Amnesia: The Dark Descent Game Review

Amnesia is an exciting and horrifying adventure game built around exploration and puzzle-based environments. Imagine waking up in a brittle old castle in the Kingdom of Prussia. You have no recollection of how or why you got there [Hence the title.]. You remember your name and still preserve your long term memory. Still, the mystery of how, why and where you are eludes you.
Your name is Daniel. As you slowly regain consciousness, you discover a note addressed to you, written by none other than yourself. Upon gazing at it, you discover that you purposely wiped your memory and that you are to find the Inner Sanctum within the castle to seize and kill Alexander. Get ready for a long journey ahead, Daniel.
First off, Daniel is deathly afraid of the dark, and very easily scared. During the game you are followed by a haunting force that is called The Shadow. Its only purpose is to guard an Orb. One that Daniel previously stole from a burial chamber to give to Alexander whom had promised protection from the evil that followed the Orb. The only object you start with is an oil lantern. Throughout the game you must find tinderboxes and oil to stay constantly in the light, otherwise Daniel will gradually become insane and start seeing things that are really not there. Basically the lower your sanity is, the more difficult the game becomes. After the first few rooms and puzzles dealing with keys, finding various objects, and jumping over ledges, you will encounter the biggest problem in the castle; the most feared monster in the game, the Grunt. As you are not able to fight back, your only option is to run away from these creatures. They will kill you with one slash and they are faster than you. I think it gives the game more of a fear to it. If you are caught in the open near one of these monsters, well, you're screwed. The only way to avoid them getting to you is to make it quickly to the closest room and close the door. Did I mention they can break through doors as well? Well, they can. As soon as you lock yourself in, find a place to hide quickly. You will then have to risk your sanity by turning off your lantern and waiting in the dark until the creature passes. Tempting as it may be, do not look directly at the monster. Doing so will drop your sanity level much faster as the horrific looking monster makes Daniel shudder.
After many rooms and puzzles you will run into what I think is the scariest creature, the Kaernk, also called the Water Lurker. It has no physical form, you can't see it, but you know it's there. You hear its growls and the heavy splash it makes as it slowly follows wherever you go. Jump on the crates and boxes near you or the Water Lurker will kill you. The only way to create a diversion for it is to throw hunks of meat and body parts you find on top of some of the boxes. If your sanity level is fine throughout the game, you will only encounter this creature once. If it is low most of the game, expect for it to pop out of any room that has knee-high water.
All in all, aside from the great aspects to the game, there are also a few things that could use a bit of improvement. Oil is scarce, try to use as little as you can because the oil in the lantern tends to run out so fast. It is hard to find. It's hidden throughout the game, sometimes in the most ridiculous spots. Use as many tinderboxes as you can as a source of light. Another thing is that sometimes the puzzles are way too complicated. Hints are scarce and you can find yourself wondering what do to next. It's not uncommon to spend hours trying to find what triggers will get you through. This game is more out to scare you than anything else and it does an amazing job of it. The sensation of desperation and helplessness is purposely weaved into the game. If you are a fan of scary movies and adventure games, this is the perfect game for you. Aside from minor things, this game is definitely worth the money, and could easily make its way as the Scariest Game of All Time on any Gamer 's list. I hope you enjoyed this Video Game Review as much as I enjoyed playing the game.

