Half Life 2: Episode Two (PC)

Wow, what can I say. I completed episode 1 quite some time ago and I felt it was a slight disappointment to HL2 standards. Episode 2 however has completely reassured me of excellence from Valve once again. Obviously, this is episodic and so don't go expecting a completely new game. What has been done however, is inject variety into the now familiar settings; the underground caves feel treacherous, outdoor areas feel open and the set-pieces focusing on defence are done superbly. The game looks slightly better than episode 1 and the sound design is just around the same. The game's pacing is excellent as usual with some emotionality injected in for good measure - most of that is borne out of convincing animation and voice-acting of the main characters. Expect the usual puzzles from the previous games, but add in a buggy with a new weapon and a magnificent set-piece - and you'll have one of the most amazing 'battles' in a FPS, ever. Needless to say, this is a must-buy game. If you enjoyed HL2 and episode 1, why don't you have this already?

Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (PC)

To be honest, I feel that there isn't much to say about this game. It's Lego. It's Indiana Jones, 3 films to be exact. It's a basic 3rd person, 'hack and slash' game which plays out faithfully to the original films. Puzzles disrupt the linearity and pacing. The enjoyable humour is littered throughout the game, whether it's the cut-scenes, animations or the vehicles and objects which you can interact with. After you complete the game, you can replay the game with the ability to switch characters. Different characters have different weapons (swords, whips, guns etc.) and different abilities such as higher jumps, translating languages etc. The incentive to replay the levels though is to pick up more treasure and to unlock secret areas. Doing so will give you more content to play with in the game's 'hub' which is the academy. Presentation in both visual and audio is excellent. Personality shines through the plastic appearances; Indiana is scared of snakes, looking like the enemy can gain you access to secret areas, Indiana will even kiss Marion if they get paired up at times. The game is simple and easy to get into but the developers at "Traveller's Tale" has struck a great balance in keeping things interesting so you don't get bored so easily. Admittedly however, playing this game on your own will very likely be a dull experience. The game really comes into its own with the co-op mode; the game feels like it's meant to be played with 2 people. Sections of the game require 2 people to be cooperative in order to progress. You can also hit each other intentionally or not, and 'killing' waves of enemies with a buddy by your side is always good fun. Be warned though that some of the platforming elements can be frustrating if one of you aren't good at judging distances and height, particularly when the camera pans out to accommodate 2 people far away from each other. Overall though, this is a good light-hearted game. If you do buy it, buy it with the intention of playing it with another person.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King (Wiiware)

It's crazy how long the title of this game is, just try counting the syllables on both hands (and feet) . MLAAK is a strategy business simulation set in the world of FF: Crystal Chronicles, available through 'Wiiware'. It costs 1500 Wii points for the very basic 'bones' of the game and it can be expanded upon with several payable DLC (downloadable content). My first impressions of the game was that it was expensive, however it played very much a like retail game; it was 'deep', looked good, had 'Final Fantasy' slapped on the name and it was also time consuming - considering this, MLAAK should be looked at like a cheap retail game rather than an expensive Wiiware game. Before buying the game though, don't expect it to be an RPG in which you control the protagonist who gears himself up and dungeon crawls. Instead, have an open mind and think of this as a 'Sim-city' game which involves you building up your kingdom through the power of 'Architek'. However, building houses, bakeries, Black/White Mage academies require 'Elementite' which is something you gain by defeating enemies in dungeons dotted throughout the lands. Inhabitants of your kingdom give the kingdom daily tithes (tax, money) which you, as king, can put towards RnD - better swords, daggers, shields etc (military funding ). Keep your citizens happy, your warriors well equipped and issue behests (missions) until you work your way up to the final boss - that's the jist of the game.

After spending a lot of time on the game though, I have to say MLAAK at 1500 Wii points is 'gimped'. It suffers from one of the worst kinds of DLC, content that should be in the 'core' of the game in the first place - specifically, the Dungeon pack, featuring 11 dungeons, at 300 Wii points. The game is good and enjoyable without paying for anything else UNTIL your warriors reach around level 20 in which you try to defeat the last boss or clear the last few dungeons. I use the word 'gimped' because the game 1500 Wii points is game that isn't enjoyable to COMPLETE. The 300 Wii points Dungeon Pack however, includes dungeons ranging from level 7 or so up to around 30s, which essentially would have contributed to the growth of your warriors. A growth that is necessary to defeat the final boss i.e. complete the game without considerably slowing down the game's pace. If you were to complete the game without this pack, your warriors would probably be grinding in the same final dungeon (and falling in combat, daily) until eventually they're able to damage the final boss - which isn't exactly fun. Having said that, the game is enjoyable and incredibly addictive once you get into it but expect to pay at least an extra 300 Wii points if you want to finish the game off (without getting frustrated).

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Oh, and i bought some more games...

