Hi everyone,

I wanted to write about this subject last week, but I had so much work to do on my Master's research.

I know that this subject will cause a lot of controversy. Please remember that this is my opinion, you may like and you may not, either way let me know what you think.

There are a few games and franchises, which I think are overrated or over-hyped. I am going to list them alphabetically and will state my reasons as well.

1- Bayonetta: Totally overrated. Weak story, poor graphics, and ugly voice acting. The action in this game is so fast that sometimes I had no idea what was happening on the screen. I didn't like it at all.

2- Brutal Legend: Poor graphics, tedious gameplay, annoying sound track and an unbelievable story. Totally overrated.

3- Call of Duty (franchise): Don't get me wrong, I loved Modern Warfare when it first came out, but since then, every call of duty is the same. The same engine, the same mechanics and even the same plot over and over. What bothers me the most, is that reviewers use COD as a standard for comparison. Every FPS is compared to COD in some way, and every time COD has to win. I am telling you COD is not even that good. Many FPSs were underrated because of it, andthat is wrong. I know the game has a massive multiplayer mode, but that's it. Battlefield and Medal of honor are better franchises in my opinion.

4- Dead Rising (franchise): Poor concept, repetitive gameplay. You kill zombies and save civilians. That's it. Overrated.

5- God of War (franchise): This franchise is so overrated and over-hyped. I know, I know, God of War III was a technical achievement; the graphics, the scale, but that's it. The other games in the franchise are the same, the only difference is the boss encounters. Why would reviewers compare every action game to GOW, I have no clue. Why is it considered as a standard, I have no clue either. In my opinion Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, and Dante's inferno were better than GOW3. Both were compared to GOD3 and then underrated.

6- Prototype: Where do I start? I don't think this game belonged to this generation of consoles. It should have been released on the PS2 and the XBOX. The concept of the game is very good, but it was delivered poorly. Graphics belong to the past generation, gameplay is tedious and confusing.What really bothers me is that inFAMOUS was compared to it in many reviews, while there is a huge difference between both games.

I would like to continue, there are many gmes that I would like to mention but Idon't wantthe blog to be long and boring. If you liked this blog and would like to read more about overrated games,please let me know.

Please remember, this is my opinion. Some of you will agree, many will not. Either way, please let me know what you think and why?

Are there any overrated "over-hyped" games that you would add to this list?

Thank you for reading.

Peace!

Hi everyone,

I decided to write more about underrated games. To my surprise, the topic got attention and got great responses. I never thought that a list of underrated games would get this big.

Today, I am going to use the word "under-appreciated". As many gamespot users pointed out, for a game to get a 6 out of 10 is not that bad. It is still considered above average.

So what about games that deserved a 10, 9.5, or a 9 out of 10. What about games that made a change in the gaming industry. What about games that introduced new ideas, whether in the story, in the game design, or game mechanics. What about games that provide us (gamers) with a long compelling journey instead of 5 hour campaigns. What about games that give so much attention to details whether artistic, or technologic. What about games that introduce something new with every new release. I could go on, but will stop here before you get bored if not already.

We gamers want games that leave us speechless, we want games to remember, we want games to collect and replay again and again and again. Unfortunately, all this joy can be missed because of a review. A review that focused on minor negative aspects of a game and left the huge positive achievement the had made.

It is wrong to take points from a game because you disliked a voice of a character, disliked how a character walks, dislikedthe length ofthe game , disliked its difficulty level, or disliked how it was similar to another game. Am I wrong here, or are review about taste.

I can't see how reviews would depend on taste, since we all look at thing differently. Review should be about what the game achieved and the game had not period. If you are confused, bare with me. I will list games that I think are severly under-appreciated and will give a reason for each game. Games are listed alphabetically:

1- Assassin'sCreed Revelations (was under-appreciated because of the gild defense missions and Desmond's memory fragments). Are you kidding me, the game introducedsomething new, you don't have to like it. There are games out there that repeat the same formula again and again and again and again. Still they get at least a 9, looking at you COD.

