07) Natalie Must Remain Enigmatic

Post published:09/08/2019
Post category:Rundowns
Reading time:15 mins read
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Something that might not be obvious from the deluge of personal information and historically hued anecdotes I offer throughout this jolly old website is the fact that ‘in real life’ I tend to be immensely reserved around others. As in, I like to give as few personal details as possible, and only share said details when prompted. This applies from co-workers to classmates to even my immediate family, and my justification stems from a deep fear of rejection or being misunderstood by others. I mean, I could tell them that I enjoy writing and video games, but those things could be wildly thrown out of proportions, and saying that I write novels and review games for a small website sounds a trifle bit bizarre to some people. So the way I view it, there is no winning and I ought to keep my mouth shut, lest I accidentally spew something problematic.
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Rundown (8/04-8/10) Drop the Crack, Nat!

Post published:08/11/2019
Post category:Rundowns
Reading time:9 mins read
Post comments:2 Comments

Seeing as how I now have a smartphone, the idea of playing mobile games suddenly became a very real possibility for me, and I figured what better way to go about things than returning to Fire Emblem Heroes. After using up the orbs I accumulated on my Android tablet, I tried getting back into the established groove, and quickly remembered why I stopped playing the game in the first place. This game is bloated with content, time locks just about everything it can, and is designed to fuel obsessive tendencies while being built around a stream of constant grinding. It is suffocating and overwhelming how much time-gated content and rewards there are in this game, and I honestly could not tolerate it after a two days of playing it during my free time rather than doing anything remotely productive. Like playing Sushi Striker.
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Rundown (5/07-5/13) God Eating is Convoluted

Post published:05/14/2017
Post category:Rundowns
Reading time:9 mins read
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Over the past week, I’ve been finishing up God Eater Resurrection, which I reviewed last year, and while I ultimately enjoyed the game over the 100 hours I have now invested into it, it becomes completely absurd after a point, with the game asking a lot of the player while explaining very little, simply presenting a series of mechanics to the player without much in the way of guidance or explanation of what the best strategy is, instead hiding behind the veneer or player freedom. It is a game that had be confused as to how to play it eighty hours in, and even as I am in the endgame content, it still baffles me with some of its challenges. I honestly hope things are better with its sequel, which I should be reviewing sometime this year. (more…)

Rundown (11/29-12/05) NDR3NSEK+TGA+PSX

Post published:12/06/2015
Post category:Rundowns
Reading time:18 mins read
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So, I’m currently replaying Final Fantasy XIII, because I felt I had unfinished business with that game, and I am thoroughly amazed that the creators were able to tolerate their creation. As a writer, there is so much about this game’s story that drives me nuts, and I cannot believe that 65 million was invested into such a lackluster story. That, and the gameplay’s auto battle system simply does not work as it is told to— I’ll save it for the review proper, for now, The Game Awards and the Playstation Experience both happen, so here is a rundown of some of those things. (more…)

Rundown (9/13-9/19) TGS 2015: Darkest Despair!

Post published:09/20/2015
Post category:Rundowns
Reading time:26 mins read
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I’m not sure how often I’ve brought this up, but I think that Free to Play games were among the worst things to happen to the industry in recent years, and there have been a lot since I got in this industry’s intestines, mostly the large one, where poop is dried out, around 2006. But after reading this little piece by somebody who has been getting neck deep in whale blood as his employers tried to manipulate individuals with mental problems for the sexiest thing in the mortal world, Kentucky granola, also known as USD, I feel I have an opportunity that I shall not waste, if only because I love the line and it is mostly true. Free to play games were a mistake; they’re nothing but trash. I hope they are outlawed by 2033, when the Great African War begins and half of it is destroyed by a nuclear explosion. Buy War Bonds in preparation of the war to end all wars! (more…)