The game begins with an Epic battle between Lightning and a mysterious character named Caius in a place called Valhalla. During the fight, a mysterious character comes to Valhalla through a time portal. It appears that this mysterious character (called Noel) was praying for a miracle to happen, then suddenly found himself in Valhalla. Lightning expecting his arrival, she grants him the ability to travel through time to find her sister, Serah.
 

Noel travel through time and saves Serah from an enemy ambush and tell her that Lightning sent him to find her. With everyone thinks that Lightning is dead, Serah travels with Noel through time to different times and locations in order to find out what exactly happened to her sister after the battle with Orphan and the fall of Cocoon.
 

I found the concept of time travel and visiting location in different eras to be interesting. But the game’s story is too reliant on explaining everything that happens in the game on one word, Paradox. This is a lazy and uninspiring way to tell a story. You will hear ‘Paradox’ too many times in the game. The quality of the writing in the dialogues between the characters is also average and sometimes Cheesy. You will enjoy the story if you don’t take it too seriously.
 

The issues that bogged down Final Fantasy XIII are no longer present in the sequel. The linearity of the previous game has been replaced with more open-ended game design. In Final Fantasy XIII-2, you can travel back and forth between new and previously visited locations early in the game, with every area has its own NPCs to interact with to complete side quests. Most of the side quests (if not all) in XIII-2 revolves around delivering items (fetch quests) to NPCs or killing some monsters. Later in the game, new activities will be available to distract players from completing the main story. You can participate in Chocobo races, slot machines and card games.

The great battle system of Final Fantasy XIII has returned in the sequel with some interesting new tweaks and features which make it even more enjoyable this time. You will no longer see the annoying animation when you shift your Paradigm strategy which makes the battles more engaging. In XIII-2, you can capture monsters to fight with you. This new feature give the player another incentive to explore the game’s world to add more powerful monsters to your party.
 

XIII-2 looks stunning. The main character models are highly detailed and expressive. Some locations look absolutely amazing due to the mesmerizing art direction. The camera work during cut-scenes is excellent. While the game is technically accomplished overall, the game suffers from some frame rate issues.
 

The music in XIII-2 is good, but not memorable. Some of the game’s music will get stuck in your head while some vocal songs are forgettable and sometimes irritating. Some of the best soundtracks from XIII made a comeback in the sequel, which is lazy and good at the same time. Lazy because I wanted to hear more new and original music, and good because I’m not a big fan of the vocal songs in the game.
 

It’s the first time that I felt like playing a Final Fantasy game since Final Fantasy X on the PS2 (XII is a great game, but it doesn’t feel like a Final Fantasy game). The non-linear structure of the game is a welcome returning addition to the series. The battle system is a blast and hunting monsters to add to your party is fun and exciting. The story has its moments, but it could have been much better if more time was invested in the writing and making the story more believable and exciting. If you are a fan of the series or looking forward to get lost in another great, but flawed RPG, get this game.
 

Score: (8.5/10)
 

Shadows of the Damned is created by what I call the dream team of action survival horror games. We might not see the dream team working with each other again since Mikami has joined Bethesda and id Software at ZeniMax Media. But enough about the dream team, let’s talk about the game.

The story revolves around Garcia Hotspur the demon hunter and his girlfriend Paula. Paula gets kidnapped by Fleming the Lord of hell and the only way Garcia can bring his girlfriend back is to go through hell in order to face Fleming in his castle of hassle. The story is easy to follow and understand. But what makes the story shine is the interesting characters (or demons) you are going to meet throughout the game, the dark and gothic atmosphere and the sense of humor.

At Garcia’s side is the talkative Johnson, a former demon who serves as your sidekick, and your weapon, switching between three kinds of weapons. Johnson can be upgraded with rare blue gems which can be obtained after killing big bosses. When you obtain one of those rare blue gems, you will have a new weapon or add a new function to the already acquired weapons. The look of the weapon will change to represent the new function. For example, when upgrading the Boner (Handgun) to HotBoner, you can create an explosive shot to break cracked objects or to stick it on the demons and shoot it to explode for maximum damage.

