Weekend, what are you playing?

First weekend of 2012 and I hope you all had a great time during the holidays. What a year 2011 has been an amazing year for video games. I bet most of you still have 2011 games in the back burner, I know I do. So, what are you playing?

Migoy: Finally got my PSP-3000 analog stick replaced so now I can play PSP games on the feed again. Also got the much needed D-pad replaced on my DS Lite because the right button had been super hard to press for the longest time so the handhelds got a partial makeover in their internals. As for games, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 is still getting a lot of attention from me even though I suck at the game and suck even more online (lag or not-as-much lag). Got to borrow Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 from a friend along with DiRT3 and since I also got some much needed component cables for Ziggy, I can actually read text on screen now. So aside from Naruto on the PS3, I have also been spending a lot of time with Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact on the PSP, that game grew on me. Last but not least, popped in Monster Hunter Tri. Also got Wii component cables some time ago and with Monster Hunter being so text heavy with all the stats and the equipment and the item fusing etc, yeah, not so fun to have to squint all the time. I may still be stuck in the Standard Definition past but the component cables are a GREAT help, I shoulda got them cables long ago. I do have another problem though, I still see video noise when I boot up the Wii, even with the new cables and from what I’ve read on the interwebs, it might be a burned graphics card or a burned motherboard so I gotta get that fixed up soon too. Oh hum.

Quash: Been playing Dota 2 this weekend. Got the beta access from Steam and so far..... its the same game with better graphics. Slight changes with items but the initial gameplay is exactly the same. No ETA on the release of Dota 2 but at its current state, it still needs time. Matchmaking still needs work, hero balancing and I'm curious to how the leveling in this game works. The feature is not working yet so I'm very curious on what you earn as you progress through the levels. It can be fun at times but some games can be a pain in the ass thanks to dumb players.

Yet Another franchise Turned into a First Person Shooter

This is actually old news but I just realized now where the upcoming sci-fi FPS Syndicate is coming from. Syndicate was once a tactical shooter were you command a squad of Syndicate agents through a series of missions. Now Starbreeze Studios is rebooting the franchise and making it an FPS title. What a surprise.

Reboots can be good but when you completely change a genre of the game, that's a different story. This is the second reboot that was converted into an FPS. The other one was a favorite of mine, XCOM, which is now an FPS title that tries hard to keep the core concept of the game intact. I used to play the old XCOM when I was a kid and when I found out they were doing a remake and is now a First Person Shooter I was furious. I'm sure fans of Syndicate are in the same position. Yes, we know that's what it means when they reboot a franchise but it doesn't mean its always a good move forward. Have a look at the old Syndicate.

Original Syndicate

I'd take the original Syndicate gameplay any day. We don't have that much of this genre nowadays so why change it into a genre that we have too much of? Because that's the demand now I guess. FPS is the genre of this generation. The old gameplay would be hard to sell while an FPS title that blows up stuff mission after mission is a lot easier to do.

Syndicate 2012

I won't lie, the game looks badass. Mind control, explosions,  and gun fights placed in the Syndicate world. It looks like a good game but I bet it could have been just as good or even better as a Tactical Shooter. We have a lot of FPS titles to drown ourselves in anyways, we need more variety. The new Syndicate is out on February 21 for Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. The new Syndicate will feature four player co-op with 9 original missions from the old game.

Some reboots come out as good ideas for some games(Mortal , Tomb raider) but I think the changes for games like XCOM and Syndicate is wrong. Big question, would you rather have the original Syndicate with updated graphics and improved gameplay or prefer the change into an FPS??

The Big Games of 2012

2011 is finally done and it was awesome. Now the question is, can 2012's list of big games be as good as 2011? you decide. Looks like a decent lineup to me. Check the big games that are said to be released in 2012.

