hi folks.

Every year I post my favorites of the year. So, here are my top five games of 2011.

5 - Dead Island - An open world, zombies gallore....Dead Island is simply the best cooperative games I've played this generation.

4 -LA Noire - An open world, cops and robbers, great graphics, interesting mysteries...it was definitely my "cup o' tea".

3 -Dragon Age 2 - It's not as good as the Dragon Age Origins, but I definitely appreciated the improved visuals and great storyline.

2 - Skyrim - Sigh...I wanted Skyrim to be #1 and in many ways it is. It is the best RPG I have ever played and will continue to play in 2012.

1 - Gears of War 3 - The perfect follow up to Gears 2. It is improved in every possible way from its predecessor and definitely under-appreciated in a year of busy releases. Gears of War 3 is the best shooter I've played this generation with its addictive multiplayer modes and stat tracking. It was a struggle to determine who was #1 but if I look at the number of hours and enjoyment I've had with Gears of War 3, it wins hands down. Not only was it a huge surprise for me after the disappointing Gears of War 2, the additional content that has been added since its release, has been amazing!

Happy New Year everyone!

Cheers,

General Luc

Happy Holidays everyone!

It's been a while since I blogged so let's dive right into my top five favorite played games in 2010.

Enjoy,

General Luc

#5 - Splinter Cell Conviction

Despite pretty favorable reviews, Splinter Cell Conviction didn't seem to get the attention of most gamers. A sure sign of a commercial failure is how fast it hits the bargain bin. For a game that was released earlier this year, the fact that you can now pick it up for $9.99 NEW (in Canada), is a definite sign of the poor sales. However, those who want to try it can now do it for an extremely low price.

That being said, I love what they did with Conviction. It's still a stealth game but with much more action (it has a Jason Bourne feel to it) and a lot less trial and error (my biggest gripe about previous SC titles).

The single player campaign is a much more personal story involving Sam Fisher, which is a nice albeit different approach to the series. They also included some great cooperative missions and there are more coop missions available for download.

# 4 - Battlefield Bad Company 2

I struggled with putting Battlefield Bad Company 2 as my #4. It is the game I played the most all year. The only reason it ranks as #4 is because it is a FPS and I find the genre needs to start being more original with its content to win me over. That being said, even with the releases of titles like Halo Reach and COD Black Ops, nothing beats Bad Company 2's explosive action and team play.

It largely improved its single player campaign from the original Bad Company but the reason you play BC2 is because of the intense multiplayer, destructible environments and the best sound design of any game this year. I also highly suggest that you play MP with friends as it designed for cooperative team play.

# 3 - Heavy Rain

Heavy Rain, for the PS3, is story telling at its best and the most original game I've played this year. The makers of Indigo Prophecy, one of my favorites on Xbox, really deliver a fantastic experience with a tale which involves love, loss and some pretty difficult choices along the way. It's one of the most intense and suspenseful games I've ever played. As the mystery unfolds, you control four different characters that will eventually cross pathsand you'll eventuallydiscover the identity of a serial killer.

The control scheme might not please some gamers with a lot of QTEs however, if you're in the mood for something different, I highly recommend it. You can also look at my previous blog about Heavy Rain.

# 2 - Uncharted 2:Among Thieves

Uncharted 2 was released in 2009 but I played it in early 2010 which is why it qualifies in my top five in 2010. What can I say about Uncharted 2 that hasn't been said before?

It's the perfect blend of action and storytelling with some of the most amazing visuals on the PS3. It mixes in Tomb Raider type puzzles with Die Hard movie action with interesting characters and plot twists.

The inclusion of MP was a very worthy add-on to this sequel.

# 1 - Mass Effect 2

Hardcore RPG enthusiasts question the more streamlined approached to ME2 but the Mass Effect series has become one of my all-time favorite RPGs and I'm not a big fan of science fiction films or games. But to me, Mass Effect is the gaming equivalent of the original Star Wars Trilogy but the storytelling is even better…interesting characters, all different races, cultures and back-stories contribute to a great universe to explore.

