The first big game that we have for this month is Rocksmith. It was released on October 18th for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

This game looks like it’s going to be one to buy for anyone who just wants some fun, or even for those of you who want to learn, or are learning how to play guitar. The easiest way to learn something is to have fun while doing it and this is the way to go.

I’m probably not going to be picking this one up anytime soon, I’ll probably put it on my Christmas list this year and give it a shot around the Holidays!

Next up, we have a game that is being released cross-platform again, so for anyone on the PS3, Xbox 360, or PC, you’re going to want to check out Kingdoms of Alamar, Reckoning.

The projected release date for this one is on February 7th, 2012, so we have a little time between now and then, but this game looks like another well done RPG that I will put on my maybe list for if I have extra time.

The way this game has been put together, it has been created and aimed at those of us who are avid RPG players and it’s made to skip the things that we already know and allow us to get right into the meat of the game, which is what we all want anyway!

Everybody loves a good classic game that’s been around for ages, so get excited because Soul Calibur V is due to be released on January 31st, 2012.

Graphicwise, the Soul Calibur series has always been on the front lines leading the the gaming industry in graphic amazingness and I don’t think that Soul Calibur 5 might disappoint in that area!

The overall customization in this game is extremely impressive and it’s always more fun when you can create a player that looks exactly like you, facial shape and all, so this is going to be a good one for those of you who need another fighter to fill some space on your shelf.

For anyone who owns a Playstation 3, February 12th, 2012 is a sacred day that must be marked on your calendar immediately, because this is the day that Twisted Metal returns to the Sony platform and you are not going to want to miss this game!

I will put this on my to get list and it might even make it to my launch day purchase list depending on how many other games are being released during that time frame in February.

I really don’t think that I need to say a whole lot about Twisted Metal, as it’s been around since the Playstation 1 days and if you seriously don’t know what it’s all about, you need to wake up and open your eyes!

As for all of you Xbox 360 owners out there, don’t worry, I didn’t leave you out on this one, because you have The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings to look forward to sometime in Quarter 1 of 2012.

This is another RPG to add to the already overflowing ocean of RPG games that are being released so often these days, but as far as I can tell, this is being ported from the PC and already has a thriving fan base that is looking to be expanded to the console platform.

There is already some news of DLC that will be released for The Witcher 2, so there’s no way that this game is going to get old too fast, unless the game itself is just a failure.

Personally, I won’t be purchasing this game as it’s for the Xbox 360 and also because there are so many RPG games being released now-a-days that my plate is already full, so I would suggest that this might be one to skip for you.

This wraps up this overview of the November Update 2011, so be sure to enjoy the Holidays with family and friends and you will hear from me next month!

The best way that I can describe Beat Hazard Ultra is to take Super Stardust HD, put all your favorite dance/electro/dubstep music behind it and put thousands of music strobing lights on the screen at the same time.

When I first looked at a gameplay video of this game I couldn’t even keep track of what was going on, but soon after I downloaded it, I was already playing on Suicidal and it was pure fun!

Overall, graphics-wise I would say that it was pretty well done. I would have liked to see a little more detail on the various ships and bosses, but by no means does this deter me from playing Beat Hazard Ultra.

One thing that did draw me into this game was the fact that you could import your own music and Beat Hazard Ultra would create a level based off of your songs. As far as I could tell, it seemed to be unique for every song that I imported, so it didn’t get repetitive.

Also, as most of you know, I’m a huge multiplayer fan and I was extremely pleased to know that Beat Hazard Ultra supported multiplayer and not only on the same console, but it also has online multiplayer capabilities!

Overall, if I could improve one thing on this game, I would probably put a higher difficulty mode on it. I found that even though Suicidal Game Mode was by no means easy, I was able to jump right into it after just a few play-throughs on some of the lower difficulty settings.

One other thing that could possibly improve or destroy this game, would be to add the 3-D world around it, such as in Super Stardust HD. I think this would allow for a lot more difficulty and also an even more insane user experience regarding all the things that could be done with the strobing effects.

After all this being taken into consideration, I believe that if you love music and you’re a gamer, Beat Hazard Ultra is worth looking into. Not only do you have the option of playing through to beat your high scores, but there is an infinite mode, where you can just relax and listen to your music and destroy thousands and thousands of spaceships and asteroids coming from every direction without the pressure of trying not to die.