Bioshock Infinite

Developers - Irrational Games Publishers - 2k Games Release Date - June 1, 2012 Platforms - Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC

I loved Bioshock. The world of Rapture was such a treat to explore. Irrational Games is taking a break from the underwater world and provide a setting that's completely opposite. Bioshock Infinite is set on a city in the sky, a city called "Columbia" that has giant blimps and balloons to keep the city afloat. Just like Rapture, it looks gorgeous and the change in setting is perfect to bring the Bioshock franchise forward.

Max Payne 3

Developers - Rockstar vancouver, New England, London, and Toronto Publishers - Rockstar Games Release Date - March 2012 Platforms - Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Max Payne is back, and with how amazing Rockstar is as a studio now I can't wait to play the third installment of Max Payne. Everything you remember about Max Payne will be back especially the famous bullet-time feature known in past Max Payne games. For the first time, they will be introducing multiplayer(go figure)

Diablo 3

Developers - Blizzard Entertainment Publishers - Blizzard Entertainment Release Date - 2012(Hopefully) Platforms - PC

It will happen. This game will be released eventually. Diablo 3 has been on beta testing for months so its only a matter of time until we get a release date. just hold your breathe a little bit longer.

Dragon's Dogma

Developers - Capcom Publishers - Capcom Release Date - March 27, 2012 Platforms - Playstation 3, Xbox 360

Capcom's latest title. Dragon's Dogma is Monster Hunter meets Shadow of Collosus minus the multiplayer elements which kinda sucks. The game pits you against mythical monster like gryphons, hydra's, and of course dragons. Capcom aims to give you the complete experience of fighting these huge monsters instead of just hacking away in their feet in other games. Its going to be an open world game with around 30-100 hours of content.

Halo 4

Developers - 343 Industries Publishiers - Microsoft Studios Release Date - Holiday 2012 Platforms - Xbox 360

Not much of a surprise when they revealed Halo 4. What's more shocking is that Halo 4 will not be developed by Bungie, the team who pretty much started this franchise. Not only that, it is said to be another trilogy. So aftter four, expect five and six. Not much has been revealed since it's reveal in E3 2011 but expect its release at the end of the year.

Mass Effect 3

Developers - Bioware Publishiers - Electronic Arts Release Date - March 6, 2012 Platforms - Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC

The final chapter of Commander Shepard. The reapers have finally arrived and are invading earth. Can't wait to see the epic conclusion. I got my save file all set up to be imported  into the game and ready to use that sweet tech blade added into the game. In terms of gameplay, nothing much has changed, just improved hopefully for the better.

Tomb Raider

Developers - Crystal Dynamics Publishiers - Square Enix Release Date - Q3 2012 Platforms - Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC

This isn't a new game, its a reboot of the franchise. This new Tomb Raider will be an origins story of the famous Lara Croft, and how she came to be. First look of the game was revealed in E3 2011 and was pretty impressive. One of the best reveals during E3. They say it won't play like the old Tomb Raider and the main focus of gameplay is survival.

There are tons of other  big games to look out for like Twisted Metal, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Prey 2, Borderlands 2, the yearly games for the Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed franchises. I haven't even touched the handheld games coming this year. With Vita coming out, that's another list of games to look out for, not to mention the 3DS games. If there are any more you think should be mentioned or can't wait to get this year, hit the comments. Looks like 2012 might be another good year.

Our Top 5 Best Games of 2011 [Update: Migoy's Top 5 added]

2012 is only hours away and just like last year, we came up with our top 5 games of the year. It was yet another amazing year for gaming. 2010 was great and all and had good announcements, but those announcements became a reality in 2011. This year had so many big titles coming out all at once that made all our wallet's bleed. There was a lot to pick from for our top 5 so it was definitely a tough one. With how great 2011 was, it made me wonder, can 2012 be just as great or even better? There were so many great triple A titles that I still can't believe all them came out in a span of just one year. From the start of the year, until the end, there was always that big title that people have been eagerly anticipating for release. Sadly, we didn't get a chance to try ALL the big games that 2011 has to offer so we only consider games that we've played during 2011.

