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I hope everyone's Summer is going smoothly. My one week off, before Summer Quarter (8 weeks of classes) begins, is going nicely. I intend to hammer out more blogs in the coming weeks.

GOG has just made Torchlight (DRM-free) a free grab for two (2) days only. If you don't already own it DRM-free, and want it, grab it now. If you have a GOG account, run to it ASAP. If you don't have a GOG account, don't worry, it's free.

I was muddling through websites I frequent this morning and paid GOG a casual visit. On their homepage, scroll down...BAM! Along with it are several other dirt cheap deals, including the Wide A. Wake Bundle: Both Alan Wake games, DRM-free, for only $4.48! It's part of GOG's "No DRM Summer Sale".

Take Care & Enjoy FREE and DRM-free while it's there!

-nate1222/hare1222 on Steam/hare122275 on Youtube

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[ Watch Video ]

E3 was great and exausting. Too tired to write up stuff, so here is a video thing about some info and stuff that maybe didn't make it onto the livestreams. Thanks for watching E3 folks - we had record numbers and amazing feedback all week. Really proud to be part of it. Also some questions:

Q: What was your your favourite game of E3?
Q: PS4 or XBOX ONE?

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When I started playing it I was going to call my town LaytonVillie but however the letters were too long to call it, so instead I've named my town Inaba from Persona 4 (PS2/Vita) and even had the Persona 4 logo as my town flag and the Junes theme as my town theme music too ^^

I have been playing it more than 8 hours already over the past few days now and even played online with a few of my friends which can be very addictive and turned my character into Professor Layton with an eye patch-

On the Saturday there was an Animal Crossing Launch Event on Newcastle where a load of 3DS users would meet up and play multiplayer games or having a laugh, I was at an Anime meet as well during the day and yes we were talking about Animal Crossing, when I got StreetPassed at least a good 60 odd people were playing it on that day-

I didn't take any photos but however found a few online-

There was a good 70 people who turned up at the event and there were a few tournaments going on including Bug Off and Biggest Fish competitions if you had Animal Crossing on you and plus they had a Mario Kart Wii tournament on the fastest time and a Super Smash Brothers tournament too. I did get some free stuff too from doing the Mario Kart Time Trail and a free Animal Crossing poster most of the stuff was from GAME but yey on free stuff-

It lasted for a good couple and everyone including myself had a great time, I do hope there will be more events like this in the future but did hear that they might do another one sometime in October when Pok¬mon X and Y is released around that time.

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and my character of choice...

What do you guys think about the game?

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I've been keeping an eye for this game ever since it was announced for Ps3 and I think that was four years ago. I read that this game was inspired by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and that the story is about a couple who are also star crossed lovers. Another thing I love about the game beside the post apocalyptic setting and the story, is the new action based combat which is similar to the one in Kingdom Heart games. So to those of you who are fans of Kingdom Hearts series, rejoice. (as if you havent already) The combat in this game is action based by all means; Not only youre able to carry out a fight without waiting for turns as in other Final Fantasy games, you get to control characters who use different styles and weapons. Theres hack and slash, shooting as well as platforming. The 2013 E3 trailer shows scenes where prince Noctis' home is being invaded by enemy soldiers. It's time to escape for home is no longer a safe place to be for Noctis and his friends. Though this time, you wont flee the castle by simply fighting a number of battles, you'll be avoiding getting damage by the place as it gets destroyed and even stay out of the enemys sight if you want to. The trailer has scenes where the player stops for a moment to show that the whole game is running on real time. Watching some of the foes in Final Fantasy games make a comeback as the Iron Giant was great but watching the scenes where Noctis reminisce about him and his father was better. I can tell the relationships in this game aren't as shallow and theres great use of narrative (telling stories through gameplay) whether it's by Noctis being helped by his friends during battles or by Noctis and his love interest fighting together.

Bayonetta 2

The original Bayonetta was simply the best game I've played in the current generation. It's the only game I've played and beaten three times so far. The gameplay was highly addictive and quick based. The theme was stunning. The soundtrack, backgrounds, characters and everything about the game were a perfect ten. The only thing I didn't like about Bayonetta was the chase levels but that didnt ruin it for me because I could simply skip these levels in my second time through. Bayonetta was an easy game to get into. There weren't any lengthy tutorials and excessive exposition. Every boss battle was epic and unique. The entire game was unique because a female character with a strong sense of sarcasm is also rare.

