What are you playing?

[Angela]

A place to discuss what's currently working your fingers.

[Angela]

Well, I had the unfortunate luck of having my entire Assassin's Creed file deleted (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO) and so I had to replay it for the third time. I'm not complaining cause I love the game, but keeping track of all those damn flags and templars can get quite a bit confusing at times. But I got 'em. 100% completion baby!! I'm hanging on to it just in case it unlocks bonus materials of any kind in Assassin's Creed II:
Ubisoft has outdone themselves!!! I'm so fricken excited for this game!

[Angela]

My latest obsession has been Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds on the PS3. I've always loved this game because of it's incredibly easy interface. The only thing one really had to master was the timing for selecting the power of your club, and that process has been made even easier with the new advanced shots. Admittedly, I was too intimidated to try it, after all it was called "advanced shots" but in all seriousness, it really made the hitting much easier and gave the game a much more enjoyable experience over all. There's great unique characters, and a variety of different caddies that you can employ across six courses of varying difficulty. Crown Links being the mother of all things that are evil...

Plus there's some great content available for download via the playstation store, including optional courses, character costumes, as well as new characters such as everyone's favorite angry Spartan....Kratos.

All in all it's fun while still remaining challenging, and despite it's simplistic gameplay can still leave you cursing at your tv and throwing your controller across the room.

[Angela]

I finally, FINALLY picked up my copy of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves!! I've been waiting for this game ever since I finished up the first one. I was that impressed and that enamored by the main character, treasure hunter, Nathan Drake: He's got everything a hero needs. Charming personality, moral ethics, intelligence, optimism, dashing good looks, a sprinkling of bad-assness, and perhaps most importantly, an amazing sense of humor. Aside from the beautiful landscapes, mind bending puzzles, and fast paced action, the game winds it's way through ancient legends and a plot full of backstabbing, stealing, exploring, and ever growing intrigue with intelligent, well executed quips of Drake's uncanny ability to laugh at nearly getting himself killed for the twenty-third time. All characters are represented as adults with adult interests, so it's nice to play something where the people react to situations the way most normal people would. If you've played Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, than you'll recognize some familiar faces along with appreciating some new ones, and you'll also fall right back into the groove of shooting, sniping, stealth kiling, and grenade launching like you never set your controller down to switch discs. If you like adventure, sarcastic humor, and ancient myth and legends, I definitely recommend this game!!
Here's a quick trailer to give you a sense of the game's graphics, as well as Drake's charming personality

[Angela]

I just finished this game yesterday. Yes, it took me three days to play. It was so good, I could not put it down. From beginning to end, this is one of the most perfect games I have ever had the pleasure of playing!

[Angela]

I bought, played, and finished Magna Carta 2 in about a week.

And surprisingly, for an RPG, my time-line didn't seemed rushed at all. Usually I finish up an RPG with at least 60 hours game time, but this one came in just a little over 40. It was really only okay as the story goes; nothing we haven't really seen before in an rpg. Some gamers might even note a similarity to Square Enix's masterpiece, Final Fantasy 10. But let me be clear, this is NO Final Fantasy. The characters were alright, the graphics beautifully rendered, but there just seemed to be some vital element missing that really made me want to connect to them all. It could have been the way characters were brought to the foreground of the screen during cut scenes.

This felt really disconnected, and left the timing for any sense of humor practically impossible. The one thing Magna Carta 2 did have, was an exceptionally addicting battle system, involving characters building up kan, overheating, making chains, and coming together perfectly to execute exclusive joint attacks.

I'll admit I found it somewhat tedious and confusing in the beginning, but once I got the hang of it, I was fully immersed in the flow of information flooding my peripheral vision from HUD. All in all, it was good for a distraction or for something to do between more exciting releases, but it's nothing I'm going to hang on to to ever replay again.

