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I apparently lied about the "moments from its conclusion" Bioshock 2 statement from yesterday - it was more like a solid hour of play before I hit the end credits.

Really not sure how I feel about this game. On one hand most of the game felt like a neat extension of what was there before, just without the initial wonder and charm. On the other hand, some parts of the last three hours rocked so hard I caught myself holding my breath more than once. Huh. I guess I really like(d) it?

The multiplayer, though, started off super cool (I love seeing non-destroyed parts of Rapture, and would have loved to have experienced more), before falling into something clumsy and old feeling. Bah, whatever.

I also began Yakuza 3. NEAT. Barely broke the surface (spent some time watching the "catch-up" movies), but the plot is already (to form) crazy. Also, character models are pretty keen.

 

Nearing the end of Bioshock 2, as far as I can tell. The twists were freaking excellent - like, almost got chills. Also, without ruining anything, I absolutely loved the visuals when things changed. Stopped at a point that - at least as far as I can tell - is only moments from the conclusion, but I didn't want to rush the experience (as the lady was almost home from work). Tomorrow this is over, then on to (hopefully) Yakuza 3!

Wow, after being stuck on one of the Modern Warfare 2 Spec Ops Veteran maps for a good four or five play sessions, my friend and I breezed through three of them tonight with little pause. The airport assault one was especially awesome, with waves of riot-shield sporting soldiers bearing down.

We only have four or five missions left! I'm going to be a little sad when this is over (and fingers crossed for a Spec Ops type of experience in the next Call of Duty...).

It's neat to be excited about opening a game again, which was exactly what happened with Heavy Rain. I made my origami bird thingy while the game installed (wtf with the "bugged" instructions, btw?), then I showered and shaved and did work and helped set dishes and played with my kids and went shopping. Mundane, yes. Shockingly immersive? Even more so.

I love adventure games, almost as much as I love mysteries. Also, freaking amazing graphics. Love those too. So, needless to say, I already love this game.

Stopped at a point where I helped someone with their tie. Which was way less lame than it sounds...

Actually dusted off the Wii tonight and finally unwrapped Little King's Story (got it on sale a few months ago), and was super impressed. The first challenge slightly sucked (and trapped me a bit), but then it picked up steam in a big way, and I finished off two bosses before calling it a night. Very fun and charming, and hopefully I'll be at it again soon.

Yup. Dante's Inferno is a solid God of War clone. Even though I'd heard those words to describe it more times than I can count, I wasn't quite prepared for the level of "sameness" the game brings.

Plus, after only 30 minutes or so of play I found myself (more than) slightly bored. The combat is super by-the-numbers, and the opening scene feels like it was just thrown in - it's like a poor man's version of the opening boat fight in the original God of War. Which is sad.

Also sad: I'm pretty sure - if I was in a "kill swarms of enemies" mood - I think I'd rather re-play the games in the God of War Collection than this new experience. Huh.

Oh, also played lots of Bioshock 2. Mmmm... Bioshock 2. Just beat the Preacher, and my opinion is sticking - it's a great game with a little less soul than the original. But it's fun, damn fun.

 

Really getting into Bioshock 2, enjoying the gameplay easily as much as the first, and some of the story twists (and choices you can make) so far have been grand. That said, it's still missing some of the...magic of the first, both in the fact you know there's going to be a twist of some sort coming up, and whatever it is, it likely won't be as good as the first.

Just entered the fourth area, and killed a Big Daddy pretty quick, thanks to a powered up drill. Neat stuff...

Oh, I also played far too much Plants vs. Zombies on the iPhone. Touch control is wonderful, and I couldn't tear myself away for a good 20 or so levels. Neat beans.

 

Hit the third area in Bioshock 2 today, and I'm still finding it solid as all heck, just with a slight lack of charm the original had - likely because it feels a little too similar. That said, the gameplay is tight, and it's a very close experience overall. Which might be the issue...

Oh, and I got the camera, which seems slightly awkward to use? I'm not a big fan of having to equip it as a weapon each and every time.

I have a bonafide weakness for "funhouse / carnival ride" areas in games, and the one in this game was freaking awesome - and makes for the second strong similarity Bioshock 2 has had for me when compared with Max Payne 2 (the other being the title music, hits the same feel). So, any issues I had with this game went right out the window when reaching the Ryan Amusements area. Simply rad.

Beat the first area in Bioshock 2 tonight, and I'm very much warming up to it. Yes, the story isn't as compelling this time around, and everything seems a bit...familiar, but I'm enjoying the improved combat and visual (somewhat religious) touches. Oh, and voice recordings of the dead (or soon to be), I forgot how much I enjoyed them...

My pal and I finished off another Spec Ops challenge on Veteran in Modern Warfare 2 tonight, which was super easy compared with the hell we went through with the last one... We also played a bit of Army of Two: The 40th Day (pretty but generic) and re-started Halo 3: ODST on Legendary, and found the experience to be lacking. Not sure if we're just growing out of Halo, but we didn't have all that much fun. Fucking snipers.

 

Yeah, that was weak. I wasn't expecting Bioshock 2 to have the same opening as the first, but that sucked. Like, really sucked. Wasn't at all interactive or...well, involving (like the original game), and to be honest it turned me off almost right away.

Thankfully, my love for this series goes far beyond such issues, and I really started getting into the experience.

Ah, Rapture. I've missed you.

Got the chance to play quite a bit of Mass Effect 2 today, and saved a colony, picked up a new crew member and drained a bunch of planets dry.

Rescued the Convect in Mass Effect 2, which was a neat scenario. Enjoyed the small twists and the characters (Bioware is so great with moral grey zones, the prison warden being a perfect example), and the end brought up some interesting story elements. Aside from the prison area I've just been scanning planets for elements; haven't found anymore ground missions yet, though.

Picked up my first two "real" crew members in Mass Effect 2 tonight (and the free DLC one as well), and I have to say, the scientist is so freaking keen. I love hearing him talk (sounds like as sped-up Kirk), and his attitude is rad. Hell, I'm loving talking to pretty much everyone - unlike the first game I'm actually going through as many dialog trees as possible, along with searching every nook and cranny for clues. I might have to give the original Mass Effect another chance once I'm done with this one...

I played a bunch more Mass Effect 2, mainly exploring planets and sending probes. I did two optional ground missions as well, the "crash site" free DLC (which was a nice quite distraction) and another random one with a bit of combat. I also pushed the main story a little further along, and I found my first new crew member (that said, I have some tasks to complete before he'll join).

Started up Mass Effect 2 tonight, and was floored. Partially because I wasn't expecting all that much - wasn't a large fan of the original, you see - but mostly because of the quality. Wow. The opening scene was amazing, and I loved how the story unfolded after that. The combat is actually great, the visuals are outstanding, and I love the "dumbed down" nature of the RPG elements. Didn't get super far (I'm now able to explore the galaxy), but I'm already swept away in the cinematic experience...

Grabbed House of the Dead: Overkill during a recent Amazon super sale, and spent a bit of time with the lady going through the first level tonight. First impressions? A little on the "eh" side... Lots of small loading stutters and way too much "reload!" voice-overs, and the combat was almost overly mindless. Overall it felt like it was trying a little too hard with the grindhouse theme, and the gameplay wasn't as fun as RE Chronicles. That said, we only finished the first chapter, so it might improve much. Not a great first taste, though...