HARDCORE AGAIN

over the past 8-10 years, the amount of gaming i've done has significantly decreased. this is probably because of school, work, or whatever other important activities i've had to engage in to ensure survival. because i've often had jobs that relate to gaming, i haven't stopped purchasing games or keeping up with current trends in the industry; in fact, i'm likely more aware now than i've ever been. but for whatever reason, i hadn't been playing much. sure, i'd check out everything i was interested in, but rarely have i been completing or spending much time with games that i enjoy. this has lasted for years. lately, i'd decided that this was partially due to the fact that i'd decide to hang out with friends rather than stay home and game... but since i moved out to san francisco, and into an apartment with some of my best friends, i haven't needed to leave home to feel social (sad, but true) and for the time being, it has made me a much better gamer. and i've been really enjoying what i've been playing...

and that's just it. there's so many great titles to play right now. i've spent a bunch of time with the legend of zelda: four swords adventures as i was tapped to review it. what you'll find if you click that link is that i enjoyed it quite a bit. i've also been playing a couple of great pc games: far cry and thief: deadly shadows. the former is a truly remarkable fps experience that i highly recommend, especially if you have a high-end pc; but if you do, you probably already know that. as for thief... i guess the experience just feels very fresh to me. i only briefly played the original, as it didn't run too well on my machine at the time, but even then i was floored by the audio. and while deadly shadows probably won't cause anyone to have quite as strong a reaction, it's still immensily enjoyable and a testament to the efforts that ion storm has put into it. it's flawed, oh yes, but still fun. and that's what matters.

i've actually been playing a lot of ddrmax 2 lately as well... and i'm getting better and better. i'm not expecting it to turn me into a b-boy or anything, but if it ends up making me b-boy sized, i'll be quite pleased. i do understand how foolish it makes me look... but that's why i do it in the comfort of home... where it's safe... and quiet... and if anyone ever makes fun of me i'll surely... yeah, no... it's silly looking. i'd deserve it.

then there's full spectrum warrior. i actually haven't played much of it yet -- it only came out a couple days ago, and i've been busy -- but i did watch carlos toy with it last evening. let me put it this way: the training mission lasts an hour and a half... or longer. it's deep, detailed, and has the user-interface that god built. when you finally get into the game, you begin to appreciate the polish. the environments and models look stunning and the characters are eeriely emotive and realistic. needless to say, i highly recommend it to you strategy/tactics fans. sheldon, if you're listening, this means you. get yourself and xbox and play!

and then there's riddick... oh riddick. yeah, i like it a lot. in fact it may even lead me to do something like this... Posted by ryan at June 4, 2004 08:53 AM