Games In The Pipeline - My Fall and Winter 2011 Video Game Buying Guide

For most gamers, the fall is an exciting time for new releases, one in which we see new titles coupled with returning favorites. As was the problem in previous years, deciding which games to get and which ones to pass on is rather difficult, especially in a year like 2011 in which so many A-list tiles are coming out in a relatively short period of time. Since I lack the funds and the time to play all of the games available, I have had to make a list that separates the "need to haves" from the "nice to haves". This is not meant to be an extensive list of all the new releases come out between now and the end of the year, but rather a list of the ones I am anticipating getting on release and which ones I am likely to hold off on getting until the price drops. As with any list of this kind, priority given to certain titles or titles completely omitted might offend your gamer sensibilities. Keep in mind that this is based solely on my opinion and personal taste. Anyway, here goes... 

The "Definitely Must-Buy" Titles

Below is a list of games that I definitely plan on picking up, either on release day or very shortly thereafter. Some of the titles listed have already been released and they are on my radar, while others will hit the shelves before the end of the year. To say that it's going to be a busy fall gaming-wise is perhaps an understatement.

Gears of War 3

I was not previously a fan of the Gears of War series, however my recent experiences with playing cooperatively have succeeded in winning me over. Mindless bloody action and frantic cooperative and competitive gameplay is what makes the Gears series so appealing to people, and the third installment offers a richer story that has so far been leaving fans very satisfied. My main motivation in getting this game is the numerous people online who I have to play with, since this is currently the game everyone is playing. I am also hearing that it's the best game in the series, so it's perfect for a recently-converted fan lie me to delve into.

Space Marine

I admittedly know nothing about the Warhammer 40,000 universe,  however the gameplay footage I have seen and the positive reviews have really elevated my interest in getting this game. It looks like your typical third-person action game that utilizes both melee attacks and gunplay, and the gameplay style is very similar to Gears of War minus a cover system. However, I love the futuristic style and the enemies look amazing, so this is one I'll definitely pick up once the price drops a little.

The Ico & Shadow of the Collosus HD Collection

I played Ico extensively back when it first came out on the Playstation 2 and I loved the mix of puzzles and platforming, however I never really got into Shadow of the Colossus for some reason. Most gamers nowadays would flame to back to the stone age for making such an admission of gaming guilt, but it's true. Long-delayed and eagerly-anticipated, this collection is the perfect way for veteran players and newcomers alike to discover these unique titles, especially with copies of Ico on the PS2 being rather rare and expensive. Like all of Sony's HD collections, this one comes with enhanced visuals, extras and trophy support for both games.

Forza Motorsport 4

I have never been a fan of racing simulator games, since fine-tuning my cars and building a garage full of them takes away from the enjoyment of racing on the tracks, hence why I passed on Gran Turismo 5. The Forza series, on the other hand, has struck the right balance between simulation realism and arcade-style racing and I especially enjoyed part 3 for it's excellent controls and varied tracks. The forth installment promises more variety in the tracks and the car selection while still keeping the game accessible for casual racing fans, so it's almost guaranteed that I'll love it. There is also support for the Kinect, however I cannot imagine playing a racing game without a controller. How good that feature works remains to be seen.

Rage

I have been intrigued by this game since it was announced and the comparisons to Borderlands have further piqued my interest. Rage is a first-person shooter with an equally divided emphasis on gunplay and vehicle combat, with simplified RPG elements thrown in for good measure. The post-apocalyptic wasteland setting has been overused and games like Fallout 3 have probably used it to greater effect, but this looks like my kind of game and I look forward to picking it up soon.

Batman: Arkham City

When Arkham Asylum was released in 2009, it not only exceeded everyones expectations - it blew them completely out of the water. Engrossing story, fluid and engaging combat and a host of secrets and goodies to collect, it stands as the quintessential superhero game of this generation. By all accounts, the follow-up Arkham City looks every bit as promising. Expanding from the relatively closed quarters of the asylum into a whole city is a big leap forward and one that offers a host of new possibilities, Including the ability to play as other characters including Catwoman. The abundance of side-missions available also serve to flesh out the story and extent the game's length, so this seems like an overall bigger and better package than Arkhamd Asylum offered.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations

Ubisoft has pulled a "Call of Duty" by releasing three Assassin's Creed games one year apart from each other and many are starting to feel that the series is beginning to recycle itself. Being a big fan of Assassin's Creed II and Assassin's Creed: Revelations, I don't see this as a bad thing and I am looking forward to seeing how the third game ties together all three of the main characters from the series; Altair, Ezio and Desomd. New additions will include a new hookblade that acts as a zip-line and the ability to craft bombs, and the multiplayer mode returns with new enhancements that should keep social gamers happy. All of this amounts to a new coat of paint being slapped over an old idea, but this is hardly a downside for fans of the series like myself.
 

