CITY BOY GEEKINESS

A good multiplayer video game can be so hard to find. Sometimes it's simply tacked on to a primarily solo story game with little care or it holds a multitude technical problems that prevent the experience from growing. I've played plenty of multiplayer video games through my console and PC gaming history. But when I find a really great game with an amazing multiplayer experience, I always come back for more. And the video game I will be reviewing today is definitely on of those games. On this video game review article, I'll be reviewing the first-person shooter multiplayer video game: Evolve.

The Story: Set on the distant planet of Shear, dangerous monsters have attacked the human settlements and nearly wiped out the population. No creatures are more so dangerous than the titans. They are the most powerful on the planet and they prove to be evolving at a rapid rate.

Players can take on the role of either a Hunter or a Monster. Hunters are from a crack team of military exterminators, specializing in roles like Media, Trapper, Support and Assault. There are plenty of different characters to choose from while Monsters, the sole competing enemy, is one of three different types of titans.

Where To Play: Evolve is available to play on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

The Good: Evolve sets its sights on delivering a good multiplayer experience, and it does it pretty well. The concept is simple: you're either the Monster plotting to defeat the Hunters or vice versa. Evolve features a collection of unique characters and roles to choose from for each match. Instead of the stale monotony of playing the same five characters over and over again, each role has at least three different characters with unique weapons, powers and features to help take down the competing side. Plus, each role and character is styled differently, such as one female Trapper has a pet animal who tracks the Monster down while another Trapper is basically a cowboy. Variety is a big strength for Evolve.

The environments in Evolve are also a big takeaway. Each location is visually beautifully and offers something different for the players competing in that specific location. Also, each location contains their own set of mini-monsters and obstacles that could kill a Hunter. You wouldn't believe how many times I did from being eaten by a plant!

The Bad: With any multiplayer-based game, there are always some technical problems and glitches around that could be fixed. Evolve has its few issues where I've noticed that it impacted my online experience. Sometimes a game would lag or crash and I would need to restart a match. I've had my character miss several important hits because of a technical snafu where my character turned around or attacked on its own. The issue wasn't because of my internet connection as I was able to reconnect in the next match. Those small little things just added up as the game went out.

Another point which I want to bring up, which could be viewed as good or bad, is that Evolve is a hard game. Whether you're a Hunter or a Monster, winning a match isn't easy. Depending on which Monster or which Hunters you're facing, it could become really difficult to win the game. I groan whenever I notice I'm facing against a Wraith or a certain Medic/Trapper character. It takes a lot of determination, evolving, team coordination (an absolute must!) and evolving to win.

The Results: 9/10!

I really liked Evolve. Evolve offered a change of pace for a multiplayer game and didn't over-complicate the experience with complex mechanics. The environments were beautifully created and each character was designed differently, albeit sometimes on the stereotypical or cliche side. The video game does have its fair share of tiny technical glitches that could ruin a good online match. However, these barely occur few and very far between. Evolve is a perfect game for gamers who love a first-person shooter or enjoy playing against other gamers online.

I love survival-horror. Ever since the early days of Clock Tower, Silent Hill and Resident Evil, I was pulled into these extreme worlds of scary monsters and dark adventures. There's something about venturing into the unknown and fighting evil that really connects with me as a gamer. It's one of my favourite gaming genres. Unfortunately, as the years have gone by, the landscape of survival-horror games have changed and it's no longer just a scary world out there - it's the hybrids that reign supreme. One of the games released this year promised to head back to the survival-horror roots of gaming. Did it live up to its hype? The video game I'm going to be discussing today is the bloody supernatural adventure: The Evil Within.

The Story: Players take on the role of Detective Sebastian Castellanos as he's pulled into a nightmarish world of monsters, death and a mystery spanning the unknown. After responding to a police report at Beacon Mental Hospital, Sebastian encounters the villainous apparition known simply as "Ruvik" who leads Sebastian on a horrifying adventure that bends reality. Joining Sebastian on his 15 chapter story includes fellow detectives Juli Kidman and Joseph Oda, Dr. Marcelo Jimenez and his patient Leslie, and a nurse who knows more than she lets on.

