Modern War - a good start

I have two copies of MW2. One for Xbox that I had pre-ordered from Amazon. The other from Best Buy that I bought after I got back from my trip to California. I started playing a week late.

I'm only halfway through the campaign - yes, I did the Russian Airport level - and it is satisfactory.

I am enjoying the multiplayer (Xbox Live). I found some tips that Infinity Ward provided. I repost them here for discussion.

Five general tips for new players: 1. You can't hurt your teammates in the starting game modes, so if something moves, shoot it.

2. If you're having trouble aiming, use a Riot Shield. It will help you AND your team.

3. Use everything. Equipment, attachments, secondary weapons, etc. When you die and come back, it will be replenished.

4. Play cautiously. It doesn't take much to kill the enemy, so the element of surprise is your friend.

5. Keep practicing! Dying doesn't penalize you, so try everything and you'll find what works for you.

Things to keep in mind -- Sticking a Semtex grenade to a character holding a riot shield is a good way to take them out from the front without having to flank them.

-- Using a flash or stun grenade against players using a riot shields is very effective causing them lower their shields for a moment and opening them up for an attack.

-- Aim for the chest or neck region on burst fire assault rifles. For full auto assault rifles, do the same but fire in groups of three to five rounds. Doing this will make the muzzle climb for recoil and give you a second or third round headshot.

-- Thermal scopes work great with smoke grenades - enemies show up right through the smoke (unless they have the cold blooded perk!)

-- Shoot down a Pavelow helicopter faster by not locking on with the AT-4 (anti-tank weapon); shooting from the hip prevents the Pavelow from using countermeasures.

-- If you're not a pro shooter, try playing a support role. In Domination, you could play a runner class, and constantly harass the enemy team by infiltrating their rear field and taking objective points. In this way, you could be one of the most valuable players on the team without doing much killing at all.

-- Equip a Stinger as your secondary weapon and watch for enemy aircraft. Your stinger missiles can lock on to them and quickly destroy them. You can even take down enemy UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) this way.

Strategy on Der Riesse (CoD:WaW)

This strategy is very different form what I’ve done in the past on Der Riesse. Instead of camping in one area, like the Alamo (the catwalk in C), this tactic involves movement. I’m publishing this now because I want to try it with 3 or 4 players. ElMico and I have gotten into the high twenties doing this (and then we do something stupid). I believe I can get into the thirties with more people. Here is a map that shows the concept. (Click it to enlarge) Before you begin this method, it is suggested that you have the Pack-A-Punch machine active and have one upgraded weapon. I also suggest bouncing-betties, monkey bombs, Joggernog, and Speed Cola. (The numbers represent the locations on the map.)

1. Begin the round by standing in Teleporter C. In preparation, put at least two betties in Sophia’s Tunnel (the tunnel just to the North of the teleporter). Defend yourself from inside the teleporter until you feel uncomfortable – I wait until I get hit once – then activate the teleporter and get out of there!
2. You will arrive at the Mainframe with a few seconds to reload and recover. The bonus will appear in courtyard. A pre-determined person will run there to collect the perk. Careful, it could be a dog.
3. The rest of the party heads toward the Thompson side. You will need to protect the person getting the bonus, so shoot down the hallway toward the Speed Cola machine. When the party is reunited, run into the Thompson room (Auto Garage) and up the stairs.
4. Making a stand at the bridge is optional. ElMico likes to shoot down the stairs. I run over to the edge and shoot incoming zombies until I need to reload. Drop down to the courtyard (by the electric switch) when you are ready – as always, it is better to move quickly than wait for trouble.
5. In the courtyard you can make a short stand. In the higher levels you may want to activate the electric fence. Don’t dawdle here – always drift toward Transporter C. Be careful, this is the first time you can be surprised by zombies behind you (usually one or two). If you are at the end of the round, this is where you will like to make a crawler.If not – head for Transporter C (1) and repeat.

