Who's Your Daddy?

I saw this video of BioShock 2 over at IGN PC a little while ago, and it made me drool. It's the first video I've seen featuring the gameplay. For the most part, it looks just like its predecessor. Except that you'll be playing as the Big Daddy. Man, I'm so excited about this game.

Similar Posts:
Something in the Sea
Game Review: BioShock
First Impressions: BioShock
Shock to the System
E3 Wrap and my Wishlist

WAR Recruitment

It's been a month since I've been a paying subscriber to Warhammer Online. So, in return, and in order for them to bolster the number of their players, they gave me six 10-Day trial keys to give away. Warhammer Online is a fun game, especially the player vs. player content, and that's coming from me who prefers a single-player RPG over MMORPG. So, if you're interested in playing the game. Just leave me a comment with your e-mail address (Don't worry, I won't post your e-mail address here) so I can send you a key.

Bonus: The first one to ask for a key will also get a guest pass to play Team Fortress 2.

Similar Posts:
The Fourth War
The Guild
Unguilded
14-Day Trial
First Impressions: Lord of the Rings Online

Bats and Deacons

Besides knowing about Mastodon's latest album, it's been a month since I did my regular routine of tracking down new music. So, in order to catch up, I visited various music websites last Saturday and was met with a flurry of A+ album reviews. Just when I thought that nothing good was out, and that I can save my money, a plethora of excellent music have sprung up this spring. So, instead of saving cash, I actually overspent ordering five full albums over at Amazon.

The CDs that I ordered were Hymn to the Immortal by Mono, Why There are Mountains by Cymbals Eat Guitars, Now We Can See by The Thermals. All of three aforementioned bands and albums are really good. Especially Mono, which is a Japanese post-rock band. However, my favorite is definitely Bromst by Dan Deacon, a genius electronica artists, and Two Suns by Bat for Lashes.

Bat for Lashes

Also known as Natasha Khan, I came across Bat for Lashes back in 2007 with her album Fur and Gold. The album was good, like Tori Amos good. But it never really sunk in me because I bought it during the time we moved. So it was stashed away and forgotten. But, I think, her latest album Two Suns will stick in me for a very long time. It's a very graceful, colorful and ethereal concept album. Natasha Khan's voice is also very impressive here, as well as her song writing. It reminds me a lot of 70's and 80's pop/rock artists. Particularly, Stevie Nicks. So if you're fond of that era and Stevie Nicks, I highly recommend this album.

Dan Deacon

I'm not into electronica, I admit. But when a good electronica act comes around, like Prodigy, there's a chance that I'd fall in love with them. Now Dan Deacon stands amongst those electronica performers that I came to love. This guy is a genius. His latest album, Bromst, is just so much fun to listen to. But what I like about him is that his soundboard is composed of junk (see here), like a cheap toy keyboard and used guitar effects. He doesn't use laptops, DJ equipment, or samplers (that's what makes him amazing). Plus, he performs in the middle of his audience and not on stage. This guy is one of a kind.

I know its too early to say this but Two Suns and Bromst have already earned their place on my Top 9 of 2009 list. These two albums are just amazing. In addition, with Dan Deacon and Bat for Lashes earning a spot on Lollapalooza, it just makes me want to go to the festival even more. Because I'm sure it'll be a lot fun with these two artists. For now, however, I'll just listen to their albums and so should you.

Similar Posts:
Silence and Deserts
Hop and Pop
Trucks and Animals
Top 8 Music of 2008
Secret Santa, Music Spree

Lollapalooza '09: Artists Lineup

The lineup for Lollapalooza 2009 was finally revealed today, and all I can say about it is: WOW! I know that the festival always had a great list of performers ever since its reincarnation here in Chicago. But this current lineup is the best I've seen. I mean, Tool -my favorite band in the world- is a headliner. Just them alone would make me watch the festival. Then I also got my wish because TV on the Radio and Animal Collective are also included in the lineup. To me, these three bands are already worth the $200.

