This has been a stellar year for games. Standards have been set, records have been broken, and the game industry has continued to thrive, even in a sagging economy. Of all the great games we have had the pleasure of playing this year narrowing down a select few to comprise a “top ten list” was no simple task.
Please do not assume because we haven’t mentioned a game on this list that we do not consider it good, we just simply think that it didn’t have that extra something to be included on the list.
Before we even start I would like to say kudos to all the developers out there! You guys have given us some truly exception games this year, and we look forward to 2009!
A new Sims 3 trailer has been released and it looks promising! This new trailer is all about the customization, and it looks pretty extensive. Unlike the previous trailer released from Electronic Arts this one is free of weirdness. Just a basic trailer that features the vast customization options of the new Sims 3 title.
The video starts with the different options you will have in designing your character then it shows how your options broaden to your house and car. The customization seems very in depth, so much so that you will even be able to choose the type of fabric for your furniture, and paint detail for your car.
Since Sims fans are all about the options it seems from this trailer they will be getting it! The Sims 3 Drops February 09!
I am personally elated to be finishing out the week with this news. The first in hopefully a long line of installments of documentary footage from BioWare has been released for Star Wars the Old Republic. The video went up today on the official SWTOR website, and it is really our first peak into what we can expect from the game.
In the Documentary the developers go over the basic plot, game play, and a couple other little nuggets of joy from their latest project. I could tell you more but I thought I would embed the video so you could just see it for yourself. No Release date yet for this MMO title.
As we are quickly approaching the end of the year, various video game contributors have released their top picks for video games of the year. As good of a year as it has been for games it is hard to narrow down a list of the best, and near impossible to choose one particular game to be given the honor of being “Game of the Year.”
G4 TV’s X-Play recently did “X-Play Best of 2008″ special, and in it they bestowed the honor of game of the year to no other then Fable 2 (”OH NO YOU DIDN’T”). This just sent Kevin Pereira, (an Attack of the Show host) into a bit of a tantrum. With a great deal of finger pointing, and some podium kicking Kevin called out Adam Sessler (an X-play Host) on the decision.
Here’s the Clip Kiddie’s!
On the following episode of X-PlaySessler Responded, and apparently Pereira is going Down!
Consider the gauntlet Thrown! Although I am sure this is all in good fun, I am still looking forward to watching Attack of the Show and seeing how this all turns out. My money is on Sessler!
The Return of the Prince
The new title from Ubisoft’s popular platforming series has at long last arrived. Prince of Persia is completely different from its predecessors, and there was a fair amount of risk that was taken in its development. From the subtle changes in game play, and the not so subtle changes in art concepts, and character design. Prince of Persia is not a fourth installment of The Sands of Time series, it is a reinvention of the franchise. Only 3 years after the release of The Two Thrones, the Prince is back.
The Corruption
The story begins in a desert, in which our nameless protagonist Prince is lost. Searching for Farah, his donkey (that’s right, a donkey) which is weighted down with the booty of the Princes recent endeavors. The Prince seems hopelessly lost until he stumbles upon a women named Elika, who is at the moment being pursued by some guys with sharp pointy objects. Casting their lot together the Prince and Elika flee the pursuers into a great temple in which she claims is the home of Ahriman, the God of Darkness. Elika confesses, that her family comes from an ancient line of guardians, commissioned by Ormazd the God of light to guard a great seal within the temple. This seal has kept the God of Darkness trapped for centuries. Once inside they meet Elika’s very agitated father who in a fit of rage shatters the seal and releases Ahriman.
Finally freed, but weekend Ahriman can only manifest himself as the corruption which consumes any living thing it comes in contact with. As one in a long line of ancient defenders against Ahriman, Elika is gifted with the magic ability to purge corruption. The Prince, who’s only goal in life is to find his gold touting donkey is reluctantly convinced by Elika to aid her. The two unlikely allies work together to free the world of the corruption, thus weakening Ahriman so that Elika may restore the seal and bind him once more within it.
