Right away this stuck out to me because the zed word was attached to it. I’m sure a lot of gamers felt the same way. I can assure you that the undead is not the only appealing factor for this DLC pack though. With something for everyone from multiplayer to singleplayer, and with over 1.7 GB to download, Rockstar doesn’t disappoint with this endeavor.

The new singleplayer story line is quite well written, just as the original story for Red Dead Redemption was. It starts in a similar way, too: With John having a mission to save his wife and son, killing anyone, or anything, that gets in his way. The story seems to be in an alternate timeline and picks up after John has been reunited with his family, but before being shot to hell by the US Marshalls. Now Rockstar could have taken the story straight from an old Romero film, something about radiation, walking dead, hide your kids, hide your wife, blah blah blah. What we got instead was a beautifully written tale about a man trying to save his family from a mysterious and supernatural threat.

To be honest, I would have preferred that Rockstar left the cause of the outbreak a complete mystery. The entire game is spent hearing from survivors that it was this or that, and knowing none of them are right. For me, the ending was a bit lax, the final level not hard enough, and lead up not tense in the slightest. But everything before the ending is an A+ in my book. Meeting with old friends and helping them to save their town, or putting two in their brain and making sure they stay in their grave this time. Rockstar really raises the bar for story telling with this game, and Undead Nightmare is no exception.

Story is great and all, but what about the action? The unadulterated fun of having a pack of flesh-eating maniacs bearing down on you as you pick them off with well-placed shells from your shotgun? It is here in spades. The zombies are spread into four archetypes: your basic freshly made corpse, shambling, biting, and scratching. Then you have your bolters, the fast type of zombies, this game goes the extra creepy mile in the design of these crazies, making them run on all fours as they advance on you faster than you can get your gun from its holster. Bruisers are big ol’ monsters with a charge attack that will knock you off your feet, and hit points to spare. Finally we have the retchers, radioactive zombies with a spit attack that explode upon re-death.

Not to mention all the undead versions of the animals roaming the plains, skinless cougars, headless coyotes; the bears and wolves haven’t changed that much, though they are still just as pants-shittingly huge and annoying as hell in packs, respectively. I also noticed a lot more goats all over the place, and they are all black in color, with enlarged horns. I am assuming it’s some sort of satanic symbol to go with all the rest of the hell-on-earth stuff. Along with the undead animals there are a few legendary beasts to tame and kill. From Sasquatch to ride-able unicorns that leave rainbows in their wake. There are plenty of new challenges that involve killing the undead in their various forms, and a slew of new weapons to do it with.

A torch replaces your trusty skinnin’ knife and is the perfect tool for fending off your brain-craving adversaries when you run low on ammo. Undead bait is a new thrown item that attracts the undead to where it is thrown, and when combined with dynamite has bloody results. Holy water is basically a fire bottle that only hurts zombies, the blue fire looks much cooler though. And the blunderbuss is a weapon that makes the explosive rifle look like a pea shooter. You can load it with anything, and that means anything you find on the corpses of the undead. Ribs, eyes, tongues, claws, teeth, all of these make excellent projectiles, and the blunderbuss will turn a tight pack of zombies into a cloud of red mist.

I spent so much time playing the singleplayer campaign that I hardly had time to try out the new multiplayer modes. Undead Overrun is your basic horde mode. Wave after wave of zombies, each level with a time limit that can be increased by opening a coffin that spawns with ammo inside. Up to four players can play and have to beat each wave by killing a certain amount of zombies to fill up a red bar. Downed players can be revived, and will need to be if you want to fill your undead death quota. Holy water acts a little differently in this mode, just try it out to see, you won’t be disappointed.

Land grab like king of the hill, something I am terrible at, I can admit it. Thus, I haven’t spent much time with it, but it can certainly be fun defending your territory from other players that will do anything to take it from you. There are also some new undead skins to use in multiplayer, including Zombie Rickets (pictured above). For ten dollars, Rockstar delivered a gem for anyone out there that likes to put the walking dead back to rest. I can’t recommend this enough to anyone who enjoyed the main game either, that same charm from Marston and the gang is still there, just a bit more.. grim. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back on my unicorn and live in harmony, harmony oh love.

From the looks of the video the undead are no longer the big threat in the world of Trine. Fleshy monsters now populate the countryside, and they seem to have better tactics in battle. The co-op is going to be online and local, which opens more options for playing with your friends. I personally can’t wait to get a friend or two together so we can experience this game in its full glory. Timing will be very important I’m sure, and frankly the game just looks amazing when played with impeccable timing.

Spring 2011 is a broad and far off goal, but I will be keeping my eye on this one. The original Trine provided me with hours of unique gameplay and the atmosphere the game creates is one I won’t soon forget. Hopefully Trine 2 will pick up where the first one left off but one thing is for sure, it has some big shoes to fill.

Set after the events of Kingdom Hearts II, the story revolves around a journal entry that Jiminy Cricket finds in his journal. The thing is, he didn’t write it. King Mickey orders the journal digitized and enters the digital world to find out more about this entry. While in this world, Mickey encounters a digital Sora, who the player will take control of. Digital Sora has to fight many “bugs” that look like red and black heartless on his journey to investigate the identity of “them” and to live out the contents of the journal so the truth can be unveiled.

• The future of the KINGDOM HEARTS series arrives on Nintendo DS: From world-renowned creator and character designer Tetsuya Nomura comes the latest installment in the beloved KINGDOM HEARTS series. Sora, Mickey, Donald, Goofy and a host of familiar faces from KINGDOM HEARTS and FINAL FANTASY unite once again for an exciting new adventure.

• Classic KINGDOM HEARTS gameplay with innovative twists: All-new features include a new character growth system created specifically for the Nintendo DS release, building on the series’ immersive blend of action and role-playing elements.

• An assortment of diverse and entertaining boss battles: Guide Sora like never before through boss battles inspired by side-scrolling, shooting and classic FINAL FANTASY games.

• Endless possibilities in the Avatar Menu: Players can design their own avatar using over 800 unlockable parts and trade playable maps with friends.

What really catches my eye about this game is the description of the boss battles. Apparently they range from classic KH style to side-scrolling battles to shooters. Too many games today are making boss battles feel too similar in the way they are fought, so if this game truly provides many different types of battles I welcome it to my DS library.

