I’ll give it to you straight: if you've played the Diablo III beta, you’ll notice that the game seems fairly limited and droll. Thankfully, the beta itself was probably one of the worst snapshots of the full game.

One of the most deceiving things about the beta is how limited the rune system was at the time, which lead to player outrage for limiting certain skills to certain quick-slots. Essentially, this required a rigid construction of your character, to the point where people called Diablo III “dumbed down”, and vowed to ignore the retail release. This assessment couldn't be farther from the reality.

Most people probably aren’t aware of the game’s “Elective Mode”, hidden tactfully underneath the veneer of the gameplay options menu. This allows you to put any skill in any slot you want, and completely customize your build the way you want it. Hilariously enough I was included in that naive group, as I didn't even discover the option until after I beat the game for the first time.



In addition to the robust skill system (which gives you more abilities as you level up), you’ll immediately notice that the “Rune” system and passive ability system allow you more customization than any dungeon crawler to date. This mechanic would be tiresome if it weren’t for the fact that Runes utterly change how each skill plays out.

For instance, a skill that replenishes your mana may be further augmented to replenish your health as well, changing when the skill is best used in the middle of a hectic boss fight. Alternatively, it could be modified to give you a mana increase over time after activation, which can be helpful in more attrition-oriented fights.

Another Rune may make a non-damaging skill like a trap or an evasive move inflict damage, or root enemies instead of just slowing them; and so on. You can respec instantly at any time (respeccing changes your abilities – this usually costs in-game currency and the use of an NPC in most RPGs, but it is free and clear in D3).

Respeccing mid-fight can be extremely exhilarating, but Blizzard cleverly rewards players at higher levels of difficulty by giving them a stacking “magic find” (a statistic for finding better loot) buff for NOT respeccing during a certain amount of time – genius.



So what good are fancy skills if there are no interesting boss fights to be had? Thankfully, D3 delivers on that front. Bosses are no longer kite, kite, kite, kite, kite, kite; don’t get hit. They’re basically full-on raid encounters, a la your standard MMO – but in a good way.

Unlike most MMOs that require you to have a guild or assemble a swarthy crew, pretty much every boss in the game outside of maybe Inferno Mode can be soloed, provided you have the skill-set.

Typical MMO boss tropes like “stay out of the fire” apply here, but there’s also a number of different circumstances that will require quick thinking, split-second reflexes, and most of all – the drive to keep moving, to avoid various traps. Unlike Diablo 2 (or most dungeon crawlers in general), pretty much every fight is environmental, which means that some sort of other-worldly hazard is out to get you while you’re locked in combat with your foe.

It makes for a pretty interesting gameplay experience, and honestly, the higher levels of difficulty really change the way developers should look at dungeon crawlers as a whole.

To clarify, there is a Normal, Nightmare, Hell, and Inferno Mode, with a maximum player level of 60. At the end of Normal, you should be around Level 30. At the end of Nightmare, you could be anywhere from 45-50 or higher. At the end of Hell, you should be 60, ready to tackle the 60-only Inferno Mode. Right away in Nightmare, I noticed a stark contrast in terms of difficulty – I can’t wait to see what Hell and Inferno are like.



My main character right now is a Demon Hunter. I’m nearly finished with Nightmare Mode right now at level 48, and I’m feeling really good about my first character choice. The Demon Hunter is essentially a ranged rogue of sorts, and is the very definition of a glass cannon. He can get in (and out) of danger at a moment’s notice, but if he’s overrun, that’s pretty much it.

Thankfully he has a ton of traps, slows, escapes, and various other tricks at his disposal to be a more effective force on the battlefield. You don’t have to go the traps/trickery route though, as you can go full DPS by changing up your passive skills to accommodate.

Although the Demon Hunter is the only character I have above level 30, I do have one of every class above level 10. So far what I’m noticing is that the Barbarian just utterly dominates. He has a ton of abilities to hit groups and single targets, and the fact that him and the Monk take 20% less inherent damage than all other classes is pretty insane. I can't complain of course because he can't do *everything*, as every class has their unique signature on group combat. I especially can't complain because I plan on having a level 60 Barbarian myself on day!

