As some of you regular blog readers may have noticed, I briefly disappeared off the face of the Earth. Starting a business keeps you busy, but things have cooled off, so I'm happy to return to video game writing. I've got a lot of backlog...

Parasite Eve is one of those franchises that never made it out of the original PlayStation era when JRPGs fell onto Sony�s first console like autumn rain. The first two games are often held up as PlayStation classics but the series seeme...

I was disappointed to read about what Mike Capps of Epic Games said the other week. He made the claim that the ninety-nine cent mobile gaming market on iOS devices is �killing us�, the �us� specifically referring to the conventional $60 ...

Out of curiosity I couldn�t help but ask Leland Yee and his chief of staff, Adam Keigwin, what they thought of the new FTC report published today, which indicates that a mere 13% of minors can purchase M rated games at retail outlets - a ...

Open world games have become something of a staple in video games ever since Grand Theft Auto III revolutionized the genre. Ever since the technology became more readily available, open worlds have appeared in everything from run-of-the mi...

The verdict: If you�re a serious nostalgia buff you may see this as worth 1,200 Microsoft points, but you�re not missing much if you never got into the original game. Towards the tail end of the 20th century into the early years of the 21s...

Video games are nothing if not familiar with controversy. Cliff Bleszinski even pointed out recently that video games are the new rock and roll. It�s a difficult position to argue since a ban was once put forth in the United States Congre...

Have you ever seen a TV show with a blatantly shoehorned in message about how video games are evil? In all likelihood the show featured poorly-made footage of a bloody shooter that was purposely designed to look crass and immature to ill...

There�s a new fear word in town. As a medium video gaming is hardly a stranger fear words. You know what I mean: Those specifically concocted fear-inducing buzz words specifically designed by out-of-touch moral guardians to efficiently de...

I've always considered a game that deserves my purchasing a special edition to be a personal badge of honor. I tend to be a bargain hunter by nature, so it really takes something meaningful or significant to get me to dip an extra $10 or $...

I recently had the chance to try the semi-recently released Final Fantasy VIII on PlayStation Network. I wouldn�t call it a stretch to claim that VIII is one of the most polarizing games ever released. Some people love it, others despise ...

The verdict: Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time is a wasted opportunity after the promising Rabbids Go Home and does nothing that noteworthy. This may seem like a curious choice of review since it can be argued that Rayman and the Rabbids are ...

The verdict: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow generally works but has to constantly compete with the games that do combat, platforming, and giant boss battles better. Castlevania is one of the many franchises from the old 2D days that never ad...

Let's face it: Clich�s drive media. Writing a good story alone lends itself to a slew of clich�s to resort to. Just as filmmakers deal with the clich�s specific to the process of filmmaking, there are a slew of them wholly associated with...

The verdict: Pinball FX 2 encapsulates the fun of playing pinball. It's accessible, consumer-friendly, and very worth checking out. Well, go figure. It should happen that the first review I post of 2011 happens to be a very specific genr...

As I�ve already touched upon, Mass Effect 2 was my game of the year. I literally jumped out of my chair in surprise when I saw trailer that officially unveiled Mass Effect 3 and nearly did it again when I realized we would be seeing it thi...

It seems that the future is here. I was lucky enough to get something from Square-Enix in my mailbox. Inside was a was an innocent looking card. Ah, a pleasant card wishing me a happy new year-wait, happy new you? Clearly, this requir...

Warning: Massive Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins spoilers inbound in this post. You�ve been warned. As we ring in the new year, video game enthusiasts should be celebrating because the number of major releases scheduled in the first...

The term "video game renaissance" is thrown around from time to time, either in casual context or to denote how far video gaming has come. However you use it, the mere usage of attaching the term "Renaissance" to something as video games i...