As many of you, my international friends, might know from several times I have ranted and made comments about it, games are expensive here in my beloved homeland. It is not expensive for us only but if you came and think "hey, I might get a game at Mexico" you will see it as a rip off. Average gaming prices for new releases based on the current exchange rate between the US Dollars and Mexican Peso". Comes to 83 dlls. And that is just for the simple normal versions of the games. THe EPIC version of Gears of War 3 will cost 200 dlls. PLus, if you add the salary factor that is waaaaaay unfair for us, you will come to a simple conclusion: Gaming is a rich people entertainment in this country.

I am not rich but I have a good earning. ENough to survive and give myself some benefits like buying one game every 2 months or so. I must say that I would love to buy every freaking game that gets my attention but such thing is impossible. Which brings me to the point of this blog: How hard is for me to consider buying a game.

When a year starts, I have already planned the games I have checked and when will I buy them. Every month is defined by one particular game and some backups in case I have some extra money I can use. My current example is April 2011, this current month.

I had a couple of games in mind: PORTAL 2 and MORTAL KOMBAT. I had it planned all the time. COnsidering that the only game that interested me from the first quarter of 2011 was Dead Space 2, february and march were easy months, I saved the ammount to get both games on april. The tricky parts comes when you get to Gamespot and your friends start to hook you into some new game. My best examples right now are CRYSIS 2 and VANQUISHED.

I am really thankful that I haven't found Vanquished anywhere around here. But I got the urge to play it, because, believe it or not, I want to try new things specially on the "already boring" FPS scene. VANQUISHED, thanks to my good friend NEONNINJA has become a good option. But considering that the games was "underground" in this section of the world I haven't found it. And if I look for it online, it is sold as a collection article (WTF?).

The Crysis 2 situation is more serious. This game was here since day one. I already had the idea that it was a FPS shooter that had gorgeous graphics. It wasn't my taste to consider that... Especially because I don't like a FPS that doesn't offer "something else" that "shoot the bad guys with everything you got". So I passed it and waited for the games I cared about (PORTAL 2 and MORTAL KOMBAT)

After that, I rented Marvel vs Capcom. Rented for five days. Only played it for 5 hours and that was it. It bored me to point of never wanted it to play it again for at least 15 minutes on the remaining of the time it was rented. The freaking game stayed in its case for four days before I even cared about returning it.

This, along with my lack of interest for SSFIV when it was released and the fact that Street Fighter IV has been long gone from my collection, made me think that possibly, fighting games are no longer attractive for me. Which brought me to the case of the games I would like to get this month.

PORTAL 2 is a no brainier. I liked the first one and I have already gotten some good friends to get it as well for the attractive co-op feature. The second game, however, was MK and I had my doubts with it.

Then, My good friend James (JBUL at Gamespot) started with his claims about the greatness of Crysis 2. I was surprised. I considered Crysis 2 a generic FPS which only feature was "Gorgeous graphics" but after reading James' impressions, i thought "hey, maybe it is not as bad". I went to the games store one day to get my pre-order for L.A. Noire (Another no brainer and got hooked by Crysis 2 which was standing there.

I already had the money for the games of APRIL (P2 and MK) so I had open credit. Then I started to remember everything that I meditated about what game should I get... MK was a fighting game. Fighting games have lost their appeal to me. I didn't want to waste $80+ dlls (or $999 pesos) on a game that I might find boring after just a few hours. Crysis 2 is a FPS with a lot of options to play, where tactical thinking and strategic gameplay are big factors. And it is a beautiful game. I realized that this was a better game for me at that time. I took it and went to the cahsier. CRYSIS 2 is mine... And to adjust the balance of the budget, the fighting game, MORTAL KOMBAT had to be sacrified. Mainly because may will bring L.A. Noire which is one of the biggest names for me this year.

That's the kind of thoughts that get through my mind when I have to buy a game. It involves emotions, math and a lot of planning... but just like that... in a bit. Everything changes...

I have to tell you I have no regrets about doing this. CRYSIS 2 has been a fantastic game so far. But that story will be told in the next blog where I will let you know my impressions about CRYSIS 2.

Have a nice weekend :D

Yesterday was April's Fool. Hope you all had fun and didn't get too many jokes. We don't celebrate that here. We had our own "jokes Day" that comes until december. Anyway, that's not the main topic here.

Among the many jokes I saw around here, I got intoGABUex's Blog Entry. If you read it, you noticed how much he ranted about being "too mature and too old" for videogames. I must admit that the before realizing it was a joke it got me thinking for a while. It was not the rant about being "too old for games" I have lived with that for 10 years and you get used to it. It was the commenta about "feeling too old" I was wondering about if something like that happend to Lucas, who is one of the most hardcore gamers I've ever known, when and how would it happen to me.