Other points:

• Placing betties at C is to protect you from zombies coming from Sophia’s Tunnel. They can surprise you! If we are ahead of the zombie horde while returning to C, I like to place another bettie. More people means more betties.
• In Teleporter C there is a dead spot to the right (facing out) – you cannot activate the teleporter here. Find it before you begin this tactic; it caught me once. Stay in the middle or to the left.
• We also like to pre-determine the person to buy the teleporter (1500), mostly based on who has the cash. But if you feel threatened or the designated porter calls "I’m down!" – make the jump.
• At (3) (Thompson room) you can activate another electric fence. ElMico and I have never needed to do this, but know it is there.
• For Dog Rounds, we like to go down Sophia’s Tunnel. You can also hide in the Alamo. With four people, split up and go to both.
• The highest risk is getting the bonus. If you don’t need it, be safe and skip it: after teleporting, run right to Thompson room.
• If you are down in the teleporter, you will be sent to the Mainframe when activated. Revive your down comrade there.
• Your mentality should be to not take risks. If you see a Max Ammo (very tempting), toss a monkey bomb before you go and get it.
• Stay together (especially the teleport) and communicate!
• There is no need to open the door on the Trench gun side of the Mainframe or the stairway up to the Juggernog. In fact that could be bad.
• A variant on this method is to go to the Trench gun side instead of the Thompson side. I personally have not done this. Usually after round three we get the Thompson rather than the shot gun because it is more versatile.
• It is possible to use this method while solo. But you will teleport a lot more often.

Give this strategy a try and let me know your highest level.

Fable: Fun, Furious, and Full-Sized

I finished Fable 2 (last month) on Xbox 360. It was a great game! I like linear stories that take place in a non-linear world. You can do whatever you want, or you can follow the path (a gold path in this case) and focus on the main quest. I did just that.

The surprising thing was the diversity and quantity of NPCs with whom to interact. Yes, I heard repeating comments, but it was still a huge variety. Very impressive. It was not repetitive at all – every quest, territory, and character was different (unlike Assassin’s Creed).

I built a female character and in the end chose to keep my dog. According to "Achievements," I only finished 42% of the game. But I don't want to re-do the entire game just to make a different choice in the end. Ugh!

I am anticipating Fable 3 coming out at the end of 2010.

New PS3 Ads - selling what?

I just don't get it. Help me out here. Below is a picture of a gamer giving blood (life?) to Rommel (The Dessert Fox). He is considered a good Nazi, but come-on! What is the message here? I think this is a picture of a gamer giving his heart (again, life?) to Joan of Arc. Did they just want to pick a girl warrior?

It is fun to look at the other images around the main characters. See the mouse in the corner.

Please, give my your impressions.

Nariko? Is that you?

One of my most favorite games is Heavenly Sword. Sadly, there are no plans for a sequel. But Ninja Theory, the developer of HS, is working on a new multi-platform title called Enslaved.

In the new game, you play a character called Monkey. Traveling with you is a NPC named Trip - shown above.

I think there is a striking similarity to Nariko, the main character in Heavenly Sword.

I'll be watching for this title.

Van Halen is coming over to play

Interactive Documentary

The opening scene of Rockband: The Beatles is amazing; it is a foreshadow of what is to come.

Unlike Guitar Hero band-specific-releases, this disk is all Beatles. It follows the history of the Beatles in various stages and settings. In some ways, it is a history lesson told in animation and picture montages between stages. But it is more for those how already know the story. For example, as you enter the Abbey Road chapter, there is an image of Candlestick Park and a ticket stub, but you are not told this was their last live concert ever. The songs in rest of the story start with the band members in the studio, so it is only implied.

It is a beautiful game. Especially as you move into the psychedelic era. Game play is standard Rockband with a few minor “Beatles-mania” additions. The sound quality is awesome – I wonder if it uses the digitally re-mastered albums that released on the same day.

