Category: GamerSushi Asks

GamerSushi Asks: Why Do You Like The Witcher 3?

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is not a good game.

I know many people loved it. I know many publications honored it. I can’t for the life of me figure out why.

I know the story and writing is allegedly superb. But when the actual gameplay, the act of moving and fighting with Geralt, is a joyless slog (some would say “digital gulag”), that content feels like a tantalizing treasure surrounded by a moat of shit with nary a boat or bridge in sight.

Now, my language is harsh, but that’s for two reasons; the first, is that I am being purposefully hyperbolic for the sake of comedy. I want you to read this and laugh, enjoying the act of my taking a popular darling out back and giving it the Old Yeller treatment. The second reason is that The Witcher 3 really, really, really, really, really, really sucks. Continue reading GamerSushi Asks: Why Do You Like The Witcher 3?

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Playing?

It’s a question as old as time: what have you been playing recently?

As it has been quite a while since we’ve asked you this question, I imagine most of you have quite the backlog, but for the sake of our fingers I’m going to just stick to the last few months.

The number one game taking up my time is Destiny: The Taken King. On a weekly basis you can find me looking for pick-up-groups to do the King’s Fall raid on Hard Mode with the associated challenges. Bungie massively improved Destiny with their large year two expansion and it got the entire GS crew (sans Jeff) back into the game hard for a few months.

Bungie sadly hasn’t followed up the momentum Taken King gave them and the messaging is that Destiny is in a bit of a holding pattern with maybe one or two interesting content additions coming in 2016 (scuttlebutt says Destiny 2 is a Fall title). Even though Destiny is spinning its wheels a bit, it’s still got its hooks in me.

Other than that I picked up a large number of games over the Steam Winter Sale with Total War: Rome 2 proving to be very engaging. I’ve also been playing a few rounds of Battlefield 4 here and there, but I bet you guessed that already.

So what have you been playing recently? Any under-the-radar games you want to recommend or big AAA titles you want to leave your thoughts on? Sound off below!

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Playing?

sniper elite 3

With the Steam Sale in full swing and the hot summer weather outside, there’s no better reason to stay inside and play some video games!

In this somewhat regular post series, we ask you guys a pretty simple question: what have you been playing?

Personally I’ve been moseying my way through Watch Dogs. Originally I started off doing all of the side quests but as the game has dragged on (I’m at the last mission of Act 3) I’ve kind of given up on that and am devoted to getting through the story as quickly as possible. Other than that I’ve been playing Pikmin 3, the free game I got from Mario Kart 8. It’s very fun with the gamepad, but also kind of hard, which I didn’t expect.

Other than that I hope to tackle Sniper Elite 3’s co-op, Company of Heroes 2’s Western Front Armies expansion and the Payday 2 Big Bank Heist. What’s on your plate?

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Playing Heart of the Cards Edition

hearthstone

It’s been a while since we’ve checked in with you, Sushians, to ask the age old question: what are you playing? We’re in-between bouts of big releases right now, so it’s a good time to take stock and see how your 2014 is shaping up.

Personally I’ve been playing plenty of Hearthstone: Heroes of WarCraft, Blizzard’s new online collectible card game (or CCG for the purpose of brevity). This is the first CCG I’ve gotten into in earnest and I’m starting to realize just how freaking bad I am at them. I’ve won one Ranked match in Hearthstone and other players regularly take me apart. I’m still learning the ropes though, so I’m confident I’ll at least get one other win soon.

Other than that I tried out a couple conversion mods for Sins of a Solar Empire. There’s the always classic Star Wars mod Sins of a Galactic Empire but I also tried out Dawn of the Reapers, a Mass Effect-themed one. Dawn of the Reapers is in very early alpha but the Reaper models are in there as well as most of the Council/Cerberus ships. I’m definitely looking forward to the end product on that one.

So what are you guys playing?

GamerSushi Asks: Spring Releases?

InFamous: Second Son

Finally.

We’re used to slight slumps in gaming. This hobby is defined by periods of feast or famine, it seems, and it’s just one of those things our gaming tummies have grown accustomed to over the years.

But now spring has arrived, and we’ve got a slew of new titles to nom upon, across a variety of platforms. In particular, my Playstation 4 has been mostly unused for the past month, but now it prepares for a helping of InFamous: Second Son, set to arrive later this week. Titanfall likewise graces PC and Xbox One, and Dark Souls II comes out for whatever systems people who care about that game own (if you’re confused about my disdain, listen to the podcast). Continue reading GamerSushi Asks: Spring Releases?

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Playing?

bravely default

It’s been quiet on the Western Front for the past few days, but we can blame that on the intense two-day snowstorm I experience up here in Canada-land. Seriously, I got at least six inches of snow. That’s pretty crazy for where I live.

