No HD this time; sorry about that. I’ll see about reuploading it and make sure future videos are in HD.

If you’d like to request a video of a class, map, or both, please mention it in the comments below.

Climbing hand over hand, you are forced to balance the focus that keeps your limbs moving with a continuous assessment of handholds not one or two steps ahead, but twenty, thirty feet above. A step in the wrong direction here and you could find yourself stranded two hundred feet in the air without the strength to reach safe footing. In order to maximize on energy expended you never stop moving. As your grip is about to give way you squeeze a piton into a small crevice and for just a moment, your weight supported by the wall of the decaying skyscraper, you rest. Reluctantly, you push yourself to move once more. As you look above to plan your route you barely have time to realize that you’ve just used your last piton. After all, that little girl isn’t just going to save herself.

Last week, I Am Alive debuted on Xbox Live Arcade after a development history that stretches back four years. You may remember the teaser juxtaposing a tense struggle between post-apocalyptic scavengers (Water! Water!) with a scene of the same scavengers before the cataclysm, greeting each other on their way into work just before some cataclysmic event. Over the years the original developer gave way to Ubisoft Shanghai and the game was largely overshadowed in the post-apocalyptic market segment when Fallout 3 released just months after I Am Alive was originally announced. The game was originally intended for a full release, but has now found its way to download distribution on the Xbox platform with a planned PS3 port on the way.

While I Am Alive has been described in other reviews as survival horror or a survival simulator, it may be more accurate to describe the experience as a simulator of the horrors sometimes found in survival.

I Am Alive’s graphics are good. Unfortunately, prevailing thought in the gaming world right now appears to be that if graphics are any lower than the bar has been raised, such graphics are a serious detriment to the game as a whole. I Am Alive presents an impressive environment with interesting uses of haze effects. The textures can be slightly grainy however, and while the game renders smoothly, triple-a-level graphics should not be expected.

The environments in the game are often unconventional, with common features like bridges and city blocks twisted almost beyond recognition. In an early segment, the player must navigate the twisted remains of a large bridge. Crossing this relatively short distance requires scaling bridge pillars, fast-roping down suspension cables, shimmying around the now-horizontal side of the bridge, and using the remains of a truck to climb monkey-bar style to cross a gap above a river. A lot of talk has been given to the heavy emphasis on climbing mechanics. To that end, it will suffice to say that climbing in this game often feels like a less-polished version of Uncharted, but designed to be much less forgiving.

There is another mechanic that is a core component of I Am Alive’s gameplay but that has not received the same attention as the game’s setting or climbing mechanics. The confrontation mechanic in I Am Alive is unique in its subtle complexity. When exploring the world, the player will come across other individuals. Some of these people are just trying to survive and are perfectly happy to see you turn around and walk away. Others you run into will be in need of aid, which you can supply at the cost of potentially crucial aid items. Rendering aid is rewarded with information and some boost to your final score. The player will, at times, come across gangs of armed men who would be perfectly happy to kill you and liberate your resources.

This is where the game really shines. Rounding a corner, you might suddenly find yourself face to face with a group of armed men. It is crucial to make snap decisions in these situations, as the composition of the group, the environment, and the group’s weapons all determine what course of action leads to survival and what choices end with a machete to the gut. As members of the group reveal themselves, the first thing that should be assessed is how the group is armed. Note which members are armed with bladed weapons and which are carrying handguns.
As the alpha member of a group approaches you, the correct progression is often to back away and to the side, maneuvering to force the group to approach you in a way that gives you any advantage possible. Lining up multiple enemies means that only one can attack at a time. As bullets are some of the rarest items in the game, it is likely that a player will only have one, if any, chambered in their handgun. As the alpha member approaches, a survivable progression would be:

• The player is approached by an armed group. Two members carry machetes, two are armed.
• The player maneuvers to force the first attacker with a handgun to block the others
• The player waits until the first attacker gets close, then surprises the attacker with a machete strike
• The player then shoots the second armed attacker and makes a mad dash to collect that gang member’s gun.
• The player runs to create space, turns to shoot the third attacker, then engages the fourth in a machete fight

Just another day at the apocalypse

These moments are very demanding, as even slight missteps can have considerable consequences. Two or three hits from an enemy machete is all it takes to kill the player. Forget to pick up a loose handgun from a fallen attacker and another enemy will pick it up and drop you from behind. It may not come as a surprise, but as it turns out the apocalypse is pretty unforgiving.

