The 2¢ Review: Titanfall

"Stand by for Titanfall!"

Hype can be a double-edged sword in the video game industry. While some is obviously needed to generate excitement for an upcoming title, too much hype may lead to unrealistic expectations. During E3 2013, one such game featuring mechs versus free-running humans generated so much hype that by the end if the show it was widely considered to be the next evolutionary step in the first-person shooter (FPS) genre. That game was Titanfall, and it was quickly on a hype train that would continue to build steam until it was released on March 11, 2014. Once released, only one question was on every gamer’s mind: “Does Titanfall live up to the hype?”

Simply put, absolutely. 

The 2¢ Review - Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

“The year is 2007. It is the future. Earth has been ravaged by a nuclear war and new paths for peace must be found. A U.S. cyborg army may have found a solution: a powerful bioweapon on a distant island. A Mark IV Cyber Commando, Sergeant Rex Power Colt has been sent over to gather information and figure out what the hell is going on.”

Microsoft drops Xbox One DRM and Internet restrictions

No matter how hard they tried to explain their intentions, Microsoft just couldn't seem to convince gamers that despite the Xbox One’s restrictions, the benefits would outweigh the costs. So, in what will surely be considered as one of the greatest turnabouts in video game history, Microsoft has officially announced that they are reversing their DRM and Internet connection policies for the Xbox One. In short, the new Xbox One will be just like your Xbox 360.

E3 2013: "Where are all the posts?" [UPDATE]

"Prepare 4 Next Gen"? More like prepare for chaos. E3 is crazy!

"E3's been going on for two days now, so where are all the posts at?"

I'm sure some of you who have been following along my trip to E3 through the pictures over at the "It's All Geek to Me" page on Facebook have been wondering why it's been rather quiet here on the 'ol blog. To sum up why, it's because E3 is absolutely crazy.

E3, here I come!

I don't think this E3 logo adequately represents
the level of crazy E3 actually  produces.

As some of you may have heard, I'll be on my way to E3 tomorrow morning. Undeniably, I feel like I'm diving head-first into the deep end of the video game news pool. There will be so much to see and report on, I honestly have no idea where to start. But I have no doubt that it is going to be an amazing experience! I expect nothing short of sensory overload with all the new games and tech to see and share.

But what exactly will I be sharing? Well, anything and everything, and as much of it as I can.

Board game night: Ghost Stories

Ghost Stories - also known as "Slow Death".

Borderlands 2: More upgrades and update information revealed

More content = mind blown!

During the past weekend at the Game Developers conference, Gearbox Software took the stage and announced numerous new features coming to Borderlands 2 April 2nd including the reintroduction of "Pearlescent" weapons, a third playthrough option, a level cap increase, and several other features. However it appears that Gearbox still had more goodies to throw at Borderlands fans than previously revealed.

Kick-Ass 2 international trailer features much more Hit-Girl

She's going to own your ass.

Back in 2010, I headed off to a theater with a couple of friends to see a film that we heard was pretty good. Nothing more. We had no idea what the film was about other than it featured wanna-be superheros getting beat up. What we ended up seeing was a film that completely caught me off guard with how amazing it was. It was hilarious, action packed, violent, and even touching.

That movie was Kick-Ass.

17 minutes of Battlefield 4 gameplay

"But I set fire to the rain...."

EA officially revealed Battlefield 4 Monday during a press event. During the event, EA revealed a full 17-minutes of absolutely gorgeous gameplay, courtesy of the new Frostbite 3 engine. Take a look at the gameplay here:

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain trailer (a.k.a. - the reason why I'll buy a Playstation 4)

Why The Phantom Pain? Here's a hint: look at the arm.

It's official.

The Phantom Pain - a game that was teased back in early December of 2012 during the Spike TV Video Game Awards- was officially reveal today during the Game Developers Conference to be the next Metal Gear Solid game: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. 

And I can't say I'm surprised.

Assassin's Creed VI: Black Flag gameplay trailer

RARRRRGH! I'm a pirate!

Is it too soon to call this the next Call of Duty?

Don't get me wrong; I love the Assassin's Creed series. They have for quite some time been one of the more original series that I have played. And while I have yet to really dig into ACIII, what I have seen and played thus far has invigorated the series for me after how stale AC: Revelations felt.

Which was a shame; Ezio was so damn charming.

Resurrecting the beast...

Time for this blog to rise from it's grave.

Yeah, it's been a while since I've posted on here. But for those of you who know me, you probably have a good idea as to why.

Writing for the Examiner.

