Uncharted 2

From the first time I played uncharted 1, I was hooked...A great story, beautifully rendered backgrounds, lush environments and amazing game-play...but it was missing a little something. Thats where Uncharted 2 comes in and kicks hot burning sand in your face, Beautifully rendered sand. This game plays like an action movie and handels it even better than the first. Naughty dog took what the game was missing and mad it run like clockwork. Its not the longest game but time does not tarnish this game. Campaign blew me out of the water and multi-player was new and exciting. The only problem is it takes about 23 bullets to take a player down. the extremely large health factor thew me off a bit and was frustrating at times, but other than the health factor this game is a rock solid 5! Go play campaign it will not disappoint.

ICO

From the same team that brought Shadow of the Colossus first brought ICO, a third person puzzler based on a boy that was born with horns thats is locked away in a fortress because his horns are considered a bad omen. The young boy meets the queens daughter Yorda and is bent on saving girl and escaping the island. While escaping the castle the boy and Yorda encounter shadow figures who are trying to hurt you and take back Yorda. To survive the game you have to pass a multitude of puzzles and keep Yorda safe using only a stick. The game is beautiful and one of the most memorable games I can think of. The atmosphere of the game is very dream like and light feeling. One of the most memorable moments is the first time you see Yorda, she's so bright she seems almost ghost like or angelic. This game is defiantly on my top ten list and still stands the tests of time. Jerad's rating 6 out of 5! Get it now

State of Emergency

State of Emergency was made in 2002 by rockstar studios the same studio behind grand Theft auto. Even at the time this game came out it seemed like a cheap stylized knock off of GTA. I heard somewhere that the game was based loosely on the 1999 world trade organization riots in seattle. The one thing that did impress me was the shear number of characters that engine could handle having on screen at once. Even with all those people on screen at once and the ability to create "chaos" in the streets the game still couldn't stand on its own. The characters lacked personality, game-play was repetitive and the game was all around lackluster. Jerad's rating......if you havent played it, your not missing much..... 2 out of 5.

Heavenly Sword

Sometimes referred to as the female god of war, this game did not disappoint. I actually first saw this game as a demo before I even bought a PS3 and damn did it impress me. From the extremely detailed environments to the over the top perfect animations and voice acting this game was the actual reason I had to have the PS3. This game was also one of the first games to use the six axis function of the controllers to maneuver anything from cannonballs to weapons and arrows. This game expertly weaves a story together that draws you in and leaves you wanting to finish the story and find out the ending. You not only feel for the heroine but also for the villans because of how well their personalities were crafted. Some of the game-play does get repetitive but the over the top supermoves and combo counter makes up for the repetitive nature. Everything about this game definitely beyond average and near perfect. Plus how can you go wrong with a smoking hot scantily clad ginger wielding a sword bigger than her entire body? Jerad rates this game a solid 6 out of 5!

Halo

The first of this mega series came out in 2001 and was PHENOMENAL. From the opening movie I knew this game was gonna be amazing. This game was so unlike any game out at the time, the controls were smooth from the mechanics of guns to the amazing handeling of the warthogs. Halo was not only an action packed shoot-em up but the game also brought with it a very immersive story line about the history (or future) of Halo and all the characters found in this game. The game also provided moments of brief horror and paranoia. When your exploring the ruins and first run into some of your team devastated by the Flood and when the Flood firsts attacks I was generally scared for the well-being of humanity. This game is non-stop action until the end and leaves you begging for more. Fortunately for you there are 3 more installments waiting for you. The only thing that bothered me was that the aliens spoke fluent english. Beyond that small hiccup this game WAS amazing remember that it came out in 2001 and may not measure up to todays standards but still when the game came out Jerad would have given it a solid 9.75 out of 10!

Resident Evil 5

Resident Evil 5 lands chris and Sheva in Africa chasing after Irving and bio-terrorists. Along the way they run into majini which means evil spirits in swahili or zombies that can carry weapons in american. Resident Evil 4 was a blast and 5 did not disappoint. what set this game apart is co-op the ability to play with a friend or play online with someone you do not know. Either way was newcand made the game more fun, more exciting but also a lot quicker.

Gameplay was great the reaction time seemed a bit sluggish but workable. The guns were great and at fully upgraded were able to tear through any opponent. The one noticeable change in the series was that there was no apparent lack of ammo and the series is heading more towards action horror rather than survival horror but games are allowed to evolve as they progress thats what makes them great.

The last thing I'd like to point out is that Mercenaries is back and better than ever. This part of the game was a real selling point. Mercenaries is an extra part of the game that allows you to kill as many enemies as you can with a set time limit, this part of the game has infinite playback. Mercenaries was not only fun but you the better you did the more maps and characters and weapons that became available. In the end campaign was not only solid and well put together but so were the extras that came along. Jrad give a very sturdy 5 out of 5.

Medal of Honor

The twelfth installment of the series was one of the best for me. The graphics were excellent, and there were parts of the game that were nerve racking almost stressful. The guns felt very tight and fun to use at the same time. i felt the levels were well designed giving you the feeling you were really in Afghanistan. Campaign was a bit short but some of the extreme situations made up for it. multiplayer was another story. It was fresh and fun but there was a few short comings there was no prone even though there was prone in campaign , there was only a few weapons and it felt to much like battlefield but all in all it was a generally good time. If you like battlefield and dont mind not having prone pick up this great shooter. Final grade 4 out of 5.

