Well GI Editor-in-Chief Adam McNamara said he didn’t think we’d be able to guess what game would be the cover feature in the June issue of GameInformer. He was right about me at least. So It’s not Half Life 3, but at this point we’ve all come to realize that no magazine will ever reveal it. It’ll just show up one day, with suitcases and an apology.

Part of me is wondering if this means that we’ll lose the traditional Single-Player only RPGs we’ve all grown so accustomed to. The other part simply doesn’t care. As far as game mechanics and visual representation goes, Skyrim and the other games have already been Single-Player MMOs. I will however say that I’m not ready to pay for a subscription to get the same addiction I could get for one flat price.

More details over at GameInformer

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When motion control gaming took the world by storm, fans cried out for one thing; motion controlled lightsabers. Star Wars fans have been pretending to swing lightsabers for a long time, so adding a motion control game to reinforce that action was a no-brainer. Microsoft unveiled Kinect Star Wars at E3 to mixed response, promising to address the concerns before release. The result is the potential fun that could be had only managing to occasionally peek out through the technical issues.

That Menacing Phantom…

Kinect Star Wars features various modes with the overarching story of investigating the Jedi records, but the Jedi Destiny mode acts as the most character driven option. You assume the role of a Jedi Padawan on their way to Kashyyk for training, right in the middle of a Trandoshian invasion. You set off to discover the reason for the invasion and assist your master in quelling the threat in your quest to become a Jedi Knight.

Other modes have their own story, whether it’s the rancor that escapes and goes on a rampage or the unlikely janitor that rises to become a podracing professional. While the latter modes need no real explanation, the Jedi Destiny mode has an unexpectedly bland story for a campaign. Situations arise that are plucked straight from the movies and no attempt at producing anything unique is made. Considering this is the Star Wars franchise with a huge universe of lore, the story only manages to scratch the surface of potential.

Visually, Kinect Star Wars feels…lacking. Rough background textures adorn most of the environments and character models fail to impress up close. These distractions can hold back the greater cinematic moments, especially since the animation is the most appealing visual aspect. The Star Wars license is best used in providing a familiar soundtrack and authentic sounds of blaster fire and a lightsaber’s hum. Jennifer Hale even returns to voice her third Jedi Master, breathing a small amount of life into the dead husk that is the story.

This is my Lightsaber, There are Many Like It…

There are five total modes to choose from in Kinect Star Wars, with Jedi Destiny acting as the main campaign;

Jedi Destiny puts you behind a Jedi Padawan, using one hand to swing your lightsaber and the other to use the Force. You can also put one foot forward to close distance between you and your enemy and even jump to flip over them. The combat soon throws droidekas and dueling droids your way, which require more than a simple arm swing to overcome.

There are attempts to mix up these sequences with speeder bike chases and one on one duels. The duels usually involve trading off between blocking and attacking and do little more than that. There is even a Duel of Fates mode to hone your craft in dueling the tougher generals, working your way up to face off against the dark lord himself.

Though the mode has the right idea, the game fails to really capture your attention. The pacing wears thin after the first planet, and hacking through hallway after hallway loses appeal fast. You have no ability to target specific enemies, and the droideka lighting you up in the distance will have to get in line behind the measly battle droid that is a few steps away. The attempt to vary the gameplay with starship sequences and speeder bike chases outstay their welcome, and the faulty tracking oftentimes mistakes movements for dodging or fails to acknowledge your intentions altogether.

Vivacious Variety

The other three modes prove more entertaining than the base Jedi Destiny campaign:

Podracing puts you behind the “wheel” of your favorite vehicle. Pulling back with your right hand turns right, and pulling back with your left hand turns left. Pulling both hands back and pushing forward will boost, and raising your left or right hand will use an item from your loadout. The mode holds up well enough with six different tracks and multiple racers to choose from, but turning on a dime and careful handling are difficult to get the hang of for the tougher tracks.

Galactic Dance has you pitted against the franchises most notorious figures…in a dance off. Akin to Dance Central, you perform the moves listed on the flashcards and chain together combos for a high score. There is no practice mode and you are thrown right into the mix with little explanation. The game has trouble with tracking once again, but works well for the most part with multiple difficulties. The mode alone is worth playing just to see the emperor dancing to Deadmau5.

