SpawnStaff’s July Playlist

It’s almost over. The summer game drought’s been keeping the ‘Staffers busy with their backlogs, and they can’t wait for August’s smorgasbord of new releases. Right at the tail end of July and the dawn of August, it’s the perfect time to check in with our busybodies and see what they’ve been playing this month, and what’s up their sleeves for August.

Alice Irvin, Reporter/Staff Writer

What were you playing in July?

The month began with a well-deserved BioShock Infinite replay because I was really disturbed that I hadn’t collected all the Voxophones on the first go around (fun fact: it’s even better the second time around).  I also played a few fun Steam games, including Don’t Starve, Night of the Rabbit, and Chaos on Deponia.  Still playing Star Wars: the Old Republic, too– it’s my game reserved for lazy Sunday mornings that stretch into lazy Sunday afternoons.  The final thing is that I did a quick (ha) Mass Effect replay, because I’d never done paragon male-Shep with a Tali romance.  I don’t know, it’s a thing.

What’s up for August?

I’m sure I’ll have yet another Mass Effect playthrough going (I can’t help it, it’s a sickness), and I just grabbed Telltale’s Walking Dead DLC “400 Days”. I’ve been meaning to do an LA Noire replay to try to get through all of the Street Crimes, and August may be the month for it.  I’m picking up Hotline Miami after hearing all the raving about it– including from my SF colleagues.  So if I still have time after all of that– Lost Planet 3 is out in August, so we’ll see what the buzz is.

Buddy Acker, Staff Writer

What were you playing in July?

Animal Crossing: New Leaf, which I shall be reviewing, has barely left my 3DS all month. I downloaded Gunman Clive and played through it, and then awarded it a 9 in my review, making it the highest-scored game I’ve reviewed for SpawnFirst (it is truly awesome). I played through Dishonored again, this time on 360, and finally got the “good” ending. I also played portions of Asura’s Wrath, Dragon’s Dogma and Crysis. I completed Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway, The Walking Dead: 400 Days, Dead Space 3 and New Super Mario Bros. 2, all of which I would recommend to anyone. And I’ve been playing Minecraft. I’m always playing Minecraft. (Editor’s Note: Buddy, you play a LOT of games. I love it!)

What’s up for August?

I’ll still be playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Minecraft and various other games I listed above. I have whatever I get from GameFly to look forward to as well. I’m probably going to download and play Mars: War Logs. I’ll definitely be picking up a copy of Saints Row IV, and I may purchase Splinter Cell: Blacklist as well. I’ll more than likely play The Bureau: XCOM Declassified and Lost Planet 3 as well, though I’m not really looking forward to the latter after the debacle that was Lost Planet 2.

John Finch, Staff Writer

What were you playing in July?

*Scratches chin and looks back on the memories fondly* I played a good amount of Tomb Raider (2013) and BioShock Infinite. All the late nights not working on midterm papers or ignoring the responsibilities of a normal person like eating and putting on clothes were definitely worth it. If you for some reason haven’t been persuaded to pick up both of those games then you should either get on it or trade in your Xbox/PS3 while it’s still worth something because you are sure not using it. I’ve also been playing lots of TF2 on my PC (feel free to hit me up on Steam: Darthstar1), and as expected I returned to the depths of survival horror bliss with Silent Hill 3.  July may not have been a huge month for game releases but that’s not always a bad thing. It gives you time to go back to your catalog of games, blow the dust off a trusted title and get lost in what makes gaming great.

What’s up for August?

For August, I’m really looking forward to the launch of Saints Row IV. The series’ unique brand of humor and chaos-centered, sandbox atmosphere have always drawn me in, and I expected this next game to be even better. I’m also looking at diving into Halo 4 again, a revitalized interest coming from the great gamers here at SpawnFirst, and fully exploring the depths of Halo 4’s multiplayer. With any luck I’ll be able to get back into the saddle on my trusty PS3 and play some Hotline Miami on the big screen.

Mark Hanratty, News Writer

What were you playing in July?

