ZeroAnd09

Shit I Find in the Dumpster: Day 5

2012-02-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's after the jump.

Having a hard time figuring this one out? It's another deer head. Only, this one is missing its skull and the mandible is all that remains. I think the tongue hanging out is what really makes this picture.

Shit I Find in the Dumpster: Day 4

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's after the jump.

A hearty way to start the day. And look at that! He was nice enough to include the fork!

BJ Wentker's Bruschetta Burger

2012-02-08T21:27:00.000-06:00

Place: BJ Wentker's
Location: Burlington, WI
Burger: Bruschetta Burger
Ingredients: Half pound of Angus beef with Pomodoro and Provolone. Lettuce, tomato, toasted bun, and onion.

Verdict:

BJ Wentker's has been hit and miss for me. The Mushroom Swiss Burger was a mess that left a puddle on my plate. The Bacon Cheddar Burger was better, but still left me wanting. With only one more burger on the list, how would the Bruschetta Burger fare?

BJ Wentker's has an excellent Bruschetta appetizer. It would only stand to reason that combining that delicious appetizer with a burger would lead to nothing but unmeasured success. The burger itself was actually very tasty. The toppings combined with the slightly charred bun made this one of the more unique burgers I've ever had. Despite the bland slab of meat that rained down grease and juices...oh wait. Did I fail to mention that? As soon as I picked up the burger, there was a torrential downpour on my plate. So, once again, I had to build a dam with a few sacrificed fries. This is the second burger I've had from BJ Wentker's that rained down on my plate. As a general rule, if a burger is 30% liquid, it's not a good burger, despite the toppings.

On the Side:
Appetizing fries. It's a shame I had to sacrifice a few.

Two and a Half out of Five stars

Shit I Find in the Dumpster: Day 3

2012-02-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's after the jump.

Anyone up for ribs?

Shit I Find in the Dumpster: Day 2

2012-02-07T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's after the jump.

It was so cold that this pair of legs froze to the side of the dumpster.

Even More SoulCalibur V Wallpapers

2012-02-06T20:09:00.001-06:00

I finally found some character art for Elysium, Patrolos Alpha, and Pyrrha Omega. As such, their wallpapers can be found here.

Shit I Find in the Dumpster: Day 1

2012-02-06T19:41:00.001-06:00

I work next door to a taxidermist. On any given day, there's bound to be all manner of disgusting animal bits in the dumpster. I thought that it was only fair I should share my discoveries with you.

We'll start off tame with the (nearly) empty dumpster and the solitary deer head it contains. He looks deep in thought. I wonder what he could be thinking...

App of the Week: Ghostscape

2012-02-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

Name: Ghostscape
Cost: $2.99
Description: Investigate this haunted house to find out what happened to the people who lived and died here. Discover ancient occult artifacts, evidence of sacred rituals and photograph the ghosts in action if you can. Explore this place, discover its secrets, and try to escape with the evidence...alive!

Ghostscape is a unique title on the Windows Phone Marketplace as it's one of the few genuine horror titles I've found. To be more specific, it is the only good horror title in the already meager game marketplace.

The game opens with the player entering a notoriously haunted house. It is played from the first person perspective, and uses an old school point-and-click play style. The story revolves around the previous owners of the home and discovering what has happened to them. Along the way, there is a good deal of paranormal activity that players must contend with if they want to discover the truth and then escape the house intact.

Graphically, I would have expected Ghostscape to look better for a game that has very few moving parts. The game uses static backgrounds that pale in comparison to games like Resident Evil that originally used the design to a very successfully degree. The overall atmosphere of the house definitely has a creepy vibe to it. The visuals portray this with some success, but the entire game is very blurry and appears out of focus.

The sound design is where Ghostscape truly shines. It's full of all kinds of spooky sounds and I'm not ashamed to admit that my skin crawled on a few occasions. From the ghosts floating through the house to ambient sounds like creaking and poltergeist activity, it's all good.

The game itself can be wrapped up in under 20 minutes, and there's even an achievement for doing so. With that said, the game is rather short and after exploring everything, there's not much replay value. It would be nice if items could be randomly moved each time the game is played or if the puzzles changed. As it stands, you'll most likely shelve this tile after beating it a handful of times.

The puzzles themselves are varied and I had to scratch my head on one puzzle in particular. But once you have the solution, it's far too easy to do subsequent speed runs.

In the end, Ghostscape is one of the better titles I've played for Windows Phone. It's definitely worth a try, and at $2.99, it's not a bad price for the few hours you'll spend playing it. So, if you're looking for something a little scarier with a retro feel, give Ghostscape a whirl.

Popeye's Mushroom Swiss Burger

2012-02-05T18:15:00.001-06:00

Place: Popeye's
Location: Lake Geneva
Burger: Mushroom Swiss Burger
Ingredients: Two quarter pound patties, lightly toasted bun, Swiss cheese, mushroom, lettuce, tomato, onion

Verdict:

The last time I had a burger from Popeye's in Lake Geneva, it was a complete mess. Needless to say, my hopes weren't too high this time around. But, I'm a forgiving soul, and there were still a plethora of burgers I had not tried.

Walking into Popeye's was a disorienting experience. It was a sea of humanity in the restaurant, and it was so cluttered with knick-knacks and decorations, that it took me a few minutes to get my bearings as I walked in from the parking lot entrance. After finally finding a seat and browsing over the menu, which appears to have changed yet again, I decided on the Mushroom Swiss Burger.

The burger itself had the consistency of many other mushroom Swiss burgers, it was slick with moisture and juices. The lightly toasted buns held the hearty helping of fresh toppings in place as I greedily devoured the burger. The meat was rich and flavorful. It wasn't greasy like so many other burgers I've had in the Southeastern Wisconsin region. The toppings were fresh and crisp and went surprisingly well despite the burger only traditionally using only mushroom and Swiss cheese. I had a hard time believing this was the same restaurant. In the end, the burger was so filling, I couldn't finish my side of fries.

Overall, it was a very good burger. It didn't wow me or present anything special, but it was a solid, well made burger.

On the Side:
Overcooked fries.

Four out of Five Stars

Is Gaming Better than Sex?

2012-02-05T17:40:00.000-06:00

Find out in my article at www.gamingclimax.com.

DC Universe Online

2012-02-03T07:52:00.002-06:00

My review of DC Universe Online is up at www.gamingclimax.com.

Release Calendar: February 2012

2012-01-31T18:02:00.004-06:00

February 01:
Rhythm Party (360)

February 03:
Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle (PS3, PC, Wii, DS)
NeverDead (PS3, 360)

February 07:
Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning (PS3, PC, 360)
The Darkness 2 (PS3, 360)
Combat Wings: The great Battles of WWII (PS3, 360, PC)
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations (360, PS3)
Inversion (PC)
Resident Evil Revelations (3DS)
Crusader Kings 2 (PC)

February 14:
Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (3DS)
UFC Undisputed 3 (PS3, 360)
SSX (PS3, 360)
Twisted Metal X (PS3)
Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom (PSP)
Jagged Alliance: Back in Action (PC)

February 15:
W.A.R.P. (360)
Alan Wake: American Nightmare (360)
I am Alive (PS3)

February 21:
Asura's Wrath (360)
Syndicate (360, PS3, PC)

February 28:
Black Knight Sword (360, PS3)
Binary Domain (360, PS3)
Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition (PS3, 360)

February 29:
Awesomenauts (PS3, 360)
Gotham City Imposters (360, PS3, PC)

Repulse

2012-01-26T07:35:00.002-06:00

My review of Repulse is up at www.gamingclimax.com.

Resident Evil 6 Trailer

2012-01-22T19:45:00.001-06:00

The more Resident Evil moves into the action genre, the less interested I am. They showed true potential with the Lost in Nightmares DLC for RE5. I'm still hoping that they'll move back to their roots.

Lucent Heart

2012-01-20T07:32:00.000-06:00

My review of Lucent Heart is up at www.gamingclimax.com.

My Rating System

2012-01-09T23:07:00.001-06:00

If you’ve read any of my reviews, you’ll have noticed that Idon’t use a numerical rating system like many other gaming sites. You may be asking yourself why that is. The biggest names in gaming all use anumerical rating. Most will break areview down into the individual aspects, graphics, sounds, control, etc. Each of these categories will get anindividual score, usually from 1 to 10. These scores will be averaged together at the end of the review, thusgiving the game its final score. It’s abland, unoriginal rating system that is far too popular.

I believe that a game can’t be confined to a numericalvalue. Playing a game is a uniqueexperience that ends up being something different for everyone. A review should be a recollection of thatexperience. It should be fair andunbiased of course, but in the end, a game isn’t a number. A game is a work of art and should be treatedas such.

