Mobile Look: Chrono Trigger

Is Chrono Trigger the greatest Role Playing Game? Perhaps not, but without question it is the most revered. Even Final Fantasy isn’t looked upon with the same reverence as this Super Nintendo classic. Why is that? Why is Chrono Trigger seen at or near the precipice of the RPG genre? I think the reasons lie in its simplicity.

Chrono Trigger is designed splendidly. There’s no wasted elements, no need to grind gameplay for hours, no need to farm gold, or sit through cutscenes. It’s the perfect length, just right difficulty, and streamlined story that make it a great game to play even today.

The premise isn’t shockingly original, it’s just done right! As the main protagonist Crono you’ll band together with heroes from different time periods to battle an evil that has blighted the entire world in the past, present, and future. The game goes from the dawn of man, to middle ages and into the distant future to uncover the fate of the planet.

Battles are your typical turn-based affair: you take a turn to attack, then the baddies do the same…blah, blah, blah – If you’ve played an RPG its nothing new! What makes battles a joy is the team unity. The “Tech” system combines two, to three party member abilities into a light show of a strike. Each character has his or her unique magic and set of skills that can then be mixed and matched together to form these powerful attacks. It’s these dual and triple tech’s that make diversifying your party a fruitful choice as every group combination has it’s own dynamic battle fusion.

I’ll admit 10 dollars is a steep price to pay for a nearly 17 year old game. Great games don’t become bad games because they get old though. And shelling out a little extra cash for one of the best on a mobile platform was a no brainer for a diehard like me.

How does this time-traveling adventure fair on the iPhone is the question -- Exceptionally well, is the short answer. Navigating the world with the virtual joystick placed on screen isn’t a big deal because there’s no need for precise movements when not in battle. Combat takes some getting use to. Most of the commands are initiated with a swipe across the screen: to either switch the enemy you wish to attack or the specific ability you wish to use.

It’s not as fast as simply pressing a button. It’s just not. So battles can take a minute or two longer than they would on the original console version – which makes setting the enemy attacks to “Wait” more important. If left on “Active” monsters will attack relentlessly making fights a tad more stressful to handle on the iPhone.

How you navigate and control takes some time. But once you figure it out Chrono Trigger on the iPhone is a picture prefect transition. This retro gem maintains it’s charm years after it’s release. I’ve written about my love for this masterpiece before as it’s among my favorite games of all time.

What makes it so is the complete package of art, story, music, and just plain fun that culminates into a game that should be played by everyone. As RPG’s go look no further, if you want to play what many consider the best, and you haven’t yet, check out Chrono Trigger on the iPhone, you wont be disappointed. 

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning preview

To make this simple think of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning as a cross between God of War, Fable, with a light touch of Mass Effect. The combat has that visceral punch Kratos unleashes in the God of War series, but Role Playing elements are heavily focused.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an action RPG. So heavy on the action that even in this demo I’m tempted to say it may have the best melee system of any Action RPG I’ve ever played. Granted Fable and a few others aren’t the best examples but rarely do RPG’s have the brutality of the action genre.

The producers are full in your face with saying the battle system is reminiscent of God of War. Even down to contextual button presses or mashing of a button for cinematic kills is present. But it works, surprisingly well.

The game really is fast paced at least from the start. You’re rushed forward and shown each way to play the game almost immediately. And I love the focus on not jailing me to a specific character class. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning allows you to choose your own fate as it were.

Want a Rogue that can specialize in the use of magic – just do it. Unlike many games you’re aren’t penalized for spreading skill points out, instead encouraged to do so for creativities sake. Yes the standard Warrior and Mage classes are still present – you aren’t thrust into choosing and sticking with a particular ability set. You can pick how you want to fight and how you want your game to unfold.

One more step needed to be taken to give the game its on visual style.

