Merry Christmas!

Or whatever you just happen to celebrate.

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is coming along nicely. Too bad I won't have it finished before Christmas. First some time with the family and then I will be in Boston for a few days, alone, making new friends.

What's going on in Boston, you ask?

THROWDOWN!!!

Have a great holiday everybody!

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception!!!

OMG OMG OMG

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/12/09/uncharted-3-first-look/

Can't... type... too... much... excitement!

POWERSLIDE!!!!

Title: Vanquish

Developer: Platinum Games

Being a huge Resident Evil fan, I was pretty excited when I heard Shinji Mikami was putting out a new game, developed by the mad genius' behind the insanely amazing Bayonetta. I wound up being slightly disappionted but entertained nonetheless.

The game in reference is Vanquish. And, like Bayonetta, it's kinda nuts.

You are Sam Gideon, a DARPA scientist who helps work out the kinks in a battle suit. The battle suit is pretty rad, in boost you across the floor, in a Tenacious D style Power Slide, slows down time to kill enemies, and I think feeds small children too (maybe not on that last one).

The game play is great, is a cover-based third person shooter, but with a shit-load of speed and frenzy.

However, the story is your typical crazy Japanese hodge podge or Space Marines, Russian satellites, and conspiracies. You wade through wave after wave of the same robots. It made me think a bit of CAPCOM's Dark Void in that department.

I don't have much more to say about the game. I finished it almost two weeks ago and am now finally writing about it. I enjoyed it well enough, it was a nice distraction and I give major kudos to anybody who can finish it on Hell Mode.

Next Level: Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

Marky Mark as Nathan Drake?! I don't feel these vibrations.

As reported here:

http://kotaku.com/5698269/mark-wahlberg-will-be-nathan-drake-deniro-could-be-drakes-dad

I have nothing against Mark Wahlberg. I think he's a pretty good actor and I've enjoyed a number of his movies.

However, I love Uncharted. The games are simply amazing. The stories, the characters, graphics, game play, etc, etc, etc. Everything about them are just fantastic.

I don't have high hopes for this. Especialy the mention that Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci will play his "father" and "uncle." What gives. Both great actors with great movies under their belts. But, I can't see either guy the Uncharted universe.

So, here's my casting choices:

Nathan Drake: Nolan North
Sully: Bruce Campbell
Elena: Kristen Bell
Zoe: Claudia Black
Harry Flynn: James Marsters

Maybe not perfect, but it's my blog.

Just chock this up to another Hollywood video game adaptation that misses the mark.

No More Games for 2010?

I picked up Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood on Tuesday. After using $40 in gaming coupons from K-Mart I walked out of the store really happy with my purchase. The game has been getting fantastic reviews and I may actually take a dip into the multiplayer pool since it sounds like it's a pretty different experience from the normal "run & gun" most games present. The only thing standing between me and getting my stabby on is Vanquish, which I am about half way through and should have completed next weekend. A pesky family trip this weekend is keeping me from any gaming at all.

This purchase may just mark the end of my video games for 2010. Sure, I still want to pick up a few odds and ends, mostly Alan Wake and Deadly Conspiracy and possibly Splatterhouse next week, but for the most part I think I am good to go until Dead Space 2 is out at the end of January.

So, basically two months of uninterrupted game play. The shelf can only hopefully get smaller for the next 70 or so days.

2011 looks like it is shaping up pretty nicely too. Looking forward to Dead Space 2, L.A. Noire, The ICO/Shadow of the Colossus HD re-release, Gears of War 3, Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 3, The Last Guardian and I'm sure a slew more I am either forgetting about or that haven't been announced yet but I know I will want.

It's been a very slow process but I'm enjoying it nonetheless.

More Bang for Your Buck?

Two games knocked out this weekend. I don't know if I will be able to do that again. It's a weird feeling.

Before this current generation of systems, most video games were released at a $50 price point. When the 360 hit, games went up to $60 each. The PS3 followed suit. That's quite a price increase, $10. No $55 rest stop, just ten smackers extra down.

For $60, you should really get more steak than sizzle. And, sometimes you do. This week, unfortunately, you don't. Or at least, I didn't.

Let's start off with game number one, or what I did on Saturday.

Game Title: Enslaved, Odyssey to the West

Developed By: Ninja Theory

I started the weekend with Ninja Theory's "Enslaved, Odyssey to the West," a post-apocalyptic take on the old Chinese myth "Journey to the West." Now, I'll be honest, most of my knowledge of Journey to the West comes from knowing it was one of the inspirations for Akira Toriyama's "Dragon Ball" series. Son Goku has a tail, an extending staff, and a flying cloud. All of this is present in Enslaved too, Monkey has a "tail", his staff can shoot plasma bolts, and his has an electronic disk that can skim over certain types of terrain that he calls "Cloud."

In our story, Monkey has been captured by slaving collecting Mechs. Why are they collecting slaves? We don't know. He encounters a young girl named Trip, who's good with technology (hey, it's the "Bulma" character from Dragon Ball) and they narrowly survive escaping the ship slaver ship before it crashes (thanks to some sabotage by Trip). Trip creates a headband that she uses to enslave Monkey, it's tied by her biometric system so if she dies, he dies. She can also kill him if he travels too far away from her.

Thus begins the duos journey through a destroyed New York City, to Trip's village, and into the wasteland beyond to discover exactly what "Pyramid" is.