Where To Play: The Evil Within is available on PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and the Xbox One.

The Good: The Evil Within plays to its strength when it comes to horror. Dark and confined spaces, grotesque monsters, blood and unexpected surprises - the game wasn't missing its mix of survival-horror. I quite enjoyed that for a few portions throughout its story, I was pleasantly scared. (Seriously, there were mannequins...lots and lots of mannequins!) I miss the scare factor of survival-horror games and before I even began this game, I was a little hesitant that it wouldn't live up to its "horror" hype. I wasn't fully blown away, but I did enjoy the horror element.

There's one fact you will come to understand when playing The Evil Within: you will die - A LOT. This is no easy game. Around every corner, every room, there are potentially many hidden ways to die. You would be surprised at the number of times I was killed by traps, common enemies and big boss battles. The Evil Within is a tough game to play and coupled with low ammunition/supplies, finally completing all 15 chapters felt like a real accomplishment.


The Bad: The Evil Within has an interesting twist to it with its story. These articles and reviews are spoiler-free so I won't go into details beyond the bare bones of the plot. However, as I progressed through the many chapters, it became hard to get a clear grasp of the overall plot timeline. I understood many of the plot points about the villain, the deaths and missions but the overall arc was all over the place. A lot was happening at the same time and Sebastian was being pulled to different areas while given bits and pieces to try and determine the story. I had made a tiny logical guess by Chapter 4 and it proved somewhat right by Chapter 11, but I still needed to Google search a few articles and videos to fill in the story from people who pieced this together already. I like a story that makes me think so I was conflicted once the game was completed.

Also, I just want to throw this out there. I like Resident Evil 4, it's a good game that blended action and horror together. However, as I played the game, The Evil Within reminded me too much about RE4 to the point that I considered it nearly the same game. With the exception of The Evil Within being bloodier and scarier, the game was reminiscent to that vibe. The action, the mechanics, the male lead, the minions - it felt like a next generation spin-off.



The Results: 7/10!
The Evil Within strived to relaunch the roots of the survival-horror video game genre. It was creepy, it was bloody and it was a tough game to play. Through the eyes of Sebastian, you get to explore many locales that bridge on the horror cliché, like a mental hospital, graveyard and a large mansion. Monsters were plenty throughout the 15 chapters and they could sometimes feel a tad too familiar from other games, especially with the mindless villagers you face. The downside to The Evil Within is that the game doesn't offer anything new. Many of the locations, the enemies and bosses could have been inspired from horror tropes in the past. With the exception of a few items, like the agony bow or the plot twist, there wasn't much new ground covered, but with over 20 years of horror games already out (Wow, I feel old), it's hard not to expect some certain things to appear again. If you're a fan of horror, whether it's games or movies, The Evil Within might be your thing to play.

The Dark Knight returns for another installment of the hit Arkham games. I absolutely fell in love with last year's Batman: Arkham City after secretly playing my brother's copy and it was hands-down the best game of the year. Never did I think that a superhero game could achieve more than as simply as a movie tie-in. The series surpassed my expectations and suffice it to say, I was excited to check out the latest game in the series. The latest video game I will be reviewing is the Arkham prequel: Batman: Arkham Origins.

The Story: Set years prior to the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum (the first game in the series), Bruce Wayne has started his adventures as the Dark Knight and began his mission toward ending the criminal control in Gotham City. Batman: Arkham Origins takes place on Christmas Eve when criminal mastermind and mob boss Black Mask issues a cash challenge to several highly-trained and powerful assassins to rid Gotham City of Batman.

Batman: Arkham Origins delves into the early days of Batman, as well as the beginnings of several notable characters and villains like (the future) Commissioner Gordon, the Penguin, Deathstroke, Bane, Barbara Gordon (the future Batgirl/Oracle), and the clownish psychopath Joker to name a few.

