Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts

Friday, December 23, 2016

The Gaming in Pajamas Compendium(Up to 12/31/2017)

While doing some restructuring and organizing, I decided to separate the games I plan to play from the games that I have completed. So the compendium here is where all the completed reviews and collections will now be.

Completed Reviews and Collections:
From now on I'm going to make monthly compilations for the games I play, since this is getting pretty long. Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Gaming, Friends!
Bell
Posted by at 6:26 PM 3 comments
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Thursday, December 8, 2016

Limbo for the PS4

“A shadow leaned over me, whispering, in the darkness,
Thoughts without sound;
Sorrowful thoughts that filled me with helpless wonder
And held me bound.”
-Alfred Noyes

Source: Playstation

Bound with helpless wonder is exactly how I felt playing Limbo on the PS4. Limbo is a puzzle platformer published by Playdead, that originated on the Xbox 360. Limbo is now available across all major gaming platforms. The world of Limbo is crafted in creeping shadows and piercing darkness, and I enjoyed every moment of it. I went into Limbo knowing nothing about the game. In fact, I was looking for another game entirely. It happened across me as I perused the PSN and since it was on sale at the time, I ended up purchasing it out of curiosity. Oh, but I am so glad that I did.

Before we discuss game mechanics and the technical aspects, let’s talk story. While playing Limbo, I had no idea what I was doing, and more importantly I didn’t know why. We play as an unnamed boy, traversing the shadows, and trying to survive in a world that is full of danger.

There was been some debate about the actual meaning behind Limbo’s story. There may be some story spoilers here, so I will try to hide them. If I can code it right, you should be able to click on the spoiler to show it. The most popular theory, and the theory that I ascribe to is that our young protagonist boy is, sadly, dead. I’m not religious but this is about to get a little religious, so I’ll try my best to explain this. Christian Ideologies ascribe to a place called “Limbo.” Limbo is derived from the Latin word limbus, which means edge, and Limbo is considered an outlying area of Hell. You end up in Limbo if you were too good to end up in Hell, but not good enough to get to Heaven. That doesn’t explain why our young boy would be here, does it? Well, Limbo is also the place for unbaptized babies.

Perhaps our young boy was never baptized, and thus he ends up in Limbo. You cannot escape Limbo unless Jesus intervenes directly.

The game and its meaning are open wide to interpretation, and the creator is confirming nothing. Although he has said that some people were close. But I wonder who?

Limbo does an exceptional job of creating a suspenseful, and spooky, atmosphere. The shadows, the music (or lack of), and the subtle sound effects in the background, like flies buzzing, create and immersive experience. I found myself on the edge of my seat through much of the game.

Source: XBox Game Store

Next, let’s talk about game mechanics. The game operates as a side scrolling puzzle platformer. As such, I was happy with the controls. The controls are simple—move, jump, and grab. Many times, you must manage those in quick succession, lest you should be caught by a giant spider, caught in the rising water, or struck by falling objects. The darkness of the game also hides many traps, such as bear traps, so it’s important to move with caution.

Limbo requires some skill in timing, and patience. I died a LOT. And every time you die, you have to watch your poor character be crushed, suffocate, get cut up by saw blades, or watch his broken limbs flail as he crashes to the ground. When you die, you start over from checkpoints, which are frequent, so it’s not quite as frustrating. However, if you can manage to make it through the game without dying, then you can get a special trophy/accomplishment. I have not managed to do it, but good luck to you.
Source: Rely on Horror


The art style only adds to the charm, and eerie atmosphere, of this game. Even though the game is in grey-scale, the details of the environments are something to behold. The darkness against the lighter background creates a dynamic effect. Even small details were given consideration, such as the sway of the grass, the spray of dirt as a giant spider tries to impale you, and the hairs on said spider’s body. Although this game may come off as simple, it’s clear that the creators poured their souls into this game. I have such admiration for their team of artists.

I think I have gushed enough. If it isn’t apparent, I really love this game. Limbo was a surprise to me, and a very pleasant one. I highly recommend that you play it yourself to get the true feel of it, as I cannot do it enough justice. Limbo can currently be found on Steam for 9.99, click here and you'll be taken there. It can also be found on nearly any other major console, so have at it!

Happy Gaming, Friends!
Bell

See my Current List of Games to Play: Here!
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Email me at: bellannmae@gmail.com
Posted by at 7:45 AM 0 comments
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Tuesday, November 29, 2016

State of the Blog Address--December

Hello, friends! Today, I want to address the month of December and what it holds for Gaming in Pajamas. We haven't been operating long, but I do have plans laid out for quite some time to continue blogging here and I appreciate everyone who takes the time to stop by. I'm open to all suggestions as far as games I should play, or changes that you would like to see in the blog. I won't take offense to helpful criticism.

So let's start with this: Game List. Clicking that link will take you to the list of games that I have played(specifically FOR this blog and not outside of it) and also contains categorized lists of the games I am planning to play. If you want to make gaming suggestions, please do so in the comments there.

I am going to try to make posts every Thursday. Why Thursday? Cause Thursday is the day that has nothing else going for it. Monday is Monday, Tuesday is Monday's slightly prettier sister, Wednesday is Hump Day, Friday is the Best Day cause it leads to the weekend twins. Thursday is all alone. So, Thursday is my posting day.

You can expect there State of the Blog Addresses around the first of every month so that we can look at the month ahead and know whats going on. Unless there is an emergency(knock on wood).

Now let's get to the fun stuff! For the month of December I'm going to start off playing Deponia: The Complete Journey. I played a Deponia game once before, a long time ago, and never got to finish it. So that's my plan now, to finish what I started! Deponia: The Complete Journey does contain 3 games of a 4 game Quadrilogy though, and I am not sure if I just want to play through one at a time or power through them all. After Deponia, I plan to pick up either LIMBO or Don't Starve/Don't Starve Together. Anything else I would play would depend on what I decide to do with the Deponia games.

Thanks for joining me once again!

Happy Gaming, Friends!
Bell
Posted by at 8:06 AM 0 comments
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