2- Battlefield 3 (was under-appreciated because it was compared to a COD campaign). Okay, maybe they are wright, but lets not forget that the game introduced a new engine (Frostbite2). This a big deal, a new engine that will be used in gamesfor years to come. Isn't that enough to impressyou?

3- Crysis 2 (was under-appreciated because of the enemy AI "Artificial Intelligence"0. I don't know where to start. This was the first third party game tobe provided in 3D. The game used an entirely new engine. Thegame looks wonderful. The gameplay options you have arebrilliant, you can playstealthly or blast your way in.

4-Heavy Rain (was under-appreciated because it felt like an interactive movie). At least it was a new idea and was done perfectly. Just want to mention that the story is one of the best you would ever encounter.

5- inFAMOUS 2 (was under-appreciated because it was similar to the first installment). It is a sequel, it has to be similar. The game improvedin graphics, story and gameplay.

6- Need for speed the run (was under-appreciated because of the quick action sequences). Now that's stupid. It is a new feature, you don't have to like it. At least I did. The game used a new engine (Frostbite 2) isn't that enough?

7- Rage (was under-appreciated becausethe world to explore wasn't big enough, and the multiplayer was only racing). Okay, this is not a fallout game, nor it is Call of Duty. The game looks gorgeous, gunplay is amazing, and it used a new engine.

8- Vanquish (was under-appreciated because it was too short). Okay, so other shooters are 15 hours long? The game is a technical blast. Shootinghasn't been that fun in years. Shooting in slow motion is amazing. Sliding and boostingfrom cover to coveris a brilliant idea.

See what I mean? I could go on and on, but the blog has been long enough. What I meant to say Today is that there are many games out there that deserve to be appreciated, not neglectedbecause of minor dislikes. I only mentioned 8 games, and I am sure there are many more.

Do you have any under-appreciated games in mind? if yes, which are they? and why?

Did you have any thought about the games above? if yes, please share them with us.

Should I write more about underrated "under-appreciated games"? or should I move to the new subject (overrated games)?

Thank you very much for reading.

Peace!

Hi everyone,

I can't believe it has been more than 18 months since my last blog. Being a Master's student is not fun.

I want to ask you about underrated games. Games that you thinkare so underrated. I know itsstrange. lately I have beenplaying games that got 6-7.5 out of 10 here at Gamespot and other websites. Godwas I surprised!

I have been missing so much by listening to reviews and taking them seriously. In the past, I would only play a game if it got 8.5 or above. Sometimes it becomes 8 or above. Well, isn't that stupid!!

About a year ago, Istarted playing games that got under 8.I was shocked; there are many games out there, that are worth my time and money and I didn't even know.

I started by playing Darksiders. Don't get me wrong, 8 is a good score, but itis way lower than the game deserves. Get it and see for your self. Once I finished that game, I realised that I have to choose my games in a different way. I even look at gamesdifferently now. What looks great or feels great to me may not be the same tootherpeople (reviewers).

I amonly going to list games that I think are underrated at the end of this blog. They may be underrated here or at other websites. I will list themalphabetically. Before that I amgoing to write about the last underrated game I have played.

Dante's inferno. Yes, you read it wright Dante's inferno. In my opinion, is one of the best underrated games I have played so far. Graphics are great, may be less in quality in the last two levels of the game. The story is good with some surprises tell the end.It is not strong as other games but still a nice story. Gameplayandlevel designare where Dante's inferno shines. Every level (circle) feels unique in its own way. Every level you face something new. Every enemy is best approached in a different way. The music and sound effects in the gameare so creepy, that in some points in the game it feels like youare there. Re-playability is there since you can play the game in two different ways. Trophies andAchievementsare easy to collect, even on your first play through. With a price less than $19, you can't go wrong.

I would love to write about other underrated games that I enjoyed, but the blog would be longer than it should be. Should I make it a series of blogs. I will let you decide that for me, What do you think? Should I make it a series?

