First, read these posts.

Now, let me preface this by saying, I play a lot of video games. I’ve played a lot of video games. Given this, it’s not very often that a game grabs me in such a way that I literally want to be playing it all of the time.Darksiders is one such game. I bought this game along with Bayonetta, figuring that I’d alternate between the two. I’d been following the game, but the reviews made it seem like it would only be ok, and that I’d just be consumed by the need to play Bayonetta.

Gabe, Tycho, I’m right there with you. The game’s awesome.

• Residend Evil 5 – So shortly after I wrote the last post on games, Justin decided he wasn’t interested in the game anymore. His complaints were valid, but it left me without a co-op partner (and I was NOT going to trust the AI). Thankfully, I discovered that people are less inclined to be assholes if you’re trying to do things cooperatively. I was greatly pleased by this. I did encounter a few people who were too dumb to play more than a few levels with, I was overall very happy with the experience. The story is kind of odd, but the act of killing the “zombies” was rather entertaining.
• Sonic Unleashed – I didn’t bother finishing this, as it was fun for the “daytime” levels, but the nighttime ones left me feeling a bit annoyed. Plus, the mechanic of “you must find enough of these items to open up the next level” is dumb. If I beat the level, I should get to play the next one. Yeah, I got my 30 bucks worth and that’s about it.
• Shadow Complex – A Metroid/Castlevania type game on the 360? Sign me up. I really enjoyed this one and played the hell out of it. Go buy it, seriously. Just..go.
• Afro Samurai – I picked this up for 20 bucks and it was honestly worth more than that. Samual L. Jackson is HILARIOUS in this game. The art style is taken straight from the anime and it really captures the essence of the show. I will say that it is a button masher, but I happen to like those types of games. If you’ve seen the show, it follows the plot pretty closely, which is good and bad. But overall, I really worthy pickup.
• BlazBlue, Street Fighter 4 and and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 – Have I mentioned I like 2d fighting games? No, well, I like them. A lot. Especially if they are fast with pretty hand drawn graphics. SF4 and MvsC2 were known quantities, but BlazBlue really surprised me. A bit of a sleeper hit in July, I saw the video review and just had to have it. What was cool was they offered the limited edition to the first couple hundred thousand people who bought the game for the same price as the regular edition. But yes, I like them fighting games a lot.
• Brütal Legend – This is one that I really liked, although a lot of other people won’t. If you don’t like RTS games, Heavy Metal or Jack Black, you probably won’t like this game. You might, but I’m just saying. I’m not a huge fan of RTS games, and Jack Black can be annoying, but this was a lot of fun. Technically, the game is not as impressive as others I’m playing/played, but overall it’s worthwhile. It is also just the right length to make you think it could have been longer, without being too long to be really repetitive. Plus, the soundtrack is AWESOME.
• DJ Hero – Yes, I bought it. Yes it’s another rythem game. Honestly, the game’s soundtrack is awesome. I really liked most of the mixes. As a caveat, if you aren’t into DJ mixes/mashups, you won’t like this game. Period. What I didn’t like was the price. But, overall, not a bad music game. Not as well presented as Beatles Rock Band, for example, but it’s still pretty good. I’d wait till the price drops then pick it up.

Here’s what I’m still currently playing

• Borderlands – I generally only play this co-op with my friends as it’s the best way to play it. A shooter that has the rpg/loot mechanics of Diablo/every mmo on the planet is bound to be a hit. Mix in funny writing and a good art style and you have a hit on your hands. Everyone I’ve talked to has loved the game and well, yeah. I’m a complete believer. I’m not even half way in and I always look forward to when my buddies and I can play together.
• Forza Motorsport 3 – I liked the first one. I played the hell out of the second one. The third one is better in every way. I haven’t had time to bust out my racing wheel yet, but even with just the controllers, this game is fantastic. Definitely one of the car nuts out there.
• Assassin’s Creed 2 – Just like Forza 3, I loved the first one and the second is proving to be better all around. I’m not very far in, but so far, it’s awesome.
• Tales of Vesperia – So work plus my travel schedule has been crazy and I haven’t had time to sit down and pop this back in. Part of the problem is I like to play RPG’s in three to six hour blocks, and I just haven’t had one of those I could devote to the game. It’s still fun as hell when I play it, I just need some free time.

Well, I clearly like fighting games as this would be #4 for the year.

