How could you not? Lol Congrats on getting past O & S. I love that feeling as well, of going to places and feeling like "I should not be here...". Which is what DS does so well, that sense of the unknown around every turn and the hidden depth to be discovered. Even on NG + I have found things I hadn't learned before. Even a "secret" which if you do, creates a permanent change in the environment and opens up a new area which leads to a hidden boss. Love that.

They are very little. A few new abilities/perks/killstreaks added, a reworking of old gametypes but with new names and a new co-op game mode called Wolfpack (which actually is pretty cool). But that's it. Smoke Bomb is even more unbalanced considering that they took Mute and Charge out so everyone is using it. Cause why not? You can still easily be on the receiving end of a smoke bomb/focus/poison kill and rack in the points and there's very little you can do about it.

The Witcher 2 is a great shout. Playing as a single character in a dark fantasy setting of political intrigue and conspiracy. You are pushed along where you have to make choices which have an impact on the story, but the choices aren't as clear cut as Mass Effects paragon/renegade system, they're all very shades of grey. And they matter, the decisions you make absolutely have an impact on not only the story but the gameplay. The combat is difficult and takes a while to get used much like Dark Souls. But you get stronger, you adapt and then eventually you are taking on groups of enemies feeling like a badass, even though the difficulty is maintained throughout. Get careless and you will die. I would highly recommend it, I would go so far as to say it is one of the most engaging and immersive games of this console generation. A complex narrative, full of character, an excellent script and a rich gaming environment. It's an RPG with an incredible amount of depth that makes it impossible for you to discover in one playthrough and with the choices that are asked of you, you will want to replay it again and find out how you could take the story differently.

^ A great article. The smaller, more personal consequences were a lot more important to me than writing my own ending. It probably wouldn't have worked as well if the writing and characters weren't so strong, but as it happens both were generally brilliant. My nerves were shredded making some of those decisions.

On a different subject, I kind of want to go off a little on something that has kind of irritated me a little. It's when narrative goes against gameplay, specifically in cases of origin stories and when gameplay goes against what the narrative has setup. I realised this when playing Assassin's Creed 3, when Connor goes out to find the Assassin mentor so he can be trained in the art of assassination. To me it implies that Connor is there to learn and in time he will be skilled in combat and all that jazz. Except, when you're actually playing the game, the story dictates that you have to fight these guards before the mentor will accept you, and Connor doesn't need any training at all. You are just as experienced if you know the combat mechanics that you can dispatch the guards with all the ease of a master assassin anyway.

It's even worse in AC2. At least there is some justification in that Connor at that age is also an experienced huntsman, with the stamina and physique of someone living in the wilderness. In the beginnning of AC2, Ezio is a playboy who never fought in his life. Now before he even dons the robes you're saying that he can kill guards in sword combat? Same with Jason in Far Cry 3, a spoilt rich kid is now experienced in all kinds of handling firearms and killing guards with ease from the very beginning. This new Devil May Cry is meant to tell Dante's origin story, about the man before his demon skills have fully formed, but you know, still looks like an all powerful unstoppable demon killing machine to me.

See to me, I think there is more worth in playing as someone who isn't all powerful from the get go. In those scenarios I described with AC, I'd rather that the character just get beaten up or wounded, with no chance to defend yourself. Make that be a harsh lesson he learns and be part of his character development. Have the game then progress and so you learn how to block, to counter etc and take fulfillment in seeing your character start as someone who can barely swing a sword, into someone who can kill guards with alarming efficiency. Same with a FPS, I wouldn't mind it if, while playing as someone who the narrative dictates has never used a gun in their life, to make it so the aim wasn't perfect from the beginning. That the hands shake and then gradually get more steady as you progress.

I get the argument as well that you don't want to play as a weak character from the beginning and ultimately these contradictions don't detract much from my overall enjoyment of a game. It's just something that I rarely see developers do right when telling someone's origin story and in making a character's progression become somewhat believable.

I've already mentioned about how odd Connor's assassin's training is when narrative meets gameplay and while that main part left me thinking like 'eh, whatever', I do want to mention that I actually took Connor's training into my own hands and I think it gave me a much more fulfilling experience in training Connor to be an assassin.

