Painkiller: Overdose - Completed

Point at things and make them dead. Wacky weapons, countless, mindless enemies, so hellbent on throwing in so many bodies that are fun to make fall down, that they occasionally miss the annoying long time until the soul spawns annoyance of graphics that are acceptable, but hardly stellar. But those points are minor at worst, considering the genius behind the innovation by stripping the FPS to its bare-boned, bloody minded glory.

This game should of gained full marks if they removed the story and voice acting entirely though. Not only are they terrible, but you get the all-to-depressing impression that they actually think they did a good job, by the third time your guy says "tastes like chicken", even the most violence loving 12 year old boy who's favorite game of all time is Manhunt will start thinking, "this is just in bad taste" If you can block that out and don't want any depth, give this a shot.

7 Wonders II - Completed

It's difficult to fault 7 Wonders II too much because it does what it's supposed to do, but it never strays too far from a formula that's been done many times over in recent years. And the fact that it doesn't really blow you away with any of its visual of musical components doesn't help matters. 7 Wonders II is certainly a good enough puzzler, but ultimately its inherent similarities to other 'match 3' puzzlers keeps it from standing out from the crowd. The game doesn't get anywhere near hard and I completed the main aim of the game in just over an hour, thankfully I only acquired this game through a bundle.

Crysis 2 - Completed

Just like its predecessor, Crysis provides both a unique and engaged premise for its campaign and top-notch graphics that once again raise the graphical benchmark for gaming. It may not appear as instantly striking in terms of awesomeness as the original did with its lush, tropical setting but it's in the finer details and when things really escalte in the single player, that will blow your mind. This game looks better now than the current xBone and Peasentstation4 'next-gen' titles, and this game is almost 3 years old.  The sheer 'destructional' splendor of New York under alien siege has to be seen and played to behold.

For the core game play of Crysis 2, I was initially disappointed about how the nanosuit's power being reduced to stealth and armor. That quickly changed however. Having a button for each made switching between the two far more fluid than Crysis 1. On top of this, it adds a lovely twist and breath of fresh air to what essentially is your typical combat multiplayer affair. That being said, it is a step down from the large scale frantic antics of the original. But it's this added layer of depth to the tired and tested 'COD-style' multiplayer offering that lends it an advantage.

But it was the single-player that I brought it for. The original garnered some criticism to its rather basic plot, but having never seen it done so well, or in a video game for that matter, it didn't hinder the experience one bit. Crysis 2, however propels the Crysis universe onto a whole new level. Its obvious a hell of a lot more thought has been put into it. It's more complex, deeper and smarter, which makes a far more compelling game. Couple this with the unique and shockingly real depiction of an apocalyptic New York and well...I can't even begin to explain how awesome it it.

If you haven't guessed already, this game is a must buy for any FPS fan.

The Darkness II - Completed

I really like this game, a lot! From the visual graphic novel style graphics, to the gun and tentacle toting game-play to the stereotyped mob characters. This game isn't perfect but it's a hell of a lot of fun. The story is deep enough to keep you interested, the characters are just deep enough for you to actually like this, the environments are nicely varied but the game play is it's strong point with unique "quad wielding" combat.

All in all everything adds up to a game that I will certainly remember.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light - Completed

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is not your traditional Tomb Raider Game, but this addition to the series is a welcome to not only the series but the isometric action game genre.

The visuals during gameplay are very detailed but not excessive to the point of distraction, enemies look divsrse enough to know which type they are without having to look directly at them.  The story is on the weak side but is interesting enough to make you want to know the conclusion.

The gameplay is where it's at! Face paced and non stop action. I first played this game with keyboard and mouse and then the gamepad, and this game is absolutely terrible to play with the keyboard and mouse. There are some severe navigation issues when moving stone balls from one location to the other, and having to place a bomb, roll and detonate the bomb is a real task. Now playing with the game pad is perfect, but makes aiming seem a little tedious when compared to the mouse's point and click shooting. Single player and online co-op both play well.

Overall this is a very good game, just make sure you have a game pad for this.

Call of Jurez; Gunslinger - Completed

This game is incredibly simple, but that is what I like most about it. No side quests, no mini-games, no boring wandering through over-sized maps. Just pure arcade style linear action for about 3 hours, with somewhat interesting narration throughout. There are a few collectible "secrets" on each level, which is contradicting with the "wander too far from the story line and the entire level restarts" mechanic. 

The duel sections weren't great and I saw the end of the story coming about halfway through the game, but it was still enjoyable. 

9.03m - Completed

This game lasted no longer than 20 minutes. I understand that this is dedicated to the lives lost on March 11th, 2011 in the Japanese tsunami. If you've been playing GTA and general shooters, take a rest and give this ago.  It's a relaxing charming experience.

If you liked Dear Esther, give this ago.

Half of all received Space Budgie (the developers) royalties go to Aid For Japan (www.aidforjapan.org.uk), a charity that helps children who lost their parents in the tsunami. The other half goes to Redr (www.redr.org.uk) a charity that helps in disater scenarios. 

Chivalry; Medieval Warfare - KA-POW!!!!

Best melee combat game I've ever played. The combat is quite deep, but not so complicated that you can't just jump in and start lopping off heads straight away.

There is a good amount of game modes, FFA, Duels, Team death match, capture the flag, last team standing and the best mode, team objective - which has teams competing to attack or defend many varied objectives, like burning a town and killing all the peasants, to dumping corpses into a river, to sieging a castle and killing the king!

