Why I'm a PC gamer...

I'm mainly a PC gamer and damn proud of it, especially now past this E3 and seeing the three major console manufacturers abandon more and more of what I consider core gaming with silly "cinematic" games that play themselves, series with complex gameplay being reduced to simple action games and being called "improved", where immersion is considered using whacky gimmick controllers to look like an idiot while sacrificing gameplay precision, not to mention calling 3D being the next step in graphics when it's running in 560p and 30FPS where as I run most of my PC games in 1080p and 60+FPS with field of view that doesn't look like I'm wearing blinders.

I've come to believe that consoles are silly locked systems that work with some genres but for the general core experience I think that any core game would fit much better on the PC with it's higher graphic fidelity, moddablity that allows you to customize most details of your game, and finally that it's an open system that encourages innovation and has always been known to push the boundaries. I'll point out that countless series that are huge on consoles today had their start on the PC platform, either as series or the developers started there, games such as Call of Duty, Battlefield, Halo, Bioware, Rockstar, Epic Games the list goes on.

So in today's multiplatfrom climate where sadly the PC doesn't get to be lead platform that often anymore, it still baffles me how many of the best multiplat games end up having the best version on the PC. I can understand that PC lead platform games shine above the rest because of the push in technology the PC represents. However even games that were released in a gimped consolized form on the PC, such as Mass Effect 2 below for example, end up modded and improved with the result being that the console version looks worse than the PC counterpart.

PC version with texture mods:


Default PC/Console version:

BioShock Infinite E3 2011 Teaser

BioShock Infinite is an upcoming first-person shooter video game, and the third game in the BioShock series. Previously known as "Project Icarus", it is being developed by Irrational Games for a 2012 release on the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms. BioShock Infinite is not a direct sequel or prequel to previous BioShock games, taking place in an earlier period and different setting, though it features similar gameplay concepts and themes. The player controls a former Pinkerton agent, Booker DeWitt, as he attempts to rescue a woman trapped aboard the collapsing air-city Columbia in 1912.

Irrational Games is at E3 and they're demoing their current project BioShock Infinite, which comes out next year. They released this teaser trailer composed entirely from gameplay footage and I must say that this is looking like another masterpiece in progress from Ken Levine - the mind behind the System Shock games. What has me worried watching this is that it seems to good to be true, the amount of freedom and how large the areas appear with the seemingly insane amount of badass moments leaves me worried that this is just too ambitious to actually live up to it's vision. Still I simply adore the art direction which to me is on a different level compared to the dank and dark Rapture from the first BioShock; and then there is nothing more creepy than creepy stuff happening in broad daylight located in a place that looks like an utopian vision of the American Dream and patriotism.

Battlefield 3 - Shooter of the Year

I just finished watching EA's E3 conference and I am left blown away by the PC version of Battlefield 3 shown. Not only is it the best looking game I've seen to date (Yes, it makes Crysis look old!) but the tech appears to have been used in such a way to further the gameplay. I was also left feeling nostalgic about the time when I played Battlefield 1942 back in the day with huge battles containing 64 players, vehicles and how all of that was extremely impressive back in the day. Now today I got to relive those feelings in seeing Battlefield 3 and the push in technology that it clearly represents. It's something I've been missing for the past year in gaming - seeing technology used to further the experience and immersion. The game looked like a movie during a few select scenes for Christ's sake and I am now praying that my computer will be able to run it at an impressive setting or this might just be the game that will make me upgrade.

It's especially amusing with this presentation because I was watching the Modern Warfare 3 presentation on Microsoft's conference a few hours ago and being struck with how rehashed it appeared and looked almost exactly like the previous games (since 2007!!!). Now I am baffled at how old and silly Modern Warfare looks compared to what I saw of Battlefield 3 - it just appears to be a game from another level or even next generation of gaming. I can only hope Battlefield destroys Modern Warfare's hold on shooters today so we can have a higher level of quality from now on. Still I think that might be hard because it looks like the game will require a beast of a PC to play it on the settings shown at this conference and that kind of narrows down the audience if the console versions don't end up beings just as impressive on their platforms. I will say that today on National Day of Sweden it is appropriate that the Swedish pride developers DICE are really representing and showing that they have joined a select group of elite developers. Cheers!

