Stargunner - The Friday FREE GAME Feature!

Classic sidescrolling shoot-em-up action!

In Stargunner, two intergalactic civilizations are at war. You're an elite pilot from one faction on a mission to stop the other... and that's pretty much the story. Seriously, you don't play these types of games for the plot, do you? It's all about blowin' stuff up!

As far as scrolling shooters go, this title is average. Prior to each stage, you can upgrade your ship with new gear, and the end of each level features a boss fight. There's a few things that make the game fairly challenging - namely that you can die by touching the terrain (ala Silver Surfer, NES) and you'll often get surprised by some cheap stuff that is far less avoidable the next time you play.

The real disappointment with this game is that it offers nothing new to the genre, and didn't even when it was new back in 1996 (Tyrian did just about everything this game does, but better, and was released the year prior). Much like the classic Contra, this game has a spread shot that is objectively better than the other primary weapon powerup.

I know I sound really critical of this title, but in all it's not terrible. Stargunner does get a lot right by sticking to tried and true staples of the genre. It's a competent shoot-em-up, but don't expect to see anything unique here.

Project Gorgon - Week 3 - MMOMG

This week, I gain the curse of lycanthropy and try out life as a pig for a couple of days. 

In short, it was a bit confusing - I kept getting the urge to build straw houses, then immediately blow them down. Fairy tale jokes aside, it was a fun week. I ended up tackling a number of bosses, unlocking loadouts, and playing alongside friends (old and new)!

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon - The Friday FREE GAME Feature!

Cyborg super-soldiers versus laser-blasting dragons!

In Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, you're a cybernetically-enhanced super-soldier on a mission to stop your former superior officer which has gone rogue. He's also a cyborg, but he has an army at his disposal and has been meddling around with radioactive beasts.

Blood Dragon is technically an expansion for Far Cry 3, but it's standalone meaning you don't need the base game to play it. Unlike its parent title, your skills are preset when leveling up, but that's offset by the fact that you're playing as an amalgamation of the Terminator, Rambo, and Snake Plisskin. If the premise and characters sound a bit excessive, don't worry because that's absolutely intended! The setting is steeped in '80s action nostalgia, complete with "Cobra"-inspired goons, thrumming synth music and a barrage of cheesy one-liners!

Once you liberate the first base, you discover a nice big map full of further points of interest, including side-missions to rescue scientists and hunting expeditions to take down rare creatures. Of course, you also have to watch out for Colonel Sloan's army as well as the rampaging blood dragons. The game places a little more emphasis on stealth than I expected, which I was quite happy with. I find it fairly disappointing when so-called "stealth games" allow you to go in guns blazing with nearly no repercussion, and this title makes it a necessity in certain situations.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon uses the successful recipe of open-world exploration and first-person shooters, but adds a healthy dose of '80s action flick tropes to provide an over-the-top story and setting.

Imp-losion Explosion! Arena Highlights - RNGBS

How much damage does Imp-losion deal? Take a wild guess!

Last night was a crazy bunch of arenas. If I have time, I'll post even more highlights from them!

Project Gorgon - Week 2 - MMOMG

Two weeks in to Project Gorgon! In this episode I talk a bit about dungeons, community, the upcoming payment model, Eltibule, South Serbule... and the stuck command!

Reflection of a Fallen Feather - The Friday FREE GAME Feature!

Escape a labyrinth and transform into fallen foes!

Reflection of a Fallen Feather mixes elements of classic RPG titles together to make a game that feels like it could've been the "missing link" between Final Fantasy and Pokemon. 

Brann Gets Kraken! Tavern Brawl Highlights - RNGBS

Since Exodia Mage kept crashing my client, I played a Brann/kraken/Alexstraza/C'thun combo deck instead. It actually worked quite well!

Project Gorgon - Week 1 - MMOMG

Welcome to my new series that takes a monthly look at MMOs on a weekly basis! Kicking off the series is Project Gorgon, currently in a free public test phase. It will go buy-to-play on release and should be available on Steam in the future.

Check it out for yourself at http://projectgorgon.com

Come play along or just watch at my Twitch channel, evenings at 8pm ET. Hope to see you there!

Beyond Good & Evil - The Friday FREE GAME Feature!

Photograph wildlife and fight aliens amidst an intergalactic war... you gotta pay the bills somehow!

Beyond Good & Evil is an adventure with a lot of charm, polish and action. Set several hundred years in the future, your planet becomes the target of alien attack just as the power company shuts off your service (which includes your home's force field). Thankfully, you quickly find work taking photographs for scientific research as well as a covert mission offered by a mysterious and wealthy man.

In short, I have a lot of praise for this title. The photography element (which serves as an income source and map acquisition) encourages exploration and makes for a fun way to collect images of your travels. The cast of characters are all well-written and entertaining, and the transitions between gameplay and cutscenes feel fairly natural. Playing as the duo of Jade and Pey'j provides a co-op feel to both combat and puzzle-solving, complete with an ample dose of buddy-banter.

I highly recommend you snag this title ASAP while it's still free on Uplay (which won't be for long).

Presidential Blitz - The Friday FREE GAME Feature!

Trump or Hillary? You decide in this crazy race for the White House!

The video speaks for itself, but I will say that Presidential Blitz captures the absurdity that is this year's election.

If you're looking for something different, the second game's highlights will be up soon (likely tomorrow or Monday).

RNGBS Starts Tonight!

My stream for Hearthstone arenas and tavern brawls starts tonight at 8pm ET on my Twitch channel. It's been a rough day, so I'll probably be extra salty tonight!

MMOMG - Project Gorgon!

The first title for MMOMG is Project Gorgon, currently in an open playtest mode. I'm going live right now, and will be streaming live most nights at 8pm ET at my Twitch channel!