I started playing on drums (Easy) with El Mico on lead guitar (Expert) – both of us are Beatles fans. One funny thing happened near the end of our session that evening: the red pad on the drum kit quit working. This has happened before – it is a pain to re-solder the connection. But I did not want to stop to do that exercise again, so I played a couple songs pressing the CIRCLE button on the keypad with my finger and drumming with the stick in my other hand. It worked out just fine – though awkward. I have not finished the story mode yet. I have unlocked some challenges and extras (like the Christmas album from 1960). The Beatles are very accessible to many generations – I will launch this game the next time company comes over. I am really enjoying this “interactive documentary” of one of the best bands ever. (Click the links in the story; it is worth your time.)

...His Money Are Soon Parted

September has been a good month for new games and I have been taking advantage of the opportunities given to me by Best Buy.

I bought Guitar Hero 5 on September 1st (release day). I had Best Buy Reward Zone certificates that were about to expire; I had to use them. I was able to walk out of the store with GH5 for $30.

I REALLY like party play. I don't really like the song selection: to diverse. But I will load in about 1/3 of the GH:WT songs when I get a chance. I'm working my way through the career mode now.

Best Buy is having a excellent sale this week. Buy one PS3 game, get a second for half price. I believe it covers every game <$60 except for pre-orders.

So I pick up another rhythm game, Rockband The Beatles, and Batman: Arkham Asylum. Again I had some Reward Zone certificates; I got both for $70. That's 1/2 price. I read a review about RB:tB that sold me.

The demo for B:AA was a lot of fun. The extras (Joker) and slightly better graphics over the Xbox made selecting the PS3 version easier. I plan on playing the Beatles this Saturday and keeping my wallet in my pocket.

You gotta play: Prince of Persia

I finished the Prince of Persia game on the PS3 and I completely enjoyed it. I finished it in under 12 hours (trophy) and I needed Elika's help less than 100 times (a gold trophy). The Elika character was the best part of the game - it made it unique. In PoP, you don't 'die,' instead Elika grabs you if you fall or uses magic to push a foe away at the last minute. You know you messed up, but the continuation of gameplay is seamless. Also, the dialog with her character reveals the background story (based on a Zoroastrianism myth) and the details of your next objective. The conversations are well written and well acted. I looked forward to the 'talk' icon that would appear in the bottom left corner. Another interesting feature is the dialog cut scenes were optional - but I think I heard them all. The illustrator look was unique. Everything was outlined in black like you would find in a comic book, but the colors were deep and rich. The puzzles were easy - which I liked - they did not distract from the pace of the game. The boss battles were fun - it was good to mash the buttons again. The Warrior boss was a little different, you could not beat him with a string of combos, you needed to use the environment. Now the negative: I didn't like the ending. Somehow the last task should have been optional. The final trophy was called: "to be continued." Maybe I will get the DLC and the story will be properly finished. If I don't buy this game for you, make sure you pick it up.

If 3 is a Crowd, What is 256?

MAG is big! In the MAG beta I've played in the 256 player matches. It is hard to describe all the shooting, confusion, and death going on. The large number of players is MAG is its charm and its curse.Because of all the players, you need organization. Each 8 man squad is headed by a squad leader - the amount of fun is directly proportional to the skills and personality of the leader. For example, the best squad leader I had began the game by announcing, "Hello ladies and gentlemen, my name is Jim and I will be your squad leader for this evening." I knew as soon as he spoke, that this would be fun. The best leaders have

• A mic and use it - please give updates - just talk!
• Set objectives and suggest spawn points
• Learn the names of the members of their squad
• Act as a medic - one guy declared, "Don't bleed out, I will be right behind you to heal you."

Zipper tries to control the player density by spreading out the spawn points, but it still can get very crowded. Without coordination, everyone runs around without purpose and quickly dies - no fun. Another thing I don't like are the red arrows above the opposing teams head. It is really easy to spot them and kill them - and therefore, it is easy to spot ME. You can't hide in grass or behind a rock - the arrow gives you away. I hope they make a 'hardcore' version which removes the arrows and makes stealth an important component to gameplay. As I grow and progress - and maybe become a squad leader myself - I'll give you further updates. Until then, I'll be pushing through the crowds with my 127 teammates.