Frostbite 2 Engine - Features Trailer
"Thunder Run" - Single Player Gameplay Trailer
"Operation Metro" - Multiplayer Gameplay Trailer

Dark Souls E3 Trailer

New amazing trailer for Dark Souls which is now my most anticipated game of the year after the release of Portal 2, Witcher 2 and the delay of The Last Guardian. Then again we'll see in a few days what E3 has to offer to get me excited. In the meanwhile my excitement for Dark Souls assures me of a bright gaming fall/winter. Thoughts on the trailer are that I like that they seem to be focusing on delivering a more fleshed out dark and melancholy story this time around compared to Demon's Souls, but the main thing that excites me is the atmosphere and the eerie dark fantasy world that the game radiates. I simply love the real-looking functional armors and weapons combined with monsters that look like they've been pulled out of the manga Berserk (read it if you have the Gutts) and the resulting gritty bleak world that this seems to create.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - Impressions

I'm currently playing Witcher 2 even though I really don't have the time since I should be focusing on my studies, still I couldn't help dedicating a few hours this Friday and Saturday to the game. I'm currently in Act I (three acts total) and so far the game has been superb. It's a lot more polished than the first game and the graphics have been insane - and I'm not just talking about graphics but the amount of detail in character models and environments can at times be staggering. It's such an immersive world because of how the graphics are used to push the beautiful artstyle as you can see in the screenshot I took above and I'm not even maxing the game graphically because it's a beast, but I'm still very satisfied in the visual results I've been getting.

Otherwise the story so far has been really interesting and I like how politically loaded it feels, it adds an edge to it because everything feels grey and I find it very hard to decide who to trust and believe in at times. The decisions so far have been few but I'm glad they seem to go the route where I'll have to take the consequences much further into the game. When it comes to the gameplay I feel that the fighting system is greatly improved since the first game but it does feel a bit awkward in the beginning before you get into it. The quests so far have been good and I appreciate that they let you be a badass in even the simplest side quest missions and going on routine monster killing missions can turn into something extra because of the powerful graphics engine - like when I wandered around the forest of Flotsam and night fell and it felt almost like a horror movie running around killing monsters in a forest during the night.

If I have any complaints so far it's that the game is noticeably developed by a small somewhat inexperienced team with not the greatest budget behind them - there are sections that don't quite have the polish that they deserve such as the voice and lip synch, the audio in general could have been better mixed, some clipping issues that can really get annoying in combat when your sword doesn't always connect with enemy, and lots of small annoyances in the design such as not being able to go from inventory to character screen but having to exit back to the game and into a new screen. These small blemishes detract from the game but the greatness that has been achieved here still keeps me glued to further explore this beautiful world and intriguing story.

My Most Anticipated Games 2011

The current year of 2011 is looking really spectacular for all of us gamers, with so many great games coming out that I probably won't be able to buy half of them, so I thought it would be appropriate to list the ones I absolutely can't wait to get my paws upon. Unlike last time I made a list like this I'm going to keep this list short with the absolute top games I want to try out, this does not mean I'm not interested in playing other great upcoming games left off this short list, games such a Battlefield 3, L.A. Noire, Shogun II: Total War, Batman: Arkham City, Mass Effect 3, Uncharted 3, RAGE etc. All of these games look great in their own way but since I'm an old bored gamer I've left my list exclusive to games which appear to be doing something intriguing and special.

Click images to see trailers.





Team Ico's neverending project is still my most anticipated games and even though the development has been covered in secrecy, every time a new piece of information is presented the game seems to be heading in the right direction. There is not much to say that I haven't said last time I put it on a similar list, but I guess I can repeat some of it. This game looks absolutely magical and reminiscent of the innocent creative experiences only possible in one's childhood. It simply looks unique and unlike any game I have seen attempted, except for other Team Ico games, and I guess that's what gets me so excited. The only worry cloud about this are the reports of trouble in development, but it's not something I really worry about since it's a Team Ico game and while they haven't made many games they also haven't made a bad game yet. I think Fumito Ueda is to gaming what Hayao Miyazaki is for animation and they are both needed in their respective formats, now more than ever since creativity seems attacked from all fronts these days. I think that many years from now when gaming actually becomes accepted as a legitimate artistic format we will talk about these games as the forerunners, rather than most of the big sellers of today's gaming.