Rancor Rampage has you assume the role of a rancor by hopping, charging, and stomping your way through one of four planets. A challenge mode will require you to perform specific actions for a boost in points, and fury mode will simply ask for you to survive the waves of enemies attempting to stop your tirade. Oddly enough, this proves to be the most enjoyable mode to play as trampling through buildings and hearing the one-liners of flying civilians never disappoint, and the leveling system will keep you coming back. Controlling the rancor’s movement can prove difficult, as you must either charge or slowly stomp your way to intended targets.

Buddy System

In all of the aforementioned modes, a co-operative option is available at any time. The hop-in, hop-out co-op is a nice touch and going through the game with a friend makes for a much better experience than flying solo. The benefit of having a second lightsaber to hack away at droids or fellow Rancor to assist in completing challenge objectives outshines the lacking AI or lonely experience. If you want to experience Kinect Star Wars at its best, it’s with a friend.

Each mode has a series a of unlocks or rewards for completing certain tasks, and provides incentive for completing everything offered. These usually involve completing each mode on a tougher difficulty or performing a specific task to unlock new characters or different difficulties. Placing first in a race can unlock a new podracer or completing a dance with five stars can unlock a new character. The varying objectives can be a chore to accomplish, and the reward is usually not worth the time invested.

Despite this attempt, Kinect Star Wars is much more of a party game than an actual solo experience. In most cases death is treated too lenient, oftentimes popping you right back into place for another run. It makes the game seem much simpler than it should be, as it rarely forces you to retrace your path from a checkpoint. Each mode will only last you a few hours before it’s all said and done…or if you collapse from exhaustion.

Overall

Kinect Star Wars fails to really capture what was desired. Technical issues with the Kinect and an overall uninspiring campaign drag the game below expectations. Though the less focused modes end up being the most entertaining, they won’t hold your attention long. Frustrating platforming, unresponsive controls, and repetitive battles make Kinect Star Wars one of those titles where glimpses of enjoyment get snuffed out for frustrating moments. It’s not a completely lost experience, but those looking for their pivotal Jedi experience will fall victim to a Jedi Mind trick…

Pros:

• Multiple game modes offer different styles of gameplay
• Star Wars license grants authentic sound
• Hop in, hop out co-operative multiplayer for all features
• Plenty of unlocks and varying difficulties

Cons:

• Technical issues hold the Jedi mode back from any real greatness
• Rough textures and little visual appeal
• General control for each mode allows little precision
• Jedi Destiny gameplay soon grows stale after the first planet

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All the graphics have been redone and enhanced to show what this game would be like if it were made in modern times instead of 20 years ago. They are of course HD, but they’re more than that. The animations and sprites feel so… natural. They belong together. It runs at a silky smooth 60 FPS and all the animations were hand-drawn, so that definitely helps the presentation. I would expect no better from Sega itself. And I DO expect no better from Sega- my faith in that company’s ability to produce good 2-dimensional Sonic games landed on spikes after trying Sonic 4. But more on that later.

The sound is also surprisingly top-notch. All the old sound effects are there and crystal clear. The remix of EH1+2′s music has a little too much going on at times though, and counters the nostalgia factor. In the original, the music was more in the background, but you could still listen to it. Now if feels like the music is standing right in front of me, obscuring my view of the game. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good remix in it’s own right and it far from ruins the experience. I just don’t think it fits the gameplay as well as the original’s music did. That being said, I couldn’t imagine playing Sonic 2 HD with the old music because it would feel even more out of place. I think this game would benefit from more subtle and faithful remixes (depending on the level), as opposed to the orchestral-sounding sample we have in EH1+2 HD.

The physics engine is the most important aspect of any Sonic game in my opinion. If the physics suck, the game sucks. Plain and simple. Luckily, the team behind Sonic 2 HD stayed true to the original and didn’t fix what wasn’t broken like Sega did with Sonic 4. Everything you remember being able to do in the original, you can do in the remake. Even the little nuances like how fast you tap your spindashes to gain speed is there. I would actually be surprised if you couldn’t speedrun the remake exactly as you would the original. That is a HUGE compliment to this game’s designers.

