(The following is based on my personal opinion, and mine alone)

As pretty much half of this generation of gaming has now passed before our very eyes I have decided to stop for a moment and reflect and share with you what games has made the deepest impact on me so far. I plan to make another one of these when this generation draws to a close to see how much my opinion has changed and which games that stood against the coming combatants and which ones that didn't.

But now on to the games that I have found to be the most impressive ones for me personally since the end of 2005 back when this current generation kicked off, and they are all ranked in the order that they were released.

Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter
Ubisoft Paris
Released March 2006
Platforms: Xbox 360

GRAW for the Xbox 360 which is a very different affair from the others versions sharing the same name was the first real "next-gen experience" for me personally and it's thrilling moments, tactical control over the battlefield and its sound and visuals still holds up surprisingly well today. The sequel released the year after was great aswell but did not quite meet up to all my personal expectations. I'm hoping the third installment will be as good as the first one if not better.



Gears of War
Epic Games
Released November 2006
Platforms: PC, Xbox 360

I did not expect much from Gears of War at first, All i knew was that it sported some really impressive visuals and Microsoft was going to publish it. But I never expected it to be so badass and play so darn well with its fluid control scheme and be so fun to play with others. Especially when playing trough the campaign with a buddy sitting right next to you. I have probably played trough this game at least 10 times by now. No I'm not joking.



World in Conflict
Massive Entertainment
Released September 2007
Platforms: PC

One of the most innovatie strategy games in years. The tide of battle can change at any given second no matter how tough things get, especially if one player has been secretly saving up for a tactical nuke. It's also one of the most enjoyable multiplayer games I've played in years, on any platform.



Halo 3
Bungie Software
Released September 2007
Platforms: Xbox 360

Ever since 2004 when the ending scene of Halo 2 made me mad, leaving me wanting more I had been eagerly anticipating this game. And it when it arrived it was awesome, not very different which is often the case with sequels but it managed to take most of what made the prior games so awesome and bump it up to eleven. Sure the campaign dropped noticably in quality towards the end and many players online can be very difficult to deal with. But for the most part it is the great sequel to Combat Evolved (the game that once brought me back to gaming) that I always wanted and hoped it to be.



The Orange Box
Valve Software
Released October 2007
Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3

Not only does this package contain one of the most best shooters do date, Half-Life 2 and its two expansions. But also the innovative puzzle game Portal and the highly enjoyable multiplayer game Team Fortress 2 all for the price of one. That is reason enough why this very impressive package is mentioned here and is one of the best bangs for your buck out there.



Super Mario Galaxy
Nintendo
Released November 2007
Platforms: Wii

Finally over 10 years since Super Mario 64 this red dressed plumber is back on top with Super Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii. Not only did this game play extremely well and was fun for all ages. It also proved that the Wii sports some technical muscle after all.



Crysis
Crytek
Released November 2007
Platforms: PC

Best looking game ever made from a technical standpoint...but all of you know that already. Crysis is actually also surprisingly fun to play with it's sanbox-like gameplay that lets you tackle pretty much every situation in any way you want no matter how you prefer to play. It packs a lot of variety, it's thrilling and will spawn many sequels, spin-offs or maybe even a movie. Only thing that could complain about is that this exciting adventure has an end and it requires a beast of a rig to play smootlhy at high settings. I hope the comming expansion will be even more optimized and pack the same dynamic gameplay that made this game so darn amazing.



Mass Effect
Bioware
Released November 2007
Platforms: PC, Xbox 360

Knights of the Old Republic on steoroids is quick and fairly accurate way to sum this game up. It looks surprisingly well for a RPG, it has a great story, music and the voicework is absolutely terrific. There are so many places to explore and all the choices you make will have an impact on how the game progress, both big and small. Only a few technical issues hurts what is one of the most impressive roleplaying games made by a western developer for years.



Grand Theft Auto IV
Rockstar North
Released April 2008
Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3

Rockstar didn't do much different with GTAIV, and they didn't have to either. There is always something to do in Liberty City and thanks to some very interesting characters the story was very enjoyable to follow as well. There is also tons of stuff to to online with various different game modes even with the entire city open. And it renders everything at a surprisingly high quality. This is a game you can play for months, years even.



Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Kojima Productions
Released June 2008
Platforms: Playstation 3

I had my fair share of worries regarding MGS4. I did not see how it was gonna live up to Snake Eater wich sported a very impressive setting and set of characters like The Boss. And could not imagine how game designer and producer Hideo Kojima was going to tie up all the loose ends. But he actually succeeded and this adventure is often just as exciting as Snake Eater was and it plays better than ever before and the production values goes trough the roof. The visual design is also near flawless and sports some very impressive tech for a Japanese developed title, making it not only one of the best looking Playstation 3 games but also one of the best looking games this generation on any platform. But not to forget, I've never experienced a game with such well executed sound mixing and the sound track is just terrific to listen to. There is no other game out there that sounds as good as Guns of The Patriots, period. PS3 owners finally got something to brag about, and with right.


Some other titles worth mentioning are...

Dead or Alive 4 (360)
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PC, 360, PS3)
Company of Heroes (PC)
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
The Witcher (PC)
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC, 360, PS3)

Along with many others as you may know. Can't wait to see what the comming 2-3 years has in store for us and how these games I talked about here today will fair then.

Now what have you enjoyed the most this generation so far? Comment bellow

//ZimpanX

Note: There are some key titles that I haven't played yet or enough of like SSB: Brawl (was released here 4 days ago give me a break), No More Heroes (need to find an uncensored copy), Age of Conan, Crisis Core: FFVII, The World Ends With You among others.