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Skyrim Walkthrough Guide

Plan your character:
In the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim start off simple, find a Skyrim Walkthrough Guide and figure out what it is you wish to be strong or proficient in LATER in the game. Although you might find it smart to add perks to your block skill to defend attacks early on, you might come to find that the deadly powerful Ebony Sword is two-handed. Please refer to your Skyrim Walkthrough Guide for pertinent information. Since the sword is two-handed, you can't use a shield therefore rendering your shield perks useless. Rather than wasting those perks think about which weapons you want to use (Two-Handed, One- Handed, Archery) and which armor type you desire to wear (Heavy Armor, Light Armor). This is crucial in the game Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. A Skyrim Walthrough Guide will help you understand even further. Thieves Guild equipment is light Armor while Daedric Armor is a heavy Armor. Choosing light armor from the start would allow you to be proficient in Thieves Guild equipment if you desired to pursue a life of thievery. If you desire it would be wise to pick a race that supports the skills you will use the most. For instance, you like using the bow. The three classes that offer a starting bonus in Archery are the Bosmer, Khajit, and Redguard. (refer to a Skyrim Walkthrough Guide) The only thing that you also want to use is powerful destruction spells. Fitting the qualifications you have set, the Redguard would provide a substantial bonus for both skills. Planning your character from the start will greatly improve his/her strengths being that there is a limited number of perks (there is not enough perks for each perk slot). PREPARATION IS KEY and having a Skyrim Wwalkthrough Guide will give you further understanding.
Don't Waste Time:
From the start of the game your character begins leveling each and every skill that you use. Rather than blindly playing the game and completing the main quest line, why don't you multi task and Level your skills at an increased rate? The first three standing stones you will find will increase the rate of experience you gain. You may only choose one but a 20% increase to your magic, stealth, or combat skills will be applied. This way an hour of random dungeon plundering will level you up 20% faster than normal! And even yet you can sleep in a rented bed and receive the "well-rested" bonus, granting a 10% increase to ALL skill leveling. That's an overall 30% increase. So don't waste hours trying to progress your character. Instead, think ahead and level up twice as fast and find you an Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Walkthrough Guide that will benefit your game progress and further your education. Note, the more you know the better you will be.
Want more? There is plenty more when it comes to the vast world of Skyrim. The never-ending possibilities and options await you. So what are you waiting for?

Battlefield 3: Close Quarters Review

One of the most anticipated DLC packs of the celebrated Battlefield 3 title, Close Quarters was released in June of 2012 to generally positive reviews. The first in a series of DLCs that will include Armored Kill and End Game (both scheduled for release later in 2012), Close Quarters adds some impressive new features and interesting twists to one of the most promising game titles in recent history.
More maps, weapons and a new HD Destruction feature
What this primarily brings to the familiar Battlefield 3 gameplay is a focus on tight indoor environments. Here's a quick look at some of its more interesting features.
- High-action infantry combat
- Vertical gameplay with threats from every angle
- 10 new weapons
- Ability to earn new weapons and use them in the base game
- New assignments
- New modes for combination team play and instant action
- HD destruction feature that causes massive damage
Battlefield 3: Close Quarters is available in PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 versions.
Tight, close quarter gameplay
As the name suggests, this game focuses primarily on infantry style gameplay. In this DLC, players will have to fight their way through,all of which feature plenty of tight spaces and vertical playing surfaces. The close quarters action lends the game a frantic and high intensity feel that will keep adrenaline junkies pumped all throughout. With scores of new playing styles and methods, a selection of new weapons, and action that simply won't quit, it puts you right in the middle of the mayhem of a high-intensity infantry battle in full swing.
If you have been accustomed to the gameplay of the Battlefield 3 base game, you will definitely have to adjust your orientation a bit when you play Close Quarters. The extremely tight playing environments and somewhat disorienting vertical gameplay requires a slightly different approach along with a lot more focus and determination. In any given game, you can be blasted through the walls, the contents of a room can be totally obliterated, and pounds and pounds of lead can be traded by both sides. Truly one of the most action packed shooters in existence, Close Quarters is definitely not for the faint-hearted!
The HD Destruction feature
One of the much-lauded new features of this game is the aptly named HD Destruction. This feature is perfectly suited for the high-intensity close quarters action of the game, allowing for a level of destruction unheard of in even the most action packed titles. HD Destruction basically allows players to pump an astonishingly huge amount of lead into any playing environment, essentially reducing everything to rubble. The combat gaming genre has no shortage of titles that really let you pour on the mayhem, but for sheer volume of devastation, it is pretty hard to beat.
No vehicles
The fact that Close Quarters does not include vehicles at all may leave more than a few players scratching their heads, as did we. The thrill of a full-blown vehicular rumble simply cannot be denied, which is why we were a bit puzzled why this game chose to pass up this opportunity for even more action filled levels. That being said, the tight indoor environment and the vertical orientation provide plenty of unique new twists to the action. If you really must have your vehicular warfare fix, you would do well to stay tuned for Battlefield 3: Armored Kill. Slated for release later in 2012, Armored Kill features what is supposedly the biggest map in the franchise.
The verdict
Whether or not it is for you depends on how you like to play. If you are mainly focused on solo play, Close Quarters provides a pretty stunning audio-visual gaming full of high intensity action but not much else. If you are comparing the DLC to something such as Call of Duty, Close Quarters doesn't really measure up. With regard to multiplayer action goes however, the varied gaming styles and demanding environments give Close Quarters a uniquely high-intensity feel that few other games can match. Although not a genre-defining addition by any means, this is a more than worthy addition to the impressive Battlefield 3 line.

