Introduction

Introduction

Xenoblade Chronicles X

Hey, this is Andrew, and as the first post in my blog I'm going to give an introduction and what you can expect from my posts. This is a gaming blog, and each post will be about a game I have played in the past. These will mostly be Nintendo games, because that's what I like to play. I'll give my thoughts on different aspects of each game: the visuals/art style, the music, the gameplay, the characters/story, the atmosphere, and what made the game really stand out to me and stay with me. I will also cover interesting tidbits about the game's development and how the game was received when it was released, just to give some context to people who might not be familiar.

Mario Kart 8

Structure

Here is how I plan on structuring each blog post:

Impressions

I will first give my overall impressions of the game. Depending on when I first played the game, I may warn that my opinions may be influenced by nostalgia. Other than that, this section is to describe the overall feeling I had coming away from the game. Not too many specifics here.

Gameplay

This is pretty self-explanatory, but I'll assess the gameplay and how enjoyable it was. I think gameplay is a big part of any game, but some games can be great in their own respects without having the best gameplay.

Music

I pay a great amount of attention to game music, maybe more than most, but I think music is a very important part of a game. I have played the piano for a while, so I have a basic knowledge of music theory, but I am no expert. I will still try to discuss any trends I find in the soundtracks. I'll hopefully embed some of the songs.

Art/Visuals

Some of the games I'll discuss will be pretty old, but I still think a game can be visually impressive regardless of the graphics that were possible at the time. There can also be some pretty ugly games that have good resolutions, in my opinion.

Story/Characters

Not all of the games will have a lot to offer in this category. Those that do, however, I will break down and figure out what is good storytelling and what isn't. Even without a strong story, a game can have memorable and complex characters, so I will be paying attention to that as well.

Reception/Development/Cultural Impact

This section is to give information about the game that is not actually part of the game itself. This includes influences during development, fan reception, legacy, and how the game affected future games. This part is less of an opinion section and more of an informative and contextual one.

Fire Emblem Awakening

Why this topic/My experience

I've been playing video games since I was about 8, and I've always loved playing them with my friends and talking about them. Comparing them and figuring out why I like certain ones has always been of interest to me, and I've been keeping track of my favorite games in order for a few years just because I like to keep my thoughts organized. I hope this blog turns out well!