Side scrolling, to 3D, to HD…this franchise has come a long way
This franchise has seen a vast number of changes, and this title may be the most significant yet. The first and most distinct change is the environments which are the triumph of this title. Gorgeous in their design the landscape of Prince of Persia are like living artwork.
Although the core aspects of game play that fans love from this franchise have continued in this title, they have been revamped. Platforming is more fluid and smooth, making the Prince’s acrobatics more realistic. Combat is no longer about button smashing hordes of enemies, it revolves around one on one combat with strategically timed moves, which are enjoyable once mastered. The cinematic sequence are another enjoyable aspect of combat as well. The other highly notable change would be the non-linear, open world type of game play. One of the shortcomings of the Sands of Time series was the linear game play, and developers scrapped that concept by allowing gamers to forge their own path through an open world setting.
Although Ubisoft removed a lot of the drawbacks from the previous serious I am afraid it has also created some new ones. For one, the Prince is not able to develop any new skills, or abilities, or even change weapons. You get a sword, a gauntlet, and a scarf don’t expect more than that. The dialog in this game is atrocious. I still wake up at night with a cold sweat and hear the Prince’s lame banter in my head (it gives me chills).
The Prince
Although the Prince carries similar mechanics from the previous games such as acrobatics, and combat styles; he is nothing like the prince of the past. Long gone is the noble Prince of the Sands of Time series that fans have come to love. In this title our Prince is more of a frat boy then a noblemen. The new Prince only desires money, women and thick carpets (I’m serious he really likes thick carpets). Over all the deign of the new prince is a fresh new style, but his personality is a stark contrast to his predecessors. Immature, and conceded, but only on the surface deep down he truly cares for his companion, Elika.
Elika emissary of Light
The Prince is perfectly complemented by Elika who is strong willed, and selfless. Shenot only gives the Prince a sense of purpose, but she becomes essential to his progression through the game. The highly capable AI that is Elika will aid you in almost every aspect of game play. Since this title is non-linear there are instances when getting lost is easy and if that should ever occur Elika can use her magic abilities to create an orb of light that will guide you on the correct path. If you fall when leaping from one platform to next Elika can catch you and drop you in a previous location. If you fall to an enemy Elika will blind them with a burst of light allowing you to recover.
The one notable drawback to Elika is the fact that she removes a great deal of challenge from the game. If you fall she catches you, if an enemy attacks you she blinds them, making it impossible to die. Despite that one minor flaw Elika is the perfect companion to the prince and a great edition to this franchise.
No Death, No Time Travel, No Problem
Despite Prince of Persia’s minor draw backs it is still an enjoyable game, and a much needed breath of fresh air in a stale franchise. Although death has been abolished, the dialog is poor, and there is ZERO skills or weapon changes for the Prince; this game is still worth getting. With lush environments, enjoyable game play, and an absorbing plot laced with a hint of romance (between the Prince and his own reflection) this game is a great edition to the Pop Franchise. We give Prince of Persia 4 1/2 stars out of 5.
The Dead WalkRUN The creators of Half LifeValve, have brought us the FPS survival horror title Left 4 Dead. Within this four person co-op title you fend off oceans of the living dead, who certainly don’t drag their feet when the dinner bell rings. There are many reasons why this game stands alone from other survival horror titles, and why it is most likely going to become one of the greats within the genre. Today, Left 4 Dead infects the store shelves (Nov. 18th), and the survival horror genre in a big way.
The Infection The story begins within a city completely annihilated by a zombie infection. You will have the option to play as four separate characters. Bill the Vietnam Vet, Louis the IT guy, Zoey the college student and horror film fanatic, and Francis the bar brawling biker. Each has their own unique skills that aid one another in their survival. The Infected (which you can play as as well) are the living dead creatures that have ransacked the city. They consist of the Horde (your basic zombies that accumulate in large groups and attack any living thing), and then the mutated zombies, such as the Witch (big claws and completely crazy), the Boomer (don’t shoot this one up close), the Tank (which is basically a Mack truck with arms), and other types as well. The game’s plot line is surprisingly simple. The goal is to survive, and the only way to achieve that is through teamwork.
