1. Journey

2. FEZ

3. Ghost Recon Future Soldier Multiplayer Beta

4. SSX

5. Botanicula

6. Windosill

7. Borderlands

8. Kingdom Rush

There you have it. Even though I said the beginning of this year seems a little slower than most years I’ve still manage to keep a full plate of games. Hopefully you will give some of them a try!

Can you believe it’s September? School has started and I hope you’re having fun in college, because I know I’m having fun while not in college! Either way, we have quite a few games to pick from today, so lets not waste anymore time and lets just jump in right away!

One of the first games listed in this months gameinformer issue is called tropico 4. Now, to be honest, this is the first time hearing of this game for me, but obviously this is the fourth installment in this series, so I suppose that would mean there are fans out there somewhere. From the looks of this game, it seems like it’s a replica of the sims games, except you’re on an island with a volcano on it. To me, this doesn’t seem interesting, but for those of you who are into this kind of thing, September 16th is the day to look forward to!

One thing that did come about early this September is Call of Duty XP! Unfortunately, I missed it this year, but rumor has it, that there will be another next year, so make sure you get signed up for this one, because I know I sure will be!

Next up on our list today is Borderlands 2! Unfortunately I never picked up Borderlands, the first one, but whenever Borderlands 2 is set to release in 2012, you can count me in, because I will not miss this opportunity this time! Graphically, it looks like the last one did, it has a very artsy and creative feel to it, so for everyone who fell in love with that look in the first edition, you should prepare yourself for some more, because Borderlands 2 is right around the corner!

One more upcoming title that has touched the hearts of all Playstation 3 owners is Resistance 3! When the PS3 system originally launched, this was one of the only games out for it at the time, so everyone who jumped on the Sony train early on, have had their fair share of gameplay in the Resistance franchise. So for everyone who liked the previous installments, get out your pens and mark September 6th on your calendars!

As always, there are a couple sports titles being released in the near future. Now, I used to be a huge fan of the NHL games back in the day, but as time progressed, I have evolved into a first person shooter beast, so I don’t play as many sports titles anymore, but I do like to keep a couple on the shelf just encase I need to break out a party game once in a while. Other than that though, I really have no use for any sports titles, for the simple fact that I’m not really a hardcore sports fan. I don’t play fantasy football and I don’t watch any sports games religiously, so as far as sports games go, they just don’t tickle my fancy.

Last, but not least, we have Guild Wars 2. Now, if you’ve been gaming for any period of time, I’m sure that you have got your hands on some MMORPG game and if you’re anything like the rest of us, you couldn’t put it down for years. This being said, when I hear about a new MMORPG being released to the public, I get a little tingly feeling inside and just as the ring called to Froto in the Lord of the Rings, every new MMORPG game calls to me and it’s not easy to resist!

Apparently, Guild Wars 2 is focusing very heavily on their storyline, which should be super interesting to see, because I think it would be fairly difficult to fluidly work in a strong storyline into any MMORPG game, but let’s hope that Guild Wars 2 doesn’t let us down and maybe GW2 will take off and we can all play it together and live happily ever after.

This just about wraps up this fairy tale, so bring up a browser and start researching some of these games a little deeper while you wait for Octobers issue of Gameinformer to be released!

One thing the current generation of games has missed is the arcade. Though there are still a few left, the overall feel of meeting friends at the arcade to play your favorite games just is not something of which younger gamers are familiar. Fortunately for the current generation of players, internet play has allowed them to still connect with friends and share the experience of the game.

Though many gamers may not realize this, multiplayer gaming, especially Coop gaming, was born in the arcades. Those of us who grew up in the days when you were never far away from a local arcade remember playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Golden Axe, Final Fight and many other games which allowed you to join forces with your friends to fight your mutual foes. Coop gaming has seen a revival as of late in this internet generation, and few games have done a better job of really building upon that “my friends and I taking on the world” feeling than 2009′s Borderlands.

