Pro Flight Simulator - The Game Or The Real Thing?

To understand what's going on in the minds of flight fans and enthusiasts, first we have to learn what a flying simulation truly is. Flying simulators can be classified as software applications used to reproduce and simulate real airplane flying experience with all its features and characteristics.

There are many different flying simulation software packages available on the market today and we will look into Pro Flight Simulator, which has been considered one of the best options in terms of price and quality. It is relatively inexpensive and offers lots of great features, planes and aircraft, including helicopters, military and commercial planes.

The quality of simulation software is generally measured by its ability to recreate the flying experience as realistic and true-to-life as possible. Pro Flight Simulator fits perfectly into that model and with its abilities to recreate different weather conditions it makes you practice various emergency scenarios and potential disasters. In such situations the software will automatically detect your nearest airport and give you all instructions necessary to land safely; based on weather conditions, amount of pressure, wind, temperatures and other key factors.

The game could also be helpful to potential and aspiring pilots who would like to learn more about different flying conditions in different parts of the world during different seasons of the year. This is especially useful for those people interested in military aircraft and war situations.

Another cool feature of Pro Flight Simulator is the "hour of day display" with its ability to adjust universal time to your own computer's time. That's very helpful if you want to experience realistic flying in night or day settings. It will also adjust to different geographical and climate conditions as you fly through different locations and to different airports around the world.

It would be unfair to review a product and not to mention its competitors and other similar packages on the market. Popular flying simulation software also available on the market today is "RC Flight Simulator" but, in my experience, it is no true match to the "Pro Flight Simulator". It is made more like a computer game and no true, professional training software. On the other hand, I really like what "The Virtual Procedure Trainer" has to offer. It is a great piece of software and many pilots and flight crew are using it as a part of their training program, but with the price tag approaching $1000 I think I will stick with "Pro Flight Simulator" for another while.

It's really hard to tell which one from previously mentioned software packages is the best, as they are made for different profile of people, have different features and price tags. In my experience as an aircraft enthusiast and a fan of flying, Pro Flight Simulator seems to be the best choice, with its numerous features, training potential and reasonable price.

If you want to learn more detail and read more about this cool product and its features visit this review page: Pro Flight Simulator.

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In-Depth Look at Modern Warfare 3 Killstreak Assault Strike Package Reward

Modern Warfare 3 Assault Strike Packages rewards - Gives you kill streaks that aids you to kill more people. The kill streak counter is reset every time you die.

A 3 kill streak reward.
Calls in and periodically scan enemies that do not have Assassin perk or inside a scrambler.
Can be destroyed EMP or shot down.

Care Package - A 4 kill streak reward.
Gives you a smoke grenade that calls in a helicopter bring a care package.
Care package can contain any Assault or Support kill streak rewards.

IMS - A 5 kill reward.
Deploy a grenade sentry that has 4 rounds. It is very accurate and will kill most enemy that enters its range. The only way to be safe from an IMS trigger is to have Stalker pro and immediately duck behind a wall or large objects. Can be affected Concussion and Flash Grenades. Can be destroyed EMP or shot down.

Predator Missile - A 5 streak reward.
Takes control of an Air to Ground missile. You can control the path of the missile to guide it to the enemy. You can accelerate the missile by hitting your fire button. However, accelerating missile is harder to control and can make you miss. EMP effects covers targeting map but you can still shoot it.

Sentry Gun - A 5 reward.
Drop a turret that will automatically shoot any enemies in front it.
Can be affected Concussion and Flash Grenades.
Can be destroyed EMP or shot down.

Precision Airstrike - A 6 streak reward.
Targets an area to call in airstrikes. Three jets will do a bomb run at the designated point.

Attack Helicopter - A 7 reward.
Calls in a helicopter that will move around the map randomly and shoots enemies.
Can be destroyed EMP or shot down.

Safe Run - A 9 kill streak reward.
Calls in 5 helicopters that travels in a straight line and back, shooting any enemies they encounter on their flight path. Can be destroyed EMP or shot down.

AH-6 Overwatch - A 9 reward.
Calls in an AH-6 that will follow you around and cover your back.
Can be destroyed EMP or shot down.

Reaper - A 9 kill streak reward.
Calls in a circling Reaper drone that shoots guided Air to Ground missiles. Can be destroyed EMP or shot down.

Assault Drone - A 10 streak reward.
Take control of a medium armored vehicle that is equipped with a machine gun and rocket launcher.
Can be affected Concussion and Flash Grenades.
Can be destroyed EMP or shot down.

AC-130 - A 12 kill streak reward.
Take control of a circling AC-130. It is equipped with missiles launcher, cannons and heavy machine guns. Each weapon has a cooldown so it cannot be spammed. Players have to cycle though the weapons to maximize their damage output. Can be destroyed EMP or shot down.

Pave Low - A 12 streak reward.
Calls in a Pave Low into the battlefield. Pave Low is an armored attack helicopter that can take a lot of punishments.
Can be destroyed EMP or shot down.

Juggernaut - A 15 kill streak reward.
When you take the Juggernaut care package, your primary gun will be replaced by a light machine gun and your secondary will be replaced by machine pistols. You will also receive an armor that reduces incoming damage.

Osprey Gunner - A 17 streak reward.
You take control of the gunner in an Osprey. You fly around the battlefield while shooting people with your heavy machine gun.
Can be destroyed EMP or shot down.

Unlocking the last Modern Warfare 3 Assault Strike Package reward, Osprey Gunner, in a game is probably one of the hardest thing to accomplish due to assault kill streak being reset at every death.

you can find more things about call of duty here at stupid games

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Mobile Gaming Quality Improving As Devices Improve

The problem with the relatively new market of mobile games has been the limitations of the mobile devices but are we beginning to see those restrictions ease?

Games designed for playing on handsets and other mobile devices are improving as game developers are able to build more elaborate graphics and, whilst we probably won't see serious gamers flinging their PS3s, Xboxes and Nintendo in the trash just yet, there are new breeds of games coming out that do offer more.

Typically the type of game on offer for the average iPhone user little more than a year ago was a very lite-on graphics affair - perhaps word puzzles, search games or scaled-down versions of social games like FarmVille with their bright colors and relatively slow-pace; in the past year slightly more complex games and action-based games have become very popular, as the ridiculous amount of downloads of Angry birds has shown.

There are even newer breeds of action-based game that are more graphics intensive appearing in the apps stores, with lots of animation, but without being overly bulky, top-heavy or memory-hungry.

The skill of the game developers has gone hand-in-hand with the skill of the device manufacturers to produce better, more textured, multi-layered games, designed for devices that are more powerful, have better processors and graphics chips and have a battery life to support extended play times.

The moans and groans that met the recent release of the iPhone 4s, from people who'd been expecting the release if the iPhone 5, meant that some major improvements to that phone were missed - many specifically designed to improve the mobile gaming experience.

These improvements include the use of the A5 chip, which is the same as the one used in the iPad 2. This provides twice as much CPU speed as the iPhone 4. It also has a dual core graphics processor that is seven times faster than the iPhone 4. These two features, along with the extended battery life, all make for a more game-oriented device.

This, of course, is great news for the casual gamers you see tapping their iPhone screens on the bus on the way to work in the morning, because it means a better gaming experience; whether it will be enough to attract serious gamers as well as mums, dads and kids, is not so clear.

Just recently I tried out a new free sidescroller game from the App store; it was very graphics intensive, with very beautiful landscapes where I had to guide a spaceship through. It was a throwback to the days of Atari video games and great fun.

I almost forgot that I was using my iPhone to play that game, it was so unlike typical iOS games; there's no doubt that games are becoming higher quality as the devices improve.

Styla Brite is a published author and product reviewer. Continue reading more about JumpShip Thrust Control and MonkeyBin Studios

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Ninja Gaiden 3 - Gameplay Review

The main character of the Ninja Gaiden 3

He is the son of Kent Hayabusa who died in his hands after he passed the sword to him for his bravery in an earlier part of Ninja Gaiden series. He is now leading the Hayabusa clan with possession of spiritual, physical and magical powers from the ancestry of the dragons. He is still the same brave character in the Ninja Gaiden 3 video game.

Staging of the video game

The video game sets off on a foggy day in London and Ryu Hayabusa is taken back into thought as to why he came there in the first place. He then remembers that he is on the hunt for a terrorist group that attacked with the aim of getting into the master ninja. He then feels warmed up and takes into flight over the huge clock tower and as he goes down the street he can see the group.

This is where the more soldiers come out and the battle begins, with Hayabusa going head straight into the battlefield. This is where the greatness of video game begins.

Features and gameplay

You can have Ryu's attack power charged up but there is no essence to absorb. When his sword glows it is the best time for the player to attack to execute a multi hit combo that will destroy the enemies. The video game gives Ryu ultimate technique attacks which depend on using Ryu's KI meter. Be careful of unnecessary usage of the techniques but again any KI left in the meter goes into refueling his life.

The video game has taken into note lessons from the other titles which then promote alternative game play modes such as gear of war 3 and halo: reach. It is a modern multi player with the avatar customized for each player needs and capabilities. Also accessibly is the option of changing gear and clothes along the adventurous journey.

Team Ninja have really outdone themselves with the Ninja Gaiden 3 from the Ninja Gaiden 2.

The players are always to be on guard so not to be caught unaware as there are no warnings, suggestions or any kind of peace in the game. The video game accommodates 8 simultaneous players at a time that are separated into groups. The aim of the groups then is to kill the opponents on a time limited challenge. The co-operative modes last up to 5 minutes and throughout the player have level system to climb up to.
Another feature that the Ninja Gaiden 3 possesses is the option of customization menu that is located on its own directly from the main menu.

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Review - Treasures of Montezuma 3

The Apple App Store is crowded with all manner of variations of the match 3 game. Most of them are kind of boring, the best ones bring some new twist to the game that makes you want to keep playing. Treasures of Montezuma 3 is one of the latter types of the match 3 game that will keep you coming back for more.

At its core Treasures of Montezuma 3, as I mentioned before, is a match 3 game. You have a playing field with a variety of different colored and shaped objects on it. You match the objects in groups of three or more in a line, then the objects disappear. More fall down from the top of the field and so on.

Standard match 3 game so far, right? The first twist that Treasures of Montezuma 3 has in store is that you are trying to free crystals that are embedded in the play field objects by matching them with like objects. There is a time limit to the level as well, with the amount of gold increasing based on how fast you clear the level.

Also what Treasures of Montezuma 3 brings to the table is a set of power ups that change how the game acts and is played. As you play, you earn coins. The coins can be spent to improve the powers of various totems that are the same color as the objects on the playing field. When you have two consecutive matches of the same color, the totem associated with it activates. The power ups range from freeing all the crystals on the play field to blowing up objects.

The graphics of Treasures of Montezuma 3 are decent, but nothing that will blow your mind. They look good, both on my iPhone 4 and iPad 2. The game interface is clean and not cluttered which is nice on the iPhone since there isn't a whole lot of space to play with.

The audio in Treasures of Montezuma 3 is pretty good with some nice sound effects and music. It does get a bit much though when you get into a groove and are triggering bonus after bonus. I've gotten more than one look when playing the game at the office from the noises coming from my iPhone.

Treasures of Montezuma 3 has some In-App Purchase (IAP) but it isn't too much or even required. You have the ability to purchase some of the coins used to purchase power ups, but if you do a bit of grinding in the lower levels you won't need them.

The only issue I have with the game is the final level in each stage. For some reason the game changes from a match 3 to a hidden object game. The change is rather annoying, but that may be due to my dislike of hidden object games.

If you are looking for a different take on the match 3 type of game then consider giving Treasures of Montezuma 3 a shot. I think that it brings enough new twists and flavor to the table that will make it worth the purchase price.

Verdict

Graphics:Two stars
Sound:Two stars
Gameplay:Three stars
Amount of IAP:Some
Overall: Three stars
Cost:$4.99

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Review - Tiny Tower

Tiny Tower, the latest game from the folks at Nimblebit, is the subject of today's review. As the games title suggests, you are in charge of building a tower.

From the start Tiny Tower pulls you in with a layer of charm that almost all the Nimblebit games have. The graphics are blocky, with a 8-bit game kind of feel. But this adds to Tiny Tower, rather than subtract from it.

The goal of Tiny Tower is to build a tower, bring in new bitzens to work and live in it, and complete some semi-simple missions. Each floor of your tower can either be an apartment level or a retail level. Each of the apartments can hold five bitzens, while the retail levels only have one kind of business.
Each of the bitzens that live in the tower have a number of stats that determine how good they are at certain job types. They also have a dream job that is a big part of the game.

Each service level can employ three bitzens, with the number of bitzens allowing an increase in the amount of stock that each location has. For example the Mapple store sells the Mypod with one employee, the Myphone with two, and the Mybook with three. If you have an employee that is working in their dream job, the amount of stock you can have increases. There is a fair amount of different service jobs from the aforementioned Mapple store to a movie theater to a wood shop.

As your tower grows, so do the costs of adding new levels. I'm sitting at 49 floors, with the cost to add a new one being 375k coins. That amount its too much though, considering that I'm raking in about 20ish coins a second. There are missions to do in the game as well, but do be honest I haven't attempted any of them yet.

The sound is minimal in Tiny Tower, but it's not the kind of game that requires it. There are little coin sounds as your total goes up, a bell that lets you know store is ready to be restocked, and a nice light music bed to go along with everything.

Tiny Tower does include some IAP, but considering the game is free I'm ok with it. You can buy bux from within the game that allow you to move levels, or move in a new bitzen without having to wait, or cash them out for the games currency. I ended up buying some bux just because I was enjoying the game so much and I wanted to kick Nimblebit a bit more money.

Overall this game is good to look at and a blast to play. The only issue I have with it is once your tower is going for a while. It gets a bit annoying to have to stock and restock every in the tower. But the annoyances are outweighed by the fun I had playing it.

http://youtu.be/cn8WpN_AXcE

Verdict

Graphics: Three stars
Sound: Three stars
Gameplay: Four stars
Amount of IAP: Some, but not very annoying
Angry Bird Leg rating: Moderate in the beginning, minor after things get going.
Overall: A solid game that is well worth the download.
Cost: Free

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American Pickers: The Road Less Traveled Review

If you have watched the show before, you might also love the game. American Pickers: The Road Less Traveled is a hidden object game that is based upon the hit reality television series American Pickers. From the TV show's Wikipedia entry, it seems to have become the highest rated History Channel debut since 2007 when it debuted last 2010. This makes the show in the level of amazing. But can the hidden object game follow suit? Well, let us review the game and find out.

The game follows the adventures of Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, the same guys who ran the TV series. You help them pick antiques and memorabilia from seemingly worthless junk. Well, if you do not know yet on what these guys do for a living, you must be confused on what picking means. The context clues says it all, they try to find antiques and collectibles all over America, and sell them too at a nice profit back in their headquarters named Antique Archaeology.

As you can see, the whole idea of the TV series makes the perfect setting for a hidden object game. And in the case of American Pickers: The Road Less Traveled, that is exactly what it is. In terms of graphics, I say that the hidden object scenes are made pretty well and while there are some pixel finding involved on highly cluttered areas, it is bearable enough and understandable too considering that you play the role of a picker now, and you must have an eye for rare finds, right?

Another thing that makes this game true to the TV series is the amount of dialogue involved. There is just too many for my taste, so I find coursing through the game a little boring that most of the time, I click through the dialogues just to get to some hidden object action. I understand too that fans of the series should find all of these talk amusing, more informative and fun, so this game may be made especially for them too.

American Pickers: The Road Less Traveled is definitely a good game to start on for beginner hidden object players that like a mix of story time and game time when playing their games. The game is absolutely one that is made for fans of the series, but I do still suggest that players try it out for themselves to see if it is enjoyable enough. You never know, the game might make you an American Pickers fan too.

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Borderlands 2 Release Date

The wait for millions of fans of the original Borderlands game is coming to a close. With a tentative Borderlands 2 release date being slated by the developers as mid to late 2012, gaming geeks and fans alike are already speculating if the second installment can live up to the first. Let's cover what made Borderlands such a hit to start with and investigate if 2K Games and Gearbox Software can step up to the plate with their latest iteration.

Borderlands was released in 2009 and received critical acclaim for its meshing of gaming genre's, namely First Person Shooters and Role Playing Games to coin a new phrase in gaming, the Role Playing Shooter. By the end of 2009, Borderlands had sold over 2 million copies worldwide and this figure has now hit 4.5 million. The games' success was due to a number of reasons including filling a gap between the RPG and FPS genres, the striking cell-shaded graphics, almost endless list of weapons and enormous quest lists. Re-playability also factored into its ongoing success with four pieces of downloadable content which expanded storyline, quests, leveling abilities and included the ultimate of challenges, Crawmerax the Invincible.

The scene for Borderlands was the planet of Pandora and the storyline revolved around you, as one of the four main protagonists on a quest to find mysterious pieces of alien artefacts in order to open 'The Vault'. The game catered well for single player as well as co-op through either two player split screen or up to four players over the net.

Borderlands 2 picks up five years after the opening of the vault (the end of the first game) and the scene is once again laid in Pandora. The new main antagonist, Handsome Jack, has claimed the credit and the riches from the opening of the vault which has allowed him to take over as CEO of the Hyperion Corporation and implant himself as the dictator of Pandora. The players' role in this story begins when Jack back stabs and then leaves the player for dead on the frozen tundra, sufficient enough motivation for revenge.

Everything that made the original game so successful is set to return in its sequel. What can be garnered from available information prior to its release date, the visual style and humorous dialogue will be back, but what is going to set this apart from its predecessor? In a word...Guns. The selection in the first was almost inexhaustible but in the second, they will be. Guns will also be easier to identify visually so no more cross hairs over weapon to see if you want to add it to your inventory. The modifications to weapons will also be ramped up with the inclusion of Eridium enhancements as well as the standard mods available.

There are four new characters to choose from, only two of which have been announced prior to the Borderlands 2 release date. These characters are Salvador the Gunzerker and Maya the Siren. The skill trees for Salvador and all of the new characters have been completely overhauled as well. My favourite so far is Salvador's' 'Sexual Tyrannosaurus' (can you name the movie this was taken from) which regenerates health as you are taking damage.

Vehicles have received some attention with four person transports now being available, a great leap ahead as anyone who played four person co-op in the first can testify to. One of the criticisms of the first Borderlands was the 'sameness' of the environments. A concerted effort is being made this time round to ensure a plethora of different areas, with the added bonus that if you can see it, you can explore it. Three areas which have been named are the arctic tundra, dangerous grasslands and the corrosive caverns.

Brand new enemies are also on the cards with these already being named:
Elemental Skags - This time they pass their power to others nearby.Arctic Bullymong - A gorilla-like creature can throw torn up pieces of scenery at you,Surveyors - Bots who can re-energise nearby allies,WAR Loader - A large bot that fires missiles and bullets, and my favorite,Nomad - A chubby bandit with an all-round shield, and an angry midget tied to it.