I've heard good things about this game. It's been out a while and shops have cleared all stock of this game. It has dropped price in the past but it's gone back up a little since the scarcity of new factory-sealed copies. I got this for £20.50, brand new - but it wasn't factory-sealed, it was sealed in some other plastic wrapping with stickers. It was in brand new condition but the stickers were hell to get rid off. It's all good now though after an hour or two of work. I haven't played it yet, or put it in the PS3. I also found 2 free downloadable packs for the game on PSN store which i downloaded, ready to be used -yet i won't getting round to playing it for at least a couple of weeks.

So i saw Argos clearing out more games and New Blood happened to be one of them - it's a bargain at £17. I popped round to Toys R Us just to have a quick look and surprisingly found these 2 PS3 games on sale. Considering they're both £15 each, factory-sealed copies,and is out of stock everywhere else, both buys are a steal. £15 is actually cheaper than 2nd hand prices of those games! Just check Amazon UK if you don't believe me.(OK, i lied a little there, thereare new stocks of those 2games, but they cost over £40 at those places. No joke).

I've yet to open these 3 as i'm currently playing Valkyria Chronicles (PS3). One of the most underrated games of this generation. I've also bought the Selveria Mission Pack (DLC) for £3.19 since i like the game so much! If you have a PS3 and you don't have this game, why not? This is turning out to be one of the best games to come out in a long while, it's right up there with SMG. Anyone else out there playing it because i've not seen many people actually owning the game?

I completed Resident Evil 0 (finally! :O). It's a solid, quality game. There are new additions to the cIassic RE formula: such as, the ability to put items on the ground instead of putting them in storage boxes, 2 person gameplay (AI), and Leech Hunter (a game mode you unlock after you complete the game). Anyway, long story short, it'a s highly recommended game for anyone, but a must-play for fans of RE. It's too bad i got a bad ranking at the end, i guess i just took my time:

P.S. There was actually an Africanscene in the game through Billy's flashback. That's where and when RE5 fit into the timeline.

NOTE: Add me on PSN! The name is Pangster007, please tell me if you've added me.

So it's been a while since i've typed anything up and i feel my completed games deserve a few written lines somewhere in this blog. I'm not going to hold back so i'll just pour out my feelings for as long as my interest holds out on a particular game. Here goes...

Bioshock (PC)

I briefly mentioned this before somewhere, this is definitely deserving of the game of the year nominations from several websites. Bioshock is not just a first person shooter. It has RPG elements like HP, MP, a 'leveling-up' system, and managing your inventory and currency etc. The story plays out convincingly without resorting to long cut-scenes. The art shines through in recreating an underwater city. The tension, ambience and excellent use of lighting exaggerates the presence of enemies - but it's the soundtrack which really underpins the sense of a high quality gaming experience. If you're blessed with a surround sound setup, this game could give you shivers and goosebumps as you hear hysterical laughter, cries and shouts from all sorts of sweeping locations. The game even gives you a choice which ultimately decides which of the two type of endings you'll get. I don't want to spoil the story but the game gives you the choice to 'harvest' or save the 'little sisters'. This is when the game becomes interesting; you can get abilities such as fire, ice, electricity etc. Harvesting would yield you more 'Adam' which can be used to upgrade yourself. Saving these small children would give you less 'Adam' but you do reap a moral reward. There are some negatives to be said: there isn't that much freedom for an RPG, yet its linearity helps the pacing. One can say the freedom is not within exploration itself but of what you can do in terms of abilities and weapons - a little like Crysis actually. The enemy AI is pretty simplistic and is easy to exploit some of their attack patterns. There are 'fetch mini-quests' which takes you back to previous areas if that is something you don't like. Despite these slight flaws, the game is polished in both presentation and in the player's experience. I found it ultimately fun although some parts do drag on. The ending was pretty easy and the ending cut-scene was very brief for the amount of effort it took to get there. Still, the rewards and enjoyments are to be had from the journey itself, not the destination. I highly recommend this game for anyone who wants to stray from those straight-forward shooting games.

Boom Blox (Wii)

I first knew of Boom Blox when news broke out that Steven Spielberg was being involved in it with EA (Los Angeles). What? Steven Spielberg? The movie director? Er...yes. I don't know what exactly his input was for this game despite having his name slapped on top of the game title, but I can say that Boom Blox is an easy game to get into. It's simple and yet it can be devilishly difficult. Small parts of the game can be easy and yet that heightens the sense of competition if you were to involve 1 to 3 more players. The game is made up of several different game types. There's a Jenga-like game, shooting gallery type game, explosive type game, defend the castle type game, golf-like game etc. I could go on and on listing the different types but it'd be too long. Ultimately, the game plays with extensive use of the Wii pointer. Motion is kept simple by using your swings as a gauge for how powerful your throws are. And depending on the game type you're allowed to shoot, grab and throw blocks around. Mix in explosive blocks, fragile blocks, point blocks, heavy blocks, chemical blocks and enemies into the game with a great physics engine working behind the scenes then what you get is an accessible and pleasing puzzle/action game.. The levels are easy to start with and would make you fall into a false sense of security (especially with the comical and cartoony looks) because beyond the 70% completion mark you'd probably be swearing and cursing as you try to achieve Gold on that seemingly impossible level. Take that as a compliment though; there's scope for those who want to breeze through the game and also for those who aim for perfection. And if you have completed the game, you can go and create your own levels with the objects you unlocked. This create mode along with the multiplayer gives the game much replayability. Don't be mislead with all of my positivity with the game though. At heart, it is still a puzzler and one that is on the whole very simple. If you're looking for a good story or want some violence to spice things up, you're obviously barking up the wrong tree. Within the puzzle genre though, Boom Blox is one of the best out there.