After the Boston massacre you're given an option to fast travel, either directly back to the homestead and continue with the next mission, or back to the frontier. I chose the latter. I thought it would be cool to not only explore some of it, because I hadn't done much before then, but also built this story in my own head, that as part of Connor's training he is asked to make his way back to the homestead by travelling across the frontier on his own. It takes a while too, like maybe 20-30 mins of travel on foot to reach the homestead. But honestly, doing that gave me some greater experiences than following the main storyline progression.

Like I found a synchronisation point that was this massive tree. And I had difficulty climbing up it, I would get so far and then mess up and slide back down the tree or just fall like a stone to the snowy ground below.I eventually made it and found it really satisfying that Connor would take multiple attempts to climb it, thinking that it would increase his knowledge, his physique and test his determination. I learned of the dangers of the frontier while running across the trees as I saw a guard run for his life from a wolf before getting mauled by it. I would hunt for food in the harsh winter setting, get to learn more about how those mechanics work. I saw a camp of redcoats and avoided them by running along the trees above. I saw a smaller group of guards protect a treasure chest in a barn and through planning and entering through the roof, I was able to dispatch them quickly, not shedding much blood.

All of those things were pretty satisfying to me as part of the character development. It wasn't necessary and it just added more game time for me than anything, but I thought it was cool that those things happened to me and I consider it as part of my experience of getting to know Assassin's Creed 3 better and serve as some kind of development for Connor.

Ok so I've read and watched reviews and you know what? Can't help but feel a little hard done by. It's basically got the same elements of a Devil May Cry game yet has slower combat and horrible character redesigns. Why all the praise? I think it's down to the fact that people playing it haven't been fans of the series or even at the least played other games in the series. When reviewers come out and hail the adaptive difficulty, or difficulty modes like Dante Must Die/Heaven and Hell/Hell and Hell as new features, when they are elements that have been in DMC 3/4, then it makes you wonder. From what I've heard from reviewers, it's almost like they're trying too hard to defend it.

Sadly, building up the style meter is easier than in past games, no doubt about that. I've seen it jump up two style levels in as many moves and all it seems like is just vary your weapons slightly and don't get hit so much. Getting a SSS in DMC3 made you feel like a god, what kind of worth does this have to offer?

This is in all likelihood a fairly good action game. It's not a Devil May Cry game.

I bought the Artorias of the Abyss DLC. I like how even being able to access the DLC in-game is kept obscure and cryptic where it would normally be a menu option in other games! Only just entered the new area now and no joke, I've died in the first 30 secs. It's a real "oh hey I see you've put over 100 hrs in this game now, you think you're comfortable right? NOPE!" But I love it for that. Honestly, it's stuff like this that doesn't make me worry for the sequel. It shows that From Software has a commitment to really challenge players and to challenge them in such a way that it rewards as much as it infuriates.

A potential tease for Project Gotham Racing 5

MSR/PGR2 are joint top the best racing games I've ever played. Not just because of the style of racing, that was a lot of fun. Specifically why I think those games are so great is the soundtrack and the tracks, more specifically the cities. Each city had a real atmosphere to them and it was because, I feel, those cities had radio stations playing music that was native to that country e.g. Stockholm would play bands from Sweden, Yokohama bands from Japan etc. Even the DJ's spoke in the native tongue. To me, that really made me feel good to come back and play it, because racing games to me aren't necessarily about the cars, it's about the tracks. And while PGR4 probably had the best gameplay of the series, a lot of what made that series special was lost when they had this generic soundtrack where you could listen to any song at any time.

MSR went a step even further by basing the day/night settings of the tracks be set upon the Dreamcast's internal clock, so if you were playing at 12PM on London it would be the daytime in the track, but if you drove in Tokyo next, it would be 8PM their time, and so you would be driving at night. It can be a bit gimmicky sure, but I loved that. I'm amazed no other game has done that, not even PGR.

It's wishful thinking, but I hope PGR5 brings those elements back. But still, PGR5 as a potential launch title for next Xbox? Would be a big deal for me.

So apparently there's an easy to use farming resource glitch in Dead Space 3 which completely negates the need for micro-transactions. But it's ok! EA isn't going to patch that out, in fact, they like that there is a bug in the game that allows this and doesn't want people to give them extra money as intended...For them to pass this off as an intentional thing is just like the microtransactions themselves.

I'm not buying it.

It's funny, I've watched other people play The Walking Dead and everyone I saw was affected by all those emotional high points just as hard as they did for me. Just goes to show the strength of the story that's been told when it gets such a universal reaction.

