gaming

First Impressions: Life is Strange

Released on Jan. 29, 2015, Life is Strange is an environmental interactive adventure video game. Developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Square Enix, Life is Strange is from the perspective of Max, a regular senior photography student at Blackwell Academy who discovers she can rewind time when she saves her best friend Chloe from being shot. As the two best friends figure out a way for Max to use her powers, they discover something strange is going on in Arcadia Bay. Together, they work to figure it out through finding out what happened to a missing Blackwell Academy student.

Life is Strange 2 — Max’s room in Life is Strange.

Life is Strange is a game that allows the player to rewind time. By rewinding time, the player is able to relive social interactions and change their decisions, which results in different consequences for Max in the game. This allows the player to relieve a variety of different endings for the game. Life is Strange is also divided into a total of five episodes, which gives the player the opportunity to change their decisions in the episodes if they want.

When I first started playing Life is Strange, I wasn’t sure what I was going to think of it. I knew it was a game that I wanted to play, but didn’t know what my feelings were going to be towards it after playing. But since I’ve started Life is Strange, I’ve gotten nothing but pure enjoyment from playing it. I’ve enjoyed Life is Strange since playing it because I love the high school vibe the game gives the player. You get to play as a high school student who is trying to figure out what to do with her new powers while still trying to get through everyday life. Max not only has to deal with how to handle her new powers, but how to deal with issues at school, such as bullying, suicide, rape, and abuse. These issues bring Life is Strange to a new level that hasn’t been explored in other video games and I enjoy seeing these issues brought to life in this game.

The heart wrenching scene with Kate in Life is Strange. Those who’ve played know what’s going on here. The choice you make here determines what happens to her next.

Another component to Life is Strange that I really enjoy is seeing how the choices you make in the game impacts the other characters. As I mentioned earlier, there are many different choices you can make when in uncomfortable social situations with Max. However, the choice you decide to stick with is what determines what’s going to happen later in the game. I love this aspect to the game because you can rewind time after having those uncomfortable conversations and make a different decision and then see how it plays out. It really brings to the surface the saying that “actions have consequences.”

Life is Strange is also an enjoyable game to me because I like how you can interact with the environment. From looking at an object to taking pictures of the world around you, there are so many little things as the player that you can look at that I find to be a charming aspect in this game. By looking at these objects and taking pictures, you are able to add more material to Max’s journal so that you get one step closer to collecting everything in Life is Strange.

The one thing in Life is Strange I don’t particularly care for are the controls. While moving Max around isn’t too bad, I find that whenever I play, there are a lot of times my game lags and I feel like I’m unable to do anything. It also affects my social interactions too because whenever I talk to people in the game, they sometimes say the same word over again two or three times during dialogue. I know that’s an issue I can’t control, but I don’t really like the controls for Life is Strange because of it.

Overall, I enjoy playing Life is Strange. The game has a lot to offer to those interested in playing and I would recommend this game to anyone interested. However, for those who aren’t comfortable with playing a game that deals with issues such as rape, abuse, suicide, bullying, and violence or don’t want to play a game that is very emotion heavy, I don’t recommend Life is Strange to you. For now though, I look forward to continue playing Life is Strange and seeing what’s going to happen next to Max and Chloe with the decisions I have made.

August 11, 2015 5

Released in 2006 by Capcom on the PlayStation 2, Okami is an action-adventure video game. It was later released in 2008 on the Wii and has also been released on the PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network, according to the Okami game website.

Okami centers around a wolf sun god named Amaterasu. One hundred years ago, Amaterasu defeated a legendary monster named Orochi. Orochi was responsible for plaguing Kamiki Village with a curse. Using the power of the thirteen Celestial Brushes, Amaterasu was able to defeat Orochi, but at the cost of her own life. The beginning of Okami takes place in the present, where Amaterasu runs into a fairy sprite named Issun and discovers that Orochi is still at large. Together, Amaterasu and Issun go on an adventure to collect the thirteen Celestial Brush powers and defeat Orochi.

I first started playing Okami in May when my boyfriend Zach gave it to me as a college graduation present. But I stopped playing because I was struggling to defeat Ninetails. It wasn’t until recently that I decided to pick it back up again. I had heard about Okami via word of mouth and Tumblr and was immediately interested in playing it.

When I started playing Okami, I fell in love. I found the graphics of the game itself to be absolutely stunning and had a hard time putting my controller down. I spent many hours playing because I found the storyline in the game to be completely immersing and couldn’t get enough of playing as Amaterasu.

Amaterasu right outside the Dragon Palace. I really enjoyed seeing the Dragon Palace underwater. It was one of my favorite places in Okami.

