Artwork by Ed Gloor

The player is sprinting as fast as the character can, across a wide open plain. The stamina meter is running low, and the dragon is right on the player’s tail.

This is something that may happen multiple times when playing The Elder Scrolls V (5) Skyrim (Skyrim). The breathtaking mountainous world opens up to the player completely, right as they exit the tutorial area. This in itself is impressive, but this only scratches the surface of the fifth installment of one of the biggest role-playing game (RPG) series ever made.

            The graphics are the biggest thing that the gamer notices when beginning this adventure. Critically acclaimed Bethesda Game Studios decided to create their own graphics engine for Skyrim called the Creation Engine. Everything in the game is stunningly beautiful from the snowy mountains, rocky cliffs, plains, and thousands of trees. Even all the little details like shadows, weather, and lighting effects are handled with the utmost consideration. However, with such a large world supporting graphics such as this, glitches are prominent. I have never encountered a glitch that ruins the game experience, but things like texture pop in (when a texture on an object isn’t loaded when you see it), missing environment, and floating shrubbery are a fairly common occurrence.

For those who have never played an Elder Scrolls game, they can jump right in. The story in each game is not a continuing saga, but rather another chapter in the deep and relevant gaming world of Tamriel.  Each game takes place in a different country, and the games are usually named after their setting. Skyrim, the homeland of the Nords, (one of ten playable races and comparable to Vikings) is in political turmoil, with a rebellion taking stage. To add to this problem, The Elder Scrolls (scrolls written long ago, predicting the ages to come) have predicted the return of dragons to Tamriel, and they have never been wrong before. However, with dragons on the rise, the gamer receives the role of Dovakiin or Dragonborn, with the ability to fight dragons, and steal their power.

After choosing from ten different playable races (High Elf, Argonian, Nord, Imperial, Dark Elf, Kajiit, Orc, Redguard, Brentan, and Wood Elf), and getting through the tutorial, the gamer is ready to really play the game. There is also a deep customization system, and the gamers can give themselves a name, but this can be ignored if so desired.

Skyrim is largely a game of choice. Decimate a town, get married, join any of an elite group of guilds, do any of the thousands of side quests, or just beat the main quest of the game. It is entirely up to the gamer. Each race starts with different specialties, and powers that can have a drastic change on the game as a whole. Races like Orcs and Nords are largely combat-based, High Elves and Brentans are the most magically skilled, and Kajiit and Wood Elves are the best at stealth. (Even if the race starts better at some things, and bad at others, the player can still play anyway they want with any race they want.)

These choices affect the fighting system of Skyrim immensely. The player’s character can focus on magical abilities, stealth abilities, combat abilities, or any combination of the three. As a magical character, fire, ice, and electric spells are the prime offensive capabilities. With magic, it is also possible to manipulate foes, create magical wards and protections, and summon creatures to fight with the character. Stealth abilities involve the use of bows, sneak attacks for offensive capabilities, and light armor for defense. Combat capabilities are fairly straightforward. Swords, maces, daggers, and axes are the offensive capabilities, and heavy armor for defense.

The choices of Skyrim have their largest effects in the level up, and progression system. All of the many skills the players will use in the game will upgrade the more they use them. In addition to this, every time the players level up, (becomes more powerful in a big way) they get to choose a boost in stamina, magica (magic points), or health. Once they have decided on which value to boost, they get to pick a perk in any of the 14 skills. Perks can do simple things like make the player 20% better at that skill, or they can do more involved changes, like the ability to decapitate with weapons.

The title of Dragonborn gives anybody playing the game the Dragon Shout combat ability. After killing the first dragon (early on in the main storyline), they become a common occurrence throughout the land. Slaying dragons allows the players to take their souls, and use them to progress their dragon shouts. These dragon shouts range from freezing enemies solid, to an incredible sprint forward. Some dragon shouts are unlocked through the main story, but many can be found while exploring the world. All of them are linked to a universal cool down (the time it takes to use again) meter, but they have different cool down times.

Simply put, anyone who considers themselves a gamer should experience this game. The graphics are beautiful, the world is alive, the game play is stellar, and it has over 300 hours of content. This is a game for the ages; the true definition of gaming excellence. Those not used to the series may be overwhelmed at first, but will eventually adapt to the complex world. Skyrim is the best Elder Scrolls game ever made, and is also one of the best RPG’s in existence. Skyrim gets a 5 out of 5.

Gears of War

The third person shooter game, one of the first, began on November 7, 2006. 

Gears of War completely revolutionized video games, with a shooting style that hadn’t been explored until its release. The so-called “Pop and shot” game play of popping out of cover, taking shots at your enemies, and getting back under cover was practically discovered in 2006 by none other than Gears of War (Gears). Now in 2011, the finale to the story of humanities fight for survival against the Locust (the enemies from the last two games) on the Gears home planet of Sera has been released, and there are so many reasons to own it.

Gears of War 3 is finally here. It has been a long adventure for the brave Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) soldiers. Marcus Fenix, Dominic Santiago, Augutus Cole, and Damon Baird are back, and ready for action. The story of Gears has always revolved around these four characters, but Gears 3 hosts an expanded cast of Samantha Byrne, Anya Stroud, Clayton Carmine and Jace Stratton. Marcus Fenix (the main character) has come a long way from being broken out of jail, (for disobeying government orders) and re-recruited into the worldwide war. The game has four unique modes to play, and all of them are great. Online/console multiplayer, and the single player (or co-operative; now up to four player) campaign have always been a part of the Gears franchise, but now there is an evolved version of the Horde Mode from Gears of War 2, and a brand new mode called Beast Mode. What is the best part of this package?  Let’s find out.

The central part of all the Gears games have always been the single player campaigns, and this time around it’s no different. The story of the campaign takes place two years after the events of the second game, and much has changed. The emulsified Lambent disease has manifested itself upon most of the remaining Locusts, all of the COG soldiers are at their breaking point, Chairman Prescott (the leader of the COG) has returned after abandoning his government for 18 months, and Sera’s apocalypse is near.  Sera, once a grand achievement of human architecture and the headquarters of the COG, has fallen into nearly complete ruin. Now, this is only a setup for the story of the campaign, which basically takes the gamer on a grand adventure (clocking in at about 20 hours) to find the father of Marcus Fenix. The game play is as fun and versatile as it’s ever been with newly added tweaks to the shooting and moving mechanics. Guns lose accuracy as they fire, and the movement is much faster-paced than it used to be. The campaign supports many new weapons and enemy types. It also changes over time with the introduction of new environments, and enemies throughout the game.

