Dead Space Trailer

Quite possibly my most anticipated game of 2008, Dead Space. A "Trailer" was released, and its still looking pretty awesome. Once again, don't lose faith just 'cause EA's developing it. This isn't some movie based game or Madden '09 here. The game's officially to have been said to be due out on Halloween. Which makes sense with what people working on it have been saying. According to Executive Producer Glen Schofield, "This team has worked on some tremendous properties but we have always wanted to work on something that was darker and creepier. We are all such huge fans of the horror and sci-fi genres; we wanted to create the most terrifying game we could, and keep the player on the edge of his seat the entire time." Yay! So, look for this on the PS3, PC, and 360 this Halloween. Until then, check the trailer.

Bad News for System of a Down Fans

Ya, that's right. They probably won't be getting back together. Former guitarist Daron Malakian said in an interview. According to him in an interview with MTV, "There's no talk of System doing anything. We're not planning on doing anything. If anyone's holding their breath for a System record, they're going to turn blue and pass out. It's a long ways away, if it ever even happens. We don't even talk about it - none of us. This (Scars on Broadway) is my band right now." But, if you look at this from a glass-half-full perspective, all he said was that none of them are talking about it right now. That doesn't eliminate the possibility of a reunion in a couple years. Maybe they'll do what all the 80's bands seem to be doing nowadays (having reunions, touring, recording, etc.). I'm sure they can't feel like System was complete after only making 5 albums. But, all I can say now is good luck to Serj, Scars on Broadway, and whatever Shavo's getting into right now.

2008 Game predictions Part 2

The 2nd part to what games I think are going to be awesome in 2008.

Ninja Gaiden 2: This shouldn't need any explanation. Ninja Gaiden was one of the best games on the original Xbox. It has essentially been remade a number of times on different consoles (i.e. Ninja Gaiden Sigma on the PS3), along with an expansion pack-type thing also on the Xbox (Ninja Gaiden Black), but this is the first actual sequel and is a 360 exclusive (for now - mark my words, it will find its way to the PS3). Ninja Gaiden 2 is going to be bigger and bloodier than before and it lands here June 3.

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames: This is the game that should've come out last November, but has been delayed until this August. I wouldn't be surprised about another delay though. Its been delayed twice (to my knowledge). First, from November to March, then from March to August. There could've been one in between though, I hadn't checked for a while. Anyway, gameplay videos I've seen look amazing (on the current-gen anyway - those poor people stuck in lastgenland). So, let's hope it finally does make its way onto the 360, PC, PS2, and PS3 this August.

Alone in the Dark: This survival-horror game is coming to the 360, Wii, PS2, PC, and PS3 this June. I personally don't know much about it, except the fire is awesome. I think that the background graphics (walls and stuff) could use a slight touch-up, but other than that, it looks pretty sweet. If you want any more info, I would suggest asking my friend Carlos about it.

Splinter Cell: Conviction: Another Splinter Cell game, even though that's not a bad thing. It looks like gameplay's taking a turn here - you won't be able to survive by just sitting in dark corners. Sam Fisher is now a full-fledged fugitive and pretty much won't have any type of support, whether from 3rd Echelon or his friends. You're going to have to learn to use your environment as a weapon rather than relying on guns or whatever other stealthy tools you've come to know and love. This is making its way to the 360, PC, and DS sometime in Q2 (hopefully).

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: The newest Star Wars action game that pus you in the place of Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and takes place between Episodes 3 and 4. I don't know a whole lot about what the gameplay's going to be like, but if this turns out to be a gem in the Star Wars gaming franchise, there shouldn't be any excuse for you to miss it. It should hit shelves in August on the 360, PC, DS, PSP, Wii, PS2, and PS3.

Fable 2: "Fable 2" is really all you need to know here. Sequel to one of the best games to be released on the Xbox, is stepping it up. Now, you'll have more choices and consequences of your actions. Be a polygamist, but don't let your wives find out, or they might have a couple words for you. This time around, you'll also have a dog. He acts as you HUD or danger detector. Its rather hard to explain, but should be pretty awesome. More new features include: pregnancy for female characters, gambling, online co-op, and jobs. You wil lalso be able to download Fable 2: Pub Games from the XBLA before the games release. You can make money gambling there, then when Fable 2 is finally released, transfer all of that money to your character. Just don't expect to see this game til late thie year.