The game is a little lacking on the polish. The visuals don’t have their own style; in fact it really does look a lot like Fable. The color pallet is vibrant: purples and bright blooming lights litter the open areas. NPC’s and even your own protagonist’s model on the other hand are very bland looking. It’s still the demo version and how the final game looks may not be indicative of this build.

And with all the dialogue that is featured; and there’s a lot. It’s tough to sift through all of it with a mute leading hero. Maybe Bioware has spoiled us but not having a talking character really hurts a gamer’s attention span. That’s not to say the story can’t still be compelling, it just adds more when you feel like your creation isn’t brain dead. It just feels a little last generation.

People should really take a look at this lengthy demo online now. The full game comes out in February, which isn’t a great place, as Mass Effect is looking to sweep away attention soon in March. Still little gaming gems are out there, and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning has left an impression on me one that won’t be forgotten upon its release.

Skyrim Review/ Retrospect

The Elder Scrolls VI: Skyrim is a not easy game to summarize. Frankly, I’ve spent such a long time with the game that whether or not I actually like it is questionable. It’s a time suck: I’d never recommend Skyrim to an open-heart surgeon or something…they should have better things to do. When characters that you don’t play as have lives, and the world around you goes on even when your not there – it’s a sign that this is more than just a game.

All the Elder Scrolls games are massive adventures. But Skyrim doesn’t reinvent anything it just piles on top. Skyrim starts out as plain vanilla ice cream, then turns into a massive sundae with all the toppings – and sometimes too much of a good thing turns your stomach.

Fighting dragons is by far the highlight of Skyrim. You never know when and where they’re going to attack. They can terrorize any town or city; caves are possibly the only refuge…although I’m not sure on that either. On more than one occasion I fast traveled to a settlement to find it under siege from these flying lizards. The townspeople were running; guards unsheathed swords (for all the good that was going to do), and I began to sling arrows at the fiend. Dynamic and unexpected interactions like these are the bright spots of playing.

Fighting dragons is unsurprisingly always fun in Skyrim.

It’s these spontaneous reactionary creatures that make Skyrim so appealing. If dragons weren’t included or if they had scripted behavior patterns, Skyrim would only feel slightly different than Oblivion, it’s predecessor.

I frequently find myself exploring the vast wastes just for chance meetings with these aerial menaces. Battling dragons is the true fun to be had with this game – the same can’t be said of the main story.

It’s shocking in many ways. Yes, Oblivion had a dreadfully mediocre primary quest line. But Bethesda rebounded and landed with a ten with Fallout 3. Not just the quests but from point A to B Fallout 3 was a complete quality shift in storytelling from Oblivion’s, “Go in this cave, and kill this guy”, structure.

Unfortunately Skyrim gets its chain boots stuck in the mud of stale quest structure. I’ve yet to feel compelled to do anything for an NPC, even with promises of a reward. There’s a few key elements for why the main story isn’t very engaging and why the side quests don’t feel as rich as Fallout.

It think a big portion of someone’s reason for undertaking a task lies in the reward. Rarely in Skyrim do you get repaid with loot – but what bothers me most is you don’t receive any experience for completed a job. Nothing.

The way you level is purely based on the usage of a skill. Use one-handed weapons, and the experience bar fills as that skill grows. The higher the skill level the slower it levels, but when it does your character will gain more experience. This is a terrific system for combat -- but when you have a game that is filled with this much content I don’t want to get just a pat on the back and a handshake for my efforts. I want that classic experience gain for completing a quest. Otherwise, why the hell did I do it?

Well because it’s supposed to be fun, right? Well I think that’s the biggest problem with Skyrim. The fun, the pure enjoyment of playing is buried. The combat is better, but not great. Visually I had to look twice to remind myself that this wasn’t an expansion for Oblivion. It’s just an ugly looking game on console. Animations and bugs are abounding. So many negatives make me feel like I’m working when I play Skyrim. I have to get myself out of bed and coax myself into playing. Now that’s not fun at all!

Most areas are a step up from Oblivion. But the changes aren't Earth shaking.  

