Jim Stitzel

Jack-of-All-Trades, Master of Words

Excerpts from Life

The Casual Gamer: Destiny First Look Alpha

The Casual Gamer: Destiny First Look Alpha

This entry is part 6 of 6 in the series The Casual Gamer

For a week and a half, I was privileged to be able to play BUNGiE’s First Look Alpha build of their upcoming new title Destiny. This has been one of my most anticipated gaming titles, and being able to get a sneak peek at their next big thing was an amazing experience. With the lifting of the media embargo last week, there are already a _lot_ of resources out there to get a sense of what _Destiny_ is all about, so I won’t rehash those. A quick Google search will turn up a wealth of information about this new IP. I _do_, however, want to add my own take on the game with regard to what I most enjoyed about the Alpha and what I’m most looking forward to about the finished game.

When Melancholy Becomes Something Else

Earlier this morning, I sent this to Twitter: https://twitter.com/stitzelj/statuses/473785022789718016 It seems I spoke too soon because my mood has deteriorated since then. Tears have been threatening -- and occasionally more than threatening -- to spill over all...

The Casual Gamer: Console Wars

The Casual Gamer: Console Wars

This past week I entered the ranks of next-generation gamers. What's remarkable about this, at least for me, is that this is probably the earliest in a new console cycle that I've acquired a next-gen system. When I received my first-gen Xbox as a gift, that system had...

Fiction

The Crone and the Choice

The Crone and the Choice

Please give me a decent choice, I thought, as I walked the path to the crone's hut. The old hag lived outside the village, an outcast to everyone but herself. But she was known to give choices to those who sought her out, choices that could change your fate, both for...

The Dragon

The Dragon

The day the dragon arrived, our whole concept of government changed. The dragon took up residence in the hills just outside of town. We all saw it fly overhead and land, and there was a general air of concern around town as we didn't yet know the dragon's intent....

Grim Fury

Grim Fury

This entry is part 35 of 35 in the series The Rusted Blade

Malika pushed forward into the village, her blade a blur of blue, flaming fury. It took several moments for the Lesser Dead to notice her, but as she cut them down, they flocked to her in greater numbers.