Metro 2033


I bought the sequel to this game last week and since I never finished the original I thought I had better get to it.

I finished the game this weekend after putting about 10 hours and it was a great atmospheric shooter.

It's more Half-life then COD which to me is a good thing. Sometimes COD is just too chaotic.

Metro is a creepy game, it takes place in Russia after a nuclear Holocaust so most of the game is played underground. There are some above ground sequences that require you to wear a gas mask and the effects are really cool. The mask can get cracked, iced over, and some other effects, as the filter wears down your breathing starts to grow louder and more stressed.

The currency of the game is bullets. I played on the normal difficulty and had no trouble finding ammo so it wasn't frustrating.

They had some cool pneumatic weapons in the game that you did have to pump up to shoot further. Your flashlight is also pneumatic so if you aren't careful you could unexpectedly be in the darkness.

The combat was interesting as you had human and mutant enemies. Every encounter was well paced and there were a lot of times it is just you walking and exploring an area not knowing what to expect and those are the scariest. There are a couple of jump scares that are effective.

The graphics are phenomenal and did overstress out my Titan while trying to play on triple screen so instead of turning the graphics down I just played on the one monitor. It's awesome looking.

Overall I really enjoyed the game and if you want a shooter that isn't crazy all the time you should pick the game up.


Frozen Synapse (iPad)

This was originally a PC game that finally got ported to the iPad and its a blast.

Do you remember the original Rainbow Six game where you had schematics and had to plan your attacks before starting your mission?  This game is all about planning and trying to outsmart your enemy.

There is a single player campaign that is quite lengthy with some great AI and then there is the asynchronous multiplayer. I haven't played much of the campaign as the multiplayer is really fun.

There are different modes in the game but the basic one is you control 4 soldiers with different weapons and are trying to have the last man standing.

There are a ton of options in the planning stage and at first it can be a little overwhelming. The UI is pretty good and setting up the basic tactics is pretty easy. It a learn as you go game so your tactics will get better the more you play.

Once you make your plans you can hit a play button that will simulate your current movements and once you are satisfied then you hit ready. Once your enemy has done the same you get to see the outcome. Watching this can be brutal especially if the enemy has a rocket launcher and takes out 2 of your men on the first turn.


Stuff

New Xbox reveal is this Tuesday and you can watch it live on Xbox.


New Releases - A ton of new PC releases.

PC

Call of Juarez Gunslinger - Tempted since I like western games, bun unsure because of the last one.

Dust: An Elysian Tail (download) - Awesome on the 360 and might pick it up here for 1080P.

Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes (download - $40) - Got the original game and never really played it.

Fast & Furious: Showdown (download) - Movie tie-in = avoid?

Resident Evil: Revelations - Port of the 3DS game. Feels like original RE. Played the demo and it was good.

Skyward Collapse (download - $5)

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing (download - $15) - Waiting on reviews.

Xbox 360

Call of Juarez Gunslinger (XBLA)

Fast & Furious: Showdown

Resident Evil: Revelations

PlayStation 3

Call of Juarez Gunslinger (PSN)

Fast & Furious: Showdown

Resident Evil: Revelations

Wii U

Fast & Furious: Showdown

Resident Evil: Revelations

Sniper Elite V2

Vita

Men's Room Mayhem (PSN - $2) - Not even going to comment on this one......

Ratchet & Clank: Full Frontal Assault (PSN)

Nintendo 3DS

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D - Cool Wii game and this is supposedly the definitve version.

Fast & Furious: Showdown