The game reminded me much of Uncharted with it's beautiful visuals and easy to learn game controls. Having played Ninja Theory's previous PS3 outing "Heavenly Sword" I knew they were no slouches in these departments. The story was interesting, and it kept me wanting to keep playing all day. The only time I grew frustrated was when the level of difficulty seemed to suddenly ramp up from Chapter 5 to Chapter 6.

The voice acting was good, and with Andy Serkis (the actor behind Gollum in The Lord of the Rings movies) doing Monkeys mo-cap animation, you can't complain. I also wonder exactly how much time was spent making Trip's butt so perfect (sorry, perv alert).

My biggest complaint was I went through the story in under 10 hours. Pretty much one sitting. I say pretty much, because I played Chapter 1 last weekend to get a feel for the game. I feel a bit cheated that $60 only equated to 10 hours of game play. Sure, there's going back through on Hard and trying to achieve some more trophies, but I'm on a schedule here.

If you're interested in Enslaved, I recommend it for the great game play and gorgeous graphics but suggest waiting until it's dropped to around $30 because of the amount of time it takes to finish.

At least it was 1o hours well spent. Unlike Game 2, or, how I spent Sunday.

Game Title: Star Wars, The Force Unleashed II

Developed By: LucasArts

Here we have a follow up to Star Wars, The Force Unleashed, an enjoyable if albeit buggy outing in the Star Wars Extended Universe. The first game ended with the death of the main character, Starkiller. Yet, here's a sequel, with Starkiller back. How did he survive.

Clones.

Remember a time when there were only three Star Wars movies and the only thing we really knew about clones was that Luke's father and Obi-Wan had fought during the Clone Wars? Now there has been a movie released about it and various spin-offs. The whole clone thing has lost it's mystique in the SW universe, at least for me.

So, here we are, Force Unleashed 2, Vader is on Kamino, at the cloning facility, and here's Starkiller, still alive. Or is he a clone? Or, was the character from the first game the clone. Is Vader pulling the ultimate Jedi Mind Trick on Starkiller? Let's find out.

The game has some improvements over the very buggy first game. I never fell to my death, the jump mechanic had been greatly improved, and I didn't encounter any broken maps or have to restart the game because of bug made a end boss fall out of the screen.

While the game improved on mechanics, it's about half the length of the first game. Four levels is all we gets (Kamino, a Cloud City type place that leads to an arena, Dagobah, a star cruiser, and back to Kamino for the finale). Who cares about the so-so graphics, the okay story, and the improved game play when you can finish the game in under six hours. I've read some reports of 4 hours but I was trying to get some of the trophies for killing Stormtroopers in various fun ways with Jedi Powers so it took me 6. For a blockbuster release like the Force Unleashed 2, that's simply inexcusable for a $60 price tag. This should have been FU 1.5 or some more DLC for $20, not a $60 game. For shame, LucasArts.

The game winds up open-ended to boot and I don't know if I'll be back for a Force Unleashed 3, if and when it is released.

Definitely hold off on this game until it's in the $20 range. It's not worth full price at all.

All-in-all, a productive weekend video game wise but a disappointing weekend due to the length of both games. I feel like for 60 bones each, I should get a little more bang for my buck. However, this time, all I got was a whole lot of sizzle with Force Unleashed 2 and a quick appetizer with Enslaved.

Next Level: Vanquish

Want to know more? http://enslaved.namco.com/ www.lucasarts.com/games/theforceunleashed2/

Temporary distractions: Rock Band 3

Game Title: Rock Band 3

Developed by: Harmonix

I decided to fire up Rock Band 3, and the 360 for the first time in a few months, before I became too involved with Enslaved. Rock Band is one of those games that will never be part of the Shelf of Shame. It's something I pick up to kill time, play maybe 30 minutes or an hour at a time, and then put back down. To me, it's not a series with a definite end game; only something to be enjoyed. I've never tried to become really good at Rock Band, just settling for being great on medium guitar/bass, playing drums when I have some extra energy because Easy is hard for me, and singing my little Jack Black wannabe head off when we have "Rock Club."

Yes, I do a pretty impressive rendition of Master Exploder. Long Live the D!

Anyways, I had my wonderful wife pick up Rock Band 3 (and Force Unleashed 2) on Day 1 so I could get the $20 gaming coupons from each game at K-Mart. If you're reading this and want good video game deals, check out K-Mart. They've started giving out $20-25 gaming coupons, that stack, with AAA game releases. Let me put it this way... I'll only be paying about $5 for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood when it's out in two weeks thanks for K-Marts gaming coupons.

Wow, another tangent. Allow me to digress.

I fired up Rock Band 3, paid the extra 1o bones to export over the Rock Band 2 tracklist, and went to town. The first thing I noticed was that the career challenges were different. No longer are you just playing to earn as many points as possible and five stars. You are now playing for Spades too, which are awarded for completing certain tasks during each set list. Sometimes it's how long you can keep Overdrive going, or how many times you can activate Overdrive in one song, or keeping your unbroken note streak going. It's a nice change and make you work extra hard to get 100% on each song.

Other changes, which never really effected the games, are when the song in the set list changes from a male to female vocalist, the avatar also changes from a dude to a chick. And, as fun as it always was to watch the big lumberjack dude sing Paramore, it was always a tiny sore point. It has been fixed.