Fortunately, everything was a joke, but I kept thinking about it anyway. When can we say that enough is enough. Basically, the gaming generation hasn't reach older ages. We are a young generation. Most of us started during the 80's, when gaming overwhelmed the entertainment stream. I have known gamers as old as 50 years and they enjoy them as much as when they started doing it, but will it be a moment when we will say "Not anymore, this is silly"?

I must admit that there has been times when I don't feel like playing anything. That happened just a couple of weeks ago. I played Marvel vs Capcom 3 and just like that, I quit gaming for 3 weeks. That's a lot of time for someone who calls itself "a game lover". But just like that as well, I started checking gaming sites for the games I wanted, hence a blog like my previous one. The point is that I have got a lot of moments like that recently, where I don't feel like grabbing a control. I can say that lack of time is a big factor. Being married makes things different in this particular event. But my love for videogames is there, and will be there forever, I hope.

Age has nothing to do. It is entertainment. It is like sports. We grow up cheering and supporting a particular team, and we can keep doing it all our life... So there is nothing wrong to be 70 years old and cheer for the Baltimore Ravens, right? (Sorry, General :lol: ). So why should it be wrong for video games then?

The main feeling is that as long as we keep doing what we like, there shouldn't be a problem taking a control. Maybe one day, games will suck... big time. And that's the day I will quit. Maybe if all systems become "Party systems Wii like" maybe that day I'll quit. But as long as my fingers can move and I can dodge whatever a big boss is throwing at me... I will keep playing... Because that is something I have marked in my whole being.

I am a gamer on my 30's, and the best is yet to come :lol:

What about you guys? Do you feel old? :P

When you stop playing for a long time being a freak gamer like I am (two weeks is a long time for me), the itch you feel when the urge returns is too big and you make stupid mistakes like surfing around many gaming sites looking for games to check. It is not enough that your already existing list has more than ten games, I have the urge to increase it at some point... even if I am certain that I might not be able to buy 50% of them.

ANyway, among the gaming companies that are showing great games is Bethesda. They are developing the biggest ammount of games that I am looking for on this 2011. After Fallout 3, there weren't a lot of great games by them... WET was terrible (IMHO), Fallout: Vegas was a big dissapointmen and I don't even want to start talking about Rogue Warrior.

Right now, I assume they learned from these mistakes and they are bringing four interesting games.

I love sci fi Futuristic games. Even if they are perfect worlds or apocaliptyc fallouts, there is always something interesting about a world that is about to be collapsed. THis game was out of my list until I watched some trailers and gameplay. It is an interesting option. If I had to quit one of these three games, it would definetelly be this one, but at least it got my attention.

This game looks great. The co-op concept always bring something to my attention. PLus, it is a fantasy game which I can certainly say can be interesting. Again, this one wasn't on the original list.

Now we are talking seriously. I have to admit that there are a lot of emotions. When you hear that the guys responsible of DOOM and Quake are working in a game that may combine the goods of games like BORDERLANDS and FALLOUT in a very promising adventure. YOU HAVE TO COUNT ME IN! Visually the game is spectacular so let's hope that these guys can bring the ****c feeling to this promising title. This is a must on my list.

For everyone who loves RPG's there is a fact: You can never go wrong with THE ELDER SCROLLS. This is one of those games that will suck your life for good. 100+ hours of gameplay and even more if you are willing to make everything that is possible to do. I imagine a fantastic environment, a good story and a more comprehensive level upgrading like the previous one was... I have a lot of expectations about this game.

As you see, BETHESDA brings some interesting games and some good options. Adventure games, Shooters and RPG's. This makes me think that they were thinking about all kind of players around. Let's see how they work out... Because considering the teams working on the development of the games and the big names that they carry... The expectation is huge.

Have a happy April's Fool day... :P (There's no joke here, BTW)

The first quarter of the year is almost done. If you allow me it was very boring. If it wasn't for Dead Space 2, Dragon Age 2 and Crysis 2 (Sequel time, baby) it would've been terrible.

For me it was a vacation time from gaming. After playing a very unpleasant Marvel vs Capcom 3 game, I though it would be nice to get a little rest from gaming. It's been about 2 weeks since I last played a game and I have started to feel the itch to do it. Mainly because from now on, there will be hardly a month without an interesting release.

April is not particularly rich but there are two games that will make a good start for the flow of good games that will arrive during the second quarter. What I have my eyes on for april? mainly these two games.

This is a good start for what seems to be a great year. On may, I will check L.A. NOire (My most anticipated game on the first half, being Arkham city the most expected for the second half) and on june, Shadows of the damned and Call of Juarez: The Cartel... And after that the best is yet to come

Let's see how everything evolves :D

Have a great gaming time :D

If there is something I love as much as gaming, is reading and talking about gaming. Discussing about games I shall play is something I have done thanks to some social Network sites where I've had the chance to meet more gaming people from my own country.