I won't say I expect the second one to surpass the first because it's on the WII U and I hope we don't see any downgrades considering the system's limitations, and because it's hard to keep the success or hype going. I hope I'm wrong though and I'm still going to get it. We need badass women in games as Bayonetta and she deserves to have her own series and even if the graphics won't look as good as in the original (Which is the case) ¬I don't care. It still has a badass and funny heroine, epic battles and soundtrack.

X by Monolith

I admit I never liked Xenoblade or Xenogears and Im not a huge fan of mecha anime and games but this one looks actually cool. The trailer shows the main character as he roams in this big vast world with huge enemies. Theres so much going on in this big open world. Enemies flying above, enemies crawling on the ground. I felt the whole segment of the game was to demonstrate WiiUs capabilities.

Project Spark

This title is mostly known for being Xbox Ones Little Big Planet but for me it's nothing like Little Big Planet or Minecraft simply because of the graphics. They're not cutesy and they're not cube like so for those who want a game where they can create their own levels and characters without them always ending up like a stack or row of cubes, this is your game. I'll call these games the engine games because we get to create our own mini games in them, add textures, music files, create our own characters and share them with our friends. Who knows we might be able to sell them one day and release our creation as stand alone games. I can't wait to see the future of user created-content games. Here are more things developers could add to the genre: Allow us to make multiple characters, assign roles for the characters, role-play, be part of other users games. I know I sound like I'm asking too much but this genre of games is excellent. It's developers releasing engines and allowing you to create your own games minus other video game components.

Honorable Mentions:

Below

Below is the name of a creative title developed by an indie studio and published by Microsoft. Although the trailer doesn't tell much about the game or gameplay, I like the focus on art. For those of you who would like to see videogames with a focus on visuals and narrative rather than traditional ways of storytelling, you might want to check out this title.

Transistor

Is a title announced during Sonys E3 conference. The game uses 2D artwork but has 3D gameplay mechanics. You control a badass fiery-head young girl as she fights bad guys for reasons which remain unknown. I felt the song played during the trailer was too loud. It made it hard for me to listen to what was going on in the game. This title also focuses on visuals and presentation. If you're a fan of anime like me, and want more female characters in lead, then this might be the game for you.

WTF moment:

Plants Versus Zombies Garden Warfare

I'm a huge fan of Plants Versus Zombies. I've beaten the first one and I'm currently playing PvZ adventures on Facebook and you guys should check this out because it's cute and very challenging (limited number of plants to take with you in battles and you need to plant more every time you run out of them and you have very few planting beds) and I can't wait for PvZ 2 but this one looks like a joke. It's as if someone read my comments about how every game is being turned into a Resident Evil 4 and decided to make it. The plants dont look cute. The whole thing looks like a nightmare. I know it has zombies but to turn what used to be about strategy and planning into a mindless shooter is ew.

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PRE ORDERS:

pre ordered couple of games, can't fvcking wait to play GTA V. BEST VIDEO GAME SERIES EVER !!!

1.TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL BLACKLIST august (PC)

Upper Echelon Pack which contains:
The Dead coast single player and co-op map
A pair of gold goggles
The legendary Upper Echelon Suit

Jack of all Trades DLC Pack which will include:
Elite Digital Ghillie Suit
Early access to 416 Assault Rifle


3.GRAND THEFT AUTO V SPECIAL EDITION september (PS 3)

The Grand Theft Auto V Special Edition includes:
Collectible SteelBook with Exclusive Artwork - This special SteelBook features double-sided, never-before-seen artwork of Michael, Trevor and Franklin. Custom color and metallic treatments bring out the detail of the artwork created exclusively for this SteelBook.
Blueprint Map - This exclusive, additional 21.5 x 26.75 map displays a blueprint view of Los Santos and Blaine County. Cryptic markings indicate locations for fast cash and other points of interest for the up-and-coming entrepreneur.
Special Ability Boost - Michael, Franklin and Trevor each have a unique special ability. With this boost, the special ability bar will generate 25% faster.
Stunt Plane Trials - Single player Stunt Plane Trials let you take on additional aerial challenges spread throughout Los Santos and Blaine County.
Bonus Outfits, Tattoos and More - Michael, Franklin and Trevor get bonus outfits in their wardrobes, character specific tattoos at tattoo parlors, and special deals from shopkeepers across Los Santos and Blaine County.
Additional Weapons - When visiting Ammunation stores in single player, merchants will have special weapons in their inventory available for free: the Pistol .50, Bullpup Shotgun and melee Hammer.