In addition, Depeche Mode is going to be there too. It's going to be a "Black Celebration" with them around. Then there's Coheed and Cambria, another favorite band of mine (their vocalist is also one of my favorite comic book writer). Two of my newly discovered artists, Dan Deacon and Bats For Lashes, will be there too. Other awesome performers like Fleet Foxes, Santigold, No Age, Of Montreal and Neko Case will be there as well. So it'll be an awesome event.

The event, however, is like a double-edged sword. It makes me really excited because of the great lineup. But it also makes me want to cry because it's so expensive. If I ever go, my expenses will be like $200 Ticket + (Beer + Chicago Sales Tax) + (Food + Chicago Sales Tax) + (Deodorant + Chicago Sales Tax) = Bankruptcy. So, right now, I'm going on a hunger strike until I accrue an amount of $700 by June 5.

Anyways, if you guys are unfamiliar with the bands I've mentioned above, you can listen to the songs of all the artists in the lineup by clicking here.

Similar Posts:
Pitchfork Festival '09: Artists Lineup
Lollapalooza 2008: Lineup Announced

Fallout's Homecoming

When Bethesda Softworks acquired the rights of the Fallout game franchise from Interplay, a lot of people from the Fallout community -both fans and some developers- were outraged. But now, in an unexpected move, probably to appease the crowd that were pissed off and to pay homage to the game's original creators, Bethsoft is teaming up with Obsidian Entertainment to develop a new Fallout game, Fallout: New Vegas. Here's some snippet about the announcment:

Bethesda Softworks announced that Obsidian Entertainment is developing a brand-new Fallout game titled Fallout: New Vegas, to release next year on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.

"It's not Fallout Tactics -- it's not Brotherhood Of Steel. It's another Fallout game," said Hines. "It has no impact on what [Bethesda Game Studios game director] Todd Howard and his guys are planning."

A number of Obsidian staff are veterans of Black Isle's original Fallout games. The company's CEO, Feargus Urquhart, was instrumental in founding Black Isle, and served as its director. - Gamasutra

Man, this is probably the best PC RPG news I've heard since BioWare announced Star Wars: Knights of the Republic. Now I'm totally psyched and can't wait to hear more about it. I'm definitely putting all Fallout: New Vegas on my Google Alert. And Bethsoft...they're getting much love from me right now. Much love.

Similar Posts:
Top 8 Games of 2008
OMG, GOG!
G.E.C.K. Out!
Game Review: Fallout 3
Fallout 101: Character Creation Guide

Comics Bundle: 04.15.09

I'm feeling kinda lazy today, and also out of time because of Warhammer Online. So I'm going to write a break-neck speed review here.

Deadpool #9
8.4 of 10
This issue reminds me a lot of the classic Deadpool books. Everything from his bouts with Taskmaster and to being in love -this time with Yelena Belova, the second Black Widow and leader of the Thunderbolts. So, as usual, there are tons of laughs and wittiness to be had with the theme, as well as gunpowder and explosion. The only thing I didn't like about the book is that the Thunderbolts are acting nuts as much as Deapool.

Uncanny X-Men # 507
7.0 of 10
I've been enjoying the Uncanny X-Men since their move to San Francisco. They're much more down to earth (no space or dimension faring) and are dealing with local problems such as hate groups or taking in refugees. The only thing I don't like about the book is that there are way too many things going on in every issue, spreading each book thin. But what got me excited about this issue, in particular, is the return of Psylocke. Yup, the psychic ninja, the British chick trapped inside a hot Asian body is finally back.

The Walking Dead #60
7.8 of 10
The Walking Dead is always a good balance of action and drama. That's why I like it because it doesn't remain stagnant. In this issue, it's more of action than drama and character study. Rick and their group stumbled upon a zombie herd, the biggest one they've seen. So that made them run...again. So Dale, one of the longest surviving characters in the book and a friend of Rick, is doubting Rick's capability to lead this time. But other than the running around and Dale's character shift, this issue actually got me bored.

Fables #83
8.0 of 10
This issue is the first of the Great Fables Crossover story arc. I'm not pretty sure about what the whole arc is about but, with Jack spilling in the magic beans, the Fables are finally going to meet their makers, the very writers who created them, the Literals. Plus, the fight between Bigby and Beast is one hell of a spectacle.

