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About Me
A self proclaimed professor of survival horror despite only having a BA (Hons) degree in film. Go figure.
Okay, maybe I should write more here but I once did an interview for Law's blog, which explains everything about me.
In the meantime, I'm just a guy who writes about videogame theory and how the medium can achieve better cinematic emulation (while keeping its own indentity). Though, if that's too boring, you can always find something delightfully fluffy in the following:
Gamer Obscura
Gregory Horror Show
Glass Rose
Michigan: Report From Hell
Hellnight
Steambot Chronicles
Chase The Express
The X Files FMV Game
SOS: The Final Escape & Raw Danger
G-Police & G-Police: Weapons of Justice
Koudelka
Friday The 13th: The Computer Game
Hard Edge
DENNIS HOPPER featuring Black Dahlia
Harvester
The Note
The Police Quest Collection
It Came From The Desert
Blade Runner
Men in Black: The Game
Famicom Detective Club Part II
Toonstruck
Ham-Ham Heartbreak
Unsung Heroes
Brad Garrison (Dead Rising)
Jenny Romano (The Darkness)
Cass (Fallout: New Vegas)
Hey, check out these inane ramblings:
The Vague History of UK Videogame TV shows
Part 1 (Bad Influence, Gamesmaster & Games World)
Part 2 (BITS & videoGaiden/consoleVania)
Part 3 (the worst and the future)
The Assimilation of Eastern & Western Horror in Videogames
Part 1 (The Eastern/Western Horror Assimilation)
Part 2 (Interaction and Narrative)
Part 3 (Case Study)
Random
Skip To The End: Max Payne 2
The Lost Idea of An Adventures of Pete & Pete Game
My Unpopular Opinion: I Liked Alone in The Dark 5
Hey BBC! Where's My Doctor Who Game?!
Loving Dr. Chakwas
The 'Fun Simulacrum' of Movie/TV License Games
Why Devs Don't Get The Colonial Marines From Aliens
It's Okay To Like B-Movie Games
Endings That Made Me Cry...Like A Man
Who Do You Trust?
Dancing With Myself
My Unpopular Opinion: Silent Hill 4 Deserved Better
Theme Hospital & The Embarrassing Operation of Old
When It Comes To Noir in Videogames, "It's Chinatown"
My Irreverent & Irrelevant Awards Show 2010
Amateur Bedroom Critics
Sydney Briar is Alive
The Big Gumbo
Alan Wake's Hallowiener Special
...And So I Watch You From Afar
Nostaljourney
Some poor sap let me onto their awesome podcast. These are the horrific results...
Deus Ex
Resident Evil 2
Duke Nukem 3D
Secret Moon Base
They sent me into space for this podcast. There were no survivors...
Fiddling Nightbear
Monthly Musings
I Suck At Games: Stretching My RPGs Out into A Year & A Half Ordeal
Improving Gaming Communities: We Need A Gaming Fonzie
The Future: Laughing At The Past
Something About Sex: It's A Conquest, Not A Catalyst
Alternate Reality: "My other car is a Trotmobile!"
Teh Bias: Starting At The Ground Floor
Groundhog Day: One DeSoto, Two Carefree Owners
Front Page
Nothing Is Sacred: 'It looks like the lock is broken. I can't open it.'
Love/Hate: Shark Jumping Videogame Writers
E for Effort: The Adventures of Mega & Master (A Cautionary Tale)
The Lament of Solitary Antagonistic Horror
2010 Sucked: Why Cing Will Be Unknowingly Missed
Technical Difficulties: Rainbow Six FUBAR
Cass from New Vegas
Honest Endings for Honest Hearts
Thanks for reading!
Gamer Profile
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Gamertag: kimdealslover
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Gamertag: kimdealslover
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Belated Happy New Year! Well, I think it might be New Year. Honestly, it’s hard to remember since the Radio Times (TV Guide for non-Brits) stopped at December 31st. Now I’m just measuring time by any unopened bottles of Colonel Kwiki-Mart’s Kentucky Fried Bourbon. Anyway, 2010 will go down as the year where just about everyone of my favourite bands released average albums. That and I also received an alarmingly awful scarf from my father, showing how little he knows about me or any fashion sense. At least there was one constant in my life and it’s obviously videogames. There’s also my girlfriend of 8-9 years, but that’s irrelevant right now. This year we had the cowboy epic, an increase in detective mysteries, some tense moments in psychological horror, the blockbuster conspiracy thriller and the continuation of an intergalactic interpretation of Days of Our Lives. There was also some astoundingly dumb moments and squandered ideas too, but you can’t have it all. 
