VGCulture - Last two Steam Seasonal Sales of 2012!

Like many other PC gamers, Steam Seasonal Sales are pretty exciting as games get incredible discounts where once too expensive games become affordable or even a steal.  Other times, there are games we'd take a chance for just a few dollars when we'd never take a second glance before.  To much of my excitement and many others:

-Steam Fall Sales starts tomorrow: Nov. 21st - Nov. 27th
-Steam Winter Sales: Dec. 20th - Jan. 4th

I think the 3 games I'm hoping for a good sale for are Torchlight 2, Cherry Tree High: Comedy Club, and R.A.W. among many others.

Thanks to Joystiq for sharing this awesome news to the gaming community!

Source:
-Joystiq: Steam's Autumn sale starts tomorrow, Winter sale dated too

VGCulture - Prepare for Thanksgiving Sales 2012

Thanksgiving's this week, and that means Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales which in these past few years have been extended to a week long to 2-week long sales.  So this is a brief reminder to keep an eye out for sales from:
-Retail Electronic's store: Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Target, etc.
-Digital Distributions: Steam, Origin, Green Man Gaming, etc.
-Console stores: Playstation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, Nintendo eShop, etc.

If you had an eye out for that one game or several, chances are that they'll get a sale sometime this week.  Good luck, have fun, and stay safe for those still doing the traditional night out for the real Black Friday sales.

GameLight - Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor's Edge

Official Site: http://ninjagaiden3.nintendo.com/characters.html#momiji
Source: Youtube Channel RajmanGamingHD

For those who remembers or played the game, Ryu Hayabusa has an apprentice named Momiji who appeared in Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword for the Nintendo DS.  Well, it has been revealed that she is making a return and will be a playable character in Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor's Edge for the Nintendo Wii U.  Her chest size wasn't that large in Dragon Sword, but perhaps she's more grown up or it just looks different in 3D?  She is capable to wielding a naginata and down multiple foes with its long range and wide arc.  I keep hearing about a 2-player co-op mode, but it's not clear whether it is exclusively for Online play or if it's possible to have one person on the Wii U pad and one on the TV screen.  These new additions and changes to the game has changed my stance on getting the game for the PS3 as the Wii U seems to define the game the developers wanted to release a lot better.  First things first: finish up more games, buy and complete Ninja Gaiden 2 Sigma, THEN buy a Wii U and this game.  Ninja Gaiden 3 Razor's Edge will release as a launch title for the Nintendo Wii U which supposedly releases this Sunday.  I hope to see Momiji appear in other Ninja Gaiden games in the future.

VGCulture - Some Weekend Deals

There's a few things to look out for this weekend:

Awesomenauts is free for the weekend on Steam to try out until Sunday and will be 50% off for $4.99 until Monday.
Source: Youtube Channel MachinimaTrailer

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is only $3.75 on Greenman Gaming if you get it now and use this code at checkout: GMG25-UAAHK-6AI9S  Jet Set Radio is also $3.75 but these offers only have about 7 hours left, so get on them while you can! Source: Youtube Channel IGNentertainment

GameLight Review - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Official Site: http://www.callofduty.com/mw3
Source: Youtube Channel CALLOFDUTY

Developer: Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games
 *Additional work by: Raven Software, Treyarch (Wii version), Neversoft
Publisher: Activision
Platforms: PC, [Playstation 3], Xbox 360, Wii
Release Date: November 8, 2011
Genre: First-Person Shooter

Pros:
+ Great campaign mode with a compelling story and exciting gameplay
+ Significant improvement in Audio from its predecessors
+ Spec Ops is a great co-op mode to play when a friend's over
+ Multiplayer's redesigned level-up system rewards practice on a single weapon
+ Online gameplay still allows 2-player split-screen co-op

Cons:
- The ending of this trilogy will either satisfy fans or infuriate them
- Spec Ops can get really repetitive for some people
- You die faster than ever in online multiplayer

Recommended: Depends, a lot of people buy it for the multiplayer and its community might drop quite a bit since Black Ops 2 came out yesterday.