My list of underrated games (at Gamespot and other websites):

1- Alice Madness Returns; 2- Borderlands; 3-Bulletstorm; 4- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow; 5- Dante's inferno; 6- Darksiders; 7- Enslaved:Odyssey in the west; 8- Fallout New Vegas; 9- Final Fantasy XIII-2; 10- Gran Turismo 5, 11- Heavenly sword; 12- inFAMOUS 2; 13- Just Cause 2; 14- Mafia 2; 15- Medal of Honor; 16- Need for Speed the run; 17-Prince of Persia: The forgutten sands; 18- Rage; 19- Red Faction: Armageddon; 20- The Saboteur; and 21- Vanquish.

These are the gameS that are underrated (in my opinion), What do you think? Would you add games to the list? Would you remove some? Do you have your own list of underrated games that you wish to share with us?

Please leave a comment and let us know what you think. Thanks for reading.

Peace!

Hi everyone,

How is everyone doing, school is back, oh I hate school, who doesn't?

I know... I know, that was a deceiving title.But still there are some people whom are or were banned or should I say some games.

I was doing some research about games that have been banned through the last couple of years. where they are banned, for how long and why?

I wanted to do more research on this topic, but I realized that I haven't blogged for more than a month. So I decided to go with the information I have right now. If I have any incorrect information please correct me.

There is a long list of games that have been banned. For political reasons, religious reasons, violence and many other. And there is a long list of countries which have banned many games and will ban other games this year for sure.

The list of countries was so long and included: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and Venezuela.

That is a long list of countries from all over the world. But really shocked me is the long list of games that have been banned which included: Assassins Creed, Aliens Vs Predator, Bully, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 1 and 2, Condemned 1 and 2, Dante's Inferno, Dark Sector, Dead Rising, Fallout 3, God of War I, II and III, Grand theft Auto III and IV, Heavy Rain, Left 4 Dead 2, Manhunt 1 and 2, Mass Effect,The Darkness, The Punisher, The Witcher,Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, Red Dead Redemption and Wolfenstein.

What a long list of great games. I can't imagine that many gamers out there can't get their hands on many of these games for what ever reason these games were banned for. I know that Gamespot users come from all over the world and many of you even have more information about these banned games and even more.

If I stated any incorrect information above please let me know.

What really frightens me is how many games will get banned this year and many years to come? How many game have the capability of getting banned and why? How many gamers out there are anticipating a great game (...........) and after its release they wont have the chance to try it.

I know... this is a huge topic and a point of controversy and cannot be discussed fully in a short blog. But I want to hear from you and know what you think.

Where do you live? Is it one of the countries above? What game you wished to have the chance to play but couldn't?

Which games are you looking forward to but not sure if you can get your hands on?

Do some of you get these games anyway?

Thank you for reading, it was my pleasure to write for you.

Peace.

Hi everyone,

I can't believe that it has been almost two months since my last blog. I have been very busy this past month and reached the point of not gaming at all. I didn't realize that transferring my records from one Masters program to another can be that difficult and time consuming. I will move to Boston, hopefully I will enjoy it more than Philadelphia. Enough of that right now.

I haven't been very active on Gamespot in the past month, so if I didn't comment on your blogs, please accept my apology. I tried to be active as much as I could.

I was really happy to watch E3 on Gamespot as a subscriber for the first time. I would love to write a blog about that but I think its too late. Do you think so?

What really interested me was the absence of many GS users whom were here when I joined in October 2009. I don't want to mention names and I can't actually because there are many of them and everyone of them has his or her own reasons.

I think most of you noticed that many users are leaving GS or aren't as active anymore. Many users were suspended or kicked out as well.

The question is would someone leave GS !!!???. Is it the community, unions, moderators or did they leave because there is a better place (website) with a better community and moderators. Why did they join GS in the first place???

I have been a user of Gamespot since 2002 and have been a subscriber for almost a year and can say that there is no place out there that can compete with GS. A community that is so energetic and friendly, reviews that are so reasonable and fair, reviewers whom are experts in the field of videogames, great previews,updates, news and so on.

I am not sure if you agree with what I stated so far. If you don't please tell me why?? and if you do, please tell my why?? and share some of the knowledge you have about this website.

Why would someone join Gamespot??

Why would someone leave Gamespot?? especially after having a high rank!!!???