To bring the subject back around to video games, it’s been awhile since we’ve asked you, the GamerSushi reader, what you’re playing as there’s been a ton of new games in the last few months. Personally, I’m playing the new 3DS JRPG Bravely Default and I’m enjoying the heck out of it. I haven’t reached the dreaded second half where the game apparently becomes a grindy slog-fest, but for now I’m enjoying a classic genre with some modern conveniences thrown in (seriously, a random encounter slider is a huge boon). It’s also gorgeous and has an awesome soundtrack to boot.

Other than that I’ve been playing Splinter Cell: Blacklist, having picked it up for super cheap last month. So far I’ve only tried the co-op, but Blacklist allows you to play in one of three styles: Panther (in the vein of Conviction), Ghost (for us Chaos Theory fans) or Assault if you just want to play a third-person shooter. While I prefer my Splinter Cells stealthy, having the option to play loud and lethal and balancing it for some very different play-styles makes for a tricky act but Ubisoft pulled it off this time around.

So, what are you guys playing? Something old, something new? Are you waiting on bated breath for Titanfall, Dark Souls 2, or one of the other million games hitting in March?

GamerSushi Asks: Site Updating?

You might notice a few changes around these parts.

We’re gearing up sometime in the next month or two to roll out some bigger updates to GamerSushi’s design and layout. But in the meantime, we’ve introduced some new shorter format posts, which you’ve probably already seen.

The idea behind these is as we get busier and as the focus of the site is changing to more discussion, we really wanted to be able to do some quick and dirty posts. The new GS (whenever it happens) will likely focus more on our mission statement of “byte-sized” posts with a bigger emphasis on comments. You know, you guys. Since you all make this place so awesome.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that these new, different posts aren’t some kind of glitch in the system. Would you guys have any requests for a new site? Something you’d love to see, or that you want to be sure we port over from this design/format? Go!

GamerSushi Asks: Gaming Christmas?

Steam Holiday Sale 2013

Merry Christmas to all you fine GamerSushi folk. We’ve said it before, but we’re grateful and thankful to have an awesome community like this one. You guys are smart, funny and have some mighty fine taste (your gravitation toward our ramblings not withstanding).

Even though it’s just Christmas Eve and not Christmas, I’m sure many of you have already started the experience of unwrapping all of your gaming loot this year, including the illustrious and addictive Steam sale. I’ve already picked up Fire Emblem and Zero’s Escape for the 3DS, along with Stanley Parable, Arkham Origins, XCOM: Enemy Within and Papers, Please! from Steam. Still looking at Gone Home and State of Decay, along with The Testament of Sherlock Holmes. I’m unsure about those last few, so if anyone’s played them, let me know what you think.

What about you guys? What games or gaming items have you gotten so far this year? What do you think you’ll pick up? Go!

GamerSushi Asks: How Did Gaming Treat You in 2013?

SimCity

I think 2013 was one of the more interesting years in gaming that I can remember. Mostly because it brought us the launch of the long-awaited next generation, but also because it was a big year for shakeups.

1up and LucasArts said goodbye to us this year, although they’ve been on the way out for a while (which is especially sad given how both of those companies had a huge influence on the way I absorb gaming media). 2013 saw John Riccitiello leaving EA and Don Mattrick and Steve Ballmer saying adios to Microsoft.

2013 also brought us the biggest amount of ups and downs in terms of games that I can remember. We had a game of the year contender, BioShock Infinite, come out a short while after the biggest flop in recent memory (at least for us here at GamerSushi), SimCity. It’s a year that saw the 3DS grow by leaps and bounds while the Wii U struggles on, even with a 3D Mario title.

But I’m more interested in you guys. How did 2013 treat you for gaming? What were your ups and downs? Anything you would have done differently if you could travel back to the past and tell your past self not to do something without creating a paradox?

GamerSushi Asks: Your Ideal Holiday Break Game

winter gaming

There are three things I really enjoy about the Holiday season: doing Christmas things with loved ones, the Granville Island Brewing Company’s Lions Winter Ale and the ability to have a few days off to just wrap myself up in a toasty blanket and play some video games.

While any type of video game is a good time, there are certain genres and titles that I feel are ideal for this sort of situation. Long, free-form open world games with a ton of collectibles tend to be my go-to; something that I can just wander around in doing what I please. Skyrim was the perfect game for this a couple of years ago, doubly so because it had the wintery atmosphere to go with it.

I also like a good first-person shooter multiplayer with a ton of unlocks and progression for when I need something a bit more action oriented. What about you guys? When the weather gets colder and you have a few days off, what are the types of games that you like to play? Go!

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Thankful For?

what are you thankful for video games

It’s that time of year again, time to reflect on what you’re most thankful for while you’re lying on the couch in a tryptophan-induced daze. While Canadians like myself might have had our turkey day last month, I still think that it’s valuable to take stock of what you would normally take for granted.

