Capcom goes ANIME with the Asura's Wrath Demo...

Capcom's first game for 2012 is Asura's Wrath, which is out next month, as a demo of the game came out on Xbox Live Marketplace and Playstation Network earlier this week. If I had to describe this game in one word, it would be ANIME. Asura's Wrath is way too anime as it makes me laugh every time I play through the demo when the crazy stuff happens, but unfortunately the game doesn't make a good impression. There are two levels in the demo and they are pretty much boss battles. Episode 5 has the most "variety" than Chapter 11 and yes I quoted vartiety because there is not really of ton it in Asura's Wrath. It is an action game with an overuse of quicktime events as if it is the whole game. There is a shooting section in the boss battle against the giant like Zone of the Enders where Asura has a lock-on mechanic straight up from that game, but the basic goal of Asura's Wrath (especially in this demo) though is bulk up for burst meter and then make insane crap happen. It sucks that there is no basic combat sections against normal enemies in this demo as Capcom and developer CyberConnect2 handled this demo poorly even though they're like "Hey, let's have these levels in the demo because of they're f-in nuts without spoiling the story." Even in 2012, demos can be mishandled in this console generation. The one-on-one fight against Augus in Chapter 11 is straight up anime with cheesy dialogue like watching a Dragon Ball Z fight without the crazy fireball sequences, but the action is so over the top, it becomes too ridiculous. Even though Asura's Wrath will likely be a disappointing game from Capcom, give the demo a shot if you like ANIME in your action games.

EA Sports Goes From Jamming to Blitzing... The NFL Blitz Review

After the successful NBA Jam revival, EA Sports decides to also bring back NFL Blitz in this new downloadable release for Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network. The Blitz franchise has been known for fast-paced arcade style football without most of the NFL rules from pass interference being allowed, a limited but enough playbook on both sides of the ball, being on fire like NBA Jam, and crazy tackle animations the Madden games dreamed of having. Most of what makes NFL Blitz the game it was back in the late 90s is still in this new one gameplay-wise, but the missing things really hurt this revival from being great. Who would of thought a NFL Blitz game would lack energy like this one?

This 2012 version of NFL Blitz is crammed with modes both offline and online. There is of course is play now mode, but then there is the other stuff like Blitz Gauntlet. Blitz Gauntlet is a Mortal Kombat style ladder where you face real NFL teams and then have a boss battle against wacky characters such as zombies, ninjas, and horses. The only point of this mode is basically gaining these unlockable teams that can be activated before a game starts on the code screen, which also returns from previous entries. Besides the unlockable teams, you can change the ball color, turn on big head mode, and many other stuff on the code screen as long as you input the right icons before time is up. While Blitz Gauntlet is the main offline mode, the bulk of the game is actually on the online front.

The online modes in this new iteration will pretty much make or break the game for most people in terms of how long they will play it and the amount of them on at the same time to play games. If a decent community gets going, then the game will be fine online, but as most downloadable games go these days, people don't come back after launch week. Anyway, there is a simple head-to-head mode with only the real NFL teams and also Blitz Teams where its 2v2 online. The leaderboard system is pretty crazy especially for a game like this as you climb ladders locally, regionally, and then nationally by consistently playing well online. Performance-wise, the games play fine for the most part, but the lag can be a problem especially during punts and kicks since they are timing based. However, pulling out a clutch online win by a last second field goal under laggy conditions feels very satisfying. The Elite League mode consist of a card system that is basically fantasy football as you start out with a weak team, but having more Blitz bucks, which you can only gain them by playing online, you can buy more cards for better players, ultimate cheats, and more. Additionally you can pony up rare cards against others in Risk and Reward as well.