The Gears 3 campaign is excellent, but what happens when the campaign is over?  Lucky for gamers, there are three other great game modes to play in Gears 3, and most people would start with the online multiplayer. Online competitive multiplayer is a whole different ball game when it comes to game play. Mechanics may remain the same, but tactics change in translation. The multiplayer is fast-paced, adrenaline pumping, and will keep even the most hardcore gamers on their toes. Gears 3 offers six different game types for the multiplayer, and they are: Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill, Capture the Leader, Warzone, and Execution. Team Deathmatch is a mode where two teams go head to head, and each team has a pool of lives to respawn with. King of the Hill has teams fighting for, and defending an objective on the chosen multiplayer map, and Capture the Leader has the teams do the same for the randomly chosen leader of the team. Finally, Warzone is a simple team battle similar to Team Deathmatch, except once the player dies, the player doesn’t respawn until the next round. Execution is the same as Warzone, but every player must be killed with an execution kill (a one shot kill, or a kill on the ground).

The final two modes of Gears 3 offer even more fun in two different forms of attack and defense. Horde 2.0 is a mode of unlimited rounds of enemies, where the player and up to four friends defend an area. This new version of Horde brings a “tower defense” component to the unlimited battle against the enemies. There is now a currency system for purchasing weapons and defenses to hold your fortress. Beast Mode is the opposite of Horde 2.0.  Instead of defending a fort against unlimited enemies, the player plays as different types of Locust, and attack the humans. This mode is a very interesting rendition of Gears of War that absolutely must be experienced.

Gears of War 3 is the best version of Gears of War ever released in my opinion.  The only issues it has are a few overpowered weapons and many cheesy lines in the campaign, which contradict the supposedly emotional moments in the story. Otherwise, this game wraps up the story of Gears of War very well, and delivers weeks, if not months of entertainment. It is the perfect rendition of a third person shooter, with refined gaming mechanics, and excellent game play.

★★★★★

Artwork by Ed Gloor

The release of Pokemon Black and White on March 6, 2011 by Game Freak brings a whole new generation of Pokemon to capture, and a new generic story to follow.

For Pokemon fans, this is going to be another hit; those that don’t appreciate the innovative series for what it is, certainly won’t enjoy this game. Game Freak found its niche and it is sticking to it. After all, if it’s not broken, why fix it? The new generation does attempt some new mechanics to the game, and the addition of animated cut scenes throughout the game is a nice touch.

The addition of triple battles was something I was really looking forward to when I picked up my copy of Pokemon Black, but sadly I was disappointed. Unlike the single and double battles, one Pokemon fights triple battles at a time, with an option to rotate the pocket monster that is fighting. I was hoping for this mechanic to be similar to the double battles introduced in previous generations, where players choose the move of each of their Pokemon on the field. It was a good attempt however, and does add a slight change to the constant monotony of most battles.

Another new addition to the game is the ability to find a wild Pokemon double battle. This doesn’t make training easier, but it also ads some previously lacking depth to the training experience.

The final addition that really stuck out on my journey through the new region of Unova was what I have dubbed “shaking grass.” The shaking grass is something that has been added to help speed up training. When traveling next to the long grass in which wild Pokemon appear, there is a chance that one patch of the grass will start to shake. If entered, one will find a Pokemon rare to the area. These Pokemon can be anything from fully evolved Pokemon, to new and rare double-typed Pokemon. The experience gained from knocking out these encounters are significantly higher than the common ones found elsewhere. This is an attempt to speed up the training process of our companions, but in my eyes it didn’t work as well as I had hoped. I feel this way because the Pokemon encountered outside the shaking grass grant significantly less experience than they did in previous generations, so, unless players are willing to run back and forth until shaking grass appears, then the leveling process will take much longer. Shaking grass also appears elsewhere. It appears in caves in the form of a dust cloud, and in water in the form of surfacing water.  Items are occasionally found in these rare environmental elements, but they are less common.

I loved the cut scenes and 3D that was added to this game. No, the Pokemon will not be shooting fire out of the screen, and if players were hoping that their opponents surf attack would clean them off after not showering due to excessive play time, they will be disappointed. What I mean when I say 3D is the depth to the graphics that was only touched upon in Pokemon Soul Silver and Heart Gold, which adds panoramic scenes and offers a look at what is below the players. During certain parts of the game, the camera angles will change, and the player will be greeted with a beautiful cityscapes and environments that were previously unseen in the games before these. I was taken back the first time I walked on an overpass and cars were zooming around underneath me. This really added freshness to the game that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Unova is the new region in which this story takes place, and if it looks different from previous games, that is because it is. This generation’s cities were modeled after New York City rather than being modeled after Japan. In the game, players can recognize the Brooklyn Bridge and tall skyscrapers that have made New York what it is today.

Although the new elements were a bit of a let down, everything else was flawless. The new story, although almost the exact same story as previous games, was my favorite, and I found myself interested in some of the characters for once. The Pokemon are all outstanding. Character design was perfect, and the witty humor that was thrown in was much appreciated.  Fans of previous games will fall in love with this game, as well. Non-fans may be disappointed, but who knows… pick up a copy, and maybe it will impress, as it has with so many others across the world. I am going to go out on a limb and do something I rarely do, and give this game a perfect five stars. Sure, the game has flaws, but what game doesn’t? None of these flaws prevented me from enjoying the game and, therefore, I can’t complain. Well done Game Freak, well done.
★★★★★

Artwork by Hayden Johnson

Until Dead Space‘s release in 2008, I had never been afraid of a video game. Though horror games had been creepy, unnerving, or just made me jump, I was never scared. It was only after I watched demonic monsters pop out of vents, shrug off bullets like they were butterflies, and mercilessly slaughter my armed comrades, leaving me alone, weaponless, in the dark of a large, empty spaceship that I was completely terrified. I was frightened to the point that I couldn’t bring myself to play the game for a couple of days.

