Just wanted to wish everyone here on Gamespot happy holidays, and Merry Christmas. I'll be writing an update soon to let you know the goodies I recieved.

I realize that in my previous post I may have sounded a little too...condescending with Mass Effect. While I was writing the blog I did feel like Mass Effect in some way had let me down, if I recall I may have been "slightly dissappointed." Well in my 23rd hour of playing Mass Effect I can say that I'm enjoying the game to it's fullest. I just needed to learn how to effectively play the game.

Well let me get to the meat of this blog. I was playing Mass Effect oh say an hour ago...I had just landed on a world which held the objectives to the sidequest I was actively engaged in. I noticed that the game had been loading alot more, taking brief pauses everytime I entered a new area or went onto the galaxy map. The game had just given me the reigns of the game after a cutscene...that *sigh*...was when it happened. Not a second after I resumed control, everything went dark, my tv shutoff, and up came 3 red lights that I prayed I would never EVER see.

Yep. I caught the 3 Lights of Death....my reaction was instant, vulgar, and very loud. What's mind boggling is that my 360 is an Elite, everyone I talk to is surprised that my Elite got the 3LD (3 lights of death). I asked everyone why and supposedly the Elite somehow is "unable" to get the 3LD, and if that's true how come I was so lovingly graced with those deathly red illuminations. Well I powered down, and turned the 360 back on and it seemed to be fine, but I know "fine" is just an illusion...I honestly don't know what to do right now...I really don't want to send my 360 in to be repaired for obvious reasons...and I don't know if the elites are still around for purchase...I wonder what effects will happen if I ignore it and continue to play like it never happened.

If anyone can give me some insight as to why the Elites supposedly can't get the lights of death, please let me know.

You know it really is disturbing when you buy a game, experience its brilliant concepts and then feel slightly...if ever so slightly...dissappointed. I got Mass Effect today, I had to skip getting it on its release day due to financial reasons. I immeadiately popped that sucker into the disc tray, fired up and began my galactic career. Right from the get go I loved the game, amazing graphics, a deep epic story. During the first few hours of play I was in absolute bliss. Then I started noticing things, things in games that usually don't bother me unless it happens frequently...and it happened frequently. Don't worry, I'm not saying that Mass Effect is a bad game, no far from it...I am in fact theorizing as to how Mass Effect can be so utterly entrancing, and yet...it suffers from graphical glitches and framerate hiccups. By my 6th hour into the game the game these hitches were torturing me left and right. The texture pop in happens almost every second of the game. Say you look at one character, you turn your point of view, then return it to that same character, and most likely that character will most likely be the victim of an extreme amount of pop in. I'm not talking about the slight details of the face, I'm talking about the major texture in any and all objects. You will also notice that the game at points will constantly have to load, and that during almost every battle the framerate dips...whether it be major or miniscule. Although I can understand why there are so many glitches, hitches and bugs.

It literally is the Galaxy. Yes all who have played the game will know that Mass Effect is a really, really, really, REALLY big game. You'll travel across our entire galaxy playing this game. It's the scope...the magnitude of this game can sometimes...well most times cause these graphical distortions. It's funny actually, the game is so huge, so epic, that sometimes the game needs to catch its own breath. Oh well...the sooner you move past the glitches the more you'll enjoy the experience.

Tuedsday night the Sci-Fi channel had this show about Mass Effect. It was called Sci-vs-Fi, and it was about comparing the elements found in Mass Effect with the elements of space in real life. I didn't watch the entire show...actually I watched probably about 3 minutes worth of it. And in those three minutes, it was a bunch of people from the gaming community (developers in Bioware, magazine editors, those idiots over at IGN, even someone from G4 *shock*) talking about how big the game was, how different it can be for different people. There was one quote that caught my interest. I forget who said it but whoever it was, was referring to ME's combat system, and the statement was: "You can play the game different ways, you can play like a chess player, or you can play...like a Halo player." This sentence...is the biggest LIE. I tried it...I tried to fight in Mass Effect like I would fight in Halo...and guess what...I got murdered everytime I even THOUGHT about trying to run and gun. No, to succeed in combat you must play as the chess player, strategizing each and every move, then executing them with startling efficiency.

