(E3) IMO - Nintendo Has Finally Convinced Me to Want a Wii U ASAP

Last year's E3 was probably the most exciting time to own a Nintendo 3DS thus far. Those who have already experienced it already knew how impressive the tech is. From the namesake 3D all the way down to the much-improved Ad-hoc online functionality with StreetPass and SpotPass, it never ceased to impress, aside from its underwhelming launch lineup. Now that Nintendo 3DS has a wealth of great options for gamers of all ages and skill levels, everything about the handheld will just keep rolling on with further improvements and a steady barrage of impressive titles. On the other hand, last year's expo also included the introductory announcements of Nintendo's next home console; The Wii U. There already exists a Nintendo console called the "Wii," but according to the Big N, the U stands for a big "thank you" (or thank U for namesake) for all the support that fans have given the company during the lifespan of the original Wii. The company showed off nothing but tech demos that year, including a gorgeous high-definition Zelda tech demo in which Link does battle with a massive spider. The Wii U hardware itself appeared as a peculiar surprise for expo goers and livestream watchers alike. It boasts a familiar-looking console box, and a tablet controller with buttons and analog sticks on either side. The rest remained a mystery until now.

E3 2012 is underway, and as promised, Nintendo shed some light...no, more like a heavenly beam of light,  on the topic of "how exactly will this tablet controller work with games that I want to be playing?" The company showcased a slightly redesigned controller (still a tablet with buttons), announced the inevitable return of Mario and friends, a long-awaited reunion with the fan-beloved Pikmin, and rock-solid third-party support. I'll tell ya, it is one heck of a third-party lineup. Here's some of the third-party heavy-hitters that I'm looking forward to most.

Assassin's Creed III

Assassin's Creed is back again this year, but this time returning to the team that developed Assassin's Creed 1 and 2. This is Ubisoft Montreal's largest project yet, with a development time spanning over three years. This time, the AC universe is transferring to North America during the 1700s. From the footage I saw, I'm confident that it will be a joy to play on the Wii U. This version will will put the Wii U's tablet controller to use quite well, with an enlarged radar and touch-screen weapon swapping on-the-fly.

Scribblenauts: Unlimited

Oh, Scribblenauts; the cure to my boredom. Wait, what's a "Scribblenaut" and why should you care? Well, in case you missed the first two Scribblenauts adventures on the Nintendo DS, think of it as a complete dictionary of objects that spring to life just by typing their name (obscenities aside, of course.) Is your objective up high? Simply type "JETPACK." Is a fierce dragon obstructing your path? You could always spawn a sword and fight it yourself, but why not get creative? How about you spawn a "TERRORIST" to deal massive explosive damage to it? The choice is yours in Scribblenauts, and your freedom is only expanding with the Wii U version. This time around, the player can combine objects and creatures into individual contraptions and monsters that can spawn by your command. A dog with car wheels and a punk Mohawk? Sure, why not? The choice is yours.

Batman: Arkham City - Armored Edition

WB and Rocksteady's award-winning comic book action game Arkham City is coming to the Wii U. As someone who isn't a comic book buff whatsoever, I didn't think I'd be this excited to have waited on playing it until a Nintendo console finally got its hands on the Bat arsenal. However, there's more to be had on top of the award winning title. Late adopters will receive a lot of extra Arkham City content right out of the box, and even special controls tailored to the new-fangled Wii U gamepad. This includes controlling the Batarang with its built-in motion sensor, and hacking devices with the touch screen. Heck, a Batman AC veteran will probably have some fun revisiting the game on Nintendo's new technology as well.

Dang, if Wii U is really Nintendo's way of saying "we thank you," then I hope it's enough of a "you're welcome" for me to make it a day-one purchase, because The Big N has me solidly convinced.

Stay tuned for more E3-related news, and my honest input.

DISCLAIMER: I did NOT go to E3. I simply read and watched countless other sources (including IGN, Kotaku, GameTrailers, etc) and summarized the news in my own words including my genuine, honest opinions.

