It seems like people have Square Enix in their thoughts this week! Aside from that, we've got a good mix of blogs centered on more Zelda, books, and – a complete surprise – Prey!
Community Blogs For April 20 – April 26:
Why Kefka is one of the greatest villains
ever
Aaron Bivens writes about the insane clown known as Kefka. This Final Fantasy
villain has been noted over and over again as one of the most dastardly. Dude
does some truly awful things in what is kind of a downer of a game.
Worlds of Power
Brendon Curzio takes a dive into the Worlds of Power books, which sound...interesting. At first our blogger also notes the lack of video game novels. I
recommend reading all of the David Gaider Dragon Age novels (and comic series).
Summer + Video Games = Awesome Memories
When Marco Polo thinks of summer gaming, nothing but good memories flood into
him. I mean, who wouldn't have fond memories of seeing Sonic the Hedgehog or
Rogue Squadron in a store for the first time? Like many things when you are a
kid, seeing a new video game was exhilarating.
When Do You Stop Playing a Game?
Haley Shipley poses a good question. As she writes, for some it is enough to
beat the story. Others need every collectible or achievement. I used to be in
two camps depending on the type of game I was playing. Nowadays I mostly lean
on getting all story specific – side quests included – completed, but only if
they're substantial. I don't need to collect 15 chickens and smite 20 rats
anymore; that is just fluff. So too are achievements.
My Thoughts on Prey
Prey was one of my favorite games on the Xbox 360, so it pleases me to see
StarterPack writing about it. And not just any ol' words – he writes that the
game made his childhood. Which makes me feel old, but regardless, happy. Plot
twist: this blog changes into one about skepticism on the sequel. I too harbor
skepticism, but mostly because I wonder if I can get past the loss of the
Native American mythology at play in the first game. I'm sure the mechanics and
setting will be just fine, but is it really Prey?
So... Do You Still Like Kingdom Hearts?
ConnorTrinske maybe should ask a different question: Is Kingdom Hearts still
relevant? It must be due to all of the sequels, and I'm sure the third game in
the main series will be pretty fun, but wow has this game turned into a spinoff machine that has taken too long to get back to the main story. I was barely a teenager
when this series came out. I'm 30 now. But Connor really digs deep into the
series to talk about its ups and downs, and why it really is a storied
franchise.
Community Reviews:
Kingdom
Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (Review)
Zack Burrows writes that in spite of a ridiculous name, this Kingdom Hearts
title is actually pretty darn fun. I never played it, but being able
to switch between heroes in different parts of the same world sounds like it
could be a lot of fun. Unfortunately, Zack does not recommend this game to
newbies. There is a lot of story to know beforehand, and you may not enjoy
it without having experienced all of it.
Writing Challenge Responses:
Community
Writing Challenge: The Long and Short of It
Haley Shipley needs to play "smaller" games after beating Breath of the Wild.
It's just...that is a big game to follow. And Shipley needs that in order to
recharge for another long game. The older she gets, the less she is drawn to
long games, so it makes sense. I get exhausted just thinking about all the play
time I need to invest in some games to beat them, so I usually play games that
take a dozen or so hours to beat.
Writing Challenge:
Nothing this 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.