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Microsoft E3 press badge could tease possible announcements

Submitted by Andrea on Wed, 02/01/2012 - 16:22

 

Assassin's Creed, annual releases and loss of interest

Submitted by Andrea on Sun, 01/29/2012 - 15:10

Annual releases never sat well with me. With so many great games to choose from these days, I’ve learned to cherish franchises that have 2-3 year breaks between sequels. Some sequels however become really popular, and when games are popular, there is plenty of money to be made. When a developer starts to release a game every year, it feels as if my dedication is being exploited, as if my pockets were being emptied because they know I’ll grudgingly do so.

Assassin’s Creed, a franchise I’ve committed to, has eliminated any remaining desire to ever play another Assassin’s Creed game. Brotherhood was supposed to be the end of Ezio’s story; yet again we play as grandpa Ezio in Revelations, who is strangely as nimble as he was in his prime. Also making his return is Altair, which for some reason Ubisoft thought was a good idea. How is it that a character we have not seen for two games now has become instantly relevant again? Instead of Revelations bridging together the story that really doesn’t need mending, it immediately feels as if Ubisoft needed to release something at the end of the 2011 year to improve their fiscal numbers.  

Now Playing: Fallout: New Vegas

Submitted by Andrea on Sun, 01/15/2012 - 12:45

 

If I was going to play Fallout: New Vegas, I was going to have to do it now. When speaking of just overall performance and graphical output, Skyrim – a game I have yet to play - is far superior to the brown, buggy and sluggish performance of both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. I imagine the transition from Skyrim to New Vegas being the equivalent of sleeping on a mattress, to sleeping a solid wood floor.

While being completely aware of the situation, I somewhat forcefully adventured, again, through the post apocalyptic wastelands of the Fallout universe.  Although I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the wasteland the first time around, the reality of the Vaults and the desolation between cities has settled in firmly, leaving me comfortable with my surroundings, not foreign like in Fallout 3. My curiosity still overpowers me when passing by an unexplored, vacant neighborhood of houses. The idea of what treasures could be hidden away is more than enough incentive to steer me away from my main goal.

My favorite games of 2011

Submitted by Andrea on Sun, 01/08/2012 - 16:44

 

With 2011 over and the new year in full swing, I thought I should put together a list of not the best games of 2011, but my personal favorites. With school occupying most of my free time during the second half of last year, I missed a few titles like Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Saints Row and Skyrim. And while those are huge titles worth considering when talking about 2011’s best games, I probably won’t get to them until much later in the year. So while it is still relevant, I want to put together a short list of games that I enjoyed the most in 2011.

Review: Batman: Arkham City - Gliding through the night

Submitted by Andrea on Sat, 12/31/2011 - 13:09

 

The problem with making a game so amazing the first time, is following up that game with an even better sequel. Room for improvement is small, forcing the developers to dig deep into their creative wells, to introduce new concepts or ideas to impress the players.

No one expected Batman: Arkham Asylum to be as well executed as it was; dismissing its existence was the common attitude towards it. Rocksteady delivered an experience so contrary to what we believed, pushing Batman to the forefront of quality video games in 2009. With our expectations now set high and our attention drawn in, it would be impossible for Batman: Arkham City to duplicate such a lofty achievement. Batman: Arkham City won’t wow its players like its predecessor, but the fluid melee combat and wide cast of stellar characters that populate Arkham City, are enough reasons to slip on the bat suit once more.

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