I actually bought Halo: Reach on day one, it's just that I've been playing it so much, and have lost so many hours of sleep, that now I can finally share my thoughts on it.

The basic functions of the game work out great just like with every other Halo game. Controls, graphics, and sound are all done very well.

There's also a new variety of weapons, vehicles, enemies, combat tactics, and power-ups throughout the game. This makes the game experience familiar, but with a touch of new elements that make it seem like an entirely new adventure.

Your squad consists of six members that each have their own distinct personality, heritage, and combat strengths that aid the squad throughout the game. All of the characters grow on you fast from the moment you begin, which makes Reach a very well thought out story driven game.

The biggest plus to Reach is the single player campaign. Normally the Halo campaigns aren't that impressive since they end quickly just when they were starting to get good. Reach however finally breaks that cycle, as it delivers a long campaign that hasn't been seen since the first Halo game.

Overall, I can say for the last Halo game made by Bungie; they definitely saved the best for last. Next to the original Halo for the Xbox, Reach would be a close second place as my all-time favorite in the franchise. If you're a fan of Halo, or shooters in general, then this is game you'll definitely want to get.

It seems the impossible has finally happened, Duke Nukem Forever will be released some time in 2011.

If you're not familiar with Duke Nukem, it started out as a side scrolling shooter developed by 3D Realms for the PC back in the early 1990's. But the most memorable game out of the entire franchise was Duke Nukem 3D, one of the first 3D first-person shooters released on the PC in 1996.

In 1997, Duke Nukem Forever was announced and was it going to be a follow-up of last year's hit.

Then... it was never released. All this was due to financial, technical, legal, and publishing difficulty. It's a long story, and and it's really hard to sum it all up with so little space. It wasn't until recently that Gearbox took over the game development after 3D Realms was downsized.

Now it seems that Gearbox is finally closing in on finishing the longest development for a game ever. To be honest, I haven't played any of the Duke Nukem games, but I really want to check this one out.

Why? Well, by the time it's released in 2011 it will be a game 14 years in the making. All that time, and all that waiting has to be worth checking out.

When I purchased Quake 4, I mentioned that the game came with a bonus disk that contained the classic PC game Quake II; which was released way back in 1997.

I have to say for a game that's over ten years old, and a port from the PC; it plays incredibly well on the 360.

The graphics look the same as they did in 1997, but I'm really glad that Id decided not to update the visuals. You end up having a great feeling of nostalgia which I consider as a little bonus. Anyway, the graphics look great for their time, making the level designs nice and interesting to explore.

The game play is really fast paced, more so than Quake 4. The game once again offers a reasonable challenge to players who are new to the game, but it doesn't make things too easy so you can quickly sweep past it. One thing I really love is that there's no reloading in this game. You just shoot, shoot, and shoot until the gun goes "click."

The music is outstanding too, one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard in a video game.

Overall, Quake II is actually better than Quake 4. Simply proving that a game is great, no matter how old it is. Whether it's on the PC or the 360, it's an excellent game and one of the best shooters I've ever played.

Well it's time to go back to school tomorrow. Not looking forward to another year as usual, but then again that's the case with everyone. Well, here's hoping that the year turns out alright. After that's done, then it's time to focus on college. Man, it feels weird saying that. For some reason I can't picture myself as a college student. :P

Quake was always a franchise I was curious about. The franchise itself paved the way to modern shooters as it was technically the first shooter to be in 3D. So I finally decided to give the series a shot and see if it was any good.

So far Quake 4 has been quite an experience. The game is very fast paced and delivers a wide variety of enemies and weapons. The game environments are well designed, and offer a challenge that's not too easy but not too difficult either.

Not only that, but the game came with a bonus disk. It contains Quake II, but programmed to run on the 360 rather than the PC.

The one flaw with this game is the frame rate. This happens mostly during the heat of a fire fight, other times it can be something else. I know the PC version is supposed to run smoother, but I don't have a good computer.

Overall, it's a very good game and ever since I started playing it, I've gotten interested in Id's latest game Rage which is coming out next year.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 does have many improvements over the first one. The most prime examples are that you can carry two weapons now, and you can freely swap weapons with supply crates that can be found over the course of the game. So in other words, you don't have to wander around the levels looking for a certain weapon any more. There are more levels this time, and the campaign is more challenging and difficult than the first one.

