Author - Jerry Paxton

IGN Mass Effect Review

2007/11/19
Jerry Paxton
News

IGN has posted its review of Bioware’s Mass Effect, the highly anticipated RPG for the Xbox 360, giving it a high 9.4 out of 10.

From the article:
In a year that has seen the Xbox 360 library finally round itself out with a series of quality Japanese RPGs, BioWare has shown just how far ahead of the curve it is with Mass Effect. The cinematic design is nothing short of masterful. This is a game that takes the aspects of film that make cinema so compelling and crosses it with the interactivity of games with unprecedented success. Linear storytelling feels quaint by comparison.

Mass Effect is game that is greater than the sum of its parts. Technical issues abound, but the majority of Mass Effect is so expertly delivered that it can transcend its weaknesses. Applying number ratings to a game like this doesn’t do it justice because there is no way you can ignore its technical flaws. Simply put, Mass Effect is a game that must be played. Then it must be played again. Don’t pass this one up.

Amazon Kindle Hands-On

2007/11/19
Jerry Paxton
News

Engadget has posted a ‘hands-on’ the Amazon Kindle e-Reader. At $399 dollars, this is the ugliest expensive e-Reader on the market. The thing looks like it is the strung-out little brother of the Macintosh 128k computer. Aside from the looks, however, are some good features and of course, the Amazon.com library which is without equal.

Among its many features:

  • E-ink display, 6-inch SVGA 800×600, 167dpi, 4 grey scales.
  • Keyboard
  • EV-DO wireless
  • 10.3 oz battery, up to 30 hours battery life.
  • Native capacity 200 books.

Halcyon Brining Terminator Back in a Big Way

2007/11/17
Jerry Paxton
News

Gamespot is reporting that Halcyon has acquired the rights to the Terminator franchise and plans to bring the series back in a big way. Coming in 2009, they plan on releasing the fourth installment of the Terminator series, called Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. In addition, Halcyon has creates Halcyon Games and will be developing a video game tie-in to the film for next generation consoles, mobile devices, and the PC platforms.

From the article:
Halcyon, which acquired the rights to the Terminator franchise in May, will be developing the game in-house under its newly formed game-division label. Peter Levin will act as interim CEO for Halcyon Games, and Cos Lazouras, former head of product development at Vin Diesel’s Tigon Studios, will serve as VP of production.

‘We don’t want the game to be the stepchild to the film,’ said Halcyon cochairman Derek Anderson. ‘They’re of equal importance, and we want both to be of the same quality and be the same compelling experience.’

We here at GamingShogun have uncovered the gripping trailer to this new film (not really):

1up Hellgate London Review

2007/11/16
Jerry Paxton
News

1up has posted its review of Hellgate London and given the Flagship Studios’ opus a 4.0 out of 10! Our review gave the game a far more liberal 7.0 out of 10, taking sight of what it will be when the thing is patched. But the world of 1up is apparently a cruel one, taking no strides to soften its blows, we just dont agree with them on such a low score.

Microsoft Releases Vista SP1 to Testers

2007/11/16
Jerry Paxton
News

Engadget reports that Microsoft has released SP1 of it’s Vista operating system to the it’s testers. According to the article, ‘Although there don’t appear to be many new features on top of what we’ve already seen, SP1 appears to be well-received, with testers reporting better laptop battery life, faster networking, and improved wake-from-sleep speeds. There’s still no word on when the final release of SP1 will hit, but if you’re in Microsoft’s tester program, SP1 RC1 is available online now.’

Singapore Comes to its Senses, Un-Bans Mass Effect

2007/11/16
Jerry Paxton
News

Gamespot is reporting that Singapore has changed their mind on banning Mass Effect and has instead given the game an M18 rating. According to the article, the Board of Film Censors issued a statement saying it would be creating a games classification system in January, and in the interim, it would be selectively using games ratings to ‘enable highly anticipated games to be launched in Singapore.’

Finally, a bit of reason prevails!

Let Chewbacca Hump Your Back…and Carry Your Stuff!

2007/11/16
Jerry Paxton
News

Thinkgeek has put a new item up for sale in the same vein as their popular Yoda backpack. Well instead of having cuddly Yoda hitch a ride on your back while carrying your books to class, they went with the next best thing…Chewbacca. Because when I think of cuddly Star Wars characters I would like to have on my back, I think of a seven foot tall, 350 pound, hairy, and don’t forget smelly Wookiee. At least you don’t have to buy him dinner, that is something I guess. Plus he does carry your stuff for you which is the least he can do. Oh well, pics below!

Hous of the Dead 2 & 3 Coming to the Wii Next Year

2007/11/15
Jerry Paxton
News

Joystiq is reporting that SEGA will be reviving House of the Dead 2 & 3 next year, bringing it out for the Nintendo Wii. According to Joystiq, the aimed release date is March 31st, 2008. It seems as though very little is known about the revival aside from the tentative date. Important info such as if there will be graphical upgrades to make the games look more ‘current-gen’ have not yet been answered. And as much as I think SEGA will release these separately, with as old as they are, they should really release them in a bundle pack.

Lionhead Wants Your Insults for Fable 2

2007/11/15
Jerry Paxton
News

Joystiq is reporting that Lionhead Studios, creators of the upcomming Fable 2, are looking for insults to use in their game. The insults are shouted by villagers at your character if they do not like you…In the first game this insult was mainly ‘Arseface’ but apparently they seek variety this time around. Maybe they will deliver on the procedural world this time too, but I digress…

You can submit your insults through this link.

Gamespot Resident Evil: Unbrella Chronicles Review

2007/11/15
Jerry Paxton
News

Gamespot has posted its review of Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles for the Nintendo Wii, giving it a 7.0 out of 10. The on-rails shooter takes place throughout events of Resident Evil 0, the original Resident Evil, and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. The game relies on the first person perspective as well as the Wii’s unique controller to give a satisfying ‘arcade style’ experience.

From the article:
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is solid for an on-rails shooter, a genre that admittedly becomes less relevant with each passing year, and the strength of the ambiance, the quantity of Resident Evil detail, and some fun little gameplay touches make it better. If you don’t care for either Resident Evil or light-gun games, this won’t change your mind, but if you do, it’s a pretty fun ride.