Resident Evil 6 Officially Confirmed

Another Resident Evil game was inevitable, and now it has been confirmed that RE 6 is in development and is set to be released November 20th of this year (2012). Leon S. Kennedy and Chris Redfield will be the zombie fighting duo this time around. To get more information and view the game's first trailer, click the link below.

Capcom USA Blog

Image Source: Capcom 

1 Year Anniversary!

I've have officially been posting on this blog for more than one year. To anyone who actually reads this blog I love you and thank you so much. My goal for the next year is to post more consistently and bring in more readers. Hopefully I will also be creating a new Youtube channel to enhance this blog and revamping my website. Committing to anything for a year is a big step for me and I hope that I can make this blog more interesting, enjoyable, and possibly helpful for anyone who reads it. Thank you so much.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol Review

The "Mission Impossible" film franchise began in 1996 with the first "M:I". Ethan Hunt, a member of the "Impossible Missions Force" or IMF, is suspected of disloyalty and disavowed  from the IMF after being set-up. He assembles of team of other disavowed agents and they set out to find the party that set him up. Different variations of this basic plot are seen in "M:I-2", "M:I-3", and (surprise, surprise) "M:I Ghost Protocol." This time Ethan Hunt is broken out of a Russian prison and enlisted to infiltrate the Kremlin to retrieve files that will identify an evil mastermind who has just obtained Russia's nuclear launch codes. To avoid spoilers, I won't go into much more detail, but Ethan is set-up again and must fight to save the world.

No, this film's plot is not completely or maybe even mostly original, but that doesn't mean it's not a great movie. The gadgets and stunts in this movie are incredible and creative. All of the actors were great, and Simon Pegg added just the right touch of comedic talent to the film. Even though you pretty much know where the film is headed, it's action packed from beginning to end and keeps you on the edge of your seat. For me, this movie is right up there with "Thor", "Rise of the Planet of the Apes", and "Deathly Hallows Part 2" for best action movies of 2011. If you're just looking for a good popcorn flick this will more than suffice.

This movie gets 4 out of 5 stars from me.

Kindle Fire Review

 
   I've seen a lot of reviews of the Kindle Fire online, and most of them were done by highly tech savvy people who work for large online magazines and blogs. To be honest I didn't feel that those reviews were very relevant to the majority of this device's buyers. It seems that the people who are purchasing the Kindle Fire want a cheap way to browse the web, play tablet games and check email. This item appeals to those who aren't really interested in specs and performance. It appeals to older adults like my mother, whom I purchased this device for. I really think she just wanted to play "Bejeweled" and "Angry Birds" and read a book or two. In fact, the first thing she did when got the Kindle Fire was set up a wifi connection and download "Bejeweled 2".
   The Kindle Fire is perfect for people like my mom. Its cheap, simple, and lightweight. I don't think this tablet is anywhere near the iPad or that it should even be called a tablet. It's basically an e-reader that does a little more, but that's what a lot of people are looking for.
   For what it has (e-reader, browser, apps, video streaming) and its price of $200 I would recommend this to anyone looking for a tablet to give to their non-geeky parents or grandparents, or to anyone who is an older parent or grandparent just looking to do simple tasks.
   I will say that one downside is that the Kindle Fire doesn't include a camera, but buyers should also consider that today most people own a personal computer and if they don't have a webcam they can probably find one for a very low price. Of course, you could always give someone a netbook for about the same price as this tablet.

Cut to the chase:
Good for older and non-geeky people, not good for iPad geeks

Gears of War 3 Review

The "Gears of War" trilogy has spanned over nearly five years. "Gears of War" was one of the first big 360 exclusive titles. It's campaign became legendary as well as it's online multiplayer experience. Then came "Gears of War 2" which was one of the top games of 2008. No one will ever forget the moment when Dom found Maria. After playing "Gears of War 3" I have to say that it lived up to the legacy of it's two predecessors and exceeded it in some ways.

Campaign

Similar to the first two installments, the Gears of War 3 campaign is full of intense action, one-liners, and heart wrenching moments. There are a few new weapons, like the Vulcan machine gun and a sawed-off shotgun, and most of the old ones that players have come to love. Marcus and the rest of the gang must fight their way to a city protected by an artificial hurricane where Marcus' father, Adam, and his secret weapon are located. They must fight the Lambent as well as the Locust and there are many twists and turns along the way. The campaign's writing is phenomenal (the voice acting... not so much) and from the moment I started playing it I didn't want to put the controller down. This campaign was my favorite part of Gears of War 3 and probably my favorite campaign out of all three installments.

