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WCW's Nintendo 64 legacy lives again, in mod form
Growing up, my friends and I were obsessed with Nintendo 64 wrestling games. That was all thanks to THQ, the AKI Corporation, and their AKI Engine. The AKI Engine made playing as your favorite on-screen personality simple yet refined, introducing a grappling system that allowed you to perform moves a heck of a lot easier than the Mortal Kombat-level button input-system other games used. Each wrestler had individual specials, taunts, and submission moves that reminded you of who they were supposed to represent, and lent itself to a variety of gameplay tactics depending on who you chose.
Easy-to-use mods brought me back to ‘Freespace 2’
Game genres can wax and wane in popularity. It's a sad truth that two of my favorites, real-time strategy and space simulation games, have been on the decline since the glory days of Tie Fighter and Warcraft. We may never see the likes of Warcraft 3 again, but in recent years there have been some valiant attempts to revive the space sim, with releases like Everspace, Rebel Galaxy, and Elite breathing new life into the genre. But I haven't been playing any of those, because all my free time has been completely consumed by Freespace 2.
'Hades' made me a believer in early access games
Hades is the game that finally got me to try an early-access release. I should explain: I generally feel you should buy a game only once it's been released and reviewed. In an era where physical stock is rarely a concern, pre-ordering games basically means you're giving publishers free money, but early access titles go a step further -- it's like paying to be a beta tester.
Everything Engadget played to wrap up 2019
The Engadget staff's favorite video games of 2019.
What we played in October: 'Untitled Goose Game' and 'What the Golf?'
Welcome back to Engadget's Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where we run down what our editors are playing. This time, it's all about the goose. You know which one. We also dove into one of Apple Arcade's most addictive titles, What the Golf, as well as Sayonara Wild Hearts. And of course, we couldn't help but check out the latest Apex Legends season. We'd also love to know what you've been playing, shout out in the comments below!
What we've been playing in September: 'Control' and 'Wheels of Aurelia'
What the Engadget staff has been playing in September 2019: 'Control' and 'Wheels of Aurelia'
What we played in August: Gundam building, 'Fire Emblem: Three Houses'
Welcome back to Engadget's Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where we run down what our editors are playing. This time around, we dive into the new Gundam mobile model building game, and chat about our time with Fire Emblem: Three Houses and the new Wolfenstein side-story, Youngblood. Because who wouldn't want a Nazi murder simulator to go alongside their religious high school anime sim? We'd also love to know what you've been playing, shout out in the comments below!
What we played in July: 'Bloodstained' and 'Super Mario Maker 2'
Welcome back to Engadget's Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where we run down what our editors are playing. This time around, we've finally got our hands on Kickstarter darling Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, as well as some more impressions on Super Mario Maker 2. And for a change of pace, we take a look at an intriguing visual novel, Miss Fisher and the Deathly Maze. We'd also love to know what you've been playing, shout out in the comments below!
What we played in June: 'Final Fantasy Tactics' and 'Overcooked'
Welcome back to Engadget's Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where we run down what our editors are playing. This time around, we've been putting time into the iOS version of Final Fantasy Tactics, Overcooked and Just Cause 4. And we also briefly spent some time with the excellent card-based Rogue-like Meteorfall. We'd also love to know what you've been playing, shout out in the comments below!
What we played in March
Welcome back to Engadget's Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where we run down what our editors are playing. And basically, we've been dying a lot in Apex Legends. We're also catching up with Spider-Man on the PlayStation 4, and Just Cause 3 from 2015. There's no shame in bringing up older games -- I bet we've all got a mighty large backlog to work through. We'd also love to know what you've been playing, shout out in the comments below!
What we're playing in February
Welcome back to Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where Engadget editors dive into everything they've been playing lately. We're well past the holidays and finally recovered from CES -- it's the perfect time to sit back and pick up a controller. Unfortunately, we haven't played one of the biggest recent releases, Resident Evil 2, but you can take a look back at our preview from E3. This month, we have a comparison between Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Origins, a look at New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, and one of our editors dives back into the glory of StarCraft 2. We'd also love to know what you've been playing, shout out in the comments below!
What we're playing: 'Super Beat Sports' and 'Animal Crossing'
Welcome back to Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where several editors talk about what they've been playing in their downtime. This month we've been loving Super Beat Sports and Stardew Valley and taking an early look at Nintendo's Animal Crossing mobile game. But first, let Kris Naudus tell you about the scariest dating sim she's ever played.
What we're playing: 'Mario + Rabbids,' 'Overwatch' and 'Splatoon 2'
Welcome back to Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where several editors talk about what they've been playing in their downtime. This month, it all falls apart, as two of us admit to basically playing the same games nonstop all year. Some are still doing their jobs though, and to kick us off, UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith talks about Ubisoft's surprisingly good Mario + Rabbids game.
What we're playing: 'Tacoma,' 'Final Fantasy' and 'A Dark Room'
Welcome back to Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where several editors talk about what they've been playing in their downtime. This month, we've enjoyed (to varying degrees) two flavors of Final Fantasy, explored Fullbright's new game, Tacoma, and lost ourselves in a "button-tapping mash-up between an idle-clicker and a text adventure." To open proceedings, UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith talks about how, when it comes to Final Fantasy XII, third time's a charm.
What we're playing in June
Welcome back to Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where several editors talk about what they've been playing in their downtime. Gaming IRL is part of a broader series in which you'll find stories from all of the areas we cover: gadgets we use every day, the apps and services we adore, what we're watching and the music and podcasts we can't live without. Today is all about gaming. E3 is done and dusted for another year, but every year there are dozens of great games released, all of which are available right now. Fittingly, our picks this month range from a 1997 sim all the way up to a game that was released just today.
What we played in May
From in-depth features and interviews to the daily torrent of trailers and news, we write a lot about video games here. But there's only so much one team can cover, and often some of our favorite games never grace the digital pages of Engadget. To remedy that shortcoming, we're introducing Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where several editors talk about what they've been playing in their downtime. Sometimes these'll be the latest AAA game, but you'll also see free-to-play mobile distraction and classics revisited (or criminally ignored until now). Gaming IRL is part of a broader series in which you'll find stories from all of the areas we cover: gadgets we use every day, the apps and services we adore, what we're watching and the music and podcasts we can't live without. Today is all about gaming. In the future, expect to find some essays and personal stories mixed in with the endorsements, but for now, sit back and enjoy an eclectic mix of console, hand-held, online and mobile recommendations.
