CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio review for the streaming series “Emily in Paris” the adventures of Emily Cooper and her fanciful/fashionable Paris friends and lovers, now in its fourth season. Episodes 1-5 currently on Netflix.
Paul Meekin
Video Game Review: ‘Pneuma: Breath of Life’ is Fresh Air For Sore Eyes
Submitted by PMeekin on March 7, 2015 - 6:47pmCHICAGO – I was a 8 or 9 when I found myself in front of a Phillips CD-I display at Sears, playing the “Sesame Street” game like it was my job. The Count, Big Bird, Bert and Ernie all talked and animated in a way I had never seen in a game before. There was a guy in a suit talking to a lady behind me and he asked what I thought.
Video Game Review: ‘The Escapists’ is So Obtuse
Submitted by PMeekin on March 5, 2015 - 10:37pmCHICAGO – Years ago I took a game development class and pitched a game that was “Harvest Moon” meets “The Sims.” Instead of farming, your options included being a taxi driver, store clerk, handy man, stay at home parent, etc - all with accompanying mini-games and domestic troubles, a bit like the now-freeware “Cart Life.”
Video Game Review: ‘Don Bradman Cricket’ a Tricky Wicket
Submitted by PMeekin on March 2, 2015 - 7:36pmCHICAGO – 2014’s “The Golf Club” gave sports games a proper kick in the arse, booting out the pretentious hubbub of PGA Tour, its Pros, its Courses, and its ‘Majesty’ and ‘Prestige’, and replaced them with a Norm MacDonald-sounding caddy and a streamlined game of golf that let you play 18 holes in under an hour.
Video Game Review: ‘Dying Light’ Does Just Fine
Submitted by PMeekin on February 17, 2015 - 7:32pmCHICAGO – Playing “Dying Light” in co-op mode began a tale of two different gamers with two different lives and two different tastes. My co-op partner, Matt, is an Internet networking guru with a brand new Xbox One and not much to play on it beyond “#IDARB” (which is fantastic and free). He sunk his teeth into it like like an Asgardian at an all-you-can-eat buffet. He loved the open world, the graphics and the gruesomeness.
Video Game Review: ‘South Park: The Stick of Truth’ Spares the Satire, Spoils the Fans
Submitted by PMeekin on March 16, 2014 - 8:31pmCHICAGO – In May 13, 1996, I didn’t know what an RPG was. That all changed with “Super Mario RPG: The Legend of The Seven Stars”. The term was right there in the title! Not only did they popularize the genre, Square Enix streamlined the numbers heavy RPGs of the past into something challenging, charming, thrilling, and accessible. The combat was required timed button presses, and the story was oddly touching; bittersweet moments supplementing the generally upbeat and zany antics. It was almost a kid-friendly water-slide prelude to the pop-culture Tsunami that was to be “Final Fantasy VII” only a few months later, at which point pretty much everyone knew what an RPG was and what to expect to from one.
Video Game Review: ‘Rayman Legends’ Brings Platforming Perfection to Next Gen
Submitted by PMeekin on March 3, 2014 - 4:27pmCHICAGO – It’s possible you made the unadvisable decision to remove “Rayman Legends” from your gaming console at some point in the six months its release. I know I did, and once it was out of the console, finding a reason to put it back in was tricky. I had collected tens of thousands of lums, and quite a large portion of of the 700 teensies, and loved every second of it. But there was so much more to do. More teensies, more lums, more secrets and challenges to complete - very daunting.
Video Game Review: ‘Masters of the World: Geopolitical Simulator 3’ is Economic Stimulis for the Brain
Submitted by PMeekin on February 23, 2014 - 2:21pmCHICAGO – “Everyone hates the President” said my Mother after I, yet again, bemoaned the extreme polarization of folks on various social media platforms toward Mr. Obama. I guess it’s true. But still, don’t these people on Facebook and Twitter and Disqus know how hard that job is? What the actual *job* of the President is?
Video Game Review: ‘Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition’ Delivers Action, Downplays Feminism
Submitted by PMeekin on February 17, 2014 - 5:47pmCHICAGO – Lara Croft is all about her boobs. I mean, seriously. I don’t mean to be this guy, but if you’re a gamer who was around to play or hear about the initial “Tomb Raider,” the first thing your subconscious brings to mind – most likely – is Ms. Croft’s green tank top and those not-quite-round polygonal boobies.
Video Game Review: Junk Food Appeal of ‘Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 13, 2013 - 8:25pmCHICAGO – Edward Kenway stands upon a Nassau stronghold ledge above two guards having an idle chat. I push the X button and he drops down upon their necks with piercing steel. I hold RT and the directional stick and hop into a nearby hay bale. Save for the two bodies, it was like I was never there.
Video Game Review: ‘Grand Theft Auto: Online’ is an Iffy Connection
Submitted by BrianTT on October 15, 2013 - 2:53pmCHICAGO – Sometimes you get a freebie. While seemingly millions of other players were cursing the house that Houser built, stuck waiting for “Grand Theft Auto: Online” to load the first tutorial mission, I was already in and playing a day after launch.
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