Secret Warriors #3
9.0 of 10
One thing about this series is that it's consistently strong and, under Johnathan Hickman, I don't see it buckling anytime soon. The young heroes in the book are developing nicely. Especially after they were defeated during their first combat with Gorgon, one of the ruling council of HYDRA. You'd even see Nick Fury in a different shade in this issue, an old veteran who had lost everything. Then there's also the new HYDRA, which is now more menacing and ruthless than ever. This book is definitely one of the best Marvel titles that came out in years. So be sure to pick this one up if you like comics.

Similar Posts:
Comics Bundle: 03.25.09 Pt. 2
Comics Bundle: 03.25.09 Pt. 1
Comics Bundle: 02.18.09 Pt.2
Comics Bundle: 02.18.09 Pt.1
Comics Bundle: 01.21.09

The Profits of Gaming

Electronic gaming is a pretty young entertainment industry. Hence, like the all the entertainment industries that preceded it (rock music, comics, movies), it's misunderstood by many, vilified and considered as a complete waste of time. For the most part, I agree, it is a waste of time. But so's reading books or watching films. It doesn't mean you're productive if you're reading Harry Potter or watching Transformers. It doesn't mean you're cultured if you're reading Anna Karenina or watching Lawrence of Arabia. I know what I said are fighting words. But what I meant is that it's really up to the audience to harvest something out of what they're reading or watching.

So, with that said, you can also harvest something out of gaming as well, and here are some of the things that you can gain out of playing games:

Knowledge
Gaming won't teach you rocket science...not yet, at least. But you can certainly pick up and learn a variety of subjects from gaming.

The biggest example of this is the Aurora Toolset -a kit bundled with the game Neverwinter Nights that allows players to create their own adventures- which was used by various teaching institutions as a learning tool. University of Texas at Austin used the toolset to create a game entitled Rhetorical Peaks, which allows students in freshmen-level rhetoric and writing class to practice their rhetoric skills that they've learned throughout the semester. The Education Arcade, founded by MIT, also used the toolset to teach American History by allowing students to experience the daily social, political and econimic lives of Colonial America through their module Revolution.

Empire: Total War will you a bird's eye view on geography, economics and military.

But the history lessons doesn't stop with Revolution. In fact, the gaming industry is rich with games that have historical settings. Strategy games like Civilization and Total War will not only school you with historically important persons but will also give you a bird's eye view on economics, geography, geopolitics and politics. On how government works, how religion and war can affect society, and why an island nation can be more powerful than a large but landlocked nation. Games like Call of Duty and Company of Heroes will also take you back into WWII. While these games won't give you an in-depth knowledge of a text book, you'll definitely pick something up. Particularly, the arsenal that were used during that time.

Skill
I know it's hard to believe that you can gain a skill from electronic gaming. But, nowadays, there are a lot of trainer games available that will teach you a skill or improve what you already have.

Personal Trainer: Cooking will teach you how to cook various dishes.

The Nintendo DS, in particular, have a lot of trainer games in their catalog. That's why the handheld gaming device is so popular because of it. I've even seen a Polish couple, both were old enough to be my grandparents, playing trainers like My Word Coach so they could improve their vocabulary skills. Then there's also the ever popular Personal Trainer: Cooking that improved my cooking skills by a mile. Now I know how to cook a lot of Chinese dishes like Lemon Chicken, Fried Pork with Tomatoes, Chicken Kung Pao and Pork Szechuan.

Career
This may come as a shock to a non-gamer but, yes, gaming can land you a career.

Cyber Athletes duking it out at the World Cyber Games tournament.

There are plenty of gamers out there who turned gaming into a source of income. The most common of all are the gamers turned in-house game testers, game bloggers/reviewers and game developers. But the ones that earns serious money are the Cyber Athletes. E-sports is growing and there are a lot of tournaments out there that offers prizes as large as $400,000. So many competitive gamers are lured in by the big money and earn a living out of joining tournaments. In addition, if they're good enough, they can also earn a sponsorship deal. The most notable Cyber Athlete that comes to mind is Johnathan Wendel, aka Fatal1ty, who had won many tournaments and earned his own line of gaming hardware.

