My Top Fictional Video Game Destinations

Escapism is one of the best parts of a video game, and it is made even more satisfying when the world you are exploring in is beautiful. Video games often get a lot of criticism for their violence, but people also need to take a step back and realise just what a positive impact visiting beautiful fictional landscapes can have on people, too. 

While my list could go on forever, I have decided to compile a list of just some of my favourite fictional video game destinations that I wouldn't mind visiting. Take a look below!

Whiterun

There's a lot of places in Skyrim that would be amazing to visit, but Whiterun has some truly stunning views. Whiterun is a major city in Skyrim, a major commercial hub that has plenty of foot traffic. 

Animal Crossing 

The Animal Crossing series is always been one of my go-to's when I just want to relax, or cheer myself up. Everything in the world is pleasant, pretty, and oh-so-cute! If I was able to, I could imagine myself spending my future retirement in a place like that.

Isle Delfino

A holiday destination for Peach and Mario in Super Mario Sunshine, Isle Delfino is such a sunny, pleasant looking place that I wouldn't mind spending a holiday on, either! Featuring a theme park, a sandy beach, a peaceful bay, a bustling plaza, fishing port, volcano, and a small village, there's plenty to do here.

Koholint Island

Like a lot of places on this list, it is best to imagine that you are visiting them after the bad guys have been taken care of (or, before they have arrived to cause mischief). The fictional dream land of Koholint Island in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening would be a beautiful place to visit! Framed by a massive egg atop Mount Tamaranch, it is made up of a quaint villages, swamp and pond areas, a beautiful beach, and prairies, and caves. I cannot wait to see how this all looks in the Switch remake!

Hyrule

Serving as the setting for many Zelda games, Hyrule is a beautiful land filled with deep forests, tall mountains, deserts, vast lakes, cities, villages, and temples. The landscape changes considering on where about's you are playing in the Zelda timeline, but the beauty remains consistent! 

Albion

The land of Albion changes a fair bit throughout the Fable series, but one thing remains among each map - it is a pretty stunning place. From the cobbled streets of Bowerstone, to the gorgeous countryside of Oakfield, it would be wonderful to visit here.

Toussaint

Ah, Toussaint is definitely easy on the eye, and is perhaps the most picture-perfect place on this list, in my opinion. Included as a destination on The Witcher 3's 'Blood and Wine' DLC, Toussaint is famous for it's wines, so what better way to enjoy this beautiful landscape than to sit back and take it all in with a glass at hand? 

Columbia 

The first of two Bioshock destinations to feature on my list, Columbia is a stunning city in the sky that would be delightful to visit if the whole place didn't go to pot! The steampunk architecture, combined with the bright and breezy feel is rather pleasing. 

Rapture

Taking away the splicers, and transporting it back to its heyday would make Rapture a pretty wonderful place to visit. The combination of glaring neon lights, a city infrastructure, and the natural beauty of the deep sea would be jaw-dropping to witness. Imagine staring out of the wide windows of one of the buildings you are in to see a massive blue whale swim past, for example?

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is a cute, quaint looking place that would be perfect to visit if you are looking to de-stress, escape a hectic lifestyle, and take some downtime. 

What would your dream destinations be? Let me know on Twitter!

Kirby/Skyrim Crossover by Michael Edstrom

A while ago I was asking for Kirby art for an anniversary themed piece that I was planning to run on 8-Bit Girl. Unlike my previous features (Metroid, Resident Evil and Zelda), I wasn't swamped with artwork, comments and other things that people wanted me to feature. I am not too sure why Kirby didn't get the love that the others recieved!

However...I did get one fantastic piece of art sent to me during that time.

Above you can see the Kirby and Skyrim crossover piece that Michael Edstrom, a graphic designer, podcaster, gamer and 8-Bit Girl reader created. I love Skyrim, so it was brilliant to open this email and see Kirby dressed as the dragonborn doing the 'Fus Ro Dah!' shout!

Thanks for sharing Michael!

I'm Going To Eurogamer Expo!

Hey all!

Well, I finally got round to actually printing off my Eurogamer press pass, and I'm pleased to say that I will be attending Eurogamer Expo this Saturday, 29th September.

I'm planning on meeting a some Twitter people during the day, as well as try out so many of those games. I'm so excited for Tomb Raider above anything else!

