The Crack Scrolls V: Dragoncandy

A dragon is no match for this feline warrior.

Game--The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

System: PC, Xbox 360, PS3

Release: November 2011


Skyrim will suck you in. Binge gaming may ensue. Apologize to your loved ones if you start to play this game. They will miss you, and wonder where you've been months later when you reconnect at that random social gathering.

Like most Elder Scroll tittles, Skyrim is a massive videogame. For all the time spent--currently at 160 hours across two characters--I haven't come close to experiencing all the content. There's also DLC, which adds even more to this epic adventure. It has everything you'd expect from a fantasy game and then some. Players can create a wide range of classes, from a number of different races, and quest until the cows come home.

Beautiful landscape throughout the game.

The depth of the skill system is overwhelming at first, but once mastered it's a beautiful thing. Other games will force you down a strict traditional path of the warrior, rogue, or caster. You're either throwing lightening bolts, or blocking blows with your shield. Skyrim says fuck all that. If a character uses an ability, then they gain experience. It's not necessary to use skill points granted each level on abilities used in game. Anyone can throw a fireball, or pick a lock. Like in life, practice will eventually make perfect.

Obviously specialization in a select number of capabilities will define your character, but players are given free reign to figure out what works for them. You can be that archer who also summons creatures to aide them in battle, or the armored knight with a cunning tongue and pickpocket skills. Specialize in alchemy, enchanting, or become a blacksmith. Can't decide, then take up all three. The variety is mind boggling, and it increases the replay value tremendously.

Ah, the common folk.

Adding to the deep character development is a breathtaking world begging to be explored. The general theme for the game is loosely influenced by Nordic mythology. There are vast snow capped mountains, lush green valleys, caves, coasts, rivers, castles, and villages. The native populace speak in an accent the reminds me of Minnesota, and you won't go more than fifteen minutes before something random occurs. Be it a dragon attacking the local town, or a thief making a pathetic attempt to rob you.

Consistently while playing I kept thinking. Let's do one more thing. Just one more. I'll go to this town. Talk to one person, and be done. I traveled to that town, but got distracted by a murder that happened right as I strolled through the city gates. Next thing I know I'm off helping someone settle a local rebellion. Moments later I got sucked into a warrior cult who's leaders consisted of werewolves. Then I went hunting and fishing for a bit. I check the clock, it's one in the morning, and I realize another evening has been dedicated to exploring Skyrim.

Dragons take forever to finish their monologues. 

Story wise it's hard to give an overall definitive opinion. The game consists of major and minor quest lines. Each guild, the civil war, and the main story are major quest lines. With some exceptions the rest our minor. Some story arcs were more interesting then others. The dragon plot started off great, but sort of tapered off towards the end. I thoroughly enjoyed the Dark Brotherhood adventure, but didn't care so much for the Companions.

It was disappointing that the major quest lines didn't intersect very often. Also, with so many distractions from the sheer variety of this game, storytelling is hindered by a short attention span. You'll set out to save the word from the dragon menace, get distracted by a demon who wants to go bar hopping, which somehow leads you to an ancient cavern searching for a rare plant. All of a sudden you forget why you were fetching some item that was instrumental in defeating the wicked dragons.

Will you choose the Empire or the Stormcloaks?

Connecting the vast quest chains, and deep character development are the small minute to minute actions. Luckily most of these are fun, the gameplay mechanics are smooth, and the tasks are diverse. One minute you're picking a lock, the next you're launching an arrow at an unsuspecting foe. Both equally enjoyable, but each require different strategies. The game also provides interesting literature on a variety of subjects if you feel the need to do some reading. Explore, loot, read, sell/make items, and repeat. This constant rotation keeps the game interesting, and fans the flames of binge gaming.

The biggest issues with Skyrim are a semi steep learning curve, and the bugs. I spent only two years as a game tester, but my QA eye can't miss the blatant problems. Numerous visual issues, and full on crashes are not uncommon. Save often while exploring. I also found the constant chatter of NPCs to be rather annoying. Although judging from Reddit, that is now supposedly apart of the games charm.

Shot him in the neck. Still won't shut up about the Thieves Guild.

Skyrim embodies the cliche, variety is the spice of life. The games entertainment factor lies in it's diversity and solid execution. There's always something new. There's always something to do, and odds are you'll need a number of abilities to get the job done. Despite it's minor flaws Skyrim is a must own for any RPG/fantasy aficionado. Just be warned that your significant other will not be pleased if you purchase this game.