And people say this isn't a Metal Gear game...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZncjQS4fyo[/youtube]

Playing Crysis 3 and getting a Metroid Prime vibe from this choice from the soundtrack.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76qvMhXBM-w[/youtube]

Rising is more connected to the events of 2 and 4 than other games so you can play it and not miss a beat with Peace Walker.

In another hilarious twist of fate a modder found a way to play SimCity offline, completely negating EA's claim that offline play was impossible . Let me just be clear, I have every sympathy for the engineers working long hours to get things fixed, or the PR representative who has to face all this criticism. But both the developers and EA have fucked this up so bad, lying about it even now, and they should be called out for it. Does anyone really, really believe the PR spin of "the servers are busy because the players who were already on were having so much fun they didn't want to leave?" And they also said an offline more would take too many resources and man hours to do, when some random guy can do it in his bedroom? It proves how easy it is for Maxis/EA to come up with an offline mode, and how incredibly devious they are in achieving their marketing/sales goals. EA have knowingly lied to consumers, all but for an arbitrary decision on their part to retain as much control over SimCity as possible.

It's surely one of the worst game launches that I can think of.

In a nice surprise, characters from Left 4 Dead 2 will be playable in RE6 PC version and vice versa

Now I'm hankering to play L4D2 again. Shame the 360 community is dead.

Segata Sanshiro Jr. wrote: This would be awesome, if it weren't RE6.

They're still doing it for free though, can't fault them for the effort.

^ Definately, the dialogue is great, some real quotes you can lift out of there including one genuine laugh out loud moment.

I always figured that Kamiya responded nastily back to deliberate trolls, at least that's what I've seen from example tweets. Fish just derides developers and gaming public alike, without provocation, in a way that will win him no fans whatsoever. Both have made good games though so I guess the question is does knowing the developers personal lives affect how you perceive their work? Have to say that it has affected me somewhat when coming to the new Devil May Cry game, given the way Ninja Theory had so callously disregarded fan opinion before release.

I found out that there is a Game of Thrones exhibit coming to Belfast in June. Costumes, props, an interactive Blackwater Bay experience and a replica of the Iron Throne to sit on. Let me make this abundantly clear, there is nothing in this world that will prevent me from going to this. NOTHING.

Here's a love message sent to me over Xbox Live after some Crysis 3 multiplayer.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n404NydgiD4[/youtube]

I am no man.

I liked the show all the way up until the middle of Season 3. Then, nothing happened for the next 5 episodes and I haven't even watched the latest episode yet.

This is just how I feel. Season 3 started off so strongly and off the end of Season 2 where it seemed like so little happened, things just happened so fast that was engaging, shocking and emotional. The first half of S3 has one of the best episodes I've seen on any TV show ever. And then it comes to the town and the Govenor and it's just fizzled out.

I like the show, it's still enjoyable to watch but it's fairly inconsistent. At times it shows moments of brilliance while other times it just frustrates and annoys me with the writers having characters make stupid decisions in order to create some fake dramatic tension Looking at you pregnant Lori rushing out by herself to get Rick.

Of course having said that, it doesn't help that the show keeps going through different showrunners, with ones taking on other people's story arcs and having to work around that. The last few episodes have been taken on by a new showrunner, one who will lead the show next season, and I gotta say it looks promising. The past few episodes have been really good, the Rick/Carl/Michonne centered one in particular. Here's hoping he stays. And that he kills off Andrea soon because fuck Andrea.

I think the game tells a better story than the show though. Not because the show is really bad, but because the game is really good, that when you see it all you can't compare the two.

Also, The Walking Dead and Toy Story are one and the same.

^ Agree with you 100%. I think it's a huge stretch to even call the optional tombs as the traditional TR tombs because they're so goddamn simple. In fact, the last 2 tombs I've gone to have revolved around the same 'puzzle'. Put weights down on a man made, mechanical platform (rather odd to find one of those in an ancient undiscovered tomb but whatever), wait til it comes down, throw the weights off, rise up with the platform and that's it. I mean these are optional tombs, this is where some of the challenge should be outside of the main path the game takes you down, but it's just all disappointing considering that TR Underworld had some really good environmental puzzles. I know Crystal Dynamics is more than capable so yeh, it's disappointing to see.

