This morning, Eurogamer posted a wonderful piece from Christian Donlan about playing LA Noire with his dad who grew up in Los Angeles during the 1940s.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-10-09-night-and-the-city
And reading it made me think that I've read some great stuff recently that has come from European-centric websites.
Like Eurogamer's review of Pokemon Black/White 2 which was mainly done by the sons of 2 of the regular EG reviewers.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-10-09-pokemon-black-and-white-2-review
And Nathan Brown writing in Edge about re-playing Red Dead Redemption with his wife.
http://www.edge-online.com/features/still-playing-red-dead-redemption/
And at the moment, Eurogamer (again) have a regular column by ex-Consolevania presenter Robert Florence but his best piece was over on Rock, Paper, Shotgun where he writes another regular column on boardgames like this heartbreaking one on HeroQuest.
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/08/27/cardboard-children-heroquest/
All of these are a bit New Games Journalism but all have been absolutely wonderful to read and I hope, if nothing else, you read some of them today.
I feel like a large number of people read IGN or Kotaku in order to complain about the quality or tear Polygon reviews apart line-by-line when they could have spent that time reading more worthwhile stuff.
So there is definitely good journalism out there, GAF. You've just got to cross the ocean to get to it*.
*Although Gamasutra's pretty good, I'll give you that.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-10-09-night-and-the-city
I'll never forget the moment we found it. Dad could just about remember the cross-streets - 6th and Flower - and I had a little trouble fiddling round in the game's map to set a waypoint. Then we were off. On the drive, dad kept up a low-level muttering trail of recollections and fiercely specific critiques: the lamps on this bridge were right, but the large dumpsters in alleyways weren't like anything he remembered seeing; a gas station's Coke machine was just perfect, but little skirtings of exposed brickwork around the low walls of vacant lots 'didn't seem very Californian'; this was meant to be 1947? Why was that a 1950 Chevy, then? When we finally turned onto 6th, though, he suddenly stopped talking.
And reading it made me think that I've read some great stuff recently that has come from European-centric websites.
Like Eurogamer's review of Pokemon Black/White 2 which was mainly done by the sons of 2 of the regular EG reviewers.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-10-09-pokemon-black-and-white-2-review
"There are five new ones," James insists with all the self-assured confidence of a young boy being quizzed on his specialist subject. "Tornadus, Thundurus and Landorus in Therian Forms, and Black and White Kyurem."
"Well, I guess we shouldn't count Black and White Kyurem," interjects Dillon. "They're really just Kyurem."
"Or the other three," admits James without breaking stride. "All five are just forms of other Pokémon."
And Nathan Brown writing in Edge about re-playing Red Dead Redemption with his wife.
http://www.edge-online.com/features/still-playing-red-dead-redemption/
I no longer sprint through towns to objectives. I saunter, I strut, tipping hats to passers-by. I did the entirety of an early mission where you rescue an NPC’s daughter from a mine at walking pace, shotgun in hand, using no cover at all, the ultimate expression of cowboy badassery. Our choice of mission isn’t dictated by proximity, but time of day; we head east of a morning and west in the afternoon, forever chasing after one of videogaming’s finest suns. The camera is rarely fixed in place over Marston’s shoulder but is constantly roving as I search for the perfect cinematic angle. A colleague has suggested I ham up gunfights, too, pretending to struggle when I’m not, taking Marston to death’s door before saving his skin at the last second with the slow-mo Dead Eye. I’ll be trying that out this weekend.
And at the moment, Eurogamer (again) have a regular column by ex-Consolevania presenter Robert Florence but his best piece was over on Rock, Paper, Shotgun where he writes another regular column on boardgames like this heartbreaking one on HeroQuest.
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/08/27/cardboard-children-heroquest/
I am sitting in my living room. My ma is making my dinner. It’s my da’s favourite – mince and peas, on plain bread. Mince and peas from a tin, and some good gravy, all laid on a thick slice of plain bread. Beautiful. I can smell it.
My da’s not home yet. He’s a roofer. When he comes home, he’ll be black with dirt and dust and work. He’ll wash up and sit in front of the TV with his dinner, and then we’ll watch Star Trek: The Next Generation together. Me on the arm of the chair, leaning on him, and nudging him to keep him awake if it’s a Wesley Crusher episode.
All of these are a bit New Games Journalism but all have been absolutely wonderful to read and I hope, if nothing else, you read some of them today.
I feel like a large number of people read IGN or Kotaku in order to complain about the quality or tear Polygon reviews apart line-by-line when they could have spent that time reading more worthwhile stuff.
So there is definitely good journalism out there, GAF. You've just got to cross the ocean to get to it*.
*Although Gamasutra's pretty good, I'll give you that.