That being said, there are some differences. The only ones I’ve found so far are 2 10-ring monitors- 1 in EH1:

And 1 in EH2:

Why were those added? I can only assume the team thought those areas needed more substance or rings, or maybe they just wanted leave their mark on the level design. Whatever the case, the extra monitors don’t have much of an effect on the way the zones play out.

The only other differences I noticed were presentational, like being able to go right into EH2 at the end of EH1, making the zones feel more connected.

Along with that, there are 3 known secrets so far. When you play through the first time, you will probably notice that Tails is missing. I guess they haven’t worked out his AI yet. But you can still play as him after you beat the demo (as you can see in : when you get back to the start screen, hold B and press start to play as Tails! I also guess they haven’t worked out flying yet because that feature isn’t available either. Nevertheless, it’s pretty cool and gives you even more incentive to play through the demo again. Another element that must still be in development is the special stage- it’s noticeably absent in the alpha.

I’m not 100% sure how it’s unlocked, but Debug Mode is available as well, and is at least as fully functional as the original’s. I saw a video that showcases each secret, and it seems that getting the Perfect Bonus for 100% rings collected unlocks Debug Mode.

The other really cool secret allows you to play a work in progress of Hill Top Zone 1- a level you come across later in the game. I’m not exactly sure what unlocks this, and there doesn’t seem to be any legit documentation of how to unlock it on the internet. I could be wrong, so if you don’t want to waste time experimenting, I recommend you do some research of your own.

As a side note, if you let the start screen hang, credits will play over a video of 20+ uniquely colored Sonics running through the first level. They all behave slightly different, and it instantly makes me think of how cool that kind of multiplayer would be. I’m not so sure it would be mcuh fun in the original levels, but if some extra gameplay elements were added and custom level designs were possible… man, it could be really cool.

In conclusion, this alpha demo is awesome and definitely has me hyped for the official release, or the next demo (whichever comes first). Sonic 2 has fantastic level design and physics- if Sega really wants to please their long-time fans, they need to look at what made the originals so good. That doesn’t mean getting rid of newer features like the homing attack- I actually think the homing attack would be a fun additional feature in Sonic 2. But Sega, please oh please work on the physics. Sonic 4′s physics were nothing like the Genesis classics which Sonic 4 is supposed to be a continuation of. If Sonic 4 really is a sequel to Sonic 3 & Knuckles, convince us that it is, or call it something else. Because right now it looks like you just want to rip off your older fans. And maybe that’s all you really want to do to make that extra money. But Sonic 4 Episode 2 could be amazing. Please try harder.

Official Sonic 2 HD website

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Yes, we did just review Mass Effect 3 a while back. That was an epic game set in space. And yes, it too was soured by a disappointing ending (more on what that is later in the review). But dammit, Angry Birds Space has reinvigorated my pooping. So much so that I relish seeing that porcelain throne, and put a spring in my step, closing the door with gusto. Alright, enough of all this potty talk.

For veterans of the previous titles Angry Birds and the post release iterations Seasons and Rio this game will be a departure. Although the Appstore juggernaut has had a meteoric rise across mobile platforms, among a vocal group the series has grown stagnant and prone to boredom. Space attempts to remedy these criticisms by, well — going into space.

I could describe to you in detail why this game is different from the previous versions, but for 99 cents you can form your own opinions. What I will tell you is the biggest difference isn’t the things Birds’ antagonists have been most vocal about. The physics are even more in limbo than they were on Terra Firma. In the vacuum of space, some objects float forever, and some simply stop. This leads to some rage induced shouting, wherein which everyone can hear you scream.

But this time, the game’s most infuriating aspect leads to some of its most fun laden thrills. I’ve never tried hurling a bird. But if I did, I’d want to see it careening through the atmosphere of a small moon, slingshot across the accretion disc of a singularity, and then topple over a mountain of debris and pigs. That’s what I paid for. That’s what I want.

Now I promised a disappointing ending. Not BioWare levels of disappointment, but disappointment nonetheless. For your buck you’re given 60 stellar levels filled with some exciting retro-gaming throwback bonuses hidden in between. However, when that’s over you’re introduced to the “Danger Zone”. You’re given the first level as a teaser to how difficult it will be, and then asked to purchase these levels for an additional dollar.