This growth system sounds very intriguing and it should make multiple playthroughs a lot of fun. The avatar system sounds like a little extra feature that won’t matter much, but 800 unlockable parts makes me wonder exactly what it will entail. Finally, the tradable maps that can be played and earn you items and avatar parts will add to the social aspect of the game. Using the DS’s Tag Mode to trade maps while you aren’t playing means that if you to a large gaming event there’s a good chance you could walk away with a lot of extra game time in the form of new maps.

I don’t know if these screens are from the original cellphone version of the game or the DS remake, but I am hoping they are not the remake. The DS is capable of graphics much better than what I see here. I’m looking forward to this game, but like I said before I am anxiously awaiting an announcement for Kingdom Hearts 3. These prequels and side stories on the mobile platforms are fun, but I want another epic adventure featuring Sora (the real one, not a digital version) and friends kicking heartless ass.

The first thing I did after downloading the Liars and Cheats pack was head toward the nearest hunting ground to see what it would be like. It was just my luck that this was the cougar hunting ground. After a few excruciating maulings from the animal I now fear more than most mythical creatures, I got a great laugh when I saw the name of the boss of the cougars: Demi, the legendary cougar. The other three hunting grounds are similar in that they pit the player against waves of wild animals before a boss monster appears. The real fun is playing these levels with a posse, as the bodies will fly on both sides and it becomes a hectic battle of survival of the fittest. The seven new gang hideouts, in addition to the hunting grounds, add a lot of life to the free roam experience.

Though the new gang hideouts are short, they bring more life to the map. Now a gang hideout run takes a lot longer and has much more variety. Many of the hideouts play differently as well. For example, one of the new hideouts is an all out brawl out in the open where most of the enemies are toting shotguns; another has you defending a house from a few waves of enemies. Not to mention, that all of the new hideouts give you access to the explosive rifle upon victory. It comes with five shots and doesn’t gain ammo when you go over an ammo box. This new weapon is a lot of fun, despite not fitting in at all with the old west feel of the game. Rather than firing a slow projectile like most explosive weapons, it is better to think of the gun as making an explosion at the spot you are aiming when you pull the trigger. It makes enemies taking over into a cloud of blood in no time flat.

I feel the next two features, multiplayer gambling and horse races, should have been in the game right from the start. At the very least, they don’t warrant a ten dollar purchase by themselves, but they are a fun distraction. Poker’s fun factor truly depends on your opponent(s). I played one game where the only other person at the table either folded or went in on every single hand. Two games later and I’m in a nice long game where all the players are playing fairly smart. Just like the game itself, finding a good game in poker is in the luck of the draw. Liar’s dice is a little more fun, if only because it is a more rare game, poker is everywhere, but this is one of the only video games that allows me to play liar’s dice.

The horse races are a fun way to spend some time. They start just like you’d expect them to, but then after about ten seconds or so weapons become live. This means that each player can now use their shotgun, revolver, and even their knife to try and take other players out of the race. This means that slower players can still win races with tactical kills. After being shot down, a player will respawn, but the death gives a large disadvantage. Ammo does not replenish after a respawn however, so conservation is key.

The new game mode, Stronghold, adds a little more variety to the competitive scene. Stronghold is an objective based attack and defend playlist. Two teams of players take turns defending and attempting to take a series of points on the map. The attacking team is given a certain amount of lives and a timer, if either of these runs out, the defenders win. The overall winning team is decided by either who has captured the most points, or who has captured their points in the least time. The different maps give a lot of variety. Fort Mercer is a large map with plenty of gun emplacements, cannons, and different types of terrain. Whereas Escalera is a smaller map where enemies are around every corner, and the battle is much more fast paced. The larger maps have better weapon sets for both teams to make up for the distance that is generally between you and your opponents. Smaller maps like Escalera only allow for less powerful guns for the short range combat. In either case however, the attacking team is given better weaponry (namely dynamite) to make up for the field advantage and unlimited lives of the defending team.

All in all, no matter what part of the Red Dead Redemption multiplayer you enjoy, this pack has something for you. A lot is added to the free roam co-op experience, and the competitive gameplay gets a nice boost as well. Not to mention that this pack also allows players to play as single player character skins (look for me as Irish). While a few of the features should have been in the game from the start, this pack adds enough to be worth the ten dollar price tag for most gamers. I bought it, and I can’t wait to play some more stronghold and go clear out some more gang hideouts with my fellow cowboys/girls.

I will never forget the first day I saw Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead”. Zombies were imprinted in my brain from that day forward, and I will never love killing any type of zombie as much as I love to kill a Romero zombie. The living dead, in my opinion, should be slow, shambling, and hungry for human flesh. These new age fast, powerful, mutated “zombies” of games like Resident Evil 4/5 and movies like 28 Days/Weeks Later provide a great thrill, but the real Z factor is in the brains-craving undead monsters that move as slow as a sloth on vacation; the type of zombie that kills with numbers rather than speed or power.

Now that I have my zombie rant out of the way, I want to talk about Dead Rising 2. It is a game that lays out my ideal zombie outbreak situation onto a canvas, a canvas that I then cover with blood. At first glance the map seems small and repetitive. However, if you spend some time exploring the game world, it may be small compared to some other sandboxie games out right now, but it is rich. It represents malls and casinos perfectly in the limited space it provides while throwing the challenge of hoardes and hoardes of zombies.

And again, while the map seems small there are multiple levels with many hidden hallways, shortcuts, and hidden items. There was so much to explore in this game that I was actually tempted to ignore all of the side missions, thus failing them, just so I could explore. Granted I also wanted the best ending, so I took it upon myself to complete whatever mission I came upon, failing only about two missions, and even doing that I missed at least 25% of the survivors in the game. The depth hidden behind the novelty of this game is surprising to say the least.

The atmosphere is not as bright as one would expect a Las Vegas-ish setting to be. Granted there are plenty of lights in the casinos, but outside them there just aren’t enough neon signs and bright, bright lights that you would see in the real Vegas. Granted, this is a fictional setting in a Nevada like area, but I still think it should be brighter and more vibrant color-wise. Other than that, the atmosphere is great. The music fits the situation and there are always hundreds upon hundreds of zombies in each area. So for me, the zombies are done right, but what about everything else?

The story is fairly standard, a shadowy figure causes a zombie outbreak, and it is your responsibility to clean up the mess. You play Chuck Greene, whose daughter is infected with the virus and needs the vaccine Zombrex to stay human. You are framed early on as the one who causes the outbreak and you must spend the game both proving your innocence, and preventing your daughter from turning. Chuck makes for a decent protagonist, a former motocross star that now makes a living as a contestant on Terror is Reality, a game show where the contestants kill zombies in various ways for money and the entertainment of the masses. He has a few cheesy one liners, and is fairly noble, trying to save as many people as he can while keeping his daughter at the top of his list of priorities.

The survivors are split into two different categories: absolutely effing retarded, and those that just want to survive. I mean, I don’t know about you, but if I was in a zombie apocalypse and didn’t know where was safe, I would not be practicing my comedy routine with my partner in a sex shop. But hey, I guess some people just lose it when shit goes down, and that’s fine. At least they didn’t start killing people off because they went absolutely bat-shit insane. Oh wait, some of them did.

Bosses in this game are called “psychopaths”. Now, I was never able to extensively play the first Dead Rising, as I do not own an Xbox and refuse to buy the downgraded Wii version. I have played certain segments, thanks to a friend, and when I saw “psychopaths” as part of the trophies, I immediately thought of the cultists from the first game. I thought that was what I’d be facing, until I earned a trophy for killing X amount of psychopaths without seeing a single hooded cloak. As it turns out, a psychopath in this game is anyone who has lost their mind due to the zombie outbreak.

Each boss battle gives a great, unique feel. All of them lost their minds in a different way and all of them act, attack, and speak differently (dialogue is important in a zombie setting, at least to me). I only wish that each boss had a unique strategy to beat them. Unfortunately, each battle must be fought the exact same way: run around in circles, wait for the boss to attack, get in one to two swings with whatever weapon you have equipped, and continue circle running maneuvers. Granted, I have played games where bosses shared both attack patterns and defeat strategies, so this is not the worst boss system I have ever come across, but it is also far from the best.

Getting back to the survivors that don’t completely lose it, their A.I. is surprisingly good at avoiding zombies. If you can manage to run past a crowd of the walking undead, chance are whatever survivor you are guiding back to the safehouse will be able to do the same. There are even magazines that increase survivor usefulness in battle. Give a group of survivors some guns and tell them where to stand and they will power through a boss’ health while you keep the boss busy in melee combat. I was amazed that survivors could actually be an asset rather than a hindrance after being jaded by years of game after game where A.I. partners are just terrible at life in general. So survivors are well done, but these games are all about just how many ways you can lay the undead back to rest.

The sheer number of ways you can lay waste to zombies in this game is worth at least a rental. Everything you see is a weapon, and there is no way to be disappointed by how many zombies you can kill with a potted plant. Weapon combos are an amazing game mechanic that keeps the constant killing fresh, even after that 5,000th kill. I mean come on, a double sided chainsaw that you can use to wade through a sea of zombies as blood and limbs fly into the screen? It just does not get much better. The combo weapons seem to fall in to one of three categories: crowd control, single shot, and miscellaneous. Some are good at taking out a large number of the brainless flesh-eaters, others are more suited to killing bosses with their short-range, high-power attacks. Then there are weapons like the drill bucket.

The drill bucket consists, visually, of three drills and one metal bucket. This weapon is placed on the head of a single zombie and then the drills activate and the brain of said zombie is completely obliterated. While an awesome way to kill something, and one the best uses of a bucket I have ever witnessed, it is not particularly effective during a zombie outbreak. But again, it is the number of ways things can die that give this game its true novelty. Even bosses die in completely unique and sometimes gruesome ways, but the game manages to present them in ways where the carnage is almost imagined, without showing the actual gruesome gore – something that should be praised.

The instant gratification of killing zombies in various ways and gaining experience is great. This game rewards in the same way a T.V. spoof of GTA does. Bat to the face of a zombie, 50 ponts! Oh man, you just drove that bat into a zombie’s brain, 150 points! Did you just drop kick that zombie in the face!? 50 points! And of course, as you kill more zombies and are awarded PP, you level up and earn new moves, gain more combo cards, and power up both offensively and defensively. And each move is more over the top than the last. Elbow drop? Really? You are really elbow dropping downed zombies? Are you that confident in your survival skills that you can jump into the air, risking injury to just, all of you, and then land on a zombie, get up, and go about the rest of your day? Well kudos to you sir.

By the way, between Josh in Resident Evil 5, all the characters in Uncharted 2, and Chuck in this game, I have now deemed the dropkick a necessity in all games. The double dropkick is the ultimate insult to anyone on the receiving end, and I want to be able to put both my feet in all of my enemies’ faces, while my friend simultaneously does the exact same thing. I can’t imagine anything hurting more than four feet square in your mouth.

I have not tried the co-op yet, but as I understand it, it is story mode with a buddy. I can’t wait until I try it, because it could be the perfect way to spice up the constant death of zombies that the game throws at you. Granted, the co-op is online only, and I’d love to be able to sit in the same room with my co-op partner and muse about our zombie killing adventure, but I also think that split screen would limit the players in a big way. There are just so many zombies on screen at all times that it is tough as it is to keep track of them all, split screen would be a large hindrance.

The competitive multiplayer is fun as well, reminding me of Smash T.V. from days long past. A television show where the purpose is to earn money by killing shit. In this case, it happens to be zombies and there are 9 mini-games where you have no other purpose than to kill zombies and be better than your opponents at it. It’s a lot of fun and it earns in-game money for your story mode, which is always a bonus.

For me, everything about this game is a buy. Zombie killing galore and replayability that just keeps on giving, with multiple endings. Granted, there is no free mode, but you can technically ignore all missions, even the main story missions, and you will have 72 in game hours (about 6 real hours) of gameplay that is just pure zombie killing action, but be prepared to get the worst ending possible. For the average gamer that is not necessarily a fan of zombies, I would recommend a rental first. But for the zombie aficionado like myself, this game is an instant buy. I could spend every weekend playing this game finding new ways to go to war against the shambling undead. The choice is yours, but I recommend it fully. You’ve got red on you.

The new DLC “Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution” is going to deal with that Claptrap’s rise to sentience and the uprising he is stirring up with his Claptrap brethren. The vault hunters (that’s you, the players) will be hired by the Hyperion Corporation (albeit reluctantly, as they want you dead just like everyone else in the game) to put down this revolt for the good of Pandora. Throughout the new missions you will fight old enemies with a new twist. Skags, bandits, rakk, and more have all been outfitted with Claptrap parts to make them even stronger for you. Not to mention the hordes of angry, oppressed claptraps. Even old bosses will be making appearances with a new “Claptrap-ified” look.

Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution is set to hit the market in September. It boasts 20 new missions, as well as 10 earnable skill points, and 3 more backpack upgrades in total. This will be a chunk of content that is not to be missed and will retail at $9.99 on PSN and PC, or 800 points in the XBLA

“A year ago Borderlands was an untested brand that through hard work and a lot of passion, turned out to be one of the best-selling, claptastic and skagtacular games we have ever created,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “A year later, we are releasing our fourth DLC installment, Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution, which illustrates our enthusiasm for creating highly entertaining content that enhances a franchise. In addition to serving as the perfect bookend to the original game, what gamer doesn’t love a kung-fu-wielding Ninja Assassin Claptrap with nunchuck skills?”

The mention of it being a “bookend” makes me think this will be the last installment in the Borderlands DLC packs. I myself will be the first in line for Borderlands 2 when it inevitably hits shelves sometime in the future.

Kongregate is a gaming community that has been around for a few years now. Small companies and independent start-up game developers alike use the site to help promote their games. Even if you’re not a developer, and just want to play these games, you play a large part in the community that makes Kongregate stand out from the crowd. You can comment on and rate each game; games can receive updates to fix bugs, and are occasionally given new “badges” so that gamers can increase their level on Kongregate.

Developers are offered ad revenue for their games being uploaded to Kongregate, with a bonus based on exclusivity to Kongregate and their personal site. The best games get pushed to the front page where many players will see it, and some games will get features where a challenge for that game is placed on the front page that lets players earn something on the site. This can range from a card, for the Kongregate developed multiplayer card game “Kongai” to an entry into a giveaway of a gaming console or game.

The community itself is a great place for developers, and not so much for the actual gamers. The comments on the games really allow the dev to know what people think of the game, what works, and what doesn’t work. The chat room function on Kongregate that also tracks the gamer’s achievement progress, not so much. Occasionally you find a great room where people are having mature conversation, sometimes even about the games. However, having been a member for a couple of years now, I can tell you that the majority of the time you will be faced with religious debates, “what is better” fights, and 12-15 year olds trying to hook up with each other. So really, it’s the same as everywhere else you go.

That said, you could always just not pay attention to the chat, invite some friends to the site, and share favorite games with each other, while having fun. There are a lot of high quality games on Kongregate, and it would be a shame to not try it at least once. Gamestop recently acquired Kongregate, but according to co-founder Jim Greer the site will not change much. Hopefully Gamestop will be able to provide Kongregate with the resources it needs to grow even larger, and not change it from an indie game hub to a pay-as-you-play nightmare.

Legends and Killers Pack (Releasing beginning of August 2010)

New active map locations, characters and more:

Liars and Cheats Pack

New Competitive Modes, Multiplayer Mini-games in Free Roam, and more:

• ‘Attack and Defend’ Multiplayer Competitive Mode and Challenges
• New Multiplayer Horse Races complete with mounted combat
• Play as the heroes and villains of Red Dead Redemption as well as 8 additional multiplayer characters
• Multiplayer versions of Liars Dice and Poker from the single-player game
• Introducing a new weapon: the Explosive Rifle, with associated Challenges available in single-player and multiplayer
• New Achievements/Trophies
• Release date TBC
• Pricing: $9.99 (PlayStation Network), 800 Microsoft Points (Xbox LIVE)

Free Roam Pack

Delve deeper into the world of Red Dead Redemption with new Modes, Challenges and Gang Hideouts to discover:

• Additional Free Roam Challenges
• New action areas and defensive placements
• Posse Scoring / Posse Leaderboards
• New ‘anti-griefing’ measures in Free Roam
• Release date and pricing TBC

Undead Nightmare Pack

Ghost towns and cemeteries come alive in a West gone horribly wrong:

• Brand new single player adventure, Challenges and quests
• 8 New Multiplayer Zombie characters
• Additional animals unleashed in the world
• New Dynamic events
• More details to follow...
• Release date TBC
• Pricing: $9.99 (PlayStation Network), 800 Microsoft Points (Xbox LIVE)

My only gripe here is the pricing. The first package, scheduled for August, seems to be adding the most to the multiplayer competitive experience. It is essentially a map pack with characters from the game that inspired Red Dead Redemption. Ten dollars there seems like no biggie, and I understand that pricing; even though I myself prefer to play in free roam over the competitive matches. However, the very next DLC on the list seems like a big list of what should have been in the game right from the start.

I remember the first time I signed into the multiplayer after having completed the game. A friend of mine was already around level 30, and hadn't seen a single character from the main game as an unlockable. Sure enough, we looked up the "legendary" characters, most of which are extremely disappointing, and there wasn't a single main character from the single player. I wasn't greatly upset, but it certainly was confusing. The rest of the list isn't any better: horse races should have been one of the first things implemented, especially since many, many gamers' first thought was that this would be GTA: 1911; not including multiplayer versions of the gambling mini-games wasn't vexing, but it also isn't worth paying for; and I certainly am not going to shell out cash for a new play list.

Just about the only thing in the package that I could see with a price is the deliciously awesome sounding explosive rifle. Though even that has its drawbacks, as so far everything has been very -in the time period- an exploding rifle doesn't seem to fit. The third on the list doesn't have a price point yet, and I only hope that is because it will be free. To be honest, that Free Roam Pack looks like the notes you receive after a big patch, NOT after a purchased DLC package.

The final DLC harkens my thoughts back to CoD:WaW. While a gimmick in every way, zombie modes are more fun than they really should be. This DLC is the only other one besides Legends and Killers that I could see myself paying for, because I just love putting rotting flesh back into the dirt. From the wording, it seems like "zombie mode" will only be in single player, though considering there will be zombie multiplayer skins, I am hoping that it will see some free roam play in the form of a "gang hideout". Except the gang will be hordes of zombies. One little note in that one catches my attention as well, and that is the mention of new animals. Now, I assume right away that it means "zombie skins for existing animals that we are calling new animals". However I have hope that Rockstar may add in new boss animals, like the ones faced in the hunter challenges.

So from the look of it, Rockstar may be suffering from "it's-on-the-disk-but-pay-for-it-anyway syndrome". It is a disease that is affecting the industry in the worst way possible. I just hope that a cure is found soon, otherwise our bank accounts may develop super anti-bodies to fight off the infection.