Three Four is the magic number As said before there are four major characters within the game who progress as a team to survive. Each teammate has a colored outline that it visible through walls that changes status to indicate danger or injury so you are able to know where your teammates are at all times and whether they are in need of help. Your teammates will assist you in gunning down zombie, healing your injuries, and helping you recover from attacks. You will want to do the same for them because if you loose any member of your team you will loose firepower. The game is primarily a first person shooter in which you fend of a droves of zombies. The monotony is broken up by the mutated zombies each one with their own unique abilities that are potentially devastating to your team; for example the Hunter which can pin you or anyone one of your teammates. In this instance when mutated zombies attack you or your team you must act quickly or you may loose a teammate, or be killed yourself.
There are four basic phases of the campaign mode of the game; No Mercy (urban Setting), Death Toll (suburban setting), Dead Air (air port), and Blood Harvest (a rural setting). Each has it’s own challenges, and obstacles, in which teamwork is required to survive. The unique thing about Left 4 Dead that sets it apart from other survival horror games is the “AI Director”, which adjusts intensity and frequency of zombie attacks according to your performance. The “AI Director” will change themes, ambiance, and moves zombies, and ammo to different locations within the maps so each mode of the game is never the same when you replay it.
The versus mode will allow up to 8 players; in which you will be able to play as the four survivors, or as four of the infected. Playing as the infected in this mode will allow you to play as the mutated zombies each one with its own unique ability.
Here’s the Deal! The four person co-op is one of the best aspects of this game. I personally believe this is one of the few games within the survival horror genre that has capitalized on it. The other and most unique aspect is the “AI Director” with this you will never play the game the same twice. These are the two strongest pillars of this title and the reason why it is truly great. If you are a fan of FPS or Survival horror you will want to pick this game up you will be getting hours of enjoyment from it. Valve has given us a great title in the survival horror genre. We give Left 4 Dead an A+ rating.
The Lich King Rises The second expansion fromBlizzard, the long awaited Wrath of the Lich King has finally arrived. The Lich King has awakened and established his throne in Northrend, and if the Alliance and Horde factions to not act maybe all of Azeroth. Here is our review for the Wrath of the Lich King Expansion.
The Legend Long ago the land of the ancient wars, Northrend was part of a single continent until it broke free and drifted to the north. Separate from the rest of the world Northrend was ruled by the Nerubians who grew in power, and strength. Though the Nerubians had ruled for ages they soon were cut down by theLich King who was given power by the demon lord Kil’Jaeden to command an army of the undead. Resurrecting an ancient race the Vrykul from beneath the ice of the Northrend the Lich King soon laid waste to the Nerubians. Arthas met the Lich King in battle and shattered his frozen thrown and took his sword. Not knowing the enchantment placed on the blade by the demon lord, Arthmas’s soul was forever merged with it making him the new Lich King. Arthas soon after disappeared into the frozen wastes falling into slumber until he was awoke by Kil’Jaeden to command the undead army and conquer the land of Azeroth.
Game Play
Unless you have lived under a rock for the past few years you know that like the Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King is an expansion not a separate game. So you are getting the same type of game play you always had with WoW, but evolved. You will still get the standard quests such has “go kill these guys,” and “gather these mushrooms,” but they are few, over all the new quests are much more creative, and the majority of them are tied into the main plot witch was rare in the last expansion. Also the enemy encounters are much more creative, and realistic then ever before.