If you're unfamiliar with the Call of Duty franchise, the game consists of a lot of fire-fights, quick-time events, some crazy scripted scenes, and a lot of killing/dying if you're playing online multiplayer.  What sets each iteration apart is the little changes here and there that makes them special.  In the case of Modern Warfare 3, the campaign is probably the most involving, epic battle of the whole series while multiplayer provides a nice change in leveling mechanics.  I wanted to boycott this game because of the conflict between the original developers and Activision, but I ended up getting the game and was surprised of how great the game turned out.  There were things I liked and disliked about the campaign, but I felt it was a pretty solid experience.  Multiplayer still doesn't capture the charm and memories of Modern Warfare 2, but it still turned out to be different and a lot of fun.  Even though MW3 gave me high hopes, I'm still weary about getting Black Ops 2 at the moment.

Aesthetics
Art Style: Realistic 3D
+ The graphics are notably better, even though it seems to mirror MW2 a lot
+ Scripted-scenes were breath-taking and very exciting
+ Lots of beautiful landscapes and all very detailed
+ Significant improvement in the sounds of the gun-fire
+ Even better motion-captured animations

- Why do the enemies have to blend so well with the environment? D:
Aesthetics: 9/10

Buttons
Controller: Respective gamepads for PS3/Xbox 360; Wii-mote & Nunchuck for Wii; Keyboard and mouse for PC
+ As expected, the controls are tight, responsive, and faster than ever
+ Key layout is the same: familiar and comfortable
+ User-interface is familiar with very little changes, easy to navigate menu
Buttons: 8/10

Concept & Content
Core Concept:
 *For Campaign: Kill enemies, move to next scene, repeat
 *For Spec Ops: Survive as long as possible
 *For Multiplayer: Fulfill the most points through killing, capturing points, etc.
+ A very large scale virtual involvement for the ending of the trilogy
+ Story was compelling, but the gameplay was also exciting
+ Level designs weren't only effective in gameplay, but beautiful in Aesthetics
+ Some rather memorable characters and scenes throughout campaign
+ Spec Ops satisfies the urge to kill waves of enemies
+ It's a good game to play cooperatively, be it against AIs or players online
+ I really like the level system for weapons and items, incentive to try new items
+ Tango Down mode is a nice addition to online multiplayer involving teamwork

- Multiplayer maps still aren't as fun as the ones in Modern Warfare 2
- The ending for the trilogy is kind of empty and some might not like it
- DLCs prices equal to, or more than, the game itself
- You die significantly faster in multiplayer than previous CoD games, meaning who sees who first will have an even bigger advantage than before
- There are still odd problems with lag in multiplayer and odd glitches such as being able to knife players 10 feet away
Concept & Content: 8/10

Duration
+ Campaign is a bit slow paced in the beginning but picks up and moves quickly
+ Campaign was at a decent length, but the ending did kind of come up abruptly
+ Spec Ops and Online multiplayer adds a multitude of replay value to the game
+ The new leveling up system is a good incentive to keep playing with a certain set of weapons and equipment

-As fun as campaign was, it's not something I'd replay like MW1&2
Duration: 8/10

Fun
+ Campaign was quite the experience and I'm glad to see the story conclude
+ Spec Ops was a surprising addition to the game and eats a lot of time
+ Multiplayer turned out to be pretty fun with the new items and leveling system
+ I like the new support build available for multiplayer, it suits me
+ The environments were really beautiful, I think it added to the experience
+ Audio was a vast improvement as gun-fire sounded more powerful

- Why do DLCs have to be so expensive?
- Multiplayer is fun, but I still like the multiplayer in MW2 a lot more
- I feel like a bigger n00b than ever at the rate of deaths I have
Fun: 8/10

Overall
I really liked how Modern Warfare 3 turned out, especially after the previous year of playing Black Ops (that one disappointed me).  The campaign's story was interesting without sacrificing gameplay.  Spec Ops allowed me to still play the game with friends who didn't want to play online.  Multiplayer is more challenging than ever and changes some things around to cater to more than one playstyle in the community.  It might be a bit more difficult to recommend the game now if what the player is looking for is Online multiplayer since the community might have died down quite a bit with the release of Black Ops 2 yesterday.  Still, it's worth borrowing from a friend or renting out for the campaign and Spec Ops.  Overall: 8.2/10

GameLight Review - The Darkness 2

Official Site: http://www.embracethedarkness.com/
Steam Page: http://store.steampowered.com/app/67370/
Source: Youtube Channel pixelenemy