I Am Alive is an interesting experience. Introductions of new movement options and ranged weapons as the game progresses change the gameplay enough that mission stages do not feel overly repetitive. This game may have some competition in the upcoming The Last of Us, from Naughty Dog. It remains to be seen if The Last of Us will have the same emphasis on traversing the post-apocalyptic world, or if it will include such an involved combat mechanism. For now, I Am Alive stands as a solid entry into the post-apocalyptic video game market that is well worth the price of admission as a downloadable title.

Thomas is REAAOOOORRR!!!

If you want, you can follow him on twitter at @FakeThomKnight

This is not a critique of a new game, nor is it a clever anti-review strategy. I really, honestly, have no frame of reference for the cultural phenomenon that is Mass Effect.

What is this I don't even

There are a few reasons for this. When the first Mass Effect came out in 2007 I did not own an Xbox. When Mass Effect 2 released in 2010, I still did not own an Xbox, and I had not played the first Mass Effect. The third in the series has hit shelves now, and although I own an Xbox now I still have yet to play the first or second entries in the series. Though I have been told that I can skip the first and glean most pertinent story points from the second, I certainly wouldn’t want to pick up the third before playing through one or more of the previous titles. This is to say that the opportunity cost of getting up to speed on the Mass Effect universe has so far been enough that I haven’t decided to make the investment. Someone is going to get hit up to lend a copy of Mass Effect or Mass Effect 2  soon though, and at some point I’m sure I’ll pick up Mass Effect 3. Maybe.

Let’s spend a minute detailing what I actually know about Mass Effect.

I have seen the repeated Fox News calculated outrage against alien sex and the game’s allowance of the possibility of same-gender transspecies relationships. This matters to me like it matters to me that Fox News rages against anyone having sex who isn’t on the Fox News payroll. Total non-issue.

I understand that a lot of the story has to deal with space and aliens and space aliens and maybe aliens helping defend space against other space aliens. See, now we’re talking.

I hear that there is some skepticism about the high pre-launch scores awarded by some sites, in at least one case because one of the voice/model actors works for a site that rated it highly. So what else is new? Kane & Lynch got great reviews too and we’ve all heard how that worked out. (I say heard because I don’t think I know anyone who actually played it) I don’t even read IGN anyway.

Currently, I’m okay with not playing Mass Effect 3.  It’s not so much that I’m busy. It’s more that there are, you know, other things to do like other games or real life.

This lack of enthusiasm should not be taken as disdain, however. I just really don’t know enough about this series to get super amped. I know so little, in fact, that the way I found the images found in this article was to make a google image search of “Mass Effect” and chose the pictures I found most amusing.

Full disclosure, after seeing the picture above I really want to play this because I am under the impression that I can make my character look really goofy in what I assume is a serious, sprawlingly epic story.

NO ONE TELL ME IF I AM WRONG

Thomas is confused. For more rambling, you can follow him on twitter at @fakethomknight

On the off chance that readers don’t know what either of these things are (in which case, you were probably just looking for the lunch break combo at Chili’s restaurants. Sorry about the confusion), “Fus Ro Dah” is a reference to the popular video game Skyrim, and is a ‘shout’ the player character can use to generate a sizable wave of force. “Kameameha” was  a line from the popular animated series Dragonball Z, and was said by a character who was generating a sizable wave of force*.

This similarity is sort of a coincidence though. Years ago, “Kameameha” became a sort of in-joke, the sort of thing that those familiar with the show might use in conversation with each other to demonstrate shared knowledge. The line became a sort of memetic cultural shorthand, referencing at the same time the Dragonball Z show as well as the greater shared culture enjoyed by fans of the show, among others.