I like the game, enjoying the combat and traversing through the open areas, it's a very decent game for what it is but....it's just so by the numbers. Was hoping for more TR than Uncharted, even though I should have expected that it wouldn't be the case based on the marketing. I feel that if it had the same combat system with the number and difficulty of tomb exploration and puzzles of TR Underworld, then it would be the perfect TR game.

Finally beat the DLC. Finally! Good lord, Artorias was hard, but Kalameet? Manus? Fuck those guys. Really enjoyed it though. Bring on Dark Souls II.

The last boss fight in Dark Souls, where a man risen to be a god amongst men must fight someone who's fallen to be a mere man amongst gods. Really poetic.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB6sOhQan9Y[/youtube]

^ Exactly! Or have it so that the character is thrown into a difficult situation or comes up against a tough opponent from the beginning of the game, and make it in such a way that you can't win, that he/she has their ass beaten. Make that be impactful to the character by making it a humbling experience, have him or her be scarred or wounded as a result of it. That way they reflect on it and find it within themselves to carry on and get stronger. Let their scar serve as a reminder to him of what they are fighting for and of how they used to be. Then eventually over the course of the game you get stronger and stronger until you are eventually on equal footing if not stronger than ever and have the character redeem himself by stopping the bad guys.

Huge sigh of relief anyone? Because that looks fucking awesome. I can't wait.

I think it looks fun. Gotta take into account that this was done in 6 months, so what would you rather have them do? A few new weapons and multiplayer maps? Why not take the time to just take an established formula, which already makes a good game in itself, take whatever little time or money there is and just go crazy with it? Low risk, gives the opportunity for the developers to go nuts and just have fun. The setting's ridiculous! I mean in this world, the apocalypse had an apocalypse. This is set after Vietnam II. Don't ask why, just revel in it.

To me, I view this as the same vein as AC4. Would a seamless, open world pirate game have necessarily got the funding without the AC name attached? Maybe not, but who's gonna complain if they end up getting a game based on a concept they've always imagined for so long? Blood Dragon is the same way. Would you have gotten this neon lighted, knowingly culturally irrelevant shooter without the Far Cry name? Probably not. Red Dead Redemption and inFamous have also done something like this, so I don't see the issue.

It looks to wear it's influences on it's sleeve (I've seen plenty of Terminator/Predator/Robocop references in 10 mins alone) and if you watch the tutorial, is knowingly self aware that it is also a game. At least it's not so self serious as most shooters pretend to be lately. I don't see the harm, looks like it'll be a blast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOvBP8cc2F4

North Korea? Al-Qaeda? At this point, it is as every good a chance of it being some fat, lonely nutjob, still smarting at a black president, legal homosexuals and stricter gun control, signalling the start of his one man "New American Revolution" on Patriots Day in Boston.

Awful news, to hurt innocent people on such a scale, with the intent to kill, is just beyond comprehension. It's also equally awful to think that the same thing happens in Iraq/Afghanistan on an almost weekly basis.

So it turns out all these conspiracy theories were derived from completely out of context, over analyzed "facts" that put the blame on innocent civilians while the "savage" people (who are of eastern-european descent) are on the run, shooting out the police, and wrecking havok.

Yeah. Sounds like a legit False flag. The government is totally behind all this 100%.

But don't you see man?! By making it so fucking obvious that it's not a government cover up, that's what they want you to think...

A mother in a 'defending her son' shocker. More at 11.

The newsreader in that second video is a penis. "How can you explain your sons shooting and throwing explosives at police officers?". Um, complete fabrication, bro. That's what's being reported, but did it happen? Fuck no.

And you know that's a fabrication because what? You saw it first hand? Not saying that this government or any other should be trusted completely without question, but all this talk of conspiracy theory seems just a wee bit ridiculous. If Navy Seals are behind it, why would they be walking around with the logo on their clothing? . If the two are innocent, then it seems awfully strange that CCTV footage shows them dropping off the bags that contained the bombs near the marathon site. Or holding up that driver at gunpoint so they can continue to escape. Or kill that police officer. Perhaps most importantly, what does any of this achieve? Usher in a new world order? Please. Do me a favour...

First of all you have to question why a conspiracy nut like Alex Jones appears to be would be so keen to believe every conspiracy he stumbles upon (apart from him being a nut). Then you realise he's encouraging everyone to visit his site. Then you realise he makes money from it. Then you remember that highly viewed Youtube videos make a small fortune. Then you realise maybe he's not a nut after all.