The weapons stats can be enhanced by using another type of gems, the red gems. Red gems can be obtained either by buying them or finding them in the game. You can boost the damage, reload speed and capacity of the weapons. You can also upgrade your health, your torch charge speed and the light shot attributes by using the red gems. The currency in Shadows of the Damned is the white gems. By killing demons or shooting boxes and barrels, you will obtain white gems to buy drinks to replenish your health and red gems.

Like Alan Wake a central theme of the game is light and dark. Demons reside in the darkness, and Garcia will have to make use of the power of light to work through the stages of play. When you enter darkness zones, You’ll have to clear out the darkness to progress. To clear the darkness, you have to hit the goat Lamps (the source of light in Shadows of the Damned) scattered around the game’s stages with light shots. The light and dark gameplay mix things up and add a puzzle element to the gameplay. Sometimes, you will fight demons covered with darkness. In order to kill them, first, you have to purify their bodies of darkness either by using the torch (melee attack) or by shooting the target with a light shot.
 

The shooting gameplay is similar to Resident Evil 4 and 5, but now, you can walk while you are shooting. Also, you can roll to evade demon attacks. The gameplay is intense and very enjoyable. Garcia is a very maneuverable character (which makes the game a bit on the easy side) and I didn’t find myself overwhelmed with the number of demons that are trying to kill me. But when all is said and done, The action is superb in the game that due to the excellent variety of the demons that are you going to encounter and the incredible boss fights.
 

The game is powered by the Unreal Engine and the result is a game that looks great with detailed looking environments and good lighting effects. But there is some technical issues; Sometimes, textures take sometime to load. Some screen tearing and frame rate issues are also apparent and distracting. Though these technical issues are not welcome, it didn’t ruin the experience. The artistic design fits the game very well and there is some 2D side scrolling shooting missions that look very cool and stylish. Thanks to Akira Yamaoka, the music and sound effects are amazing in Shadows of the Damned. In fact, Shadows of the Damned musical score is one of the best I have ever heard in videogames. I really can’t praise it enough.
 

On normal difficulty, the game took me nine hours to complete. You can’t reply chapters again once you beaten the game. I think the designers made that decision to let players experience the game again in a different way. I didn’t maximize my weapons stats to the fullest during my first play-through as I didn’t find all of the red gems in the game.
 

Shadows of the Damned is one of the best action survival horror games ever. It has great boss fights, memorable moments, great action, likable main characters and kick ass soundtrack. Shadows of the Damned is one of the best games of 2011 and my second favorite game of this year after Portal 2. Shadows of the Damned worth your time and money. Buy it.
 

Score: (9.0/10)
 

Bulletstorm is all about kill with skill. Sure, you can play the game boringly like how you would play any other shooter. But you will miss what makes Bulletstorm a unique and enjoyable shooter. Also, you won’t be rewarded with points if you do so. Killing enemies in creative ways and getting points are the main design ideas in Bulletstorm. Bulletstorm reminded me why I love Platinum games last two titles, Bayonetta and Vanquish. You can button mash your way through Bayonetta or you can play Vanquish like a standard third person shooter, but where is the fun in doing so?
 

Bulletstorm takes place in the 26th century, where the Confederation of Planets are protected by a secret black-ops army called Dead Echo. The story follows space pirate Grayson Hunt and his partner Ishi Sato, who were both dishonorably discharged from Dead Echo after they were betrayed by their commanding officer, general Serano. In the prologue chapter of the game, you will play a flashback during the days when Hunt was working with Dead Echo under the command of general Serano. The flashback explains why Hunt want to take revenge on the General and his forces. Ten years later after the incident that made Hunt leave Dead Echo and be a space pirate, he got the chance to get his revenge. But unfortunately, he fails while his ship crash-landed on the planet Stygia, a formerly-hospitable planet now overrun with freaks, feral mutant tribes, criminals, and Godzilla sized monsters.
 

While the game’s story doesn’t take itself too seriously, The story of the game has some good plot twists and likable main characters. The sense of humor is apparent in Bulletstorm. I’ve laughed a few times while listening to the chatter between Hunt and the other characters in the game.
 

The player can kick, slide, leash, shoot and use the environmental objects to create mayhem in the most creative and destructive ways possible. The level design is truly great. Every area has some environmental objects that act as a killing device for you to use: From a simple explosive barrel to man eating plants. The game makes you feel like a bad ass and the great level design motivates you to experiment new ways to kill the hordes of enemies that are coming to kill you.
 
