[thecourier]

Assassins creed black flag 10/10
Ubisoft done things right this time. We have a nice map to explore and the ocean is breathtaking.

 

[woof37]

Are you playing AC4 on next-gen or current?  I have an XBO collecting dust...no games out, and the graphics/flow on Ghosts just wasn't any better than the 360 version.  Loved AC3 on 360.  

 

[Makiah S]

Fez
10/10
Greatest platformer ever 
It's SO simple yet SO... GORGEOUS looking! Total eye candy from start to finish! And I love exploring the levels  
 
Finally playing Batman Arykmum Assylm also 10/10
 
for BATMAN, and the voice acting is great 

 

[GREQ]

Also started Arkham Asylum... totally agree - great voice acting, but the actual game-play is meh. Very slow and 'samey'.
At very few moments do I actually feel excited to be playing Batman. The level design doesn't play so well to the strengths of the special character movement like gliding. 
Also has a very linear feeling that you don't expect from a 2009 game. The more open world type maps encourages exploration, but with little/no reward.  
Gets a 6/10 from me. 

 

[martin vegas]

  Also started Arkham Asylum... totally agree - great voice acting, but the actual game-play is meh. Very slow and 'samey'.
At very few moments do I actually feel excited to be playing Batman. The level design doesn't play so well to the strengths of the special character movement like gliding. 
Also has a very linear feeling that you don't expect from a 2009 game. The more open world type maps encourages exploration, but with little/no reward.  
Gets a 6/10 from me. 

Same o' same o'... but it's got good sound and graphics..it's still a good game, might pick the new one up when it's cheap!

 

[Makiah S]

  Also started Arkham Asylum... totally agree - great voice acting, but the actual game-play is meh. Very slow and 'samey'.
At very few moments do I actually feel excited to be playing Batman. The level design doesn't play so well to the strengths of the special character movement like gliding. 
Also has a very linear feeling that you don't expect from a 2009 game. The more open world type maps encourages exploration, but with little/no reward.  
Gets a 6/10 from me. 

 
 

 
Same o' same o'... but it's got good sound and graphics..it's still a good game, might pick the new one up when it's cheap!

Well I'm a big BATman fan, and I don't mind the slower game play. I'm not HUGELY into ACTION packed games. I like to sleuth and explore, and visually it's worth while. As a HUGE Metroid Fan, I find that this game has a lot of of the same elements. 
 
Actually now that I think about it, it is very Metroid ish... look for clues, solve puzzles... get upgrades... explore! I find that the Riddler challenges are worth finding. Although truth my told, I'd love to get Wii U Up Scale Emulation running on my PC. Should be able to substitute the Wii Mote for Mouse Movement. Get Metroid Prime 3 working with FPS PC Controls! That would be awesome! 
 
Non the less I've got Arkym City as well. Going to wait a while before I invest in Origins 

 

[JeremyR]

   
 
Well I'm a big BATman fan, and I don't mind the slower game play. I'm not HUGELY into ACTION packed games. I like to sleuth and explore, and visually it's worth while. As a HUGE Metroid Fan, I find that this game has a lot of of the same elements. 
 
Actually now that I think about it, it is very Metroid ish... look for clues, solve puzzles... get upgrades... explore! I find that the Riddler challenges are worth finding. Although truth my told, I'd love to get Wii U Up Scale Emulation running on my PC. Should be able to substitute the Wii Mote for Mouse Movement. Get Metroid Prime 3 working with FPS PC Controls! That would be awesome! 
 
Non the less I've got Arkym City as well. Going to wait a while before I invest in Origins 

I have all three. Origins came with my video card, and I picked the others up for $10, long with a few other games, on a humble bumble. This is why I like PC gaming. So less expensive once you factor in the games.
 
Anyway, the only negative for me, is they are all the same. Arkym City is much more open world. If you don't like the way Asylum forces you down a path, it might be worth playing that one when you are done.
 
However outside it being open world, just think about it as a continuation of the game you are playing. 

 

[GREQ]

Same o' same o'... but it's got good sound and graphics..it's still a good game, might pick the new one up when it's cheap!

Don't get me wrong - I gave it 6/10 because that is above average (which would be 5/10). 
Maybe I was expecting it to be a bit faster paced, and then it turned out to be a casual game that asks you to burn hours for achievements.
Still good though. Just not great.

 

[sikemolis]

I finally got a chance to play the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
 
I rate it a 6.5/10.
 
I'm a Zelda fan and I guess I had pretty high expectations on this one based on some of the major sites' reviews. My favorite Zelda game is the Wind Waker, so when I first got on my loftwing and saw the big map full of sky islands, I felt the same excitement I felt the first time Link set out onto the ocean, or the first time he stepped onto Hyrule field. Unfortunately, I was sadly mistaken. While the game appears to give you a lot of freedom, it is actually one of the most linear Zelda games I've encountered. The game has you revisit the same three surface locations to find new dungeons and it becomes bland very quickly. There is a lot of handholding and guidance that does not help the feeling of linearity. There is a distinct lack of unique enemies; it always feels like you are fighting bokoblins and there is no spice within the combat so you cannot even take solace in the thrill of fighting. Fi, the Navi of Skyward Sword, takes the annoyance level of these assistance characters up several notches. Even in the final battle of the game, when Link becomes low on health she still reminds you that you should find hearts to replenish your health. Really? The forced dialogs that appear when you obtain "treasure" also wear on you. On top of all of it are the controls, which are quite frustrating at times because you know how the motion controls should work but they don't. You never truly feel in control of your sword, and even with careful effort you end up doing the opposite of what you intended. 
 