The Monk is more of a group-centric character (he has mantras and the like that can heal, and buff the group), but he’s still viable on his own depending on your build. The Witch Doctor is similar to the Demon Hunter in that he’s a major glass cannon, and has a bunch of tricks up his sleeve.

Tactically, the Wizard is just about what you’d expect out of a typical Diablo spell caster, but he has a few really cool abilities (like a time slow dome) that sets him apart from the rest. Surprisingly, although there seems to be a bit of a slant towards the Barbarian (based on my higher level play with my friends), every class is fairly balanced, and I’ve seen success with every type of player.



I also had an opportunity to do Diablo III’s “Cow Level” (I don’t want to ruin it here): suffice to say, given that I spent three hours of preparation grinding for the materials and the 150,000 gold to do it, it was fairly disappointing. Despite the let-down, however, it’s nice to know that you can enter it an unlimited amount of times; unlike Diablo II, where you had to sleaze the system by refraining from killing the Cow King, and could easily do it accidentally with an errant Frost Orb.

So what about the DRM issues you've no doubt been hearing about? Well, as I've stated above, in less than a week I've nearly beaten the game approximately 6 times. I honestly haven't had major issues with the "always-on" requirement, as I've only been dropped from games a few times -- thankfully, my checkpoints were always extremely close by and I only lost 5 minutes of time at maximum (although my XP and gear were completely fine; it was just my short amount of progress that was lost).

I'm not one of those people who generally believes that "even the most minor inconvenience is unacceptable", but I completely agree that always-on DRM is pretty absurd for the single player portion of the game. At the same time, I haven't seen any evidence of duping or account training, so I'm willing to put up with this inconvenience in exchange for the ability to play one of the best dungeon crawlers to date.

Additionally, Blizzard has a good habit of supporting their games, and if Warcraft III and Starcraft I are still being supported, I'd say Diablo III's future is set in stone. If you're taking a stance against the game on principle, I have no issue with that, but at least try the soon-to-be-available free trial if you aren't keen on giving Blizzard any money at this point in the game.

All in all, I’m extremely happy with Diablo III. I plan on playing with all five classes to supplement my Demon Hunter, and I have a swarthy group of friends who plan on doing the same. I’m very excited for Torchlight II, but at the same time, I’m thrilled to see that D3 clearly has legs past the first month of play. If you like dungeon crawlers, you may not be blown away by Diablo III, but you will probably enjoy it.

Almost three years ago today, I wrote a “10 things” blog for Dtoid.

Because of my time on the cblogs, I met a ton of people that I’ve kept in contact with over the years, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Since everyone else is keen on “10ing” again, I figured I would join in on the fun, and try to update or mirror my previous list. Also, I like the above header so I’m reusing it - nyah.



10) I’m still loving life with the wife

My wife and I just bought our first house together a few months ago! We’re still working on updating a few rooms, but overall we’re very happy.

We still play games together, and thankfully we have a lot of the same interests. If I had one bit of relationship advice for people out there, it’s to make sure you spend lots of time with your significant other, and never stop talking (there’s such a thing as an unhealthy amount of time, so just balance it).



9) I love old cartoons

Last time around #9 was reserved for a completely random fact. So my fact for you today is that my favorite vintage cartoon is Scooby Doo.

Yes, I even watched the terrible off-shoot called “The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo”, with the enigmatic Vincent Price as Vincent Van Ghoul. I also watched “A Pup Named Scooby Doo”, and I currently watch the brand new “Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated”, which is on its second season right now, actually. In case you were wondering, I really dislike the shoddy live action films (also known as "Washed up Actors -- The Live Action Cartoon Adaptation").

My "most seen" movies of all time (due to multiple childhood VHS viewings) are A Goofy Movie (probably at least 100 times), Toy Story 1, and Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.

Really fun fact: Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island features a star studded voice cast that includes Cam Clarke as the suspicious groundskeeper -- the same Cam Clarke that plays Liquid Snake.



8) My foot healed some time after my initial post

Sickness update – three years ago I nearly lost my foot due to a crazy infection. Good news – I still have it! At this point I’ve been exercising fairly regularly, and things went pretty much back to normal after I had that fairly horrifying episode.

