The Last of Us - Playstation 3

    After years of humanity imagining it's own end, it has finally come. Though many expected human extinction to come in the form of bombs, climate change, or some interstellar danger - it was Mother Nature herself that began wiping humans from her earth. Perhaps she finally took her revenge for the raping and wanton destruction of her planet, or perhaps it was just a freak mutation of a plant that was otherwise harmless to humans. Either way, the end of humanity comes in the form of a tiny, microscopic, fungal spore. Who knew something so small could be so destructive? At the beginning of the end, scientists reported that the small spores, once entering a human's body, would directly attack that person's brain. At that point, a parasitic fungus would begin to grow in the cranial cavity - slowly taking over control of the human's body. Once started, the fungal growth cannot be stopped and progresses until its human host no longer behaves or even physically appears the way he or she once did. With no way to stop the transmission of the fungal infection, what few humans are left gather in military-run quarantine areas to live out what few miserable days they might have left with the rest of the world in shambles. Yet, humanity struggles to continue, even in the face of their own extinction.

Folklore - Playstation 3

    It's been 17 years since your mother passed away. Or has it? Yesterday you received a letter, supposedly from your mother, asking you to meet her in a seaside village in Ireland. You are supposed to meet her on the Cliff of Sidhe near the village of Doolin. It is said that in the village of Doolin the living can meet with the dead. You have great trouble believing that the letter could be from your mother, but what if it is? You make the trip to the island hoping to be reunited with your mother, whom you thought you'd lost forever.

    Many miles away, the editor of an occult magazine's phone begins to ring. He answers it and hears a panicked female's voice on the other end. "Help! Help me! These faerys, they'll...they'll kill me.... The village Doolin....on the Cliff of Sidhe!.....Please!" Ugh, another prank call. Will these childish bullies never cease to leave him alone? Faerys, right, how foolish do they think he is? But what if it was real? What if someone needs his help? Uncovering faerys could make for one hell of an article. Against his better judgment, he to sets off for the village of Doolin.

Killzone 2 - Playstation 3

    Two years ago, the Helghast invaded Vekta. Two years ago the Helghans murdered civilians, burned buildings, and attempted to seize the Vektan homeworld. The Helghast invasion was repelled, but barely so. After two years of recovery and build-up, the Vektans are ready to take revenge on the Helghans for the destruction suffered during the attack. The Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) has loaded up their cruisers with soldiers and weaponry and blasted off for the Helghan homeworld. This time, they're going to make the Helghast feel what it's like to defend your own home against an enemy.

Assassin's Creed III - Xbox 360

    Assassin's Creed has proven to be quite a successful and prolific property for developer Ubisoft. At the time of this writing, a total of 20 video games, a live-action film, a series of comics, and a series of novels have been created with the Assassin's Creed name. Unfortunately, I am horrible at keeping up with playing games as they come out. So, while Assassin's Creed III was the 8th chronologically out of the 20 games released, I'm just now arriving to the party. Partially this is because I found myself feeling disappointed with the series after playing and reviewing Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Against my better judgment, I forced myself to play the next game in the series, Assassin's Creed: Revelations soon after finishing Brotherhood. Revelations was so similar to Brotherhood, including all the things that I didn't like from the earlier games, that I found myself very burned out with the Assassin's Creed series. So much so, that didn't play another one of the games until...well....now. I'll admit that I had pretty low hopes going into Assassin's Creed III due to my past experiences, but I actually ended the game feeling a little better about the series. This review will cover the game's single-player mode only, as I did not attempt to jump into multiplayer.

Bastion - Xbox Live Arcade

    Xbox Live Arcade has changed the way many people see video games. Previously, games needed to be huge creations backed by a giant budget and hyped up to no end to be successful. Art and creative expression often took a backseat to what would make companies the most money. Xbox Live Arcade's flexible pricing and digital delivery has allowed developers to focus on creativity and narrative rather than shiny effects and hype. Bastion is a perfect example of what developers can do when they aren't shackled by the usual business aspects of releasing a game.

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood - Xbox 360

    Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is the third game in the historically based Action and Stealth game series. Released in 2010 on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC, and Mac OS X, Brotherhood picks right up where Assassin's Creed II left off, and adds some new features to the already improved gameplay of the second game.

Sleeping Dogs - Xbox 360

    Sleeping Dogs is an open-world, or Sandbox, style game that focuses on Action. The game was developed by United Front Games with development assistance and publishing by Square Enix. The game was originally slated to see release back in 2009 as the third entry in the True Crime video game series, but after many delays and budget problems, the game didn't hit shelves until 2012. The game is available on PC, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3.

Max Payne 3 - Xbox 360

    Max Payne 3 is a Third-Person Shooter released in 2012 on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC, and OS X. The game was created by Rockstar games and picks up nine years after the events of 2003's Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne.