I don’t think Skyrim is a bad game. There’s gold here, you just have to dig for it. But after putting 70 hours in and getting thoroughly bored with the main adventure I don’t feel enticed to continue playing.

Now everybody will go through his or her own experience with this game. I for one found it maddeningly difficult at first. But at this point my character is so powerful (through the use of skill building and grinding for the best armor and loot) I find little challenge even when fighting the biggest meanest dragons. And that was just my chosen path. The game became easy because I knew how to exploit the system, not through cheating; I just saw the strings and manipulated them to the unintentional point where I stopped caring about the game.

This is still a massive game with lots to do. And while there are large complaints about bugs and just questionable game design, Skyrim is still enjoyable in spurts. It’s not a win by any stretch and I question so many news outlets giving it game of the year – that said it seems like most of the entertainment is lying dormant on this disc: it takes lots of effort to get the most from Skyrim. And the appeal has fallen flat for me.

Skyrim is what you make of it. And if you only scratch the surface you’ll be disappointed. Below that surface you’ll find a really good game…but even further below you’ll begin nitpicking everything to the point of dislike. For me, beginning, to end, Skyrim wasn’t great, and at some points it dipped below average. Like I said everybody would take away something different upon playing – make no mistake though when it comes to slaying dragons, Skyrim is number one. In the end that’s some type of accomplishment. 

Final Fantasy XIII-2 demo

Just a quick look on this demo since I really couldn’t stand Final Fantasy XIII – not much has changed. Pressing Auto-Attack throughout the entire fight is just as boring as in the previous game. Sure I could queue up each attack individually, but that split second could cost you valuable time used to hit your enemy before it hits you.

Making automatically queuing up commands a necessity. Enemy encounters are somewhere between random battles and what was seen in the original game. You wont see monsters on the battlefield initially, you have to walk past candid areas then they’ll pop out of the ground. A gauge then appears giving you the ability to initiate a preemptive strike: possibly staggering the opponent, which opens them up for meatier damage during a fight.

I do like the pacing of the demo showcased. Final Fantasy XIII-2 had me rushing through areas without too much time to explore. Sure paths only branched in three directions, but I found turning off the map and just walking around at my own leisure far more inviting than the last installment.

A lot of the previous structure still remains intact. The Crystarium is your primary way to level up. It’s still a far cry from what I consider to be the best leveling system in any Final Fantasy game: the sphere grid from Final Fantasy X. You still just press a button on the node and skill you want to unlock. The illusion that you’re customizing your own path isn’t even hidden; you really just choose a power and equip it. Nothing interesting and I don’t know why a classic 1 to 99 level system couldn’t have just been used instead?

What's good is still good, and what's bad is still bad. 

One new addition does peak my interest. Upon defeating a baddy you have a chance to capture it and have it fight alongside you. This is a treat as from what I’ve seen Noel and Serah are the main playable the cast, party members will only join temporarily. Having these monsters by your side to either heal or deal damage is a nice touch. You can even mix and match them into your Paradigm Shifts to create the perfect battle synergy.

There are some good ideas on the surface of Final Fantasy XIII-2. I’m tentative on whether I’m just done with Square Enix’s long running franchise. It's definitely a love hate relationship. And I feel scorned my last romp with their flagship game. Still for those who loved the original there’s more here for you – for the rest of us who were severely underwhelmed the few tweaks added may not be enough to bring back the love we once had for the fantasy. 

Sherlock

BBC Television series

Series 1

Won over by the crime drama Luther, I decided to take another trip into the realm of British television. Sherlock is a modern-day take on whom else, Sherlock Holmes. Setting Holmes in our current generation is a simple and yet surprisingly easy premise to grasp. As it’s straightforward to turn a lot of what makes Sherlock Holmes fascinating into something that persists even today.