E3 - New Details Emerge From Bethesda About Skyrim's New Downloadable Content, Dawnguard

Unless you've been living in the sewers with a pack of mud crabs, you've probably heard of the video game phenomenon known as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Well, fellow gamers, Elder Scrolls director Todd Howard heard that you like Skyrim, so he put more Skyrim in your Skyrim, so you can...er, never mind. The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is upon us, and as assumed by many TES fans, new details for the game's upcoming downloadable content are pouring out like the strongest waterfalls in the province of Skyrim. This new DLC is called Dawnguard, and it has much in store for high-level characters that have a thirst for more adventure.

Oblivion veterans that seek shiny new armor for their Skyrim steed will probably be disappointed. Todd Howard and his team have been pushing out some impressive DLC in Fallout 3 with depth adding up to what feels more like an expansion pack than just a weapon or a few quests. For instance, The Pitt threw players into tough moral situations involving slavery and Point Lookout was a large new landscape blanketed with intrigue and mystery. Bethesda has passion in what they do, and it's completely apparent in their acknowledgment of fan feedback and the variety in their additional content. I'll probably have to play Skyrim's latest DLC to see for myself how much this tradition holds up, but so far, color me impressed by the content I've seen on the web.

The major theme in Dawnguard is vampirism. You may choose to become a crossbow-toting vampire slayer badass, or succumb to the vampires' bidding. Siding with Fort Dawnguard's vampire hunters should certainly provide an interesting quest line, and crossbows are a much-requested welcome addition to Skyrim's arsenal. On the contrary, Bethesda has crafted more benefits for vampirism than ever before, including the ability to become a Vampire Lord, and summon a mount from a demonic plane of Oblivion (known as Soul Cairn). Vampires will also receive their own skill tree. As for the werewolves of Skyrim, you haven't been left out in the cold either, as werewolf characters will also receive some love with their own skill tree as well. Top that with additional legendary dragon encounters, and craftable dragon bone weapons and you have yourself a DLC with quite a bit of meat.

The Vampire Skill Tree from Dawnguard (Source: GameInformer)

Is your mouth watering for more Skyrim content to sink your plastic vampire teeth into? Well, the Xbox crowd won't have to wait much longer. Dawnguard releases on Xbox 360 on June 26th, and will cost 20 US dollars. It seems steep, but according to reports, the new content will clock players just around 20 hours. That's approximately a dollar per hour, so enjoying Dawnguard in the most lengthy manner will save you money from that price point per hour, technically speaking. Unfortunately, PC and PS3 users will have to hang in there a bit longer for their releases. Todd Howard and his team are so pleased with the near-finished product, that a few lucky Xbox 360 owners will have a chance to get an early taste of Dawnguard in the form of a pre-release beta version.

Stay tuned for more E3-related news, and my honest input.

DISCLAIMER: I did NOT go to E3. I simply read and watched countless other sources (including IGN, Kotaku, GameTrailers, etc) and summarized the news in my own words including my genuine, honest opinions.

E3 - Quantic Dream Reveals a Cinematic of Their Next Project; Beyond: Two Souls

Quantic Dream is no stranger to providing players with genuine emotion while journeying through dark and mature narratives in a video game. After Heavy Rain, the trend continues with Beyond: Two Souls. I am thoroughly impressed with the cinematic they revealed at this years Electronic Entertainment Expo.

Beyond: Two Souls throws you into the struggles of Jodie Holmes (voice-acted and mocapped by Ellen Paige). According to the cinematic revealed at E3, she appears to possess supernatural powers from an invisible entity (in case the coffee cup flying towards the wall didn't have you guessing). The game's director, David Cage, stated that certain gameplay sequences will leave it up to the player as to how such powers are utilized. The last seconds of the cinematic depict a good handful of explosions and SWAT vehicles toppling in every which direction. This is probably a hint at our protagonist's more violent decisions involving her alien abilities. The story transpires over the course of fifteen years, and the player will witness how Jolie develops as a character over that time. It's more than safe to assume that your own player choices will reflect on future events. No matter what happens, I'm counting on Quantic to render these choices to be very difficult like always. And I mean difficult. More difficult than choosing between Squirtle, Charmander, or Bulbasaur in Pokemon Red back in the 1990s (don't hate; it ain't an easy-mode decision for a 90's kid such as myself.)

