August 5, 2011

i ♥ gaming

Sorry for the late posting times lately. I’ve been a bit of an insomniac for whatever reason. Can’t go to sleep or stay asleep. It sucks. I’ll probably sound a bit insane, but it seriously feels like I have an anti-headache when I try to sleep. The exact opposite of a headache. Where a headache causes pain, the anti-headache is like a mass of nothingness (as oxymoronic as that is) in the middle of my head. I can’t shut down, no matter how tired I am, like my brain is wired on Mt. Dew and Fudge Rounds (the diet of gamer gods). So, any suggestions for helping me sleep would be much appreciated. ;)

Speaking of gamer gods, I’ve been itching to get back into some gaming. Since I graduated college, I haven’t done much video gaming. A little bit here. A little bit there. But no obsessive, stay-up-all-night, refuse meals and bathroom breaks gaming. I finally beat Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days after owning it for over two years. How awesome am I? Now I really want to replay Kingdom Hearts I and II for the umpteenth time.


I think the biggest reason for my lapse in hardcore gaming is the lack of hardcore games that interest me. I did plow through Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 like my life depended on it, but the Lego games aren’t really that difficult, even if they are intensely fun. Speaking of, I really want Lego Pirates of the Caribbean (someone buy this for me), and Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7 releases in November!

I want a game that has me cursing at the TV, smashing controllers on the floor, and rage quitting for a week. I want a game that I have to invest hours upon hours into. I think I lost two weeks of my life just playing Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I put over 24 hours of gameplay into Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, over 100 hours into Kingdom Hearts I, and another 70 hours into Kingdom Hearts II.


I think there are several broken N64 controllers as a result of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It’s amazing that I didn’t smash my TV screen while playing the Prince of Persia trilogy as a teen. I only ever played the first Sly Cooper game, but I loved it. Also, Genji: Dawn of the Samurai was a lot of fun to play. Never played the sequel because I was cheap and couldn't afford a PS3. I still can't afford a PS3.

I love challenging games. Games that test your mettle, see how dedicated you really are. I haven’t had that for a long time. I want a video game that gets my heart racing, makes me fear for my virtual life, leaves my fingers bruised and blistered from intense button pressing and joystick swirling. I want a game that steals hours of my life for the sake of level-progression.

My dreams will come true soon enough. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim comes out in November as well. My husband and I will buy two copies—one for the computer and one for the Xbox. We will likely not see each other for a week, both holed up in our respective caves. We will feast on Pizza, Fudge Rounds, Zebra Cakes, Mt. Dew, and Coke Zero because that is the diet of hardcore gamers. Go to any LAN party, and you will witness this (I went to several LAN parties in college—where a bunch of nerds network their computers and play games together—seeing as my future-husband was president of Computer Club). They are a testament to how little hygiene and personal health matter when it comes to Team Fortress 2, Starcraft, and Left 4 Dead.


Releasing sometime in the distant future, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword should satisfy my needs for rage-inducing gaming. It’s supposed to take place directly after/before Ocarina of Time, so I expect similar, difficult, mind-boggling gameplay that can only be truly won with the help of a game walkthrough.

If anyone has suggestions for games old and new that can satisfy my hunger for difficult, epic narrative, complex, hour-sucking, non-PC games, please share. Happy gaming!

4 comments:

  1. When I'm not hopped up on my pc playing WoW for countless hours, I've got Dragon Age 2 for the XBox 360. It's pretty awesome, graphically and gameplay-wise. It has a similar feel to the Elder Scroll games in that your character is super-customizable, but having a storyline that's more like something from Final Fantasy or Zelda. It's worth giving it a try at least. :D

    OH YES. Skyrim will be in multiple copies at my apartment, and ne'er will I leave my computer chair ... except for the obvious eat, sleep, work, body functions thing.

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  2. I played a bit of the first Dragon Age on PC (I hate PC gaming, I've learned), which we own, so I don't see the point of buying it for the XBox too. Pity, because I really like the game. Maybe when it's on sale...... And I'll forgo food, sleep, and bodily function for the sake of Skyrim. The first time I played Oblivion, I don't think I slept or ate for three days.

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  3. I am hugely obsessed with the Uncharted series. Seriously awesome game that is just...incredible. But, it's only for PS3 (sorry).

    I really like Red Dead Redemption. It is a western, so I'm sure you won't like it, but even Steph got addicted, and she doesn't like westerns. It starts a little show, but it picks up, and it's so atmospheric and immersive.

    Have you tried the Bioshock series? The first one's pretty fun, and the second was released a while back.

    Brutal Legend was a ton of fun, and Arkham Asylum is awesome. Arkham City comes out soon, too.

    That's all I got. Good luck getting your game fix. I hope D&D helps with some of that.

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  4. Maybe instead of spending $400 dollars on books next year, I'll get a PS3.

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