This month I’ve been playing an assortment of games. To begin with, I’ve been playing a ton of Call of Duty. Double XP hit Black Ops 2, so I’ve mostly been playing that, but have also hopped on Call of Duty 2, Modern Warfare 2 and World at War. I’ve also got back into Geometry Wars 2, which is one of the best Xbox Live Arcade titles in existence (in my opinion). I also downloaded State of Decay, which is another one of the other best Xbox Live titles I’ve ever played. I’m usually not one for Zombie (or Zed) type games, but State of Decay is marvelous, especially for an Arcade title. I got onboard GTA IV multiplayer a few times in July, and I’m glad I did. The chaotic free roaming action was hilarious. Recently, I’ve been playing Halo 3 as I intend on picking up Halo 4 very soon. I’ve been improving slightly, but I’m still an utter n00b.

What’s up for August?

As I previously said, I’ll be picking up Halo 4. I’m also considering purchasing either, Borderlands 2, Left 4 Dead 2 or possibly even both. My main focus for August will be on Halo 4. Along with these games, I’ll continue to survive in State of Decay and possibly even finish the storyline. Regarding Geometry Wars 2, I’ll always be playing that game. It keeps bringing me back, even if it’s only for a half hour at a time. GTA IV shenanigans are something I will always enjoy, so I’ll most likely hop on ever now and again for some laughs. I may take a break from Call of Duty, as playing Halo and CoD has never suited me. The sensitivity and playstyles are incredibly different in both games, and swapping from each has always resulted in me playing horribly.

Fraser McIntyre, Staff Writer

What were you playing in July?

Well, the Steam Sale made new games an overabundance in my library over the last few weeks. The list includes (but is not limited to, unfortunately): Interstellar Marines, Company of Heroes 2, DayZ, FTL, Killing Floor and Chivalry: Medieval Warfare. Interstellar Marines is a very early iteration of what could honestly be a decisively awesome shooter, I highly recommend looking into it for interesting times. DayZ, as always, my favorite zombie survival game has seen action. It never fails to amaze me at how crappy a person I become when I play that game, but then it happens to everyone, Still, great game. Company of Heroes 2 is my go-to game right now though, and I have been playing that when I can.

What’s up for August?

In preparation for my most anticipated game release this year, I will be absolute tanking away on Total War games. I set myself the challenge to conquer all of the provinces in the game world, and I’ve only done it on Rome 1. So I’ll be pretty much switching between the Total War games and possibly more DayZ and some Arma 3 Beta!

Antony Wanjala, Contributor

What were you playing in July?

I’ve become egregiously addicted to Beat Hazard on PC. Running through Half Life 2 (again), Portal 2, Dead Island, and Defense Grid: The Awakening as well, just to fill in the gaps. Honestly, I should probably be playing through the outlandishly long list of Steam games I haven’t so much as even played, but these titles have been piquing my interest as of late.

In addition, Super Smash Bros. Brawl (the only game I own for my Wii) has been taking up more of my time than it should.

I should probably play some newer games, huh? Naw.

What’s up for August?

For August, I can guarantee that I’ll finally get to The Walking Dead: 400 Days. With my 3 week break before the fall semester hits me pretty hard, I’ll be playing Square’s Final Fantasy VII re-release, Civilization V: Brave New World DLC, and Skyrim Legendary Edition (yes, I’m still playing that).

I’ve also taken on a sort of part-time occupational interest in exchanging and selling trading cards through Steam. Not the most lucrative career but it feeds the habit.

Reuben Williams-Smith, Contributor

What were you playing in July?

I’ve had a relatively varied month for games this July. I’ve been playing Hotline Miami on PC, still not any good at it, but i love the game enough that i keep trying. I’ve also been playing Team Fortress 2 in an attempt to learn to use mouse and keyboard to play games. I’ve been having limited success. On my good old PS3 I‘ve been replaying the original BioShock, which thankfully totally lives up to the nostalgia, and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, possibly my favorite game this year. 

What’s up for August?

I’m going to be away from my trusty consoles for most of August, which means a lot of DS games. It’ll probably be Pokemon White and Mario Kart for the next month. And Saints Row 4 comes out at the end of the month, so I‘ll be dubstepping all over that come release day.