Galaga at Cedar Point

I spent the last Monday in August enjoying the weather and the thrills at Cedar Point amusement park. My fellow rider Jerrr22 (Gamertag) and I stopped by the arcade after lunch.

Our first observation was: no new games. It looks like the arcade game is a thing of the past. So to the old games I went: Zaxon, Centipede, Joust, and finally Galaga.

I set a new high score on my first quarter: 78,000. Unfortunately, I bragged to Jerr: time for a head-to-head. He scored a Perfect in the second challenge phase; that bonus would put him over the top. I believe he finished with 82,000 points.

Just this morning, I was reading one of my gamer blogs and they mentioned that the Galaga all-time high score had been beaten: Phil Day scored 3.44 million in 2 hours 5 minutes of play. I guess I have some practicing to do.

Avatar fun

XBox has given me a doll to dress! They don't call them 'dolls' or 'action figures,' they are called Avatars. They are representations of yourself for the public to view. Now mostly you try to make it look like yourself - but this is not a rule. (In fact, my PS3 Home Avatar is a female - it causes a lot of trouble). In the Nintendo world, they are called Mii's - but the XBox Avatar is much more. It's a money maker for Microsoft. You can buy clothes to wear or even toys that they play with. (I bought the pop corn and Little Daddy Doll - I bet Jedi QuiGonJim will buy the Light Saber.) Lets play a game. Below is an Avatar snap shot. Below each picture - in BLACK - is the name of the owner. You will need to select (or highlight) the text to see the name of the owner. Can you guess who owns each Avatar?

ElMico

Jerrr22 Anguissette (me!) The shirt is a BioShock Splicer

HxxTOTEMxxH (aka Nick)

Jedi QuiGonJim

If you click the name below the picture, it will go to Microsoft and get the latest Avatar (the owner could have changed it).

Did I miss someone? Put the link in the comment section below.

Halo3 on Tour

OK - first let me say that I have only finished the first stage of Halo 3. I've played various multi-player split screen games on Halo - I am basically a Halo newbee. But I am always up for a gamer party. GameStop is touring with a 'real' Halo Transport Truck to celebrate the launch of Halo 3 ODST. They will be near me in Ohio on the 13th of September (Sunday) - 12 to 6PM. I'll pick-up ElMico after church and go. In preparation, I will finish the Halo 3 campaign - as soon as I finish Prince of Persia on PS3 (great game).

MAG Beta: I'm in!

This is so cool. ElMico and I have been following this game since it was announced at E3 2008. MAG is a FPS by the SOCOM guys (Zipper) that allows 256 players in one map (Massive Action Game). This is a beta program, which means I get to test the game before it is finished and provide feedback to the developers. It is a rare honor and I am thankful to be a part of the Beta Team. The game is expected to ship the end of January 2010. I got the invite email yesterday. This morning I downloaded the 2 GB file (it finished while I was at work). I've already been on the Beta Tester only forums - a good community of testers. After tonight I will give you my impressions.

Watch List – The short form

ElMico asked me what I was buying next. Here is my list; sorry no pictures.

• Batman: Arkham Asylum – Aug 25 (PS3?) I liked the demo.
• Guitar Hero 5 – Sept 1 (PS3 – get with Van Halen) For Party mode.
• The Beatles: Rock Band - Sept 9 (PS3) I may rent this first.
• Wet - Sept 15 (PS3?) A girl with a gun and a sword.
• Halo 3: ODST – Sept 22 (Xbox) I need to finish Halo3.
• Alpha Protocol - Oct 5 (PS3?) FO3 but "espionage."
• Brutal Legend - Oct 12 (Xbox for Multi-player) Looks like fun!
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - Oct 12 (PS3) For the graphics and story.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Nov 10 (BOTH PS3 and Xbox) $120!
• Assassin's Creed II - Nov 17 (PS3) I need to finish AC 1st (it started repeating and got repetitive over and over again).
• The Saboteur - Dec (PS3?) Intriguing.

