Up late talking games & writing? You're...

I originally had a much longer blog post planned, but I'm actually not feeling well tonight. My old nemesis Sinus Infection has reappeared, and we are currently doing battle.

I think I've got the upper hand thanks to some saltwater gargle tips from @SidShuman and @StinkyRedDog, but this particular skirmish isn't over quite yet. As a result, I'm going to keep it short, sweet, and to the point tonight.

Following up on the previous post, the randomly-drawn winners of the Sonic Adventure contest are:

#1> Dan
#2> Alex
#3> Bill

Please send me your e-mail addresses and I will hook you up with the codes ASAP.

Also, the person who won the PAX Prize Pack #2 last week never claimed it. Kind of bizarre, but there you go. Since they never got back in touch, I am now awarding the prize to the runner-up: Lucy.

Lucy, please send me your mailing address via e-mail and your package will be on its way!

Games: I just finished Deadly Premonition about an hour ago, and I have to say that it was one of the most interesting and satisfying experiences I've had all year.


I've decided to start working on a Second Opinion for GameCritics, and while I won't spoil the verdict here, It's pretty safe to assume that my final breakdown will be quite positive and score much higher than what my esteemed colleague gave it.

While most of the knocks against the game in reference to the production values and controls and so forth are totally valid, I really think that most of the people reviewing the game just didn't ‘get’ the story, or were the type of player who puts gameplay before all else.


Don't get me wrong -- gameplay is certainly vitally important, but it's not the only thing that carries weight in my mind. I think video games are the perfect medium to host all sorts of different experiences, and there's plenty of room for titles which focus more on delivering mood, atmosphere, or character work than combat systems or some ungodly number of highly-polished polygons.

Deadly Premonition is most definitely not going to be a game for everyone (much like a Lynch film is not for all viewers) but I think those players who are tolerant of low-rent production and can appreciate the value of fantastic characters and interesting stories will see what others miss.


Comics: Finished up Volume 7 of Preacher. I know I've talked about this series a couple of times already, but it's worth mentioning again. I've actually been pacing myself when picking up each collection since I don't want the series to be over too soon. Regardless, there are only two volumes left and I'll burn through those before I know it.


Preacher’s main character, Jesse Custer, is quite a figure. I've greatly enjoyed the time spent with him, and I really don't know what I'm going to do once his tale has been told. It's a fine problem to have, however... it's pretty rare that I feel so strongly about a book, so the fact that I will miss it so much is high praise.


Comics: Speaking of comics I have a strong feeling about, I also just finished the collected I Kill Giants, and that was a fantastic read as well. Without spoiling the story, IKG is basically about a young girl who is a bit of a social misfit and uses fantasy to escape the problems in her life… although, it's possible that there is more to the fantasy element than what's in her head.


While the art is a bit jagged in places and the story assumes a bit of familiarity on the part of the reader with some of the references, the flow of the plot action reminded me a bit of William Gibson’s work… it's perhaps a bit dense and confusing at first, but once the reader finds the proper mindset, everything unfolds wonderfully.

Bizarre, obscure, real, and relatable… I Kill Giants was aces all around.