Since I doubt I’ll be buying any new games before the end of December, it’s a safe time for me to cast my vote for game of the year. While pretty much every major publication is wetting themselves over Grand Theft Auto IV, Dead Space is sitting at the top of my list. While it isn’t revolutionary and doesn’t bring anything terribly new to the table, the polished production value and tight gameplay gripped me from beginning to end.

It wouldn’t be fair for me to go on without mentioning that Resident Evil 4 is one of my favorite games of all time, and Dead Space is very similar in many regards: over-the-shoulder, third person camera view, survival horror gameplay, and a scary as hell story-line. Combining awesome elements from a few other games, (Bioshock’s weapons upgrade system being most noticeable) while feeling unique and fresh in its own right, Dead Space is a must play for any horror enthusiast or video game fan. And to think - I almost shrugged it off as just another generic action/adventure title.

Follow this link for Dead Space’s Metacritic rankings page.

- Joshua

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When I was deciding which system to buy from the current generation of consoles, I told myself it was important to pick the one I wanted most - I had no intention of owning more than one system. So, two years ago Linda picked up the Xbox 360 for my birthday, and I’ve been nothing but happy with it. With a great lineup of first and third party games, as well as great support for Xbox Live Arcade games, I felt as though the right choice was made. For the past few months, though, I’ve noticed a lot of titles on the Nintendo Wii have really been catching my eye. More and more as I went to look at games to pick up, I was perusing the Wii section pretty heavily.

With the exception of system exclusives, the PS3 and Xbox 360 are relatively identical in terms of quality and the types of games they have to offer. The Wii, however, is very unique in terms of the titles in its library. The control scheme helps separate it quite a bit, but the system exclusives and first party titles are really what put it in a class all its own. Link, Mario, Samus... you help bring me back to my childhood.

P.S. If you haven’t seen me on XBox Live very much over the past couple of weeks, now you know why.

- Joshua

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In this blog post I mentioned 3 video games I planned on picking up before the end of the year, two of which being must-buys. Well, I picked up Fallout 3 on launch day and I plan to pick up Gears of War 2 tomorrow morning. I’ve scratched Prince of Persia off the list, though. I still think it looks like a game worth playing, but the amount of time I’m currently spending on Fallout 3 coupled with how much time I’m sure I’ll be sinking into Gears of War multiplayer just doesn’t leave room for much of anything else. If anything else happens to be Mirror’s Edge, however, I’ll be making some room.

Mirror’s Edge is a first person platformer that focuses heavily on parkour, a type of freestyle running sport. Ever since I saw initial gameplay videos, it has been on my radar, though barely registering a blip. With the recent release of the demo on Xbox Live and this very awesome trailer, I’ve decided to make it a day one purchase. There is something about the gameplay that is reminiscent of both Crackdown and Skate, two games I enjoyed immensely. Time will tell if it lives up to my expectations.

- Joshua

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One of the first games I got after getting my Xbox 360 a couple years back as a birthday present (thanks, sweetie!) was Dead Rising. Being the huge zombie nut that I am, I was very, very excited to play this game, and it was one of the primary reasons I wanted a 360 over any other system. Decimating hordes of zombies in a closed up shopping mall - parallels to Dawn of the Dead notwithstanding - what could be better? Just about any other game, apparently, because I could not get into it no matter how hard I tried. The controls were frustrating, the difficulty level was insane, the spread-out save points were an exercise in frustration, the survivor AI was horrid, etc. It took me less than a week to decide to trade it in for something else.

Now, almost two years later, when I look at people’s played games lists on XBL, I see that people are still playing it. Video game message forums still have active threads devoted to it, and most stores carry it new for $20. For these reasons, despite my initial reaction, I decided to pick it up again. I’m not sure what is so different after two years, but I’m really like this game. It is still difficult, but I think it helps add to the atmosphere and generates a nice sense of tension. After all, you are are trapped in a mall with hundreds and hundreds of zombies. The bosses are interesting, the story is engrossing in a campy horror sort of way, and the graphics still hold up fairly well to today’s games.

