Review: More than meets the License

By: Landon "DefHalan" Dastrup

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron has been announced and is looking awesome. Fall of Cybertron is the follow up to 2010’s War of Cybertron. They say it’s not a direct sequel but it takes place in the same universe. War of Cybertron was a smash hit and ties in with 1st generation Transformers show. You get to play as all the greats: Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Starscream, Soundwave, and Megatron. The campaign has you play as both the Autobots and Decepticons, giving you a rich, full experience. Multiplayer is fast and balanced even with custom classes. There is even a Horde mode game type called Escalation.

The story mode has ten chapters. You can start at Chapter One in the Decepticon Story or Chapter Five as Autobots. They do this so you can jump right into playing as Optimus, but trust me, start with the Decepticon side for the complete story. You will see classic Characters, Weapons, and Locations from old school Transformers. There are plenty of new things brought into the Transformers universe as well. There are some boss battles, but most aren’t memorable. My personal favorite Transformer, Starscream, gets an origin story and I love all the history that ties into the series.

The three-player co-op is a nice but doesn’t add much to the game. You can select what character you want to play before every level and each one has different abilities and weapons. What really adds to the experience is the Co-op Versus mode. It plays like Left 4 Dead versus; three people play in a campaign level and three people try to stop them. Correctly using characters, weapons, and abilities will bring success against your enemy.

Escalation mode is yet another Co-op mode where you fight wave after wave of demented avengers (Pink Floyd Reference). It is like Horde mode with a twist. For each kill, you get points and you use these points for weapons, ammo, shields, and opening doors. The best part about these are multiple people can pay for one thing, so if you don’t have enough points, ask your teammates for help. Some of the best weapons are locked behind the more expensive doors. The DLC available for War for Cybertron adds Multiplayer maps and Escalation Maps. There is enough content to keep you busy for awhile but when you get bored, the DLC will help.

The Multiplayer was the most addictive part of War for Cybertron. Being able to transform anytime brings a very unique aspect to online shooters. With four different character classes and different weapons, abilities, and perks for each class, there are many choices to make. Each class can be leveled up to 25, unlocking things along the way. After getting every class to 25 you can do Prime Mode where all ranks are reset and you get a nice icon next to your name. Even with all that content in the mix of Multiplayer, it is all well balanced. At a low level without all the fancy unlocks I didn’t feel weak against the higher-level players.

One shall Stand. One shall Fall. War for Cybertron does not fall and, along with Batman: Arkham Asylum, shows just how licensed games can be good. Fall of Cybertron is bringing Dinobots and Constructicons to the battle. Such iconic characters with a rich history and amazing gameplay make this a must have for any fan. Also, if you aren’t a fan, there has never been a better time to jump in. Go out, buy War for Cybertron, and get ready to experience one of my most anticipated games of 2012. Fall of Cybertron doesn’t have a release date yet but expect it close to the holiday season.

Review: Go Back to Karkand, and Never Look Forward.

By: David "DR. G" Galanter

Battlefield 3’s launch has been everything but smooth. Servers didn’t work properly for a solid week or two, the multiplayer was riddled with glitches, and the maps didn’t seem nearly as destructible as past installments. With such big tech issues and graphical disappointments, I found it hard to believe that Battlefield 3 would ever have legs as long as its predecessors. Almost two months after the game’s launch, DICE released a new map pack, called Back to Karkand, including classic arenas from previous titles. New content for a broken game isn’t usually news, however, this return to form might be just what Battlefield 3 needs to win back its fans and recover from its rocky start.

There are four maps in the new update: Strike at Karkand, Wake Island, Sharqi Peninsula, and Gulf of Oman. Each one is a remake of past Battlefield maps. They look slightly different and some of the structures have changed, but they’re all a fairly accurate representation of the original version. This should please longtime fans of the series because there’s a reason why they’re called classics.

Every map embodies everything that’s great about Battlefield. Everybody chooses a class, defining their role in each match. A great map gives everyone a chance to play the role they want and have fun doing it. All four maps provide this variety of gameplay and nail that Battlefield experience. There are wide open areas for snipers, plenty of vehicles for engineers, and close quarters combat for assault and support classes. This makes every player feel welcome on this visit back to the most loved maps of the series.