When I finally mustered up enough courage to pick up the controller again, I found that Dead Space was a horror fan’s dream. Combining an intense fight for survival, a dark mystery, an overbearing loneliness coupled with the paranoid belief that something is watching, a fantastically creepy atmosphere with delusional writings scrawled all over the walls, and a subtle psychological prodding, Dead Space does nothing less than draw the player in until the last credit rolls. The final cliffhanger at the conclusion had me jumping out of my seat in horror and excitement for the sequel. When it finally arrived, I was pleased to see it didn’t disappoint.

For those unfamiliar with the events of the first game, here’s a short synopsis: Engineer Isaac Clarke is among a small team sent to investigate a distress signal from the mining vessel USG Ishimura. Upon arriving, the team discovers that the 1,000 man crew is missing, and the vessel is as desolate as a ghost town. Isaac is soon separated from the rest of the team, and watches in horror as nightmarish creatures descend upon his team. Isaac, whose girlfriend Nicole is a crewmember aboard the Ishimura, is forced to piece together what happened, all while attempting to find his girlfriend and escape with his life. He learns that the creatures are called Necromorphs, and used to be the crew until their dead tissue was reanimated and transformed into gruesome monsters by an alien relic known as the Marker. Against all odds, Isaac is able to destroy the Marker and escape intact.

Picking up three years after the events of the first game, Isaac Clarke -the only living member of the team sent to investigate the USG Ishimura- wakes up in a straight jacket aboard the Sprawl, a city built into the remnants of one of Saturn’s moons. The Marker, with all of its supernatural powers, has toyed with Isaac’s mind and left him in a violent state of dementia that threatens to kill him. The minute Isaac awakens, it’s obvious the station has seen better days. Necromorphs have broken out across the Sprawl and, once again, Isaac has to fight to survive and figure out the mystery behind the Necromorphs and the existence of another Marker aboard the station.

Part of what I love about the Dead Space series is that Isaac is not a battle hardened marine, genetically engineered super soldier, or force wielding Jedi. He’s a simple engineer, whose fortes include fixing broken starships, not battling hordes of demons. Since this is the case, he isn’t supplied with an armory of assault rifles, so he’s forced to turn everyday tools into weapons. For example, the first and most reliable weapon is a Plasma Cutter, a simple cutting tool that has been turned into a Necromorph’s worst nightmare. Ingenuity is the name of the game, as Isaac’s arsenal includes butane torches that become flamethrowers, circular saws that turn into short ranged discs of death, and a “hammer” used for breaking up thick chunks of rock that transforms into a shotgun.

Not only does Isaac have to improvise his weapons, his enemies don’t respond to conventional weaponry. Unlike most living creatures, a Necromorph isn’t stopped by pumping its head or chest full of lead. No, a Necromorph is only halted by cutting off all of its limbs. Ghastly and gory though it may be, this is a refreshing alternative to games where spraying bullets into everything that moves will get you gold medals. The severing of limbs, or strategic dismemberment as the developers love to refer to it, gives the series certain uniqueness, as well as a slight paranoia for the gamer. If one is not sure to double check that the enemies have not literally been torn limb from limb, one is likely to pay for it later.

One of the changes that the sequel has implemented has been to give Isaac a voice. In the first installment, he was incapable of any sounds except grunts of exertion and cries of pain and terror. However, now he has a voice, vocabulary, and face with a wide array of emotion and expletives under his iconic helmet. His dementia is also particularly engrossing, making the player doubt whether or not Isaac is really fighting off armies of monsters or just hallucinating. The psychological aspect of the storyline has really upped the ante, and it turns a cut-and-paste sci-fi horror story into a desperate struggle to know the truth.

Aside from the addition of Isaac’s voice, the psychological anecdotes, a couple new weapons, and a few new enemies, the gameplay is largely the same. The only different aspects are a change to the zero-gravity mechanics and the addition of online multiplayer matches. The new game mode is entertaining, allowing players to survive and complete objectives as humans, or strike fear into the hearts of men as a Necromorph. But it isn’t anything spectacular. The other change is slightly more significant; instead of jumping from wall to wall in a zero-g environment as one did in the first game, Isaac’s suit now has thrusters and can move around freely in space.

Though I love the game, and the series, Dead Space 2 isn’t without its hitches. I will continue to have nightmares for weeks about the level that involves navigating an elementary school, but the truth is that Dead Space 2 isn’t quite as terrifying as the original. The creepy ghost ship of the original that is the Ishimura is much more terrifying than an apartment complex will ever be, and the elementary school isn’t close to the eerie hallways of the Medical Deck of the Ishimura.

Another reason why I love the series is that as one moves up in difficulty levels, enemies become harder to eliminate and ammo/health becomes harder to find. There is a perfect sort of terror where a mass of Necromorphs is advancing on the player, the player is firing away, and the gun goes, *click.* Whenever that happens, I have a small moment of disbelief, followed by fear sinking into my gut, panicking, and vainly attempting to run. However, in the sequel, it seems like the farther one gets, the easier it is for enemies to take the player out. The end of the game isn’t so much scary, as it is frustrating that one cannot get across a room while simultaneously keeping one’s innards intact. Also, the new Hardcore mode isn’t so much a challenge as it is a Herculean task. It’s the exact same as the hardest difficulty, except the player can’t carry their upgrades or weapons into the game, and the player only gets three save points, with no checkpoints. Essentially, there are only three chances to save the game, and if the players are unfortunate enough to meet their ends, they’ll have to go all the way back to their previous save. This is just meant to make people angry, and I have a feeling I’d go crazy trying to play it.

Regardless of its faults, Dead Space 2 does all the things a sequel should do: it keeps the successful formula of the original, as well as fixes the problems and adds new things that work well.

Isaac Clarke has carved a bloody swath through the video game industry, and it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to catch my breath any time soon.

★★★★☆

Artwork By: Hayden Johnson

Critics of all types of media consider Mass Effect 2 as one of the most defining media experiences of this generation.

The Mass Effect series began on the Xbox 360 and the PC where it redefined gaming with its heavy emphasis on an epic story and deep character development.  Since its original release, the Mass Effect series has received over 30 perfect reviews from gaming websites, magazines, and editorial newspaper articles.  It has been a massive hit among gamers, but was unfortunately limited to Xbox 360 owners and, as a result, large amounts of people were left unable to experience the phenomenon. One year later, the series has finally made its PS3 debut and has brought what developers are calling the definitive Mass Effect experience to the platform.

