I have gotten busier as the semester goes on with lots of projects and quizzes coming up. Nevertheless, I managed to find an hour of downtime before I work this evening. Since I have been annually going to RiverQuest, I have been able to try two new games: Smash Up and Red7. I also added them to my Board Game Bucket List that’s pinned to the front of my blog. Feel free to check it out and recommend to me some awesome tabletop games!

Smash Up is a game with decks of cards with a theme. To win the game, you earn 15 victory points. Minions are cards in your deck that allow you to rack up points to eventually earn victory points. Each deck has a particular theme that will impact the minions that are played. For example, the first time I ever played this game my first two decks were spies and kitties. So the minion cards in that deck were cute kittens riding on rainbows and spies that referenced the James Bond film series.

So it makes sense that I played with these decks first. Overall, the two decks didn’t work out that well, but it still left me with a good experience with this game.

The next combination I worked with was the Princesses and Cthulhu. This combination actually worked out quite well and I would highly recommend it.

Generally, this game is really easy to learn and is a pretty quick game to play. I highly recommend it if you love board games/card games that are really easy and make fun of pop culture a bit. Each expansion is great too especially Cthulhu and the mythic cards which I won’t go too in-depth with this post. Smash Up is probably one of my all-time favorite board games I have ever played! Play it immediately when you can!

This post will mark my first gaming review posted to the Bizarre Brunette. The last game I finished, Batman: Arkham Origins, I ended up posting that review on Twin Cities Geeks so I didn’t want to retype my thoughts on my personal blog. I can add the link to that review if you’re interested in reading it. Tomb Raider mesmerized me with the visually appealing island, Lara’s new re-invented look, and the fascinating story.

Tomb Raider is a prequel, telling the story of how Lara became as fierce as she is. The story starts with Lara and her archaeological team traveling to the island, Yamatai. Yamatai is located off the coast of Japan and was once ruled by Himiko, a sun queen who was blessed with powers for controlling the weather. Lara’s ship crashes on the island due to a horrific storm and with that experience, Lara starts to suspect that the storm has a magical pretense. She believes that something paranormal is stopping her team from leaving the island. Throughout the game, Lara uncovers the mystery behind Himiko, tries to help save her friends, and leaves the island.

Lara has been reinvented by wearing gray & white tank tops, brown cargo pants, and brown lace combat boots. Even though her french braid is no more, I really like her ponytail that’s loose and side-swept. It’s an accurate and more realistic take on the character.

Additionally, I really enjoy the weapons that Lara has access to. Her bow is the first weapon you gather in the game and after various levels, you can get fire arrows which are even more fun to use. The assault rifle is another definite favorite of mine, especially in huge fight sequences with multiple enemies shooting down at Lara. Weapon upgrades are awesome and I had the rifle fully upgraded first which made the weapon more useful. Lara can also gain skills that will help her throughout her adventure. There are skills that give you more XP to level up quicker, different take-down tactics, and more.

The characters that aid Lara add to the story. Conrad Roth is easily my favorite as he helps Lara through tough times and he gives her the pep talk she needs to be able to survive on the island. He is a crucial character in Lara’s development. Dr. James Whitman on the other hand is so arrogant, narcissistic, and annoying. If you beat the game, you will understand my frustration with Dr. Whitman.

Lara can stumble upon collectibles that enhance the campaign. Lara can find journal entries that reveal the ulterior motives of certain characters, she can discover hidden artifacts and she can uncover hidden tombs. The tombs themselves often have puzzles to solve to help uncover more collectibles. I like the puzzles because they’re really challenging so it’s satisfying to complete each tomb. The collectibles are worth grabbing and that’s the one part of the game I have left to complete.

Tomb Raider was an awesome game and I’m glad I found the time to complete it. It’s a great prequel that really brings Lara back into the next generation of gaming. I am looking forward to the sequel and it’s one reason why I really want to upgrade to the Xbox One.

Here’s the link to my Batman: Arkham Origins video game review http://twincitiesgeek.com/2015/08/arkham-origins-the-batman-prequel-that-didnt-fall-through/

Happy Gaming Everyone! 🙂

Happy Friday!

The weekend is coming upon me which means I will have plenty of time to work on the games that I’m playing. This is just an update on what I’m currently playing and what’s up next.

On my Xbox 360, I’m currently playing through Sleeping Dogs. It was released a couple of years ago and I had always wanted to play it. The game is set in Hong Kong and you play as Wei Shen. He’s going undercover into the Triad which are the gangs that roam the streets of Hong Kong. My first impression of the game is that I love the cop/triad missions. I love that I can help the police with side missions and complete the gang missions as well. To level up, there are two bars that need to be filled. The police bar is filled by not killing innocent civilians in missions or causing property damage. The triad bar is filled by completing the mission for the triad and going more deep undercover. That part of the game I really like.

However, the combat controls aren’t great. To counter an enemy, they light up in red. I press Y and 50% of the time, I still get hit even though I countered the punch. Driving is difficult. I keep forgetting that the left and the right joystick change the view so I always end up using both and crashing my car into things.

I plan on writing a full review once it’s finished.

Up Next: Hitman Absolution, Lara Croft Tomb Raider, and Far Cry 3.

For my 3DS, I’m still playing through Pokemon X. I’m also still playing Animal Crossing New Leaf. I found out that as a public service project, you can build a cafe right next to the museum. Unfortunately, I’m still building something else for my town, so I’m trying to finish that so I can move on to building the cafe. Animal Crossing is so cute and I will never stop playing it.

In addition, I also downloaded Steam again. I purchased the Sims 3. Right now I’m trying to unlock an achievement for having 15 kids. I’m also playing Castle Crashers. It’s addicting.