Pokemon aside, David Cage confirmed a significant increase in the frequency of action this time around (over Heavy Rain) in an interview with GameTrailers. Fortunately for fans of his previous works, Cage will work tirelessly to provide natural-feeling life and emotion into the characters and overall narrative. He could have easily began toiling away at a Heavy Rain sequel or two, but that's not him and Quantic Dream's philosophy. Quantic prefers to take risks as opposed to milking the cash cow with sequel after sequel of a past success (as stated to IGN in an interview before this year's E3).

My Thoughts
When working at Quantic Dream, David Cage has always been known for creating video games that make you feel. This isn't limited to adrenaline from a suspenseful shootout or brutal fistfight, but sadness, relief and overall empathy for what the characters endure. He has stated in interviews that there are way too many games that rely on excessive meaningless violence to bring pleasure (and of course money) out of the player. He is the man who inspired me to drop the controller while playing Call of Duty: Black Ops or Bulletstorm and ask myself “why am I doing this? Is there a reason why I'm putting holes in people, other than the fact that they are shooting at me? Maybe they have their motivations of why they joined the 'evil' side.” Both Heavy Rain and Indigo Prophecy blew me away and I expect nothing less from Quantic Dream's latest endeavor.

DISCLAIMER: I did NOT go to E3. I simply read and watched countless other sources including (IGN, Kotaku, and GameTrailers) and summarized the news in my own words including my genuine, honest opinions.

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D Review

This review came from an old dead Tumblog of mine, before I switched to Blogger.

1998’s Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was a landmark accomplishment in video game history, and is still, by some, crowned as the greatest game ever made. As gamers, we know that the greatest titles of this current generation get a repackaging, celebrating its technological accomplishment, like Valve’s Orange Box, or the Oblivion Game of the Year Edition. With that in mind, a remake of Ocarina should come as no surprise. It’s been more than a decade since the original masterpiece hit the Nintendo 64. Nintendo and Grezzo have adopted the classic, making several small tweaks to the gameplay, while entirely renovating the graphics and topping it with a glasses-free stereoscopic effect. Both companies hope to create an experience that attracts newcomers and preserving the nostalgic factor for veteran Zelda fans. How well does it translate to a handheld?

Ocarina of Time is a touching story of friendship, perseverance, courage, and greed. Our hero Link must plunder ancient temples, scale mountains, and even shift through time itself to thwart the evil Ganondorf from conquering the land of Hyrule. You’ll meet a cast of friendly townsfolk, bizarre creatures, and even complete lunatics during your perilous journey. The story as a whole has more predictable pieces, especially towards the conclusion, but it’s a tale that’s not to be missed. It’s sweet, bitter, and satisfying from beginning to finish, as any fantasy narrative should be.

Our wonderful story is drawn vividly with colorful new visuals and redone models that look true to the gorgeous original concept at back from 1998, which couldn’t quite replicate on the Nintendo 64. They could have done a lot more with the detail of the graphics for the new technology, but for nostalgia’s sake they didn’t go down that road. Additionally, the slightly-tweaked animations are for the better, and the 3D effect renders OOT3D exponentially more engrossing than the original. There are a few notable framerate hiccups and instances where Link animates funny, and also, I wouldn’t have minded waiting a few more months for a new orchestrated soundtrack. However, none of this will detract from your enjoyment of the game for new and veteran Zelda enthusiasts.

Speaking of enjoyment, I had lots of it when playing OOT on my shiny, yet smudgy 3DS. The controls differ greatly from the N64, but don’t fret; it only takes a little bit of adjustment from the seamless controller interface and it’ll play even more smoothly than what you were used to. Remember having to pause the game, waiting for the inventory screen to load, selecting the iron boots, then resuming the game, just to sink and be able to walk on a surface underwater? That won’t bother you anymore. The new interface reserves these actions to the X and Y buttons and the touch screen, so all you need to do is press a button or tap the screen to use iron boots, quest items, and weapons like the slingshot or bow. With projectiles comes the all-new, but optional motion controls, where you move your 3DS around to look in first-person, as if to aim at something. I didn’t think I’d need this feature but after spending just a few minutes with it, I wondered how I lived without it.

As a bonus, Grezzo implemented a Boss Rush mode, allowing you relive any boss battle for the best completion time. You can face any individual boss that you’ve defeated once before, or take on all of them one-by-one in the Gauntlet mode Once your quest is completed, you unlock the Master Quest option that features trickier enemies, mirrors the world from right to left, and makes the dungeons require a lot more critical thinking than your first playthrough.

In conclusion, Ocarina of Time 3D is a must-buy for any 3DS owner, and I probably won’t go back to the original any time soon. It’s the best 3DS game out there so far, but there’s a lot more 3DS titles to come later this year and early 2012 that will blow this game out of the water.

STORY: 10/10 | PRESENTATION: 9.4/10 | GAMEPLAY: 10/10 | LONGEVITY: 9.5

VERDICT: 9.7

Skyrim Wallpapers from Screenshots that I Took myself

These are taken in 1600x900 resolution. I will upload in more resolutions (and quite possibly more wallpapers) later on.

Click here to download a .rar of everything.

 Whiterun After Several Mods
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1024x768
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1280x1024
1600 x 900
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1440x900
1680x1050
1920x1200

 Succubus in Whiterun
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MORE COMING SOON

Sitting in the Jarl's Throne
1600 x 900

 Beautiful Night In Windhelm
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Night Landscape
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WEEKLY DIGITAL SALE ALERT 5/25 - Save 50% on Tera, Spend Memorial Day in the Cloud, and a Free Weekend of Red Orchestra 2

Hello, readers! Awesome savings on great games seldom require a lengthy introduction, so I'll cut to the chase! This week's deals are not to be missed!

Metro 2033 - $5 (Original Price: $20)

OnLive

Steam (DAILY DEAL FOR MAY 24 ONLY)

Amazon

Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad Free Weekend on Steam

TERA - $25 (Original Price: $50) SATURDAY, MAY 26th ONLY

Regular Edition

Collector's Edition

Civilization V - $7.50 (Original Price: $30)

Steam (also a free weekend!)

 $12.50

 Amazon

 Gamestop

 Get Games Go

OnLive's Memorial Day Sale

Amazon's Game Downloads Mayhem Sale (until May 29th)

Stay tuned next week for more great deals! Also, share Gamer's Respite with your friends!

Judge files cease-and-desist order to ban all imports of Xbox; Microsoft responds confidently in their favor

The gaming industry has taken a lot of flak from lawyers and activists in recent years, from California's proposed warning labels, to in-game LGBT relationships, to stories of a mass murderer that just *happened* to be an avid gamer. A more recent event in this saga of mishaps could put a complete ban to Microsoft's massively-successful Xbox 360 in the United States.

The flame ignited last month, with claims of Microsoft infringing Motorola's WiFi and video codec technologies. ITC judge David Shaw is displeased, and will forbid all imports of the console's 4GB and 250GB models to the US, ergo a successful commission. Microsoft responded, pointing out the counter-productive effect the ban will inevitably have on the console market. This did not convince Shaw to hold back. That said, Microsoft officials have stated that they are confident that the case will end in their favor.

I sense a legal shitstorm, yet I am in high hopes that things don't get too messy in the end.

Happy 20th Anniversary, Wolfenstein 3D!

Hey fellas! The anniversary of one of gaming's most influential shooters has sneaked up on me! I have little time to write a giant tribute to this fantastic gem of a game, so instead, I threw together something cool (below this paragraph). Remind you of anything? Yep, I assembled a parody of the viral "Keep Calm and Carry On" phenomenon just in time as a celebration! Additionally, Wolfenstein 3D is available to play for free in your web browser, thanks to Id and BethSoft.

Happy gaming!

OnLove – Why OnLive Remains an Obsession of Mine After Acquiring Powerful Hardware

It's late on a Saturday night, and my hand made gaming rig is finalizing its Windows installation at last. I couldn't wait to play games like Crysis, Far Cry 2, GTA IV, and the rest of my Steam library at the highest graphical details. Complete with a GTX 560, a solid i5 processor, and 8 gigabytes of RAM (with two more free slots for a future upgrade), my new computer did just that. However, there is one unlikely application that remains pinned to my taskbar. That is OnLive; the wonderful cloud gaming service.

As many of you should know, OnLive is a way to “run” top-tier mainstream and indie titles alike on devices that lack the processing power that they demand. It's done through a cloud-based video stream, believe it or not. The button/key presses are sent to their low-latency servers and sent back to the output video on your screen. In short, it's like Netflix for video games. As a result, any modern device that is capable of streaming video has potential for implementation of an OnLive client. With all this in mind, why in the world would I need such a thing if all my Steam games look gorgeous on my system?