The first game that we have up this month is Elder scrolls V Skyrim. This game is for all three platforms and is due to be released on October 11th. As most of you know, I’m not a big story-based game player, so this game doesn’t have huge appeal to me, but what I can say, is that the graphics just might be something to rant and rave about. From what I’ve heard, the story is extremely well done and the graphics aren’t far behind. I know a lot of people are excited about Skyrim being released, so I would say that if this game looks to be of any interest to you at all, it’s fair to say you probably won’t be let down!

Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think it’s fair to say that everyone enjoys a good robot shooter every once in a while, so that’s why I wanted to touch on Syndicate, which is due to be released on February 21st, 2012. From the little bit of research that I’ve done, apparently this game is based off of a sci-fi series from back in the day. So I’m sure there are still some fans lingering around that are eager and ready to give Syndicate a shot. For everyone else, we have a few months until crunch time if you want a launch day purchase, so keep researching this one to see if it seems like it’s something that might interest you!

As we continue, a lot of times PC gamers get thrown to the wayside as far as exclusives, so today we have one that really brings back some memories for me. Stronghold 3 is due to be released on October 4th and if I do say so myself, the graphics in this game look impressive! I used to play Age of Empires II constantly when I was younger, so Stronghold 3 just looks like a redone version of Age of Empires, with a lot of added features and of course, an amazing graphic presentation to boot! If you’re at all a fan of Age of Empires, or any game where you create your empire and take over the world, Stronghold 3 is going to me a must buy for you! Trust me, if my computer could handle it, I would have already purchased Stronghold 3!

Ratchet & Clank All 4 One is our PS3 exclusive this month and is due for release on October 18th, 2011. If you’ve owned a Sony console before, chances are, that you’ve played one of the previous Ratchet and Clank games. As All 4 One is due to be released, you can expect many of the same things that have been included in the past editions. While some people would take this as a bad thing, I personally take it as a very good thing. Why change anything if it’s worked so many years as it is? A few little touch ups here and there, some new environments, updated graphics, and a continuation of the storyline is basically what can be expected for this release.

Our last exclusive here this month is a big one and if you haven’t heard of it before, you just might live on an island with nothing but sand around you, because Forza Motorsport 4 is due for release on October 11th, 2011 and is an Xbox 360 exclusive. I know that in the past, I’ve said that the Gears of War series makes me sometimes wish I had an Xbox and Forza Motorsport just adds some more confirmation to that wish, because this series is well done. I’ve put some hours into Forza Motorsport 3 and from everything I played and got out of it from a casual gamers perspective, there is only one complaint that could be mentioned. That complaint is that some of the races have an absurd amount of laps compared to other racing games on the market, but on the flipside, this could be taken as a plus for many gamers as well. Everything else in this game, as far as I could tell, made it worth purchasing in my opinion, so I would add this one to your list.

Last, but not least, we have Saints Row The Third, which has a set release date of November 15th, 2011. From what I can see, this is another game that deserves a deeper look before writing this one off as a no go. It seems like a spinoff of the GTA series, which, while sometimes can be a bad thing, in this case, it seems like they might have done it right and actually managed to pull this one off. There seems to be a little bit of a push towards vehicles and vehicle combat in this rendition, so anybody who liked the concept of using vehicles in the GTA series, or just in general, Saints Row the Third is probably one that you’re going to want to pick up, or at the very least add to your Christmas wish list this year!

This just about wraps it up for this month, so check into those games that caught your eye and give them a closer look!

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!

After the PSN talk things got right down to business.  Showing off one of the most amazing franchises of this generation, Uncharted 3.  I have been a huge Uncharted fan ever since the first game, and the series just keeps getting better and better.  The demo that was shown by Naughty Dog looked absolutely gorgeous.  The water effects and cinematic gameplay was like no other.  I don’t know about you, but I honestly can’t wait for this title, and I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t take Game of the Year for 2011, just like Uncharted 2 did back in 2009 when it won a handful of awards.

Then things moved quickly to Sony’s next big exclusive title, Resistance 3.  I’ve never been a big fan of the Resistance series.  Their not terrible games, I feel like their just missing something.  Whether or not the 3rd installment will bring that “something” I’m looking for remains to be seen.  But after the demo that was shown I wasn’t impressed at all.  Hopefully the full game will be much better.  Time will tell.

What I also thought was interesting was the 24 inch 3D monitor that was packaged with Resistance 3 and the 3D glasses all for 499.99$, Not bad.  I’ll skip though, I’m still not completely sold on the whole 3D thing yet.  I don’t want to have a seizure while I’m playing a game.

