There was a period in the late to mid-1990s when Japanese role-playing games (JRPGS) were the genre in the video game industry. Titles like Final Fantasy VII pushed these games to monumental levels of mainstream popularity. That was a long time ago. Today the JRPGS audience has dwindled to a dedicated few. One video game developer known for creating JRPGs, Square-Enix, is still trying to find ways to make its ultra-famous Final Fantasy franchise appeal to a wider audience. It failed with its last few entries in the series (especially with the utterly terrible Final Fantasy XIII). Simplifying the genre or trying to evolve it into a massively multiplaying online role-playing game (MMORPG) isn’t the answer. If… (more…)

I made it a point to try out a different 3DS game every day at PAX East. One of the following titles made me really want to buy a 3DS and the others just made it look like an awesome handheld. Here’s a quick recap of the 3DS games that were new at PAX East. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy While Final Fantasy might no longer be in its heyday, one thing that’s never changed is how awesome the music is in the series. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy anthologizes many classic Final Fantasy tunes into one rhythm fueled experience. While I didn’t get to play all the songs I wanted to, I did get a chance to try out Final Fantasy… (more…)

Aliens: Colonial Marines didn’t strike me as a game that would have a compelling multiplayer mode, so when I dropped by the booth at PAX East it was to specifically check out the single player demo. I enjoyed the campaign action, but nothing prepared me for what the multiplayer offered. It might be the best co-op I’ve played since Firefight in Halo: ODST or Left 4 Dead. Let’s start with the single-player first, which Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford walked us through with commentary. You begin right after Aliens and play as a marine searching the U.S.S. Sulaco for Ellen Ripley. The atmosphere looks straight out of the Alien films, and could almost pass for… (more…)

There are worse companies out there By: Anthony Velez Electronic Arts might suck, but are they the worst company in America? I can think of plenty of other companies that could have (or should have) won this award, but let’s work with what we have here, OK? EA is doing a great job at making people angry.  They introduced the infamous Online Pass for their games to virtually universal consumer complaint.  Those that use GameFly (like myself) have been left in the cold now that half of their games are inaccessible without purchasing one of these ridiculous passes. Another reason people are angry with EA is their habit of closing servers down on… (more…)

Assassin’s Creed III is the first time I’ve been really excited for a game since the last time I was really excited for a game. Point being, I tend to get my hopes up a lot when it comes to video games, but there is more than enough reason to get your hands on this title when it comes out in October. I love history, and when I say love, I mean I devour documentaries and text related to the subject. In fact, I enjoy early U.S. history so much that I took it twice in high school (the only AP class I was ever allowed into). It is such… (more…)

Borderlands 2 had a huge presence at PAX East this year featuring a fully playable demo. I got the chance to try out the Gunzerker class and the first thing I noticed were major visual improvements. For starters, things are (thankfully) brighter and more colorful than the browns of the original game. Additionally, the title’s striking and expanded art style make everything look more vibrant and will surely delight fans on any platform. (Note: I was playing a PC version of the game with a 360-like controller. I get sad when I realized that the game won’t look quite this good on my 360, but it will still look great.) So what about… (more…)

I was just two years old when Final Fantasy VII  released in 1997. From what I’ve heard, fans revered the game as one of the best Final Fantasy titles ever. Back then, Japanese role playing games were the genre. Fast forward fifteen years and Japanese role playing games (JRPGs) have lost their charm and appeal, or so people say. I’m quite fond of the genre and I remember playing Final Fantasy VIII on my PlayStation as a child. I was so exhausted from the experience that I slept for 18 hours after I finally finished the game. The title will always hold a special place in my heart, and why shouldn’t it? It’s… (more…)

Killzone 3 (KZ3) came out 14 months ago exclusively on Sony’s PlayStation 3. The game received high critical praise, especially in regards to the title’s the top-notch competitive multiplayer.  Unfortunately, like many first person shooters not named Call of Duty or Battlefield, the community dwindled to a steady, but comparatively smaller group of dedicated players. One could always find games online, but rosters weren’t regularly as full as they could be and finding matches took a little longer than in the months first following launch. Sony surprised shooter fans six weeks ago by releasing the Killzone 3 multiplayer experience as a free download on PlayStation Network. Released with little marketing support,… (more…)

After a surprisingly long five- year gap between titles, the Mario Party franchise has finally returned with Mario Party 9. The last Mario Party title I played extensively was Mario Party 2 way back in 2000 on the Nintendo 64. For better or worse (depending on how you feel about the franchise), not much has changed since then. The title’s board game-like mechanics are still based largely on luck and random dice rolls and this continues to prevent the series from being fair. A player could win every single mini-game yet still lose because of a random die roll. However, this is what the franchise is all about - Mario Party 9 will still provide… (more…)

I’m a completionist. When I get a game I like to do everything in it. I’m the guy that drives around just for the hell of it, or shoots at stuff to see if it will explode. I’m glad that I’m this kind of gamer when it comes to Mass Effect 3. Otherwise I would have missed some hidden, awesome moments. There’s a ton of them in the game but here are the ones I enjoyed the most. 1. James and Garrus peeing contest It’s pretty cool that these two badass characters have a sense of humour. Considering the stuff I’ve seen Garrus do with my Shepard and the stuff… (more…)