Well, first of all, I'll get this out of the way: OnLive is complementary to local and physical gaming, as stated numerous times by OnLive staff. Sure, some gamers have made it their primary platform for their own respectable reasons, but for those that still have a console or capable gaming PC, it's always a good idea to stay up to date. As for myself, I treat OnLive like another Steam. I play some Fallout: New Vegas or Skyrim for a while, then if I wish to play Saints Row: The Third or Just Cause 2, I start up OnLive. Sometimes it can be cumbersome to juggle two digital distribution services (I hate having to use Origin just for Mass Effect 3 when the first and second ME are on Steam), but the magic of OnLive is that it just isn't cumbersome. It's just a single, static (in a sense that streaming is all it's doing), low-power application that is my hub for access to several amazing games. On the other hand, with the combination of Steam and Origin, it's disorienting to switch between both just for Mass Effect, and a waste of ram to keep them both open. Then sometimes, I don't bother playing Mass Effect because I'm so attached to Steam and OnLive.

Secondly, it's a joy to play console-class games on my Android tablet. I'm not a fan of Apple products, but I genuinely sympathize for iPad users that still have their version of the app in approval-limbo. Hipsters, brand whores, call them what you want. I believe everyone deserves the joy of cloud gaming. Split/Second with a hipster? Sign me up! I'm kidding, relax. The point I'm trying to make is that the mobile client is rock-solid, and as close to the “real deal” of modern gaming that you can get on a tablet or smartphone. My new favorite touch based Android game is now L.A. Noire. The L.A Noire.

I've just about run out of things to say, except I haven't. The last things that I have to say are not necessarily related to OnLive's functionality. The service just has sentimental value that drives me to support it. Sure, I used to have frustrations with some of OnLive's lack of communication and game release consistency in the past, but we all must realize that OnLive is a pioneer of cloud gaming, just like Steam was with digital distribution for games in general. In conclusion, I'm convinced that it will someday make it as a competitor with the big boys (aka major distributors). OnLive's CEO Steve Perlman broke the uncanny valley of computer-generated human faces with MOVA, he plans to break the uncanny valley of wireless technology with DIDO, and he has broken the uncanny valley of the accessibility of high-performance games with OnLive.

I'm Andrew Pyle, and I'm a damn happy customer.

Consoles Have 99 Problems But a Witcher Ain't One (The Witcher 2 Enhanced Edition Proves That)

In 2007, CD Projekt RED's The Witcher raised the bar for mature storytelling in computer games. Throwing players into the medieval fantasy world of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher series is not the typical “happily-ever-after” fairy tale game and is not for the faint of heart. In The Witcher, you are Geralt of Rivia, who is, as the title suggests, a “Witcher.” Witchers are mutants who make a living by slaying monsters, and are misconceived as untrustworthy criminals by common folk. Themes like violence, sexuality, politics and (especially) discrimination are very common themes throughout your journey, and it is up to you to make organic decisions with no definite black-and-white outcome. Your final decision will often leave one group happy while displeasing the other. The player's actions will leave lasting effects on the world, and what remains of your adventure. Last year, a direct sequel released on PC, sporting gorgeous visuals, revamped gameplay, and an even darker plot. Meanwhile, console gamers eyed it, green with envy. Now a year later, due to great demand from fans, A newly-enhanced version of the game has made its console debut on the Xbox 360. CD Projekt RED has carefully tailored the epic with numerous bug fixes, and four extra hours of adventure. As you can expect, the graphics have been toned down for the console, but still hold up with little compromise. As for the original content, everything from the original game is intact, from the uncensored sex scenes to every single piece of DLC ever released.

This is fantastic news for Xbox gamers, but should early adopters of The Witcher 2 feel gypped? Certainly not, because thankfully, current owners of the PC version will automatically receive a free upgrade to the Enhanced Edition in the form of a patch. There are also confirmed plans for the game to release on the OnLive cloud gaming service, so everyone is happy, save for PS3 owners. Here's hoping that they'll get the Witcher treatment as we did. Just...don't count on a Wii version.