- indz.

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Hmmm... a difference of around 1750%.
Speaks for itself really.

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Despite that, I can't help but feel pity for Microsoft. It seems to me like they're in the same position now that Sony was in back in 2006 - in each case, both MS and Sony had released two successful consoles and felt like they were untouchable, and they both ended up paying for it as a result. Sony lagged behind Microsoft for a while in the current generation, and only in the latter half of the PS3's life cycle did it hit its stride and recover from its rocky launch. I get the feeling that the same will be true for the Xbone. It's clearly unpopular right now, but once it has a chance to recover from its errors I don't think it will be a wholly unpopular choice.

And this brings to light another factor: Sony had to be humbled, and screw up, and make mistakes to get to the position they're in now. After the giant success that was the PS2, they likely got way too ahead of themselves and were too cocky. Now that they've had that experience, they've bettered themselves because of it - and now they have the popular consensus with the PS4. The Xbox is only now just going into this awkward phase, but my guess is that once it comes out of it, it will once again be comparable to the hugely popular 360.

I realize that with the hype that E3 brings it's easy for people to get excited, but just remember, the Xbox had to make a few mistakes at some point to really be successful, just like Sony did. In the end, I feel like the Xbone we're seeing now is the result of hot headedness and Microsoft's underestimation of Sony. Now that they've had this experience, let's hope they won't make the same mistake again, and give us another console that's as good as the 360. So let's not go too hard on Microsoft. I'm not asking you to support DRM or even to buy an Xbone, but we should all be careful not to get too overzealous when it comes to these "console wars." Microsoft screwed up - it will only be in vain if they don't learn something from that mistake - and of course, that is just my humble opinion.

For now though, it seems like the PS4 is in the best position.

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According to Xbox One's own offical website, 'you are in control of what Kinect can see and hear' outlining clear privacy options that can be determined by the user at set up. The website also insists 'when Xbox One is on, and youre simply having a conversation in your living room, your conversation is not being recorded or uploaded' and that Kinect, when on, is only listening out for specific voice commands.

Anyone who is familiar with Alienware technology may know most of their computers arrive with software that is able to recognise the face of the user via an integrated webcam instead of a standard password when logging into Windows. This feature can be turned on or off at will. If Microsoft is to be believed, the Kinect features similar options.

Stephen Totilo of Kotaku recently published an article suggesting the Xbox One may not be spying on everyone after all and the confusion surrounding the console stems from mixed messages and unclear advertising from Microsoft during the unveiling. A Microsoft representative explained to him via email; 'yes, you can turn the system completely off' implying the existence of a power button. While Microsoft tauted the consoles ability to be 'always on', their failure to specify that the console could in fact be powered down if the user chooses is likely what sparked the controversy to begin with.

Some concern may have been brought about by the vastly superior Kinect sensor; the ability to see in the dark, capture facial expressions and the option to remain on stand by while still listening out for voice commands may give the impression of being watched.

On article on Digital Spy also confirmed the Kinect sensor itself could be turned off and would not record or upload without permission.

At the moment, the information being released by Microsoft suggests the console will not be spying on its users. The privacy options stated to be available appear to be similar to what is already available on the Xbox 360 which allowed players to block or allow Kinect and the recording of movements and fitness information.

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Things have been doing pretty good with the new gig. It sometimes doesn't feel like work because it is that much fun. Our game will be at the NVIDIA booth so if you're attending be sure to drop by to check out the tech destruction demo, currently not in the open beta. Oh, I guess the secret is out if you follow my Twitter (HWKJody. The game is HAWKEN.