Where To Play: Arkham Origins is available on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii U.

The Good: Batman: Arkham Origins excels with its immerse storyline and open world. The success of the previous game proved that the developers could integrate its characters, the landscape and the extras together to make a cohesive story. While there was a linear plot to follow, I enjoyed all the hidden easter eggs and side-missions that deviated from the main story.

Similar to the previous installment, the main and supporting characters were the biggest draw. I enjoyed the interactions that Batman had with the likes of Joker, Anarky, The Mad Hatter and the many characters he encountered while roaming Gotham City. I grew up loving Batman (i.e. watching the movies, the cartoon TV show, games, action figures) and it was great to meet new characters while revisting the familiar ones.

The Bad: Arkham Origins only suffered from two negatives that left me questioning certain aspects. The first were the technical glitches that kept popping up during loading screens and saving. At first I wondered if there was an issue with my console, but the problems persisted when the game froze/stopped at certain points and wouldn't transition to the loading screen. While it only happened a few times, it was still enough to notice.

The final negative was the ending. Compared to Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, Arkham Origins presented a lackluster conclusion and boss battle to finish the game. The final scene and battle, which preceded itself after a somewhat easy fight, didn't last more than two minutes. Without giving anything away in terms of the villain and battle, I expected a much more thrilling conclusion.

The Results: 8/10!
Batman: Arkham Origins had a lot to live up to in terms of expectations. Since it's a prequel compared to a sequel, a lot of what was introduced was exposition and reintroduced many aspects to people new to the Batman universe. Characters, whether main or supporting, delivered great performances and were more than just filler of having a character on screen. The technical glitches presented a slight problem with the gameplay and the lackluster conclusion didn't payoff after what was up until that point a satisfying story. If you're a fan of Batman (or like action games), this is the game for you. It's also a great filler until the next Arkham game is released that continues the story after Arkham City.

Agree or Disagree with the review? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

It's the zombie apocalypse and the dead are coming back to life... well, almost. I'm pretty new to the whole Walking Dead series: I'm up-to-date with the television show (started during the break) and I've recently completed the first season of the episodic video games. Apparently, a new episode for the game was released each month (for five months) that added to the story and changed based on the choices made by the user. Even though the video games were released in 2012, I received the game on disc for Christmas. The game that I will be reviewing today is the post-apocalyptic zombie adventure series: The Walking Dead.

The Story: Set in the once-serene state of Georgia, the world is plunged in a state of horror as the dead start to attack the living. The player takes on the role of Lee Everett, a former respected professor of history at the University of Georgia, who was arrested and sentenced to spend life behind bars for murdering a senator (who just happened to be having an affair with Lee's wife). A car crash saves Lee from heading to prison but as luck would have it, the crash was just the beginning in a long and harrowing battle for survival.

The Walking Dead features five episodic entries where the story changes based on the decisions made by the player. Certain characters could die, dialogue can change and every quick-time action matters. Throughout the five episodes, Lee interacts with a unique cast of characters like: family man Kenny, headstrong Lilly, news reporter Carley, curious kid Duck, his caring mother Katjaa and naive farmer Hershel Greene. Also, part of the dynamic of the game focuses on the father-figure relationship between Lee and a little girl Clementine.

Where To Play: The Walking Dead is available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Mac, and as an iOS mobile app.

The Good: The Walking Dead proved that episodic gameplay can be a great idea when done right. Choices made from one episode could impact the decisions and characters in the next one (if they're alive that is). Downloadable content (DLC) in most causes is an add-on that includes a new chapter, levels or even multiplayer extras. While a new episode was available for purchase each month, the individual episodes continued the game going without becoming disjointed or pointless to the overall story. The experience and storyline had a clear ending for the season.

Characters and dialogue play an important part to the series. While the game doesn't focus primarily on action, the story propels the character forward. The best I could describe it would be a point-and-click adventure where talking to characters and finding items is the basis. Don't get me wrong, fighting zombies and the quick-time actions were amazing. And yes, there are plenty of those moments to love! However, making the choices for what Lee said, how he interacted with other characters or what he did helped to round out the game.

The Bad: While I could have enjoyed more zombie-fighting moments, there was really only two negatives that I had. The Walking Dead had long loading times and noticeable glitches. Between setting up to play an episode or loading a scene, the game would stop for several seconds until it would finally begin again. Usually this isn't a problem but when it happens mid-conversation, I would wonder if there was a problem with my console.

The Walking Dead was a refreshing change to my game collection. I usually don't play point-and-click games but I gave this try and I ended up loving the story. Characters were more than one-liners and the choices I made actually made a difference from episode to episode. The long loading times ruined some of the suspense and I did notice some glitches that the developers forgot to edit it out in the final version. Though, I'd still recommend to play the game, especially if you love The Walking Dead television show or graphic novels. Change things up and try a game primarily for the story, you might end up loving it.

Agree or Disagree with the review? Share your thoughts below and let us know what you've thought of the game.

Sequels can be a hit or miss. Sometimes they're innovative and add a new element to the series or they can completely miss the mark, removing the novelty that was acquired from the last game. Luckily, the last few games in this video game series have been good with only a few setbacks. I recently completed all the chapters and storylines so it deserves a place on the blog. The game that I will be reviewing is the survival horror sequel: Resident Evil 6.

The Premise: Set several years after the events of Resident Evil 5, the President of the United States has decided to disclose the events behind the Raccoon City outbreak in 1998. However, before he was able to do so, the world is soon pulled into another international B.O.W. incident of epic proportions. Spanning through four different character storylines over the course of one year, Resident Evil 6 follows the development of the new C-Virus, the malevolent forces behind the outbreaks and the heroes working to save the world.

Resident Evil 6 is four interlocking storylines where the characters interact with each other at different points through the year. The chapters include: the zombie outbreak with special agents Leon S. Kennedy and Helena Harper, the J'avo missions with BSAA soldiers Chris Redfield and Piers Nivens, the Edonia escape with Jake Muller and Sherry Birkin, and the behind-the-scenes adventure of Ada Wong.

Where To Play: Resident Evil 6 is available on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows.

The Good: Resident Evil 6 wasn't just one game - it was four. Depending on the type of gamer that was playing or which previous Resident Evil they preferred, there was a chapter made to that style. Zombies (early Resident Evil), J'avo (newer Resident Evil), Ustanak and spy missions were the enemy types included. Personally, I loved playing through the zombie levels because it reminded me of the earlier Resident Evil games (Leon's chapter). Also, per each style, there were new weapons to experience and the main player HUD screen changed for that character.

Even though the main story was broken up into four parts, I loved the narrative. It felt an improvement over Resident Evil 5, which was lacking for character development. I felt for the new characters - they weren't thrown in to propel the established icons but were integral to the story. Will we see most of them again? Probably not. However, there were a few that have the potential to be good allies (as supporting, most likely) in the future.

The Bad: There are only a few things I didn't like about Resident Evil 6. The first would be the J'avo enemies. I understand that they're like the bad guys from the fourth and fifth game but the experience was TOO Call of Duty - it ruined Chris' and half of Jake's chapters for me. If I wanted to play a tactical war game, I would. The second would be the storage space for items. Internal space was fine but at times, it did get frustrating trying to make room and figure out why I couldn't pick up items. Plus, there really was no development for weapon upgrades besides unlocking skills (which needed to be purchased).

The Results: 7/10!
Resident Evil 6 was enjoyable, I'll give you that. However, I could have done without some of the chapters. With so many characters added to the story, there needs to be purpose to have them around. The story improved over the last installment and the return of the zombies is a highlight to purchase the game. Plus, the graphics were amazing, with one scene in particular in setting the mood for the climax of the storyline. For those of you still undecided, I would recommend to get Resident Evil 6 because for five chapters within each of the four storylines, it was surprisingly a long and worthwhile game.

Agree or Disagree with the review? Share your thoughts below and let us know what you've thought of the game.

