No Love on This Battlefield

HIGH More screen time for the Hakuoki hunks.

LOW The gameplay.

WTF The best thing I can say about the game is that it has nice character designs.

I'm not going to completely break down Activision Blizzard's results or get into the publisher's specific future as I see it. I will quickly say that I believe Call of Duty: Ghosts will be the best-selling console video game of 2013, although Grand Theft Auto V will push Ghosts for dominance. I also believe that Skylanders: Swap Force will have strong competition from Disney Infinity this year.

Puzzle Paradise

HIGH Finally snagging the chain whip.

LOW Forgetting to save.

WTF How is Lameza's laptop able to pick up Wi-Fi underground?

I've heard absolutely no one talking about Black Rock Shooter: The Game, but it was just released by NIS America and it's currently available on the PSN store for $20. (Designed for PSP, but compatible with Vita.) I just completed it yesterday, and I have to say, I had an absolute blast with it. It's a very small, focused game that feels perfect for playing on the go, and there are a lot of very smart design decisions on display.

It's a Tomb Raider extravaganza! We dish on the latest incarnation of Lara Croft, female protagonists in general, and the state of the "Cinematic Action" genre, a term which I claim full credit for coining. With Richard Naik, Brad Gallaway, Ashley King, Sara Rich, and (later on) Tim "Skype Connection Dropped" Spaeth.

Also, check out this article by our good friend Rhea Monique if you have time. Well worth a read.

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Monster Mash

HIGH A fantastic collection of the series's best installments.

LOW It's not playable on Vita.

WTF So, exactly who is Lillith supposed to appeal to...?

Being the Boss

HIGH Killing three foes with a single Tommy Gun burst.

LOW Watching grass grow (figuratively) as I waited for a glitch-slowed clock to advance.

WTF How is this the first time I've had a chance to shoot the KKK in a game?

Can We Offer This Up for a Better Game?

HIGH Great concept and wonderfully dark tone.

LOW Grinding, grinding, grinding, grinding.

WTF Why are so many weapons painfully laggy and slow?

Let's get the hyperbole out of the way first. Not having a Madden game in 2013 will not kill the Wii U. It's instinctive to think that a lack of EA presence on the platform could be akin to a kiss of death, similar to what we saw with EA spurning SEGA and the Dreamcast. This is a different animal, I think.

Hunting the Dead

HIGH Watching a single bullet plow through five zombies.

LOW Anything with skeletons. Seriously, the skeletons are horrible.

WTF I'm disappointed by the utter lack of zombie Hitler, Rebellion.