The largest change, for my Medium godliness that is, is the addition of the fifth (orange) note on the Medium setting. I was never able to get more coordination down enough to play these games on Hard, and since I play them for enjoyment I was always perfectly fine with just being an amazing Medium guitar guy. Alas, no longer will I only play four notes. All songs that come on the Rock Band 3 disk, and I'm going to assume any new DLC, has the fifth note in them, though not in any great abundance and it never gets too tricky. I see this as I a way for those who do want to eventually graduate to Hard setting to ease into it.

Enjoying the setlist too. I mean, Rock Lobster! Sold. Whip It! Gold Record, baby.

So, when Saturday hits, I'll be back on Enslaved and back onto the Shelf. However, until then, any downtime I have, will be dedicated to rocking and audience of one, out cat Monica.

Gears of Warbots.

Game Title: Transformers: War for Cybertron

Developed by: High Moon Studios

If there is one thing I love more than video games (and maybe even my wife) it's Transformers. I've been with the franchise since it started back in 1984, when I was 8. My love of Optimus Prime, Starscream, and all the rest of the Autobots and Decepticons never died.

I have a very odd relationship with Transformers though. As much as I love them, I only love certain "eras" of the franchise, most specifically the original G1 era, and even more specifically, the G1 era leading up to and including the 1986 animated feature film. Anything from the 1986 toyline on, my interest wains. Needless to say, because of this, I had never played a Transformers video game.

Until now...

When War for Cybertron was first announced, I was excited. After the last four years of suffering through Bayformers and all their little point angles and wrecking ball gonads, here we have the original bots, in Cybertronian mode, looking like their old selves again. Megatron with a fusion cannon on his arm, check. Starscream with an actual face so we can see his smarmy smirk, double check. A Bumblebee that doesn't sound like R2-D2 retarded cousin, triple check.

I dove right in to the narrative, goosebumps aplenty as the familiar voice of Peter Cullen's Optimus Prime (the one and only Prime) boomed over my home theatre system. Over the next 10 levels, my love for Transformers was further cemented into the bedrock of my geek foundation.

I enjoyed the game play, though it is very similar to other third person shooters like Gears of War or Resident Evil 5. The graphics were stellar, with the transformations from robot to vehicle and back handled by one button (and including smooth animation to boot), and the story was interesting enough to not be a rehash of something we've already seen before. Who hasn't wanted more on the war that started everything. We've always just had bits and pieces and now here's a whole game!

The game starts off with the Decepticons. Megatron and a couple of minions infiltrating an orbital station that can produce Dark Energon. Megatron succeeds in gaining control of the Dark Energon and begins using it to corrupt Cybertron's core. As the story progresses, we see Megatron bring the Autobots to their knees, defeating their leader, Zeta Prime, and capturing their powerhouse guardian, Omega Supreme. Can the soldier known only as Optimus and his ragtag group of Autobots turn the tide of the Decepticon onslaught and save Cybertron? Play and find out.

The only part of the game I can't comment on is the multiplayer. I've no interest in it.

From level design to character avatars to story, Transformers; War for Cybertron is a definite must play, especially if you love the characters like I do.

Next level: Enslaved: Journey to the West

Poor Impulse Control

This week Toys R Us is doing a Buy 2, Get 1 Free sale on all video games. You just know I can't pass up a deal.

Damage done:

Castlevania: Lord of Shadows (PS3)

Dead Rising 2 (360)

Enslaved: Journey to the West (PS3)

Now I just have to contain myself so I don't go back and get Borderlands GOTY, Luche Libere, and something else.

Be Adequate...

Game Title: The Orange Box

Developer: Valve

The Orange Box. Sitting on The Shelf of Shame for about two years now, unloved, neglected; a game from a time before the PS3 had trophies.

The Orange Box comes from Valve, the developers behind what is my favorite X-box 360 series, Left 4 Dead. I put about four months into the original Left 4 Dead during the Winter of 2008/Spring 2009, much to my wife's dismay. For not being a big first person shooter fan, I played the hell out L4D, mostly because I enjoy zombies. The game even made me pick up a year subscription to X-box Live, which I learned was a pretty big mistake because I forgot these types of games are usually played by jerk-offs with a very limited vocabulary, one that usually consists of the words gay, fag, queer, homo, motherfucker, and many of their wonderful variations.

So, being a big fan of L4D I thought it was high time to give The Orange Box a crack open. Now, you might be thinking, "The Orange Box? That a rather silly name for a video game." And, you'd be correct, if it was just one game. However, The Orange Box contains not one, not two, but FIVE, games from Valve! Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2, Episode 1, Half Life 2, Episode 2, Team Fortress 2, and Portal. I was familiar with Half Life 2 from all of it's critical acclaim and many of it's fans bitching about the length of time between releases. The same goes with Portal. I have no idea what Team Fortress 2 is and I didn't pick up The Orange Box to find out (I think it's all about multi-player, which I'm not the biggest fan of). Sorry Team Fortress 2, you shall remain unloved and neglected.

Since I didn't finish Half Life 1, I don't know how much time has transpired between the events of HL1 and HL2. Looks like some nasty stuff with the dimensional portals went down and the people are living in a police state. Sounds like a good time for Bad Ass Scientist Gordon Freeman to show back up and stir some shit up with his crowbar.

In Half Life 2 you drive, shoot, and smash your way through 13 levels of adequate game play. Maybe it's because the game is a little older but there were many times during Half Life and it's two follow up episodes I found myself extremely bored. Uh oh, more Combine soldiers, guess I need to shoot 'em. Another Gravity Gun puzzle? Yay! And, the two vehicle levels felt like they would never end! The final "battle" if you can call it that, was disappointing to say the least, though it was made up for in spades during Chapter 6 of Episode 2!

