Video Games
Why aren’t you playing: The Stanley Parable
I once thought of myself as rather clever. I had managed to get myself on top of one of the desks in the office area just outside Stanley’s cubicle. The narrator had just introduced the game for the billionth time. But not this time, no! I had climbed a chair, mounted a desk, and vaulted…
Read MoreWhy aren’t you playing: Pokemon X/Y
Chances are, if you grew up playing video games, or even had a Gameboy, you’ve played a Pokemon game. Maybe you were around when the first generation hit shelves back in ’98, or maybe you rocked Pokemon Snap on the N64. No matter what brought you into the fold, it’s likely you fell in love.…
Read MoreWhy aren’t you playing: Outlast
Fifteen minutes. That’s how long I lasted my first attempt at playing *Outlast*. I walked past the gates of Mount Massive Asylum, and upon finding the door locked, I climbed through some scaffolding to get in through a window in the east wing of the building. A few classic style jump scares, some spooky…
Read MoreWhy Aren’t You Playing: Dustforce
I am a cleaning ninja. Running full tilt, I launch off a ledge, over a pit, flip through the air and with a slash of my broom I brush through a woodland creature controlled by the dust that clings to it; with the momentum of the slash, I just barely gain enough speed to fly…
Read MoreWhy aren’t you playing: Gone Home
I feel I must punctuate the beginning of this review with a stern warning that continuing beyond this first paragraph may rob you of an incredible experience. Thus is the nature of Gone Home, by The Fullbright Company. It is the expectations you go in with against the actuality of what happens that elevate this…
Read MoreArcade appreciation
Halifax has a distinct lack of arcade appreciation, and Daniel Baldwin is fighting to fix that. Operator and founder of the small vintage arcade located in the back of the Daily Sweets Convenience Store on Oxford Street, Baldwin has bigger aspirations than a simple corner store arcade. With the help of his ongoing Kickstarter campaign,…
Read MoreInside: Madden NFL 25
It’s 9 p.m., I’ve got a drink in hand, chips and Grandma’s homemade pickles within reach, and my good friend Ben seated across the sofa from me. The television screen is glowing with the main menu of Madden NFL 25. Not a bad way to start a Saturday night. It’s hard to believe it’s been…
Read MoreWhy aren’t you playing: Grand Theft Auto V
Before starting this review, I’d like to share something. I remember thinking to myself as a young gamer that one day, games would be so detailed that when somebody walked up stairs, they’d take each individual step. For some reason, that was my yardstick for game craftsmanship. Grand Theft Auto 5 takes every step. Why…
Read MoreBuy this game: for glorious nation of Arstotzka!
In the Orwellian indie game Papers, Please (for PC and Mac) you play as a border agent tasked with rooting out terrorists, smugglers, and delinquents. Dark, cold, and at times decidedly morbid, Papers, Please is an experiment in morality disguised as a Cold War paperwork simulator. Presented in retro pixel-art style, the game brilliantly constructs…
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