Mirror's Edge - Xbox 360

    Mirror's Edge is a First-Person perspective Action Platformer developed by EA Digital Illusions CE (Dice), and released in 2008 on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, and in 2009 for PC. The game is incredibly unique in that it focuses mainly on running from enemies and traversing the world in unique ways, than fighting. Add in a shiny, futuristic look, and Mirror's Edge has some major potential to be a memorable experience.

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands - Xbox 360

    Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is an Action/Platforming game developed and published by Ubisoft. The game launched in 2010 on multiple platforms, though all other versions than the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360's follow their own independent story lines. While the game follows up the storyline that was begun in the Playstation 2, and first modern Prince of Persia game: The Sands of Time, it makes a departure from the canon that was set by that trilogy. Still relying on the Prince's acrobatics and parkour style of getting around town, The Forgotten Sands makes for a much more fitting continuation of the series than 2008's Prince of Persia's deviation from the norm.

Brütal Legend - Xbox 360

    Brütal Legend is an Action game with Real-time Strategy elements created by video game legend Tim Schafer and his studio, Double Fine Productions. With an all-star metal cast, a soundtrack featuring over one hundred classic metal songs, and Schafer's amazing imagination, Brütal Legend offers a very unique and enjoyable experience!

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron - Xbox 360

    El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is an Action game with heavy Platforming elements developed by Ignition Entertainment. The game was released in 2011 on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The game met with mixed reactions due to being steeped deeply in religious lore.

The Maw - Xbox 360 Live Arcade

    The Maw is an Action/Adventure game with mild puzzle solving created by Twisted Pixel Games. The game was Twisted Pixel's first release, and helped pave the way for other Twisted Pixel titles such as Comic Jumper. Released in 2009, The Maw is available on the Xbox 360 Live Arcade, as well as in the Games for Windows format.

Torchlight - Xbox 360 Live Arcade

    Torchlight is an Action Role Playing Game developed by Runic Games. The game was originally released on the PC in 2009, but was later ported to the Xbox 360 Live Arcade in 2011. In developing their game, Runic clearly was channeling the earlier top-down viewpoint Action RPGS such as Diablo II. It almost feels as though Runic Games couldn't wait for a sequel and decided to create their own!

Dark Souls - Xbox 360

    Dark Souls is an Action Role-playing game developed by From Software. The game was released in the USA in 2012 on both the Xbox 360, PC, and Playstation 3. Dark Souls is the spiritual successor of 2009's Demon's Souls which was only available on the Playstation 3. The Souls games have gained an almost cult following with fans in the past few years. Those who do not enjoy the games are nearly as vocal as those who do, however. What about the game could be so polarizing?

Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition - Xbox 360 Arcade

    Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition is a First-Person Action game developed by ACE Team and published by Valve Corporation. The game is Ace Team's debut game and goes to show that the more new blood we get in the video game world, the more unique and interesting games will be made. Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition is definitely unique, and bordering on weird (in a good way). The game was first released on PC only in 2009, but eventually saw a 2010 release on the Xbox Live Arcade.

Fallout: New Vegas - Xbox 360

    Fallout: New Vegas is an Action Western-Style Role Playing Game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and produced by Bethesda Softworks. The game saw release in 2010 on the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. While not exactly a sequel to 2008's Fallout 3, New Vegas is very similar to the previous release in the series, though with a few tweaks and changes made to the gameplay.

American McGee's Alice - PC/Xbox 360

    American McGee's Alice is an Action/Platforming game that was originally released on PC in 2000, but was eventually ported to Xbox 360 as downloadable content for the Xbox 360 game Alice: Madness Returns. The game was developed by the now dissolved Rogue Entertainment, and published by Electronic Arts. Ten years before Tim Burton introduced us to his vision of a darker Wonderland, American McGee put his own dark twist on the classic tale. It is in this twisted version of Wonderland that American McGee's Alice takes place. I have played both the PC and Xbox 360 version of this game, though the 360 version is what I am heavily basing my review on as I just finished, it as opposed to the 9 years ago that I played the PC version.

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements - Xbox 360

    Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements, other than being a mouthful of a title, is a First-Person Action game that has some minor Role Playing elements developed by Arkane Studios and Floodgate Entertainment. The multiplayer portion of the game was developed by Kuju Entertainment and the game was produced by Ubisoft. Dark Messiah was released in 2008 on both the PC and the Xbox 360. From what I have read, major changes were made to the game between the PC and Xbox 360 versions, and not for the better for Xbox gamers. All I know is what the Xbox version is like, so I'll review based only on my own experiences with the game.

Grand Theft Auto V - Xbox 360

    Grand Theft Auto V is an open-world action game developed by Rockstar North and produced by Rockstar games. GTA V is actually the fifteenth entry in the popular Grand Theft Auto series. The game was released  in September 2013, and broke records with the amount of money it made in its first days on the market (over $1 billion in three days!). After playing the game, I can attest to the fact that it truly does live up to the hype!