Skyrim Music

Well this isn't a game review per-say.  But I had to share this.  I know it seems like everyone and his brother has done their own version of the Skyrim theme song, but this one caught my attention.  Stays true to the style of the game and this guy is like a minstrel himself.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx20IzFoEGM&feature=g-all-lik

Pro Flight Simulator

There's been a fair bit of hype over Pro Flight Simulator as of late.  I'll admit I was skeptical.  I should point out that the term "flight simulator" gets used in a couple of ways.  Sometimes it refers to plane games, where the focus is on flying.  Other times it refers to war games, where the focus is on combat.  In the 90s there were some great plane games.  However, in the last decade, the flight sim market has been flooded with some pretty mediocre games.  But, I decided to check it out.  Much to my delight, they offered a 60-day money back guarantee!  I can't recall EVER seeing a game come with a guarantee.  A warranty? Sure (for disc based games).  Or trade-ins of course, at less than half of what you paid for it.  But a full guarantee?  Sweet!

So now I really had no excuse not to give it a chance.  And I have to say, I'm glad I did.  By far the most realistic flight simulator I've played in years.  Certainly not one of these dime-a-dozen flight "simulators" that lets you take off with a single button press, only to find yourself in a dogfight 12 seconds later.

I should point out that this game isn't really about air combat.  It's about flying, a plane game rather than a war game.  Although there is a combat add-on for the game that is included as one of the four free bonuses.  It can get pretty intense.  The enemy planes can be pretty clever, unlike some other games which will remain nameless.

Both the combat add-on and the core game offer the OPTION of multiplayer.  But it isn't forced on you.  And although I despise multiplayer games as a general rule, the way Pro Flight Simulator does it, it pretty unique.  It ties in with Google Maps!  Online players are superimposed on the map as radar blips.

The game also includes over 20,000 real airports, stunning aerial views, and somehow manages to incorporate real-world weather data into the game environment.

I can easily see myself losing a year to this game, touring the world in my very own MIG.

The only "con" I can really give this game is that at 150+ aircrafts to choose from, it's pretty tough to decide what you want to fly first!

In conclusion, I give Pro Flight Simulator a 10/10 for the flight simulator genre, and a 9/10 overall.


Coming in June a review of Sid Meier's Civilization V: Gods & Kings

Game of Thrones

Where to start? Decent graphics, particularly the NPCs.  Not quite top quality for this day and age, but good all the same.  Not having read the books or watched the shows I cannot comment on how accurate it is.  And at times I was a little lost with the plot and conversations.

All the same, a fun game.  Good selection of weapons and armor.  You don't have a "party" like in many RPGs, but rather, other characters seem to come and go as they please.  While this can be a little frustrating, those extra characters open the door for some pretty cool combo attacks.  Overall combat is pretty simple, requiring little strategy, but still reasonably challenging (think DA:O).

I suspect I would have found this game far more enjoyable if I had read the books ahead of time.  Playing these games has inspired me to do just that.  If you are a fan of the books or show, I'd say give it a try.  If you're a fan that has also played the game, leave a comment and let me know what you thought.

RPG rating: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

Haven't played it?  Get it today!

Syndicate

I would like to point out that yes, this game has a multiplayer mode.  I have not tried the multiplayer mode and this review reflects the single player campaign only.

The gameplay is high-paced and immersive with a pretty captivating story.  You are a digitally enhanced agent of a megacorporation fighting for market domination.  The atmosphere is both gorgeous and emotionally disconnected. This is the future, cool and indifferent, and Syndicate does an impressive job of bringing this vision of the future to life.  In many ways reminiscent of Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

There are a variety of cool and unusual weapons, and your character's 'enhancement' abilities add a pretty fun element to the game.  Plot twists and high quality graphics certainly boost Syndicate's rankings.  EA didn't cheap out on the voiceovers and motion capture either.  Using such hollywood actors as Brian Cox and Rosario Dawson.  I'll admit, I had a hard time walking away from this one.  However, the campaign ends quickly and abruptly.  Leaving the player feeling somewhat robbed of a proper ending.  In total it took me less than 6 hours to complete.  And that I found rather disappointing.

RPG rating: 7/10
Overall: 6/10



Haven't played it? Get it Here

Skyrim (PC)

Bilbo's hobbit hole mod

From intense combat, to menial labor, to breathtaking scenery, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has it all.  Without a doubt, my favorite game in years!  The sheer volume and quality of side quests in the game can keep you playing for 100s of hours without even considering the main plot of the game.

Even when you aren't pursuing story quests, though, the core narrative dogs you as you trot across the land on foot or on horseback. You might travel to a quaint hamlet only to discover that it's under siege by a hovering beast. The townspeople join you, aiming their arrows and fireballs upward, and not all of them may survive the encounter. These battles impress upon you the terror in which the populace lives, and thus give you a reason to be a hero to them. But plenty of narrative delights have nothing to do with dragons, and some of them could have formed the main story of a lesser RPG.

I HIGHLY recommend heading to the steam workshop or skyrim nexus and getting the High-Res Texture Pack.  This truly takes the game graphics from impressive to stunning!  But, if you haven't played the game yet, I suggest you don't install any other mods.  Play the game through once with only the texture pack installed.  Then start installing mods to your heart's content.  There are quite literally 1000s of them with scores of new ones being uploaded each week.  This is a game that can be played for years!!!

And if you happen to have use an nVidia card, check out nVidia's guide to skyrim tweaking here.  You'll be glad you did!

Weather you want to battle undead soldiers, lead a virtual life, or simply explore a vast, fascinating world, Skyrim is the game to play!

RPG rating:  10/10
Overall rating: 10/10



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