Also, every map is more destructible than any other Battlefield 3 map to date. Rubble piles into the street and buildings collapse if too many walls are blown out. This was standard on past Battlefields, but was strangely absent in a lot of the on disk maps. It was possible to destroy almost anything in Bad Company 2, but Battlefield 3 launched with stagnant environments that had only a few destructible walls. It’s still curious why this happened, but at least the new maps are a huge step in the right direction. They’re still not 100% destructible like BC2, but it’s enough to give you that great feeling of leaving a huge crater where you just had a firefight.

Back to Karkand also introduces Assignments. Pulled directly from Call of Duty’s Challenges, Assignments are little goals for you to accomplish in multiplayer that will earn you new weapons for every class. There are only about 8 assignments, which is quite low considering what Call of Duty has, but it’s a nice addition and gives you a few more goals to strive for when pining for those addicting unlocks.

I was weary to hop back into a game with so many issues, but this DLC made me a believer again. Every map is infinitely playable and the technical updates have turned a frustrating online shooter into a solid multiplayer experience. I can’t wait to get back in and start unlocking more weapons. Of course, it’s not quite perfect yet. Squads still don’t work properly and it’s not completely free of glitches, but it’s definitely enough to give this game another go before you decide to drop it for another shooter. Oh, and did I mention, if you have the limited edition, this map pack comes at no extra charge! Download and enjoy.

Twilight Princess (Spiders... why did it have to be Spiders)

The fearless hero stood at the mouth of Hell. No matter the odds, no matter the cost, the hero would press on. Whatever may lurch, whatever may haunt, the hero was resolute. The howl of the unknown settled on his mind, but he was aware of what must be done. Stale air in his lungs and dust in his eyes told the ancient tale of the people and place. The fearless hero, sword in hand, shield on arm, weapons at ready, marched into the dungeon without a second beat. He is Link. And this is Twilight Princess.

Set on a parallel world to Ocarina a century ahead, the kingdom of Hyrule is being conquered by an evil dude named Zant using the Twilight to steal the Light from the Light Spirits. Link is thrust into the middle of everything when his friends (a couple of snot-nosed kids) and his love interest (who has a thing for horses) are captured by a goblin/orc type thingy riding a boar, and while giving chase to his love interest (forget those kids… especially the creepy girl with a crush on Link) is turned into a wolf, and forced into the Twilight Zone. He is rescued by a Twilight person named Midna, meets Zelda, is conscripted into saving the world, and before he realizes what’s going on KA-POW! He’s already Midna, Zelda, that-one-creepy-woman-who-keeps-winking-at-him, the Queen of the Zora, the Gorgon, and the Mayor of his hometowns’ bitch (I’m sure I’m missing some).

Link has to collect the tears of light for the Light Spirits in wolf form to return the balance back to the force…I mean back to Hyrule, all while helping Midna recover the Fused Shadows in human form to help her stop Zant. A tough day for Link indeed. He must feel more used than… a napkin, or a tissue, or a cup, or something. If only he still had his voice to speak up for himself, (after walking in on his parents, he’s never been the same) then people might not walk all over him.

The addition of Ganondorf in the game was more of a fan service deal. (By the way… SPOILERZ!). The story ties in the fact that Ganondorf was imprisoned in the Twilight some hundred years ago, presumably by the Link of the Past, and is the source of all chaos. Link kicks his ass faster than you can sneeze, so by the time you turn back to the screen he’s already owned by the Master Sword. 

The story is much more prevalent than previous installments. Fewer side missions are available, so be prepared to finish off relatively quick. But what drives the game is the efficiency of combat. The Wii remote acts as a guide for arrow shots, boomerang throws, claw shot clamping, and it works marvelously! Sword swinging and shield striking are a little clunky, but are a better change up than button mashing. Horseback combat has been improved twice fold so Link is able to swing his sword from side-to-side with as little as a waggle from the Wii-mote (Nintendo must be ecstatic that someone said Wii-mote). The wolf sections of the game were pretty repetative, until utilized where Link can switch between human and wolf modes.