Once a reviewer strips away what is special about that gameand puts it in the format that 90% of the world uses, how is that game specialor unique any longer? At that point, itbecomes just another number. With only atitle and number, most people won’t even take the time to read the genericreview. They will judge a game solely onthat number and if that number isn’t high enough, most won’t even botherplaying the game itself. And who is tosay a game is deserving of one score or another? A reviewer may say that a game is a nine anda player may think that nine is in fact a four. So how can a number sum up an experience for everyone? Put simply, it can’t.

So when I write a review, I’m not only covering the technicalpoints and writing about those. I’d liketo think that I write about the heart and soul of a game. Whether it is a beautiful and movingexperience or a bug-riddled nightmare, it’s my job to convey what the gameis. A game may be comprised of 1’s and 0’s,but it is not a number. Thus, you willnever see a number based review from me.

Rusty Hearts

2012-01-08T12:51:00.002-06:00

Rusty Hearts is a free-to-play MMORPG developed by StairwayGames and published by Perfect World Entertainment. The game had entered a closed beta on July27, 2011 and was finally launched on September 13, 2011. Rusty Hearts is a very story driven game thatfollows four characters in their quest to vanquish Count Vlad. It has a very unique style and promises anequally unique experience. Will thisnewcomer to an already overcrowded genre truly bring something special to thetable or will it fall by the wayside like so many others?

The first thing many players will notice about Rusty Heartsis its unique cel-shaded, anime style. I’ll admit that it was the first thing that drew my attention. It’s a refreshing new take on the MMOmarket. The overall design combinesvisual elements of many styles. FromGothic to Victorian to Steampunk and Medieval, there’s something for everyone. It’s all presented in a very aestheticallypleasing package that is sure to seduce anyone that gives it a try. It looks like someone fleshed out a 2DCastlevania and turned it into an MMO. Thebest part of all is that the game is very resource friendly. It doesn’t demand much of a machine to run atthe highest settings, so there’s not much excuse not to try it.

Trying it is something you’ll want to do. Rusty Hearts is unlike any other MMO I’veever played. The game is played almost entirelyon the Keyboard alone. The only time amouse is used is for moving items in the inventory or selecting chat optionswith NPCs. Even then, the mouse is notnecessary. Movement is handled entirelyusing the arrow keys and attacks are bound to the left side of thekeyboard. It’s a very odd layout thattook some time to get used to. However,after the first few hours, everything fell into place. Rusty Hearts also allows players to connect acontroller and based on the layout, I can only imagine that it would feel verynatural to play with a controller.

The game itself plays very similar to titles like Devil MayCry and Bayonetta. It is a fast,action-packed game. Standing aroundtrading blows like in many other MMO’s will lead to certain death in RustyHearts. Right after the visuals, thegame play is what hooked me. The combatis lightning fast with a plethora of enemies on screen at any given time. Unfortunately, the game itself isn’t terriblychallenging. I’ve been playing for a fewweeks now with each of the characters and I haven’t been afraid of dying once. Even on Very Hard mode, it’s not impossibleto solo every instance. This is a goodand bad thing. Since the dungeons arebite sized, it’s easy to drop in and complete and instance within 10minutes. There’s no need to find agroup, no tanks or healers, and generally none of the headaches associated withyour standard MMO dungeon crawl. But,there’s not much challenge to the game. I never felt any sense of accomplishment or challenge when running aninstance.

There is a central hub that connects all of the dungeons inthe game. NPCs will hand out quests andplayers make their way to a dungeon. Each dungeon is broken up into several portions that have levelrequirements to enter. Each portion alsohas multiple difficulty settings. Dungeons can be played on Normal, Hard, Very Hard, and Blood Mode. To unlock higher difficulties, each level ofdifficulty must be completed progressively. Blood Mode is different in that players won’t get experience inside, butbetter items instead. After selectingthe section of dungeon and the difficulty you want to play, you’re placed atthe start of the instance. Each instanceis broken up into sections which must be cleared of enemies in order to progress. At the end of each instance is a boss thatmust be defeated. After all of this,players receive a ranking from “F” to “SSS”. This ranking is based on a number of factors. These include how long it took to completethe instance, the Style Points acquired, and hits taken. After completing a dungeon, players choose arandom card for a reward. This could be gold,armor, or weapons. The quality of theitems is determined by card found in the dungeon. Players can pick up bronze, silver, or goldcards which will replace the random cards at the end, thus increasing itemquality.

In addition to finding items in dungeons or purchasing themin shops, players can craft their own. Materials are dropped from fallenenemies. Each NPC can craft certaintypes of items. For example, Gina cancraft Fabric and Leather armor, and Ruska can craft Chain and Plate armor inaddition to weapons. Equipment can alsobe upgrading using stones and other items that fall from enemies. There are specs and perks to equipment thatwill benefit characters when equipped. These effects can be enhanced when the equipment is upgraded.

Of course, players don’t have to build their ownequipment. There is a thriving auctionhouse in place which makes it easier for those who don’t want to hunt downparticular ingredients for that next great costume or weapon.

As I said before, Rusty Hearts is very story driven. Throughout the entire game, there is a storythat is being told. The story revolvesaround Count Vlad being imprisoned in Castle Curtis by the local militia. Count Vlad, like his name suggests, is thisworld’s equivalent of Dracula from Castlevania. His best friend is Death and he has a castle full of monsters that needto be eradicated. The story begins withFrantz and Angela arriving in town and grows to incorporate every NPC you meet. It’s a tight, well told tale that urgesplayers forward to find out what happens next. There’s plenty of dialogue to be had when picking up quests and whenplaying through a dungeon. There arenumerous cutscenes which will cover larger events. Along the way, the story will unravel andtell secrets that other NPCs won’t let you in on. There are hidden agendas and secret plots andI have to admit that I’m hooked. I wantto see how everything will play out in this quest to exterminate Count Vlad. The only complaint I have is that sometimesthe dialogue boxes will move to quickly when in a cutscene, making it hard toread everything that is going on. Whilethis shouldn’t be a problem with the superb voice acting in most cases, RustyHearts suffers a few more issues. Thevoice acting will overlap and characters frequently talk over one another orwill be cut off entirely. It doesn’tmake the story any harder to follow, but the presentation is sloppy at times.

Of course any story is only as good as the charactersdetailed inside. Initially, there arefour characters available to players. Eachcharacter can wield one of two weapons which will significantly alter how theyplay. Add in costume pieces that can beequipped and each character can become wholly unique to the player controllingthem. Players begin the game by pickingone of the four characters; however there is the ability to create four of eachcharacter. The current level cap in the gameis 39 and thus the game has a great deal of replay value.

Frantz is a human/vampire hybrid who wields either a swordor axe. He is looking for his long lost fiancéwho was turned into a vampire by himself. He catches a glimpse of her in Castle Curtis and suspects that he may beable to save her in addition to ridding the world of Count Vlad. He is the strong, silent type and plays outas the stereotypical anti-hero.

Angela accompanies Frantz early on in his quest to eradicateCount Vlad. She can equip either a largesword or scythe. She is a young witchfrom a small village whose soul was forged with the ancient possessed sword,Graestra. Once the two merged, Angela’shair turned red and spiky and her magical abilities surpassed those of even themost experienced witches.

Tude is a wanderer who found himself trapped in CastleCurtis when the Golden Seal Team erected the barriers in order to trap CountVlad. Frantz and Angela discover Tudewhile exploring the castle later in the game, although his available for playimmediately. Tude was attacked long agoby a wolf and though he was able to fend off the creature, a tooth broke off inhis chest. One of Tude’s arms turnedinto a claw, which he keeps in a bulky gauntlet. Tude fights using either the gauntlet or theclaw it contains.

Natasha is a con artist who travels from town to town withher sister. They stage fake monsterattacks which result in Natasha saving the day. Things are a bit different for Natasha at Castle Curtis. The many monsters inside killed her brother,thus setting Natasha on the path of vengeance. Natasha can dual-wield revolvers or use a musket.

Each character brings something unique to the game and istruly enjoyable to play. Frantz is afast, strong striker who makes quick work of enemies with his blades. Angela is a slow, heavy hitter with her swordand can wreak havoc with her magic. Tudeis a melee tool of devastation. Natashais a ranged character with the ability to set mines and turrets. I truly believe there’s a character foranyone and challenge you to find one in Rusty Hearts that isn’t sublime toplay.

There are additional characters that will be added to thegame in the form of Avatars. Meilin Chenis the first Avatar to be released and is a stand-in for Tude. She uses his weapons, equipment, andskills. The next two characters havebeen hinted at. Edgar is a young boy whowill stand in for Angela and Roselle is a buxom beauty who can be played inplace of Frantz. Each of these Avatarscan be purchased from the cash shop either in-game or on the Rusty Hearts site.