Besides those two lil'...nitpicks aside, Mass Effect is excellent, it's a fun new experience. I truly appreciate that BioWare made this game so epic on a grand scale.

Can someone please explain to me how Eidos managed to SNAFU Kane and Lynch. After all the hype and the awesome, dramatic trailers, they pull the 'ole "Overhyped Dud" on us? Ahh man that was one dissappointment I didn't see coming. I watched the video review here on Gamespot, and Icould hardly believe my eyes. The gameplay looked TERRIBLE, the visuals ATROCIOUS. Ugh man don't you hate that...a developer promises an excellent game experience, they fill the internet with stylish trailers, they even get a cover spot in Game Informer magazine, and for this? If I had the power, I'd shove a copy of the game in the lead developers mouth, deprive him of a nights dinner, and tell him to make it again. I had my hopes sooo high for Kane & Lynch and we get screwed over. Then again...that's what usually happens when you delay a game repeatedly....COUGHarmyoftwoCOUGH. Yeah...that's the effect Kane & Lynch has bestowed upon me for Army of Two...although given EA's terrible track record with action games THEY develop it shouldn't surprise me. So yeah I'll be waiting for Army of Two to be getting a 7 or below...and I'm guessing it's going below 7. Although if they do manage to make a good game, I will be impressed.

Well we can always depend on Ubisoft to make a great game. I picked up my limited edition Assassins Creed last wednesday, and I just gotta say that Ubisoft has managed to outdo itself in every aspect. I don't know how they did it but Ubisoft crafted a world that truly does feel alive...perhaps even more alive than Grand Theft Auto. Every little thing you do can juice a reaction from the people of the game, whether it be benign or not. Creed manages to maintain the familiar control that Prince of Persia did oh so well back in '03 when it burst onto the scene. But Creed...Creed just, makes it evolve...I don't know how but if you've played it you'll know. Ubisoft truly has created a masterpiece. Perhaps Eidos should take a page from Ubisoft, and learn how to deliver a great experience when you promise one.

I did it again didn't I? Yeah I went on another little hiatus. Well it's not my fault, games have been ripping through my wallet back and forth. I mean first it was Bioshock, then my birthday waddles along and I treat myself to Guitar Hero II, Stranglehold, and The Godfather which was more decent than I thought. Then Eternal Sonanta, and then FINALLY Halo 3 just drops the ultimate bomb on my 360, to pretty much guarantee that I wasn't going anywhere for a while. Yeah...it's been chaotic since August man. And now it's October....OCTOBER! Man where does the time go? Too much, it's just too much for me to handle. So many awesome games, so little time I mean come on. I'm actually thankful that Army of Two got delayed until early '08. So much time has passed, and so much has happened. I guess I should really start back from August from when Bioschock came out.

Well back in August is when I got it, my HDTV set. Yep, it's a Sharp AQUOS, 37 inches, and althought it doesn't do full 1080p it does do 1080i. It's not the exact model TV I wanted, but I am in no way complaining. So yeah that was one of the highlights of this past summer for me. And as if the Gods of Gaming knew I had just gotten my HD set they had blessed us with Bioshock and its heavenly goodness. Bioshock...that game alone totally ate up August for me. You can damn well believe that I put my set through it's paces popping in all my 360 games to check out what each and every one had to offer on extra resolution that my TV pumps out. I popped in Gears of War which is just plain Sexy on an HD set. It's definetly safe to say that an HDTV is an awesome investment, especially these days since all the consoles are moving into the fabled "HD" Era.

Then came September Ohh September. Nothing interesting for the first couple of days then came my birthday where I was appropriately greeted by more games. My buddy got me Metroid Prime 3 which in my humble opinion blows the other two away for miles. Pops got me Stranglehold which is incredibly fun. Mumsy actually shocked me and graced me with Guitar Hero II. And to top it all off I treated myself to one more game, The Godfather. I honestly didn't have high hopes for The Godfather, but it actually turned out to be pretty decent. A while later I picked up Eternal Sonata after playing the demo, and although my RPG days are long behind me, Eternal Sonata...was Great. Yeah it's really fun to play, and it looks absolutely stunning on said HD set.

