Halloween Scream (XBLIG): "Classy Interactive Storytelling At It's Finest"

Sometimes I find that I'm guilty of pre-judging a game before I even play it myself. I'll often times take a look at the XBL marketplace screenshots in order to get a glimpse at what I'd be reviewing if I took on the task of reviewing a requested game. I know I shouldn't judge games simply on screenshots, but heaven forbid I get stuck reviewing some half-assed game that had little thought applied to it's design. In the case of Bandana Game's newly released XBLIG title, "Halloween Scream" I went in thinking that it was going to be some sort of mediocre digital story that might as well be a part of the Amazon Kindle digital book library. I didn't think that perhaps the developer had created something amazing, beyond what a digital novel could offer. In retrospect I'm sorry for my pre-game judgement, and I'm glad I got the opportunity to experience this intriguing Halloween tale from the talented developer, Bandana Games. They did an outstanding job with their well versed tale of horror.

Lucky (XBLIG): "A Twist-ed Look At The Meaning Of Life, Death & Luck"

Out of all the XBLIG developers I've come to know none have created such intriguing, and detailed stories as the ones Guy Galer (Twist-ed Games) has done. I've followed his story of Bureau Agent Kendal as she thwarts criminals with her decisive interrogations, and crime solving tactics. With every episode released I always found something special to brag about in my reviews, and Guy Galer's latest game "Lucky" is no exception to that. As most of you know through the videos I have provided with each Twist-ed Game review the developer has a very unique animation style that seems to improve in quality with each game release. In "Lucky" Guy Galer delivers his most visually appealing game yet, and keeps true to his risque semi-nude scenes as he does so. As I did my playthrough I enjoyed every moment of the interactive point-and-click story. The atmospheric, and mellow soundtrack added to the game's overall ambiance, and as such made for a truly noteworthy playthrough.

Zombie Driver HD (XBLA): "Zombie Carnage & Vehicular Combat"

Zombies seem to be a hot topic these days. Whether it's in the form of entertainment, or rumors spreading about a possible zombie apocalypse you have no doubt probably witnessed the bloody carnage that these undead denizens can cause. While I think a zombie apocalypse is the least of our worries I do partake in the grim goodness that the zombie entertainment genre has to offer. From time to time I'll pop a zombie oriented movie into my dvd player, or even partake of the ever-popular zombie video game genre via my Xbox 360. There is honestly no lack of available content when it comes to zombie horror, and as such a horror fan like my self can be entertained until the zombie apocalypse finally arrives, if it even does.

Happy Wars (XBLA): "Chaotic Warfare With A Comical Twist"

There is no doubt these days that war is truly one of the hottest, and most debated topics around. Often times you'll see news of the war in the middle east, and find that things in life are not always as pleasant as they seem. Even the video game industry seems to take their own stance on the subject of war with military based shooters that are all the craze these days. These more serious peeks into what is happening in the world can become somewhat disheartening at times if we dwell on it too long. Even so I'm glad to see that some game producers, and developers such as Toylogic are bringing us a lighter side of the topic of warfare.

In their latest free to play game, "Happy Wars" we find that war games do not always have to be the overly violent display that most of us have come to call normal. With a whimsical cast of customizable light, and dark armies this simplistic tower defense title comes to life with all the charm of a children's fairytale. Keeping true to the theme of war though, Toylogic pokes hints at the serious topic of warfare that is imbeded within the game. As such they bring to our attention the troubling nature that plagues all of mankind. Maybe one day we as humans will see our mistakes, and end our quarrels in a civilized manner. Until that time though when have fun games like this one to keep us entertained, and make the horrific reality that is war seem like it's only a bad dream.

KontrolFreek (Xbox 360): "FPS Freek Havoc & FPS Freek Infinity"

Sometimes the greatest things come in the smallest packages. This is a quote that definitely applies to KontrolFreek's latest controller enhancements. When the two sets of KontrolFreeks arrived at my house I was a little surprised to see how simple they were, and how small the package was that they were in. Initially I wasn't seeing the reason for the price, but as I tested them out I soon realized that they definitely warranted the cost. After reading the postcard explaining what the "FPS HAVOC", and "FPS INFINITY" were all about I set out to give them a proper testing. For about a week I spent hours in "MW3", and "HALO REACH" trying out the various modes within each game, so I could get optimal results for my final verdict. In the following paragraphs I'll go over the technical details, and descriptions of each set of KontrolFreeks.

The Fall of the Video Gaming Industry: "Fighting Games"

There is no doubt that times are hard for most Americans, and for many people abroad. As such we find that money is tight, and budgeting is a must if we hope to stay afloat in this dwindling economy. Gamers such as myself are finding it harder, and harder to afford the hobby that we have come to love and support all these years. I've had to cut back seriously on my own spending, and I only buy games with the extra money I make doing one of my side jobs. Considering these tough times you would think that game developers would have their customers' best interest in mind, but it seems they have grown money hungry, and could care less about the products they produce. This mentality is a growing concern of mine. If companies such as those who produce video games begin to sacrifice quality for the sake of earning money, then the gaming industry (or any other entertainment industry) as we know it will ultimately fail. Who will pay the price in the end? The consumers. Those who spend their hard earned cash to support their gaming habits will eventually lose all their money to such companies, and in the end the gaming/entertainment empires will be set to last for the long haul leaving us with nothing to do but live a life of poverty.