In the end, I’m supremely happy that I found thisfree-to-play gem. It provides anatmosphere of the classic horror films filled with colorful, anime inspiredcharacters and strangely enough, it works. The gameplay is solid and a blast to play. The haunting sound track combined with therock-opera music when fighting is a perfect fit. The story and characters will draw anyone inwho gives it a chance. There’s a lot tobe had in Rusty Hearts and I wholly recommend it to anyone looking for somethingdifferent to play.

I Got Mine!

2012-01-07T07:31:00.000-06:00

Release Calendar: January 2012

2012-01-06T07:22:00.001-06:00

January 03:
Anarchy Reigns (360)

January 10:
King Arthur II: The Role-Playing Wargame (PC)
Gotham City Imposters (360, PC, PS3)
CRUSH3D (3DS)

January 24:
Silent Hill HD Collection (360, PS3)
Victoria II: A House Divided (PC)

January 31:
Soul Calibur V (360, PS3)
Final Fantasy XIII-2 (360, PS3)

Dawn of Fantasy

2012-01-06T06:56:00.003-06:00

My review of the MMORTS, Dawn of Fantasy, is up at www.gamingclimax.com.

Rusty Hearts Double EXP Event

2012-01-04T21:56:00.000-06:00

Rusty Hearts is getting a dose of double exp tomorrow, January 05, 2012 from 2PM CST until 2pm CST January 06, 2012. Don't miss out!

Rusty Hearts Double Exp

New Soul Calibur V Wallpapers

2012-01-04T19:18:00.002-06:00

I've posted new wallpapers of Algol, Dampierre, and Edge Master. All are 1920x1080 resolution and can be found HERE.

Algol and Edge Master Revealed for Soul Calibur V

2012-01-04T18:56:00.000-06:00

Algol was the legendary hero king who created the famed sword Soul Calibur. Edge Master is renown as a master of all weapons and fighting styles. Both have been revelead for Soul Calibur V, due out January 31, 2012.

All Points Bulletin Reloaded Wallpaper

2012-01-02T21:22:00.000-06:00

I whipped this together because there are far too few All Points Bulletin: Reloaded wallpapers out there. Enjoy!

The Year in Review: 2011

2012-01-02T08:40:00.003-06:00

2011 is done and over. Now it's time to sit back and reflect on games played and whether or not I finished them. I've modified this year's list from previous entries. I've removed DLC content from the list. Even if the DLC could take upwards of three hours to beat, it's not a complete game. The rules for MMOs still stand. to be considered beaten, I must have reached the level cap with at least one character. Granted, all of these games may not have been released in 2011. For an older game to qualify on this list, I must not have beaten it until some point in this year. With that out of the way, here's the list.

Beaten: 22

Xbox 360

Alan Wake

Blur

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Dead Space 2

Devil May Cry 4

Dorito's Crash Course

Gears of War 3

Hunted: The Demon's Forge

Kung Fu Panda

Marvel vs Capcom 3

Mortal Kombat

Prince of Persia

Red Dead Redemption

Rock Band 3

Saints Row 2

Vanquish

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Windows Phone

Geo Defense

Need for Speed: Underground

Shuffle Party

Played but not beaten: 10

Xbox 360

Bloodrayne: Betrayal

Final Fantasy XIII

Scott Pilgrim vs the World

Brawl Busters

DC Universe Online

Rusty Hearts

Windows Phone

ilomilo

The Harvest

Twin Blades

Wii

Dead Space: Extraction

All told, I played 32 games that qualified for the list. Again, this does not include games that I've beaten previously. This year's completion percentage is 69%, up from 2010's 44% and 2009's 59%. While I'm glad the completion rate has gone up, I've noticed that the number of games on the list is on a steady decline.

How did you do this year?

A Return to Brutality

2011-12-30T00:28:00.001-06:00

So, the Xbox hasn't been getting much love in my house of late. You could say it's been the sudden flood of fantastic free-to-play MMOs that have caught my eye as of late. So, I thought I would take an hour or two one night and revisit a title that reinvigorated my love of gaming, Bayonetta.

Nothing but class

When I last left Bayonetta, I was working my way through hard mode and was on the first boss, Fortitudo. Now bear in mind that Bayonetta was ridiculously hard, even on normal, and I remember hard mode wiping the floor with me. So I jump back into the game on the boss fight and after a few attempts, I get the pattern down and began shaking the couch as I furiously mash buttons in an effort to earn the multipliers. Twenty minutes later and he's down.

I move on to the next area and encountered the toughest bastards from my last play through, Grace and Glory. Working as the tag-team from Hell, they continually denied me any further progression. I can barely emerge from an encounter with two, let alone the four that immediately follow. It's an exercise in frustration. Not because the game is cheap in any way. I'm frustrated with my lack of ability to conquer them. I can see what I have to do, but my ignorance in combos and poor reflexes spell near certain doom. On more than one occasion, I was down to one final enemy and made a careless mistake that sent me back to the beginning.

So much hate

Bayonetta brought me out of my slump when I had the feeling that games were nothing but mindless war sims. It showed me how much fun could be had when a developer wasn't afraid to push boundaries and enjoy their creation. Now, it is teaching me a new lesson. I have grown soft and weak. Games today do not punish players for their stupid mistakes like the games of old. I, for one, welcome back the sheer brutality and satisfaction that follows. For that, I thank you, Platinum Games.

Double Decker Burger

2011-12-28T21:52:00.000-06:00

Place: ?
Location: Twin Lakes, WI
Burger: Double Decker Burger
Ingredients: Lettuce, tomato, American cheese

Verdict:
The place I went to was the perfect example of a mid-western diner. Booths lined the walls underneath stuffed fish and ducks. The decor was generic and twenty years out of date. It's a place that only locals will know and visit as evidenced by the place having no online presence. Be it Google, Bing, or Yellow Pages, I could not find any information other than a blurry photo with "Restaurant" and "Pizza" on the signs.

The burger itself was nothing special. It was average, neither lacking or excelling in flavor. It was exactly what one would expect when ordering a burger in a place like this. The lettuce and tomato were fresh and crisp. The lightly toasted bun was a nice touch and the meat did not rain grease on the plate, something that puts this burger above many others in the area.

On the side: Bland, average, crisp fries

Three out of five stars

Digimon Masters

2011-12-28T18:57:00.003-06:00

My review of Digimon Masters is up at www.gamingclimax.com

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

2011-12-20T22:55:00.000-06:00

Sad but True

2011-12-20T20:12:00.002-06:00

Alan Wake's American Nightmare

2011-12-20T08:08:00.001-06:00

Get More: GameTrailers.com, Alan Wake: American Nightmare - New Features Featurette HD

The first Alan Wake was a surprise hit for me. I loved the spin on combat and the story driving the entire experience. With the sequel due for early 2012, the new year can't come soon enough.

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer

2011-12-19T21:17:00.002-06:00

City of Heroes Winter Event

2011-12-19T08:19:00.002-06:00

It's that time of year again. A time where heroes and villains relax in the ski chalet of Pocket D. But of course, evil strikes and Baby New Year has been kidnapped...again. A new threat also arises in the form of Lady Winter who wants to cover the whole world with snow and ice.

This year, the ski chalet got a face lift in the form of new ski slopes. Players can race down to try and get the best server times. There's also a slew of rewards for completing the holiday missions. From all of the badges of past Winter Events to Santa costume pieces and naughty/nice halos.

So from December 13, 2011 to January 3, 2012, come take part in my favorite MMO holiday event.

City of Heroes - Winter Event

Xbox Live Usage: November 2011

2011-12-17T19:52:00.001-06:00

For a game that I claim to not like all that much, I sure played a lot of Call of Duty. How did your November look?

Brawl Busters

2011-12-17T12:22:00.001-06:00

My review of Brawl Busters is up at www.gamingclimax.com

All Points Bulletin: Reloaded

2011-12-12T10:10:00.003-06:00

My review of the All Points Bulletin: Reloaded open beta is up at www.gamingclimax.com.

Two Birds, One .50 Caliber Round

2011-12-08T08:40:00.001-06:00

Final Fantasy Dissidia Duodecim Wallpapers

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

Some Duodecim wallpapers for your enjoyment. They're 1920x1080.

Final Fantasy Dissidia Wallpapers

2011-12-05T21:40:00.001-06:00

Who doesn't love new wallpapers? Especially those featuring the excellent artwork of Tetsuya Nomura? All wallpapers are 1920x1080 resolution.

Tribes: Ascend Beta Preview

2011-12-04T13:46:00.001-06:00

My preview of the Tribes: Ascend closed beta is up at: www.gamingclimax.com.

New Soul Calibur V Wallpapers

2011-12-01T21:41:00.001-06:00

I've added wallpapers of Raphael, Lexia, and Ezio Auditore da Firenze. All are 1920x1080. Find them here.