On a side note you should check out this cool article on real life Survival Techniques

Dead Space on PS3

I remember when I first heard about Dead Space. It was almost a full year, I think, before it even came out, and I came across a lengthy article in one of those game magazines to which my younger brother had subscribed. Those kinds of magazines were very interesting to me, and I might've had my own subscription, but, seeing as I'm something of a cheapskate, I would instead wait for his magazine to come in the mail and then rifle through it at the dining room table, always making sure never to wrinkle the pages and to put it back just as I'd found it. Dead Space immediately sounded like something that would be right up my alley. As a fan of series like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, the idea of having the crap scared out of me in space made my heart palpitate.
When I got the game on release day, I tore into the plastic wrapping like the case contained a winning lottery ticket, the case bending a little as I pulled at the wrapper instead of just cutting it. I knew that it would be a fun experience. Not only had everything I'd read primed me for playing, but right from the get-go the design of the game had me. The sounds playing over the start menu were filled with sharp metal scraping noises against a soft background murmur of voices.
The use of sound is one of the highlights of the game. As you control engineer Isaac Clark aboard the derelict USG Ishimura, you hear things clacking on the metal decks, noises in the vents, and the buzzing of lights struggling to stay on. Fans of horror movies will find a lot of familiarity, as sound has long been an effective way of getting people to squirm in their seats, and, occasionally, jump out of them. In one particular instance when I was playing, I came down a ramp and turned to grab an item from off the floor. As I did, one of the mutilated Necromorph enemies walked past, just on the other side of some debris blocking the corridor. A sharp note from the soundtrack made me forget to breathe. The game is filled with moments like that, when things can be dead silent before ramping up a few notes here and there to keep you from getting too comfortable. When that happens, it's anyone's guess as to whether or not something's actually about to get you or if you've just been had.
From a visuals standpoint, the game is very effective, too. Lighting plays a strong part in the look of the game, with environments ranging from brightly lit rooms to stretches of deep shadow. The Ishimura is one heck of a well-designed ship, too, and the set dressing - the flickering lights, malfunctioning doors, and messages scrawled in blood on the walls - all build up this intense atmosphere that literally makes moving from room to room a tense experience. Luckily, Isaac has at his disposal several different engineering tools that he can use as weapons, from the simple but versatile plasma cutter to something called the "ripper," which holds a buzzing circular saw in front of Isaac to help him sever the limbs of the creepy crawlies roaming the ship. Each of the several weapons available has a primary and an alternate firing mode, giving a good bit of versatility to the combat elements. To get rid of the bad guys you have to sever their limbs, which, aside from being creepy in and of itself, makes for an interesting combat dynamic. I liked the challenge of shooting off the arms and legs of the Necromorphs even as my sometimes poor aiming skills got the best of me at times.
I really appreciated Dead Space's return to a more survival horror element. Running and gunning is fun and all, but sometimes omitting those can make for a more rewarding experience. And the game definitely makes you conserve your resources.
Dead Space has been around for a few years now, with one successful sequel out and a third entry in the series on its way. For any other cheapskates out there, especially ones who like the feeling of tensing up as you round a darkened corridor, Dead Space is the game for you and your local Slackers has it. One suggestion: remember to play it in the dark, with the volume turned up.