 

The game contains seven different weapons with each weapon can be upgraded. All of the weapons are fun to use. My favorite weapon is the four-barrelled shotgun. Pulling an enemy with the leash ability and shooting him with the four-barrelled shotgun never get old.
 

Graphically, the game looks great that due to the beautiful artistic style. While the game looks great most of the time, some areas lacks the polish and detail of the better looking areas in the game. Beautiful lighting effects and colorful visuals makes Bulletstorm a great looking game overall. During some of the very hectic action scenarios, the game frame rate stutter. While it doesn’t ruin your experience of the game, it’s annoying nonetheless.

The campaign mode of the game is broken up into 8 chapters (including the prologue) which will take you between 7-8 hours to complete for the first time. The campaign mode is very enjoyable with some crazy set pieces. If you want to play the same levels of the campaign without the cut-scenes, you can play echoes mode. The lack of the ability to play the campaign co-op with a friend is disappointing. But don’t worry, as Bulletstorm has a very enjoyable co-op mode called anarchy.
 

In anarchy mode Four players compete for points against waves of enemies, points which can be used to buy upgrades between rounds. But to successfully complete a round a score should be achieved, which requires players to work together and perform team kills if they want to progress. This mode is an evolution of the horde mode that was introduced in Gears of War 2. Anarchy mode is highly addictive, enjoyable and lots of fun.
 

Despite the frame rate issues, few boss fights (I wanted more of them) and the lack of ability to play the campaign mode again with all the weapons fully upgraded from the beginning, Bulletstorm is one of the most fun, intense, crazy and over the top games I have ever played in years.
 

Score: (9.0/10)

Going deeply in the story of the game will absolutely ruin the experience for who is willing to play the game, so I will just cover the basics here. The game revolves around four normal people and the mysterious killer (the origami killer). There are four different playable characters in the game so you will see the game’s story from their different perspectives. For some reason, those characters stories are interconnected for a certain purpose.
 

The game starts very slowly, and in my opinion, it’s a good choice that the developers made the first hours of the game like this. This isn’t a shooter or an action game, Heavy Rain is all about the characters, the setting and the atmosphere. So it’s very important to build up the characters personalities and the atmosphere from the outset. Heavy Rain’s story is emotional and unique, but truth to be told, the game’s story isn’t perfect nor it’s flawlessly executed. What does make the story stand out is how unique and different it is from other stories in the videogames medium. The story isn’t about saving the world or something like that, it’s about the emotions, the characters and it’s also about themes such as love and sacrifice.
 

Heavy Rain plays similar to Quantic Dream’s previous game Indigo Prophecy (or Fahrenheit). Though, the game uses a different and unique control scheme. You have to hold the trigger button to move forward and the left analog stick to move the character left or right. The right analog stick is used to interact with the environment. Yeah, you will get confused from the controls at first, but with time, you will get used to it. Quick time events do play a big role in the game. Is that a bad thing? Not really. The developers of the game did a great job in making quick time events fun by implementing the Sixaxis successfully. They also added some depth to the formula, by forcing you to press/charge a combination of buttons simultaneously.
 
 

The developers at Quantic Dream had tried their best to give the players a cinematic feel, but at the price of not giving the players the best possible camera angle. It’s an issue, but it doesn’t ruin the experience by any means. The visuals looks great, but not perfect. The characters faces are finely detailed, but clothes, hands and especially some objects in the environment aren’t as detailed as you would hope. Though, the game has stunning rain effect and exceptional art direction.
 

Voice acting is great, but sometimes it doesn’t reach the highest standards. Also, there is some Lip syncing issues. The game has great soundtrack as it really enhances the emotional experience you get from the story and it perfectly fits what happens on the screen. Although the game encourages the player to replay the final chapters of the game so to see how the story conclude at the end, there is no reason to return back to the game after you see the different endings of the game.
 

It’s obvious that the developers at Quantic Dream wanted from the beginning to create something closer to movies than to a videogame in Heavy Rain. Despite the lack of replay value and some presentation issues, Quantic Dream has created something refreshing and unique. Heavy Rain is certainly a great step forward in the medium of interactive storytelling.
 
