October was a madhouse of eSports, reviews and interviews. South African gamers celebrated the 10th anniversary of our biggest gaming and tech expo, rAge. I had the honour of covering the event for Bravado Gaming and MWEB GameZone. It was an unforgettable experience to finally meet up with the people I've been working with for so long. Gaming wise the highlight of my month was playing Black Mesa, I've been waiting for years to do that train ride again.
Let's take a look at the highlights for October.
The biggest compliment I could get: "Thanks for playing, loved this review and so glad the game had such an effect on you!" Gary Whitta, screenwriter for The Walking Dead.
One of the more significant aspects of video gaming is the ability of a game to tap into a player’s inner dialogue. As with other art forms, a game possesses the quality to direct our thoughts, capture our imagination and take us on unexplored pathways. The Walking Dead masterfully and macabrely explores this potential. TWD series is my game of the year. It's been more than playing a game, it's a profound journey. Read the full review here.
The essence of Cyberpunk has been summed up in these few
words, “high tech and low life” by many. It sounds like a fairly straight
forward genre, yet it is easy to misrepresent. It’s not only about future tech,
sleazy cut scenes, and crooked cops. Many video games have paraded under the
banner of cyberpunk but, missing the subtleties of the genre, have failed
miserably to capture its dark heartbeat. Read the full article here.
It’s a rare honor to talk to an artist about their craft; it’s
even rarer to talk to one whose art involves gaming. I am therefore thrilled to
introduce you to Jonathan
Abensur, the Creative Director at Ludographer. Join me for an absolutely fascinating talk with him about video games, art and
passion. Read the full interview here.
Survarium aims to extend and
broaden the limits of the human experience by raising topical questions
of our time through the medium of a video game. By leading a virtual life in
the aftermath of a massive ecological catastrophe on Earth, players will confront
the questions of science, ecology, the interdependency between human and
nature, the cruelty and inventiveness of modern civilization, and even spirituality. Survarium will provide a platform for
realism unlike we’ve experienced within the medium of video games. The only
concern would be if the developers can deliver a captivating enough world that
will keep gamers in their virtual playground. I caught up with Joe Mullin, the Social Media and Community
Manager for Vostok Games and Survarium. Read full interview here.
That's it for October 2012. November I am facing a new set of challenges, I have been promoted to site manager for Bravado gaming, I've take on a stack of new responsibilities with MWEB GameZone and the TF2mixup kicks off. I'll be involved as community manager, working with the most amazing bunch of guys. Keep an eye on my twitter feed for info about the biggest TF2 social event of the year, the 5th TF2mixup.
Let's take a look at the highlights for October.
Lola's free-to-play review: This is Black Mesa
(Picture done by Stephanie Duchenne)
Black Mesa is a remake of the 1998 classic Half-Life, using the Valve: Source engine. It is a testament to the ingenuity, challenge and thrill that marks the first-person shooter (FPS) genre.
It defiantly mocks present day triple A shooters with its outdated
graphics, while delivering a game that is for lack of a better
description, in a class of its own.Black Mesa is the perfect game and it was done by a group of fans. The passion of these individuals and their understanding of the sheer brilliance that marked Half-Life as the epitome of the FPS genre can be seen throughout the world of Black Mesa. They captured the soul of Half-Life, breathed new life into it, smoothed out its rough edges and delivered a game that demands respect and admiration. Read the full review here.Review: The Walking Dead Eps 3/4: A fate worse than death
(Original picture done by Odobenus adjustments by Stephanie Duchenne)
The biggest compliment I could get: "Thanks for playing, loved this review and so glad the game had such an effect on you!" Gary Whitta, screenwriter for The Walking Dead.
One of the more significant aspects of video gaming is the ability of a game to tap into a player’s inner dialogue. As with other art forms, a game possesses the quality to direct our thoughts, capture our imagination and take us on unexplored pathways. The Walking Dead masterfully and macabrely explores this potential. TWD series is my game of the year. It's been more than playing a game, it's a profound journey. Read the full review here.
Cyberpunk – More than High Tech and Low Life
Looking at video games through the lens of Ludographer
Do you have what it takes to survive Survarium?
Noteworthy October news
Local StarCraft player hits the eSports jackpot, First impressions, Medal of Honor: Warfighter, And everybody was kung fu finger fighting
NAG, 2012 rAge Expo coverage
Lola's highlights, rAge day 1, Lola's favorite finds, rAge 2012, Looking back, rAge 2012 Cosplay, Lola's rAge day 1: It's time to meet, Lola's rAge day 2: Strutting our stuff the Bravado way, Lola's rAge day 3: A roller coaster of emotion.