Sometimes, you just have to listen to what people say. In this case, I would like to tala about a couple of good friends at Gamespot (One of those Social Network Sites :lol: ) I am talking about NeonNinja and JBul.

These two guys are what I might call, "fanboys" on their respective favorite games (right now). Neon kept talking about Vanquish as if it was the greatest shooter ever ( AS far as I remember, he wrote something similar on his blog) and JBul is the number one fan for Dead Space 2 and the recently released DLC which he spammed me about via message on the XBOXLIVE Message system (I am just freaking joking James :lol: ).

I trust these two guys. Their gaming taste is unique and I said, "hey, why not?" so I got the DLC for Dead Space 2 and I downloaded Vanquish's demo.

I must say that, again, people didn't dissapointed me.

VANQUISH is a great game. THis 20 minutes demos is so spectacular. Sometimes, I have seen games that over crowd with enemies with the hope to make the game "more interesting". Even if that is the case with Vanquish, the gameplay is leveled to the challenge. That "Power Slide" or whatever you may call it, is a very interesting feature. The game is well balanced and it seems like a good option. Bad news is that since the game wasn't as mainstream it will be very difficult to find over here. I will keep my eyes open just in case.

ANd then comes Dead Space 2 DLC which was properly named Severed. Just to let you know, it is a very good follow up for the game. Killing necromorphs never gets old :D

And well... I hope everyone can give me such as good recommendations as these two guys. :D

I rented Marvel vs Capcom 3... but that will be topic for the next blog.

See ya later!

I wanted to do something: I wanted to take my time with Dead Space 2. Considering my backcground with games with Assassin's Creed Brotherhood andCall of Duty: Black Ops which I got too hooked to stop playing them and finisehd them extremelly quickly. I decided to slow down the game playing. It basicaully took me a couple of weeks to finish it and finished it just yesterday.

The only thing I can say is "What a game".

When I started the game I was pretty sure that this was going to be an unique experience. It starts as a blast and with a scene that certainly shows that this game was made to become more like a psychological experience than a terror game. The atmosphere is great, they were able to succesflly improve what they did with the previous one and they did it right. The graphics are great, beautiful to admire and scary enough to give you some great experiences. Visually, the game is a great experience.

Now, about the character, I certainlly loved Isaac Clarke's imprevement as a character. With a face and a voice, Issac Clarke is becoming one of my favorite characters. He is likeable, you have to admire his bravery and human nature. He is like this geeky character that become a hero. You just love the interaction he has with all the rest of the characters.

Now this is a SPOILER ALERT from now on. If you haven't played or finished the game, don't read from now one until the SPOILER END.

SPOILER ALERT

I certainly think that the game has great moments. It is not as scary as the previous one, mainly because the initial shock is gone from the previous game, but it has great sequences that just got my mouth open all the time. When you fight the stalkers for the first time, or when you fight the Tormenter which is one of my favorite ever. The gravity exterior sequences are breathtaking... And I can go on and on.

Now, I certainly think that at the end of the year, GAMESPOT must put the "eye poking device" sequence among the most memorable moment award because that was a very intriguing scene. Imagine how I felt when the freaking camera kept doing a close up while the freaking needle was getting closer and closer and suddenly, you blew it... and well... you know... That was just sick!

END OF SPOILER ALERT

Now here is the low stuff from the game.

The game is way too harder than the previous one. I started playing in the zealot difficulty and I was obliberated on the first chapter. Got it back to Normal and only made it to the 5th chapter. I decided to play on casual and it was easier. This is part of the game psychological intensity, but some gamers might find it frustrating.

Another situation that I missed is the huge boss fighting. I missed having to fight against something like the Leviathan and the Hive Mind. The bosses were not as imponent or visually tough as the previous ones. But, hey, you have great sequences to compensate that.

And lastly, the interaction with the support cast is not as deep as it should be. I mean, there is a villain whom you barely speak to, a companion that has a huge role but there is no interaction that would made both characters feel together. I know, I am nitpicking (sic).

And about the ending... Even with the epilogue scene you have a wonderful time... and of course, all fans of the first one will love the "gag" of the ending of this one. :lol: I personally laughed with it.

The game is great overall. One of the deepest experiences I've ever had and certainly I am willing to get through the experience again.

I haven't tried the Multiplayer, and I certainlly don't care if it is good or not. It is a huge game and everyone should play it and get this great experience.

Now that I have finished it, will be able to complete another game from my log. This is the next game on the list:

Hope you have a great weekend.

This was a good weekend. I ussually enjoy them and take a good time to rest but this one had a lot of great moments.