 

Score: (8.5/10)
 
 

The sequel begins not long after the events of Mass Effect. You have defeated Saren, Sovereign and saved the galaxy from the reapers, temporally. The real threat to the galaxy is still there and it’s up to Commander Shepard and his companions to end this. Though an unpleasant event happens, the Normandy (the protagonist Commander Shepard’s ship) comes under attack by an unknown assailant. The ship suffers extensive damage, forcing the crew to evacuate in escape pods. A very big plot twist happens afterward and that’s where the game truly begins.
 

You will be introduced to the Illusive Man who’s in charge of a dark pro human organization named the Cerberus. You will be joining forces with Cerberus in an attempt in combating a new threat which has been abducting entire human colonies. With Cerberus help, Commander Shepard gets his new upgraded Normandy and starts his journey in recruiting a new team to unravel the mystery surrounding the disappearance of human colonies.
 
 

Although the main story of the game is great in its own, it isn’t solely what makes the story of Mass Effect 2 so enjoyable to follow; it’s your companions stories and personalities that will get you excited for the game story. Every character in your team has his own story, his own issue and you will be helping them to overcome their issues if you choose to do so. Also, the game lets you import your save files from the original game which means that it will import all of the decisions you made in the original game. While the main plot will not drastically change, the experience most certainly will and that’s what makes Mass Effect 2 a unique and great experience.
 

One of the many aspects that sees major improvements in the sequel over the original is the combat. Now the game plays more like an intense third person shooter while also granting you the ability in tossing some great biotic powers instead of being a simple shooting game. There are six classes to choose from with each one of them has his own benefits. As an example, the Vanguard class can’t use sniper rifles at the beginning of the game while the Soldier class can. Also, your character biotic powers and abilities will change from a class to another. What has improved also in the sequel is the level design. Now, the levels in which you will be battling foes are designed as battlefields with more objects and larger areas to roam in. The inventory system has been revamped in the sequel as well. This time, you won’t get annoyed from managing the huge number of useless weapons and gears in your inventory. Instead, at the beginning of each mission you will be asked to choose which weapons you and your companions will be using during the mission.
 
 

Mass Effect 2 is one of the best looking games on Xbox360 and the best looking action RPG on any system thus far. The technical issues that bogged down the original game are things of the past; there is no texture pop up/in issues in the sequel and the game also runs at a steady frame rate. Mass Effect 2 has some of the best looking character models in any game especially for the non human character models. Technically, visually and artistically Mass Effect 2 is really something to behold. Also, the game has a great soundtrack and one of the best voice acting I have ever heard in any game. Mass Effect 2 presentation is stellar.
 

Mass Effect 2 is one of the best games this generation and it really is a huge improvement over the original. The game looks great, plays great and has one of the most memorable stories in recent memory. This is a game you will playing multiple times because it’s fun and because it has tons of replay value. I highly recommend that you play through the first game before diving into the sequel as you won’t be enjoying the sequel as someone who did finish the first one. Mass Effect 2 is a masterpiece and I can’t wait to see what Bioware is going to do with the final game in this excellent trilogy.

 
 
Score: (9.5/10)
 
 

The game follows the story of Tyson Rios and Elliot Salem (yes, they are back) who are engaged in a routine mission in Shanghai. Everything goes as planned until a competing PMC attacks the city, causing mayhem and destruction and threatening Rios and Salem’s survival. The story in the sequel is really more of a survival story and about what happens to those characters in the process.

Moral choices are one of the new features in the sequel. At certain points in the game, during some cut scenes, you will be asked to make choices that will be impacting the outcome of the story, available equipment and how other characters see you in the world. While this isn’t something new, it’s a welcome addition to the series as it makes the story more dynamic and more involving. Though the story in the sequel is better than the original, it’s still average.
 

the basic gameplay mechanics haven’t changed too much from the original, but there are a lot of enhancements have been made to the core gameplay and weapons customization. You can now feign surrender in order to outflank the enemy, using human shields, sprint, select from more weapons and upgrades, add interchangeable upgrades between weapons and much more. You’re now equipped with a GPS, which can tag enemies and it gives you better understatement of the environment. Once an enemy is tagged you can see where they are, even if they duck for cover or hide behind walls. The Aggro system makes a comeback as well, and strategic play is a must if you want to survive in this game. Multiplayer in Army of Two: The 40th Day has improved. There are three modes for up to twelve players (four if you pre-ordered the game). Co-op Deathmatch, Control, Warzone, Extraction are all fun to play, but they don’t provide something new to the genre.
 

