Just Say "No"

"No" to buying a Season Pass for any newly released game. Not a revolutionary idea, I know, but after seeing the price for the Batman: Arkham Knight Season Pass ($40!!!) and Warner Bros/Rocksteady's plan for upcoming content (a few extra missions, character skins and racetracks), I'm finding it harder and harder to justify spending that kind of cash on something so unreliable.

Review: Legend of Grimrock 2

Sadly, my wounded thumb is still preventing me from playing any console or handheld games, but I have discovered that PC games are quite manageable. So this week I bring you a review last October's Legend of Grimrock 2, the sequel to Almost Human's surprise hit of 2012. 

Review: Fantasy Life

Thanks to an accident involving a knife, I haven't been able to do much gaming or writing this week. However, I did have an old review sitting around so hopefully this will hold everyone over until I heal. Enjoy!

New Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold Trailer

Yesterday a new trailer from Atlus landed giving us another look at the upcoming Etrian Odyssey game.

Much like the previous Etrian Odyssey Untold, this one will feature a classic mode for players who wish to play the game without the new story.

Though it doesn't look like there will be a Fafnir Knight class outside of story mode, it does look like you'll be able to create a Sovereign of your own,  A class that did't appear until Etrian Odyssey 3.

Looks good, can't wait until it's out!

Review: Etrian Mystery Dungeon

Hello everyone and welcome to our first review. Today's game: Etrian Mystery Dungeon

Atlus has begun experimenting by mixing together various games lately. Last year's Persona Q was a combination of Persona characters and Etrian Odyssey style game play. This year sees the Etrian Odyssey characters dropped into game play from the Mystery Dungeon series of games. Atlus has once again been taken a chance with their games and for the most part it pays off.

Hello World

Hello World,

And welcome to Off The Mark Gaming. I'm your host, Chris Conway.

I entered the world of game development at the age of 22 and was there for nearly 10 years. I started out at Rockstar Toronto as QA staff on a 3 month contract. I was later hired on for a full-time position where I eventually became the QA Manager and ran a small team of my own.

During my time at Rockstar I leaned a great deal about games and game design. I worked with some of the best designers, programmers, artists and audio engineers. I was shown just how much work went into creating the games we all love and it greatly increased my appreciation for video games.

Here at Off The Mark Gaming I want to use what I've learned over the years and take a look at the more off-beat side of gaming. Though I am a great fan of the triple-A games from studios like Rockstar, BioWare and Valve, I think there are enough websites dedicated to them already. Instead, I'll be looking at the smaller releases from companies like Atlus, NIS and XSEED. I also plan on voicing my opinion on gaming news like Nintendo's "Creator's Program" and other such announcements.

May this be the beginning of something interesting.

Until next time,
Chris Conway