Specifically, what are you thankful for in video games? Personally, I’m thankful that we’ve moved on to the next generation (eight years is a long time), that Nintendo can continue its run of quality games whether or not the system they’re on is actually selling, and that PC ports have gotten much better. Seriously, for most of the previous generation being a PC gamer could be a little rough at times. I’m also thankful that gaming keeps chugging along, despite the myriad of bumps it has had to sustain over the years.

I’m also thankful for the GamerSushi community. You guys are what keeps us going all these years. It’s gratifying to know there’s selection of people out there who are willing to read our ramblings, even if they don’t comment on them (maybe comment a bit more though). We know we haven’t had a new cast in a while, but we’re planning on recording at least one before the Christmas holiday. It probably doesn’t need to be said, but we’ll have a lot to talk about.

So, what are you guys thankful for? Happy Holidays!

GamerSushi Asks: Gunning for Deals?

black-friday

One of the biggest shopping weeks of the year, the week of Thanksgiving isn’t just a good time for us Americans (sorry everyone else) to get some good game playing in—it’s also a great time to find some awesome deals on games. Whether you’re lining up for a Black Friday sale or staying at your computer to hunt for deals, it’s always nice to get a deal on a game you’ve been dying to play, but you didn’t want to spend full price on.

In case you guys weren’t aware, here are some of the Black Friday deals going on this week in various parts:

Amazon
Walmart
Target
GameStop
Best Buy

So with all of that information available to you, I thought I’d ask: what games are you hoping to catch on sale this week? Anything in particular that would be hard to pass up? Personally, I’ve got my eye out for PS Vita prices, since I’d love to have that for my PS4 for remote play. I’m also watching for certain 3DS games.

What about you guys? What are you looking for? Go!

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Playing?

super mario 3d worlds

Now that the Xbox One is finally out in the wild, I thought I would ask what all of you GamerSushi peeps will be up to this weekend.

Are you playing a shiny new Xbox One, or are you perhaps gaming with a PlayStation 4? Personally I’ll be checking out Super Mario 3D Worlds and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds this weekend, both of which have been getting sterling reviews.

I also tucked into some Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag last night and I’m already enjoying it much more than AC3. While I can kind of tell that Edward will end up being a character that is ultimately fairly forgettable, the world and the sheer amount of piratey things to do really speaks to me.

So, what are you playing? Go!

GamerSushi Asks: Resurrecting IPs?

Anachronox art

In a pretty astonishing move yesterday, Square Enix announced Collective, a new crowdfunding platform that allows indie developers to pitch and create games for some of their old, dormant IPs. With Collective, Square Enix is basically allowing indie developers to rouse some of their sleeping properties, with Anachronox, Fear Effect and Gex going up for grabs. Developers that create games for these will receive a majority of their profits if Square helps publish, and all of the profits if Square does not.

To me, this is an inspiring, fascinating idea, and one that makes total sense. If you’re a developer with a huge backcatalog of IPs, some of which you know for sure you don’t have the resources or interest in resurrecting, why not hand them over to the community to see what comes out of it? It’s incredibly forward thinking of Square Enix, and I’m dying to see if other companies follow suit. In particular, I can’t wait to see what folks do with Anachronox, an often-overlooked cyberpunk noir RPG that had a rich atmosphere, ripe with potential.

So my question for you all on this Friday of Asking Things is this: if you had a chance to resurrect an old, long unvisited property, what would it be? What are some old games that you’d love to see more of, and would you change anything about how they’re presented? Let’s call this an impromptu game jam. Go!

Source – Gamasutra. Image by Alex Chin Yu Chu

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Playing?

GTA Online

There seems to be some gaming event called “the next generation” coming up pretty soon. I don’t know, maybe you guys have heard of it? Apparently these big machines are coming out and people are pretty excited.

However, before that strange phenomenon occurs, we peons are stuck in the current generation (or you’re perpetually next generation gaming on your PC), no doubt clamoring through our backlogs and keeping up with this year’s more modest fall deluge of video games.

Since I’m waiting to play Assassin’s Creed 4 on my soon-to-be-released PlayStation 4 and holding out on Steam sales for Batman: Arkham Origins and The Wolf Among Us, I’m currently playing the heck out of Grand Theft Auto Online and loving it. Even though the actual online design is borked to all hell, the actual races, once you get in them, are among some of the most fun I’ve had gaming online in recent memory. Anthony and I have been partaking in planes, boats, motorbikes and more over the last week, leveling up our respective gangsters and having a general ball.

So what are you guys playing right now? Has anyone else tried Grand Theft Auto Online? Who’s playing Arkham Origins? Details, folks!