Then...oohhh, then came the BOMB! Yeahhh Halo 3 ohh man was that day sacred for me. I wasn't able to get down to my local Gamestop to pick my copy up at the midnight release like I had promised myself when I beat Halo 2, but I did watch the G4 special. It's funny because while I was watching that glorious near 3 hour special I felt like a crack addict in need of a fix. And at first I was dissapointed that I didn't get to my local Gamestop, then I got pissed because I couldve gone to NYC to watch that awesome show they put on with the Mongooses riding around and the Hummer, and the dude in the Master Chief suit aww man I wish I coulda been there...I really could have too man, NYC is a 20 minute trip for me. Ahh well what're you gonna' do.

Well...it's October now, a couple of high list games came out a few days back. Clive Barkers Jericho came out which I gotta' pick up. Ace Combat 6 which is a game I DEFINETLY need to pick up...I've been playing the Ace Combat games since they were on the very first Playstation. I picked up Conan, and it's exactly what I thought it was gonna be. God of War. Yep, Conan derives almost EVERY aspect of itself from God Of War...I still think its fun to play though. I'm on the fence about getting Virtua Fighter 5, the demo was pretty sweet, and there hasn't been a good fighter in a while so only time will tell

Hopefully with the start of this blog I can get back into reviewing more games. I know I've been saying this forever, but I need to get back on the horse here. Oh well...Peace be with all.

As I sit here with my diet Dr. Pepper I type away...returned from a hiatus I hope never happens again. Well fellas things have been kind of slow for me. I finally got my Xbox360 ELITE, so I couldn't be happier....however my HDTV deal has yet to fall through...so much for a graduation present. The last game I purchased was The Darkness. It is now my favorite game on the 360, it has exceeded my expectations to the point where I started a new game, right after the credits finished. I'm thinking of buying Hitman: Blood Money...I dont know. It's getting to be that mid summer game slump when nothing new comes out until the end of august. Ahh man.

I know it's a little off topic, but Transformers was awesome. I know I'm seriously late with this but I haven't been on in a while to express my opinion heh ha. Like I said, it was really awesome it stayed true to the story, it was hilarious, and best of all ACTION PACKED.

I'm gonna see if I have the patience to start up with my game reviews again. I've tried a couple of times but didn't have the gusto to complete any. I know I have lots of work to do reviewing games like Zelda, Gears, Rainbow6 and the like. I also need to update my collection...badly.

Well peace be with you my gamespot peeps. I'm outie.

Howdy fellas. It's been a slow month for me. Mainly because I've only bought two games since the beginning of April. Yup, recently I got Crackdown and MGS: Portable Ops, and I gotta say that Crackdown is alot more fun than I thought it would be. The 360 elite launches in a few days and I gotta' admit that I'm pretty stoked about it. For some reason I knew as soon as I saw it that I had to have it. Maybe it's the Jet black color...maybe it's that hefty 120 gig harddrive. Whatever the reason it looked awesome...and I've been jonesin' for a black 360 ever since they came out. I've also commenced what I like to call Operation: HD. Thats right...operation: High Definition. My plan is to somewhere down the road acquire an HDTV. My HDTV of choice is the 40 inch Sharp AQUOS, which at it's highest runs in 1080p. I've been doing some research on it, and it looks pretty frickin sweet. With some luck I'll be able to get it soon. Of course they don't come cheap...especially if you want quality.

The other day I was visting thelastboss.com and I came across a video clip of Jack Thompson talking about the Virgina Tech shooting. I found it hilarious that that man can be called an "expert" in school shootings, when all he does is rant about how Doom is his famous "Murder Simulator". Honestly the video was no different...he just went on and on and on and on about how games can teach people to kill and maintain a "low heart rate" while doing it. Thompson can spit all he wants it honestly doesn't make him any smarter than he already is. Well...I reckon I'm done for now...how've you guys been?