One thing that I was very satisfied with about Sony’s presser was the fact that we didn’t really get a lot of Move talk.  Sure they did some, but not nearly to the extent of Microsoft did with Kinect in my opinion.  They showed off NBA 2k11 with Move support, along with a few other titles I quickly forgot the names of.  What I didn’t forget was Dust 514, a Sony exclusive First-Person Shooter which seems to be set in the future.  We didn’t get a whole lot to look at it, but from what I saw I was pretty excited.

The end of the show is the thing we’ve all been waiting for.  We finally know the new name of the NGP, the PSVita.  Stupid name, but who cares, I thought the games on it looked very impressive for a handheld.  Also, with the $250 price tag on it, it will give some competition with the 3DS.  I really don’t think anyone saw that coming from Sony.  What a great move on their part. I thought Uncharted: Golden Abyss was definitely some eye candy,although I could do without the gimmicky touch screen functionality on the front of the screen.  But to each their own, they don’t force you to play the game that way if you don’t want too.  Ruin also caught my eye.  I like the fact that you can start a game on the go with your PSVita, and continue right where you left off, at home on your Playstation 3.  I can see a lot of games taking advantage of that, and it’s a great idea.

Overall, I really was pleased with the Sony Press Conference.  Not much Move talk, and the fact that you can get the PSVita for $249.99 stole the show for me.  Uncharted 3 is going to be huge for them this year, and I think that game is finally a system seller.  Everyone knows Sony has had a rough first half of 2011, and it remains to be seen how the second half of the year is for them.  But I think they are definitely heading in the right direction.

The Show series has always had the reputation of being the most realistic baseball game on the market today, and with MLB 11: The Show it is no different.  It’s been the type of game that if you are knowledgeable about baseball, it can be quite an amazing experience.  But if your the type of person who just wants to swing the bat and hit everything out of the park, well your going to have a frustrating time.  MLB 11: The Show is in no doubt a true baseball fans dream come true.

As I mentioned before, the biggest change Sony San Diego has made this year is with the new control scheme.  With the right timing and precision, you will feel rewarded for just hitting a single right up the middle, or pitching a one, two, three inning.  Hitting with the analog stick can be a frustrating experience at first for someone who is a novice to The Show series.  I had some of my experience with this kind of control during my days playing the 2K series, who has had the analog hitting for quite some time now.  It is something you have to practice at to master, but once you do it becomes a very fun way to play the game.  By using the left stick you pull back to take your step towards the mound, then by pushing up to take your swing.  It really is all about getting the pitchers timing down and how long it takes him to come to the plate.  I really enjoy the new hitting mechanics.  It adds more realism to the sim experience, and all in all Sony San Diego has done a pretty good job with it.  I have noticed times where it wouldn’t seem like it was registering when I pulled back on the left stick.  Which is extra frustrating when by simply pushing up on the left analog stick your player bunts the ball.  But with some tweaks It is a welcomed change to the series.

Pitching is also completely revamped.  In past games, you used the four faced buttons to select your pitch, while you hit the X button for your power and accuracy via meter bar.  MLB 11: The Show uses the same back and up motion on the left analog stick, but focuses more on accuracy rather than timing.  By pulling the stick back this will set your pitcher in motion.  This is where your power comes from. As you come to the plate, you move the analog stick up towards the location of your pitch.  It is very important to be accurate with your pitch, because if you leave one hanging across the plate a good hitter will knock it out of the park.  If you happen to make a good pitch with perfect location the top of the bar will become yellow.  It may sound easy but it really does take some practice to get your pitches close to perfect every time.  The new pitching controls is actually my favorite part of the game.  Yes it may need a bit of tweaking, but overall I think they did a great job with it.  It really makes you focus on the hitter your facing and his tendencies.

Fielding and throwing the ball is also completely taken over with the left analog stick.  This is probably the one area Sony San Diego could of spent maybe just a little more time with to get the throwing aspect done just right.  When your throwing the ball, your player will have a meter to tell you how accurate your throws will be.  If the circle lights up green, then your throw should be perfect.  If it flashes red, then you could be in for some disaster.  The only problem I have with this is that the throwing sensitivity is way too high.  It is sometimes very tough to judge how perfect your throw will be.  You basically just want to flick the analog stick instead of holding it down.  I like the new concept, I just hope they spend some more time on getting it perfect for next years game.  It’s quite obvious that the hitting and pitching were at the top of the to-do list more so than the fielding.