For a delayed game well over two years… meh, for a new Zelda without the wait, was freaking sweet. Adapted into the Wii for new functionality and revved up innovation, the Twilight Princess is an awesome step forward for the series. Although not my favorite Zelda in the series, it none the less lives up to the name. So A it gets! (As a side note, those forsaken spiders scared the crap out of me, and now I sleep with my shield and sword Wii attachments at night... thanks Nintendo.)

Wind Waker, Come Sail Away

Salt Water touches your lips. Wind blows through your hair. You might be on a beach or you might be playing The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker. As with many Legend of Zelda games, they start with the story of The Hero of Time. A couple of things are different with this Zelda tale. Cartoon graphics, Link has a family, and you are stuck on an island. It’s these things that set Wind Waker apart from any other Zelda game before or after it.

Life is good. It’s your birthday. You talk to your grandma and she gives you the legendary hero’s clothing to wear. Then, your sister gives you her telescope. While using the telescope, you see a giant bird and someone is in its claw. Some cannon fire from a ship hits the bird and it drops the person into a forest in the distance. You decide to go help but first you need to get a sword and shield. After that, you climb up a mountain and rescue the girl. Apparently she is the leader of a pirate ship. The bird comes back but grabs your sister instead. You join the pirates to save her after hearing she has been taken to the Forsaken Fortress.

Once you get to the Forsaken Fortress, you get thrown behind the walls. You get separated from your sword and cannot fight. You must sneak past enemies, find your sword, and rescue your sister. When you find your sister, the bird grabs you before you rescue her. The bird takes you to his master, and master of everything in the Forsaken Fortress, Ganon. He knows you are too weak and has you ejected from his Fortress. That is when the King of Red Lions finds you. Then you truly start your adventure.

The story is one of the best-crafted Zelda stories of all time. It sticks to the original recipe for a Zelda game, but still brings in enough to keep it fresh. Sailing is the biggest gameplay changer. No longer are you jumping on a horse and riding to your next target. Now you set sail and find your own path. If you are a fan of side missions, there a plenty of those, but if you just want to get through the story, you can do that too.

The music and sounds are as amazing as any other Zelda. All the sounds and music are inspired by the older Zelda games but enhanced or changed to fit this new adventure. It is what you expect from a Zelda game but also something that surprises you. The graphics are cell shaded but it works well with the comedy. Familiar faces look different, not just because of the new graphics, but because of the story and what has happened to their race. It might take time to get used to it, but it is worth it for an experience like this.

The new gadgets, and some of the old, bring new views on puzzle solving. The most important of which is the Wind Waker. Controlling the wind is a big deal and it’s even impossible to complete some puzzles without the wind blowing in the right direction. Another new item is the Deku Leaf. This lets you shoot gusts of wind at enemies or glide through the air for short distances. Using the Wind Waker and Deku Leaf together efficiently will help you get far. Everything else about the gameplay is just as you remember it from all other Zelda games. Slice and dice with your sword, block incoming attacks with your shield, and even the hook shot comes back.

What makes this Zelda such a different game than the rest is the size. Giant landscapes to explore, huge dungeons to conquer, and a big mystery to uncover. The sailing is a wonderful mechanic. You just have to be patient with it. The audio will make you want to stop and just take it all in every now and again. The weapons and items are used in such a way you never knew possible. This is the closest to a “perfect” game I have ever seen but I don’t believe in a perfect game. So this is an A, the highest grade I can give it. I want to thank Nintendo for making such an amazing game.

Costume Quest: The Perfect Halloween Game Any Year

Tim Schafer is a man any gamer should know. He helped create some of the classic Lucas Arts adventure games back in the day (Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, etc.). Ever since he started his own company in South San Francisco (Double Fine Productions) Tim Schafer has continued to release games with critical acclaim, but bad sales numbers. Schafer’s games are unique and hard to sell. After a few games, Double Fine wasn’t doing so hot financially and had to think of a new direction. Schafer gathered his team and split them up into a few different groups. He had found his answer. Smaller games. Frequent releases. In comes Costume Quest. A fun Halloween style RPG and the first of Schafer’s small game experiment. The game was welcomed with good reviews as always. Just one thing to do now: Buy. This. Game.

