Or perhaps more appropriately titled: “Holy crap I survived another year of freelance game journo word-fu craziness!” Every year seems like a wild ride, but 2012 in particular has been an interesting one across the board. So much so that I feel compelled to blab personal thoughts about some of the more interesting moments of my year. Feel free to indulge in my self-indulgence!
So awhile back I spent a solid month working the second of two massive print features for Official Xbox Magazine – about a dozen interview and several solid days of writing later, I wrapped up a massive 10-page piece on the 10 year annivesary of Xbox Live. That piece was published in the Holiday 2012 issue of OXM (on pg 36) alongside a few smaller pieces I wrote for the issue, which just hit newsstands. Psyched! This is my second big print feature for the mag – I wrote a similarly epic length article on how to get a gig in different areas of the gaming industry that ran in the Nov. 2012 issue. I’m pretty stoked, so I figured I’d share. Thanks!
“Like your combat thrilling and nerve-racking? This Diablo-esque hack-and-slash loot-fest throws tons of enemies at you every step of the way, leaving you with the constant threat of being overwhelmed — and a definite rush when you emerge victorious, the bodies of dozens of dead beasts and dwarven brutes laying at your feet.”
Check out the full review here at OXM.
“The burgeoning indie gaming revolution is nowhere near winding down, particularly on the Xbox Live Indie Games Channel. Designed as a fun means to promote creative games on the oft-overlooked channel, Indie Games Uprising III is primed to kickoff with a fresh batch of home-cooked gaming creations. The next Uprising hits Monday, September 10 (it runs through September 20) and we’ve got a quick look at the nine new offerings on tap.”
Check out this first of several pieces I’ve written about the next Uprising over here at Official Xbox Magazine.
“Slamming down the gas pedal to the floor and smashing into stuff is a favorite pastime for many virtual racing enthusiasts, ourselves included. You don’t have to be a total gearhead to get a few kicks from hopping into anything with a seat, a steering wheel, and a high-powered motor. When it comes to all things racing and motorized, the Xbox Live Indie Games Channel has some horsepower under the hood. Here are some of our favorite picks for racers, both quick and quirky.”
Check out the full feature here at Official Xbox Magazine.
“Like most things that rise from the dead, the Penny Arcade Adventures series is a very different creature from what it once was. But for the creators of the popular gaming webcomic and new cohorts Zeboyd Games (the two-man indie studio tapped to complete the once-doomed episodic series), it’s good to see their creation finally walking within the realm of the living.”
Check out the full feature here at OXM.
“Dating games and stranger fare sporting sexy-tinged content pop-up on the Xbox Live Indie Games channel all the time, offering a titillating-yet-creepy buffer between the avalanche of shooters, zombie holocaust simulators, and platformers. Let’s be honest — while most of these offerings have a serious tone, they’re all pretty ridiculous. Whether you’re looking for remote controller massages and online avatar hook-ups or relationship advice and cheesy distraction, this selection of indie oddities touches all the bases.”
Check out the full article here at Official Xbox Magazine.
“What’s more badass than fighting werewolves? Fighting bigger werewolves that EAT other werewolves for breakfast. YES! Throw in a minotaur or two, some winged griffons that rip folks apart from the skies, gaggles of dueling super-soldiers from warring secret societies, and a towering skyscraper-size golem made out of broken junk, and you’ve got one hell of a battle on your hands”
Check out the full article here at Official Xbox Magazine.
“Some enjoy reciting flowery prose to express themselves. We, on the other hand, occasionally find our best poetry comes out of the barrel of a gun. For those times when you just need to indulge your itchy trigger finger in some no-nonsense hot lead-spraying action, the Xbox Live Indie Games channel is packing some heat with a few great first-person shooter games to lock-and-load. Go ahead, make your day with these FPS indies under $5.”
Check out the full article here at Official Xbox Magazine.
“So why did this faithful gaming homage to the venerable sci-fi horror film franchises get critically panned? With so much attention poured into to making the experience of playing each of Aliens vs. Predator’s three different species as authentic as possible, it seems that Rebellion let the basic tenets of what makes a good game fall to the wayside. But for all of its awkward controls, uninspired level designs, and irksome A.I., this freaky first-person shooter has way too much style to write-off so easily.”
Check out the full article here at Official Xbox Magazine.
Nathan Meunier - Freelance Writer / Author / Indie Game Developer 