Breweries and Games!

Well Battlefront II is in the news for all the wrong reasons. What better time for Breweries and Games! To take a look at the previous installment in the Battlefront series. The first Battlefront premiered on the Xbox/PS2 way back in 2004. It was nothing less than a masterpiece. An instant classic that took the style of the then largely PC series Battlefield and merged it with Star Wars to create the experience of the most important part of Star Wars, the wars. It was followed in 2005 by Battlefront II. This next installment added a number of new features such as starship combat in space, a more story focused campaign, and the battles from Episode 3. Regarded by many as a superior game to the original, gamers eagerly awaited the next installment in the series. Unfortunately what came next was a number of titles exclusive to handheld devices. These games all had unique features and showed potential but being on handhelds they were never going to have the impact that the other ...

Well don't I feel silly. Here I was reviewing Advanced Warfare, gleefully typing away my complaints about its story and plot.  Stretching my critical muscles as I prepared to throttle the next Call of Duty title on my list. I was ready for anything the game could throw at me. Anything except for it being rather good. I'm going to lose a bit of journalistic cred here but I actually really liked Infinite Warfare.  In fact, in going to say this was the best one since the first Modern Warfare. The plot is that it's the future and much of try solar system has been colonized in some way. At some point control of Mars was seized by a militant group called the settlement defense front.  In response the world governments created the UNSA. At some point a war was fought between the two groups with something of a ceasefire eventually reached. The game picks up with the SDF up to no good and then attacking earth. As a SCAR team, something of a combination operator and space f...

Western Washington is uniquely blessed in its location. Close to both the vast Pacific Ocean on one side and great Cascade Mountains on the other. Kayaking in the sound is hardly 100 miles from mountain biking in the national forest. It is fitting then that a brewery in this wondrous part of the world would deliberately invoke this. Enter Sound to  Summit Brewing. Flagship: multiple Kids: yes Do they brew there: yes Food: full menu Has guest taps: Events: yes Outside seating: yes This modest brewery is located just outside of snoholmish in that sweet spot of the evergreen state. A bright orange sign proclaims the location of the brewery just off a busy highway. Walking inside the place immediately gives off the relaxed, casual feel all breweries strive for. Much of the buildings' guts are on display but a few pictures on the walls keep things looking friendly while being the first things I notice to live up to both the "sound" and "summit" parts ...

This will be the oldest game we've covered yet being a title from 2014 but: 1. It's super cheap now 2. It's still a current gen game 3. I want to preface the next game and complain about this one a bit. As I said this game debuted in 2014 and I remember being intrigued at the concept. A near future shooter with technology like something out of Deus Ex?  Count me in.  I was all ready to give out bonus points for the inversion of having the player character working for a PMC rather than just being another special forces soldier. PMC's being on everyone's mind since the recent conflicts and what a change it would be for a series with "duty" in the name. Not exactly duty to fight for a paycheck alone. I'll start with the good. The game does near future well. The setting is plausible, scary, cool, and most importantly fun. The idea of soldiers having powered exoskeleton suits has been explored in other mediums but it really shines when the audien...

What's up guys and gals?  This week we got a pint in Washington's favorite Bavarian village, Leavenworth Washington. This brewery was an outstanding example of everything that makes this town great. Flagship: multiple Dogs: outside patio only Do they brew there: yes Food: Bavarian snacks Has guest taps: no Events: yes Outside seating: yes Few things, to me, feel as good as a strong, dark beer right after you come in from the cold.  In the mountains that divide west and central Washington the Icicle brewing Company seems to understand this. Like everything in this picturesque town the brewery radiates a Bavarian style. This brewery takes a unique but also German approach to their setup. As soon as you step inside you are greeted by the main bar.  Once you have a pint you can go outside to a patio or around the right side of the bar. We'll cover the patio later but the right will send you up a staircase to a spacious loft.  Wooden tables share the space wit...

When the first Dark Souls came out I got the worst pitch of it from my roommate that I could have gotten. If you die progress resets?  Intentionally tough and/or unfair mechanics?  I remember shaking my head at the notion. Why play something like that when I had Halo?  That even had multiplayer. Years later once there had been a few more and the hype train started I finally sat down and got to playing. Immediately I realized this was the worst kind of game for me. Not that it's bad, oh no. In fact It's rather good actually. The problem for me is the desire to and ability in the game to maximize your stats perfectly.  Dark Souls as a series made a lot of unique choices and for the most part they all paid off. This week we got to play the newest one. Dark Souls 3 is the latest and apparently last game in the series. This time around the player is "unkindled" rather than undead. I'll admit to actual liking this setup a bit better since it made more sense to me...