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

The Uncharted series has kept me engaged and enthralled since the first installment, and the second game was a masterpiece by any standard. Given that this is the flagship series for the Playstation 3, it's fair to expect great things from the third installment and this is a definite day-one purchase for me.

Battlefield 3

Although the first-person shooter market is crowded with games that essentially do the same thing, I have been especially fond the the recent Battlefield games. Bad Company and Bad Company 2 offered extensive single-player campaigns and the latter offered an immersive online multiplayer component that focused more on teamwork as opposed the free-for-all that most FPS titles have. I definitely can't wait to see what Battlefield 3 has to offer.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Yes, it's another Call of Duty game. Yes, it will probably be the same as the last one (or three). Yes, buying it mainly for the single-player campaign because I suck at the multiplayer is not a good value. And yes, I don't care. For all the reasons people dislike the Call of Duty franchise, you are still assured a thrilling and cinematic gaming experience, which is why we play games in the first place. I have never regretted purchasing a CoD game and I don't think I will with this one either.

Need For Speed: The Run

There is no racing series that comes to mind that is more prolific that Need for Speed, now eighteen games strong with the inclusion of their newest title, The Run. With the release of 2010's Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, I felt that they finally got it right, and The Run promises the same style of gameplay but with a story to bind it all together. Admittedly, the stories that are incorporated into racing games are usually paper-thin and little more than a diversion to be enjoyed between races, however The Run puts some effort into making it interesting. We'll see how this pans out.

Metal Gear Solid: The HD Collection

The Metal Gear Solid series is another fan-favorite that I am glad to see returning in an HD collection, though the selection of games is a little strange. You have enhanced versions of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, both highly regarded PS2 games, and the formerly PSP-exclusive Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. The first game in the series is absent, most likely due to the fact that it's available as a $10 download from the Playstation Network. No matter, this is a perfect opportunity to get re-acquainted with the earlier games in the series. It's been years since I've played the second game and I can't wait to see how the HD transfer turns out.

The "Maybe I'll Get Them" Titles

Let's face it, unless you are independently wealthy or willing to go into debt, there is no way that you can purchase all of the games that are coming out. This requires one to be selective in their purchases and unfortunately some games must fall by the wayside. This is not to say that they are bad games, however with current titles going for $60 each, some sacrifices need to be made. The games below are, at least in the short term, ones that I am less likely to get at launch unless exceptional circumstances compel me to do so. Having said that, I will very likely get them when the price drops or if they go on sale after launch. You never know.  

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Whenever I tell people that I didn't enjoy Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, their reactions range from being puzzled to being downright hostile. How dare I not like such an amazing RPG, but the truth is that I have tried several times to get into Oblivion and it has yet to click with me. Say what you will, it's just not the game for me. However, Skyrim boasts a new gameplay engine and refinements that might make it more enjoyable for me, and the gameplay footage I have seen looks fantastic. It's still going to be a massive open-world game that you can sink hours, days and even weeks at a time into. I will give this game a chance to see if it wins me over, however it's unlikely to be a full-price purchase.

Driver: San Francisco

After playing the demo and being very unimpressed, I wrote off Driver: San Francisco and didn't give it a second thought. However, a few trusted game critics have been praising the game extensively and, upon viewing more footage, my opinion has softened a little. The game has smooth driving controls and an interesting system where you can telepathically take over other drivers, so I might end up loving this game after giving it more of a chance. Definitely not a full-price pick-up, but one I'll get when the inevitable price drop comes along.

Dark Souls

Demon's Souls was a game that tormented me in ways that no video game should. Acclaimed for it's innovation and eerie gothic horror setting, this was off-set by absolutely punishing difficulty that completely turned me off. I don't mind a challenge, but Demon's Souls pushed the difficulty to the point where it became inaccessible for some and grinding for hours with almost no progress became a serious frustration. Dark Souls is, by all accounts, harder and more unforgiving, so I am passing on this for now despite how great the game looks and how glowing the reviews have been.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

The console release of a brand new Zelda game is always a big event for Nintendo fans, however I am not as hyped for this game as I initially thought I would be. Chalk it up to the fact that the game relies heavily on motion control, which I'm not a fan of, or the fact that I lost interest in modern Zelda games after Wind Waker on the Gamecube. However, it's a Zelda game and I know I will end up buying it eventually. The game looks fantastic and I'm sure I'll get used to the motion controls, though support for the classic controller would have been nice.

