Warsong - Sega Genesis: Possibly the best strategy game you never played - Retro Reflections

Given my recent article about the Sega Genesis, I thought it only appropriate to discuss one of my favorite Genesis games of all-time.

Okay, there is a chance you played it - but I would guess it's unlikely.  This gem of a game came out for the Sega Genesis (and was called Langrisser overseas).  I am not sure what inspired me to pick it up at the time.  I had heard nothing about this game in any of the magazines I read, none of my friends had played it, but something about it caught my eye when I was mulling what game to purchase next.

The Elder Scrolls Online - Gaming Thoughts...

I admit that sometimes I am amazed at how angry or worried gamers can get about release announcements.  The excitement I have come to expect, but the apprehension still surprises me at times.  Not that it should - games as media are far more interactive than music, movies or books.  As a result, our level of investment increases as well.  It is a major part of why we play these games - because we become immersed and feel we have a stake in the outcome.

Turtle Beach Ear Force X31 Headset for Xbox 360 Review

I recently found the Turtle Beach Ear Force X31 Headset for Xbox 360 refurbished through Best Buy.  These headphones are often touted for use in multiplayer titles like Call of Duty or Battlefield for their combination of stereo sound direct to your ears as well as offering a microphone.  I've been eying one of these headsets for quite awhile, and when I was able to pick them up for about $30 online, I decided to give them a shot.  I've been using them for a couple of weeks now, and while there was plenty of good here, there was an overwhelming drawback that I can't get past.

 

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - PC Review

I started this game about a week after it released, when a friend got me a copy for my PC.  He knew what a fan I was of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - which was one of my first games for the Xbox 360 and opened me up to a whole new approach to RPG games.  I have not been a long-time fan of the series, however.  I have never played the earlier games in the series, but even then I knew that the introduction of dragons to the series was a huge move for Bethesda.

Mass Effect 3 Collector's Edition - Xbox 360 Review

Mass Effect 3 is probably one of the most anticipated titles to come out in some time.  Like Diablo III will be in a couple of months, Mass Effect 3 has certain expectations that will be almost impossible to meet for some people.  In truth, I feel the expectations are higher here then for Diablo 3.  Certainly the wait has been shorter, but Bioware did something incredible when they brought choices made from the first Mass Effect into Mass Effect 2, changing certain parts of the storyline to add continuity to the storyline you crafted.

As a result, Mass Effect 3 has become a title that not only has expectations due to being part of a popular series, but because players have already become greatly invested in the storyline to date.  Along the way there have been books and iPhone games to help tide gamers over, but none of those things compare to the primary three games in the series.  There were a lot of design choices that people questioned along the way such as the addition of multiplayer and the ending of the game.  I would have loved to have rushed out a rapid review on this game so it could be just a bit more timely, but my personal policy of playing through a game until I am done with it/beaten it once would not allow me to do so.  Here are my thoughts on it.

 

Gaming Thoughts - PlayStation 4 "Orbis" - no used games?

A non-Mass Effect article!  Well, there were bound to be a couple as I keep trying to update things here fairly quickly when an article or information catches my eye, and according to Kotaku and IGN - the new PlayStation 4 is being called "Orbis", will not be backwards compatible and will not play used games.  The rumor at this point is the disc will be tied to a PSN account.  Which makes me wonder how that will be handled for others on the same machine.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - Xbox 360 Review

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a title has been in my sights ever since I stumbled onto it via trailer at IGN that I shared here.  It was a flashy trailer that caught my eye with its visual style and everything I saw about the fast-paced combat intrigued me.  I continued to follow it, posting about it here and there, until I finally got a chance to try the demo and share my impressions.