Like Oblivion Meets The Road

I'm totally and completely enthralled with Fallout 3. The game's setup, which rolls your character using childhood development as a metaphor is the first inkling that this post-apocalyptic role-playing game is in that rare realm of genius.

I've played for almost 15 hours already and still haven't left the first city area of MegaTon. Like Oblivion, the game is open-ended, but it seems like there are more creative triggers for the missions. In one instance, I found this kid running around a supermarket. I talked to him and ended up tapping into a cool mission fighting giant fire-breathing ants in destroyed town.

Combat is fantastic - the turn-based VATS system works really well in conjunction with straight shooter mode. I find myself attempting to snipe from long range and then closing in, and switching to my shotgun or assault rifle to finish things off. There is nothing more gratifying than a successful head shot that decapitates the victim, that's for sure.

On the downside, the dialogue feels a little forced and, much like Oblivion, the choices between good and evil feel fairly forced. That said, the first big decision - whether or not to detonate a nuke in inside of MegaTon - is interesting.

All said, this is an awesome awesome game. I find myself marveling at the game world - it's amazing and creepy to be moving around a fully nuked Washington DC.

Braid is a clever, fun, throwback

I admit to being fairly surprised by Braid. I guess I didn't really know what to expect from it - I was expecting a fast-paced side-scrolling platform game. What I got was a moody, cerebral, and touching puzzle-type platform game.

The game's premise is simple - you gather up puzzle pieces on a series of levels. Gathering the puzzle pieces is no easy task - you have to figure out how to get them, which involves defeating, bouncing, and utilizing Mario- little enemies and some other fairly conventional platform game tactics. Once you collect the puzzle pieces, you assemble a piece of the puzzle.

What's interesting is Braid's ability to set a tone that is both wistful and new-feeling, even if the gameplay isn't. This game quickly found its way into my brain. As far as homage to Mario goes, this is brilliant and quirky and fun. The only people who would probably not like it are gamers who really realy want fast-paced platform action.

A remarkable achievement for sure

I've been blown away by Metal Gear Solid to date. People have criticized the game's story as beign overblown, but it's pretty cool I have to say. The only downside is that the cut scenes sometimes take a long, long, long time, which can get kind of boring. However, the action is phenomenal - in previous games, I always felt like getting caught was tantamount to death. Here I always feel like I can fight my way out of these situations, which is nice. And the game twists and turns like no other game in recent memory. The ability to surprise gamers coutns for a lot. Win!

Meh it was okay

This was a pretty fun game, but I thought it would be funnier and more intense. I felt a little bored after the first couple of levels.

Mass Effect is interesting but not epic

Mass Effect was a pretty cool game - I finished the entire thing, which counts for a lot. However, I couldn't help but think that it could have been better.