Right now, in its majority, games are still limited to entertainment. While we can gain knowledge and skill through it, it still won't beat books and films in terms of education. But, I think, in the upcoming years, many will utilize its interactivity and create educational games that will make learning more fun.

Similar Posts:
A Steamy Affair
OnLive: Future of Gaming
Steaming Snow
A Flash of Armor

500th: Gratitude

Four years ago, if somebody told me that this blog will reach a 500 post mark I would definitely laugh at them. It's not easy for me to stick to a productive hobby, or something that is free, and run with it for a long time. But here we are, my blog in its 500th post. That's quite an achievement for myself.

As for my readership, and to the people in my blog roll, thank you. I know you guys probably don't know what I'm talking about 70% of the time. Because my music and books aren't the kind that people usually like. Then, there's also the comics and gaming, which most of you don't do. So thank you for sticking around.

Album Review: Crack The Skye

Crack The Skye by Mastodon
8.7 of 10
Buy this album from Amazon
Download this album from Amazon






Mastodon is one of the best metal bands that came out during this decade. I know I’ve mentioned this too many times but I can’t stress it enough. The band’s musicianship has awed me ever since the first time I’ve heard them, four years ago. The magnitude of their style and technicality is just so broad that they’ve managed to produce three amazing albums, each with a different kick, that had out done each other. Now, almost three years since Blood Mountain, Mastodon returns with their fourth studio album, Crack The Skye.

If you listen to Mastodon’s entire oeuvre, from Remission to Blood Mountain, you’ll know that the band is always reshaping their music on every album, trying to one up their previous work with the current. Such is also the case with Crack The Skye. But the change of their music in this album might leave a lot of fans enraged. Because, in Crack The Skye, Mastodon eschewed most of the bells and whistles that made their past albums mind blowing, leaving us with a highly produced record that is a step down from their heavy sound.

I, however, love Crack The Skye. It's true that the screams and growls of vocalist, Troy Sanders, were minimized and replaced with clean, melodic vocals. Even the the complexities of the guitar works from their previous albums were filtered out from this one, leaving us with straight-forward 4-chord riffs. But their new sound -which is comparable to stoner metal bands like The Sword- still displays the band's skill and technicality. The only thing sacrificed in this album -in exchange for a much refined, more radio friendly sound- is their raw power.

To sum it up, Crack The Skye is like Mastodon's "Black Album". It is not as heavy or as complex like their previous albums. It is much more refined but still shows the band's creativity and technicality. While I don't think this album will bring Mastodon success like what the Black Album brought Metallica, I still think, it is accessible enough that the band might earn many new fans (and lose a few of their old ones). So, if you haven't heard Mastodon yet. Then, now is the time to listen to them. If you're an old fan, however, just give it a try. You may still like them.

Similar Posts:
Album Reivew: Dark Was The Night
Album Review: Meriweather Post Pavilion
Album Review: Scars on Broadway
Album Review: 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons
Music Review: End the year with a bang!

Springing Forward

My request for a week vacation in May have been finally approved. I'm not going anywhere though because I'm saving money for upcoming summer events, a 3rd gen iPod Touch or Zune and an Android G2 Phone. Instead, I'll spend my vacation time doing some home improvement and spring cleaning.

So here's my to do list and schedule:

• Day 1 - Assemble Garden Set

My Mom bought a garden set last month. But since the set comes with a tiled-top table, we can't put it out because it still rains a lot, and even snows sometimes. It's not a hard thing to do. It'll probably take me half a day to do it.

• Day 2 and 3 - Fence Painting

It's been only a year since we put up our backyard fence but it really looks shitty now. So I'm planning to paint it. I've been looking at some tools that'll help me do it faster. But, unfortunately, since I'm out of dough, I've decided to do it manually. Nothing keeps you humble like manual labor.

• Day 4 - Computer Clean-up

Every spring time, I always clean the innards of my computer and free it from dust bunnies. I've missed to clean mine last year so it's probably going to be a handful. Plus, I also got two computers now.