Goldeneye 007: Reloaded

I may be in the minority, but I actually enjoyed the release of Goldeneye on the Wii and I felt that it was a quality first-person shooter that the Wii badly needed. People expected too much and were hoping that it would either be a revelation in FPS gaming as the original N64 was, or a nostalgic trip that brings the original game into the new generation of gaming. Neither happened and people, very unfairly in my opinion, wrote this off as a failure. The "Reloaded" edition is an HD remake of the Wii game and I'll most likely buy it, but not on release. Too many other games take priority over this.

Saints Row: The Third

There have been many series that I didn't get into until a sequel came along that sparked my interest and I have the feeling that the third installment in the Saint's Row franchise might be one of them. I have yet to play the first and second games in the series, mainly due to my being tired of Grand Theft Auto-style sandbox action games, however everyone I know speaks highly of them and I have been meaning to delve more deeply into Saint's Row universe. From the coverage I have read and the footage I have seen, the third installment looks insanely fun and incredibly perverse...early previews indicate that you can use a dildo as a murder weapon, for example. With a new game on the horizon, I have at least been enticed to go back and try to first two games, if not start with the third and work backwards. Given that even non-GTA fans consider this to be a great series, I feel like I'm missing out on something.

Review: Dead Island (Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC)

For video games and anything else involving zombies, the well of creativity and originality has long since run dry. These undead monstrosities have been shoehorned into countless games and movies to the point where they feel almost stock, therefore you couldn't be blamed for not being particularly excited when Dead Island finally hit shelves. While the story ultimately feels inconsequential and technical issues abound, Dead Island is a lively, intense and additively enjoyable zombie-killing experience that benefits from an open-world design and a strong emphasis on cooperative gameplay.

While most first-person zombie-killing games take place in dark corridors and urban environments, Dead Island opts for a lush tropical island of Banoi, a fictional resort island off the coast of Papua New Guinea. It's beautiful beaches, turquoise waters and lush tropical jungles would make it an idea vacation destination, however there is a small matter of a zombie epidemic to contend with. You play as one of four survivors who wake up on the resort after a night of partying to find the resort in shambles and hordes of the undead roaming about feasting on the bodies of dead vacationers. After a brief respite to gather your bearings, you learn that you are among the small number of people immune to whatever caused the outbreak and you must spend the game finding both other survivors and a way off the island. Each of the four characters has a backstory that is fleetingly interesting, however their personalities are never fleshed out enough to make you care what ultimately happens to them. Your objective in the game is to find survivors, do quests and advance to other parts of the island and ultimately find a way out. In doing so, you must fend off a seemingly endless parade of the walking dead that get progressively harder to kill as you level up. The enemies are also varied, with the standard slow-moving and fast-running zombies being complemented with more difficult enemies that require better weapons and more tactical skill. With the fun that you can have killing them en masse, the story seems like an afterthought that barely binds the game together. It picks up steam in the latter parts of the game, however it never feels particularly interesting or dramatic.

At first glance, Dead Island might strike you as a first-person shooter in the vein of Left 4 Dead, however melee combat is the order of the day here. Firearms and ammunition are rare and expensive, so the majority of your kills will be dealt by blunt or edged instruments, with incendiary and explosive weapons occasionally coming into play. You begin the game using stocks, boat oars and pipes to fell the undead, however hammers, knives, machetes and other instruments will come in your possession and these can be upgraded and augmented as you progress in the game. The combat controls are intuitive and responsive, and the weapons are very satisfying the weird. In combat, skill must be employed to ensure you don't take critical damage, which can happen very quickly in the more difficult missions. Targeting the limbs with a blunt instrument can cause them to break, while using an edged weapon can sever them completely with a satisfying geyser of blood. Doing this is especially important when faced with a tough opponent like a "thug" or a group that swarms you all at once. Similar to Borderlands, dying carries a monetary penalty where you lose 10% of your available money, however you re-spawn close to where you died and any damage your inflicted upon enemies will still be intact. If all else fails, you can run past the zombies or get in a car and run them over, so you have plenty of options on how you want to tackle your objectives.

