Bioshock Infinite: Handyman

Part two in the Bioshock Infinite Heavy Hitters video doc features the giant, lumbering yet agile, mechanically melancholy Handyman. Ken Levine said they went through several iterations of the Handyman’s look before they landed on this version. I thought he was more of a Clark Gable black hair and mustache kind of looking villain in previous demos. I really like both looks, maybe there are multiple versions. Now I am equally excited to fight one and learn their sad backstory. Enjoy…

BioShock Infinite: Handyman – Heavy Hitters Part 2

F.E.A.R. 3

F.E.A.R. 3 | First Person, Shooter, Survival Horror | 2011 | Site Fear 3 begins nine months after the events of the previous two games. You play as Point Man, recently captured and interrogated. You are freed by your brother Paxton Fettel, and set out to prevent the continuation of Alma’s bloodline. It is not so much the story that allows the game to be scary but rather the atmosphere. Throughout the game as you get closer to Alma you can hear shrieks of terror and shifts in the atmosphere. As if her contractions were felt by the world

F.E.A.R. 3

Coming Soon…

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F.E.A.R. 3 Trailer

Battlefield 3

Battlefield 3 | First Person, Shooter, Action | 2011 | Site Battlefield 3 is a modern military first person shooter. Unfortunately like most military shooters the story leaves much to be desired. You play as a soldier under interrogation regarding an incident you were recently a part of. Your missions are structured as flash back episodes you replay during your interrogation. The story was very reminiscent of Call of Duty Black Ops, which was structurally laid out the exact same way. Not to spoil the story or ending, but it was laid out in the EXACT same way

Dead Island

Dead Island | First Person, Action, Survival Horror | 2011 | Site Dead Island takes place on an exotic, tropical island where a zombie outbreak has destroyed the island and infected most of the inhabitants. You take control of one of four characters on a resort for different reasons all with unique skill sets. Dead Island is an excellent blend of first person action and survival horror. There is also a light RPG element that allows each character to level up different skill sets. It also allows you to assemble, upgrade and create weapons. The zombie genre in video games is definitely over saturated but Dead Island adds some twists that help set it apart

The Darkness 2

The Darkness 2 | First Person, Shooter, Action | 2012 | Site I loved The Darkness when it was released in 2007. Which was only amplified by my love of Mike Patton. The Darkness 2 picks up years after the first game. Remaining the protagonist from The Darkness you are Jackie Estacado. Jackie has become head of a crime family and is still morning the loss of his girlfriend Jenny. I enjoyed the plot and story in The Darkness 2 a great deal more then the first game. The new art style the game takes on (I will discuss later) helps even more to bring the story and characters to life. Each scene in the game could be a panel in a comic book. Being adapted from Top Cow’s comic book The Darkness, Digital Extremes pays homage to the original material

The Darkness 2 Demo

The Darkness 2 Demo | First Person, Shooter, Action | 2012 | Site I loved The Darkness when it was released in 2007. Which was only amplified by my love of Mike Patton. The Darkness 2 Demo only reveals a tiny bit of the story from what I’ve gathered is as follows. You are still the antagonist gangster from the first Darkness, Jackie Estacado. The demo starts with Jackie captured by a, lets say, evil looking crippled gentleman seeking to take his powers. Ok, enough guessing about the story. Quad wielding, which these games have hailed as their bread and butter, is back and feels great

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | RPG, First Person, Adventure | 2011 | Site Skyrim is a fantasy, first and third person open world, RPG that allows and encourages you to do almost anything. The civil war plot and dragon resurrection storyline are very meticulous and fulfilling to complete. The overarching story is great but you will get lost in wondering around, leveling skills, talking to people and taking up side quests. Some of the most fun you can have with Skyrim is talking to someone else that has played it and comparing stories. It is amazing how different your story can be. My girlfriend and I started playing at the exact same minute and once gameplay started it took about 10 minutes before we started encountering different people, places and things to do. I can’t say enough good things about Bethesda; they have created a work of art. Skyrim is one of the best games in the past ten years and, in my opinion of all time. Currently I am a level 48 Dark Elf with a focus on magic, one handed combat, smithing and enchanting. (Side note: Another one of the highlights in Skyrim are the books. If you haven’t started playing yet, you are bound to pick up and read every books you encounter. Capaneus has done everyone a favor and compiled all the books of Skyrim into one digital bound volume located here – capane.us) Skyrim is one of my favorite games. It was my #1 pick of 2011 and it is in my top 5 all time favorites. I am a big fan of Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, also developed by Bethesda. I never played Oblivion, only having been gaming more intensely since moving to Chicago a couple years ago. I tried Skyrim knowing I would probably like it and ended up loving it. Everything about this game is amazing. It is so huge, over 300 hours of gameplay. You can create your character and level up in the areas you are interested in. At the moment I am a level 38 Wood Elf with a focus on magic and archery. Developer: Bethesda Softworks | Bethesda Softworks Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC Skyrim Trailer

