Stranglehold is unusual because it is a direct sequel to Woo’s movie Hard Boiled. Both Hard Boiled and Stranglehold focus on a police inspector called Tequila (because it’s his favorite drink). Tequila is played in both the movie and in the game by Chow Yun Fat, and Tequila is basically the Asian Dirty Harry. He has complete disregard for authority. The plot is secondary to the stunning gameplay, but it basically focuses on Tequila investigating a massive crime war where his kidnapped daughter (whom he’s never met) is caught up.

The gameplay in Stranglehold will get you pumped. It does not let up, and the opportunities to strategize are few and far between. What makes the game great is the ability to interact with environments to make for some interesting ways to dispense with the bad guys. There are also some awesome power ups that, while suspending realism, will make you feel absolutely awesome.

The game does have flaws, however. The story, as previously stated, is massively lacking. Even though the focus of the game was the gameplay, a stronger story couldn’t have hurt. Another problem comes from the fact that the game moves so fast that you rarely have a moment to gather your wits. There is no such thing as playing a “perfect” round in this game because you will lose health. The game is also a bit too short. A bit more level variety would’ve massively improved it.

Under normal circumstances you could probably say that Stranglehold is a mediocre game, but too much of the John Woo charm shines through. Each level feels like you are playing a scene from a John Woo movie, and that means that the game succeeded in what it set out to do. There’s a pretty high replay value, in terms of finding new ways to beat the same levels as well as find a few hidden extras.

If you want to pick it up, you can do so here. There are two editions: regular edition and Special Edition which comes with the full Hard Boiled movie (which I think justifies the higher price).

Red Dead Redemption tells the story of John Marston, a former outlaw who is being forced by the government to hunt down his former outlaw friends in exchange for his family’s safety. What ties the game altogether is the recurring themes of whether or not a person chooses to do bad things, or if it is in their nature. The thing the game really does to distinguish itself from Rockstar’s previous games is simple: it’s freaking beautiful. The game features the most beautiful graphics Rockstar has ever produced.

In terms of gameplay, it is almost a clone of Grand Theft Auto, but the Deadeye mode is a great feature. The game also has significantly better features than that of GTA. The biggest problem with the game, however, is the lack of ability to swim and the lack of ability to drive a car. The latter complaint is more of a nitpick, but you get to ride in a car at one point, so the ability to drive one would have made sense.

But perhaps the best part of the game is the plot twist towards the ending. I won’t give it away, but it is the kind of twist that isn’t normally found in video games.

You can pick it up here!

I’m pretty dang sure that I’m not the only one who is excited about this new game, lol. I’ll be sure to post updates as they come in.

This is a game that I can quite literally say has something for every kind of gamer. If you like the stealth of Metal Gear Solid, then you got it. If you like good free flow combat, like in Batman: Arkham Asylum, then you got it. You like to run and gun? Yup, it’s got that too. You prefer puzzle solving? This has it in spades. If you are a hardcore gamer, then you have to dig into your repertoire of various gaming skills, as this game requires you to use all of your know how to get through. But now it’s time to talk about the one thing that normally instantly break even the best of games: The camera.

The camera in this game, I can honestly say, is the best example of how to make a game feel as though you are playing a movie. Sequences of gameplay feel as though you are playing a cutscene instead of a mission. The camera is in constant motion, but unlike most games that have attempted this feat, this one not only pulls it off, but masterfully pulls it off in a way that makes you think that this is how all games should be made.

The game is also absolutely beautiful. You get all of the rich and detailed textures your eyeballs can handle, and then some. The design is wonderful, and the level maps are expecially great. This is the graphical power of the PS3 at its current personal best.

You should also know that the game has a pretty good story, with rich and witty dialogue and intriguing situations to propel the game forward. Unlike most games that have stories to propel forward the missions, it is the reverse in this case.

If you own a playstation 3, then there is no argument. This game is a MUST own. And if you don’t have a PS3, then I guarantee you that this is the game that should make you buy one.

If you want to pick it up, you can do so here! Remember, it’s you guys buying things here that keeps this blog up and running!

For one thing, in terms of graphics, it is the most powerful system out there. This was a machine built for gaming in hi-def, and hi-def is what we like to call in this profession “good.”

And speaking of hi-def, here’s another thing that I love about my PS3. BLURAY! The PS3 has a built in bluray player, as many people know. I found it actually kind of shocking when I first bought my PS3 that the Bluray players in the SAME STORE were more expensive than my PS3. Not to mention, Bluray is going to replace the DVD soon enough anyway, so why not go ahead and get one while the getting’s good? Besides, you won’t have to back up your DVD collection with Blurays anyway because the majority of bluray players support the DVD format.

Another reason is because, due to the Playstation store, there are several things on PS3 that are exclusive to the system, especially games that are already being considered instant classics, such as InFamous and Uncharted 2.

So yeah, PS3 had a rocky start. It was initially a third place seller, and stayed there. But now it’s either approaching, or already at the number 2 spot, mainly because the red ring of death, though a thing of the past is still looming in the heads of gamers, and the novelty of the Wii is starting to wear off. So if you’ve been thinking about it but hadn’t decided either way, take my advice and do yourself a favor: get a PS3. You won’t regret it.

PlayStation 3 120 GB

Check out The Orange Box and see for yourself.

The basic story is that Batman is trapped on Arkham Island and has to take down his most insane enemies, making his way to the Joker, who has taken over the island. Simple premise practically yanked from the similar graphic novel by Grant Morrison, Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, but the story is similar in premise alone. The two things that stand out most about the game are the combat system and the voice acting. Both Kevin Conroy and Mark Hammil reprise their roles from the Batman Animated Series as Batman and Joker, respectively. However, it’s Hammil that steals the show. With a more adult oriented storyline, Hammil gets to finally cut loose and take the delivery of Joker’s dialogue to a frightening new level. The combat in the game is amazing. Also great is the inclusion of Detective Mode, which let’s you solve some interesting puzzles, detect hidden enemies, and find secrets.

And now for the very little bad parts of the game. I felt like the inclusion of both Killer Croc and Bane was redundant in terms of having two characters that were gigantic trying to kill Batman. After all, Batman has a plethora of villains at the franchise’s disposal, many of which haven’t been featured before. Another problem is that the lack of an actual jump button hinders the gameplay in some moments where it could really use it.

Apart from that, Arkham Asylum is an excellent game. I actually hope they are able to do a sequel of it in the not too distant future, but I would be content with just this game. I heavily reccomend it, and if you want to buy it (and it IS worth buying), then here it is Batman: Arkham Asylum
Now if only they would get cracking on a good Superman game…

Here are my biggest problems with the game. The gun fights seem really clumsy, cover system included. Whenever the fifth game rolls around, I hope they have that fixed. The game could also use an improvement in the driving system. It’d be cool if they could make the driving in the game closer to a simulation type experience, because not having very much control of your car = not good.

But yeah, other than that, I heavily reccomend it to people who shunned the previous games like I did. There’s something actually worth while in this game. If you think you want to give it a try, you can pick it up here! Grand Theft Auto IV