Only two will I buy the day it comes out: GH5 and CoDMW2. The rest I will watch for reviews and sales. Christmas time is coming – and so will the discounts.

Also, the ones labeled ‘PS3?’ don’t have multi-player – so no real reason to buy for Xbox, unless LensOfTruth judges otherwise.

What's on you list? Did I miss something?

The best way to lie

So what does this chart say to you? Here are my thoughts:

• Game Cube?
• Wii's sit unused. That is the way it is in my house. The XBox360 and PS3 share the same TV and battle for usage time. The Wii has it's own (yes, smaller) HD TV. But it is rarely used weekly.
• XBox360s are used more than PS3's (percentage wise). Why? Better games? More hardcore gamers?
• Look at the drop in May. Why is that? I decide it was because school was ending and more studying was going on. (Cramming) Since the drop was bigger on XBox360, I would assume it's users are younger. PS3 must have older (richer) gamers who have less free time.

Just some thoughts. If you want the source, check IndustryGamers and USA Today.

Can anything good come out of France?

I've wanted to go to a gaming convention. So I always think about going to E3 or PAX. I found another one - its not on the west coast - held in French speaking Canada. What caught my attention were the speakers:

• Yoichi Wada, Chairman-CEO, Square Enix Final Fantasy and Tomb Raider - could be interesting.
• Paul Holden, Lead Architect, Media Molecule LittleBigPlanet designer - I'm very interested.
• Jason Holtman, Valve I like Valve (Portal!) - and this guy is always causing trouble
• Heather Chaplin, Author I've heard her on NPR
• Chris Hecker, Maxis/EA A writer and contributer to Spore. He will speak on the oft debated "Are games art?"

I'm interested. I'm a little concerned that the default language of the web page is french. Here is the English link.

What do you think? Do you want to meet up in Montreal?

Ironically, I plan to be in California the week before.

What do you think? Meet up in Montreal.

Metcalfe’s Law or Why buy a Xbox360?

Have you heard of Metcalfe’s law? It states that the value of a telecommunications network is proportional to the square of the number of connected users of the system. In other words, the value of a network is dependent on the users who use it. Most of my friends own an Xbox 360 and play together on-line. I was able to talk to them about games (pub night is Monday), but not experience them together. I offered to give some of them $100 to purchase a PS3 – but in the end, I was the one to buy the other system. “One Xbox 360 please.” “Oh, you want true HD with HDMI output, then you need the Elite.” “I would also like a wireless connection to XBoxLive.” “Then you need this wireless attachment and XBoxLive subscription.” Xbox360............$400 Wireless Adapter...$100 1 Year XBoxLive....$ 50 Total..............$550

I bought my PS3 with ALL the above the less than $400. Now, which is the cheaper system? But I did get two good games. Halo 3 (my dad and brother-in-law play this) and Fable2 (my friends have finished this). For my birthday, I got COD:WaW.

I'll let you know if Metcalfe was right.

What happened to July?

After the wildly successful "What happened to June?" post, I thought I'd try it again for July. Again, this is off the main subject of blog, but it helps explain why I have been missing on-line. Every year I take a week-long motorcycle trip: 2009 was my 10th straight year. I've been to every state from Maine to Louisiana to Florida to Wyoming. This year was Colorado! Great motorcycle roads with great views. Those views became my undoing. That is what is left of my Gray Lady (BMW K1200LTi). Together we went off the road at ~6o MPH about 1.5 hours south fo Gunnison Colorado. Sadly, she was lost; I really miss her. Because of all my safety equipment, I was able to walk away with only bruised ribs. Shall we say 'severely' bruised ribs. It's been 3 weeks since the crash and I still have sharp pains when I breath; I can't cough or sneeze without passing out from the pain; and my ribs click and move. You would think I'd have more time for gaming, but sadly that has not been the case. It is difficult to sit upright in my chair - I get sore and stiff quickly. Enough complaining! I'm happy to still be here and happy to communicate to you through this silly blog.

