• Best Trailer in 2010
  • Heavy Rain Launch Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMUfUpvFOFg)

This trailer was definitely what motivated me to pick up Heavy Rain at full price on the first day of release. The trailer convinced me that this game is something unique. The music in the background is really well done as well.

Runner up: Mass Effect 2 Launch Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjOEmHEd2XM)

• Best New Character
  • John Marston (Red Dead Redemption)

John Marston is uncontested in this category. His journey was what made Red Dead Redemption so interesting. His characteristics and the voice acting of the character can not be matched by anyone.

Runner up: Vito Scaletta (Mafia II)

• Best Multiplayer
  • Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

The multiplayer in Hot Pursuit is one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. I really enjoyed it and loved how there was no lag in the games I played. Criterion and Dice really outdid themselves in making Hot Pursuit such a great experience online.

Runner up: Call of Duty: Black Ops

• Game that was the Biggest Disappointment
  • Final Fantasy XIII

Final Fantasy XIII was my biggest disappointment by far. For all my reasons read my review. Not going to rant about it again.

Runner up: Resonance of Fate

• Game that was the Biggest Surprise
  • Heavy Rain
  • Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
  • Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
  • Mafia II

This is probably the hardest category for me. Heavy Rain, Enslaved, Hot Pursuit and Mafia all really surprised me. I had no high expectations on any of them and after playing them they were all amazing games. So the award is going to all four games.

• Best Orchestrated Music
  • Heavy Rain

Heres my advice. Go on youtube and search for some Heavy rain themes. You will be amazed at how good they are. Some of the themes are movie trailer worthy.

Runner up: Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

• Best Licensed Music
  • Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

This soundtrack introduced me to the song Opposite of Adults which is amazing. The overall soundtrack is not as good as Burnout Paradise but there are a few really good songs on the setlist.

Runner up: Call of Duty: Black Ops

• Best New IP
  
  • Heavy Rain

Heavy Rain wins this award for me. The game is just on another level in creativity and just brings something new to the game formula. Heavy Rain has a great idea....for sequels I hope they can make it a bit more like a game and a bit less like a movie. But besides that the game is amazing.

Runner up: Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

• Best Graphics
  • God of War III

God of War III looks amazing. Definitely one of the better looking games ever made. Sony again shows that the PS3 is home to the best looking games.

• Best Story
  • Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead's story is one of the better of this generation.

Runner up: Mafia II

• Best Moment / Event / Chapter in a Game
  • Ending of Red Dead Redemption (Red Dead Redemption)

No Hollywood ending here.

• Game I Most Wanted to Play But Didn't
  • Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

Assassin's Creed II was one of my favourite games last year. I'd like to continue Ezio's journey.

• Game of the Year
  • Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption had it all. A great story, unique gameplay, amazing atmosphere, solid sound and graphics. It is well rounded and definitely the best game of the year.

Runner up #1: Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

Runner up #2: Heavy Rain

Here are my Game of the Year nominations. I'll announce my winners in the next few days.

• Best Trailer in 2010
  • Mass Effect 2 Launch Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjOEmHEd2XM)
  • Killzone 3 Story Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrvbCkqBW5A)
  • Heavy Rain Launch Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMUfUpvFOFg)
  • Enslaved E3 Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG4oLZR3Qx8)
• Best New Character
  • Alan Wake (Alan Wake)
  • John Marston (Red Dead Redemption)
  • Ethan Mars (Heavy Rain)
  • Vito Scaletta (Mafia II)
  • Monkey (Enslaved: Odyssey to the West)
• Best Multiplayer
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops
  • Halo Reach
  • Red Dead Redemption
  • Battlefield: Bad Company
  • Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
• Game that was the Biggest Disappointment
  • Bioshock 2
  • Resonance of Fate
  • Final Fantasy XIII
  • God of War III
  • Splinter Cell: Conviction
• Game that was the Biggest Surprise
  • Heavy Rain
  • Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
  • Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
  • Mafia II
  • Bayonetta
• Best Orchestrated Music
  • Heavy Rain
  • Dante's Inferno
  • Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
  • Red Dead Redemption
  • Halo Reach
• Best Licensed Music
  • Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
  • Mafia II
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops
  • NHL 11
• Best New IP
  • Bayonetta
  • Heavy Rain
  • Dante's Inferno
  • Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
  • Alan Wake
• Best Graphics
  • Red Dead Redemption
  • Heavy Rain
  • Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
  • Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
  • God of War III
• Best Story
  • Red Dead Redemption
  • Heavy Rain
  • Mafia II
  • Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
  • Mass Effect 2
• Best Moment / Event / Chapter in a Game
  • Ending of Enslaved (Enslaved: Odyssey to the West)
  • Ending of Red Dead Redemption (Red Dead Redemption)
  • Poseidon Fight (God of War III)
  • Cutting Finger Trial (Heavy Rain)
  • Ending of Mafia II (Mafia II)
• Game I Most Wanted to Play But Didn't
  • Vanquish
  • Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
  • Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
  • Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
• Game of the Year
  • Red Dead Redemption
  • Heavy Rain
  • Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
  • Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
  • Mass Effect 2

So my friend who works at Rogers let me 'borrow' the game before it came out. Three days later and I've completed it. There already is a review below on my page so check it out.