Microsoft went first this year and, no surprise, gave more info on Project Natal. With a crappy new name and full-fledged stage demos, Xbox seemed off to a great start. But to be honest, the new Kinect looks more gimmicky than the Wii did to most people in its early days. Okay, so the camera is pretty advanced and follows my skeleton (btw that sounds like it could have adverse radiation effects, but I’m sure we’ll be fine, I mean Xbox products have always been so reliable, right?). The voice function seems pretty cool, but it seemed pretty cool on my phone too, and those programs have never, ever called the right person. Plus I thought these motion control options are supposed to be advocating a more active experience, but now when I’m watching a movie and need to pause my thumb doesn’t even have to move.

Granted, you aren’t very active when watching a movie anyway, so I’ll let that slide. Getting past Kinect, Xbox did have some impressive titles lined up, Gears 3 easily being the one that stood out the most. And let’s not forget that sexy new Xbox Slim. Finally joining the age of the wireless, and with a huge hard drive, it’s a step in the right direction for Microsoft. However I can’t help but feel that their press conference spent way too much time on Kinect, and I wasn’t that impressed by it. In my opinion, I think Microsoft underestimated what their opponents were bringing to the table, and they lost points because of it.

Nintendo was next, starting off with the one thing everyone wanted to see from them, the new Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. With lighter graphics than Twilight Princess, but the same adult Link design, and boasting swordplay via Wii Motion Plus, Skyward Sword looks to be a great addition to the franchise. What followed this demo was a non-stop barrage of new titles that would make any Nintendo fan salivate. Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Kid Icarus: Uprising, new Metroid: Other M footage, new Golden Sun: Dark Dawn footage, Epic Mickey exclusivity, it seemed like Nintendo had just gone around to every forum on the internet, jotted down what everyone wanted, held a board meeting and said, “Okay, let’s do it.”

In addition to the huge lineup of games, the 3DS was finally given some details. I denied wanting a 3DS for a long time. I figured it was some gimmick to get us to keep upgrading from one DS to the next. But when I saw that little handheld and what it was capable of I was sold, wholesale onto the bandwagon. Unfortunately I was not at E3 so I do not know exactly how the 3D works, but I’ve heard literally nothing but praise for it. The new widescreen for the top screen has almost three times the amount of pixels that the DS Lite had. And Nintendo promises that the 3DS will have much more power under the hood. If that Kid Icarus trailer was rendered with the 3DS, then I’m inclined to believe them. All in all, Nintendo delivered big this year.

Sony went last, but they certainly weren’t the least impressive. Playstation Move was another piece of hardware that I simply was not impressed with. I just didn’t see it going very far, until I saw the demo of Sorcery. Sorcery is a game that would offer me zero appeal normally. However, after seeing just what the Move could do in that game, I have to say my outlook has changed. Playing as a sorcerer’s apprentice just seems cool when you get to move the controller just like a wand and blast baddies with various spells that can even be combined. At first though, I thought Sony was going to take the same path Microsoft did and focus almost entirely on the move. I was wrong.

So many titles were announced for Playstation that it almost rivals the Nintendo presser. Killzone 3 with 3D and Move compatibility, a new Twisted Metal that should prove to be an insanely (literally) entertaining experience, Little Big Planet 2, which is looking to revolutionize the platform yet again, and those are just the big ones. Sony had a few surprises for the audience as well in the form of a Portal 2 announcement, as well as a small appearance by Kevin Butler, though now I realize he is much, much funnier in commercials. I found it saddening that there was little to no news on the PSP, other than a few games that I already knew about. *looks in the corner at his PSP gathering dust* Someday old friend, some day.

I noticed some similarities between the Sony and Microsoft conferences, namely the fact that they always refer to themselves as “The only console that does *blank*” or “The only place to find *blank*”. I understand that you have to stand out from the competition, but when the Playstation Move does the exact same thing as the Wii Motion Plus, it’s a hard pill to swallow. I especially liked when the Sony rep was asked how the Move compares to Wii Motion Plus in a G4 interview after the press conference, and he appeared to trip over himself in trying to distinguish the two.

So we had Microsoft pulling an Oprah, Sony still denying that they take ideas from other companies and (sometimes) expand upon them, and Nintendo making a sequel to every franchise they’ve established so far. For me, it was a tossup between Sony and Nintendo (and not just because I don’t own an Xbox, that slim is so very tempting). In the end, Nintendo announced too many power house titles, and the 3DS was too impressive looking for me not to give it to them. We’re all entitled to our opinions, and I can’t wait to see what comes out of all of these companies, but for the coming year, my eye is fixed on Nintendo.

The Classic Pack (pictured above) is what you get if you preorder the game at Gamestop. It comes with:

• Armored Vault 13 Suit
• Vault 13 Canteen
• Weathered 10mm Pistol – This gun supposedly packs some extra punch.
• 5 Stimpaks

Fans of the original Fallout will squeal for the nostalgia that comes from owning an armored vault 13 suit at the start of the game, and I’m sure the canteen continues to be useful the game throughout.

Next up is my personal favorite of the 4 packs, the Tribal Pack, available when pre-ordered through Amazon. It contains:

• Tribal Raiding Armor
• Broad Machete
• 5 Bleak Venom doses - Useful on any Melee Weapon, Bleak Venom makes short of work of most living targets.
• 10 Throwing Spears

It’s a very primal set of armor and weapons that will give a different feel to the game. Using throwing spears and a machete instead of guns could actually provide a whole different gameplay experience. At least until you run out of spears that is. Plus, I just love that halved tire being used as a spaulder.

Continuing down the list we have the Caravan Pack. You’ll obtain this pack if you pre-order though Steam, or at Walmart:

• Lightweight Leather Armor
• Sturdy Caravan Shotgun
• 4 Repair Kits
• Binoculars

I found this pack interesting in the sense that it gives you an item for spotting enemies or locations from long distances, and then gives you a close range weapon. Nevertheless, a shotgun is nothing to scoff at. Any time I was in trouble in Fallout 3 I could pull out my trusty, rusty combat shotgun and put a few dozen holes in the head of my enemies. The repair kits are new, and must be used as a game mechanic so you don’t have to drag around that heavy second power armor suit just so you can repair yours when it eventually falls to pieces.

Finally, we come to the Mercenary Pack. This pack will keep you killing through broken limbs and paper cuts:

• Lightweight Metal Armor
• Mercenary’s Grenade Rifle - Though similar to other 40mm Grenade Rifles in the Mojave Wasteland, this model has a faster reload cycle.
• 3 Super Stimpaks - When you absolutely, positively, need to keep your blood inside your body, Super Stimpaks fix you up in no time.
• 3 Doctors Bags - Mercenaries and broken limbs go together like Iguana-on-a-Stick and Nuka Cola.  Thankfully, these Doctors Bags take a bit of sting out of the inevitable crushed skull.

