Broadsword: The Proof That Dark Souls Is All About Skills, Not Power

I am loving my broadsword. Extremely easy to be overlooked, this is one of the most basic of all straight swords and the starting weapon for the knight class. Just like its name, the sword is broad, almost gladius-like. Its downside are its short range and absence of thrust attack. But I love thrust attack! In fact, my main weapon in Dark Souls 2 was the Drangleic Sword, which power attack is the thrust. And the power attack was pretty much what I used all the time as if it was a regular attack. So I'm not surprised to see that many players have overlooked the Broadsword and go for Longsword instead, in favor of the thrust. Then why am I loving the broadsword instead? Because of the speed; it's perfect weapon for combos. As of now, my broadsword has been ascended to +10.

Great News! Lag Is No Longer a Legitimate Reason to Die in Dark Souls!

Here's a short but joyful post! Christmas present came early to me this year! Leading up to this point, if anyone who plays Dark Souls on the PC complains that they die because of lag, you better believe it. For once, this is more of a reason than an excuse, and it is legit. However recently, Durante; the guy who came up with the fix for the lag that the Dark Souls PC port has been suffering from; released a new version of the fix here. This is probably the smallest form of update I ever downloaded for a video game but it is also the one that I appreciate the most!

Finally Made It Through Winter in Don't Starve

Last July, after having been playing the survival game Don't Starve long enough (two years, to be exact), I finally pulled my off long-time objective: to survive the winter. Perhaps now is a good time to reflect what I experienced and how I survived such an amazing ordeal (hehehehe). How come surviving winter can be this hard, you ask?

How Many Nukes Does It Take to Destroy a Fully Upgraded ACU in Supreme Commander 2?

Yesterday, after spending a few hours playing Supreme Commander 2 to blow off some steam, a curious question popped into my head. How many nukes does it take to destroy a fully upgraded ACU? I know it sounds ridiculous but I couldn't help it. I could have easily looked for this information online but I decided to discover it myself since this would be more fun and amusing.

Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition Revisited

The thunder roared mightily, I hadn't heard such a loud one in a long time. It was a rainy afternoon, a very gloomy afternoon in fact. The sky was dark grey, raindrops rolled down the window and the streets were damp. I have that habit of saving thickly atmospheric games like STALKER for rainy days like this. And so there I was, on my friend's desk, lost in the dreadful world of another favorite game of mine, Dark Souls.

Looking for ECHO Devices, Got Frustrated by the Level Design of Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel!

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel has some serious problem with level designs, I can tell you that. As much as I like the series, I still have to admit its flaws, and the confusing level design of the Pre-Sequel is by far the most serious and frustrating across all three games. Before I start, let me first apologize because chances are this post may not make much sense as I'm not good at explaining it in words. But as an honest fan of Borderlands, I have to pour it out of my system.

Quick Impression: The First 2 Hours of Borderlands the Pre-Sequel!

Judging from the number of Borderlands posts I have written previously, you've probably guessed that I'm a big Borderlands fan. Last June, when I heard about the then-upcoming Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, I couldn't be any more excited. Finally, the game was released last Tuesday and it was only earlier today I could finally get my hands on it! So now here's my quick impression of it.

Indie Game of the Month: The Last Night

The Last Night is a very short game which is more like a showcase than something that you play. You arrive at a club to meet your contact who tells you of a target you need to assassinate openly in public, and that's it. Yes, it's simple, yet it manages to give us a captivating glimpse on the settings of the very typical cyberpunk future we always imagine to be.

Ridge Racer Unbounded - Destructively Fun Despite Occasionally Annoying Physics

Despite its occasional bad physics and annoying camera glitch, Ridge Racer Unbounded is surprisingly enjoyable that it's one of the few racing games that I actually finished. Let me begin by saying that I have never played any Ridge Racer game before. So, I won't make comparisons with the previous games but instead I'll just focus on this game alone.

Trials Fusion - Let Me Try One More Time

What happens when you put physics and trial-and-error together and make a game out of that combination? Trials Fusion, that's what, an excellent sports game with highly believable physics and responsive controls. RedLynx Studio fused together the elements of platforming, physics-based puzzles and motorcross into one neat and beautiful package that is Trials Fusion.

Unreal Engine 4: Free for Academic Use

As soon as I read the news that Unreal Engine is now free for academic use, I sat up and took notice. Any concerned gamer who pays a bit of attention to the industry would recognize Unreal Engine and know how widespread its use is. Now, it's free for academic purposes! So, as someone who is always intrigued about the potential of video games for the purpose of learning, this news perks me up. Other industries owe the electronic entertainment industry (which is widely known as the video game industry) so much, yet so many people fail to notice. Let's talk a little bit about Unreal Engine.

