Tag: video-games
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“Ubisoftication” is a Good Thing, Actually
It seems that every time a new open world game comes out these days, I hear the same tired buzzword about their design from game critics. Putting a lot of markers on the map to tell you where the side content is, is “Ubisoftication”. Thanks to the new Zelda games and Elden Ring in particular,…
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3 Quick Takes on Helldivers 2: It’s Only Hell Getting In
For the second time this year, a game has come out of nowhere to take the gaming world by storm. Helldivers 2 didn’t have a giant marketing push and is only selling for $40. It’s pretty obvious that it wasn’t expected to be a massive success. Like many, Helldivers 2 was not on my radar,…
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Anomaly Agent Review: Slick, Stylish, Absurd
I love the word absurd because of all the positive and negative connotations that can surround it. Describing someone as absurd can mean they are awesome and hilarious. It can also mean they are extremely dumb. Anomaly Agent is absurd in every kind of way. Luckily, most of those ways are good! It’s a fast-paced…
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Dondoko Island Might Be The Greatest Minigame of All Time
I absolutely adore a great minigame in my video games. For long RPGs in particular, minigames can be a way to dramatically enhance the experience. When you are going to put 50+ hours into a game (and sometimes way more than that), it can become a grind, and breaks are good. A minigame can put…
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The Biggest Winners Of the Playstation State of Play
Much like the Xbox Developer Direct a few weeks ago, I came away Playstation’s latest games showcase neither super excited or disappointed. I thought it was fine. Much like that Xbox Developer Direct, no game totally blew me away, but also, just like that show, I became a bit more interested in several games, which…
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3 Quick Takes- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Since there is no way I’ll finish this game any time soon, this post is to offer some early thoughts. I am currently in the middle of Chapter 4, with maybe 10 hours or so of playtime. Combat is Better (But Still Could Use Some Work) I fell off Yakuza: Like a Dragon almost entirely…
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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Review- The Genius With No Common Sense
There’s always that one kid in school. All the brains in the world, excels at every subject, aces every test. But there is just one thing… “they ain’t got no common sense!”. In the end, it doesn’t matter. When someone is brilliant, they can get by without common sense, even if it can be frustrating…
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Big Nerd Gaming’s Top 10 Moments of 2023
One of the beautiful things about video games is how the best moments can take shape in such a variety of ways. When I look back at my favorite moments each year, some are boss fights, some are plot moments, some are set pieces, and most have a little bit of everything. These are the…
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How Hibernian Workshop Got Better And Delivered One of The Best Games of 2023
About a month back I purchased Astral Ascent, a game that has quickly skyrocketed up my Game Of The Year list. After following the dev, Hibernian Workshop, on twitter, I was struck by a tweet where they talked about the journey to this point. In the tweet, they showcased how the steam reviews for their…
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Welcome to Big Nerd Gaming
My name is Westen, aka “The Big Nerd”. I count myself as incredibly fortunate in this life. I have an amazing wife, a beautiful daughter, and tons of amazing friends, many of whom I consider family. And yet, one weird thing has always been missing for me. Despite video games being one of my main…
Big Nerd Gaming 