A truly immersive gaming experience hinges on atmosphere. And I would argue that few video games burrow under our skin as effectively as the ones that drop us into the middle of a desolate universe, and force us to Figure Shit Out in wordless solitude. It's what's made the Metroid series so haunting. (Until Team Ninja decided to take a rusty icepick to Samus Aran's prefrontal lobe
It's kind of like the way Chamillionaire knew he made it after Wierd Al ran some satire on him. Ben Affleck's Charlestown flick The Town is now officially larger-than-large, at least in the sense that nerds have taken an incredible amount of time to mash-up a Star Wars-version of the trailer.
Aside from that indication that The Town is Oscar-bound, this video boggles on the sheer merit of its execution.
So how's your March of next year looking? Well, block off the 11th through the 13th, because that's when PAX is happening. Next year's version will be at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. That's bigger than the Hynes Convention Center, where the 2010 model took place, but at the same time, it's probably smart to register now
Argh.
I would love right now to be telling you about how great Civilization V is. I would love to be hailing the new innovations like city-states and hexagonal tiles. I would really enjoy swapping war stories with you all, or sharing my thoughts on the best route to a scientific or cultural victory. And I'd love to have an opinion on how it compares to Civilization IV
It's the last Monday of September, which means another Nerd Nite is upon us. This monthly casual, coffee-house-style dorkjam provides us all a much-needed the opportunity to come together and witness PowerPoint-wielding experts expound on the really important things in life: things like zombies, orcs, laser mind control, and cheese-making processes that involve maggot excrement and protective eyewear.
She-Ra: Princess of Power, a spin-off of He-Man that capitalized on the Long Lost Sister trope, began airing in September 1985. Horrifyingly, that was 25 years ago. Maybe I should finally clean all those She-Ra and He-Man action figures out of my parents' attic .
Normally, my reaction to a Devil May Cry trailer is, "Mmm. Dante." Because normally, Dante looks like this. The latest DMC trailer made me say, "Huh! I guess my waif-like gay best friend can finally cosplay Dante!"
Not the reaction they wanted, I'm guessing.
Hey, remember Lost, everyone? Who wants to hear news about Lost? You all love Lost, don't you?
Wait, don't walk away yet! Okay, yes, we probably talked a bit too much about that last season of Lost given how (in retrospect) it, to put it delicately, sucked and was horrible (even though one of us kind of liked the ending).
Resident Evil 4's chainsaw chase, or Left 4 Dead's boomer bile?
VOTE NOW: The Laser Orgy 500 - the Phoenix's quest to crown the greatest video game of all time.
Resident Evil 4 (2005), widely considered to be the best of the Resident Evil series, places pretty-boy protagonist Leon firmly in the center of the action, while also revealing bits of the story's conspiracy in tantalizing bits and pieces.
Those ladies will be fine. But that guy's doomed.
Here's the latest in scientists looking for a link between games and real-life behavior: Brad Bushman of Ohio State and Bryan Gibson of Central Michigan University conducted a study that investigates whether playing a violent game and thinking about the game for 24 hours afterward has a negative effect the following day.
I often use Counter-Strike as the game to which I compare all other first-person shooters, mostly due to its old-school minimalist style. The game originated as a mod of Half-Life, took off unexpectedly, and remains an oldie-but-goodie for PC gamers.
Fans of George R. R. Martin's fantasy novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire, have been itching to see footage of HBO's adaptation, Game of Thrones, ever since the show got greenlit last March. HBO has finally given us this video, which includes brief interviews with Martin and the actors as well as shots of the filming in progress.
Super Smash Bros. Melee is also a good game, and it is also something you can vote for in the Laser Orgy 500.
This week, we bring you a battle of '90s Nintendo classics (and, we add, two games that are currently doing well in our standings).
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