Wordsmith's Anvil

Image courtesy of Ocean Drive Studio, Inc. When I start these reviews I usually have a certain score already in mind. I have a litany of reasons as to why a game scored in a certain category of mine and therefore why it just fell a little short of whatever tier(s) are above that. For Lost Eidolons , I had intended on giving it a 7/10 originally. That's nothing to scoff at in my book, as I literally even label my 7s as "Great" games. However, as I started to think more about it and the different avenues that Ocean Drive took in Lost Eidolons 's creation... I began to question that 7.     For those who have no idea what kind of game this is, Lost Eidolons is a tactical turn-based RPG in a medieval-fantasy setting. You play as Eden, a mercenary of sorts from a podunk fishing village, who gets swept up into a rebellion after a daring rescue turns into a noble's murder. While the initial actions weren't the most honorable, no one in Eden's crew is really all th...

Image courtesy of Edward Moran “Millions for defence, but not one cent for tribute.” Robert Goodloe Harper How to Begin I recently read that a warrior’s path is two-fold. There is the aspect that should be apparent, that of the sword. Another piece is just as important, but lies dormant in most. This is the path involving the pen. I’m old now, so the way of the sword isn’t exactly my go-to. That being said, I can readily look back on the things I’ve done in my life and see where they went wrong. Or perhaps where they went less right than I’d hoped for. When I read this old samurai’s teachings, I’m not entirely sure of what he meant by the way of the pen. It’s said he was a great calligrapher, so maybe he was just referring to artistry. They also say he was a lover of knowledge and a forever student. Perhaps the pen simply meant to continue research. Whatever he meant by it, I’m going to take it as my cue to jot down my story before old age steals the critical details from my mind. How ...

  Image courtesy of Atlus & Vanillaware "What game are you playing?"    The sweat begins to bead upon my brow. My throat gets taut. It shouldn't be a difficult question to answer and yet... here we are.    This is one of those moments where it's tough to reply with a straight face. Especially when the one asking the question is one of your old Marine buddies. Ultimately, I decide to go for it. Double-down, too. Act as if this is the most normal and masculine answer that could even be given. Who needs Ghost Recon when you have Unicorn Overlord ?   " Unicorn Overlord . It's actually pretty badass, bro." The Good First off, let's just put it out there that Unicorn Overlord  is not some lame game that I'm doubling down on to justify playing something with such a ridiculous sounding name. It truly is incredible. But to fully grasp that you'll need a bit of a background.   The game starts off with a revolution where the main cha...

Image courtesy of Owlcat Games "The God Emperor protects!" I know what you're thinking, but no, not that one.     Every so often, a game comes around that demands 10 to 15 hours of your time. This isn't one of them. Rogue Trader requires ten times that amount, easily, in order to see the story unfold in all the meaningful directions that it can.     I would like to preface my review by saying that I knew next to nothing about Warhammer 40K when I started up the game. I really only found myself drawn to the title because of my love for Owlcat's previous two entries in the Pathfinder world. That being said, Owlcat once again does a great job of putting the lore of their assigned universe into their work, and after 140 hours of gameplay I feel like I'm decently well-versed in plenty of the God-Emperor's vision of humanity's future. The Good Rogue Trader starts off where your main character is handed over the reins to the titular position by means of a...

Image courtesy of Stormind Games I haven't really had the opportunity to write a review on something less than stellar. Until now, that is. Batora: Lost Haven is an indie game that attempts to tell a grand story but doesn't commit enough to make it happen. In the story, you play as Avril, a teenager girl in a post-apocalyptic world. Her name and character alone make me want to start belting out questions like "Why'd ya have to go and make things so complicated!?" but that really wouldn't fit in with the narrative here. If anything... the game is the opposite of complicated. Now that my Lavigne reference is done, I should note that the game's Avril comes along with all the angst that could be expected of her, but that's not necessarily true all the time. Her mood swings have her enter into philosophical moments where she comes across as more wise than what we had seen just five minutes prior. This kind of bipolar nature actually goes well with the rest...

  Photo Courtesy of Netflix Due to the success of the Netflix show Drive to Survive , Formula 1 has become something of a household topic in recent years. But growing up in my household... it was always there. For as long as I can remember, motorsports have been a big part of my family. Instead of watching football together on Sundays, we would watch races. School projects involved studying aerodynamics as they relate to Formula 1 cars and making huge posters so that I could break down components like how front and rear spoilers and downforce contribute to the car's overall handling. As a family, we would discuss the logistics of getting a go-kart and hitting professional tracks, going on tours, and someday making it to IndyCar or, fates-willing, the illustrious Formula 1.      I was 7 years old when Ayrton Senna died, and to hear my mother reminisce on the topic one would think that a member of the family had passed. A distant one, to be sure, but someone that the e...