For people who’ve played last year’s game already know how beautiful the game truly looks.  Everything from the lighting during day games, to the almost creepy realistic look of the players.  The Show always shines in the graphics department.  I can’t tell a huge difference in visuals from this year’s game to  last, other than maybe the players facial animations or maybe how they stand in the batters box. But by no means is it a downgrade from the previous year.  Even the stadiums look slightly more detailed, and crowd animations are a step up.  It still remains the best looking baseball game that is out for this console generation.

The most popular aspect of The Show has always been it’s Road To The Show mode.  This is basically your RPG for core baseball fans. You can either pick your favorite team to play for, or you can enter the draft and have it determine what team your going to start at AA with.  Throughout the games you play you will earn XP that you can spend to improve your player any way you want.  Do you want to be more of a contact Ichiro type player? Or do you want to have power and knock the cover off the ball like Ryan Howard?  Whatever you decide, it sure is a time killer and a fun way to play the game.  Their are a million ways to shape the player that you want to be.  Throwing, fielding, and speed are also important if you want a shot at the Major Leagues.  You will be rewarded on anything positive that you do during a game, not just hitting homeruns.  Hit a sacrifice fly or have a long pitch at-bat are some the other things you will be rewarded for.  Doing some of the little things will earn you big XP.

Additional added features to this years MLB 11: The Show are quite scarce.  They added a co op mode that you can play with a friend against the A.I.  and the online play isn’t much different as last year.  It still works when it wants too but at times can still have lag.  They’ve also made a little bit of changes to the online leagues to make things easier and more accessible.  For the most fun that the game has to offer, stick offline with a Road To The Show character or start up a 162 game season with your favorite team.

Even though the game doesn’t offer much more than last year, MLB 11: The Show still remains the most surreal experience you are going to have on the baseball field without actually being on it yourself.  With the additions of the Pure Analog Control, beautiful looking visuals, and slight upgrades to the RTTS mode it is in no doubt worth your time and money.  Sure, you may put some wear and tear on the analog sticks by the end of the season, but the feeling of hitting a walk-off homerun in the 9th with the new controls. Priceless.

LittleBigPlanet 2 in every way is a step above the first one. One of the biggest and most welcoming surprises is the quality of the story missions. I thought Media Molecule concentrated so much in getting the user created stuff right in the first title, that it was lacking in the single player levels. In the sequel, this is not the case at all. I found the story levels in LittleBigPlanet 2 to be very creative and much more enjoyable. Each world has it’s own theme so it never gets stale. Things can also get a little tricky for Sackboy as he makes his way through each section of the game. In addition to that, all of your Downloadable Content and user created levels from the first game will port over to the new one. I was glad to see the return of my Jack Sparrow Sackboy. The core gameplay of LittleBigPlanet still remains the same. But Media Molecule did add a few new things to the mix. You will often find grappling hooks to use to grab on to certain things in the level, that are just too far to reach. I thought this a cool new way to get around. Also, a lot of people complained about the jumping in the first game. I never really agreed with that, but it’s worth mentioning that there are a fair amount of jump pads in most of the levels. These make getting around quicker and easier.

That's one enormous rabbit.

Let’s be honest, what makes people come back for more LittleBigPlanet goodness is the user created levels. I personally have never had a creative bone in my body when it comes to creating original content levels, so I unfortunately will not be taking part in making my own. But for those who are, there are tons of things you can make and do. I’ve seen people making shooters, racing levels, and pretty much anything else that springs to your mind.  It’s amazing how much is packed in for all the people who want to take advantage of building something great. There are hours upon hours of content that will easily make this game go on for a few years, or until we see LittleBigPlanet 3.

One minor complaint I have is with how the co-op works. Before you enter every level it will ask you if you want to join up with others that are playing this level. It does in fact do so, but problem is, it will send out an invite to one person and if they decline your invite, the game will just automatically put you into the game solo. It does not continue to look for other players. You have to keep returning to your pod and reloading the level you want to play. It’s not a huge deal but hopefully this is something that can be fixed in a future patch. Regardless, if you wanted to play with 3 of your buddies then this is probably your best bet with co-op, as I did not experience any problems playing that way.

Overall, LittleBigPlanet 2 is an amazing game, and a great way to start off 2011. If you liked anything about the first game, there is no doubt in my mind that you will love what Media Molecule has done with the sequel . It is in every way a more fleshed out and enjoyable experience. No matter what your age is, there’s enough “kid” in all of us to still enjoy the little things.

Too cool to take cover.

When you first dive into Killzone 3, you may not be able to pick out all of the changes made from the second game. While they all may be very small changes, the game is really a much better experience than the first. The first thing I noticed was that I never ran out of ammo. There are ammo crates located everywhere you turn, which is great because you are never frustrated due to lack of ammo. This game is about kicking ass, and you can’t do that if you don’t have any ammo. For some of the special scenario weapons the ammo is infinite, which is also great. Another change is the fact that you can carry two main weapons at a time now. I think this is genius. This means you no longer come upon a weapon you really want to use only to pass it up because you still need your assault rifle. You also have a great selection of weapons in Killzone 3 such as the WASP missile launcher (probably my favorite special weapon), the boltgun which fires exploding bolts and the Arc Cannon which explodes enemies into a million pieces. Another new addition to the game is the jet pack. It comes with two automatic rifles built into each side. While I think it is a great addition, I found my self dying a fair amount simply because I was more exposed while flying. The mech suit makes a return as well.

Anyone who has played Killzone 2 knows that it is a very impressive looking game. Killzone 3 raises the bar by making the game brighter and changing up the environments constantly, including the addition of snow levels, jungle levels and even space combat similar to that of Halo: Reach. The game never feels dull or repetitive; the environment is constantly changing.

One of my main concerns going into Killzone 3 was that I was going to feel nauseated like I did when playing Killzone 2. I can tell you that not once did I feel sick or nauseated. The camera is a lot more steady than the previous game, and surprisingly this makes a huge difference. It also means you can appreciate your surroundings a lot more while being in motion. You really see the full power of this game when you go up against the MAWLR towards the end. This was by far the most intense part of the game, and it played a decisive role in the score that I gave it.

The MAWLR.

There aren’t too many negative things I can say about Killzone 3, but there is one thing that made the game frustrating for me. I died a lot. The reason this was frustrating is because most of the time it was unexpected. Similar to Gears of War, Killzone 3 is based heavily on taking cover and shooting from cover; it is not a run-and-gun type of game. For me, this means that I should be safe in cover. This is not the case. There are many times in the game where you will think you are safe behind cover, and you are not. I found this frustrating because I would duck behind cover to regenerate my health and still keep getting shot. This wouldn’t be as frustrating if it the game didn’t depend so much on cover, but it does; if you are exposed to enemy fire, you can only really take a few hits before you are down on the ground. There were also many times when I had no idea who was shooting me, forcing me to replay a section 5-10 times before barely making it through. Like I said, this is honestly the one and only thing bad about this game. It excels in every other aspect, and in no way is this a reason to not play it.

Killzone 3 took me about 5 hours to complete. That may be a turn off to some people, but the game also lets you play  cooperatively with split-screen. I’m not sure why they didn’t include the option to play it co-op online because I think that would have been a good time. I didn’t have any time to play with the multiplayer so I can’t really say much about it other than its fun and hopefully I’ll have time to sit down and play more of it soon.

Overall Killzone 3 is a masterpiece of power. I really had a great time with it, and I’m hoping we’ll get a Killzone 4 someday. People are saying this is the year of the PS3.

I’d say it’s off to a great start.

Hold Off The Zombie Horde Until Late September

Zombie killing fiends will have to wait until late September to play Dead Rising 2, as the game was delayed today by Capcom.  No specific reason was mentioned other than Capcom stating, “We are happy to confirm today that Dead Rising 2 is set for release across North America on September 28th, 2010″.

It is undetermined whether or not this will affect the Xbox 360 downloadable prologue “Case Zero”.

Dead Rising 2 will be released on the PC, Xbox 360, and the PS3 on September 28th in North America and October 1st in Euroupe.

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Red Faction Downloadable Game To Hit Before Armageddon

THQ’s VP of core games Danny Bilson said to expect a Red Faction Downloadable title due for the XBLA and PSN release 3-4 months before Armageddon hits store shelves in March.

There’s going to be a Red Faction Arcade game that ships about three or four months before Armageddon. “What’s interesting is that we will sell it to the fans, it will have content you can download that is TV show-related, it will build up to the new game and also we can use it to drive pre-orders, too; we can give codes and aspects of it, we can give the whole thing away.”

Bilson also says to expect the same treatment for other upcoming titles like Saints Row 2 and a couple of others.

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Sony Planning To Release More PS2 HD Collections

With the popularity of the God Of War Collection, Sony has revealed that they are in fact looking into other PS2 titles to give an HD makeover. As we already know from E3, The Sly Collection is already in the works, and both Ico and the Shadow of the Colossus has been rumored for quite some time now for a possible release in Q1 of 2011.

It’s nice to see Sony working on HD versions for some of the classic games from the PS2 era, especially if you have a PS3 that’s not backward compatible.

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