Lastly, I can't believe my last blog reached over 200 comments. Thanks again for everyone's kind words. I only saw one rage quit from¬ the site, and even he wished me well. Also, if you don't already have me on Steam (xpcaligirl) or Raptr (CaliGirl), feel free to add me!¬

And.. have a Happy E3 week full of exciting news and hype! I'll have to make sure I take a peek in System Wars this week to see what you all think about the hardware and games. <3

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So um... hey I don't live in a box with a fox, anymore. Still spend an enourmous amount of time online and stuff, just not hither, heh. Been pretty disappointed by the NHL playoffs as of late... I see that I have a very nice banner, still, other than Ottawa and Chicago gettin' a wee bit too close there. Changes, hmmm... Well growing (MUCH) closer to the Lord (basically my last blog was before I really even commited to actually becoming a follower) has led me to go to Bible College next year for personal an spiritual growth, then on to heading into a 4 year path in Geographic Information Systems... finished my last track meet ever with only long jump, because that's all I qualified for. Not that I was bad or anything, and actually, after an entire year of sitting on the couch (cuz I quit full out track and only participated in school track), I did a pretty awesome job. Kept up with everyone, was a forearm's length behind 2nd place, but got 4th for the 100m, and although I had to go pee in an extremely swift fashion and my bladder was starting to weigh me down, I still manged 3rd in the 200m... but only top 2 make it, so I only got LONG jump. My last meet, on my very last jump, I shocked myself by being able to still jump quite far with 5.49m which is just over 18feet. Not sure how that's possible cuz I practiced it like 3 times, but only strong practiced once, lol... but yeah.

What else is new? I don't even know, but I see that we can link to YouTube accounts now. That's cool, cuz there's no way I'd link this to my Facebook haha So... well... yeah. Not sure if I'm making a comeback to GS or nor, because the thought of what I used to be disgusts me at some points... and in other ways impresses me. I left this when I was 16, and hey... I'm 18. I'M AN ADULT! Hope I'm better. Here's a picture of a mongoose.

He'll bite your neck right off your neck.

Also, if any metalheads are still following me, this Lashmush album is pretty good, I think. Newgrounds is a great place to find any type of good music you've never heard before. I don't even know if it's actually called following on here, but yeah... Instagram has gotten the better of me. *cough*follow lionwholikestoeatfreshcoconut*cough* Sorry, I have a bad cough.

But yeah. I'll probably come back. Maybe. Really the only game I've been playing lately is Skyrim. Such an amazing game and if I get to into it, I still get addicted. It's crazy how amazing that game is. I remember bugbag was so excited for Skyrim and I hadn't played TES before, so I was like meh... come hither Uncharted 3!... but now that I've played Skyrim... maybe I like it better, I mean what? Uncharted is the best, right? Oh... ok...

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I've been really busy lately and tired as well. Man university is getting tough again and the heat is so annoying. It's getting so hot here . Howz it going at your place?

So I was bored and I thought it was time to give a blog again so I will be giving a blog about my gaming history how I started it all and which consoles I've owned through out time.

1. Sega Mega Drive 2

Man I miss playing this... what cool days were they. I remember when I was 5 years old when my parents gave me this and told me they were keeping this until I grew up a little to play it. I've played many games on this and learned true gaming through this. I still have this and it works fine.

2. Celeron PC

After that I got my first desktop PC in 2001 and I was so happy to be finally able to play some great games and believe me I really had some awesome time with my PC for 3 whole years.

3. PS2

First of all *Salute* to this friend. I got this in early 2004 and I can't tell ya how many happy days I've had with PS2. I got about 80 games in my collection for PS2 which pretty much is lost and collecting dust somewhere. Though my PS2 is still fine as ever and I've kept it safe.

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4. GBA

I got this soon after PS2 and I've had a lot of fun playing this as well. Though it passed away soon after an year and half.

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5. Xbox

I got this in early 2005 just for one damn game... Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets and Halo 2. I found Halo 2 but couldn't find HP anywhere . Though I had many other great games for this. Though it passed away in 2008.

