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Tales of a Scorched Earth is a personal weblog devoted to the critique of video games and game culture, but easily integrates other forms of consumable media. Here you will find independent analysis and opinions on video games, comfortably distanced from the industry at large. Updated at least once a month, but more if I'm feeling particularly inspired.
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Category Archives: pc gaming
PC Gamer: striving to lower expectations, one beta review at a time
Once again, PC Gamer displays their horrendous case of tunnel vision. Not satisfied with simply improving the quality of game reviews, they would rather change their review policy for the worse and then tell us that it’s a good thing. … Continue reading
Posted in gaming media, pc gamer, pc gaming
3 Comments
no one left behind
Last night I played through the “Death Toll” campaign in Left 4 Dead with my game group. Which, to avoid sounding like I have a surplus of friends who play games is really just me and a good friend of … Continue reading
Posted in fps, left4dead, pc gaming, survival horror
3 Comments
EDGE online: we shamelessly allow marketing people to write game commentary
My association with adventure games is a tenuous one. While Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is my favorite game of all time, I haven’t actively pursued the genre in years. The last adventure game I played seriously was … Continue reading
Posted in adventure, gaming media, pc gaming
4 Comments
Earth to PC Gamer: your best days are behind you
Glutton for punishment, and all that other crap: yes, I am reading the print version of PC Gamer again for lack of anything better in the PC-only category. Any help on finding something better would be appreciated. Really, this is … Continue reading
Posted in gaming media, pc gamer, pc gaming
5 Comments
Left 4 Dead impressions
Updated November 14, 2008 Left 4 Dead goes out of its way to create an interactive horror movie. The movie poster introducing the upcoming mission, the four horror movie archetypes forming the group of survivors, a city overrun with Infected … Continue reading
Posted in demos, fps, left4dead, pc gaming, survival horror
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leaving Azeroth…again
Early group shot taken after completing the Deadmines as a five piece. No one knows what happened to the mysterious female Night Elf druid in the back row. Over the past year and a half, I played World of Warcraft … Continue reading
Posted in mmorpgs, pc gaming, world of warcraft
4 Comments
massively old republic
In an incredibly obvious Diablo 3-like announcement, Bioware and LucasArts confirm that they are indeed working on a Star Wars MMORPG set in the age of The Old Repubilc that has probably been in development since Knights of the Old … Continue reading
Posted in mmorpgs, pc gaming, star wars, star wars galaxies
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Should DRM affect game reviews?
I recenly picked up a copy of the December 2008 issue of PC Gamer while waiting at the airport. I haven’t read it since 2004, but it’s not like I have a choice for PC-centric commentary in print now that … Continue reading
Posted in game culture, gaming media, pc gamer, pc gaming
5 Comments