REVIEW - Call of Juarez: The Cartel

Welcome to Los Angeles, where drug-related violence is rampant. Your welcome is warmed up when narcotics enforcement offices have been bombed, and you take the roleof law enforcers Ben McCall, Kimberly Evans, or Eddie Guerra, in attempt to put an end to the following felons by all means necessary. “By all means necessary” is the key phrase, as they utilize brutal and even crooked tactics in doing so.

Contrariwise to 2009's Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood's old Western scenario, The Cartel takes place in modern day, as you may have guessed. Having some knowledge of its predecessors, I was a tad confused as to why the series would take such a different direction in setting, aside from Ben McCall being related to the protagonists in previous games. Heck, he even dresses like he's from an 1800s Western flick. Despite my confusion, it interestingly differs from other recent shooters.

Before commencing the single-player campaign, you are given the option to choose between the three protagonists. This is a great idea, and it's executed well, due to the implementation of cooperative play. Disappointingly, however, the plot differs little from what character you choose, except for different voice actors and endings. This is a shame, because a lot could have been done to multiply the replay value of its sub-10 hour story. However, the beginning of each level acts as a lobby, allowing players to drop in and out of your game for cooperative play between the three characters.

The Cartel has a plethora of intense moments to experience in the campaign. You'll be ambushed by attack helicopters with limited cover, pursue a target on foot through waves of gang members, as well as sabotage a marijuana plant while making another gang take the heat. These scripted events are complimented with a “concentration mode” where the game slows down, giving the player the obvious upper-hand in precision in a firefight, and can be charged and activated by killing enemies. At first it felt like a gimmick, but it's put into good use in slow-motion room breaching sequences (a la modern Call of Duty games) later on. One gripe I had with the gameplay, however, was that explosions knock you over on your back, and it takes a few seconds to get up. It may not seem like a very big issue, but it can be very irritating when you're getting hit by several consecutive grenade explosions in the midst of an intense-enough firefight. As for controls, I have no complaints. The controls are tight with either a mouse/keyboard or gamepad setup. I personally am thankful for the subtle yet useful aim assist for gamepad users for those that prefer to hunt cartels from the convenience of a couch.

With great gameplay comes a solid multiplayer component. In Cartel's multiplayer, you choose to be a law enforcer or a criminal, whose sides have varying weapons and even different game lobbies depending on what team you choose. The lobbies even have practice shooting ranges, too! When the match finally begins, the game is split up into basic team deathmatch, and capture-the-flag-esque modes. Concentration mode is replaced with the ability to call in air support, and there's a partner system, in which players can pick a partner that will give and receive combat bonuses for being close to each other. On the downside, there's no host migration, so once the host of the game disconnects, the entire match ends. This is a small complaint, because overall, it is a fine addition for when it gets lonely playing single-player.

The Cartel is a fun game, but I'll admit, it takes a blow in the presentation and graphics department. Texture quality is unappealing, everything in the world has an ugly yellow tint, and as much as the gunplay feels good, the visual feedback from firing a weapon is stiff and less than desirable. On top of that, the HUD is very pixelated like something out of a classic PlayStation game, as if deliberately unappealing. The game doesn't look horrible, just don't expect awesome visuals. When it comes to sound, the voice acting is top-notch, believable, and engrossing. However, the game is also loaded with nasty F-bombs in nearly every other sentence in the dialogue. Excessive swearing usually doesn't bother me, but the profanity is so frequent that it sounds forced at times.

On a final note, I played through this game on OnLive, a cloud gaming service that allows you to stream video games from high-powered servers to play on any PC, Mac, TV, tablet, or smartphone. I haven't found any issues with the OnLive version of Call of Juarez. I highly recommend playing it on OnLive over any console or PC if you plan to pick this up.

STORY: 9
GAMEPLAY: 8
PRESENTATION: 5
REPLAY VALUE: 9

OVERALL: 7.75/10

The Latest and Greatest in the Free-to-Play World - Give Your Wallet Some Mercy!

It's no secret that this year is chock-full of new and upcoming game releases. Games such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Max Payne 3, and the newly announced Assassin's Creed III are searing with anticipation, and they won't go easy on your wallet. Read on to discover the latest and greatest free-to-play games that will give your wallet a little mercy.

