Thursday, June 30, 2011

Review: Shadows of the Damned



Platform: Xbox 360, Playstation 3

Reviewed on: Xbox 360

Rating: M

Price: $59.99


Release date: June 21, 2011



I have to commend Electronic Arts for financing such a gamble. They have a notorious track record for killing small development studios. The top talent usually gets carted off to another project and the remainders get gutted for whatever cash EA can find. That's the nature of the beast, I guess. New games based on an original concept rarely see big publisher backing the way Grasshopper Manufacture did. Goichi Suda, better known by his fans as Suda51, has a knack for making "arty" games that fascinate, but not necessarily sell well. However, he makes games that combine fantastic narrative, immersive aesthetic, and memorable characters. Shadows of the Damned is no exception. Suda51 wasn't alone in this venture, either. Accompanying him is Shinji Mikami, the creator of the Resident Evil series of horror games. If that wasn't enough star power, the audio was directed by Akira Yamaoka, composer for the Silent Hill soundtracks. This is top tier talent, and all three have years of game development experience following them wherever they go. Believe me, it shows.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Face Lift!

I'm making some major changes to this blog. Namely, I'm removing the $9.99 and under description, discussing gaming topics beyond simply video gaming, and I'm going to make more posts in general. I'll talk about issues pertinent to the gaming industry, alternate game formats, and other similar topics. I'll also bring my girlfriend in as a "guinea pig" of sorts, for additional feedback and testing.

All in all, I think you'll like the new changes. Especially since I've been away for so long.