Category Archives: Video Games

Game Review: Ni No Kuni – Wrath of the White Witch

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Ni No Kuni: The Wrath of the White (literally Second Country, also called “Another World”) is a role-playing video game, developed by Level-5 and Studio Ghibli, for the Nintendo DS and later PlayStation 3 (released in January 2013 for Western audiences).

Not since Okami (which is my all-time favorite game) have I played a video game that I have fallen so totally in love with. Everything about the game, from the flawless animation, to the compelling storyline, to the innovative multitasking gameplay, to the adorable Pokemon-like creatures who you level up as your familiars, just drew me in and left me with a completely satisfying gaming experience. I was content to spend days not setting foot outdoors while playing this game.  Continue reading →

Year in Gaming

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After crossing the Mt. Pulag climb off my bucket list over the weekend, I was ready to get back into some virtual adventure. Last night, I bought a copy of The Walking Dead game for PS3 and resolved to get some undead ass-kicking first thing in the morning.

In just three hours I already finished the first of five episodes. Time sure flies when you’re trying to not get eaten by zombies. The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series (based on Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead Comic Book series) is available on iOS, OS X, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It’s already been named as one of the “Games of the Year” for 2012.

Hopefully, The Walking Dead will be as fun, if not even more enjoyable, than the other games which kept me on the beanbag this past year. Some of which are… Continue reading →

A Motorcycle Tour Bucket List

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Last year, during a trip to Vietnam, I got to explore Saigon on a motorcycle, the most popular mode of transport. In my opinion, it’s the best way to experience the culture of the bustling city (check out the latest issue of TRAVEL Magazine for my article on this.)

This made me think about other countries that would be great for motorcycle tours. Here’s a short bucket list of places I’d love to go to mostly inspired by memorable motorcycle rides in films and TV shows. Continue reading →

Video Game Inspired Cocktails

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Since I’m nearing the end of my 99 beers collection sidequest, I was thinking of branching out into cocktails and mixed drinks. One of the coolest resources for this that I’ve come across is The Drunken Moogle, a blog devoted to the “two best things this side of Hyrule: geek culture and booze.”

The Drunken Moogle contains an extensive collection of nerdy cocktail recipes inspired by video games, anime, movies and as well as geeky drinking games. They even have a listing of gaming bars around the world that makes me just want to open up one here in the country. Here are a few cocktail recipes that I’d like to recreate from the games I’ve recently played. I think these would all be great for a video game themed Halloween party.

Bloody Alice (American McGee’s Alice Cocktail)

Though I finished playing Alice: Madness Returns last year, I’ve been replaying it in an attempt to get the 100% completion rate for pig snouts, bottles, memories and radula rooms. Bloody Alice, a modified Bloody Mary concocted by The Drunken Moogle, looks as delicious and twisted as the game is.

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Travel Gear for Geeks

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Contrary to popular opinion, geeks don’t spend ALL their time just vegging out in front of the television or computer. For some of us, real-life adventures are preferable to virtual ones. But when we do travel, we like to channel our geek pride by using clothes and gear that show off our unique interests. Here are a few cool finds that I use for travel and where you can find them here in the Philippines.

Geek Shirts

If you’re looking for geek shirts, you can order some really great ones online from Threadless, but the shipping fee to the Philippines is a bit expensive. Folded and Hung released a Marvel line earlier this year, while t-shirt companies like American Boulevard, Analog Soul, and Geekerie Shirts have very cool superhero/retro/sci-fi/movie/gaming designs. Or you could just head to the Greenhills Tiangge and scour through the bazaars.

The best shirts for me are these awesome ones from Electromagnetic Tentacle, a local company that specializes in limited edition graphic parody t-shirts that blend classic geek icons with Pinoy culture.

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How Video Games can Inspire Wanderlust

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There’s something about traveling that’s kind of like playing an open-world exploration video game. You can choose your own adventure, select the areas of the country or the world that you want to explore, savor the journey itself or just pass by to visit as many places as possible, and go on self-imposed quests and sidequests along the way.

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Evil is Back: Diablo III is here!

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“Hello, my friend. Stay awhile and listen…” - Deckard Cain 

As I write this, gamers across the planet are probably already busy exploring the dungeons of Sanctuary, unleashing their powers against hordes of demons. On May 15, 2012, Blizzard Entertainment Inc. reported a record of more than 2 million pre-orders for Diablo III and held 8,000 midnight launch events in retail stores worldwide. In the Philippines, Diablo III was launched at noon at the National Sports Grill in Greenbelt Makati by IP E-Games (the official Blizzard games distributor in Southeast Asia). If you’re a fan, I don’t need to tell you that the game looks awesome, as you’ve probably already seen the trailers. I used to play Diablo II with my sister years ago (her character was a Sorceress while I played Necromancer and Druid later in the expansion pack) and I know a lot of people who have been waiting over a decade for this moment.

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Collectible Items IRL (In Real Life) Travel

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Many video games, especially the role-playing/adventure types, usually have sidequests where the goal is to collect certain items. Usually these items are not really essential to finishing the overall game. However, getting a complete collection can bag you extra trophies, special weapons or abilities when you play the game again (or just bragging points).

Among the memorable collectible items in games I have played are those rare cards from the Triple Triad card minigame in Final Fantasy VIII, the insanely hard to complete 100 stray beads from the game Okami, , and memories and bottles (among others) in the game I’m currently playing – Alice: The Madness Returns.

Because of this, I’ve recently started collections based on real life travel. Since I don’t have the space to start a physical collection (like magnets or t-shirts) I’m taking photos of the items instead, which I will update in my “Menu screen” (Facebook page). Here are the missions I’m doing so far: Continue reading →

5 Video Game-Like Travel Experiences

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Have you ever watched a video game cutscene and think, damn, I would love to visit that place? As a fan of role-playing games, sometimes I just want to get sucked into a game to explore the fantastic “out of these world” landscapes that heroes get to visit on their travels. Thankfully, there are a few places here in the Philippines that could just be the live action equivalent of the CGI scenes. Here are my top five picks of travel experiences that reminded me of certain video games:

1) El Nido, Palawan = Besaid Island, Final Fantasy X

With it’s crystal clear waters, limestone cliffs and numerous islands, the seascape of El Nido could easily be the setting where Tidus washes ashore at the start of Final Fantasy X. The Isle of Besaid, a small island at the southernmost point of the world Spira, features a large beach and seaport, a small village surrounded by forests and waterfalls, and a temple.

On the other hand, El Nido is a first class municipality and managed resource protected area in the province of Palawan, roughly 238 kilometres northeast of the capital Puerto Princesa. Having one of the most diverse ecosystems in the country, El Nido is protected for its unique flora and fauna, and pristine geologic formations. El Nido is notable for its spectacular limestone cliffs, expansive white sand beaches, tiny paradise-like islets, various types of forests, and major marine habitats. If you get to climb the cliffs, the view from the top is simply amazing just like in the game (well, minus the machina of course). Continue reading →

10 Travel Lessons I’ve learned from Video Games

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My blog just turned five months old today! To celebrate, I’ve compiled a few travel tips I’ve learned from years of playing video games, which apply to real-life travel.

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