Rusty Hearts – Perfect World – Available Now

Launching in late 2011, Rusty Hearts is not your average MMORPG. It actually adopts the style of a beat-em-up, putting you in the arsenal of one of four (more of which are available for purchase at the in-game store) characters with unique fighting styles. Frantz specializes in swords and battle-axes, Angela is a witch with many devestating spells at her disposal, Natasha is a gun-toting warrior that conquers her foes with revolvers and muskets, and Tude uses hand-to-hand combat with deadly gauntlets.

During my still-going time with Rusty Hearts, I played as Tude, and enjoyed its Devil May Cry-style of attacking enemies to build up combos and acquiring increasingly better items along the way. Everything is done in real-time, making for some intense player-vs-player and player-versus-environment opportunities alike. Interestingly, the different characters will even include their own dialog during quests and conversation. I can easily recommend this game to those who are searching for the most action-oriented MMO there is.

Video from MMOHut's YouTube Channel

Check out Rusty Hearts!

Tribes: Ascend – Hi-Rez Studios – In Open Beta

The most popular shooters from the late 90s to early '00s almost never attempted to capture realism like games of today. Competitive multiplayer franchises like Quake and Unreal Tournament adopted a sci-fi setting, and, even in their latest editions, require swift reflexes with a mouse and keyboard.

In recent years, quite a few titles tried to capture the nostalgic feel of classic shooter gameplay, such as Duke Nukem: Forever, and the Serious Sam HD remakes. Tribes: Ascend will continue the classic shooter tradition with a few unique gameplay mechanics thrown into the same blender. One of them is flying with a jetpack, which is typical for a sci-fi setting, yet essential for outmaneuvering foes. Another addition is “skiing,” which you activate to gain speed and/or momentum for your jetpack by sliding on the game's vast and open maps.

Many gamers (such as myself) express deep sentiment about the twitch-shooter gameplay from years past. However, whatever frags your fancy, Tribes is a unique and enjoyable experience, that is certainly worth a try. Best of all, it won't cost you a dime to jump in.

Video from IGN's YouTube channel

Check out Tribes: Ascend!

Blacklight: Retribution – Perfect World – In Open Beta

Speaking of sci-fi shooters, another noteworthy frag-fest is Perfect World's Blacklight Retribution. Gameplay-wise, Retribution is relatively similar to Call of Duty, with its fast-paced combat and loads of tight corridors for camping your opponents. On the other hand, the game attempts to combat camping tactics, giving each player the ability to see through walls for a limited time. This way, players can flank their enemies, or even spot an incoming enemy ambush. Any player could be using this special view style at any time, so mindful players should always stay on their toes, especially when players score enough kills to summon a giant combat mech.

Blacklight's arsenal is quite remarkable, even in its Beta phase. A plethora of additional assault rifles, shotguns, and side arms can be at your disposal. That is, assuming you plan on using Perfect World's 'Zen' currency system, which is acquired with real money. You may be left out of some weapons if you don't wish yo pay real money, but, to be fair, it's how the fellas at Perfect World pay the bills.

Video from Machinima's YouTube channel

Check out Blacklight: Retribution!

Aion: Ascension – Ncsoft – Going F2P on April 11^th

I'll put it short and to the point; Aion is gorgeous. Launching in 2009, the game puts players into the celestial world of Atreia. As a winged Daeva, you must serve the good-spirited Elyos or the dark-hearted Asmodians in an ongoing battle on your homeland, or the strictly PvP Abyss area. The game runs on a modified version of the CryEngine, which powered beautiful first-person shooters such as Crysis. It certainly shows, too, with its amazingly detailed zones.

Aion is filled with juicy content for thirsty fans to sink their teeth into. Enemies and NPCs sport vividly unique style and personality, PvP and PvE combat alike is intense and keeps things interesting, the quest dialog fills the world with life and lore, and I'll say it; you're dead inside if Aion's magnificent musical score doesn't melt your heart.

Video from IGN's YouTube channel

Check out Aion!

I was not paid to write all this (I prefer to keep my soul as a video game journalist). I speak so passionately about Aion due to the fact that it's been around for a long while, and has had much time to grown and improve over the years. I'll keep a close watch on the other games in this article, and keep you all posted on how they grow and expand. Until then, check these games out! You may find yourself a new addiction.

