This may seem a little too harsh of a review, but the game, overall, is truly unimpressive.  If you’ve played one bad rpg, then you’ve played this one.  Putting this game into your PS3, you’ll wonder what you spent all that money on.  The graphics are reminiscent of yesterday’s consoles, and seems like it was rushed out into stores.

Sometimes a game that lacks graphics or playability can be saved if it includes a unique fighting system, or has stories that you’ll wish were made into movies.  But these are both marks that Last Rebellion missed out on.   The gameplay does introduce a new concept; the two main characters share a soul and health points and kill targets by working together to “mark” and banish them back to whence they came.

But, this is often as confusing as it is frustrating.  One false move, and you’ve send a zombie into a rage that is inescapable.  As you near the end of the game, you’ll figure out how to predictably kill the monsters every time, which turns Last Rebellion from hopeless hard to tedious.

The reviewers at GameSpot have it right when they said that this game simply doesn’t need to exist.  There are too many outdated and boring features of this game to give it any value.  The landscapes would have been outdated if this had come out on a PS2, the story is bland, and the fighting is either frustrating or way too simple.  Last Rebellion is a game way behind it’s time.  Way, way behind.

If you’re looking for a fun game to play, that doesn’t take itself too serious, you’ll want to check out Just Cause 2.  Out in stores in late March, it offers miles of free roaming and plenty of explosions that keep you entertained for a long time.  Though the story doesn’t take too long to complete, 20 hours according to GameSpot, there’s so much to do in game that you’ll still be playing it after you’ve ran through the story.

A few notable things about Just Cause 2 are the graphics and gameplay.  The action is always going, and the landscapes are amazing themselves.  The main character, Rico Rodriguez, is equipped with two things you shouldn’t go without when causing mayhem on an island in southeast Asia; a grappling hook and a parachute.

With these two things, you can pretty much do anything in game.  Grappling between walls and helicopters is a snap, and if you find yourself miles in the air, sending a helicopter to crash into propane tanks, you can parachute out to safety.  The whole island is an absolute blast to explore, since you’re not constrained to anywhere, really.

There are a few hiccups with the game, however.  The story is on the weak side.  The voice acting doesn’t help it much either.  You shouldn’t boot up your PS3 to play Just Cause 2 expecting a riveting, in-depth story.  Expect to have too much fun, however, spending hours hijacking helicopters, dragging snipers off of ledges with your grappling hook, and generally causing exorbitant, wanton destruction.

If you played any of the GTA series, you’ll feel right at home playing Yakuza 3.  It has similar gameplay elements, such as allowing the player to choose between going from mission to mission, or branching out and starting a few brawls in karaoke bars.  You’re free to influence the main character, Kazuma, to either progress the story, or complete side missions and gain experience.

The graphics are pretty good for the game.  If you’re looking for jaw dropping, drool all over yourself, landscapes, you may want to move on.  But overall, the fighting is exciting (though there are a few bugs), and the whole game looks pretty good, overall.

Some people have problems with the progression and direction of the story, such as reviews at GameSpot.  I have to agree with them to a point, because there were times it seemed like story dragged you between different plot initiators.  But overall, going from mission to mission was smooth and exciting.  And with all of the extra side missions you can do, you’ll sit and play for hours

There is another unique aspect to this game that deserves mention; weapon/armor crafting.  With materials you pick up throughout Yakuza 3, you can craft and upgrade weapons and armor.  This is one aspect where the game misses completely.  Though it can be fun to do, the whole thing is pointless, as none of it is necessary to complete the game.

Overall, Yakuza 3 is a fun game to play that gives you hours of entertaining brawling across the streets of Tokyo.

You take on the life of Kratos again, almost exactly from where the previous game left off. There’s a reason places like Gamespot and IGN give this a 9.0 or higher; it’s simply stunning. The visuals, the gore, and the scale of the game is even bigger and more jawdropping than the other two could have hoped to be.

The story brings you through the trials and troubles of Kratos, who may suffer from busy-body syndrome when he provokes the titans to climb Mount Olympus to challenge the gods. But, it’s this event that sparks the story for God of War III.

Kratos is armed with the same weapons found in the other God of War games, but they have a huge improvement. Now, you can switch weapons on the fly, often using several in the same combo. And unlike the other games, they are all useful and necessary. The Swords of Exile aren’t the only weapon that you have to use now, as the others in the arsenal become necessary as the game progresses.

It’s the graphics and the scale of the game, however, that make this truly unique. With how high the limits are on the PS3, Sony really pushed this game to the highest level. There isn’t much about this game that won’t have you hugging your console, thanking it for the level of detail, blood spattering, and awesome landscapes that people have come to love in the God of War trilogy.

