Recently, it seems to me that each time I gaze at my handsomely bearded face in a mirror, I become more and more unrecognizable. Not because my beard is taking over my face (it needs a bit of a trim), but because I am undergoing a confusing and frightening change. I’m not talking about puberty, either. I’m talking about my growing fascination with, and enjoyment of, stealth gameplay. I’ve mentioned before, quite vociferously, that stealth gameplay is not my forte, nor is it something I enjoy being forced into. Then came Mark of the Ninja, and I found myself sincerely enjoying a stealth title’s gameplay and mechanics. If I was surprised by my enjoyment of one stealth title, imagine how my world must have turned upside down when I found myself enjoying yet another stealth title less than one month later with Dishonored. Read the full story

I never thought I’d find myself recommending a Marvel vs. Capcom game again after the burn that was Marvel vs. Capcom 3. The game itself was entertaining and well designed, but the cash-grab actions of Capcom did more to put me off of it than bad mechanics and awful graphics would have done. I then found myself reluctantly recommending Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, though it was what Marvel vs. Capcom 3 should have been in the first place, and was released within the same damn calendar year as the game it was updating and replacing. Now, however, I have something I can recommend without any reservations or conditions: Marvel vs. Capcom Origins. A digital download, Marvel vs. Capcom Origins contains two classic fighters: Marvel Super Heroes and Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes. Read the full story

Take a trip back in time with me to the year 2001. Sonic Adventure 2, developed by the Sonic Team, was just released for the SEGA Dreamcast console. Now back to the present, where SEGA has brought Sonic Adventure 2 to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. I spent a lot of time playing Sonic Adventure on my SEGA Dreamcast back in the day, but the most experience I ever had with Sonic Adventure 2 as a demo disc I came across. That demo, and my experience with its predecessor, definitely made it a game I’ve always been sad I missed. Read the full story

Have you played Joe Danger? It’s been out for almost a year, come December, and it’s an incredibly fun game for you and your friends to check out and enjoy. For those of you who have played the original, you’ll be pleased to know that Hello Games has developed a sequel, Joe Danger 2: The Movie, now available on Xbox LIVE and available at a later date on the PlayStation Network. Similar to games like Trials, you’ll spend a lot of time going back to played levels trying to improve your performance and unlock more content.

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Stealth titles are not, nor have they ever really been, the kind of games that gripped my interest in any meaningful way. I have dabbled, and have tasted of their fruits, but I have never found myself enthralled. I dislike being forced into a particular play style by having a weakened player character, and I tend to enjoy the action and thrill of direct confrontation over the slower, more meticulous satisfaction of careful stealth. I’m fully capable of it, it’s just not what I look for as an element of enjoyment in a game. Of course, with a game about ninjas, you can go one of two routes: Metal Gear’s oppressive stealth mechanics, or Ninja Gaiden’s abundant action. Mark of the Ninja, Klei Entertainment’s newest title, eschews Ryu Hyabusa’s over-the-top ninja action in favor of Metal Gear’s focus on planning and stealth, and gods help me, I actually found myself enjoying it. Read the full story

No company fills a niche market like NIS. Every esoteric taste is catered to and satisfied, and the PSN release of Legasista is no different. From the art style, to the over-wrought and cliché-filled dialogue, to the wonderfully androgynous characters, Legasista is not a game with broad appeal, but for those that crave it, celebration is in order. Read the full story

Every year Microsoft runs the Dream Build Play contest, where game developers create or submit indie games they’ve been working on. What do they usually win? Money, and of course a contract to create an Xbox Live Arcade title. Maybe you remember a game called The Dishwasher: DeadSamurai, which was a previous winner of the contest. Many of the games that are listed within the indie section of Xbox Live would be great ideas for Arcade titles. Dust: An Elysian Tail, the fifth and final entry in this year’s Summer of Arcade promotion, is the games that won a deal in 2009′s Dream Build Play contest. Dean Dodrill has created a true gem. Read the full story

Expendables 2, the game, approaches its existence the same way as its big screen namesake; loud, bloody, over the top, and with tongue firmly implanted in cheek. The formula is tried and true, and for films that manage to walk that line with the sheer confidence and joy of The Expendables, it can be great fun. Sadly, Ubisoft managed to only get part of the formula right, adding up to a game that tops out at mediocre and falls far too often into frustration. Read the full story

I have a varied history with shooters. I absolutely adored Rise of the Triad and Counter-Strike, and spent my fair share of time playing some of the other standards of the genre, but even so, I never once considered myself a real fan of the genre as a whole. Over the past few years, this has shifted somewhat, and I now find a shooter as one of my favorite games of this generation, much to my surprise. I also find myself sincerely enjoying Halo’s multiplayer, which has been a long and highly resisted road. While I still don’t primarily identify as a fan of shooters, they do have their own place in my pantheon of gaming, and I seem to have started anticipating unique takes on the genre. In more than one way, Hybrid is one such unique take. Read the full story

Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack still holds the #2 spot on MetaCritic’s list of PS Vita game scores, and it’s a position it wholeheartedly deserves. Five and a half months after its Vita launch, Drinkbox Studios’ Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack is making its way to the PC, via Steam. I haven’t had the chance to play the Vita original, but from everything I had seen and heard, I was very excited for the PC release, due this Wednesday. Having now played it over the past few days, I can say that my excitement was justified and warranted. Read the full story