Release Calendar: December 2011

2011-12-01T07:35:00.001-06:00

December 02:
Assassin's Creed: Revelations (PC)

December 04:
Mario Kart 7 (3DS)

December 05:
Fortune Street (Wii)

December 06:
Trine 2 (PC)
Defenders of Ardania (PC, 360, PS3)
The Adventures of Tintin (3DS, PC, PS3, Wii, 360)

December 13:
Rocksmith (PC)
Marble Arena 2 (PC)

December 20:
Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC)

Dec 27:
The Ultimate Battle of the Sexes

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 Wallpapers

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

With the release of a new game comes the release of more wallpapers. Again, if you have a favorite team, put it in the comments and I'll make a custom wallpaper for you.

Marvel vs Capcom 3 Wallpapers

2011-11-27T16:05:00.001-06:00

I whipped up some Marvel vs Capcom 3 wallpapers this morning. All of them are 1920x1080 resolution. As an added bonus, if you list your team in the comments, I'll get together a customized wallpaper for you. Enjoy.

Getting Call of Duty Elite to Work

2011-11-22T07:21:00.001-06:00

Call of Duty Elite is the premier service launched in conjunction with Modern Warfare 3 that allows players to track their stats, view and manage videos, enter competitions, etc. You can use the service for free or pay $50 a year to become a premium member and gain early access to DLC, manage a clan, and more. Elite in many ways is similiar to Bungie.net or Waypoint for the Halo series. However, the console app has been plagued with problems since release. The developer cites an overwhelming demand that has caused many of the outages experienced.

I also have had a difficult time logging into the app on my Xbox 360. For the first few days, it would say that the servers are full and to try again later. The past week has presented an endless loop of accepting the EULA. Last night, I found a way around it.

1. Head to http://www.callofduty.com/elite

2. Click the banner that says "Join up for free"

3. Follow the steps for creating your account and linking your Xbox Live/PSN accounts

Once you've completed all of the steps, you should be able to launch the console app without difficulties. This is what I had done and as of last night at 12:30, I was still able to launch the app without any problems.

Skyrim

2011-11-21T21:09:00.001-06:00

Skyrim is the latest smash hit from Bethesda. In the first week, the game sold 7 million copies. It is a serious contender for game of the year among many publications and critics. Every other site online is covering it and people are only too eager to share their experiences. It seems that everyone is loving the shit out of this game and I just don't get it.

I see the excitement for Skyrim. I can feel it while reading the feeds. It's almost palpable. It's even greater than the love the community had for Oblivion IV. I hated Oblivion IV. It is the only game that I've returned. To be exact, I played the game for a few hours and desperately tried to like it, but it wasn't in the cards. From the hideous NPCs to the poor translation of first person medieval warfare and the bland empty world, I hated every moment.

Oh sweet Jesus! Get me a stick so I can beat this mutant!

This was a game that seemed perfect on the outside. Ever since I was introduced to the fantasy genre, I've been under its spell. Neverwinter Nights to Dragon Age: Origins with some Baldur's Gate in between, I can't get enough. With all the hype around surrounding Oblivion and after reading the reviews and watching trailers, I was convinced I had found the next great fantasy game. I've never been more disappointed.

I feel conflicted. I read about all of these people having a great time playing Skyrim. Be they taunting giants or unleashing all kinds of hell with Dragon Grammar, it looks like a blast. I want to join them. I want to go on an epic adventure. Sadly, I must keep my distance, lest I get burned again. I must resist the siren's call. Though, it's hard to do when I see videos like this.

Looks a Lot Like...

2011-11-21T19:54:00.001-06:00

Don't deny it.

Xbox Live in October

2011-11-21T19:33:00.001-06:00

Another month has gone by and another usage report has landed in my inbox. Netflix is still the dominating force, but Gears 3 made a valiant attempt. How did you spend your month?

Aurora Memorial Hospital's Cheeseburger

2011-11-17T20:07:00.001-06:00

Place: Aurora Memorial Hospital
Location: Burlington, WI
Burger: Cheeseburger
Ingredients: Lettuce, onion, tomato, American cheese

Hospital food gets a bad rap for being terrible. Granted, it is all low quality for the sake of being cheap. But the one thing hospital food is, is consistent. When I bit down into this burger, it tasted exactly the same as the first burger I made as a cook in the retirement home. Personally, I don't think the burgers are awful. They're not great, but they're edible and reliable. What was particularly tasty and shockingly so was the lettuce, tomato, and onion. They were fresh and crisp and better than most of the restaurants in the area. Let that sink in for a moment. The toppings on a hospital burger are better than those of most restaurants in the surrounding area.

On the Side: Crinkle cut fries

One out of five stars

New Soul Calibur V Wallpapers

2011-11-17T19:12:00.001-06:00

With the release of new character art comes new wallpapers.

Nightmare
Astaroth
Viola
Yoshimitsu
Aeon
Xiba
Cervantes

Go ahead and grab them here.

New Soul Calibur 5 Screenshots Surface

2011-11-17T15:02:00.001-06:00

In the latest batch released, we see the familiar faces of Yoshimitsu and Cervantes. There's also a few shots of the new stages.

The stages appear to be Ivy's alchemy lab, an underground river, and a ship at sea. Two of the three are popular stages that have appeared in nearly every game.

We're also introduced to new characters, Xiba and Aeon. Xiba seems to be the spiritual successor to Kilik. If Xiba ends up being the new Kilik, I don't look forward to fighting him 90% of the time online. Aeon is a new winged version of Lizardman. Said wings appear to help launch an aerial flame breathing attack.Cervantes is looking rather healthy for an ancient undead pirate. And Yoshimitsu continues to impress with his imaginative costumes.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

2011-11-15T20:12:00.001-06:00

Modern Warfare 3 wraps up a trilogy that has spanned the past four years. Questions finally get answers. Buildings blow up. People die. Most important of all, I finally take an interest in the series. No, not really.

As far as story telling, Modern Warfare 3 doesn't fare much better than your standard action movie. It's a B grade plot with predictable twists and turns. I'm being dead serious when I say that nothing should come as a shock as the game progresses. The story moves along at a break-neck speed that sweeps you from New York to London to France and more. But because you're only shooting Russians (again) in the face, there's not much to tell the settings apart. I suppose there's the Eiffel Tower, but then that gets blown up. All in all, it's just lazy story telling. Most first person shooters are guilt of this these days. There's a global threat and the only way to stop it is shoot Russians in the face for seven hours.

Boom.

Graphically, MW3 is the best looking game in the series. Everything pops and I'm constantly impressed at how sharp everything appears. That is, until you get close. There's very little texture to everything beyond your character's arms and their weapon. Sometimes, when you get close to some objects, they look like PS1 era graphics. Don't believe me? On the 360, get close to the fallen statue in the map Arkaden. Ugly as sin. Plus, where the hell are my character's legs? This is unforgivable that in this generation of gaming, most developers won't bother putting legs in.

Gameplay in MW3 is exactly the same as previous entries. The idea being, "If it's not broken, don't fix it." However, there are some features that seem to be missing. Some innovations from Black Ops that didn't make the cut, like custom emblems. I'll miss the vulgar emblems that adorned the scoreboard and guns. Now I'm stuck with a boring cookie cutter emblem and title again. Wager matches are gone. Sticks and stones will forever live on in my heart. A third category for equipment? No. Why should I have to replace my frag grenades with a claymore? Don't be a dick CoD. Let me have both.

MW3 isn't all disappointment. Now, my lackluster kill streaks don't stop when I die every five seconds. In fact, they're not even called "Kill Streaks" anymore. They're called "Point Streaks". Plant a bomb in Search and Destroy or shoot down a UAV and get a point. There's also the choice between three packages: Assault, Support, and Specialist. I switched to the new "Support" package and keep my team up and running with such assist perks as UAV, Counter UAV, Remote Turrets, SAMs, etc. Assault functions like kill streaks always have. Specialist rewards you with perks and plays a lot like last few seconds in Black Ops' wager matches throughout your games.

Also thrown in are weapon based perks. Each weapon levels up individually. The more you use it, the better it's going to get in terms of perks. Some examples include: tighter grouping of shots, reduced kick, automatic breath hold when using sights, ability to use two attachments, etc. It's a nice incentive to stick with one weapon and become proficient. Plus, it keeps one from wasting perks for a specific weapon like in Modern Warfare 2.

Despite the lack of any significant change or any real innovation, CoD is still digital crack. It's simply fun to play. Well, for most people. I don't see the appeal myself. I'll play, but only due to the peer pressure of my Xbox Live friend's list. There's too little innovation to the series to warrant buying it every year. It's a good game, but it's hard not to be burned out by the annual rehashes. If you're a fan of the CoD series, you know what you're getting yourself into. For those new to the series, this is a good place as any to start.