Costume Quest is about two little kids (a brother and a sister) who go out on Halloween to trick-or-treat. The mom leaves one of the kids in charge. The player makes this decision, essentially deciding if you want to be a boy or a girl. Things go awry when the sibling you didn’t pick gets kidnapped by Grubbins (green goblin looking creatures). The story pretty much kicks off from there but doesn’t have a whole lot of twists and turns. It is a smaller game and an elaborate story isn’t really necessary for a title like this. You do have the occasional conversation with trick-or-treaters and some other weird characters (like a helpful scarecrow who gives you hints as you progress). Each conversation is funny, clever, and at the exact level of quality expected from one of Schafer’s games.

The game plays like any top down RPG. The battles are a little traditional with a turn based combat system. However, you can execute a few well timed button presses for extra damage every so often. The variety of attacks comes from the different costumes you find and build throughout the game. You and your crew can dawn a variety costumes for different powers. Each one serves a classic RPG role to support each other in battle (healers, tanks, etc.). This keeps the game fresh since you are constantly collecting new pieces to put together more costumes. This keeps the addiction level for collectables high since there’s a new way to play behind every costume found.

Costume Quest combines some of the best, and only, comedic writing in a video game with the solid mechanics of a turn based RPG. The battles themselves do get a little repetitive over time, but at around 12 hours, the game ends before it starts to feel too much like a chore. This is a game that should be bought and played immediately. It is the perfect fit if you want to stay inside on a cold Halloween night and play a cheap quality title. Buy this game, and hopefully Double Fine Productions will live on and continue to deliver other games like it in the future.

Batman: Awesome City! (Lame Title. I Know. Suck It.)

Welcome to a very small world of quality licensed video games. Batman: Arkham Asylum surprised everyone a couple years ago by not only surpassing expectations for a Batman game, but also earning itself a handful of Game of the Year awards alongside the cream of the crop franchises of this generation. No one expected the developer (Rocksteady) to produce such a gem when they only had one game under their belt (and not a very good one). A couple years later, here we are in glee for the sequel to one of the best comic book games of all time. New villains. New Gadgets. New city. Peggy, hold my calls for the rest of my life. What do you mean no one ever calls me?! You’re fired! No, wait! Resign. I don’t want you to get unemployment money. That’s how good Arkham City is!

Sit back and pop in your Arkham City disc, because you’re gonna be playing as… Dun nan a na na na na na Catwomaaaan…? Yes. The very first thing you do in AC is play as Catwoman. Odd. You would think players would want a chance to get used to walking in Batman’s shoes again before learning a new character. The disappointment quickly disappears after you find out how awesome she is to play. She can’t glide like Batman, but she can use that dominating whip of hers to latch on to rooftops and billboards in the environment. It’s surprisingly effective and almost doesn’t make you miss the cape. Catwoman also has thief vision (her version of Batman’s detective mode) that allows her to see the heat signatures of enemies. Unfortunately, it isn’t as robust as detective mode. It doesn’t give you a detailed analysis of the fight like its Dark Knight counterpart (total enemies, which thugs are armed, etc.), but still helps a little.

Combat works slightly differently with Catwoman as well. She’s faster than Batman and can use her whip (instead of a cape) to stun enemies. Beyond that, it’s pretty similar. You’re still pressing the same buttons to punch and counter as you would in Batty’s shoes. Starting the game on such a different note than its predecessor is pretty ballsy, but it was still a really fun sequence and doesn’t last too long. There are about 3 Catwoman sections in the game, but you won’t be playing any of them unless you scored an activation code from buying the game new, used from GameStop, or renting a copy with an unused code in it (I Win). If you want to hop strait into our masked hero’s suit, it’s almost better you don’t have the code, but the Catwoman sections are short and a lot of fun if you give it a chance.

