E3 2014 coverage for Gaming Blend

E3 2014 has come and gone and, one week later, I still feel like I could use an extra nap or ten just to recover from all of that running around, chatting folks up and, of course, playing loads and loads of games.

I once again covered the show for Gaming Blend this year, pulling together wrap-ups for several of the press conferences and compiling hands-on/eyes-on impressions and even a few one-on-one interviews. Following is a rundown of all of that content. Dive in!

E3 2014: Get ready for the big show
Microsoft cuts the BS and delivers games
EA shooting for something different
PS4 matches Xbox One's barrage of new games
Dead Island 2 brings 8-player co-op to zombie-infested California
Homefront: The Revolution exlusive preview and game details
War Thunder soars with Oculus Rift
Mortal Kombat X fighting styles, character options detailed
Hands-on with Xbox One's Fable Legends
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor will be unique for every player
Monster Hunter 4, Monster Hunter iOS are great additions to the series
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain keeps its humorous edge
Producer Yoshifumi Hashimoto digs into Nintendo 3DS' Story of Seasons
Freedom Wars offers big action on a tiny PS Vita
Sunset Overdrive's Marcus Smith and Drew Murray grind through the awesomeocalypse
Hands on with The Order 1886 and Murasaki Baby
Hands on with Guns Up! and Helldivers
EVE: Valkyrie and Oculus are a match made in heaven

Reviews: Monochroma [PC], Moon Chronicles [3DS]

Here are another couple of reviews I wrote for gaming blend, both suffering from the same setback of having less-than-ideal controls.

First up is Monochroma, a Kickstarter indie darling that looks great, sounds great and tells an intriguing story. If only controlling the character wasn't an absolute nightmare half of the time. The developers are working on a patch to address this issue, so here's hoping Monochroma will get a second chance to shine.

Monochroma review: Beautiful, but nearly broken

And then there's Moon Chronicles, a 3DS remake of one of the few first-person shooters to make it onto the original DS. I was digging the old-school approach to this one but, again, frustrating controls and some balance issues threw a rather large wrench into the cogs, hampering my experience with the game.

Moon Chronicles review: Way off target

Review: Mario Golf: World Tour [3DS]

I've always been a fan of arcade golf games and, after about a decade of silence, one of the best (and only, really) series in the genre finally returned in the form of Mario Galf: World Tour for the Nintendo 3DS. But does this latest version of the cartoony sports game properly scratch a lighthearted golfing itch? Find out in my review for Gaming Blend.

Review: Mario Golf: World Tour Plays a Solid Round

Review: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn [PS4]

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has finally arrived on the PlayStation 4 and, over the course of a week, I spent quite a few hours running about, fulfilling quests, battling monsters and gathering loot to pull together my first stab at a review-in-progress for the game.

Following is my review from Gaming Blend that covers the first 10 levels of progression. I plan to revisit the review after level 30, and then again if it continues to hold my interest at 50 and beyond.

Final Fantasy XIV PS4 Review: Solid start to a big adventure

Gaming in the face of tragedy [Column]

I recently took a step away from my usual writing duties at Gaming Blend to explore something quite a bit more personal than the daily news and reviews.

My Pop passed away in March following a brief battle with cancer. Gaming continued to play a part in my life during those confusing weeks and, in this piece, I explore that role. It's a bit rough, I admit, and probably doesn't dive deep enough in order to create a real "point," but writing about it helped me work through some tough emotional issues.

Anyway, here it is:

Gaming in the face of tragedy: Cancer and Control

Reviews aplenty

I did a ridiculous number of reviews these past couple of months, so here's the rundown. No need for an intro this time around. Just get to reading. Go on...I'll be here waiting. Take your time.

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is a cut bellow

Ragnarok Odyssey ACE is worth a second adventure

Deception IV: Blood Ties is a trap well sprung

Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes review: Not Quite (Outer) Heaven

Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complte Edition brings epic war to the PS4

Dark Souls 2 impressions: An absolute blast

Dark Souls 2: Helpful tips for the recently cursed

Review: Toukiden: Age of Demons

Toukiden is finally out for the PlayStation Vita, adding yet another monster hunting game to the platform's growing list of genre titles.

With an accessible fighting engine, an interesting story and fantastic multiplayer, this demon slay-a-thon could mark the beginning of a great new franchise.

Toukiden review: Slaying with the best of 'em

Don't Starve: A diary of my first death [From Gaming Blend]

Witness now my story of madness and suffering...

Don't Starve finally arrived on the PlayStation 4 and I finally got around to giving it a whirl. I had a lot of fun writing this piece from the perspective of the game's protagonist, a doomed scientist struggling to survive in a dark and twisted nightmare world.

Don't Starve: A diary of my first death

Four more games columns from Gaming Blend

The holidays are always a slower time for video game news, as most of the big launches were out in time for the big shopping rush and developers typically like to take a little time to, you know, spend some time with their families like the rest of us.

That being the case, I typically take advantage of the opportunity to write a couple extra columns here and there, four of which recently went live on Gaming Blend.

My family is suddenly full of gamers

2014 could be the best year of gaming yet

Bravely Default censorship upsetting for all the wrongreasons

PlayStation 4 game of the year: The waiting game

End of the year columns and a short story

Now that 2013 is wrapping up, it's time to take a look back at the past 12 months and reminisce about the games that had us playing, smiling, crying and talking the most.

I recently pulled together my five favorite games for Gaming Blend, as well as a column concerning my favorite RPG (Or action adventure game, if you prefer) The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.

Finally, I also wrote a (very) short story involving the Nintendo 3DS, StreetPass and...love? It's a work of fiction, so don't feel too bad for the narrator. This also happens to be one of my favorite things I've written in a while, so, yeah.

Thanks for following along and see you again in 2014!

Best games of 2013: Ryan sides with talking animals

Best RPG of 2013: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Final StreetPass: A Nintendo 3DS short story