FPS Diablo

Many gamers really did not know what to expect from Borderlands when it came out. The idea of combining an FPS with a Dungeon Crawler had been tried before, but none had really pulled the formula off well. Those of us who had been playing for a while remember Hellgate: London all too well, so our expectations were not very high.

Remember this part in the story? Yeah, me too…sort of.

The good news is Borderlands delivered. Great character classes, interesting upgrades and plenty of loot made this a game worth playing. Many gamers were more than pleasently surprised as they got into the game. I for one was definitely much more impressed than I thought I would be.

One of the game’s weaker points, however, is its story. The basic premise, that you are a mercenary seeking the fabled vault which is supposed to contain numerous weapons and endless money, is not a bad place to start. Unfortunately, you find yourself being forced to complete several other tasks which have no relation to the main story, and the payoff is no where near as good as you were lead to believe. Many gamers were rather disappointed by the ending, and yet the made it on many websites’ game of the year lists, including ours. So why was the game rated so highly?

The answer is simple: some of the best coop gamers have seen in a long time.

The Creatures of Pandora Have Gotten Stronger

The first thing you notice about Borderlands Coop is you can actually play through the entire campaign this way. The second thing: you don’t have to. An RPG style game that lets you bring in your own characters in drop in, drop out fashion whether or not you are at the point the person you are joining has reached is impressive within itself. Sure, if you are too far behind someone in the main story, you will not get the experience from the storyline missions, but the side missions will still matter to you.

The coop has kept people playing this game over a year and a half after its release.

The next thing you notice is the game actually adjusts to the fact you have other people playing with you. The minute someone joins your game, you are advised “The creatures of Pandora have gotten stronger,” and they are not kidding. The more people who join in, the more difficult the enemies become. This keeps you and your friends from feeling like you overpower your competition and is something other games should try to emulate. By the way, the treasure drops and weapons in chests react to the fact you have more people in the game as well. Play with friends, and you will be rewarded with better items.

While these are great reasons to play with friends, the best is the way the various characters are balanced. Each character class has abilities which work great in concert with the others. If you have all four classes running in a game, you can use their specialties in tandem to gain the advantage: the Hunter can start taking enemies out from distance, the Soldier can drop down his turret for extra offense and distraction, the Berserker can start firing from his missile launcher or run in for melee with berserk mode active and the Siren can phase walk to the other side of the battle, flanking the opponent. These kind of tactics can really come in handy against the various bosses, and there is nothing quite as satisfying as learning to play well with others.

Class mods can make the advantage of having more people even more obvious. For example, I have played quite a bit of the game with two other friends of mine. I have been controlling a Siren, while my friends have used a Soldier and a Hunter. My class mod gives a shield bonus to the entire team, the Hunter has a mod which helps increase our critical chance and the Soldier has a class mod that regenerates ammo for all weapons and increases our clip sizes. These mods make us a lethal combination.

So what happens if you have multiple people playing the same character type? Do not worry; with the different upgrades and class mods available, even characters of the same class can play completely differently. You also have the option of paying some money to respec your character’s skill points if you decide your play style is too similar to someone who is using the same class.

From Good to Great

At its heart, Borderlands is a solid FPS equivalent of a dungeon crawler, right down to the loot gathering. That alone, however, would never have made it 2009′s Game of the Year for many sites, Everyday Gamers included. What truly sets the game apart is probably the most impressive integration of coop gamplay many of us have ever seen. Gearbox has raised the bar for coop experience in gaming, and it may very well not be topped till the release of Borderlands 2. Borderlands’ impressive coop gameplay is another example of why we game.

The Story So Far

The Face of your enemy.

