The Button Presser

So far Dead Space 2 is every bit as awesome as the original. The small improvements that Dead Space needed are here, alongside some pretty fun multiplayer options.

What I really like so far is the addition of a voice to Issac Clarke. You still feel like you're Issac mostly alone on the Sprawl, but having a voice to the character helps alot as well without taking away that feeling.




Combat feels even better than the original, and all the weapons from the previous game return to help aid your fight against the deadly Necromorphs.

I hope to have a review soon for the game, but initial impressions say this is a worthy $65.

Fallout: New Vegas



Fallout New Vegas is going to take me quite some time to review as it's a huge game full of things to do, but I wanted to write a bit about how the game has treated me so far. Haven't run into the really bad bugs the game has been dishing out to some, but the game has frozen on me on three occasions which is pretty unpleasant. As I write this, a patch should be out for the console version, and the PC users should already have one to remedy the game breaking bugs. I wish they would have taken a bit more time to find and fix the bugs, but Fallout 3 originally had the same problem, but I still loved that game. It's like you have to almost look past the bugs and realize that the developers have crafted a massive world full of plenty of quests, weapons, and items to discover.

Ok, enough on the bugs, I'll talk about the game itself now. New Vegas plays almost exactly like Fallout 3 did in 2008, albeit some minor changes to the gameplay formula. It seems like you're able to explore the desert wasteland pretty quickly and there is no real tutorial since Obsidian seems that if you're playing New Vegas, you probably played Fallout 3, but there is information that recaps how to lock-pick, heal your limbs, use V.A.T.S, and the overall flow of the game.

Bugs aside, it seems to be a good follow-up to Fallout 3, so look out for a review for that in the near future

Fable III



Originally I was on the fence about getting Fable III. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed every game in the series so far, but all have always come short of the promises that were made from each game. The main feature that I was so excited to delve into with Fable II was it's co-op, and instead I was restricted to one screen and forced to play as a henchmen despite playing with a friend on Xbox Live. Well it seems Lionhead heard our cries and all of the has changed with Fable III, and overall so far the game seems to be the best in the series.

The great elements from the series are still here with a great world to interact with alongside the cheeky British humor, but now it's backed with a great storyline and simple controls.

I'm only a few hours in right now, but I hope to have a review in the near future, hopefully before Black Ops releases.

As gamers we have experienced our fair share of open-world games featuring characters involved in criminal activities, and Mafia II is no different. What is different with this game so far is the flow of the story, and how it presents an open city to you. You are pretty much hopping from mission to mission, with minimal distractions, but since story seems to be the driving point in Mafia II, things are a bit more restrictive than other games. This does seem like a downer at first, but once you get into the story, the aspect of the game begins to matter a bit less.



Combat so far seems good, with a simple cover mechanic to protect Vito from a hail of bullets that will come your way, and there is a nice arsenal of weapons for you to use against enemies that will make them think twice about getting into a firefight with you.

The coolest thing I like about the game so far would probably be the characters. They have some great lines, and all sound pretty authentic to the times and ethnicity of the characters.

I've read that the game will take about 10 or so hours to complete, so I hope to have a review up in the near future.

Fall is always a great time to be a gamer, and Mafia II is proving to be a great unofficial start to the blockbuster titles coming out this season.

I used to have UFC 2009 and thought it pretty fun and a nice fresh start to MMA games. After playing a ton of the 2010, I was really excited for all the features that the new version would bring. From the swaying, the 100 plus fighters available to use, and the improved ground game, UFC 2010 does enough key things to justify a purchase while keeping the great gameplay of the first one intact.

So far I've created a character for career mode and although you still have to go through menus before fights, there are more options to take on before a match. Customizing your character's skills is improved as well, since now you can take moves from different techniques to create a deadly yet diverse fighter to handle any style of fighting that your opponent's will possess.

The online play, which requires a code like the EA games will, has improved a bit as well, although lag is still present and very annoying. You can search for matches by the quality of the connection, but it won't play as smoothly as you want it which is a bummer since this is where most players will spend their time with the game. Hopefully a title update will fix things, but offline multiplayer is still a blast to play.

Today many gaming publications uploaded plenty of Halo Reach Beta gameplay to hold us over for one more week, and here are a few of the many out there. Check them out.

This Video below from Joystiq Xbox shows off the armor abilities and the many new weapons that will be added to Reach:



This Video is from Bungie's own Luke Smith playing some Reach with Narration:



And one of my favorites site out there, Giantbomb, plays the Beta and answers some questions:




These videos are pretty sweet and come May 3rd, it will be our turn. Don't forget that copy of ODST which I believe will make it's way back on the Xbox LIVE Top pretty soon!