Constants and Variables

Game--Bioshock: Infinite

System--PS3, Xbox 360, PC

Release--March, 2013


When I first heard of Bioshock: Infinite my expectations were low. The prequel to the ever popular Bioshock couldn't possibly be better. How could it top the under the sea dystopian antics of Ryan and Fontaine? Especially after the sequel panned out to be a pale imitation of it's predecessor.

The answer lies in time manipulation and companionship. Similar to Half-Life 2, Infinite tells a tale through the interactions of the main playable character, Booker, and the non-playable character, Elizabeth. The relationship between the two characters is one of the driving forces pushing the plot, and it is well executed.

Many touching moments are shared between Elizabeth and Booker that are seldom seen in games today. There are also strong themes throughout the story that range from religion and industrialization; to temporal distortions and paternal problems. Not surprising, the city in the clouds has much in common with its sister in the sea.

Booker is sent to the city of Columbia with a simple task. Find Elizabeth to wipe away his debt. Taking place during the early 1900's the American city is a utopia for the privileged white elite. You know. Those kind folks who didn't appreciate Lincolns little war. They just wanted a safe haven to practice their faith, and protect their white babies. Turns out it's a heck of a lot easier to secede from the Union when you are a floating city in the sky. Of course Columbia doesn't reject their darker skinned brothers and sisters. Someone has to work in the industrial sector, and keep the place spic and span.

Naturally the town goes to hell in a hand basket shortly after Booker arrives. He has to fight his way through waves of armed forces using any gun he can find and Plasmids--I mean Vigors. That's the bottled goodness granting you magic from your finger tips.

There's decent variation between enemies, but the guns could have been better. Luckily the Vigors nicely supplement the lackluster arsenal. If you've played any of the Bioshocks, then you'll be familiar with the gameplay. The powers are different, but not to the point of confusion. Fire is fire. Lightening is Lightening. Bees are now Crows. etc. The new twists lie with your partner and the Skyline.


Elizabeth is your best buddy in a firefight. She will throw ammo, salts (used to refill your Vigors), and health packs when you need it most. She can also make all sorts of items appear with her temporal powers.

Not to be outdone. Booker can leap on to the overhead railing and zip around the area in style. The swashbuckling feel is enjoyable, and landing on unsuspecting enemies is rewarding. The rail device attaches to the left hand, which also doubles as a viscous melee weapon. Players can access melee, guns, or powers at any time without having to switch between the three. As a result the whole combat system feels more streamlined, and the action wasn't interrupted as frequently as past titles.

Infinite does a great job implementing new tactics into a familiar setting, while simultaneously redefining the Bioshock universe. The developers brilliantly found a way to explain why the formula would be copied from the previous titles. Elizabeth is gifted with some serious temporal powers that allow her to tear open time itself. This provides all sorts of interesting twists and turns throughout the story. By the end players will have a completely new perspective of this fictional playground.

If you are like me, then you'll immediate start up a new game to catch all the foreshadowing and innuendo. Bioshock: Infinite is easily my favorite game of the year, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming downloadable content Burial at Sea.

Fallout Lite

Game: Rage

System: PS3, Xbox 360, PC

Release: October 2011

Rage was one of those games I really wanted to love. The classic post apocalypse setting. Vehicle races and combat. Open world environment. Gorgeous graphics and smooth gameplay. All are ingredients for a great game, but something was missing. That something was variety.

If you've played the first half of Rage, then stop. The second half is exactly the same. Find the main town. Get some guns and vehicles. Upgrade equipment by earning money from completing missions and races. Watch towns get taken over by the "Authority" as secrets from your past are revealed. End with some sort of climax. Rinse, wash, repeat. It's like having sex twice in a row. Everything is still fun, but you've seen it all before and it takes longer to finish.

The plot is almost a blatant rip off of Fallout 3. Instead of Vaults there are Arks. Instead of The Enclave there is The Authority. Instead of ghouls there are mutants. The main character wakes up/escapes/leaves the Vault/Ark to change the chaotic world that has risen from the ashes. Outside they encounter multiple factions that range from wild mutants to small settlements to large cities. Rage is like Fallout stripped of the compelling plot, interesting setting, and RPG elements. It's Fallout Lite with vehicles.