Playing the campaign mode cooperatively with a friend is still the best way to play the game. But if you want to play it solo, you won’t be disappointed because the partner A.I behaves in an intelligent manner. Enemies A.I doesn’t disappoint either, they will flank you, revive their fallen comrades and much more.
 
 

Visually, Army of Two: The 40th Day looks stunning. It’s one of the best looking games to be running on the Unreal Engine 3. The game has great looking textures, amazing particle effects, and detailed character models. Some imperfections like textures pop up/in do hinder the visuals quality a little bit. But if you are playing the game on Xbox360, I recommend that you install the game on the HDD which will fix the textures pop up/pop issue.
 

One aspect that disappointed me about the visuals is you see all of those scripted scenes where building collapses in front of your eyes, but you can’t blow up the environments. It would have been nice if the environments were fully destructible. The game has great voice acting as you will hear the voice actors deliver their lines expertly. The sound design is good as well. Also, the music in this game describes the situation at the screen perfectly.
 

Army of Two: The 40th Day is a great improvement over the original. The game looks sexy, sounds great and most importantly fun to play. If you’re a fan of the original or co-op play, get this game, it’s fun, but don’t expect something that will blow your mind.
 
Score: (8.0/10)
 

The game starts like this: You take on the role of War, who is one of the four legendary Horsemen of the apocalypse; the apocalypse has just taken place prematurely, and the world destroyed, and War finds himself tasked to find out who was behind this; caught in the heat of battle between angels and demons. You guessed it. Something not good is going to happen and a lot of unanswered questions will rise. The game’s story introduces themes like betrayal, vengeance, justice and it also depends on revelations to keep things interesting.
 
 

As you get deeper in the game, you will meet with some interesting characters that are going to help you in your journey. The first of those characters is The Watcher, he acts like Midna or the fairy Navi from the Legend of Zelda games. He guides you so you can accomplish certain tasks that need to be achieved in order to progress through the game. Another important character is Vulgrim. Feed his hunger for souls and he will feed your curiosity. He’s a greedy demon who provides you with various upgrades, items, and weapon moves during the game, in return for souls you get from your battles.
 

War has lost much of his power. As you progress in the game, you will get his powers back, and you will gain new items that will come in handy. Every new gear item you get in the game will be your tool to success. One of the first important gear items you will get in the game is the cross blade. The Cross blade is Darksider’s version of the Boomerang we knew from Zelda games. It can be used to solve puzzles by hitting objects/switches, and it can also be used as a weapon to hit enemies. Each of the gear items you get in the game can be used to interact with the game’s environment or solve puzzles, and they can also be used in combat.
 
 

The puzzles in this game are fun to solve; they aren’t very challenging to pull off, but they are satisfying. The game tune up its puzzle solving difficulty in the final dungeon, in which you will get a gear item that will grant you the ability to travel between portals. I had a very good time beating the final dungeon, it was cleverly designed and a lot of fun to beat.
 

Fighting in Darksiders is fun and enjoyable, as you will get new weapons and attack moves during your play through. War has some cool moves and a lot of gruesome finishers. Though the combat in Darksiders isn’t perfect. The controls aren’t very intuitive. As you will find yourself pressing a lot of buttons just to execute an attack move. Also, the dash or the evade move wasn’t very responsive. Sometimes, fighting get repetitive even after you get all of the weapons and all the different moves in the game. You will be pulling the same moves again and again.
 
 

Graphically, the game looks great. What makes Darksiders a beautiful game is its amazing artistic design. The game’s environments are colorful, varied and amazingly done. Also, characters and enemies design are superb. The acting and characters animation looks amazing during the game’s cut scenes, but not as fluid as you would hope for during gameplay segments. The voice acting in Darksiders is great and really make the game’s story very enjoyable to follow. The game has good soundtrack, it’s atmospheric and sometimes epic.
 

the developers at Vigil Games have had tried their best in mixing the best parts of what we love from our favorite games while also trying to make the game feel fresh and remarkable. Have they succeeded? Despite some issues in the combat system and not so great final boss fight, Vigil Games has created a worthy action-adventure game. If you are a fan of action-adventure games, you owe it to yourself to play this game because Darksiders is the start of a great franchise.
 