PoP and H2H

I was able to pick up a used copy of Prince of Persia at GameStop. I paid around $15 using my GameStop Discount card.

I don't know when I will get to this game, but I have heard great things about it.

I have not published the details, yet, but I purchased an Xbox360 in May. I'll explain the reasons in another post (when I get my courage). But I wanted to mention that I found an interesting site: Lens of Truth.

What I like about this site is that they attempt to do side-by-side comparisons of multiplatform games. Their posts get better as the hone their skills, but I will be using this to help choose for which platform I buy/rent/borrow games. Being a PS3 Fanboy, if there is a tie, I will definitely be choosing the PS3.

What happened to June?

June was vacation month. I spent a week in Kitty Hawk, NC (The Outer Banks) with extended family. We were able to rent a LARGE house with its own private pool walking distance from the ocean. It was a fun relaxing time. I was able to bring the PS3.We played a lot of Guitar Hero and Rock Band as a group (El Mico is on the left). I started Overlord and played COD:WaW at night. Then, I went with my parents and my sister's family to Feed the Mouse at Disney World Florida. It was HOT. All 6 Adults and 6 kids had a wonderful time. The Tower of Terror (at Disney Studios) and Expedition Everest (at Animal Kingdom) were the favorites. Disney does it right - they know how to separate you from your money. When I returned, I had the flu. I'm hoping to recover before my motorcycle trip at the end of July.

Taking Lara to the Limit

Good game, but buy it cheap. All-in-all, I was disappointed.

First let me write that I have never completed a Tomb Raider tale. I played pieces on PC or 16-bit systems, but never really got into it. So, I didn’t know all the repeating characters like Natla.

I guess my biggest disappointment was the lack of a climax. One character is killed by Lara’s Doppelganger – but revenge is never given. It was all handled too quickly in a cut scene – poor Alister. It truly is a puzzle game: solve the puzzle and the story is continued in the narrative.

The scenery was beautiful and diverse; the vehicles were fun. The puzzles were not complex (linear), but it did required me to think and explore. I cheated once and looked at a video walk-through. (I didn’t know how to “run” along a moving cable.) Gun play was automatic – with two guns and the Hammer-of-Thor, villains were not a problem.

I’ll probably go back and get the trophies I already earned before the patch came out. At least I was able to prevent the seventh age from beginning.

Lara wants to give me a Trophy

I heard the rumors; I read the speculation. But now it looks to be true. I popped in Tomb Raider: Underworld because I heard that a Trophy update was due out before the end of May. I was excited to see the update prompt: Version 1.01 available.

I continued from my save point (I'm at the last part of Valhalla), it did not give me trophies (retroactive), I will need to start over. The trophy list did show up under the XMB selection.

Honestly, I am not excited about starting over. I don't know if it is because the game is not fun enough or because I have not finished it first.

"I want cake!" (Beta Impressions)

Fat Princess was fun. The beta consisted of one environment (map) with two playable games: capture the Princess and death-match. Playing on-line with friends (up to 31 others) was a lot more fun than against the bots: you can hide from human players, but the computer always knows where you are. The colors are cartoonish, but don’t let that fool you: there is blood and gore. Happily, you can disable the splat-fest for the entertainment of younger players. Locally, there is only one player: no split screen. In my house, that would have been more desirable. There is a class system and a progression of classes through-out the game. I mostly focused on the ‘worker’ to build up the ‘warrior,’ then with the upgraded warrior I could sneak into the enemy castle and steal my princess. I was successful many times. I was thankful to the ‘priest’ class who can heal as you carry the large princess home. In the end, I became board with one map, and the music began to grate my nerves. I’ll probably pick this up after the price drop on the PSN. Hmmmm, I have a strange desire for some cake right now...

Anticipation

I was in a pub last night when a fellow gamer (JK) stated that there are no new games coming out. I had to disagree. I present to you my list of anticipated games. Modern Warfare 2 Due out 11-10-09 A must buy! Isn't it on everyone's list? I have an issue. I may get this on Xbox (more on that in this post [link]). GhostBusters Releases June 2009 I loved the first movie - it's part of my life. The game is written by and contains the voices of the original cast members (Except Ms. Weaver). Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Fall 2009? I loved Uncharted: Drakes Fortune. This version adds multiplayer and hopefully improves the gameplay a little. MAG (Massive Action Game) No release date yet (E3?) 256 online players. Made by the SOCOM guys. It will be an improved SOCOM: Confrontation. ElMico is not waiting patiently for this one. InFAMOUS Available Now! I'll wait for the personal reviews on this one. It's on my list...

Red Faction: Guerrilla Out in June 2009 I have the demo - looks pretty good. Its main selling point is that everything is completely destructible. Valkyria Chronicles This came out back in November 2008. This is a Turn-based-RPG game. It has gotten great reviews. I have a friend in Singapore who is encouranging me to get this.

Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time Fall 2009 Another one from ElMico. We have every other R&C title. Anything from Insomiac is worth buying.

Resistance: Retribution Out since March 2009 I know this is PSP - but it does 'infect' with the PS3 Resistance 2. As stated above, anything by Insonmiac is worth the price.

Prototype June 2009 Similar to InFAMOUS, this looks like a sandbox-destruction fest. I'll wait on the reviews...

Prince of Persia Out in December 2009 It looks like fun - I'll try to pick it up used.

Patapon2 Out on May 2009 I love Patapon, but I have not finished it yet. When done, I will pick up this non-UMD game.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Released in June of 2008 I have a borrowed copy, but no time to play it. But I want to own it.

Flower Released on February 2009 A very different game: not a FPS. PSN download only. Brutal Legend October 2009

Jack Black as a Roadie. It looks like fun. Fat Princess Hopefully out soon! I got in on the beta of this one. It's capture the flag with princesses. To make your princess (flag) more difficult for the enemy to carry, you feed it cake. Funny and bloody.

Dead Space Out in December 2008 I played the Demo - it was hard. But I still want to work my way through this one. I'll buy it used.

Damnation May 2009 "Steam Punk" The 3D fighting in the multiplayer looks very different.

Command & Conquer Read Alert 3 March 2009 I love the campy feel of this real time strategy game. I lost playing the demo - too complicated. I will get this once the price drops.

Batman: Arkham Asylum Summer 2009 The gameplay videos of this looks really awesome. I normally don't play 'super hero' games, but I'd like to give this one a try.

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood Due out in June 2009 A western FPS? What a neat idea. I hope it reviews well.

Overlord 2 June 2009? I have Overlord - it's still in the plastic. Wolfenstein I don't know anything about this title other than it's history. Wet

September 2009? I girl with a blade and a gun. Battlefield: Bad Company

Available for a while now On online friend plays this and says it's good. A sequel is in the works. X Blades

Out now

Another girl with knives. If I can find it for $10, I'll pick it up.

The Saboteur November 2009 "I know nothing-k" Red Dead Redemption October 2009

Another wild west FPS? Don't know.

Darksiders

August 2009

Another title that I am watching with little information.

Borderlands

June 2009

It's by 2K. Vehicle combat.

Assassin's Creed 2

November 2009

I got 1/2 way through the first one - it got to repetitive. But it was a good game. I'll finish AC so I know how the story ends.

Dante's Inferno

No release date

Looks like God of War.

Alpha Protocol

October 2009

Splinter Cell plus RPG skill building.

I will update this page as I find more and buy more