A thing like Doctor Watson, Sherlock’s trusty assistant, is an Afghanistan war veteran to keep up with the times. Instead of writing about each completed case for instance Watson blogs about it. Instead of being a traditional drug addict Holmes is addicted to Nicotine patches. Grounding the show in the now, isn’t distracting at all as I thought in initially might be.

Benedict Cumberbatch really takes Holmes to an even more eccentric place than any iteration I’ve ever seen. To the point where Holmes is so enamored with the riddle that each killer presents that he doesn’t even care if people die. Sherlock Holmes is unlikable by the end of the first season; he’s an emotionless brilliant man but Watson (played by soon to be Bilbo Baggins, Martin Freeman) is the only one that actually cares for the fate of the innocent.

The show never gets too far ahead of the viewer, which is exceedingly helpful. Some shows get so trapped in their own ideas that they leave the audience behind, even the Robert Downey Sherlock Holmes is a little too reclusive in his approach to a crime – so much so that we are left in the dark to the how’s and why’s of the actual mystery itself.

Cumberbatch plays Holmes as a man that sees the world completely different, even mocking the average person’s intelligence. The show still holds your attention as clues are usually presented in the form of text that subtly pops on the screen when an idea forms in Sherlock’s twisted mind.

Martin Freeman is the glue that holds things together: that might sound like a somewhat benign thing to say. But even though Holmes outshines Watson when scouring a body for clues. It’s Watson’s grounded realistic thought that keeps the show from revolving solely around Holmes and his great wit. Watson may not have much input in the investigation front, but his touch of sanity keeps the audience from completely loathing Holmes, which is nice.

Each episode is the length of a short film. But the mystery, and performances keep you from realizing the movie like length; so viewing fatigue doesn’t set in. A show like this can become overwhelming with the amount of information you are presented with. But even the final episode, where Holmes has to solve five cases, never gets too bloated with facts that your head explodes. The show is smart but not so clever that you ask, “what?” Every five minutes. 

I continue to be impressed with the quality programming on BBC. Yes it’s probably been at the forefront of great TV for years now, but sometimes it takes awhile for people to gravitate towards what is popular. Luther and Sherlock are two shows I’ve thoroughly enjoyed in the past few months. Don’t be afraid to think and dive into the unknown, Sherlock will help you with that anyways.

Mobile look: Groove Coaster

Played on the iPhone

Like my favorite rhythm game Rez, Groove Coaster is an inventive game that gives the feeling of creation. Having a simplistic visual style, you control almost nothing as the entire game is on rails. As the funky beats sound nodes pop on the screen, touch them to unleash the song -- that’s the game, just touching to make music, but it’s very addictive.

Each song is no longer than 2 minutes or so, great for just a quick hit of gaming while on the go or waiting around. I found myself getting through a few songs while at work. Most of the tracks are electronic downtempo hip-hop and Japanese pop. But the lyrics and the entirety of the song never really get played out in full until on harder difficulties.

The casual fun is there in Groove Coaster, but it turns into a real game once you play on hard. Along with shorter times between each touch of the screen, swipes, scratches and increasingly more difficult presses are required to complete the tune.

While I love music, like most people I have little ability to make it. Games like Rez and Groove Coaster shine with how they entice you to make the song grow. It’s the closest thing a non-musician can get to producing – I love that.

Not a long game, but unlockable skins and sprites that change the graphics makes you want to keep playing, but its really just the ability to play through a handful of tracks then get back to your day that makes Groove Coaster a joy. 

Nujabes Spiritual State

I remember being blown away by the soundtrack for the anime Samurai Champloo…the show was great but the funky music is what pushed me to seek out the musicians. One of them, Japanese producer Jun Seba AKA Nujabes really stuck out with his classical yet new era style and harmonious sound. Not just in his mixing of traditional Japanese instruments but also in his approach to each song as a meal he fed to your ears.

Nujabes was one of the most influential artists I had ever listened to. His untimely death was a loss to those who really loved his ability. While he wasn’t able to finish his last studio album what was completed was released, and it’s a beautiful farewell to an inspiring musician.