The gameplay consists of travelling to various parts of the island, finding survivors and completing various quests. The main objectives keep the story moving, however there are numerous side-missions that you are given by various people you meet in the island, people who seemingly lack any ability to do things for themselves. Most of these missions boil down to simple fetch-quests that can get very repetitive, however you'll want to do as many of these as possible in order to gain experience points and money, which are essential to surviving in the latter parts of the game. Despite the apocalypse, cash is still king on Banoi Island and everything you do costs money. Since your weapons take damage with each blow delivered, ultimately rendering them useless, you will need to constantly pay to repair and upgrade them if you plan on keeping them. As your loot and collect items, weapon upgrades such as weight damage, electricity charge and even explosive augments will become available for certain weapon types. Money can be obtained by looting houses, scattered luggage and even the corpses of the zombies you kill, however you will earn the bulk of your money and experience points by completing missions. Some NPC allies will also give you better weapons and weapon upgrades for completing quests, so taking some time to complete these before advancing in the main story is well worth it.

Dead Island can be played solo and it provides a fun and engrossing experience, however the game really comes alive with the online four-player cooperative mode. Three friends can join your game and play through the missions cooperatively and the enemy difficulty will scale depending on the number of players. If you don't have friends available to play with you, Dead Island integrates an interesting system in which you can drop in and out of another players game while others can do the same in yours. Whenever a player near your level is present in the same general area, you are alerted to this and given a chance to enter their game and assist them. You can opt-out of this feature if you do not wish to come into contact with random players, however this can be very useful in the more difficult missions since other players can trade weapons with you and assist in battles. Additionally, if you have the online settings on "Cooperative", other players will be unable to hurt you or steal your loot. Similar to the aforementioned Borderlands, playing cooperatively helps to increase the sense of fun and reward that the game has to offer.

In the audio-visual department, Dead Island has many strengths and more than a few wrinkles that are common in sandbox-style games. The island of Banoi looks fantastic and a lot of work has been put into selling it as a tropic paradise gone wrong. The gorgeous beaches are tainted with dead bodies, looted luggage and garbage everywhere, while the empty streets give you a sense of foreboding as you anticipate the next wave of zombies coming towards you. The character animation is plagued with doll-like facial expressions and poorly-synced voice acting, the environments have constant draw-in and screen-tearing, and the character animation of the zombies is jerky and glitchy. These happen too often to go unnoticed and they will prove distracting at times, however they are not a severe hindrance to the overall experience. Anyone who is used to playing large, open-world games knows by now to expect graphical hiccups and these are definitely present here. The best part of the game, visually speaking, is the gruesome and inventive ways you can dispatch the zombies. Bones snap out of place, limbs fly and blood flows in seemingly limitless quantities, and you'll spend hours eviscerating the undead with a big smile on your face.

Outside of the aforementioned visual bugs in the environment, the game features various glitches that can range from amusing quirks to quest-ending annoyances. Even a moderate amount of time spent on Dead Island will reveal enemies and even their body parts dangling in mid-air, loot disappearing and even instances where your character gets stuck in or even falling below the level geometry. The two biggest issues noted on my end were problems with the in-game map and with the driving controls. The mini-map is meant to act as an on-screen prompt that shows you both what's of note in your immediate area and to point you towards your next objective. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work. There were several instances where it did not register that an objective had been completed and I was left wandering aimlessly, and other times when it gave wrong directions and pointed me towards an objective in an inaccessible area. The issue with the driving in the game is a mix of stiff controls and environmental shortcomings. The narrow roads on Banoi make maneuvering your vehicle difficult and turning around almost impossible at times, while severe annoyances such as your car getting stuck in the environment and being unable to move are commonplace. The vehicles are mainly there to lessen travel time and to quickly dispatch enemies, but the controls are so haphazard that travelling on foot will often be preferred.

Whether or not Dead Island is a game worth playing depends on the type of game you are looking for. If you want a streamlined corridor shooter with defined parameters and levels that emphasize survival over story, then the free-roaming gameplay and RPG elements such as leveling and fetch-questing will likely be a turnoff. If you are able to look beyond the flaws and enjoy zombie-killing, looting and progressing through a thin story to ties it all together, then Dead Island might just be the game for you. However, the game is best enjoyed with three friends tagging along for the ride, so a rental is recommended before purchase if you plan on going solo.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Second Time's A Charm: Re-Discovering Mass Effect 2

Have you ever played a game that everyone has been raving about, only to find that it doesn't live up to your expectations and you end up shelving the game? That's been the story with many A-list titles that have come out over the past few years. For every over-hyped game like LA Noire and Dead Space 2 that I love, there are games like Red Dead Redemption and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion that I don't. This has nothing to do with disliking mainstream or successful titles, since there are many that I have played and thoroughly enjoyed. It's more a matter of some games not clicking with me due to the frame of mind I was in at the time, what else I was playing that divided my attention or simply because I didn't enjoy them. Hey, everyone is entitled to their opinion and there is no such thing as a game that -everyone- loves. Up until this past weekend, the Mass Effect series has been the epitome of games that everyone raves about but I simply do not get. I played the first game and very quickly got bored of the slow-moving plot and clunky combat controls, and after hearing great things about part 2, I gave it a try and felt much the same way about it. Both games were shelved and subsequently forgotten amidst the numerous other games I was playing.