A new game has been completed which means it's time to write another review. In actuality, I completed this game much earlier but due to a technical glitch (which will be explained further), it prolonged my actual redemption of the completed achievement. Now that I've completed the final boss, this game finally deserves an entry into my blog. The game that I will be reviewing is the zombie-sandbox apocalypse: Dead Island!

The Premise: Set on the fictional island of Banoi (located off the coast of Papua New Guinea to those who want to get technical), a strange cannibalistic virus is spreading throughout the island infecting the many inhabitants, including the travelers and guests at the island's popular hotel hotspot - the Palms Resort Hotel.

What begins as a typical night of parties and relaxation at the resort quickly becomes a zombie-filled nightmare. Played through the perspective as one of four diverse characters: the hotel receptionist Xian Mei, tough-as-nails hotel security Purna, former NFL star and alcoholic Logan and one-hit wonder rap star Sam B. When the game begins in a drunken haze (through the eyes of the main character), the user discovers that the hotel is under attack and that zombies are running wild throughout the many floors. What you soon learn to discover is that the island has been infected and the remaining survivors are scattered throughout trying to survive the outbreak.

While the story is not about saving the scattered survivors from peril, the game focuses on the adventures of the main characters trying to survive the outbreak and discover the true meaning behind this virus. From sandy beaches of the resort to the murky depths of the sewers, the player will get to explore the many iconic landmarks and areas on the island to see truly how far this virus has spread.

Where To Play: Since this is a multi-platform game, you can play Dead Island on the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. In terms of this review, I played the game on the Xbox 360.

The Good: Early on, I came to the opinion that stayed true throughout the story: Dead Island is the most realistic zombie game ever I've played. This may be confusing to some but if you think about it (...like really think about!) then you would agree that compared to other zombie games that are currently out there (i.e., Dead Rising and Left 4 Dead), Dead Island is more grounded in "realism." While there are many outrageous and preposterous components (i.e., like the different types of zombies), the game tried to be realistic. Ammo would be scare, guns wouldn't be lying around to casually pick up, travel takes time especially when crossing an island and characters do tend to die in a zombie apocalypse.

Another positive would be the various weapons. In staying tuned to the "realistic" element, the game had many options for the player to use as a weapon that they could find anywhere on the island. The only time the weapons became outrageous was when you can upgrade to even more powerful and dangerous fire power. Just be careful when using guns as ammo is scarce early on and you won't be able to restock until the enemies start getting more powerful.

The scenery and environment in Dead Island is also a positive point of the game. In a sand-box type game like this, having an open and diverse world to explore helps to keep things fresh and interesting. While I didn't like certain areas like the sewers, I loved exploring the city and the resort to find awesome extras and interesting stories that were developing all around the main characters. I just wish that there was more access to the island instead of keeping it contained in specific areas.

I'm throwing this out there right now - I don't expect literary level dialogue in video games but enough where I don't laugh every time the main characters talk during the cut-scenes. Whenever Logan, Sam, Purna or Xian opened their mouths to talk, it would always be trying to throw out one-liners or saying exactly what was on their minds. The saving grace was the dialogue of the supporting characters because you dealt when them face-to-face. I liked the cut-scenes but this was a game where the dialogue didn't propel me to care about the main characters.

The final aspect that I didn't like about the game is the overall development of the story. Being a sandbox game, you could take your leisurely time to complete the main missions. However, I noticed that when I did complete important missions to develop the storyline, nothing major or important would develop. The characters would have to complete a chapter and you would find out secondhand from another individual that something developed or that a character died. While you are privy to seeing things develop, I felt that learning the mystery behind the zombie virus and experiencing the major twists wasn't as meaningful as finding the clues and developments directly through experiences.