Bound by Flame - Great Potential, Ignore the Flaws

Lately, I like giving a chance to less-known titles by smaller developers. Bound by Flame is one of them. It certainly is not an AAA title but somehow still received bad reviews, which I think it does not deserve. Perhaps there are too many AAA titles recently, and so people got carried away and reviewed Bound by Flame in a similar way they review AAA games, but the truth is this RPG isn't trying to be one. Whoa, there's a lot of "AAA"s here.

Dark Souls 2 - Death, Patience and Persistence

Demon's Souls came out in 2010 as a PS3-exclusive title and a notoriously difficult game, with many praising it as a genuine challenge. Dark Souls, its spiritual successor, was then released in 2012 and stood as a testimony that the developer had no intention to tone down its difficulty. Unlike most other games out there, Dark Souls' hard difficulty had been taken positively by the gaming community and received critical acclaim.

Saint Row the Third - Here Comes the Boom in Spectacular Fashion

Earlier this year, I played Saints Row IV and it was a pretty fun ride. I haven't got the time to review it, so I thought I'd just post the review for Saints Row the Third I wrote 3 years ago as a fix, haha. So here we are: say hello to Saints Row the Third! An outrageous and chaotic game that isn't the kind that holds you back from having fun. It has an open world that is not just free to explore, but offers you ultimate freedom for whatever you wish to do. There is no complex character progression or absorbing storyline. However, there are a lot of spectacular explosions, great sense of humor and awesome toys.

The Ambiguity of Dark Souls 2's Story and My Naive Understanding of It

Fought his way through the entire game while drunk, now baffled and confused.

I don't know about you, but I don't play Dark Souls 2 for the story. Same goes with the previous game. As you are aware of, the Souls games; namely Demon Souls, Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2; are some of the rarest games for having very vague plots. Nevertheless, this doesn't bother me at all because when it comes to these games, the story isn't my main concern, nor does it turn me off. Then again, that's my personal preference, and not everyone thinks like I do.

Deadlight - How "Puzzles" Destroyed a Potentially Good Game

This game sucks. For your information, that is not an emotionally-driven judgement. I have taken a few positive aspects into consideration, but boy, this game really sucks. Disguised as a zombie apocalypse title, Deadlight is more like a frustrating puzzle game with pointless puzzles and ridiculous plots. There are some good things that I enjoyed, such as the beautiful graphic, and... well, that's just about it.

My Initial Thoughts on DotA

I don't play DotA. Apparently where I'm from, everybody plays this game. I think most people around the world play DotA, haha, who am I kidding. I have nothing against it. Just because you don't play a game doesn't mean you have to hate it (hello, CoD and Battlefield fanboys). But I really don't know what's so fun about it. Then again, I guess you can't judge a book by its cover. What you're about to read are my initial thoughts on DotA, I say again: initial thoughts, which I wrote about a year or so ago. My thoughts on this game has since largely unchanged, except now I know a little bit more on how it works, but that's just about it. DotA fans, don't be upset. Behold!

Awesomeness Comes Unexpectedly Early in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

So... I just heard about a new Borderlands game called the Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! Being a big fan of the Borderlands series, this got me really excited. I've been following the series since the beginning. So far, Gearbox has yet to disappoint us; nevermind the DLCs; the main games are getting better and better than the previous. This new entry that is Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is more than welcomed.

Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 Is Winning Me Over With Gorgeous Graphics

This is actually a delayed post. I played Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 last February, but only got to compiled everything earlier today, so here we are. Prepare yourself because this post has lots of screenshots. Lots. Because Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 is, seriously, a very gorgeous game. It's like every screenshot is worth showing. The game may have received negative reviews due to poor gameplay and AI, but boy it looks slick! Here's the first 2 hours of Sniper Ghost Warrior 2.

Microtransactions: Why I Wasn't Excited About Diablo 3

One of the most awaited games right now is Diablo III. Ask anyone to list out their top 5 most anticipated relese of 2012, Diablo III is going to be somewhere in that list. Last January, I too, was excited when I heard about the hype surrounding this follow-up to Diablo 2. But as I dug in, my excitement vaporated, only to be replaced by disappointment, and eventually, ignorance.

Indie Game of the Month: Homesick

It's been a while since the last Indie Game of the Month post. This time we'll take a very brief look at Homesick, a small indie game. This is a very interesting little game and also it's free to download. I've put the download link at the end of this post, but first, let's talk a bit about what the game is about.

Charity, Revenge and Loot-Splitting, All in One Day in STALKER Call of Pripyat

It's just another day in the Zone. A storm has just passed and I'm now preparing my things to go out and venture deep into the unknown. Welcome to STALKER Call of Pripyat, one of the most underrated shooters today. This third installment of the STALKER series is technically the best and the most stable of the bunch. In Call of Pripyat, you take the role of a military undercover sent into the Zone to investigate the crash sites of five downed military helicopters. This is just the beginning. There is more to the plot and the game than meets the eye.