Now you get to play as dun na na na na na Robiiiin! No, kidding. Fuck that. BATMAN! Well, Bruce Wayne. Close enough. The story starts with the explanation of the game’s title. Every prisoner in Arkham Asylum has been moved to a new district of Gotham called Arkham City. Led by Hugo Strange, Arkham City is a Gated mad house of Batman villainy. Strange arrests Bruce Wayne at the game’s opening and throws him in Arkham. The tutorial teaches you the basics as you bust out of captivity and call Alfred to send you an aerial drop of your goods. Time to suit up.

Toiling around in the city, Batman discovers that Joker is alive but not well. He was exposed to quite a bit of Bane’s Titan formula in the last game and is now feeling the effects. It’s killing him. In 24 hours, the Joker will be dead. Lucky for him, he captured and infected you with the same poison, knowing you’d be forced to find a cure now. At the same time, Strange is constantly making announcements over the city’s loud speakers saying “protocol ten will commence in 9 hours.” What is protocol ten? Will Batman find a cure to save his life in time? Who else will get in the way? Tune in next paragraph!

Every piece of the story is logically and expertly crafted. Mr. Freeze gets involved because he is an extremely talented scientist and the perfect candidate to cure Batman and Joker. Freeze tells Batman he needs a sample of blood that has been exposed to the toxin for longer than Batman and Joker has had it. Batman then rushes to find Ra’s al Ghul. Ra’s has been exposed to it for centuries and never dies because of his Lazarus Pit. He’s perfect. I’ll stop there because I don’t want to give too much away, but every villain has a motivation that fits in the games story perfectly. Rocksteady allows you to enjoy fighting a handful of major Batman villains, without compromising the narrative. Tough to do, and amazing to experience.

All your favorite gadgets return. Batarang. Grapple Hook. Line launcher thingy (technical term). The game is mostly full of familiar tools, but there are a few new toys to play with. You now have a device that can disable enemy weapons in a room from a distance (limit two baddies per fight). This makes for a new level of strategy when tackling rooms full of armed guards. There’s also a new device grabbed from Mr. Freeze that allows you to create a floating platform of ice in any body of water. From there, you simply hop on and use the grapple hook to pull yourself to your destination. Leveling up also returns, allowing you to upgrade most of your gadgets and even your suit. Again, some of the upgrades are repeats from the last game, but there’s plenty there to keep you hooked on beating the crap outta henchmen to gain XP.

The city isn’t quite as fleshed out as a Grand Theft Auto or a hand full of other open world games. There aren’t a whole lot of landmarks and recognizable buildings to help you remember where you’ve been. Thankfully, an effective map and waypoint system help you forget this flaw quickly. You can glide around the city to get everywhere. Clinging on to Helicopters also works as a mode of quick travel, but you won’t use them often. There aren’t too many in the sky and it’s hard to tell if they’re ever taking you in the right direction. Gliding is surprisingly fast and you can zoom around pretty quick using the grapple hook too. The city is small enough that you won’t really miss a more robust quick travel system.

Arkham City is an amazing video game. Comic book fans will get an enormous nerd-rection from the clever story and characters. Gamers will enjoy an awesome open world experience with satisfying combat and varied missions. If you’re a comic book fan and a gamer, get ready to change your pants every 5 minutes. It isn’t a perfect game. Some of the repeated gadgets have lost their luster from the last installment, and the map could have marked building entrances to avoid pointless door hunting. It got slightly annoying to search around huge structures for a tiny vent or passageway. However, these are complaints are small and are quickly forgettable. The only thing bad about this game being so good, is not being able to use the article title “Batman: Arkham Shitty.” After a very satisfying experience, I must say, worth it!

RAGE: No Bordered Lands in this Fall Out

It’s always nice to see older developers come out with something new. id Software, the company credited with creating the first-person shooter genre, has come out with their version of a post-apostolic future. RAGE takes place after the real life asteroid, Apophis, hits earth and wipes out almost everything. Yes, Apophis is a real asteroid but its not going to hit Earth, just past really close in the year 2029. RAGE takes place in 2135; you awake in your Ark and are quickly saved from a group of bandits by Dan Hagar (voiced by John Goodman). RAGE’s bread and butter though, is shooting and killing.

