CH-D | Zero1Gaming

Category: CH-D

Steam Addicts Anonymous

March 22, 2015 Joseph Butler-Hartley CH-D, Editorials, ES, Featured, JB-H, TC, TeamZ1G

We have a lot of fun here at Z1G, but it’s time we addressed a serious issue that’s affecting PC gamers across the world. I’m talking, of course, about Steam Addiction, and the game hoarding that comes with it. According to completely verified and trustworthy statistics, 70% of the games in the average PC gamer’s library are unplayed. The first step towards solving a problem is admitting it, so JBH, Trent, Chris and Ed decided it was time to get their addictions under control by working through some of the unplayed games in their library, one at a time. Read more …

Battlefield Hardline – Beta Review “The Bad”

February 11, 2015 Chris Halpin-Durband CH-D, PC, PS4, Reviews, RM, TeamZ1G, Xbox One

Hot on the heels of the Battlefield Hardline beta weekend I was compelled to bring you all my thoughts on the direction the franchise is taking. I’ve always been a stalwart supporter of the Battlefield franchise, and I’ve defended the various Battlefield releases against tirades of mocking abuse from die-hard Call of Duty fans. As you can imagine I was keen to properly check out Battlefield Hardline during the free beta weekend to see if it was worth parting with my hard-earned pennies for. The ‘cops and robbers’ direction intrigued me and I was excited about the potential new gameplay alternatives it would offer compared to the standard military fare we’ve come to expect in the series. So how was it? Read on. Read more …

The Sun and Moon – Review

December 6, 2014 Chris Halpin-Durband CH-D, PC, Reviews, TeamZ1G

I was offered a chance to review The Sun and Moon recently and leapt at the opportunity. I find it very difficult to get into smaller indie games and this forces me out of my comfort zone by making me look at something that I wouldn’t automatically pick up and purchase, and may not have even heard about. The Sun and Moon is a simple premise with a unique twist; it’s a basic platformer that allows you to dive and move not only through the ‘air’ but also through the ‘ground’. It’s very abstract and difficult to explain in normal terms, but I like a bit of simplicity in a game so was eager to get my teeth stuck into this title. Read more …

Combat Virtuality Part I: On Video Game Violence

November 3, 2014 Chris Halpin-Durband CH-D, Combat Virtuality, Editor's Picks, Features, TeamZ1G

A few years ago I felt a sudden pang of sympathy for my fellow human being, leading me to hang up the virtual swords and shotguns in an attempt to only play non-violent video games for a while. This proved to be an incredibly difficult task; and I began to query the fact that non-violent video games are actually few and far between. Surely this must say something about our relationship with violence in video games and perhaps in the entertainment industry at large; the fact that violence is so pervasive yet also so entertaining makes me ponder the wider questions relating to combat, violence, and how it is portrayed in digital media. The purpose of the “Combat Virtuality” feature at large is to explore combat and violence in gaming, look at what is done right, what is done wrong, and consider the potential driving force behind what we experience every day when we pick up a controller or sit behind the keyboard and descend into a virtual world. I abhor the current trend of blaming violence in gaming for every problem in society so expect none of that simplistic nonsense here! Read more …

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Review

October 17, 2014 Chris Halpin-Durband CH-D, PC, Reviews, TeamZ1G

I hate to admit but I mostly ignored the hype surrounding Shadow of Mordor. “Another Lord of the Rings game” I thought. Apart from Lord of the Rings: Online every game I’ve played related to this franchise has been a disappointment. I’m a big fan of Tolkien and I also enjoy the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings movie adaptations (the less said about The Hobbit the better), so something that came close to either films or novel would be ideal. On the surface Shadow of Mordor promises to be just this, combining action gameplay with a solid role-playing system in an open world? Sounds fantastic! This is one franchise that has been long overdue a decent game that we can all sink our teeth into. Read more …

Sofa Gaming with Gauntlet

October 10, 2014 Chris Halpin-Durband CH-D, PC, Reviews, TC, TeamZ1G

Before joining the PC master race I used to play consoles a lot, and there is a large part of me that sorely misses the good old days of my youth, with multiple people clustered around the same fourteen inch television which was in turn split horizontally to enjoy a spot of sofa gaming. Obviously beat ’em ups were always a staple fare for this sort of social activity, along with various first person shooters (some of my fondest gaming memories are of multiplayer with three other friends playing GoldenEye and Perfect Dark) but one game really stood head and shoulders above the rest for local co-op gaming; the 1987 NES release Gauntlet. This was heavily based on the original 1985 arcade cabinet game of the same name but it was one of the first console ports of a coin-op game that to my mind really managed to capture the frantic spirit of multiplayer arcade shenanigans and bring it to your living room. When I noticed that a new version was being released on Steam I sighed inwardly; there have been a string of Gauntlet spin-offs, re-imaginings and sequels ranging from the mediocre to the disastrous. I felt it was my moral duty to review this game properly for you in the way that it was intended to be played; with another gamer in front of the TV. As such I invited fellow Zero1Gaming writer Trent Cannon to my humble abode to join me in my quest to re-capture my childhood with fizzy drinks, sugary snacks and Gauntlet. Read more …