Displaying items by tag: Games

Hi, you know I'm a fan of Nintendo "I" - Richard. I write most of these beautiful articles that I am so proud of. Thanks to BOTRL and its community I can have fun with writing.

Hello dear friends. I had the (modestly) great idea to give you some impressions of our gamers about new games they played. Naturally, Diablo II came to mind. As fans, as gamers and geeks, some of the members of BOTRL answered that simple question: How fun was it to play it?

What did they feel playing it again? How did the game make it through time? Which caterpillar is the most beautiful of them all, is it the hickory horned devil or the tomato hornworm? Yes, that last question has nothing to do with Diablo, so?

We will begin with Lee’s opinion:

Finally, do we have the game and Blizzard made the good decision to listen to their community with D2R!

The hype was real for me, as soon as the announcement was made, I was only waiting for it!

Now we have the game! The details and the remastered graphics overall is very well done. The fact that the “G” key we switch to the old graphics is amazing. Eye-cancer for sure but the feeling is great. With the “F” key we can zoom in and see more beautifully done details.

The gameplay is the same as the Resurrected is only a graphic remaster and nothing has been changed to the story or game mechanics. The game is the grandfather of Hack’n Slash and the remaster is a real tribute to the game.

The need to play is the same as many years ago and the urge is real to make a big LAN party as back in the time! Play for 48 hours straight with the best buddies would just be epic.

I felt great playing it again, the first hours discovering the game again brought me back in time. If you compare it to D3, I say D2 has far better mechanics, they are better suited for the genre. You must pay attention how to skill your character, how you let his specs evolve, which hasn’t to be done in D3 for example. The runes and gems system is great and there to you have to pay attention what you equip to have the most evolved equipment. This was missing in D3.

The complexity missing in games makes D2R even better. It is something we were familiar with back in the time.

In my opinion the tomato hornworm is the most beautiful.

Jo’s opinion:

Since I played D3, I wanted to play D2R, the moment I knew it would come out. BUT it’s not easy as I thought it would be. In D3 you are guided through everything, in D2 you’re on your own. I only played it for 2 hours, but I am still tuned to know how the story continues. In terms of Spell Knowledge and Rune Knowledge, I have no clue. So let’s see how things will go on for me.

Tough question. To me the tomato hornworm is the most beautiful.

Patrick’s opinion:

My hope was, D2R had to give me the same feelings as the original did in 2000, which was confirmed as soon as I started the game. The music of the main menu, the lobby and the load screen were all promises for a trip in the past. After a few steps and monsters killed I had the feeling as I had back in the time! This is D2!

As a D2 (original) freak, it feels like home, the menus, key binds, everything was the same as before. That with a new graphic refit makes it amazing. The little that was added like the zoom function or other “quality of life” functions lets still have the same feelings as in 2000.

I am really positive about the game and am happy to play it again. Even if life doesn’t allow it anymore to play as much as before, it feels great to make new memories with a game you played a long time ago.

By the way. The tomato hornworm is the most beautiful of caterpillars.

Alex’s opinion:

The firs word that comes to mind is NOSTALGIA. D2 was the first game in which I grinded and farmed first. When I began D2R and its new graphics, I felt like I was home, in my little room and my 17-inch old screen, clicking as fast as I can to take the loot. The feelings are incredible, calculation how to best max up my character, power level my friends and dismember people in PvP. The game is beautiful but has all its old-school style.

It is a real pleasure to play that game on twitch for you all. When I think about it, I was 16 the first time I played it. Damn I get old.

Angry Sunny’s opinion:

For a newbie, it is good, nothing really exciting but easy to play. What was not good for me, players that knew the game took you with them without being able to understand what was going on. The best part was being able to chill with friends, you do not have to think to much and you can play it alone to get all information you want about the story.

 I don't love caterpillars. The tomato hornworm is cute but the hickory horned devil looks cooler.

Bluemotion's opinion:

In my opinion the game is well done. The gameplay and the quest system are really good.

However, for newbies it is quite difficult to step in. After only two hours of gameplay is it hard for me to tell more but I look forward to play more.

