Gaming off the Beaten Path

I guess we all have to start somewhere. Sometimes, starting could be a micro thing, starting a new game or starting a new review. Sometimes it's a Macro thing, like starting a whole new business. Sometimes it's somewhere in between, like starting with a whole new resolution. But at the end of the day, staring something new is starting something new. I first started with PlayStation Plus in late 2014,  having just received a brand new PS4 as a wedding gift. I initially wasn't too happy about this, the whole thought of paying just to play with my friends online wasn't something I was a fan of. However, there was also a nice consolation prize: two free games every month. And believe me, I made absolutely sure I downloaded those games as soon as they were available. I mean, I barely had any games for my new system. I always have been and always will be a physical media first person, but I'm not exactly opposed to digital media, especially when it's free (well, tec...

Last year, I jumped head first into the pool Metroidvania titles for the Game Boy Advance. I started with the "Vania," so now it's time to look at the "Metroid" side of things. As with Castlevania, Metroid is a series that needs absolutely no introduction. In some respect, I'm a little surprised that I haven't touched the franchise in the seven years I've been doing this. While it's far from "unknown," I feel like Metroid has a lot of weird, quirky entries that probably would fit the "off the beaten path" theme. These games may not be quite as popular as the bigger Nintendo IPs, but they have some very, very passionate fans that live and die with them. And I hope they don't get too mad at me for saying that Metroid isn't really a favorite franchise of mine. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I've ever played a bad Metroid game. I know  some people hate Other M for the Wii, but I haven't really played th...

It's time to start yet another year with a look at an old sports title. And it's one that I never thought I probably would have never touched if I didn't dig it up at random. But first, a little bit about my general sports fandom. While I am definitely more nerd than jock, I've always been a huge sports fan. Whether it's as a fan of my pro teams, as a reporter covering local high school teams or as a competitor myself, sports have always been a major part of my life. I watch as many sports as I can, though I wish I had time for more. I love learning about players, speculating about what teams will do with their offseasons, tracking statistics and immersing myself in various aspects of various types of athletic competition.  To me, the new year is a great time for sports, the NFL playoffs are starting, MLB's winter meetings are underway, the NHL season is in full swing and NCAA wrestling is coming back from its holiday break. It also tends to be a pretty decent t...

So it looks like it's time for yet another GOTBP end of year review. I know I say it every year, but I can't believe I'm still doing this going on seven years. I have to say I've been a little disappointed in myself this year, I absolutely slacked on the number of reviews I put out. I felt myself slowing down in a lot of ways and I want to make it a point next year to try and get back to putting out more consistent reviews. I guess it's sort of my resolution this year. Hey, everything is coming full circle, this whole thing started as a resolution. As we continue with said circle, it's time to look at this year's scores. Remember, I give awards for Game of the Year, worst game, most surprising, most disappointing and best candidate for a modern update/remake. 10s games aren't eligible for any of these awards. A reminder of the scores:  Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - 9.5/10 Garou: Mark of the Wolves - 9.5/10 Castlevania: Circle of the Moon - ...

Last week, we started our look at Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, one of 2025's most hyped games. E33 has cleaned up at every major gaming awards show, and for good reason. It features a unique and amazing world, a gripping story and spectacular soundtrack that has captivated millions of gamers. All of those things make for a great movie...but this isn't a movie, now is it. Here, we have gameplay to discuss. Did it live up to the high standard set by its narrative? Well, let's see. It may be French in origin, but E33 plays like a classic, turn-based JRPG. I talked a little bit about this last week, but it was so nice to see a game that played like this, at least a core level, receive the amount of reverence it has. It has the combat, the dungeons, the exploration, the pacing, all the hallmarks of the genre that those of us that grew up in the 90's came to know and love. You have turn based combat, a world map, tons of sidequests, all of the things that made these games so ...

I may as well finish the year with a bang. Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year, you've probably heard of the latest and greatest turn based RPG that's taking the gaming world by storm. It seems that these games are popping up every year now, something I absolutely love to see. It was less than 10 years ago that the general consensus was that these games were all but dead, made all but obsolete by bigger, better open world and action games that allowed for a more "true" role playing experience. I'm not going to get into that now, because I have strong feelings about that, but it feels like it was the mindset of the gaming community at large for the entirety of the 7th and majority of the 8th console generations. Console RPGs were all but dead, relegated to a niche genre for weirdos full of doe eyed chibis and unnecessary fan service. The genre that seemed to spawn new IPs left and right was all the sudden focused on a few core series, Ta...