So, how many of you, my readers, are going on the Saturday? I'll be tweeting all day, taking photos and I'll have Streetpass on my Nintendo 3DS, so some of you may pick up an 8-Bit Girl Mii in passing. If you're going...perhaps I'll see you there! Look out for me, and don't be afraid to say hi! I'm taking this day as a day to meet many of you guys after all. :) (I'll most likely be wearing my Skyrim t-shirt...).

Kayleigh

Review: Fallout New Vegas

What springs to mind when we think of Vegas? Well for many, it’s where countless people flock to play casino games. It’s also where couples looking for a bit of cheese on their big day can be wed by one of the cities many Elvis impersonators. 


There have been several games set in Vegas, but one of the most enjoyable examples would have to be Fallout New Vegas. Bethesda Softworks have handed over development duties to Obsidian Entertainment, the team behind the first Fallout title. However, fears aside, as Fallout’s first team have managed to provide a gritty and engaging post-apocalyptic role playing experience.

Set several years after the events in Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas moves the action from Washington D.C. to “New Vegas”, what of course was once Las Vegas. Whilst many of the gameplay mechanics remain, New Vegas also feels somewhat different. Unlike the landscape in Fallout 3, players will not be confronted with a barren, desert wasteland that Washington D.C. became after the blast. The water is less contaminated here, now that the new purifying system is in place. Instead of miles of rockery, there’s actually a lot more (edible) plant life. Things also feel a little more ordered, with the New California Republic soldiers helping to keep the balance in this new society. 


However, what order has been established does not disguise the fact that New Vegas is still not a safe town. Raiders and gangs roam the area, drug addicts loiter in the streets and there plenty of mutated creatures vying for a piece of your flesh. An imperial-esque gang called the Legion are also threatening to disturb what little peace New Vegas has managed to create. 
Once the initial character creation scene is completed (the game begins with your character being shot in the head, thus resulting in some patching up by a local doctor), like Fallout 3 before it, you’re free to roam the games huge landscape. This is where the game is at its most enjoyable, as you’re more than likely to stumble across something in your travels almost constantly. Whether it be an encounter with a foe, or the discovery of a brand new place on the map, it’s a joy to mindlessly explore for these occasions. 

Like Fallout 3, there’s still plenty of collectables lying around. Yes, a lot of it is rubbish, but like the saying goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” If you wish to rummage around for cans of Pork N’ Beans for some reason whilst looking out for stat-boosting books, then by all means do it. Companions are also back, which help to lighten the load a little when fighting gets a little too intense. However, occasionally their AI can be a little frustrating at times. For example, occasionally companions are prone to running off to fight an enemy single-handledly, rather than staying to help you out…which at times can end horribly. 


One of the best things about the game is its expansiveness. The map feels a lot more varied than Fallout 3’s, and combines small towns reeking in poverty, to middle-ground villages, right up to neon-lighted casinos, where irradiated water resides. Like Fallout 3, Oblivion and Skyrim, I found that I had clocked up a significant amount of hours on purely exploring and completing sidequests, when there was still a huge proportion of the main story to go. It’s easy to get immersed, or should I say distracted, in a game that provides so much free reign and exploration like this. You could be exploring a quaint town, or playing one of the many casino games, and they’d still be plenty to try out after it!

Fallout New Vegas also introduces Hardcore Mode, a much more punishing way of playing the game. Unlike the normal mode, Hardcore Mode puts an emphasis on survival aspects. Players will have to ensure that they eat and drink regularly, which as many of you will recall from Fallout 3, is hard to keep up with, when decent food and water is in limited supply in most places. Healing items no longer instantly top up your health, instead they slowly patch you up over time, so chance encounters can get very tense when your health has been at a minimum for some time. Also, crippled limbs can only be fixed by using a rare Doctors Bag, or by finding a doctor to fix you up. Ammo also carries a significantly higher weight and is harder to come by, so a closer look at the inventory is required in this mode. 


For those looking for a more accurate depiction of desperation during a nuclear fallout, then Hardcore Mode is definitely worth a try. 


Overall, Fallout New Vegas is a brilliant game that is only slightly let down by its game freezes and glitches (something Fallout 3 was prone to at times as well) and occasional poor AI. New Vegas offers a much broader and varied landscape than Fallout 3, and it’s easy to sink an obscene amount of hours into it. If you’re looking for a immersive RPG…then this may just be one of them. 

Skyrim's "Dawnguard" Coming Tomorrow

Skyrim's first expansion pack will be released tomorrow on the Xbox 360, Bethesda have confirmed.