The core gameplay is as good as it was back in the original with most of the playbook resembling that one with infamous plays such as Da Bomb, Sub-Zero, Hurricane, and many more. The action is still fast-paced with two minute quarters as you can score in mere seconds and 30 yards are required for a first down. As long as you don't pass the line scrimmage, you can pass the ball more than once if you wanna be fancy at times. Being on fire is simple on both sides of the ball as you have to throw to the same receiver three times in a row on offense and sack the quarterback twice in a row on defense. In boss battles and elite league games, there are powerups spread throughout the field The vicious tackles are back in full force, but the ability to not do late hits like the original games is a huge disappointment especially for purists. The late hits were a hallmark of the franchise as since the NFL didn't want them in this new iteration, you can blame them. Kicking is only in field goals and punts as extra points are free as they were in the original, but I personally had an extra point missed once randomly, which was weird. There are also little changes from past games that hardcore Blitz guys will notice for both good and bad, but the core gameplay is still as pick up and play as it gets.

My major criticism with this new Blitz though is that there is definitely a lack of energy when it comes to the presentation especially how the game looks and sounds. The game just looks boring as I couldn't let myself have long stretches with the game, so it is best played in short sessions. It lacks the grittiness how the Blitz games were back in the day as if you compare it to Madden NFL Arcade, they can look pretty similar. Blitz goes by a certain art style and while the players are bigger and bulkier than their Madden versions, a certain spark is flat out missing. The NFL stadiums look bland and the crowd does not look as good as expected. The same lack of energy also comes with the commentary, which is also disappointing. Tim Kutzrow returns from NBA Jam as the main announcer along with Brian Haley as there isn't that much enthusiasm from the guys while the game is going along with the fact they don't talk that much either. The banter between the two gets repetitive as you'll hear the same jokes and lines multiple times, so the variety is not there as well.

So is this new NFL Blitz by EA Sports really worth reviving? Magic struck with NBA Jam's comeback, but I can't say the same for Blitz however. Sure, the core gameplay is still good and there's enough replay value, but the lack of energy in the presentation from boring graphics to not much effort being put in to the commentary really hurts the overall package. Even though there are a ton of online options, having players actually playing online is a problem even though it is not the game's fault since downloadable releases tend to not go well after launch week with player numbers. If there is enough of a community to keep going with the numerous modes and leaderboards, then the game can be a bit more enjoyable. Other than that, there is some fun to be had with NFL Blitz if you're into arcade sports games, but it could of been so much better considering the amount of effort the developers put into it.

Score = 6.5/10

Pros:

• Core gameplay still good and fast-paced
• Tons of modes for replay value both offline and online

Cons:

• Its still Blitz, but not everything that made the franchise famous are not in this new one
• Lack of online players can be a problem since the bulk of the game is online especially when trying to earn Blitz Bucks
• No late hits is a big disappointment, but blame the NFL on that one
• The game overall just has a lack of energy... it looks and sounds boring

A Little Late - But My Top 10 Games of 2011

Yeah yeah its 2012 now, but I finally got around to do my top 10 for 2011 revolving games. Let's just say it is not the top 10 you expect with some different titles and one notable game that has been getting GOTY honors that won't be here because I didn't play it is admittedly the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Perhaps I'm a little too worried about the numerous issues that version has, but anyway let's move on with the top 10. (Note - if you want more explanations on the specific games, check out the reviews)

10) Child of Eden

If you know how much of a Rez fan I am, it is no surprise Child of Eden made the list. No matter which version you play it on whether its the 360 version with Kinect controls or the PS3 one with Move, you're in for quite a trip. Some say it is still some weird acid trip, but it is a beautiful looking acid trip with tons of colors.

9) Shadows of the Damned

Here's my sleeper hit of the list, which is Shadows of the Damned. While is a RE4 style shooter done right for once (yeah Capcom on blast), it is the characters and the banter Garcia Hotspur and his skull sidekick have with each other that is my highlight of the game. Even the little things like them reading backgrounds of the bosses as if they're a children's story. If you love Grasshopper and especially Suda 51's insane take on games, this one should not be missed and hopefully Lolipop Chainsaw lives up to the developer's pedigree.

8) Mortal Kombat

Sure there are the obvious haters of the new Mortal Kombat especially earlier this week hearing that game is coming back for a second year at Evo, but it got numerous fighting game of the year awards for a reason. Personally, it sets new standards on how fighting games should be packaged (once again Capcom on blast) and how to have a key single player component with its story mode. The DLC characters and numerous patches have kept this game fresh even to today despite how questionable the game often gets patched to a certain crowd. The Komplete Edition is coming in a month or two if you missed out on the game and the DLC.

