review – Page 12 – Tired Old Hack

Her Story is a plot-based game. As such, this review is completely free of spoilers. The only plot information revealed is what is revealed to the player right at the start of the game before any user-instigated interaction takes place.

There’s currently a thread on popular games forum NeoGAF called ‘Her Story | Spoiler Thread’. I won’t link to it in case you’re tempted to click it before playing the game.

In it are all manner of theories, questions and debates on the events of Her Story, the latest game from Sam Barlow, writer of the incredible Silent Hill: Shattered Memories.

While I have my own theory and I’m pretty happy with it, I’ve also seen some contradictory (and pretty convincing) ones from other people on the thread who have also enjoyed the game’s 3-4 hour duration. It’s making for some exciting discussion.

That there’s such animated chat surrounding the game is mainly down to the clever way in which Barlow presents Her Story to us, turning a series of linear video interviews into a fragmented mess we’re expected to gather and tidy up in our heads.

I’ve read other reviews of Her Story that have made some pretty bold (and in my eyes, wrong) decisions as to what’s considered spoiler material. For this review the only plot details I’ll reveal are those made available to you right when the game starts. Everything else should stay off-limits until you discover it for yourself. Continue reading “Her Story review (spoiler-free)” →

I wasn’t going to buy a New 3DS.

I was perfectly happy with my 3DS XL, thank you very much, and I wasn’t too fussed that this new model ran a lot faster and let me load Miiverse during Smash Bros and had NFC support and customisable faceplates and OH CHRIST I HAD TO GET ONE.

In fairness, even though I’m the biggest Nintendo nerd you can imagine, I left it surprisingly late to get hyped for new hardware this time. I only decided I had to have one three days before it came out, which for me is a new record.

Still, I did eventually resist and my shiny new handheld arrived at my flat on 12 February, one day before release. Top tip: the official Nintendo UK online store is fantastic, and with a bundle offering the New 3DS, a faceplate of my choice, a charger and a Mario 3DS holder statue for £159.99, was the cheapest option I could find too.

Today is 13 February, the official launch day of the New 3DS, so I’ve decided to put together this needlessly long article giving my in-depth thoughts on every aspect and tiny detail of it. If you’re still in two minds about whether to buy one, hopefully by the end of this you’ll have made your mind up one way or the other.

Otherwise I’ll have just wasted about 20 minutes of your time. Sorry in advance. Continue reading “New 3DS review: My needlessly detailed thoughts and that” →