• Day 5 - Shelving

I've been meaning to put some shelves in our garage, basement and my room for organizing things. But I never got around it. I'm not sure yet if I'm going with a shelf case or just mount some boards into the wall. The former would be more expensive but the latter option will be a time sucker.

• Day 6 - Improve Wireless Connection

My wireless connection have been terrible from when we moved in this new house. It's because my PC is at end of wall while my router is at the other end. So I'm going to extend the cable and put my router at the middle of the house. I'm also looking at Wireless Repeaters. They're more expensive but it'll save me from the hassle of "wiring".

• Day 7 - Kick Back

Probably finish a game or a book.

Knowing myself, however, I'd probably finish about only a half of these things. If not for my Mom asking me to do the fence or the garden set, I'd probably won't do it either. Yes, I'm that lazy.

Similar Posts:
Re-Organization
Twitching Eye

Facebook for Gamers

Besides playing WAR, the only thing I'm doing as of late is slowly updating my GamerDNA profile. If you don't know what I'm talking about, GamerDNA is a social site designed for gamers. It's kinda like a Facebook, Twitter and Blogger rolled into one, except it targets gamers. It's actually a pretty cool website and there are a lot of gamer-centric features like level advancement. It also connects with Steam, Xfire, Games for Windows LIVE and Xbox LIVE. So every time you play a game that logs you on to one of these services, it automatically updates your profile and let the world know what you're playing.

The site is still in beta but it's looks pretty good already. So if you're a gamer, you better join in now. Then, make friends with me by clicking here.

Similar Posts:
A Steamy Affair
OnLive: Future of Gaming
Steaming Snow
A Flash of Armor

Pitchfork Festival '09: Artists Lineup

Pitchfork Music Festival and Lollapalooza are two of my most anticipated music events that is held here in Chicago ever Summer. But I'll miss out on Lollapalooza again because: (a) I'm working that weekend, and (b) It's too pricey. But it's not written in stone since Lollapalooza haven't announced their lineup yet. So if they come up with an awesome lineup (that includes Animal Collective or TV On The Radio), then I might go and see the event.

As for Pitchfork Music Festival, however, their lineup is pretty decent. Although, if I ever decide to see it, I'll just probably attend the Saturday event. I've been a big fan of The National since I've found out about them four years ago. They're the band that actually drew me into folk rock. I also want to see The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. They're a new band and I'm currently in love with their noise pop music. The venue is not that great though. But, for $35, I think the show is still worth going to.

Similar Posts:
Wizard World Chicago
Lollapalooza 2008: Lineup Announced

The Fourth War

It's unfortunate that most of my entertainment, as of late, is all about wars. I started reading a book entitled The Forever War, last February, and then I followed it by playing games with titles like Dawn of War II and Empire: Total War. Now, the staple game on my PC is also another war, a MMORPG called Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR).

A huge warband, and I'm part of it.

I bought Warhammer Online a couple weeks ago, and I'm having tons of fun with it. I don't regularly care too much about MMORPG but, for the third consecutive year now, I always get a bad case of MMO itch during spring (I played World of Warcraft last year, and Lord of the Rings Online two years ago). So it really needed some serious scratching. That and, also, Dawn of War II made me want to delve more into the Warhammer Universe -both the 40,000 and fantasy settings.

Like I said earlier, I'm having a blast playing this game. Unlike other MMOs, WAR actually understands the most common enemy of their subscribers/players: Time. Most of the quests in the game are marked on the map. So you won't make simple mistakes like going South when your quest is actually in North. Travel is also easy and fast. Most MMOs will force you to watch your character ride an auto-piloted horse or gryphon, from point A to B, which can last for eternity. In WAR, when you travel, you just enter a cut-scene and then it will load a new area. Fast and easy.

But what I really love about this game is the Realm Vs. Realm content. It is where players from the side of Order and Destruction meets in a designated area to own and pawn each other. It's a lot of fun. Especially when both Forces have huge warbands and good team work.