7) L.A. Noire

Rockstar has done it again with L.A. Noire being another top notch product. It is rare to see a detective-based adventure be that good despite its flaws. It is also one of the more original and refreshing games out last year. The facial technology is that groundbreaking and unlike anything I seen in most games this console generation. It is a shame how things shook up between Rockstar and developer Team Bondi, but if there is some sort of sequel coming, it will be completely different from this one.

6) Catherine

Catherine is another unique game I loved last year. Yeah, its a game about love but also dealing with a man's maturity to accept what is more important in life, which is marriage and a family, or lust and despair. The puzzle gameplay is something different as well despite its flaws, but I still give Atlus credit for having the balls to release a game like Catherine, a game that uses themes and concepts most games don't really use today. One thing that has kept Catherine going besides the infamous story is its multiplayer courtesy of the NorCal Install folks. They have running tournaments on the last third of 2011 with this unlockable mode and has gotten the fighting game crowd hype seeing crazy moments. Hopefully there is more Catherine in the future since it was a successful hit for Atlus.

5) Vanilla/Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

Despite Capcom releasing two games last year, the Marvel vs. Capcom 3 games were my most played in 2011 due to the whole fighting game community thing and whatnot. They got some things right with vanilla establishing the core gameplay, but certain things like X-Factor and Dark Phoenix being a problem kept it from being the best and why Ultimate came out to change stuff. We'll see how Ultimate will play out in 2012 whether or not the game is fine as is especially with the new Heroes and Heralds mode to spice things up, or another big update might be coming to change up the playing field again.

4) Mass Effect 2 (PS3)

Typically games out in January get left out of GOTY contention because of people forgot about them (yeah what happened to LittleBigPlanet 2?). Good thing I didn't forget about playing the PS3 version of Mass Effect 2 in 2011. Sure, its an old game being on 360 first back in 2010, but it was still new to me and I did like the original a lot. The core changes to ME2 have been received a mixed reaction among fans being more shooter-focused and the only RPG-ness of the game were pretty much the dialogue choices. It seems to be a bit more balanced in the finale, ME3, out this March and I can't wait. I still had a great time with ME2 especially with the diverse characters introduced to the storyline and continuing the adventures of Shepard (I still love the ME1 cast though).

3) Batman: Arkham City

After the amazing Arkham Asylum bringing Batman back to gaming glory, Arkham City takes things to another level in terms of scale and story. The combat is still as good as it has been with its improvements and playing as Batman to his true self is one of a kind in today's standards. The amount of polish is superb and filled with memorable moments against the villains you know and love. Its gonna be interesting where Rocksteady goes from here when they make another Batman game, but hopefullly they can go crazier than they had before.

2) Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Uncharted 3 is just that good, but even though it is still pretty high on my top 10, it didn't have the same impact as the last game had. It is indeed one breathtaking adventure being Nathan Drake again and the insane moments are up there in the series. Mutliplayer got way better being more of what you see in other shooters these days with an improved level up system, loadouts, and numerous plays to kill opponents in. The production by Naughty Dog is still the best in the business personally and I look forward to what The Last of Us will bring to the table this year.

1) Saints Row: The Third

So I just reviewed this earlier in the week and boy I love this game that much being a last minute entry to be my favorite game of 2011. My favorite gaming moments of the past year came from SR3 alone ranging from the "Power" jump, the http://deckers.die mission, and so many more. As I said in my review, this is an open world game done right (yeah GTA on blast now) just the insane campaign and the crazy stuff you do in the story missions. In addition, fill the game with lovable characters and actually fun toys to mess around in the city and you got yourself my favorite open world game this current generation (I still admit I overrated GTA4 looking back on it now). Basically, you have to play Saints Row: The Third and trust me on this!

That's it for 2011 on the gaming side... hopefully 2012 will be the same in terms of many great games on a consistent basis.