GamerSushi Asks: Do Games Always Need to Innovate?

batman arkham origins

With the release of Batman: Arkham Origins yesterday, the series, which has smashed all of our pre-conceived notions of what a licensed game should be, saw its first release away from the careful hand of Rocksteady, the developers of the first two titles. While the general consensus in the reviews is that the game more or less matches the quality of Asylum and City, Warner Bros. Montreal didn’t do enough to innovate this time around, and the game was docked points for that in some outlets.

Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City were both fantastic games, one of which will probably rank among the greatest games of the past generation. Since Arkham Origins hews so closely to the previous games that it’s more or less indistinguishable from Rocksteady’s work (for the most part), should Warner Bros. Montreal get flack for not innovating? This is a series with sky-high expectations by this point, throwing a new developer into the mix and asking them to completely rethink the Arkham series while at the same time trying to live up to Rocksteady’s work is quite the herculean task.

While innovation in some games is necessary, the Batman: Arkham series is about as close to perfect as games come, for the most part. Should Warner Bros. Montreal have been expected to think outside the box, or were they well within their rights to take as many pages out of Rocksteady’s book as possible? Should all gaming sequels be innovative, or is it OK to just have more of the same every one and a while?

Pixel Count: Game Time?

One of the things I love about the Sushians here is that I think we cover a decent spread of ages and lifestyles. Some of us have kids, some of us are still in school, some of us are kids at heart and others of us eat hearts to strengthen their bushy beards (not that I’m naming names).

In recent weeks, I’ve had to do some thinking about the state of things in my life, what it means for my schedule and how that affects the time I can devote to gaming. Sadly, I’ve concluded that multiplayer games are all but out—however, handhelds are on their way back in! Most of that is because I’m discovering that I just don’t have the disposable time that I used to (most of my free time goes to family and writing), so it’s time to stop kidding myself.

With that in mind, I wanted to ask you guys about your gaming time sheets, and how many hours you guys are able to put toward our illustrious hobby week in and week out. Feel free to go into more detail in the comments. Go!

How many hours do you game each week?

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GamerSushi Asks: What’s Your Favorite Pokemon?

favorite pokemon koffing

With the release of Pokemon X and Y, the total current number of Pokemon adds up to over 650. Given the widespread love that the newest games are getting (as well as the series’ cultural presance over its lifespan) it’s reasonable to assume that out of these hundreds of critters you must like one more than the others.

Personally, my favorite Pokemon would have to be Koffing. Although I find Poison-type Pokemon to be the least useful (aside from Ice), Koffing’s design has the elegant simplicity that was the hallmark of a lot of Generation One designs.

Just by looking at this guy you get the sense of what he’s about. There’s smog, and a skull, so you know he’s bad for your health. Plus he has that big goofy smile. What’s not to love?

So, who or what is your favorite Pokemon?

GamerSushi Asks: Online Launch Issues?

GTA Online Heist

Grand Theft Auto Online launched 10 days ago and it only now seems to have reached a stable state, much to the dismay of people with amnesia. For the rest of us, we all knew it would be a disaster, as we have seen this movie many times before and starring companies who have far more experience and know-how with online games than Rockstar does. Hell, if Blizzard can’t get it right with Diablo III, what chance does anyone else have?

That being said, it is pretty messed up that we can’t expect to play something we bought for on the day it launches: from Simcity to Call of Duty, the first day and even week can be a symphony of frustration to any gamer who dares dip their toe into the online world. How does this make you feel? Do you get angry at this or have you come to a place of serene acceptance, as I have? Are these just the breaks or should companies go out of their way to compensate their customers, as Rockstar is doing now with the bribe, I mean, gift of $500,000 for GTA Online? Should they stagger allowing certain timezones access or would that make you angry knowing that people on the East Coast are already playing while you have to wait a few more hours? Speak now or forever hold your peace!

Pixel Count: Games without Release Dates?

The eve of a new generation is a strange time for gamers. We’re so used to having our calendars planned out at least a year in advance, knowing all of the big blockbuster releases that we intend to snatch up day one. But when a new generation dawns, all bets are off, and release dates become a nebulous, free-form sort of thing, hidden in shadow.

Which kind of sucks.

At the moment, this seems to be exactly the case for 2014, with tons of titles announced, but no clear idea on when we’ll really be able to play them, beyond vague “quarter” references meant primarily for stockholders. But none of that really means anything to gamers, especially when it comes to us saving money and figuring out what we’d like to buy. Even though I can’t wait for my PlayStation 4, I’m admittedly a bit bummed that I have no real idea when I’ll be playing some truly spectacular next generation games once we move over to 2014.

With all that in mind, I put together a list of the most anticipated games that don’t have true release dates yet, and wanted to see which ones you guys were most excited about. Go!

Which game without a release date are you most excited about?

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