Tag: Valve

GameCritics.com Podcast Episode 85: Steam Box, Listener Mail

We are reaching into the listener mail bag again! We learn Brad's favorite food, and what game is like Amelie…if Amelie could fly! Also, Special guest Christopher Floyd stops by to talk in his Irish accent. Oh yeah, we also talk about what we've been playing and have a lively discussion about the Steam Box! With Chi Kong Lui, Brad Gallaway, Mike Bracken, Richard "Sexiest Thumbs Alive" Naik, Special Guest Christopher Floyd and Dylan Collins.

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Please send feedback and mailbag questions to podcast (at) gamecritics (dot) com.

Gamecritics.com Podcast Special Team Fortress 2 Extravaganza

A few weeks ago I had a bunch of wine and thought to myself: "Self, what would it be like to get the podcast crew together to play TF2's Mann Vs Machine?" Sadly I couldn't get the whole crew on board, but I did manage to get 4 people who had barely played the game before, plus me being terrible at medic and great at healing spies. Unfortunately we weren't able to finish the round due to technical difficulties and the fact that it was getting so late, but fun was had by all (I think) and let it be known that I actually got Tim Spaeth interested in Team Fortress. Yay me. Enjoy the good times with myself, Chi "Heavy" Kong Lui, Tim "Welcome to the Jungle" Spaeth, Kristen "Self-destruct" Taylor, and Jeremy "Technical Difficulties" LaMont.

Screenames:
Dr. Penguin – Richard Naik
gamecritics – Chi Kong Lui
ColonelT – Tim Spaeth
Gelles – Kristen Taylor
Jeremy – Jeremy LaMont

The Preacher Loop

Half-Life 2: Episode One Screenshot

In a recent commentary on Valve's Half-Life 2 Episodes, Marsh Davies criticizes much of Episode One for its "failure to make your navigation comprehensible, either spatially or narratively." He goes on to praise Episode Two for remembering to provide the player with an overview of its regions, so that the spaces allow the player to see the places he has been, or is going to. As I was reminded in my own recent replay of the original Half-Life and its companion games, this is not a recent improvement by Valve, but a return to form.

Video: Gordon Freeman meets with his agent

Recently released Half-Life concept art is rumored to belong to the very long-awaited Half-Life 2: Episode 3. The Internet briefly caught fire before the denials came down from Valve. Going by Dorkly's Half-Life spoof, whenever a sequel to the episodic games does come, Gordon Freeman is likely to remain a silent character.

Video: Gordon Freeman meets with his agent

Video: Aperture: Lab Ratt

This fan film is called Aperture: Lab Ratt and made by Synthetic PictureHaus. It is based on the Valve comic called Lab Rat. Lab Rat told the story of an Aperture scientist named Doug Rattman, who apparently was one of the only survivors after GLaDOS's take over. Rattman was responsible for placing Chell (heroine of Portal) at the top of the list of test subject candidates that GLaDOS was to use and he also provided clues and warnings "behind the walls" of the Test Chambers for Chell to follow. Truly an important man whose story had to be told.

Video: Aperture: Lab Ratt