Available to download for 1600 Microsoft Points, Dawnguard allows players to either become a Vampire Lord or join the Dawnguard, a group of vampire hunters. Being a Vampire Lord allows players to hover and raise the dead, but like the vampires already existing in the game, you'll take damage whilst out in daylight. The Vampire Hunters get crossbows and can summon trolls to fight for them.


Good news is that this first batch of DLC adds about 10 to 20 hours of gameplay!


Both factions have different abilities. No release date has been announced for the PC and PS3 versions as of yet.

Art Feature: DrFaustusAU

Today's art feature comes from deviantART member DrFaustusAU. 


DrFaustusAU pays homage to the works of Dr Seuss and the books artwork in a large proportion of his work. 


He has done a majority of artwork, inspired by HP Lovecraft, films, Masters of the Universe and much more, but check out these two brilliant gaming pieces below.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Arkham Asylum 

If I Was Dovahkiin

"Arrow To The Knee" Now An Avatar Prop

Thanks to the meme-tastic, viral nature of the internet, many of you would have heard of Skyrim guard's unfortunate "arrow to the knee" incident.

Well, it's back again folks. Xbox have now made the "arrow to the knee" quip a prop for your Xbox 360 avatar.

The prop costs 240 Microsoft points. You can purchase it and add it to your download queue here.

Skyrim: Dawnguard Trailer Released

Details have been thin on the ground for Dawnguard, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's first DLC. Finally Bethesda have shed some light on this DLC in the form of a reveal trailer.


Judging by the trailer, it looks like players will be dealing with a lot of vampires and demonic beasts in what will probably be a rather dark adventure. Your character will be able to choose to join the undead in their exploits, or battle it out against them. 


Check out the trailer for Dawnguard, which will be released in the Summer for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. More details will be announced at E3. 

I'm At the London MCM Expo!

Hey all!

I'll be at the London MCM Expo this Saturday from about 1.30pm onwards. If you see me, feel free to say hi! It'll be nice to meet some of my readers! I'll most likely be in my Nes-style Skyrim t-shirt, so hopefully I won't be too hard to spot...

I'll also be snapping the best cosplay, photos from the Expo and will be switching on Streetpass on my 3DS, so look out for my Mii popping up on yours (my name is 8-Bit Girl on there too).

So...if you're there, I may see you around! Look out for some MCM Expo posts in the next few days. I intend to play a lot of the demos, etc. :)

Kayleigh

Feature: Skyrim Fan Videos

It's fair to say that Skyrim's pretty huge amongst gamers right now. With the news of not only the first batch of DLC coming this Summer, but a MMO Elder Scrolls coming to PC and Mac, gamers are getting more than a little excited.


Not content with memes and some excellent fan art, there are a talented bunch of youtube members out there who have also created some Skyrim related videos. Check out some of the best below.


Skyrim Badass by freddiew
A well made piece showing what Skyrim would be like in real life. Check out that dragon!




Legends Of The Frost by Miracle Of Sound ft. Malukah
An original song, this captures the nordic feel of the game perfectly. A great song. Speaking of Malukah...



Skyrim: The Dragonborn Comes by Malukah
Here she is again belting out another Skyrim track.



The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Horse Bug by TheStormCrusher
Let us take a minute just to appreciate the crazy, often hilarious bugs that players encounter every so often in Skyrim. This horse would put the late Michael Jackson and his moonwalk to shame. 




Skyrim: Trick Shots by Kennaay1891
Check out some expertly timed arrow kills by this YouTube user! It's worth checking out part two as well. 




100 Ways To Die: Skyrim courtesy of Machinima
A mix of crazy modded (some are real I believe too) deaths. Check it out!


So there you have it people! There are heaps of fantastic Skyrim videos dotted around the net, but I could not include them all. If you've got any other great ones to share, let me know!

Birthday Presents: Gaming T-Shirts!

It was my birthday on Sunday (29th April) and I got spoilt with many fantastic presents, but I thought I'd share with you all two gaming related t-shirts that I was treated to.


Check these out:

As every Zelda fan should know, pester a Cuckoo long enough, and you'll be attacked by a swarm of them. I could never resist a bit of Cuckoo pestering...



My other t-shirt was a retro NES cartridge inspired Skyrim shirt, complete with the Dragonborn himself. 

Both shirts were available on Qwertee, but unfortunately they're no more! For those who are unaware, Qwertee sells t-shirts for 24 hours only. Once the times up, they're gone forever. 