So the treasure hunters stopped the beast, sealed the vault and now everything is good, right? Well, the Hyperion Corporation does not think so. The company sees the hunters as a drain on their income, so it decides to employ a unique strategy to take them down: turning a poor, defenseless claptrap into the previously menti0ned assassin. The corporation figured this would be an attack from an angle the hunters would not anticipate. What it did not count on was said claptrap would lead a revolution, getting other claptraps to turn on their masters and finding ways to interface with bandits, Hyperion soldiers, skags and just about anything else they can find, taking control of them and having them aide in the uprising. So the corporation does the only thing it can think to do; it hires the treasure hunters to take clean up its mess.

Same old game

Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution doesn’t really bring any new gameplay into Borderlands, but that may not be a bad thing. After all, Mad Moxi’s Underdome Riot tried to change up the formula, and it ended up not being good. Instead, the new DLC drops you back into the game we all know and love, with a few new twists:

• 

  Remember when these guys helped you?

  Claptraps are now your enemy: While the  little robots had always been helpful in the past, this group is anything but. The new claptraps take on various forms, from melee to army. There are even suicide units which will blow up after getting close to you or once their fuse runs out.

• Roboticized bad guys: You will face off against many of the old favorites in the DLC, but their is something a little different about them. The cl;aptaps have found a way to integrate their robotic parts into them, making them cyborg versions of their former selves. This actually makes them a little harder to deal with, though you will find a good electric weapon will help out a lot.
• These bosses seem familiar: Remember General Knoxx? How about Doctor Ned? Then there is Commandant Steele of the Hyperion Corporation (she opened the vault)? Get ready to face them again. In an attempt to stop you, the Interplanetary Ninja Assassin Claptrap has resurrected some of your old friends. They may not be happy about it, but they have to fight you.

Other than that, it is pretty much the same winning formula which has made Borderlands a game we keep going back to play.

Sounds good so far, right. Well, unfortunately, there are a couple of things which drag this new DLC down from what it could have been. Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution has not learned from what has been the biggest complaint of the other DLC; there is no fast travel. Fortunately, the size of the area is a little smaller than the zombie island, so there is not too much backtracking, but at some point you will wish Gearbox would have brought this back. It also suffers from the same inconsistent difficulty General Knoxx did. On your first playthru, you will probably find the enemies relatively easy, leveled at about the 35 mark; if you choose to go through it on second playthru, you will not face an enemy weaker than level 50. Then there are the disappointing loot drops. I played second playthru, and with the exception of one area, I found very few rare weapons. Granted, I have some really good weapons for my level 61 Siren, but I would have thought there would be more rare weapons to find. Even the treasure chests at the end only contained one weapon I felt was worth keeping.

Still worth it

Those issues aside, Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution is still worth the buy for Borderlands fans. There is a lot of humor in this DLC, especially coming from the calptraps as you defeat them. The first time I heard one say “I see 3 flashing red lights” when it was dying, I just about dropped my controller laughing. While it may not be as good as Secret Armory of General Knoxx, this DLC still helps add more depth to a game most of us just cannot quite stop playing. Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution gets a 4 out of 5.

Well, while all of the console gamers are enjoying NHL and Spiderman : Shattered Dimensions, here’s the releases we, PC gamers, are left with, from developers who still support our platform! :O)

• Prison Tycoon : Alcatraz – $19.99 – Ever wanted to build your own Prison
• Aion : Assault on Balaurea – $39.99 – Expansion for the airborne MMO
• King’s Bounty : Armored Princess – $19.99 – Action RPG expanding on the King’s Bounty universe
• The Sims 3 : Fast Lane Stuff – $19.99 – New cars and driver-themed gear for your Sims and houses
• ME2 : Lair of the Shadow Broker – $10.00 in Bioware space bucks, newest ME2 campaign delving into Liara’s nemesis
• DA:O : Witch Hunt DLC – $7.00 in Bioware space bucks, new Dragon Age DLC starring Morrigan
• Jimmy’s Vendetta – $9.99 – First DLC package for Mafia II

