Rating: Mature (Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language)
Reviewed on: PS3
Playstation Plus has a knack of pulling out the occasional awesome title. Just last week, they added Spec Ops: The Line to their list of free games. And boy, is this a title to add!
A friend of mine was in Japan a few weeks ago, and brought back a bunch of games for me. One of them was Gundam Extreme Vs. And man, is this game awesome!
Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U(release date to be announced)
Platform Reviewed on: Xbox 360
Now, I was a late comer to the Aliens franchise. I admit it. I used to hate scary movies. Now that that's not the case, I love what Ridley Scott did in 1979, and James Cameron expounded upon 1986. Those movies did more for science fiction than anything else out there. I wish I could say the same about Aliens: Colonial Marines...
Over the past couple of years, Sony has gotten a really bad rap. Between the numerous hacks, promotional gaffes, and some bad design decisions, the Playstation 3 is not the powerhouse that Sony was expecting. Even so, there's a lot that Sony did right by their console, despite the many shortcomings. So today, I'm taking a look at the bright side of the device that "only does everything."
Okay, so if you've ever lived in Minnesota for any extended period of time, you learn that we're very, very, VERY loyal to companies headquartered in our state. Best Buy and Target stores are just about everywhere. So now there's news that both Best Buy and Target will be opening on Thanksgiving day. And this just made me mad. Last year, stores were opening at midnight, and now we as a society have gone too far. So I'm just going to say it. I've developed a case of the humbugs!
Rating: Mature (Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language)
Available for: Xbox 360, PS3
Reviewed on: Xbox 360
Oh look, it's another Suda51 game! Released last week, Lollipop Chainsaw has been on my radar for a while. As always, Suda's trademark humor and art style are present from the very beginning. But how does it hold up? Actually, pretty well.
Bayonetta was on my radar screen for a while, though I had never taken the time to pick it up and play it. Boy, was that a bad idea! This little gem from Platinum Games deserves a look, if you haven't already.
Bad ideas seem to invariably start with a frat boy origin. "Guys, we should do this. It would be totally awesome if we do this!"
And then, they fall flat on their face. Every industry has its share of good ideas and bad ideas. It just happens that the bad ideas in the video game industry are far more humorous than other industries. Video games have had their share of gaffes, and some of these are worthy of making a Top 5 over it. So, here's my Top 5 bad ideas in video games.
The Adults Only rating, or AO for short, has long been seen as a "kiss of death" to a video game. Most if not all retailers will outright refuse to stock an AO game, and the rating itself is largely associated with porn, sex, and the most depraved violence out there. But, perhaps the fear of an AO rating is doing more harm than good. Here's a couple of ideas on how to make AO work, and where it can and should be used.
Destructoid had an interesting comment thread in an announcement about Ubisoft games going offline for server maintenance. With this downtime, legitimate copies of some of Ubi's biggest PC titles will be unplayable, even in the single player campaign. Here's an excerpt from the article:
The affected PC games are HAWX 2, Might & Magic: Heroes 6, The Settlers 7. Those using a Mac will be unable to play The Settlers, Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell: Conviction. Most other games will have their online modes unreachable for the day, although Just Dance 3 and Driver: San Francisco are said to be unaffected.
Understandably, people are less than thrilled about this.The comments in the Destructoid thread are funny, but they raise some good points. This rant is continuing on the DRM rant that I posted a while back, and I'll be including some other topics that have come up since then.
It's no secret that I have a serious penchant for light gun games. Something about the actual pointing the gun controller on screen and pulling the trigger lends it a unique feel, something much different than most shooting games out there. For that reason, I'm going to spend today's Top 5 on my:
One staple of video games is the bosses. They make for a great end to a level, and they serve to prepare the transition to the next level. But every now and again, you'll run across a boss that makes you scratch your head, say, "what the f***?" and walk away. With that in mind, here's:
Now that Activision has announced a new Tony Hawk game coming to XBOX Live and Playstation Network, I feel compelled to point out to Bobby Kotick what worked in the classic Tony Hawk games and why their recent games sucked. There's a plethora of topics that I can talk about, but I'm going to limit this one as much as I can. So Mr. Kotick, here's what I want to see in Tony Hawk HD when you release it. Please don't disappoint.
I know it's been established that I'm completely and utterly insane. However, this next post might actually put me in the looney bin. I'm going to defend Duke Nukem Forever.
...Why?
Too many people like to rail on the king with "balls of steel," and he doesn't deserve all the bad rap that he gets. For that reason, I'm going to ignore all the bad stuff in DNF and talk only about the good stuff.
(Disclaimer: I have received no compensation by 2K games, 3D Realms, Gearbox Software, or anyone related to the development and publishing of Duke Nukem Forever. I am simply stupid enough to write an article like this for the lulz.)
Non-Player Characters, or NPCs, are a staple of most single player games. They can be hapless civilians, wizened teachers, or merchants willing to keep you stocked in exchange for a few coin. As always, however, there will be at least a few characters that make you scratch your head and wonder what is wrong with them. Here's my picks for:
Top 5 Creepiest NPCs
5. Christopher (Shadows of the Damned)
Christopher is not so much creepy as he is misunderstood. It's easy to brush him off as another demon at first glance, but he's got his charms. I still can't forget that cut scene when you first meet him. Of all the faces he could have made, why did he have to choose this one?
4. The Merchant (Resident Evil 4)
"Geetings, Strange-ah!" Just the way that he greets you is more than slightly unsettling. When you factor in the firepower he's packing at some of his shops, you really have to worry that this guy isn't going to go on a murderous spree or fund people who will. I dunno about this one, he just seems like a loose trigger.
3. Plasma Man (Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon)
PU-LA-ZU-MAAA! He sure doesn't wear much. I wonder if that's how he attained enlightenment? Those awful, heavy clothes must really weigh down your brain. If we all go nude, maybe we'll be as wise as him! (Seriously guys, DON'T DO THIS!!!)
2. Happy Mask Salesman (Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask)
Yeah...this is one guy you don't want to make angry. One minute, he's all smiles. The next, he's about ready to slit your throat. He really needs to relax. Perhaps a cruise to Koholint island would give him the stress relief he needs...
1. Great Fairy (Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)
I'm not even going to say anything about this one. Just watch the video...
Are you creeped out yet? Good! I'll see you again in two weeks.
There's an apocalypse coming! And we're NOT gonna die!
Whut?
There's an old proverb: "those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it." It means that we can learn from past mistakes to prevent future ones. What if repeating history would be good instead? Before you start dismissing this as a 2012 rant, it's not. Gaming is on the cusp of another crash, and I can't wait for that to happen.
All joking and limericks aside, it's been an amazing year in gaming. 2011 saw Sony's flagship PlayStation Network get breached, a plethora of huge titles released, and even a few long-awaited reboots. So now, let's take a look at the last 12 months for a Year in Gaming: 2011
My dad has been a gear head for as long as I can remember. When I was three years old, I'd help him with oil changes on the cars. Back when I was in high school, we'd race in Gran Turismo 2 on the PS1 whenever we'd get the chance. We'd play Burnout when I was in college. After the Burnout Paradise came and went from my radar screen, I was left looking for something to fill that void. Hello, Split/Second! What sort of crazy madness can you show me today? Evidently, quite a bit.
I'm starting up something new now: I liked writing that 5 Wii Games article, and there's enough content I can do to warrant adding an extra article each week. So, this one will be every other Thursday, for starters. If I can keep it up, it will become a weekly column here. So anyways, to start this blog off, here's:
Top 5Video Game Cinematics that Tell you Nothing About the Game you're Playing
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