Pros

- Graphics are gorgeous

- Chapter 10 is probably one of the greatest segments of a game I've ever played

- Technically flawless. No problems throughout my experience.

- Gameplay is refined and done very well.

- Issac is way more interesting this game

Cons

- Only 10 Hours but that is probably the perfect length for me with my backlog

- No Bosses. Very disappointing.

- Doesnt have the same final chapter of awesomeness that the original had on the planet.

- Really hard....even on normal.

Before I talk about the games I've been playing I just want to say that my Game of the Year nominations will come after I finish (and start) Call of Duty: Black Ops and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. So hopefully within the next three to four weeks.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

- Enslaved was one of those games that I didn't expect too much from. This game has met and gone way past the little expectations I had for it. The storyline is definitely one of my favourites of the year. The atmosphere is absolutely beautiful in the first five chapters where you are in an abandoned torn down New York City. This game has a solid single player experience that shines when it focuses on the relationship between the two main characters. Check my review below for a full on detailed look.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

-I slowly am working towards getting a gold distinction in everything. I find the game still a blast to play and the online is still far superior than any other racing game I've played. Expect a review eventually but this one is a game I'll keep going back to.

So I've been gaming alot more than usual lately and have made many new purchases. CoD: Black Ops, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Enslaved, Alan Wake and Need for Speed are all new purchases I have made in the last month or so. Because of this I have a busy schedule before I announce any Game of the Year Nominations. I want to complete these last 5 games and then I can pretty much say I've played and completed almost every game I've wanted to this year (I still need to beat God of War III and I'm interested in Castlevania).

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit

I am very surprised on how much I am enjoying the game. I love the Burnout series and Criterion makes great games but I heard some terrible comments about the demo of the game from people who enjoyed Burnout games so I was questioned whether or not I'd like it. The game is alot of fun. The soundtrack is pretty good but I wish there were more songs. The gameplay is solid and the career mode is a pain in the ass but very enjoyable. I'll be playing the game on and off for months because I want to eventually perfect the game when it comes to achievements.

Alan Wake

I beat Alan Wake the other day. This was one of my most anticipated games of the year. Unfortunately, the storyline was pretty confusing which is odd because the same thing happened with Final Fantasy XIII and that never happens. It felt all over the place and the writing was so cheesy. The gameplay was pretty solid and I'm currently playing the game again on the hardest difficulty. I'll be writing a review shortly.

So I've not posted in a very long time. Here's a couple opions on games I've played since my last blog:

Red Dead Redemption

I beat this game back in June. Its definitely one of my favourite games this year. Like most Rockstar games, I played the beginning slow but rushed at the end. Not that its a bad game, theres just so much to do that I always want to finish the story before I get bored and shelve it. Red Dead's character, John Marston, is pure awesomeness. The west is my favourite historical time period and I love watching movies or playing games in Western atmospheres. The story is lengthy but necessary to redeem the title character. The game is pure Grand Theft Auto: The West and that is what I expected it to be. I dont get people who love this game and hate GTA4....I find them to be very similar. The gameplay and combat is what makes this game way better. The changes in the controls make this far better than the irritating controls I found GTA 4 had. The graphics are great and the atmosphere is even better.

Final Fantasy XIII

After playing 20 hours when the game first came out way back in April, I decided to pop this game back in about 2 weeks ago. Another 20 hours later and I finally beat the game. Final Fantasy XII is such a hard game to review after one completes it. I really enjoyed the combat system. It was fast paced, required strategy, and found the right balance when it came to difficulty. The graphics and orchestated music were another two highlights that the game had. The game definitely had one of the most beautiful cutscenes.