That's not to say it was all bad. The story is pretty good, the voice acting not bad for an older game, and by the end of Episode 2 I was ready to find out exactly what is going on inside the Bourealis. I'll definitely pick up Half Life 2, Episode 3 or Half Life 3, or whatever the hell Valve is going to call it to find out what happens next.

BONUS LEVEL: Portal

Now for something completely different.

Portal is a puzzle game, set in the world of Half Life at Aperture Science (I think their a rival of Black Mesa, but don't quote me on that and I'm too lazy to research it right now).

In Portal you run through training courses, while being instructed by an unseen voice. These training courses involve a Portal gun, which allows you to cast both orange and blue portals. Enter a blue portal, exit through the orange, and vice versa. You use these portals, along with a good dose of geometry and physics, to pass each training area. Along the way, you begin to realize something is rather hinky at the training center.

I enjoyed Portal and didn't mind that it made me think. The fact that I had it finished in 4.5 hours my first time made me happy as well. I didn't expect to have it completed in one evening. By the end though, I was feeling some of the rooms were a bit tedious and I started getting frustrated because I wanted to be done (and it was getting late so I was cranky). The final battle was a hoot and I had "Still Alive" stuck in my head as I tried to fall asleep.

Overall, my experience with The Orange Box and the citrusy goodness contained within was just adequate. I enjoyed myself but wasn't blown away by any of the game play or stories.

Want to know more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Orange_Box

Next Level: Transformers: The War for Cybertron.

Am I Out of My Mind?!

I need to put a moratorium on new game purchases. Really, I need to or I'll never finish this quest.

A few recent editions over the last fews day:

Demon Souls (PS3)
Transformers: War for Cybertron (PS3)
The Saboteur (PS3)
Blade Kitten (PSN)
Shank (PSN)

Then there are the games I want for Christmas: Vanquish, Enslaved, Dead Rising 2, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2, Electric Boogaloo, and maybe Rock Band 3. Though Rock Band 3's additon of Pro Mode (and $150 guitar to play Pro Mode) keyboard, 3 part harmonies and two versions of each song (for color button pushers and Pro Mode aficionados) has been debating on whether or not my foray into the plastic instrument genre was a very expensive mistake...

Oy vey!

This crowbar is pretty frickin' sweet

Game Title: Half Life

Developed by: Valve

If you know games, you probably know or played Half Life. Originally released on the PC in 1998, Half Life was pretty revoluationary for it's time. I don't know much about it. I picked up the PS2 port and started playing.

You play as Gordon Freeman and scientist who's company accidentally opens a portal to another world/dimension. Then you fight some aliens.

I don't really know what's going on because after 3 hours of playing I quit for the night and forgot to fully save (I had been Quick Saving). So, the next day, no save file. I've gotten so use to my PS3 games auto saving that whenever I play a PS2 game I actually forget to save. It's annoying. It's not the first time (I'm looking at you, Ultimate Spider-Man).

So, Half Life will have to wait, because I got pissed I lost three hours or time and just decided to start Half Life 2 on The Orange Box. Look for a Half Life review sometime in the future.

Want to know more? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-Life_(video_game)

Next Level: The Orange Box/Half Life 2, Half Life 2 episode 1, and Half Life 2 episode 2

Metal Thrashing Mad!!!

Title: Brutal Legend

Developed by: Double Fine

I'm starting this post off proclaiming my love for Jack Black (and my hatred for Jack White). I've dug Jack Black since the first time I saw him in Tim Burton's high underrated "Mars Attacks!" And, I worship at the alter of the D (that's Tenacious D for those of your with head trauma). Dude makes me laugh and I've styled my physique after his. I love singing "Master Exploder" on Rock Band.

So, you can imagine my excitement when Brutal Legend came out last year. It features Jack Black voicing uber-Roadie Eddie Riggs. It's developed by Tim Schaefer and his studio Double Fine, which gave the world the amazing and under appreciated "Pyschonauts." It has an amazing heavy metal soundtrack. The game features voices from Ozzy Osbourne, Lita Ford, Rob Halford, and Lemmy Killmeister. It takes place in a heavy metal world were music is used as a weapon or to heal wounds.

We begin with Eddie, wishing for the days when music was pure. His fellow roadie ask him if he means the 70s. Eddie reponse is this "no, earlier, like, the early 70s." It's Classic Schaefer humor right out of the gate. Eddie finds himself roadieing for a nu-rap/metal poser band called Kabbage Boy. He's built and elaborate set for them. During the show, the stage collapses and Eddie is killed. Blood drips onto his belt buckle, an awesome heavy metal demon skull, lights flash, and Eddie awakens transported to a magical realm. From there, he helps begin a rebellion to help overthrow the vile Lord Doviculous and introduce the people to the power of Metal!

This game is a ton of fun. You can drive around in your super hot rod, called the Deuce, mowing down baddies and looking for bound dragon, all while listening to tracks from The D, Anthrax, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and a ton of other Metal bands. The story is wacky and the graphics fit the fun.

Two complaints. The battles are done as a real-time strategy game. This is where you command fellow troops to attack and defend on the battlefield. I loathe RTS games. I've struggled through each battle.

