My Favourite Runs from ESA 2017

Well, I’m still catching up but I am getting there!

A few weeks ago now the ESA occurred. For those who are not in the know, the ESA is the European Speedrunners Assembly and it is; unsurprisingly, a speedrunning marathon that heavily features the best of the European crop of speedrunners. It’s slowly gaining momentum and traction on Twitch and this marathon was its best yet (don’t get me wrong though, it still has a long way to go to truly rival GDQ).

This year was a damn good marathon with a lot of games and categories that GDQ just don’t feature.

Unfortunately they are also severely unbudgeted and as a result their upload time to YouTube is incredibly slow – right now (10th August), there are only 40 videos to watch of the speedruns. So rather than this being a definitive “BEST OF” this is a “best of” of what’s there. Maybe in a month I’ll revisit this post and update it accordingly!

MrLuvva’s Luv-In #8

Two months gone and my mission to contribute to the community is not stopping, nor will it! I have been in a crazy cycle this week, where I have been super busy – it has impacted on my writing AND reading levels!

In saying that though I have read enough of your posts to throw together my community spotlight post. As always dear readers, please ensure you click the titles to support these excellent blogs!

–edit–

I just realised that this did not post when scheduled, I apologise for that!

I’ll keep a careful eye on my other scheduled posts.

7/10 Game-a-thon: Hotline Miami (PC/PS4/Vita)

That time has come again, time to raid the (growing in length) backlog and review a game that I should have when this blog was but a baby. The game today has just seen its sequel release to universally middling reviews – but this is considered a bona fide classic.

‘Hotline Miami’ launched with little fanfare but quickly made its fans with its tight top-down gameplay and 1980s inspired soundtrack; but what did I think of it?

Is it worth digging out? Or should it be left in the 80s alongside bouffant hair and massive shoulder pads?

My year with my PS Vita!

The  Playstation Vita; and oft-forgotten console (even Sony seem to have erased it from their memory), and I were made acquaintances a year ago (almost to the day). I was able to pick one up at an insanely low price.

You sexy thing!

Public opinion is split on the Vita. Those who own one speak about it in an almost unanimous positive way. Those who don’t own one are unaware of its existence.

How have I found the Vita? Well let’s take a look.

The reaction towards ‘Hatred’ and how it is NOT warranted.

“My name is not important, what is important is what i’m going to do. I just fucking hate this world and the human worm feasting on it’s carcass. My whole life is just cold, bitter hatred and I always wanted to die violently.

This is the time for vengeance and no life is worth saving and I will put in the grave as many as i can. It’s time for me to kill and it’s time for me to die.

My genocide crusade begins…here”

The minds at Destructive Creations knew that their trailer would bring with it a media shit-storm and they seem only too willing to embrace all the publicity that comes their way as a result of the trailer.

As strange and disturbing a tone this undoubtedly is for a game to adopt; is the furore surrounding this game warranted? After all violence plays a key role in almost every game.

Is it right that we pick out games like ‘Hatred’ and hold them up as an example of everything that is wrong with gaming? What places ‘Call of Duty’ and other “murder-simulators” (http://variety.com/2013/voices/opinion/grossman-2640/) above games like ‘Hatred’?