I haven’t played a shooter this polished in years. It may take a few minutes to get used to the controls but after that, it’s smooth sailing. You start off with only the pistol if you didn’t get the Anarchy Edition, so make sure to loot every body so you don’t run out of ammo. There are many different bandit tribes; some are more acrobatic while some build RC Bombs. Mutants are the more generic enemy. These guys can be killed easily, but give no loot. The Authority is the new government and has the best weapons and armor. There are so many different enemies, weapons, and ammo types, the combat will stay fresh for a while. Sadly, there are a lot of weapons but you can only equip four at a time. I found that I stuck with my Crossbow, Double-Barrel Shotgun, Machine Gun, and Sniper Rifle.

The Level Design was very unique. At first glance, it seems very linear. With most doors being locked, you might feel trapped on a single path. id Software did this on purpose, closing off some path ways then opening them on later levels makes it feel like a new area to explore. The Wasteland is where they bring in the vehicles. For the most part, vehicles are only used to get from quest to quest but they are fun to drive. At first you start with an ATV. It doesn’t have guns on it but you do need it for an achievement. Later you get a buggy that you can upgrade with machine guns, rockets, and pulse weapons. In towns, there are races you can do for extra cash, but you will find that most of that cash will go towards your vehicles to do more races and make more cash. It’s a vicious cycle. Towns also have plenty of places to gamble your money away.

With so many good aspects in RAGE, it’s easy to over look the bad, but it’s there. The only competitive multiplayer is demolition derby. You have to race from marker to marker collecting points while shooting others. It’s a nice change of pace from all those games that just throw multiplayer in to get sales. The co-op is a fun but short experience for you and one friend. The missions are different than single player but you play through the same areas. The co-op also keeps track of points so you can be competitive if you like. With everything id Software did right in this game, I find that the small problems fade after you realize you’ve been playing for five hours already. A great game that I will be playing over and over, but it’s not perfect.

Gears of War 3 Review: Please Check Life In At the Door

It’s been three years. Long for the satisfying crunch of another man’s skull under your boot? Addicted to hearing your enemies scream as you burn them alive? In desperate need to use your chainsaw for something besides carpentry? You know what you need? NO, not another trip to the Catholic Church! You need Gears of War 3 all up in your Xbox! Gears is back and offers the same ball busting, gut spewing pleasure we all know and love. With a few additions like Beast Mode and four player co-op, this is a package bleeding at the sides with content.  Gears of War 3 includes the longest campaign Epic has ever created, and the most refined multiplayer experience in the series. Get on your athletic cup. This installment is so good, you’ll feel like you got kicked in the nuts.

The campaign starts about 2 years after you sunk Jacinto at the end of the last game. The COG military has collapsed and everyone is doing their part to gather whatever supplies necessary to survive. You play Marcus Fenix once again and assemble a team to kick some locust ass all over the planet Sera. The story kicks off with a data disk Fenix receives from the former COG chairman. The disk holds a video message from his father saying he knows how to stop the locusts, and it has something to do with Imulsion (Sera’s version of oil and the cause of 80 years of world conflict before the locusts showed up). The most curious detail in the video comes from daddy Fenix looking older than when they thought he died. Marcus sets out to find his father and unravel the secret behind what he was talking about.

For the first time in the series, you can grab three friends and hop right into the campaign (Previous installments only allowed two player co-op). The feature is nice but I can’t help but think it was a bit of a wasted opportunity. The first Gears ushered in a new era of co-op, allowing players to work together in ways besides just splitting up enemies to shoot. One player could hold a spotlight on the other so he wouldn’t get devoured by the game’s night loving critters. Some levels had you taking separate paths to open doors for each other in order to progress. It was a type of co-op I hadn’t seen in shooters and couldn’t wait for more. I expected Gears of War 3 to carry exciting new sequences like this with four players, but the amount of split paths and separate jobs are dramatically less than before. You still split up sometimes, but it’s always 2 and 2. Where’s my cool X-Men moments that can only happen with four people helping each other out? The feature definitely feels like just a way to get four players into the campaign instead of an exciting new opportunity for fresh gameplay.