From the limited information available to date, it seems that a significant amount of time has been spent to rectify the small shortfalls that were present in Borderlands. With the Borderlands 2 release date approaching, it appears that 2K and Gearbox have gone much further than a 'spit and polish' just to rake in some cash.

Borderlands 2 Release Date price guarantees have been put in place by the major dealers. Have a look at the price comparisons at http://borderlands2game.com/

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The Tower of Druaga - Nintendo Famicom Game Review

Many video games today features a number of secrets hidden within them, but they are usually just a source of short amusement from the developer to the player rather than essential bits of information important to the plot of the story. Even if such games did feature secrets essential to the plot of the game, the advent of the Internet has basically ruined the original intention as anybody can easily look up the answers on the first day of release. However, such was not the case back when The Tower of Druaga was released on the Famicom in 1985.

Concept

The Tower of Druaga is an action role playing video game based on maze gameplay. The thing that is most interesting about it is that it was one of the first games that required players figure out and find a number of secrets in order to complete the game; without finding these essential hidden secrets, it was impossible to finish the game. Because there was no Internet back when this game was released, it was important for friends to work together to figure out the game.

Some of the secrets that were hidden in the game included a number of different things, such as random starting positions for each maze. In other words, if you restarted a maze, you might end up in a completely different part of the map, meaning you could not just blindly use muscle memory to get through the maze. On top of that, the maze could also change entirely, though it would not randomize, just to add another challenge.

Gameplay

In The Tower of Druaga, the player takes on the role of Gilgamesh, and the primary purpose of the game is to pass through sixty floors of mazes in an effort to defeat Druaga in his demonic tower. The only equipment Gilgamesh receives is a shield and a sword, and these items allow him to defend himself from magical attacks and defeat enemies, respectively. With this equipment in hand, Gilgamesh is required to go through a maze to find a randomly placed key, which will then open the door to the next floor.

The Tower of Druaga is the game that became the precursor to roguelikes such as Nethack and the recently released and popular The Binding of Isaac. Fans of either of these two games should absolutely invest in obtaining the original Famicom cartridge, if not just for the experience of seeing from where their favorites derived.

Please visit retrogamerjapan.com for Super Famicom games, Famicom games and more. We also have cleaned, tested and ready to play classic retro Famicom and Super Famicom consoles, controllers and guides. All 100% original, straight from Japan.

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Angry Fly Adventure - Cool iPhone Arcade Game

If you enjoy iOS games with gorgeous graphics and action oriented gameplay, you are in for a treat. That is because USOApps has released the sequel of an arcade-style game, Angry Fly Adventure. The title is available as a universal app so iPhone & iPad owners can enjoy it.

This is not a game that was quickly thrown together! A lot of thought and work went into every single feature and move, and that will be immediately obvious when you open the game.

THE STORY
Revenge!!!
The tiny Angry Fly is free now! A new cruel world with lots of enemies... Need to defeat everyone & everything. So, the journey began. However, don't think the it will be easy, oh no! Sluggish and nimble wasps, drones, tricky caterpillars, snails with beehives... that are the enemies, they'll attack tiny Fly during his adventure. Help him to overcome all the difficulties of life, help him to save world from them! Angry Fly is counting on YOU!

THE GAMEPLAY
The graphics and sound are adorable, perfectly matching the whimsical style and highly colored and dynamic gameplay.

You need to go through all the levels, kill all your enemies, get as many points as possible.

Simple touch control: in the lower left corner there is a joystick, with the help of which you'll operate your character. In the lower right corner - buttons for shooting (rockets, bombs, gun), boost & landing.

The game and levels are beautifully designed and dynamically loading so they're different each time you play, creating challenging gameplay which is always unique and engaging.

KEY FEATURES
- Unique control method
- Loads (35) of tricky "Killer" levels, increasing in difficulty
- Universal: iPhone & iPad cross compatible
- Great for all ages, easy to learn
- Very addictive, exciting gameplay, that keeps you coming back for more
- Community on Facebook and Twitter
- Leader boards and achievements
- Slick animations and immersive sounds effects
- Weapon store using your earned virtual cash, nine different types to choose from
- 100% fun for everyone
- Sweet and delightful
- Cartoon style graphics
- Easy to play, hard to master

Easy to understand, but difficult to master, this new iOS game requires dexterity and precision to finish the levels in record time.

Once you finish the game, you'll want to play it again!

Beat your high score, and collect every thing in every level!

Angry Fly Adventure is a game that will keep people of all ages hooked with its addictive, quirky and stylistic gameplay. Gorgeous graphics that really pop and unique music make the game a feast for your eyes and ears.

Well? What are you waiting for? The world isn't going to save itself!

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New Exciting Details About Assassin's Creed 3

Following the very successful first two installments, Ubisoft is set to again catch the gaming world by storm with the upcoming Assassin's Creed 3 revelation on March 5 2012.

Although the company is yet to announce some details about the game, some leaks have been circling the web for some time now. Here are some of the supposed leaked information we have filtered so far.

The story of the game will now be fast forwarded to the 18th Century North American cities of New York and Boston. Some historical figures such as Charles Lee, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin will be included in the game. This information was gleaned from the latest issue from GameInformer.

According to the magazine, the name of game's character will be Connor, a half English, half Mohawk native American living on the US frontier.

Not enough information were revealed by the US magazine but historical events like the winter of George Washington at Valley Forge and the great fire of New York are some of the scenarios of the game.

A third of the game will take place on the US frontier. GameInformer claims this map will be 1.5 times bigger than the entire map of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Obviously, there will be fast transport system to let characters traverse the vast expanse in the game.

Gameplay includes climbing trees and cliffs to get good vantage points for kills and hunting animals for resources.

Another good addition to the game will be the passing or changing of seasons after some time. Non-playable characters will behave according to the weather as well. Soldiers movement will be hampered by snow and will stumble around clumsily around frozen lakes and rivers.

Connor's main weapons will be a knife and a tomahawk. Users will also be able to perform multiple takedowns, chained kills, and double counters.

If there is a good practical thing ditched, it will be the target locking feature. The game will automatically pinpoint an opponent instead of a player manually locking the target like in the previous installments. Ubisoft wants players to experience faster and more fluid gameplay and thus the control system has been automated making combat more controllable and exciting.

Ubisoft also announced that additional platforming sections will be added this time around.

And if these scant details do not excite you that much yet, an undisclosed amount of money twice bigger than the budget for revelations according to Ubisoft has been allocated for this game. That said, we can expect a lot from Assassins Creed 3 when it comes out. This game will be one of the biggest gaming news for AC fans out there.

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The Surprising Adventures of Munchausen Review

The Surprising Adventures of Munchausen is another Big Fish Games exclusive that graced me initially as possibly another hidden object game that is like all the others that came before it. However, this game also teaches me to not judge a book by its cover, because as I soon found out, it is not a hidden object game. This game goes beyond hidden object as it is more an adventure, and a whimsical, crazy and humorous adventure at that.

The story of the game starts as some evil wizard destroyed the Heart of the Kingdom. Without any light and prosperity in his kingdom, the king was offered a solution to marry his daughter to a strange and evil man that can bring the king an enormous amount of money. Desperate and hating her predicament, the princess calls for Baron Munchausen for help. The Baron is eager to do so, and as he enters the scene, prepare to have so much fun unlike nothing the crazy Munchausen can.

For those who do not know yet, the origins of The Surprising Adventures of Munchausen game predates to an actual living man that lived from 1720 to 1797. He told many outrageous and farfetched stories of his adventures that lived to this day on books and movies. Well now, you can experience a made up tale of the famous Baron through this game. And true to his many adventures, this game is also very unique, very funny and full of Munchausen's comical braggadocio that you will definitely enjoy playing it until the end.

Really, this game started quite amateurish to me and I was expecting no surprises, but all that impression blew away the instant that the game play starts. You see, the hidden object scenes follow a different kind of game play. Well, you still need to find objects, but instead of a list, you need to associate other items on your list with these hidden objects. Other than this, other game play mechanics include helping Munchausen by following listed instructions and the usual adventure game play where you need to use inventory items to keep Munchausen progressing in his adventure.

In my opinion, The Surprising Adventures of Munchausen is really one fine game that if you are a seasoned hidden object player, you definitely need something like this to change your perspective, that not all games like these are gritty, dark and eerie, but can also be simple and fun. Too bad that the adventure is quite short, but I am looking forward to a sequel just the same.

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Pandanda - A Virtual World for Kids

Pandanda is an online social networking game that was launched in 2008. It is currently a live site that is aimed at children from ages 6 to 14. The site was originally tested in beta mode for free until the program worked out its kinks and programming issues. The site is a cute-looking, innocuous children's website with cuddly non-threatening red panda bears and small forest animals - much like children's stuffed animals or animated animals on a preschooler's television show. Members choose a red panda as an avatar and move through the site chatting with other avatars.

There are several membership levels. Children can test drive the website with a free membership; however, this limits the activity they can have in the virtual world. Paid memberships begin at $5.95 per month with discounts for a 6 and 12 month membership. A paid membership allows players to enjoy the full features of the world. The site also has a currency in place for members to get memberships for free called Panda Gold. Members can earn this currency by filling out surveys, watching videos or completing offers. Panda Gold can also be exchanged for the main currency on the site simply called 'coins'. The website is the base for the game. There is no file downloading to operate the game. The website is only available in English.