No infos on the caterpillar question...

In conclusion, the game may be for everyone. The best way to play it would be to be between friends, especially for newbies so they may be helped. And the tomato hornworm is the most beautiful caterpillar, and that is a lion’s word.

Hello everyone. Hope you are doing well, otherwise I hope this article will help you feel better. I am going to introduce you to what Arma des Dons is. The great idea of ​​Unbeulibabeule the streamer is to bring together gamers to do everything to raise funds for the league against cancer (France).

This streamer had this great idea and it's an understatement to say that it's a resounding success. So like all those who are generous or those who are part of charitable works will tell you: "Every sum counts". It must also be said that for a first edition and for streamers who are far from having the influence that some stars in the middle may have, Arma des Dons 2020 will have collected more than 25,000 euros!

It is only natural that all of these streamers were proud of themselves, their contribution and their respective communities.

With a Zeph totally dedicated to the cause, his relentlessness at work to give pleasure, Unbeulibabeule once again trusts him. Zeph has answered the call and will be there again. With 42 streamers, November 27 will be the charity stream with the same idea. Help the league against cancer to raise funds for any use in the fight against this disease.

It is with love, pride and joy that these streamers will embark on crazy streams to bring as many people as possible to have fun, have a good time and donate.

Last year already many people participated in the donations and the Arma des Dons community is counting on you again this year!

On November 27th this crazy stream will take place, with the possibility to donate live, to participate in a unique and very fun event.

As usual Zeph surrounds himself with great people and with Arma des Dons he proves once again that he makes good choices. Unbeulibabeule and his big heart gave life to an event that can make a difference.

But this will only be possible if all are present and give the maximum. Streamers first, viewers second.
See you soon, have a good game and be there!

I wanted to tell you a bit about two worlds that I love. In particular cinema and video games. For the latter, I suppose you knew it since I am part of this non-profit organization ...

Anyway let's start with the small list of games / movies I want to talk about. Quite recently we have seen the emergence of certain films or film shoots. This list here it is, Uncharted, Sonic, Borderlands and Mortal Kombat.

They are all more or less in the news and are all part of the very latest films released or to come. We're going to review each film a bit.

So let's start with Uncharted. Very interesting. For my part, I am not very fond of films on video games and video games on films. It's often (for me) disappointing. It must be said that for Uncharted this seemed to become a project that was going to die in the bud.

Quite simply, since 2010 we have been talking about this film and it still has not been released! There were several directors who abandoned the project, the script was completely rewritten. It has to be said that the production really wanted a movie about this game because it was never about giving up.

There was even an announcement from Mark Wahlberg, that the production denied, he would have the lead role, also it was said he had no connection to the project. So that's right, he doesn't have the lead role, but he'll just be Drake's mentor, the so-called Sully. Lots of hassle though.

After the storm, calm. Yes normally it's the opposite but in this case the storm was before. Tom Holland will be Drake, so he's a young Drake to the stories we've been through in the game.

In this case I think the storyline can actually work and it's smart to create a whole new story. What does or can be lacking is precisely to recreate a story from a game in film. This can only be disappointing. There, fans will have to find certain haunts while being immersed in a story they may not know. This will make it all more interesting and less frustrating. So see what it will be when it comes out.

Next, let's talk about Sonic. The film released last year caused quite a stir. And not for the right reasons. Despite the good casting, especially with Jim Carrey as Eggman, the critics have rocketed. While the trailer sounded good and the movie looked promising, it had to be seen that Sonic was the concern. Its design was not at all faithful to what we might know. And if there was a mistake not to be made, it was good to miss Sonic for his own movie.

But the criticisms were heard and we can say that the correction was more than satisfactory. You might not like the movie and its script, but from a design point of view Sonic and Robotnik characters were really well done. A successful visual result. For the rest, everyone has their own opinion!

Let's move on to Mortal Kombat. Regarding this franchise, we have already had films. We will not come back to it. Let's just talk about the last movie. Casting is very well chosen. The storyline respects what the franchise represents and above all visually it's superb!