Gameplay is what you would expect from a title developed by Id. In this regard, the creators of Doom and Quake have not lost their FPS touch. The controls are smooth and responsive. Driving is fun, and reminds me of my days working on Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. Weapons are your standard FPS arsenal with the exception of the crossbow and wingsticks. The latter is basically the boomerang the kid used in the movie Mad Max, and both are a vain attempt to provide a stealth option.

Enemies could be smarter, and most encounters follow the standard FPS rhythm. Melee characters will charge blindly into your cross-hair. Gunslingers will attempt to hide behind cover yet always seem to poke their head out just long enough for you to get a shot off. If you stay in one spot for too long, then a grenade will be tossed to force you from cover. None of this is bad, but it hardly provides anything unique to a saturated genre.

The standard gameplay formula is enhanced by the top notch graphics and sound. I found myself staring at the vast landscape and beautiful clouds for minutes at a time. Character models are nicely detailed. The voice acting is a mix of no names and celebrities like John Goodman, but all deliver their lines well. The music fits the environment, but doesn't particularly stand out. All in all the presentation is the strongest selling point for Rage.

Presentation alone, however, doesn't make for a great game. The unoriginal plot was poorly executed. The repetition is terrible, and affects everything from pacing to gameplay. If this game was released when the PS3 and Xbox 360 launched, then it could have been a hit. Yet after so many years of shooters Rage fails to stand out from the crowd.

One Box to Rule Them All

Today Microsoft revealed the new Xbox console to be released later this year. Called Xbox One, the system is striving for dominance in the living room of tomorrow.

Reminiscent of an old VHS player, the physical look of the new machine is unimpressive. That said, the first Xbox was also a giant box, and that didn't stop me from enjoying some excellent games. What's under the hood is more important.

Xbox One is definitely an upgrade from the Xbox 360. The RAM goes from 512 MB to 8 GB. Standard hard disk drive goes from 20 to 500 GB. Cloud software is no longer just for saving. With the new system cloud computing can take over some of the processing power. This will allow developers to create larger multiplayer matches thanks to the dedicated servers. Currently the average game allows 16 to 32 players, but with the upgrade, games will be able to reach up to 128 players. Cloud computing will also allow players to access their achievements and installed games from whatever console they sign in on. No more memory cards, or person-to-person MP, thanks to this new tech.

Xbox One features a built in wi-fi adapter and a blu-ray player. This doesn't seem like much for PS3 owners, but for Xbox fans it's a welcomed addition. There is no backwards compatibility, and for the most part the controller is the same. The system is also extremely quite compared to previous consoles.

The Kinect is now a standard feature, and has received a significant update to its capabilities. The new camera is 1080p, and captures video at 60 frames per second. The motion based system can now detect your entire body with greater ease, measure your heart rate, and voice commands run everything and anything the console has to offer. Interestingly the controller wasn't even apart of the main demonstration today. The speakers utilized Kinect and smartphones to navigate through the presentation.

Overall the hardware upgrades seem decent enough. I would have liked more RAM, and an HDD seems out of date compared to the SSD tech seen in today's PCs. The lack of backwards compatibility is a shame. The Kinect seems to have improved, but without personally testing the device I can't say for sure. (Past experience with the 360 version has left me unimpressed.) Cloud computing is a welcomed addition, yet I wonder how long the dedicated servers will remain open. The beauty of peer-to-peer system is the game lives on as long as there is another person to play with or against. Will Microsoft go the EA route, and shutdown servers a few years after a game is released?

Microsoft is definitely taking a page from EA in regards to used, and rented, games. All Xbox One games will have to be installed onto the hard drive. Once installed the game links to your Xbox Live account. If you want to play the game on another Xbox One, then you will have to pay a fee for the second install. No more going to a friends house with your game to play on their console. Hell, you can't even play the same game, in the same house, on two separate systems. This seems terrible to a person who grew up sharing games with friends and siblings.

GameFly and GameStop are in for some changes as this "feature" will directly effect their businesses. Are you willing to pay an extra fee, on top of the costs of the used game, to play? How will game rental business continue to operate? These are questions that will have to be answered as more information is revealed about Xbox One.

