GAMES
SHEPHERD’S CROSSING
Before you gorge yourself on turkey and stuffing this Thanksgiving, remember to give thanks for the niche games from smaller Japanese developers that are still receiving budget releases on the PlayStation 2.

Fortunately for us Western gamers, Valcon Games and Success were brave enough to release their farming simulation video game Shepherd’s Crossing in the States. Granted, it isn’t that much different from other farming titles such as Natsume’s Harvest Moon series, but the game play is engrossing enough to keep you hooked throughout the holidays.

Even if you’ve killed every houseplant you’ve ever owned in real life, you won’t need a green thumb to maintain your in-game crops. The calendar is organized by season, so planting the right seeds, caring for the crops and reaping produce before it goes bad are the keys to success.

Running a farm isn’t a complete breeze, however, and in the village of Shepherd’s Crossing, it’s necessary to defend your farm animals from predators. Foxes and rabbits will attack your farm, so fi nding a dog, choosing the correct breed and training it well are essential to your survival and will help during herding exercises and hunting trips.

It should also be noted that your guide throughout the game is a talking duck named Brammy who walks around with a wine bottle strapped to his back that simply adds to the game’s weirdness factor.

There probably aren’t a lot of copies floating around at retail, but if you’re lucky enough to find one, don’t pass it up. Shepherd’s Crossing is available for the PlayStation 2 for the budget price of $14.99. - Korey Hughes

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COMICS
ALAN’S WAR by Emmanuel Gibert, First Second, $24.00
This week we’ve got that rare book about which nothing negative can be said. ALAN’S WAR was born of an unlikely friendship between French cartoonist Gibert and retired U.S. World War II vet Alan Cope. Upon hearing Cope’s tales of his experiences during the end of the war and beyond, Gibert knew he needed to illustrate them. The result is an elegant, thoughtful tome that brings events epic in scope down to relatable levels. It is in the seemingly mundane details of Cope’s remembrances that the story comes to life and we are able to get a sense of what the day-to-day must have been like through these days. I cannot rave enough about Gibert’s PhD-level brushwork. There’s so much texture and nuance accompanying the deceptively simple-looking linework, it’s easy to get lost in any panel. Jeez, listen to me, swooning over a book. Take it from me, though, ALAN’S WAR is going to be one of those benchmark graphic novels that scholars, bloggers and effete narcissists will cite for years to come as a banner achievement in art, storytelling and memoir. Read it! –Patrick Godfrey

Brought to you by Velocity Comics
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