News Bytes

Gearbox FTW! Well, the 800 pound gorilla in room, this week, is staring at us, courtesy of Gearbox Studios.  They aren’t happy with the breakaway success of last year’s Borderlands.  Instead of resting on their laurels, they are adding a great free update to the game later this year.  Oh, and did I mention they managed to bring Duke Nukem Forever back on the map and ready to release next year?  Yes that’s right, the planned game sequel that is older than cell phones, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, itunes, Napster, TiVO, blogging, YouTube, Firefox, GPS, Windows XP and Google is set to release in 2011, after being picked up by Gearbox.  Heck, I think CompuServe was still king when Duke last fought back the alien menace.  According to Gearbox head, Randy Pitchford, DNF has graduated to the polishing phase, and I can’t wait to see Duke all shined up, even if he is waaaay more than just fashionably late.  So, if you are still standing, Gearbox had a lot more surprises up their sleeve, at PAX.  When asked about the status of Aliens : Colonial Marines, there was no definite information given, but it was certainly hinted at that the project is alive, and that the other hands in that cookie jar were making Gearbox stay mute on the subject for now.  As if that wasn’t enough, Pitchford also alluded to a new Brothers In Arms title, but no details or timeframe were announced – just the simple statement that the book is not closed on the franchise.  If that still doesn’t have you twitching and spilling your Mountain Dew, than you can be assured that the new IP project that Pitchford hyped up quite a ways back as being bigger than anything they’ve handled before still has not been announced – meaning it is not any of the above mentioned projects.  Talk about catapulting your studio to the forefront!  The future looks bright, and it’s stamped with quite a few Gearbox logos!

Layoffs? It’s Elemental, my dear Watson! So, the roller coaster ride for the Elemental launch has been insane, to say the least.  For those unfamiliar, allow me to briefly recap.  Elemental launched on September 2nd, of this year, in a state that PC Gamer UK called unfit for launch—even going so far as to tell consumers to avoid purchasing the game, at this time.  Initially, Stardock CEO, Brad Wardell, was infuriated by PC Gamer’s comments, however now, he seems to be taking sides with them and admitting that the game was unfit to ship.  Wardell even went on to address reviewers, and ask that they review the release day build of the game and not, yes not, the patched version of the game, explaining that developers need to take responsibility for a product that is not ready and be judged by it.  Pretty bold words, and while I applaud Mr. Wardell’s candor in the matter, I am saddened to hear that this burdensome launch has resulted in the layoffs of workers at Stardock.  No numbers were posted, but Wardell, again, accepted the brunt of the blame, also citing poor QA for allowing the game to launch with as many bugs as it did.  He went on to expand and say that none of the core Elemental team was laid off and that the layoffs came as a result of poorer than expected revenue from the game, not as a punishment for anything relating to the game’s state, in addition, he hopes to take back any and all employees affected.  It’s tough to see Stardock fall again, especially after a similar debacle with Demigod’s release, not long ago, but you can’t help but admire the way Brad Wardell is handling the situation.  My hats off to you sir, and God bless for a speedy recovery!

Return of Tribes? Not quite, but those looking for an HD Tribes fix might not have long to wait!  Red 5 Studios has revealed it’s free multiplayer shooter titled Firefall, and it draws heavily from the jetpack fueled combat of Tribes.  The art style closely resembles that of Borderlands, but it appears the similarities don’t stop their–the game boasts a somewhat open world as well, for teams to compete and complete objectives in.  Sign me up!  No details on an ETA, but this looks like one to watch!

Geared Up

OK, normally I’m not one to gawk at much over-priced gaming trinkets, nor do I like posting gear that has been plastered everywhere else, but this was a case I made an exception.  In case you’ve been under a rock, Origin PC has released a completely sick gaming PC complete with an XBOX 360.  That’s right, the case has it’s own 360, liquid cooled, and built right in—for the hefty price of $7,000.00!!!!  Sure, we can’t afford it, but we can dream, right?  This gaming juggernaut also boasts an overclocked i7 processor, matching GTX480 GPU’s, a voltage-sucking 1500 watt power supply and 2 SSD drives.  All I can say is ‘Wow’.  Does it make yogurt too?