The single player still packs a punch (did I just say that?) and delivers quality set pieces and theaters of war that rival the best shooters out there. Every act is full of something memorable and screams for multiple play throughs. As if this wasn’t enough, Epic also crafted us the best Gears multiplayer experience to date. As soon as you’re done ripping through the story, you can duke it out in competitive multiplayer, crush some A.I. in Horde Mode, or crush even more A.I. in the brand new Beast Mode.

Competitive multiplayer is addicting and has definitely come a long way from the glitch heavy Gears of War 1. Everything seems smoother in general. Any online game is susceptible to connection problems and exploits, but Gears of War 3 has finally reached the industry standard in multiplayer lag. You can fight online across ten maps in 5 vs. 5 matches. The game doesn’t boast a huge number of multiplayer modes and none of them are overly unique. A few variations of death match, king of the hill, and capture the flag. Each one has a Gears spin on it, but none of them offer a set of rules that can’t be found anywhere else. The series has always fallen short on modes, but the matches play so well, it doesn’t hurt the online experience a great deal.

If player vs. player bores you, hop in to Horde where fifty waves of A.I. locusts are just dying to get their head blown off by you. The Horde Mode, first introduced in Gears of War 2, allows you and four friends to fight as soldiers against the A.I. locusts in waves.  At wave fifty, the game ends and the victory chants ensue. In Gears of War 2, the explanation could pretty much stop there. In Gears of War 3, there’s a lot more at your disposal. There is now an entire economy to get lost in as you fight the good fight. Every enemy you kill in horde gives you money. Money buys defenses (turrets, spikes, ammo). Buying defenses unlocks more powerful ordinance over time. This adds a whole new level to Horde and keeps you coming back. Your unlocks carry over from match to match, so you’ll want to hop back in numerous times just to see every piece of equipment you can acquire. A new unlock is a new cool way to rip a locust apart.

A brand new mode called Beast allows you to do the same thing from a different perspective. You are a part of the locust horde, charging towards a group of defending soldiers with your grotesque brethren at your side. Kill every last human you see. Unfortunately, Beast mode isn’t nearly as robust as Horde and doesn’t really seem needed. There are only 12 waves and it doesn’t offer anywhere near the depth of any other feature in the game. Killing some humans with a few friends is all in good fun, but you won’t be coming back to this one often.

Gears of War 3 is a fantastic shooter. It boasts a quality campaign everyone should play, with an online component that will keep you engaged for months. With the promise of DLC, it’s likely you’ll keep this disc in your Xbox for a long time. It isn’t without its flaws. The co-op could have been better, online modes could have been more plentiful, and Beast mode felt like an afterthought. However, each one of these is instantly forgettable when you’re screaming at your friends and blasting away grunts until 4am. Buy Gears of War 3. Love Gears of War 3. Ignore all of life’s responsibilities. Instant bliss is guaranteed.

Knights of the Trine

Need a 2D side scrolling action game with multiple classes and upgradable abilities? Me neither, but then along came Trine and reminded me why I did. Trine allows you to traverse a medieval fantasy with the power to switch between different classes on the fly. Each class has their own abilities that you can upgrade if secrets are found and enemies are killed.  Along with a variety of levels and clever exploration, Trine is full of every ingredient needed in a compelling game.

Trine is the story of an empire in disarray after the death of a king and an undead army taking advantage of the chaos. Our heroes (a wizard, a thief, and a knight) accidentally stumble upon an artifact called a Trine, which binds the souls of the people around it. From this point on, each hero can only exist physically one at a time. Most games would allow you to switch between characters without a thought, but Trine cleverly makes this quirk a part of the story. After the incident, our heroes press on to save the kingdom and separate their souls.