Features

New members of Pandanda choose an avatar in the form of a red panda bear to be their online personality. They choose a home for their panda and can alter it to fit their personality. The main focus of the world is for players to earn 'coins' to pay for their panda's life in the virtual world. Players buy their avatars food, clothing, shelter and household items. The coins unlock these features and also unlock opportunities for players to interact with other players. Members can chat about their pandas with other members in a chat room and make friends with other players. The mascot for the website is called Henry. He is the panda bear who acts as the host and the face of Pandanda.

What's Good

Pandanda is a fairly innocent website that will appeal mainly to boys and girls well below age ten who are interested in friendship with other children. The pandas are designed to appeal to small children and appear as non-threatening. The facial expressions are kind and pleasant. The company who produced the website was successful in designing an innocent-looking atmosphere for children. There are no adult themes in the virtual world or on the website. There is no violence, drinking, smoking, drug use, sex or offensive language.

The main focus of Pandanda that will earn the respect of parents is the children's ability to grasp and handle financial concepts. The players must be responsible with their coins in order to care for their panda. Purchasing goods can be construed as a negative in reinforcing overspending and commercialism; however, parents can be proactive and teach their children the value of money and how to spend it wisely. This is a lightweight virtual world - bland and harmless.

What's Bad

The age range that Pandanda is going for seems to be a bit out of touch with the graphics. The design of the characters may be fine for post-kindergarten children, but children over the age of nine will find them juvenile. The website is very static with little movement. It would be a major improvement if the animal's movements could be better choreographed. Users have found issues with the chat pages being mildly offensive. Inappropriate language can be posted unless it is caught and removed by a moderator.

Beyond being responsible with money, there is very little educational value attached to this virtual world. The average design and cookie-cutter approach to the creation of the virtual world may leave parents scratching their heads as to what exactly they are paying for. This company needs to update the website's graphics and not try to overreach their demographic.

Online Safety

The website has done a good job of promoting online safety. No personal information is ever displayed online. There are two chat modes: safe chat (the child clicks on a predetermined chat message) and standard filtered chat (the child types in their own message which is moderated). Parents can easily access the company's safety information. Pandanda encourages parents to monitor their child's online experience have an open discussion with them about online safety.

Aldric Chang is a creative entrepreneur who is at the moment building virtual worlds for kids and running a Singapore digital marketing agency. His creative accomplishments span across the production of several hundred animation projects, casual games, music compositions and cartoon animated series.

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Broken Sword 2: The Smoking Mirror Review and Tips

Broken Sword 2: The Smoking Mirror is a point-and-click adventure game by Revolution Software Limited that has been flawlessly ported to iOS devices.

In this sequel to Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars, you start off as George Stobbart, whose girlfriend, Nico, was kidnapped. He himself is now trapped in a burning house, tied to a chair. You need to get him out of the house and begin a lengthy and dangerous journey to rescue Nico.

Once George rescues Nico, you'll get to play as her at several different points throughout the game. The two occasionally split up, sometimes by choice and other times by force, and have to use their own inventory and wits to solve the puzzles ahead of them.

Besides offering plenty of exploration and puzzles for adventure gamers, the Broken Sword series is full of humor and sarcasm that sets it apart from other games in the genre. For instance, you pick up a tequila worm in the first room, and can show it to just about everyone you meet in your travels to see what their reactions are to it. You don't need to talk to every non-playable character or exhaust all your discussion topics, but you'll miss out on some real gems if you don't. Broken Sword 2 is a game you should take your time with and really savor it.

The 2D graphics are charming and look great even on a small iPhone screen. The soundtrack is also perfect for the game, always changing for the location and plot line to immerse you in the game. It's a real work of art.

If you're a point-and-click adventure fan, you won't want to miss out on this game. It's available on PC, iPod, iPhone and iPad, so you have plenty of ways to get ahold of it.

If you need some help, here are a few tips and cheats:

1. For touch screens, swipe your finger around the screen to see which items you can interact with. That way you won't miss anything important.

2. Try mixing items by dragging one to the other if none of your items are doing the job on their own.

3. Some portions of the game require precise timing or you could die! Make sure to save frequently and in different save slots so you won't have to play too much of the game over if you lose.

That should help you get started on your Broken Sword 2 adventure. Enjoy!

If you need more help with the game, see my Broken Sword 2 walkthrough: http://www.appunwrapper.com/2011/12/24/broken-sword-2-the-smoking-mirror-remastered-walkthrough/

-AppUnwrapper
In-Depth iPhone Game Reviews, Walkthroughs and Giveaways
http://www.appunwrapper.com/escape-games/
Twitter: AppUnwrapper

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The Nintendo Famicom Game Review: Balloon Fight!

Balloon Fight for the Nintendo Famicom was released in 1985. This game is fun to play and has a simple premise: go pop the bad guys' balloons! This simple idea is a great start to the game. The player doesn't have to read a manual, or worry about which buttons to press. This is 8-bit retro gaming at its best.

You can press the A or B buttons to make your character fly up and down. Press left and right on the arrow pad to go, well, left and right. Balloon fight is similar to Joust, but in Joust you are trying to kill your enemies, here you just want to pop your enemies' balloons. Don't be turned off by the simple premise of this game. That's part of the magic! It's easy to understand at first glance, but hard to master.

There are three modes of play: single, 2 player, and Balloon Trip. The main goal for the first two modes is to pop all of the balloons while keeping your own player aloft. In Balloon Trip, you must traverse through an obstacle course and test your flying skills. Be careful of the lightning and other baddies waiting to knock you out of the sky.

The controls in Balloon Fight take a little practice to gain proficiency. If you flap to hard going up, it's difficult to slow your momentum down and you may crash into an enemy and lose a balloon. The same goes for going right and left. If you go to fast in any direction, slowing down becomes a problem and you may find yourself heading into trouble.

The graphics in Balloon Fight are great. Very vibrant and colorful. Even in 8-bit, it looks good, and the sprite animations are well done so Mario's movements are believable and the enemies and balloons are recognizable as such.

If you've just purchased a used Balloon Fight cartridge, make sure to clean the contacts with ammonia using a q-tip. If it hasn't been cleaned, it will certainly need to be. Always make sure your game carts are not dirty before sticking them into your Famicom. Inserting a dirty cart into your working FC is a retro-gaming foul. Don't do it!

All in all, Balloon Fight is one of those games in the vast Family Computer game library that should definitely be in your collection. It's got the retro, 8-bit game mix down just right: a simple premise, which is easily understood at a glance, followed by excellent gameplay.

Click the link to view and buy Famicom games. Retrogamerjapan.com has a great selection of Family Computer games and consoles, as well as Super Famicom games and consoles as well. All RetroGamerJapan games and consoles are guaranteed to work and come clean and ready to go!

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Experience The Thrill Of Rise Of Flight

A major part of the allure of video games is the ability to do things we ordinarily couldn't do, or to be taken to another place and time. It's no real surprise then that sports games and shooters tend to dominate the game shelves, as we have all dreamed of being a sports superstar, or of playing the lead in a big action movie where we get to fire of huge amounts of hot lead in order to save the day.

Another genre of game that falls into the action category is war games, where players can re-live actual missions from wars of the past. While some love to get their hands dirty on the ground, other player's dream of taking to the skies to fight the battle above the clouds.

Rise of Flight is one such game that let's gamers experience the thrill of flight, whilst also taking part in dogfights, all set against the landscape of World War I. The modern day video games have become so realistic that we tend to become engrossed in the action without really paying any heed to the work that went into making them so good in the first place.

It could be argued that a simulator the likes of Rise of Flight is a much more difficult game to design, especially when you consider that the laws of aerodynamics and physics must be obeyed to make controlling the plane seem realistic.

It's not just science that the makers of Rise of Flight were up against, and they also had to take into account the cockpits of the planes, as well as the landscape that the players are flying across. It's safe to say that a lot has changed since 1914-1918, which are the years in which the game takes place. There are those who take great joy in pointing out historical inaccuracies, which means that the guys behind Rise of Flight probably had to spend some time in a history classroom; that is, when they were done with science classes.

The fact that Rise of Flight is one of the most popular flight simulators is a credit to the work done by the game developers, which actually stretches all the way back to 2004. It's the attention to detail that can make or break a games, especially among hardcore followers of the genre, so taking the time to get it all just right is actually very important.

There will always be those who find some fault with the design of any game, but spare a thought for the designers of Rise of Flight, who not only had to carefully render the planes of that era, but also re-created over 125,000 square kilometers of land across the Western Front. That may well have been a mission bigger than any you will undertake within the game itself.

You can watch some videos of this great World War 1 flight simulator in action, and find out more the game at the Rise of Flight website. If more modern flying is where your interests lie, check out the aircraft at the Flight Simulator Online Game site.

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2012 Is Going to Be the Best Year Ever for the Resident Evil Franchise

On March 20th 2012 Resident evil Operation Raccoon City is being released, just 1 of the 2 games scheduled for release this year. Capcom is taking a different approach in this game by changing things up a bit.

In all the resident evil games in the past except for Resident Evil Survivor, you took on the role of the S.T.A.R.S members. In this game you play the role of the Umbrella Security Service, the ones responsible for the T-Virus outbreak. Or you can take on the role of the United States Special Operations Force, which is really awesome. Depending on which side you choose, your mission will be totally different.

If you choose to take on the role of the Umbrella Team, your mission will be to destroy any evidence of Umbrella's illegal activity, along with killing any and all survivors. On the other hand the Special Operations Team has to expose the actions of the Umbrella company.

You will also be faced with some major decisions in the game such as, killing Leon S. Kennedy. One of the major characters in Resident evil 2 and Resident evil 4. The game features an amazing storyline and takes place during the events of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 Nemesis.

Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City also has a co-op story mode where up to 4 players can join in the action. Switching over to the multi player side, there is a bunch of different modes you can chose from such as Hero mode.

In Hero mode you can play as Leon S Kennedy, Jill Valentine, Claire Redfield, Carlos Oliviera, Plus Ada Wong, HUNK, Nicholai Ginovaef and a new character Lone Wolf. There is also Nemesis Mode an Xbox 360 Exclusive that allows you to control Nemesis and use him to kill the other team.

So as you can see this game is going to be absolutely awesome. On November 20th 2012 Resident Evil 6 is scheduled to be released and this game has a completely different storyline.

The year is 2013 and U.S. President Adam Benford has decided to reveal the truth behind what took place in the 1998 Raccoon City Destruction Incident in the belief that it will curb the current resurgence in bio-terrorist activity.

Due to be by the President's side is his personal friend and Raccoon City survivor, Leon S. Kennedy, but when the venue suffers a bio-terrorist attack, Leon is forced to face a President transformed beyond recognition and make his hardest decision ever.

At the same time, Bio-terrorism Security Assessment Alliance member Chris Red field arrives in the fictional city of Lanshiangi facing the same problem that Leon is dealing with.

These games sound really good and i am looking forward to both of them not to mention the movie that is coming out this fall. If you are a true hardcore Resident Evil fan like me, i am sure you are looking forward to all 3 of these titles. I would love to hear any comments you have to share, and if your not a fan than this year would be the best time to get into this awesome series.

For the latest breaking news, reviews, or to purchase games and so much more for the resident evil franchise please go to http://buyelectronicsstore.com/. Feel free to leave me a comment i am open to hear anything you have to share. Scott Newkirk Author at EzineArticles.com

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Club Penguin - Kids Virtual Worlds

Club Penguin is massively multi-player online role playing game (MMORPG) that was launched in October 2005. It was developed by Club Penguin Entertainment and purchased by The Walt Disney Company in 2007. The website consists of online games and activities for children from age 6 to 14. The site has a typical Disney-looking feel to it with cartoon penguin avatars that children customize to use as their online personality. The game has also spawned physical video games for Nintendo and books.

Children can try the website for free; however, this limits the activity they can have in the virtual world. Paid memberships begin at $7.95 US per month. 6 months is $39.95 US and 12 months is $59.95 US. A paid membership allows players unlimited access to all games, themed parties, priority server access and new activities. A unique part of the website is the Coins for Change program. This program is an online charity where players donate their 'coins' for various real-world charitable causes. The website is available in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and German.

Features

Club Penguin exists in a winter virtual world where children choose an avatar in the form of a cartoon penguin to be their online personality. They choose a home for their penguin which is an igloo. Both the igloo and the penguin can be customized with accessories to fit the player's personality. Igloos are on the world's map so other players can find them. Players can also own pets called Puffles. If not taken care of, they run away and must be replaced. The Club Penguin Times is a virtual newspaper where players can submit writing, art and jokes.

When players log into the game, they first arrive in 'The Town' which hosts typical stores found in any town. Themed parties such as Christmas or Halloween happen once a month and are available to members only. The main focus of this virtual world is for players to earn 'coins' by playing games. These 'coins' allow players buy their avatars food, clothing, shelter and household items. The chat feature was originally only a small part of Club Penguin, but has recently been expanded. Members can chat about their penguins with other members in a chat room and make friends with other players. The use of emoticons is a large part of the chat feature.

What's Good

Club Penguin is a fairly innocent website that will appeal mainly to children well below age 10 who are interested in friendship with other children and simple games. The penguins are designed to appeal to small children. The facial expressions are kind and pleasant - those that would be found on a children's cartoon show. Disney and the developers were successful in designing an innocent-looking atmosphere for children. There are no adult themes in the virtual world or on the website. There is no overt violence, drinking, smoking, drug use, sex or offensive language. The games use math and reading to enhance a child's basic skills.

Disney must be commended for spending a lot of time and effort to keep the chat system safe. Ultimate Safe Chat allows only pre-scripted phrases. Standard Safe Chat blocks all profanity and inappropriate behavior even if users try to get around the filters. Words not previously approved go into a queue for review before they are posted. Moderators are plentiful. Having a chat system on a children's virtual world can be socially meaningful and Disney has done a good job in keeping it safe.

What's Bad

The age range that Club Penguin is going for seems to be a bit out of touch with the graphics. The design of the characters may be fine for post-kindergarten children, but children over the age of 10 will find them juvenile. Parents may find an increased level of consumerism as players that move through the game will learn how to acquire things for their avatar and their home. These are small quibbles for a generally good virtual world for children.

Online Safety

The website has gone above and beyond to provide a safe atmosphere for children. No personal information is ever displayed in chat - even if a player is a boy or a girl. Even the open chat (which is usually a candidate for inappropriate behavior) is strictly moderated. The section for parents is very thorough. Parents are encouraged to be highly involved in their child's online life. All personal and credit information that is collected follows the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.

This review was written by a responsible parent and media professional who runs a kids virtual worlds review website. Click on the links for more useful reviews on cool kids games.

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An Introductory Guide to Syndicate

Syndicate will be a futuristic FPS game which takes place in 2069, where the entire planet is governed by 3 huge corporations, referred to as the Syndicates. As a bio-engineered soldier who works for the Eurocorp Syndicate, you have the DART-6 microchip implanted into your brain - which lets you breach (assume control of) items in your immediate surroundings, take over any adversary's weapons together with your adversary's minds, see through walls plus also control the speed of time. This game comes with a four player cooperative mode, featuring a distinct campaign storyline made up of objectives derived from the cult-classic 1993 Syndicate game on PC.

STORY:

The planet in 2069 is controlled by companies know as Syndicates and not individual countries. Every Syndicate governs an area in the world, and people living in every area need a neural chip implant so that they can gain access to information as well as essential services provided through their regional Syndicates, including jobs, education, housing, entertainment and medical services. People can obtain these services in the blink of an eye, however in exchange the Syndicates can take over and command each individual - including what they see and their behaviour.

Big business is now the new war-zone, and each Syndicate would do just about anything for market dominance. All the Syndicates have Agents, who are ruthless biologically enhanced soldiers with advanced neural chips, who are able to hack anything within their surrounding environment which includes their enemy's weaponry as well as their adversary's minds. Players assume the role of Miles Kilo, the newest model of agent working for Eurocorp, as you commence a thrilling adventure brimming with revenge as well as corruption.

HIGHLIGHTS AND FEATURES:

Harness Your Neural Implant - The DART-6 neural chip implant will allow you to look straight through walls and even slow down time. You have the ability to take command of and operate (hack) all objects under the control of a digital computer chip. Take over your enemy's weapons and additionally control your adversary's minds. Players are able to modify their DART-6 neural implant while they advance through the game.

Utilize Your Assortment of Weapondary - Besides the DART 6 neural chip, you have a huge choice of futuristic weapons readily available, in addition to various types of armour and various other items of equipment that can be used to eliminate your foes. Syndicate provides a unique, intense Fps adventure.

Four Player Co-Op Gameplay - Enjoy Syndicate with as many as 3 other gamers in this 4-player co-op game mode. This co-op option includes a distinct storyline with nine separate missions based on the original Syndicate game which came out in 1993 on the pc.

Intriguing Science Fiction Storyline - Created by renowned writer Richard Morgan, Syndicate features an intriguing Sci-Fi storyline, which immerses the gamer into the science fiction universe of 2069.

The official release date for Syndicate is scheduled around 24th Feb, 2012, with the game to be released on these gaming systems: Sony PS3, Xbox 360 as well as PC/Windows. The video game is published by Electronic Arts, and Starbreeze Studios are the developers for this game. Multi-player options will be offered in this game, and a maximum of 4 participants can play. The PEGI ranking given to the game will be PEGI 18, and is therefore appropriate for gamers 18 years and older.

Point your browser at GamingEdge to view game reviews for Syndicate by the leading gaming review sites. View pricing within South Africa, look at video game images as well as view movie clips. Have a look at this helpful GamingEdge website link displayed here - Syndicate

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Gaming Then and Now

Recently I decided to go back into my collection of video games. I hooked up my Sega Genesis and plugged in Sonic the Hedgehog. This is one of my all time favorite video games. There is no doubt that Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis is a classic that every gamer should play. I realize there are a lot of games out there similar to Sonic the Hedgehog. One of the more famous ones is Super Mario Brothers for the NES.

These games were not the first games ever created but are defiantly Iconic. When a gamer hears the name Sonic or Mario they immediately know who they are. My question is though they know who they are; do they know what their original games were like? Most veteran gamers know the answer to this question. However for the younger generation of gamers who are growing up playing Wii or Xbox 360, this answer might not be the same. In this day in age technology has increased rapidly. Now we have hand free and motion games. We have games with 3D graphics. The thought of where the gaming industry will be in the years to come blows my mind. Although games are advancing, we should not forget the classics and what these games started out as. The Sonic the hedgehog series for the Sega Genesis is a good example of this. Even though these games are so basic, they are still great games to play. They did not need to be complex to be fun and addicting.

In Sonic the Hedgehog you have your basic controls for running, jumping, and spinning. The music and sound effects are simple and catchy. The art and animations are all 2D, detailed, colorful, and enjoyable to see. The story is about a giant blue hedgehog named Sonic who is after an evil master mind who is terrorizing the world with his mechanical monsters in seek of controlling the world with the Chaos Emeralds. All of these elements come together to create a strong but basic game that was very catchy and fun to play. The team that developed Sonic the Hedgehog was made up of less than ten people. Of course the technology back in the Sega Genesis days was nowhere near what we have today, but the game developers worked with what they had and created outstanding games.