 

Yes Kiddies, the Destroyer has returned. After such a long time after so many things have transpired....my god...it's good to be back. Previously my PC was....aahh what do you call it, ah yes FUBAR! My my my my, so many things to do. Well it looks like I stepped in on an important day. I mean....DMC4 going to the 360??? Now that was unexpected....and honestly I would prefer if it did stay on the PS3. It was the reason I was gonna' get a PS3 in the first place. Oh well. It seems that Sony has to ask itself a question....and maybe that question is..."WHAT THE F**K ARE WE DOING!?!?" It seems as time goes on, Sony's console only goes more and more down the tubes. I seriously hope the bigwigs up in the Sony Empire come to their senses and start pumpin out good stuff. That and lower the damn price of their system. Only time shall tell with Sonys situation. On another note, the news of the black 360 has me salivating...it makes it even better that it will supposedly be showing up late April...now that's what I'm talkin' about. Well like I said, I'm back, and here to stay.

Destroyer Out.

Alrighty it's been a while since I've been on gamespot, and updated anything...the most recent thing I did was review Ninety Nine Nights...yeah you can check out how badly I reamed that game. Well it's december 1st, check that 2nd, since I am writing this at 12:19 at night. November was one of the hugest months in gaming history. The PS3 launched the Wii launched, Gears of War, launched, Rainbow 6, Raw vs. Smackdown....the list is almost endless. I have yet to get both the PS3 and a Wii. The Wii which I really REALLY need is an excellent gaming experience, and Twilight Princess is absolutely fantasitc on the Wii. The PS3....ehh...lets just say that I'll be waiting a lil' bit before I dip my hand into that pot. Nov 8, is when my favorite game of this year finally emerged from its long slumber....yes people I'm talking about Gears of War. Gears has to be BY FAR the best 360 game of this year...period. Now I've read that some of  you guys don't like Gears...or think that its totally overrated all I can say is YOUR LOSS. Rainbow6: Vegas was another anticipated launch, the demo had he salivating for this game since GRAW...and HALELUJAH you can finally see them reload the clip in 3rd person. Well Christmas is comin' and before you know it, it'll be knockin on your door. Later Gamespot peeps, and game on.

Sweet Lord....it has been a good while since I've been on Gamespot. I can thank my whack ass PC for that. Anyways it's good to be back on. I'll see if I can update some reviews (I'm dyin' to blast on Dirge of Ceberus) and some games.  Once again it's good to be back....like I said before gamespot is my home away from home.

Yesterday I got N3, and Dirge of Cerberus. I am HIGHLY dissapointed with DoC. I really expected square-enix to deliver quality with DoC....however what they gave us isn't even worthy to be mentioned with the words Final Fantasy VII. The controls are so sloppy ugh. The jump button is useless, I mean I tried to jump over a 3 foot tall obstacle....and it couldn't be done. I'm planning on doing a review in a couple of days for it....so look out then.

I just made my very firsy video blog. Go check it out GameSpot peeps and let me know what ya' think. I talked about Dead Rising pretty much......y'know the save system.....the hard as nails bosses and so on and so forth. Well leave some love for the video.

Yep......lets all take a minute of silence for the Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known as E3. Today it was confirmed that E3 will no longer be the crowd pleaser it once was. As we all share the 40 proof, remember to pour some 40 on the floor in honor of our beloved friend.

Now since that has been said, lets get into the real reason why E3 shutdown. Ok one of the main reasons was of course $$$. Yes money was a integral part of E3. It has been said that EA and Sony were the main players that shutdown the program all together, why?? I don't know....but I do know that the gaming industry will not be the same without E3. It was a well known fact that developers would rush to have playable demos of their games  ready for E3, and one of the positive effects that were brought up, is that without E3, developers would have more time to work on their games, therefore making them more better instead of rushing to have something by what G4 called, an "artificial" date. While that does sound like a good idea, most people speculated on the future of E3. I won't quote Kevin Pererria exactly but he did mention that it could become a closed door, sit down conference where developers would show new games and ideas via a powerpoint presentation.

