Merry Christmas everyone!
Not really a tradition and more so my tastes don’t really change, every Christmas I usually receive a few video games from my family. This year was no exception, and I am eternally grateful and pleased that my loved ones get me any gifts, let alone games that I really want to play! Here’s what 2011 did for Jsick this Christmas.
As the holiday season is already in full swing and Christmas is right around the corner, I have been in a spirited mood as of late. No doubt many people like the holidays because of the gifts they’ll receive (I know love it for that reason), but an equal or greater number of people like to give more than receive. As 2011 comes to an end, we as gamers can help out those that really need it this holiday season, and we can score some truly amazing games in the process.
The concept was sound: combining the drive for a high score seen in arcade games with the intensity of a first-person shooter. The execution and end result probably looked better on paper than it actually turned out. Xotic (pronounced “Exotic”, because E’s are apparently overrated) is an indie Xbox 360 title that attempts to blend the above mentioned genres together, but instead shows us why some things don’t mix as planned.
Glorious day!
As luck would have it, a brand new, independently owned used video game store opened up right here in my home town! What are the odds?! No, I’m serious: what are they? Who is honestly opening up a used game store to rival that of Disc Replay or GameStop?
Well, whatever his reasons may be, I for one am exceedingly happy to have a carrier of old games located in my home town finally. I was happy to be one of his first customers on his first day. Let’s get on with things then, shall we?
Now that’s more like it.
A great haul this week, spanning from the PS1, PS2, and the Xbox 360.
I love it when I get a great deal on a lot of games.
Space mercenaries have it made, don’t they? Flying around the uncharted cosmos, getting is dogfights with rivals mercs, taking odd jobs to earn small fortunes, and not giving a shit about anyone but themselves. Well rejoice, Han Solo wannabes, because Fusion: Genesis for the Xbox 360 lets you live out your space adventurer dreams.
A newly released Xbox Live Arcade shooter, Fusion: Genesis combines the action of dual-stick shooting with the upgrading of RPGs. I felt there was a bit too much emphasis placed on the managing of ships and upgrades and not enough focus on the action, but this is still a good title that lets you live out your space mercenary dreams.
The Lord of the Rings is among the greatest fantasy epics ever told, and after the success of the movie franchise a bevy of tie-ins products, side stories, and other media was created to expand the universe. Snowblind’s newest action title is set in the land of Middle Earth but does not follow the paths of Frodo, Aragorn, or Gandalf; instead it tells an entirely new story. The Lord of the Rings: War in the North acts as a side car to the main storyline, telling of the heroic deeds of three brave warriors whose actions directly impacted the success of the Fellowship. Grab your axe, sharpen your swords, and get ready to kill some orcs.
After a relatively slow week last week with only Kirby’s Return to Dream Land being added to the collection, the following week walks a strangely similar path. The new Lord of the Rings title, War in the North, has come into my possession this week for a review. Slow weeks are fun too, but hopefully I can find some better deals here soon.
What’s going on here? Two tower defense mash-up games for the Xbox 360 in one month? And they’re both pretty darn good to boot? Coming hot off the heels of Orcs Must Die! is Trendy Entertainment’s Dungeon Defenders, a combination of the tower defense and action RPG genres. With an emphasis on hacking and slashing through foes instead of strategically placing towers, Dungeon Defenders places you in the middle of the action as hordes of enemies storm your castle.