Have you ever been excited for a game's release, and somehow found a way to ruin the game experience due to your own mistake? I guess in my case, it's more stupidity than a mistake. What I am about to recount is how I went from being in Heaven to dragging myself through Hell in a matter of 10 days. This is my story on how my attempt to review Record of Agarest War went sour and the lessons I learned. As a gamer that is very keen on the import scene, I had heard of Record of Agarest War when it was first released in Japan in late 2007. I was intrigued by the reported dating aspects, the Soul Breeding the game touted and being able to play through story through multiple generations. Read More...

It was talked about way back in February when Dante's Inferno first launched and has since come to fruition. That being the DLC that adds multiplayer to a game that was originally sold as a single player experience. Also DLC that adds the ability for players to build their own challenge maps for other people who own Dante's Inferno to play. The DLC I am speaking of is The Trials Of Lucida. Is it worth the $10? Read More...

The comic and film of this intellectual property have come and gone. Both spectacular in their own right. If you have yet to read or see either, do both. But what if you have done one or both already? Well did you know there is a video game version of Kick-Ass for the PSN and iPhone? There most certainly is. Why wouldn't there be, as merchandising is a great way to make more money off a great franchise. It is the capitalist way after all. Read More...

Dead to Rights: Retribution is a third person action title following vice cop Jack Slate and his groin-ravaging, canine companion Shadow as they uncover the seedier threats that are rising against an already seedy Grant City. Essentially, it is a re-imagining of the franchise that began with very basic, but very fun run and gun gameplay with a hint of John Woo-style dramatics. The sequel to the original, Dead to Rights II: Hell to Pay, moved the series from all the aforementioned positives into an area of monotony and outright brokenness. It took the ideas of the first game, which were actually pretty fresh amidst most of the titles out at the time, and did absolutely nothing with them. Read More...

Super Street Fighter IV is definitely a great value at $40, especially for people who didn't pick up the original. Aside from everything originally included with IV, Super also includes a handful of new characters, new stages, new music and updated online play. This includes some new modes and features that fans have been wanting for over a year now. A new roster update comprises of a nice selection of characters from various series in the Street Fighter universe, as well as two new ones exclusive to Super. Juri is a welcome addition with a quickness that many other characters are lacking, and Hakan is a grappler covered in oil that brings more depth to his style of character. Read More...

I've never tried to hide the fact that I was not the biggest Splinter Cell fan. The exploits of one Mr. Fisher never struck me as the most engaging, no matter how polished the series might have been. There was nothing about the character that made me want to be a part of the world, so imagine my surprise when I discovered that what made me want to explore the game’s mythology was the dehumanization of Sam Fisher. I think the cover definitely serves as a metaphor for the changing of style and approach with this title. Fisher has lost his daughter and along with her, he’s lost his fragile grip on the world around him. Read More...

A combination of the best of what you love about Geometry Wars, Asteroids and Audiosurf, Beat Hazard is a rocking hand-eye coordination / spatial recognition challenge. Developed and published by Cold Beam Games, the game takes the music already stored on your computer and turns it into a space shooter. Big on gameplay, Beat Hazard makes no pretense regarding the presence of a story. Rather, it absorbs the drama from the song and builds your world from that palette. Read More...

Mega Man 10 (available on XBLA, WiiWare, and PSN for 800 MS Pts/1000 Wii Pts/$10, respectively) is an incredibly fun and enjoyable entry in the classic Mega Man series. A follow-up to 2008's Mega Man 9 in more ways than just a new number, this game takes a lot of the feedback and criticism the latter had to craft one of the best sidescrolling experiences in years. While there isn't a whole lot Capcom and Inti Creates actually changed in the bigger scheme of things, Mega Man 10 features a lot of new tweaks and balance adjustments that make it far less threatening than its predecessor and more entertaining in the long run. While there are some tough areas in the game, overall I wouldn't call it difficult at all, and perhaps it is one of the most fair games in the series. Read More...

Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon, developed by Namco and localized by XSeed Games, is an interesting game. I felt like I was playing an anime with many Japanese RPG elements infused within. Fragile Dreams is about a young boy named Seto, who is on a quest to find others in the world after nearly everyone has disappeared. After coming in contact with a young girl named Ren, she runs off and he is on a quest to find her and hopefully others. Early on in his journey he finds a Personal Frame Unit that is a talking backpack, and helps guide Seto through many of his trials and tribulations. Read More...

This review has a few spoilers for Resident Evil 5 in it. This DLC takes place near the end of the game and talks about some major story parts. If you have yet to play Resident Evil 5 all the way through, you have been warned. Just when you think you have seen all you have of Resident Evil 5, Capcom adds in yet more to the story. Well at least they expand on the story by showing you what some of the other characters were up to while Chris and Sheva were off saving the world from the Zompocalypse. This time around, it is what happened to Josh, Sheva's militant mentor, and Jill Valentine, after you emancipate her from Wesker's mind control. Read More...

Finally another WiiWare game has made the hop from the smaller, power-wise, console to a larger one. I'm talking Wii to PS3 here. Which can be a huge step for some games to be ported over. The game in question here is Groovin' Blocks from Empty Clip Studios, a nice little Dr. Mario style game with a strong bass line to back up the gameplay. Back it up so much as it is part of the game play. How does the port over compare, well read on my curious friend. Read More...

So you played through Heavy Rain and seen all the endings, now what do you do? You could play around and just keep killing the hooker or store clerk for fun. You could try to find other ways to see Ethan off himself if Shaun dies. You could even replay the sex scene, that got no negative mention in the media, and see if you can glitch Madison to stay naked. Just to name a few things to do. You could do one of those options. Read More...

Brian Bentley and myself are joined by Adelle Starr from Gametopia as we party up to review Square-Enix's very own Final Fantasy XIII. In the podcast we talk about the good, the bad, and the somewhat ugly about the game. Read More...

Just under a month since Dante's Inferno brought hellfire and brimstone to homes around the world, comes the prequel for the overall story of the main game, Dark Forest. A nice, albeit short, addition to the story of Dante's Inferno. Not to mention a few more puzzles and a"new" demon for Dante to slay to try and save Beatrice before she is killed. Which we all know isn't going to happen. In any instance, let me break this down into the two main parts this DLC adds to the game. Read More...

Chaos has begun to rain down upon the world. Kratos is back and he is taking down the gods that rule over the world and keep everything in balance. Even after his rampage through the world over the last two games. Now he takes on the gods and titans directly, and will not stop until they are all dead and gone. Will he succeed or will he be sent down to Hades for the last time? What will he see and go through to make sure his Revenge is Complete? Read More...