So as you can see, I have a lot of gaming to do before summer reaches an end. Feel free to add me on steam (BizarreBrunette). Happy Gaming! 🙂

This summer, I have rediscovered my love for gaming. I brought my Xbox 360 from home to my apartment which means I can game anytime that I want. I also brought back my 3DS which I really enjoy.

Today me and my roommate took a trip to a game stop. Immediately I wander into the 3DS section. Most 3DS games are pretty affordable. I also checked out the 3DS XL. I realize that if I have the money, I would easily upgrade to the XL. The main difference between the XL and the regular 3DS is size. The XL has a larger screen which is great for me. To me, a larger screen leads to a better gaming experience.

Since E3 is officially over, I have been looking into new games coming out for the 3DS. I am looking forward to Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer. Animal Crossing New Leaf is a game I got for Christmas along with my 3DS. I adore it. It’s so fun and cute and I love building a house and designing my town. This Happy Home Designer seems like a spin-off. I am definitely keeping tabs on this game.

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon. The premise of this game is you get to choose out of twenty different pokemon. After making your choice, you go into a world with 720 pokemon to capture and interact with. I love games that have a lot of replay value. This game will easily take me forever to finish. It will be well worth the wait for me.

My gaming wishlist easily consists of the 3DS XL because of the design and the larger screen & Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer and Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon.

Yesterday I played a board game with my friends. It was really fun and relaxing. This made me think about adding a new section to my blog. Gaming whether it’s with video games, board games, or card games is a hobby of mine. I love talking about games so I decided to add this section to my blog. I just want to give a quick rundown on what games I like to play:

Video Games:

I have been a proud Xbox 360 owner for eight years now! I have around 20,000 gamerscore and I’m pretty proud of that number. I haven’t upgraded to the Xbox One and I don’t really plan on it anytime soon. Laying down $500 for a console is still a lot of money for me. My boyfriend has it so I just use his. I’m playing through Murdered Soul Suspect on the Xbox One right now. I am definitely a Microsoft person. My favorite game on the 360 is Bioshock. I also enjoy Batman Arkham Asylum, Arkham City, The Simpsons Game, Gears of War, Halo, Max Payne 3, L.A. Noire, Red Dead Redemption, and Injustice Gods Among Us! Currently, I have Gears of War Judgement, Far Cry 3, Lara Croft Tomb Raider, and Grand Theft Auto V on my gaming backlog for the 360.

I also own a purple Nintendo 3DS. I love Animal Crossing New Leaf! I have spent way too much of my time playing it. I am currently playing through Pokemon X.

Board Games:

I have recently gotten into tabletop games. Arkham Horror is by far my favorite game that I have come across. I also love Red Dragon Inn. I have the second edition with me in my apartment. I am currently discovering new board games that I love when I come across them.

Card Games:

I play Magic the Gathering occasionally. I would say that’s really the only card game I have become interested in so far.

That’s about all for the introduction! I plan on posting video game reviews or discussions. I also want to write about board games. That being said, I’m going to work on my gaming backlog.

Gaming has always been a hobby that I have enjoyed. Currently, I am playing through Murdered Soul Suspect on my boyfriend’s Xbox One. I have considered for a while making that big step and purchasing an Xbox One.

I started gaming in the fall of 2007. I really wanted an Xbox 360 and I actually got one as a Christmas present that year. My first game was Halo 3. I spent hours playing Halo and I actually got pretty good. After spending too many hours playing Halo, I started expanding my horizon. I started playing through Bioshock. Bioshock is one of my all-time favorite video games. The story is fantastic and it still manages to scare me every single time I play. It’s one of those games I could play over and over again and I would never get bored. Bioshock changed the way I viewed video games. My other favorite video games include Bioshock, Halo 3, Batman Arkham Asylum & City, The Simpsons Game, Max Payne 3, and L.A. Noire. Throughout my high school years, my gaming increased. I had the time to put hours into a game and try to collect as many achievements as I could.

Now that I’m in college, I haven’t been able to play video games as much as I would like. My 360 is still at home because technically I and my brother share it. Recently, I have considered whether or not making that $350 dollar splurge would be worth it. The Xbox One does have a Blu-Ray player in it, so it would be buying a really nice DVD player as well. I do actually need a DVD player. There are really cool games coming out (Arkham Knight anyone?). However, I’m still hung up on that price. I could buy so many clothes with that or put that money into savings or even splurge on Twins baseball tickets (which is on my summer wishlist).

For now, I’m just going to be gaming away on my boyfriend’s Xbox One. Once I’m finished with Murdered: Soul Suspect, I will post a review here, until now Happy Gaming everyone! 🙂

I am not usually an app person. I mean I have an iPhone, but I don’t really have a reason to use apps. However, I was browsing the app store and came across the Simpsons Tapped Out. I am a huge fan of the Simpsons! I always have been. I downloaded this app and I was surprised at how addicting it is!

When you first download the app, it shows Homer playing on his “myPad” when he is at work at the nuclear power plant. A nuclear detonation ensues and you have to rebuild Springfield any way you like. It’s basically like Farmville almost but Simpsons edition.

What I love about the app is all the constant updates so this app never gets really old. The new update that came out is all comic themed and it is very fun. Also, it connects to Facebook so I added a couple of my friends to the game. You can visit their Springfield towns and vandalize their buildings for friendship XP. I love vandalizing my boyfriend’s buildings in the game.

This is the perfect app for any Simpsons fan. It’s addicting and if you download the app, you should let me know so we can be friends! The Simpsons are easily one of the funniest animated cartoon shows on television and I will forever be a Simpsons fan. One day I will sit and do the ultimate binge-watching challenge of watching every single Simpsons episode in existence. For now, the app will have to do.