Dragon Age 2 PS3/360/Mac/PC

Hello, n3rdy ones! Sorry for the delay in getting this one out. But here she goes...

Dragon Age 2 can be summed up in just 2 words: Hack and Slash. Yes, the new combat system has adopted a classic hack and slash style of play. Activated abilities, chained bonuses, and the whole nine yards. This is a huge improvement over the automated swing timers, and brings a whole new level of excitement into the gameplay. The character customization is essentially the same as the first game, but re-skinned and recycled. Select your points in different trees and optimize as best you can. The story is a little slow to develop but works out in the end, and integrates well with the first game. You can even import the backstory of your previous character in the beginning. Graphics are a little behind for a next-generation title as far as small details and environment go, but the overall visual effect is still impressive and just as gory as it's predecessor. A lot of the same plot hooks (like romances and darkspawn invasion) are still there from the first game but there hasn't been a huge change. The only major difference in character relationships is that instead of having a love/hate dynamic they've changed it to Friendship and Rivalry. With rivalry your that specific character receives combat bonuses instead of the bonus being transferred to the main character. This of course means that the character does not hate you, there is still a level of respect but you see the world from a different point of view. Romances and story lines can even open up through this route as well, taking the need to be completely friendly towards your party out of the picture. You can agree to disagree! Anyway, I do recommend it for the fans of Hack and Slash RPGs, and for fans of the first game. Anyone who is picky about their RPGs may not like it as much because of the slow story development. Well, that's all for now! Check out the breakdown, and stay tuned for the next one!


Gameplay - 9
Graphics - 7.5
Sound - 8
Story - 7
Replay Value - 9.5
Overall Score - 8.2

Tech Talk: Apple iPad 2 - Innovation or Reformation?

Photo Courtesy of iFixit.com

Greetings my N3rds! With the advent of Apple's shiny new iPad 2 a lot of people are wondering if they should trade up from their old iPad. Well, that's a decision you have to make for yourself but perhaps I can give you some info to help aid in the decision.  First off, let's look at the specs: Apple's 1GHz Dual-core A5 ARM processor (basically just 2 ARM Cortex A9 cores), 512MB of RAM, and some fancy new features in addition to almost identical specs to the original iPad. Thinner, lighter, the normal improvements that come with any upgraded or second generation device.

 What are the major new selling points outside of specs though? For one, the new HDMI/USB adapter. Fans of the first iPad have only been begging for USB support for a year. Secondly, the new smart case. It's well designed yet simple, I expect no less of Apple. It even puts the screen to sleep to improve upon battery life. A very nice addition. Also, a nice mention for some of the new software like Garage Band. It's very impressive, and integrates very nicely with it's more powerful companion on the Mac OS platform. Sadly though, that's about it for new features.

 As it is common knowledge, Apple still has the widest market share in tablets, and I anticipate that it will stay that way. The new iPad 2 is a fantastic device, but doesn't bring a lot of new shiny things to the table different from it's predecessor. With tablets like the Motorola Xoom upgrading to the new 1.5GHz Snapdragon Processors, Apple may need to step up a little more on the specs. However, the one thing Apple has hands down is integration, creative innovation, and familiarity. I'm not sure anyone will ever catch up on that front, but it's hard to tell. Anyway, that concludes my brief review. Now go forth and play Angry Birds!

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: The Fate of Two Worlds PS3/360

Benvenuti fellow geeks, nerds, and gamers! Today, I'd like to rant and rave a little about Marvel vs. Capcom 3: The Fate of Two Worlds. I'll start off by saying that I'm not a fan of Fighting games. That said, this game is absolutely fantastic! Being a fan of Marvel Comics does help a little, but the gameplay speaks for itself. There are a wide selection of characters and a fantastic variety of abilities for each one. The only downside in this regard is that there are currently only 4 characters that unlock from gameplay, all the others are readily available. I won't spoil who they are, but I'm sure the majority of players will be satisfied. The fights are fast-paced, visually appealing, and in Arcade Mode they get increasingly difficult with each round until you get to the final boss who will not be named here. The soundtracks are an upbeat techno mix with each character having their own theme. Also, the character voices are funny, snarky, and have good voicing. Online play can still use a little improvement for Xbox Live users. The fights are fine, but getting into one can be quite a chore even on a fast connection. Until someone fixes it, get used to seeing "Connection to Host has Been Lost". Anyway, that's all for now. See below for the rating breakdown. Thanks for reading!


Gameplay - 9
Graphics - 8.5
Sound - 10
Multiplayer - 8
Replay Value - 10
Overall Score - 9.1