Quash's Top 5 Games of 2011

#5 L.A Noire

Oh Rockstar, thank you for releasing an amazing game each year. I think I'll always have a Rockstar game on my top five. L.A Noire was simply amazing. While it was not perfect, it was a successful first attempt to immerse a player with actual police work with interrogation and all. A unique game that you might not see in a long time. The new technology used to capture the facial expressions from actors is just genius. It worked so well that it succeeded in making it a clue for players to identify if the person being questioned is either lying or telling the truth. Definitely a must try.

#4 Batman: Arkham City

This is the best video game based on a comic book character to date. The freeflow combat and the sneaking around is just perfect. It literally feels like you're playing Batman. If you've played Batman: Arkham Asylum, then you know what to expect. My only problem on the first game was that you're restricted in just the Asylum. Well now that complaint is gone since we have a whole city to roam around in. With how stunning Arkham City looked, it's one of the best looking games of 2011.

#3 Dark Souls

God this game was a freakin pain in the ass. I died numerous times were I wanted to throw my damn controller for dying over and over. I got over it, got better at the game and is one of the best games I've played.  Character customization is so deep, the boss fights are epic and oh so challenging, and the game has online features that you will never find anywhere else. It's a sequel to the painful Demon's Souls and is now an open world game. Yes, it's very challenging, but to be honest, that's the beauty of Dark Souls. Give it a chance and you'll probably regret it. Stick to it, and you'll be just as amazed and satisfied as I am when I finished the game.

#2  Portal 2 

To put it simple, this was just one of the most well crafted video games I've ever played. Literally pure genius and was such a treat going through its 10+ hour campaign. It has quite a complex concept, at the same time it first started out as a side game for Half Life 2. People honestly started buying Orange Box just for Portal. It was just really good. The sequel is now a full retail game and just got everything right.  From the well designed puzzles that have a perfect difficulty curve, to the hilarious dialogue between Wheatley and the famous GLaDOS. Any gamer or even a non-gamer will appreciate Portal 2. It's that good.

#1 Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

Literally blown away by Skyrim. One of the most anticipated game on my list. Since its been years since the last one, my expectations of Skyrim was damn high. When I finally got a chance to play the game, I was gone for days and was over satisfied with what this game has to offer.  Surpassed my expectations easily.

The new leveling system with perks and all just made the game so much better and of course you can't forget the amount of content this game has. This game can easily clock over 100 hours. Game looks amazing and the fact that you can be and do whatever you want is just great. Skyrim for me is the best Elder Scrolls to date, and possibly the best western RPG out now. If you haven't played Skyrim, you're missing out.

What about you guys? what's your top 5 games of 2011?

Migoy's Top 5 Games of 2011

Yet another great year for gaming. A lot of big releases and empty wallets plus I finally got a PS3 even though we are arguably at the end of the PS3's life span. Now being late to the current gen HD gaming party, I missed out on a lot of great titles released this year so forgive me if my list is a little unorthodox but here are my Top 5 video games of 2011.

5. Beyblade: Metal Fusion (DS)

I may be the only living person in this world that would out a Beyblade video game in his Top 5 games of the year. I originally got this game just for shits and giggles, sure the real thing is a fun little spinning top toy and usually games based of movies, animes and especially childrens toys are just made for a quick cash-in. To be honest the game surprised me very much and in a positive manner too. Previous Beyblade games have been nothing more than a either a digital simulator of the real thing where you barely had any control aside from waiting for a super bar to fill up and activating it or some campy RPG/plaformer with characters from the show.

This one felt like a legit video game. You spin your top and instead of just watching it clash with another, you could actually move it around, attack, jump, and defend while all fighting against the physics of a spinning top which, in my opinion, was very well done considering that this is a DS game and usually details like that are forgotten given the nature of the source material in general.