Thank you to everyone who sent me some birthday wishes!

Skyrim DLC Entitled "Dawnguard"

After hinting on Twitter, Bethesda have finally announced the title of the first set of Skyrim DLC. 


Entitled Dawnguard, the company have not released any other information about the DLC other than that it will be released in the Summer. More information is expected at next month's E3. To tease fans a little further, Bethesda also released an image on their blog, which shows a horned hatted guy with some sinister looking eyes. 


So whilst we all have to wait for this to land, at least Skyrim now has some Kinect functions for those wishing to scream some dragon shouts at their screen. Enjoy people.

Art Feature: Stahss

Deviantart member Stahss (real name Stacie Ponder) has quite a cute, cartoony style, which reflects well in all of the video game related pieces in her gallery. 


Stacie has drawn games such as Skyrim, Tomb Raider, Dragon Age and Mass Effect. Check out a few below.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Legend of Zelda: Link

Portal

Resident Evil - Nemesis

You Still Hear The Stories...

Skyrim DLC Hinted On Twitter

It looks like the first bit of Skyrim DLC is on it's way soon.


Bethesda have been hinting at an announcement for their first DLC for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim via Twitter. The companies vice president of public relations and marketing Pete Hines said the studio is "working on getting a little more info out on Skyrim/DLC", whilst we should expect the announcement "Maybe next week."


So, keep checking Pete Hines' Twitter feed, as some more information should drop soon...we hope.

YouTube Feature: THEoneNILS

If metal covers of popular video games appeals to you, then check out YouTuber THEoneNILS.

THEoneNILS has uploaded plenty of great covers, from Skyrim, Tetris, Pokemon, Zelda and may more. There are plenty to listen to over on his YouTube channel, but check out these few below!

Bethesda Adds Kinect To Skyrim

Bethesda have announced that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim will integrate Kinect support. 

Coming in the form of a free update due later this month, the Kinect support will add 200 voice commands to hotkey equip, and all menu navigation. Companions can also be commanded using voice controls.

Whilst these might sound great to some people, it's nothing compared to the news that this update will allow Kinect users to use Dragon Shouts. No doubt they'll be plenty of you shouting "FUS RO DAH!" and other Skyrim shouts in your living room soon enough. Yes, it may feel a little silly, but it's all in the name of fun!

As well as this, inventory items can be sorted by name, weight and value, new hotkey options, and special map functions have been added, which Kinect can also take advantage of. 

Bethesda have also announced that the first Skyrim DLC is on it's way, and will be an Xbox 360 exclusive, which is sure to disappoint PC and Playstation 3 owners. This DLC will add new quests, features, locations and more to Skyrim. 

Cosplay Feature: Jessica Nigri

Plenty of people cosplay, but unfortunately, some can get it horribly wrong at times. Thankfully, there are several examples of when it's done right. Jessica Nigri is one of those good examples.


She's cosplayed characters from several games, such as Skyrim, Lollipop Chainsaw, Gears of War, Pokemon and more. Check out some examples of her gaming-related costumes below!

Fallout 3 and Oblivion Double Pack

Finished Skyrim but haven't tried out any of Bethesda's earlier RPGs? Well, now's your time. Bethesda announced today that they will be released The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Fallout 3 in a bundle pack. 

Oblivion and Fallout 3 provide more massive, open-world RPG experiences, and provide hours of gameplay. 

The bundle pack is being released on the Xbox 360, whilst a Playstation 3 version is currently not in the works. Watch out for this in April!

Skyrim Valentines

Love it or loathe it, it's Valentines Day today, which has sparked a great deal of gaming related Valentines art online. Whether you like the occasion or not, it's definitely worth checking out these Skyrim Valentines cards.


A user called eatfun on deviantART has created a set of eight Skyrim themed Valentines, which dA members are able to send to other users of the site if they wish.


You can check out a few of them below:

More available on their dA gallery. 

Skyrim Patch 1.4 Details Released

Bethesda have announced their latest patch for last year's hit RPG Skyrim, and it's a pretty jam-packed one too. Skyrim Patch 1.4, as detailed below, fixes a variety of in-game bugs, such as a few reasons for crashes, and issues with save files. 


The patch also includes a host of quest fixes, some of which are rather spoiler-heavy if you were to read the full list (if you've still got a way to go in the game, I'd suggest avoiding that section for now). 

