So, since I have not made a blog post in almost 5 months I have decided to write one about my upcoming month. Next month (June 6th to be exact) I am purchasing an Xbox 360, my first video game investment since February, and I am hoping that I will get everything I am expecting and more from this beautifully magnificant console. I know there is plenty of good games for it such as Grand Theft Auto 4, Gears of War, Mass Effect and Bioshock to only name a few, but I am not exactl sure if I will be able to contend with a console filled with almost only shooters. Don't get me wrong I am a fan of shooters, but when that is all that comes out I get a little skeptical and afraid, sure Mass Effect is a great RPG, but the game has shooting elemnts to it. I know it may seem a little stupid to say just because a game has a small portion of shooting that is all the game is about. It is, in a way. Most games nowadays have only shooting elements to it, me being a fan of Action/Adventure games such as Zelda, or Platformers such as Mario can get a little offside when it comes to shooters. I loved Goldeneye for the N64, I enjoyed the first Halo on the Xbox, and I really enjoyed Gears Of War (from what I have played) but all I am saying is why does every game have to have a shooting element to it? To me shooting in certain parts of a well rounded game is very enjoyable, but shooting everything in your path becomes a little tiresome after a while. So I shall write a little editorial here about shooting games and what they have done to me.

Goldeneye was the first FPS I ever got a grasp of, it intruiged me with the odd control scheme and awakward camera as I never knew what an FPS was until I played this game. It really changed my life and perspective on video games even up until now.

I still believe that shooters should have this quality to them. In my opinion no shooter has come close to beating Goldeneye in the level of quality and care put into the game, it was amazing at the time and is still amazing today.

Grand Theft Auto was the next series I took hold of and never let go. GTA was at the time, to me, immensly different from what I have ever played. It was raw, it was intentionally rough and amazing played out. I first experienced the wonder in 2005 when I bought Grand Theft Auto 3 for my Xbox. I wasn't sure if I was gonna like the game or not as I have never touched any game in the series or every considered buying a game in the series. Let me tell you that when I put the disc in my Xbox I was thrilled to see what was going to happen.

What I came upon after the loading screen was the best game I have ever played at the time. It was different, you could do what you want and get away with it, I felt free when I could take my car and drive it straight into a builduing and walk away unharmed. It was a hell of a experience for a kid that never wanted to play a violent game in his life, it was the turning chapter for me.

In late 2005 I was blessed with Grand Theft Auto San Andreas being released for the Xbox. I was smart and picked it up shortly after it came out. I had one of the greatest times in my gaming history with this title. You were free to pretty much do whatever you felt like f***ing doing, it was an amazing experience. Even though the main story sometimes did have a drag here and there it was amazingly told with some of the best actors around such as Samuel L. Jackson and Chris Penn. San Andreas has to be one of the best shooting oriented game around with an unforgetable story and gnarly gameplay.

I was blessed with the oppurtunity to play GTA 4 days after it came out. My friends told me how amazing it was, I didn't believe it was as amazing as they said until I played it myself. GTA 4 brings everything we love from the franchise and tenfolds it. The extremes and boundaries pushed by this game in phenomenal and superb. I don't think any game has ever pushed a franchise as far as this one has. This game will always be remebered as one of the best games of all times.

Well, that is my little rant on shooters. You saw how they affected me in my gaming sense, and how I feel about boring shooters nowadays. But I bid you all farewell, and until next time.....my minions of the night...ATTACK!!