Okay, so I got Demon's Souls on Thursday last week and here are my impressions of it:
HARD! Really, this game is pretty challenging. Even for people who have played a ton of RPGs. But the game absolutely delivers on all fronts.
Presentation: 10/10
The world for you to explore is just atmospheric and enemies are all to perfect proportion, such as huge dragons and bosses. The game is set in a fantasy world and everything just breathes "death". You've heard of games coming to life, but have you heard of them coming to death? :P
Graphics: 8.5/10
The game looks very nice. Character models could be a little better, but the effects and scenery are nice to look at. Also, the framerate drops a bit occasionaly.
Sound: 8/10
The voice acting is not too great but the music is nice and sound effects are fantastic.
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Despite the challenge, the gameplay in Demon's Souls is a ton of fun and very rewarding. It plays out like a third person action game, requiring you to block using a shield and attack when enemies are open.
Replay Value: 10/10
There are a lot of things to do in this game and like Kevin Van Ord said, the real game doesn't start until your second playthrough because of the various class options and how the game plays out.
Overall: 9.5/10
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I got Borderlands on Friday, and here are my impressions of it:
Very nice artstyle and a pretty big world to explore add to the experience of Borderlands, despite not quite delivering to my expectations.
Presentation: 9/10
Pandora is a wonderful place that GearBox has created and you will want to explore through it.
Graphics: 8.5/10
I noticed a few pop-in textures here and there and the far off backgrounds weren't too clear but other than that, the artstyle is fantastic and it feels nice just looking at the game.
Sound: 8/10
The music isn't really engaging, but voice acting is decent enough to get you through. Gun sounds are very nice as well.
Gameplay: 7.5/10
Shooting people doesn't feel as rewarding as I hoped, but the game still feels like a solid FPS and the gunplay isn't as bad as other shooters (*cough* valve's games *cough*) :P
Replay Value: 9/10
The game is a pretty solid single player campaign, but co-op is where it's at. It's a ton of fun to experience Pandora with friends :wink:
Overall: 8/10
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I also got Dragon Age! It's a fantastic game and here are my thoughts about it:
Presentation: 10/10
The world is just fantastic! The story and storytelling are suberb and fans of great storytelling will love this game!
Graphics: 8/10
While not as impressive as other games, Dragon Age has a nice style to it, looking like a fantasy, but not quite reality. The visual effects are decent but the overall look isn't too impressive.
Sound: 10/10
Voice acting is superb and sound effects are just as well done. Make sure you play this with sound turned on!
Gameplay: 7.5/10
I'm not really a fan of the "pause the game and survey around" gameplay. It just never felt good for me, so I was a little disappointed by it. The gameplay is still solid, but I just didn't like the style personally.
Replay Value: 10/10
You can get lost in this game for a VERY LONG time. I'm 4 hours in and have barely begun the main story. If anything, the story will keep you going.
Overall: 9.5/10
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I saw 2012 today, so here are my impressions of that:
The move itself is very solid. The story is pretty bad, but not horrible. The characters aren't that interesting either. But in a movie like this, the main thing is the effects and they are pretty well done. The main complaint I have with the film is that they went a bit overboard and it just seemed that the main characters were extremely lucky. Just when you think they're doomed, there's somthing there to save them as you'd expect. Overall, it's a pretty decent movie, and I'd recommend that you go with friends if you're going to go watch it.
Score: 7/10
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More Best of 2009 awards! Yay!
(My opinion)
Game of the Year: Uncharted 2
Best FPS: Killzone 2
Best TPS: Resident Evil 5
Best Action/Adventure: Uncharted 2
Best Platformer: Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time
Best RPG: TIE Demon's Souls & Dragon Age
Best Racer: Forza Motorsport 3
Best RTS: Empire: Total War
Most improved Sequel: Killzone 2
Biggest Surprise: Killzone 2 exceeding hype
Biggest Disappointment: Modern Warfare 2 "Boycott" (don't people know that boycott means that they won't buy the game? :P )
Biggest Flop (sales): PSP Go!
Biggest Event that everyone saw coming: PS3 Slim
Biggest flop (reviews): Gran Turismo PSP
Best system: Playstation 3
Most milked franchise: "hero" (guitar hero, band hero, dj hero, etc.)