The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim Dawnguard Review

As someone who has put a large chunk of my time into Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim already I felt like I'd pretty much got as much out of the game as I could, so when (finally) the first piece of DLC was released I was looking forward to playing it, although coming 8 months after the original game was released it does seem a bit late, I stopped playing Skyrim quite a few months ago and Bethesda might have found themselves receiving a few more sales if they'd been a little quicker in releasing it. Still, Skyrim was easily the best game I played in the last year so I was more than willing to give Dawnguard a go.
The Dawnguard DLC story focuses around Lord Harkon, a vampire Lord who has his ambitions set on destroying the sun and bringing darkness to Tamriel for ever, allowing his band of vampires to rule the land. Early on you are given the option of either helping him, as a vampire or opposing him, as a member of the "Dawnguard." Both sides have their own new skills and advantages of course and you'll want to play through both sides of the story to get the most out of your DLC.
If you decide to join the good guys and save the day and become a vampire slayer, a member of the Dawnguard, you'll get new equipment such as crossbows and new armor to help you. You can also hire a giant troll, complete with armor, to fight alongside you in battle. Myself I like to play as a werewolf and I received a whole new skill tree to unlock as well as some new allies to fight alongside me. The more interesting side of the Dawnguard DLC however is the ability to play as a powerful vampire Lord (don't worry it's nothing like Twilight!). You gain new powers such as the ability to reanimate enemies, teleport as a cloud of bats as well as a powerful energy blast that acts as a life-steal.
The new quests and abilities can be great fun however there were quite a few downsides to Dawnguard as well. Firstly playing as a vampire Lord you are forced into 3rd person viewpoint, which although allows you to watch as your awesome looking vampire rips people to shreds can be a bit unwieldy, especially in tight spaces. The aforementioned life-steal ability can be a bit too powerful as well, I found myself relying on it rather than using some of the other cool abilities available to me simply because it made many fights so easy. When you are in Vampire Lord mode you can't loot or interact anything so you'll often find yourself having to constantly go in and out of vampire Lord mode which can detract from the experience somewhat. Although the two factions offer replayability for your money a significant amount of the quests are used by both factions and so the second run through can feel a bit familiar, although it is worth playing through twice.
Dawnguard inherits both positives and negatives from its parent Skyrim. Just as with my initial play-through of Skyrim I found myself stopping and wondering at some of the fantastic visuals and scenery, but just like Skyrim I also found myself contending with bugs and glitches that really should have been ironed out before release. Normally these would result in my having to reload to an earlier saved game in order to complete a quest because a vital NPC was missing.
Overall Dawnguard offered decent value for money for its $20 cost. For my money I probably got around 15 hours new gameplay (including replaying the main quest) and enjoyed trying out the new vampire mechanics. $20 is quite expensive for a DLC and the bugs do impact on the gameplay somewhat however if you loved Skyrim you'll still love this, if you didn't love Skyrim Dawnguard won't go very far towards improving your opinion. Overall I give Dawnguard a score of 3.5/5.

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The Top 5 Basketball Video Games of All Time

5. NBA Live 04
Live 04 was a great addition to the NBA Live series. The dribbling in this game is just a blast, you have complete control over the crossover moves and spin moves easily with the freestyle control scheme. This was also the first in the series to introduce the dynasty mode. The dynasty mode was great to it had cut scenes and even kept track of all your records. One more thing that was pretty cool is that it was one of the first games to feature Lebron James.
4. NBA 2K5
NBA 2K5 was a great game and it was released for only 20 bucks, a definite steal. The game had a nice ESPN presentation and the gameplay was really solid. The isomotion controls were ahead of their time. The game allowed for you to import your players from college hoops 2K5into the association mode. But the real gem of this game is the 24/7 mode which was one of the closest things we had to a basketball simulation that was like a RPG mixed together. This game was a classic.
3. College Hoops 2K8
Out of all the college basketball games I've never played a game as deep as College Hoops 2k8. It featured an intricate legacy mode which allowed players to recruit players from high school, junior colleges, and even international players. The game even allowed you to import whole draft classes to that years iteration of NBA 2k. The gameplay was fluid in typical 2K fashion. College Hoops 2K8 has a realism that has yet to be repeated by another college game as this was the last version. Hopefully 2K could get the license back and bless us with College Hoops 2k13.
2. NBA Street Vol 2
Easily the best streetball video game of all time. This game is nothing but fun straight smash mouth basketball. Gamebreakers make a return but this game also allowed for players to pocket their gamebreakers for the craziest basketball cut scenes with gamebreaker 2's.
1. NBA 2K12
Not only is this the newest basketball game out it is also the greatest. 2k sports delivered the goods on this one as they improved on the already stellar gameplay. They also pulled out a new and improved my player mode with press conferences and endorsements. The defense is stifling the computer is no pushover on hall of fame anymore. This game will most definitely be a iteration remembered for years. That is until 2K13 raises the bar again.