Skyrim is by comparison brand new. The game has been released for only a few months, and right out of the gate it gained a significant mainstream following outside of the usually-assumed “gamer” demographic. There has been coverage breaching mainstream and crossover-interest sites, such as the always-excellent Grantland, and the respected Forbes. One result to come from this popularity has been Skyrim’s influence on internet memes. I don’t have the room to explain memes here, but anyone interested should read up on memetics and spend more time on the internet. Quick examples of these memes are the line uttered often by city guards, “I used to be an adventurer like you, until I took an arrow to the knee” as well as the aforementioned “Fus Ro Dah“. As you can see below, both of these references appear in the full comment chain following the facebook post:

It remains to be seen if “Fus Ro Dah” will have the kind of staying power and widespread cultural relevance as “Kameameha” garnered across Saturday mornings throughout the 1990′s, but it it would seem there is at least some validity to the claim.

I’d love to see some discussion on this in the comments, kids.

*Not to be confused with this use of Kameameha

Thomas is high grade, I think they need to quiz more

You can follow his twitter @fakethomknight. He promises to make it worth your while

Organize your game collection! This makes the list-lover in me so happy – it’s like Goodreads for games. I will be joining!

My childhood, right there.

One of my personal qualities not related to gaming is that I have a weakness for ill-advised adventures in the desert. I can still connect this back to the subject at hand as the most excited I have been about a game in a very long time was in the lead-up to Uncharted 3.

My gaming pedigree may be rich, but even so there are plenty of games that I just plain never got around to. I’ve prepared a list of some of these as a way to continue introducing myself. The list that follows is absolutely not exhaustive.

• Shadow of the Colossus/Ico: How could I not have played these? The answer is: “somehow”
• Final Fantasy: Not a single one.
• Toe Jam and Earl: I played this for a few minutes once but never had an snes growing up. People seem to like it.
• Grand Theft Auto III: What’s more surprising, this or Final Fantasy?
• Earthbound: There must be something right about this game. I have a friend who recently marathoned through a ROM of this on his phone on a drive from South Carolina to Texas. He and his brother took turns.
• Jet Set Radio Future: I’m just curious about this one.

I’ll end my list there for now. There’s a very good chance that gamers reading this are now frothing about how essential it is that I play one or another of these. If so, good. I chose the titles on that list specifically to illustrate my curiosity at never having experienced them. Everyone who might consider themselves a gamer has these experiences that they hold close. I still jump every time a friend’s phone goes off with that Metal Gear Solid alert sound.These games and more like them have apparently had a large impact on many people, and I hope to try to play catch-up at some point.

One of the most well known themes amongst RPG gamers is the victory theme after winning a battle in the Final Fantasy game series. As a memorable experience when taking down a tough boss or finally hitting that next level, the victory theme rings and a huge cheer erupts from the ecstatic gamer.

But what about the other themes throughout the game? What sort of emotions do you feel as you leave Rosa to travel to the Mist Cave in Final Fantasy IV? Or when an emotionally close character has to say goodbye? The music always matches perfectly thanks to Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu.

Nobuo never thought he would be the man he is today. As a self taught pianist, his original idea was to work at a part-time music shop. Even though he had played in amateur bands and wrote music for television commercials, when a Square staff member asked him to compose music for their games, he considered it his side job! Much to his surprise, Final Fantasy would take off, and launch him into being one of the most renowned composers in video game history.

Final Fantasy VII is great and all, but Final Fantasy VIII really gave you a whole spectrum of emotion. From peaceful times at school to fierce battles with some of the baddest looking baddies, and heart wrenching sorrow, to triumphant victories, Nobuo perfectly entwines  the beautiful pieces of art that go along with the story. You could honestly close your eyes and know exactly what kind of scene was being set. Love, hate, pain, happiness, suspense, and much more.

A perfect, non-spoiling example is the Balamb Garden theme in Final Fantasy VIII. As a great piece of music to show you the peaceful days at school, it matches the calm and casual setting precisely. Just listening to the theme makes you feel like you are in that location, relaxing with the characters. Just as Nobuo does in many other Final Fantasy games, he gives your heart the right setting for this story through his music.

A quote written by one of my favorite authors;

“Remember this, son, if you forget everything else. A poet is a musician who can’t sing. Words
have to find a man’s mind before they can touch his heart, and some men’s minds are woeful small targets. Music touches their hearts directly no matter how small or stubborn the mind of the man who listens.” – Patrick Rothfuss in The Name of the Wind

It tells us how music touches the heart without needing to understand. People like Nobuo allow us to constantly feel his work. Even in songs with vocals like ‘Eyes On Me’, we can feel the love coming straight from the music. Thank you Uematsu-sama, for everything that you have done for us gamers!

We come from different backgrounds, with different writing styles and different opinions. We’re as diverse as any other group of gamers, and we wish to be open and not afraid to share our opinions and our voices.

We are passionate about what we do and what we play. We love games as much as you do.

We strive to avoid sensationalism or rumors. We’re not looking for inflammatory headlines just so we can get more hits to our website. We want to talk about games, as much as we can, and as honestly as we know how.

How we review

If there’s one thing we (and everyone) are sick of, it’s ratings from 1 to 10. They, along with shady money-type deals, almost always result in games getting no lower than a 7 out of 10. We realize that an at-a-glance review is important, but a 1 to 10 rating system is confusing and cannot capture the true essence of a game.

We’ve opted a system of 1-5 ratings for various categories for a game. A radar chart shows the ratings for each category. The categories we rate are as follows: Graphics/Aesthetics, Gameplay, Story, Fun, Controls, Replay.

Definitions:

• Graphics/Aesthetics: How well the graphics look and how well they fit the game. Are they polished? Do they make sense? Is the UI refined and beautiful? If the graphics are not realistic, does the style of the graphics match the game?
• Gameplay: How fluidly the game plays. This is a hard category to nail down and to experience, but when the gameplay is terrible, you definitely know it. Terribly functioning UI, characters that seem like they’re made of molasses, and glitches all dock points from this category.
• Story: The plot of the game! If there is no plot, such as puzzle games, this category receives a 0 (zero) (as opposed to a 1, which is the worst score it can get). Does the plot make sense? Is it interesting or funny or otherwise compelling?
• Fun: The most subjective of all categories, fun measures overall enjoyment of the game. Does it make you want to come back for more? Does it keep you engaged? Does it make you feel like you’re actually playing a game, or does it make you feel like you’re doing a chore or reading a book?
• Controls: Whether the controls are responsive, fluid, and refined. Do the controls make sense, or are they just terrible and illogical? Do they feel right? Are they buggy?
• Replay: Would you play the game again? Is there value in playing it again? Is the game so good that you just have to give it a replay, or is it that once you beat it, you feel like you’ve done all you want to do? Games where there are many achievements MAY be replayable but maybe not – having post-game content doesn’t give this category an automatic 5 though.

Here is the meaning of our ratings, 1 through 5:

1. Terrible. Just really really bad. It’s nearly unplayable for whatever reason. It doesn’t feel good to play the game, just frustrating.
2. Mediocre. It’s maybe playable but not good. Not even average. It’s actually quite bad, but at least it doesn’t make you feel like crying.
3. Average. It’s comparable to other games of the same genre. There’s nothing outstanding about it but it’s not bad, either. It’s just okay.
4. Great. It’s quite good. It feels fun. It looks nice. It stands out to you for whatever reason, and it helps the game rise above the rest.
5. Outstanding. It’s amazing! Maybe one of the best in its class. It’s one of your favorite features, and you love talking about that aspect of it to your friends. It makes the game shine.

In general, though, don’t pay attention to the numbers. That’s why we don’t even display them. Pay attention to the overall visualization of the chart, and to the review itself. That’s the most important part!