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6. Xbox 360

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So I got this early in 2008 when my Original Xbox passed away. I got the 20 GB and believe me I loved it as it was the first next gen console I got though it got red ring of death the second day I got it lol and three red lights. Though nothing really happened to my Xbox even though I got it many times again after that though later in 2011 it passed away after all those years of great service.

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7. PS3 Slim

I got this the second day of release. The first PS3 slim 120 GB. I'm still enjoying my time with this baby.

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8. PSP 2000

I had this same PSP 2000 that I got early in 2010 and I had so much fun this baby. it got stolen after an year and I really miss playing it.

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9. Wii

I wanted to get Wii earlier but I got Xbox 360 back then so didn't get it but then I got it early in 2011 and have great time playing many great games on it. People who complain about Wii's graphics aren't true gamers in my eyes as Wii has gotten many great games. I still play Wii when my cousins come to my place mostly.

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10. Xbox 360 Slim

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After the passing of my old Xbox 360, I wanted a new one desperatly so I got this earlier last year. I got 250 Gb slim and I'm having a lot of fun playing it these days.

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11. Nintendo 3DS

Got this last year in December I think. It's been fun playing it. I'm usually playing DS games on it.

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12. PS Vita

Honestly I expected much more after getting it but it's not getting any good games that I want to play. Only a few games that I want to play on VIta are available and few are going to come later this year. Though I bought some PSP games a few days ago from PSN store and have been having fun playing them. I got this in Feburary or March I think.

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Well that's it folk! Tell me what you think of my collection and which conesoles you have owned.

Talk to you all laterz.

Byez.....

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Nanako in Persona 4 Reminds me of Her(they are not Similiar Though,My Cousin is Kinda naughty¬ )

So to This point I can Feel the Main Characters and Nanako's¬Relationship pretty much, But Then **SPOILER IF YOU DID NOT FINNISH PERSONA 4**

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Then Nanako Goes to Hospital too...i was Like this WTF is this?!

I mean OK normally nanako is cute and lovely,But this is Some Extra thing

This Expresses my Feeling:

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Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Still, it must be said that the fact that Infinite even partly accomplishes any of the tasks that it sets out for itself is hugely impressive. Considering many games have difficulties spicing up even the most rote shooting mechanics, unleash a deluge of cutscenes and quicktime events on players at every possible opportunity, and often struggle to not, themselves, be racist, BioShock Infinite stands out as an important step forward for big budget games that strive for serious artistry and drama. Irrational's latest isn't the gaming medium's magnum opus of cultural expression that one might expect given the game's self-serious artistic posturing, and huge critical acclaim, but it's still an utterly important release, and a damn good one too.

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This is because there are plenty of things that Infinite gets totally right. The game's astounding audiovisual presentation is perhaps the foremost place to start. The game doesn't overtly flex any technical wizardry in the way an id or Crytek release might, but its sheer artistic splendor makes it one of the very best looking games of this console generation. At the root of this is no doubt the game's stellar environment, which ranks among the pantheon of gaming's greatest settings.¬

In the game's opening hour, players are slowly, calmly introduced to the seeming utopia of Columbia, an opulent, sun-drenched city above the clouds defined by exaggerated American expressions. Bright, idyllic gardens surround grand Palladian building; a peaceful stillness remains pervasive even through bustling storefronts and chatting citizens, only to occasionally be interrupted by enticing music selections (seriously, pay attention to this game's soundtrack), or - as players will encounter soon after arrival - a gleeful carnival complete with silly games and booming fireworks.

The game is wise to devote such a long period of time to simply navigating and luxuriating in its enticing environment, as Columbia is a true marvel that demonstrates the fact that Infinite's surely ungodly budget was put to good use - Irrational's hugely talented art team seems to have been truly unleashed. And though the game reserves for itself a few more simple moments of quietude, players will also soon discover their chief motivation for the rip-roaring action that consumes the vast majority of Infinite's running time.¬

Lead by the self-righteous and disturbed Father Comstock, most of Columbia's denizens have adopted a worldview that takes notions of American Exceptionalism to ridiculous but no less frightening extremes. Here, other religions have been extinguished in favor of a faith that idealizes America's founding fathers, as well as Comstock and his family, and all but the Anglo-Saxon adherents to this dogma are marginalized, reviled and exploited. This, as you might imagine, is causing some problems within the floating city, and tensions continually escalate from the moment you arrive.

