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Blog Herding – The Best Blogs Of The Community (July 7, 2016)
It was a good holiday weekend for our American readers, but it's time to get back into the swing of things with this week's edition of Blog Herding!
Community Blogs For June 30 – July 6:
BJ Blazcowicz Ruins Your Family Cookout
Prolific blogger Thomas Loughney had me at Wolfenstein. But to be honest, this blog about a hero in a Nazi-infested alternate universe is a fun one that puts the hero in the middle of what could be a normal July 4 cookout. Except one so sad that even the grilled brats and copious amounts of refreshments could not save you. But hey, at least you know BJ will fight 'till the bitter end for your freedom.
Top 5 of the Mid-Year 2016
The year has moved fast, and General Milss44 is here to let us know what he thinks are 2016's best games so far. It's an eclectic list that touches lot of genres, so if you're looking for a great game to play, chances are you'll find it here.
Top 5 Games with Good Secret Stories
Sometimes a video game has more beneath the surface, and StarterPack is here to write about those who have some hidden stories. Or at least stories that aren't really shown to players, because you know what, sometimes you just need to smack that spy around with a baseball bat.
My Top Five Games of the Mid-Year 2016
Normally I wouldn't include a second blog that is so similar, except for the fact that Eric Watson as some surprising games that differ greatly, which is super cool. It's just too bad that Stardew Valley seems to have had its five minutes of fame; the game deserves to have some more articles written about it!
Writing Challenge Responses:
Community Writing Challenge: Gardening with Games
Gardening is tough work, but Haley likes it, and here she writes about four games that let you create your very own gardens even if the Minnesota winter is doing its best to imitate Hoth. Oh wait, Hoth was modeled after our winters. My bad. Anyway, her choices are all surprising and solid ones, so give it a read if you like growing plants, virtual or otherwise.
Community Writing Challenge: Inspiring Outdoor Games
The outdoors makes GerardoExber think of some forgotten gems, and ones I really wouldn't expect. But hey, Halo and Far Cry have some wonderful vistas amid all the chaos. And although I was concerned at first, the Resident Evil 4 setting totally makes sense if you're the type of person who tries to escape society.
Community Reviews:
Inside Review: Simplicity at its Finest
Refle dives into the flavor of the month, Inside, giving it high marks for being a game full of puzzles that he was more than happy to complete. He doesn't give away too much outside of the fact that these puzzles are on the level of Braid in how fun they are, so if you're into brooding, creepy games, this one is for you.
Axiom Verge Review – A Sci-Fi Metroidvania Journey
When I first talked to the developer of Axiom Verge, I was astounded at what he was doing, and TheDarkestLink was intrigued by it too. But then our blogger played it and found it to hearken back to what he hated about some NES games: the overly hard difficulty. I liked it, but to each his own.
Community Writing Challenge:
So, Pokémon Go, a game that lets you collect Pokémon in real life (sort of) is currently taking the world by storm. Write me a blog of a game concept that you think would work on a mobile utilizing the same kind of tech. I want a soccer game that pops up a soccer ball around the world that I can kick (the phone camera senses my leg) into real-world goals for points, or even nutmeg people walking around downtown Rochester.
Community Playdate:
Sorry, but I'll be travelling back to the great state of Minnesota on Sunday (and watching the final of the Euros tournament!). If you'd like, tweet with me about the match, or even challenge me in some Pro Evolution Soccer on PS4 next week!
I hope you enjoy the blogs! Please contact me via my Game Informer page or on Twitter at @LouisGarcia12 with any blog news or playdate suggestions.
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