It's Taxes

Well, it should be obvious, but my favorite game developer is Blizzard Entertainment, and I’m not just saying that because I work for the studio. I have a long love affair with Blizzard games going back to when I was first introduced to Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness and Diablo at a LAN party back in 1997. It was my dream for a long time to work for one of the best studios on the planet, and I’m excited to be part of the Blizzard family.

Diablo is still my favorite franchise of all time.

Of course, it feels a bit self-serving to put my employer at the top of the list, so if I have to pick a second choice, it would be Nintendo. The first console I owned was the Nintendo Entertainment System, and I have fond memories of all the great games from the 8-bit era. Nintendo has always made my primary console of choice (even the Wii U), and I love all the first party titles. Some of the recent Nintendo games I really enjoyed were Super Mario Maker, Yoshi’s Wooly World, and Mario Kart 8.

I had to think about this one, but I settled on a particular stretch of scenes from Dragon Age: Inquisition (warning: spoilerz follow). The close of the first act of the game sees you and your companions routed from your home base of Haven and driven into the mountains. This whole scene, when you first get to meet the BBEG to the reveal of Skyhold, really showcases the epic scale of the conflict and the world you’re playing in. Also, the song at the camp just before Skyhold gives me goosebumps every time.

It’s probably actually a combination of the stellar writing and the voice acting, but I absolutely love the cast of characters in Mass Effect 2. Every single actor brings each character to life in sometimes funny, sometimes thoughtful ways. Especially Mordin Solus.

I have two upcoming games that I’m really looking forward to. First is Horizon: Zero Dawn. I was immediately drawn to its visuals and the unique setting. Plus, I’m a sucker for cool open world games.

_©2017 Guerrilla Games_

Speaking of open world games, the other game I’m excited about is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I can’t wait to get my hands on the Nintendo Switch and this game!

_©2017 Nintendo_

When I first got my Super NES, I instantly fell in love with The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. To this day, it’s one of my top all-time favorite games. So much so that when I recently got a modded Game Boy Advance, the first cartridge I purchased for it was The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords.

_©1991 Nintendo_