No Gamer Left Behind - Home View RSS

There are a ton of fantastic games coming out this holiday season, a selection that is sure to please just about anybody. No matter what system you own there is gaming glory to be had. This list is intended to help moms and girlfriends pick up the right games when they take their holiday shopping trips. My hope is that instead of picking up The Green Lantern they’ll be putting Batman: Arkham City in their baskets, leading to many happy gamers on Christmas morning.

Multiplatform Titles (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

Assassins Creed Revelations

This game will be more of the same Assassins Creed gameplay you have grown to love, and that’s ok, because if it isn’t broke you don’t have to fix it. At least in a single console generation anyway. Hopefully this series can continue to evolve and take more than a year off after this installment.

Sonic Generations

Don’t like Sonic much anymore after his jump into 3D? Sick of all of his lame friends? Then check out Sonic Generations, a game that combines the platforming of classic Sonic with today’s Sonic’s blistering speed. Last year’s Sonic Colors  was pretty fantastic in my opinion, and if Sega has built upon that successful foundation I think gamers are in for a real treat.

Modern Warfare 3

Modern Warfare 3 offers all of the Call of Duty fast paced gunplay that gamers have continued to love year after year, without the balance issues that plagued Modern Warfare 2. Though the graphical engine looks a bit dated, expect the same slick action that the series is known for.

Battlefield 3

Sick of Call of Duty? Battlefield 3 offers fantastic graphics, realism in a way that hasn’t been seen before, a larger sense of scale, and intense vehicular combat that will shake up the first person shooter landscape this holiday season. If you have a high-end PC you already know this is the obvious choice this holiday season- enjoy those 64 player online battles.

Batman: Arkham City

Batman: Arkham Asylum was fantastic, and this sequel adds more of everything. More ground to cover, more gadgets, and more sinister villains. If you like a good mix of action and stealth you can’t do much better than this. A definite must have for fans of Batman, and everyone else for that matter.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

This long awaited sequel to Oblivion finally ditches the ugly bloom lit graphical engine that has plagued most of Bethesda’s games since. It looks absolutely beautiful, but can the gameplay hold up? My guess is yes, but not without the usual assortment of Bethesda glitches. Maybe they will have a patch out by Christmas, so all of you that open it for the first time that morning can play it as it was intended.

Be sure to catch the system exclusives after the break!

Wii

Kirby’s Return to Dreamland

Many of Kirby’s games have been centered around testing unique gameplay ideas for the past decade or so, so it is great to see the pink puff return in an honest to goodness platformer for Wii. The four player co-op is sure to be fun for the whole family. It is easy to get into for new players, but offers enough hidden secrets and extra modes to keep even the most seasoned Kirby fan entertained.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Skyward Sword has been over 5 years in the making and promises the epic adventuring and puzzle solving that the series that the series is known for, alongside a new addition, precise sword fighting made possible by Wii Motion Plus. This latest outing turns the conventional Zelda on its head, with a fragmented overworld, dungeons that will need to be revisited several times to uncover all of their secrets, upgradeable equipment, and new items that utilize the Wii remote in unique ways. This will definitely be a Zelda to remember, and a fantastic swan song for the Wii.

Xbox 360

Gears of War 3

Gears of War is back, this time with more focus on team combat than ever before. The online isn’t without its hitches, but chainsawing someone in half is just as fun as ever.

Kinect Sports 2

Need something to play on that dusty Kinect your girlfriend convinced you to buy? I can’t really vouch for the accuracy of the peripheral, but Kinect Sports 2 will be sure to bring you more of the same goofy fun you had last year.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

Wow, Halo: Combat Evolved is ten years old? That really makes me feel old. Anyway, this remake brings with it a beautiful fresh coat of paint and online multiplayer, something the original lacked. This is developed by 343 Industries, the guys behind Halo 4, so it might give you a good preview of what is ahead for Master Chief.

PS3

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

The PS3 is home to several high profile sequels this holiday season, but this is the one no fan will want to miss. Drake’s Deception ups the ante once more, delivering one of the greatest PS3 action adventure titles yet again.

Resistance 3

If you like your first person shooters with an alien twist, you will likely enjoy Resistance 3. A bit more fast paced than Halo, Resistance offers epic large scale battles and a grittiness not found in Microsoft’s flagship title.

3DS

Super Mario Land 3D

The 3DS’ drought of games is officially over. Super Mario Land 3D is developed by Nintendo’s  Tokyo studio, the same guys behind the fantastic Super Mario Galaxy games. This game is intended to be a return to Mario’s roots, made evident by the presence of the classic tanooki suit, and features bite sized levels perfectly suited for portable play. It also features some of the best use of 3D yet, with the added perspective helping to make tricky platforming sections much more manageable.

Mario Kart 7

Mario Kart on 3DS is sure to build upon the greatness that was Mario Kart DS, this time taking to the water and skies, as well as the roads. Online racing, classic cups, and the tilt controls that made the Wii version a blast to play, all make a return, ensuring this will be a blast for anyone looking for classic Mario Kart fun on the 3DS.

Just six months ago there were doubts that Atlus' racy puzzler Catherine would see release in the U.S. But here we are, under a week left before release. Here is the final trailer for Catherine, showcasing it's nightmarish puzzling gameplay. Be sure to check it out on Xbox 360 and PS3 next Tuesday, July 26th.

Microsoft revealed a new R2D2 styled Xbox 360 Kinect bundle at Comic-Con, intended to launch with Kinect Star Wars this fall. It bundle includes Kinect Star Wars, Kinect Adventures, a 320GB hard drive, a white Kinect, and a C3P0 styled controller. Pre-orders for the $449 bundle are open today.