This game has officially been upgraded to “Pre-ordered on Amazon”

• Lost Odyssey – I started this game a LONG time ago and just never got around to finishing it, so shortly after Sakura-con ended, I pulled this back out and got kind of hooked on it. It had been a while since I’d completed a J-RPG and I had forgotten how easy it is to get carried away with leveling up and doing side quests. Needless to say, I probably put in about 5 hours I didn’t really have to, but well, I was having a good time. I definitely recommend this game to people who like JRPGs.
• Mirrors Edge – This is a game I to which I was very much into. I started playing this as just a way of changing pace during my Lost Odyssey craze, and I ended up just kind of blitzkreiging through the game. I think it took me about a week or so to finish it. There are some things that got on my nerves, but a lot of that with me beating the game while achieving a more difficult challenge. (Not shooting a single enemy) But yeah, I I really liked this game.
• Sonic Unleashed – I picked this game up for 30 bucks and have been enjoying it, well, I was, but then my roommate started playing it and I continued on with Lost Odyssey. So far, it’s 30 dollars good, but I’m glad I didn’t pay the full 60 dollars for it. I’ll go back to it after I finish Prototype, but for now, it’s on the back burner.
• Halo 3 – I’ve had the game since launch day and I still hadn’t beaten it. Since Justin now works for Bungie, we figured I should at least play through the game. So in two sittings last week, Justin and I played through the entire campaign. I had originally dismissed this game, but after playing through it, I was surprised at how good it really was. Yeah I know, I”m almost two years late to the party. Still, definitely a good experience.
• Prototype – I usually don’t like open world games, but this one reminded me a lot of Crackdown which I greatly enjoyed. This is definitely the single player game obsession of the house as Yorke and I are both playing through this. There’s something about running around being a complete badass that is just entertaining. Plus, the way the developers are telling the story is really interesting. I’ll have to see if this continues for the second half of the game, but so far, I’m optimistic.
• Tales of Vesperia – I got a lot of recomendation to play this particular game, so I put it at the top of the RPG list to play. I”m about four hours into it, and I’m enjoying it so far. It’s early to tell, but it seems like it’s going to live up to the hype.
• Resident Evil 5 – This is the current game Justin and I are playing through co-op. I’ve never played a Resident Evil game before since I don’t like horror, but since every review has pretty much said it’s not really a horror game, let alone a standard Resident Evil game, I’m giving it a try. So far it’s been pretty good, with the exception of the first level that both Justin and I found annoying. Thankfully, we stuck through it, and the rest has been enjoyable so far. It’ll definitely be interesting to see if there’s a return to stupid.

So yeah…That’s a lot of games. What’s crazy is that I have a lot of other games I want to play or are looking forward to coming out in the next few months. Hopefully I’ll be able to get to those games sooner than later.

Which leads to a quick video gaming update:

• I finally beat Overlord for the XBox 360. I’ve had this game from my lead for a few months and I finally just sat down and beat the last part. Overall, I enjoyed the game immensly, there was just one part I could have done without. I’d highly recommend it.
• I picked up, and have already gotten through the main stages of, Beautiful Katamari. And, if you liked the first one (I haven’t played the second) or having played it, buy it. Seriously, it’s Katamari action in all it’s glory. The graphics remain true to the series (which I appriciate) yet the world is stupidly large. It’s awesome.
• I’ve picked up and started Halo 3. I’m not the biggest fan of Halo, so I play it when I get around to it. I’ll probably beat it after launch with a bunch of guys in the office playing it on Legendary Co-op. Other than that, it’s Halo. I’m really not that into it.
• I’ve been playing through Blue Dragon for the 360, and it is pretty good. It’s not a life changing experience like some other rpg’s I’ve played, but it’s a real Japanese RPG for the XBox 360, and it’s really worth it if you’re into that kind of game. I also went and got the hard mode update which makes the game a lot more fun. I initially started a game on normal (read easy) mode and the additional difficulty makes the game really fun. There are times it’s a bit aggrivating, but once you figure out what you need to do, it’s really good.
• I’ve also really gotten into playing Forza 2. Like, even more than I may have mentioned before. It’s actually quite scary. It doesn’t help that my buddy at work sold me his racing wheel. The addition of the wheel’s force feedback just makes it awesome. It’s definitely nice to have it in the cube for quick laps around the track after a long day at work.
• Finally, I picked up Puzzle Quest and Heroes of Mana for the DS. I’m enjoying both and there good to have in my DS rotation. I’ve started playing on the bus again so my ds is seeing a lot more use.

So yeah, I’m finding some time to get my game on. Which is cool. Hopefully I’ll have more time to get through the stupidly long list of games I want to play after we release. Ooh, that will be nice. Oh, and in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not playing my Wii right now. I have some hope, and I’ll probably get into Super Mario Galaxy when it comes out, but between now and then, I’m just not that into it. (Then again, I haven’t had time for Quincy Jones and Home Run Derby, which may be a lot of it).

Firstly, the games on the docket:

• Crackdown (XBox 360) – I’ve finished the game and am enjoying working on getting achievements. This is one of the best games I’ve played in a while and…yeah. It’s just really really good. I’m hoping to get into some co-op soon.
• Guitar Hero 2 (Xbox 360) – I’ve beaten the game on Hard and I’m going through it on Expert. I have two more set lists to finish before I’m done with this. It’s a pretty sweet game. And I’m hoping I can get past the last two set lists soon.