Mass Effect takes aspects from some of the most well written Hollywood adventures and puts them into a video game.  The story follows Commander Shepherd and his crew on a mission to stop a mysterious evil alien race from wiping out humanity.  What might seem like a pretty linear gaming experience at first glance turns out to be an action filled dramatic space adventure, above the caliber of some Hollywood blockbusters.  This iteration is the second in the planned series but it is written in such a way that PS3 gamers won’t have to worry about being left out if the loop since they didn’t get to experience the first game.  Gamers will be satisfied with the introduction they get, which includes a digital comic that does a fantastic job of setting up the story for first time players.

What makes Mass Effect such a unique game is its dialogue and interactive decisions, and how they affect the story.  Some of the most compelling parts of the game are the important dialogue options of which the player is given control.  Once the player begins the game, the action, everything the player says, and the ending the player gets is completely in his/her hands. Never before has a video game succeeded in provoking emotions by having the player make realistic and dramatic choices that will permanently affect the game.  Unlike most games where the story ends in a predictable victory, Mass Effect lets gamers know right off the bat that nothing is certain and it all depends on the gamers’ choice.  There are even endings which result in a main character’s death. Because of tall the possible endings, this game demands multiple play-throughs and encourages the player to make different choices the next time around.

When Mass Effect 2 first came out a year ago for the 360, movie directors and writers were staggered at the progress video game producers have made, as it appeared games were finally making the push in mainstream media.  Hilary Goldstein, a critic from ign even went so far as to say games might become even more popular, even ahead of movies in the near future.  This game is headlining that push and has taken a critical step forward with its release on the PS3.  The PS3 version has been dubbed “the definitive Mass Effect 2” experience” by the developers, who are known for their well-polished video games.  The game runs on a new engine for the PS3 that makes the graphics even more dazzling than before, with enhanced lighting and frame rates.

Mass Effect 2 is already a must-own game and has won many game of the year awards, and now with its debut on the PS3 it just gives gamers more reason to buzz with excitement.  Look forward to hearing more good things about Mass Effect as it looks to close the series with a bang with its third title in November 2011.

Artwork by Sean Gonzalez

The new year of 2011 brings great hopes to video gamers as many old heart warming favorites will make a comeback. My list is the top ten most anticipated video games of 2011. Many old titles are going to be renewed, and many developers are planning to bring something new to the video game table. This new year will hopefully top last year’s games, which can be found here.

10. Tom Clancy’s high tech military shooting franchise is making another return with Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. The Ghost Recon series always features soldiers with high tech gear, including robots and invisibility suits. Future Soldier is supposed to take the ideas of future warfare to a new level, putting the player into the hands of the most advanced super soldier, ever. The game was expected to be out in 2010, but got pushed back by Ubisoft until April 2011.

9. Number nine is a video game that does not sound as fun as most other games, but after reading about it in GameInformer, I thought it looked sweet. The game is Alice: Madness Returns. Yes, the game is based on the movie Alice in Wonderland, except more horrifying and delusional than the movies. The game takes on a gruesome look when compared to the movies. Instead of the blonde and seemingly innocent Alice, this Alice wields weapons and has dark brunette hair. This game surprised me; I spent thirty minutes taking a look at multiple trailers and got to get an in depth look the epic Wonderland this game is expected to bring near the holiday season of 2011.

8. Irrational Games is back to bring what looks to be the greatest Bioshock game ever, Bioshock: Infinite. The game is set in a flying city named Columbia, ironically in the year 1912, when the technology was not able to create such a city, or is that just what we think? This game seems interesting, and the mystery of Columbia will make this game a unique one to play, promising to bring an amazing storyline to combat the action-adventure found throughout the series.

7. Has there ever been a game that made someone so scared they could not sleep at night? Many fans of the first Dead Space thought so, and in interviews with the public the developers at Visceral Games have been asked to tone the horror down. The public made these requests, as many games, including myself, were scared playing the first game. They are actually planning to bring more scary scenes and events into the game. What they do plan to tone down is the gore and gruesome, while building more upon the anxiety, which will in turn will bring more fear into gamers. Dead Space 2 is another action-adventure game inside of an alien infested spaceship. Be expecting this horror game soon, as it comes out this month, January 25th, 2011.

6. L.A. Noire will be yet another sandbox game published by Rockstar Games, but will be set in the 1940’s and 50’s. A sandbox game is one that has many different stories to follow – not just one strict storyline – and can do almost whatever the players want to do in the given environment. Rockstar games published Red Dead Redemtpion, a great sandbox game set in the old west before the westward expansion of the United States. L.A. Noire is expected to bring about the classic 40’s and 50’s gangster scene into a video game, the first of its kind ever done.

5. Gears of War 3 is making its release near the holiday season of 2011. Developer Epic Games decided to push the release back an entire year to give more time to make the game as perfect as possible. With the new technology that comes out every year, they may be upgrading the graphics and game engine to run more smoothly, while providing a beautiful setting for the player. This game is an Xbox exclusive, and many Xbox 360 owners are looking forward to this third installment of the Gears series.

4. Although Ubisoft Montreal is hard at work keeping online servers for Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood up to speed, they are in the process of making Assassin’s Creed III. This will be the third installment featuring a new time period, maybe the snow torn Soviet Russia and their struggles against the Templars during the Revolution of 1918? No matter what era is chosen, I’m positive this game will bring yet more conspiracies to life while providing the enjoyment of freely roaming around doing whatever you want.

3. “You can’t have the cake because the cake is a lie,” is the line that still rings clear in many gamers’ minds from Portal. Portal 2 is going to bring back the high-speed puzzle plat forming adventure that the first one brought. The game uses a real time physics gaming engine (capturing action and re-action in real time) to allow traveling between dimensions and rooms without ruining the high-speed visuals of the game required to complete each puzzle.

2. Zelda, a personal favorite series of mine is making a comeback in 2011. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the next turn for the longtime series, promising to bring many of the old elements from the first successful game back to the gaming scene. The trailer and viewable demo looks amazing, showing a more masculine Link with high paced action. Link looks like a green samurai, cutting down foes with the greatest ease. One great aspect that Zelda has is the countless puzzles that challenge the minds of gamers. It is safe to say that the developers will implement these puzzles back into the game.