Played Lots of Games Recently

Lately, I couldn't find the time to write full articles. I do have a lot drafts here in my computer about games that I've been playing recently as well as some thoughts/opinions articles. Yes, I'm still playing actively although university is taking more of my time right now. But since I'm not a blogger, but more of a gamer who loves writing video games as much as playing them, I do not have to rush things and let my thoughts flow at my mind's own pace.

My Thoughts on the "Old Fallout vs New Fallout" Argument (hint: pointless)

P/S: Excuse me for this poorly-done banner.

I love video games, and the Fallout series has always been one of my favorites. But I'm not one of those "hardcore players" or "fanboys" you see arguing all over the internet forums or YouTube comment sections. Gaming aside, I'm pretty much the kind of person most people would call a "geek". I love psychology and philosophy and via these subjects, I began to accept, and eventually love the fact that I'm a learner. In Fallout games, learning is crucial.

7 Days in Gothic 3 Forsaken Gods

So lately I've been gaming quite actively. But the busy college days are already starting, so I truly cherish every gaming session I have. Since I already moved to another college and finally get to study something I truly enjoy, I think I would have less headache now. It's no longer considered as studying to me, it's more like fun learning. So, I'll definitely going to put more time on my long-time hobby, gaming.

Mindless Clicking in the Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

Greetings. Today's article isn't meant to show my gameplay like other Now Playing articles. Instead, it's intended to show how mindless clicking is a fundamental part of the Incredible Adventure of Van Helsing. Well, that was the main intention, initially. Then something funny (and frustrating) happened and it truly did the title of the article justice. Pardon me if my words confused you, it's 4am and I'm still feeling really heavy on the head. Just read on.

Haunt the House - Meant to be Played With

For the record, I'm not sure as to why they chose to name this game Haunt the House: Terrortown. One, the title just doesn't sound right. For a game that is both cartoony and colourful, the title isn't complementary to those characteristics at all. Secondly, you won't actually be haunting houses, you're just stopping by to create havoc, and once the entire house is vacated, you move to another and do what you did there (in the previous house), here in the new house. OK, I'll stop complaining.

Raiding Malls in Fallout 3

Hey, I've been thinking, it would be cool to replay some of my favourite games, only this time with a specific theme! So today's Now Playing comes with the theme "Let's Go to the Mall". You know, that song from the sitcom How I Met Your Mother. But anyway, that has nothing to do with my adventure today. This time I'll be taking a stroll around the wasteland of Fallout 3!

The First 3 Hours of Saints Row IV

Have you played Saints Row the Third? You know, the crazy and outrageous 2011's title, the sequel to Saints Row 2 which many dubbed as GTA clone? Well, be it Saints Row 1, 2 or the Third, they are definitely not a GTA clone, and they're always trying to avoid looking like one. I had my most explosive (both literally and figuratively) gaming experience in Saints Row the Third. The game never tries to take things seriously, which is why it's so enjoyable. Most importantly, everything explodes in spectacular fashion!

But I hadn't had enough, so the Saints Row IV was immediately placed on my radar. Since its release, I had always wanted to play it straight away and see what mess the Saints have landed themselves into now, but I put the thought on hold and saved it for my semester break. Well, now I can sit back and play! No more drooling over the trailers! So here you go, the first 3 hours in Saints Row IV!

The Forest: This Year's Most Anticipated Survival Horror

So I was thinking about making a new section called Under the Radar, because you know, I like things organized and categorized. But for now I'll just hold up to that idea for a while until I make at least 10 solid posts for this section.

Anyway, thanks to college, I'm a little behind now. Well, not just a little, as a matter of fact, quite far behind. But at least I'm not so far behind because the Forest has not been released yet. I've been intrigued by this game since I heard about it last November. So, today we'll be talking a bit about The Forest: my most anticipated horror games of 2014 (so far, I think).

Indie Game of the Month: Bastion

Finally I'm done with Bastion. I started playing it last year, then I left it alone and unfinished for a few months. I forgot why, but then I remembered I had an unfinished game, I thought I'd better start from scratch instead of picking off from where I left. Bastion is one of the most innovative indie titles in recent years. On the surface, it appears to be pretty much like any dungeon crawler. Except the settings are floating grounds. And you don't have to refer to a map from the time to time. Why? Because the world forms under your feet!

Skeletons & Dragons in Borderlands 2 Tiny Tina DLC

As far as I remember, one of the main reason I opened this site was to post my gaming experience in the form of a short, playthrough. I've been writing gaming articles since I was a teen, and I always thought it was a waste to keep them to myself. I haven't post any playthrough for a quite some time, so now's a good time as any.

I got my copies of Borderlands 2 DLCs around October last year but I wanted to save them for my semester break this year. As I mentioned on the previous post, I was busy with my finals. Now's about time I played it. While I'm sure these DLCs can to be played in any order, it would be natural for me or any other gamer to start with the first of the DLCs.