Those are the two of been playing the most recently. I just started taking the bus, so I should be brining my DS fully back into the fold agin. I also got a hold of the Trust Bell (Eternal Sonata) beta a few weeks ago. The game seems pretty solid, so I’m really looking forward to that and Blue Dragon. Should be a lot of good rpgs coming this summer, and I’m really psyched about it. I’ve been pretty busy so I’ve done a lot more Live Arcade playing than anything else; mainly because those games are easier to pick up and play in bursts.

I was going to comment on the recent sales numbers of consoles, but that isn’t really topical and I just don’t feel I’d add anything to it. I’m interested to see how things play out over the coming months. I’m especially interested to see how long the Wii can sustain the kinds of sales it is.

Oh, and watching the PS3 flounder is just fun to watch.

• Crackdown (XBox 360) – I ordered this from the company store and it arrived yesterday, and I can already say I’m hooked. The game world is huge, and I’m finding I’m enjoying the side stuff as much as I am the main game. Plus it’s really fun to just try crazy stuff. I think we may have actually created a sandbox style game that is as good, if not better in some ways, as GTA.
• Viva Pinata (XBox 360) – I picked this up while I was in Seattle from the company store and it’s pretty fun. I’d probably see myself getting much further, faster, but…well…see my entry on Crackdown.
• Advance Wars: Duel Strike (DS) – I’ve picked this game back up on my DS. Not sure why, but I’ve had a bit of a strategy jonesing. Can’t really explain it, but this is a game I’m enjoying playing, especially the non-campaign stuff. (The campaign has gotten a bit hard and I don’t feel like dealing with it right now. I know, I’m lazy)
• Touch Detective (DS) – This was another game I came back to, especially during my interviews. (You have downtime, and I used my DS and Zune to keep my nerves calm.) Surprisingly, it really is a fun game; albiet the puzzles can be a bit random, but I seem to be doing ok.
• Dead Rising (XBox 360) – Here’s one I wasn’t expecting to make such a powerful return. I jumped back into this the week before I was in Seattle and I fell back in love with this game. The big key is the realization that I can’t beat every mission the first time through. Once I stopped worrying about trying to beat everything, I started having a better time. I will say, this game is really good.
• Lost Planet (XBox 360) - I tend to come to this off and on. I’m on the fourth level and it’s pretty fun. Definitely not my game of choice right now, but it’s still really strong.

There are some other games I’m kind of still playing, but a bunch (Gears, Contact, Elite Beat Agents, Zelda), have all kind of fallen to the way side. Mainly because I’ve reached a point where I have one thing to beat but not quite ready to (Contact); I’ve already beaten it and want to move on to other things(Gears); or I’m just not feeling it (Zelda). But yeah, I’m fully back into gaming, which is pretty sweet.

Seriously, I never realized how spoiled I have become till I realized I wanted to put what my Mii on my site. Suddenly I couldn’t do that. There’s no slick and awesome way of including my favorite Zune tracks in an email signature (I actually see my gamercard tags in email signatures at work). The Zune thing I find truly funny since the slogan is “Join the Social” Sure, I raved about this when I first go the 360, but I kind of just took it for granted. All this community stuff…I need it. I expect it.

I understand that there are people who don’t want that level of information to be available about them, but there are privacy settings for just that reason. I, on the other hand, like letting people know what I like to play and listen to. Shoot, I actively blog about it.

You have me hooked, XBox Division, you have me truly hooked.

• Ray-man Raving Rabbids (Wii) – I’ve basically finished this game. I’ve gotten the incomplete ending, and it’s only a matter of finishing up a few last games to get the full one. I’ll work it off slowly. But overall, an awesome experience.
• Gears of War (XBox 360) – I occasionally play this with my buddy Dan co-op. I also play with my office mates online a little. But until I finish co-op with Dan (we’re using my save game) I can’t play it by myself.
• Wii Sports (Wii) – I like to play this with some non-game music in the background. My favorite is the Quincy Jones – Homerun Derby combination.
• Zelda: Twighlight Princess (Wii) – I’m about 25% of the way through it. It’s a good game, and I enjoy it, but it’s not my favorite. It’s not the aww inspiring game everyone seems to be making it out to be.
• Lost Planet (XBox 360) – I caved. I bought it at the prodding of my buddies at work who all bought it. It’s really good, and really pretty. But like Dead Rising (they’re produced by the same guy), it can be a little intense at times. But the multi-player is pretty sweet.
• Anything on my DS – Currently all of my DS games are on hold since I’m reading on the train right now. It kind of sucks, but I have a good reason for it. Hopefully one I’ll be able to talk about soon.

So that’s the list of the games I’m currently playing. I also got the Crackdown demo last night, and it’s pretty sweet. I think I’ll pick that game up when it hits the company store. Oh, I also pre-ordered Guitar Hero 2 for the 360. It looks awesome, and I got semi-hooked on Guitar Hero at Jeff’s place a few days ago.