First came friday. After work, I went to make a little shopping on my own. Among all the stuff I bought, I got my self this:

I also got a book and a ticket to a concert I will be attending, so it was a positive day for me. When I got this game I said that I would only play it at night. If you are going to trully enjoy a game this big (as many reviews have said) you have to make it with the proper atmosphere. So I decided to wait... Unfortunatelly, I went to take dinner with my wife and my original plans had to change.

You see, I only have one TV right now in my house and my wife hates to the point of repulsion violent games. She didn't like FALLOUT 3 and she personally thinks that when I Played Dead Space 1 I had nightmares. I don't remember that.

Anyway, friday was not an opition.

Saturday was a good morning. I ate and watched a couple of TV shows. My wife was going to leave to visit her mother so I though about taking a glimpse to Dead Space 2. But after checking a couple of Gaming pages, I noticed that this was a BLACK OPS Double Experience weekend. How did I miss that? With a Friday already wasted, I decided to put some levels up my Combat Card. I was able to go from Level 39 to halfway to level 46. It was a good time. PLus, I had the chance to play with some good Friends. Denis (NeoJedi), Darren (Darrogamer) and Arcavial joined me not only in the level increasing, but we had a blast criticizing all players wondering how the hell it was possible that someone was able to get 56 kills and only 4 deaths. Funny times. I think we played nearly 6 hours straight, mostly GROUND WAR. After that I decided to quit for a while because I got phisically tired.

Waiting for the night, I came to prepare my next Clas$ (I will give more details about these "Clases" later) and decided to play (once again) a little bit of BLACK OPS. I found Denis still but my Internet played stupid jokes on me so I couldn't play properly. I left the game (sorry, Denis) and went for TV to watch the UFC 126 (Anderson Silva and Jon Jones are beasts). By the time it was done, I was too tired that I decided to skip playing Dead Space 2... again.

SUnday Morning I decided to put a little bit more of experience in my Black Ops gaming. I was able to upgrade 3 perks to Pro (Scavenger, Sleight of Hand and Hacker) got my Commando SMG and my Stoner LMG so I have good weapons and a balanced character. I think I have improved a little but my K/D ratio is still an awful .56.

After that, my wife and me went for breakfast and started making plans. You know, for the SUPER BOWL. If you know me for long enough time, you should be aware that FOOTBALL (What you call FOOTBALL in AMerica, or American Football worldwide) is a passion as big as gaming for me. And I was expecting this game a lot.

So we went to my IN Laws home for lunch and then all women stayed playing cards while we boys went to watch the game. It was a good game overall. I am a 49ers fan so I was not really attached to any team. I wanted Pittsburgh to win but I think Packers did everything fine while Pittsburgh did a lot of things wrong. Packers won and the season is over.

By the time I arrived home I was so tired I didn't even care about anything. I just went to bed and slept. As you noticed... No Dead Space yet.

And here I am, more than satisfied of the great time I had this weekend. I had the chance to watch good sport shows, a lot of gaming, prepare my lessons, which right now I will elaborate more.

Today is a holiday in Mexico, so I will start my Teacher job tomorrow. The University I attended to has given me the chance to give a ****so I am pretty excited about it. I will let you know how it went later. :D

And then, today at night... DEAD SPACE shall be played :o

I hope you all have a wonderful week.

FInally! And I will play it only at Night. If the game is half as scary and with the great atmosphere than the previous one, I think it is going to be a great experience :D

BTW, no divorce was involved... :lol:

And taking advantage of this trip, I made the pre-order for my next most expected title of the year:

They didn't have a Special Edition so I assume there won't be none. But if there is one in the future, I will get it upgraded. So... everybody wins :D

In another history, there is a slight chance that I may return to the videoblogs. We'll see.

I just finished Black Ops

Overall is a very good game with an interesting history. I must admit that the campaign is a lot easier that previous games. (I played it on Hardened but it wasn't as hard as Modern Warfare or World at War).

I think if I had a little bit more knowledge about American history, I would've understood the ending a lot more.

Now let's see if I can get some more Achievements and play more MP. At last, I have had unlocked the other zombie level. "Five" Kind of funny to play with Kennedy, Castro, Nixon and McNamara...

And then I found that small game "Dead Ops Arcade" which is fun but frustrating at some moments.

ANyway, with this game out of the Campaign list, I think I will be more confortable about getting Dead Space 2.

See you later

Recently I have read too many blogs about Backlogs. It seems like an epidemic. I was thinking about all the games I have left behind. They might not be a huge ammount but there are good ones over there.

This is not my backlog, (I wish) is just so you can get the idea :lol:

My backlog consists of games like: The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Dragon Age, Borderlands, Castlevania and Black Ops.

I am considering this by the time I said, "I'll get Dead SPace 2"

So there, I have my small backlog over there.

How many games have you not completed and still pending to be played?