I don’t know which is more relevant, my cheapness or Rovio’s moneygrubbingness (sp?). But I do know this: that second buck will last me longer than the first. The Danger Zone levels are catered to the top tier. People like me basically. I can three star an entire page of levels in one shitting (pun). I’m in the 99 percentile of all players across iOS devices. I’d like to think if Rovio came to me and told me the fate of the world depended on my beating their newest game and handed me an iPad and toilet bowl I would rise (or sit) to the occasion. These levels will take even me a while.

So there you have it. For what it’s worth, Angry Bird fans will love this game, although the game they came for will be over quickly. Should they stay for the Danger Zone, it will undoubtedly be an experience they’re not used to: a challenge.

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WATCH THE VIDEO REVIEW

It’s hard to put a game like Journey into words. Journey is much more of an experience than an actual game. There are no leaderboards, no kill/death ratio, and no competitive multiplayer. Much like That Game Company’s previous titles of Flower or Flow, its much more about an interactive world that evokes emotion rather than something that is meant to be challenging and adrenaline inducing. Journey continues that trend, by providing a beautiful simplicity in a market strewn with high scores and complexity.

You begin the game plopped into the middle of a desert. There is no spoken dialogue and not a word of text. All you are given is a goal, a mountain in the distance with a beacon of light adorning its peak. Each segment of the game is broken up to reveal a little about the world around you through tapestries depicting events that shaped the realm to its current state. While a basis is established for the backstory, much of Journey is left to self interpretation. Your nameless entity passes by lands filled with graves, living organisms that respond to your pulse, and intimidating robotic monstrosities that attack you on sight; it’s an expansive and mysterious world that pushes you forward to discover what is next.

The overall mystery drives you forward, but the visual appeal of Journey will have you engrossed in the game from start to finish. Every segment of the game is akin to walking through a painting, ranging from vast deserts to a frozen wasteland. In addition to the gorgeous cel-shaded polish, subtle touches like the free-floating scarf and resonating trail your character leaves in the sand help make Journey one of the best looking downloadable titles to grace the PS3. Accenting the amazing look is a thoughtfully crafted soundtrack. Each melody compliments its surroundings, adding to the haunting and beautiful scenery you explore.

Gameplay is stripped down to the basics, with one button to jump and another to send out a pulse that ignites life around you, which expands depending on how long you hold the button down. Your scarf acts as your gauge for how far and long you can sustain a jump, and this gauge is recharged by the lively cloth scattered around the path. The scarf can be further extended by discovering enchanted cloth scattered around the levels. The game boils down to a platformer, with a few stealth segments and environmental hazards mixed between. Despite the limited variety, the simplicity of using cloth to boost jumps and encouragement to string glides together to gracefully soar along the path never loses appeal.

Co-operative play is automatically incorporated as soon as you drop into the world. There is no voice chat, and the most interaction you can have are small song notes that you can send out with the pulse. Staying close together will recharge your scarf, encouraging you to take on Journey with a friend at your side. With no notification of a player joining, it’s as if you stumble upon a fellow traveler along the road and embark together toward your goal. There is even a list of all the players you encountered at the end credits, adding names to the faces you encountered along the way. The anonymity is a nice touch, and with those experienced players on their fifth run through, it can feel like a wary traveler is guiding you to your destination.

While Journey is a wonderfully crafted experience, the simplicity has its drawbacks. For a $15 price tag and game that has been in development since 2009, Journey is a short-lived experience; clocking in at around 2 and a half hours depending on your play style. The camera for the game is tied to the six axis controller in addition to the right thumbstick, and movement of your controller as you scratch your head can distort your camera from its original position.

Though a short-lived experience, Journey is an unforgettable one. It’s one of the few games that can drop the mentality of defeating an enemy and exchange it for a straightforward adventure of pure enjoyment. It’s a title that sticks with you well after the credits roll, and the enticing world will soon draw you back in for another visit. If you are looking for a break from the typical, Journey will not disappoint.