Developer: Digital Extremes
Publisher: 2K Games
Platforms: [PC], Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Release Date: February 7, 2012
Genre: First-Person Shooter

Pros:
+ Incredible writing that entices the player's interest in the story and dialogues
+ Fast-paced and exciting with lots of fire-fights and close-quarter encounters
+ The Darkness makes the player feel empowered
+ The environment is lively and very immersive despite the colorful art style
+ Multi-player offers 4 player co-op online with a separate story
+ New Game+ opens up new possibilities for replay value
+ Never lose your way as the next checkpoint can be revealed at any time

Cons:
- Very short campaign of ~5 hours
- Multiplayer is a bit glitchy at times
- The ending made the player feel cheated

Recommended: Yes!  First-Person Shooter/Action fans would get a kick out of this

The Darkness 2 is one of the biggest surprises for me this year.  I had a bit of interest in the first one, but was turned off by the Black/Grey/Brown color palette of the entire game and for its slow-paced gameplay which made me end up not getting it.  Perhaps it was the trailers for The Darkness 2, or rather it was the fact I got the game for $6.  Whatever the reason may be, I am very happy that I got the game and played through it.  The Darkness 2 follows the story of Jackie Estacado, who is the Don of a Mob and possesses an entity called "The Darkness", where a cult tries to take the Darkness away from him and use its powers for their goals and purposes.  The game isn't entirely just shooting like in most First-Person Shooters as the player can utilize the Darkness' powers to throw heavy objects, grab and impale enemies, slice things up, and engage in all sorts of close-quarter combat with light puzzles on the side.  Both the story and gameplay stay compelling the whole way through with the addition of a skill branch system where the player can choose which abilities to acquire to fit their play style (I believe it's possible to acquire all skills when playing New Game+).  I didn't expect the game to be so fun, and I'm considering playing it again very soon.

Aesthetics
Art Style: A colorful, almost cartoon-ish 3D cel-shaded style.  It's similar to Borderlands 2, but it still retains a dark atmosphere when needed.
+ The amount of detail put into the environment is beautiful
+ I prefer the colorful art style over the more realistic style of its predecessor
+ Animation for all the enemies and kills add to the satisfying feel of combat
+ Voice-acting brought out some very memorable characters

- Some of the animations (especially executions on multiplayer) are very odd
Aesthetics: 8/10

Buttons
Controller: Keyboard and Mouse; controller compatible
+ Melee combat had a unique mechanic to attack horizontally or vertically
+ Gun control felt great and responds very quickly
+ Aim-assist is available to those new to FPS games (on by default)
+ Controls feel natural and actions flow very well with the pacing of the game
Buttons: 9/10

Concept & Content
Core Concept: Kill enemies, move forward, listen to some story, repeat
+ There's a nice balance between gameplay and story, never too much of either
+ Combat isn't solely based around guns which is probably what makes it unique
+ Plot is very simplistic, but the way it is told is what makes it so interesting
+ The writing to dialogue and the voice acting made memorable characters
+ New Game+ was a good idea to extend the replay value of campaign
+ Vendetta mode opens up to those who want multiplayer or more content
+ Skill tree and various characters offers different ways to play the game

- There isn't that much content for those who paid $60 for the game
- Ending of game doesn't leave the player off on a good note
Concept & Content: 10/10

Duration
+ Pacing was fast and progressed nicely with an even flow of combat & story
+ New Game+ and Vendetta offers a bit more replay value
+ Multiplayer, difficulty levels, and finding relics are the main replay factors

- Main Campaign takes only ~5 hours to complete, even shorter if story is skipped
- Vendetta mode is also pretty short and doesn't randomly generate enemy layout
Duration: 6/10

Fun
+ It was very empowering being able to run in and decimate your enemies
+ The environments blew me away, it's so beautiful and artfully crafted
+ Although guns were limited in variation, they all felt really useful and strong
+ Combat was satisfying, but listening to character dialogue was also entertaining
+ I was happy to know there's a New Game+ and that Vendetta mode offered new story, gameplay, and play-styles to the game
+ The skill tree mechanic is a good incentive to get more points
+ Boss fights were pretty fun and challenging

- The ending made me feel cheated and a bit empty
- The game's really short.  I'll replay it, but I'm practically done with the game
Fun: 10/10

