All in Games

Dead by Daylight Chapter IX: Shattered Bloodline Review (Game DLC, 2018)

Dead by Daylight Chapter IX: Shattered Bloodline Review (Game DLC, 2018)

Robert J Gannon
Games, Reviews

Behaviour Interactive, the developers of asymmetrical 4v1 survival horror game Dead by Daylight, have been working very hard to meet their stated timeline of a new chapter (DLC release) every quarter. This is a pretty grueling timeline for a comparatively small studio, especially since the game needs to update on PC, XBox One, and PS4. Every step back (like the Playstation store rejecting the Chapter VIII DLC for weeks after the PC and XBox launches) makes them work harder to prove that their fans deserve their trust. Each update always brings fixes, even if some of those fixes might throw something else out of whack.

A quick recap for those who might be unfamiliar with Dead by Daylight. This game pits a team of four survivors against one killer in a survival horror match. The survivors have to power five generators, unlock one of two exit gates, and escape before being killed. The killer has to track, attack, and hook the survivors to sacrifice them before they all escape. You earn bloodpoints for everything you do in the game and use those points to level up your character, adding new perks (special abilities), items, and offerings that impact how each match is played.

Megaquarium Review (Game, 2018)

Megaquarium Review (Game, 2018)

Robert J Gannon
Games, Reviews

Disclosure: I received a free keycode from developers Twice Circled for this review of Megaquarium.

Megaquarium is a simulation game where you run an aquarium. It’s a cross between a theme park manager and a micromanaging simulation/strategy game and I’m all for it. You get as much depth out of the game as you want to get out of the game and that’s the joy of a great simulation game.

Great Games Done Slow: 15-21 September

Great Games Done Slow: 15-21 September

Robert J Gannon
Event, Games

I’m always a fan of inspiration in unexpected places. There’s a wonderful organization called Games Done Quick that hosts massive speedrunning marathons to raise money for charity. Gamers register to show off their skills beating games at breakneck speeds. This gameplay is streamed live from an event center to Twitch and donations from viewers go to different charities, such as Doctors Without Borders or Prevent Cancer Foundation. They’ve even done events with a very fast turnaround time to help with disaster relief—streamers volunteer their time and Games Done Quick captures their gameplay and rebroadcasts it on the GDQ stream. It’s a fun, intense display of high quality gaming for a variety of great causes.

Kate Gray, a narrative designer, journalist for Kotaku, and streamer, joked back in January about a then non-existent event she called Awesome Games Done Slowly. “hey folks welcome to Awesome Games Done Slowly, the charity livestream where everyone just chills and plays Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing at their own pace.”

What started as a joke only took a few months to become a reality. Great Games Done Slow is an online charity fundraiser running from this Saturday, 15 September, to Friday, 21 September. The goal is mental health awareness in gaming.

Graveyard Keeper Review (Game, 2018)

Graveyard Keeper Review (Game, 2018)

Robert J Gannon
Games, Reviews

Some play games to compete and win. I play games to relax. This does not mean that the games I play are particularly peaceful or gentle. They're an escape. They're a chance to explore other worlds, try out new things, and find my own way.

This is why I'm drawn to simulator games, especially simulators with RPG elements. Graveyard Keeper is just like the original Harvest Moon, if Harvest Moon involved tending to a Medieval graveyard, preaching to the masses, selling harvested organ meat, literal witch hunts, and attempts to reverse the bizarre circumstances that took you from modern times to being a Medieval graveyard keeper in the first place.

Dead by Daylight: Scorching Summer BBQ Event

Dead by Daylight: Scorching Summer BBQ Event

Robert J Gannon
Games, News

I mentioned this in the review of the Curtain Call DLC, but I'm really impressed with how well Behavior Interactive have taken control of their game after buying the rights back from Starbreeze. They're fully invested in their new cosmetic store, coming up with fun and clever designs for all the unlicensed characters that add variety to the look of the game. The "wear the darkest clothing to hide" meta is losing out to the sheer joy of dressing Claudette in a tie-dye broom skirt or Ace in a bright pink sweater. You can still hide and look stylish.

More importantly, they are committed to constantly adding in new content to the game. The mid-season patch was only two weeks ago and we're already at a new seasonal event. This new event also patches the broken Tinkerer II bug and a few other major issues from the mid-season patch.

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