Rich Greenhill -- Head of Programming
Ah, the holiday season! As we hit video gaming's biggest week of the year, I'm still desperately pushing through--(deep breath)--Trine, Tropico 3, Dragon Age, and Rabbids Go Home, whilst still doing my part to contribute to Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2's $310M day one take. On the casual side, I've found myself falling back into Bejeweled Twist, the deeper-than-you-realize puzzler. The problem is, once you get the combos going, this "time-waster" can stealthily suck you in for more hours than a Scorsese epic.
Mike Smith -- Senior Editor
Can't...stop...playing...Dragon Age. Bioware's got this style of game down to a science, and the stiff difficulty level means you can't just cruise through any of its fights. I'm already plotting my second playthrough -- and I'm also contemplating getting stuck into Assassin's Creed II over the long, lazy weekend. I wasn't big on the original, but if 2 is really as good as I hear, it might just be looking at a Game of the Year gong. Meanwhile, I'm hooked on Gyromancer, a polished combination of Square-Enix's brand of Japanese-style RPG and Popcap's addictive Bejeweled Twist. Maybe I'll be able to fit some turkey in -- but I'm not counting on it.
Ben Silverman -- Senior Editor
I'm pretty much playing Bioware. After dropping a couple weeks on the sublime Dragon Age, I cranked through the original Mass Effect to prep for its sequel, and now I'm caught in the blast radius of the spectacular Mass Effect 2. Provided you can get past your obsession with traditional role-playing game conventions, it's a beauty. Brilliant storytelling, wonderful acting, fun, tactical firefights -- just another day at the office for quite possibly the best game developer in the world. No offense, everyone else.
Michael Zipkin -- Video Production Lead
Wait -- is it still Christmas season? I can't tell because I've had WAY too many good games to play lately! From ranking up my Valor soldier in MAG, to exploring the universe in Mass Effect 2, to working part-time when I'm not busy killing assassins in No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, I'm having a hard time choosing which to play. However, Mass Effect 2 has me sufficiently locked in its tractor beam with its engaging characters, epic storyline, and smoother gameplay than the original. While the first game left me tepid, the sequel just refuses to be put down.
Gordon Cameron -- Content Producer
Ever late to the party, I've been filling my evenings with Peggle Nights. Its pinball-derived gameplay hits a sweet spot between player control and hands-off viewing, and the story mode's glazed with amusing characters, varied powers, and clever level themes. On the console side, I've been dabbling in Bayonetta, which is one of the most surreally bizarre games I've ever encountered. For sheer weirdness, few things beat the experience of wailing on angelic foes with razor-sharp hair and guns attached to your shoes while "Fly Me To The Moon" plays on the soundtrack.
Diallo Jackson -- Content Producer
In anticipation of the return of Kratos (i.e. the baddest man/god on the planet), I’m currently reliving the highlight of my gaming career with the God of War Collection. The updated graphics enhances the already ridiculous mayhem and lets me relive the magic that took place on my PS2 console back in the ancient dark times of 2006-07. I'm also very slowly going through Assassin's Creed 2. Much improved over the original, which I played for 15 minutes before shutting it off for good. This time I'm hooked and can't wait to jump off more Italian Renaissance-era rooftops.
Derick Tortorella -- Senior Content Producer
My Kingdom for the Princess. A delightful time-management game wrapped in a classic medieval fairy tale with castles, knights, dragons and, of course, a princess. Fun for resource management fans, although nowhere near the micro-management goodness of my all-time favorite, Westward. Faerie Solitaire cast its magic spell on me. Those troublesome tricksters keep me coming back to clear "just one more" round. Challenging obstacles like frozen cards and combo rewards set this game apart. World Mosaics 2 has my number. You don't have to be a math maven to enjoy this pattern-matching puzzler. This one's a keeper.
Posted: 21 Sep 2009