We are amazed, the scenes and effects look well done and the costumes very well suited to the cinema.

The under-16 ban is naturally appropriate and I would even say that was expected. The promises made for this film have been kept and it is important to underline that too!

Finally, let's talk about Borderlands. Probably the most promising film on the list. No real issue during production or filming (still in progress), during E3 we were treated to updates and see that visually it seems to be very beautiful. The casting is XXL in particular with Kevin Hart, Jack Black or Cate Blanchett.

The script is also new, it will not be able to frustrate the fans and this is a very important point (in my opinion). Quite simply, by doing this you are automatically taking away certain lairs from fans so that they cannot be waiting for something to happen that they are impatiently waiting for and you will not be too much in comparison.

With the production being closely tied to the game's creators / producers, the film has everything to become a box office hit.

Also see what the future has in store for us on this subject.

For my part, I am a fairly easy client and easily manage to dissociate an adapted work from the original one. Yet I have often been disappointed anyway! That is, how often we've been treated to bad things, either way or the other.

I think that what made these 4 works to be a success or to have been a success, lies in the fact that the chosen works lend themselves well to being part of the world of cinema. With the means today one can easily have a faithful rendering of a Mortal Kombat, a materialization of a brilliant Sonic. Then the stories offered by the Uncharted and Borderlands franchises also make it possible to create an all-new story that fits completely into the universe of these games.

For the latter, the future will tell whether the choice was the right one. In the meantime I wish you a good game or a good movie!

Today the subject and how il will be handled will be fun and relax.

I got the idea when I thought about what I have in my office.

This room does not have a desk, or even a computer or anything to write on for that matter. Except when I'm live for the podcast...

I call it my office because "Man-Cave" doesn't work. My office is under the roof, so it would be a "Man-Attic" at best and that doesn't sound great, you have to admit.

What is there? Well, a lots of geek stuff. But full really full. So yes I have less than some but it's already pretty much.

We must admit that collecting is a very common activity among gamers. I am one of them and maybe you are too.

For my part my collection is quite beautiful. We're talking about 130 lead figures from Marvel and DC Comics. Link figures, Crash Bandicoot, a Pip-Boy and more.

There is also a Dragon Ball (with 4 stars, the real ones know), a Piccolo, Aquarius from Fairy Tail and others. Then there is a collection of Lego, around Harry Potter, Friends and Batman.

I am a big fan of manga and it was necessary that I have statues on the subject. Lego has been part of my life since I was little, like Friends Batman and then Harry Potter. So of course, when Lego and the rest cooperate, it makes sense that I buy. Lego has done a tremendous job to stay true to the works. The rendering is excellent, it must be admitted. My kids love me explaining everything that is built in front of them and I love telling them about it

In addition I still have eleven closed Lego boxes ... And it's not over, because I still have a good hundred manga, comics and books. Then in order not to stop me there, it would be silly, I have a collection of whiskey bottles, a dozen of on metal printed posters (from Displate). Final Fantasy is my favorite franchise, if you didn't know that then read my articles. It's not possible to miss that. And it is all the more visible. The rendering is great and the works are so well respected!

I'm not even talking about my watches for which I don't have room in my office ... Yes, the place where I store my collections doesn't have room, for one of my collections ... all of my sixteen watches. For which I have two boxes, one of which is connected to an electric plug so that my mechanical watches are constantly in motion and thus not stop. They can be watches of all kinds, that's the goal of this collection. I can have black leather, brown metal, gold whatever. Rather, it will be based on a fashion or a moment or a style that I like.

That's a lot for one man and my wife isn't the one to advise against all of this. You could say that a good quarter or even a third of what I got was offered to me by her.

On the other hand, she is no better with her 300 books and over sixty Disney figurines, including one still in its original packaging! What a geek, seriously.

Ah yes, little icing on the cake. My socks. Yes, you read that right. Socks. Happy Socks got me hooked I must say. About twenty pairs. From Queen, Keith Haring, Barbecue, pink flamingos and other palm trees.