 

Score: (9.0/10)
 

Over the top action, Japanese pop music, and sexual themes are some of the things you are going to see in Bayonetta. Ok, we might have seen this before, so what is unique about Bayonetta then, you ask? The fact that Bayonetta has mixed these elements so brilliantly is a feat in its self, nothing feels forced, it’s all done naturally within the game. But this isn’t the full story here, playing Bayonetta makes you remember the fact that you are playing a videogame; it isn’t trying to be an epic movie, nor to be melodramatic.
 
 

The game’s story revolves around an amnesiac witch, who awoke after a 500 year sleep and found herself with no memories of who or what she is. As the story of the game progresses, she will start to get her memories piece by piece. The story in this game has some depth, and it will keep you interested until you see it through to the end. Some of the plot details in the game won’t be explained through the game cut scenes, so if you want to have a better explanation of Bayonetta’s world and story, you have to read the notes (Antonio notes) which are scattered within the game’s levels. Though, the game doesn’t take its self too seriously, the cut scenes are over the top and most of the time comical.

The gameplay in Bayonetta is what makes this game so enjoyable. As it features one of the best combat systems in the genre. Bayonetta, the game heroine can perform lots of devastating attacks. The list of moves in this game is impressive. With lots of combos and variations. “Witch Time” which activates when the player makes a well-timed dodge to an attack is a very great gameplay mechanism. This temporarily slows time to allow Bayonetta to inflict massive amounts of counter damage before the enemies can react. The game also has some very well animated finishing moves (Torture Moves) that can be triggered whenever the magic bar is filled. The game keeps things fresh by introducing new enemies and giving the player new tools to kill them. While the emphasis of the game is on the combat, there are some platforming and puzzle solving to be done. Puzzle solving in Bayonetta isn’t too complex, as they revolves around evading a bolt of lightning to activate “witch time” in order to reach some areas, or stepping on platforms to open doors. There are some segments in the game that resembles some of Sega classic games; one of these segments plays exactly like Yu Suzuki classic game, Space Harrier. Another segment puts Bayonetta to ride a motorcycle, which also resemble another cult classic, Hang On. these segments are fun to play, as they also provide a throwback to the golden age of Sega.
 

Now lets talk about the incredible boss fights in this game. The size of the boss enemies in this game are some of the biggest you are going to encounter in an action game. They are big, ugly, and a lot of fun to kill. One of my favorites boss fights in the game is the fight with the tentacled monster. In order to kill him, you have to get on one of his many heads and keep running until you arrive at his weak point (reminded me a bit of Shadow of the Colossus). Killing the Boss enemies isn’t a walk in the park in Bayonetta, as the bosses will give you some hard time, but at the same time these fights never feel cheap or unfair. The final blow to a monster boss won’t be a normal attack, as Bayonetta will summon one of her many monsters from her hair to kill the enemy for once and for all.
 
 

 
 

Killing the game’s enemies will make them drop some loots, the most important are Halos (Sonic precious rings anyone?). Halos are the game’s currency which can be used to purchase new items, moves and more. To do so, you have to visit Rodin, the owner of the Gates of Hell bar. Do you remember the freaky person who sells you items and upgrades for weapons in Resident Evil 4? Rodin acts like him in Bayonetta, in fact he drops a joke about this by saying “Whadya buyin? Heard it once in a game.” Another way to gain some halos is by finishing the game missions, the better you play, the more halos you will gain. It’s all depends on your performance. Between missions, you will play a shooting mini game. If you manage to win enough points, you can exchange these points with items or with more Halos.
 

Graphically, the game looks great with some cool environments to play in. The Character models are well detailed and enemies design are unique. Rain, heavy blowing wind, and incredible visual effects keep the game environments fresh and alive. The action in Bayonetta moves at a staggering speed and the game runs at a steady frame rate, but sometimes when the action get hectic, the frame rate dips a bit which results into some slowdown. Another annoying issue in the game’s visuals is the presence of screen tearing. Though these issues are there to stay, they don’t ruin the experience by any means. The game’s soundtrack is catchy and sometimes very epic.
 

