The last time I wrote here, I spoke of how detached I felt playing the sequel to one of the few sports games I’ve put any time into in the last decade. EA Sports UFC 2 did many of the things its predecessor did, but removed much of the smaller personality touches that kept me invested.
I don’t play sports games very often. I played a lot of NHL 94 on the Genesis, and NFL 2K on the Dreamcast. The last sports game I had spent any real time on was 3 on 3 NHL Arcade for the Xbox 360, and that came out more than 7 years ago. These games captured the feeling of participating in their real-life counterparts, and they were exciting to compete against friends. But I hadn’t found anything like them in a good long stretch.
Games are an excellent medium to instill many emotions. You feel powerful, as you conquer hordes of enemies, or terror when that monster leaps at your throat. Triumph in clearing that last level; frustration because you can’t quite clear the next one. What Oxenfree, the downloadable, narrative-driven game from Night School Studio, filled me with, was dread.
Do you remember that show from about a decade ago, with a bunch of ordinary folks gaining superpowers, and somehow all the disparate threads become interconnected? Did you know that Heroes was revived last year, as Heroes Reborn, and was to be a revival of a show that had a strong premise, and a lack of direction leading to a faltering, mostly-ignored end. Heroes Reborn did not set the world on fire, but it did lead to a surprisingly fun tie-in game, in Gemini: Heroes Reborn.
Dontnod Entertainment’s episodic Life Is Strange was released as a complete collector’s edition in January. Given the timing of the re-release, I thought it would be a good excuse for my first article here at The GATE to be my thoughts on one of the best games of 2015.
There are times when I am convinced that some of these tech companies give me their newest products to test out specifically because of my general lack of tech savvy–meaning their stated intention is, “if this idiot can figure these devices out and make the most of them, then just about any member of the general public can!”
Samsung Canada has been showing off their latest gear ahead of the holidays–including the new Samsung Gear S2 watch–for the last few weeks at Sherway Gardens, and to kick it all off they had Hamilton’s own The Arkells perform an intimate acoustic set. Chatting about the space and the show with Chief Marketing Officer, Mark Childs, it was clear they had made at least one new fan.
This is it, friends in battle; Halo 5: Guardians is out there, ready to be played, and to give you a quick glimpse into the new Warzone multiplayer setup, I jumped in and tried out a few of my stellar moves so you can get even more pumped to kick some butt, or get your butt kicked.
Home security is a hot topic. People are more aware of the security issues around their house today, and with an ever-rising range of products trying to address those issues, Netatmo’s Welcome smart home camera deserves a look for its simple approach to a big concern, especially for parents.
Later today, at 1:00 PM (ET), Sonos.com will launch a limited edition version of their speakers: the Sonos Play:1 Tone, which the company has dubbed “[a]n expression of Sonos sound and design in the purest form.”