Ninja Gaiden II review is up!

Enjoy.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma review

Had to get it out before NGII arrives.

Hope you will like it and that perhaps it will come of good use.

PS: Goodbye Itagaki

So I was lucky and fast enough to get my hands on the Ninja Gaiden II demo that was available for a short time on the Japanese Xbox Live Marketplace and after have played it for a couple of days I'm now ready to give you my impressions.

The Combat
The main strong point of previous installments and this game seems to be no different especially since it seems to be better than ever as it feels a lot faster and a lot more brutal than ever before. And thanks to the new obliberation techniques you can now finish your foe off almost instantly by slicing off a couple of limbs and it's very impressive to look at too.

The Camera
Feels pretty much the same as before meaning it certainly isn't perfect but it's not horrible either, but if you didn't like it before you won't like it now either.

The Weapons
You will get to try out 4 weapons in the demo. You start out with the trusty ol' Dragon Sword but also the Falcon's Talons which are Wolverine like claws you wield on both hands and feet and the Eclipse Scythe which is like a mix between the Warhammer and the Dabilarho from the last game but only faster and a lot more brutal to fit with the improved combat, and later in the demo you'll also find the Lunar Staff. All the weapons are incredibly fun to use and feel very balanced and there are also plently more combos you can pull off now than ever before.

The Graphics
It certainly doesn't push the 360 to it's limits like the original did and it's looks very much like Sigma for the Playstation 3...at first glance. When you actually start playing you'll notice a few enhancements most notiecable are the effects whenever you cut off an enemy limb, do a charged up ultimate attack or ninpo ( ninja magic ). The edges are smoother, the weapons and water surfaces look a lot more detailed and this game also features some of the best animations in the business. The draw distance seems to have been improved as well.
I have barely experienced any framerate issues and loading issues like mentioned in some reviews, only part where it slows down are when there is a lot of enemies or body parts on screen and the mid-game loading only appears when you backtrack trough the level and that loading takes about 1-3 seconds. What you will notice though if you choose to backtrack is that all the bodies you have left are still there lying on the ground which is very impressive.
What seems as a step backwards though compared to the original and Sigma is the artistic design, it seems unfortunately that they have focused to make everything look as bad-ass as possible rather than beautiful and eye pleasing.
The lighting is also a step backwards compared to Sigma on the PS3. Here it looks kinda flat while in Sigma the lightning model made everything look a bit more dynamic and realistic, at least when it didn't overdose on bloom effects.

The Difficulty
The demo can only be played on the easy setting dubbed Path of the Acolyte and the demo section certainly felt easier than a lot of of the levels in previous installments. Then again your weapons are all upgraded to level 3 but you seem to take a lot less damage from enemy attacks. Your charged up ultimate attacks can no longer be interrupted by weaker enemy attacks and the rebounding health meter along with more frequent save points that fully replenish your health definitely helps to ease some frustration off as well.

To sum it all up I think fans of the series will definitely love this game and others who also looking for an challenging action game to play during the summer should give this game a go as well. Others should probably stay away unless you think you're up for the challenge that awaits.

Now who has a higher level?

So apparently!...splinter_girl88 decided to hop onto MSN to say hi and...to tag me. ( Good lord no!! Please have mercy! I'm way too young for this! )

Then again when I think about it I guess it's not THAT bad. I just thought a saw a light in the far distance telling me everything would be alright and I would simply go by unnoticed. But since that is not the case obviously I guess I should simply get on with it, so here we go.

1. Both of my front teeth are actually made of this plastic/porslinlike mixed material since I kinda managed to smash them out. No not in a fight or anything like that, it was actually just an accident and I guess I was pretty clumsy, hehe.

2. When I was very young I used to dress up as Zorro and then go downtown to impress everyone I met with my awesome cape and blade skillz! Yeah, suck on that.

3. I have never gotten really drunk. And by that I mean really, really drunk to the point where you can no longer stand on your own two feet and end up staring at your breakfast you had earlier that day. Many have tried, no one has succeeded. I've only been feeling a bit dizzy, funny and even superior, lol. And I actually very rarely drink alcohol. ( About 1-3 times a year since my 18th birthday and I never buy it myself. )

4. There was a time around the very beginning of this millennia where I didn't play any video game at all for a full year I believe. Yes a sad time indeed, and it was pretty much Halo: Combat Evolved that brought me back to this passion I hold so dear.

5. When I was young I used to be very sick, even to the point where they thought I wouldn't survive. I could barerly stay awake and you could pretty much see every bone in my whole body. Then when I had turned 9 years old the doctors put a tube down my throat, pushing it down to my stomach and took a sample.
Then they finally discovered that I was suffering from celiac disease even though earlier tests had shown otherwise and my symptoms where different from what they should be. I was happy they had finally found out to but at the same time chocked and sad since it meant I could not longer eat anything that contained wheat flour. Meaning stuff like regular bread, pasta, cakes etc.
It was very hard at first since I knew and still know what everything tastes like but eventually there came products that worked for me aswell, and today there are lots of them and they pretty much taste the same as the regular stuff. It still is about twice as expensive though so it still hurts a bit and not being able to go to a Pizza place with my friends to order what I really want. But I have accepted it so I'm pretty much fine so no worries.

So I guess this means I have to tag 5 people eh? hmmm...

Then I'm tagging the following

-LEXY-, Nellynoway and halo2paul

Damn it was hard to find people as it seems pretty much everyone has done this already. If you haven't though and you want to do this then let me know and I will gladly tag you aswell . To the ones chosen I say...goodluck

Ciao!

//ZimpanX