Golden axe: beast rider

Beast rider was the first 3d game in the 2d hack and slash series. The gameplay is eerily similar to Conan but instead you have the ability to ride beasts in this game. The clunky feel of the beasts seem to hinder the experience rather than to aid, which is what this game is mostly about....beast riding. Not to mention the main protagonist on the front cover looks anything but angry more like she's constipated. In the end the game was cliche, very mediocre and felt like it has been done before and much better. Final verdict 2 out of 5

Shadow of he Colossus

Released in 2005 this outstanding game was in a league of it own. The game is about wonderer, a young man who heard a fable that he could resurrect his loved one if how could somehow overcome 16 collosi. Each one of the collosi is enormous and wonderer is forced to find a way to climb the giants and find a weak-spot on their body that is only uncovered by the light of his sword. The physics in this game were great and if the giant collosi shook so did wanderer and if he kick his leg and wanderer was not holding on the collosi would throw wonderer. The game was incredible and each collosi was a puzzle unto itself . The only thing that was lacking was gameplay between the collosi, it was very repetitive, find collosi, kill it then travel to find the next one. Regardless of the boring travel between the colossi was, the fights with them made up for it and I could not wait to find the next one. Jrad give Shadow of the Colossus a solid 5 out of 5

Tomba

This 2d/3d game felt more like a side-scrolling Zelda-esq game to me, but damn was it fun. This game had my cousin and I tied up for months as we tried to beat it. Oh how I loved watching that boy jump on top of the pigs and take a big bite of bacon then throw the pig when he was finished. The game is a about a spikey pink haired boy whose grandfathers bracelet is solen by a bunch of evil swine and his island is then transformed! . After taking on missions Tomba must collect evil pig bags to recapture all the evil swine to return his island to normal. This side scrolling game was very different for the fact that you had to return to older stages to find objects and artifacts relevant to completing quests. In 1998 this game was breath of fresh air and a character that is still unique to this day. Jrad gives it a 5 out of 5 for being a ps1 classic.

Conan

Well this game came as a bit of a surprise to me. I found it for six dollars at a local Blockbuster that was closing. The cover looked kinda cheap with Conan and a bunch of scantily clad women. But when I finally but the game in i was overwhelmed with a sense of giddy fun. Conan tore through pirates, skeletons, dragons serpents and numerous other monsters with ease and he made it look easy. The gameplay was rather repetitive; hack, lacerate, cut off arms or head then body slam......but I kept wanting more. You are able to upgrade you moves and acquire new moves as well and I just couldn't put my controller down no matter how repetitive it got. At the end I was more than satisfied with the final product. 4 out of 5, great game but it feels like there's just something missing.

The Mark of Kri

This game was probably my favorite game in the year 2002. An action adventure game with a Disney style but a major dose of blood and gore for the time. The game is actually about a tattoo that when put together creates an evil spell. Unfortunately the tattoo is in seven parts and is found on children. So the main antagonist find the children and takes their tattoos(and their lives). Rau the main character is forced to save the remaining children and kill every thing in his path. I really enjoyed the controls of this game making useing both analog sticks to select you enemies that you were to swing at. In addition to several weapons to choose,a bow and arrow, a sword, a tai( a long spear) and an axe, there are also useful combos to take care of the enemies faster, or to impale the on a pole or reputedly gorge them. Yup pretty gory for the time. The game also relies on stealth to make the game easier, sometimes if you were caught there was a very low chance of survival. This game was not only fun but kept my attention right up to the end...oh yea, there's also zombies. This game receives a solid 5 out of 5 for being far superior for its time and just a beautiful game. BUY IT!

Flashback: The Quest for Identity

Allright were going back in time for this oldie! Funny thing is this classic is nearly 20 years old and I just found it 2 years ago. This game is great! Pretty much a precursor to Abe's oddysee with a hint of Prince of Persia.

Surprisingly for a game made in 1992 the fluid animation of the pixels are outstanding. The running, jumping and climbing aspects of the game make it look more like a solid Playstation 1 game. The gameplay is great and there are tons of puzzels. Its a great game for its age. So if you still have a Snes or Sega....Get it! ....Jrad gives it a 4 out of 5 just because of how good it is for its age!

Crysis 2

Crysis 2 was absolutely visually stunning. The graphics were unbelievable, explosions were flawless and there was even speed blur to show your velocity. Grass and foliage was recognizable to the leaf, and the lighting was the best i've seen in a game so far.

But thats about all it had going for it. campaign was sloppy, I felt like you were always following after someone the entire time. There was upgrades to the suit that I dont think I ever used. My interest in beating the game seem to just wander. So I decided to venture on over to multiplayer.