Wheelin' and Dealin' at Gamestop

2011-11-14T07:23:00.001-06:00

Times are hard. The economy is in the crapper. My bank account laughs at me each time I check it. There's a ton of great games coming out this Fall, but no money to get all of them. What's a guy to do?

I took inventory of my collection and trimmed it down. I took five games that I no longer play and went to Gamestop. While titles like Batman: Arkham City and Battlefield 3 caught my interest more, I knew that if I wanted to spend any time playing online with my friends, I would have to get Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. So here's the breakdown of what was traded and how much I got. Bear in mind that I got an extra 10% for having a PowerUp Card and 30% for putting it towards Modern Warfare 3.

Aliens vs Predator - $7.00
DragonBall: Raging Blast - $14.00
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - $8.40
Madden NFL 2010 - $1.40
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 - $12.60

All told, I got $43.40 for some games that will only collect dust. Add in the $3.49 I had remaining on the card and I ended up paying $13.82 out of pocket for a new game. Not too bad.

That Explains It

2011-11-14T07:19:00.001-06:00

I'm new to DC Universe Online. I just started playing last week. While I love the game, it's prone to disconnects and sometimes it takes up to two hours to get in. Turns out, I was one out of a million who decided to join the game in the week after it went free to play.

Source - Kotaku

I'm Loving DCUO

2011-11-08T22:27:00.004-06:00

Redesigned costume

Droseria and I

DC Universe Online

2011-11-07T21:09:00.002-06:00

I just discovered that DC Universe Online is now free to play. I also found out that it's really fun to play! It's like a better looking City of Heroes with some of the most natural controls I've come across in a MMO. Also, Gotham City is just jaw dropping.

Hanging out near the Gotham coast

What to do? Where to go?

The villainous Averu.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

2011-11-06T17:24:00.003-06:00

Batman. The goddamned Batman. For decades, young boys everywhere have wanted to be The Dark Knight. Many, myself included, strapped towels around their necks and stalked the hallways of their homes. For just as long, games have also tried to capture the magic of being Batman. Most have failed terribly.

The only Batman games I remember playing was the 1993 SNES version of Batman Returns and 1995's Batman Forever. Both fell under the beat-em-up category and while very enjoyable, didn't capture the magic of being Batman. There was no detective work, there was no skulking in the shadows, and no general sense of them being Batman games. Sure, you could play as Batman, but you could swap Batman out with Mike Haggar and not know the difference. 2009 would see a dramatic change.

The game begins with the Joker's capture and escort to Arkham Asylum by Batman himself. With the help of Harley Quinn, the Joker manages to escape and take control of the asylum. Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin reprise their roles as Batman, Joker, and Harley Quinn respectively. The entire game takes place on Arkham's grounds and revolves around Batman trying to stop the Joker.

Visually speaking, Arkham Asylum is astounding. The amount of detail is this game is awe inspiring. From the seams on Batman's suit and the stubble on his face growing as the game progresses to villain memorabilia scattering the buildings in the facility, there's so much to see and take in. Batman in designed in a realistic way with a functional set of armor instead of the sweats he wears in the comics. Joker has patches in his suit presumably from the many scuffles he's been in with Batman. The walls in the buildings seem to bleed a barely controlled insanity. This is Batman in his natural environment and it just feels so right.

Controlling Batman is also what makes this game so great. Batman isn't a thug. He's a detective, a predator that stalks the shadows, and most important of all, he's human. Batman must stay in the shadows to survive. As the game progresses, guns become more prevalent. If you get shot more than a handful of times, you will die. To take down groups of enemies, you must hunt in the shadows and eliminate the armed prisoners one by one. However, the entire game isn't limited to stalking targets one at a time. On multiple occasions, Batman will find himself in the midst of a small army. Here is where the combat truly shines. Batman moves and flows like water from foe to foe. The entire fight, if done properly, is like watching water flow back and forth and come crashing down with great force on the heads of these criminals.

Mixed in between the combat, Batman must traverse the Arkham compound. This is done by using many tools that are unlocked through the game. From grappling hooks to and explosive gel used to destroy key walls, there's a great deal to uncover. Spread around are numerous trophies left by the Riddler, interview tapes, and character profiles. Finding all of them will require dedication, but the rewards are great for those willing to put in the time and effort. To make things a little easier, Batman can turn on a "detective visions" which allows him to see through walls and see hidden clues. It's such a useful tool, it would be incredibly easy to play the entire game without turning it off.

The controls for the PC are laid out in an odd way and I found my pinky doing more work that it is used to. There was some cramping and it never felt natural. I didn't get the chance to play with a controller, so I'm not sure how the controls would translate.

All in all, Arkham Asylum is the first truly great Batman game. Any fan of the Dark Knight should play this game and even non fans should give it a whirl. A great game will shine regardless of who the main character is.

Lineage 2 Goes Free to Play

2011-11-06T14:54:00.002-06:00

Lineage 2 joins City of Heroes as NC Soft's latest free to play MMO. Unlike City of Heroes, there are no restrictions or different types of accounts. Lineage 2 is free to play for everyone with unrestricted access.

From Lineage 2's official site:

"Lineage^® II: Goddess of Destruction^™—truly free! Why play a free to play MMO with account or game limitations when you can play Goddess of Destruction truly free? We've added free packs to help you level faster, and a new in-game store loaded with useful items to enhance your play experience.

Lineage^® II: Goddess of Destruction^™ becomes truly free later this year. Experience the large-scale castle sieges, clan wars, and head-to-head Olympiad competition that madeLineage II famous. "Truly free" means no separate account types or blocked game content—everyone is treated like a VIP! Other than the in-game store items, all game content (character creation, races, classes, skills, zones, bosses, quests, clans, crafting, warehouse, auction house, chat, mail, forums, customer support, and so on) is absolutely free. And the Goddess of Destruction update offers roughly four times faster game progression and over 400 hours of deep, rich gameplay!

The L2 Store^™ will offer items to supplement your gameplay in the form of XP/SP boosts, potions, buffs, and other consumable supplies, as well as cosmetic items and hunting helpers. In addition, you can purchase packs that accelerate character leveling for a longer period and contain exclusive items not available for individual purchase. But you never have to purchase anything from the L2 Store in order to enjoy the game mechanics or story content of Lineage II. "Truly free" means exactly that: Buy only what you want, or play all the way to level 99 without purchasing anything. It's your choice. Play your way!"

I used to play Lineage 2, but the lack of a community and the grind heavy nature turned me off o the $15 monthly fee. Now that it is free I imagine I'll be spending more time in the land I never got to know. However, NC Soft has had free to play games before. Dungeon Runners and Exteel were two fantastic games that have had their servers shut down due to poor returns. Hopefully Lineage 2 and City of Heroes can avoid that fate.

Lineage 2 official site

An Answer to the Horde Command Pack

2011-11-04T14:53:00.000-05:00

Wondering why you paid $10 for an unlock code? Kotaku has an answer.

http://kotaku.com/5856425/gears-of-war-3-creator-explains-why-theyre-charging-to-unlock-content-thats-already-on-the-disc

Soul Calibur V Character Creation

2011-11-03T07:35:00.000-05:00

Get More: GameTrailers.com, Soul Calibur V - Character Creation Trailer HD, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Software, Languages, and Tablets

2011-11-02T19:56:00.000-05:00

Let me tell you a story. An Italian man from half way around the world comes to my shop in Wisconsin. He had just purchased an iPad from the local Walmart and needs to activate it by connecting it to his iTunes account which was created in Switzerland.

Before this, I had never used an iPad. To tell the truth, I've never used an iOS device beyond tinkering for a few moments. But, the idea was simple enough: sign in to his iTunes account and connect the device to activate it. Then, it would be a simple matter of updating the software to iOS 5. So, it was set forth and done.

The next day, my foreign friend returns. His iTunes and other applications are in German. It turns out that all apps will default to the country that the account is registered in. Apple's instructions don't cover situations like this. They say to change the International language in the iPad settings and that should be the end of it. Such was not the case. Sure it would change the iPad's language settings to whatever I chose, but apps and iTunes itself remained in German. There is an option within iTunes, near the bottom on the right. It's a little flag and clicking it will allow you to change the store's country. But this still won't change the language. The language is locked to whatever country the account was registered in. Since the account was registered in Switzerland, the only supported language for iTunes was German.

With his help, the account was registered to the United States. The iPad was plugged back in and synced up. Still, the apps remained locked in German. It was at this point where I resorted to Google translate and began breaking down the options on the iPad in German. After awkwardly typing in German for the first time in my life, I was able to log out of the account and sign back in. Once this was done, the apps and iTunes converted to English. Needless to say, it was a frustrating affair considering there are no clear cut instructions from Apple and I was not familiar with the device, software, or language.