Demon's Souls is my favorite game this gen, it was bold and broke most of the rules established in recent years when it comes to games and game design, mainly it's a great example of a game based around a single idea - an uncompromising vision that despite flaws took me on a ride I haven't felt in years when it comes to games. Dark Souls is looking to really earn the title of "spiritual successor" to Demon's Souls, it's looking beautiful but mainly it's looking to expand on things that made Demon's Souls great. The developers have mentioned that the game might be even harder than it's spiritual predecessor, a more open world has been established for greater exploration, and the whole thing just oozes atmosphere and a solid refined dark fantasy world. I'm getting the Deluxe Edition once again on day one if the developers manage to pull a game like this for a second time.





Speaking of role-playing games the sequel to The Witcher is also looking absolutely stunning. I never got into the original game because I had issues running it as well as the world having some juvenile elements such as collecting naked cards and other quirks that I found did a disservice to the otherwise great dark fantasy world. Don't get me wrong however, I do feel sexual content is appropriate in a dark fantasy game but not in the silly form of collecting cards with daring pictures of your conquests. Now with the sequel it seems like the developers are making a game truly built on the strengths of the PC with unbelievable art-direction and graphics that look to make this the best looking role-playing game this coming year. This game as a whole shines brightly in the coming year judging by all the preview material which has only made me more and more excited. I think these guys are close to pushing Bioware off the role-playing throne, and I at least will not be surprised if they succeed judging by how laughable Dragon Age II looks compared to this.





The first Deus Ex from 1999 is among my absolute favorite games of all time. It was a unique mixture of genres in a world filled to the brim with darkness and conspiracy - an unforgettable game many years ahead of its time. This sequel/prequel to the first game is not being developed by the same studio as the first two games; which is a bit concerning I must admit. However everything I've seen from them and this game has helped ease me into actually believing that they might just pull off making a great sequel to one of the best games ever made. I get the distinct feeling that these guys actually get it, they get what Deus Ex is all about, while at the same time bringing the game design up to today's standards. My only fear are the few reports that the game is still buggy, something which I'm really hoping will not be a problem upon time of release.





Another sequel in a year filled with them, however picking on this sequel as unimaginative would be pretty crazy considering all the information that has been shown to date. It looks to take the tech-demo status of the first Portal and actually make a huge and great game from that basic idea. So far this looks to be an actual puzzle game being given a huge budget because the production values shown so far have really appeared to be amazing with the lab test chambers literally being constructed around the player. I expect that I will once again be getting a headache from a game that will make me think too hard with it's often time confusing and extensive puzzles. What worries me about the game is the inclusion of co-op multiplayer gameplay, since I'm not sure puzzle games are a greatest setting for such modes, but as long as it doesn't affect the single player I'll be satisfied.





I guess this is something of a wild card, to be excited about a downloadable small art game but it's being developed by thatgamecompany - the studio which brought us FLOW and Flower. These games were more experiences rather than games and they really made me feel something new which is worth thousands of hours from a normal run of the mill game, at least to a bored gamer like me it is. The trailer for Journey has reassured me that this studio is going to deliver another great experience that I won't soon forget. The world looks more lonesome and melancholy in this game, but beautifully constructed and the idea of exploring it together online with another person is somehow appealing to me - but I guess that last depends on the company you choose to take your journey with. Simply put, this just looks special and unique and I'm looking forward to my journey.

Killzone 3 Single Player - Impressions

Killzone 2 is among my absolute favorite shooter this entire generation. It had some flaws however, like the minimal mostly uninteresting story, the few glitches here and there - such as hiccups and sometimes really long loading times. On the other hand it remains a fine example of a game being based around a single idea and approaching that idea in an almost perfect manner; the heavy sluggish controls everyone keeps complaining about I considered absolutely brilliant since they did what I think should be done to make first-person shooters on a console relevant - they were slower and slowed down the entire game and as a result we got some really methodic and brutal gameplay that erased the idea of "auto-aim" from a console shooter once and for all. It was a beautiful console game with a great art-direction and it was among the most intense, dark and horrible war experiences since the first Gears of War.