One of the things that bothers me is that the open world environment has been greatly restricted. For example, you can't jump into any kind of vehicle at anytime anymore. There are only a few levels where you have access to some vehicles like a tank, or a jeep. Because of that, the game is almost identical to a Call of Duty game. It also bothers me that the events of the first Bad Company aren't even acknowledged or mentioned, as if they never happened.

I'm not saying it's a bad game. It just feels that the series has lost a major part of its identity and everything that made the first one so unique is now gone. It's still a good game, but in my opinion the first Bad Company is better.

One other thing I noticed is that Bad Company 2 will sometimes make fun of Modern Warfare 2. In some parts throughout the game, your squad will say that heart beat senors and snow mobiles are for wimps. Whether it was intentionally or not, I still find it to be pretty funny.

Another tagging game. Lets just get this right the hell over with. :P The rules for this tagging game are to set your music to shuffle, and whatever song plays answers the questions that are given.

1. If someone says, "Is this ok?" You say: Nightmare on Elm Street Theme, Charles Bernstein.

2. How would you describe yourself? Eclipse, Pink Floyd.

3. What do you like in a girl? If You Want Blood (You've Got It), AC/DC.

4. How do you feel? Break On Through, The Doors.

5. What's your life purpose? Iron Man, Black Sabbath.

6. What's your motto? Taxi Driver Theme, Bernard Herrmann.

7. What do your friends think of you? Behind Blue Eyes, The Who.

8. What do you think of your parents? You're Gonna Go Far Kid, The Offspring.

9. What do you think about most often? Escape From New York Theme, John Carpenter.

10. What's 2+2? Supersonic, Bad Religion.

11. What do you think of your best friend? No One Like You, The Scorpions.

12. What do you think of the person you like? Highway To Hell, AC/DC.

13. What's your life story? Baba O'Riley, The Who.

14. What do you want to be when you grow up? Back To The Future Theme, Alan Silvestri.

15. What do you think of when you see the person you like? Celebrate Good Times, Kool and The Gang.

16. What will you dance to at your wedding? We Will Rock You, Queen.

17. What will they play at your funeral? Love Hurts, Nazareth.

18. What's your hobby or interest? Jump, Van Halen.

19. What's your biggest fear? Brown Sugar, The Rolling Stones.

20. What's your biggest secret? Rio, Duran Duran.

21. What do you think of your friends? Beating Around The Bush, AC/DC.

22. What will you put as the title? Magic Bus, The Who.

Alright I think I've embarrassed myself enough. I'm not tagging anyone, the game ends right here. :P

With the rumors flying around that Activision might enact a subscription fee in order for you to play Call of Duty, I've decided to look towards a different franchise that explores modern warfare. The answer is Battlefield: Bad Company.

The game itself is unlike any shooter I've played. For one thing, rather than being restricted by level borders and the physical environment, Bad Company lets you explore the vast areas with limitless time. The same applies to vehicles you encounter too. No level is restricted as to what vehicles you can access, you can freely choose between a tank, an armored car, or a jeep whenever you want.

Last, unlike most shooters I've played this has a long and challenging single player campaign. It's a really fun game and I plan on purchasing Battlefield: Bad Company 2 later on.

Movie: Escape From New York, 1981.

Plot: The crime rate in the U.S. has risen drastically over the years. In order to contain the crime threat, a giant wall is built around the entire island of Manhattan converting it into a giant maximum security prison where criminals can roam free in the living hell they brought upon themselves. Once you enter, you can never leave. On one night, Air Force One is hijacked; and crash lands into New York. The President (Donald Pleasence) survives the crash, but is soon kidnapped by one of the gangs on the island. The U.S. government then turns to a man named Snake Plissken; (Kurt Russell) a former war hero now criminal is given the task with rescuing the President within 24 hours. If he succeeds, he will receive a full pardon for every crime he's committed. If he fails, small charges that have been implanted into his neck will detonate and kill him instantly when his 24 hour time limit is up. With no choice now, Snake must locate and rescue the President and do the impossible; escape from New York.

One of the most creative and original post-apocalyptic action films ever seen, Escape From New York was another one of John Carpenter's masterpieces. The film was later followed with the action packed sequel, Escape From L.A. (1996) To this day, it is a great film that explores crime and how it affects politics, and how it can affect your own personal freedoms.

It's that time of the year again. I had a great Independence Day, first by going to party and enjoying the food and games. Finished off the day with a fireworks display that was great to watch.

All in all it was great day, and I hope everyone else had a great Independence Day too. :)