Despite all these theorys and facts, I now know one thing for sure. My hopes and dreams for one day going to the greatest gaming Nirvana ever, E3.....are now shattered. Yup......86'ed. It just wont be the same without E3.

Well as you can probably tell from the title of this blog, I  have been highly addicted to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I brought Oblivion a while back, like in May. I got a little aquainted with it, but it didn't draw me in like I was expecting. So it sat around for a month. Recently I decided to pop it in my 360, and wow....I've been playing it ever since. The way it just grabs you is unbelievable. Yesterday I bought LOTR: BFME2. I downloaded the demo, and seeing as it was pretty rock solid....I decided to get it as well. It's been awhile since I've played a RTS game, the last RTS I played was Starcraft. Starcraft will and always will remain my favorite RTS. Although I really don't like Lord of The Rings, I did like the game. I also reserved Dead Rising, and FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus. I know Dead Rising will be a great hit......but I'm a little nervous that Dirge Of Cerberus won't live up to the hype...........What you do guys think about Dirge of Cerberus??

As of late....my Xbox Live has been screwing up. I don't know if anyone else had this experience but uhh lemme put it like this.......When I go onto Xbox Live...on my original Xbox I get a message saying my service has been suspended until 12/17/9999......................9999!!!!!.....does that year even exist???? seriously wtf? Also my 360 won't even connect.....some bull$%@& about the IP address failing to connect.....wth man?......*sigh* If anyone has any advice whatsoever do share please. I mean the XBL comes and goes as it pleases...like "On, off, on, off, on, off, on, off, on, off, on, off, off, off, off, off."..........what does a man have to do to get perfect service dammit?

Ohhh boy....I tell you last week had me sweatin'. This had to be one of the BEST E3's I  have ever seen....or read. So many things have been revealed. Nintendo by far had some of the greatest stuff they've dreamed of yet. I can positively say they are still in the buisness for the long haul. Sony had an impressive deal of games to show as well. Although the price tag might scare others away, it sure hasn't scared me away. And just one game, made the 360's E3 bonanza sparkle. Gears Of War. What can I say....the console wars are heating up.....but I'm gonna be the real winner. Actually all the consumers are.

That is what I'm calling the Revolu-I mean the Wii.......honestly....the Wii....WII!!!...........damn.....this better be one good  god damn console. Seriously I can just picture myself walking into my local gamestop or best buy and going "Hey you guys get a shipment of the Wii??" seriously.....I calling it the Nintendo Piss. actually I'll just call it the Revolution. I gurantee no-one calls it the Wii

It has been a while Gamespot peeps. Well last wednesday I bought KH2, after nearly strangling the software emloyee. I tell ya the people who work in gamestop have to act a little more professional these days. I mean once I walked into a gamestop and the fellas behind the counter were saying talking about them sleeping in the same bed.....yeah, needless to say they really need to stop fu%^ing around in there. I don't mind friendly talk, but as soon as you start screwing with my mind saying how I can't buy a game because they're only for the people who reserve them well......thats when Michael starts breaking t.v.'s. Anyway I'm straying from the point, my point is. Kingdom Hearts II is an amazing game, truly a worthy sequel. I can't tell you how many times I began a new game just to hear the opening theme song, over and over, and over.

Well fellow gamers....as we rocket into the new year many thoughts come into mind.....mostly these questions are "gee....where am I gonna' get all this money to buy these games?" or " Crap...what next-gen console should I buy?" I can solidly answer these questions.....Get an Xbox360....then a PS3 (whenever it comes out) then.....well....hopefully the Revolution should be great. Hopefully that will answer your question. But if you have no money....'cause you have no job....well then...GET A JOB.

I can't find my unions.......guys...where are you??....how come I cannot find my unions. Damn this new layout.....thanks to this all the unions that I am in are hidden. Jeez.