So you could imagine my excitement when I got my hands on Killzone 3 a week ago. I already knew the graphics had been improved but wouldn't impress me as much as last time around because the game is just not as a big of a leap as Killzone 2. I had also seen that the reviews weren't too happy with the story but I didn't pay that much mind since like I said; the previous game didn't exactly win any Writers Guild Awards two years ago. But none of these things disappointed me as much as the so called "gameplay improvements" that had been done to the campaign. I will give them some things which I found had been made better, I liked the slide mechanic, I also really loved the new sounds of guns blasting and some of the locations were exciting visually, but the biggest praise I can give the game is that despite being disappointed in it I ended up having a lot fun during large portions of the game with its basic gameplay.



However the game remains disappointing mainly because it feels like Guerrilla Games lost faith in their own vision - the vision and the world that they so well realized in the second game. I guess my biggest complaint with Killzone 3 is that it feels like a game made by Sony "Suits" and not by the great and passionate developers at Guerrilla Games. It's a game that has listened to all the expert critiques of the world that disliked the previous game, and completely ignored the fanbase of mentioned previous game who loved it and the way it separated from other games in a first-person shooter genre that has become increasing stale lately. We the fans of the second game suddenly got a game that feels more like a sci-fi spin-off Call of Duty game - with faster gameplay and shooting mechanics with auto-aim (on by default), a jumping storyline around different locations, huge set-piece moments every cutscene and a storyline delivered under the serious prolonged impression that it is interesting.

It's basically the definition of a game with an identity crisis and it's really sad that people like me who bought Killzone 2 for the exact reason to avoid twitchy retarded gameplay of a Call of Duty shooter are now being forced to play such a shooter in a Killzone game. I can imagine how the Suits from Sony had a field day with this game because it got put in line to appeal to the Call of Duty mass audience, and many of the other additions feel like pure business decisions made by Sony execs to push the many different hardware projects of theirs - PlayStation Move support, 3D-TV support. I get the distinct feeling that too many chefs were at work behind this game and that the soul of Killzone has been severely harmed by these design decisions. Because we now have a world that feels very inconsistent; the countless on-rain elements (probably for the sake of Move), the fact that Helghan all of a sudden has many different environments, lots of colour and is no longer the industrial hellhole which I learned to love, the fact that the Helghast all of a sudden have the most advanced technology known to man in the blink of an eye when in the previous game they were the sci-fi version of a decaying Soviet Union.



The list can be made long on why this game disappointed me but I think it's sufficient to say that it's just sad that another game was stripped down of the many elements which made it unique and interesting in the first place, and instead we have been delivered another run of the mill shooter with very few things that make it stand out. A big part of me hopes that this experiment fails on the sales front and that Guerrilla Games gets their chance to return to the root of the series with a hellish battlefield gameplay in the future and none of this trendy cinematic hold-your-hand watered down bullshit that's attempting to copy the shitty Hollywood. Oh, and I want to deliver one last complaint, while I loved Uncharted 2 and it was a great game and I can understand why Guerrilla is looking up to their achievement, I still think it's completely inappropriate that a Killzone game sports such a similar main menu theme music as an Uncharted game. It's sad though because the game is still good despite these shortcomings but that only makes it worse somehow; there is just too much lost potential I guess because the game could have been one of the best games this year.

The Last Guardian Official TGS 2010 Trailer

New trailer for The Last Guardian, from Tokyo Game Show 2010. I'm so damn excited for this game but also so very pissed that it's taking them so long to finish it. I was hoping I'd be playing it this holiday but it looks like I'll have to wait until next year.

Title: The Last Guardian
Genre: Adventure
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: SCE Studio Japan
Release Date: Q4 2011
Exclusively on: PlayStation 3

Mafia II - Impressions

I finally finished Mafia II a few hours ago and I am left with mixed feelings about it. Mafia II is somehow, surprisingly disappointing, and several steps below from what I expected in terms of quality, despite it's surface polish and sometimes amazing; and cinematic graphics. The main problem I have with the game is that it feels so tightly controlled and I literally felt like I was driving from one piece of the story to the next despite having a whole city to explore. It's strange because Empire Bay is a superbly crafted city and when it's at it's best you really feel the setting of vintage America - the magic allure of a more stylish time in American history. I mean let's be honest here; this is the closest I'll get to playing a game in an era so close to the style of Mad Men.