I Guess Every Superhero Needs His Theme Music... The Saints Row: The Third Review

The Saints Row franchise has been viewed as being a Grand Theft Auto clone to many people, but personally it is keeping what GTA was in the beginning being a sandbox filled with fun toys to mess around with in a living city. There is enough insanity to make the Saints Row games feel separate from Rockstar's juggernaut that started with the second game, but now pushed into another level in this third entry. Saints Row: The Third is quite simply an open-ended sandbox game done right with the most memorable main storyline I experienced in the genre, enough variety in other activities to do, and toys that are actually are fun to play around with in the city of Steelport. From the beginning to the end, the game is at ten off the bat in terms of crazy stuff to do and honestly it is the best open world action game I have played this console generation.

The Saints are riding high off their success from Saints Row 2 as a bank heist goes wrong in the beginning of this game and an organization known as the Syndicate is out to get you while running things at Steelport. The story is simple as the customized boss character (either male or female), it is up to you to take out the Syndicate consist of three gangs, the Morningstar, Deckers, and Luchadores to take over Steelport for the Saints, but there are lots of crazy twists along the way and it becomes more than just a city takeover. I love the personalities of the three gangs even though the Morningstar are your typical rich gang, but the Deckers and Luchadores are indeed special. The Deckers are cyperpunks that would use technology to their advantage as they have telporting gang members at their disposal. Their mission arc is among some of my favorite moments in the game due to the variety they throw at you. The Luchadores are pretty self-explanatory being a gang full of guys wearing luchalibre masks. Personalities really stand out in games like this and Saints Row: The Third is filled with personality with the memorable characters you roll with to the gang's bosses. Its not everyday when you're blowing up the city with some pimp that only talks with autotune.

The main story is filled with memorable moments and some of the best missions I played in an open-ended action game ever. Some of the missions have just no words to describe perfectly how they are other than sheer insanity and absurdity that makes sense. From escaping from an airplane and skydiving down killing enemies along the way, crazy levels while in disguise, wandering around in cyberspace, wrestling, and tons of choices to the point another playthrough is needed because there are multiple endings, Saints Row: The Third throws a lot of crazy situations at you. The side missions/activities return as well as they're a good distraction if you need a break from doing story missions. Franchise standouts from mayhem, insurance fraud, escort, and snatch are back as some new ones are introduced even though there are just some of the other ones with a twist like tank mayhem, tiger escort, the Professor Genki game show (also with its wacky fun), and trail blazing, where you're a flaming ATV racing through the city running down pedestrians and destroying cars to increase time. After completing them once, they're not necessary to play again to progress through the story, but they are to 100% the game if you're that completionist type. Gang operations and properties are spread throughout the city too in order to take over the city 100% additionally. Other than those, the standard conventions seen in other sandboxes such as collectibles, jumps to drive through, assassinations, and vehicle thefts to do as well.

Gameplay-wise, nothing is significantly changed with the core combat in the latest Saints Row. It still controls like a third-person shooter when you're on foot, which feels fine. The awesome button, aka the sprint button, is cool to have to do rolls to dodge and takedowns that are mostly pro wrestling moves like DDTs, bulldogs, and flying lariats (cue to THQ's WWE games). Melee combat is solid as well with some quicktime sequences (there are some of those throughout the story missions) and your occasional guns of pistols, SMGs, rifles, and shotguns. I also like the leveling up and upgrade systems in this game as you gain respect/level up by completing missions, activities, and tons of things you normally do in games like this. Your hourly income increases with more properties owned and areas taken over as one main way to gain cash to buy upgrades for your character and your gang. Weapons can be upgraded as some can be dual-wielded and if you reached max respect, have infinite ammo with no reloading at all. Health/sprint increases are there as well along with decreasing damage taken from bullets, explosives, and so on. The driving mechanics are also great because of powersliding and you'll just find fast cars right away when you start off in the city. Cars and bikes can be customized cosmetically as well in Rim Jobs stores as if you're playing a Need for Speed game tricking out your ride. Character customization is through the roof with tons of options in terms of overall looks and clothes to wear. Your imagination is the limit when it comes to making your character stand out unless you try to make him as close to yourself as you can, which what I did in my main playthrough.

Besides the main campaign, which can also be played co-op with another person online, the other mode in Saints Row: The Third is the cleverly titled Whored Mode. If you have guessed, yes this is Saints Row's take on the wave-based survival mode that is in tons of shooters. That Saints Row twist though is filled with its craziness as you're not dealing with the same type of enemy in every wave. They'll throw a crazy stipulation as well as nut shots and headshots only in certain situations as well as become big or tiny when killing enemies. There aren't ton a maps to choose with, but the characters you can pick from are bascially a variety of costumes to play around with. Whored Mode can be played online as well with other people if you don't feel like playing alone. This is a nice side mode to have around after you're done with the campaign to play for a hour or two. Downloadable missions are coming down the line though if you're itching for more action as you can 100% the campaign in more than 20 hours as doing the story missions themselves are not that long to beat.

Graphically, Saints Row: The Third looks great as the city of Steelport feels like there are tons of things going on. Pedestrians are everywhere if you want to mess around with them. The downtown area is filled with skyscrapers and big electronic billboards of the Saints' products and themselves. The city seems big enough to me to explore and go nuts on the streets, on boat, or on the air with a VTOL jet. I also dig the game's ragdoll physics as surely crazy stuff regarding that in action will happen at some point. The framerate does hitch below 30 frames per second at times especially when things get hectic on screen and there are bound to be various glitches in an open world like this, but nothing I experienced was game breaking. The sounds in this game though are amazing. I really liked the voice acting in the storyline as the characters' personalities really shined there. Your character's main voice has six options, which are three male and three female, and most of them sound fine. The soundtrack though is special especially on how its used. The right songs get played during specific story missions and memorable moments like Kanye West's "Power" when jumping from a helicopter to a penthouse. Of course, you have your radio stations with various genres of music like hip-hop, reggaeton, electronic, and heavy metal. Then there's the 80/90s hits station, my personal favorite, as the characters sing out Sublime's "What I Got" at one point of the game.

Even though Saints Row: The Third doesn't offer anything new to the table in the open world action genre, but this does set a new bar on open world games in general by having a memorable story filled with unexpected twists, lovable characters and personalities, and enough crazy fun toys to play around with in a big city. I always thought that the Saints Row franchise kept what is now missing in the Grand Theft Auto series, which is the absurdity and insanity factor (shock value in general). As GTA continues to head on the serious direction, Saints Row keep things jolly and crazy, but it makes sense in terms of Volition's direction for the franchise. While not perfect with some technical issues, Saints Row: The Third is as good as its gets when it comes to open world games.

Score = 9/10

Pros:

• The best campaign I played in terms of open world games
• Great use of the soundtrack especially in certain story missions
• Lovable characters and personalities
• Plenty of side missions/activities to get done for the 100%
• Crazy fun toys to mess around with in Steelport
• Whored Mode is a fun take on the wave-based survival mode

Cons:

• Various technical issues such as framerate hitches and open world glitches
• Activities, vehicle thefts, and assassinations become too much a grind to 100%

Most Anticipated Game in History Eh? The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Review

The Call of Duty phenomenon is no joke in today's world of gaming and the impact every new game brings is huge. This is the franchise that has established numerous standards in this current generation of consoles whether we like it or not. To be honest, Modern Warfare 3 is the first Call of Duty I had extended time playing through and even though I knew what the fuss is all about, having that extended time is worth it to see if it is really worth all the attention it gets. This year's entry in the highly successful franchise has a lot to live up to considering it is handled by most of what's left of Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games. Magic does strike again from the over the top campaign, improved Spec Ops, and the multiplayer still as addicting as it has been since the first Modern Warfare. It is still the king of multiplayer shooters, but the formula is starting to get tiresome.

Another short campaign (around five to six hours normally, but longer on harder difficulties) awaits in Modern Warfare 3 as the game takes place immediately after the events of Modern Warfare 2 with Soap killing Sheperd and in bad condition as Captain Price and Nikolai escort him to safety. Makarov is still on the loose while the war between the United States and Russia is getting heated to the point other countries becoming battlefields and targets for Makarov's World War III scheme. As with these Call of Duty games, you play as multiple people in various locales of the world from Frost of the Delta Force and Yuri, who aides Price, Soap, and Nikolai to try to take out Makarov once and for all. Frost does start the show at a ruined New York City preventing the Russians from taking over. From the beginning to the finale, this is Call of Duty at its finest with its scripted scenes, lots of vehicular sections, and numerous OMG events as if you're watching a Michael Bay movie. Big things do happen throughout the game at various locales if you thought the beginning was crazy.

The campaign is filled with memorable moments, but also some flaws as well. At numerous times, I felt like I can't tell the difference between the opposition and those on my team. In certain situations, I just hope my comrades' A.I. can get the job done clearing out areas even though relying on them does not work all the time. Players still have to do nearly of the work as your teammates can get dumb and useless. In addition to the friendlies, I sometimes get away with friendly fire and while at the weirdest and stupidest times, I get the friendly fire is not tolerated notice resetting myself back to the nearest checkpoint. Speaking of checkpoints, the checkpoint system is as generous as it has been in past Call of Duty games, so there is no need to worry about dying a lot when stuck in a certain area. Another issue I had with the campaign is that there were too many vehicular sections throughout the campaign. If I had to guess how long I spent in a vehicle shooting down enemies, whether it is a tank, helicopter, AC-130, or a jeep, I would say these sections take a good third of the campaign. It is cool and all that these sections are there, but I felt the developers went a little overboard with that. Similar to Modern Warfare 2, there is a moment where you can skip if you think it will be offensive, but this moment in MW3 does not have the same impact as MW2's offensive scene.

Of course, the Call of Duty games are not just about the single player campaign as a Modern Warfare staple, Spec Ops, returns this year. The new thing with Spec Ops this time around is the addition of a survival mode. Survival is basically Call of Duty's Horde mode with waves of enemies to defeat while staying alive as long as you can. You don't start out with your multiplayer loadouts as the leveling up system is separate from that. Instead, your starting weapon is a pistol and you can buy better weapons, explosives, and air support as you progress through a game. The enemies do get tougher and tougher as expected as you keep going as the waves can get crazy. Juggernauts will come in at certain waves and later on they're mixed in with other soldiers and even helicopters to come and ruin your parade. Survival can be fun for what it is if you're willing to challenge yourself besides the campaign and in later waves, smarter strategies are preferred to keep going. The mission mode is still there in Spec Ops as well as they're pretty much the same as Modern Warfare 2 as you with survival, they can be played alone or co-op with another player locally or online.

Then there's the multiplayer, which is the main reason people are getting and have been playing numerous hours. The core of it didn't get changed dramatically from setting up custom classes, perks, and kill/deathstreaks, but there are little changes for the better in some aspects. The killstreaks for example are now consisted of three different packages. Assault is more offensive with airstrikes, helicopters, AC-130s, and other similar air support weapons. Support is a little more defensive with counter UAVs, SAM turrets, and recon drones. Unlike assault, the support package does allow killstreaks to continue even after dying, so if you're someone that can not maintain a double digit killstreak getting the big toys, maybe the support class is for you. The specialist package is a different beast as certain killstreaks grant you certain perks that you normally use. There is a killstreak package for everyone and it is change that works. The leveling up system is still addicting as it has been with accolades, challenges, and more along with your weapons leveling up as well to unlock attachments and more customizable things to mess around with.

The modes are also pretty much the same as Call of Duty games in the past despite some of the new modes that were introduced in Black Ops are not in this one. The standouts like Team Deathmatch and Domination will obviously be played a lot, but there are a lot of others that are underrated such as Kill Confirmed and franchise favorite Headquarters. Most of these modes are 6v6 even though there is a big team-like playlist for 8v8 matches in the dozen maps available out of the gate. The maps themselves are fine for the most part and I didn't really have any issues with them. Of course there are downloadable map packs coming soon and discounted if you have the Call of Duty Elite subscription, which that contains more packages fans will like.

While Modern Warfare 3 still looks good, the graphics engine they have been using for numerous years is showing its age, Some effects won't look as good as comparison to other shooters, but the game overall still looks fine especially running at 60 frames per second. There might be little buggy stuff here and there, but nothing worth game-breaking. However, there might be moments where I felt like I have to turn the brightness up to see what's going on specifically in the nighttime levels. As far as the sound is concerned, the production is still top-notch as expected. The theatrical soundtrack is great and the voice cast makes you feel like you're in a Hollywood blockbuster especially with all the crazy moments throughout the campaign. The sound effects are also impressive as if you want to play this loud in a theater setup.

In a nutshell Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a great game and worthy of the franchise, but does it live up to the title most anticipated game in history? My answer is no as even though it is still filled with memorable moments and goodness fans know and love, the formula Infinity Ward has stuck with is starting to get old and tiresome as we'll see how they try to shake things up on the next game they're working on. Then again, with the franchise as successful like this, why even try to change it at all if billions of players are playing it right now with no signs of slowing down unless the fans really do fear change for the franchise. There is no denying that Call of Duty is a juggernaut that can't be stopped right now and after finally playing one for an extended period of time, now I know why it is the hot thing in the gaming world today even though it is not as superb as it can be.

Score = 8/10

Pros:

• Its still Call of Duty at its finest and that alone is enough for fans to buy and play it for hundreds of hours
• Survival mode for Spec Ops is a great addition
• Multiplayer still pretty much the same, but the little changes are worth it

Cons:

• Various campaign issues from too many vehicular sections and having a hard time telling who is who at certain times
• Graphics engine starting to show its age
• The whole formula is getting tiresome after sticking to it for four straight years and games.

My Recap on the 2011 Spike VGAs...

Spike's 2011 Video Game Awards were on last Saturday and still nothing has changed from last year to this year in terms of how it was structured. Basically it still feels like a joke at best being an entertainment spectacle than a legit awards show and let's face it, this is how games are pretty much treated when seen on television being an easy target for jokes and all that. The folks that worked on the show tried hard to lessen that, especially the host Zachary Levi from Chuck, who did okay at hosting for the most part, but cmon even this award show feels like a laughing stock towards to the medium. It is really a shame that once again that games are not getting the respect they deserve compared to other forms of media as much as people are saying games are bigger than ever before. Yeah that is true to a degree, but shows like the VGAs prove once again feel like a step back for the gaming industry.

As expected like last year, the VGAs were never a real award show in the first place as they only handed out like five awards within the two hours they were on. It is always been about the spectacle and the debut trailers of big upcoming games for the next year or two. They were definitely bombshells at this award show even though some of them were leaked before the show started, which kind of blew away how bombshell-y they were. On the award side of things, I was happy Skyrim won game of the year (Still haven't played it though!!) and "retired" Shigeru Miyamoto accepted the Hall of Fame award for the Legend of Zelda franchise. Anyway, let's move on to the main highlight of the show, which were the exclusive reveals.

Arguably my personal favorite reveal from the show and this was during the pre-show too (lol), Tony Hawk announced a return to the franchise's roots with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD. This is a downloadable HD remake of the first two games as the levels you know and love are remade in HD (The Warehouse level from the first game as an example on the trailer above). No more skateboard controller nonsense as seen in the last two games, Ride and Shred, but the developers of those games, Robomodo, are developing this title. The levels will stay intact and the skater roster will consist of guys from today including the Birdman himself of course. The big question is whether or not the licensed soundtrack from those two games will return as they were one of many reasons why those games were memorable to many people especially me. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD is coming out on the summertime for downloadable platforms at around fifteen bucks.

Another pre-show reveal was a new trailer for Hitman: Absolution. Agent 47 returns in this latest offering and it is funny seeing the words "The original assassin is back" during this clip as a jab at the Assassins Creed franchise.

Namco Bandai announced a holiday 2012 release for the console versions of Tekken Tag Tournament 2, which is indeed ways off but fine with the arcade location tests going on my home area of SoCal. I have been playing that version since it came out last week and I'll have a preview of that soon. I'll also have a review of Tekken Hybrid, which I have now, later this week as well.

On the main show reveals...

The first bombshell of the night belonged to Sony and Naughty Dog announcing a new original game called The Last of Us. After coming off Uncharted 3, the folks are at again next year with a compelling title like this. I'm excited to see how this turns out especially how they deal with survival and the father-daughter relationship (the girl being Ellen Page... or not?).