Besides the hardware, the main focus of today's unveiling was to showcase Microsoft's ambitions to dominate your living room. Need to make a phone call? Use Skype on Xbox One. Want to watch TV? Give a verbal command, and Kinect will switch to your cable box. Need to check out your fantasy team stats? Don't bother with the tablet. Use the "Snap In" feature to simultaneously surf the web while watching ESPN.

The "Snap In" idea is really neat, but anyone used to a PC will probably produce a patronizing sigh. The Xbox One basically allows you to have two working windows at once. Taking a phone call on your TV may also take some getting used to, and I wonder how clear the communication is when the Kinect is across the living room. Finally switching between cable television, and your game console, can be done today with the TV remote. It's called the "input" button.

Not many games were showcased today, but this is no surprise with E3 right around the corner. Of course EA came on stage to hype up the same sports titles gamers have seen since the Sega/SNES days. Also, Call of Duty: Ghost was featured. None of the videos showed significant gameplay, and mostly touted the tech behind the game. Am I suppose to be excited for fish with AI and a dog, or that new physics engine for sports titles? Cause I'm not.


Microsoft has a long ways to go before I start pinching pennies for an Xbox One. The new features showcased today didn't produce any "wow" factor, and I'm concerned with some of the upcoming changes. Perhaps my opinion will change once more games are hyped at E3, or maybe it's time for me to start looking at the PS4. 

Zombie Action-Galaxy 3

Game: Dead Space 3

Systems: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Release: January 2013

Issac Clark and company are back for another space zombie adventure. Unfortunately fans of the first two games may be disappointed with the latest installment. The franchise has shifted heavily towards the action genre. Gone are the horror soaked atmospheres and schizophrenic hallucinations of old. Instead players are given shootouts, explosions, and the worst story of the series.

Dead Space 3 is not a bad game. The mechanics are solid. The new weapon building system is intriguing, and co-op is always fun in my book. Sound and graphics are top notch. Yet looking past all the polish fans will notice something is missing. The core that defined this franchise has been replaced with something foreign.

Starting with the story. The Dead Space universe consists of two major organizations Earth Gov and the crazed religious cult Unitologists. In the latest game the Unitologists have taken over releasing Markers (the items that creates the Necromorphs aka space zombies) all across the galaxy. Earth Gov is pretty much non-existent, and Markers are now more common then 7-Eleven's.

Unlike the last few games there is no mystery. No back and forth between government officials and cult members. The story moves from one explosion to the next while pushing a terrible love triangle peppered with a dash of bromance.

Ellie makes a return, and Issac's dead wife seems to be finally gone. Ellie and Issac have a romantic past, but she is currently seeing a solider named Norton. Of course Norton and Issac are butt hurt that Ellie has slept with more then one dude. The whole situation is like a bad soap opera.

The other characters are only around to spit out tech jargon, and provide Issac with additional tasks. Laughter spewed forth whenever one of them inevitably died because Issac acted like he cared so deeply for each of them. With the exception of Ellie, Issac just meet the entire cast. Hard to believe he'd be all choked up after all the shit he's been through. The bad acting doesn't help either. I felt like I was watching the South Park episode "Lice Capades".

Carver (another solider who is the second playable character in co-op) is probably my favorite , but even he has the most random lines. Towards the end of the game he asks Issac, "Does this make up for all the bad that I've done?" Uh, I guess? Who cares. There's more space zombies to shoot.

The co-op is actually really fun, but again it doesn't feel like Dead Space. Going around with your buddy makes you feel less vulnerable. You go from Ripley to a pair of Rambo's. Your inventory is saved/used for all modes i.e. it's the same no matter who's game your in. This makes it easy to collect a lot of supplies, which also hinders the whole survival horror aspect.

Additionally, the third game lacks any real mental struggles. The random schizophrenic hallucinations seen in the other tittles helped with the pacing and kept things interesting. Issac was going bat shit crazy in the past, but this time around he seems like a depressed loser. A glorified Mr. Fix-it who's out to save the universe because his ex-girlfriend asked him to.

If you can get past the terrible story, and don't care for the franchises survival horror aspect, then Dead Space 3 maybe right for you. Crafting weapons is pretty rad. One of my favorites is the rivet sub-machine gun connected to a device that hovers spinning buzz saws in front of you. The action segments are not as memorable as the other games, but they are fun. Co-op is also a neat addition to the franchise. All in all Dead Space 3 has a lot to offer despite its short comings, and continues to be one of my favorite series from Electronic Arts.