The second complaint is a major one and now you find out that I did not finish this game. That is because once you reach 90% completion in the game, there is a bug that corrupts your save file if you save the game. I was 19 hours in and had just broken 90% complete and blammo! Stuck on the loading screen. Double Fine has released a patch but published EA has not released it. C'mon EA, get off your ass and fix my game so I can finish.

90% in and I can say Brutal Legend is definitely worth the time. Just don't "Quit and Save" once you hit 90% complete. If you like Jack Black, Metal, and an awesomely original story, pick up Brutal Legend and bang your head!

Want to know more? http://www.brutallegend.com/home.action

Next Level: Half Life

Happy 15th Birthday, Sony Playstation

Now give me some of my life back, please.

We are Sex Bob-Omb!

Game Title: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game

Publisher: Ubisoft

If you follow the blog, you already know I am a Scott Pilgrim fan(atic). Have to books, a few plushies, a shirt, and saw the movie twice (once for free). So when this game was announced, I of course had to have it!

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game, is based on the comic, that spawned the film. However, the game, released to accompany the movie, is more related to the comic than the film, even though all feature the same characters. Confused yet. Please don't be because none of it really matters. What really matters is this game kicks ass!

Released on the Playstation Network and X-Box Marketplace so you won't find this in store, SPVTWTG features old school game play that harkens back to the days of Double Dragon and River City Ransom. You beat up bad guys, collect money, buy upgrades, and get that damn Anamanaguchi soundtrack stuck in your head for days (yes, it's that good).

You can play as Scott, Ramona, Stephen Stills, and/or Kim Pine. You can have up to four players at once trashing baddies, in off-line co-op, which is a blessing to me as I don't care for online multiplayer. So you and three of your nearest and dearest can get some good epic quality time in there.

Did I mention this game kicks ass? I played the hell out of this thing, 100% on the trophies baby! Finished the game with all four character, unlocked Mr. and Ms. Chau and random strikers, unlocked Nega Scott as the fifth playable character. You name it, I did it.

Also, old school charm are the codes you can enter at the start screen. Down, Up, Right, Down, Up Right, Down, Up, Right, Right, Right (or Dur, Dur, Durrr) turns all the baddies into zombies. There is also a nifty code that unlocks the Power of Love sword from the end of the game so you can use it at the beginning of each world and sub-world. A few other codes exist too but I will let you discover them on your own.

So, pick this up. It's $10. It's about 20-25 hours worth of game play to unlock everything. The graphics are amazing, the music tremendous, and like everything Scott Pilgrim, the overall experience is epic.

Next Level: Brutal Legend

By the Gods!

Game Title: God of War Collection

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

God of War. It's been around a few years now and it's one of the more popular series for the Playstation 2 and 3. I have and have beaten both God of War 1 and 2 on the PS2 when they were originally released. I remember enjoying them but finding them a bit difficult.

Last Fall, Sony released this HD collection, redoing GoW 1 and 2 in High-Def, in preparation for God of War 3, which would end the series. For some reason, I just needed these games in Hi-Def. It didn't matter that I already owned them and beat them, I need them amped up on whatever steroids gave Kratos his manly physique. Thanks for some extra Goozex points and the free trading on PS3 titles back in June, I picked this up.

God of War is the story of Kratos, who like to kill things, sometimes even Gods. He was tricked by Ares, the god of War, and became his kill puppet. Until he accidentally killed his wife and child. Kratos then decided he would kill Ares. And so, his journey begins to acquire the powers he needs to beat Ares. Can he succeed?! Well, since there are three games I would safely assume so.

These games are a lot of fun. You slice and dice demons and other supernatural creatures with your Blades of Chaos, powered by Athena herself. You power them up, learn new combos and are then able to slice and dice in new and interesting ways. Lots of blood and dismembered body parts. Yay!

Something has happened to these games though. I remember them being much more difficult than this play through. Maybe it is because I already played them, even though it was years ago, that I did better. I remembered getting to a few sections that I had trouble with initially and blew right through.

Except for the final battle with Ares at the end of GoW 1. Jesus, that was still a bitch and a half. I will man up and admit I had to switch to easy difficulty to finish the game.

So, God of War collection, I thank you for the fun times and the bolstering of my PS3 Trophy count.

Next Level: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game

Back from vacation. Entries coming

I should have been paying attention to my blog while I was on vacation. I missed something really cool and am now kicking myself.

Video game info coming soon.

Okay, so I lied.

I tried playing Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition, which I picked up to play the bonus content. You know what? RE5 just isn't fun by yourself so I put it back on the shelf.

I am now playing God of War Collection, even though I have played both GoW and GoWII on the PS2. I won't lie about this... I'm trophy whorin' this one.

And, just killing time until Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is out on the PSN August 10th.

Ride the Lightning

Game Title: Infamous

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Another to check off the list. Infamous, developed by SuckerPunch. This is a game that was released in 2009 so I'm a little behind the times with this one. My best friend Pat played it last year and raved about it. I found it entertaining but it didn't blow my mind. There were some cool things going on and electricity powers are always groovy.

You play as Cole MacGrath, who's just finished touring with Sugar Ray... or wait, that's Mark MacGrath. Anyway, Cole wakes up in the middle of a large crater in the remains of the Historic District of Empire City. He seems to be the epicenter of the explosion. How did he cause it? How did he even survive? Guess you'll kinda find out as you play.

Infamous is another open-world game that seems to be popular, though the three islands that comprise the entire map are a little bit more manageable than other games of these types. You have your story missions, side missions, stunts, and blast shards to collect.