The Results: 7.5/10!
While I really did like Dead Island as a whole, there were a couple of issues that should have been tended to before the game was launched mainstream. The weapon selection and environments brought this title to another level and the missions/sub-missions kept me interested throughout the storymode. The main characters were a tad dull and lifeless, the dialogue was simple at best and the glitching hindered my process when trying to complete significant landmarks. In terms of this review, Dead Island would have received a much higher score than it did, but I cannot excuse the fact that the game glitched and froze at a pivotal moment when I completed the game. For those of you who think this problem was console-based, it wasn't - I checked. I can forgive the issue but I can't forget, especially when I had to play the entire Act IV all over again!

Agree or Disagree with the review? Share your thoughts below and let us know what you've thought of the game.

It's been a while since the last video game review and I understand that this may be an old game to do a review about but finally completing this game is an accomplishment to me. I started playing this game around Christmas and have only attempted it around the weekends of when I have free time. The fact I was able to finally complete a two disc story-mode game that spanned over 40 hours really means something to me that I wanted to create a review for this game.

The Premise: Gabriel Belmont is a member of The Brotherhood of Light that serves to protect the world from the monsters and evil that infest the world. When his beloved Marie is found dead, Gabriel goes on a quest to find a way that he can bring back his deceased wife back to the living. In his travels, Gabriel meets that guardian Pan that instructs him to go to the lake to communicate with the spirit of his dead wife but in the process, he meets Zobek, another warrior of light. Zobek reveals an ancient legend of the Brotherhood of Light that states when the Lords of Shadow are defeated, the powers can unite the connection back to the heavens and bestow Gabriel with the power to bring Marie back.

The quest brings Gabriel to fight the three Lords of Shadow and bring together the pieces of the God mask which is said to see and resurrect the dead. He must travel through the lands and vanquish the three Lords: Lycans, Vampires and Necromancers. Aiding Gabriel (one way or another) throughout his adventure includes the warrior of light Zobek, the telepathic mute girl Claudia and her Black Knight golem, the clairvoyant Pan, playful yet psychotic teenage vampire Laura and aging mystic witch Bab Yaga.

Where To Play: Lords of Shadow is available on a multitude of gaming consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Once again for the basis of this review, I have played the game on the 360 (if you have any other suggestions for games on other systems then please say so, I have the gaming systems but will try to play the games to write a review for you).

The Good: One thing that stood out compared to all other aspects of this game is the visual design of the settings and scenery. Each level is visually stunning and you can tell that the video game designers spent countless hours making sure that each detail from a rock to the reflection of the water was perfected. In most games, the setting is just emphasized as the background and treated as such where the camera and dynamics are focused on the playable character whereas this game focused on the setting and you had to adapt to each level and the camera angle/environment you had to deal with like a falling ledge or climbing up a dilapidated cave to the one entrance in the middle of the ceiling.

The Castlevania series is known for its complex and intertwining storyline. Many fans (including myself at times) have debated (or brought into question) the true canonical story that gives the player an accurate depiction of the adventure. While many games before left you wondering the true story, Lords of Shadow is surprisingly linear and gives you a storyline that spans two discs that the gamer can follow. The story was not overtly complicated: you knew there were three main villains you had to face with the ultimate goal of bringing your dead wife back while everything in between was fodder. In the previous installments, you were just pulled into the adventure to know that Dracula was at the end to fight but another big villain is ready to fight instead.

It must be cliché that I’ve focused on the setting and story aspect but I’ll keep it going with the characters (don’t judge me). Sometimes developers choose the wrong person to portray a character but surprisingly, I was pulled into each character dynamic. The highlights have to be Gabriel, Zobek and Laura (the vampire teen in particular for a supporting character). I somewhat figured out the twist with a specific character halfway through the game but I enjoyed the twist and believed that it would turn out this way instead of certain games (couch*Heavy Rain*cough) throwing out a twist just to have a shocking conclusion.

The Bad: Now here is the true root of any video game review. I think these paragraphs are what you all truly skim over the post to read. While the camera angle did help to set the mood and setting, sometimes it was very detrimental when using Gabriel during the game. Many times throughout a level, the camera angle would cause me to move Gabriel in the wrong direction causing him to fall off a cliff, or a pedestal, or a ledge; something that got me frustrated to work around the scene.