So let’s just get the negatives out of the way, shall we? Through the medium of song! Chords: C-G-C-G-Em-D Cing finally went bust Even though they made Hotel Dusk Sleep is Death’s payment plan was an arrogant mess Pre-order strong arms didn’t make a sale Rohrer’s slapped out of his complacency And he’s now on a “sliding scale” Heavy Rain’s Plot Hole I was the killer and I didn’t know Damn, I felt so screwed The info was omitted from my view Doctor Who and Sam & Max Had controls as crumpled as my ball-sack Amateur bedroom retro reviewers think they’re great Formed a gaming website that’s quite irate Er... Um...Ahem...Damn, song writing is hard. Now it’s time for some faux-awards that are completely irrelevant and are basically just a cover for my personal preferences rather than being a catalyst for cultural remembrance. It also has nothing to do with Destructoid’s opinions. 
THE GAMER OBSCURA AWARD Last Window: The Secret of Cape West Tony Ponce thought 9 Doors... was the best written game of the year. Well, he was wrong! The sequel to the melancholic noir adventure Hotel Dusk was a bittersweet triumph for Cing’s final game; creating a near-perfect blend of downbeat crime drama and wistful character studies through the use of subterfuge investigations and mundane conversations. When the whole story kicks off with the unusual sight of the hero losing their sales job and being told they’re about to be evicted over Christmas, you don’t need to be a genius to know you’re playing something uniquely different and honestly mature for once. £10 says you didn’t play it either. THE UNSUNG HEROES AWARD Samara (Mass Effect 2) Samara was a wandering Ronin with a Zen approach to life’s hardships. As a deeply tragic character who has accepted her woes as karmic payback, she’s played with distant grace by Maggie Baird. Conversations about morality and acceptance were played out in hushed tones, with a stunning loyalty mission about hunting down her psychotic daughter, made her one of the best developed characters in recent years. Yet, nobody liked her because she wasn’t Liara. THE UNENDORSED SUDA 51 POST-MODERN GENIUS AWARD Deadly Premonition FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan has a personality called Zach living in his head. Only you’re Zach (except later you’re not) and so begins an inspired relationship between player and protagonist. Instead of being a passive controller, you’re another cast member that York interacts with; perfectly judging the balance between engagement and immersion while breaking the fourth wall. As York usually exclaimed – “Amazing!” THE BRUCE CAMPBELL INVENTIVE USE OF WEAPONRY AWARD Dead Rising 2 Dead Rising 2 was daft fun (while being tough as hell) and does everything a sequel should – make improvements across the board. It’ll probably be overlooked in a few years’ time for aping the original so closely, but hell, at least it gave us some of the most inspired use of everyday materials ever; my favourite being the Flaming Boxing Gloves of DOOM! BEST UNORIGINAL MOVIE ADAPTATION AWARD Splinter Cell: Conviction Don’t get me wrong, Conviction was amazing. While the die-hards might have turned their noses up at the action, it was a heart-racing popcorn blockbuster that riffed on The Bourne Trilogy and 24. It’s interesting to see how Splinter Cell’s ideals have shifted from right-wing to the Hollywood left over the years without Tom Clancy’s involvement and it’s a guilty pleasure to re-enact awesome movie scenes; especially the chase around The Lincoln Memorial (which ends with a carbomb explosion). THE BUTTOCK CLENCH AWARD Mass Effect 2 “The chances of survival...are slim.” You’ve assembled your team and you’re going to take on The Collectors in daring suicide mission. From start to finish, you’re assaulted for a good hour with on-the-fly decision making, shoot-outs, diversions and the knowledge that anyone might die. It’s a ridiculously intense finale, with a genuine personal stake in every decision you make. Even if everyone else makes it out alive, you still have to make that white-knuckle jump to the Normandy in glorious slow motion. This is why I love videogames. THE UNPOPULAR OPINION AWARD Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (UK release Feb 2010) Shattered Memories was simple horrifying bliss that harked back to the frantic desperation and confusion of old survival horror without