Ahhh - blasting things - there's just something sublime about shooting virtual hordes of bad-guys, monsters and mutants in the face that (obviously) appeals to gamers of every stripe, and so it is with much enthusiasm that I strenuously recommend that you run out right away (er, assuming you haven't already that is!) and buy Singularity - the latest blast-'em fest from Raven and our beloved friends at Activision...

Simply put, Singularity is a refreshing diversion from the 'Modern Combat' type of game(s) that are dominating the sales charts, XBL and PSN these days... That fact alone should be enough to compel a purchase from FPS fans yearning for something more along the lines of Bioshock, Half Life and Resistance FoM...

I've only put in a couple of hours with the campaign so far, and you can color me duly impressed. I will be trying the MP soon, (once I get through the SP) which, in theory, sounds like it could be a real blast... we shall see*... it involves, attimes,puking on opponents (hurt) or teammates (heal) which, well... that's just plain awesome...

I'm not normally given to shameless plugs - especially for these more obscure 'under-the-radar' types of games, but this one deserves your attention, and your hard-earned money too... and, for a considerable number of games out there,that's not something that can be easily said...

Bottom Line: This quirky sci-fi shooter is well paced and is actually fun to play... throw in serviceable MP* and we have a Winner here folks!

... but I would've been missing out on a seriously great JRPG experience... and on xbox360 no less. I wasn't going to buy this title because I had been reading mixed reviews, and the whole 4 discs thing just made me cynical... but I bought it last night, and I have to say that it's great (so far!). I'm not a big JRPG fan either, so the fact that I'm liking it so much says a lot. I guess sometimes it comes down to just opening your mind and taking a chance - sticking your neck out a little and taking a risk.

It's good to see Microsoft Game Studios getting behind something that doesn't involve guns and team deathmatch and I have to admit - that was a big motivator behind my purchase. But, to my pleasant surprise, Lost Odyssey is so compelling that I'm having trouble putting the controller down. I guess I figured that if Microsoft could take a risk by backing a title of Lost Odyssey's ilk, then so could I.

This isn't the kind of game that will appeal to everyone - but from a guy who doesn't really like turn-based JRPG-style offerings, Lost Odyssey deserves a place in your collection, if you're jonesing for something not commonly found on the xbox360.

It's too bad, really, to hear of the un-timely 'demise' of HD-DVD.

No, I'm really not upset by the fact that I was one of the first to jump on the HD-DVD band-wagon - I still consider my (thankfully marginal) investment in it to be money well spent.

The impending Blu-ray monopoly won't necessarily be a bad thing, it's just that - well - if Blu-ray is the superior medium for delivering the High-Definition experience, it sure as hell isn't obvious. Frankly, there was no discernable difference in image or audio play-back quality, as far as I could tell.

It's too bad because competition is always good for the market-place and ultimately good for consumers like you and me. It keeps the 'players' honest and inspires them to continually 'raise the bar' of value, excellence and innovation.

I realize that some big studios are backing Blu-ray, and that HD was never really able to garner enough support to make a difference. Ultimately, that's probably what did it in.

No, HD-DVD didn't lose on merit, so it's supporters can still hold their heads high.

And hell, now a Blu-ray equipped xbox is likely on the horizon - and there's nothing wrong with that...