It was a great learning experience, but another nail in the Apple coffin for me. "It just works." is something I hear over and over again at Apple keynotes and conferences. I'm not so sure of that anymore.

The Void

2011-11-01T17:53:00.000-05:00

I looked into the void and saw nothing. I looked into the void and saw everything. I saw despair and emptiness. I saw anger with no feeling. I saw the end of the world and everything it contained. I looked into the void and saw a great beast full of fury.

The beast looked at me. The beast saw into me and through me. The beast looked into me and saw nothing. The beast saw despair and an anger greater than his own. The beast saw the lack of feeling. The beast knew of my disconnection from the world.

I looked into the void and saw myself. I looked and felt nothing. In the void, I saw the futility of it all. In the void, I realized that the world is everything and nothing. When I walked away, I looked from the void. In my place, the void spread to the world.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T07:10:00.001-05:00

To My Son

2011-10-23T13:57:00.001-05:00

I loved Halloween. It was always my favorite holiday. For as long as I can remember, I've always looked forward to all things ghoulish. Dressing up and trick or treating in the dark of night, decorating the house, the general feeling of excitement in the air. I loved every single minute of it. From October 1st to the 31st, it was a non-stop celebration. I don't feel that way any longer. It's not because I don't want to. Something changed.

Last year, I found out I was going to be a father. It wasn't planned, but when I received the call confirming it...I was overjoyed. I never would have imagined that I could be so happy. Later that month, we went to the hospital and got the first ultrasound. I also heard my child's heartbeat. Over a year later, I can still clearly hear it. Long had I been looking for a legacy, a purpose. This tiny being was it.

Then in October I received a call. My child was dead. In that instant, my entire world shattered. Nothing has ever been the same. We went back to the doctor and had another ultrasound performed. There was no heartbeat. We went home, distraught. A few days later, I woke up to crying. Kim was in the bathroom. I went in and saw something that I will never forget. She was holding the tiny body of our unborn son. He was only 14 weeks old. Yet, he had many of his features.

I held my son for only a few hours. We went back to the hospital where they took him. We still don't know what happened. What I do know is that any good that remained with me died with him. He was the best part of me. He contained all of my hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow. That day left a void that will never be filled.

This month is the anniversary of when my son was lost. It hurts just as much now as it did then. I will never forget his tiny body that rested in the palm of my hand. This is to you, my son. I love you and I miss you dearly.

Jack Ryan Dawson

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria - Blizzcon 2011 Announcement Trailer

2011-10-22T08:57:00.000-05:00

Get More: GameTrailers.com, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria - BlizzCon 11: Announcement Trailer HD, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

I stopped playing WoW a little earlier this year. It was a financial decision, I won't lie. I wasn't playing enough to justify it. I enjoyed the Cataclysm expansion, but I'm a casual player. I was making my best effort to become a raider, but I couldn't get behind it.

Now some time after I've stopped playing, I'm hit with news of the new expansion, Mists of Pandaria. MoP brings plenty to the game:

Level cap raised to 90
Pokemon style battles with vanity pets
New race: Pandaren
New class: Monk
New Continent: Pandaria
Challenge Mode: Dungeons
PvE Scenarios
New Talent System

This is the point of no return for me. Blizzard has added Kung Fu Panda to WoW (note: I know Pandarens were around Warcraft 3, before Kung Fu Panda). There's a limit to how much silly fantasy content I want added to my silly fantasy content. This is the point where I can say without hesitation, "I'm done. I don't ever need to play this game again." Who knew the cure for the digital crack pony were Pandas?

Ezio Auditore da Firenze confirmed in Soul Calibur V

2011-10-21T08:25:00.001-05:00

Get More: GameTrailers.com, Soul Calibur V - Exclusive Character Reveal Trailer HD, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Vanquish

2011-10-14T10:59:00.000-05:00

Vanquish is an odd game. Not Suda 51 odd. More, the story makes no sense and it's a very different type of game odd. It's a third person shooter that has you spending more time on your knees than a Thai hooker. Only half way through, there's a twist that makes no sense and at the end the entire experience has left you very confused.

The story starts off with a Russian force using a giant microwave on San Francisco. America gets pissed and soon the Russians are in space attacking an American space station. The president enlists the help of an elite force of generic Marines and one guy named Sam in a power suit that looks like a grasshopper. The goal is to rescue a scientist for reasons I never fully grasped. Along the way, it turns out the president was in bed with the Russians and had her top Marine slaughtering his own men and trying to sabotage the hero. Later, the traitor decides what he was doing is wrong and sacrifices himself so that our hero can continue the mission. After an entire game of contempt for one another, our hero has nothing but respect for the douche bag that killed hundreds of his own men. The story makes absolutely no sense and rang strongly of all the cold war propaganda from the 70s.

Grasshopper

Unlike the story, combat in Vanquish is an absolute treat. It's a mix of jetting around at hyper fast speeds, shooting giant robots, and bullet time. Our hero carries three weapons at a time and two grenade types, fragmentation and EMP. 99% of the enemies encountered are robots, so the EMPs are your best friend. Sam's suit allows him to jet propel himself around levels until the suit overheats. Managing the heat in the suit is critical to survival. Overheat and you'll be on a timer until the suit reaches normal levels. During this time, Sam can only move at half speed and is very vulnerable. Once Sam takes too much damage, he'll enter into bullet time which will allow him to take out enemies quicker. Bullet time can also be triggered manually, but will increase the heat. Again, it's all about managing the heat. Once the core mechanics are down and you're comfortable with the controls, Vanquish is a blast to play.

The weapons themselves are your standard variety. There's a machine gun, a heavy machine gun, sniper rifle, shotgun, etc. You get ammo from guns littering the levels. However, you can only carry three, so expect to be swapping and hunting for new weapons if ammo runs low on your favorites. Guns can be upgraded to have more firepower, larger ammo clips, etc. You can find upgrades throughout the levels or by picking up the same weapon type for a gun that has max ammo. The upgrades will degrade over time, so you'll continuously need to find more. There's plenty of variety in the weapon types to accommodate any play style and I seldom found myself switching from my favorite three: Machine Gun, Heavy Machine Gun, and Sniper Rifle.

I was blown away by Vanquish when I started playing. The visuals are spectacular. Sure, it's a generic sci-fi game, but I love generic sci-fi games. There were a number of instances where I sat back and said "Wow, this is a really cool game." However, this wore off around the halfway mark. There is simply too little going on in the game. It's a series of rushing from one fight to another with no real reason. This is largely due to the lackluster story and how little it advances. Events happen that make no sense and you're left to say "Oh, OK. On to the next fight." Towards the end, I was tired of the game. It's quite literally 10 hours of the same thing. Fight some robots, hop in a turret, fight some giant robots. Rinse and repeat.

In the end, Vanquish is a mediocre game. Once the initial wow factor wears off, it quickly becomes repetitive and a grind. For $20, it's not a terrible game. However, play it in moderation. If beaten over the course of a couple days, it will leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Release Calendar: October 2011

2011-10-14T08:59:00.004-05:00

October 04:
Dark Souls (360, PS3)
NBA 2K12 (360, PS3, PC)
Spider-Man: Edge of Time (Wii, DS, PS3, 360)
Dungeons and Dragons: Neverwinter (PC)
Rage (PS3, PC, 360)
Crysis (360)

October 05:
Orcs Must Die (360, PC)

October 11:
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon (360, PS3)
Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (360, PC, PS3, Wii, 3DS)
Forza 4 (360)
Just Dance 3 (Wii, 360, PS3)
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record (360, PC, PS3)
Seasame Street: Once Upon a Monster (360)
Go Vacation (Wii)
Hulk Hogan's Main Event (360)
Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny (Wii)
Combat Wings: The Great Battles of WWII (PS3, 360)
Sideway: New York (PS3)
Monster High: Ghoul Spirit (DS, Wii)
Dance Dance Revolution II (Wii)
Aliens Infestation (DS)
Kinectimals Now with Bears! (360)

October 13:
Might and Magic Heroes VI (PC)

October 14:
Renegade Ops (PC)

October 18:
Tropico 4 (360)
BEN 10 Galactic Racing (PS3, DS, Wii, 360)
Jimmie Johnson's Anything with an Engine (360, Wii, PS3)
Rocksmith (PS3, 360)
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact (PSP)
Everybody Dance (PS3)
Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest (PS3)
Carnical Island (PS3)
Batman: Arkham City (360, PS3)
PowerUp Heroes (360)
Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One (PS3)

October 19:
Dungeon Defenders (PC, 360)

October 20:
Cities XL 2012 (PC)

October 21:
Football Manager 2012 (PC)

October 24:
Kirby's Return to Dream Land (Wii)

October 25:
The Cursed Crusade (360)
Kinect Sports Season 2 (360)
Champion Jockey: G1 Jockey and Gallop Racer (Wii, PS3)
Just Dance Kids 2 (PS3, Wii, 360)
Trivial Pursuit: Bet You Know It (Wii)
Back to the Future (PC)
Centipede Infestation (Wii)
Battlefield 3 (PC, PS3, 360)
Family Game Night 4: The Game Show (360, Wii, PS3)
Generator Rex: Agent of Providence (PS3, Wii, DS, 360)
Take Shape (360)
Monopoly Collection (Wii)
DragonBall Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi (360)
The King of Fighters XIII (360)
Invizimals: Shadow Zone (PSP)
Dance Central 2 (360)

October 27:
Silent Hill HD Collection (PS3)
Take On Helicopters (PC)

October 28:
Sword of the Stars II: Lords of Winter (PC)

Gears of War 3

2011-10-12T11:03:00.002-05:00

Finally, the Gears of War saga is brought to a close. With the third entry, we see Marcus and crew battle a new foe, settle the score with an old foe, and wonder what the future will hold.