It took me 13 hours to finish the game for the first time on Normal difficulty and that without finishing most of the side challenges in the game. There are 21 side challenges (Alfheim missions) and if you manage to do them all, you will unlock a Survival Mode (Lost Chapter – Angel Slayer) just like the Bloody Palace in Devil May Cry games. I have spent over 25 hours playing the game, and I still not getting tired of it. Bayonetta has tons of replay value.

Bayonetta is a great achievement. Kamiya and the folks at Platinum games have had created an amazing game with lots of action and great set pieces. Bayonetta is a breath of fresh air to the industry that gives more hope for what to come in the future. Action beat em up fans behold the new king of the genre, Bayonetta.
 

Score: (9.5/10)

In my opinion this is where the hardest and the most critical part in the entire game, and I almost bet that everyone who has tried the game, either has continued or stopped playing the game after that point. Simply because it is hard to finish the first level without dying, and unless you are one of the hardcore gamers who enjoys challenging games such as Ninja Gaiden, you will end up confused and frustrated. But if you give the game a little more time you will play one of the best action RPGs ever made. And if you are a fan of Zelda games, then you will discover a new darker Zelda.
 
 

There is not much of a story in this epic journey, it is undemanding and brief. The depth of the game is found in the gameplay, online features and upgrades. But to make it simple and spoilers free, the story is about a king who channeled the power of the souls. Isolating his kingdom (Boletaria) by a thick fog, thus slaying demons will get you closer to overcome that fog.
 

The best thing about this game is its gameplay, it is very deep. No one could play this game unless he/she is willing to study all foes moves, to wait for the right moment with the right tool to strike. There are a lot of enemies in Demon’s souls and they keep coming even if you had beaten the chapter’s boss, the idea behind this is to dive into any chapter and start farming for souls in order to build up your weapons and character. If you get killed, then you will get back to the same spot to claim your souls. But if you fail and get killed before reaching that point, your souls will be disappeared forever.
 

Each of the playable characters or classes: Knight, priest, thief, magician, temple knight, soldier, wanderer, barbarian, royal and hunter can be male or female and it will not affect the story. However, it will affect the gameplay and each will have his or her strategy. The other important element in the game is world and character tendency, it is a bit complicated to understand at first, but you will get used to it if you know the drivers of the tendency. Killing demons and black phantoms offline or online would move your tendency and the world that you currently playing in towards white. But Killing harmless NPCs, invading other people/killing or getting killed in the world will move your world and character tendency towards black. In white tendency, foe are easier, but will drop less items and on the contrary. Black tendency will make foes much stronger, but with a higher drop rate of items. Each tendency has its own events: talking to some character, slaying some special demons and getting some particular items will require either a black or white tendency.
 
 

Other importing fact besides hunting souls is gathering stones, as you will need loads of stones if you want to upgrade your weapons and armors. Also, your character weight will play an important role in the game. So If your character weight is too heavy you will end up moving in a slow pace, in which it will affect your combat performance. The controls are great and once you get used to it, it will be easy to aim by pressing R3 near any foe you encounter. But at the same time the targeting system is not perfect. There are certain combos for each type of weapon. So, you will be experimenting with various weapons before you wield your weapon of choice.
 

The graphics are great, but they are not Uncharted 2 visuals. The characters and enemies’ design is top notch. However, it will not matter much in this game since you are going to be busy keeping yourself alive. There are some noticeable frame rate issues, but thankfully not to the extent of ruining the game. The game world design is unique with some great atmospheric environments. You will not hear any background music while you are playing through the game chapters, but only slashes of swords, bows and armors. Soundtrack is fresh and suits the game well. It’s dark and well picked to be side by side with each demon you will encounter.
 

The thing that really sets Demon’s Souls apart is how it handles multiplayer. Your choice of being a friend or foe will make your experience tense and dynamic. Black phantoms will hunt you either alone or with bunch of friends, either way you will have to be ready for them or just pull of the Internet cable and play offline. Red and white shadows you will encounter while you are playing online could give hints that you need in this game. Some people would enjoy helping out friends while other enjoy invading other worlds. The good thing about this feature is the fairness behind it. As people that invade you or people that you summon have to be in your soul range. So the only difference here is kind of magic weapon and strategy that you could do. There are some surprises, but thankfully there are few, some gamers would have much stronger weapons that they took from a friend by trading. Hence, if you have friends that own the game you should start negotiating.
 