Still, I was hoping to get more interaction with the city of Empire Bay itself, to socialize with its inhabitants, to be able to enter more houses/apartments in the city and buy them, to do some side jobs outside of the story, to pick up a girl in a bar, buy her a gift, marry her, stuff that gives you the illusion of freedom outside of the otherwise strict story. Instead you get the main story, which is usually top-notch, and all you can do in between the main story missions is change clothes, drink/eat, crush cars for money and rob stores. Empire Bay is great visually and drips with a lot of atmosphere like I mentioned, but it lacks the most important details to make a fully believable picture, and quite frankly often times feels dead and empty despite looking so busy on the surface.

The other big gripe I have with the game is the story. Don't get me wrong, it's a great story in many ways and you really get attached to many of the characters. My problem comes from the fact that the story quality is so uneven and I literally felt many times throughout the game that stuff had been cut and important scenes edited out. I mean there is literally no relation or interaction with Vito's family despite him falling into crime for the sake of settling a family debt. Another example is when Vito early on in the game ends up in prison and when he finally gets out the first thing our protagonist does is to visit his friend Joe and start a new crime adventure. My question at that point was why his sister wasn't mentioned at all. The game simply feels like an initially epic story spanning decades that didn't quite make it due to troubles during a long development and things simply needed to be cut out.

And that doesn't just apply to the story because there are quite a few moments where I'm feeling like I'm playing an unfinished game, like my contacts that are suppose to have jobs for me but throughout the game keep telling me to come back later, like a phone I can pick up but there are no numbers to call, like the cabs and the public transportation that I can't use; all leave me with a sense of playing an unfinished game. It's really sad to see so much wasted potential in what I feel could have been one of the greatest games this gen. However despite all of these issues, I have to say that I had a blast finishing the game, the basic shooting and cover gameplay was satisfying as hell, the setting was amazing with a solid story, and very few things beat wearing a tailored suit with a Tommy Gun in your hands feeling like a totally badass mafioso.

I need to study...

But this is making it kind of hard.

Portal 2

The original Portal might very well be one of the best and most creative puzzle games ever created. It was fresh, original and filled with a whole lot of dark and sarcastic humor. It felt like an indie game despite being made by one of the biggest studios around; Valve. However, despite being a great game in it's own right it did end up feeling like a little side project that Valve decided to throw out there to test their technology, making the game feel a lot like a tech-demo with a lot of soul. The other big problem I had with it was that it was a very short game and I finished it in just under four hours of gameplay. Sure, one can argue that it was priced fairly with four other games in The Orange Box but I would have exchanged all the other games in that box for more Portal.

Valve appears to be in the process of fixing all the things I just complained about with Portal 2. The ambition has really been pulled up a few notches, they are making a full-fledged game this time around, the technology seems to be really impressive with levels being built around you, the art design is awesomely sci-fi, the puzzles that have been shown have made the ones from the first game appear like grade school level, the gameplay and envirmonets are also looking much more diverse compared to the first game, and with the introduction of co-op gameplay this has quickly climbed up in my top five most anticipated games list and is looking out to turn out to be the most ambitious puzzle game that anyone has ever made. Simply put, Portal 2 is looking like a big budget indie game and that is amazing! I really can't wait to get my paws on this game next year.

Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 has character.

The original Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm for the PS3 is surprisingly my favorite fighting game this gen, it was very easy to get into and satisfying to play from the get go, but underneath the very basic gameplay mechanics there was a mine of things you could do to make it so much deeper if you were just a little creative. I can still turn it on to this day and fight a few fights as my favorite character Itachi. I am no longer a fan of Naruto but I still love how these games manage to capture the feel of the anime and actually sometimes look even better. The only real downer of the first game for me was the fact that you had to play the story to unlock characters for the fighting part of the game.

Now I haven't really been that excited about the sequel Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 since the big news in the past trailers seemed to be that it was only set with Shippuden part of the series; a part which I'm in no way a fan of. However this new trailers has really managed to sell the game and I am now really excited. It character lineup really seems to be something special with "over 40" playable characters and the game seems to contain all of my favorites from the series; such as Itachi and Sasori. Not to mention that the presentation seems to have been pulled up a notch as well as a deeper looking gameplay. I am not really a Naruto fan anymore but I'll always be an Itachitard and once again these developers seem to have a good idea on how to do the series and the characters justice. It may not be a day one buy for me but it looks like this will certainly end up in my collection eventually.

Mafia II - An offer I can't refuse.

I keep replaying the Mafia II Demo and I can hardly wait for the full game which is all set and pre-ordered. I'm lucky it is getting released on the day of my first exam for the upcoming semester so I can reward myself that whole following weekend. This is simply one of those games I am really exited about, not so much because of gameplay, story or graphics, but because of the simple reason that I can become a suited up Don Draper lookalike and drive a Cadillac. There are just not many games set in a classy time/era with a heavy focus on atmosphere, so I get excited whenever there is an exception and I can suit up.

Deus Ex: Metal Gear Mass Effect Solid

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is among my most anticipated games at the moment. Looking at the E3 trailer for the thousand time a moment ago it finally hit me why this game seems so appealing to me. It's not really because it is a sequel/prequel to one of my favorite games of all time, it's because the whole design and feel of the game footage we've seen so far reminds me earlie of Mass Effect 2 and Metal Gear Solid: Guns of the Patriots. It's almost like the two mentioned games had a child.

Adam Jensen, the hero of Deus Ex, looks a lot like a mixture of Raiden and Vamp from Metal Gear Solid and the game clearly contains mechas which adds another Metal Gear Solid vibe to the game. The city itself and how it is presented gives me strong Mass Effect 2 vibes but with less blue and more orange tones, not to mention the way Jensen holds up a guy in one of the screenshots with his gun and the way he's in looks in cover reminiscent me of my time with Commander Shepherd in Mass Effect.

Personally I think they couldn't have chosen better influences than the original Deus Ex, Metal Gear Solid and Mass Effect games. I continue to expect great things from one of the most promising games of next year.

Demon's Souls - Review

Starting this review off I would like to mention that I'm someone who has never been a fan of Action-RPGs, repetition, and extremely difficult games. So when I finally bought Demon's Souls I thought it would only hold my interest for a short while before I'd give up and move on to my other gaming comfort zones. However I was wrong because the hype and the word of mouth for this game has been so wrong and misleading. Yes, it is an Action-RPG but it is unlike any other Action-RPG I have ever played, yes, it is trial and error but it is also a game that abides by it's own set of rules and rarely ever breaks them, and yes, it can be a challenging and difficult game but that is only before you learn how to play it or if you play it wrong without adapting your strategies to the different situations. It has been called a niche game but that to has been misleading because it is a game for anyone willing to put in the necessary hours to learn its deep gameplay.

I was wrong because the game is simply amazing and manages to transcend the nuisances I usually hate and it got a grip on me that I have not felt from a game since Baldur's Gate 2. The atmosphere that embodies the game world is incredible, this is a dark and bleak world that oppresses you until you basically get a panic attack. The Kingdom of Boletaria is minimalistic and shrouded in mystery and you will only ever get hints at the larger picture going on in the setting, but it is so well crafted that you will literally feel it more than anything else. It is also a game that does not compromise on it's difficulty and while the game can be unforgiving, in the end its challenge is there for a reason and a huge part of what makes the game so great is the sense of progress and reward that comes from actually becoming good at playing it. Not in recent memory has a game created such a sense of loss and accomplishment, and I can't remember the last game that has engrossed me in it's world and setting to this extent.

Demon's Souls - Impressions

The reason for my absence these past few weeks from this blog has been very simple, I've just had too many great games to play to bother writing anything of relevance. I had great plans of writing some thoughts on the season finale of Mad Men, an Uncharted 2 review as well as reviewing the Pixar movie Up but all of that went down the drain when I got my paws on Dragon Age for the PC; a foolish obsession that cost me about two weeks of my life not to mention that I think it killed a large part of my old PC. I'll try to write more about Dragon Age soonish but knowing how I treat new Bioware games I'll only do that once I've run through it multiple times with different characters.

Well, if that wasn't bad enough I ended up jumping from Dragon Age straight into Demon's Souls and now I'm obsessing over that instead. Since I have no qualms about admitting my loser-level I'll just say it outright that it's gotten so bad that I dreamt about Demon's Souls last night. It's the toughest game I've put my skill against in memory and I think I suck extra hard at it since my progression feels like it's going slower than what it normally should considering the hours put in. However this is probably the most unique, creative and immersive game that I've played this whole year and is my personal surprise hit of the year as well as being one of my personal Game of the Year contenders.