Fast forward to this past weekend. I was feeling under the weather and decided to randomly go back to a game that I haven't played in a long time. After staring blankly at my shelves for a while, I decided to pick Mass Effect 2 even though I haven't played it in well over a year, and even then I didn't get more than an hour into it. Good sense told me that starting with the first game would be a better idea, but remembering how much I disliked the combat controls pushed me towards the sequel. After fumbling with the learning curve for about an hour, I got more into it and I eventually hit that "eureka!" moment where I found myself thoroughly enjoying the game in ways I never did before. Every gamer knows this feeling and it's one of the main reasons why we are so passionate about this hobby. Given that I was sick and had absolutely no responsibilities to anyone that weekend, I ended up investing over 30 hours into not only the campaign but the side-quests as well. Recruiting new and interesting characters into your party, doing side-missions to gain experience and the loyalty of your crew, and mining planets for minerals became my addiction and I could spend hours just getting immersed into the Mass Effect universe.

The reasons why Mass Effect 2 reeled me in are down to simple elements that every game should have; good story-telling and great gameplay. You can't spend this length of time in the game without getting attached to your characters, and the story is progressed largely through dialogue that you select. Playing it nice with people earns their loyalty and "paragon" points, while those wishing to play it nasty can have a different experience and gain "renegade" points. How you conduct yourself and the decisions you make ultimately shape how the game plays out and it's impossible not to feel emotionally invested. The gameplay, and in particular the combat, is where Mass Effect 2 really shines. Fashioned as a third-person, cover-based shooter, the combat has been refined to make it more fast-paced and more accessible to fans of games like Gears of War and Dead Space. The controls feel natural and intuitive, and the guns feel meaty and powerful. Given that Mass Effect 2 is an RPG at heart, there are layers of complexity when it comes to developing skills, weapons and ship upgrades, however the game is more streamlined and accessible than it's contemporaries. Those wishing to micro-manage their game will not take well to this approach, but more casual RPG fans will welcome the simplicity. In short, Mass Effect 2 hit all the right notes for me and it's a classic example of how revisiting games that you -thought- you didn't like can yield unexpected rewards.

Now that I have played through and beaten Mass Effect 2, including the DLC, I feel compelled to go back and pay the first game, however I am aware that I may be spoiled by the improvements made in the sequel. In addition to that, I am also feeling inspired to re-visit some games that I previously dismissed. These games include Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Fallout 3. The latter game I revisited recently and experienced the same problems that I originally had; clunky combat system, poor controls, ammo shortages, frequent deaths and occasional freezing and crashing. I last game save also was at a point where I was down to my last two bars of health, only five bullets remaining and a bunch of enemies just outside the door. Not a good situation to find yourself in, so I am going to start a brand new game and grind away to ensure I am properly levelled. If there's anything I learned from Mass Effect 2, it's that patience can sometimes be rewarding, so I hope to continue this trend of finding new appreciation in games I had long since written-off.

Mass Effect 2 is available in Xbox 360, PC, and an enhanced version has since been released on the Playstation 3.

Review: Earth Defence Force: Insect Armageddon (Xbox 360, Playstation 3)

Some games challenge you with punishing difficulty, others wrack your brain with complex puzzles, and others have only one simple requirement - check your brain at the door and have fun. Earth Defence Force: Insect Armageddon falls into that third category and it delivers exactly what it promises; a third-person action game with tons of high powered weapons, destructible environments and all the giant bugs your could possibly kill. It's very hit and miss as a game, but chances are that those purchasing it will know exactly what to expect and will love every minute of the experience. It's not a great game, but it generally does more right than wrong.

Given that the game is an arcade-action experience, the story is as thin and transparent as cling-film. You play as one of four soldier classes in the elite Earth Defence Force unit, a band of gun-toting misfits that takes the alien invasion and resulting apocalypse in stride. The aliens have landed, unleashing waves of giant insects and arachnids and your only objective is to learn which end of the gun the bullets come out of and then kill them all. There are four soldier classes in the unit; "Battle" which is big and strong but slow as molasses; "Jet" which is fast-moving and able to fly but relatively weak in combat; "Tactical" which provides support by laying down turrets and "Tropper" which serves as the class with a balance of skills. Most of the games I have played were either as Tactical and Trooper and they suit my gameplay preferences, though others will definitely find their preferred class after a few rounds. That's EDF:IA in a nutshell - pick your class, decide if you're going to play solo or in co-op and let it rip. The enemies you fight are comprised of giant insects, alien ships and giant, screen-filling bosses. The insects come in waves and the difficulty increases with each level, so some tactical prowess coupled with smart choices in your weapons will serve you well.

