New World Notes

There's a Lot to Hate About Ultra-Trashy Sci-Fi MMO Scarlet Blade, So Why Don't I Actually Hate It?

Iris Ophelia's ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

Today I want to write about something I've been wrestling with for a few weeks, a new MMO for mature audiences that makes me feel very... conflicted. I'm not quite sure where I stand when it comes to Aeria Games' Scarlet Blade. So far most of the coverage of this game has either focussed on how appalling the avatars are or how awesome they are, but few people have tried to engage with it beyond that. The avatars certainly are... something else... but they're barely the tip of the iceberg.

I played Scarlet Blade for the first time a few weeks ago, and since then I've been struggling to form a solid opinion about it. I feel almost guilty about my continued ambivalence. There are a lot of reasons to hate Scarlet Blade... So why don't I? (NSFW)

Downton Abbey Meets The Sims 3, Part 9: The Pre-Christmas Special Recap Extravaganza

Iris Ophelia's ongoing effort to simulate Downton Abbey in The Sims 3

Fall has drawn to a close and winter is creeping into Sim Downton Abbey. With this series approaching episode 10, it seems like a good time to do something special... A special episode, if you will. Something like a Sim Downton Abbey Christmas -- wait, sorry, a "Snowflake Day" -- Special. Given that the Christmas specials have become a tradition with the show itself, it seems fitting to celebrate part 10 of Sim Downton with one.

But before we can do that, we need to get caught up. Plenty has happened since the last series recap, so let's see what exactly everyone's been up to...

Don't Starve Released on Steam Today, And Only an 'Act of Dapperness' Can Save You From Its Spooky Charms

Iris Ophelia's ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

If you're looking for a new release to play around with this week, do I have the title for you. Don't Starve is a tremendously engaging (and super stylized) indie survival adventure game, pitting the player against every conceivable threat -- from hunger to horrible, horrible monsters. It's not Minecraft, it's not Terraria, but it definitely has something in it for adventurous fans of either.

Made by Klei Entertainment (the team responsible for Mark of the Ninja) the game has been in a buy-in beta since late 2012, and I even wrote about it back in December. Don't Starve's development was still incredibly active during the beta period, so there's been a surprising amount of new content and features added since I last sat down with it. For example...

Strangelings Debuts on Web and iOS: A Perfect Game For Breedables Fanatics... Just Not For Me

Iris Ophelia's ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

if you're a fan of Second Life "breedable" pets, this bit of casual gaming news might just make your day: Strangelings, a free fantasy pet breeding game with an impressive pedigree (har har) is now available and playable both in your browser and on iOS.

If you have any experience avidly raising virtual frogs, chickens, bunnies, cats, horses, dragons and beyond, most of what Strangelings has to offer will feel very natural to you. If not... Well, like me you might be a bit underwhelmed. Here's what I mean:

Downton Abbey Meets The Sims 3, Part 8: There's Love In The Air (or Something In The Water)

Iris Ophelia's ongoing effort to simulate Downton Abbey in The Sims 3

The recent costume party at Downton seems to have sparked a flurry of romance. The girls are getting date offers left and right (well, most of the girls) and even Cora is developing a reputation. Of course not every date can go perfectly, and not every romance is meant to be...

How Bioshock Infinite's Elizabeth Is Built to Breathe Life Into The Most Mundane Moments

Iris Ophelia's ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

When you try to break down the technical elements that make Bioshock Infinite such a compelling game experience, it often comes down to a lot of seemingly small elements that have a tremendous impact during play. One example is the style of the texturing (which I wrote about last week) but today I want to talk about Elizabeth. Specifically, a couple of the crucial little details that make her much more significant and interesting than "sidekick" characters in games usually are. Her writing is good, her acting is great, but there's so much more to her than that...

Mild spoiler warning: If you haven't played/finished Bioshock Infinite yet (and plan to) you may want to save this post for later. I'm not going to rehash the ending scene-by-scene or anything, but some of the pictures I'll be using could definitely be considered "spoiler-adjacent."

Guild Wars 2 Does April Fools Day Right: No Lies, No BS, Just Awesome New Content With a Sense of Humor

Iris Ophelia's ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

April Fools Day is the worst day of the entire year to be on the internet, period. Everyone confuses lies for pranks, and even big media outlets fall for them. I honestly wish most bloggers and journalists could take today off. April Fools Day on the internet is a lie-off, where anyone can say or do anything they want for attention as long as they follow it with a little snigger and a shrug tomorrow. Can you tell I'm not a fan?

Thankfully the folks at ArenaNet, makers of Guild Wars 2, seem to have the right idea about what April Fools should be like in an MMO. They've used it to launch a special event for players for the month of April, styled after Minecraft as well as the 8-bit age of gaming, complete with a fake commercial just as ridiculous as game commercials from the 80s and 90s. Here's what they've done:

Downton Abbey Meets The Sims 3, Part 7: Cleopatra, Marie Antoinette, and 3 Hotdogs Walk Into a Bar Together...

Iris Ophelia's ongoing effort to simulate Downton Abbey in The Sims 3

It's finally time.

I've planned. I've decorated. I've teased it for weeks. But now, it's here: The most legendary Spooky Day costume party in the history of Sim Downton Abbey.

You know now that I think about it I guess it's sort of the only Spooky Day costume party in the history of Sim Downton Abbey. And maybe it's a little weird to be doing this right before Easter, too.

Well either way, my most recent visit to Sim Downton started with an utterly chilling discovery...

3 Things That Completely Changed My Mind About Neverwinter, The Latest MMO From Cryptic Studios

Iris Ophelia's ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

I wasn't expecting much when I plugged my Neverwinter beta key into the game's website last friday. All I knew was that Cryptic Studios (which was purchased by free-to-play MMO gaming giant Perfect World International) had been working on this game, based on Dungeons & Dragons, for a while. Cryptic has made a name for themselves by taking risks and experimenting with new features, while Perfect World made its name on... Well, let's just say that after awhile most of Perfect World's titles blurred together into one big bland grindfest.

But wouldn't you know it, there are quite a few impressive and appealing surprises in this game that changed my opinion from "might play" to "must play" in a matter of hours. For example...

This Weekend Steep Yourself in the Somber and Haunting World of Indie Adventure Game Kentucky Route Zero

Iris Ophelia's ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

The road is cold, bleak, and lonely. It would be even lonelier without the old hound--a bundle of angular bones wrapped up in a pelt (and a battered straw hat for character)--that occupies the passenger seat of your delivery truck. Either you don't like music, or the radio is in less-than-optimal condition; you hear nothing but the washed out rumble of the truck's engine drowning out the whisper of rubber tires pulling against the surface of the road. That is until you pass by the local church. Window rolled down just an inch to let in a bracing breeze to keep you alert, you may hear the low-fidelity hiss of devotional music playing on repeat. You should have unplugged that tape-player when you were here last.

You are lost, at the mercy of charming locals and their less charming neighbours, looking for a highway that may or may not exist: The titular Kentucky Route Zero...