48 Hours of Madness

Looking for some good game deals? Well, GoGamer.Com has them. The site is running a sale called “The Madness Effect,” a 48 hour sale that is good enough to earn the name. Want proof? How about Mass Effect 2 on PC for $16.90 or Alan Wake for $29.90.

If you want to take advantage of this sale, better act quickly. The prices are only good while supplies last.

Laura Croft and the Guardian of Light will not launch with online coop

Remember that Lara Croft game that is coming to the Xbox Live Summer of Arcade? If you are interested, you might want to keep the date September 28th in mind.

Why you ask? Well, not only is that the date Laura Croft and the Guardian of Light releases on both Steam and the PS3, it is also the date a free downloadable patch that will unlock the ability to play the game’s online coop.

Crippling your game till it releases on the other systems? Seriously? What’s the point them of buying it on its XBLA release? I’m sorry, Square, this is just a REALLY bad move.

Source

Puzzle Quest 2 hits Steam August 12th

I for one have been really impressed with Puzzle Quest 2, but those of you who play only on PC have not been able to try D3′s sequel. Well, that is soon going to change. On August 12th, the game hits Steam for $19.99, though if you preorder, you can save 10%.

Hmmm. the price I paid for it on XBLA is looking batter already. Still, the game is worth $20.

Source

Gearbox does not deny Borderlands DLC leak

So yesterday, some leaked info was posted on the Gearbox Borderlands forum about a new DLC pack for the hit game. Well, today Gearbox Software President Randy Pitchford told IGN today that the DLC is real, but that you should not believe everything you read.

“There are a few things there. But I think it’s like reading a draft of a script for a movie that hasn’t even been announced yet, let alone launched – yeah you might learn something, but it’s not the real thing and it could just drive you crazy thinking about it.”

So, new DLC on the way. I might just have to start leveling up my other characters. It’s hard to part with my fully leveled Siren, however.

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Daily Bits is a collection of all the gaming news that has happened for the current day that we deem as interesting and relevant to our readers. Check back daily for more news round-ups and feel free to send your suggestions to dailybits@everydaygamers.com

Vanquish hits stores October 19th

Sega’s Vanquish has been exciting a lot of gamers, and now those looking forward tot he game know when they will be able to get their hands on it. Sega announced today that the high octane cover based shooter will be coming out on October 19th in North America. Those who choose to pre-order the game from GameStop will gain access to some in game special weapons, but is that really worth supporting the evil empire?

Source

Borderlands to get Game of the Year Edition?

Speaking of the gaming retail conglomerate, a recent listing on GameStop’s website for a Borderlands Game of the Year Edition Strategy Guide seems to be pointing to an eventual GOTY release of the popular Gearbox shooter/RPG. This edition of the game would more than likely contain all the downloadable content to date: The Secret Armory of General Knoxx, Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot and The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned. The strategy guide has a release date of September 9th.

While this may be good news for those who have not picked up the game, those of us who have are starting to wonder about Gearbox’s promise to keep supporting the game with DLC. Nothing has surfaced since we battled Knoxx, and I for one would love the chance to jump back onto Pandora.

Source

More Dragons that you can fit in a single Age

Bioware officially announced Dragon Age II today, and from what we know about the game so far, it will be quite a departure from the original. Players will take on the role of Hawke, a legendary warrior who survived the blight and mysteriously rose to power, getting to fill in the details of just how he or she accomplished that. That’s right; the full extent of your choice of origins for you character in the sequel will be whether it is male or female.

So I am looking forward to this, but not overly so. After playing Mass Effect 2, my time researching Bioware games is being tied up elsewhere.

Source

Et tu, Red Dead?

So someone somewhere must have decided all games could do with a little bit of Zombie in them, even Red Dead Redemption. That’s right; Rockstar has announced 4 new DLC packs which will be releasing for the game, including Undead Nightmare, a single player campaign that will let you take on the overly used horror creatures. Here are the details on the DLC:

Legends and Killers — August 2010 (800 MS Points / $9.99)

• Nine new multiplayer map locations
• Eight new multiplayer characters, including some from Red Dead Revolver
• New projectile weapon, The Tomahawk, with corresponding multiplayer and single-player challenges
• New Achievements and Trophies

Liars and Cheats — Launch date TBD (800 MS Points / $9.99)

• Attack and Defend multiplayer competitive mode and challenges
• New multiplayer horse races, with mounted combat
• Play as “the heroes and villains” of Red Dead Redemption, as well as eight new multiplayer characters
• Multiplayer versions of Liar’s Dice and Poker from the single-player game
• New weapon, The Explosive Rifle, with corresponding multiplayer and single-player challenges
• New Achievements and Trophies

Free Roam — Launch date TBD (Price TBD)

• Additional Free Roam challenges
• New action areas and defensive placements
• Posse scoring and leaderboards
• New anti-griefing measures in Free Roam

Undead Nightmare — Launch date TBD (800 MS Points / $9.99)

• New single-player adventure, challenges and quests
• Eight new multiplayer zombie characters
• Additional animals to hunt
• New dynamic events “and more”

So there you have it. More zombies. Is anyone else getting tired of this already?

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Daily Bits is a collection of all the gaming news that has happened for the current day that we deem as interesting and relevant to our readers. Check back daily for more news round-ups and feel free to send your suggestions to dailybits@everydaygamers.com

So, we here at Everyday Gamers decided we would come together and give you and idea of what each of us feel are the five best games we each played this year.

Eric Bouchard:

5. Tie: Scribblenauts/Henry Hatsworth and the Puzzling Adventure (DS) – Yes, I know starting out with a tie seems like a bit of a cop out, but I cannot help it. In what seemed overall like a down year for the DS, Scribblenauts and Henry Hatsworth were 2 absolutely can’t miss games. Scibblenauts adds a whole new twist to puzzle solving with no set way to beat each level, while Hatsworth combines platforming with puzzle gameplay in a way that is just astounding. The games stand out as the best on the handheld, and I dare anyone to play either one and not enjoy them.

4. Torchlight (PC) – In a world of big releases, it is rare to see an indie game catch on the way Torchlight has. Made by many of the creators of Diablo, Torchlight manages to be both a deep dungeon crawler and yet an accessible game for those not used to that type. You can pop in and play for just a bit or get lost for hours, something most games cannot balance. Excellent gameplay, an inventive inventory system with the ability to have you pet sell you items and 3 truly unique classes to play set Torchlight apart from other Diablo clones, and that’s not counting the mods people are already making available for the game. Heck, it deserves to be on the list if for nothing else than it has gotten me back into PC gaming.

3. Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360, PC) – When Left 4 Dead 2 was announced at E3, there were many people, including some 0n this site, who thought it was too soon after Left 4 Dead. Many were afraid the game would just be Left 4 Dead 1.5, but it did not take long for that to be proven wrong. The sequel has surpassed its predecessor in every way, from tighter controls to longer, more involved campaigns. Add to that plenty of new weapons including melee based, new special infected, the uncommon common and more multiplayer modes, and Left 4 Dead 2 ends up feeling like much much more of a complete game than the original. This version is worth the $60.oo price point.

2. Dragon Age Origins (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) – This game was in the running for Game of the Year when I was first started playing. Bioware set out yo make Dragon Age Origins to be the spiritual successor to Balder’s Gate, and the company has achieved that. A deep storyline, excellent character interaction and a rich combat system make this an RPG to make hardcore RPG fans proud. In the end, however, that is part of why it did not make number 1 on my list, as the one the made it there was much more accessible and has the best Co-op I think I have ever played.

1. Game of the Year: Borderlands (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) - There is something magical about this game. Gearbox has managed to do the best job so far of combining an FPS with an RPG, and the cell-shaded look to Borderlands just helps add to the joy you get while playing it. Though the single player campaign is strong, you are really doing this game and yourself a disservice if you do not play it Co-op, and as such the 360 version may be the best because of Live. Random weapons, 4 unique character classes that can be leveled up in many different ways, enemies who level up based on the number of people playing and a wry humor that just permeates the game make Borderlands the clear choice for GOTY.

Honorable Mentions: Uncharted 2 (PS3), Street Fighter IV (PC, PS3, Xbox 360), Batman Arkham Asylum (PC, PS3, Xbox 360), Assassin’s Creed II (PS3, Xbox 360)

Patrick Adams

5. InFamous (PS3) – I was a little skeptical about the game until the demo released, once I got my hands on it I instantly knew it would be a day-one purchase. I’m not one to pay attention to the story in a game but InFamous made it hard not to with it’s sweet comic book art-style. The platforming elements in InFamous were very refined and overall the game is one of the best on the PS3.

4. Shadow Complex (XBLA) – Shadow Complex was so good that I almost added it to my top 10 favorite games of all time list. Yes it pays homage to Metroid but for someone like me who has never played Metroid it was still an amazing game. The game was very polished and overall just plain fun. Once I completed the game I only wanted to play more. I hope we’ll see a sequel sometime in the near future.

3. Uncharted 2 (PS3) – Everyone knew U2 looked beautiful and the hype for it was pretty high. Naughty Dog delivered and the game lived up to the expectations. Like the first one, U2 is like an adventure movie that you play and that’s awesome. With a thin line between the cutscenes and the actual gameplay U2 is right next to Killzone 2 as the best looking game to grace the PS3.

2. Red Faction: Guerrilla (Xbox 360) – I think the main reason RFG is #2 on my list is because it really caught me by surprise. I had heard nothing about the game until I played the demo and that demo was enough to make me go out and buy RFG on day-one. RFG is about destroying everything and destroying everything is as fun as a game can get.

1. Game of the Year:  Borderlands (Xbox 360) – I went out on a limb and bought this game purely because of reading good things about it on Twitter and here it is my #1 one pick, my game of the year. The funny thing about my experience with Borderlands was that I played the entire game by myself. It was exactly what I needed, a blend of the action in an FPS and the addiction of collecting loot and leveling up in an RPG. Borderlands also has an art-style that hits the spot for me. With the announcement of plans to make it a franchise I am excited to see more of Borderlands in the future.

Honorable Mentions: Killzone 2 (PS3), GTA: Chinatown Wars (DS), Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360), and N.O.V.A. (iPhone).

Yuoma

The Fishbowl – Episode 101 – Borderlands

The Fisbowl – Episode 101 – Borderlands.flv

Borderlands is a first person shooter with heavy RPG elements (or an RPG seen from a first person perspective?), with a strong Diablo-esque emphasis on grinding and loot collection. Stack on top of all this that all enemies, equipment and weapons are randomly generated and you have a game that will keep you addicted, while still managing to pack in a few surprises even after having played it for over 100 hours.

Story

Borderlands takes place in the colony planet of Pandora. A planet colonized and quickly abandoned by the government, and corporations once they saw how little there was in it to profit from, and how difficult it would be to survive in it for prolonged stretches of time. The only people left behind were the treasure hunters, some early settlers, unlucky employees and hordes of criminals who now prey on the civilians left behind. Most of the people who stayed behind did so because of their belief in a legendary vault of untold, and immeasurable treasures. The story in this game is easily the weakest part of the game, and at times it seems like a throw-away part of a whole which seems so well thought out, which is sad, because the characters can be so darn funny and interesting at times. At one point in the story you find out someone has died, and this is never followed through any further, almost as if they wanted to move you, but didn’t care enough to give this branch in the plot any closure.