Anyways, to those of you who are already playing WAR, you can find me at the Phoenix Throne server. My current character is a White Lion named Aethenbrior. I'm not role-playing yet, because my Warhammer lore isn't sufficient, but I will. I'm also looking for a good guild (possibly leaning towards heavy role-playing). If you're not playing WAR, however, I'll get 6 trial-keys by the end of the month. I'll post it here so you can try playing the game.

Similar Posts:
Game: Review: Dawn of War II
Owned and Pawned!
First Impressions: Dawn of War II
Steaming Snow
Between War and War

Game Review: Dawn of War II

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II
9.0 of 10
Platform: Windows
Developer: Relic Entertainment
Publisher: THQ

Buy game from Amazon


Introduction
I'm not that much into RTS (real-time strategy) games. There are a lot of its aspect that I find a bit boring. Accumulating resources, in particular, just gets in the way of jumping right out of the frying pan and into the action. I just find it irksome and uneventful to look for a heavy resource area in the game, secure it and then harvest it, instead of razing my enemies' base with my army. The same case with constructing bases which seems to be more like fillers than an actual game feature. It's a good thing that game developers like Relic Entertainment are reinventing the mechanics of RTS games.

A Force Commander with his gut-wrenching chainsword.

When Relic came out with Dawn of War, 5 years ago, the game was so revolutionary to me. For the most part, it is still comparable to Warcraft or Command & Conquer games. The only thing that separates it from other RTS is its method of accumulating resources. Instead of harvesting food or mining gold, Relic replaced it with point locations -currency generating areas- that players need to capture and hold. Now, Relic returns with a new game, Dawn of War II. This time they pushed the envelope even further by taking out all the unnecessary elements that hampers the fun in RTS games.

Gameplay
Like most RTS games, Dawn of War II is divided into two modes: The multiplayer and the campaign. Unlike most RTS, however, Relic has stripped Dawn of War II of features that might put off a lot of traditional RTS aficionados. Base construction, to my delight, doesn't exist here. You start with one base (with two turrets in multiplayer) on every game. That's it. You don't have to trouble yourself constructing other buildings and a second base anymore. There are also fewer unit choices and less upgrades in this game. All you really need to worry about is how to outmaneuver your enemies.

A rumble in the jungle: Space Marines vs. Tyranids.

I usually don't play multiplayer games but Dawn of War II has goaded me in with its fast paced action. In Dawn of War II, you get to choose from four different races (Space Marines, Eldar, Orks and Tyranids), each with their own unique units and play style. Like with most RTS nowadays, you also get to choose a hero (or commander). All races have three different types of hero with abilties ranging from offensive, defensive, stealth and support. Then, you can either play one on one or a team battle. But if your skills aren't that sharp to handle the big boys, you can always practice on an AI opponent to toughen up.

There are two ways of winning a multiplayer game in Dawn of War II: Annihilation and Victory Points. Annihilation, as much as menacing as it sounds, is actually boring because its too slow. Since the nodes (currency generating points) in the game can be easily taken and lost, the balance of power constantly shifts between you and your opponent. So it's really hard to amass an army large enough to assault an enemy base. Victory point control, however, is much more fun. You (or your team) just need to capture all Victory Points and hold it until the opposing player (or team) run out of points.

One of the campaign's mission maps.

As much as I love the multiplayer, it was the campaign that made me fall in love with this game. The campaign's gameplay is actually a squad tactical RPG (similar to Freedom Force) rather than a RTS. You control a squad of four consisting a Force Commander and another three units of your choosing (Scout, Dreadnought or 3 types of Space Marines). Just like in a RPG, all squad members gain levels and can equip wargears -which are gained either as a reward or dropped by an enemy. Once your squad is ready, you can choose your mission in the planetary map.

Technical
Graphically, Dawn of War II isn't a bad looking game. There are tons of eye candy in here, from the glint coming off from the golden shoulder pads of your Space Marines to the billowing dust clouds following your Dreadnought's wake. The effort spent in the details of this game is as meticulous as one would paint a miniature figure. Speaking of miniature figures, in homage to the Warhammer 40K table-top version, Relic also included an Army Painter in this game. Not really important but it's a nice feature nonetheless. The only thing I didn't like about the visuals is the lack of in-game cinematic and cut scenes.