EDF:IA plays like most third-person shooters and almost identical to the previous game in the series, though the controls feel more refined and less glitchy. The "run and gun" controls are smooth and fluid, helping you move quickly and maneuver to avoid the incoming swarms of insects. The flight controls as "Jet" and handling some of the weapons will take some getting used to, however repeated plays will ensure a rather short learning curve. The open level design also gives you a lot of freedom to decide how you want to go about tacking your objectives, which include planting explosives, destroying buildings and rescuing your human and NPC teammates from the brink of death. The destructible environments also allow for some creativity in how you tackle the waves of enemies, since destroying a bridge and having it crush a cluster of giant ants is infinitely more satisfying than just shooting them one-by-one. The weapons you start with are fairly standard and underpowered, however you unlock a variety of new weapons and weapon modifications as you progress in the game, adding a great sense of reward and incentive to play more.

The game allows you to play solo through the campaign with AI-controlled allies, however the real meat of the experience comes when playing cooperatively with up to two friends over PSN or Xbox Live. Given that the levels and enemies don't vary much outside of the ramping difficulty, EDF:IA will begin to feel very repetitive very quickly, so having a couple of friends along for the ride helps keep the tedium at bay. Blowing up waves of insects as a group is wickedly fun, however the experience will feel dry and rather dull if you're playing on your own and this is one area of the game that feels rather unbalanced. In addition to the campaign, you can play a survival mode of sorts, in which you fight off waves of enemies and last as long as you can. For a budget-price title, it packs a lot of gameplay and plenty of reasons to come back if you're playing co-op. A single play-through of all levels will last up to six hours, with little incentive to replay unless you're into achievement hunting.

Being a budget-price title, the fact that EDF:IA suffers in the audio and visual department should come as no surprise. The open environments and enemy designs are impressive, but a host of framerate issues, glitches and poor hit detection of larger enemies will grate on your nerves. Disappearing health and ammo drops, enemies getting stuck in walls,and one particular moment where my character got trapped in thin air also added to the annoyances. However, these issues are ultimately forgivable to anyone who is a fan of these types of games. It may look like a late-generation Playstation 2 game, but the fun and absurdity of the game does compensate in some ways. Fans of bigger budget or story-driven games will likely find plenty of nitpicks and even the most hardened EDF fan will grow tired of it, but those looking for some mindless fun will be well serviced.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Impressions: Sony Playstation 3D TV Bundle (Demo)

During the last weekend in August, my good friend Lori and I had the pleasure of attending the FanExpo in Toronto, a big convention thart celebrates sci-fi, horror, comics, anime and gaming. Vendors sell their items, people come either as themselves or in cosplay, and you get to meet various celebrities from the genres we love. It's basically our answer to Comic-Con. One pivotal part of the expo is the gaming booths that are set up and I saw impressive showings from Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and Ubisoft. Of particular note was the Sony booth in which they were allowing people to play the Uncharted 3 multiplayer and they were demoing the much-hyped Sony Playstation 3D TV Bundle, which I got to experience and my impressions will be the focus of this article.

For those unaware, the Sony Playstation 3D Bundle is a low-cost 24-inch 3D television that comes packaged with one pair of 3D glasses, an HDMI cable and a pre-installed game, originally slated to be Resistance 3 but has since been changed to Motorstorm: Apocalypse. The cost of this entire bundle is $500 and it represents a great value for those jilted by the high cost of other 3D television sets on the market. My friend and I were able to demo this TV while the representative from Sony explained some of the features and perks that it offers. Below are just some of my impressions based on my time spent with the unit.

The TV itself is 24-inch 1080p flat panel LED television set that will seem rather small to those used to playing their games on big screen LCD television sets, so this presents some obvious drawbacks from the beginning. If you are planning on using this set in a small room, as a back-up television or as a computer monitor, then the size should be a non-issue. However, if you are considering this as your main television for movie watching and game playing, it will definitely feel like a downgrade if you are used to a bigger screen. Having said that, the price of the unit and the extras that are included are made to represent value over being technically superior, so sacrifices in size needed to be made. The picture is crystal clear and the 240 hz refresh rate ensures smooth picture quality when gaming without the annoying "ghosting" that you get with some other televisions. I was very impressed with the quality and clarity of the picture and the vibrant colors, so those who are concerned that the lower price means sacrificing quality need not worry. At it's core, this is a quality television that will satisfy those looking to dip their toe into 3D, and it provides a solid 1080p HD experience to please everyone else.