Despite this, the game has some redeeming qualities. The characters are varied and well designed, there are a fair amount of new items that actually put the motion controls to good use and the graphics combine Wind Waker's and Twilight Princess' visual styles well. Several times during the game I found myself thinking that I would really been enjoying myself if I wasn't so distracted by the bad controls. Somehow I found myself coming back to the game often even with all of my frustrations.
 
If you are a Zelda fan who hasn't played this yet, I'm sure you feel as obligated to play this as I did and you should get to it eventually. But for non-fans who are on the fence about it, if you can find a used copy for $15 I would say it's still worth your while. As a Zelda game I would rank it well down in the lower half overall. 

 

[miceblue]

I hate the "you got 5 rupees" animation that pops up every time I booted up the game. Seriously...

 

[Makiah S]

  I have all three. Origins came with my video card, and I picked the others up for $10, long with a few other games, on a humble bumble. This is why I like PC gaming. So less expensive once you factor in the games.
 
Anyway, the only negative for me, is they are all the same. Arkym City is much more open world. If you don't like the way Asylum forces you down a path, it might be worth playing that one when you are done.
 
However outside it being open world, just think about it as a continuation of the game you are playing. 

Oh no I love it, I like the exploreing and I don't mind the forced linear story path. This is one game where skipping the cut scenes feels like I'm wating my money! It looks and sounds great, and honestly I LOVE how casual it is! It just looks good and a sounds better 
 
did I mention Fez was also very EPIC

 

[JeremyR]

 
did I mention Fez was also very EPIC

 
I am sure it is. But I am not a fan of the developer, Phil Fish, so I will never play it.

 

[Kukuk]

  I finally got a chance to play the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.
 
I rate it a 6.5/10.
 
I'm a Zelda fan and I guess I had pretty high expectations on this one based on some of the major sites' reviews. My favorite Zelda game is the Wind Waker, so when I first got on my loftwing and saw the big map full of sky islands, I felt the same excitement I felt the first time Link set out onto the ocean, or the first time he stepped onto Hyrule field. Unfortunately, I was sadly mistaken. While the game appears to give you a lot of freedom, it is actually one of the most linear Zelda games I've encountered. The game has you revisit the same three surface locations to find new dungeons and it becomes bland very quickly. There is a lot of handholding and guidance that does not help the feeling of linearity. There is a distinct lack of unique enemies; it always feels like you are fighting bokoblins and there is no spice within the combat so you cannot even take solace in the thrill of fighting. Fi, the Navi of Skyward Sword, takes the annoyance level of these assistance characters up several notches. Even in the final battle of the game, when Link becomes low on health she still reminds you that you should find hearts to replenish your health. Really? The forced dialogs that appear when you obtain "treasure" also wear on you. On top of all of it are the controls, which are quite frustrating at times because you know how the motion controls should work but they don't. You never truly feel in control of your sword, and even with careful effort you end up doing the opposite of what you intended. 
 
Despite this, the game has some redeeming qualities. The characters are varied and well designed, there are a fair amount of new items that actually put the motion controls to good use and the graphics combine Wind Waker's and Twilight Princess' visual styles well. Several times during the game I found myself thinking that I would really been enjoying myself if I wasn't so distracted by the bad controls. Somehow I found myself coming back to the game often even with all of my frustrations.
 
If you are a Zelda fan who hasn't played this yet, I'm sure you feel as obligated to play this as I did and you should get to it eventually. But for non-fans who are on the fence about it, if you can find a used copy for $15 I would say it's still worth your while. As a Zelda game I would rank it well down in the lower half overall. 

 
This was my biggest problem with the game. The controls were just completely broken. This game to me was the poster child of why games don't need motion controls. Just an absolute mess.

 

[miceblue]

I'm playing through Super Mario Galaxy. After a few days of playing, I have around 45 stars now. It's a rather nice game to play in the winter and autumn, in my opinion at least (Super Mario Sunshine is better suited for the spring and summer obviously).

Overall it's not bad, but camera issues are really annoying me right now, which wasn't a problem at all with Sunshine. That and the really awkward controls for when you're upside-down, sideways, etc.

Gameplay: 6/10
Music: 8/10 (some of it is repetitive but the soundtrack isn't bad overall)
Story: 7/10 (yes it's a Mario game, but the whole galaxy International Space Station thing is kind of neat)
Art Direction: 8/10 (it's pretty good, albeit a bit basic)
Replay Value: 7/10 (collecting all of the stars is a virtue of the 3D Mario games)
Overall: 7.2/10

It's a good game, but I don't think it's as great as everyone says. I much enjoyed Super Mario Sunshine more that what I've played in Galaxy. Galaxy's gameplay mechanics are just too "meh" to match the F.L.U.D.D. in Sunshine. It's also ridiculously easy to get 1-ups in this game; 50 star bits, or 50 coins, or free, unlimited 1-ups in the Observatory Space Station thing. C'mon....

The different "costumes" Mario can wear (i.e. ice, bee, etc.) are short-lived and their uses are limited, so it just seemed like a last-minute tack-on to me.

 

[Makiah S]

   
I am sure it is. But I am not a fan of the developer, Phil Fish, so I will never play it.

I'm sorry to hear that, what did he do to cause you to feel that way?