I love this game not only because of the graphics and plot, but also because of the characters. I particularly enjoy Amaterasu’s interactions with Issun because both of them can be really comical with each other. I also love Waka’s character because he gives off the vibe of being a mysterious prophet and the player doesn’t really know why he keeps showing up everywhere Amaterasu and Issun go. Fighting is also enjoyable in Okami too. I love being able to have a variety of weapons to use as the game progresses and that you can use the Celestial Brush techniques to help take damage on enemies. I also enjoy playing Okami because the Celestial Brushes have more than one use. While each brush technique is unique, the game allows you to use each of the brushes to help you progress, making them extremely helpful to the player.

However, while there are a lot of things I love about Okami, there are also a few things about the game that I don’t enjoy. I’m not a fan of games that sexualize or have any form of misogyny. In Okami, one of the things I noticed was Issun acted misogynistic towards some of the female characters in the game, such as Sakuya. I also didn’t enjoy that with some of the female character’s, you could clearly see parts of their body that should’ve been covered.

Sakuya’s outfit. As you can see, her cleavage is visible and not hard to miss.

While the way Issun acted towards these women was very small and insignificant in comparison to the way some men sexualize women, it was something I noticed and picked up on. Another issue I have with this game is the layout of the map because it is really small and can sometimes be very difficult to see where you are supposed to be going.

Another issue with Okami I have is the moments where the game leaves you hanging and you have to figure out what you’re supposed to do next. The journal is supposed to help, but I find that these hints the journal leaves the player can sometimes be more confusing than helpful. Whenever I get stuck, I end up looking at walkthroughs instead because they are more helpful. This is an issue for me because while I don’t mind playing games that are challenging and that make me think, I don’t enjoy having to constantly look up information to progress when I’d rather be playing.

Some of the mini games in Okami I also find I don’t enjoy. One of these mini games is the digging mini game. I don’t like this mini game in particular because it is really a pain to complete and I find myself having to do it multiple times before I am able to finish it. Along with fishing, it is one of the mini games the player has to do multiple times in order to progress further into the game.

However, despite these issues I have, I really love playing Okami. It is a game I fell immediately in love with and one I can see myself playing over and over again in the years to come. Okami is a game that holds a special place in my heart and I recommend it to anyone interested in playing it.

First Impressions: Plants vs Zombies

Plants vs Zombies is an action packed tower defense video game. Released in 2009 by PopCap, Plants vs Zombies is a game where the player has to protect their home from an invasion of zombies through the use of planting an assortment of zombie-zapping plants on their property. Each plant has their own abilities that allow you to defend yourself against zombies before they can enter your front door.

However, the game comes with its own sets of challenges. These challenges are seen throughout the game with each different game mode. For example, in one of the game modes, the player has to defend their backyard from zombies, which includes having to defend zombies from entering your house through your pool. In order to defend the pool, the player can place Lily Pads in the pool. Lily Pads allow the player to defend their pool with other plants, such as Peashooters, Repeaters, Chompers, etc. by letting the player plant these plants on the Lily Pads.

Plants vs Zombies 11 — My backyard before the final invasion of zombies.

I first started playing Plants vs Zombies last year. However, I found myself getting back into the game with the goal of clearing it last week. While I have yet to beat Plants vs Zombies, I have discovered that there is a lot I enjoy about playing this game. For one, I enjoy watching all of my plants defend my home from an invasion of zombies. Part of my enjoyment of this game is because I love the strategic mindset the player has to get into to make sure they don’t get eaten. A big part of the strategy is choosing which plants to use to defend your home before the level even begins. The player is only allowed a certain amount of plants for each level so you have to choose very carefully which plants you want to use to defend your home. In order to increase the amount of plants you can bring into each level, you have to buy a slot from Crazy Dave’s shop. I also enjoy playing Plants vs Zombies because I love the graphics of the game and the different game modes the player experiences. These game modes allow the player to be entertained without facing the same challenge over and over again and the graphics make Plants vs Zombies look pleasing to the gamer’s eye.

However, there are some drawbacks to Plants vs Zombies too. One of the drawbacks for me is choosing which plants to use to defend your home in each level. While I enjoy being challenged when playing video games, I think only being able to use a certain amount of plants each level stinks. While it does make the game more difficult, it also doesn’t allow the player to enjoy using the full arsenal of plants they have at their disposal. Another drawback to Plants vs Zombies for me is that playing it only appeals to me for a short amount of time. It is a game I find myself hooked to for a couple of days before I find myself interested in wanting to play something else.

However, I enjoy playing Plants vs Zombies. While it doesn’t appeal to me as a game to play for a long period of time, it appeals to my love of plants, nature and zombies. It is a game you can easily get hooked to, if you are looking for a game to spend a couple of days getting lost in. I definitely recommend playing Plants vs Zombies to the gamer interested in strategy based games involving plants and zombies.

July 31, 2015 1

Rainy Day's Books, Video Games and Other Writings

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First Impressions: Life is Strange

First Impressions: Okami

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