Pros:

• Visual masterpiece that melds flawlessly with soundtrack
• Different experience and feel in co-op and single player
• Every minute is as engrossing as the last

Cons:

• Steep price for what is offered
• Camera tied to six-axis tends to hurt more than help

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For the past handful of years the team over at 2K Games have amassed mountains of praise for their NBA 2K series, raking in award after award for “sports game of the year” from various websites, publications and media outlets. Despite that overwhelming achievement, their baseball franchise has been, quite frankly, an embarrassment. For the better part of a decade MLB2K has been shamed by the infinitely superior MLB The Show series. Hell previous installments in the 2K baseball series were so terrible that playing them would have been an effective method of torture at Gitmo.

So the good news is, with the bar set so low, things could only get better. Perhaps that should have been the 2K12’s tagline.

“MLB 2K12: It Can’t Get Any Worse… Right?”

THE GOOD

We joke and mock but this years iteration truly is a distinct improvement over the last few years lackluster outings. The real shinning achievement of 2K12 is its presentation. The commentary found in 2K12 may very well be the best of its kind to date. Everything seems fresh and there is an insane amount of depth to it. Each at bat feels unique and the commentary flows freely with the game. I truly cannot say enough to express how great the commentary is.

On screen stat displays and overlays are also handled quite well and are impressively fleshed out. Seeing onscreen stats pop up detailing what a particular batter hits in a certain count for their career is pretty damn awesome. If 2K put this much time and effort into the actual game play the game would be immaculate.

The players and stadiums all look better, though they still look a bit off. The players also all still have a tendency to stare vacantly off into space in a creepy serial killer-esque fashion but both are far less noticeable distractions than in 2K11.

The well received gesture pitching returns as well (in full disclosure, being left-handed, I myself still find it incredibly frustrating) along with timed hitting and composure influenced pitching. If you abuse an effective pitch the AI will adapt and begin pummeling it. This adds a nice touch to the game that makes it feel a little less arcade-ish.

THE BAD

Unfortunately, pretty much everything else falls under this category as MLB 2K12 underperforms worse than the 2011 Mets.

The most glaring an annoying problem is the rampant frame rate issues. Nearly every foul ball and some far ones result in abrupt and jarring frame rate chaos. It is unacceptable in this day and age for any title to suffer such stutters, let alone a game made by a AAA studio that produces a nearly flawless NBA game year in and year out.

Frame rate issues are just the tip of the iceberg because like usual, MLB 2K is plagued with glitches. Base stealers often stop sprinting half way to the bag and begin a nice leisurely jog, leading to an epidemic of runners being thrown out.

Users will find themselves constantly getting screwed out of runs due to the tag-up system not working properly with a runner on third. On the flip side on defense that same cut off man system is also broken, as often you will have a runner hosed at the plate only to find your throw sailing weakly toward first base, as your cut off man is playing ridiculously out of position.

Advancing runners is also an exercise in frustration. Many times you will find yourself preloading a runner on first to head from first to home on a shot to the gap, only to find him stopping at third base, despite the facts that he would have easily scored and his icon clearly displayed an H for home.

Plan on doing a fantasy draft? Well I have some bad news for you. Say you are a big Red Sox fan like myself; so you pick the Sox as the team for your franchise and you decide you still would like to draft Big Papi as your DH. No problem right? Wrong! Low and behold as you go to set your lineups you notice something quite odd. Big Papi for some reason already has 29 homeruns despite the fact that you have yet to play a single game. Yep, that’s right, if you draft a player who already was a member of that team, his stats from last year carry over and anything you do gets added to them. That is a pretty damn big oversight.

Fielding transitions and animations are also extremely glitchy. Some look amazing while others look downright absurd. Reaction time is also an issue as often grounders that should be routine outs roll past uninterested fielders who make no attempt whatsoever to field the play.

The AI is also a problem as often you will find the computer, trailing late in a close game with runners in scoring position, allow their pitcher to bat, only to pull him before throwing a single pitch when they take the filed the following inning.

The AI issue also leaves the MY PLAYER feature a hot mess. As a pitcher the skipper will leave you out on the mound to get pummeled one game then pull you early in an outing when you’re pitching a gem.

One funny glitch appears during a double switch and has been dubbed “The Zombie Glitch”. I won’t spoil that one for you, so please do yourself a favor and youtube it.

