Browsing all 184 posts in Gaming.
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
Mass Effect was a game I was completely prepared to pass by without a second look. After-all, it was an RPG from the guys that made the original Knights of the Old Republic. While that excited many people, it turned me off instantly. I have never been a huge RPG fan, and the turn-based combat of KOTOR did nothing for me. After hearing so many great things about Mass Effect, I picked it up on sale one day, and ended up playing it through 3 full times. Needless to say, its sequel is a…
Monday, December 21st, 2009
A game like New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a no-brainer for veteran gamers who grew up with and loved the classic Nintendo 2D platformers. Chances are, if you look back on Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World with fond memories, you won’t find much to complain about in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. But is that enough to make it a viable current generation game? The nostalgia value, combined with some minor improvements and enhancements to the core gameplay, along with the addition of 4 player co-op, makes New Super Mario…
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
Assassin’s Creed was a huge hit for some, a massive fail for others. While I found great pleasure in roaming the countryside on horseback, picking fights with anyone who so much as looked in my direction. Others found it mundane and the sheer lack of variation in mission objectives tedious. Combat was also an acquired taste, as it’s slower and more methodical than simply running and gunning. There are no frag grenades to toss here. You’re taking dudes down one-by-one in hand-to-hand combat. Where Altair (the protagonist in the original game) fell flat, Ezio…
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009
I’ve never been big on handheld gaming, especially in recent years. This has a lot to do with my work situation and the fact that I’m very much a home body. Given that whenever I’m on the move, I’m typically the one behind the wheel, there simply aren’t many opportunities for me to spend time with handheld gaming device. Factor in the lack of desire to stare at a small screen for extended periods and my preference to lounging on the couch gazing at my 40″ TV screen, and we’re not left with many…
Monday, November 16th, 2009
Though the Ratchet & Clank series has been around since the early days of the PS2, my first experience with the lovable Lombax and his robotic buddy was with the 2007 release of Tools of Destruction on the PS3. I was immediately drawn into the game, as it possessed just the right amount of platforming and collecting items to make an old(ish) gamer feel nostalgic, with equal parts modern goodness that really rounded it out. A Crack in Time is the third game in the Ratchet & Clank Future series, which inevitably completes the…
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune came out of nowhere, completely captivated and engaged me with a beautiful setting, fantastic voice acting which made the characters believable and likable, and a story that I was wholeheartedly interested in. The fact that everything else was equally top notch, placed Uncharted on my top games of this generation list. Whenever a friend picked up a PS3, the first recommendation I made was Uncharted. So needless to say, its sequel is a game I’ve been looking forward to since I completed the original game, nearly two years ago.
Monday, October 19th, 2009
Halo 3: ODST, initially called Halo 3: Recon, was intended to be a PC style expansion pack for Halo 3. But during it’s development, the game evolved into a full-fledged package worthy of a standard retail game’s price tag. If you’re a fan of the Halo series and enjoy the fictional lore, Halo 3: ODST is a no-brainer.
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
I have been lucky enough to receive invites to a few of Microsoft’s annual press gatherings over the years, but this was my first time hitting up a Sony event. To say I was excited would be an understatement. After all, if you exclude all of the multi-platform games coming out this quarter and next, there aren’t a whole lot of exclusives. But of the exclusives there are, PS3 has a number of heavy hitters lined up that will make PS3 owners happy, and make Xbox 360 gamers seriously consider picking up a PS3 Slim.
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
Every year Microsoft holds a little get-together in Toronto around this time to showcase the games and other new things that are headed to their platform in the coming months. X’09 took place a couple days ago, and I was lucky enough to get an invite. Expectations were high, as I’ve been to a few X’0 events in the past and they seemed to get bigger every year. I suppose 2009 is the exception, as it definitely wasn’t as packed with looming holiday blockbusters as previous years. But it was great to get out…
Monday, September 28th, 2009
NFS: Shift is the best game the series has seen in recent years. But it’s not quite as good as other games in the genre. It does everything well, but there isn’t a whole lot if doesn’t exceptionally well. With other races like Forza 3 and Gran Turismo 5 on the horizon, it’s hard to tell you to go out and buy this game, as both will likely surpass NFS: Shift. That said, I really enjoyed the time I spent playing this game and would recommend it as a solid rental.
