LEGO Bonsai, not a couple of words you’d expect to put together. Being a growing fan of the complex interlocking building system as an adult, I’m not surprised.
As a child I loved LEGO as much as the next kid, I had the classic Space Cruiser and Moonbase – they were happy days. After that we grew apart for a while.
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In my musing on the last 7 years of gaming, a few titles stood out for their impact on me. More specifically, there were certain games that were unique experiences worthy of a “Games of the Generation” title. Keep that term in mind. “Unique”. For me, for a game to hit my list it needed to be more that just graphically stunning. It needed to be like a fresh experience, not just a incremental refinement of previous titles in a genre.
I have been reflecting on this generation of consoles, specifically the Xbox One and Playstation 4. I must admit though, the Xbox One failed to capture my attention this gen. There was a couple of awesome months of replaying the Halo games in the Master Chief Collection. However, shortly after it was left unplugged and unloved, as the PS4 amazing exclusives captured much of my attention.
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Hitman III offers so much that is familiar but also tweaks things so that expectations are both wonderfully met and subverted. Crowbar, rat poison, wrench and screwdriver – the tools are the same. Although the levels in which they are expertly positioned are filled with so much character, beauty and depth that I know I’ll be peeling back the layers for years to come.
By now, IO gets what makes Hitman games fun. As a result the gameplay leans with the player, providing easement in all processes, making this the most player-friendly entry yet.
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How do you have a 2020 Roundup? A year that has put the Annus in Annus Horribulus. The ongoing pandemic notwithstanding its been a year where everybody seems to have shared tragedy on some level. Having lost close friends, dear pets and suffered a weather event catastrophe I’m just glad COVID has not yet reached my door.
Here we at the dawn of a New Year, and just like twelve short months ago. Everybody is wishing that when that calendar clicks over the trend gets better. We should take a quick spin around the highlights of what we managed under such adversity.
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We tend to be a pack of nerds here at the Cottage. So as a slight departure from the normal Video Games and Tech reviews, I have found myself reviewing, of all things, an Everdure Force Barbecue.
Going into this Covid-free Kiwi summer I needed to upgrade my old BBQ and wanted something better than ‘average’. So I looked into various top of the line brands like Webers, Broil Kings and the Everdures.
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We love the occasional guest spot from Nina, especially when its about her ass kicking abilities in Rainbow Six Siege…
A few years ago, I wrote an article for Koru-Cottage titled ‘Rainbow Six Siege: Why I Love it so Damn Much’. Since that article, Rainbow Six has seen a lot of dramatic changes.
So with this generation of gaming coming to a close, I thought now would be a good time to revisit my musing on my beloved Siege. To reflect on how the game has changed, discuss the state it is in now, and theorize about the game’s future.
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Eyes up, Guardian.
With Destiny 2 Beyond Light, Destiny 2 has received a major expansion and I thought it was time for a reconnaissance report.
Full disclosure, I have been an avid Destiny player for years now. I grant you I faltered early on, as I explained HERE. Since then I have been a dedicated Guardian. Fighting back the darkness going on 6 years now.
In fact, thanks to the PS5s new game-clock, I can sheepishly confirm Destiny 1 and 2 have received in excess of 1000hrs from me.
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When first heard about Empire of Sin (multi-platform). An X-Com style turn-based combat game set in 1920s American and featuring gangsters, I was intrigued.
Who wouldn’t want to be a gangster as he (or she) takes over the streets of prohibition Chicago, aiming for the top and with mechanics similar to the rather excellent X-Com games?
Starting in the 1920s prohibition Chicago, you’ll be taking over rival businesses such as speakeasies, brothels and casinos. In the quest to become kingpin of the city. Once you successfully take a joint from a rival you can then upgrade it with things like extra security, ambience and promotion to add value. As you’d expect during the prohibition, alcohol plays a big part in Empire of Sin and is used as a form of currency to extend your empire’s influence.
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Fenyx Rising initially presents as a light take on Greek Mythology. It has a colourful art style, cartoonish characters and a banter-heavy story presentation. After spending days with it, I can say it is as broad, deep and work-like as any major Ubisoft product out there.
The sheer volume of tasks awaiting you stands in the dozens of hours. It is not a Breath of the Wild wannabe, although the similarities are many. Fenyx Rising is an adventure heavily reliant on simple physics puzzles combined with the sting of some very tough combat. It is also very customisable. Combat too much? Change the difficulty to easy. Just want to do puzzles? Seek them out from high ground and place stones on weight plates to your heart’s content.
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Forget your Modern Warfares, this year its time for Call of Duty, Black Ops : Cold War. What a mouthful, that said, you can’t go through Silly Season without a new CoD can you?
Its been a decade since Black Ops first joined the roster, opening ups that whole Treyarch vs Infity Ward fan service argument. Much like the even numbered Star Trek movies it all comes down to taste. Black Ops for me back in the day was a hot mess, the campaign tried too hard to be clever. Throwing hallucinations and reveals at you in artillery style, it didn’t really do it for my taste. Some of the action pieces were superb, a lot of the story elements were forgettable. That was a decade ago, we don’t talk about the things we did then.
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I am one of the lucky ones. Despite constant doubt and rumours of supply shortages my Xbox Series X Pre Order was waiting for me instore on November 10th. I was working, it was a long day. This isn’t a deep dive into the hardware, or even the next gen games. This is a overarching opinion piece from someone who has been Xboxing since day one, almost 19 years ago.
I have be enveloped by the Xbox ecosystem, met great people online, suffered RROD, tried to dance and sing, been a rock god, and most importantly, loved the games.
Gaming is in my blood. At almost 50 years old there isn’t a day go by that I don’t play a game or at least do something related to gaming. And to my wife’s dismay, our teenager is following in my footsteps. I have owned countless consoles, PC’s, handhelds, all-in-one’s, and devices. From C64’s to Gizmondos. 386 PC’s to 3DS.
I love all gaming and am definitely not one caught up in fanboy, PC master race, console war rubbish. I want to play games. Nothing more, nothing less.
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