The game allows you to upgrade your abilities as well. Each character has a short list of skills that help you get through each level. The wizard can conjure up boxes out of thin air (great for reaching secrets up high), the thief can shoot fire arrows to light up dark levels, and the knight can break through walls. As you kill enemies (or collect experience potions) you gain XP, allowing you to upgrade all these benefits. Being able to create one box at the beginning of the game is helpful, but the ability to create up to 4 boxes and few walkways opens up a whole world of possibilities for exploration.

You can play traditionally with a keyboard and mouse, but the game also gives you the option to plug in a 360 controller if it’s more comfortable for you. I assume most PC gamers would just be comfortable with the old QWERTY, but I found the platforming easier with a controller. You can also plug in multiple keyboards and/or controllers and play with up to three people (each taking the role of one of the characters). Unfortunately, there’s no online play, but having each class on screen at once makes for some pretty clever puzzle solving that isn’t possible in single player.

This game was nothing but fun. Yes, the enemies do get a bit redundant, and the narrator doesn’t know when to shut his trap sometimes, but everything else hits its mark. The graphics are gorgeous and wondrous, killing enemies is a blast, and gaining experience is addicting. One play through lasts about 8 hours, but the game screams for a second run with its many secrets and hidden areas. The pricing is a bit steep for a 2D action title (20 bucks on steam), but if you have the dough, Trine is an adventure no PC gamer should miss.

Civ 5 DLC Lets You Rule as the Koreans

Civilization 5 is back with more DLC. This time you get to rule the land of Star Craft as Sejong the Great into a glorious victory in science. Along with a new civilization, 2k has also released a Wonders of the Ancient World Scenario pack. This piece of DLC includes three new wonders (completing the seven wonders of the ancient world in the game). Both DLC packs also include a new scenario for you to play with your new toys in. Personally, i usually just stick with the “normal” game mode, but it does give a little extra value to each pack.

The new Korean Civilization allows you to hunker down and excel in research. Their main bonus, Scholars of the Jade Hall, grants them the ability to gain +2 science for all specialists and great person tiles. They also receive tech bonuses for building science structures or wonders in their capital. Two new units also join the Korean arsenal. The Turtle Ship replaces the standard Caravel. This naval unit is more powerful than the caravel, but cannot go into deep water. Bad for exploration, but if you spawn on an island, this unit makes it very easy to defend your cities while you go for a non-violent victory. They also have the Hwach’a. This is a powerful ranged unit that replaces the Trebuchet, although, the Hwach’a does not require any iron to build.

The three new wonders are The Temple of Artemis, The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, and the Statue of Zeus. Artemis can be built after researching Archery (the earliest you’ve ever been able to build a wonder). It gives you +10% growth in all cities and +15% production towards ranged units. Halicarnassus is available when Masonry is researched and grants you +2 gold for marble & stone tiles, plus 100 gold for every great person you expend. Lastly, Zeus can be built when Bronze Working is researched and provides +15% combat strength when attacking cities. Each new wonder is a brand new bonus towards gold, growth, or combat very early in the game, if you can beat the other civs to them.

Each DLC pack is absolutely worth the buy. Korea is a very worthy addition to other science heavy civs and provides a unique defensive strategy. If you spawn on an island, you are golden. Something else unique about Korea: you do not need a massive empire to bank on a large amount of science. The Koreans extract a lot of extra science from buildings you place in the capital. Because of this, you can keep a relatively low amount of cities (hopefully on an island) and rival the behemoth empires in science. I only had three cities during one of my games and I was pushing 1000 science towards the end.

Usually in a game of civilization, I like to go for pottery early on. This ensures my cities will grow fast enough to keep up in production and science down the road. People don’t usually rush militarily in civ 5 anyway. Now, with the addition of the new wonders, I find myself sometimes researching archery to get my early growth bonus that way. I always fear someone else might get Artemis before me, ruining my chances to destroy others in population. These wonders make earlier research decisions a lot tougher and will make people who don’t care about military catch themselves researching archery and mining earlier than they ever would.

Each DLC pack is $4.99 on steam ($7.50 if you buy them both). They are both playable with your friends online and they will provide you with hours more of gameplay for a game that never gets tiring. After 426 hours, I am still hooked. (Yes ladies, I’m single).