PSU got it's expansion recently. The new content does make the experience a tad more interesting. But it further made me realize how stupid the 'revised' gameplay in PSU really is. It works well for Ranger and Hunter classes. But the new combat system totally screws over Forces. And the Force class has always been my favorite class. I don't like the idea of me playing anything else just to be able to feel like I am progressing.

And now Forces are no longer in demand with the new hybrid c|asses they put into effect several months ago. So joining a party as a Force means little to any party. More so to a party is using a hybrid c|ass with Force abilities. And with Forces not being able to equip any sort of melee weapon or firearm that's worth a damn, they have nothing to fall back on. And Forces can no longer whack enemies with their staffs or wands. It's become almost worthless outside of being required to switch to certain hybrid jobs.

But I will say this much. The current community for PSU [X360] is overall well behaved and has much more noticably helpful players then you normally would find. But.. the core game is going to prevent me from ever enjoying the game. Oh why are you taking PSO: Blue Burst away from us, SEGA?

I am pleasently surprised with what Sonic Team cooked up. Journey of Dreams is an adventure-like adaption of the original NiGHTS into Dreams... which sported an arcade-like formula. While I don't think the overall product surpasses the original NiGHTS. It's still one of the better experiences this year for me.

First off, the on foot stuff is made a bigger deal then it really is. So far they have been short and extremely easy. But the view of the enviroment you get to explore on foot features tons of stuff you don't get to see while flying. The game sports an awesome sty|e and beautifully crafted enviroments that make these stages worth running through. While the gameplay for the on foot stuff is mediocre compared to flight, it works well enough without issues.

Sonic Team tried to break up the flying portion of the game to bring more variety to the game. The end results is kind of a mixed bag. But nothing bothersome or bad so far. It's just not as overall consistant as the original. You got your typical Chase Missions which has NiGHTS chasing after three birds for their keys. These stages are pretty short, but doesn't lend itself to be the huge link chaining addiction of the original game. There is also mini-game like stages that have NiGHTS trying to do things like Collect X amount of gems before time runs out. There is also Link Challenge missions [think that's the name] where it has you tearing through the sky to make as big of a Link chain as possible. Haven't paid much attention on the details of the mission. I think the mission ends if you break your links too many times. Not really sure.

The boss battles are a thing to behold. They are cleverly designed and sometimes feel like they require more skill than the boss battles in the original to get those ultra fast times. Then again, I been playing the original NiGHTS into Dreams... for 11 years now, so the boss battles in that are a blindfolded endeavor now. But thus far the bosses have been fun experiences.

Outside of the voice acting, which is tolerable, the sound in the game is fantastic. The soundtrack is really really good. Better than the original in some ways. Combined with the beautiful visuals, it's truly a great experience and something everyone should at least experience. I can't comment on level design yet since I am not similar with the layouts. But so far they feel solid and flow well.

I personally think the original NiGHTS into Dreams... is a better game. But Journey of Dreams is far from a bad game. It's quite a good game, I'd even say it's great. I can see where Sonic Team was going with the game. And they pulled off all of the important parts of the game with great care. They did fumble the execution a bit when they tried to flesh out the experince. But I think the additions would've been more meaningful if SEGA kept the game as a 2008 release and gave the team the extra time they could've used. As a hardcore NiGHTS fanatic, Journey of Dreams gets my approval.

Ragnarok Online has always been a game that refused to leave me the hell alone. Everytime I quit playing, there was always this nagging feeling there calling me back to the game. Just when I think I crushed all desire to play it ever again, the urge hits me like a ton of bricks. This time I started to talk with an old friend from RO again. Him and I both ended up returning. RO is an MMORPG that does so much right and is packed with tons of personality and charm that it's hard to resist. The game basicly hits every mark that I was looking for in an MMORPG. But it sadly eats away at my gaming time. Which makes me not want to play it, but it's something I enjoy playing.