Written by Andrew Pyle

Mass Hysterics - An Unbiased, Spoiler-free Analysis of the Controversy Surrounding Mass Effect 3's Ending

It's an understatement that the launch concluding BioWare's Mass Effect trilogy had fantastic hype behind it. With festivities such as midnight store openings, launch parties and even early copies being launched into space, Mass Effect veterans and newcomers alike were ecstatic to "Take Earth Back." For the most part, gamers and critics were raving over its intense combat, gripping story, and massive attention to detail in its universe. That is, until it had to end.

The issues players had were not so much that it ended, but how it ended. At the end of the game, Shepard is given a few choices, none of which change the generally analogous outcome of the conclusion. To elude from spoilers, that's everything that can be said. This left gamers heavily disappointed, and even perplexed about the fate of the player's accomplices. “Fans of the Mass Effect trilogy have put far too much time, effort, and money into the game to be abandoned with such a fate,” wrote the Facebook page for Retake Mass Effect 3 campaign. “Bioware desperately needs to resolve this issue.” Meanwhile, Internet stars, including YouTube's dcigs (also known as the “Angry Black Man”), have taken a comedic approach to the subject matter.

As popular as the demand is for an improved ending, some people believe that doing so would “deface the beauty of maintaining an artist's intended content.” In defense, fans noted the possibility of the new ending taking the form of an optional DLC, and players wouldn't be required to alter the original ending if they didn't so choose.

As of March 21st, BioWare has announced that development for a new ending is underway. However, the Retake ME3 campaign is far from finished. The fans plan to productively pressure the Mass Effect team (in ways that are not inflammatory) into making sure the incoming ending is worthwhile for their dedication.

So, what do YOU think? Sound-off in the comments below. As the administrator of Gamer's Respite, I respect all opinions, and so should everyone else.

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RetakeME3's Facebook Page
RetakeME3's Twitter

The Binding Of Isaac will not see the light on 3DS due to "questionable religious content"

The Big N has always been known and will certainly go down in history as the company that tries (and succeeds)  to branch out to wider and wider audiences with big names like Mario and Zelda that are enjoyable for any age group. However, Nintendo has had a history of making decisions that irritate and sometimes infuriate the hardcore gamer crowd, in attempt to create a family-friendly environment. More recently,  Edmund McMillen's roguelike indie dungeon-crawler The Binding of Isaac was rejected by Nintendo from their 3DS digital eShop, allegedly due to "questionable religious content" (according to Edmund's Tweet). How come, you ask?  Well, to start, I understand where Nintendo is coming from, especially with their aforementioned 'family-friendly' philosophy.

The indie dungeon-crawler The Binding of Isaac doesn't agree with Nintendo's digital distribution standards.

In The Binding of Isaac, you take the role of a small child named Isaac, who is living a peaceful life with his mother. All is well until his mother hears a godly voice from God, commanding her to sacrifice Isaac in order to prove her Christian faith. As Isaac, you must escape her, fighting disturbing enemies in a Zelda-esque labyrinth, and finally, kill your mother in a final boss fight. As much as I understand Nintendo's side of the story from Binding's depiction of God, allow me to express some frustration, if you'll excuse me.

Firstly, I strongly disagree with their decision of rejecting the game from the eShop. It would have been a fantastic addition along with other great titles, such as Mutant Mudds and Mighty Switch Force. Of all the things Nintendo could have done, this was the coward's way out. What Nintendo did has put a roadblock across an artist's freedom of expression. The company certainly has the power to place an extra warning screen  onto the eShop in any worse case scenario of religious controversy. Heck, Germany's rating system did so with no problem, labeling it 16+ for "potentially blasphemous content", because that's exactly what it is. It could *potentially* (and understandably) offend someone who strongly practices religion. However, for them to completely reject it, simply disgusts me. I understand that it's just one game, but it makes me worry about future eShop releases sharing the same fate.

Lastly, as much as I took the time to write this rant, this whole ordeal has not stopped me from continuing to enjoy this wonderful gem on Steam, and neither should it stop you. You can pick up the game, soundtrack, or both as a bundle for PC and Mac for 5-6 dollars by purchasing it now.