Overall
The Darkness 2 is a really good game, despite being so short.  But with what I paid for it, I can't complain at all.  I liked the story, the art style was pleasing, characters were memorable, combat was very satisfying, but the ending did leave me feeling a bit doubtful.  I don't want to spoil anything, so I didn't mention anything about it throughout the review.  If I were to hint anything, it would be that it's a huge cliffhanger.  Still, it was a very enjoyable game and one I would definitely recommend.  Overall: 8.6/10

VGCulture - Rant on PS Vita games

Official Site: http://us.playstation.com/psvita/games-and-media/

Ever since its announcement, I always thought it was a strange name to give but knew I'd be interested in it nonetheless.  With front/back touch sensitive areas, dual analog sticks, and a bigger screen, it was something to look out for.  Ever since my first experience with the device back in May 10th, I've been keeping an eye out on what sort of games have been coming out for it.  After all, the biggest reason for getting a gaming system is to play the games (though some people bought the PS3 for watching Blu-Ray discs since Blu-Ray readers were more expensive back when the PS3 launched).  So there are some interesting spin-offs from franchises such as Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed, Uncharted, and ports/remakes of other great games such as Street Fighter X Tekken and Mortal Kombat.  The question going through my mind now is "if I were to get a PS Vita, what games would I get for it?"

[Ragnarok Odyssey -  Xseed Games]
Source: Youtube Channel MachinimaTrailer

Based off the universe of Ragnarok Online, Ragnarok Odyssey is a Hack-n-Slash based Action-RPG that allows solo play or online multiplayer.  It reminds me of Monster Hunter, but a lot more exaggerated for an over-the-top style of combat.  I like these sort of Action-RPG games because they easily satisfy me with a rewarding experience each time I play them and can last for many hours of gameplay.  Unless Phantasy Start Online 2 comes out with the PC version next year in the West, this would be one game I'd play.

[Street Fighter X Tekken - Capcom]
Source: Youtube Channel CapcomUnityVideos

SFxT has put me in a hard decision this entire year of whether to buy it and on which console.  If I had bought it on PS3, 10 of the characters would come out later in the year, but as DLCs.  If I waited for a sale on Steam, I can buy it for PC and buy all the DLCs there for cheaper.  I could buy it on the PS Vita and have all the new characters along with the one already out, but I won't be able to play with anyone locally unless they have a PS Vita as well with the game.  Preferably, I'd like a definitive version for the PS3 like what Capcom did for Marvel vs. Capcom 3.  I didn't like having to buy the game twice just to get everything (the original and the Ultimate version), but I preferred it over having to purchase all the characters as DLCs.

[Persona 4 Golden - Atlus]
Source: Youtube Channel AtlusUSA

This is another problem for me.  I've taken interest in Persona ever since the 3rd one and had bought it sometime in college.  But that was the problem, I was in college and didn't have the time to play it.  After graduating, I found a really good sale for Persona 4 and bought that too.  It's sadly still in its plastic wrap right now and I'm wondering if I should get around to playing it or wait until I get a PS Vita to get the remake.  In the remake of what is known to be one of the best JRPGs out there, a new character has been added, more outfits and personas are available, and additional content has been added in.  The problem is, I don't know when I'll get the time to play it and I don't know when I'll get a PS Vita.  I hear the game can last from 50-70 hours on just the first playthrough.  I really want to get through the game though so I can start playing Story mode on Persona 4 Arena and understand everything as well as watch the animé.

What's keeping me from getting a PS Vita at the moment is of several reasons:
 -I have a huge backlog of games, mostly on the PS2 and PC
 -I just bought a Nintendo 3DS and barely got it warmed up (completed 5 games)
 -My purchases of games this year is pretty crazy, I think it's a new record

I've also expressed my displeasure of how the buttons on the device feels and how the device itself didn't feel very good in my hands.  So I guess I'm hoping for another iteration of the device to come out with a better ergonomic design and feel for the buttons (that's what got me to buy a Nintendo 3DS XL, changed a lot about what I didn't like of the original).  Most of the eye-catching games on the PS Vita are spin-offs, remakes, and ports, and that's okay I guess seeing how most of them are good ones.  I'll probably get one in the future, but I guess all I can do right now is look at the games that come out for it.