1. Duke Nukem Forever. I think that sums up the number one anticipated game of 2011. Duke Nukem is a series of games from the 90’s that has Mr. Duke Nukem destroying aliens with brute force as they are trying to conquer Earth. It is a mindless game to play, and the player runs through infested Earth with large guns, blowing them apart for hours on end. This game has been anticipating a release every year since 1999, and with all the cancellations and lawsuits settled, it is expected to be arriving early in 2011. It will be 15 years since the last Duke Nukem game. Gamers thought the trailer of Duke curling weights was a joke, as every year there has been some sort of trailer or announcement for this game, but this time the game is actually supposed to come out.

Artwork by Sean Gonzales

Here it is. This year in video games has been crazy. Many games are taking larger steps with the new game engines to get the best graphics possible. Many game developers took games to new heights by making them feel cinematic, following movie plots and bringing dramatic changes to the characters. Old fan-favorite games were brought back to life with a new kind of epic revival. Fans all over the world were mesmerized at an indie created game that brought such simplicity to the hearts of the hardcore gamers that made the game fascinating. Compiling this list took many hours to create, constantly moving games around or canceling them because more games outdid others. Many of my favorite games of the year did not make the list, bringing about sad faces over some gamers who loved the likes of Bayonetta, or Tron Evolution. The list is here, and although people may be upset by the choices, there are distinct reasons why these games were in the top ten, and why they did not beat out other games.

10. Ubisoft developers Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands brought the Prince of Persia series back to familiar ground with the fifth Prince of Persia on consoles to date. Ubisoft’s last Prince game took the series to a new setting, consisting of the same old desert, but in a mystical land where a great tree rules all, and many fans were confused at why this setting was chosen. The style of the game was not so much hack-and-slash anymore, but a strategic game with new graphics. The new game brought excitement to many of the original fans of the series. The delightful comeback makes this game ten on the list.

9. Coming in at number nine is developer Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain. A lot of Xbox 360 gamers may not know what this game is about, and that is because it was exclusive to the Playstation 3. This is one of the games that went to the more cinematic feel, bringing about simplicity of button pushing that was only to advance the storyline. Pushing a series of buttons to open a door. The story was in the point of view of four different characters, all brought together by a series of crimes. The plot in this game made me cry numerous times, and I will say I have never cried in a video game before. The cinematic feel of the game brought a sort of soap opera feel to it, and for being a game, this was creative.

8. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the second installment of the Mario Galaxy series. This game built off the epic Super Mario Galaxy, bringing about the best three-dimensional Mario to date. The dynamic and wondrous environments that Mario is set in are beautiful. Mario is in a series of Galaxies through which he must fight. Another wonderful addition to the game was the brining back of the old, cute, and familiar dinosaur, Yoshi. Mario fans all over the world came together to play this game, exclusively on the Wii, selling 5.1 million copies worldwide, marking it as one of the best games ever sold, propelling it to be number eight on this year’s top ten.

7. Lucky number seven goes to Starcraft II. Blizzard Entertainment, the developers of World of Warcraft are behind this open-world game. An open-world game consists of a story line where the user can do almost anything they want. The first game was an award winning game that came out in 1998. That really tells how awesome the installments are; the first Starcraft kept fans of the series happy with the first game for 12 years. Twelve years is a long time for a video game to still be popular, and this year, Starcraft II came about to sweep PC gamers off their feet. The game’s story line is almost never-ending, fighting endless amounts of Aliens in whichever way feels necessary, and the online real-time strategy is the best of any game. PC gamers looking for something to keep them happy for another twelve years should get this game, coming in at number seven.

6. The sixth best game to come out in 2010 is the third installment of the God of War series, God of War III. Developer Sony Santa Monica created the perfect hack-and-slash game to come out on any system. The third installment was released only on Playstation 3, and many Xbox fans were jealous of the game, knowing its awesomeness. Some Xbox 360 owners wanted to buy a used PS3 just for this game. Many gaming magazines gave this title a perfect score, or near perfect, and the game was awarded the Most Anticipated Game in 2010. Owning a Playstation, I of course played this game multiple times, rubbing it into the Xbox owners that I could play it. This game was great; it gave me the feeling of being the ultimate god, smashing down Zeus and all the rest of the Greek legends.

5. Number five and four on the list of best games can be swapped around any which way, but just to keep it organized, Mass Effect 2 comes in at number five. This game is very much like Starcraft II, being an open world game where the players define their own story by their action in the game. Say they want to run away from a fight, they can go wherever and keep building on a frady-cat story, or they can fight and become a heroic figure in the galaxy of Mass Effect. The game sold over two million copies with the first week of it being released this year. Bioware came out with another great game, bringing the fifth or fourth best game of 2010, at least in my opinion.

4. What would any great game list of this year be without Halo: Reach. This is confirmed to be the last Halo installment by developers Bungie, and they went out with a bang. This game can go back and forth between fourth and fifth place with Mass Effect 2. Both the games came out exclusively for the Xbox 360, meaning only the Xbox fans could play this game. Personally, I wanted to buy an Xbox just for the last Halo, but I ended up not doing it. By far this game is unrealistic; it brings a sense of beliving the actual world outside the basement where I play this game is exactly like this. The campaign was emotionally charged, finally showing more character to the Spartans. The graphics are superb. The soundtrack of the game flows perfectly as I traversed Reach with my super-human friends. Actually, the song Deliver Hope from the Deliver Hope trailer has this beautiful harmonious hum, and it is played on my ipod daily. With a tragic ending filled with a healthy sign of hope, I was glad to have this game come out this year.

3. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood is the third installment of the Creed franchise to come to the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. The game takes players back to Rome during 1758, and it brings to life the beauty of the Renaissance. The environment that the game presents about has always interested me. I have learned more about Italy from this game than I ever have taking a history class. I think that a game that brings about educational value as well as the joy of running around freely in Renaissance Italy being an assassin is a game that brings about such beauty. It is amazing the extent of how much I want to live in that timeframe. When I play the game, I imagine myself being an assassin, running around hunting targets to protect my fellow brothers. The addition of battling out other assassins online is unbelievably fun, and it was great that they had a beta, or a chance to see the how the game will work a month early, just gave the game a better feel and smooth gameplay.

