So… Kickstarter.
If you're reading this blog, then you are most likely someone who is already in the know, and probably don't need me to explain what it is or how it works. Rather than go into a discussion about the service itself, I just wanted to say that I've backed three projects, and at this point, I don't think I'm very inclined to backing any others until I start seeing some results.
I mean, if Fumito Ueda or Shu Takumi came along and needed a couple of bucks, I would certainly chip in on something like that, but otherwise, I think I'm going to be saying no to everything else that's sure to come down the pike…
So what have I backed? Well, I'm glad you asked:
Double Fine Adventure by Double Fine
Wasteland 2 by inXile
Shadowrun Returns by Harebrained Schemes
Why did I pick these?
Well, like most people, the Double Fine project was the first significant one that was brought to the attention of the game-o-sphere. It was a bold, new thing, and most people in critical circles wanted a piece of it for one reason or another. Plus, everybody knows who Tim Schafer is and he's got a proven track record. I may not be a fan of everything he's done, but I would call myself a fan. Well, a fan of Grim Fandango and the first half hour of Brutal Legend, anyway.
Wasteland 2 was a no-brainer since I'm a huge post-apocalyptic fan and the game will be worked on by several people who were involved with the Fallout series, not to mention Chris Avellone from Obsidian coming aboard.
Shadowrun Returns? Well, Shadowrun. I mean, come on. Besides that, I was a huge FASA nut back in the day, and I still have fond memories of Crimson Skies. Also, Jordan Weisman and company are located about twenty minutes from my house, so I have to support the home team. Anybody from Seattle or the surrounding area gets an extra boost from me, just because.
Anyway, that was my thinking and that's where but my dollars. I am more than happy to contribute to this whole Kickstarter phenomenon, but at the same time, I am no fan of tossing my money into a toilet and flushing it away. After having taken the plunge with these three (admittedly, pretty trustworthy) projects, I'm putting a halt on further spending and we'll see where this goes. I would love nothing more than for all three of these games to come out as promised and be awesome, but just because you lead a developer to a pot of money, doesn't mean that he'll know what to do with it.
Fingers crossed!
I just finished Binary Domain a couple of days ago, and I have submitted my Second Opinion. Spoiler: it's super-favorable.
I just can't say enough good things about this one, and I would strongly encourage any of you who have an interest in seeing third-person shooting combined with great storytelling and a very light dusting of team management to check it out. Do it!
Since wrapping that, I've gone ahead-over-heels for Elder Sign: Omens on the iPhone. (Also for iPad.)
I'm not familiar with the source material, apparently a series of board games put out by Fantasy Flight, but I really love what they've done with this app. I haven't been able to put it down for several days…
In a nutshell, it's an electronic board game set in the H.P. Lovecraft universe with all of the minutiae automated, and the gameplay is resolved by dice rolls. There is a hell of a lot more to it than that, but there's no need to go into details at the moment. I'm in the middle of doing a full review as we speak, but to make a long story short, it's a fantastic production that has a ton of strategy and atmosphere.
It's not suited for three minutes here or five minutes there the way some iPhone games are, but if you're looking for something you can sink your teeth into and you dig the idea of banishing the Old Ones with a group of plucky investigators, Elder Sign is the jam.
In the meantime, if your fingers are still itching to click, I'd like to invite you to check out the new Street Fighter X Tekken review currently up at GameCritics, and guest-written by Julian Williams, AKA @TheMirai, of Twitter fame. He's got some great insights into the game and clearly knows what he's talking about.
We've also got the latest episode of Gamecritics After Dark now available for your listening pleasure. The topic is Mass Effect as a series (not just the ending, I swear!) and contains commentary from myself, ringmaster @RichardNaik, cool cat from RPGamer @Finalmacstorm (Michael Cunningham) and… GASP! Can it be? It.. It is! @TimSpaeth makes a surprise guest appearance about thirty minutes into the show, and stays on to give his two cents.
…Although really, it's more like a nickel, at least.
Transformers fan. MOTU stan. Black Lives Matter, pro-LGBTQIA. Anti-fascist.
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Highly recommend the board game of Elder Sign. Similar to the app but with a greater variety of Great Old Ones, and a few other slight differences. However, there’s something infinitely more satisfying about rolling the dice than tapping an icon on a screen 🙂