The content that has been added through this expansion is vast, and should keep fans at bay for a time. The first and most notable change is the new land you are able to explore, the Northrend; which includes such territories as IceCrown, DragonBlight, and Storm Peaks. All of them beautiful in design and unique to the World of WarCraft universe. Northrend is great addition to Azeroth and is new and unique realm to explore. The new realm will have enemies above level 70, giving you the ability to level up to a cap of 80, good news fro those who have conquered the Outland. The second must notable addition is the new class the Death Knights. If you are more of Horde kinda guy the pull of these new characters will be nearly irresistible, and very enjoyable. You will get to pillage, plunder, and reek having to your little black hearts desire. The other notable pieces of content added would be the siege weapons, which are accessible during…you guest it sieges, and very from catapults, to ballistas. More barbershops which will allow mullets now (very popular for the 80′ hair band fan’s), and the new achievement system in which your achievements will be visible for all other players to see.
Long Live the King If you are a long time Wow addict you have probably already pre-ordered this title, but if you have recently gotten out of your WoW rut, this expansion is more then adequate to push you right back into a new one. Blizzard has evolved their universe, and designed a new realm of game play that is sure to keep the dedicated fans satisfied, and bring wayward ones back. With new content, evolved game play, and a vast new realm of adventure to explore Wrath of the Lich king is sure to satisfy your WoW fixation. We give the Wrath of the Lich King an A+ rating.
Quick Reference: Northrend - land of ancient wars and current kingdom of the Lich King Nerubians - dominate race of Northrend Vrykul - ancient race of giants that existed before the Nerubians Kil’jaeden - the demon lord, the Lich Kings master, and source of power Arthas - the Lich King Azeroth - the collective known world of World of WarCraft IceCrown, DragonBlight,Storm Peaks - individual realms of Northrend
Fallout 3, the action RPG from Bethesda Softworks, which includes first person and third person perspective game play was released on October 28th, to the delight of droves of fans. All seemed right with the post apocalyptic, ash covered world. That is until complaints started popping up in the Bethesda PS3 forums. Soon after the complaints starting poring into the 360, and PC forums as well. What started as PS3 issue, has broadened to all other platforms that the game has been released for.
The issues that the consoles are having range from freezing, lagging, and crashing. Gamers have reported that the game has frozen, and lagged at various points in game play, and even crashed on occasion. The PC version is having the most complications of the three platforms when originally it had little to none. The issue began after a patch was downloaded and since then PC gamers have been complaining of the game completely locking up.
Bethesda has had this issue before when they had released Oblivian, and they eventually were able to remedy the issue, but the fact that that they could not use a little hindsight to prepare for this must be discouraging to fans. The amount of complications is staggering, and they continue to grow.
Now not to play devils advocate, but Bethesda has been working to try and remedy the issues, and they have post some troubleshooting exercises within their forum to help fans out. Hopefully these issue, although they bee many will be resolved soon. Here are the PS3, 360, and PC troubleshooting tips.
Here is our idea on how Bethesda can resolve this issue
These are in my humble opinion the five must have upcoming survival horror games. This is for the zombie slayers, monster hunters, and lovers of mayhem. It was our intention to post this video on Halloween, but better late than never.
The actress known for her roles in Family Guy, and That 70’s Show; and for her more recent role in the new Max Payne movie. Mila Kunis is an actress that continues to grow in popularity; for her comedic talents, looks, and magnetic personality. There is a lot to like, and apparently she is growing in popularity with gamers, and geeks as well, due to the confession of her love of World of WarCraft.
In a recent interview with Complex Magazine in which they discussed her television roles, and new movie roles; Mila confessed she was fan of W.O.W. Apparently her and boyfriend Macaulay Culkin both play WarCraft. Though she couldn’t reveal her character (for obvious safety reasons) she did say she was a Mage, and that she joined guilds. She wasn’t modest about her WarCraft skills as she was quoted “I’m really good.”
Despite her interview at Comic Con, in which she accidentally stated that the X-Men films were based on video games, instead of a series of comic books, fans have been forgiving. After this new WarCraft revelation maybe the geek cultural fringe will be more willing to welcome her as one of their own. I’m sure W.O.W.
fans will.
Mila on Kimmel Live discussing her WarCraft SKILLZ.
Elika emissary of Light 
The actress known for her roles in Family Guy, and That 70’s Show; and for her more recent role in the new 