My advice to everyone is no matter how much you hate the doctor/hospital, think about going every once in a while if someone you care about is telling you to go, even if it’s just for their sake.



7) I have a modest gaming collection

It’s not ChillyBilly or Funk caliber, but it’s something! I mainly collect PS2 games, but I’ve recently begun collecting Xbox 360 games as well – my interests mainly lie in major game series (for instance every Zelda, Metal Gear, and Resident Evil game, among others), the action-adventure genre, and SRPGs.

As far as current systems go -- iOS, Android, PSN, XBLA, WiiWare, eShop, VitaPSN, Steam, Mac App Store – you name it, I have it. I have this OCD-ness about me where I can’t miss anything. Despite the fact that I obviously prefer some platforms and consoles/portables over others, I think every system has its fair share of titles.

I wish I could go back and tell my seven year old self that being a fanboy was idiotic, but obviously I grew and learned things because of the experience. The above picture isn’t my collection, but if you take out a few SEGA systems, it’s accurate.



6) I think Benedict Cumberbatch and Idris Ebla are awesome

Just like Tim Roth in my other list, I think Idris Elba and Benedict Cumberbatch are unsung heroes. They've done a lot of low key work as far as Americans are concerned (some BBC miniseries and films), but Cumberbatch and Elba really made themselves household names with the shows Sherlock, and The Wire, respectively.

This winter, you’ll see Cumberbatch as both Smaug and Sauron in The Hobbit Part 1 – as far as villain roles go in film, that’s pretty awesome stuff!



5) My taste in music is varied

Like my gaming tastes, I’ll pretty much listen to anything except *new* country. In the realm of country, I’ll listen to bluegrass, southern rock, and even 90s country like Garth Brooks – just not newer junk like Carrie Underwood.

Here’s a good array of my tastes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT3_IfYd9DM&feature=fvst

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-KqDVNowKU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRwIzQlly0Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO-cpWpzxVA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU0MF8pwktg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5vz6iwV38U



4) I think Daniel Day Lewis is the best actor of all time

As I said previously, Tom Cruise is my favorite actor. I’m able to diffuse "Tom Cruise the Actor" from T"om Cruise the Real Life Guy With Issues". He entertains me – you’ve probably heard of the term “popcorn flick” before.

However, I’m real big on art-house/surrealistic film, and I know good acting when I see it. Throughout all of my years watching movies, I think that Daniel Day Lewis is the best actor of all time. Some people would say Brando, some would say Newman, I say good ol’ Bill the Butcher.

Lewis is probably as “method” as you get, and I really respect that. I think acting transcends what you can do on-screen, and he brings an unparalleled energy to the entire set – that should count for something.



3) I watch LOTS of TV

I watch a lot of TV. By a lot, I mean I watch around 10-15 shows on a weekly basis. I’ll watch anything from [good] sitcoms, to dramas, to wacky stuff like Penn and Teller’s Bullsh!t. One of my recent favorites is Sons of Anarchy. I totally judged Sons of Anarchy for three years as “some dumb biker show with Ron Perlman in it”, but it’s actually Hamlet on Wheels with an amazing supporting cast. Pretty awesome stuff.

It would be impossible to list non-current shows that I enjoy, so just holler at me if you like any of the following: Mad Men; Breaking Bad; Grimm; Sons of Anarchy; Justified; Southland; Game of Thrones; House of Lies; Modern Family; Community; Shark Tank; Dragon's Den; Parks and Recreation; Dexter; South Park; New Beavis and Butthead; "Louie"; Alcatraz; Sherlock; Workaholics; Archer; or The League.

I watch a lot more than this -- these are just what I'd consider "good TV".



2) I like just about everything, games wise

In my other “10 blog”, I wrote about how I like the wackiest, strangest games Japan has to offer – but that’s not everything I like. I’m also a huge Call of Duty fan, and I own two copies of Modern Warfare 2 and two Elite subscriptions (for my wife and I).

My wife and I love playing through the Gears of War series. Mass Effect is one of my favorite franchises of all time. One day I’ll be playing Shadows of the Damned, the next, I’ll be hamming it up online in Call of Duty – I’m pretty happy with this arrangement!