Like his work in the past Spiritual State is a fusion of instrumental hip-hop and jazz -- having a downtempo sometimes somber yet an inviting and uplifting sound. The cool combination of piano, saxophone, and jazz flute mix well with the simplistic but rhythmic beats Nujabes produces.

Spiritual State does dabble in the “traditional” hip-hop flavor. Much like his previous albums Pase Rock, and Substantial lend their lyrical talents to a few of the tracks. The poetic flows of Pase and Substantial compliment Jun Seba’s production as if they were made for each other.

Nujabes was the producer I couldn’t get out of my head in college; he not only changed my musical tastes but how I decided to see the world. I’ve never felt more relaxed and at peace with everything then when I listen to his compositions. It’s not just the tone but also the feeling of the melody growing and as the music swells you get wrapped into each song.

An experimental musical mastermind that will be missed dearly: Spiritual State makes me miss times past and makes me look towards the future with hope -- I rank Nujabes among my favorite artists in any medium or form. It’s sad he’s gone but he didn’t leave without making his mark and I’ll always love the music he’s left behind.

Although not easy to come by I suggest seeking out Nujabes other works including my favorite album Departure from the Samurai Champloo official soundtrack. 

Animal Man 1 – 4

Story: Jeff Lemire

Art: Travel Foreman

On a long hiatus from comics I decided to go with a non-superhero affair. Yes, Animal Man does have inhuman abilities…but from everything I’d been hearing the New 52 Animal Man is a strange trip. I’m laughing now because you’ll never find somebody who reads Animal Man and says, “Yeah I’ve heard that story before.”

Animal Man is surreal creepiness in print. The art may make a person vomit. The color palette and use of said spectrum is minimalistic and beautiful. The actual visual direction is where someone may turn their nose at Animal Man. It’s hard to go a mere two panels without seeing something that looks like a Google search for car crash photos. Grotesque images, blood and exposed organs cover pages like sauce on spaghetti.

It’s most certainly a jump into the abyss of a creative human mind. And mean that in a good way. There’s nothing I can recollect that quite compares to Animal Man artistically; it’s some of the most disturbing physical shots of anything I’ve seen in any medium. Yet it serves to tell the story: it’s not for shock value.

Buddy Baker as the titular character of Animal Man doesn’t know how he obtained his bond with the beast kingdom. Punching criminals in the face was Buddy’s early years. Turning to acting, and even becoming an animal rights activist is his current life. Even without full knowledge or understanding of his ability to copy the innate attributes of any animal, he settles down and starts a family and just tries to live a normal life.

What follows in the first four issues of Animal Man is an Alice in Wonderland like tale – just with a lot of exposed human intestines. From Animal Man’s eyes bleeding profusely, to his daughter using necromancy and sheltering animals raised from their very graves, nothing is ever a non-surprising moment.

Animal Man isn’t for everybody and I honestly don’t have negative or overwhelmingly positive feelings either. The tale to this point has stretched out into another ethereal plan of existence where Animal learns that a war is coming. He’s tasked with protecting “The Red”, a secluded area of existence, from “The Rot” or the infestation that seeks to devour and corrupt. What?

Not that the story is too heady, but it’s out there, really out there -- In some other atmosphere of human consciousness. Or, it’s just difficult to wrap ones head around what Jeff Lemire is going for. Is Animal Man a good story or so off-putting that it will turn people away? I don’t even have an answer myself. It’s an interesting first four trades, nothing is cliché or contrived, it’s all creative. And for that Animal Man is one of the more exceptional new comics from the New 52 DC run.

More than worth a passing glance, Animal Man is among the most unique comics you’ll ever come upon. It’s no bread and butter, man wearing tights and punching goons adventure. Reading Animal Man is like riding in a really nice car…actually, I can’t make any type of analogy that makes any sense to this warped narrative!