I am not trying to say in anyway that today's video games are bad. We should not forget about the classic games that started and impacted the industry as we know it today and teach the younger gamers about these games that we grew up playing. Whether you are veteran or a new age gamer, dig up or find a classic game like Sonic the Hedgehog or Mario and relive its experience.

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Film Fatale: Lights, Camera, Madness Review

Film Fatale: Lights, Camera, Madness is the perfect example of a hidden object game that does not focus on overly artistic graphics and visualizations but on the other hand, delivers a magnificent storyline coupled with one of the best game play presentations I had this month. With that said, some people are easily turned off during the first few minutes of playing, but in my opinion it is worth it for us to take a peek further down this game's rabbit hole.

The game's storyline takes you back in the bustling years of the 1940's wherein a man named M. W. Vernon is at the forefront of that time's movie and film industry. Being a man of great vision and innovation, he built a movie studio on his own private island to begin making his best movie yet. However, this project was unable to continue due to several mishaps and troubles that fell into his work. On another time, your mother and retired movie star Rita Rey has been kidnapped. And now, it is up to you to save her in Vernon's island while trying to contend with the madness of the once great director.

As I had said on the first paragraph, Film Fatale: Lights, Camera, Madness is all about presentation. Even with the unimpressive graphics, the developers made sure that you are always gripped tight by the story from beginning until end. The voice overs are fantastic and the background music fits the game very well. All in all, it is a very fun game, and that is the most simple but straightforward adjective I can think of to describe it - fun. Something sometimes lost in technicalities of reviews such as this one that oftentimes I am lost for words on how to describe the experience brought forth by games like these.

The game is hidden object, but most of the scenes are less cluttered with stuff. Puzzles are also unique and well thought of, but ranges only from easy to moderately challenging at best. It really felt like you are just breezing through the game eager to know on what happens next to the story. I guess that is the only flaw of Film Fatale: Lights, Camera, Madness. It felt short, but that may only be me.

I highly recommend everyone to give this game a try and see for themselves on how brilliant this game is. Film Fatale: Lights, Camera, Madness is a highly fun and addictive game, and I am looking forward for more from this game's developers.

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Battlefield 3

As Call of Duty slowly and surely dominated the first-person-shooter genre, the veteran series Battlefield was put firmly on the backburner. EA wanted to change that with Battlefield 3. They mostly achieved their goals in trying to take a piece of Call of Duty's pie. In fact, this game has one of the strongest multiplayer modes around-though if you love playing single-player you may be extremely disappointed. Regardless of what game mode you choose, the gameplay itself still remains tight and authentic.

There are certainly some parts of this game that completely put Call of Duty to shame; in my opinion, the graphics are the best on any console game, bar none. Granted, you have to download an optional texture patch for the Xbox 360 version to make it look pretty. And not to beat up on the Xbox 360 version too much, but it comes in two discs, as opposed to the one disc PS3 version. It's a minor gripe but it's worth noting. In the win column, Battlefield 3's multiplayer maps are vastly larger than those in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and this makes getting into a vehicle very appealing when starting a match. Other than the size of the maps, though, you can't compare Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty's multiplayer too closely, as they are very different.

Many of the first-person shooters currently on the market have guns that feel like peashooters. That isn't the case at all with Battlefield 3. You actually feel the recoil hammer your weapon when you shoot down the barrel and you can even upgrade your barrel so you can have a steadier shot. Nothing is as satisfying as aiming down your sight, firing ahead of your target and seeing your bullet drop directly on their unsuspecting body. That being said, there is a bit of a learning curve to this game because of the bullet physics. You have to adjust your shots accordingly for targets at a distance. No longer can you magically shoot straight across the map.

The gameplay on the ground works very well but you're probably wondering how you would travel across a huge battlefield. Don't worry, you're covered with an immense garage full of vehicles. You have your standard tanks, jeeps and boats but where it really gets interesting is in the sky. They have two different types of helicopters: one for attacking and another for support and transport. They're both incredibly fun to zoom around over head in. I can't mention vehicles and not touch on how awesome the jets are. Yes, this game has flyable jets. They're not overpowered at all- in fact, they might be a little underwhelming for air to ground battles- but once you see another jet flying around you can definitely indulge all of your Top Gun fantasies.

Mutliplayer is such a big feature in games because it gives our beloved software more shelf-time. And if we can judge how long a game survives just by their online modes, Battlefield 3 just might be immortal. You have the standard game modes such as "Deathmatch" and "Squad Deathmatch," but the real meat and potatoes comes from "Rush," which pits one defensive team trying to defend a bombsite against an offensive team with limited respawns. Once the attackers successfully plant on two bombsites another two pop up and the multiplayer map gets even larger, which isn't a problem with the dynamic spawning system. It's not an entirely fresh idea but the way this game really sets it up with the engaging atmosphere you can't help but be pulled in.

Now that we've covered Battlefield 3's strengths, we definitely have to go over its flaws. The elephant in the room is the horrid single-player. It's very similar to Call of Duty's multiple character viewpoints, where you switch playable characters throughout the story. Unlike Call of Duty, though, Battlefield 3's missions aren't memorable and often times try too hard to blow you away. The only really cool set piece in the campaign is when you're the gunner in a jet. Yes, you're the gunner- you don't actually fly the jet. Which is pretty damn lame. The single-player just feels like a watered down training mode for multiplayer.

This game does offer co-op, if you're dead set on enjoying some sort of story. The missions are actually set up well but are mostly forgettable. Unlike Halo Reach, you can't play with multiple friends. It's just you and one other. It would've been cool to have three or four buddies helping you out, but it's only a minor detraction. Though the only reason I trudged through the missions was to unlock more weapons.

If you like being rewarded you're going to absolutely love how they set up the unlockables. As previously mentioned, you can unlock guns through the co-op by completing missions. Though where you're going to do the most unlocking is online. You can pretty much have any scope on any weapon. Want a hunting scope on your M4? No problem! Want a red-dot sight on your Sniper Rifle? Okay. You can even unlock things for your vehicles, for instance, having flares for your attack helicopters. None of the unlockables feel unbalanced either, which is important for a game that thrives on its multiplayer.

For those looking for a decent change of pace to your close-quarter first person shooters then do yourself a favor and check this game out. Though the single-player lacks any memorable experiences, you'll be blown away by the amazing multiplayer. There's a learning curve when you jump online but if you have the patience to learn everything about the game then you'll no doubt have a new favorite in your collection.

Visit http://www.slackers.com/ for more great reviews!

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Battlefield 3 - Xbox 360 Beta Impressions

Today I will give you some early impressions detailing the Xbox 360 version of the Battlefield 3 beta. Lets get some formalities out of the way early, shall we? Battlefield 3 is a modern first-person shooter developed by EA DICE and published by Electronic Arts. It releases October 25, 2011. This particular article is specifically detailing my early experiences regarding the Xbox 360 version of the Battlefield 3 beta.

Gamemodes - One game mode and that is Rush.

Rush - I played Rush many times in both Bad Company games. Attacking forces must advance through enemies defenses and destroy M COM Stations throughout the map. The defending team must protect all M COM Stations from the attackers. It's a simple game of defense versus offense and it can be quite entertaining sometimes. Most times defenders win and it seems to be that way in Battlefield 3 on Operation Metro map.

Operation Metro Map - Operation Metro map is the only map on the Xbox 360 version of Battlefield 3 beta at the moment. This map starts out in a park in sunlight but quickly turns into a underground subway battle. The early part of the subway portion is very linear. Actually, many sections of Operation Metro are linear which makes for Attackers in Rush really difficult. There are open areas in the subway section featuring escalators and open lobbies. But most of the map is train cars and linear passageways. There are also quite a few backroom hallways in the Operation Metro map.

Classes - There are four different classes in the beta including Assault, Engineer, Recon and Support. What primary guns you start out with in default depends on if your Attacker or Defender. Every class give or take has a Primary, Secondary, Gadget 1, Gadget 2 and Specialization slot.

Assault - This class starts off with either M16A3 or AK-74m for primary weapons. Sidearms are MP443 and M9 with the Medic Kit. I played with this class early and often. It feels sorta like the medic class in other games the way you can just toss around health packs to squad members and other teammates. I would say it's a good class to start with in Battlefield 3.

Engineer - Not much use for this class in the beta due to no vehicles being available. However the Engineer class has always been a favorite of mine in Battlefield: Bad Company 1 and 2. Primary weapons are M4A1 and AKS-74u. Sidearms are the same as all of the other classes. Gadget 1 is SMAW and RPG-7U2.

Each weapon in the Battlefield 3 beta has a detailed stats page showcasing everything you need to know about each gadget and weapon.

Support - I played with the Support class and it seems like a good class to lay down suppressive fire with. Primary weapon is the M27 1AR and RPK- 74M. Secondary guns are the same as above. Ammo Boxes are the "Gadget". If you want to keep supplies from running out for you're squadmates and teammates, pick the Support class.

Recon - Sniper class, need I say more? Primary guns MK 11 MODO and SVD. Secondary guns are the same as above. The Gadget is Radio Beacon. If you played with the Recon class in Bad Company it's quite similar.

Controls - Feels similar to Bad Company 2. Only difference so far is the prone option. To prone press down the Right Thumb Stick all the way till you're prone. The controls as to be expected aren't that good due to it being a beta. Seems aiming is kinda off. It seems clunky and wunky and or jerky if I can say that. Sprinting and doing the automatic parkour moves are nice.