1) I still love Dtoid

Over three years ago I joined Dtoid and started writing blogs. Around a year later I was at E3 under my own media outlet – then I came back the following year. I was able to sit in “the big three” conferences and feel the excitement of new product launches. When Nintendo announced Donkey Kong Country Returns, I shouted a fairly loud obscenity and I didn’t care – it was just too exciting!

I owe that experience to Dtoid and its community, among many other life lessons that I couldn’t have learned anywhere else. There’s no way around being cheesy here – I’d love to get a beer with any of you sometime.

After nearly getting 1000/1000 Achievement Points for Mass Effect 3 last night, I was lying in bed holding my wife, and thought of something: what will my future kid think of my Gamerscore?

I’m in my mid-20s, and my wife and I are both thinking of having our first kid soon. Now I know gaming sounds like an absurd thing to think about in the grand scheme of raising a child, but it can’t be all business time all the time, right – I am going to play games with my kid!

Some time ago thanks to the recommendation of a Dtoider, I watched a technological symposium regarding this surprisingly frightful “score” oriented future, in which every product possible (tangible or not) is tied to a “score”: similar to Coke Points, but regulated through an electronic device, applications, and technology like NFC. Essentially, marketing will infiltrate our lives.

The plus side to this digital future is that your posterity gets to look at your Gamescore, Trophies, or “Kindle Reading Score” (if such a thing is ever created), and see what you did: in other words, your legacy. As I was lying there last night, thoughts popped in my head like “Dad, you never beat Ninja Gaiden III on Master Ninja? That game is babysauce compared to Samurai Gaiden!”. Or, “Grandpa what in the heck is Devil May Cry, and what the heck is HD?!”



People often will knock on Achievements and Trophies but I think it’s a fairly neat idea, both in the short and long term. For basically pennies on the dollar, Microsoft was the first gaming company to build brand loyalty simply for rewarding gamers with nothing but textual and numerical bragging rights.

In the long term, it allows our friends and family to see what we’ve accomplished, or what games we’ve played. In fact, I’ve started a few conversations at gaming events by using the Xbox Live App, adding someone to my friends list, and checking their gaming history.

This may seem trite to a lot of you, but hopefully I’m not alone in thinking of the potential for the future of gaming legacy.

[Read on for a description of every Resident Evil game ever released in the US, and my plans to complete them all in 2012]

Why Resident Evil?

This year Capcom is pushing out three entirely new Resident Evil games - it's also the 15th Anniversary of Resident Evil: Director's Cut, which is the first RE game I fully completed. So why am I playing the series in the first place?

Honestly, Resident Evil 1 was one of the first times, outside of Metal Gear Solid and Tenchu, where I was completely immersed in the game and it's world. I remember plotting out where I've gone in the mansion in a custom map at 10 years old (no guides), and wanting nothing else than seeing "what's next".

I couldn't get enough of the unique scenarios the game offered, like dogs crashing through a window, or a terrifying snake appearing out of nowhere. It wasn't necessarily the claustrophobia and the slow moving zombies that made me love the series - it was the sheer amount of variety the game offered up.

So thanks for joining me on my journey to complete every Resident Evil game released in the US. I've beaten most of these already, but that doesn't mean I remember all of them! As I complete games that I haven't beaten front to back, I'll add extended thoughts in their entry, and add a "complete" picture for each game.



Resident Evil - Playstation [Owned], PC, Saturn, PSN [Owned]*

Resident Evil is where it all started. Gaming legend Shinji Mikami created a game that was not only an homage to Sweet Home, but also a great survival horror companion to Alone in the Dark.

Unlike most games at the time, you simply didn't know what to expect next - literally anything could jump out and try and bite your head off. Moments like the first time you experienced zombie dogs jumping through a window, or the famous first-person Hunter scene are burned into my memory. Despite the low budget voice acting (which only added a campy, enjoyable "Evil Dead" feel to it), Resident Evil is a pure classic, even today.



Resident Evil 2 - Playstation, PC, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, Gamecube, PSN* [Owned]

Resident Evil 2 took the first iteration's mansion setting, and turned it to 11. It wasn't just "The Mansion" anymore - your playground was an entire city. Somehow, someway, Resident Evil 2 filled this city with secrets, story, and tons of character.