Gears 3 picks up a year and a half after the sinking of Jacinto, the last human bastion. Marcus Fenix and friends live aboard a large ship on the open water as the lands have become flooded with the Lambent infection. The Lambent are life forms infected by Imulsion, the fuel source of the planet Sera. Shortly after reuniting with Marcus, Dom, and a geared up Anya, the leader of the ragtag army arrives and tells Marcus that his father is alive. So sets the stage for Marcus seeking out his father and the miracle that will save this broken world.

The story itself is always moving with seldom a dull moment in between all the cover based shooting. The story is told through traditional means. You'll fight through increasingly difficult forces and then be greeted by a cut scene that advances the plot. It's a very guided approach, but one that has always worked well for the series. There is little room to explore the beautifully rendered world of Sera and little reason to beyond the random trinket. It's essentially a series of corridors and paths that you must follow to your next goal.

Much like the story telling, there's very little innovation in the combat system. Now, this isn't a bad thing because Gears has nearly perfected the cover based shooter. If it's not broken, don't fix it. There are a few new weapons added in, like the Retro Lancer, Sawed-off Shotgun, and Digger. It's enough to keep things fresh and interesting for this go around. One fantastic new addition is the ability to kick an opponent as you vault over an obstacle. It is a great way to clear out stubborn opposition. Other than that, things are exactly the same.

I would like to go on about the graphics, sound, and controls, but I realize there's little point. If you've played the past two games, you'll know what to expect with Gears 3. However, Gears 3 is a tight and refined version of the previous games. Everything just feels right when playing it. From pulling off the perfect headshot to charging an enemy with the Retro Lancer, it's poetry in motion.

Multiplayer retains all of the the same modes from Gears 2 with a few additions. Horde Mode has become a tower defense hybrid. At the beginning of a game, a base must be established. In between each subsequent wave, you have the ability to fortify said base with barriers, turrets, decoys, and armored suits of death. Every 10th wave is now a boss wave, pitting you against the toughest foes ever assembled. Killing enemies gives you money to build and repair said defenses. While they aren't absolutely necessary in the first 20-30 rounds, the last few batches will push your team and you'll have to build wisely if you want to see it through to the end.

Beast mode is a new mode that puts you in the role of the Locust Horde. It's like a reverse Horde as you must break through the defenses of the COG and eliminate all of the humans within a certain time limit. Every kill and piece of destroyed equipment nets you cash which is used to purchase your creature of choice. After hitting certain levels of money gained, you unlock new creatures to play as. Make it through 12 rounds and you've won.

Gears 3 differs slightly from its ancestors in that everything is tied together now. Everything you do in multiplayer and single player is tracked and recorded on your personal stat pages. Accomplish certain goals and you'll unlock new characters and weapon skins to use in multiplayer. Unlike the pointless level system for Gears 2, there is a clear reason to level up in Gears 3 as you are properly rewarded for your accomplishments.

Many people cry foul that there isn't much of anything new this time around. I argue, why should there be? By the time a game hits number three, you should know what to expect. Any radical departure from the standard would be nonsense and deter the core player base. Plus, when a game is as fun as Gears 3, why would you want to change it?

In the end, everything is tied up very well for this series. There are tragic loses and monumental victories. There is also a hell of a lot of fun to be had, no matter how you play. For any Gears fan or anyone looking to get into the series, you can't do better than Gears 3.

IIII or IV?

2011-10-12T09:48:00.000-05:00

Something has been driving me crazy as of late. I've been noticing a large number of clocks with Roman numerals that use IIII as four instead of IV. I had always been brought up to believe that IV was the only way to write four was IV. I had a rant planned citing the fall of civilization and the general stupidity of mankind. Turns out there's a reason I've been seeing it another way.

Wikipedia says:
"Clock faces that are labeled using Roman numerals conventionally show IIII for four o'clock and IX for nine o'clock, using the subtractive principle in one case and not the other. There are many suggested explanations for this:

Issac Asimov theorized that, during the early history of Rome, it was common to use IIII to represent four, because IV represented the Roman god Jupiter, whose Latin name, IVPPITER, begins with IV. ^[19]
Louis XIV, king of France, who preferred IIII over IV, ordered his clockmakers to produce clocks with IIII and not IV, and thus it has remained.^[20]
Using standard numerals, two sets of figures would be similar and therefore confusable by children and others unused to reading clockfaces: IV and VI are similar, as are IX and XI. As the first pair are upside down on the face, an additional level of confusion would be introduced—a confusion avoided by using IIII to provide a clear distinction from VI.
The four-character form IIII creates a visual symmetry with the VIII on the other side, which the two-character IV would not.
With IIII, the number of symbols on the clock totals twenty Is, four Vs, and four Xs,^[21] so clock makers need only a single mold with a V, five Is, and an X in order to make the correct number of numerals for their clocks: VIIIIIX. This is cast four times for each clock and the twelve required numerals are separated:
- V IIII IX
- VI II IIX
- VII III X
- VIII I IX

The IIX and one of the IXs are rotated 180° to form XI and XII. The alternative with IV uses seventeen Is, five Vs, and four Xs, requiring the clock maker to have several different molds.

Only the I symbol would be seen in the first four hours of the clock, the V symbol would only appear in the next four hours, and the X symbol only in the last four hours. This would add to the clock's radial symmetry.
Many clocks use IIII because that was the tradition established by the earliest surviving clock, the Wells Cathedral clock built between 1386 and 1392. It used IIII because that was the typical method used to denote 4 in contemporary manuscripts (as iiij or iiii). That clock had an asymmetrical 24-hour dial and used Arabic numerals for a minute dial and a moon dial, so theories depending on a symmetrical 12-hour clock face do not apply.^[22]"

So there's a legitimate reason. It all comes down to personal preference. I don't agree with that. Anyone who uses IIII is wrong and needs to stop. It is IV and will forever be IV.

More Character Concepts

2011-10-11T18:31:00.002-05:00

I think it's understood by now that 99% of my art is character concepts. Whatever, I enjoy it.

Concept

2011-10-11T17:58:00.002-05:00

Another piece from high school. Another character concept.

Reaper

2011-10-11T17:56:00.000-05:00

I'm not even sure how he's holding onto that scythe.

Null

2011-10-11T17:55:00.000-05:00

A concept for a Mandalorian costume I plan on building shortly.

Super Heroine

2011-10-11T17:53:00.001-05:00

This was another concept for a Sonic Blaster in City of Heroes.

No Name

2011-10-11T17:51:00.002-05:00

Nightmare King

2011-10-11T17:48:00.001-05:00

Another piece from high school. Holy hell did I love character concept art.

Moonlight

2011-10-11T17:46:00.001-05:00

M

2011-10-11T17:44:00.005-05:00

A quick sketch from college.

Ocarina of Time

2011-10-11T17:43:00.001-05:00

This was one of my first experiments with color back in high school.

Jedi

2011-10-11T17:41:00.003-05:00

The Star Wars craze hit hard back in the day.

Archer

2011-10-11T17:39:00.002-05:00

This was a concept I had for an Archery Blaster in City of Heroes once the new power set had been announced. Sadly, it didn't pan out.

The First Spokesgirl

2011-10-11T17:38:00.000-05:00

Angelic

2011-10-11T17:37:00.001-05:00

Another college piece.

Fairy

2011-10-11T17:34:00.001-05:00

An older piece done for my better half. You can check out her site here.

Ezekiel

2011-10-11T17:28:00.003-05:00

Some of the only work from high school to have survived.

Angel

2011-10-11T17:25:00.001-05:00

Some of my early college work.

Angels and Demons

2011-10-11T17:22:00.001-05:00

These were a concept I had years ago. The idea was that the unholy could not even gaze on the holy. That seeing them would obliterate the eyes from their head.