Paint your armies with the army painter. There are lots of color options, from dried blood to bone grey.

The sounds are also as impressive as the graphics. I love the voice acting in this game because, due to the lack of cinematic, it really captured the fanatical and combat hardened nature of the Space Marines. I especially love hearing Cyrus and Avitus. In fact, one of the reasons that kept me playing is because I wanted to hear them talk. The sound effects, however, outshines (or should I say drowns) the voice acting. From the buzz of the chainsword to the hum coming off the Razorback, the effects are gloriously loud and made me love my new set speakers even more.

Conclusion
Relic outdid themselves this time. I only bought Dawn of War II thinking that it will be more of the same. But what I actually got is an entirely different game, not only to its predecessor but to the entire RTS catalog. The lack of base building here, both in multiplayer and campaign, excited me to no ends because it puts you right into action. The campaign, tweaked into a squad tactical RPG, also offers a different experience from the multiplayer feature. I know that a lot of the changes here will make most die hard RTS fans unhappy. But I say, RTS fan or not, this is a pretty awesome game and every gamer should try it.

Similar Posts:
First Impressions: Dawn of War II
Game Review: Fallout 3
Game Review: Mass Effect
Game Review: Space Siege
Game Review: Days of Ruin

A Threat to Peace

I'm not a big MMORPG fan or a big Star Wars fan. Normally, I don't follow any news related to both items. I am, however, a big BioWare fan. So when they unveiled their newest project, Star Wars: The Old Republic, a MMORPG based on the Star Wars universe, I was so flabbergasted and have been following any news regarding the game since last October.

So far, I'm impressed with BioWare's generosity to us anxious fans. They've been feeding us with snippets about the game's setting and story, teasing us by revealing the classes available in the game one at a time, and they've even teamed up with Dark Horse to give us a web-comic: Threat of Peace.

I really can't wait for this game. But, knowing BioWare's production value, it won't come out any time soon. When it does, however, it'll be so long World of Warcraft. If there's anything that can kill WoW, it's this game. After all, Star Wars is the mother of geekhood.

Similar Posts:
Direction to Naboo
Game Review: Mass Effect
My Top 10 PC Games

A Steamy Affair

I've been using Steam for almost two months now, and I've been loving the service it provides me ever since. Having said that, that's a huge compliment coming from an old school sentimental gamer like me who still collects game boxes. So why do I love Steam, you say? Well, there are a lot of reasons for that but here are the three I's that matters most:

• Instant Gaming

I'm a busy person. I have work and a lot of hobbies, and time can be scarce to enjoy both. So downloading games from Steam, instead of driving to a store to buy my games, saves me a lot of time. It's true that, sometimes, download connections can be slow. But I don't really care because I can still read books and comics while waiting for my downloads to finish. But best of all, if you're on vacation (or even at work), you can always access your Steam client wherever there's internet and play your games.

• Insane Deals

Steam also offers great discounts on select games. I especially love their packaged deals. Take the THQ collector pack, for a example, a $100 game bundle that consists of 12 awesome games. It's a perfect gift to a budding PC gamer. Their weekend deals are also off the charts, giving you discounts as much as 50% to 75% off the price tag. Last week, I bought Far Cry 2 for 50% off, and the game's not even a year old. You won't find this kind of deals in retail stores.

• Indie Games

I'm an ardent supporter of everything indie. Games, comics, music, you name it. Unfortunately, due to my hectic schedule, I don't have much time tracking down indie stuff. That's why it's a good thing that Steam carries an extensive list of indie games in their catalog. I would've never heard of interesting games such as Audiosurf, Defense Grid, or Zeno Clash if I just relied on "premiere" news gaming blogs or websites.

Instant gaming, insane deals and indie games are the three things that made me love Steam. Hopefully, by now, you're also using Steam because it's really a boon to PC gaming. If you're not using Steam right now. Then go download it here.

Similar Posts:
OnLive: Future of Gaming
Steaming Snow
A Flash of Armor