Costume changes and hidden modes became more of a big deal, and started shaping up Resident Evil's trademark of packing in tons of content. The unique "two disc" approach, in which the game was basically two games was also rarely done at the time, and was a testament to the sheer undertaking that this year and nine month project really was.

The dynamic "Zapping System" mechanic that changed your story was pretty much unheard of at the time, and still is today. While I don't think Resident Evil 2 was as fun as the first game, one thing's for sure: it's one of the most technically impressive games of all time.



Resident Evil 3 - Playstation, PC, Dreamcast, Gamecube, PSN* [Owned]

"3" was unique in that it had a big bad boss enemy stalk you the entire game - basically right from the very beginning. It also introduced a mechanic that I was extremely grateful for, and rarely re-used: dodging.

After the game was completed, you could access the first true Mercenaries game, entitled "Operation: Mad Jackal". RE3's variation was much more fleshed out than the first two game's "Survivor" or "Battle Game" gametypes.

Quite honestly, Mad Jackal set me up for my rabid love of the Mercenaries gametype. In fact, for a few of the games, I would play Mercenaries for considerably longer than the actual core game - Resident Evil 3 was one such example.



Resident Evil Survivor - Playstation [Owned]*, PC

My recollection of Survivor is vague at best: I remember renting it with my little brother, and beating it in an afternoon.

The only specific thing I really remember about it is that it's basically "Doom" in Resident Evil form, and you literally cannot save the game - ever. While you're able to keep any weapons and items after death, you have to restart from the beginning if you die: considering the game is around 1-3 hours, that might suck.

Extended Thoughts:

Survivor is what it is. It's not a terrible "lightgun game", but it isn't great, either. One of the biggest punches in the face is the fact that it feels like a straight arcade port (even though it's not) given the fact that there are no continue points. It's hard to recommend for that reason alone, but if you're a Resident Evil fanatic, you may as well track this one down.



Resident Evil Code: Veronica - Dreamcast, Playstation 2 [Owned], Gamecube, Playstation 3, Xbox 360 [Owned]*

Code Veronica was formerly my favorite game in the series, before the REmake and RE5 came along. It was the first game to offer semi-fixed angles for the camera, instead of pre-rendered backgrounds, which was partly due to the upgrade in hardware to the Playstation 2.

It also offered a first person view for a few weapons, and an amalgamation of various Resident Evil games, such as the 180 degree turn, upgradeable weapons, and explosive scenery. Simply put, it was just a clean, fun Resident Evil game. In the PS2 version there were a few ham-fisted action scenes involving Wesker, but they were good fun and helped add to the game's enjoyment. In addition to the normal game (Code: Veronica X), I completed battle mode with every character.



Resident Evil Gaiden - Game Boy Color [Owned]*

Gaiden ("side-story" in Japanese), is probably the only "bad" Resident Evil game in the entire franchise. While a few other games were extremely average, Gaiden is borderline unplayable. Strangely enough, the game is a top down/rhythm game hybrid - the results are disastrous, and not even Leon and Barry can save this game.

Combat is done in a turn based game style, where contact with an enemy initiates a mini-game similar to the "field goal kick" bar from the popular Madden NFL series. To be blunt - combat just wasn't scary, and it wasn't fun.



Resident Evil REmake - Gamecube, Wii [Owned]*

RE1's Gamecube REmake is possibly the best remake of all time, for any series. Capcom pulled out all the stops for this one, when they could have easily just re-released the game a la the RE Gamecube collection.

The graphics are updated, the voice acting is improved, and the game is overhauled so much that fans will barely recognize some parts of the game (among a few new areas). The REmake offers up classic RE1 gameplay with a brand new veneer - personally, while it's not my favorite, I think it's technically the best game in the series.



Resident Evil Zero - Gamecube [Owned], Wii [Owned]*

Resident Evil Zero is one of the only games I haven't completed in the series. While I had a Gamecube, I was too busy playing other games at the time (including the Gamecube's REmake), and just missed this one.

