QCF: The Raven - Legacy of a Master Thief

f anyone has noticed over the last few years, it seems as if adventure games are coming back in a big way. With the success of companies like Telltale Games and Double Fine leading a rebirth of the point and click genre, many other games will undoubtedly try to capitalize. So my initial response to seeing The Raven - Legacy of a Master Thief was one of disinterest and disappointment. After playing through all three chapters of this title, I can say that there is disappointment still lingering however not in the way that I would have imagined.

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QCF: The Wolf Among Us-Episode 2

t the conclusion of the first episode of The Wolf Among Us, Sheriff Bigby Wolf was utterly shocked at the grisly scene waiting on his front doorstep. The sirens of police vehicles rotating and swirling around his expressionless face, his eyes however telling a tale larger than the storybooks of their origins. The heroes and villains of some of the most well-known fairytales were actually real, and living amongst normal human beings in New York City. Unfortunately for these refugees, the real world begins to overtake their way of life, leading to crime and unfortunate circumstances. Several sleepless nights have passed since the incident, and now Bigby must block out the haunting visions of what had been lost and begin to find answers.  His search will not be easy, as his anger begins to bubble to the surface all while strings are still being pulled in the background that will affect everyone in the Woodlands.

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QCF: Broken Age Act 1

oing on adventures was something my siblings and I always did when we were children. Exploring paths in the wooded area in our backyard, creating imaginary monsters to battle under incredible odds. However in the process of growing up, those adventures seemed less real and were replaced with responsibilities and an absence of our galaxy-saving endeavors. Adventure is a key component in Broken Age, the runaway Kickstarter success created by some of the most influential minds in the adventure game genre. Does Double Fine live up to the expectations and pedigree of their past games, or is this adventure something we all have grown out of?

To answer that question, first we should look at how this game came into being. Double Fine wanted to develop and publish an adventure game that was reminiscent of their classics titles such as Day of the Tentacle and Grim Fandango. However with current trends and lack of interest from most publishers, Tim Schaffer and company wanted to instead have direct support from their dedicated fans and the gaming community. A Kickstarter campaign asking for $400,000 to fund the project concluded with over $3.3 million dollars contributed, raising over $1 million dollars in the first day alone.  Double Fine was going back to a genre that have made companies like Telltale a household name. Thankfully with Act 1 of Broken Age, the company was able to create a great experience and a return to form for fans new and old.

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GDC 2013: Expanding The Future of Storytelling With Forward Thinking

he art of an engaging story is constantly explored when it comes to the realm of video games, and still has an exponential amount to expand regardless of the advances that we have made so far. Storytelling is a factor that’s gained more and more focus in elevating the video game experience to another level. Jesse Schell, author of The Art of Games, takes the stage and talks about the likelihood that we will have the Shakespeare of games. The crowd gradually quiets down the excitement of his session introduction, and takes notice to what the luminary has to say for the future of the medium.

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PPR Games Club: The Walking Dead

ell it’s the new year, you know, the big twenty-thirteen, and what better way to move on then to do a Games Club on our Golden Zonkey awarded Game of The Year title, The Walking Dead. Telltale was able to create a tale of misery and emotion in five episodes, and beyond all of the zombie madness, we learned what it truly is to protect what you love, no matter what the cost. Join us for this latest Games Club with Andrew, George, and special guest Dana, as we test our humanity (or in some cases, cast it aside) in this three hour spanning show where we cover all five episodes from start to finish. Come joins us and keep a box of Kleenex nearby so you can relive the trauma all over again with your favorite podcast, (or not, just listen to the show already!)

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QCF: Cognition - Episode 1

hen one thinks of the classic point and click adventure games that defined the genre, a few always jump to mind. The Secret of Monkey Island, Sam & Max, Day of the Tentacle -- just to name a few. What do all of these classics have in common? They’re all well told stories with engaging puzzles, solid internal logic and memorable characters. Cognition has none of these qualities.

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QCF: The Walking Dead: Episode 5

I have been dreading this moment for the last week, the finality of writing this review. The last four episodes of The Walking Dead have told an amazing tale of survival and what one man will do to protect the person he cares about the most.  Lee and the other members of this group of survivors have endured, suffered and (some) somehow survived. Throughout the entire ordeal I have been forced to make quick and painful decisions, decisions that would haunt me long after the episode had ended. However nothing could have prepared me for the moment when this first season ended and the credits rolled. Trust me when I say that after finishing all five episodes, Telltale Games was able to accomplish something that I have never experienced in a video game before. I remembered everything, I felt everything. In doing so, the final episode brings to close the finest gaming experience I’ve ever had the pleasure of being a part of.

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QCF: The Walking Dead: Episode 3

The Walking Dead Episode 3 has proven that Telltale Games can truly capture the utter despair and horror that comes with a zombie apocalypse. In my opinion I do not believe that the graphic novel or the television show really show how desperate and terrible things have truly become. It's because the gamer is the one pulling all the strings, choosing between good and bad, and sometimes between life and death. In Episode 3, we encounter unforgettable situations that are very painful to witness. The Walking Dead is one of the first games I've ever played that truly gave me shivers and nightmares several nights after the initial play through.

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