Horde

Gears of War 3 features an entirely revamped Horde mode with many similarities to survival modes from franchises like Halo and Call of Duty. Players now earn money by killing enemies and completing bonus challenges. They use that money to purchase barriers, weapons, turrets and decoys that will help the fight the horde. Every tenth round is a boss round where players have to fight a random pick of the strongest Lambent or Locust enemies such as Berserkers. These changes have made horde mode more interesting and strategic and can make the experience very entertaining in co-op mode

Multiplayer

I have never been quite as interested in the "Gears" mutilplayer as I was in other games like Modern Warfare 1 & 2 and Halo 3, but once in a while if I'm bored or my friends ask me I'll play it. The things I enjoyed about the multiplayer modes in the previous two games are all included and in some cases improved in Gears of War 3. The cover based system and controls have been improved and many of the maps are larger and more fun to play on. The only negative that really stands out when I play online multiplayer is the sawed-off shotgun. The Gnasher shotgun is already very powerful and deadly at short range, so I don't understand why the sawed-off was included in the multiplayer modes. It's overpowered and can make a match miserable. My biggest hope is that it's power is adjusted in the next update.

Overall

Gears of War 3 is a fantastic game and for players who enjoy shooters with substance it is definitely worth the money. If you're worried about playing online multiplayer, it might be wise to wait until the game is updated to see what changes are made.

Modern Warfare 3: Top 5 Multiplayer Features That Make Me Hopeful

5. No Nukes - If you've played MW2 online you've almost certainly earned a nuke with a 25 kill streak or been annihilated by one in the last few minutes of a match your team was winning. It would seem that getting 25 kills without a death takes great skill, and might even merit a game winning reward, but in MW2 it didn't. Using One Man Army, any jerk could sit in a corner shooting a grenade launcher until he/she had a Harrier, a Chopper Gunner, and finally a Nuke. But no more will players live in fear of noobs with nukes. They will not be a part of MW3's new kill/point streak system.

4. COD Elite - Although a lot of the features of the free version of Call of Duty Elite aren't original, they are pretty cool and will add to the already high replay value that MW3 will most likely have. Players won't have to use third party websites to start private clans with their friends or share videos. I'm still not sure if the paid version is worth $50 a year though. It is $10 less than buying all of the DLC would be, but I only bought the first Black Ops Map Pack. If you plan on purchasing every map pack the paid version is definitely the way to go though, and you would probably save the most money by purchasing the Hardened Edition of Modern Warfare 3.

3. Strike Packages - What makes me most excited about the new kill/point streak system isn't the rewards themselves or their division into three classes, but the fact that killing people won't be the sole objective of the multiplayer experience anymore. The biggest objective will be earning points for your team. Domination, headquarters, and capture the flag are constantly ruined by people camping at objectives just to get kills and not helping their teams win. Every multiplayer mode eventually turned into TDM. I know that there will always be greedy bimbos that just want to camp and get their KD's up, but I think this new system will encourage people to run around and actually work with teammates to win. Of course, I've been wrong many times before.






2. No One Man Army - Campers and Boosters loved this perk, but now they'll just have to find new ways to ruin matches. This is one of the worst perks in any Call of Duty game, but the next item on my list still beats it.







1. No Commando - Not much to say about this one. It allowed people to teleport and survive falls off of buildings even after they'd been shot. Yeah. This perk made me wanna toss my xbox out the window a few times, but fortunately I'm not crazy enough to destroy $300.

Biggest Fall Game Releases

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Release Date: 11/1/11


This was one of the biggest games at E3 this year and may be one of the biggest games of the year. The adventures of Nathan Drake continue in the Arabian Desert in this third addition to the Uncharted franchise. This title will be exclusive to the Playstation 3 just as the first two were.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Release Date: 11/11/11

Probably the most anticipated role-playing game of 2011, Skyrim is expected to be a contender for game of the year on many lists. Oblivion was hugely successful and this game is expected to follow in it's predecessor's footsteps. Battles with dragons and tons of weapons and customization await in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Release Date: 11/8/11

This addition to the bestselling Call of Duty franchise and follow up to Modern Warfare 2, which sold nearly 7.5 million copies worldwide, is expected to be just as popular. The shake-up in Infinity Ward and the addition of Sledgehammer Games have raised some questions about this game, but as long as the story continues loyal Modern Warfare fans will stick with the series.

Gears of War 3
Release Date: 9/20/11

This Xbox 360 exclusive continues Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad's battle against the Locust. Gears of War is one of the oldest and most popular Xbox 360 titles. The campaign and multiplayer modes could make Gears of War 3 just as exciting, emotional, and successful as 1 and 2.

Battlefield 3
Release Date: 10/25/11

Battlefield 2 was released over six-years ago. It did not include a single-player campaign, but the multiplayer experience alone made it a highly enjoyable and beloved game. Fans of the Battlefield franchise will be rewarded with a new addition which will include a single-player campaign as well as multiplayer modes. This game's amazing visuals are making it a real possible competitor to Modern Warfare 3.

Rage
Release Date: 10/4/11

From the publishers of Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and the developers behind Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein comes Rage. This apocalyptic FPS will include a vast variety of enemies, weapons, and vehicles. This is also expected to be a fantastic game and a sequel has already been planned.

Assassin's Creed Revelations
Release Date: 11/30/11

In Assassin's Creed Revelations players will be able to play as Ezio Auditore once again as Desmond continues to dive into his ancestor's memories. In addition to the single-player campaigns seen in Assassin's Creed 1 & 2, Revelations will also include the multiplayer experience seen in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood.