10 New Elder Scrolls V Skyrim Screenshots Released! Beautiful!

This game is gonna rock your socks off, I don't care who you are. You will be playing this for the next 5 years, just like the ones before it. The modding community will continue tinkering with this baby like it's their ol' beloved 69' Camaro.

Bethesda has been generous with their E3 unveiling of the new upcoming Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, already being proclaimed the GOTY for 2011. They've given us 10 more breathtaking screens, unpolished in-game screens...to drool over. 5 more months!

Also, here's a good article on EscapistMagazine online regarding some nice new gameplay changes for Skyrim. Be relieved! They're all better!
For the hands on DEMO of the gameplay, with producer Todd Howard at E3-check out the G4TV page HERE.

The screens show us a close look at a dragon from Skyrim along with one of the game’s new and improved horses, also one nice touch is the bright blue eyes the enemy has in the second image.

If you check out all of the screens you can gain a lot of insight about the upcoming game, one of the pics shows a first-look at a Guardian Stone, what part these stones will play in the game is currently unknown but they look pretty intriguing.
Enjoy fans!

... it's so beautiful....

Mass Effect 2 : Sci-Fi Game of the Year?

I'm feeling the need to catch up with my severe lack of Bioware games, which up until my recent x-mas present of Dragon Age, only consisted of the awesome classic, Knights of the Old Republic. Mass Effect 2 seems to be the next obvious choice here. This sequel apparently out-does the first, but I am a man of continuity, therefore I will HAVE to scan some deals to see if I can score a cheap Mass Effect 1 game. Then come back to this around the time it falls around 20 dollars. That's right, all part of my master plan.

Don't think I didn't notice the ever-more-frequent console-to-pc quick port that occurs even in Bioware's quality handywork. It seems to be hard-coded into all of the new game publisher grad students M.O.-an alarming trend that seems to be sapping the quality and sophistication out of our pc games. But Alas, we get what we get.

 As far as a quick buzz review: check out what some of my favorite sites had to say-->

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AtomicGamer-Mass Effect 2 delivers a story that's deeper than what many novelists are capable of, and its action is better than what most Hollywood directors are creating nowadays. It's an addictive, engrossing experience that many gamers will replay over and over while they hold their breath waiting for the third game.

Game Informer-The loss of RPG elements may hit some people hard, and the repetition in minigames may lead to yawns and tired eyes, but none of these faults hold Mass Effect 2 back from being a work of bold ambition, and one of gaming’s most exciting sequels.

Games Radar-Mass Effect 2 strikes a perfect balance between intense shooter action and gut-wrenching drama, set in a richly textured world on the brink of destruction. It's a must-own for science fiction fans, who will love exploring the depths of the galaxy and fighting to save humanity.

IGN-It's incredibly personal while still retaining a sense of epic sweeping scale. The combat and mission design are outstanding. The visuals, voice acting, soundtrack, and direction are miles ahead of the competition. Perhaps most impressively, Mass Effect 2 manages to fulfill its incredible ambition while only suffering from very few technical hiccups.

Game Revolution-Despite all my gripes, Mass Effect 2 does more than enough to live up to its predecessor. You won’t give much attention to the unintuitive HUD, and the low level cap won’t stop most from playing the game again with added difficulty or for multiple story options. You'll get frustrated, you'll ask yourself why, but you'll still love it. Facing the dark reality of Mass Effect 2 has its stumbles and slips, but it’s a trip worth taking, no matter the destination.

-----------------------SAVE $10 Dollars on MASS EFFECT 2------------------

I just noticed at Amazon there is a $10 Dollar Video Game Credit that you will automatically get when you purchase Mass Effect 2 there! That's like having an instant rebate! Just thought i'd let you all know that.

EVE Online: Apocrypha -Good things come to those whom wait!

Almost 6 years, an eternity in videogame years, is how long the servers have been running on this (seemingly the only space) MMORPG. It's received a few notable upgrades and expansions, but with the new "Apocrypha"[additional content/upgrade], new players may be just curious to finally take the byte.

I've often debated shutting down my WOW subscription (that's World of Warcraft for anyone living 6 feet under or more), and switching over to this wondrously epic space rpg. I haven't pulled the trigger for a few reasons, one being a common concern, "how will I fare against the ruthless space-nerds sitting high upon 6 year empires?"

Well, it seems to devs were thinking of me, the budding space noob, as well as their wallets, when they decided to throw a bone to a potential new wave of enrollments, by making it a bit easier for us.

I've longed for a endless, sandbox RPG in space, where you could customize your ship, and get out in a FPS view mode into the space stations, ever since the long abandoned (and missed) demo of Westwood Studios' 'Earth and Beyond' graced my first computer, back in the early 2000's.

Eve doesn't appear to have the FPS element, but it might just tie me over with the limitless depth and awe-inspiring visuals it appears to have.

Go to the Home Page HERE to see for yourself!

Maybe its time to login and check it out.

link to in-depth Wired article HERE

my Fallout 3 hands-on first impression

Thank you, Bethesda, for this awesome game...the bar has been raised, for interactive art. sometimes, a game comes along that really amazes me, and this is one.

the intro is so cool, you have to at least play this if you were doubting. It took 2 hours just to get past the entry setup/prologue story, to where I escape the vault, and step out into an incredibly detailed world as the sun is just going down...i went about a 100 yards before I already found someone that apparently needed some help, but didn't talk to him yet, and just looked at everything...the sun and sky,in the distance birds were circling above something they thought was interesting, and they were clear and un-pixelated!- the amazingly detailed burned out skeletons of buildings and rubble, a destroyed and charred children's playground, a strange robot probe that was wandering back and forth, with some weird old 50's propaganda recording coming out of its little speakers... Just seems really unique and well-crafted. they obviously spent a good amount of time on the environment.

I hope the rpg elements are a step above the rest, but it was so late, and i had to finally pry myself away, before i engaged the first real quest. i look forward to my future adventures.

the one thing that crept up in the back of my mind, as i began wandering the desolate rubble, was that i was relating more to this environment, identifying and thinking more in terms of-'what would i really want to do now, where should i go from here', more than say, oblivion or even star wars. As incredible as those worlds are, i feel like it is a fantasy that requires more 'suspending' of reality and disbelief, to fully enjoy the way the creators intended. With Fallout, i can actually feel like i could realistically be in the characters shoes. i can relate to this fictional, yet all-too-possible reality of a nuclear catastrophe within a large, modern, and familiar real-world city.

i know a game is immersive for me, when i find myself taking the time to slow down, smell the roses, open up its treasure boxes, and move about as if i was really there-instead of rushing around, just trying to kill the last guy with a gun, to get to the next level. i have begun losing interest in those 'wash,rinse, repeat' style games on equal timeline with my ever-shrinking chance to actually play games. C'est la vie!

This type of game, i appreciate as art, an escape from reality that places you into a story that [arguably] you wouldn't (hopefully!) be in, and make decisions you would never be required to make in any real-world job. That is the allure and the fun of the RPG, i feel.

The return of the 'PiP-Boy 3000' gadget, a monochromatic, all-in-one arm device that anyone who grew up on 80's personal computers can fondly appreciate, is handy and fun to play around with. The character faces remind me of Half-Life 2, but i agree with the official reviews, people do seem oddly stiff when they walk, engage you, and as they speak, while any other characters in the background become oddly frozen until you are done.

Another minor whine about the characters, they engage each other randomly in conversation, (which is cool) much like Oblivion, but when numerous people are in the room, it can become hard to hear your primary interests words, when 3-4 other conversations are happening, all at the same volume, right next to you. Maybe a patch or plugin will be made to adjust this...

But i am a perfectionist when it comes to games [often dream of designing them], and i know it is impossible to make a perfect product, but it just seems odd that things that people complained about, or were minor issues as far back as morrowind, still inhabit a developers game code.

Ah-well, that's what the modding community is for right? By far, this was a very inspiring 2-hour intro into a world that i am positive i will enjoy for many, many more hours.

... i'm happy to report-the game rocks so far.