OMG! RROD FTL! CMEO! GTEASAPPS3FTTB!

(Ridiculous acronym above means = Going To Eat A Sandwich And Play PlayStation 3 For The Time Being)

Crapcakes! I knew it was just a matter of time, but the dreaded 360 Red Ring of Death has finally wreaked it's havoc upon our happy home. It's being repaired right now, but still, half of my slate has been put on hold, which is probably not a bad thing Anyway, moving on.

2/8 to 3/12 At a glance

Currently Playing:
Resident Evil 5(PS3) ,
Rock Band 2 (PS3),

On Hold (Thanks RROD!):
Borderlands (360) Just after I got Secret Armory too!
Call of Duty 2 (360)
Mass Effect 2 (360) Renegade playthrough denied!


Recently Finished:
Brütal Legend (PS3)
Civilization: Revolution (360)
Assassin's Creed 2 (PS3) Platinum #5!

to be written on next time:
Resistance: Retribution (PSP) Story Playthrough
God of War Collection (PS3) Platinum #'s 6 and 7!
Modern Warfare 2 (360),


My Assassin's Creed II Stats

• Platform: PS3
  
• Playthroughs: 1 @ 35+ hours
  
• Trophies: 51/51 (Platinum #5!)
  
• I compare it to: Parkour + Stabbing = Awesome, Part 2!
  
• Play it again?: You betcha!

So, how do you make Assassin's Creed, one of the first fully realized experiences of this hardware generation, even better? Switch up the mission types, expand the locales, and give Ezio, Altaïr's descendant, an even more awesome moveset! ACII delivers on the promise of its predecessor, providing an incredibly rich experience.


My Brütal Legend Stats

 

• Platform: PS3
  
• Playthroughs: 1+ @ 30+ hours
  
• Trophies: 40/51
  
• I compare it to: Metal more Metal than Metal thought Metal could be!
  
• Play it again?: When it's too cheap to pass up

I've been waiting to write this one up for a while now. When I first read about Brütal Legend when it was in its early stages of development years ago, I was beyond excited. A game totally devoted to all things heavy metal, where the landscape looked like an album cover anywhere you looked just sounded great to me. I love metal, and Brütal Legend just sounded like the ultimate game to me. (especially when I'd heard that Jack Black was involved.) So, more than 2 years later, what do I think of the finished game? Well, sigh. It's a mixed bag, to say the least, but, to be honest, I really think the pros outweigh the cons.

The creativity on display here is top-notch, from core concept to minor details, Brütal Legend really is a loving tribute to the world of metal, with wink (and occasionally groan) inducing nods toward its glam, goth, and industrial offspring. The story and characters are generally well written also, and developer Tim Schafer's brand of humor makes the laughs come often. Unfortunately, while Double Fine provides us with a fantastic world and mythology to play in, the gameplay itself suffers from a serious lack of polish. While I love the spells (each activated with a guitar solo), the melee combat is very simple hack and slash.

This would have been alright if it had been carried (albeit improved on and upgradable) through the course of the game, however, the major plot points in the game involve the extremely cumbersome stage battles. Now, as I explain below, I'm not a big RTS person, but I don't have anything against them. Brütal Legend utilizes many units (most of which are faction specific) that are clever in both concept and execution. However, I believe it's the management of these units that makes the battles very cumbersome. I cannot point to one particular problem with these sequences, however, for me, it just seems like the whole never becomes more than the sum of it's parts. Despite this, Brütal Legend is a really fun game, and with it's excellent metal soundtrack (for a good laugh, look at the genre divisions in the music menu) and awesome cameos by Lemmy Kilmeister, Ozzy Osbourne, and Rob Halford, it made me not only enjoy the time I spent playing it, but also to really enjoy metal again. Recommended for any video gaming metalhead.


My Civilization: Revolution Stats

• Platform: Xbox 360
  
• Playthroughs: 20+ @ 1-4 hours each
  
• Achievements: 50/50 (Completed #10!)
  
• I compare it to: RTS Lite.
  
• Play it again?: Certainly, especially since the wife constantly plays it.

A good friend of mine plays this ALL the time. This is a friend that plays many of the same games that I do. So, I was mildly surprised to see this on his Now Playing line on his XBL profile. I wondered for a while, until I got it through GameFly for my wife. I watched her play for a few days, then I started playing as well, then I understood. Revolution provides a streamlined approach to the RTS experience, making it more accessible for gamers not as familiar with that genre (like myself). The result is a game that while not my usual cup of tea, is incredibly addictive and enjoyable. Point of interest, my wife refused to speak to me for the rest of the night after I nuked the Japanese. She did not feel better after I had the Japanese nuke the Germans.

Next time, more write ups, and God of War III is almost here! (written 3/13, posted 3/22)