2. Runner-up goes to Call of Duty: Black Ops. Being a huge Call of Duty gamer myself, it has been a long anticipated wait for this game after Modern Warfare 2 revealed its true nature to annoy so many fans to the franchise. To sum up how the game is doing, it sold more than seven million copies within the first twenty-four hours of being released. The game brings a new life to the Call of Duty series, with developer Treyarch stepping up to match even with Infinity Ward. The gameplay is so smooth and so realistic. Set in Vietnam, when I am playing the game, I literally see and feel the feverish jungle of the Vietnam War. I feel the terror the soldiers can only tell stories about. With incredible controversy with John F. Kennedy’s assassination, this game is a beautiful creation to bring about, and I will be playing this game for months.

1. The best game of 2010 is an indie-created game by the developer Notch. Notch really is one person who created the game a week before it was released. Markus “Notch” Persson created the game for the computer geeks out in the world, using Java as the baseline for the creation. The game is Minecraft, a game where one person create the environment, kind of like online lego’s, but with endless amounts of opportunities and options to pursue. If users want to make a virtual Thomas Jefferson High School? Well with this game makes it possible. Many games now are being critiqued on their ability to customize options in the game. Take a look at any sports game that has come out within the last year and it will become apparent the amount of customization available is endless. Minecraft takes the concept of endless to a whole different level. I have spent hours upon hours making a gigantic castle, adding each and every detail till it looks the way I want it. I then opened it up to the world and showcased it, and then I destroyed it. Yes, I destroyed it, and built another castle, with a different style and aura of splendor.

To wrap things up, lets take a look at the game developer of the year. For this I am simply going to choose which developer came out with the most games that are quality. This year it happens to be that Ubisoft is the developer of the year, in my books. Quality games that came out this year from the developer are Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands, Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X 2, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction, and No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle. Two of those games appeared on this years top ten list, and all the games I did have a chance to play were amazing, and I thoroughly enjoyed every single one. Call me a fan boy, but Ubisoft does deserve it for 2010.

This year’s gaming has been crazy, and it was a pleasure to play all of these games, and finally give the year of 2010 an A+ in gaming.

Artwork by Mia Nogueira

September 28^th was the grand day that the brand new soccer video game, Federacion Internazionale De Football Association Eleven, or Fifa 11, hit the shelves to please soccer fans around the world, giving them a game to play along with the start of the 2010/2011 season.

The brand new game mode in Fifa 11 is the new “be a goalkeeper” feature, and it literally means what it says, yes, the player can finally be a goalkeeper in Fifa 11. Those nerve-racking moments in a game where a forward is going one on one with a goalkeeper can be lived out, but now as the goalkeeper. The controls for being a goalkeeper are perfect after figuring them out. It is actually like I was a goalkeeper; stand off the goalkeeper line for two seconds and BAM! A shot is in the back of the net and a sense of embarrassment is felt, like an actual goalkeeper would feel. Ever since summer when it was announced this new mode would be in the game, I wanted to play it, and boy did it live up to expectations. I felt my armpits dampen from a mere corner kick, after I saw a man wide open in the goalie box, and this was from a video game?

For many years within the Fifa franchise these computer-controlled characters (Artificial Intelligence, or A.I.) have been slow, gullible, and excessively non-creative. Ever play soccer against a three year old? That is exactly how the computer-controlled characters used to play. They were generally easy to juke with a simple trick, and immediately a simple move left a hole for me, to run right through straight towards the goal. The other defenders would not even make the slightest effort to help out the poor man I just made look silly, and I had a clear chance on goal. Fifa 11 has stepped up the A.I.’s defense abilities, allowing for them to take a better angle and stop penetrating maneuvers. Run for too long and a player has taken the ball from me, and the other team is on the attack, while I was caught looking silly for not passing to a fellow teammate. Players must actually learn to compete like a professional soccer team, passing the ball between players to get past the intimidating defense.

The offense of the A.I. used to be absolutely boring; the virtual athletes would jog with the ball for ten yards, make a poor pass or get taken out by a defender, and all of a sudden I was on the attacking side, with numbers up bound to score an easy goal. Fifa 11 A.I. forwards and midfielders perform tricks just as a real team would, and actually score goals. The first game I played involved me, FC Basel, a three star team ( a mediocre team in Fifa ratings), against Barcelona, a five star team (the best a Fifa team can get) and considered the best team in the entire league of soccer. The game actually ended up in a tie, and never before had I seen an A.I. perform a rainbow flick to go in on goal; thank God it hit the post.

Comparing FIfa 11 to Fifa 10, there are general improvements and slight fall-backs. Fifa 11 added to the career mode, which allows a player to play as an actual player, a captain, and the manager. Fifa 10 had only the player and manager mode, no player manager (the captain) mode. The manager mode in FIfa 11 compared to Fifa 10 is not as simplistic, which is both devastating and fantastic at once. The transfer window is not as easy to use, but does allow for better search options to find just the layer you need to improve your team. The all-new calendar prolongs the time between games, so instead of playing game after game, you have to wait a good minute to three minutes to get through all the emails your boards and other offices will send you. I don’t really need to know that in the middle of the week the team I’m playing against over the weekend won, because I know I will beat them. The online game modes now have a code that needs to be entered in order to play games online, which means people who rent the game or buy it used will have to pay an extra ten dollars to play online, which is quite dissatisfying. Fifa 11 also has the updated squads as of September first, and Fifa 10 was a little behind with the new squads.

Fifa 11 also has some drawbacks and advancements from Fifa 2010 World Cup, the last installment specifically for the World Cup from the summer. Fifa World Cup would show cheering fans and flags hoisted in the air during substitution time or at the beginning of the game. This added a multitude of environment and atmosphere to the game, and was something I personally enjoyed to see. When i play a sports game, i.e (baseball, soccer, football, you name it), it is a great feeling to see people cheering for me. That feeling was nice in World Cup, and that was taken out of Fifa 11. The World Cup game also had players seeming like paper, there was no depth to them, and when fighting for possession of a ball, it felt like the player I was controlling was too light, falling over easily or stumbling for no reason. Fifa 11 has made the players seemingly stronger so when going for a ball, it is like the real game; I felt that opposing player on my side, like a dog gnawing at my heel for that ball.