This pack happens to come with my favorite set of descriptions. Now I heard that stimpaks can no longer be used to heal busted limbs. That is where the doctor’s bags come in, and healing is this packs name. I don’t know what a super stimpak is, but I can only assume that it will keep you alive better than a normal stimpak. Another huge perk of this pack is that you start the gram with a grenade rifle, and one that reloads fast to boot. This could be a huge boon to you and will provide you that extra punch needed for particularly tough-skinned baddies.

All-in-all these pre-order packs are cool. However when you think about it, they’re not that useful. At some point in the game you’re sure to find weapons or armor to replace the items in these packs, so I guess there’s only a slight incentive to go for them. Even if the packs won’t be that useful in the long-run, it’s nice to see this game getting even more hype than it already had.

Rockstar recently released Red Dead Redemption, as if you didn’t already know. While this game is hard to call “unfinished” it certainly has its quirks: great story, though it gets slow at times, with a powerful ending that fits the game’s theme, amazing graphics for such a large and open world, and gameplay that’s player approved. So what’s the issue? Glitches galore.

There are plenty of odd things that can happen in single player, ranging from the occasional game freeze, to the rare breed of donkey woman. But more annoying, are the online glitches and sometimes faulty connections. I can’t count the times that I’ve been kicked from one free roam session to another because of connection issues. This of course might be my fault, but I never have issues with other games and always stay connected during private free roam even with multiple players, so for now, I’m chalking it up to the game. There’s also the issue of some challenges not registering, gang hideout missions never ending, and enemies spawning inside of rock walls that have to be killed with expertly placed sticks of dynamite.

But hope stands tall on the horizon. Rockstar has announced that they are sorry for all the glitches and are working hard on a patch for RDR as soon as possible. In the mean time, they are releasing two formerly preorder exclusive costumes for free as DLC.

Free DLC doesn’t make a good developer. Hard work that gets put into patches to keep the game fun, and running smoothly, that’s what makes a good developer. Sure, games like MW2 get their biannual ten dollar map packs and it keeps players satisfied and playing for a while, but it takes a real bold dev team to say “we messed up, but we’re fixing it.”

So thank you Rockstar, may you take your place amongst the most trusted game developing companies out there. I plan on playing a lot more Red Dead, even after I get that 100% in single player (stuck at 99.3% >_<) and I’m glad to know that when I find an issue, I can report it, and expect a fix to come out to keep the gaming fun and bug free.

That game just hsppens to be Red Ded Redemption.

This being one of those rare instances where both NinJa and Panda are in the same state at the same time made it too easy to do a first impressions pass at Red Dead and both Bramimond and ESHmom make some appearances.

If you want to know if you should believe the hype, then you should. check out ESH Podcast Episode 198: Note To Self - Don't Just Shoot Anybody

There’s no doubt that this hurts the used games market, but to be honest, the used games market has been hurting publishers for a long time now. Publishers gain no money from a used game sale, but this program allows them to see some profit from those sales. The real loser in this situation, are stores like Gamestop.

Much of Gamestop’s profit comes from used games. They buy the games back for vastly reduced prices, and put them on the shelves for a large profit. Used games also fuel sales of the Edge card, which promises even more savings if you use it when purchasing a used game. If more publishers decide to adopt a policy like EA's, it may well kill the entire point of things like the Edge card (though you do still get a year-long subscription to Game Informer, so it’s not worthless.)

Honestly tough, it’s doubtful this will actually kill used games sales. A used game at $45 still nets you a savings even with the online pass policy. Not to mention, that if you buy these games just to play them locally, this plan will not affect you in the slightest. For now we’ll just have to sit back and see how this affects Gamestop’s prices, if at all. One thing is for sure though, someone will try to make a buck of this sudden change, and I hope Gamestop employees are smart enough to avoid a situation where they forget to mention the online pass is required for promises made on the game’s box.

I don’t claim to be a Defense of the Ancients expert. The few times I’ve played the game I’ve been beaten into the ground, so I don’t make it a regular pastime. This tournament will really bring the players out of the woodwork though. The tournament will be online and run over the course of a 3-month-long period. Registration begins on May 10, 2010 at 20:00 CET, and will accept applicants from all over the world.

More information can be found at their Facebook page here, at razer’s own site here, at the main DotA site here, and at the DotA League site here.

This won’t be the first time Razer has sponsored a full-on DotA tournament (read more here). That means they’re used to this sort of thing, and should mean that this tournament will set the standard for further tournaments worldwide. To borrow from Razer’s slogan: This will be a tournament for gamers by gamers.

Naughty Dog never ceases to amaze with their DLC, and it’s no different this time around. Siege mode is a welcome addition to the hectic Uncharted 2 multiplayer realm. The few rounds of it I’ve played so far really emphasize what it feels like to be playing in the main game. Moving around looking for cover, scrounging for ammo, and making the best of your surroundings because you can’t move on without getting some kills. I will admit that it is just a glorified survival mode with king of the hill thrown in, but it’s also so much more.

All living teammates must be in the circle that needs to be defended for the bar to fill. Not to mention no points are awarded for any kills made when even one team member is outside the circle. Don’t think for a second that doesn’t get frustrating; my first round of siege mode was on one of the new maps, and one of my teammates took it upon himself to explore the entirety of the map while me and the other guy tried to hold down the capture point. Once you and your team gain a rhythm however, it becomes a lot easier to hold down the fort.

The main difference here is, it’s a mobile fort. Every round the game changes the location that needs to be held for completion. This makes the mode a lot harder than survival, where a team can just hole up in the best equipped building. Not to mention the enemies seen are slightly different, as the armored soldiers appear in much earlier rounds. Alongside this great mode comes two new maps that really blew me out of the water.

Museum feels a lot like many of the other maps in Uncharted 2, which is a good thing: plenty of buildings to climb and ground to cover. The water effects on the fountain in the middle of the map are a little lax, but I suppose every water effect looks bad when compared to the torrents of rain that fall in the Flooded Ruins map, which was released in the last DLC bundle. The actual museum is reminiscent of the main game, as strewn about the shelves are many of the treasures obtainable throughout the story.