[Orion1]

I still have some pics from the original Magna Carta. The girls were hot as hell but unfortunately I never played it. What I do know is that it is a South Korean made video game. I not sure about part two but I'm guessing it's the same. Now Final Fantasy 10 sounds delicious. I wish "A" I had the incentive to go buy a gaming console, and "B" the time to play an epic like FF10. I'm actually a little scared I might get hooked and end up never leaving my room again like the hikikomori in Welcome to the NHK. Great review Angela!

[Angela]

I'm currently obsessed with completing every last inch of Assassin's Creed 2.

I'll definitely say I'm one of the original game's biggest fans, and in spite of it's monotony, I really wouldn't have thought they could have improved on the concept that much more. But Ubisoft has. The conspiracy of the Templars and the Assassin's ongoing quest to stop them is now unveiled through the eyes of playboy Ezio as his family is caught up in the war and he is forcibly thrust into taking up arms and choosing a side. The landscapes are as gorgeous as ever, with Italy being the primary locale for most missions and sidequests.

Many of the game's original elements are still there, but only reinvented in a way to make things more realistic, unpredictable, and at some times, more challenging. Instead of hunting flags that reveal no rewards, Ezio can collect feathers for his mother, treasure for buying equipment and supplies, and glyphs that contain keys to unraveling the mysteries of the Piece of Eden. It's in the smallest touches and minuscule improvements that Ubisoft has really evolved the series as whole, like for instance, Ezio's hidden blade no longer requires the removal of a finger to be functional, and that he is equipped with not only one, but two, giving him the opportunity for duel assassinating.

But above the gameplay, the ridiculous freedom, and the beautiful backdrops, what I love most about this series is the intertwining of fictional characters with historical accuracies. Names like Medici and Da Vinci are thrown in as key players in the conspiracy, and with cryptic clues being dropped every so often, the level of intelligence that goes into solving everything is quite unmistakable. It pushes the religious and theological boundaries, and dares to make you think or reevaluate the meaning of faith and mortality, while at the same time allowing you to leave a lot of dead bodies in your wake. Brilliant!!

[Orion1]

This review just brought me one step closer to buying a gaming console this black Friday. Ahhh! So if I were to buy one, which one should I buy, PS3 or 360? I'm leaning towards the PS3 just because of the Blu-ray and it's Netflix connectivity now.

[Angela]

The PS3, in my opinion, is the better platform, as the Xbox 360 tends to be a lot harder on its gaming discs. For instance, when I went to pick up my copy of Assassin's Creed 2 at Gamestop, the employee asked if I wanted insurance on the disc for $3, then he noticed it was for the PS3 and said, "Oh never mind. I only get the insurance on 360 games. Playstation games are so durable, you could use 'em as a coaster, throw it across the room like a frisbee, and it'd still play." I also recommend the PS3, because the engine is so much better. I've played the exact same games on both systems and the playstation just seemed to have a quicker speed, smoother feel, and a general capability to handle more activity without slowing the on-screen action. I, personally, have both systems cause I'm one of those people who always has to have something to play, so I got tired of waiting for releases on the PS3, and got an Xbox to have a wider variety of stuff to choose from. So if you're only buying on system you'll definitely have down time in waiting for that next big release. A good tactic to help you avoid becoming completely addicted. Plus, the PS3 comes equipped with WiFi capability, where as you must purchase a $99 wireless adapter for the xBox360. I would double-check that to make sure though before purchase, cause I'm not sure if they've downgraded any of the features on the less expensive models that have just come out.

[Orion1]

I have heard that there are some downgrades on the newest PS3, but I don't think it had anything to do with the hardware. Basically the software "lacks backward support for PS2 games". For more here are the specs on the PS3 Slim 120GB.

[Angela]

Finished up Assassin's Creed 2, and the plot only thickens. There are so many crazy theories being thrown around in this series it really does boggle the mind when trying to wrap your head around it. But they make it wildly entertaining in the process and I wasn't disappointed in it in the least. In fact I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment, which I'm sure is at least 2-3 years away. *huff* I guess at least I can be thankful that it's over and I can now rejoin the land of the living. I'm so far behind in my anime......