Custom Kits - The menu is there but I can't confirm yet if you can make custom loadouts. I haven't played it enough to unlock many options to be frank. I will let you all know later if there are Custom Loadouts in the beta.

Glitches - First game I played on my Xbox 360 it simply froze ten minutes into the match. I had to restart the console. Not a good first impression if I must say. That's not all, almost every match I played had stuttering issues and framrate drops. Connections issues in game are apparent. Finding matches were easy to find on the Xbox 360. Battlefield 3's beta does have quite a bit of issues on the Xbox 360 regarding freezing, glitching and stuttering. Good thing, it's a beta and DICE has time to fix the kinks before the game ships in a few weeks.

My Unlocks - Not much, but for leveling up to Private First Class I attained the 870 MCS shotgun.

So what do I think about Battlefield 3's beta running on the Xbox 360? It's a gorgeous game with great sound design. I do like the Operation Metro map, it's not a great map but it's a solid map. The game does have glaring issues relating to glitching, stuttering and freezing. Thanks for reading.

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Four Great PlayStation Move Games

Some great PlayStation 3 Move games include Dance Dance Revolution, Deadliest Catch: Sea of Chaos, Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition and SOCOM 4.

The first game, Dance Dance Revolution should need no introduction or explanation as to why it is a great PlayStation game. As a quintessential PlayStation Move game it gives you a chance to move around and use the Move and the wand to the fullest. The game is also fun and relaxing with some very exciting and enjoyable music.

The second game, the Deadliest Catch: Sea of Chaos is a great game as with the first person point of view it gives you a chance to learn what life aboard a sea vessel can be like. The game is also authentic as the developers Liquid Dragon spent some time with Sig Hansen and his crew aboard the Northwestern. Any fan of this series has to be able to enjoy this game. Using the Move to navigate on deck and lift up pots from the ocean is just too much fun. The game also allows you to choose a ship to be on with a choice of the Northwestern, the Cornelia Marie, and the Sea Star. The game never gets old as it just continues to surprise you at every turn.

Of course Resident Evil also needs no introduction as it is one of the early pioneers in computer games for the PlayStation. This version of the game called the Gold-Edition is the one used for PlayStation Move. This game series never gets old and as Resident Evil 5 isn't so much a new Resident Evil for the Move as a repeat of previous games it offers a chance at player control through use of the Move and Wand.

The final game on the list, SOCOM 4 is a typical military game which is enhanced by the Move. This third person tactical shooting game is just incredible when in the hands of the Move. The feel of holding the gun and using it can be thrilling as well as the cut scenes which with these graphics just blow you away, sucking you into the game as a whole. The plot of the game also takes you to some new exotic locals such as Malaysia on secret covert missions. Once again this game also features some multiplayer capability which also enhances the fun even more.

These four games are great games to play when paired with the Move.

Check out the most anticipated PS3 Move Games of 2012.

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Defense Grid: The Awakening PC Video Game Review

Defense Grid: The Awakening is a tower defense game that was first released way back in 2009. If you decide to download the title today, you can probably find it on sale, like I did. In that case-or even if you have to full price, if I'm to be completely honest-you should definitely make a purchase. Hidden Path Entertainment has put together a truly satisfying package.

There's a story, of course: aliens are invading a futuristic complex and you have to save it. You do so by activating defensive measures (mostly gun turrets) while a chatty AI pal who occasionally sounds a lot like Zartan from the old G.I. Joe cartoon gives you alerts and talks about raspberries. He once was a human, you understand. That was years ago, though, and now he just wants to help you as you defend "the grid." The story isn't especially deep. It's told in bits and pieces, through mournful snippets of dialogue that you'll hear repeatedly if you happen to suck at completing a given stage. By the end of the game, you'll know the full tragic tale of your mechanical chum.

The plot isn't really the reason that Defense Grid is such a wonderful experience, though. The real draw is the strategy side of things. Placing towers to stop a seemingly endless stream of enemies doesn't seem like it should serve as the basis for a successful subgenre, but for some reason it almost always does. A few times, I've sat down to play for a minutes before going to bed and then looked up hours later only to find that night had come and gone. That's a rare enough occurrence for me nowadays that I really notice it when it happens.

At a glance, Defense Grid doesn't differ a lot from the typical tower defense title. You start off with a paltry few units and your arsenal expands over time. The first few that you'll gain are often the most useful, however. They include standard guns, flame cannons and lasers. Each piece of arsenal that you add to the mix (known here as "towers") will cost you resources. You start a stage with a set amount of resources and you gain more of them as you gun down aliens that are trying to reach your cores. The goal is to prevent them from doing so, but that's not always possible. Sometimes, you have to just shoot them down before they can escape with any cores that they may have grabbed. If too many cores are snagged by enemies in a given level, you lose. The better you do at preventing those precious cores from being taken, the higher your score will be when you complete a stage.

The score component definitely adds something to Defense Grid. Each stage features default scores that you can try to beat, and you can also compete with friends to prove your superiority. Placing somewhere on the general scoreboard isn't difficult (you're essentially guaranteed placement as long as you clear a map), but snagging a top spot is another matter entirely. You'll need to play a nearly perfect game if you want to claim true victory. Even winning a map without losing any cores might not be enough; you also need to make sure that you're not wasteful with your resources.

Unfortunately, even with the leaderboards on hand to keep you motivated, Defense Grid can become dull after prolonged exposure. It's best played a few hours at a time, or even for a few minutes here and there. If you try to clear too many maps at once, the repetitive nature of things can start to wear on you. Almost without exception, the strategy to clear a map is to start by placing inexpensive units so that they block choke points and force aliens to take the longest route to the core. Then you upgrade some of those units and supplement them with more expensive varieties. There are occasional complications in the form of multiple entry and exit points for enemies in the later stages, but even then your best bet is to force everyone to snake through some well-placed machine guns (your most basic defense) that you have upgraded to their maximum level.

If the general campaign gets old, though, there also are alternatives. Missions include special objectives that switch things up. Your options change depending on the scenario. In one case, you might be able to try a familiar stage with 99 waves instead of the usual 25 or 30. Elsewhere, you might be able to start with 20,000 resources but defeated enemies won't drop any additional resources. Since there are more than 20 missions, each with a handful of compelling variations, Defense Grid can keep you entertained for a long while if you'll just let it.

While Defense Grid won't ever be mistaken for a graphical powerhouse (this isn't the genre for that), its presentation is pleasingly effective. You can zoom in and see good detail on the towers and the invading enemy forces, or you can pull your perspective back to view things from a distance (typically the best option if you're serious about winning or unfamiliar with a map's nuances). Despite the amount of on-screen activity in the more hectic areas, the action progresses quite smoothly on a decent PC. You can also speed up the invasion by holding the 'F' button on your keyboard, or the appropriate button on your gamepad. There's never a point where things move at an incredible pace, but that's probably for the best.

If you've been looking for an interesting title to add to your Steam library and you like being an armchair general, Defense Grid: The Awakening is a terrific investment. Featuring a wealth of content and solid campaign design that shows a thorough understanding of what makes the genre click, Hidden Path Entertainment's attempt at tower defense is arguably the best on the market. Just don't be surprised if it leaves you hungry for raspberries.

Jason Venter is the editor-in-chief at HonestGamers, an independent site for video game critics and fans. He presently earns his living as a freelance game critic, with his work appearing on numerous leading sites and also in the pages of Hardcore Gamer Magazine (no longer in publication). Follow him on Twitter (@jasonventer) or 'like' the HonestGamers page on Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/honestgamers ) to keep up with news and reviews from Jason and from other passionate gamers.

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Star Wars Video Games (PSP, DS, Wii, and Xbox 360)

Star Wars took the world by storm with its intriguing plot, terrific graphics, and mind blowing action and adventure. Riding on the success of the movie and the television series came innumerable number of video games. Featuring thrilling action sequences and interactive game play, these video games became very popular among avid gamers. Two of the most popular video games are The Force Unleashed and the Star Wars Clone Wars Republic Heroes Game.

The Star Wars - The Force Unleashed Game (DS, Wii, and Xbox 360)
The Force Unleashed is a gripping video game that takes you on an adventure across the universe. Developed by LucasArts, this thrilling Star Wars video game makes use of Digital Molecular Matter (DMM) technology to incorporate physical properties to the environment. So, when a glass breaks or a piece of wood snaps, it looks and sounds very realistic. A behavioral-simulation engine known as Euphoria is also used in this action adventure game. This technology makes the characters think, react, and interact like human beings.

Set in an era between the Episode III and IV of Star Wars, this thrilling game reveals hitherto unknown secrets about the Star Wars galaxy. Bored of being the good guy all the time? In this video game, you can play the game as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice", StarKiller and get rid of Jedi. When it comes to powers, you will have so much that you can completely annihilate your enemies. Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" has four core Force powers such as repulse, lightning, grip, and Force push. Use these powers individually or combine them to completely destroy your enemies.

Star Wars Clone Wars Republic Heroes Game (PSP, Xbox 360)
The story line of the Star Wars Clone Wars Republic Heroes Game is based on the Clone Wars TV series. Set in the period between the first and the second episode of this television series, this video game sheds light on the mysterious bounty hunter Cad Bane. You can play this game as your favorite Jedi Knight or a Clone Trouper and complete the 30 missions to stop the techno assassin's plot.

