News and Reviews: Alan Wake

Okay, okay... I promise to talk about other things sometime soon.  I do other things than talk about video games, I swear.  I have a half-dozen crafts and creations on the go at any given time, you'd think I'd post about those.  But, I (finally) finished Alan Wake and I think I should cover it while it's fresh.

Alan Wake is a psychological action horror game, made out of equal parts Stephen King and Twilight Zone, with a sprinkling of Max Payne for gameplay.  Just a pinch.  It all bakes together to make a delicious little game that breaks down cooking metaphors almost immediately.  This game presents a compelling, unfolding horror story that evolves over six chapters to make you seriously question what, if anything, is real.  It's an experience, and one well worth having.  This is one of those games we can point to, as a community, and say "Here is art.  Here is the power of the Story" in more ways than one.

News and Reviews: Diablo the First

So there I was, standing in line at the midnight launch of Diablo 3 with about a hundred other people all eagerly awaiting their chance to explore the world of Sanctuary in a whole new way.  The clock ticked methodically onwards, until finally it was time.  The line marched forward with surprising civility, until my friend and I made it up to the cash at last.  He picked up his copy, and the cashier turns to me. I put up my hands, and back away.

"Oh, no thanks.  I'm not a fan.  I just like things that happen at midnight."

Short Story Sunday: The Serpent's Curse

 Welcome back.  Today's installment is a mixture of psuedo-noire and greek storytelling.  It has come about from repeated listenings of Nick Cave's Murder Ballads CD.  Be aware, this story has gritty, serious violence.  This story is not for everyone.  It's also not an example of my best work, and to be honest I'm not really happy with it.  However, I can't keep everything back just because it's sub-par.  Maybe I'll revisit this idea in the future, try and pin it down.  We'll see.  With that in mind, I present...

The Serpent's Curse

News and Reviews: The Gunstringer

I own an X-box 360, and must say that by-and-large I'm pretty happy with it.  It runs fast, it looks nice, and the controls are usually tight.  And comfortable. Until you get into the Kinect, where everything has a nasty habit of breaking down. But not always, sometimes it works wonders.  Sometimes you get,

The Gunstringer.

Lex Luthor: The Man Who Would Be Hero

Minor disclaimer: I wrote this on my phone, on the bus from Kingston to Toronto.  So there may be some errors.  I blame my thumbs.

 
In every story you see a dichotomy. Good versus evil, right and wrong, easy or hard. Superman and his various tales are no different. However they can be, on occasion, very sneaky about it. Dastardly, even.
Cunning. Yes, that's it. Cunning.

Short Story Sunday: The Eyes Have It

Time for round two, Short Story Sunday makes its return!  May I present the strange, sad tale of a man who, for all his incredible kinds of  super-vision, is blind.  A note: these are essentially first drafts I'm putting up here.  If anyone would like to take a stab at editing and the like for me, I'd love to talk to you.

Putting the Dread Back in the Undead

Okay, so you're running a game.  Things are getting real interesting.  The party has traced the mystery back to a dangerous cult hiding out in the cemetery, and the only thing standing between them and righteous, ecstatic justice is... An army of undead minions!

Oooooooh!  Oooga booga!

Minimaking: SKIP

I play a fair amount of Dungeons and Dragons, usually as a DM.  It's one of my favorite hobbies, so I wind up doing a fair amount of extra stuff to make the experience that much better.  From interesting handouts to custom miniatures to giant maps, I like to make it all.  Assuming I can't find it already made for cheap, that is.

Short Story Sunday

Welcome to the first instalment of the Short Story Sunday feature here at Rubber Chicken Studios.  Every Sunday we'll feature a very short story, from whatever genre takes me at the time.  I hope you enjoy!  This week's instalment is called "Hunter/Hunted", and hopefully has a fun surprise for you.

Construction is currently underway, articles will be arriving shortly.  In the meantime, please enjoy this hilarious picture from the internet.