Those feeling DC has fallen into a stale rut since launching its new line (I personally only like a handful of the New 52) Animal Man may be the thing that makes you realize why you read these things in the first place…that or you’ll be very uncomfortable reading and looking at each page. Either way Animal Man elicits an aura of imagination and I can’t help but applaud Jeff Lemire – even if I think he was on something while writing this!

Luther Season 2

BBC series Luther Season 2 review

Spanning only four episodes in length – but never feeling short – the second season of the BBC crime drama Luther is overwrought. A condensed season is more than enough to wet the appetite, and then satiate the hunger by the end. While the first two episodes may not have the intensity of the latter, a tense knotted feeling in your gut still permeates each hour-long showing.

How Luther wiggles his way free from consequences from the end of the first season isn’t a focus. We are thrust into a new Bureau (if it’s called such a thing in Britain) and DCI John Luther is once again faced with serial killers and maniacs.

It goes much further. Yes there is a psychopath on the loose; John still has demons (in the form of people he’s helped or hurt in the passed) that constantly haunt him.

It’s the strange pairing of John’s life and his job that guides things forward. Luther’s darker past creeps back to look him in the eyes and ask for help. And Luther, just being a simple man (a brilliant man in many respects) tries to do the right thing…he just gets caught in the wrong places.

The series feels strangely like a film, a long film -- but no less griping. Not every scene is going to steal your breath away. There’s a somber tone drizzled on top that wasn’t there in the first season.

There is a small feeling that no matter how muddy John Luther tends to get himself, he’ll come clean in the end. And while not formulaic, patterns can be inferred upon would a third season be in the works. That doesn’t mean the show struggles to surprise. Far from it. It’s actually quite difficult to see the bread trail leading to our destination.

The show isn’t about who the murderer is. It’s, “how do we get him?” And the finale isn’t’ expected. Really, how each installment could end isn’t evident. One aspect that helps the second season is the audience being more involved in how Luther problem solves. He still thinks internally, and then shows the audience after the fact. It’s less understated this time around, making Luther feel less like a crime stopping savant.

Both the first and second seasons are exceedingly well crafted. It’s not completely without flaws. But they’re so minuscule that I have a hard time giving any examples. 

Luther doesn’t fall into a stale pit of procedural repetition like today’s crime series’. Clocking in at only ten episodes in total, things aren’t drawn out. Events happen, people die, and it needs to stop now. It’s not an ongoing Looney Toon world where there’s dozens of killers – and by keeping things centered on two killers (maybe three if you want to split hairs) an easily digestible pace is formed: where you never feel like things are going to fast for you to either understand or care about.

Idris Elba is becoming an actor I want to see play in everything. He lives in the role, and his emotions are so seeable on his face it’s difficult to not care about him. The spontaneity to how he handles a conversation and his charisma stand out among the others, who in their own right are very good.

It’s also a testament to each writer and script artist. Luther’s mind is like a black hole: you have no idea what’s on the other side, he just reaches out and immediately says or does what he pulls out. How he’ll fair in the end is the real mystery. 

Mass Effect Invasion #2

Story: Mac Walters

Art: Omar Francia

Script: John Jackson Miller

The war for Omega rages on: Aria T’Loak, de-facto ruler of Omega, teams with the vaunted pro-human organization Cerberus to stop an experiment gone wrong – something Cerberus has done on more than one occasion.

Dark Horse’s Mass Effect four-issue comic is meant to bridge some gaps in between Mass Effect’s 2 and 3 respectively. Telling the fall of Omega, the seedy, lawless space station. It’s more or less a side story that will have larger face value upon Mass Effect 3’s release next year, one would think.

Mass Effect Invasion seems to serve mostly as a companion piece to Mass Effect 3…nothing else can explain the obscenely predictable story. Personally I question the infatuation with Aria T’Loak as a character. Of all the people in the Mass Effect universe to focus on it seems odd that Aria has become a poster for spinoffs. Outside of her constant scowling what is here actual personality? Why her?