Speaking of the 3D, one of the main innovations being touted is the full-screen local multiplayer option. This means that you can both be playing a game in the same room, on the same television, and both be able to see your respective games in full-screen as opposed to the split-screen that is currently the standard. This is achieved by overlapping the two game screens and letting the 3D glasses separate them, so two pairs of glasses are required in order for this effect to work. You also need to ensure that both players are wearing the correct pair of glasses so that they are seeing the correct game screen, so this feature will take some getting used to. Attempting to play without the glasses will reveal a blurry image with two overlapping game screens, so people purchasing this bundle and planning on using this feature will need to purchase a second pair of glasses. It's a small inconvenience but it's ultimately forgivable. To sample the 3D gaming, we played some Wipeout HD and effect in terms of depth of feel was impressive, definitely adding an element of immersion to the gaming experience. The glasses are relatively light but they still feel bulky, and because they are slightly tinted, the colors are not as crisp and vibrant when using them. This is an issue common to 3D TVs and it remains so with this unit as well.

The biggest barrier-to-entry for 3D televisions thus far has been the price and it's fair to assume that the aim of this new bundle from Sony is to widen that market. Personally, I am still not won over by 3D movies and gaming and have resisted buying into the technology, however this might bring me around and help me see the benefits. The TV is small and obviously not intended for hardcore gamers who want the home theater experience, however it's perfect for those looking for an affordable HD television that offers 3D as an option, and even better for those who have small living spaces and want to still enjoy HD and 3D movies and gaming. At only $500, it's a given that it will sell very well and I might consider getting it when the time comes. Overall, it was an impressive demo and I think those looking to buy this set at launch will be pleased.

As of this writing, the projected release date for the Sony Playstation 3D TV bundle is November 26, 2011. This is subject to change.

Review: Blur (Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC)

One particular genre of video games that has always held a special place in my heart is racing games. Every since first playing Enduro on the Atari 2600, I have played countless racing games on countless consoles, ranging from simulators like Gran Turismo and Forza to the more arcade-style racers like Ridge Racer and Need for Speed. Sadly, the market for these games has become saturated with a seemingly endless parade of racing games that look, feel and play almost exactly the same. Consequently, a few great games get lost in the shuffle and Blur is one such title. Highly regarded by critics and racing game aficionados but overlooked by pretty much everyone else, Blur is a fast-paced, frantic and highly addictive arcade racer that offers both a lengthy and satisfying campaign and a quality (and still very active) online multiplayer component.


Most modern racing games involve either a convoluted story that thinly binds the races together or simply opt for racing action with some objectives to keep you playing. Blur falls into the latter category, with several themed levels, each with six events and a "one-on-one" race with opponents that serve as bosses of sorts. The objective is to win races and gain "fans", which function as experience points that allow you to level up and unlock better vehicles. The events in Blur are broken up into three distinct categories; "Checkpoint" which requires you to hit a certain number of checkpoints before the timer runs out, "Destruction" which involves wrecking as many opponent vehicles as possible, and "Race" where you face off against up to 20 other AI racers. The races take place in various locations around the world, however there are only 15 different tracks and you will often see the same tracks repeated.

What makes Blur a frantic and sometime chaotic racer is the addition of "power-ups" which are similar to what you would find in a Mario Kart game. Each power-up is used for either
damaging and slowing down your opponents or defending and repairing your own vehicle. The power-ups are as follows: a "Nitro Boost" that gives you a burst of speed, "Barge" which allows you force-push opponents away from you, "Shock" that creates pools of lightning on the track, a "Bolt" attack that functions as a three-shot projective and a "Shunt" that hones in one and blasts your opponents. Also included are two defensive power-ups, a "Shield" that protects you for a short period of time and a "Repair" that allows you to fix damage to your vehicle. The challenge in Blur is knowing which power-up to use and at which time. Both your NPC opponents and online rivals have the ability to use power-ups on you, so a good defense is important to ensure you don't get slowed down or wreck your car.


As you play through Blur, your "Fan Level" will increase and better vehicles and power-up modifications will become available. To help you level up faster and provide reasons to replay races, each level has a set of "Fan Demands" that require you to perform certain tasks like winning a race without crashing, using two specific power-ups together, etc. Satisfying these demands will increase your Fan Level faster and allow you to progress, and some of these actions are required before you can tackle the "one-on-one" races at the end of the level. Some are fairly easy to pull off while others do feel like a grind as you play through the same race multiple times. However, this is something endemic to most racing games and it doesn't reach the levels of tedium that I often find in simulators like Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport.