A new way to review - "The 2¢ Review"

I love to play video games. I love to talk about games. And I love to write about games. The problem is, is that I tend to run-off at the mouth. I'll look at old reviews and realize, "Geez, I just can't shut up!" While I do take pride on being thorough, I realize that it's really not what people want: an overly excessive review. So, I've decided to make a few changes. A format revision, if you will.

So, I came up with "The 2¢ Review". The idea is to provide a review for a game, but much more concisely than previous reviews, with my two cents thrown in.

Since I don't have the budget or connections as major reviewers do, I'm limited to games that I've researched enough and will probably like anyway. But I'm sure I'll find something to say about them, other than "OMG, it's awesome!"

Here's the link to the intro I wrote for Examiner. Check it out, and feel free to leave a comment here or there. And here are the links for the first two reviews that I've already written under the new format: Batman: Arkham City and Battlefield 3.

~Cheers!

Talking Cave Johnson portrait from Portal 2? Yes, please!

Christmas is coming folks. I think it's time for me to start thinking about my wish list. Allow me to show you gift idea number one: the talking Cave Johnson portrait from Portal 2.

Walk past it or push a button , and Cave will immediately inspire you with words of wisdom. Like what to do with lemons...



It certainly is far cooler than some talking fish.

Anyway, you can nab this amazing peice of gamer art over at ThinkGeek.com.

~Cheers!

Game of Thrones - the 16-bit version

What if HBO's Game of Thrones was an 16-bit RPG akin to a Final Fantasy game? Well wonder no more.

Recently I've begun watching HBO's amazing medieval fantasy series, currently being little over halfway through the first season. (I blame my friends for getting me hooked). So seeing it converted to a 16-bit RPG - even if it is a fake one - just ups the awesomeness of this series for me.

A word of warning: if you have yet to watch this fantastic series and have been considering watching it or perhaps you are only part way through the first season, you may want to finish before watching this as a few major plot points are humorously spoiled. I unfortunately found this out the hard way. Whoops.

But damn if it wasn't worth it.

Enjoy!

The most frightening mod I've ever seen

While I may be a console fanboy, I'll always tip my hat to one of PC gaming's greatest advantages over console games - modding. Console titles are, for lack of a better term, inflexible. What you buy is what you get - unlike PC titles, which occasionally have whole communities dedicated to creating some of the most amazing mods for PC games. 

I'm sure some of you remember the Goldeneye: Source project where a group of individuals used modding tools to recreate Goldeneye 64 using Half-Life 2? 

While that project was an amazing feat of dedication and talent showcasing the true potential of what modding can offer, occasionally someone comes along and reminds us that there is a opposite end of the spectrum by creating a mod far more terrifying than it should be. 

I give you...."The Silly Adventure of Mr. Mochi".

I honestly don't know whether to be laughing uncontrollably, or curled up in a corner sucking my thumb.

Cheers!

(I think...)

I dare you....

Do you happen to have ten hours to spare? Then I dare you to sit through this:

YouTube user TehN1ppe has created probably the greatest challenges ever on the Interwebs; ten hour videos showing or playing the same monotonous music or action, uninterrupted.That's right - it's ten hours of "Do a barrel roll!" Over and over and over and over...well, I think you get the point.

I've actually heard of this guy and his videos before, but Kotaku recently ran an article recapping his collection and reminding me of the horrors they represent. Some of his videos include the Super Mario Bros. theme song, the Potter Puppet Pals, Peanut Butter Jelly Time, and two of my personal favorites - Epic Sax Guy and Justin Bieber getting shot on CSI - all for ten hours straight.

So I present you with a dare: do you think you could make it through just one of them?

~Enjoy! (I think....)

15 minutes in the world of Bioshock: Infinite

Rarely does the phrase "spoiler alert" hold so much meaning. Admittedly when I first watched this, my jaw hit the floor with a thunderous sound that could be heard for miles. Given the "amazing-ness" of what lies within these 15 minutes, perhaps a little spoiler may be worth it. Purists, feel free to move on.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must go reserve this.

~Cheers!

Swamp Ass PSA

I now have my new, official reason (read as "excuse") whenever I lose at a video game - swamp ass. It affects us all.

Yes, you could use a hair dryer. Or you could use a slightly quieter method: shove an ice pack down your backside. You can then wedge your soda between the pack and your pants, doubling it as a can cooler.

~Cheers!

The Office - Metal Gear'ed

I like The Office. And I love the Metal Gear Solid series. So obviously this amazing crossover film-ette by Blue Core Studios was right up my alley:

If it isn't one Big Boss, it's another. Am I right?

I can only hope that whatever office job I land some day will have a guy like this working there. Otherwise, I just might have to take up that bandanna myself. 

~Enjoy!