Nintendo finally offered a response to fans repeated requests for localizations of Xenoblade, The Last Story and Pandora's Tower. Chances are you aren't going to like what they had to say though. Nintendo's facebook page currently reads, "Thank you for your enthusiasm. We promised an update, so here it is. We never say “never,” but we can confirm that there are no plans to bring these three games to the Americas at this time. Thanks so much for your passion, and for being such great fans!" I am in disbelief. I expected to hear about a Xenoblade localization at the very least, the game is already in English after all. Nintendo of America really needs to get their act together if they even hope to have a chance at winning over the hardcore mindshare with their next system, the Wii U. Not localizing three games that could give the Wii a graceful send off is not a good start.

Earlier this evening I attended a live stream event where Atlus demonstrated their quirky upcoming  puzzle game, Catherine, due July 26 for both Xbox 360 and PS3. The presentation started with a quick explanation of the story, which stars a man named Vincent who must choose whether or not to commit to marriage to his girlfriend of five years, the titular Catherine. The very idea of commitment gives Vincent nightmares, which lead us straight into the gameplay. The first level looked so much like the old arcade title Q*Bert that I actually made comment of it to Atlus' PR, which they took understandably took offense to. After a few more minutes of seeing the game in action it was clear that I had made a hasty judgement. Vincent's nightmares involve climbing towers of blocks arranged in various patterns to impede his progress. He can push blocks, pull them, and hang from ledges to help reach his goal. He has to think quickly, the blocks quickly disappear in his wake.  In between levels you are treated to short sequences involving talking to Catherine, or answering text messages, giving the player choices that effect the outcome of the game. Don't think of it as a morality meter, despite its appearance, it is actually more a reflection of whether Vincent is self centered or truly cares for Catherine.

Click "read more" to find out how things get really interesting...

After Vincent completed the second nightmare level was where things really started to get weird. Here he comes across a sort of hub area, where he discovers several sheep, all of which think they are men and everyone else is sheep. This leads me to believe that Vincent is also a sheep, believing the very same thing.  Maybe the rest of these men are also struggling with the idea of commitment. Throughout later levels you can see them toiling away on their own towers, putting themselves through the ultimate test to determine whether or not they are ready for marriage.Outside of being interesting social commentary, it is also incredibly creepy. If you are connected to Xbox Live or PSN Catherine also has a neat poll system, asking player questions like "Does life begin or end at marriage?" and showing how other player answered afterwards.Yes, the bulk of Catherine is a puzzle game, but it also offers RPG elements like uncovering the truth behind Vincent's nightmares and making decision that alter how the game ends. Not only that, Catherine also has a very human and interesting story focusing on relationships, something that is rarely tackled in an industry filled with bald space marines. Catherine looks like it will be a great break from the norm and I highly suggest checking it out.

After a spokesman from Nintendo of France made comments last week that insinuated that Xenoblade, Pandora's Tower and The Last Story would not see localization in the United States fans quickly took to the internet and blew up Nintendo's facebook and twitter accounts, making their frothing demand for the games known. Since then Monado: Beginning of the World, also known as Xenoblade, has become the number one bestseller on Amazon videogames. Earlier this evening Nintendo made the following nebulous posting on their facebook and twitter pages, "Hey fans, we appreciate your enthusiasm. Look for more updates to come soon!" Does this mean that Nintendo has finally heard their fans? Xenoblade is starting to look like a safe bet, but Nintendo may still need convincing on The Last Story and Pandora's Tower. Make sure you let Reggie know you want to see these games released in America!

In an interview with Develop, Team Fortress 2 developer Robin Walker announced that Valve is now making the game free-to-play. The game will be supported by micro-transactions, meaning the only things that will cost money are items in the game's shop. If you can avoid buying goofy hats you can play this stellar mulitplayer first person shooter completely free. There is no set date for this price drop currently, but I will update when the information becomes available.

Source: Develop

Earlier today Rockstar announced that Team Bondi's L.A. Noire would be arriving on PC later this year, alleviating the fears of many that were concerned it wouldn't see release since Read Dead Redemption never saw a PC port. The PC release will feature 3D support and improved graphical enhancements but will still run on a wide range of PCs. Those eager to investigate the PC version will be able to find L.A. Noire in stores, or for sale by their favorite digital distributor, this Fall.

Twenty years ago today, Sonic the Hedgehog first graced the Sega Genesis. I used to love Sonic, I remember having  a frosted Sonic on my fifth birthday cake. The last ten years haven't been too kind to him, but Sonic's Genesis outings more than make up for his later missteps, much like Thriller cancels out much of Michael Jackson's mistakes. Sonic has made a bit of a return to form lately, with the passable Sonic 4: Episode 1 and the surprisingly good Sonic Colors that hit Wii last fall. That momentum looks to continue with Sonic Generations, hitting Xbox 360, PS3 and 3DS this fall. Check out the following youtube video for one of my most memorable Sonic experiences of the past 20 years. Memorable as in so frustrating it stopped me from playing Sonic 3 until I was able to look up the solution on the internet a decade later.

Earlier this week there were rumors flying about that the Xbox 360 successor would be announced at E3 2012 and Crytek was already developing for it. Today Crytek came forward and denied these rumors, saying that it has no knowledge of Microsoft's next console.Crytek's official statement is as follows, "Crytek does not have any next generation hardware from Microsoft, and has no idea when the Xbox-maker will announce its future console plans." Sounds pretty convincing to me. Will Microsoft's next console still make an appearance at next years e3?