PREVIEW: ‘Star Wars Battlefront’ is far more than a new coat of paint

backlogadventures Gaming, Preview, Star Wars Battlefront, Will H. , , , , , , ,

The stiff permafrost of the ice planet Hoth glistens as my squad of rebels ascend the forward hill. We breach the horizon and I ready my blaster pistol, ready to defe–

Crap. A sniper put me down with a head shot. Let’s try that again.

My allies scramble through the narrow corridors of Echo Base, attempting to reach the uplinks before Imperial troops can halt our progress. I step outside and am met with blinding daylight reflecting off miles of ice a–

Dead again. A snow trooper lobbed a thermal detonator into the doorway. Alright, one more time.

The AT-AT approaches as my team scurries through the trenches th–

Darth Vader choked me to death. Maybe I should reassess my strategy.  Continue reading →

Better living through punching: A ‘Heroes of the Storm’ guide for the Monk, Kharazim

backlogadventures Gaming, Guides, Heroes of the Storm, Will H. , , , , , , ,

My name is Will Harrison and allow me to welcome you again for another Backlog Adventures character guide for the Blizzard MOBA Heroes of the Storm. In our last guide, we covered the awkwardly, awesomely adorable melee specialist Murky. This time around, I’ll be talking about the newest support character in the game, as well as the first support Hero from the Diablo universe: Kharazim, the Monk of Ivgorod.

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‘World of Warcraft: Legion’ through the eyes of a lapsed hardcore raider

backlogadventures Gaming, MMORPG, Opinion, Preview, Will H., World of Warcraft , , , , , ,

A pain begins to throb within me once new World of Warcraft content is announced.

A dull feeling, like longing for a forgotten love or memory of better times, lost to the wind and never fully grasped again. This ache grows into a crescendo of urge and want until, eventually, I give in to this carnal need to launch myself back into the world of Azeroth.

Then…nothing. I play, and as quickly as that drug is shot into my veins, that want phases into a gaming fugue state. I come out on the other end of that tunnel thinking “Oh, right. I just remembered why I stopped playing.”

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I wrote some words about attending Gen Con 2015

backlogadventures Board Games, Gaming, Gen Con, Heroes of the Storm, Will H. , , , , , , , , ,

The muted, brown tones that coated the main exhibit hall of the Indiana Convention Center were merely a vessel for waves of noise and humanity. Taking reprieve of my exodus from the exhibit hall, I found myself slouched to the side of the hallway.

My feet bayed in pain like a wolf mournfully howling at the moon, though the reality was far less romantic. In this sea of  noise, sweat, and revelry I was auditorily assaulted by fragments of conversations coming from each and every direction.

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The first night of the Street Fighter V beta is a failure, and why that is a good thing for fans (UPDATED)

backlogadventures Fighting Games, Gaming, Opinion, Street Fighter V, Will H. , , , , , , ,

A note from Will Harrison, time-traveling journalist and editor:

So, the release of Street Fighter V has come and gone. Wouldn’t you know it, the servers still suck and the game is damn near unplayable in online mode (which, wouldn’t ya know, is the only way you can earn currency or titles. Shiny!).

With that in mind, please feel free to ignore the positivity and ineptitude of the following words. I clearly have no idea what I’m talking about.

Sigh. Capcom. You ruin everything. EVERYTHING. 
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