Leveling Down

Today’s FPS games need to respect where they came from!

As I’ve mentioned oftimes on this site, I spent a lot of my formative years playing deathmatch in Doom 2 over the modem. I have a lot of fond memories of the game, and after a lot of thought, I finally decided to buy in on XBLA. Since then, I’ve poured at least 20+ hours into it, and I’m not even halfway done, so I definitely have gotten my money’s worth. The question remains, is this old school game worth picking up on XBLA for non-nostalgia reasons? Hit the jump for my impressions and my thoughts on that question.

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Demon’s Souls can be enjoyable – for the right type of player.

After completing Mass Effect 2 last week, I decided to change gears a bit and fire up Demon’s Souls on the PS3. This was one of the games that I bought a PS3 for: a Japanese developed dungeon crawler that is said to be among the most hardcore games out there. After spending a couple hours with it this past weekend, I am inclined to agree that it is quite hardcore – but perhaps it’s either too hardcore for me or I’m just too leveled down to handle it. Read on for my thoughts and experience based on my first couple of hours with it.

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Monster Tale’s innovative combination of Metroidvania and monster raising works beautifully.

I was able to check out the Monster Tale demo that was set up at E3 last week, and with the Majesco booth tucked away from the main show floor not many people got a chance to learn what DreamRift’s Monster Tale is about and more importantly, how it plays. That’s where I come in – while crowds were fawning over the newest Call of Duty, Gears of War, etc., I’m bringing you all impressions of a game that seriously has potential to be the sleeper hit of the year for both casual and hardcore gamers alike. Read on for some detailed impressions from this aging hardcore gamer.

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Hmm…this looks pretty familiar…

If you’re short on time, here’s the gist of this review: if you like Green Day, then you’ll like Green Day: Rock Band. Despite the music genre getting a little over-saturated these days, Green Day: Rock Band is still a solid entry in Harmonix’s lineup that is sure to please fans of the band. The music game does show signs of old age though, and it’s just not as compelling as The Beatles were last year. Hit the jump to find out why.

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Final Fantasy X’s Tidus & Jecht square off once again in Dissidia: Final Fantasy.

Not owning Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops when I picked up my new PSP with Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, I instead spent my “honeymoon” phase with my new PSP playing Dissidia: Final Fantasy. I’ve spent several hours playing the game on my commute to and from work lately, but I think I’ve played enough at this point that I’m ready to move onto a new PSP game. Read on for my thoughts on what this game is all about and whether it’s good or not.

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Microsoft’s vision for the future of gaming: wild and crazy dancing.

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve leveled down or what, but I actually felt that the E3 this year was not that great. For many years now I’ve always looked forward to what Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo say at their keynotes, and like many other gamers, I like to determine which of the three of them “won” E3 that year. I guess in most instances, winning E3 is more about making announcements that actually excite gamers, so let’s review what the big three console companies had to share and my evaluations for each of them.

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This game is as ridiculous as it looks – yet people like it anyway

My sister in law visited us this past weekend and I was forced to play Just Dance on the Wii (which she brought). It is a testament to the power of the casual market that Just Dance has sold over 2 million copies – which is absolutely ridiculous to me. The name of the game by itself turns me off, but I have a rule in my household: any video game that my wife wants to play deserves a shot, because, frankly, the chances to game together are few and far between. So, is Just Dance worth its big sales numbers, or is it as bad as hardcore gamers assume?

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Some of the already announced E3 2010 titles I’m looking forward to – can you guess what they are before the jump?

E3 2010 takes place this week starting tomorrow from June 15 through Thursday June 17, so there should be a lot of notable gaming news and announcements that we’ll be very excited to talk about. While most of the good stuff is probably under lockdown until E3 when they are announced, some publishers have already revealed their (partial) E3 2010 lineups. I’ve gone through and pulled out a few titles that I am definitely looking forward to hearing more info about in addition to any other crazy potential surprises!
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The worst thing about the Big Boss bundle? No plastic case for the game

As of Tuesday, I am a new owner of the Big Boss PSP! I’ve been fiddling around with it the last few days and playing it a bit on my subway commute to/from work. In this article, I’ll provide some impressions on the actual Big Boss PSP package itself as well as my thoughts and experiences overall as a first time PSP owner.

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Starcraft 2 manages to keep players of all types hooked with leagues for their skill level.

Alas, the Starcraft 2 beta has ended. Unlike the Reach beta, SC2 sunk its hooks into me and refused to let go. It got me thinking about what types of multiplayer experiences appeal to me in my current “leveled down” state. Why was I done with Reach in 3 or 4 sessions while I played 5 times as much SC in the same amount of time? Hit the jump for my thoughts on the matter…

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