Dead Island Review

The original Dead Island trailer – as amazing as it is – ultimately did much more harm than good for my perception of the game. After watching it, I had high hopes that it would have more emotional weight to it than your run-of-the-mill zombie slaughter-fest. Then the preview coverage ultimately revealed that the contents of the trailer had virtually nothing to do with the actual game. Feeling burned by the misleading ad, I refused to buy or play this until it hit the bottom of the clearance bin. Maybe the trailer did little to reflect the final product, but that’s not to say the final product is bad. In fact, I’m actually really impressed with how the game came together.

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Assassin’s Creed III Single Player Review

Ambition hasn’t been part of the Assassin’s Creed playbook for awhile now. Ever since Ezio’s debut, the last two spin-off titles felt like cash-grabs to strike while the iron’s hot. They didn’t do much to push the story forward, and their gameplay innovations varied wildly from great (the ability to call out fellow assassin’s for help) to bafflingly awful (tower defence). Though I’ve gotten some enjoyment out of these two games (more the first than the second), I’ve been waiting with bated breath for the real next step in the series.

Sporting a new world, a new main character and numerous revisions to its gameplay, Assassin’s Creed III has no shortage of ambition. In fact, had it delivered on everything it set out to do, this really could have been one of the best games ever. Unfortunately, this same ambition is the root cause of its many shortcomings.

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Wallet Am Cry – Assassin’s Creed: Revelations and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 are Out Today

It’s days like today when I sometimes wish I had taken up a cheaper hobby. As excited as I am to get my hands on both Assassin’s Creed: Revelations and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, it’s not easy for the average person to fit multiple new game purchases on the same day into their budget. Easing the pain a bit is the fact that Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is coming out at a ‘discount’ price of $39.99, but I’m still looking at dropping $100 on two games in the next few days to sustain my video game addiction interest.

Anyone else besides me picking these up this week?

Heat Check: Grand Theft Auto IV


Times were different when Rockstar Games first revealed Grand Theft Auto IV. At the time, GTA was the biggest gaming franchise around, and I remember the hype surrounding that first reveal being astronomical.  Earlier this week, Rockstar Games released the first Grand Theft Auto V trailer and I don’t think the world at large cared nearly as much this time around. At least that’s how I see it from my perspective. Continue reading