After a nice two-week break, we’re all back in the office. After dusting off our keyboards, replacing all the burnt-out lightbulbs, and scaring off the wildlife that had nestled in during our absence, we spent the morning catching up with one another. In an effort to avoid having to recreate the same conversations with ourselves time and time again, we decided to compile our recaps in one handy place. What did we do on our winter vacations? Read on and find out.
Bryan Vore
With all the holidays and family stuff going on over the break, I didn't get a ton of time to chill out. But I did manage to squeeze in a little Destiny, some Kingdom Rush Frontiers (with Origins out, it finally pushed me to get to part two), Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris co-op, and more Far Cry 4 co-op.
As far as non-gaming stuff goes, I read Unbroken (still need to check out the movie), caught the back half of UFC 182, and the front half of Wrestle Kingdom 9 (my first dose of Japanese wrestling). I've still gotta get to The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Is there anyone who hasn't seen it yet?
Matt Bertz
My break was mostly consumed with taking care of my newborn child, but when I had downtime I spent it making my mark on Thedas in Dragon Age Inquisition. All other games were ignored as I immersed myself in the role of the Inquisitor (Team Mage for Life!). I also started two books. The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss was an interesting aside to the Kingkiller Chronicle, and Donald Ray Pollack's The Devil All the Time is a bloody romp I've been looking forward to reading a while. I also checked out the excellent ITV mystery Broadchurch on Netflix, which I strongly recommend.
Joe Juba
I had big ambitions for my time out of the office. I was planning to get back into World of Warcraft, start Assassin's Creed Unity, and finally give Destiny a fair shot. Instead, I got sucked back into Dragon Age: Inquisition. I completed quests and explored areas that I missed the first time around, and still had a great time. By the time I finished, I put over 90 hours into the playthrough…but then I was in the mood for something a little smaller in scope. That's why I started Prison Architect, which completely hooked me; I build cells and terrorize people when I play the Sims, so it's great to have that behavior recognized and rewarded.
My non-gaming activities were basically provided by Netflix. I burned through all 12 episodes of Peaky Blinders, which is worth watching for Cillian Murphy's character alone. I finished what was available of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and then watched the first 10 minutes of several movies before deciding I should take a nap instead.
Kim Wallace
I spent my break catching up on sleep, watching hockey, and playing with babies. Thankfully, I was able to get in some game time here and there. I always go back home to Chicago to visit my family, so I basically spent the break catching up with them and making sure my three little nephews know they have a cool aunt. My highlight? Introducing my two-year-old nephew to Amiibos. He loves to collect things (currently he’s addicted to Mash ‘Ems), but it was fun seeing him pick out his favorite characters. Since then, all he’s been doing is asking my brother about Amiibos. I’ve put the kid on the right path.
I was all over the place with games this break. I started Assassin’s Creed: Rogue, but it was too much of the same to keep me invested. I sank a bunch of time into Pokémon Alpha Sapphire, just don’t tell Ben Hanson. It will make him too happy and we can’t have that. Plus, I’ve been addicted to this iOS game called Kitty Powers’ Matchmaker, where you set people up on dates. I finally reached the highest level that gives you the toughest challenge: setting up Kitty on a date. Successful break? I think so.