There are 6 main weapons and 6 secondary weapons for each of the 4 classes to unlock, which won't take very long but will take a bit of dedication.  The 4 classes all feel very different; archers, man at arms, vanguards and knights. Each has their strengths and weaknesses and varied different attacks.

Very good game. I highly recommend it to everyone, even if you've not really touched the genre of FPS because this is just a breathe of fresh air. I will certainly be playing for a long time to come.

Chantelise: A Tale of Two Sisters - Completed

Hard game. Fun game. Cheap game. I enjoyed myself very much playing this game and I definitely think it's good value for money. That being said, it is not for everyone. I strongly suggest that people try out the demo on Steam first. I highly recommend using a controller with this game so you don't run into any issues with the camera.

Due to its charming art-style and characters, this game brings a nice refreshment to the indie genre. Where as the post-child of indie games is an 8-bit-side-scroller with metroid-isq exploration, this is trying to be different with its game-play and mechanics. Its unique, funny, cute and enjoyable but still falls short in some areas.

While it has a nice challenge to it, with interesting boss battles, enemies and areas, it is also borderline aggravating at times. Your attacks aren't 100% reliable, so while it is skill based, there is also a bit of luck involved, and because the game is skill based, there is also an element of grinding levels and money involved. The game isn't exp-based, it's based on items.

Really, all in all this is a charming and fun game, that's refreshing and enjoyable.

Star Wars; Knights of the Old Republic - Completed

Star Wars - Knights of the Old Republic was the highest voted game on the vote just prior to Christmas, so I have been playing that over the past couple of days. I have completed the main story and hope to go back and finish some of the side quests. Since I was playing on a controller/big TV, I wasn't able to get any screenshots however.

Knights of the Old Republic is a truly great RPG. The game immerses the player in the Star Wars universe, and it has some of the best voice acting and stories that I have heard in an RPG to date. There's actually a focused and captivating story unlike most RPGs in the market today. I didn't really find any problems with the interface or game play (for it's time). I really enjoyed the stories of the Mandalorian Wars. They were compact with imagery and none of dialog seemed unnecessary. I seriously don't understand why every avid gamer has not played this game. I haven't played many Star Wars games recently, nor have I played many RPGs but this is by far one of the best I have ever played. Don't be fooled by any low scores or poor reviews this game gets. If you are a fan of RPGs, this is a must have.

Special 100th post announcement

Okay, so my 100th post is very close now so I just wanted to post a few quick updates.

For the special occasion of 100 posts, I plan on playing a large open world game over the Christmas period. The list of games which I have to choose from are:

• Dragon Age: Origins 
• Far Cry 3
• GTA San Andreas
• Mount & Blade
• Saints Row: The Third
• Sleeping Dogs
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

I am a little bit anal when it comes to playing series' of games, obviously most people's first choice for some of these games will be the more recent ones, like Fallout New Vegas or Skyrim, but I like to play games in order that they were released.

I have created a StrawPoll for my readers to vote on, I hope at least a few people will take part and not leave me high and dry with an awkward 0 votes! Just click this link to go there :)

 With the holiday sale in full swing, I have picked up (added to the backlog) the following games:

• Battlefield 2 Collection
• DuckTales Remastered
• Machinarium
• Shadow Warrior
• Legend of Dungeon
• Monaco
• The Stanley Parable

Also (sadly) I have added quite a few more through bundles this week:

• Ultratron
• Titan Attacks
• Revenge of the Titans
• QUBE
• Gnetlemen!
• Gateways
• Driftmoon
• Draw A Stickman: EPIC
• 9.03m
• Legend of Fae
• Prime World: Defenders
• Fester Mudd - Episode 1
• PixelJunk Monsters Ultimate

I'm really not helping myself am I...?

This will probably be my last update until the festive period is over, so I'd just like to say have a very Happy Christmas.

Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army - Completed

One of the best zombie games I have played so far. The World War 2 setting really adds to the atmosphere and it is a nice break from the horde-style "shoot em ups" like Wolfenstein. Single player is extremely difficult, the game is obviously made for multiplayer. The only changes I would like to see would be able to create barricades in doorways, like Killing Floor, maybe some character options or talents.

Call of Duty wishes they could make a zombie mode as fantastic as this. I just wish the multiplayer community was more active, took me a little while to get a match-maker system, can see this being a ball when playing on Skype with mates on this one.

Castle Crashers - Completed

The game itself is fantastic! The humor, game play and the low price make it worth every penny. Unfortunately, the developers were a bit lazy making the port - When playing on a keyboard you will have no idea what you are doing. The game doesn't tell you how to play and the tutorials show the Xbone(xbox) controls, not the keys.

Overall though, the game is damn near perfect. If you don't own a controller but don't mind 30 minutes of fiddling and clicking, the game is perfect for you. If you own a controller and can connect it to your PC...BUY THIS GAME NOW.

One of the best indie games ever made hands down. It has it all. Fun medieval sword fighting against evil knights, monsters and strange creatures. Good graphics and addicting levels. Castle Crashers is best enjoyed through multiplayer. The game lets you enable voice chat for a more fun experience. I seriously think it's a powerful and engaging fighting experience, even if it is  cartoony.

Plenty of replay-ability in this title also, with arenas and arcade modes available. 10/10 for me.