Highrise is where the bundle really surprised me. It feels completely different from the other maps so far, on a good way. There’s a collection of blown out buildings, all connected by makeshift bridges. The map is very vertical, but allows for many styles of play. You could take your sniper rifle to the highest tower and take your enemies out one by one. Or, you can grab your shotgun and patrol the hallways, safe from sniper fire. Either way, there’s always danger waiting around the next corner. During co-op you have to be very careful about sticking together as it is very easy to lose the location of your partners. Oh, and keep your ears open, if you hear raid alarms going off, you’re going to want to get inside. A helicopter comes by and fires a barrage of missiles at the buildings. Unlike the chopper on the Plaza map, these rockets can and will kill you.

The skins, I’m sad to say, are mediocre at best. Two reskins of Skelzor (though the glowing green one is sort of cool), the two skins from the preorder bonus, Drake in his wetsuit from the first scene of the first Uncharted, and the undead explorer from the main game, the same skin that was playable during the Halloween weekend event. None of the new skins have a wet look either, not even WETsuit Drake. I would have been happier if he just always looked like he just leapt into a puddle, but oh well.

The 11 new trophies will surely keep players coming back for more as well. All in all, it’s a pretty packed bundle of presents for Uncharted 2 fans. I recommend it to anyone that enjoys the multiplayer of 2009’s game of the year. Now I’m just left wondering if they’ll ever let us play outside of custom on “The Stage”. I know it’s just a level that is supposed to show off the various gameplay mechanics, but if they made the weapons spawn on both sides, and balanced out the cover a little, it’d be one heck of a battle scene.

The game was featured as the lead story in 127 separate magazines, spanning 32 different countries; an impressive number, despite my lack of excitement for the award. To be fair, something good did come from learning this news. I was enticed to head on over to the Guinness Gamer’s Edition website, and can you believe what I saw? There’s a new King of Kong!

Depicted: Hank Chien, as I can only assume that upon defeating Donkey Kong, you become him.

Apparently about 2 months ago (on February 26th to be exact) Hank Chien beat out the old high score for the original arcade version of Donkey Kong by 11,500 points. I’m not going to repost the whole article, but I was intrigued by one quote from Chein: “If you're trying to get over a million points, you have to know when and how to use the bottom hammer. Because that's absolutely crucial. Beyond a million points, you have to start doing crazy things like run down ladders to re jump barrels you've already jumped.” From the way the guy talks, you can tell he really has a passion for the game.

You can read the full article here. I’m sure you all remember the documentary from three years ago “King of Kong” that popularized the battle for the high score. One can only wonder how many more records will be broken by some guy that’s bored during a blizzard and happens to have an arcade cabinet in his living room. Billy Mitchell must be pissed.

• The Art of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, a 176-page book featuring artwork from the game
• An exclusive 2GB USB flash drive replica of Jim Raynor's dog tag, which comes preloaded with the original StarCraft and the StarCraft: Brood War(R) expansion set
• A behind-the-scenes DVD containing over an hour of developer interviews, cinematics with director's commentary, and more
• The official StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty soundtrack CD, containing 14 epic tracks from the game along with exclusive bonus tracks
• StarCraft comic book issue #0, a prequel to the comic series
• A World of Warcraft(R) mini Thor in-game pet that can be applied to all World of Warcraft characters on a single Battle.net account
• Exclusive Battle.net downloadable content, including special portraits for your Battle.net profile, decals to customize your units in-game, and a visually unique version of the Terran Thor unit

Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty Standard Edition

Okay, so what do we have? An art book is certainly something to be expected, sort of standard even. But 176 pages? That’s longer than some of my old college text books. I for one can’t wait to drool over the beautiful, and hopefully dark, art of the Starcraft II universe. The second item on the list is one that really caught my fancy. Now, I already own both the original Starcraft and its expansion, and the second Blizzard released an update with what was essentially a CD crack, I put both onto a 2 GB memory stick immediately, like any fan would. But to be able to carry around my original Starcraft games on a Starcraft themed memory stick, modeled after the dog tags of the original rogue marine – Jim Raynor? You should have seen my eyes light up.

The rest of it is pretty standard stuff; but of course, nothing to scoff at. Interviews with developers and sound tracks are in a lot of collector’s editions, but if they hadn’t been included then this wouldn’t be such an impressive package. For those interested in comics, an issue #0 is something to pine over. WoW players will be interested to see that Blizzard is thinking of them, allowing them to have an in game pet of the Terran’s most powerful unit, the Thor. And of course, would it really be complete without some kind of in game goodies? Terran players (my favorite race in the previous iterations) will be happy to see their specially decaled Thor in action.

Information like this is gold to fans of the series, considering that the release date for this monster of a title has still yet to be released. I for one wonder if there will be collector’s editions of the two expansions set for release (one protoss themed, one zerg themed.) My wallet hopes not, but my heart hopes so. Speaking of people’s wallets, there is one more, tiny thing to mention. From what I understand, the new version of Blizzard’s Battle.net will be launching alongside Wings of Liberty, and playing online will incur no additional fees (though there will be premium maps available for purchase and download – said to be held to a quality higher than the community built map of DotA from Warcraft III.) That’s good news for everyone, and has cemented me as a fan of Blizzard… Even if I do hate WoW.

Points can be purchased, and the value works out to about 100 points equaling $5. By this logic, a $60 game goes for about 1200 points. That isn’t always how it plays out, but it’s good to keep in mind. Now the way it works is fairly simple. You join, and then compile a list of games in your possession that you want to trade. These games are placed in a queue, and if someone requests your game, and you are the first in line to trade it, then you are matched up. The site then provides you with the address to send the game to. You have to pay shipping, which isn’t much (go down to your local post office and buy either a bubble mailer or a cushion mailer, send it first class, and slap delivery confirmation on it). It will probably run you just below $4.00 per game if you are trading it in its original case (Goozex lets you offer/request games in 3 formats: full package, which must include everything the original game came with, disc and manual, which requires only the game and the manual, and disc only, which means only the game itself must be traded)); and bam, confirm that it has been shipped, enter the delivery confirmation number and await your points.

When requesting a game it is the exact same process save one minor detail. All you pay to receive a game is 1 trade credit, the equivalent of one dollar, to Goozex (though the smallest amount you can purchase is 5 at a time). So let’s say you just bought a new game at $60 and you beat it in one weekend and want to trade it in for another game. You could bring it GameStop, and let’s say they give you $30 for it (which is being generous). Then you pay another $25-30 for another game, depending on whether you want it new or used. On Goozex, the same process costs you $5. That’s quite a bit of savings.

