Buckling under the peer pressure brought on by clanmates, I picked up Borderlands soon to be followed by Modern Warfare 2. I plan to eventually make formal reviews but I will say this: both were well worth the inflated new release prices (though I did not pay that - YAY) but Borderlands, IMHO, offers a fresher experience and more replay value. Don't get me wrong: Modern Warfare 2 took the great things in CoD4 and added more great things but, all and all, it's still the same game. The single-player campaign is what one would expect: riveting, cinematic plot development, tons of action, and some upsetting twists. It's also just as short as the CoD4 campaign. Multiplayer has changed quite a bit but not enough to jump on the bandwagon; alas, this is one of those games that everyone jumped on so, if your XBox LIVE friends have ditched you, here's where you'll find them.

Modern Warfare 2 has added deathstreaks as a way of keeping everyone on their toes. Deathstreaks are a great way for people to get back in the mix. This mechanic evens up things quite a bit. There are oodles and oodles of things to be unlocked, including custom graphics and titles for your little "mini profile". Grenade physics have been retooled dramatically as have the CoD4 perks. Last but not least, killstreaks offer several items based on your level and what you have elected to unlock. The highest-level killstreak (the camper's favorite) is a tactical nuke that automatically ends the game. Interesting.

All that being said, the multiplayer is still worthwhile and, if for some strange reason you never got CoD4, you'll really enjoy how unique MW2 is. It's nothing short of awesome but CoD4 kinda set the bar high so I have to be a *little* critical. You can bet that they'll be milking this title just like they did with WAW. Expect new maps soon. Budget a good $100 to get the full effect of this game. =oX

I do have to reiterate this: MW2's campaign is AWESOME. It truly beats most movies made today. Some of the CoD4 characters return and some new faces show up. All I say is this: don't get too attached. This storyline is a lot more controversial but it really makes you think. The cliffhanger ending was so abrupt that I almost felt like throwing the game away. I think you can count on MW3 coming in 2011. The fans have been sucked in and we're hooked.

Now let's talk about Borderlands. This is the unsung hero! The game was sold out in many markets in the first week or two, much like Modern Warfare 2. Of course, now it's hard to find since it's been overshadowed by Infinity Ward's baby. There's a lot to like about Borderlands. I definitely have more gripes with MW2 than Borderlands. You see, one big pisser in MW2 is that the maps and overall gameplay seem to encourage camping more than ever. People really want to milk those killstreaks, it seems. In Borderlands, it's just good, clean co-op fun but, for those that need a little DM now and then, you can go to arenas or smack a teammate in the fact for some instant gratification.

What makes Borderlands special is that it takes best-of-breed features from today's most popular games and fuses them into a successful hybrid offering. FPS meets RPG - it's a beautiful thing! This game rewards sharpshooters just as much as those that know how to carefully distribute skill points and employ their special abilities. Borderlands focuses more on action but there is plenty of grinding and exploration, for those that like that sort of things. Each character class has one abilility (or action). This seems like crap at first but there are plenty of passive abilities to make up for it. That just means there is a whole lot less button mashing.

I believe Borderlands is very special as a console offering. As a PC game, it faces some tough competition but, then again, the combination of FPS and RPG is still very unique. I love the fact that finding weakpoints on enemies is what opens up critical damage. It's no mere dice roll here, folks!

Borderlands offers myriads of strong and unique/"boss" mob spawns. The more people you team up with, the stronger the spawns and, by extension, the better the loot. If you played Borderlands single player and didn't care much for it you're truly missing out on what makes the game fun: the intense co-op action! This game HAS to be played in multiplayer favor. Going solo just isn't the same when each character class offers tactical team buffs.

You've heard about the billions of weapons in Borderlands, I'm sure. Well, that number is pretty darn accurate! Each weapon has so many possible attributes and bonuses that the combinations are almost infinite. There is no secure trade option in Borderlands but, if you can find some honest teammates, looting can be very fruitful. Anywho, this is the game that will have long-term replay value. Modern Warfare 2 is great fun, as was CoD4, but I prefer it in smaller doses.