SWTOR Speeder Bikes

Throughout the majority of your adventure in SWTOR, you will mainly be moving around on foot. This can be in the form of walking or sprinting, if you've earned this ability. You can also access transport service lines found on major areas of the planets. However, getting your very own SWTOR speeder is probably the best way to quickly move across the land.
You will only be able to purchase a personal SWTOR speeder when you reach level 25. To access your personal speeder bike, you will need to open the abilities panel and then click on the vehicles tab. Then, you can right-click on the personal speeder button to activate it or to deactivate it. You can also drag and drop the personal speeder button to your Quickbar for more convenient access.
There are some speeders that can only be accessed by either Republic or Empire players and not both. In any case, you'll be able to purchase your very first SWTOR speeder for 8000 credits. For Empire players, you will be able to get this from Captain Tanji of the Imperial Fleet - Vaiken Spacedock in the Galactic Trade Market. You can find this in the 2nd room from the right in the lower level. For Republic players, you will be able to get this from Barik of the Republic Fleet - Carrick Station in the same trade market. You will find this in the center room on the lower level.
Some of the very first SWTOR speeder types that you will encounter are:
Czerka Patroller: This speeder will increase your movement speed by 90% and costs 8000 credits
Rendili Watchman: This speeder will also increase your movement speed by 90% and also costs 8000 credits
In order for you to pilot any vehicle, including the speeder, you must purchase a speeder piloting skill from your Class Trainer. There are 3 rankings and they are:
Rank 1 - 40,000 credits
Rank 2 - 210,000 credits
Rank 3 - 330,000 credits
The reason why there are 3 speeder ranks is because there are also 3 corresponding tiers of speeders that you can purchase. As previously mentioned, the 1st tier is level 25 and then this is followed by level 40 and then level 50. Higher levels of speeders give you better protection of being knocked off. However, you must keep in mind that none of the SWTOR speeders will give you any bonus attributes other than increased speed, none of the speeders can protect you from being damaged and you also cannot ride a SWTOR speeder into any spaceport or building.

War Games - All You Need To Know

War games have been in the gaming world for many years. The fast growing computer world has placed them in another level within the world of the flash gaming. These are versions that deal with military operations of varying types whether real or fictional. They are generally characterized as hypothetical, historical, science fiction or fantasy. The historical category forms the largest collections and the mostly played group. Additionally, this category is also based upon real events and attempts to reflect what happens in war zones. The modern versions are known to have hit the industry in the 20th century and are designed in a way that they can also involve multiple players. Hence, the war gaming world has been changing dramatically with time from the miniatures and board war game types to the innovative and contemporary types. Therefore, you can get rid of boredom by picking up an interesting version and enjoying the thrill from the comfort of your home.
There are different types of war games in the online gaming world and you should always go for the best and commonly played games if you want more fun. They are grouped in varying ways, as you will find strategy gaming, platformer versions and skill games among other categories. Some of commonly played types include the following.
• Shadez
This is a great strategy sport and a fast-paced military combat type that involves a player taking command of highly trained ops troops to battle and stop an invasion from enemy foes. It involves use of choppers, tanks and skilled infantry along with other latest machinery. These versions also offer the opportunity for a player to call for missile strike with a click on a button.
• Battalion nemesis
This is also another strategy war sport that you can play online. While playing, you use your computer mouse to move your units and attack the enemy.
• Intrusion
Intrusion is another popular type that is easy to play but may seem complicated if you are a beginner. It involves fighting monsters, robots and ferocious armies. This is a great stress-relieving pastime that you can always play regardless of the time of the day or night. Additionally, it is a fast-paced and a 2-D side-scrolling shooter game that is very impressive according to the flash gaming requirements and standards.
Other types of war games that you can enjoy are military rescue, commando and troy among others.

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