Let’s Play!– Shovel Knight

Folks, here it is! The moment you have all been waiting for. For quite a while now, I have been teasing a big project for this summer on my vlogs. Shrouded in mystery, this project has teased your minds for quite some time. I am pleased to announce that the project was to create a Let’s Play.

For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a Let’s Play is a video series that has a person or persons play a game through from start to finish with commentary. It shows off the game while providing commentary, which is usually comedic. For a long time now I have wanted to create a Lets’ Play. There are plenty of games that I would love to share my passion for with others. The Sly Cooper games, Paper Mario and the Thousand Year Door, and others come to mind as projects I would love to create. Hopefully one day I can, but those titles will require way more time.

With work all summer and a few surprise trips, I needed a shorter title to share with my viewers. Then Shovel Knight came along! My love for Shovel Knight is no secret. As my Game of the Year for 2014, Shovel Knight holds a special place in my heart. It also happens to be shorter than the games I originally wanted to show. It’s a win-win!

Finally the Let’s Play is done! From the recording phase all the way to the uploading process! Check out the YouTube playlist below with all 12 episodes!

Now my biggest goal with this Let’s Play is not ad revenue, view counts, or praise. What I would love to gain from this experience is constructive criticism! Why? So I can make better videos in the future! So please, if you have any thoughts on how I can make a better product, please comment below or on the YouTube videos in question! Thanks everyone and I hope you enjoy my first Let’s Play!!

 

Shovel Knight Review

Being born in 1994, I missed out on both the NES and SNES eras. Although familiar with 2D games, I grew up playing 3D games at home, while 2D games provided a portable experience. That’s not to say I never played the classics. Super Mario Bros. 3 stands to be one of my favorite games. Unfortunately, I did miss out on Mega Man, early Zelda games, Duck Tales, and other classics that hold a special place in gamer’s hearts.

Yacht Club Games has given me a taste of all the best parts of that early era in gaming. Shovel Knight has put all the best aspects of iconic titles — thoughtful combat, unique level design, stunning pixel art, a dope soundtrack — into, what I easily consider to be, 2014’s best game to date.

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Destiny Preview

Let me be clear: I was not excited for Destiny.

I admired Bungie’s goal and mission for their new space saga. A vast digital universe filled with unique, diverse players that are constantly connected is something to be admired in the gaming space (ba da chhhh). The game just did not appeal to me.

I am not a FPS fan. I don’t care for character creation. I certainly prefer to play alone for most games.

What made my passive attitude toward Destiny even more surprising (to myself) is that a vast majority of the gaming community is eagerly awaiting destiny to let them play Bungie’s newest game (last one, I swear). People are stoked to shoot aliens in first person vicariously through their own, user generated character with friends and strangers alike.

When Sony gave all the attendees of the “E3 Sony Experience” access to the brief and PS4 exclusive Alpha for Destiny, I challenged Destiny and Bungie to make a lasting first impression. They met that challenge with an alarmingly fierce sense of direction, beauty, and wonder.

I am sold on Destiny.

From Thursday, June 12 at 12:00 PM PST through Sunday, June 15 at 11:59 PM PST Bungie granted a small pool of PS4 owners the ability to try a slice of Destiny. Featuring one story mission, a few side quests, a raid, a public event, the central hub, and one VS mode, the Destiny First Look Alpha took me by the hand, like a child in a theme park, and decided to give me the grand tour.

Shall we play?
Shall we play?

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Left Behind Review– Welcome Home

Left Behind Review– Welcome Home

By Max Roberts

Editors Note: Due to the nature of the DLC and where it fits into the entire story, spoilers for The Last Of Us appear in this review. Please, if you wish to go into the main campaign spoilers free, do not read this review or play the DLC until completion of the story. Enjoy.

Developer Naughty Dog is often praised for creating top notch games that are unmatched in quality, experience, and fun. Rightly so too. They, truly, have not made a bad game.

I want to praise Naughty Dog for something else in this review. That something is pure, sacred, and innocent. “The Kennel” crafts beautiful, rich, powerful and meaningful relationships. One relationship in particular is the beating heart of The Last Of Us’ DLC, Left Behind.

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Guest Review- Catherine

The world of video games is vast. There is no way we could play every single game. Some of us pick up the greats, while others play the duds. As a result, some of us miss out on true gems in the industry. A few weeks ago, Jeriah King, a reader and fan of Go Left Gaming, reached out to us. He asked if he could write a review for the site. Humbled by his request, we graciously accepted his offer to write exclusive content for us. Jeriah went straight to work and wrote us a review for Atlus’s puzzle platformer, Catherine. Below are all of Jeriah King’s thoughts on this game changer in the industry. If you would like to write a review for Go Left Gaming, check out the contact page and let us know what you would like to write. We would love to hear from you. Thank you for your time and enjoy Jeriah King’s review for Catherine.

Catherine Review

By Jeriah King

Coming from Atlus, the makers of Persona, Catherine is unique in its own way, giving you the feeling that something amazing is happening right before your eyes. Performing obligations and choosing right from wrong is what sets this game apart from other Japanese, anime style games. Coming from such an immensely popular title as Persona, Atlus had to raise the bar once again to impress gamers everywhere. Replaying Catherine almost a year later, this game still lusters and proves to be a worthy title for any gamer’s collection.

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Google Chromecast Preview

Television is evolving. With cable becoming a dying fad, the ability to stream video from computers or internet services has really changed the industry. Companies like Netflix are even making enough revenue to produce their own original content. In response to this streaming boom, companies have created small, box shaped devices that combine all these streaming services into one, smooth, user friendly experience. Honorable mentions are Apple TV, a small black box packing all your streaming needs and then some, and the Roku, a powerful multimedia streaming tool. Today, I am here to introduce the newest streaming tech on the block, the Google Chromecast.

Dollop of fairy dust not included
Dollop of fairy dust not included

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Animal Crossing: New Leaf — Week One

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

– Learning the Ropes of Being the Mayor

By Max Roberts

My what a week it has been. As far as the gaming community is concerned, this was the biggest week of the year; E3 week. Along side all the new game and console news, Naughty Dog’s The Last Of Us launched on Friday (side note: That game is superb, expect a review shortly after I complete the campaign.). For myself personally, I also had college orientation at the University of Central Florida! That was quite the two day event, but somehow, amidst it all, I played quite a bit of Animal Crossing: New Leaf every day. And now it is time to share with you my first week as “Mayor Max” in my town, World 1. Let my reign begin…

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