Here is the complete list of bug and quest fixes that this new patch will bring to the game. Thanks Bethesda!

Bug Fixes

• General optimizations for memory and performance
• Memory optimizations related to scripting
• Fixed crashes related to pathing and AI
• Fixed crash in Haemar’s Shame if player had already completed “A Daedra’s Best Friend”
• Fixed rare crash with loading saved games
• Fixed issue with accented characters not displaying properly at the end of a line
• Master Criminal achievement/trophy unlocks properly in French, German, Spanish and Italian
• Fixed issue where dragon priest masks would not render correctly
• Fixed issue where quests would incorrectly progress after reloading a save
• Fixed issues with placing and removing books from bookshelves in the player’s home
• Fixed issue where weapon racks and plaques would not work correctly in player’s house if player immediately visits their house before purchasing any furnishing.
• Fixed issue where the player house in Windhelm would not clean up properly
• Fixed crash related to giant attacks and absorb spells
• Fixed issue with ash piles not cleaning up properly
• Fixed occasional issue where overwriting an existing save would fail
• Fixed memory crash with container menu
• Fixed infinite loop with bookshelves
• Fixed issue where traps in Shalidor’s Maze would not work properly in French, German, Spanish and Italian versions
• Fixed issue where transforming back to human from werewolf would occasionally not fail
• Bows and daggers will display properly when placed on weapon racks

Quest Fixes

• The Unusual Gem inside the Thalmor Embassy is now accessible after finishing “Diplomatic Immunity”
• In “Breaching Security”, the quest token is no longer required to receive a fortune reading from Olava the Feeble
• Fixed issue where Galmar would not complete Joining the Stormcloaks properly if “Season Unending” was an active quest
• Fixed issue where starting “Season Unending” after finishing “Joining the Stormcloaks” would prevent “The Jagged Crown” from starting properly.
• Fixed issue progressing through “Message to Whiterun” while “Season Unending” was still open would block progression for both quests.
• In “Arniel’s Endeavor”, fixed issue where a quest journal would trigger multiple times
• In “Forbidden Legend”, the amulet fragment can no longer disappear after player leaves a dungeon without taking it
• Fixed rare issue in “Forbidden Legend” where killing Mikrul Gauldurson while sneaking would make his corpse unaccessible
• In “The White Phial”, the phial can no longer disappear if player leaves dungeon without taking it
• “The White Phial” will now start properly if player already has a briar heart in their inventory
• Player can no longer get stuck in Misty Grove after completing “A Night to Remember”
• Fixed issue where leaving Riften during “A Chance Arrangement” would prevent quest from progressing
• In “Darkness Returns”, a door in Twilight Sepulcher will properly open if the player leaves the dungeon for an extended period of time before completing the quest
• In “Under New Management”, if the player leaves the Oculory for an extended period of time after placing the focusing crystal and returns, the quest will proceed correctly
• “Onmund’s Request” will now start properly if player has already found Enthir’s staff before receiving this quest
• Fixed instance where Tonilia would stop buying stolen items and also would not give Guild Leader Armor
• “Repairing the Phial” will start properly if player already has unmelting snow or mammoth tusk in their inventory
• Finding Pantea’s Flute before speaking with Pantea no longer prevents her quest from updating
• In “The Coming of the Dawn”, fixed rare instance where a quest object would spawn incorrectly on the Katariah during Hail Sithis
• Fixed rare issue in “The Mind of Madness” where player is unable to equip the Wabbajack
• Fixed issue in “Pieces of the Past” where Mehrunes Dagon’s Razor will not trigger properly if player leaves the cell for extended period of time before activating it
• “Blood’s Honor” will start properly if you visited and completed Driftshade and an extended period of time passes before starting the quest.
• Fixed rare issue where “Dampened Spirits” would not start properly
• Fixed issue where player would be unable to become Thane of Riften if they purchased a home first
• Fixed issue where killing guards in Cidhna Mine woud block progression for “No One Escapes Cidhna Mine”
• Fixed numerous issues with “Blood on the Ice” not triggering properly
• In “Blood on the Ice”, Calixto can now be killed if player owns a house in Windhelm
• In “The Cure for Madness”, killing Cicero then resurrecting him no longer impedes quest progress
• Fixed rare issue in “To Kill an Empire” where an NPC would fail to die properly
• Clearing Knifepoint Ridge before starting “Boethiah’s Champion” no longer prevents quest from starting.