¬

But don't ready your spinning skyhook just yet, as there's quite a bit to dissect with this hefty plot setup. As mentioned before, Infinite has no qualms about diving headfirst into seemingly risky storytelling territory. But, much like the original BioShock's awkward and contradictory critique of Randian Objectivism, Infinite handles its set of sociopolitical critiques in a rather bumbling, heavy-handed, and ultimately ineffective way. For most of the game, these heavy themes of discrimination are mostly shock with little substance. Early on, for example, players will find themselves in the headquarters of The Fraternal Order of the Raven, an environment whose every last bit of iconography - including statues of John Wilkes Boothe, and enemies garbed in darkened Klu Klux Klan robes - spews bigoted filth. Troubling, to be sure, but this environment is never explored to a satisfactory degree in a narrative context. We are never told what drove the Order's members to this disgusting mindset, or what function it plays in Columbian society as a whole; instead we're instructed to simply tear through the environment, dismembering every racist we can find. Indeed, almost every one of the game's on-the-nose explorations of racism and jingoism seems to exist as more out of a desire to simply justify Infinite's absurd level of bombastic violence than a willingness to earnestly and cerebrally comment on these weighty issues.¬

It's a true shame, but again, the fact that the game is willing to go to these dark places in an upfront and confrontational manner when most games dodge around similar issues or make heavy use of metaphor and allegory in order to indirectly speak on them is commendable, even if it keeps Infinite's apparent daring from being something to truly celebrate.

But there is a second major component of Infinite's ideological critique, one that is much more subtly woven throughout the game, and one that ultimately cuts much deeper. Forgiveness and rebirth, in regards to its inherent inclusion in many major religions, is relentlessly examined and scrutinized over the course of the campaign in some truly unsettling ways. This side of the game's narrative might be so uncomfortable, in fact, as to offend adherents to the faiths that Infinite draws some heavily parallels to with its own disturbing belief system. The fact, however, that these themes aren't merely dabbled in, as are the game's superficial commentaries discrimination, but rather made absolutely integral to the core narrative and explored fully and fearlessly leads Infinite, in this instance, to fully live up to its grandiose goals. This is the moment where Infinite's narrative triumphs, and I can only hope that more games follow in its footsteps in bringing to light serious thematic content in a more direct manner, as can be seen so often in other media yet so rarely within video games.

Alright, here's where you can start revving up your skyhook. As he progresses through the carnival that greets him as he first steps foot in Columbia, Booker DeWitt, the game's playable and decidedly not-mute protagonist, begins to fully unravel the noxious worldview of Columbia's inhabitants. On his way towards a strange raffle that serves as the fair's main event, Comstock's voice booms over a loudspeaker, warning the citizens of Columbia about the arrival of the False Prophet, a man who has the letters "AD" burned into his right hand. Sure enough, our anti-hero holds his hand up to reveal that exact marking. And sure enough, during this eerie raffle event, the Columbians take notice of the mark, and Booker DeWitt swiftly digs a spinning hookblade into the skull of the first police officer that attempts to apprehend him.

With this, BioShock Infinite reveals its heavy emphasis on twitchy shooter gameplay and ridiculous amounts of gore. Engaging in the game's slick shooting mechanics feels no different than it might in the latest Call of Duty game; guns have a fantastic sense of weight to them and the responsiveness and ingenuity of the game's heads-up display ensures steady environmental awareness despite the over-the-top freneticism of many of the game's combat sequences. But where Infinite's combat truly shines is in its surprising mechanical density. Vigors that grant Booker special powers like the ability to shoot electricity from his fingertips or absorb bullets and toss them right back at foes serve as the first extra layering. For those familiar with the series, these powers might seem quite like the Plasmids introduced in the first BioShock, and though they do perform the same function, they're implemented in a far more balanced way in Infinite than they are in its predecessors; they're powerful and readily available but must be dealt out conservatively, as the mana pool they run on is rather restrictive.