Prototype: I think this game has some serious potential, if it can get away from the Spiderman-esque feel it has. Running through the bustling streets is not something I care a whole lot to revisit (not saying Spiderman 2 was a bad game, it just doesn't need to be redone). But other than that, you play as a shape-shifter with no memory of his past on the run from the military as you try and solve the mystery of his existence. Along with the shape-shifting ability, you can even "consume" people, allowing you to take on their appearance in tight situations where you need to avoid detection. It still needs a lot of work, but we also have most of this year to wait - maybe Radical will fix its flaws by then (the graphics also need some work).

Alan Wake: The story here is rather complicated, but I'll try: Alan Wake is best-selling suspense novelist who gets his inspirations from his eerie dreams triggered whenever he's sleeping near his fiancee. But when his fiancee disappears, he stops dreaming, and sleeping all together. He eventually moves to the town of Pride Falls in Washington and checks into a sleep clinic. After partially being cured, he finds a girl who is eerily like his lost fiancee. She looks the same, and whenever he's sleeping with her (no, not like that), he has his dreams. But now they're starting to happen in real life. Now he's got to figure out what's happening and yadda-yadda-yadda. there is more to it, but you won't find it here (well, maybe here, just not now). It sounds more to me like a movie than a game, but maybe that's a good thing. Not sure as to what the gameplay's going to be like, but the graphics and everything associated with them look pretty sweet. Hopefully it won't be long before we see this, Europe's release is March 21, but there hasn't been a date set for the US yet. I'll keep ya posted.

Brutal Legend: There's literally almost nothing known about this game, except you play as Eddie Riggs who is pulled back in time to learn his true purpose. And the rest has to do with the awesomeness of metal, heavy metal, rock, etc. As far as I can tell, you're gonna be bashing beasts with guitars. Why? I don't know. I'm sure we'll find out in due time.

Gears of War 2: It has officially been announced (about time too), and should be here this November!!! There's VERY little known about it at this time, it was just confirmed yesterday or something. But, if it in any way follows Gears' footsteps, we're looking at a potential game of the year.

There's my top games for 2008. Let's hope they turn out to be as awesome as they're looking right now.

My predictions for... (Part 1)

best 360 games of '08. I know some of these aren't exactly 360 exclusive or anything, in which case, they can also apply to whatever other systems these games will be available for. Even if its the PS3.
Too Human: Makers of this game have experienced some horrible luck over the years. It was originally planned for the Gamecube/Playstation (and I mean the playstation 1), but experienced numerous delays and finally, a cancellation. But now this third-person action game is nearing completion on the 360 and is due out in the U.S. hopefully some time in May.

Dead Space: Kind of a third-person shooter from what I can tell so far (from the teaser you can see below). I understand that its being developed by EA itself, but I think it has some serious potential. I mean, God of War, one of the greatest games to be released for the PS2 was developed by Sony Studios in Santa Monica. I mean, would you have expected a Sony developer to do that? Anyway, the game's director, Glen Schofield, says that they aim to make the "scariest game ever." This one's definitely up in my top 5 most anticipated of 2008. Too bad its due out probably sometime in Q3-Q4, around October, and I'll be sure to make posts about it anytime I get some news. Really the only thing I can see holding this back is it being multi-platform. You know what happens to potentially good games when they come out for more than 2 systems at once. This one's for the 360, PS3, and PC. Personally I think that PS3 owners can wait, since they were stupid enough to buy the stupid system. In the mean time, check it out on IGN since I couldn't possibly post everything here.