However, the game had its major faults. First, the story was a confusing mess from beginning to end. Never before had I played a story where I had no idea what was going on. Most JRPGs have its lame cliches and terrible characters but Final Fantasy XIII had way too many. The other huge major complaint I had with the game is its linearity. I play a JRPG to be lost in the world; with all the sidequests, characters, amazing villians, and huge cities full with stuff to do. There were no memorable supporting characters, no sidequests besides the terrible run through a huge plain and fight a battle, a lame villian, and no cities. Final Fantasy XIII failed in these two regards which I usually find are the most two important things an RPG can do - a story and to be very immersive.

Check back for a review soon.

Dante's Inferno

So I just beat Dante's Inferno. Started yesterday, beat today. I thought the game was far better than some of the reviews it was given. Gamespot's 6.5 was very harsh and I felt that the game had its merits. The game had an interesting story that fleshed out a backstory of the main character, Dante, throughout the game. It also ends with a some pretty good looking cutscenes and the potential for a great sequel. The graphics were very well done and the gameplay was very close to God of War. (which is a positive) I've just beaten the game so I'll have more thoughts later and maybe a review. But I'd highly recommend the game for a rent or a cheap buy.

Bayonetta

I beat Bayonetta a month or two ago. This game definitely had the best action/hack and slash/ beat em up gameplay I've ever played. It was refreshing, fast paced, and freaken awesome. I honestly have no complaints about the gameplay because I felt it was so refined and original. My biggest gripe with the game had to do with the usual Japanese cliches in almost every cutscenes. The one thing I hate most about Japanese games are the lame ass characters and overall atmosphere they do that I find extremely irritating. Bayonetta is definitely one of my favourite games this year.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

I also beat this game awhile ago. Felt the story was pretty disappointing. I expected it to be alot better than the original but turned out to be a bit worse. Unlike both of the Modern Warfare's which I found epic, Battlefield did not have these moments at all. If anything, many of the situations in the game felt like a poor man's Call of Duty....airplane ending really? However, Bad Company again shines in its multiplayer where its completely different than any other shooter on the market. Again i was pleasantly surprised with its awesomeness even though it took me awhile to get into it. Check out my review before.

Mafia II

Another game I played when a few months ago. I never played the original but my friend let me borrow it so I thought why not. I really enjoy sandbox games; Grand Theft Auto, Saints Row 2, Red Dead Redemption, and inFamous are all games that I completed and loved this generation. However, what makes Mafia II stand out is its amazing storyline that feels straight out of Goodfellas and the Godfather. The story, music, atmosphere, and characters are what make this game. It may be short but it has no filler and tells a great mob story. Check my review below.

So after ignoring my PS3 and 360 for all of January and most of February, I've finally gotten back into gaming. I've bought Mass Effect 2, Heavy Rain, and Final Fantasy XIII in the last month and I've also attempted playing Demons Souls.

Mass Effect 2

- This is where the majority of my time has been spent in the last month. I finally beat it yesterday and my review is up but I'll post my main thoughts here. The game is a huge improvement when it comes to gameplay. Bioware refined it perfectly and now it feels more fast paced like Gears of War and Uncharted 2. The graphics and sound are pretty good and there is not as many technical difficulties that the first game was known for. The worst thing about Mass Effect 2 is that its story is pretty basic. You recruit a team and go on a suicide mission. That is it. Anyways, check out my review for my full thoughts. And it took just over 20 hours to get most of the achievements and do alot of the missions.

Heavy Rain

- I was really pumped for Heavy Rain in the weeks leading up to the release. It was probably a bad move to get overly hyped becauseI found the game a bit disappointing. I still enjoyed it alot I just thought it would be more like Eternal Darkness but unfortunately it was not. Before I put up a review I want to play the game one more time but here are my thoughts. The story is interesting although the game starts off very slow. The graphics are really good. But the game is more of an interactive movie than I actually thought going in. But I still very much enjoyed the game and I will be slowly going through a second playthrough.

Final Fantasy XIII

- Finally a good JRPG comes out. Its been so long. The last two great JRPGs came out in 2008 with Lost Odyssey and Tales of Vesperia both coming out. Last year was definitely a boring year for JRPGs. Anyways, I've put about 2-3 hours into the game already. I just started the 3rd chapter. So far the game feels really easy and linear and I just can't wait till I delve into the game a bit more. Graphics are amazing. The story has me a bit confused still, I really hope they explain to me about the Fal'Cie, a LaCie, Pulse, and Focus are really soon because I feel lost in the discussions.

Demons Souls

- This game sucks. Period.

So it's been awhile since I blogged again. This time however I have actually been gaming alot. I've beat Assassin's Creed 2100% by getting all achievements and I finallystarted and completed Killzone 2. I bought some new games on Boxing Day and have beenthinking about my Game of the Year nominations.