firing a single bullet. Scrape away the layers and it was a depressingly familiar tale of divorce. Sure, it was disposable to the point of only needing one play-through, but it was easily one of the best Silent Hill stories ever made. So much so, it didn’t really need the franchise tag at all. THE “KEEP YOUR FIRE, CAVE APE! WE JUST REINVENTED THE WHEEL!” AWARD Red Dead Redemption It might not be the greatest Western ever made, but Red Dead Redemption had me stumped in the same way that Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven came along and handed us a dour love letter to the genre. It’s hard to imagine anybody else following up RDR in such serious fashion, except maybe the “Boy’s Adventures” feel of the Call of Juarez franchise. It’s not even my GOTY, but hard not to feel the uniqueness of John Marston cutting a sad, lonely, figure as he rides down Mexico way to kill an old friend. THE GHOSTBUSTERS 2009 GOTY AWARD FOR GOTY 2010 
Deadly Premonition No wait... Alan Wake No...er... Well, this is where the sham, self-satisfaction that is incumbent of all award ceremonies is truly exposed because it’s truly tough to decide on a winner. On one hand, there’s a stunningly bizarre mystery thriller that twists the TV serial knife into post-modern interaction and on the other... Oh... Flip a coin and it would still be a nightmare to choose between Alan Wake and Deadly Premonition because of their similar strengths and weaknesses; practically ‘Ying and Yang’ to each other. While Alan Wake would have benefited from the free-roam investigation of Deadly Premonition, the latter definitely needed the action sequences from the former. Regardless, both had strong existential concepts that were slowly uncovered by two of the best written protagonists in recent years. Personally, Deadly Premonition’s place in gaming history is assured (it was charming to see Destructoid on the PAL cover too), while Alan Wake will probably have to face some kind of decent reappraisal one day. But as it stands, they’re both tied for the top spot. A bit of a cop out, but hey, this was all just a bit of fun. It’s not like the guy from Game Journalists Are Incompetent Fuckwits is going to berate me for it. He’s too busy with money woes. Now a tribute to those who passed away last year... 
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Living the dream since March 16, 2006
Living the dream since March 16, 2006
Your cover of Deadly Premonition is better than mine. Same with Dead Rising. This is an unfortunate trend.
If I were to label the occurrence that is happening in and around that scarf, the words cat vomit would not be easily dismissed.
Of course coming from the "hawaiian shirt guy" as I am referred to on campus, I can't speak on it too much.
I'm afraid Samara will only be remembered by a pity few for her skinsuit and cobalt cleavage. She was indeed a very interesting character to barter with. I wish I would've gone with her evil "soul-eating" sister instead.
As for Deadly Premonition -- even thought I haven't finished it, yet-- it was truly one of the most bizarre experiences of 2010. I will be scarred for life by these horrendous vehicle controls, yet I enjoyed myself way more than I originally expected. I need to watch Twin Peaks, if only to understand half of the game's quirkiness.
As for your dignity; I've seen much worse. It makes you look intellectual actually, which quite fits your personality. Maybe your father isn't as ignorant as you might think. Maybe he thinks you like Jazz, and hang out in local café pretending to be an artist. Maybe, he's just worried about you, getting sick.... the scarf's rubbish init?
That is if they still wear burberry, and people still call them chavs....see it’s confusing!
Deadly Premonition remains one of the main reasons why I’m jealous of 360 owners.
@Occams: For some reason I can never get that near-miss romance option to come up again. I really liked that she was one of the few who had issues but didn't feel like droning on about them or being all in your face to prove something. Alien MILFs, huh?
@Dixon: You had to notice that mistake, didn't you? We do get some great videogame covers over here. Though I'd kill for the High Stakes Edition of Dead Rising 2.
@Zarwid: Yeah, that's a shame, but at least all DS games are region free. *knowing wink*
@Kraid: It's okay, the scarf is dire. I know it, you know it. Ha!
