Shooting

F3AR... Ftheer? Fthreer? Fatheear?

HIGH: Fighting over bodies to possess in Soul King.

LOW: Being given a mech suit in a game where I am supposed to be frightened.

WTF: In this world, ghosts can be shot, have sex, and become pregnant. M'kay.

Omi Gibson is known for her stunning Metal Gear Solid cosplay photo shoots. Sometimes she takes a break and tries something else like No More Heroes. As these photos show, whatever she tackles is no less spectacular. These are just some of the Cloe Walsh pics she has posted. Be sure to take a look at her website to see the rest of them as well as her entire collection of daring and authentic cosplay shoots. You will not be disappointed.

I initially had a hard time writing my review of Red Faction: Armageddon. I almost fell into the same trap that caught me in my review of No More Heroes 2, another game that essentially abandoned an existing open-world concept, of reviewing the predecessor rather than the sequel. This was an enticing prospect, because I liked Red Faction: Guerilla a great deal, and I did not like Armageddon one little bit.

Mars Bores

HIGH Bringing a whole structure crashing down on a monster using the magnet gun.

LOW The monster didn't seem to notice it.

WTF Why am I doing so much work to protect force-fields and take out bridges when these creatures are constantly emerging from the solid rock?

Me Shoot Now

HIGH Seeing the credits roll came as a nice relief.

LOW Certain game-types can last fifteen agonizing minutes, regardless of the win conditions.

WTF "New Audio Log Unlocked!" AWESOME!!

The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo has ended but produced a deluge of coverage and critique as journalists and bloggers debated the merits of this hotly-anticipated sequel and that oddly-named, overpriced new platform. All the games got some coverage, but many sank beneath the tide of information. The announcement by Backbreaker publisher 505 Games' upcoming "FPX" Blackwater seems to be one such.

The Heavy is Team Fortress 2's most iconic class. He graces the cover of the retail box, he was selected to represent the game in Poker Night at the Inventory, and he was the subject of the very first "Meet the Team" video. So what does the giant man-beast actually do, other than brandish his impossibly large weapon and distinct raa-shun accent?

Was the ending to Portal not very satisfying? Did it leave more questions than it answered? Need to see more of Chell? If you answered yes to these questioned, then maybe you will enjoy this short film by Eeisen Feuer and starring Nicole Leigh as Chell.

Who are we kidding? Even if you answered no to these questions, this is such a well-made short film that anyone, Portal fan or not, should give a look-see.

War sucks. I've fortunately never had to deal with it myself, but that appears to be the general consensus. Lots of people get killed/injured, resources are wasted, and infrastructure is destroyed. It's an all-around bad deal for most everyone involved. Over the years there have been several films that have portrayed this perspective successfully, but no games. Why?

Crysis 2 is an excellent game and worth playing if you have ever enjoyed first-person shooters at all. On many levels, however, I thought the game couldn't really decide what it wanted to be about. Is it a game about making sound tactical choices in an operation against a superior force, or is it a (bad) story about squid attacking New York City with a bio-weapon?