Halo Wars: Ever wanted to play an RTS in the Halo universe? Well this is your game. I'm personally a huge fan of Strategy games. And I also like Halo (even if its pwned by Call of Duty 4). Possibly the best news about this is the Halo franchise wasn't handed over to some nobody. It is being developed by the one and only Bungie Studios. I have no idea what the story/campaign mode is going to be like here, to the best of my knowledge, the story ended in Halo 3. I guess we'll find out in due time. This will ship hopefully some time in July, if not, sometime in Q2-Q3 of this year. Hopefully.

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty: This one's coming out on the 360, PS3, and PC. Its a first-person shooter that asks: What if the Nazis were never defeated in Europe, and they tried to expand their evil reign into the U.S.? Its due out February 26 (this month!), and I have high hopes for it.

Tom Clancy's Endwar: It seems games are FINALLY moving away from WWII. This one in particular focuses on the apocalyptic WWIII (which, according to this is in 2020). You'll play as either the US, Russia, and Europe, each with their own pros/cons. Its a strategy game, and probably the coolest part of it is not the amazing graphics, but the voice-command. Yes, it is thoroughly tested. You won't say "infantry" and have your men think you said "in the tree" or "I am three." The developers have tested it with multiple accents and everything you could want, and it works. IT WORKS! Its also due out around September for the 360, PC, PS3, and for some reason, the Nintendo DS.

Fracture: Not much known about this. Its a shooter where special grenades can be used to altar the environment around you. I know that's vague and doesn't sound too interesting - just look it up and see if you think differently. Due out in July.

I'll end this post here and make part 2 later.

Gaming

Ok, what I would like to do is post reviews of games I've played recently, but most likely, I won't do that til I can experience online, since online gaming is becoming such a huge part of games today. Obviously I don't have the money to put reviews of every game released on every system (as cool as that would be), but I will do games I get. What I can put right now are partial reviews of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and Gears of War (this one will be in another post). Both for the 360 (Cuz I have one now)

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
This is the game FPS lovers have been waiting for for a VERY long time. Let's go over some of its attractive qualities:
1. Its a very well done wartime shooter.
2. It DOESN'T take place in World War 2.
3. The writers get you to really hate your enemies (by this I mean the main dudes - Al-Asad, Imran Zakaev for the most part).
4. Its one of the most intense shooters you'll ever play.
5. Its graphics are seriously amazing (on the 360 anyway).
6. It DOESN'T take place in World War 2.

Now I'll get to reviewing the actual game. The campain mode is probably around 7-10 hours long (which may not be that long, but hey, that's still like twice as long as Halo 3 :) It involves you ("Soap" or Sgt. Jackson depending on the mission you're doing) going through mostly Russia and the Middle East on missions searching for terrorist leaders. These missions are intense, and can get pretty hard at times (and I hear Veteran mode is quite good at reducing people to tears - I wouldn't know for sure as I'm too scared to try it). There a wide variety of weapons, all unique and fun to use, they all have pros and cons though. for example: There's this one (I can't remember the name) that is very powerful, and a really fast rate of fire, and a huge clip size, but it takes FOREVER to reload. As for gameplay, you're gonna have to get used to using cover, because you're going to need it. Aiming is dead on, the AI isn't stupid, and its just fun. The enemy AI for example, is smart. They'll lob grenades at you, they'll lob your grenades back at you, they'll find cover, and if you were to come in close up to them, they're not going whip out a sniper rifle, they'll switch to melee, which is the most effective (and bloodiest) in these situations. The sound system is well done. That meaning you won't hear fire crackers exploding when you fire your SMGs, and the orchestral scores are well-written. As I mentioned before about graphics, they're seriously amazing and realistic (if someone walks in on you at the right time you might hear them comment or ask why you're watching war footage), and they're some of the best I've ever seen in a game. Also, be sure to sit through the credits, there's a mission afterwards called the "Mile High Club" that involves rescuing a hostage on a plane. Pretty fun. When you complete the game, you'll also unlock a mode called "Arcade Mode." In this, you can go through all the missions on any difficulty you want and try to get high scores and whatnot. There's also a mission select mode, which I love cuz not many games seem to have this, and its annoying to play 3/4 of the way through a game to get to your favorite mission. Other than this though, there isn't much replayability, which is the downside. You could go back through and get the enemy intel for cheats and achievements, but that's it. But I guess you could have fun (and end up with less hair than before) by trying the game on Veteran Mode. You'll just have to go online if you want to play more. But online should get you hooked enough to keep playing for a while (especially with its create a class and everything it has to offer that isn't just deathmatches and CTF).