I'll admit I've always got my head in a guide for point and click adventures, but I'll keep at it if there's a good story waiting to get started. I like play novels, but you really have to get into the mindset for something like Hotel Dusk, Snatcher and Super Famicom Detective Club. I guess I like playing the investigator a lot because they're so rare.
That's why I much prefered breaking into dead girl's dressers for new leads in Deadly Premonition than shooting the Shadow monsters!
@Handy: I've also noticed a huge increase in pimp tracksuits recently. Shoot me if you ever see me in one. I did rock the shell-suit look when I was about 11-12. If it makes you feel better, I'm jealous you guys have Uncharted, but not too much since I can still play it over other people's houses.
Awesome awards!... and that scarf, it's got personality... kinda like that hat you like so much! :)
Admittedly some of the puzzles were infuriating because you couldn't find all the pieces you needed easily, but man, that was one cool ass game.
@Wry: Yeah, it's a bit of a sad fate for Last Window. It only came out in Septemeber though, so there's still a chance to import it. I think there's a YouTube playthrough already up too. Seriously, if you loved Hotel Dusk, you'll enjoy this one too. I'd say it's better than the original since there's more to do this time around. A lot shorter though, but the pacing is better for it.
@Gareth: Aaaaaay! You saw what I did there! "You're on fire..." as Chuck Greene would say. Ha!
@Law: I actually despised the coffee because I collected 92 flasks on my first playthrough and they don't show up again on a new run, so you don't know which ones you've collected without a guide. I prefered looking for the manucripts instead. Their little bits of info made them far too rewarding to miss out on.
You could have thrown a cactus with a mustache in my party and would have gotten the same result as the Disc 2 characters got. This would have eventually led me to give Senor Cactus some great epiphany by discovering that his father was a monster and that we had to destroy this Cactaceaen threat.
Afterwards, his secondary pallet change would have been unlocked and blue Cactus and I would race off to save the galaxy from a terminator.
All I'm saying is that they squandered the story's potential by putting such a simple event too far past the first disc. Once I had 4 party members and 10-20 hours invested, the other 3 just didn't matter.
I need to import that last Cing game. Does anybody know if Wii's are region free? I'd also love to get Another Code R as well, if I'm going to be importing.
Clearly, I need to go replay the game as my memory is getting a bit hazy.
I would have liked SH: SM except I prefer to confront enemies rather than frantically running away to hide. I'm not a pussy and I don't expect my video game characters to be either.
By the by, is that a Burberry scarf? If you don't want it, toss it my way :]
I agree with the 2nd disc characters, especially with Legion. He was obviously the most important character of the lot, what with the forthcoming Geth/Quarian war and his virus to fix the collective. Yet, if you want the best ending, you can only use him for one loyalty mission. Seemed like a waste after the build up.
@Caiters: I'm not a fan of Liara at all (I'm an Ash man), but I liked the sociopath she'd become in Shadow Broker.
As for SH:SM, I'm a total pussy, but I do love being stuck in a bad situation and the easiest option isn't available to you. It makes you use your brains, which why I really miss games like Forbiden Siren. It's too easy to pick up a gun and destroy your nightmares. That's why the flares are so effective in SM; they're little breathers rather than real empowerment.
Also, I think it's a fake Burberry scarf. Ugh.
Well, I did like the times when it made me solve some kind of puzzle to escape, but most of the time I just ended up running into a monster over and over again and I was helpless. It was testing my ability to run and hide, not to solve any kind of puzzle at that point. And then the rest of the game is spent wandering around this pretty empty town and it's kind of boring and obvious what's going on... I did really enjoy the little quizzes and stuff throughout -- I hope they implement that in later games.
Anyway, as for Alan Wake VS Deadly Premonition, you should probably get both. I know why you had such a hard time choosing.
But if I was forced to choose, I would say DP. Cans of Hollendaise that you eat puts it over the top. I like Alan Wake but I feel much more involved with Zach. Alan Wake is like an awesome movie, but DP is like a lucid dream.
Plus, I love those hiding/chase sections with the Raincoat Killer. It's so reminiscent of something that would happen in a PS1 era horror game. I could go on, but I will stfu.
Bravo.