Did you think of leaving?? if yes, are you doing so right now?? if not why?

Thank you for reading, it was a pleasure writing for you.

Peace.

Hi everyone,

Its been more than a month since my last blog and I apologize for being away for such a long time. Preparing for Masters degree is not easy as I thought....enough of that, lets get into it.

Although this year has been Okay so far when considering games. Many great games have been released so far, Bayonetta, Bioshock2, Mass Effect2,Heavy rain, Bad Compamy2, Final Fantasy XIII, God of war III and Splinter Cell Conviction. Two games will be released by the end of this month, Alan Wake and Red Dead Redemption.

I know that there are many games that you played and enjoyed but are not mentioned above. If so please tell me which games are they and why do you think they are great. Whether it is only one game or they are ten.

Some of you would say game X that you mentioned above is not that good. If so, please tell me why. Whether it is only one or all of them.

Now here is the thing, I find it difficult to choose games. I look at screen shots, trailers, reviews and sometimes demos. The most important aspects of the game that I look at are graphics and the story. Unfortunately only a few games provide these two elements on a high scale.

Tell me what are the aspects you look at when you choose a game and which games you think were great this year.

Thank you for reading,

Peace.

Hi everyone,

How are you doing?, it has been a decent year so far for most gamers.

Okay, the other day I was reading this article " Sedentary Lifestyle " which is the scientific name of the "Couch Potato" lifestyle. It stated that "Sedentary Lifestyle" means sitting, reading, watching TV, using the computer with no physical activity. It doesn't stop here, it stated that this lifestyle "can contribute to many causes of death". It was a long list but what really surprised me were Anxiety and Depression. It is unbelievable how can this lifestyle can cause these two conditions.

I was shocked because this is exactly what my life looks like, I am addicted to TV especially soccer TV channels, I love to read novels and sometimes textbooks, I surf the internet every day and in addition to all of that I am a videogame maniac. I am totally a "Couch Potato", I just realized why my father used to call me that sometimes when I was in high school. What's really interesting is that I have severe anxiety and my psychiatrist tolled me that I have some signs of depression and she advised me to engage more in physical activities. The whole picture is clear now but still I am in disbelief.

Its really shocking how your lifestyle could change and go to worse and some times even causes death. What's even more shocking is that most people have no choice because this is how the world works, most of us work while sitting, most of us use computers at work and at home, who doesn't like to watch TV? and many people love reading and there is no way that they can read while walking. For us "Gamers" it doesn't get any better, many gamers spend long lasting hours playing games and communicating online.

It is very difficult to do this but I have to watch TV much less than before and with no doubt I will engage more in physical activities. There is no way that I will stop playing videogames or even play less,gaming makes my life much easier.

I wonder what other gamers think of this?. If you find this topic interesting, tell us what you think please and maybe you can share us your experience.

Thank you for reading.

Peace.

Hi everyone,

First of all, let me just say that I am sorry for being away for such a long time. I had surgery on Thursday, March 4th and now I am recovering. I tried to be on Gamespot as much as I could and comment on your blogs, so if I didn't comment on yours please accept my apology.

Okay lets get into it, last week I read this blog about Nintendo and its buisness strategy. Unfortunately the person who wrote that blog kept insulting users who chose to play on consoles related to other companies. Instead of writing about the advantages of Nintendo and it's console, that person just kept trying to convince people that both PS3 and 360 are stupid. It doesn'tend here, this person even wrote that RPGs and FPSs on both cnsoles are not worth playing. Here are some examples of words used in that blog: "fanboys", "white boys", "hardcore..." and "nerds". Here are some examples of games that the writer didn't like "Modern Warfare 2", "Halo series","Dragon Age" and "Heavy rain".

What really shocked me was that this person was annoyed by people who tried to defend their choices by playing these genres on both consoles. I tried to convince (him/her) that its a matter of taste and that there is more variety of games on PS3 and XBOX360 than on Nintendo wii. I got this comment that said (in other words) how many FPS gamesis considered a variety? Okay enough of that...

I own a PS3, a 360 and a wii (lucky) and have to say that I enjoy all of them. I will be honest and say that most of my games are on PS3 but that's my choice. I believe that every console has its touch, a special thing that engages users. Every console has its exclusives and that's another good thing. I am a huge FPSs and RPGs fan, but play all types of games and enjoy them as well.

I can't believe how people keep fighting because someone enjoyed a game that they didn't, or how they underrate a game because its not coming on their favorite console. I am just sick of it...

Please if there is a great game out there and you didn't like it or can't afford, don't underrate it and don't insult people who love it or defend it. Instead, give your opinion in a nice way and be nice to the community.

Please take a moment and answer these questions:

1- What is your favorite console?

2- What is the best thing about that console?

3- What is your favorite game on that console? and favorite of all time?

My answers: 1- XBOX360. 2- The controller. 3- Forza3, MGS4.

Hi everyone,its good to be back, I love this place.

I thought this was strange, I tried to do it but I failed. Okay what about you?

Two days ago, I was listening to the Radio and there was an interview about "The Media and Multitasking". The guest was arguing that the use of media has increased among people of all ages "Although we spend only 6 hours of our day on the media, our total use could reach up to 8 hours and that means that most of us multitask"

He gave examples like surfing the internet and listening to music or playing videogames and listening to music.

Okay, I know this sounds strange to some of you, but I tried to listen to music while surfing the internet and I failed. And I tried to listen to music while playing videogames and I totally failed.

I love music but I have to concentrate while listening to enjoy it, and the same thing applies to videogames.

One of my friends said that he listens to music while playing racing games, he said " I listen to music while driving my car in real life, so it would be easier to concentrate on this type of games while listening to music ".He also added " I listen to music while playing fighting games to be more aggressive ". What do you think?

Okay, isn't the original sound track of a game enough to listen to? or is it the fact that some videogames have poor sound tracks? Is it the fact that listening to certain types of music could help you concentrate more on the game?

I feel bad for people who worked on these sound tracks; they usually do their best to match the music with the game's pace. There are many games out there with legendary sound tracks and I have to admit that there are many with poor ones as well.

What do you think about sound tracks of Halo3, Forza2,Modern warfare1, Metal Gear Solid 4, Dead Space, Dragon's Age, Assassins Creed II, Demon's Souls and Uncharted2 ?

Did you love sound tracks of other videogames ? Which ones?

Do you multitask? is with the internet or with videogames ? and why ?

Or do you agree with the fact the most of games' sound tracks are good enough and there is no need for additional music ?

Thank you for reading, don't forget to tell me what you think.

Hello, I got many comments on my last blog that said that I shoudn't depend on Gamespot's reviews or scores or even any single website out there. Okay I respect all of your opinions and your right, I shouldn't depend on only a score that a website gave for videogame. Its the fact that usually demos help me decide if a game is worth my time and money. But when it comes to the point "should I buy it or not", here comes Gamespot to the rescue.

I am not familiar with other websites, but Gamespot gives me the chance to see other critics scores and players reviews. All these elements help me decide if a game should be in my collection or not. Most of the time critics scores and Gamespot's score are really close and it becomes easy to decide and some times they differ a lot and it gives no choice to go back and depend on GS score.

I know that its better if someone depended on his own taste when selecting games, but for a person like me who loves to play all types of games I have to be selective or I will buy every single game out there and here comes GS. I trust this website and trust all of GS reviewers. The bottom line is that these guys do this for a living, these guys are experts and know about this subject more than me and more than most of the people here.

I am not saying that you should follow GS scores or reviews, I am just defending myself and explaining why I depend on there review and trust them.

I know that there are some games out there that were over or under rated, but most of the time score look reasonable. One last thing that I have to mention is that players reviews play a crucial rule in deciding which game is over or under rated. For example I only bought Borderlands because of the players reviews.

I am sure that most of you don't agree with me on my selection system, please tell me if you do or not and why. It has been a great joy to see your comments last week, especially the ones who disagreed with me, I learned alot from you guys thanx.

Fortunately, I am getting better and I got started on beating games again. I hope I can reach full recovery next week. Thank you for reading and please don't forget to comment.