You may have played GTA4 on the X-box – it was only available there for a while – but with Episodes from Liberty City expansion, you can now get your mayhem going on the PS3. The gameplay is pretty much the same as old versions, but there are new characters, weapons and vehicles.

Some recommend that you start with the The Lost and Damned adventure and then move to the Ballad of Gay Tony. Both happen at the same time during the game, but that was the original order on the X-Box 360.

As mentioned, the new checkpoint system really makes this game a little more fun for people who don’t have three days solid to devote to mastering the game. And if you don’t like it, you don’t have to use it.

Many people have said that the two storylines happening at the same time is really cool because you get to see events in the game from two different perspectives. This is what makes the game fun – well that and the stealing cars and other “stuff” you have to do to win in GTA4 Episodes from Liberty City.

If you’ve played the PS3 version of Grand Theft Auto 4, we’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and let us know what you think.

A bad script and even worse voice acting strips any sense of magic from the plot line, instead leaving you with an overlong, fairly basic first person shooter game. In Na’vi mode, you can use a variety of melee weapons that offers some entertaining combat options. However, in RDA mode, the completely lack of interesting choice only points out the technical glitches the game is prone to with even more stark clarity. AI characters often make moves that offer no logical sense, and even you can end up stuck in weird positions.

The scenery, although impressive at first, quickly becomes about as humdrum as the game, offering little but monotony and distinct sense of deja vu. It might be helped by decent vehicle play, except that when you’re in a vehicle the camera bounces so violently that all you’ll want is the monotony of walking through the jungle back. While the 3D aspect of the game is a nice feature (if you have a hi-def TV, anyway), it certainly doesn’t make up for the variety of ways in which the game fails to be anything interesting.

Thrusting you directly into the action where its prequel left off, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 immediately immerses players in a thrilling and adrenaline-pumping battle to keep the world safe. With rotating characters, exotic locations, and creative battle sequences, game play is intense, rewarding, and thoroughly addictive. The main campaign is a bit short, clocking in at around five hours. While it’s a bit disappointing to be able to blow through it so fast, the smooth game play helps console you. Challenging enemies mean that winning actually offers a sense of satisfaction missing in so many of today’s games.

What I do sort of wish was missing, however, were some of the more disturbing undercurrents that the occasionally muddy plot offers. While I suppose the ethical questions raised by the infiltration of a terrorist cell (during which you must behave as an actual terrorist) are worth examining, I can’t help but feel that the tightly paced plot doesn’t allow the proper time for a full resolution and processing of the issues the game is trying to examine. The result is a dark, occasionally disturbing muddle of ethical gray area that makes victory a little less sweet – fine for a TV show, perhaps, or a movie, but maybe a bit much for a video game to handle properly.

The Special Ops Mode subverts all of these problems by concentrating solely on single campaign based missions you can perform solo or with a friend. Varied in both nature and the different skills required, this mode allows a lot of excellent action without all of the confusing emotional fallout. Playing with friends is a rewarding experience that can really enhance the game play. What’s more, the tried and true Multiplayer function made so successful in Call of Duty 4 is still a shining star in this game. With loads of new perks, features, and weapons, this aspect of the game will keep old fans thrilled with both its consistency and its improvements.

Xbox Elite Console

As the Holiday Season continues, many people might still be trying to decide which gaming console to purchase as a gift – either for the full family or just a single person. That’s one of the things you should consider when choosing what type of gaming system to purchase. Should you get the Nintendo Wii? The Playstation 3? Or how about the XBox 360? It can all be a little confusing until you take a look at the gaming systems.

Nintendo Wii for Families

While not necessarily just for families, the Nintendo Wii makes a great gift for an entire family, with games that will keep them entertained (and in shape depending on what games you get – the Wii fit is a good gift.) That’s not to say you can’t get a Nintendo Wii for a single person, but it makes a terrific group gift on your holiday list.

Playstation 3 for Roleplayers

If you’re getting a game station for someone who is into role playing and strategy games, the Sony Playstation 3 might be the best game system to purchase in 2009. With a great selection of games (of all types), the system is made for solitary gamers who occasionally like to get online to challenge others.

XBox 360 for Halo

Xbox 360 online is a hit with many people who are really into gaming, making this system a winner for them. With a lot of great online games that will keep them busy for hours, the Microsoft Xbox 360 might cost a little more, but it’s worth it. If you can, go for the extra storage. There’s a lot of great deals out there this year.

The Winner?

Well, that’s up to you. As mentioned, these game consoles are good for anyone really, because they have such a wide selection of games. Do you disagree or agree with our generalized look at gaming consoles circa Christmas 2009?

Let us know
in a comment below!