The big selling point of Infamous is that there are two routes you can choose to take: good or evil. For example, during key points of the game you are given a choice, you can share food with the populace or, keep it for yourself. The developers have made it so that you really need to play the game twice to get all the trophies because there are trophies for both the good decisions along with the bad.

And, that brings me to the problem. Do I really want to play this game twice? It was a bit repetitive and the story not all that great due to the dialogue-less cut scenes. Plus, the audio is set up that you have to turn the camera towards the person talking to you. Perhaps this is a bug in my copy, but this sometimes effected the audio scenes when somebody was calling me over my radio. This made hearing mission objectives a pain. Plus, Cole is a pretty one-note character. He doesn't say much except to threaten the bad guys. Villains types are not very varied either.

Even with these quibbles, I enjoyed Infamous and look forward to the sequel, where according to SuckerPunch, they plan on making Cole a little more relatable. Which is good since with his powers I didn't find him very electric.

Want to know more? http://www.infamousthegame.com/old/

Next level: Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is The "Sex Bob-Omb!

Just went to a free sneak peak screening last night. I know, awesome, right?

All right, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World was just as "epic" as it claims to be. I had the highest of expectations, which I normally don't for movies, and they were exceeded in every way. Maybe the experience was enhanced by being in a theatre full of like-minded fans. I actually have to go back for a second screening because I missed pieces of dialogue from everybody laughing so loudly.

Casting, costumes, story, acting, special effects; all of it was just top-notch.

If you haven't made it through all the books yet (and why oh why haven't you!?) finish them up and be prepared for one of the most awesome movies ever made!

One more off the list...

Game Title: Just Cause 2

Plublisher: Square Enix

Just Cause 2 is the story of Rico Rodriguez, a member of the Agency, who is called forth to go undercover in the island nation of Panau and take down the the dictator Baby Panay. Along the way he discovered that Panau is a rich source of oil and Russia, China, and Japan are interested in claiming that precious Black Gold (Texas Tea) for themselves. Well, not if America has anything to say about that, by golly!

Seriously, this game should have be called, "Just Blow Shit Up." The story is barely there, the character development nonexistent, the voice acting is terrible. Thankfully the graphics and game play are pretty solid (all bugs aside).

The point of the game is to run around the 400 square mile island nation (feature everything from lush jungles, to snow mountains, arid deserts, and a strip club attached to two blimps cleverly christened "The Mile High Club." Oh sophomoric humor, where would life be without you...) and blow up anything that features the Panauan flag. See a gas tank, shoot that thing until is 'splodes all over. A wind turbine? Grapple up to the top, set a remote triggered C4 pack, parachute off, and pull the trigger. Yes, as the top American agent, it's your mission to send this nation back into the stone age by sabotaging all of their natural resources (and cracking wise all the way). Along the way, you can do side missions to help increase the "chaos" and the fun.

The game is huge! 368 locations to visit! Engrish aplenty! 104 vehicles to drive, fly, or captain. I poured 120+ hours into this beast (that's where I've been) and came in at 98.21% completion. I finally came to the point where I had to remind myself that I have other games to play and locating the items to finish the last 1.79% the remained was just bordering on Howard Hughes levels of insanity so I had better quit before I grew a pencil thin mustache and started drawing portraits on the walls with my poop.

So, if you have a ton of free time, are looking for something to kill that free time and then rape it's corpse with a stick of dynamite, then Just Cause 2 is the game for you!

Want to know more: http://www.justcause.com/

Next level: Infamous.

Too many other hobbies...

I've managed to finish Chapters 4 and 5 of Yakuza 3. My goal is to finish it this weekend, if I can avoid getting sucked into any more substories and side quests.

I really want to start Just Cause 2 so I can go exploring on the LOST island.

Though there is a slight problem. I have become distraced...

Damn you Steig Larsson and your "Millennium Trilogy" You're eating into my video game playing time.

Thank goodness these books are great reads and I don't feel too bad about skipping out on punching random Yakuza in the face.

Currently Playing...

Currently Playing: Yakuza 3

Developed by: SEGA

Yakuza 3 tells the story of one Kazuma Kiryu, the Fourth Chairman of the Dojima Family of the Togo Clan. He's currently running the Sunshine Orphange outside of Okinawa. And, he's a snappy dresser.

I've never played either Yakuza 1 or 2, though I was familiar with the franchise. Thankfully, Yakuza 3 offers the player a choice to watch scenes from Yakuza 1 and 2 to get a feel for the world and characters. This takes about 25 minutes of your time.

I picked this up because I love gangster flicks and cool clothes. This game has both. Plus, plenty of street fighting, billiards playing, and fishing (along with about a billion other distractions) to keep you good n' busy.

Kazuma is a pretty dangerous cat, one bad mother... shut yo' mouth (just talkin' 'bout Kaz). He's trying to leave the life as a Yakuza behind him by running an orphanage on the beach. He himself being an orphan adds a poetic nature to his new found occupation. However, like any one else who has tried to forget their past, it always seems to come back and smack them in the face. Before you can knock back a warm sake and scream "Kempai!" Kazuma is dragged back into the shady, yet well-clothed, underbelly of Japan. It seems his once thought dead father is still very much alive and running through the ranks of some fellow gangsters. Probably because they buried him alive. I'm guessing this will probably not be the case for his revenge though.