I know you must all thing this is pretty bogus to be in my Top 5 or even on my gaming radar but hey, there must have been SOMETHING in the game that let me spent a good 30 hours of my life on it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lHk4v_KMUg[/youtube]

4. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii)

This may not be the "Ocarina of Time" killer that some people been claiming and it may also not be the best Zelda game out there but Nintendo did a damn good job with what they were going for in what I would say is the real Zelda release for the Wii.

Most people say that the first hour or so of the game is super boring which I can see the merit of their opinion but after Twilight Princess' boring ass first (4?) hours this was very refreshing. The motion controls works great for the most part outside of aiming and the mixed art styles of Wind Waker x Twilight Princess looks really good.

My only real gripe with the game is the lack of seamlessness in the world. If you could fly in and out of the surface world and Skyworld without it having to load then that in itself would have made a ton of difference. Not only that but Skyloft alone is it's own area that needs to load every time you go to it (which happens a lot in this game). Now I understand that these maybe due to hardware limitations, plus this was the only real major release that the Wii got this year but it is indeed library.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zm1tLH1Oks[/youtube]

3. Dissidia 012 (Duodecim) Final Fantasy (PSP)

The prequel to one of my favorite PSP games of 2009. Duodecim added more features, more characters, and a new story to the convoluted Final Fantasy crossover action fighting game w/o sacrificing quality.

The additions did nothing but bring good to an already great game. Dissidia Final Fantasy used to be one of my top PSPs games but has been dethroned by Duodecim. Back then I couldn't even imagine what a Final Fantasy crossover fighting game would look like, now I wouldn't have it any other way.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTWNthnswWE[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeKoDl6KXto[/youtube]

2. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (PS3)

Seriously, I need to stop playing this game. I am having such a good time with this game that it is impeding my progress in other games such as Skyward Sword and GTA4 (which I borrowed) where there is an actual story to push through and finish.

Usually when I boot up Ziggy (my PS3), UMvC3 is often the first game I pop in for reasons beknownst even to myself. Playing online has been a very laggy experience but I still want to try it even if I spend more time waiting in lobbies than actually playing. This was the first PS3 game I ever bought and it does not disappoint.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuTeQ7MMz9o[/youtube]

1. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (DS)

When I heard that this game was being developed by the same team who made the Phoenix Wright series, that was enough to hook me. Though hearing other people describe the concept of the game and the actual gameplay itself was really hard to figure out in my head. I did not want to watch gameplay videos outside of the officially released trailers as since this is essentially a puzzle game that I would see the answers to some of them.

I went into this game knowing next to nothing on how it actually played but with all the excitement in the world and I gotta say I loved every second of it. Everything from the story, the twists, the gameplay, the kickass soundtrack, and the very colorful characters just makes this game all the more memorable. A lot of people might say that once you are done with this game that there is no more replay value but I would say that it's just the same as reading a good book. Even if you know what's going to happen next, you just want to read it all over again once it's done.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JzevLn-N0M[/youtube]

Holiday weekend, what are you playing

Happy new year, everyone! Hope you all had a great new year with your friends and families. 2011 has been an awesome year for video games and after all the major releases for the holiday season I bet the gaming backlog is a little large especially with everyone being busy with there being two holiday weekends in a row. Were any of you able to get some game time in this weekend? If the answer is 'yes' then what are you playing?

Migoy: Tried to get some Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 online game time in but my net was being wonky during the morning of New Year's eve. Doing a lot of the story mode in Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact on the PSP. Playing it on Phats at the moment. I'd like to play it on the PSP3000 and broadcast some of it but the analogstick on that has yet to be replaced so I can't really play on it because Naruto would then just run down the whole time.

Quash: Haven't played a single video game when 2012 hit, but planning to do so in a bit. Before I left I was able to do some Dungeon Defenders and a game of Dota 2. I'm going to do a little experiment of recording how many hours I spend  playing video games in one year. If you notice on the side, there is now a 2012 game time stats added. I'll be updating that everyday, check out on the about us page for more info to why I'm doing it. Happy New Year everyone! Hope 2012 comes out as an awesome year for all of us.