In the beginning it was fun! A lot of fun. Most of the matches are based on skill of stealth, and stealth kills are great, but the transition in and out of stealth drains all your energy so you have to be precise. The killstreaks were a nice addition but my favorite is sneaking up on a few enemies and ground smashing on them for a nice double kill. Again multiplayer is fun but not substantial enough to keep my intrest. Jrads final decision 4 out of 5..... borrow from a friend if they have it. Play it then give it back.

Darksiders

Darksiders is an action adventure game. To be more precise if God of War and Zelda got together and had a kid this would be its offspring and damn if it isn't good looking. The game itself is about War, One of the four horseman of the apocalypse. He is awoken to find out that the Apocalypse has occurred and somehow it is his fault, so your job is to prove it otherwise. Gameplay is superb with an arsenal of weapons to choose from fighting is a blast.

The fighting would get repetitious but intermixed are great cut-scenes and tons of puzzles and side quests. The visuals were also outstanding and had some very creative characters such as massive rock giants that were used as gates and could only be moved if you blew some crazy skull horn in its face.

Jrad gives the game a solid 5 out of 5 for beautiful art direction thanks to comic artist Joe Mad and fluid gameplay and amazing animations.

Tomb Raider

Oh Tomb Raider how you fondly bring back memories of my first pixelated boob. The first two games in the series were epic and were my favorite games for some time. How could you go wrong? A beautiful girl with a pair of guns (pun intended) shooting at endangered animals and even extinct dinosaurs all the while looking for treasure! The perfect concoction for a game. But then you made a third, fourth, and then you lost count and started to give them fancy names like the Resident Evil movies... bad idea. Not only did my attention waiver but so did your sales. Now I did play Legend, and Underworld but they seemed lackluster, missing substance, just left me wanting more.

Now in 2011 we hear your going to do it again and bring her back revitalized. At first I was weary but after seeing the trailer I am all giddy with joy! Just the sight of her has me

all Nimbly-pimby. This new Lara seems to more based on survival and Lara herself rather than finding treasure, shooting extinct animals and hopefully no arch-nemesis with bat-like wings.

The only thing I'm afraid of is if crystal dynamics and square enix try to hard to be like the Uncharted franchise. Hopefully this newly reinvented Lara will have what it takes to bring the series back to the top. J-rads final verdict....Tomb Raider 2012 looks like a must buy!

Unreal Tournament 3

I was sceptical of Unreal at first, I thought it was just a bad Halo or Gears Knock off. But once I got my greasy palms on it my view changed. Unreal 3 was destined to be multiplayer from the get-go. Single player is just a glorified offline version of multiplayer facing you off against bots in team death-match or capture the flag.

Don't get me wrong even offline is fun but the game gets real amazing once you connect! First you have the ability to fully customize the looks of your character from three different groups of human, alien and uh.... alien, then you get to play your choice of game and there is a lot, death-match, capture the flag, warfare and team based games. I really like this game because all the weapons are already on the map and you could potentially pick up every weapon on the map and have them at all times, which allows you to be very versatile when taking on your opponents. The weapons in this game are also very interesting and different than other shooters out. There are bio grenade launchers, shotguns, RPG's, and even plasma rifles. Each weapon even has a secondary shot which allows you to use the weapon in unique ways to get your target.

My one qualm is that there is no rank system or stat tracker which I feel is a major selling point for an online multiplayer game. If online multiplayer style games are your thing then this is a must buy. I rate the game a 3 out of 5 for a nearly nonexistent single-player and a lack of rank system. Avoid this game if your not a fan of multi-player shooters.

Red Dead Redemption

An open-world sandbox style game by the makers of Grand Theft Auto. Set in the early days of the 1900's red dead provides a glimpse into the life of John Marston, a man trying to bury his past.

This game is a lot like GTA but I loved it twice as much. The story was in-depth, the graphics were flawless and the game-play was never-ending fun, especially the ability to slow down time to pick and choose your shots! (dead-eye). The game not only tells you of Johns life but shows you all the struggles he goes through. Traveling on his trusty steed you are able to discover and investigate much of the southern US and Mexico and hunt many animals along the way including buffalos and bears, who dosent want to shoot a bear and skin it for a rug?.

This Game has so much to offer its not even funny. An in-depth campaign, extremely fun missions and side stories. Multiplayer that allows you to go on raids with your friends or just have shoot outs! But the single best part of this game is the Downloadable Content UNDEAD NIGHTMARE! this additional content is worth buying alone! an additional story that turns all the inhabitants into zombies for a brutal but fun time! This game gets an 6 out of 5 for not only being a great game but for having so much additional content. BUY IT NOW

Muramasa: The Demon Blade

This 2-d side-scrolling ninja theme game was amazing. A lesser known title for the wii but what it lacked in recognition it made up for in pure ingenuity.

The game features the stories of two ronnin and the adventures that follow. Even though it was only 2-d the art direction was wonderful, beautiful backgrounds with prominent images from traditional oriental designs and creative bad guys that include anything from ghosts to monsters, oni, and even the gods themselves.

The game-play does get a little repetitive but the ability to use magic and change between three sword styles makes the repetitive hack and slash much more fun. If your looking for a unique game with some of the best oriental art you have seen than I would choose Muramasa. I give the game a 4 out of 5. If you dont buy it than you should go and find someone who has it and befriend them.