The menu system is also still the same clunky mess as last year. I for the life of me do not understand why 2K still insists on using something so unnecessarily annoying and frustrating.

OVERALL

While better than previous entries in the franchise 2K12 is still a broken, arcade-ish, mixed bag. Perhaps it is time for 2K Games to take a page out of EA’s playbook and next year, instead of getting their teeth kicked in once again by MLB The Show, they should just take an extra year to fix all the glitches and build an acceptable baseball sim. Casual baseball fans might find some enjoyment here but die hard baseball fanatics will be less then pleased. 2K12 finally got called up to the show but it struck out watching and got sent back down to the minors.

Mass Effect 3 marks a close to a series that has been going strong since November of 2007. Bioware has crafted a space epic that has been shaping choices through two major titles, and is looking to close the trilogy out in style. It’s hard to say goodbye to this expansive lore, but Bioware manages to deliver a compelling narrative that starts off strong and rarely slows down.

The third installment picks up with Commander Shepard’s recent disbarment from the military landing him/her on Earth and right at the start of the Reaper invasion. Shepard escapes and must now assemble every asset possible to retake Earth, while hatching a plan to stop the Reaper’s endless cycle of wiping out human life.  The burden of becoming a glimmer of hope falls heavy on your character, and the sense of dread intensifies as each world falls to the Reapers. The feeling of despair in seeing buildings toppled and hearing the cries of fallen troopers over the radio as you progress never lessens, and drives you to push onward. Between a memorial of the lost on the wall of the Citadel to the growing number of Reapers on the galaxy map; you get the feeling that time is running out before the last stand.

The emphasis on loss is heavy in this game, as showcased in the opening somber melody that accompanies the invasion of Earth and Shepard’s haunting visions. It’s an emotion filled powerhouse, as characters you have come to know and love over the span of two titles stand at your side with each one having the potential to fall. Those captivating scenes of sharing a last moment with a companion can melt even the hardest of hearts, and devoted fans of the series that have been with their Shepard since the beginning will find themselves fully invested in every line of dialogue.

Empowering this space epic is top notch production value. Even in war, Mass Effect 3 showcases its beauty with some of the most incredible backdrops to grace a game. The lively backdrops make it feel as if you are simply a small part of a much bigger conflict as battles are waged in the distance. Sharp textures, vivid lighting, and cinematic action sequences make ME3 one of the best looking games out there. Complimenting the look is an original soundtrack, mixing electronic melodies with movie-quality symphonic overtures. Coupled with a perfect voice cast and satisfying sounds in everything from firing a weapon to the bass-inducing Reaper warcry; and this game is downright marvelous to behold.

In the end, Mass Effect 3 is shaped by your own choice. The sheer possibility of variables that is now three games in is impressive, and most players will have a unique experience depending on the outcomes they obtained in previous titles. Major decisions from the past will come to fruition, and you begin to wonder “what if” as their events resonate to the current situation. It’s enough to warrant a few additional play throughs, just to see how some situations play out differently.

The crux of the Mass Effect gameplay is conversational choice and cover based combat. You travel from planet to planet looking to recruit every alien race you can to your cause, each with varying outcomes depending on your Paragon or Renegade choices. Each recruitment nets you a war asset, and you soon find that even the slightest actions can boost your armada. Decisions from the previous titles can even impact your assembled army, with such simplicities as choosing to save Zhu’s Hope adding resources to your regime. With each new addition you begin to see your army grow, and with it, your anticipation to see everything come together for the final assault.

Amassing a great army proves addicting, but the finale to the game fails to really showcase all your hard work. While the impressive fleet number will have you smiling with pride as they allow you to punch through the Reaper forces, you have no real control over your assets or even your additional squad mates. It’s disappointing, considering the second installment had you issuing orders to your team to utilize their strengths and made you feel like a commander. The final missions for this game simply feels like another mission with an influx of baddies.

When not on missions you will be touring around your ship or the Citadel to engage in the popular conversational dialogue. Your crew mates will wander about the ship and even the Citadel itself, warranting a few visit to see what they have to say in different surroundings. They still default to the robotic “Shepard” reply when they run out of issues to talk about, and some conversations have been completely cut out in lieu of gaining quests or picking choices by eavesdropping. There aren’t many new faces, with the only new party members being James Vega or the DLC character of Javik; but the previous cast holds up well and their interactions and emotional heart to hearts are worth a break in the action.