BioWare had some stuff to show off with a new gameplay clip for Mass Effect 3. We seen in the new sprinting in action and it looks great in the crazy sequence above. Besides ME3, BioWare's bombshell is announcing that they're working on the next Command & Conquer game with Generals 2 on the Frostbite 2 engine (made famous in Battlefield 3). This is gonna be interesting from them diving into RTS territory as if EA needs to find some reason to continue that franchise in a different direction.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Patriots is on track for a 2013 release as you can find out more about the game on a previous Game Informer cover story. We'll see how this Rainbow Six goes especially with the stiff competition in the shooter genre these days.

Transfromers: Fall of Cybertron is the sequel to War for Cybertron, both made by High Moon Studios. That game was a sleeper hit and the best Transformers game in a while. I'm curious to see how things are improved for this sequel as it could only get better, but who knows when the game comes out next year.

It is no surprise that there is an Amazing Spider-Man game to coincide with the big movie this summer as Beenox hopes to turn things around after this year's disappointing Edge of Time. As with Spidey games that come out along with them movies, its more than just the movie plot that the game will contain as I don't think this Oscorp robot invasion is the main enemy in the movie, but a sub-plot in the game.

Blizzard accepted the Gamer God award and showed off the opening cinematic for Diablo III. As with these trailers have been all about, this is not an indication of how the gameplay looks like, but fans surely already know what to expect especially if they have been playing the closed beta lately.

Epic Games were also there to announce a new IP as CliffyB introduced FortNite to the world. At first glance it looks like Team Fortress 2 with zombies along with some tower defense as well. More details will be revealed in the coming months as we'll see if it turns out to be more than what I just mentioned.

A new trailer for BioShock Infinite was at the show as well being a montage of stuff seen in the same level we have been seeing for months. I'm curious if we'll see more variety soon besides the roller coaster-like railing stuff and the shooting, but I'm still hyped for the game being one of the big ones to get next year.

The main event reveal of the show was the truth being revealed about Metal Gear Solid Rising. Turns out the rumors were true and the game got rebooted to being called Metal Gear Rising: Revengance and it is now being developed by Platinum Games, the folks that made Bayonetta and Vanquish. Raiden is still the star of the show, but the slower pace seen in the trailer above is gonna be interesting for Platinum to work with, but the melee combat can still as crazy as seen in those games. The slashing sequences remind me of No More Heroes a little bit and of course the boss battles will be memorable as well. It is finally cool to see a different developer make a completely new Metal Gear game (Silicon Knights doesn't count) and at least its a fan favorite developer like Platinum doing this. Metal Gear Rising: Revengance is a gonna be a big one being another hit game for next year.

That's it for the VGAs this year as some of the reveals were good and while others were whatever since most of them were basically announcement trailers not showing any gameplay. Obviously the award show part sucked as it is still has a long way to go towards being a legitimate awards show on television. At least this is on TV, but the entertainment spectacle part of it has to be lessened to a certain extent because the humor is getting old. You can get away with the usual gaming jokes for a little period of time, but pulling the same tricks over and over again is just tiring. I'm for happy for Skyrim winning the big one as I see it being game of the year for a lot of gaming sites in the coming weeks.

The new South Park game = Potentially Awesome...

The new Game Informer issue's cover story is about the new South Park game published by THQ and developed by Obsidian. Obisidian making this means it is a RPG as they are no stranger to the genre with Fallout: New Vegas, Neverwinter Nights 2 (I think), and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2. Plus, this ain't just another South Park game as the creators themselves, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, are heavily involved with the project trying to make the script/storyline as good as seen in the TV show. The main cast of boys from the show are of course in big capacity, but the main character is a custom-made guy you make at the start of the game moving in to the town. The GI cover story has more info about how the project started, interviews with Parker and Stone, what the gameplay is shaping up to be so far (somewhat similar to the Paper Mario RPGs), and what the humor will be like. There is no official subtitle yet for the new South Park game as it is currently slated for a 2012 release.