easier to just jump in and get going. Torchlight menus and options and inventory felt cumbersome and more of a hassle than it needed to be, but with Diablo, they definitely streamlined the process of just getting in and playing the game, which as a newcomer to series, I truly appreciate. The game itself has a unique art style that's actually hard to explain. It's great graphically and very crisp, but still has the realistic-painting style that you just need to see to fully appreciate. 

The dungeon crawling and looting is what I really wanted from this game though, and thankfully, it delivers in all aspects. Every single bit of it is exactly what I was looking for from a game of this style. While I have been playing this game alone (shocking, right?), I am still having fun running around, creating havoc on the underworld demons throughout the game. But the experience isn't perfect, and I have Dragon's Crown and the Vita to blame. 

While Diablo 3 is fantastic in almost all aspects, it falls short in one category. I can't necessarily blame it, however, just as if it's not fair to compare it to Dragon's Crown. You see, that game is Diablo-like, but it's not a true dungeon crawler in the same way Diablo is. But it does something so right that Diablo can't do based on it's design. It is controlled with joyticks and buttons, not the frustrating mouse and keyboard setup. While the mouse clicks works great for combat and decent for moving, it is a straight up pain to use the keyboard to try and bring up inventory and do certain things in the game. Sure, you can do most with the mouse, but when things are getting chaotic, or if I'm not in a position to use a mouse easily, playing this game is not an easy thing to do. Dragon's Crown on the Vita is completely portable and can be played any time, any where you see fit. 

Like I said, this isn't a Diablo 3 problem as much as it is a testament to how much I am still enjoying picking up and playing Dragon's Crown when I can. Diablo 3 is still an absolute blast to play, and I hope to push through it eventually and see what the final boss is all about. If it were only coming out on consoles, then maybe I would fully be able to enjoy it as much as I think I should. Oh, wait a second...

Everyone knew this day was coming. I've tweeted about it, talked about it and lamented about it for what seems like forever now. Yes, I bought Borderlands 2 during the big Summer Steam Sale, and while I wasn't particularly fond of the first Borderlands game, I still felt like I needed to be apart of the conversation when it came to Borderlands 2, even if I was late to the party. 

By making this commitment to myself and everyone else rooting me on to play this game, I decided that that only way I would truly like this game for all that it is would be to play online co-op with friends from twitter. I've discussed in great detail on this blog how much I loathe the thought of gaming online, but with how much I didn't like the first game playing by myself, I assumed the key ingredient I was missing was the co-op experience I so desperately try to stay hidden from. 

Since I bought the game and started mentioning how I wanted to play it, I have had offers left and right from people wanting to take me by the hand and guide me through Pandora. With the overwhelming response from the fantastic network of people I have connected with over the last eight months, I knew finding help for this experiment wouldn't be the problem I would need to overcome. 

No, my biggest challenge would be to put the first Borderlands game in the back of my mind and go into the second one with a clear slate of judgement. Or so I thought.

Before jumping into a game with anyone else, who had probably beaten the game already and would essentially just be my security/tour guide for the gaming experience, I wanted to at least establish my character, go through the basic customization process and get through drudge known as the tutorial portion of the game. I didn't want the process of trying to figure out a new game and get a character up and running to hinder someone else's experience. I may not always play online games, but when I do, I like to be considerate to those unfortunate enough to play with me. 

So I did all that in one night, making sure I was at leveled up a couple of levels and past the initial tutorial missions before trying to join up with anyone. I got killed on Twitter for starting a game I swore I would play co-op by myself, until I clarified my intentions and reasons for what I did. After that, I decided I better follow through with my promise and jump into a good ole fashion co-op multiplayer game session. I did what any respectable gamer would do, and put out a call on Twitter earlier in the day proclaiming my intentions to play with someone later in the night, and then as I was getting ready to play, sent out another tweet inviting all those brave enough to join me. I readied my system, got all set up, and waited. 

And waited. And waited some more. 

No one was responding on Twitter, no one was playing it on Steam. Suddenly, my great plan to play this game outside my comfort zone and in the firm grasp of the online universe crumbed and fell apart quicker than my desire to play the game at all. But I figured that since I was already to play it, I was going to give it a go. I would probably be more comfortable anyway playing by myself, and while I truly did want to experience it with other people for the sake of the blog, it just wasn't to be. 

And that's one of many problems I always seem to have when it comes to gaming online. Scheduling with people is a nightmare, especially when you are talking about multiple different time zones and all that jazz. While I don't have a lot of set responsibilities that consume my free time anymore, I still stay pretty busy, and my gaming habits reflects my hectic personal life. I game when I can, as I find it hard to set aside specific times too game. When it happens, it happens, and I like it that way. When you incorporate other people with other schedules, it becomes more of a chore than I wish it was. 

I'll keep playing Borderlands 2, and hopefully even with other people soon. Because I am stuck on an early boss battle, and can't conceivably beat it alone, as I have died many, many times already on it. I hate asking for help, but I'm afraid if I don't, I will never give this game the proper trial it probably deserves. 

If there has been one shining moment about having this year-long project of a blog, it has been the opportunity to play games that I never would have even had on my radar, much less find the diamonds in the rough that truly offer more to the gamer than initially meets the eye. 

One of these little gems I had the pleasure of discovering was Zack Zero, thanks in large part to my good buddy Chris over at Everyday Gamers, who gifted it to me during the Steam Summer Sale. He pointed out from the get-go that it wasn't the best game, but it was fun, and also family friendly. While the appropriateness of the game for certain age groups didn't necessarily mean much to me, I do like "fun" games, so hey, I was game to give it a whirl.

I'm glad I took the plunge. 

So I'm not sure if this game has more of a storyline than a guy trying to save a girl on an alien planet, but if it did, I missed it. And that's OK, because I wasn't in it for an engaging storyline. I just wanted a fun game, and I got it. Surprisingly enough.

The protagonist you play as has an array of weapons at his arsenal, thanks to his several suits that you can switch back and forth to on a whim. Playing with a Xbox controller (because that's the only way I'll play PC games at this point, if its an option), you switch suits using the D-pad, which happens immediately. The suits available to choose from is the regular space suit (well-rounded overall), fire (fire attacks and an air-surfing ability), ice (ice attacks and the ability to drastically slow down time), and rock (heavy, bulky and increases strength exponentially). The correct use of these suits help you fight off waves of enemies, solve puzzles and platform around the beautiful terrain. 

The combat is fast and frantic at times, but hardly ever did I feel overwhelmed. The platform was fun and challenging, but rewarding when using the suits to perfection. Overall, I actually enjoyed playing this game. It isn't a perfect game, but there are tons of things to enjoy while playing it, especially if you're not expecting it. 

After playing it, I read the reviews for this game. Looking back, I think that most of them are completely overly critical of Zack Zero and everything it brings to the table. It's experiences like this that make me glad I don't review games for a living, because I'm realizing that I thoroughly despise being hyper-cynical when it comes to video games. They are made for enjoyment, and even ones with lots of flaws offer some sort of entertainment value. You just need play the games to figure that out sometimes, despite what the reviewers think. 

Some games just stick with you for a long, long time. World of Goo is one of those experiences. And yes, every single pun intended. 

When World of Goo first came out, it was an exclusive title to the just emerging on the scene Virtual Console on the Nintendo Wii. Back then - and let's all be real here - Nintendo wasn't exactly the model example for online gaming. Sure, they have dabbled on the internet for what seems like forever, but they never fully embraced the internet as a viable resource for gaming. This mentality of course led to them loose a large portion of their core audience and fan base, but managed to survive thanks in part to the casual gaming audience they picked up with the Wii. 

So when they started offering games to download online, it was one giant step for a company that should have had no problem transitioning over to an internet world of games. World of Goo, while maybe wasn't the first downloadable indie title, it was the first one to make a major impact on the little console that could. I recall downloading it on a whim when it was released (shocker, right?), and playing it. And not only did I play it, I played it a lot. I played that game until the cows came home, as they say. I absolutely adored it ... every single bit of it. 

The thing I liked the most, aside from the outstanding visuals, amazing gameplay and beautiful world, was something that may come as a bit of a shocker. I loved the motion controls, using the Wiimote and the entirely simple yet perfectly constructed control scheme. 

So when I saw this game pop up on the Steam Summer Sale, I simply had to have it once again. I do have it on my iPad, and it's serviceable on that for sure, but something still compelled me to pick it up for the PC. Probably had something to do with the price being a couple of bucks, but still. Also, a piece of me really wanted to try it out with the mouse as my controller. For some reason this game seemed perfect to control with a mouse, utilizing the precision that only a mouse can offer.

Man, I sound like such a PC gamer nerd right now. It's kind of scary, actually.

ANYWAY, so I finally gave this game a shot. First off, it is as fun as I remember. But I gotta tell you, using the mouse was a phenomenal experience. I was able to click and drag blobs of goo here and there, more accurately then I could have dreamed of doing with the Wiimote, and even more intuitively than my chubby fingers could manage on my iPad. While the difficulty was still there throughout the game - which I love by the way - I never once felt like the game was made more difficult by the way I was playing it. The game is just tricky, but without being tricky and frustrating at the same time. 

Like I said before, this game has stuck with me through the years, and it will always be one I will cherish, if only for setting the bar so ridiculously high for how good downloadable games should be.