Goozex sure sounds great, but it isn’t flawless. New games garner so many requests that many times, if you don’t stay up until midnight waiting for it to become available to request, you’ll be stuck behind 200 other people that want the same game. Waiting is something Goozex users need to be good at. Not only do you have to wait for your offers to be requested, you have to wait for your requests to be offered. Another issue is the mailing process. Occasionally things get lost in the mail, if those things are your games, you might be in trouble.

This is where I must stress ALWAYS BUY DELIVERY CONFIRMATION. It’s about 75 cents and saves you a world of hurt. If you have delivery confirmation and put the number into the order, then the Goozex help staff WILL resolve it. I speak from personal experience that the Goozex staff has its member’s best interests in mind. I once received a GBA game in the mail that was obviously damaged in transit. I took a picture of it immediately, with the packaging still strewn about my desk. I sent this to their help email address and within a few days I was given back my points that I traded for the game, and the trader was still paid his points for sending the game. I also kept in constant contact with the trader, he was a nice guy and I didn’t want him to be screwed over because of the post office.

Having delivery confirmation will also help you defeat shady traders. If you send a game and they get it, but say they haven’t, you can dispute the claim. Provide Goozex with the delivery confirmation number, and if it says it arrived, then it arrived. You get your points, and the shady character (if a repeat offender) is reprimanded.

I recommend this site to anyone with a stack of games that will never see play again. I have been a member for a while now and spent roughly $160, (max.) and received well over $400 worth of games (and that is calculated using GameStop prices for the used versions). And get this, when I traded for Tekken 6, I got it for 800 points ($40) and it came in the shrink wrap, brand spanking new. Goozex is also a great way of tracking down rare games; I’m currently 8th in line to receive the GameCube version of Code Veronica, something that I haven’t been able to find in any GameStop so far. And if you’ll remember my last post about my collecting the MegaMan Zero series, I obtained all 4 games on Goozex for roughly $5.00 each (the few times that I saw even one of these games at a GameStop they were $9.99). So get out there and trade, and tell ‘em Bramimond sent ya.

Capcom is set to release a Megaman Zero Collection for the Nintendo DS. This game will include all 4 of the Megaman Zero games that were previously released for the GBA. Let me be one of the first to say: Thanks Capcom! Thanks for waiting until after I went to every Gamestop in the county to try and track these games down. My own spite aside, these games are great additions to the collection of any Megaman fan.

The games follow Zero, who has been inactive for 100 years. He is awakened by the leader of a resistance army of reploids who are fighting against an oppressive government known as Neo Arcadia. Zero learns that X is the leader of this government, along with his 4 reploid generals, so to speak. Unsure of who he is and what is going on, Zero must help his new friends and get to the bottom of X’s motives.

The storyline is gripping and the characters are fairly well developed. It is fitting too, that this game be released on the DS. The Megaman ZX series was on the DS and can be considered the spiritual successor to the Megaman Zero series, as many of the reploids from the Zero series are wearable armors in the ZX series. So, when can we hope to plug this into our handhelds you might ask? Well that question has a foggy answer. A Japanese release was originally announced to be April 22, 2010 with a North American release to follow in June. However, there are apparently development issues that are pushing back the release date. So as of now it is TBA.

Personally, I can wait a bit longer. I just wonder if we’re going to be getting the censored version again this time:

To be honest, I never quite understood why reploids bleed in the first place. But I guess realism was one of the concerns for Light and Wily, go figure.

Either way, unless the collection has some new content, it won’t be a straight away purchase for me. New features for the games would be amazing, and a bonus game included on the cartridge would be tantalizing. Perhaps another GBA Megaman game? Oh say, Megaman and Bass? Here’s hoping, Capcom.

That’s right folks, Trine used to be one of the more expensive download only titles on the PS3, but this week it has a reduced price tag, so let’s take a look. Now, I happened to snag this little gem a few weeks ago when it was half off the original twenty dollar hit to my wallet. That was lucky for me, but not so lucky for anyone who might’ve missed the sale. Well here is your call to arms: Trine is on sale again, this time going for around $15.00, and I must say, it’s a steal.

You get 15 (14 really, since the first level is just a tutorial) levels of platforming and physics-based puzzle solving. The game revolves around three characters whose souls have all been linked to one physical existence. Switching between the characters is simple and fast, and each has their own specialty, meaning you’ll be switching many, many times over the course of just a single level.

The Knight is a relatively simple character. He donned his armor, sword, and shield so that he may show the king his worth. Using his great strength, and his shield to block attacks and traps, he is the most powerful of the trio. Next we have the Thief. She uses a bow to dispatch enemies, and can use her grappling hook to swing across chasms, assuming there is a wooden surface to attach it to nearby. Finally, there’s the Wizard. He is a student of magic who never learned the fire ball spell, a fairly rudimentary spell. He can summon boxes out of thin air, and levitate certain objects across the levels using his mana.

Throughout the adventure you must use the three characters special skills (they acquire more as you level them up and find chests) to find your way to the end of each level. Strewn about each level are small potion bottles filled with experience – you also gain experience through defeating certain enemies – and this experience is what is used to level up your characters and their skills. This unique approach to leveling up keeps the player well immersed in each level, and requires more than one play through to find each hidden bottle.

Art design is one area where Trine really shines. The levels all give a perfect feel of an undead infested wasteland. No two levels look the same as you traverse through underwater caverns, a dragon’s graveyard filled with giant bones, and a forge near the castle, where you can almost smell the sulfur in the air. Story takes a back seat to the great platforming so to speak, as there is little more than hints at character development. The one bit of storytelling you do get is through the loading screens. At the beginning of each level, the level must load; this is where a narrator comes on and tells you the story of “Our Heroes”. His voice fits perfectly in the medieval setting of the game, and you’ll find that loading screens are far from tedious, more so pleasant, in this game.

As if great platforming, beautiful art design, and voice acting weren’t enough: the game also has an extensive list of obtainable trophies, even including a platinum trophy. Now I don’t know if you’re as much of a trophy whore as I am (I’m two trophies away from my 11th plat) but it never hurts to have that extra incentive.

The game is exclusive to the PSN and PC. (Snag the PC version here.) The PC version is full price, whereas this week it is on sale for 5 bucks off on the PSN. So whether you want to solve puzzles on your computer or your console is your choice, but this is one game you’ll regret picking up when you had the chance.