Need For Speed: Shift brought fair amount of action to track racing that encompassed realism and good physics to create a relatively decent title. Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed however feels exactly like Need For Speed: Shift, but with more problems in controls, and finally the same linear action we were hoping Slightly Mad Studios would reinvent into something similar to the structure of the Most Wanted and Underground series titles. Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed has undoubtedly and very morosely created a title that takes basic simulation, adds cars, but gives players no real reason to play it other than a change of name. Decisively, Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed is the worst game of the Need For Speed franchise thus far and remains unrivaled in flawed execution, under delivery, and moreover a racing title that is sub-par at best.

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Crysis was the first game that simply left eyes on the verge of awe in its strengths of visuals, a sandbox style gameplay, and a decent enemy A.I. set combined with the unforgettable atmosphere of a remote island undergoing an alien invasion. This small island within Crysis, along with the popular Nanosuit, and protagonist Nomad became symbols in video games of a combined level of unadulterated action along with a true visual splendor within good storyline direction to reveal a standard for which future games can strive. Crysis 2 sets an ambitious goal in creating a setting within New York City, thereby hoping to live up to the same standards that made the first title as breath-taking as it was in terms of graphics, gameplay, and moreover level design.  Inopportunely, dull run and gun along with terrible A.I. and a less than spectacular and superficial multiplayer offering makes Crysis 2 something that is only worth a rental at best at the local video store. Sadly, even the visuals and no customization options given mark a lesser contrast in power compared to its former PC title, which is rather surprising but to a level extremely expected given the move to the console market and the port to the PC systems with limited customization options. While it is still visually impressive console-wise and more optimized for PC performance, the visuals detract from the already exiguous offerings of the title. Crysis 2 does offer console owners desperate to play Crysis 2 without spending the money on a mid-end PC card the chance to think they are playing the first-person shooter that PC hardcore enthusiasts and gaming enthusiasts have been harping about since November 13^th, 2007, but it will no doubt come to their dismay that they are not playing anything close to the original. Crysis 2 is the perfect example of where a sequel fails on certain levels, especially the basics of offering the same great experience, but instead not giving gamers something more and differently noteworthy to play instead of repetition.  Crysis 2 remains maximally forgettable.

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The Sims Medieval makes the dreams of having your own kingdom a reality, for better or worse. Everyone can finally become their own Henry VIII, notable for their crazy antics, or become their very own Hero in their professions of craft, or even the dark arts of magic and sorcery like the famed Merlin of Arthurian times. The Sims Medieval takes the Sims franchise to a newer level of creativity since its inception and release on February 4th, 2000 which won WhatIfGaming’s prestigious and renowned Editor’s Choice award. The Sims Medieval heralds the light where players give an unruly civilization, dominated with its own greed and human nature in Machiavellian selfishness, their own level of power and help through making sure the Kingdom succeeds. The gameplay itself focuses on simulated people and quest experiences that are memorable for the franchise, but the core foundation of The Sims Medieval largely revolves around the very structure of The Sims 3, a basic rehash of the Sims 2 engine with an open world atmosphere. The Sims Medieval provides a decent outlook on the life and workings of a Kingdom for the various professions and gives uniquely created hero’s a life of their own with guidance from the players known previously as The Watcher.
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RIFT evolves the world of fantasy Massively Multiplayer Online action-adventure, exploration, creativity, and imagination to a whole new level. Nature is undeniably a mysterious force where Man understands very little. Thomas Burnet described very easily the mysteries of the forces at work in both earth and nature itself: “What they do? Where they live? The human mind has always circled around knowledge of these things, never attaining it.” These very questions form the entire representation of everything that nature takes as a role and what RIFT represents altogether. While orcs, elves, evil magical monsters are nothing new, RIFT manages to explicate a sense of liminality between what is traditional and what can accomplished with a team dedicated to fuse traditional concepts with layered elements for something original. Trion Worlds’ RIFT takes a completely reinvigorating approach through every single element involving a deeply rooted storyline, a large compendium of classes for the Ascended, varied and mythical Souls and Callings, Leveling Structure Rewards, Player vs. Player combat, Mounts, Grouping Opportunities, Guilds, all used in finally create the conception of the beautiful world of Telara.

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Homefront depicts a nation where America has finally been occupied, and the fight for freedom wears thin. While war concepts and military occupation in video games is nothing new, there is a level of action Homefront does provide through unique settings which works well to set it apart from a few mediocre titles in the same genre. Hoping to take Call of Duty’s crown on multiplayer action adventure, Homefront aims to achieve something which sends the masses crying for freedom and justice and feeling the intensity of foreign relations. THQ and Kaos Studios’ story of domination promised a lot of tense emotional sequences and setpieces during development, with scenery that people would surely remember. Instead, after a short campaign and an overly simple multiplayer aspect, there is a clear lack of balance and gameplay refinement that is seen in most titles hoping to please the modern First-Person Shooter (FPS) crowd. Homefront instead leaves people crying for more and better instead of freedom, and instead makes people wish there was another studio that occupied development.

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Good news for all fans. Ubisoft confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Revelations will have no PC DRM except one time activation. This means players can possibly play without having their disc in the tray constantly, or at the very least without having to stay online. With Brotherhood, people kept their discs out of their trays, as the Ubisoft Launcher provided a DRM-free .exe. Hopefully Revelations stays the same.

Dragon Age II heralds yet another title where the sad case of a sequel finds itself under the depths of gloom and pedestrian status. Dragon Age II takes on the heavy burden of delivering the same pride, power, and unity of the Grey Wardens along with the history of the Dragon Age universe along with references to Dragon Age: Origins to make a cohesive title that is spectacular in every way of the word. Instead, Dragon Age II fails at every mark, downgrading the action, limiting the storyline to a hackneyed and unbalanced plot of “the Champion,” and finally making personal relationships less emphatic and truly affecting to the hardcore gaming enthusiast audience. Dragon Age II had the marks of a sequel that wanted to extend the action of the first one beyond its realm of endearment, but instead created a title that just became lackluster in the end.

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DC Universe Online stems from the roots of superheroes and extends far beyond any other massive-multiplayer online video game (MMO) in what it does best: giving normal people superhuman powers. Ever want to explore Smallville or go deep into the depths of Metropolis to fly down under the glazing sun and fight Bizzaro? It is time for the common masses to have an experience unlike any other with the greatest characters of DC Comics put together, including notable names such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Joker, Lex Luthor, Catwoman, and The Green Lantern, all the while further creating a list that extends into the depths of the superhuman stratum. Now any player can have these unique interactions that are simply beautiful in gameplay and even more excellent in pacing and action mechanics. While parts of the gameplay have certain weaknesses, the atmosphere of DC Universe perfectly captures a superhero universe that is meant to be experienced by anyone that loves a MMO made for brawling action rather than click-and-choose gameplay. DC Universe Online effectively creates a different MMO and places a lot of faith to show others that being different is a brave stance.

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