In closing, this is a seriously awesome game, and you should totally get it. It blows Halo 3 out of the water. A must have for any shooter fan or 360/PS3/PC owner (sorry Wii, blame Nintendo).

9/10

"As I scream aim and fire, the death toll grows higher!"

Yes, I got "Scream Aim Fire" Saturday. I would post a review (along with reviews of games I've gotten or played through recently), but whenever I've been listening to it, its mostly been a background noise and I haven't paid much attention to it. Mostly due to Gears of War. But when I can post an accurate review, I'll do that.

My Top 5 Video Game Weapons

My top 5 favorite video game weapons. I don't care about what you think, or Final Fantasy (or Kingdom Hearts :P)

5. The Ancient Sword (I dunno if it has a name) - Shadow of the Colossus.

Why?

This sword is awesome. It is the only sword able to bring down any of the 16 massive colossi - some of the largest bosses you'll ever face. This is possible cuz of the magical properties it has, what with being able to locate colossi and their vulnerable areas. It must also be pretty sacred (and powerful) if all those spiritual guys were so insulted that Wander would have it, and so afraid of what it is used for and has done.

4. Pikmin - Pikmin and Pikmin 2

Why?

How can you not love these little guys? They will and want to give their lives for you. They are also your ultimate tool and body guard. You can control up to 100 of them at once, and use them to collect treasures, and kill monsters that threaten to attack you. You can launch them at enemies or order them to swarm enemies, then they'll take the bodies of their victims to give you either Pokos (money) or seeds (for newbies - more Pikmin). They're small, fierce, and effective - making them a pretty cool "weapon."

3. The Striker - Resident Evil 4

Why?

All I can think of to describe this as is a semi-automatic shotgun. It doesn't require pumping, it's powerful and has a pretty quick rate of fire. And fully upgraded, it is really a force to be reckoned with. Get the 100 shots per clip upgrade and you'll be ready to face nearly anything (nearly = regenerators/iron maidens) that the game will throw at you. Extremely effective at close and mid-range, with its spray/cluster fire, you don't need to be really accurate to own with this gun. Let's just leave it at this. Don't leave the merchant without one.

2. Blades of Chaos - God of War

Why?

Count up on your fingers, how many weapons are so dark, fierce, and powerful, that they could only be forged in the foulest depths of Hades and bestowed upon someone only by the God of War himself. How many did you get? ...Thought so. The Blades of Chaos are seriously awesome. Kratos's go-to weapons can slaughter anything Kratos comes into contact with. He can throw them certain distances given the fact that their chains are seared to his flesh, making them useful in many situations, not just up-close stuff. They also offer many combos and special moves that basically carve "Pwned" into enemies' bodies. What I put her can't come close to describing how truly awesome the blades are though...you'll just have to play God of War yourself.

1. The Lancer Rifle - Gears of War

Why?

If you have no idea what this is, you're probably thinking "why give number one to a stupid machine gun?" Here's why. It's not just a stupid machine gun. It's a stupid machine gun with a chainsaw on the end. This makes for some of the bloodiest, coolest, and most brutal kills you've ever seen. 2 of the most effective weapons seen in any action games, combined into one. What makes it even better, its your default weapon. No money out of your pocket or any stupid, impossible to beat challenges to go through. With this, you're covered from long distances, since the gun's really accurate in itself (and holds up to 660 shots), but when you need to get out of a tight situation, you can rev up the chainsaw for some ownage in its finest form. This is most effective against dying enemies, as its extra satisfying to plunge those revolving spikes into your victim's chests. Its also pretty cool to see the blood spatter all over the scene, or, if you're looking on from afar, to see all the blood flying EVERYWHERE from the victim's body. If that doesn't give you a good idea of how brutal and awesome this gun is, pop in gears of war and find out for yourself.