In terms of games, it is not necessarily better. With my brother we bought a bundle of games and proudly took over my mother's games. Between Nintendo and Sega and Playstation we have a good average of forty games per console.

On PS3 and PS4 I have had countless games. For the Wii and the Switch too. The advantage of the Switch precisely lies in the size. Games are much easier to store. Didn't I mention the Wii U? Obviously, we don't talk about it too much. I proudly defended the console, it was hard to admit that the console didn’t do great. It must be said that there were still some games that were worth it like Mario Maker.

So much for me. I enjoyed sharing with you my proud and modest, or not, collections. Some pieces are already fifteen or more years old, not to mention games that can even be over thirty of course.

I hope you liked it and especially relieved yourself of having one or the other collection yourself. Do not hesitate to post us a photo of your collection! How? By commenting on our post about this article on Facebook for example! Proudly show off your collection! Whether it's a photo or a selfie! Go blow our mind!

A genre that goes well with others. Totally iconic characters. Whether we are talking about platform games or a mix of platform and action or adventure, there are a lot of games.

Here's a little list to see just how much this genre has created iconic characters:

Mario, Sonic, Crash Bandicoot, Samus Aran, Spyro, Rayman, Mega Man, Donkey Kong and more.

Mario is probably the best known of all. The little guy who makes his way through dangers with fireballs, red, green or blue shells etc.

Crash Bandicoot which was reborn after a magnificent Remaster and a brilliant 4th opus. Rayman who with his particular style can make us angry but continually love his stories.

Donkey Kong, although already in the video game scene has a huge notoriety too (maybe especially) thanks to his games on Super Nintendo.

Sonic who has become such an unmistakable and recognizable character. It remains one of a kind to this day.

Spyro what can I say, this fiery little dragon who must help his fellows when he does not yet really know how to fly. Will we be entitled to a new opus on Next Gen? It would be nice.

Samus Aran who knew how to impress everyone because until the end of the (first) game you couldn't tell she was a woman. She became a real icon of the video game world. A new game is coming soon (it's about time)

Mega Man who is certainly recognizable and known to players, it is perhaps less so to people who do not play regularly. This character remains a reference all the same.

This genre has bound to be a part of my life since playing video games. Sometimes impossible to follow, other times too simple. The developers always do everything they can to be able to confuse you and make you angry. Let's face it, there is a bit of nastiness behind it all. They love to see us suffer.

We must also say that we want more. This genre has been around for so long. If we take Mario as an example we are in 35 years of agony, rage and questioning about life. I'm exaggerating a bit, it's true.

Remember your last games on this kind of games. There is some truth to it.

Recently I got back to Metroid on NES and SNES. I have these games via my Nintendo Switch. Thanks to the subscription I even bought the controllers to have the same feeling as in the past.

If you have any doubts about the quality, check out my article on controllers. I say more. Honestly, we can easily find ourselves 25 years back. These games remain fun to play and their story is well written.

We continue to have a lot of fun. Like a lot of people I also have the new versions of Crash and Spyro. Games that I loved replaying and can't wait to pick up again just by writing these few lines.

What makes these games enjoyable lies precisely in the difficulty and the pace. You have to be sure to jump, run or attack at the right time. All of this is a real challenge and gamers love to take on challenges.

The pace is pretty brisk too, cut off by boss fights, where  it's more a matter of what moves the opponent makes in order to be able to counter them or not get ripped off. We also have bonus stages, like having to fly with Spyro, through rings and in a time limit.

Also having so many different worlds, levels, stages in these games that renew the desire to play and to succeed. The more we advance, the easier it is not to be fooled by monsters, robots or other adversaries.

As gamers who got to play the early games of these characters and saw the birth of some, it's a real pleasure to see that platform games continue to be so popular.

Only the Crash and Spyro Remasters prove it. Both "old" and young gamers agree on these games and that's great news. While some, like Mario, are so iconic that every game will be a success, other games like this exist and they have their own well-deserved glory.

So don't hesitate, if you want to take on a challenge, if you want to rage or live unforgettable adventures, platform games are for you!