Fifa also allows the player to create a team online at easportsfootball.com/creationcentre, and import that team directly into the game. Ever wanted to a name a team The Pirates?  I know I wanted to, and I did. With a blue and white crest, purple and light blue jerseys, this team is sure to take on the best in Fifa. Also brand new to the Fifa franchise is the ability to import songs for every time a virtual pro, or created player resembling the actual person playing the game, scores a goal. Songs can also be added for when the favorite team of the player wins a game, loses a game, enters the field, scores a goal, or even when two teams from the English Premier league play. This is absolutely fun, every time my virtual pro, Seanie, scores a goal, the thrashing drums of Bloodmeat by Protest The Hero are played.

With all that Fifa 11 has to offer, it is only small things that I wish would be in the game, but they are not important enough to take away from the outstanding game it has turned out to be. Any soccer fan wanting a video game to play that is all soccer all the time, should get this brand-new, realistic soccer game.

Artwork by Anna Becker

“Do you enjoy going to horror movies? Silent Hill is a horror movie that you can play. You’re Harry Mason and you wake up after a car crash to find your daughter missing in the creepy town of Silent Hill. Find your daughter and watch out for the twisted creatures that pursue you,” says Tomm Hulett, lead producer of the horror-survival game Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. It is the seventh game in the Silent Hill series, and is a reimagining of the original Silent Hill.

For those of you who have never played Silent Hill (or even those who have, but still don’t understand it), I will try to stuff the series into as small a nutshell as possible. The first Silent Hill follows protagonist Harry Mason, whose daughter, Cheryl Mason, appears to have run off after a car crash on the way to Silent Hill; a town the two were traveling to after repeated requests from Cheryl, who has been having dreams about the town. Harry sees her disappearing in the fog several times throughout his journey, giving him hope she’s still alive. During the course of the game, Harry gains the camaraderie of Cybil Bennett, a cop, Lisa Garland, a nurse, and Michael Kauffman, a doctor. He also runs into Dahlia Gillespie, a religious fanatic who tells Harry several cryptic messages about his daughter, and a young girl, Alessa Gillespie, who looks somehow familiar to him. The ending is open to interpretation, but for the sense of continuing the story, we’ll say that at the end of the game, Harry is given back his daughter, but as a baby.

Silent Hill 2 (Restless Dreams, for the Xbox) follows the protagonist James Sunderland, who has been brought to Silent Hill by a letter from what he believes to be his dead wife, Mary. As he’s searching, he runs into a woman who looks identical to his late wife besides her hair and clothing, named Maria. She also acts completely different, but James confuses Maria for Mary several times throughout the game. A major theme in the game is atoning for sins; and other characters who appear in the game, such as Angela Orosco and Eddie Dombrowski, are being punished in a way that mirrors James’ punishment.

Silent Hill 3 takes place seventeen years after the first Silent Hill, and follows the teenage protagonist Heather Mason (the baby Harry got at the end of the first game). Her father moved them into hiding in Portland, dyed her hair blonde, and changed her name from Cheryl to Heather. As she walks through a mall on an errand for her father, she runs into detective Douglas Cartland, who she believes to be a stalker, and manages to get away from. Then she runs into a member of the Order (a religious group that Dahlia was a part of), Claudia Wolf, who tells Heather to “remember her true self.” Heather adventures through Silent Hill and runs into several other members of the order who all, in some way or another, try to kill her. For the first half of the game, Heather is just trying to get home, but after a tragic incident, Heather finds herself on her way to Silent Hill to find answers.

Silent Hill 4: The Room, follows protagonist Henry Townshend. Unlike other protagonists, Henry wasn’t brought into Silent Hill by any sin or greatly important reason, nor is he trying to find anyone. He was just pulled into Silent Hill because he chose to live in a certain apartment. He spends the game jumping from otherworld to otherworld, sometimes accompanied by his neighbor, Eileen Gavin, and dealing with a member of the Order, Walter Sullivan. This game was not originally meant to be a part of the series, but was made a Silent Hill game regardless, and had several references to other Silent Hill games incorporated, such as Toluca Lake and Frank Sunderland (the father of James from SH2).

Silent Hill: Origins is the fifth game, and a prequel to the series. It follows protagonist Travis Grady, a trucker who decides to take a shortcut through Silent Hill and wrecks his truck. Travis then sees a young girl who appears to be Alessa, and chases after her. He finds the girl nearly dead inside of a burning house, but passes out before he can get her out of the house. Before he is completely unconscious, he hears sirens. He wakes up on a bench and, remembering the girl, runs to the hospital and asks Dr. Kauffman what happened to the girl. Dr. Kaufmann responds that there have been no new patients admitted. Later in the hospital, Travis finds a mirror with a strange reflection and is transported through it to the otherworld. Travis also runs into other characters Harry encountered in the first game, such as Dahlia Gillespie and Lisa Garland.

Silent Hill: Homecoming, the sixth installment in the series, follows protagonist Alex Shepherd. After being discharged from the military, Alex returns home only to find that his father and younger brother, Joshua, have disappeared, and his mother is in a near catatonic state. Alex then begins the search for his younger brother. On his way, he is given a ride by Travis and later has to face off with Pyramid Head, a major monster from the second game (a.k.a. The Bogeyman). Another reference to the other Silent Hill games is when Alex finds a Robbie the Rabbit doll (a character from SH3), and gives it to his brother through a door of metal bars.

Which brings us, finally, to Shattered Memories. The game opens with a shot of Michael Kauffman, now a psychiatrist, preparing for a patient. The game cuts to Harry (from the first Silent Hill, remember), crashing his car similarly to the first game. He once again finds that his daughter, Cheryl, is missing and sets out to find her. He then arrives at a bar where he runs into either Cybil or a barmaid, depending on the choices the player has made.

As opposed to other games in the series, the producers have decided to leave combat out of Shattered Memories. “We have noticed that a lot of recent survival horror games have started focusing far more on action than ‘survival.’ Really, they’re action games with ickier monsters,” said Hullet. “So we wanted to step back, clean the slate, and go back to the roots of what makes a ‘survival horror’ game. How would we scare the player?” However, Harry (the protagonist) can knock objects in the environment over in order to impede his opponents.