Yakuza is a large game, offering you a chance to become immersed in Japanese culture. Want to go sing karaoke with that hot little number you just picked up at the burger joint? Knock yourself out, just be warned that like a real life woman, you'll eventually have to get your hands dirty to completely win her favor. Like to shoot some pool? Dust off your high school geometry and head to the Aqua Sky Lounge. Streetfighting your thing? Just run around and get into random street fights with Street Punks, Gang Members, and my personal favorite: Shady Man!

For those with you with OCD, there are also 100 locker key to find and collect. Take them back to the storage lockers and earn some nifty prizes... like a blood soaked bandage?! Never question Japan's weirdness. Just don't do it.

Needless to say, there's plenty of side quests to keep you from doing the main storyline, if it pleases you. And, so far, it does.

I am currently on the Fourth Chapter of this game and have about 15 hours of time put in. I think my completion rate is around 13%, which isn't much for the amount of time I've placed on running around downtown Ryukyu or trying to catch a damn tuna so I can get the trophy for catching the tuna. I keep catching 13cm coral.

All-in-all, I'm enjoying Yakuza 3. It's a nice break from the few action games I've played before it because you don't have to commit a ton of time each play session. Sometimes 30 minutes is all you need to get your fix in.

Though I think I'll need more time to catch that damn tuna. At least I'll look cool doing it.

Want to know more? http://www.sega.com/yakuza3/

Welcome to the Shelf of Shame

Welcome sports fans!

I love video games. It’s a pretty simple statement to make; not much thought has to go into it at all. If I have enough free time I’m more likely to plop down in front of the ol’ boob tube and fire up one of the three systems next to it than pick up a book or go for a walk. Not knocking reading or walk; I love reading as much as any other ex-English major not putting their degree to use and walking has its benefits, or so I’m told, however, neither compare to the loving embrace of video gaming.

A little background about moi. I’m 34 years old. I can barely remember video games not being around in my house. My dad is only twenty years older than me so I can remember when he brought home his Atari 2600. Yes, that’s correct, his Atari 2600, not our Atari 2600. Sure he’d let us play, which lead to the beginning of me understanding how to hook up electrics, but only if he wasn’t in the mood to play it himself. And, of course, I remember Dad getting the hairy eyeball from my Mom for staying up to 3 or 4 a.m. playing Space Invaders. Yes, Space Invaders; that game where you shoot five or six rows of UFOs moving back and forth across the screen, all while dodging their laser beams. Groundbreaking stuff back in 1980.

By the time the NES (a.k.a the Nintendo) came out in ‘85 by Mom was on to my obsessive personality and made the decree that no video games would be allowed in the house. She had some type of soothsayer abilities and predicted childhood obesity in yours truly twenty years before it was the pandemic it is today. “Get out and play,” was the deal of the day.
You read that right, I missed the Nintendo boom times. Sure, I played Nintendo. I had “friends” that I would visit to solely get a hold of Mario, Samus, and the Ninja Turtles. I spent the months leading up to my birthdays trying scheme ways of getting a Nintendo out of Grandma Lil, who was usually gung-ho for disrespecting my Mom’s wishes. Plans for a Nintendo for Christmas always seemed to fall like dirt through a sieve. And the only thing left inside were dashed hopes instead of that shiny gold Legend of Zelda cartridge.

This total video game hosing continued through the Super Nintendo / Sega Genesis days. Every once in a while we’d get lucky and our overlords would allow us to rent a system for a weekend. This was in the days before you had to sign over a second mortgage on your house to get a system out the door at the video store. But, that only happened a few times a year and we were grateful. Though by this time I was getting close to my teens and girls were becoming a little more interesting than games. Hell, I remember getting my first kiss (no tongue) for getting through the first level of “Ghost & Goblins.” It’s nowhere near as dorky as getting to Third Base at the first TMNT movie or losing the big “V” while Doctor Who was playing in the background but that’s probably all a little TMI for ya.

Back from my digression…

We finally received a Sega Genesis for Christmas in 1994. Let me repeat that year for those of you a little slow on the uptake: 1994. The Sony Playstation was less than a year away and we were just now getting a Genesis. I was five months away from graduating high school so time really wasn’t plentiful like it has been and my video game playing suffered until that summer. I soon wound up with a Sega CD to go along with the Genesis and my love affair with the LUNAR series started there. You may hear about LUNAR along the way.

The good ol’ Genesis got me through my first two years of college, where I was still living with my folks and goofing off with friends. I was saving money to run off to university and with a little of that dosh I picked up a Sega Saturn, as I was trying to stay loyal to the brand that finally had settled into my home.

I think I had the Saturn for four months. It was so I could get the LUNAR: Silver Star remake that was coming out. It kept getting delayed and I kept getting annoyed.

Then I left home with about $2,000 in my checking account and with no real understanding of saving money. All Hell broke loose.

It didn’t help that I saw the Final Fantasy VII Playstation magazine cover drawn by Art Adams either. A tiny seed was planted in my brain. By early October of 1997, I found myself in Software, Etc. and dropping about $400 on a Playstation, Final Fantasy VII, a memory card, and an extra controller. To let you know how naïve I was about what was about to happen to me, I actually wrote “Final Fantasy VII” in big red letters on the memory card label, like I was cementing that it was the only game I would be buying. Remember when I said my love for video games was a simple statement?

I lied.

Oh, it started innocently enough. I played some FFVII but didn’t really have the time to invest in a large RPG like that between classes and my new girlfriend. I can’t even remember what the second game I bought was, or the third. I think one of them may have been the first Tomb Raider, because I had played that on my Saturn and enjoyed it.