Don’t hesitate to give it a go and have a good game!

For many years video games have been released in different versions. If we take the example of FIFA, we have a good start.

FIFA commonly made three versions of its game, at least in recent years. With a simple version at the price, we know from games. Then we were entitled to a more expensive version with bonuses for the career mode but also and especially for the FUT mode (FIFA Ultimate Team). Then a version with even more bonuses and early access to the game.

There is more to other games than this kind of bonus. Collector's editions often feature figurines and other goodies ranging from cool to downright awesome.

Consider a very recent game. The Far Cry franchise has had a newborn baby with the 6. To say the least,  players are thrilled. An unboxing of this version is available on Zeph's Youtube channel, BOTRLTV. You can watch a video there where everything is shown. The centerpiece is the "Tostador"

A flamethrower no more no less. Naturally unusable in real life. A stand is provided and if you don't have two left hands it is easy to assemble. It’s clear that players are not left apart with such great pieces.

Other examples would be Guild Wars 2. Back in the day we were entitled to a fully armored Charr with a legendary sword in hand. Very well made and made of a material flexible enough not to be afraid of it breaking at the slightest chance. It came with a frame and various artwork from the game.

There's also the Fallout 4 Pip Boy. We even have an excuse to buy it for. Coming with a base and foams adapted to the size of certain models of mobile phones, the Pip Boy could be used. Yes, we could use the supplied Pip Boy. And be careful. We no longer needed to press Start while playing. Because there was (or still has) an app to manage your menu via the mobile phone in real time when you were playing.

So you could put the Pip Boy on and use it in the middle of the game. Not very practical, not necessarily always useful in the panic of a fight. True, but it was so cool to be able to use this mythical machine.

Nintendo often offers packs with Amibos, the miniatures that you can connect to the game to have certain bonuses during the game. At best it is useful in the middle of the game, at worst it makes a nice collection of miniatures.

For Just Cause 3 we were entitled, somewhat in the same vein as Far Cry 6, to a device used in-game, Rico Rodriguez's legendary grappling hook. A real size figurine made in detail. Really beautiful, this figurine also recalls the franchise just by what it represents. A good idea therefore for fans of the revolution made by Rico.

We can, or we must, talk about the Assassin’s Creed franchise which has made models each more impressive than the last. Between the boat, the guillotine and so on, the players are served. Details, quality and iconic moments or items from the franchise.

More and more players are entitled to some impressive and often exclusive collector's items offered in the collector's edition of the game in question. This gives an additional dimension of exclusivity which is often not negligible for collectors.

From a personal point of view, I find these offers not always useful, but when done right you have to admit that it is more than tempting. I have the Pip Boy for example and the Charr from Guild Wars 2. I also sometimes take advantage of specific offers to get in-game bonuses that interest me. I did it for Elder Scrolls Online, besides getting all the DLC I got some pieces of gear.

I am much more sensitive to offers that provide bonuses or useful in-game products. I am more tempted, and I will go to these offers more often. Others will want these exclusive figures. So, creating a collection around video games and inevitably the offers of collector's editions will be the best to create a collection.

Do not hesitate to share with us pieces from your collector's editions if you have any and I hope you will have enjoyed the photos of these objects which are part of my collection or that of my brother for example.

Good game to all

So I decided to ask the friends of the committee to tell me a bit about the games they are waiting for in the more or less near future. It is an understatement to say that the demands are very varied. I don't know if Santa will have the time to do what is necessary (it's even unlikely). So let's review everyone's wishes.

Toufik was the first to respond. His answer was clear and demonstrated his great excitement. He's only waiting for one thing, GTA 6.

Our friend Toufik loves the franchise and is sure it will be the best game to come. Our artist has just that in mind.

Soon after we got a response from Jo. Our Head of Communications has a passion that anyone who has seen our podcasts knows, Dark Souls. So naturally the game he's waiting for is Eldenring.

Clearly this is the game of the decade for him. With the spirit of the Game of Thrones writer and the desire to make a game in the same vein as the Souls games, Jo is already running out of patience.