The controls were already choppy at certain moments like when jumping and trying to hook a ledge to swing, the directions when moving around certain objects or when Gabriel continues to move at the slightest tap of the control stick and I so happen to fall off the moving pedestal. The fighting controls were easy enough but I wish there was more explanations on how to use them (like during a spontaneous puzzle).

The last thing (which depends on the type of person) is that the design somewhat takes away from the nostalgia of the Castlevania series. While I loved the plot of the story and functionality of keeping it linear, this game made sure the backtracking aspect was kept to a minimum. For previous games like Symphony of the Night, Alucard was able to revisit all the areas of the castle (another issue which I will present in the next paragraph) even when he completed the boss but this game focused on levels and once a level was completed, you moved on. It’s great for re-playability but loses the aspect to explore hidden chambers and rooms.

The biggest thing which I think everyone can agree me with to a certain point is that there technically was no official Castlevania in this game. It was a prequel to all the events that happen later on but the only castle you get to explore was when you had to fight the Vampire Queen, Carmilla. The castle was amazing and it would have been great to have more levels to explore the castle but it was more a small taste to the experience we’ve all enjoyed from the previous games. I think that’s my real disappointment is that I wish it was clarified as Castlevania and not just a namesake for this game.

The Results: 8.5/10!

I have much respect for this game as it truly redefined the perception of the next generation Castlevania game. It brought life to a somewhat dead (drum-line please!) or classic series to a new generation of gamers. The plot and characters were impeccable and kept you at the edge of your seat. While there was (in my opinion) too much downtown in between the eventful moments and the choppy controls didn’t help either. It made the game more realistic than adventure games that always just use the same formula: slow opening-action-action-more action-pointless dialogue-shocking twist-final battle-climax finish-credits. I hope that there will be a sequel after seeing the twist at the end but we’ll just have to wait and see if a new school of Castlevania games will be on the horizon…most likely at night.

Agree or Disagree with the review? Share your thoughts below and let’s hear what you have to say about the game we just reviewed.

It's been a while since I've reviewed a video game for you all but the wait will not disappoint. I've been getting more time to play through story modes and complete games to write reviews. For this edition of "In My Console" on this blog, I will be reviewing the new re-imaging of the bloody-fighting series: Mortal Kombat!

The Premise: The years of Mortal Kombat have dealt a heavy blow against the battle of Good vs. Evil. With the events of Armageddon coming to its climax, only Raiden and Shao Khan are left fighting on top of the pyramid while hundreds of their allied fighters lay dead on the fields below. When Raiden is defeated and about to be dealt the final blow, he speaks a mystical incantation that delivers a series of images from key moments throughout the last few years and a defining message that says "He must win" to himself years prior.

Now reliving the events starting from the first game in the series, the visions have created an alternate time line where Raiden impacts decisions previously made with new options. Raiden's influence has spread throughout the first trilogy in the series by changing key events and slowly manipulating the thoughts of characters we have previously thought of as good or evil. With events ticking down to the ultimate conclusion of fighting Shao Kahn, what will the Earthrealm fighters do if they know that their decisions may lead them back to Armageddon?

Where To Play: Mortal Kombat has been ported to a variety of systems such as PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. For the basis of this review, I have played this game on the 360.

The Good: When dealing with a fighting video game series, many have deemed that they can be interchangeable with each other. The good points about the Mortal Kombat series is that it focuses on the raw and bloody appeal of fighting. The fatalities and new "neck-breaker" combinations deal heavy blows with great cinematics. The story mode definitely was a highlight for me because the first two games never really highlighted the story behind the characters and it was nice to get a real in-depth view of what the characters experienced in the first three tournaments. Also a favourite is the inclusion of new characters yet-to-be created such as Skarlett who started as a palette-swap glitch in the second game. You can see her in the background of story mode so I'm excited to read about her back-story and how she took part in the story mode.The Kombat Pass is a nifty idea that will be a hit or miss with this series. Multiplayer is a hot commodity to have so we'll see if people do end up purchasing the pass to play the game on friend's systems.