While the game sets you on a distinct path, side missions can be acquired that vary from well thought out operations to tacked on fetch quests. The bigger side missions will usually involve you helping out a previous squadmate from your suicide objective in the second game, and these prove the most enjoyable way to gain additional war assets. The majority of side missions acquired will involve planet scanning, which has been reworked to scan a remote area instead of individual planets. Scanning an area too much calls in the Reapers, and if they catch you it’s an immediate game over…which can just easily be reloaded and doesn’t act as much of a penalty.

Combat has seen little change, but it carries over well. Mass Effect’s combat utilizes cover based shooting combined with an ability wheel. Calling up the wheel stops the combat, allowing you to use class powers and plan your next move. Your most common abilities can be mapped to specific buttons for immediate response. Bioware has even utilized the Kinect, which despite its occasional misread, can help keep you in the combat and out of the menus.

New enemies help to add to the variety the game offers. A developer at Bioware clearly thought what Mass Effect was missing were dragons and ninjas…so they threw those in this time around. Cerberus Phantom troops close in for deadly melee strikes, smoke grenades shroud the field of view, and Reaper indoctrinated Rachni pummel you from afar with a barrage of missiles. Topping it all off are the Banshees, which apart from their piercing shriek, can teleport around and devastate you at close range. The new enemies essentially drive you out of cover and force you to stay on the move, something the friendly AI is incapable of performing without assistance. There are occasional times that you will run from a Brute, while Garrus attempts to stay and shake hands.

The melee combat has received a slight rework, but still proves mundane compared to the shooting mechanic. Oftentimes you will end up overshooting a charged hit or coming up short, in addition to completely missing an opponent if they are stunned on the ground in front of you. While there is an overall satisfaction in landing a hit or pulling an enemy over cover for a one hit kill, it doesn’t have the natural finesse that really makes it work.

Your enemies may be bigger, but your arsenal is sure to match up with some minor tweaks. A slew of weaponry will be at your disposal, and each weapon is upgradeable with various attachments to personalize them to your preference. Weapons now have weight, and the more weapons you carry the more time it takes to recharge your powers. This offset works well in freeing up the gun type you prefer, no matter the class. Armor can also be customized like before, with new pieces boosting certain stats or complete suits for a full package. There is enough customization offered and variety available to outfit your squad into your ideal deadly force.

New to the Mass Effect franchise is the co-operative multiplayer. Players choose from the same classes offered in single player and work to survive ten waves of either Cerberus, Geth, or Reaper enemy types with a final evac wave to close it all out. Wave objectives will vary, with some demanding pure survival and others more objective based that require eliminating specific targets or hacking various devices. There are also different levels of difficulty, ranging from Bronze to Gold level challenges with bigger and better rewards from each mission accomplished.

At the end of each game you will procure experience and credits to spend on upgrades. The leveling system is akin to the single player and allows you to customize each class to strengthen your favorite abilities. The credits can be spent on one of three packs, each more expensive than the last. The packs almost act like trading cards, providing random in-game bonuses. unlocks, and weaponry to give you an edge in your next battle.

While the item procurement adds an addictive element to the game, the multiplayer remains a decent experience. Increasing the difficulty can make for an enjoyable challenge, but the waves of enemies soon grows stale. The same limited enemy types make their reappearance, and the base weaponry you start out with will makes you feel like a kid shooting robots with a BB Gun. There is incentive to play for a boost to your military effectiveness in the single player game, but once that is achieved the lack of variety may have you jumping back into campaign. It’s fun if you give it a chance, just don’t expect anything that will revolutionize the co-operative experience.

Mass Effect 3 has a few technical issues here and there, but provides an impressive close to the trilogy. It has been quite some time since a game has carried such an emotional impact, and the experience is tripled if you’ve stuck with your commander from the beginning. This lore-enriched world is hard to say goodbye to, but Bioware makes sure that the last goodbye is one filled with joy, tears, and utter bliss.

