I recently wrote about how I felt cheated by Ni no Kuni’s ending. After a brilliant intro that forced you to emotionally invest in Oliver and his journey, the game’s creators failed to provide us with a satisfactory conclusion. I’m realizing now that I felt robbed of being “rewarded” for completing the game. That leads to another question: should we be rewarded for playing through a game, or should the game itself be the reward? READ MORE
You may find it strange that I decided to write about Space Harrier, one of Yu Suzuki’s most well-known games. It does, after all, see no shortage of praise. Its theme song is chanted at every game concert, and it’s one of the few games on display at the Smithsonian. It’s not an obscure game, and while we may never see a home release of its arcade sequel, it certainly hasn’t been forgotten. So why write about it? READ MORE
The Xbox One! We know the name of Microsoft’s new system, as well as some details about what it will do, so we gather to share our thoughts. Also: our experiences with Metro: Last Light, Soul Sacrifice, The Starship Damrey, Zeno Clash II, Anomaly 2 and the news from the rest of the world of games.
Check out the show here, check us out on iTunes or use the RSS feed in your favorite podcast aggregator. Let us know what you think! Email podcast[at]snackbar-games.com.
Hosts: Jeff deSolla, Andrew Passafiume, Graham Russell, Henry Skey, Shawn Vermette, Lucas White.
Music: Podcast theme by Tom Casper.
Soul Sacrifice does what few games do. It carries a theme, clings to it, spreads it throughout all of the bits and pieces that make up a video game: a medium that tells a story not only through blatant exposition, but also the personal experience a player has when physically interacting with its world. Soul Sacrifice demands much of the player, and forces tough choices: not just good versus evil, but risk versus reward. The ramifications of your choices, your sacrifices, go beyond altering your ending or your flavor text. They also define the way you play the game. READ MORE
Welcome to Gaijin Guide! Or, I guess, welcome back, but I’ll get to that later. This is a column devoted to the world of import games, from the lens of the outsider. I’ll never ask you to become fluent in Japanese (or any other foreign language, when applicable), and when possible, I’ll help you navigate the little bit you’ll need to get into most games. More than that, though, I hope to provide context, that valuable insight into games we just never saw in the States. READ MORE
