The Gaming capsule!!

The last few months have seen some hectic gaming... I now have the rig to run HD gaming and it is a real pleasure to be able to play at 1920x1080 with AA turned on.. who says PC gaming is dying? The consoles are not looking at a refresh for another 5 years (with all the new motion control devices), so PC graphics will be the peak for quite some time...

All right then, let me proceed with the "capsule" summary for the games I've played in 2010 till date... as always, contact me if you want more details on the game or on locations where you can purchase said games..

Far Cry 2 : 81 - Very different from FC1. Set in Africa with stupendous graphics and a huge open environment. But, inanely boring driving-around, with redundant clashes in between makes finishing missions a chore sometimes. "Buddies" routinely send the player to opposite ends of the map to get something done. Feels like a first-person version of GTA, without some of the fun!

Halo 2 : 84 - Continues the fast, fun and furious first-person-normal, third-person-vehicle gameplay of Halo in a story arc which sets up the final part of the game.

Call Of Duty - Modern Warfare 2 : 89 - Short play time, but a superbly current storyline switching between various hotspots in the world and a wide variety of mission "types" set in near-real graphical maps make for an enthralling experience.

Prototype : 91 - A "biological weapon" with superpowers (read parkour over anything, amazing attack and defense abilities) is the protagonist setting about finding how this happened to him in a big open-world set in New York city. Varied missions, side-plots and an ever-developing storyline lend solid effect. Being in control of such power in a world with lots of things to do makes for a lot of fun!

Resident Evil 5 : 87 - Another solid "RE" offering, filled with all the things which make this series a success (specifically RE4). Full length co-operative gameplay (a partner plays alongside) and an attempt at on-vehicle shooting are the new additions. Good graphics and a competent storyline add to the effect. Limited ammo and constant challenges keep the player at an edge through-out, adding to the thrills.

Assassin's Creed : 86 - Set in parallel timelines, with a present day commoner acting out the memories of his ancestor, a member of the Assassin's Creed. The story develops in both timelines, making an otherwise repetitive game a gripping one. Missions involve planning and executing high-profile targets.

Assassin's Creed 2 : 94 - AC2 is required to show that AC1 was just a simple and repetitive game with an abrupt yet interesting ending. Better in almost every way, with a great storyline linking up fact and fiction (past and present) to give an immersive feeling. Has an absolutely stunning climax which sets the stage for the third (& hopefully final) part.

Bioshock 2 : 90 - Very similar to part 1 (except towards the ending), but the plasmids and the strong father-daughter sequences, along with an interesting storyline revealed in tidbits along the way , ensure that the game remains as entertaining as ever.

Section 8 : 81 - Meant to be played as a multiplayer, but has a short single-player campaign which demonstrates the fast and furious gameplay on all the built-in maps. Swoop down from the sky for some combat!

F.E.A.R 2 - Project Origin : 86 - Back to the good old FPS genre! Continues the story from the original, providing solid and entertaining gameplay, though the scares are not that good in this game (except for short durations, like in the school). Slow-mo shooting is as fun as ever.

GTA IV : 90 - Yet another interesting GTA offering, with enough activities apart from the main storyline to keep things really interesting!

The Chronicles of Riddick - Escape From Butcher Bay : 89 - A "rare" game, having surprisingly good usage of a movie license. It has the stars, it has the voice acting, it has the graphics and it really has a good game! Combining FPS elements with stealth and adventure, leaving Riddick on the edge with no gun power for a majority of the time as he tries to escape from the high security Butcher Bay prison.

The Chronicles of Riddick - Assault on Dark Athena : 82 - Carries on the neat gameplay from the first game.. introduces a couple of new features and a better storyline, but still somehow lacks the "playing-at-the-edge" feeling of EFBB. Solid FPS never-the-less.

Metro 2033 : 85 - A FPS set in a richly detailed post-apocalyptic world, with very little "computer game" type help.. leaving the player to take stock and figure out situations. A nice mix of challenges - shooting, stealth, riding.. Different enemies - humans, aliens, ghosts. AI is sometimes flawed with enemies spotting the player even when they shouldn't be. Nothing really original but a solid experience never-the-less.

Mass Effect 2 : 91 - Scores over part 1 in almost every way.. better graphics, more action, more engrossing storyline and sheer variety of gameplay easily provide over 40 hours of gaming. Captain Shepard returns from the dead to re-build a crack team to take on a new threat to the Universe.. and the mix of various alien species, different weapons and biotics makes for a heady experience!

Mirror's Edge : 82 - An interesting new take on gaming, with the main protagonist being a "runner" moving across a city, using the rooftops, parkour-style. Every level is an adrenaline rush, with some spectacular stunt jumps thrown in for good measure. But, the underlying storyline is not very strong.

Soldier of Fortune II - Double Helix : 83 - Considering the time when it was released, this is a very good FPS, with a wide variety of locations, mission types and scenarios to play through.

Left 4 Dead 2 : 82 - Continues with a package very very similar to the original L4D setting up a team of 4 people to fight against hordes of "infected" in order to survive. Would probably get a much better score if the multiplayer components (the main offering) are considered.

Prince of Persia - The Forgotten Sands : 83 - Yet another solid Prince offering, with puzzles, magic skills and combat spiced up by a simple storyline arc.

Singularity : 85 - Introduces an exciting new gameplay mechanism, the TMD (Time Manipulation Device). It is also coupled with an interesting base storyline which gives it the potential to be the next Half-Life! But then, the TMD is used only for routine FPS maneuvers save for a couple of awesome pre-set sequences. It still makes for a very good shooter, but how much better it could have been...

...thats it for now... I will retreat into my lair again to make use of the latest hardware on the latest games...

Until next time... happy fragging :)