Use your lightsaber and Force powers to kill the Separatist Droids and move further into the game when you play as a Jedi Knight. Turn enemies into weapons that will help you navigate levels with ease. As a clone trooper, you will have immense firepower in your hands. Use rocket launchers and thermal detonators to blast your way to the next level.

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How To Become a Video Game Tester at Home

The video game business has become a billion dollar industry and continues to grow at an ever increasing rate. Through this explosive growth and the advances in technology has arisen new and exciting job opportunities for video game testers.

Within North America there are literally dozens of game development design studios all aggressively perusing there share of this enormous gaming market.

To assure their success many new game developers will seek the aid of professional video game testers prior to a major market launch. This will provide critical impute towards improvements and debugging any glitches. This is also an effective cost savings measure most companies must employ as it's critical to any successful game launch to be a flawless as possible in today's competitive marketplace.

Some design studios bring in game testers to conduct analysis in a controlled environment while others will seek home based game testers as we are discussing here.

How to become a Video Game Tester at Home

The demand for these types of jobs has been steadily increasing year after year and can be difficult to acquire. I will be sharing my tips on how you can become a game tester at home starting today.

There are basically two types of video game testers ones that are actually paid to perform the service and those who are not. Becoming a Beta tester is usually free and available over the internet to those who are interested. This beta testing is usually made available only after the paid testers have completed their task. This acts as one final step of performance assurance on a larger scale. Design studios are very aware of the social media age we live in. Just how quickly negative news travels along with its potential affect on the profitability of a game launch or a company's reputation is reason enough to conduct proper testing.

Many professional video game testers will have a post secondary education and be employed full time within the industry earning a predetermined salary. However there is a rapidly growing market for video game testers at home. This covers a much wider spectrum and can include people from all over North America. These testers are paid hourly and will report back on questions such as preferred gaming modes, graphics, menus, functionality, ease of navigation and more.

Many studios will require a resume that should contain your work experience and education. Do not forget to include any games you're presently playing or have played extensively in the past. Doing some research on the studio you're applying to and evaluating some of the previous games they've put out along with your thoughts for improvement will also help. This can make you to stand out in the crowd and spark their interest in you as a potential game tester.

Search forums for available video game testing in Beta. Although it's free and you don't get paid it does convey your passion for gamming and your desire to do this professionally when included with your application or resume.

Remember don't try and overplay your hand here by trying to impress them. They are looking for real and honest opinions from everyday people not someone just telling them what they want to hear or how great you think there other games are.

Another way you can be unique is by starting a blog about you're Beta testing and write your reviews and experiences about the games you've tested. Research the games you test and provide comments from other gamers as this will help indicate your abilities to evaluate future games.

There are several companies online that can help guide you in locating video game testing jobs. They provide additional tips and strategies to get you accepted quickly and the cost is relatively low considering the quality of jobs they provide and the time they will save you.

Some additional benefits to using a guide is that they will often have access to gaming studio compensation plans that will indicate the per hour rate for individual games. This can make the process of how to become a video game tester at home that much easier. Remember it's not as easy as sending an email and simply asking, you will stand a much better chance if you follow the application of each studio properly and use some of the pointers you learned here.

See the lastest Video Game Tester Jobs [http://www.workathomejobsandcareers.com] and discover more about how to become a video game tester at home [http://www.workathomejobsandcareers.com].

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Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect 3 is the final chapter in BioWare's epic space opera. The Reaper threat that's loomed over the first two installments in the series comes to fruition in the opening sequence of the trilogy's conclusion. Earth is one of the first systems to fall under siege and it is hit hard. Amidst the carnage, we find series protagonist Shepherd doing his best to survive. He's quickly reinstated by Admiral Anderson and Admiral Hackett (Shepherd was relieved of duty following the aftermath of Mass Effect 2 and its DLC), and he is tasked with unifying the other races in the galaxy in opposition to the Reapers' attack.

In one of the earliest missions, Shepherd is reconnected with former teammate Liara, who has discovered blueprints to a Prothean device that may have the power to destroy the Reapers once and for all. Construction on the device, codenamed "The Crucible," begins right away, and most of the game revolves around Shepherd and the rest of the Normandy's crew seeking out crucial components, especially "The Catalyst," which The Crucible won't function without.

On top of all this, Shepherd is battling an old ally in the form of the pro-human organization Cerberus. Their leader, the Illusive Man, is hell-bent on controlling the Reapers instead of destroying them, and is in search of The Catalyst as well, to promote this goal. If this weren't enough, many of the galaxy's other sentient races are reluctant to divert resources in the defense of the humans, forcing Shepherd to assist them in various ways to earn their promises of assistance against the Reapers attacking Earth.

One of the most satisfying aspects of ME3is its fan service. Throughout the course of the game you'll not only encounter nearly every notable character from the first two games, you'll finally get closure to many of the recurring issues throughout the course of the series. For instance, whether or not to cure the Krogan genophage once and for all, or who to assist when the Quarians start a war with the Geth are just a couple of the decisions you'll have to make as you prepare a galaxy for war.

Overall gameplay is very similar to previous Mass Effect titles, incorporating a combination of space exploration and third person shooting. The exploring and resource gathering has been shifted away from the tedious planet scanning from the first title, and instead uses a system not unlike sonar. A ping is sent out from the Normandy, and if there's anything notable in the area it's highlighted on the navigation map. Watch out though, too many pings and the Reapers will come to investigate the source of the scans, forcing you to flee the system for a time. Resources you gather go to the war effort, and your diligence in this matter will determine the Alliance fleet's overall battle readiness.

As far as the shooting sequences go, the cover system has been improved, making it easier to advance on targets without exposing yourself to too much enemy fire. The friendly AI seems smarter, taking up flanking positions automatically and doing a fair job of protecting themselves. Enemy AI is similarly improved. They use their cover smartly, and some units will try to fall back if you charge forward for a melee attack, or attempt to outflank you if you hold one position for too long. This makes some of the enemies quite formidable, especially on the hard difficulty setting. In the end though, these are only tweaks to already established gameplay. If you enjoyed the firefights in ME2, you'll find more of the same here, just smarter and sometimes on a grander scale.

The only real gripe I have with the game is the ending. In fact, after hearing several complaints about Mass Effect 3's conclusion, I was half tempted to write this review before finishing the game. With 25+ hours in, I had a pretty high opinion of the experience to that point and didn't want to tarnish that. I thought better of it however, and went ahead and finished the game. Although it wasn't as bad as I had prepared myself for it to be, it was disappointing. Ultimately this had to do with the stunted, cookie-cutter closing cinematic however, and not a deficiency in the nature of the ending itself.

If you haven't played a Mass Effect game before, this is probably not the place to start. In fact if you haven't played a Mass Effect game before, I'm surprised you've made it to this paragraph. All this talk of Reapers and Quarians, Krogans and Crucibles must be dizzying. If you're a PS3 owner you should start with ME2, as it eases you into the mythology of the game at an easy to digest pace. Also because the first Mass Effect title was, and still is, exclusive to the 360.

Visit http://www.slackers.com/ for more great reviews!

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Parents: Do Your Kids Love Playing Computer and Console Games? Then They Could Test Them!

As parents we usually worry that our kids spend too long playing games on their consoles and computers, but actually they are developing specific knowledge and expertise that might surprise us. I don't mean just their amazingly nimble thumbs and brains, they are also learning what works and what doesn't in gaming - the right degree of challenge, and reward, that makes the art of gamification function, that keeps players of different levels striving for the next achievement. This is at the cutting edge of behavioural science, with application in fields ranging from education to health policy.

And kids are very discerning consumers - they know exactly what they like and what they don't like, what they want to spend their time playing. Despite the recession, the UK games market alone was worth over £3bn in 2011. Understanding exactly what gamers need and want from their next releases is big business, and when the gamers are kids, understanding their unique needs and motivations is an important art. Developers work with brands and technology to design the games they hope will be talked about, enjoyed and create a buzz, but at some point in the development they have to get their prototypes directly tested, by real users who are in the target market for the end product itself - the kids who love playing games.

Taking part in games testing is invariably huge fun for those involved. The researchers are trained in the very specialist field of child related research and games testing, and tend to be very communicative and personable characters, experienced at making children and parents feel welcome and right at home quickly. Sessions could last anything from 45 minutes to two hours, and mainly involve hands-on games testing. This will be playing an unreleased game, likely to be in a genre selected to be of special interest to the child involved, and they'll be asked for comments and feedback during the session. Appropriate breaks and refreshments are provided, to the gaming children and their parental chaperones, who accompany them at all times. There will also be members of the research team present, and sometimes others from the development company may view from behind a mirror or videolink - so as not to create additional crowds and pressure that might distract or stress the young participants.

The children taking part are typically aged 6-17 years, and will need some level of gaming experience - they'll usually be recruited because they own a current generation games console or handheld, and like certain types of games, but for different projects different degrees of expertise and enthusiasm are required - indeed, often casual or inexperienced gamers are what's needed, typical average kids, who make up a wider share of the target market than the obsessive experts.

For ethical and child protection reasons, the research recruitment company involved will recruit via the parent/guardian, who's consent and input is required at all times. Sometimes there are event joint research sessions where the parents will be specifically interviewed about their child's gaming behaviour, but most often they will just be present as an observer and chaperone - and to sign for the research incentive fee of course, which is typically in the region of £50 for a one-off short session in the UK (of this £20 is normally regarded as the chaperone fee, the rest is for the young research participant!)

To find out about research opportunities in the UK for you and your family (where applicable) you need to be over 16 and enrol with Saros Research Ltd - if you have children in the target age range, they will then contact you directly as the parent, with any games testing in your area for which you may be able to apply.

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