Assassin's Creed II

- So I've spent the last week and a half playing Assassins Creed II, a game that I didn't really plan on playingthis year. However, I got it for30 bucks at EB Games for a one day sale. The game was really good and was what Assassins Creedshould have been. You can check my review below.

Killzone 2

-I've had this game this February and only played it for 20 minutes. Finally I popped it in and played it alot. I'llwrite a review eventually butthe game wasgreat.Took a bit of getting use to the awkward controls butonce you do its a blast. Single player campaign was fun although story was a bit disappointing. Online multiplayer is a blast and I'll eventually get back into it.Not as good as Modern Warfare but reallyfun.

New Games

-I picked up Assassin's Creed II as you know. But I also picked up Halo Wars on boxing day and Demons Souls but I haven't played either yet. Both games have promise but are both really niche so I'll see how I like them.

Game of the Year

- My game of the yearis obvious for me but I'll be doing a bunch of other awards like I did last year. Expect them soon, awards are:

• Best Trailer for a game Released in 2009
• Best New Character
• Best Multiplayer
• Game that was the Biggest Disappointment
• Game that was the Biggest Surprise
• Best Orchestrated Music
• Best Licensed Music
• Best New IP
• Best Graphics
• Best Story
• Best Moment / Event / Chapter in a Game
• Game I Most Wanted to Play But Didnt
• Best Game of 08 that I played in 09
• Game of the Year

So I haven't posted really in a long time but thats because during the long months of summer I got really bored of gaming. Playing Infamous, Uncharted 2, COD:MW 2, Ballad of Gay Tony, and Fifa 10 has brought me back and I've been loving every minute of it.

First of all, I really want to play Borderlands...any of you play it? It looks so awesome and I wish I had the money to get it right now but I may have to hold off for now. And what about Assassin's Creed II...anyone who has it want to tell me a bit about it. I didnt mind the first AC but I found it drastically overrated. Anyways....

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

I just wrote a review on it so check it out there. But for you who don't want to...its a fantastic game. Single player campaign, which I was really excited about cause I really enjoyed the COD4's campaign, was awesome. So many decent twists. Some expected others not so much. Spec Ops has been a blast so far...I have 30 stars and I really want to get all 69 even though I doubt it because I'm not that good. Multiplayer is same old...still great. Read my review for alot more depth.

Fifa 10

Two funny things about this game. I never buy sports games and I never buy multiplat games for my PS3 (unless its notably better). So I bought Fifa 10 on my PS3 because I've always loved soccer but I'm really trying to start watching soccer more so I decided to pick it up. A bunch of my friends love professional European soccer and have a PS3 so naturally I felt inclined to buy it on there. Anyways, great decision. Game is a ton of fun and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys sports (specifically soccer) or competitive multiplayer because onlines so much fun. Should have a review when I play it even more but its a great game.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (Ballad of Gay Tony) - ***Spoilers

I actually beat this today. Got a bit side tracked (thank you for that COD) but finally got back on track and beat it today. Thought it was pretty fun but I have a small rant on GTA games now. I loved GTA 4, it was different and refreshing and the gameplay wasn't too stale. Now it is - with games like Uncharted 2 - third person shooters should have better controls than the slow paced GTA games. The story was also a bit meh. I loved the character of Gay Tony, he was a ton of fun, but it was too predictable. Same old stuff. Main character survivesand theres no epic twists or parts in the story. Just felt a bit flat. Still fun and I love GTA but GTA 5 needs to get with the times and become more epic and have better controls. Thats my little rant on GTA as of now.

Brutal Legend

Bought this at launch but all I've played is the introduction. I will play it and blog about it soon....I promise.

Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (2007 one)

Bought this in August but still haven't really played too much of it. I want to get back into it soon. When I do I'll blog about it.

Infamous

Loved the game. Beat in August. Dont know if I talked about it in previous blogs but I really want to write a review about it.

So expect me to blog alot more now!

Got this game three days ago because a friend works at Rogers. Beat it in about 10 hours after two playthroughs.

All I gotta say this is one of the best games I've played that is great overall. The story is entertaining, the music is brilliant, the graphics are probably the best I've ever seen. the technical aspects are near perfect (no framerate dips), the game has replay value - the multiplayer is SO FUN, and the voice acting is top notch.

Best game of the year...hands down and one of the best games ever made. I'll be playing the multiplayer for sure until COD: MW2 comes out and probably awhile after that if it keeps up the NO LAG and EASY TO FIND PEOPLE which is odd for PS3.