Gameplay

Borderlands starts off as most FPSs do. You are give a gun, you are given a guide, and you are given some some easy mooks to kill. Where things start diverging from other FPSs is when you kill someone, or complete a mission and are given a set amount of experience, which in turn increases your level, making you stronger, tougher, and giving you more health. You also start getting skill points which you can use to develop your chosen character into the perfect killing machine, healing or looting machine.

There are four character classes to choose from:

*A soldier who can either heal his teammates or summon a turret to assist with the butt-kickery.

*A siren whose power allows her to explode in an elemental flash, become invisible for a few seconds, while she runs to or from danger, and then explodes again to knock out whoever is standing around her.

*The berserker who is an explosives specialist, or an unstoppable punching juggernaut.

*And the hunter, who can either be a deadeye sniper or a gunslinger with buffs whenever he uses handguns and revolvers, with a pet hawk who attacks and slows down enemies. He also drops extra loot for the whole party.

As awesome as single player for this game is, things just get better every time another player joins the game: enemies become tougher, which makes the little puppies you were fighting against in single player become fire, acid, or thunder-breathing monsters which will take a whole team, and a lot of bullets to take down. Treasure also goes up a few levels in awesome with more people in your party, taking your machinegun and replacing it’s bullets with rockets. You are doing yourself a disservice if you never play this game with other people.

The game also features player duels and arenas in which to fight your friends. Ignore these, as they are highly irrelevant. A properly built hunter can kill anyone within half a second of the start of the fight by summoning his hawk. A siren can kill everyone else. None of this is pertinent to your level, or to how awesome your weapons are. The game is made for killing monsters, and PVP battles are really unbalanced.

Weapons

As stated before, weapons in this game are randomly generated, which means that if you are really, very lucky you can find a super rare weapon, which will make your character into a spider killing god. There are different weapon-types in the game, including pistols, sniper rifles, shotguns, machineguns, and even some alien weapons. Every time you open a chest, or kill a baddie you have a chance of finding, say a sniper, or a sniper that does double damage, or a sniper that shoots fire bullets, or acid bullets… Or a sniper which shoots clusters of bullets, like a shotgun, or if you’re really lucky, all of the above. Also it can refill ammo automatically so you never run out. The possibilities here are endless, and all the examples described above are weapons I actually have. And they are all on my crappy character… (my good character has a revolver whose bullets rotate between all the elements in the game, and shoots as fast as an assault riffle).

Weapons are the reason most people who play this game will continue to play it well after their characters have all reached their level cap.

Graphics

Borderlands is powered by the unreal engine 3, so it obviously looks amazing. It has a beautiful cell-shaded style which gives it a bit of a comic-book feel, and gives the characters a lot of personality, and helps a lot with the humor behind them all. The game manages impressive draw distances, which is very helpful for us snipers out there. In fact, the only time I noticed any slowdown and frame skipping was when playing with a full party of level 50 characters we all spread out throughout a huge map and each fought innumerable hordes of spiders, and used ridiculous fast, powerful, acid shooting, explosion spamming weapons, but it soon passed, as those spider did not live for long.

Borderlands is easily one of my favorite games this year, and one of the games I’ve dumped the most hours into (considering it takes about 40-50 hours {more or less depending on skill} to complete all missions in the games, and even at that point your character will only be around level 36). Each character gives the player a different play style, and a different perspective on the game, and how to tackle each mission all over again. But you will continue playing this game with friends looking for the next, strongest weapon you could ever imagine. There is so much more that could be said about the unlimited possibilities for the weapons available to you in this game, but I really must stop; I just finished downloading the newest downloadable content for this game, and it’s zombies…ZOMBIES!!!