 

The difficulty system in this game is harsh yet fair. But every time that you die, you die just because of your mistakes, and every time you die you will learn from your own mistakes until you master the game. Overall, the game is a lot of fun and enjoyable. So I will make it simple, it is a must buy for any action RPG gamer and for anyone else who consider himself/herself as a gamer, rent it and try to judge it after you finish the first boss. Demon’s Souls is just like any great movie, the beginning is a little bit boring then it will turn over into a piece of art.
 

Score: (9.0/10)
 
 

The sequel begins immediately after the events of Assassin’s Creed with Desmond staring at cryptic messages on his bedroom wall. Desmond and a fellow assassin Lucy Stillman escape from the lab to a nearby warehouse where Lucy reveals she and a new team have been working on a new device. Soon, you will find that this new device is an upgraded version of the Animus (Animus 2.0). Once you jump on the Animus 2.0, you will be sent to Italy during the Renaissance. From here, you will see the birth of Ezio, the protagonist of the game.
 
 

The purpose of the first couple of missions in the game is to familiarize the player with the basic gameplay elements and to introduce the player to Ezio’s family. After completing some errand missions for Ezio’s father, an unfortunate plot twist happens. As Ezio will witness the execution of his father and his bothers in front of his eyes. After that, Ezio plans to escort his sister and his mother to safety and to avenge his family loss. From here, the story gets more and more complicated, as you will see more plot twists and you will meet with new characters throughout the course of the game. When everything is said and done, the game’s story is more fleshed out than the original and very exciting to follow.
 

The game plays exactly like the first one, but with more things to do. The developers seems to have listened carefully to the community feedbacks. The huge selection of the missions and the variety of things you can do in the game is a huge improvement over the original. As an example, the new Assassin Tomb areas, which plays like Prince of Persia games are challenging and fun to play. The side quests are more varied with some old (from the original) and new mission types. Also, there is treasure chests to open, codex pages to collect, assassin crests to obtain and much more.
 

Another new feature in Assassin’s Creed II is the economy system which allows players to use an in-game currency to purchase items such as smoke bombs, healing potion, poison bottles, armors, swords and much more. Players may also hire mercenaries and women to distract guards. Further in the game, you will meet with uncle Mario who will introduce you to your new home, a small villa which will act as a home space, but can be upgraded to include doctors, shops and brothels. The more money you spend on the Villa, the more people will come to visit, and consequence to that more income to your pocket. While the investment system is not very deep, it’s a welcome addition to the series. Also, Leonardo da Vinci the infamous Italian figure plays a big role in the game, as he will supply Ezio with new tools and skill techniques to use in his journey.
 

Another new feature in the game is the notoriety system. A rounded meter at the top-left of the screen will show you how notorious you are. The less this notoriety meter is filled, the harder the task for enemies to spot you from the crowd. You can cool down the meter by performing various task such as removing wanted posters, bribing heralds, and killing officials.
 

What does make the game even a better experience are the great voice acting and the amazing soundtrack. The graphics in the game has improved from the original, and some locations such as the beautiful city of Venice will make you stop just to admire the views. But what has disappointed me regarding the game’s visuals are the character models. As you will see some characters lacking some facial expressions, in which it could lessen your immersion in the game.
 
 

Since Assassin’s Creed 2 gameplay focus too much on stealth, I think enemies A.I is an important segment I have discuss. While the developers of the game did a good job in implementing the enemies A.I in the game, I have witnessed some weird A.I behaviors from the enemies and some bugs in the game. I saw an enemy soldier walking on the edge of a house rooftop, then he suddenly fall of by himself and died. In another scene, I was chased by some soldiers and I climbed up a ladder, one of those soldiers climbed the same ladder, but he continued climbing up while he is floating in mid air.

Ubisoft did a very good job in delivering a better experience this time around. I played this game non stop and I have never felt bored while playing the game. If you liked the first one, then you will enjoy the sequel even more. But for anyone who didn’t like the original, the developers made a lot of changes that could change your mind. Assassin’s Creed 2 is a very enjoyable action-adventure game. The game’s great story, beautiful environments, great gameplay and the variety of things you can do in the game makes this game a must have title for anyone looking for an amazing action adventure experience. My advice to you: Get this game.
 
 

Score: (9.5/10)