The game has punished me over and over yet I keep on re-trying despite knowing that I'll probably get brutalized all over again. This is one of the most immersive games I have ever played, you really feel the hatred for these abominations that are refereed to as demons and the atmosphere is sometimes so oppressive and tense that I have to take a break from the game to calm my nerves. There is not much narrative at all this far in the game but the few pieces of story that have emerged have been excellent with amazing concept art being shown while a narrator speaks. Still, this game thrives on its rich gameplay mechanics and I think that is the reason it's such a success because as soon as you die you don't get to feel the frustration too long before you're off once again to try to kill some demons and collect their souls.

I started the game and I died alot and it's only now after killing two major demons that I'm starting to feel like I'm getting the hang of this. I stopped reading the strategy guide and just focused on playing like I how I would like to play the game. In short, I got my hands on a two-handed Claymore sword and am going full-retard with what my pal Gatts has taught me about killing demon scum. This philosophy can be summed into; you need BIG swords to kill BIG demons. In many ways this game is the closes I've ever played to a Berserk game because of the general bleakness and darkness found in both. Not only is this dark fantasy game one of the best of this year but I think in years ahead it will be considered one of the hidden gems of this generation.

Game of the Day: Ico

I forgot to blog about the fact that I finally got my hands on Ico a few days back mainly because I was too immersed into Prince of Persia as well as being pretty busy studying math so this place kind of fell a few notches on my priority list. However now that Prince of Persia has been completed I actually got around to opening up my brand new expensive copy of Ico and got to play for about thirty minutes. First impressions were that the graphics were much more outdated than say Shadow of the Colossus, but they were not totally horrible. Once I got control over the characters you could feel that this was an old game with an annoying last gen camera and a floaty sense of the character. I was let down initially I must admit and for the first ten minutes I regretted putting out so much money for something that I felt hadn't aged that well.

Then something happened, I met Yorda and the unique Team Ico-vibe instantly set into overdrive. It was absolutely charming to see these two characters interact and I loved that they couldn't understand each other due to Yorda speaking in some mysterious language. It really reminisced of my childhood experience coming to Sweden and still managing to make some friends despite not understanding a word of Swedish. This is where Ico really shines as a game, you really feel the childhood of these two characters, the innocence of only expecting good in another child and yes, it is extremely moving to experience this even at my age. The other thing I noticed was the heavy theme of displacement in the game where you really feel the isolation of this castle and how you're thrown into it with no information or back story to the events. This really made the first ten minutes downright uncomfortable and I think that was the point because it made the meeting with Yorda so much more reassuring and I almost felt myself sigh with relief despite knowing that she would be in the game.

The gameplay mechanic of holding hands with Yorda and guiding her through the level while at the same time protecting her works extremely well and really doesn't feel like an annoying chore, mainly because you actually care about her. Otherwise the gameplay in general seems to be much more of a puzzle-solving game than say Shadow of the Colossus but since I'm in the beginning of the game I haven't actually experienced any hard or annoying puzzles. The basic structure of the game seems to be very simple but what really stood out was the immersion I felt with the setting and the characters despite graphics that can only be called outdated. I think that it's because of the small details, like the menus being kept to a minimum and the simple act of saving is made into something special because you save the game by simply sitting down on a bench with Yorda. In conclusion I'm really looking forward to getting to know this game some more but so far it feels really great and special. I'll be sure to blog some more about it once I finish the game, hopefully soon but it might take some time since I'm quite busy this month.

Prince of Persia Finished!

Finished Prince of Persia today and this time I really went full retard on the game collecting all 1001 light seeds, dying less than a hundred times, doing all the time trials and in general only having two achievements left to do; excluding the ones found in the Epilogue DLC. It actually felt a bit more rewarding finishing the game this time around because I went the extra mile to try to take all the achievements in one run, it basically made the game more of a challenge. The other side effect was that it made the game last a few hours longer than when I just ran though it the first time. However I still managed finish it beneath the twelve hour mark, but it really felt bittersweet towards the end because I knew what was coming and that I'd have to leave these two wonderful characters once again.

Dreading the ending of a game is a bit weird when the ending is your favorite part of the game. I know that many people really don't like the ending of the game because they felt forced into action by the developers but I personally adore the ending because when I play this game I don't play and act like myself, instead I role-play and base my actions on my perception on what The Prince would have done in such a situation. I won't spoil the ending but I find it very sad and I do feel that it is the perfect ending for the game despite being a cliffhanger at heart. The game really feels like a sad love story when all is said and done. I love sad lover stories and I'm already missing The Prince and Elika. Now I can just sit here and hope that there will be a sequel to this amazing overlooked gem of a game despite lackluster sales *spits on Mike*.

Demon's Souls - Sleeper hit of the Year?

I'm starting to doubt my eye when it comes to judging if a game is going to turn out well or not. Two times now this year I've been convinced something was going to flop hard and both times I've been owned. First I thought inFamous was going to get butchered by the reviewers because it looked so generic and crappy only to see it get scores ranging from AA (8/10) to AAA (9/10) among the critics, so I bought it and had to be reminded that some games are just addictive to play despite looking crappy. Now the ownage returns in form of Demon's Souls a game when I first saw it I felt would be lucky if it got an A (7/10) at all. Then of course the people who got to play the imported Asian version started to speak up for it, but I still felt it could go AA (8/10) highest because it just looked like a generic dungeon crawler after all.

The final bomb that hit me you can watch above, my favorite reviewer - whom I tend to agree with the most - Kevin from GameSpot reviewed Demon's Souls yesterday and gave it a whooping AAA (9/10) status thus making this my biggest surprise hit of the year and a game I clearly must get my hands on. This game is supposedly brutally difficult so I'm still on the fence if I'm man enough to take it on. However I am feeling tempted by the challenge since apparently the difficulty is never cheap and it seems to be extremely rewarding to actually conquer it due to the deep combat mechanics. In retrospect; this game went from one I was never going to play to one I now feel obliged to at least give a decent chance. I guess it's time to buy a truly hardcore game soon and stop hiding behind my casual mask but woe is my wallet this holiday season. Let's just hope that I don't destroy another controller when I get my paws on this game.

Game of the Day: Prince of Persia

Today, after several weeks of waiting I finally got my GAME Exclusive Steelbook Edition of Prince of Persia for the Xbox360 (unfortunately the PS3 version of the Steelbook were out of stock). Of course I traded in my regular version of the game that I had for the PS3 shortly after ordering this Limited Edition which has resulted in minimal cash loss, it also helped ordering from UK which made it alot cheaper than if I had bought it here in Sweden. Holding this limited edition in my hands now I must say it was worth it. The whole package is black and super-stylish, at least when your remove the protective plastic around it with the out of place ugly Xbox360 green banner on it. The art is blueish and changes with the light, the backside has a smaller art with no stupid info ruining the godly black slickness. Surprisingly there are no extras with this Limited Edition but I don't really mind since I only bought it because I love the steel case and how stylish it looks. My only bonus being that now I can whore achievements from the 360 version of the game as well (SHUT UP, MIKE!!!).

Of course being a huge fanboy of this game I popped it into my Xbox first chance I got to unwind today and I am once again in love with it. The first thing that jumps at you is the amazing and colorful art style with some of the best animations in a game to date. Shortly after I am once again in love with the mostly desolate world, The Prince and my lovely companion Elika who's always there with snappy remarks. The whole game basically oozes charm and magic which completely grips me despite some shortcomings in the gameplay. It's a game that is very simple and doesn't exactly have a complex story but for me these are actually huge pros because I love the minimalism and the never frustrating platforming. It really makes the game more about the experience of admiring the view rather than running right through it and it's absolutely lovely that you have a constant companion throughout the game in Elika because it really makes the whole game about the relationship of these two characters. Sure, there are many clichés but they don't detract from the experience at all in my opinion and only serve to make the game feel like it's going back to basics of storytelling.

When I played this game for the first time about a year ago I wasn't really aware of Team Ico's games but I do remember this game being called a rip-off of their games on the internet. Now after I've played Shadow of the Colossus and know more about Ico I can say that there is some truth to those claims because it really feels like Ubisoft have gone out of their way to create an artistic and minimalistic game such as the two Team Ico games. They of course haven't succeed as well because they clearly didn't take the idea to the fullest, but I personally welcome the effort because it makes this game the closest thing this generation to a Team Ico game with gameplay that clearly has more in common with Ico and a story that reminds me of Shadow of the Colossus. I'm sure that will change once The Last Guardian rolls out next year but for now I am utterly happy climbing around in a beautiful artistic pastel world with my lovely companions The Prince and Elika saving the world together. Sadly I have now written myself into playing the game some more. Bai!