Patrick, one of our treasurer has a pretty surprising answer, although the game is expected it is not the one we hear the most about. On the other hand, his answer is much less surprising when you know Patrick.

It is Star Wars Knight of the old Republic Remake. His motivations are simple. First of all, the franchise of which he is an absolute fan and because the game had a very good quality story and to return to it makes him salivate in advance!

Marc our editor has the future Battlefield in mind and nothing else. His son is also in total excitement awaiting the arrival of this game. It must be said that the franchise has had some great games lately and it is high time for a newcomer.

It is true that the images we have enjoyed quite recently concerning the future opus make you want to play that game !

For my part, I am totally waiting for Stranger of Paradise, Final Fantasy Origin.

No wonder I love the franchise. But in this case it's more special. First of all, it is a revisit of Final Fantasy I, a new game which at the time made a great buzz. A game with a story as beautiful as it is tragic, an idea as simple as it is complex and a game mode so enjoyable.

This revisit seems so far from the original game, but the story only becomes more captivating. The very first monologue we got had given me chills and the release date trailer is so promising.

I'm very close to buying a PS5 at this time ... though consoles are available of course.

We all can't wait to see these games come out. And you ? What game are you waiting for? Please do not hesitate to answer us and tell us what your expectations are!

In the meantime, good game to all!

We are going to talk about a phenomenon that I have read that I find interesting. I've always felt a bit guilty for not always finishing the games I buy or for playing them too little and taking forever to finish them! So while point two remains fairly true, the first point is common. In fact it is very common. In fact it is incredibly common!

Indeed, studies show that almost 9 out of 10 people surveyed do not finish the games they buy. It's huge ! Afterwards, the statistics change according to the type of players and, over time (thanks to the Achievements and Trophies) this percentage goes down.

However, the studies remain quite formal, most of the games are not finished by the players. That's crazy, so it got me thinking to do a change. It's been a while since I decided to finish a game before buying a new one. There are only a few exceptions, but they do exist.

Already I'm throwing myself flowers. This decision was the right one. I spend less for no reason and buy games that I actually enjoy afterwards. It also opened my eyes to the colossal number of games that I enjoy! It's not possible the games I want to get my hands on.

So my criteria are more or less simple. From the same franchise I only buy one game if the previous game is finished. For example, I finished Pokémon Shield before buying Pokémon Legends Arceus which I finished before buying Pokémon Brilliant Diamond. Logical and efficient.

There is, however, a small exception to this rule. Final Fantasy games. Yes, it could come out 3 in a row, I buy them! This is how. Pokémon could, should also be an exception. It may be in the future but I must say that the timing was almost perfect for the above listed games. But Final Fantasy, regardless of the timing, it will be bought, period!

So with this way of proceeding it encourages me and makes me want to play as much as I can. So I'm sweating like crazy! And Yes because I haven't finished Xenoblade Chronicles (on Switch) so I have to wait before I can begin to sweat with the two, while the three comes out in summer this year! It's awful.

Especially since that's not all. In my list there is also Horizon Zero Dawn, which I got for free and which I regret not having played before. So I also want the sequel to this one because after having tasted the first opus I must say that I am impatient to see the sequel. I still have to finish the first one first!

Then there are other games that I had accumulated before adopting this logic, like The Witcher 3. I let myself be tempted by Tales of Arise, which I am bleeding for the moment, and Stranger of Paradise, a Final Fantasy Story…

As you can see, I find myself with a rather long list of games to finish before thinking about buying other games!

So my to do list for now is:

Tales of Arise

Xenoblade Chronicles 1+2

The Witcher 3

Stranger of Paradise

Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West

It's already not bad I think and I really need to put the turbo. As a devoted father, loving husband and gaga dog master, I don't always have time to play. We do our best and we respect as much as possible the logic of finishing one or more games before buying the next one. Especially in the case of the same franchise!

And you? Do you have a To do list? Tell us in the comments! Here and on Facebook!

In the meantime, good game to all!