I’m Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite game on the Citadel.

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I didn’t expect even my grandchildren would live to see this day. Now that Diablo III has a release date I know for sure I’ll never have any. May 15 2012 folks. About a week before my birthday too! What joy!

Beginning May 15, players around the world will be able to return to Tristram to discover the dark secrets of a fallen star and begin their quest to save Sanctuary from the impending demonic invasion. To secure your place as a barbarian, monk, demon hunter, witch doctor, or wizard right now, simply log in to your Battle.net account, and then purchase and download* Diablo III, and you’ll be ready to play when the game launches.

World of Warcraft players interested in getting Diablo III for free can still get in on the World of Warcraft Annual Pass, but the promotion will be ending at 12:01 a.m. PDT on May 1, 2012. When you sign up for the Annual Pass and make a 1-year commitment to World of Warcraft, you’ll receive a free digital copy of Diablo III, an exclusive World of Warcraft in-game mount (Tyrael’s Charger), as well as access to the upcoming World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria beta test. Learn more at the Annual Pass signup page.

For more details on the May 15 release of Diablo III, be sure to hit the official press release, or head to our new Diablo III game page to learn more about the game and pre-purchase your digital copy.

And to think, just a couple weeks ago I bought Star Wars: The Old Republic and got a Diablo III beta key in the same day. Now I know for sure of when I’ll be able to cancel my SWTOR subscription. Screw you Maya calendar. You guys might not have had the guts to face Diablo, but I’m not going out without at least getting heat stroke.

Make sure to pre-order the limited edition before people like myself beat you to it. Like you were really saving your money for anything else.

You know it’s a great time to be a gamer when sequels like this are free-to-play. I still remember slaloming down grassy hills toward enemy encampments just to high tail it out by speeder with their flag in tow in this fast paced shooter franchise. Tribes 2 was one of my all time favorite PC time sinks right up there with Unreal Tournament and Diablo. I’m happy to report that on April 12th gamers of all wallet contents will be able to afford this revival.

Sure, the series has changed hands more than a few times over the years, but with MMO newcomer Hirez Studios at the helm they seem to be in good ones.

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Moving on to better things, eh Molyneux?

Peter Molyneux, a gaming pioneer whose legacy won him the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award at last year’s GDC, is leaving Microsoft and Lionhead Studios for a new game developer- 22 Cans.

Molyneux will be departing his position as the leader of Lionhead (which he himself founded) and as the creative head of Microsoft Studios Europe, which oversaw development at Lionhead and Rare, among other companies.

Microsoft gave him quite the sendoff quote, saying,

“As co-founder of Lionhead and an integral part of Microsoft Studios, Peter was the creative visionary behind the blockbuster Fable franchise, and one of our most passionate and influential developers for the Xbox 360 platform. He has made an indelible mark on the games industry and we wish him all the best of luck in his future endeavors.”

He’s also responsible for making Black & White, and making numerous overly enthusiastic and ultimately exaggerated claims of how amazing and revolutionary his games would be. You can tell by the way he talks about video games that they are his paramount passion.

“I remain extremely passionate and proud of the people, products and experiences that we created, from Black & White to Fable to our pioneering work with Milo and Kate for the Kinect platform. However, I felt the time was right to pursue a new independent venture. I’d like to thank the team at Lionhead, as well as our partners at Microsoft Studios for their support, dedication and incredible work over the years.”

“It is with mixed emotions that I made the decision to leave [...] at the conclusion of development of Fable: The Journey.”

Molyneux is currently working as a creative consultant for said Kinect-enabled game, which will be releasing sometime later this year. What his position will be at 22 Cans, and what kind of games they will be making is still unknown.

My take: I’ll just leave you with one of The Five Greatest Peter Molyneux Quotes provided by NowGamer:

When quizzed at GDC ’09 about the watered down sexual undertones in Fable games, presumably by an American journalist, Molyneux responded in a way that sums up the man in a nutshell. He’s a bit of a dreamer who’s not afraid to speak his mind and he most certainly has a lot of guts. The below retort is possibly Molyneux’s greatest quote to date,

“It’s you Americans. There’s something about nipples you hate. If this were Germany, we’d be romping around naked on the stage here.”