But as gleefully destructive as they can be, Vigors are decidedly uninteresting in the face of Infinite's more inspired new mechanics. Booker's ability to latch onto the aerial Skylines running throughout Columbia is perhaps the most mind-blowing gameplay feature of them all. Though the mechanic seemed rather unbelievable during its first E3 showing a couple years ago, it speaks to the ingenuity of the game's level design that fluidly navigating Skylines that weave throughout many of the game's rather conspicuous battle arenas while taking shots at enemies, a potentially disorienting feat, becomes effortless after only a few encounters. The verticality and freedom of movement this system grants the game is awe-inspiring, and almost attaches a sense of childlike wonder to the act of mass-murdering racists.

For the first few hours of gameplay, these are the mechanics that Booker is limited to. It's during this time that he seeks to accomplish a seemingly simple direction mandated by a mysterious client: "Give us the girl, and wipe away the debt." Though this phrase ends up holding more significance than an uninitiated player could possibly know, it nonetheless serves as the impetus for finding Elizabeth, a young woman whose power to tear holes in the space-time continuum has, perhaps expectedly, lead her to be sequestered on the looming, Statue of Liberty-esque research facility, Monument Island.

So, as one might expect, this ability of hers adds more than a few layers of complexity to what might've otherwise been a rather straightforward plot. As the extent of her powers is gradually revealed, a suitably mind-bending narrative begins to form that comments, among other things, on the frail nature of identity and the profound ways in which a single choice can influence personhood, for better or worse. Though the introduction of converging space-time might seem to risk devolving the story into an Inception-esque exercise in overly complex authorial self-indulgence, BioShock Infinite uses this storytelling conceit to build a truly tragedian narrative.

But Elizabeth isn't merely a means for crafting a brain-melting metaphysical storyline. Nor is Booker DeWitt a stupefied on-looker who hails from the same lineage of horribly flat shooter protagonists as Gordon Freeman, or Corvo Attano. They are both memorable characters whose defined personalities infuse the plot's affecting tragedy with a true sense of humanity. Elizabeth, on one hand, starts out as a surprisingly cultured and self-aware inversion of the classic damsel-in-distress trope, and her evolution over the course of the game's ten- to twelve-hour campaign is astonishingly well-paced and believable. Her exaggerated features and expressive animations that pay homage to the distinctive style Grim Natwick invented for Disney solidify her as one of the most memorable and empathetic characters in gaming. DeWitt, by contrast, is predominately a closed-book, limiting himself to practical, yet charismatic antics strongly reminiscent of classic swashbucklers like Han Solo until his dark past is fully revealed during the final act. When that happens, he extends far beyond his narrative role as a foil to Elizabeth, and the resulting revelations cut to the bone. Major compliments are due to Troy Baker and Courtnee Draper, who faultlessly brings this odd couple to life even through all the mind-blowing turns the story takes.

The duo also serve as a great team during Infinite's huge combat sequences. Though Booker, as mentioned before, is in charge of most of the direct combat, Elizabeth is a key ingredient in what makes the game's massive shootouts so dazzling. Most significantly, she uses her ability to alter time and space to bring objects into the battlefields that didn't previously exist. Asking for a wall of cover to hide behind when a dozen enemies are facing you down, or perhaps a Skyhook that lets you access a sniper perch adds an exciting tactical dynamism to combat that feels especially important considering the sheer number of foes the game throws at you. Since you can only select one object to tear in at a time, more heated battles require a constant mindfulness and economization of Elizabeth's power that is as exhilaratingly strategic as the best of tactical shooters.

A smaller, but no less genius touch is the fact that Elizabeth tosses you mana and ammo when it feels clutch. Even when it becomes obvious that she's scripted to do so whenever your resources are running low, the notion that an AI is looking out for you is relentlessly fulfilling, especially in a game that constructs a scenario that might've so easily fallen into the dreaded escort-mission trap. Indeed, going back to other first-person shooters has become tough, as Elizabeth is not just a delightful companion in a narrative sense, but she's also integral to the satisfaction of Infinite's moment-to-moment combat proceedings.

Each of the augments to the core shooting experience are satisfying in their own right, but once they all start working in tandem, Infinite's combat scenarios reach the upper-echelon of FPS sublimation. Not since Half-Life 2 has a shooter married pulse-pounding twitch thrills to a deeply strategic core so seamlessly, and while leaving so much room for experimentation. The gritty sound design that punctuates the action is equally superb; a combination of abrasive string stabs, impactful weapon sound effects and some truly horrifying enemy damage reactions unfailingly sell you on the weighty ferocity of the mayhem you cause.

All this, of course, sounds amazing, and on some level it truly is. But consider this: for all its fast-paced entertainment, Infinite's combat never fully works. In a mechanical sense, it's pretty much as polished as can be, but the game's massive amount of carnage doesn't quite work within the context of the story. In fact, story and gameplay don't feel merged at all. While there's a fair amount of narrative justification for the heavy degree of violence, the fact that shooting people and ripping their heads of with a spinning hook is pretty much Booker's only way of interacting with the world undercuts much of the arresting emotionality of Infinite's narrative.

Highlighting this problem is the fact that many of the game's most powerful moments either preclude player input, or limit interactivity to the push of a single button. Elizabeth's ability to tear holes in the space-time continuum, for example, may have been the basis for some ingenious puzzle solving and narrative interaction, but players are instead left to simply push a button to demand entry into a new reality where they can proceed to shoot more people in the face. Again, this feels like BioShock Infinite going only halfway in bringing its many fantastic ideas to life; some truly inventive mechanical structures may have been borne out of the game's central narrative conceits, but Irrational has disappointingly opted to instead rely on more comfortable and pre-established action gameplay.¬

This disconnect is furthered by the game's odd focus on scavenging between each firefight. While the opportunity to really dig into and appreciate each environment, as well as get a break from the nearly nonstop action is welcome, the context of the narrative doesn't really support these detours either. Booker's mission is given an impactful sense of urgency, so the fact that the game encourages you to stop down for long stretches of time to eat random food items littered about and try to uncover Columbia's many secrets is rather off-putting. Early on, for instance, Elizabeth finds herself in immediate danger. An objective indicator flashes on-screen telling you to go rescue her, yet you find yourself surrounded by lootable objects designated by a pulsating golden glow. Of all the moments to try and fish pieces of cake out of a trashcan, this may be the least opportune, but Infinite's structure, which evidently values narrative over gameplay in terms of pacing and logic, continues to tempt you astray regardless. This might all seem a bit nitpicky, but considering the fact that Infinite is so intent on being treated as a significant work of art, these small annoyances can't be ignored, as they gradually undermine the meaning the game tries so hard to construct for itself.

BioShock Infinite is a game worth any mature player's while, but it has come at an unfortunate time. Within the past year alone, the industry has been treated to games like Spec Ops: The Line, The Walking Dead, and Hotline Miami, just a few titles that are capable of eloquently and expertly exploring dark themes while being cognizant of their respective mechanics' impact on the narratives they try to weave, making a game like Infinite - one that never fully accounts for the ways in which its gameplay influences the meaning and effectiveness of its story - seem a bit clumsy by comparison. David Jaffe, the brilliant designer behind games like God of War and Twisted Metal once deemed the relationship between gameplay and narrative as being like the combination of "chocolate and tunafish." I would argue that this claim isn't necessarily true, and games like Spec Ops are perfect demonstrations as to why that is. In the case of Infinite, however, Jaffe's argument has a haunting validity. But take heart, the chocolate that is BioShock Infinite's gameplay and the tunafish that is its story are pretty much premium grade when enjoyed separately. Just accept the fact that the combination is going to taste a little odd and find something to savor within it.

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Hi pals, how you doing?

A week ago i bought Legend of Dragoon from the Playstation store, this game is one of my favorite games ever. I love eveything about it, story, music and gameplay. Here some stats:

Currently disk playing: 4

Playtime: 24 hrs

Party: Dart, Rose, Haschel

Stardust: 40 (Getting all of them let's you to fight against Faust, a super hard optional boss)

Also bought Hot Shots Golf 2, Okami Amaterasu Avatars and Naruto Storm 3 DLC.

I'm also interested in Spyro: Year of the Dragon, FF6, Persona 3 FES, Xenogears and Grandia.

Thanks for reading!!

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