The real trouble all started when one of the guys in the dorm loaned me the first Resident Evil. Now, if you know anything about the original Resident Evil it’s probably that the voice acting was extremely horrible and that the characters moved like tanks thanks to the back asswards controls. However, all of that was made up for by atmosphere and what I thought was a pretty nifty story. I still nearly crap myself whenever that damn zombie dog breaks through the window. I devoured this like the Papa John’s pizzas I was eating a few times a week. Soon my obsession with Resident Evil was only matched by the expansion of my waistline.

Then Resident Evil 2 came out and it was truly game over. I honestly do not know how I graduated from university with honors after this game was released. The amount of classes I skipped and hours of sleep I missed are lost to the ether of time. Needless to say, I’m lucky I graduated at all because of this damn game. I still love it to this day, more so than Resident Evil 4, which was also spectacular and another time sink. Five stars on all Mercenary levels, baby!
So, I graduated, got a job, got an apartment, got married, and kept playing my Playstation. Then came the PS2. You knows I hadda have it!

I didn’t get my PS2 on launch day. Heck, I didn’t get my PS3 on launch day. The only system I’ve ever gotten on launch day is our current home to dust, the Nintendo Wii. Though when I did finally get my PS2, it was still a hassle like it was launch day. I remember lining up in Best Buy and then being ushered to the pallet the systems were on. The first game I picked up was “Star Wars: Starfighter” thinking I was about ready to take home another gem like “Star Wars: Rogue Squadron,” which had gotten me through my last semester of university. Boy, was I wrong about that one. I traded the game for another game, I think it was called Shadows of Time, but don’t quote me on that because it was ass too. I don’t think I had a good PS2 game until the first Devil May Cry.

Life continued to be ruled by Sony until Capcom announced Resident Evil games going to be on the Nintendo Game Cube. Well, I couldn’t allow myself to miss out on Resident Evil games, no how, no way. I was about to own two systems at once! You can tell I picked up the Game Cube for Resident Evil because the amount of other games for that system that don’t have “Resident Evil” in the title in my collection are pretty slim.

Having two systems was working pretty well. I was able to ignore Microsoft’s foray into the video game market with the X-Box. I just didn’t care. To me, the X-Box just seemed like a system for frat boys and douche nozzles and since I don’t have gigantism I didn’t think the controller would even fit in my hands.

I continued to ignore Microsoft and it’s systems until 2006 when Capcom (why is it always Capcom!?) released “Dead Rising.” Killing zombies?! Love it! Killing zombies in a mall with whatever I can carry?! Love it even more!!! I was sold.

Between November 2006 and December 31st, 2006, I went from owning a PS2, Game Cube, and Game Boy to owning a PS2, Game Cube, Game Boy, X-Box 360, Nintendo Wii, and Playstation 3. Thus, the backlog, and point of this blog, truly started. Somehow, some way a Nintendo DS and a Sony PSP wound up in the mix.

The games started to pile up. And pile up. And, then, why yes, pile up some more. By this time, I wasn’t just playing counsel games; I had been introduced to City of Heroes on my PC. That a MMO for those in the know. Pretty much a game without an ending. A level cap, yes. But, a true ending? Not a chance in hell because the developers like that green. I soon started ignoring my other games like my wife and I had spawned a brood of Gingers. The obsession also carried over to my best friend and my wife. My counsels were crying for affection and the backlog continued to spread like the Blob.

Thankfully, a lifestyle change (No, not that. Or that.) put a kibosh on the monthly CoH subscription fee. This now freed up time to tackle the backlog. And, if you know me well, tackling something, physically or metaphysically, isn’t my cup of Earl Grey. So, I began. And, one day, in a video game daze, I decided to start this blog and chronicle my adventures through the backlog, or as I started calling it: The Shelf of Shame (echo… echo… echo…).

This blog will detail my travels through The Shelf of Shame. Every game I finish. Every game I pick up, keeping me from my goal. Eventually, I will catch up and everything I own will be played and hopefully finished and I will only be on to the next new game. I wonder, what will happen first? Will I finish the shelf or will my wife and I actually decide to breed and introduce our spawn to this madness? Or, will I just finally grow up, sell off all my systems, and take up watching sports and playing golf in order to fit into Society’s expectations of me and what it means to be “a Man” with a capital “M.”

Finally, I present to you the walls of Jericho which I much break down. The list of games that have become the Sword of Damocles in my life: ever constant, ever reminding. Pray for my sanity.

The Shelf of Shame:

PS3 & PSN

• Brutal Legend
• Red Dead Redemption

X-Box 360

• Castle Crashers
• Gears of War 3

Wii

• Madworld
• Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
• Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
• The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess

PS2

• Fatal Frame 2
• Fatal Frame 3
• Half Life
• Haunting Ground
• Obscure
• Psychonauts
• Resident Evil 4
• Rise of Kasai

X-Box

• Darkwatch

Game Cube

• Killer 7
• Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
• X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse

PS1

• Dino Crisis
• Dino Crisis 2
• Parasite Eve 2

Sweet Baby Zeus, that’s a ton of games! That’s not counting what I am currently playing! I have never bothered to count them all but it’s quite frightening when you put a number to it.

I will persevere. I can do it! Change you can believe in, folks.

Next Level: What I’m currently playing. Don’t miss it!

Later gators!
Adam