Top 5 Games of 2011

#5 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception | Third Person, Action, Adventure | 2011 | Site What can you say? -It’s Uncharted. The characters and story are beautifully developed. You feel like you are getting to watch some old friends embark on an amazing journey. I loved the back-story which only helped to solidify your empathy for Drake and Sully. The controls are again spot-on. Naughty Dog is able to weave story and gameplay seamlessly together so well every developer should mirror it.Developer: Naughty Dog | Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Platforms: Playstation 3 #4 L.A. Noire | Third Person, Action, Adventure | 2011 | Site I love Rockstar Games and L.A. Noire is no exception. They did not develop L.A. Noir, that was done by Australia’s Team Bondi but it still has that Rockstar shine. This game is about story. The gameplay is great but takes a backseat to the storyline. It is an open world 1940s L.A. where through detective Cole Phelps you help to bring down a criminal enterprise. I spent hours upon hours getting 100% completion on this game and it was worth it. It is hard to watch dialogue in any other game and not compare it to L.A. Noire. They have raised the bar for character interaction in a video game.Developer: Team Bondi | Publisher: Rockstar Games Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC #3 Portal 3 | First Person, Puzzle, Platformer | 2011 | Site Story and gameplay are in perfect harmony in Portal 2. The voice acting and writing is perfection and hilarious. Not in the way game dialogue can be funny but in the way a great movie or novel can make you laugh. The puzzle solving will bend your mind while carrying you through to the next level feeling like a genius. Developer: Valve | Publisher: Valve Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC, Mac #2 Batman: Arkham City | Third Person, Action, Adventure | 2011 | Site You WILL feel like Batman. Whether it’s the power, the gadgets, the detective skills or most importantly the flying. It’s an open world game and when that world is Arkham City it is going to be interesting. The story is great for fans of the comics. You will encounter nearly all of the great villains in the Batman cannon. The amount of non-required content in this game is astounding. I can’t count the number of hours I spent collecting Riddler Trophies. However, simply soaring from rooftop to rooftop is what makes this game for me. Developer: Rocksteady Studios | Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC #1 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | First Person, RPG, Action | 2011 | Site Of course, right? Skyrim is a fantasy, first and third person player open world game that allows you to do pretty much anything. The Dragon and civil war storyline are fantastic but you will be lost in wondering, leveling skills and talking to people.  Skyrim is one of the best games in the past ten years and perhaps all time. Developer: Bethesda Softworks | Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC #5 Rage | First Person, Action, Shooter | 2011 | Site I only played this with Larry in Coop but it was a ton of fun. Problem solving together is a great way to spend the night together. Developer: id Software | Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC #4 Portal 3 | First Person, Puzzle, Platformer | 2011 | Site I only played this with Larry in Coop but it was a ton of fun. Problem solving together is a great way to spend the night together. Developer: Valve | Publisher: Valve Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC, Mac #3 Alice Madness Returns | Third Person, Adventure | 2011 | Site Great game!! you can seamlessly move through the city and the fighting is so fun.  I love to play stealth and this game helped me hone my skills. Developer: Electronic Arts | Publisher: Electronic Arts Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC #2 Batman: Arkham City | Third Person, Action, Adventure | 2011 | Site Great game!! you can seamlessly move through the city and the fighting is so fun.  I love to play stealth and this game helped me hone my skills. Developer: Rocksteady Studios | Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC #1 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | First Person, RPG, Action | 2011 | Site Amazing!!! I’m a wood elf arch Mage! Developer: Bethesda Softworks | Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC