As you may have heard, it's the fourth of July. At this time we're thankful that this isn't some sort of futuristic audio blog, because chances are that a good number of our readers are now deaf from all the (possibly illegal) fireworks they've been setting off. Yes, Independence Day is a good thing, but Independence Day on a Friday? Now that'sa recipe for legends. So go, fanboys and fangirls! Gather up the life stories that you will one day tell your children and grandchildren, the stories of how you spent the 4th of July weekend in 2008. Allow us to borrow from Apu Nahasapeemapetilon and suggest that you "Celebrate the independence of your nation by blowing up a small part of it."
Speaking of how to spend the weekend, we are reminded that video games will likely be a part of everyone's glorious adventures over the next three days. We also realize that not all of our readers will be celebrating this particularly American holiday, but we'll be sure to set some fireworks off for you too, okay?
Please, share with us your gaming (or non-gaming plans) for this weekend.
Have you ever played a game knowing full well that it's not all that great? We're not talking about just to grind achievements either. You may have heard that Alone in the Dark isn't exactly setting the world on fire with critics, which is ironic given how many things you can set on fire in the game. This weekend (assuming it shows up from GameFly) we'll be plunging into Alone in the Dark. Here's hoping it's greater than the sum of its parts. How about you, fanboys? What will you be playing this weekend?
With no games coming out this week and a somewhat random smattering the week before, it seems that summer -- and the accompanying drought of games -- may finally be here. Checking our calendar ... yep, it's officially summer today (at 11:59pm anyway). Imagine that. Still, the drought shouldn't last too long, as we are getting the (hopefully good) Alone in the Dark next week (and the Gears of War re-release, if you still don't have it). It's not like we don't need time to catch up anyway. With this in mind, we ask: what will you be playing this weekend.
Wow, we went from a trickle of new releases to a veritable explosion of new, decent games. From Ninja Gaiden IIto Roogoo to the Civilization Revolution demo (seriously, try it), there's something for everyone it seems. Hell, there's even a fishing game available. So many choices, so little time. The question to you is which choice will you make or, more precisely, what will you be playing this weekend?
Action fans may have noticed a certain tingling over the last few days, a disturbance in the Force, if you will. While it's possible that such tingling is the result of possible health problem, we're more than willing to bet that you're just sensing the imminent arrival of Ninja Gaiden II next Tuesday. Who knows, maybe you even have a Japanese friend who was nice enough to let you play the demo. If you can, we suggest that it should be what you play this weekend. Still, it's WRUP, so we have to ask: what will you be playing this weekend.
We are absolutely not the preachy type. It's not like we think video games are bad for you or anything. Far from it really. In fact, we wouldn't even have jobs if it weren't for video games, so we've proven, at the very least, that games are good for you (well, for us anyway). Still, too much of anything isn't healthy. With spring in bloom and the blazing hot days of summer still in the distance, why not go outside and enjoy the wonders of nature. Marvel at every object in sight, all realistically rendered in real definition. Think of it like the ultimate sandbox game (no extra lives though, sorry).
Now that you've done that, it's time for us to ask that time-honored question: what will you be playing this weekend?
We were positively inundated with gaming news this week, largely in thanks to Microsoft's Spring Showcase. We received new info about nearly all of Microsoft's upcoming game lineup, including Gears of War 2, Ninja Gaiden II, Fable 2, Banjo Kazooie, and more. Basically, we got to look at games we won't be able to play for months (with the exception of Ninja Gaiden II ... drool). Don't get us wrong, we're happy to get the info, but we're angry that we have to wait. So, we're just going to sulk over in the corner. As for the everyone else, what will you be playing this weekend?
This is it, folks. It's the last stop, the final hurdle before the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV. All we have to do is make it through the weekend and Monday (and Tuesday morning if you don't have the stomach for midnight launches), and we can all get our grubby little meat hooks on Rockstar's latest. That's three days to fill with something, anything that will pass the time. What will it be for you?
In the span of only two weeks, we've gone from a slow trickle of new releases to an outright flood (relatively speaking). It seems we have an embarrassment of riches at this point, depending on what kind of gamer you are anyway. For the action oriented, there's Turok and Devil May Cry 4. For the casual gamers there's a new Karaoke Revolution title. Even strategy fans have something to enjoy in Culdcept Saga. Ah, choices ... choices. So, what will you be playing this weekend?
Let's face it. Nobody likes dinosaurs. Oh sure, you might like the idea of dinosaurs, but when you're face to face with a living, breathing mass of muscle, teeth, and claws, you'll change your tune fast. Case in point, check out the Turokdemo on Xbox Live Marketplace. Let's say you fire up the demo and you see a raptor in the distance. "Cool," you think, "it's just like Jurassic Park." Maybe you even think you can be clever and use a flare to direct said raptor to an unsuspecting soldier. Sure enough, that raptor will devour the soldier. "Awesome!" you'll say, that is until the raptor locks eyes with you and decides that the soldier he just ate was merely an appetizer. You, however, will be the main course. Starting to hate dinosaurs now, aren't you? Keep that in mind when we ask you this question: what will you be playing this weekend?
There are really two standout games to play this week. The first is Burnout Paradise, which has plenty of gamers entranced by its free form gameplay. Of course, you get to smash things too, which is always a plus. The other game that slammed into the radar screen this week is the Devil May Cry 4 demo. Many gamers will be spending this weekend playing and replaying the demo, deciding whether or not to drop their hard cash for the game later this year. Others, well, they'll play it once and wonder what the fuss is about. Frankly, we're still catching up on the back catalog of games (Mario Galaxy, Overlord, and we still need to hit Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed and more). It's going to be a busy weekend. But what about you? What will you be playing this weekend?
Alright, so we were all stunned when Namco dropped the bomb that Soul Calibur IV would feature Star Wars characters. Many commented about sharks and the jumping of them, while others just sat in stunned silence as though gazing into the monolith itself*. But let's take a moment to breathe, shall we? After all, there have been stranger crossovers, as the above image -- taken from a game based on toys based on films -- proves. Who knows, maybe the Star Wars figured this would be the only way to put lightsabers in a good fighting game (ba dum bum, psh!). Whatever the reason, let's all use this weekend as a chance to settle down.
Yes, the new year has been in effect for an entire three days, but honestly we're only just starting to get over the holiday madness. For instance, we still haven't played Mass Effect or Assassin's Creed, a fact made readily apparent in our best of 2007 lists. We're pretty sure that lots of other gamers out there have a lot of catching up to do, so we figured this week would probably be a good time to recommend doing just that. Frankly, we still have to play Overlord for crying out loud. With this theme of catching up on missed games we ask: what will you be playing this weekend?
It's a special time of year for many gamers out there. It is a time when many little gamers go to sleep with visions of new games dancing in their heads, the hope of the perfect holiday gift awaiting them when they wake. Not only that, but for most of us, it also means a nice vacation, giving us precious free time to enjoy said gifts. So, for this week's holiday edition of what are you playing, we ask not only what you will be playing this weekend, but we also ask what you hope to be playing as December draws to a close. What did you ask for, perhaps with some not so subtle hints to your parents or significant other? Next week, we'll see how everyone made out.
This has been an interesting week for us here at X3F. The Tulsa, Oklahoma branch of Fanboy Towers (whose offices are transdimensional by the way -- the Tulsa office is on the 48th floor) was positively hammered by a vicious ice storm. Our evenings were spent listening to the sounds of hundreds of frozen tree branches as they cracked and tumbled to the ground. As you can see, the results were pretty staggering. In fact, it is only through secret rites and rituals that we have managed to recover any electricity or internet connectivity at all. Unfortunately, said rituals don't apply when we head back home for the day, so we're talking 5 days without Xbox Live. So, this week, as we ask you what you'll be playing this weekend, remember to be grateful for your fabulous Xbox 360 and the wonders of Xbox Live.
And with that: what will you be playing this weekend?