The most important aspect of any racing game are the controls and this is something that Blur delivers in spades. All of the vehicles handle extremely well and the controls are incredibly tight, save for the occasionally stiff drifting mechanic. As with most racers, you are given a variety of vehicle classes such as sports cars, street vehicles and SUVs, each one appropriate to certain tracks and locations. Your AI opponents do a good job of trying to run you off the road and you very often find yourself the target of a Shunt, but Blur thankfully lacks the rubber-banding problem that a lot of racers seem to have. Being in first place makes you a big target, but the game never feels unfair and you always have a fighting chance to take back the lead. This also holds true in the online multiplayer, which is still well populated even a year after release. Online players rank up in the same fashion as the single player and the modifications can be better customized to suit your playing style; people who are hell-bent on wrecking everyone have plenty of mods available, while more defensive drivers can mod their vehicles to have better shields and recover from crashes faster. The single player campaign can be lengthy and the multiplayer will keep you coming back for sure.

Graphically, Blur follows the formula of Need for Speed and Burnout in that it has the right amount of realism combined with solid arcadey visuals. Racers that move incredibly fast tend to suffer with their framerate, however this was never a problem I noticed in Blur. The occasional glitch and car getting stuck in a wall did occur, but not often enough to make it an issue. The only area that Blur does suffer is in the audio department and especially in the music. Similar to Forza 3, the background music is faint and nondescript, adding little more than white noise to the races. More presence with the music and a better licensed soundtrack would been a great improvement.

Blur is one of those racing games that not many people I know have played, mainly because it suffers from the "just another racing game" stigma that the genre has garnered in recent years. This is unfortunate because it is one of the best racing games to come along recent years, well paired with Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, another fantastic racer that shares many similarities with Blur. Fans of technical simulators and those who want to customize every detail of their vehicles might not warm to Blur as much as fans of fast-paced and frantic arcade races, so how much you enjoy this game will depend on your taste. However, as much fun as it must be to build your car from the ground up in a simulator, the ability to shunt an opponent off a cliff is way more fun in my books.

My Generation's Future Nostalgic Games (Guest Article by Matt Petras)

As a young gamer who spends a lot of time watching gaming vlogs on Youtube, listening to gaming podcasts, and other things of that matter, I get subjected to a lot of older people reminiscing over games of their childhood. Super Mario Bros. 3, Mega Man 2, The Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog, Pac-Man: They go on and on. This got me thinking: What are my generation's nostalgic games going to be? What games are MY generation going to tell their kids about and rummage through their garages to find?

I have created a list of the top ten games that will most likely be my generation's most nostalgic games, throughout childhood and teenage years. These games are not what I think I'm going to look back on, but rather my generation collectively. I'm 15, soon to be in 10th grade, so let's just say today's High School crowd. Within the next couple years this may change just a bit, but I think that this list is going to stay rather unchanged.

#1: 7th Generation Call of Duty Games
Can I hear a "Mr. Obvious!"? Call of Duty hit the teenage demographic and it hit it hard. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was by far the biggest first-person-shooter to release after Halo 3. It seemed as though if you were a teenager back in 2007, if Halo 3 didn't hook you, Call of Duty 4 did: Many got addicted to both. And if you hadn't tried either of them yet, your friends were begging you to. Once Activision cast its rod with Call of Duty bait, most of the teenage fish kept biting over and over again with World at War, Modern Warfare 2, Black Ops, and, after November 8th, most likely Modern Warfare 3.

Critical Highlights: Perfect review scores from GameInformer, Official Xbox Magazine, and more; Mark Bozon on Modern Warfare 2: "...one of the best first-person shooters out there..."
Sales Highlights: Black Ops is in 1 out of 8 US Households; Modern Warfare 2 made over 550 million dollars within the first five days of release

#2: Grand Theft Auto Series
When I was making this list, I almost forgot about Grand Theft Auto: Silly me! Grand Theft Auto was very appealing to guys around my age because, when the PS2 GTA's were coming out, we were still kids: Not teenagers yet. "There's a game where we can deal drugs, kill tons of people, and steal cars?! Count me in, but please don't tell my mom!" Other than the obvious appeal of playing a naughty video game, open-world games seemed to hit a sweet-spot for kids around my age. Not just the PS2 titles, but I think GTA4 as well as the GTA games on PSP are also going to be rather nostalgic for my peers down the line.