Joe Gamer

Sometimes when you are bored, you look around for things to do. Personally I have a rather vivid imagination in as much as whenever I endeavor to do something, I like to picture myself in the ‘universe’ that my activity takes place. It’s the minute storyteller in me. For example, when I play either version of Warhammer I like to name my commander and flesh out the stories that my battles tell to me. A game isn’t fun unless I can immerse myself in it. That’s where Pokemon comes in.

Pokemon, for the un-initiated is/was a hugely successful roleplaying game series that started in 1996. As a child, it captured my imagination because you play a 10 year old child that partakes an adventure around the world (or your particular region) to befriend the varied creatures called Pokemon. 13 years, several games and remakes later, I haven’t exactly kept up. I started the game when I was nine years old! Why would I keep wanting to play it as a 22 year old? It is because of the immersive nature of the game. Each game builds on the last. New Pokemon, regions and features are introduced each time, increasing the mythology of the game. There are numerous “trainer types” that the player fights, giving the idea that you can be whatever trainer you want to be, from the innocuous Bug Catcher, to the versatile Cool/Ace Trainer.

No player has the same team, and even if they do that doesn’t guarantee their Pokemon have the same moves and abilities. That makes it worthwhile to me. Look anywhere online. You will find people roleplaying in forums, designing “themselves” as trainers on Deviantart, making “Trainer Cards”. I love it all. Still not sure what trainer I would be classified as, but that is but one source of identity related to the game.

Now I recently delved back into the Pokemon world due to a bit of insistence on my part to my wife Elizabeth. When she was younger the only video game she played other than a Volleyball game on Game Boy was Pokemon Yellow. Now she plays as many or more video games than I do. She has a Dsi my mom bought her for her last birthday, so in order to see if she’d like Pokemon still, I convinced my parents to buy her one of the newest iterations of the Pokemon Series, Pokemon Diamond. Well long story short, she got it and now that’s almost all she plays. Not to be outdone, I picked up Platinum, the companion piece, to compete against her.

Let’s just say she has around 20 hours while I’m clocked in around 9 and a half. So with the hobby gaming scene a little light around Hattiesburg, I find myself drawn to the Pokemon Trading Card Game League that runs in Brandon, Jackson, Laurel and the like. I feel like a kid, but it’s not such a bad thing. Therefore I posit if you are interested in an immersive experience that can spark imagination (at least active imaginations like mine) then don’t hesitate to play Pokemon again. It caters to the role player, the level grinder, the OCD collector. I did and I’m glad of it!

© 2010, Jeff Hollingsworth. All rights reserved.

Lately I’ve been taking a break from playing Dragon Age: Origins to play Boarderlands. I like first person shooters almost as much as I like RPGs. Boarderlands is essentially both though it is still primarily an FPS.

You have your choice of 4 characters each of a different class. As you explore the land of Pandora you gain experience which allows you to gain levels. Every class has several skills that can be purchased as you level. The skills are divided between three different paths, essentially specializations for your chosen class. All very RPG. Where the game misses the mark in the RPG arena is that your missions (quests) are very linear and do not allow the various options and multiple choices that good RPGs now have.

Where the game truly shines is in four areas: world, style, multiplayer play, and guns. The world of Pandora is where Boarderlands is set. It is a dark and gritty land where only the strong survive. The style of art and animation both reflects the land of Pandora and has a very unique 2D quality to it. The multiplayer action allows for co-operative campaign play and PVP arena fights. Finally the sheer number and variety of guns is amazing. Using a method of gun generation much like the magic item generation system of Diablo, the number of possible unique guns in Boarderlands is in the millions.

My current character is a level 26 Assassin (a hunter specializing in snipper rifles). With two sniper rifles, a rocket launcher that fires three rockets at once, and a corrosive sub machine gun my character dominates the landscape. I admit that I’m still very much a divide and conquer player. I also tend to use the terrain to my advantage keeping the enemy at bay while scoring critical hits against the heads of my opponents until I’ve cleared the area.

I very much enjoy the game and I suggest it to anyone who loves FPSs and RPGs.

© 2009, Joseph Little. All rights reserved.

My newest addiction is Dragon Age: Origins. I have no idea the number of hours that I’ve poured into this lovely game for the X-Box 360, PS3, and PC, but I do know that my wife doesn’t speak to me anymore while I play and my child is noticeably taller. My sleep is suffering and my recliner has a permanent mold of my rear firmly implanted in it. That said let me actually speak about the game itself.

Dragon Age: Origins is a dark fantasy RPG. The player has control of up to four characters that form his or her party. And your primary character has six possible origin stories spanning three races and three classes. The remaining party is comprised of NPCs that you meet along the way. Interaction between your primary and secondary characters is more dynamic than many other games. Each character class has several possible combinations of skills, abilities, and specializations to give the game some replay value.

The game leads you down a road of violence, betrayal, lust, and violence. Yes I know I said violence twice. When you see how gory our characters get after their first real fight, you’ll understand. The game isn’t for little kids. If you’re the kind of parent that gets your teenager anything, expect your teenage boys to be begging for this one. The Desire Demons are some of the hottest monsters I’ve ever slain in game. Some of the subject matter out side of the violence and almost partial nudity isn’t for kids either, but then again I’m not your kid’s parent so do what you want.

© 2009, Joseph Little. All rights reserved.