I’m starting to think that our glorious hobby has turned into a Care Bear fest. When Grand Theft Auto 4 took heat for its morals, we were jumping all over the networks for their thoughts and lack of journalism. Stories like this pop up all the time, and what do we do? We jump all over the place, defending our different positions on video games. We’re screaming and arguing the whole time of who is right and wrong.
Take-Two have finally announced a release date for one of the most delayed games ever. Duke Nukem Forever is now scheduled to be released on XBox 360, PS3 and PC on May 3 this year in North America, and May 6 in
Game Informer has run a big feature on Bethesda’s newly announced Elder Scrolls sequel, Skyrim, and boy does this sound good. It’s been two hundred years since the events of Oblivion, and the world has fallen into chaos. Elves have taken over the empire, the Blades have died out, and the country is sitting on the precarious brink of civil war. As if that weren’t enough, a super-powerful dragon has been tearing the world asunder as prophesied by the Elder Scrolls. Just when it seems that the kingdom, and perhaps the world itself, are doomed to be flame-broiled dragon snacks, a hero arises to slay the foul beast. This is, of course, where you come in.
No, seriously. First came the Blood Dragon armor in Mass Effect 2. It was a strange bonus for Bioware fans and looked out of place in Mass Effect’s sci-fi universe. Today, something even more absurd has been revealed: Isaac Clarke is actually in Dragon Age II for those of us lucky enough to purchase Dead Space 2 prior to Dragon Age.
Stacking, the latest (and perhaps last) game to come from THQ’s partnership with Double Fine, has seen quite a lot of positive buzz lately. The unique concept and sly sense of humor has had gamers and Matryoshka doll aficionados alike talking, but the published has remained coy about a possible release date. That changes today.
Sony and Media Molecule have delivered a sequel to a game that, by all logic, should not need one. Do the improvements justify plopping down another sixty dollars? From the moment it was announced, Sony’s DIY-platformer Littlebigplanet was a shining beacon of hope for the games industry.
Finally, the first big games of 2011 are starting to appear. Although there are only two full PlayStation 3 store releases this week they are both excellent games. LittleBigPlanet 2 is everything that made the original special, but with improvements in all the right places. And Mass Effect 2 is one of the best action RPG’s of the last few years.
As well as the big games there are a couple good smaller titles new on PSN, including Modern Combat: Domination, and the Japanese import version of the first Mega Man on PSOne.