The Bad: There were only a couple of things that I didn't like about this game. The fighting movements were a little choppy at parts and some of the fighting stances with previously top-rated characters were noticeably weakened in this game (i.e., Sub-Zero). My biggest negative point is Liu Kang. He was surprisingly a pain to play as in this series and when you had to fight against Shao Kahn to progress the story line, Liu Kang is hands down one of the weakest characters. I'm not bashing him because he's one of my least favourite characters but he definitely caused some stress to play his matches.

The Results: 8.5/10!

While I absolutely love this series and thought this was a great addition especially as a re-imaging, they are a couple of issues that could have been looked at before releasing. The story mode was impeccable and I can't wait to see the sequel and how new characters are affected with the new time line such as Tanya and Shinook. The fighting combos bring a new essence to the game and I thought that each character was given depth and purpose whether they were a lead or supporting. The only thing I wish is that the story mode hadn't have finished too soon because they could have revealed so much more juicy details that we could have been shocked to find out. For the next couple of years, let's see the slight differences between the original time line and this new one. Start taking your bets to see which characters will make a reappearance in the newer games. Hmm... that gives me an idea for later!

Agree or Disagree with the review? Share your thoughts and post a comment with how you felt about the game.

I am literally at the final mission in the game and once again through no fault of my own, the ending has been spoiled for me. I am, however, ready to write the next article in the "In My Console" category. The game that I am going to be reviewing is the action-period piece: Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.

The Story: Ezio Auditore, the protagonist of the second game, has discovered the secret from the mysterious individual beneath the Vatican. He is confused about the truth but is quickly thrust back into battle against the Borgia, the main antagonist family for the game. After a surprise attack in Monteriggioni, Ezio, his family and a slew of companions (assassins, courtesans, thieves, mercenaries, friends and civilians) must now rise in their locale, Rome, to take back control of the city, defeat the Borgia family and return possession of the Apple of Eden.

(L to R): Rebecca, Desmond, Shaun, and Lucy.

Where To Play: The game can be played on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and on the Xbox 360. Once again for the basis of this review, the game has been played on the Xbox 360. 

The Good: Even though this game can be classified as a cross between a sequel and a spin-off for the series, Brotherhood has offered more than the previous two games in terms of extras. There is now a new multiplayer addition to the game and for those of you who have read previous posts of mine, you know how much I love having multiplayer in a video game; it adds the continuing play factor. The new addition allows the user to play as an iconic (fictionalized) assassin to compete on assignments and play head-to-head against other individuals.

Other extras include the iconic scenery of well-known locations and the ability to purchase them to strengthen the power of the Assassin's Guild. My favourite addition is the ability to recruit aspiring assassins around the city, employ them to fight guards in Rome that are after Ezio, and sending them to complete missions across Europe and Asia.

The Bad: The controls have improved from the first two games. However, there were problems when actions didn't orchestrate how I wanted them to while completing a mission, such as running from guards or climbing an incredibly difficult building. Fixed camera angles were a bit of a nuisance, especially in certain locations when you're trying to jump to a support beam or a placement on the wall. I didn't like the half/full synchronization method at first to complete an extra goal. Sometimes the extra goals were redundant and hard to complete in the allotted time. The last issue I had with the game is that the locations were very limited. In Assassin's Creed 2, you're able visit a variety of cities across Italy while in this game, it only focused in Rome. The design of the city was beautiful, but the game felt very short compared to the previous installments.

The Result: 8.5/10! 
I love the Assassin's Creed series and the continued improvements that the series is making. I just wish that some of the issues were improved upon and that there was more variety to the locations. Multiplayer is a great touch and I loved the overarching story; however, the experience felt shortened compared to previous installments. The game sometimes felt like an expanded DLC (downloadable content) that could have just been download and added to AC2. However, the purchase as a stand-alone game was worth the buy and subsequent play for all the extras and the continued story in Rome.