For some reason, my Wii is constantly making a lot of noise when reading the game disc which does get very annoying (this is something to do with the way the game was made which causes the disc to be read loudly, I think).

Final Fantasy IV (DS)

Oh wow. I completed a JRPG! It took a long time, I think I clocked up around 40 hours when I toppled the final boss. Anyway, Final Fantasy IV for the DS is a 3D remake. I'll admit I haven't played the original, but my experience with this game convinces me that if I had played that game at its time of release, i'd be hailing it as the best RPG ever. FFIV DS differs a lot from many JRPGs i've played by having a large cast of characters which come and go throughout the game. It's like a rollercoaster ride in which the way your characters are taken from you and given back, characters who you invested time and effort to level up - it's almost as if they're toying with you. The game plays like your cIassic JRPG so don't go expecting the gameplay itself to excite you with new features/dynamics. FFIV retains those Final Fantasy characteristics though, like Cid, Chocobos, airship(s!), epic good/evil battle - oh and that gorgeous soundtrack! The game is good. Very good. I was somewhat taken aback though; after witnessing a really good FMV i'm treated with slightly cartoonish sprites in-game. This is one of those times when i'd wish the NDS was more powerful. The game also does not really take advantage of the touchscreen at all and I feel that this game would be more suited to the PSP. Anyway, while the game is often interesting because of your ever-changing team it also lacks a lot of emotion. It may also have something to do with the visuals, but it is difficult to connect with the characters. One last negative I should mention are the very bland 'corridors'. 'Dungeons' play almost exactly the same as each other but with a different wallpaper slapped onto the walls, and they can also be rather long just for the sake of extending the duration of the dungeon. Some of the added 'NDS features' feel really gimmicky like having to do some maths exercise to increase the stats of this character whom you probably won't use at all. Looking at the bright side, the story is excellent and epic, the cut-scenes are a nice touch with decent voice-acting, the combat is solid Final Fantasy written all over it, the game can be difficult yet satisfying, and the game does last a long while. A solid JRPG for the NDS although some elements that have been added can be rather questionable.

Ghost Squad (Wii)

I'm actually not sure I should be mini-reviewing it or not. You see, the light-shooter game, Ghost Squad is actually one of those games you beat but not yet complete - kind of like a fighting game. I like to beat a game to pretty much near completion before giving a review, and I feel that even with about 5 plays it isn't sufficient. Ghost Squad unlocks difficulties, multiple paths and game modes as you complete it. Unlockable weapons also change how the game plays too. Beating the game is pretty easy to start with and is also incredibly short - difficulty sets in though as you take higher level alternative paths and racking up points to be placed on the online leaderboard. Options like turning off the aiming reticule and aim calibration makes Ghost Squad a good recreation of the arcade experience (minus the huge gun you hold). The game itself has nice variety in terms of bosses, multiple paths, bomb-defusal and hostage situations but none of which would blow your mind - the co-op mode is always a nice addition though. The story hardly needs a mention since it's so forgettable and cliché. What you really should be concentrating on is if you want an arcade experience at home for cheap. Providing you're enjoying beating the game several times with these incentives, the game is good value. If not, this would be a rental at best.

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Reviewing aside, here are some more updates on what i've bought:
NOTE: Add me on PSN! The name is Pangster007, please tell me if you've added me.

£270 for the PS3 80GB + HDMI cable + Resistance 2.

Ratchet for £13. Liking the reduced prices but that Platinum cover is disgusting. A good print of ahigh res scan of the Pal coverwould look better.

Expensive at £27 but considering that there wouldn't be many copies of this game around, that price is very unlikely to fall.

Completed R2, pretty good, watch out for my small review of this game. MGS4 = £16.

Got these 3 just today. Argos had a clearance of games - picked up last copy of Harvest Moon for £8. Wario Ware was £15. Heavenly Sword came in through the mail, £13.

I saw some price drops for Trauma Center: New Blood and Disaster: Day of Crisis (phew almost spelt that as Crysis, a sign of too much games? ), down to £20 each rather than the usual £35 tag. So i bought Disaster for now.

And then i when and borrowed a few Gamecube games i neglected to play when they first came out. I intend to complete them all, god knows when though.
I should stop typing and start playing right now! *has a day off work, and spends the entire time going through his games...*

Oh, i almost forgot to give an update on Boom Blox (i think). Excellent game, really surprised me at how addictive and fun the game is. It is actually difficult if you aim for gold for every level and will while your time away really quickly. There's depth and then there's fustration - the good kind.