Bard

2011-10-11T17:19:00.001-05:00

A bard designed for my friend as his D&D avatar.

Ninja Madness

2011-10-11T17:16:00.000-05:00

These were the first and only set in a series of concept art for a game that never panned out.

Pine Street Cafe's Pine Street Burger

2011-10-11T16:01:00.002-05:00

Place: Pine Street Cafe
Location: Burlington, WI
Burger: Pine Street Burger
Ingredients: Bacon, grilled onions, cheddar cheese, barbecue sauce

The golden rule when eating at a new restaurant is: Eat the burger. If they screw up the burger, the rest of the menu isn't worth trying. The follow up to that rule is: If they've named a burger after the restaurant, eat that. Pine Street is the latest addition to the town of Burlington. It follows suit that they be rated on their burger.

I was disappointed that the burger came with the basic and blandest of chips. A general rule with burgers is that they're served with a hot side. Fries or onion rings fit the bill well. I was also shocked that the server called it the "barbecue burger" instead of the restaurant's namesake. I guess some people just don't appreciate the value of a burger.

The burger itself was quite tasty. There was no grease to be had, the burger didn't fall apart, and there was a fair amount of flavor to be had. It was a classic barbecue burger. All in all, a fairly decent burger.

On the side: Chips

Three out of five stars

Red Dead Redemption

2011-10-11T14:56:00.001-05:00

I was never a fan of westerns. I never cared for the movies, novels, comics, or games. For all I knew, it was just a bunch of guys with horses shooting other guys or getting into wacky bar brawls. John Wayne, Clint Eastwood...what's the difference? In addition, I was never a fan of Rockstar Games. Sure, I would play the occasional Grand Theft Auto. However, they had never release a game that I considered "Must have". Throw those two things together and you have a sure fire winner for something I would never spend time with.

Fast forward to Red Dead sitting in my Xbox tray. The opening scenes played out and I took interest. Two hours later after Kim had "accidentally" killed her fourth prostitute, I was secretly plotting how I would play the game in secret. Secretly. What can I say? If a game make sweet sweet visual love to my eyes, I want to play it. Even if it ends up ruining nearly every sweet memory I have of a series. I'm looking at you Final Fantasy XIII.

Indeed, the jaw dropping graphics in Red Dead initially turned me on to the game. From the detail in the individuals wandering the one horse towns to one horse towns themselves and the world surrounding them and even the horse asses themselves, Red Dead is astounding. Every time I load the game, I'm floored by the visual feast that is laid bare for me.

Gorgeous. The environment. Not the horse asses.

As I spent time with Red Dead, I was drawn into its story. The world of John Marston is a complicated one. The government has torn him away from his family and is forcing him to hunt down his former gang. Over the course of the game, John is introduced to the many interesting locals of this border state. As is par for meeting new friends in games, you'll have the opportunity to perform many odd jobs for them. From herding cattle to hunting bounties, there's no end to what you can do in the wild west. Straight to the end, I was captivated by this engrossing world and its inhabitants. And the use of a single song in the ending is so profound and moving that I was left speechless.

Be careful while you roam the untamed wilderness. There's plenty of resistance trying to stop Marston. Worst of all are the numerous cougars and bears that will treat your horse as an appetizer as they work their way to you. Seriously, you will die. Sometimes your worst enemy is your best friend. Your horse has a strange habit of dying. A lot. It will be shot, run off cliffs, and even fall over dead in the middle of the road.

Right off a cliff and into a tree where it was shot.

Even after you've wrapped up the lengthy story and the near absurd amount of side missions, there's a robust multiplayer as well. Everything you loved in the single player campaign makes a return in multiplayer. There's horse races, shoot outs, poker, co-op missions, and clearing gang hideouts with your friends.

It was something I had never expected. A studio that I never cared for creating a game in a genre that I had no interest in. In the end, Red Dead ended up being one of my favorite games. Did that change my opinion on Westerns as a whole? No. Do I believe Rockstar is capable of making great games? Absolutely. Do I think everyone needs to play this game? Definitely. Saddle up, you have a long road ahead of you.

Ryan's Corner: Superman Assists the Elderly

2011-10-11T11:39:00.003-05:00

Ryan's Corner: The Xbox Addict

2011-10-11T10:36:00.001-05:00

Ryan's Corner: Batman Book Signing

2011-10-10T14:55:00.002-05:00

Gears of War 3 Horde Command Pack

2011-10-04T19:38:00.001-05:00

The first Gears of War 3 DLC drops November 1, 2011. It will include three new maps, three new characters , two new weapons skins, Horde mode upgrades, and 250 acheivements. The cost of admission is 800 Microsoft Points ($10) or free to those that have purchased the season pass.

Maps: Blood Drive, Rustlung, Azura

Characters: Bernie, Onyx Guard, Big Rig Dizzy

Weapon Skins: Team Plasma, Jungle Camo

Horde Upgrades:
Command Center - A brand new type of fortification that allows you to call in fire support from sniper teams, mortar strikes and even multiple Hammers of Dawn.
Decoy Upgrade - A new fortification level that turns your decoy into an Onyx Guard bot that will fight in your defense.
Sentry Upgrade - This upgrade adds a fire bolt sentry that deals much more damage and is very effective against Berserkers.
Silverback Upgrade - This advancement allows you to upgrade your Silverback exo-suit with devastating rockets and extra levels of repair cost reduction.

This is the first of four planned DLC releases. You can purchase the season pass for 2400 Microsoft Points and save 33% on the four DLC packs.

Epic

Mango

2011-10-03T22:20:00.001-05:00

For those stuck in the Windows Phone update Hell like I was, here is your salvation.

http://www.wpcentral.com/force-mango-update-early-through-zune-software

Essentially, you're tricking Zune into getting the updates. I started out with version 7008 and within 40 minutes I had Mango installed and running. Enjoy.

Unlock Griffin in Gears of War 3

2011-09-28T10:34:00.001-05:00

For an easy way to unlock Griffin in Gears of War 3 multiplayer, all you have to do is "like" the Gears of War Facebook page. Unfortunately, there's a lot of fakes. I'll make it even easier.

http://www.facebook.com/gearsofwar

Click the link and then click "Get Griffin" on the left.

The Fate of Clayton Carmine in Gears of War 3

2011-09-26T19:36:00.003-05:00

He lives.

He dies.

Gears 3 is a pretty great game.

ZeroAnd09

Shit I Find in the Dumpster: Day 5

Shit I Find in the Dumpster: Day 4

BJ Wentker's Bruschetta Burger

Shit I Find in the Dumpster: Day 3

Shit I Find in the Dumpster: Day 2

Even More SoulCalibur V Wallpapers

Shit I Find in the Dumpster: Day 1

App of the Week: Ghostscape

Popeye's Mushroom Swiss Burger

Is Gaming Better than Sex?

DC Universe Online

Release Calendar: February 2012

Repulse

Resident Evil 6 Trailer

Lucent Heart

My Rating System

Rusty Hearts

I Got Mine!

Release Calendar: January 2012

Dawn of Fantasy

Rusty Hearts Double EXP Event

New Soul Calibur V Wallpapers

Algol and Edge Master Revealed for Soul Calibur V

All Points Bulletin Reloaded Wallpaper

The Year in Review: 2011

A Return to Brutality

Double Decker Burger

Digimon Masters

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Sad but True

Alan Wake's American Nightmare

The Dark Knight Rises Trailer

City of Heroes Winter Event

Xbox Live Usage: November 2011

Brawl Busters

Top 9 Video Games of 2011

All Points Bulletin: Reloaded

Two Birds, One .50 Caliber Round

Final Fantasy Dissidia Duodecim Wallpapers

Final Fantasy Dissidia Wallpapers

Tribes: Ascend Beta Preview

New Soul Calibur V Wallpapers

Release Calendar: December 2011

Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 Wallpapers

Marvel vs Capcom 3 Wallpapers

Getting Call of Duty Elite to Work

Skyrim

Looks a Lot Like...

Xbox Live in October

Aurora Memorial Hospital's Cheeseburger

New Soul Calibur V Wallpapers

New Soul Calibur 5 Screenshots Surface

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Wheelin' and Dealin' at Gamestop

That Explains It

I'm Loving DCUO

DC Universe Online

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Lineage 2 Goes Free to Play

An Answer to the Horde Command Pack

Soul Calibur V Character Creation

Software, Languages, and Tablets

The Void

Happy Halloween

To My Son

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria - Blizzcon 2011 Announcement Trailer

Ezio Auditore da Firenze confirmed in Soul Calibur V

Vanquish

Release Calendar: October 2011

Gears of War 3

IIII or IV?

More Character Concepts

Concept

Reaper

Null

Super Heroine

No Name

Nightmare King

Moonlight