Author: Westen
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Mega Gaming Roundup- Split Fiction, Pirate Yakuza, Cabernet, Avowed, and KCD2
To no one who reads this blogs surprise, I have been playing a lot of video games as of late. This is always a great thing, but it’s actually starting to stress me out. Almost all of the games I’m playing range from good to amazing, but I keep adding new games to my rotation,…
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Wanderstop Review- To Relax Or Not To Relax, That Is The Question
A review code for this game was provided by Ivy Road Wanderstop at times feels like it is personally attacking me. In many ways, the game is completely antithetical to who I am as a person and as a gamer. This is a game where you manage a tea shop. That tea shop has no…
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BigNerdGaming’s Top 10 Original Xbox Games
It’s funny how easily we can get wrapped up into different gaming ecosystems as a kid based on events that are likely somewhat outside of our control. I don’t think many kids or even teenagers are doing deep dives of research to determine which gaming console is going to be the best for them. And…
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BigNerdGaming’s Top 10 N64 Games
It is finally time for another edition of my top 10 games from a past system. This is another step in my journey to eventually release a top 50 games of all time list. The N64 was an interesting time for gamers. Much like developers were trying to figure out the power of a new…
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It Takes Two Review- I’d Even Play It With Someone I Only Kind Of Tolerate
Here’s the dirty secret about most games that feature and encourage co-op. Most of these games aren’t actually all that much better from a gameplay perspective because of their co-op features. Yes, there might be ways that the game lets you work together, but you generally don’t actually have to, as these games have to…
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Three Early Impressions: Avowed
I discovered something interesting when I went back and looked at my “most anticipated games” lists I’ve done the past few years. At the start of 2024, Avowed was my #8 most anticipated game of the year. Midway through 2024, I said it was my #9 most anticipated game for the rest of 2024. The…
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Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist Review- Sad Anime Castlevania
I love the idea of being in a pitch meeting for a game and imagining how the concept of it was sold to a publisher. It’s fun to devolve a game’s concept into a stupidly simple elevator pitch. The way I envision the Ender series being pitched is “imagine a Castlevania game, but make is…
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My Top 10 Video Games With No Combat
Video games and combat are intrinsically linked, it seems. I suppose I understand why. Video games can provide special narrative experiences. But the thing that sets video games apart from other mediums is the fact that you can interact with them. And it’s much easier to sell someone on gameplay where you fight with someone…
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Final Fantasy IX: Nostalgia Free Review- Just Enough Black Magic
Due to the age of this game, this review contains some spoilers. I tried to keep those spoilers as in check as I could. I first played Final Fantasy IX twenty years ago as a teen. Like many games from that era, I ended up dropping it pretty quickly. Emulating games and having a seemingly…
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Three Early Impressions: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
The number of people who love medieval times has always been fascinating to me. People don’t just love that era from a “history is interesting” perspective. There are entire industries built around feeling like you are living in this era. The Medieval Festival that takes place near me is a major event that so many…
Big Nerd Gaming 