It makes following Mass Effect Invasion entirely dependent on your love for the video game franchise. As a standalone comic, it’s flat.

At some point Aria shoots a Kamehameha...so, that happens.

You do get a few squeezings of things to come. The first two issues just don’t piece together a strong emotional resonance. Why should I care about Omega being taken over? And the betrayal that is so transparent from the start is almost laughably strung out. Cerberus wants Omega. If Aria were so smart she’d see all this as a ruse to get her away from her beloved home.

Everything just feels so stale. From the static art: visuals that just show people standing around with no semblance of any artistic angle to liven up the panel. And dialogue that’s like reading the nutritional facts on a cereal box – I strain my brain trying to figure out the logic for why this, of all the many interconnected stories that could be thrown in between Mass Effect 2 and 3, needed to be told?

I may hold some reserved feelings about the potential ending to his 4-issue comic run: in that I think readers may be surprised when we come to the eventual climax. To this point each panel is dull and the trade as a whole is bland -- Mass Effect, as a series is full of classic Sci-Fi space exploration that keeps you on your toes and eager for more; Mass Effect Invasion is just…blah!

Skyrim: The Quest for More Time

I was asked once if I could have any power or fantastical ability, what would I choose? I gave some stupid answer like teleportation, merely for convenience sake. The real answer is I wish I didn’t have to sleep! November has been a deadly month for my body. I go to bed, and then head to work. It’s the life many lead. But November happened and it hit me like a punch from Shaq.

Fall is the biggest gaming season of the year. Uh, I’m tired just talking about it. Yeah things started slow with Batman: Arkham City. I remember those days, when I could just play one game at a time. That was a great era. Now I’m trying to find time to play four different games at once. That’s not including Zelda Skyward Sword – which, despite my hatred for Twilight Princess, I feel obligated to get. Just give me a break.

Regardless, I traipse across the frozen mountains of Skyrim in search of dragons, which will most likely roast my flesh off. I can’t say I’ve gotten a bead on these aerial flying beast’s. I get cooked in my armor before I can sling an arrow from my bow. It would be nice if I could throw my sword at a dragon once my magic and arrows are depleted. Instead most fights devolve into me running like a moron while those scaly bastards flame broil my butt cheeks.

Wolves fall quickly...

My constant time spent at the death screen aside I’m thoroughly enjoying Bethesda latest life suck. The visual miscues have been noted on the Xbox 360 version, and a patch is coming…as of right this moment the game looks pretty disgusting. Humans still look more akin to Mr. Potato Head than they do actual Homo sapiens. That’s my major gripe – people have mashed faces like those putty guys from Power Rangers -- because everything else really is a leap past what we saw from Oblivion some five years ago.

Having the choice to have a fire spell in one hand and a mace in the other turns the fighting into a layer cake of deliciousness. Unfortunately swords and other weaponry twang off shields and enemy armor with a loose weightlessness that doesn’t feel quite right. Countering that is the addition of perks that augment your attacks to make battles more cinematic. With certain perks you can slow time while using a bow, blast hordes with a combination spell (that looks like you’re shooting a Hadouken), and critical finishes where you may stab right through a foe.

...but Frost Trolls will rip your flesh off with a sneeze. 

I haven’t gotten much time in the world of Skyrim but that hasn’t stopped me from walking everywhere and chatting with locals. Bethesda creates worlds that seem lived in. Most people you meet have a house and go through a daily routine…and yes you can rob them blind in their sleep: I do it all the time.

I still can’t get away from the cold grip of Modern Warfare 3. Assassins Creed Revelations, Zelda and so many other games are yelling at me to join the party. Alas my life is filled with other things. Here’s hoping I actually get some time to myself…that will happen when hell freezes over and I can toast marshmallows on the sun!

Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer review

Call of Duty was the addiction. Sure I played Halo, but it wasn’t always fun. Call of Duty – even in the worst of times – is still a fantastic shooter, and just a stellar multiplayer game. I can’t describe it. A feeling of utter elation, like teaching a sibling how to ride a bike. A kind of wonder washes over you and the only thing that matters is who’s in front of your iron sights.

Has it always been this way? No. Modern Warfare 3 is the first to capture the feeling of the original; the gun-on-gun, watch your corners action is back. Matches are fast paced, but not chaotic like Modern Warfare 2. Activision went back to basics – yes choppers and airstrikes are alive and well – it’s a finer tuned game than either Black Ops or Modern Warfare 3, as I’ll explain.

Bullets would spray from all angels. Where? Just run, it doesn’t matter. Here comes a chopper, then an AC130…then a Nuke! It was all too common to get vaporized off the face of the earth in MW2. Killstreaks are weaker overall, as is explosive damage. Air support can be easily shot down by anyone. A team can’t just dominate the air to win a match; they actually have to out shoot the opposition. It’s far more about you, and your gun, not an AI controlled assist that gets your kills for you.

Complaining gets you nowhere…actually you get something: a bullet between the teeth. I say this because there’s an underlying layer of skill that’s mandatory to be successful with Modern Warfare 3. Campers, you don’t have as many places to hide. Now you have to be faster than the next guy, and the next after that. I actually feel like people are better than me because they have more expertise. Not because they sit in a corner and pick off people as they walk passed.

Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer games are tightrope artists for how they balanced the competitive aspect of multiplayer. No one gun outclasses another; there’s no all-in-one perk that makes you omnipotent. From rank 1 to 80 you are giving the tools, but it takes practice and experience to become better: something that wasn’t always the case in previous titles.  The playing field is level, and so are the multiplayer maps.

Add proficiencies to strengthen your weapon.  

Each map was just large for reasons I’ve never known in MW2. Maps are smaller, corridors tighter, bottlenecks are abundant, buildings are open; overall matches just flow better because everybody is out running around as opposed to roasting marshmallows at a camp site.

Killstreaks have been appended into what’s called Strike packages. Each of the three: Assault, Support, and Specialist play vastly different. Assault is the standard: get kills to earn choppers and air support. Run Assault if all you care about is racking up high body counts by staying alive. Support is all for the betterment of the team: it’s all about revealing the enemy and not me, myself, and I. Then Specialist gives you rewards in the form of perks. Each 2 kills gives you a perk of your choosing up until eights kills when you get them all!

Breaking the Killstreak reward system into these Strike packages is Call of Duty’s way of adding a class system without restricting people to a designated load out. And it really has changed the faced of the game.

The customization isn’t cosmetic like Black Ops. As you level each gun you use gains experience too. As you gain xp for each kill with your gun you gain Proficiencies. Each Proficiency gives a bonus to the base attributes such as reduced recoil or extended range. Your weapon now feels like an extension of your own being.

The old modes you know and love are still intact. And a new one called Kill Confirmed (each kill produces a dog tag which must be grabbed for the kill to count) and hardcore mode is still just as great as ever.

Spec Ops Survival really keeps you on your toes. 

The amount of features that Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 has etched onto its disc is staggering. I haven’t even mentioned the Spec Ops modes. Spec Ops makes it’s return. The two-player mode has you playing out set missions or this time around surviving waves of enemies. Survival Mode has you facing increasingly harder enemies in a nonstop killing spree. Your heart races when you’re trying to buy ammo, set down claymores, and just try and find your teammate who’s bleeding on the ground. It’s an anxiety filled test of endurance.

Playing alone isn’t why one should play Modern Warfare 3. Gaming with friends and family and bragging about it is why we play. Few things are more satisfying than reaching a double-digit Killstreak, keeping it going, and the thrill of shooting that last guy and seeing the words “AC130” pop up. It may not be perfect, and months from now it may be broken but at this moment Modern Warfare 3 is -- for your hard earned dollar – the best 60 bucks you can spend this year.