Not only is the main story interesting but it has many side quests that you want to embark on because you gain knowledge on your crew's history. Your decisions in the Mass Effect universe have a definite impact on how the action unfolds. Even the decisions you made in the original ME have importance in the sequel which makes playing both an absolutely compelling experience.

Finally, Mass Effect 2 has some of the best DLC available to further expand the stories in its universe.

I hope you enjoyed my top five favorites! Happy New Year everyone!

Cheers,

General Luc

hi folks.

Most of you looked at the title and probably thought..."uh oh...here's another Halo fanboy who's going to write about Halo Reach!"

Well, even though I've invested a lot of hours on Halo Reach during the last 6 days,my blog today is regarding a different gaming experience which I was able to finish yesterday on my PS3. The title of this masterpiece is "Heavy Rain".

Heavy Rain was released earlier this year in February exclusively for the PS3. It was developed by the unique team at Quantic Dream, creators of a little known Xbox title called "Indigo Prophecy"...one of my favorites on the original Xbox.

For those how haven't played Heavy Rain yet, I will say this...it's not for everyone. Those who like only action packed COD multiplayer or the adrenaline rush in games like God of War will probably not appreciate how different Heavy Rain tells the story of four individuals trying to solve the mystery of a serial killer. Years from now, when I look back at this generation of games, along with Bioshock, Oblivion and the Uncharted series, Heavy Rain will fondly be remembered.

One of the aspects that I love about Heavy Rain is that, while my friend was watching me play, he pointed out that my story unfolded very differently because of the choices that I had made. That has me curious to do another playthrough shortly.

Most of all the action sequences are quicktime events or button combinations but it somehow feels appropriate for the game.

I don't really want to say more other than, the character graphics are the nicest I've seen and the animation is very realistic. It's rated M due to the mature nature of the story, the violence, language and nudity.

Ps3 owners who are in the mood for a different title with amazing graphics and movie-like storytelling should definitely try Heavy Rain.

Cheers,

General Luc

Hi folks.

It's that time of year when we can look back at 2009 and it's been great year for gaming. Let's get right into this...here are my four favorite games of 2009.

*

4 – Tekken 6: I've said it before and I'll say it again…fighting games are making a comeback. Even though Tekken 6 is one of the least graphically impressive titles in this genre this generation (it still looks good), the depth of gameplay, the number of characters, unlockables, customization options and the campaign mode provide you with hours of entertainment. I'll be playing Tekken 6 for months.

*

*

*

3 – Resident Evil 5: Is it as good as Resident Evil 4? Not even close…but it's different. This is more action game than survival horror (zombies on motorcycles, for example) but there are very few games available that provide as much fun playing cooperatively with a friend. It was also one of the best looking games in 2009.

*

*

*

2 – Killzone 2: Ahh…here comes the controversy. What is there to say about Killzone 2 other than, gamers either love it or hate it. I'm part of the group that is still playing KZ2 online. It didn't revolutionize first person shooters by any stretch but, it's very solid title. For those of us who loved the original on PS2…we finally got what we wanted out of Killzone with this sequel: awesome graphics with some of the best sound effects I've heard this generation. It also has a pretty lengthy single player campaign with an interesting story, solid online MP with the possibility of playing against AI bots… What more can I say? This is my "Call of Duty".

*

*

*

1 – Assassin's Creed 2: The original Assassin's Creed was a good first step in establishing a new IP. At the time, I thought it had a lot of potential as a franchise…as long as Ubisoft addressed some of the issues that prevented me from fully endorsing the original. The bottom line is that Ubisoft delivered…big time! To start, it looks much better than the original and the storyline is much more cohesive and elaborate. There are numerous side missions but these are not dull or repetitive like the first. You can purchase different weapons and armor with the inclusion of money, and there are also a number of collectables and some that contribute to the overall experience of knowing the history behind your character (Ezio). Assassin's Creed 2 is my pick for 2009 and I can't wait for the sequel.

I hope you enjoyed this blog...Happy Holidays!

General Luc