Crap... This ended up being a big review on Borderlands and Modern Warfare 2. Hey, if you can't afford these new releases (or already chose on one side and refuse to drop another $65 based on principle), I recommend looking at the bargain bin at Sears or checking out used games at Play-n-Trade or GameStop. Heck, you can even check your local rental store - they often have better deals (Hollywood Video, for example, had several games well under $20). Army of Two, Battlefield: Bad Company, and Burnout Paradise are amongst some of the fun games you'll find there for dirt cheap. It goes to show you: wait a little while and yesteryear's games will be dirt cheap.. Unless it's Call of Duty 4. =oP

For some more old-school XBox 360 titles, consider Shadowrun, Viva Piñata, and Crackdown. There's plenty of variety out there. Now, has anyone tried Dragon Age? I am hankering for a more pure RPG. It's either Fallout 3 or Dragon Age for me.. Any thoughts?

Just a heads-up about some more deals. I told you all about what you can get at Circuit City dirt cheap. TV stands and accessories are still abundant in some parts. For a place where you can wheel-and-deal, HH Gregg is the place to go. They'll match prices on hardware and services alike! Last but not least, Sears has XBL subscription cards for $29.99 instead of the usual $49.99. This is a great deal so jump on it if you can cause they're going fast!

Hope I helped some of you get some good deals. Making my way to Augusta Mall now. w00t w00t!

P.S. If you happen to be in the market for a 32" TV that could double as a computer monitor, I've seen some great deals from local and online stores alike. March is when 2009 models start coming out so last year's stuff is going to drop A LOT. Prices have been between $200-350 for models that often include 4-8ms response time, high native resolution for PC gaming, 60-90hz refresh rate, and every video input you could possibly need!

Affordable technology FTW - GO RECESSION GO!

With all the traveling and bouncing around projects I have been doing, I figured it was worth using Twitter as a way of letting curious people know some of the things I am doing. I'm still pretty tight-lipped about my project work, mainly cause I don't want more ideas being stolen, but you can see I am still very much alive and keeping busy! After much nagging and hype from JulioFromNY and gang, I finally jumped on the tweet bandwagon. You hear a lot of hype about social media but I can see where Twitter can be useful for business use but, still, I think it's best used as a way for people to make friends and keep up with old friends.

ALIAS: Bowchicasbro (otherwise known as the least skilled of the three Bows, Yogizilla, and Pirate Lord chef)

OCEAN: Midnight (previously, I believe I was in Cobalt and some other ocean which didn't last too long)

CREW: Pirate Lords (previously Hounds of Hell, but still reppin' NoF all the way)

FLAG: The Brethren Court (previously Hade's Haven)

NOTE: My stats suck compared to what they were when I first joined the game a few years back. That was back when TheGreatSkate tried to get all of us in NoF to play with him. The game has come a long way since then! New puzzles are in public testing as we speak as well!

Anywho, for now, my Yogizilla-branded Twitter page is mostly to keep in touch with my friends on Puzzle Pirates, fellow creative engineers and writers, and those in "RL". Feel free to add me since some of you keep in touch and may find my tweets rather entertaining or at least refreshingly pointless! I don't use it like a buzz marketing tool like most people do so it's rather spam-free. I do sometimes plug a project or event, however, so you'll have to forgive me on that! ;o)

My "Sexbox 360" is currently collecting dust, not because I am bored with it but mostly because I've been 1) rather busy focusing on priority items and 2) waiting for it to be shipped from my old address. It's a good thing that it is NOT physically here and the only XBox in the house is now broken til someone gets off their lazy arse. I think the temptation would be far too great and I'd only procrastinate more! For now, Warcraft III (especially DotA Allstars) and YPP are more than enough to keep me distracted

In any case, I read some interesting articles (more like pictorials/galleries, really) on GameDaily recently which I may or may not blog about here.. I just wanted to say hi and catch up with one of my favorite communities. You guys and gals have certainly helped me procrastinate and game away many, many hours of my life! =o]

BTW, as many of you know, Circuit City is closing down after 60 years or so of business. They're slashing prices but don't be fooled: televisions and other things are still not that competitive. For video games and various accessories, they're awesome right now. It'll be a bit before they put out some real liquidation prices on everything. If you need a TV stand, that's a good place to go. Chances are the video games have been cleaned out since they're around $5-20 on average for all games on any platform. w00t!!

I'll be embarking on some pirate travels later and definitely enjoying some Warcraft III, after 8:00pm EST, roughly.. Cya then! =oD