So, why didn’t I like it when I first played it? Honestly, I think it had something to do with not playing console games for a couple of years before getting my 360. Dead Rising really is a tough game, so I’m not sure if it’s the best games to subject “console n00bs” to. Given two years and a slew of other games to hone my skills with, I’m definitely happy I decided to give it another go.

- Joshua

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Based on the mediocre and borderline-negative reviews circling the internet, I almost didn’t pick up Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (SW: TFU). I loved the demo, and despite having it on my day-one purchase list, I was scared the full game wouldn’t hold up to a worthy purchase at $60. While shopping at Fred Meyer with Linda one evening, I spontaneously decided to purchase it, hoping I would disagree with reviewers.

Frankly, I’m quite happy I did. The game isn’t perfect by any means, but what it does do well is deliver a very interesting story and a fun, engaging combat system that utilizes the Euphoria physics engine. And, though I’m only between a third and halfway through the game (I’m taking my sweet time trying to collect every secret item), I haven’t encountered any show-stopping bugs or frustrating glitches that might detract from my overall enjoyment level.

So, if you’re looking for a fun, albeit short, action game to tide you over until the holiday season “big dogs” come out, SW: TFU may be right up your alley. Oh, and it goes without saying - being a Star Wars nerd makes the experience that much better.

- Joshua

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I’m not a very competitive guy. Sure, I enjoy kicking arse as much as the next person, but when playing games, I far prefer the company and the overall experience to whether or not I win or lose. However, when Soul Calibur IV for the Xbox 360 found it’s way into my possession, I became a totally different person.

When I first picked up the game, I stuck to single player play-modes against the computer AI. I was having fun honing my skills and learning the various nuances of all the characters, but I found myself anxious for some on-line play. Holy personality alteration, Bat-Man! Playing SC4 on-line, more so than any other game I’ve played, has turned me into a foul mouthed man who yells incessantly at the television. Fortunately, I tend to only play with my mic and headset on when I’m playing with friends, so at least complete strangers who find themselves pitted against me aren’t subjected to the nasty slew of expletives flying out of me. Linda gets a kick out of it since it goes against my nature to behave this way, and chuckles every time I start yelling.

Be warned, people, if you find yourself up against D3ad13 on XBL rocking Seong Mi-na, your ears might start burning a little. Keep in mind, though, it’s nothing personal; everyone I meet in the arena incurs my wrath.

- Joshua

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Earlier today, Kotaku, a video game news website, ran an article about the pictured set of armor. It's difficult to tell by the size of the pic (larger pictures are available at this website), but that is a real set of armor fashioned after the Judgement Armor set from the massively-multiplayer on-line role playing game World of Warcraft.

Every couple of years, Blizzard (the creators of World of Warcraft) holds a convention called Blizzcon, an event for fans to get together and celebrate Blizzard's games, as well as enjoy sneak previews of upcoming Blizzard games and products. A popular thing to do at these conventions is dress up like your favorite Blizzard characters, and some of the costumed attendees also participate in costume contests. What the existence of this armor means, essentially, is an automatic first prize. It would take a major effort by someone to create an outfit as spectacular as this, and anyone who has the chops to do so gets major props from us. We're not sure if we can justify a purchase like this with the wedding coming up, but if anyone else could show us this in person, please let us know - we'd love to see it.

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Like chess? Yeah, so do we. How about Magic: The Gathering? Awesome, we're two for two. Now, what if you could combine the two games into one? If the thought makes you geek out like us, then get your booty down to your local gaming shop and pick up Knightmare Chess (a chess board is good, too, but we're assuming you already have one). For you internet savvy e-shoppers, Amazon has the first set available here, with a link to the second set on the same page.

Knightmare Chess, by Steve Jackson Games, combines regular chess with a fantasy card game that manipulates and changes the original chess rules. As you play out your normal chess game, each player can play beautifully illustrated cards from his or her own deck to alter pieces and moves so they behave in a completely different manner. The beautiful thing about it is how chance can turn the tide of the game in favor of the weaker player. It helps to be skillful, but no amount of talent is going to save you from an exploding chess piece (yes, cards like this really do exist in the game)!

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