Final Fantasy XIII is the only video game I have ever returned to a store. Yes, it was that bad, and I absolutely hated it. Square Enix, why are you releasing a sequel to a game that was generally resented by even Final Fantasy’s most hardcore fans? It just doesn’t make sense. When I was younger, the release of a Final Fantasy game always seemed like a special occasion. New entries in the franchise came out every few years and gamers everywhere were certain each Final Fantasy title would offer quality, narrative driven gaming. Now it feels like a new Final Fantasy title comes out every few months and, most… (more…)

To all those who are playing Skyrim I raise my hand in salute.  For those thinking about it that haven’t played other Bethesda made games such as Fallout 3 or other Elder Scrolls entries like Morrowind, Oblivion, etcetera – keep in mind this game can be downright addictive. The game’s ability to grab and hold your attention is, for the most part, a good thing.  You can spend over a hundred and fifty hours in-game and still not run out of things to do.  Skyrim’s ‘Radiant Story,’ designed to create random quests for players to fulfill on the fly, means that technically you will never run out of quests.  (I… (more…)

Everyone is waiting for this year’s big retail titles like Mass Effect 3, Bioshock Infinite and whatever the Wii U will end up becoming (I’m hoping it doesn’t turn into another Sega Saturn). But while there are many ‘AAA’ retail games coming out, it’s worth reminding you that the smaller, downloadable and indie game space is growing huge. So, I’m presenting you with a list of games you should be paying more attention to than whatever shooter is crawling out of the latest big name developer. Some are indie favorites, others are downloadable and a couple are retail games, but you should take notice of all of them over the… (more…)

2011 was another year of amazing gaming experiences and, for me and select other gamers, it passed virtually without issue. Unfortunately, many others seem to have gotten the short end of the pointy gaming stick. In other words, even though 2011 offered some of the greatest games released this gen, a few screw-ups, mishaps, let downs, and straight-up bad decisions made some gamers feel like the industry’s only real goal was to get them to grab their proverbial ankles.   Without further adieu – and in no particular order – we present the most defining video game letdowns of 2011. Kinect’s Lack of Appealing Games When Kinect first came out, I… (more…)

I’m an Xbox guy through and through, but upcoming Playstation 3 exclusive, The Last Of Us, looks exactly like the game I’ve been imagining in my head for years. I realize that all we’ve seen is a relatively short trailer, but I’ve taken Naughty Dog’s bait; I want this game. I’m well aware that the fact that I haven’t wanted a PS3 before this point is extremely hard for many gamers to fathom. I should also point out that I am by no means ‘anti’ PS3. The best I can explain it, really, is that I’ve grown up playing games on Nintendo and Microsoft consoles and am therefore naturally inclined to want… (more…)

After not being able to put down Saints Row The Third and getting the games completion rating to 99%, I felt compelled to write down a few things that I love about the game. I truly enjoyed Saints Row 2 and am glad to see that there were improvements made in this new release, especially that the best aspects from the second game have been carried over. 1. Dialogue You know when you’re watching a TV show and somebody says something that really isn’t funny, then the laugh track plays and it isn’t convincing you either? The first time this happens, maybe even the second time, you just let is slide and give a… (more…)

(SPOILERS: for those who haven’t played the Uncharted series.) You might not know it, but there is more than one Drake dominating popular media today.  Drake Aubrey Graham is a huge Canadian actor-turned-rapper, and Nathan Drake is a sarcastic yet lovable treasure hunter and action hero. In what possible way are these two at all connected? Well, they’re not, but they share many common interests and (we think) they would get along fabulously. Assuming the Jimmy from Degrassi doesn’t mind the handguns that Nathan from Uncharted brandishes on a daily basis. And so, to compare the two great Drakes we present the following and ask you, dear reader, which Drake is… (more…)

My name is Kory and I’m addicted to the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.  I can’t stop ‘chasing the purple dragon’…and I literally mean winged monsters from the sky. Skyrim, a single-player epic RPG from Bethesda Softworks, is the fifth and arguably greatest installment in the celebrated Elder Scrolls series. Set in the Viking-inspired Nordic nation of Skyrim, the game is open-world, open-ended and filled with enough content to be virtually inexhaustible to the average gamer. For these reasons, I have been unable to tear myself away from the game since I first received my copy. During those brief times when I have been forced to take a break, I talk… (more…)

I don’t generally comment on the big Triple ‘A’ titles. Unless I find an angle that I think no one else has thought of (and someone has always thought of it before you), I just consider it a waste of my time. However, after playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 the other day, I figured I might as well chime in anyway. You likely know what this post is going to be about. Yup, the Eiffel Tower. How could they do that to the Statue of Liberty – of France? (Fun Fact: The French Statue of Liberty is actually located near the Grenelle Bridge in Paris.) So that was… (more…)

I’ve been eagerly anticipating Skyrim for years. I’d probably even say that it’s the only release I’ve been excited about in a very long time. There’s a reason for this sense of excitment and anticipation though. Usually, when I’m interested in a game, I’m all up on the interwebs trying to gather every news snipet ever released about that particular title. In some cases, I go the extra mile and sift through gaming related forums, mercilessly hunting down the latest rumours and information. When Skyrim was first announced, I didn’t search for any information about the game at all. In fact, I’ve  actively avoided reading anything about Bethesda’s latest epic. When I finally… (more…)