In previous Silent Hill games, the player would solve riddles while avoiding or fighting off monsters, but in Shattered Memories the “exploration” (puzzle-solving) part of the game is separate from the nightmarish otherworld, and the appearance of monsters is accompanied by the world distorting and becoming covered in ice.

It has been a major concern of hardcore Silent Hill fans that, because of the lack of combat and the fact that monsters are not found in the exploration part of the game, that Shattered Memories will not be as scary as previous games in the series. “We have had focus testers ask to stop playing because they are ‘too scared’ during exploration. The world of Silent Hill is not a nice place, so exploring it isn’t a walk in the park. Yes there are scares, but mainly it’s about suspense — the atmosphere of dread and not knowing when the nightmare is coming,” said Sam Barlow, the lead designer of Shattered Memories.

In the nightmare world, places that the player can go (doors they can enter, walls they can jump over, ledges they can crawl under, etc.) are highlighted by bright blue; but do not fear, Silent Hill fans! These indications do not necessarily tell the player the right way to go. Additionally, in the otherworld the player will be pursued by monsters called “Raw Shocks,” which may change form throughout the game to match the player’s worst fears. Because Harry cannot fight these monsters, their form of attack is tackling Harry and essentially freezing him to death. The player must shake off the monsters and run. As Cheryl says in the first nightmare sequence: “You can’t fight them, daddy! You have to run!”

My main concern with the game is the lack of variety in the monsters. There is only one kind of monster, and although they change throughout the game, all of the monsters change at once. Also, having played the other Silent Hill games, the fact that the flashlight is on a different joystick than the one that makes Harry move is pretty disorienting.

Despite that, Shattered Memories is the best Silent Hill game so far. The story is unique, even if it is a re-imagining, and the psychological aspect of the game is mind-blowing. Where the character looks, what the character does, and how the player answers in therapy sessions with Dr. Kauffman all influence major aspects of the game, which makes it very difficult to get a specific ending. The best improvement, however, is the phone. Because of the lack of weapons, ammo, health drinks and puzzle items, the inventory has been completely eliminated, and Harry’s phone has taken its place. There are no longer save points, you just use the phone. No more navigating to your inventory to look at memos, you just use the phone. I could sing its praises for days… but I won’t.

In comparison to other Silent Hill games, I give Shattered Memories five stars. The gameplay is very different, but much improved and the storyline is fresh despite being a re-imagining. In comparison to other video games, I have to give it four stars because the game is so short and because of the lack of variety of the monsters.

Overall rating: ★★★★★

Artwork by Mia Nogueira

As far as I can tell, DJ Hero meets the requirements for its “Hero” predecessors. It has a plastic, battery-eating controller, customizable characters and DJ decks, multiplayer (if you know someone else who has a turntable controller or a Guitar Hero Guitar), a weak story, and a good amount of fun.

Instead of making music with a bunch of instrument shaped plastic, players mix tracks with a slider, turntable, and a knob that adjusts bass and treble for a given track. It has a more genuine feel to it because it is more plausible to make music through a control panel and turntable than a small, guitar-shaped peripheral. Even though there are more than enough rhythm based games on the shelves, DJ Hero is different than the rest. Like Rock Band, DJ Hero is a good party game that is easy to get into, and makes the listeners bob their heads.

Being a DJ in real life requires a lot of skill and concentration. DJs have to follow the beat of two different songs, scratch records, and transition between the songs. In the hard levels, DJ Hero presents a challenge that is melodious as well as exciting.

The game has a variety of moves to perform, from adjusting a little slider to spinning the platter (going back to a certain point in the song). The songs are mixed together by pushing the buttons on the turntable and the slider works as a crossfader, switching between the two songs. The performances are neat and rewarding. As opposed to earning money or fans or even kudos, the stars that are earned in performances are what unlocks DJs, outfits, and turntable decks. Instead of beating the game on hard levels with three or four star performances, a player can unlock everything by getting five star performances at medium difficulty. This puts less emphasis on the player’s skills and makes it more fun. The songs are catchy, mixing classic songs with hip-hop or rap. Gary Newman’s Cars and Grandmaster Flash’s Here Comes My DJ is a catchy combo, like Spooky and Insane In The Brain.

With each new set list performed, songs and DJs are unlocked. Some set lists feature one DJ and their best mixes. To distract the player from the notes sliding down the ‘highway,’ there are flashing lights, shiny turntables, and dancing women. At times, I hesitated to push a button because I knew it would make the screen flash momentarily. Also, for some odd reason, the camera pans to the security guards. That strange camera movement was reminiscent of a performance in Beatles Rock Band, where a woman is beat by a cop for no reason. I’d guess these additions are to make the watchers of the game a little more entertained, but it just doesn’t make sense.

The beats of these mixes can move a crowd to nod or dance along with the music, but it doesn’t have the same appeal that makes eight people sing along to Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ when only one has the microphone. DJ Hero is sold as an individual game and controller, which makes the promise of multiplayer a littler harder to fulfill. There are some songs that accommodate a DJ turntable and a Guitar Hero guitar controller playing in unison, effectively disabling the ability of the DJ to spin the disc back to an earlier time. If they were catering to the in-the-same-room multiplayer crowd another turntable would make it easier, but more multiplayer songs would’ve helped, too. Online multiplayer is a little frustrating. These are competitions for points earned in each song based on completion and multiplayer. I’ve found myself losing by a matter of two or three percent less than my opponent. The guitar/DJ multiplayer is local only, so you can’t play with a friend online to earn more points or have fun.

DJ Hero is fun to play. I noticed myself moving along with the beat and sometimes the lyrics.

When it comes down to it, the feeling of playing rhythm games is present in DJ Hero and its competition, but it is still just a bunch of plastic and wires. Rhythm games are like cheap substitutes for actually being able to play an instrument. They have cheaper equipment, tether the players to a screen and console, and lack the ability to make any music. As far as cheap thrills go, DJ Hero is a lot of fun. Real DJs, flashy turntables, and detailed visuals enhance the feeling of spinning some vinyl to a catchy song. With mediocre multiplayer, a passable online experience, and the fun of mixing music, I recommend playing DJ Hero to enjoy the single-player fun that Guitar Hero II had, and for those catchy beats.     ★★★☆☆