I've heard mixed things - both that it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, and that it's a solid entry to the franchise. Either way I'm excited to jump into one this year with the Wii re-release.



Resident Evil: Dead Aim - Playstation 2 [Owned]*

Dead Aim is easily the best light-gun game in the series, especially for it's time. Movement was shown in a third person view like standard Resident Evil games, but it switched to first person for shooting purposes.

This basically created a hybrid shooting/adventure game that at least allowed you to pick your fights during most instances, instead of being forced to battle every single enemy on-rails. Why Capcom didn't follow this formula further, I'll never know, as it made for a really interesting game. It also offered up a few new characters: while forgettable, at least Capcom was trying something different, instead of putting Leon and Chris into a game for the 100th time.



Resident Evil Outbreak - Playstation 2 [Owned]*

Outbreak was a fan's dream - for the first time, Resident Evil was truly multiplayer! You could cooperate or betray your teammates, just like a real zombie apocalypse.

There were plenty of "how could you leave me behind!": "it was both of us or one of us!" moments, and it made for a really unique experience that hasn't really been matched yet, even with Left 4 Dead. Outbreak served up classic hopeless Resident Evil tension with heated multiplayer gameplay, and it's a shame so many people missed out on it (mostly due to the haphazard marketing of the PS2's HDD and Internet accessory).



Resident Evil Outbreak File #2 - Playstation 2 [Owned]*

Strangely enough, Outbreak 2 was the first Resident Evil game to allow people to move and shoot. Since it wasn't as popular in America however, no one really talks about it. Part of the reason for the lack of popularity was the fact that it was basically a carbon-copy of Outbreak 1, with a few different scenarios.

The game added an extra communication system that allowed people to talk to one another despite the region, and a few other small additions, but it wasn't really enough to show up on most people's radars. Personally, I wasn't really upset with more of the same, as I enjoyed Outbreak 1.



Resident Evil 4 - Gamecube, Playstation 2 [Owned], PC, Wii [Owned]*, iPhone [Owned], iPad, Playstation 3, Xbox 360 [Owned]*

Many fans are upset at Resident Evil 4 for spearheading the series into an action oriented direction. Personally, I see it as a natural evolution of the series. The behind the back camera and aiming mechanics are a much better alternative than anything previously offered, and the enemy variety lends itself well to the new direction.

The Mercenaries mode also takes a further step forward, and offers up even more additional content than ever before - most notably the ability to select multiple stages, and the inability to actually complete it. Resident Evil 4 was also insanely popular, and helped revitalize the series.



Resident Evil: Deadly Silence - DS [Owned]*

One of the cool things about this version is that the top screen of the DS is used as a map, and a health indicator at all times. Additionally, the game is pretty much a spot-on port of the PS1 game, voice acting and all, which is pretty impressive given the DS's general lack of horsepower. It also has a multiplayer mode; it's kind of weak, given that you and your friends never actually see each other in different parts of the mansion, but it's a free addition nonetheless.

To differentiate this playthrough from my original RE run, I'm playing the "REbirth mode", which adds a ton of unique first person action scenes, and DS-centric additions/re-arrangements. Even though the game is basically a port, but touch screen specific puzzles and changes are enough to justify another playthrough here.

All in all, Deadly Silence is about what you'd expect out of a portable port, and a solid addition to any RE fan's collection.



Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles - Wii [Owned]*, Playstation 3

Umbrella Chronicles is an on-rails shooter for the Wii. That's about all I can say about it, honestly. It doesn't take a whole lot of effort or time to complete this one, and cooperative gameplay is kind of shoe-horned into it.

Thankfully, it has a decent amount of unlockable content. While I have played Umbrella Chronicles, I haven't tackled it as much as Darkside Chronicles, so I'll be sure and post extended thoughts below.

Extended Thoughts:

If you like light-gun games, be sure and check this one out. It offers pretty standard, enjoyable light-gun arcadey fun over the backdrop of a few past Resident Evil titles. Umbrella Chronicles is a good way to get a refresher for Resident Evil Zero, Resident Evil 1, and Resident Evil 3. Although, despite how fun it can be, I'd highly recommend playing it with a partner, as it enhances the enjoyment tenfold



Resident Evil 5 - Xbox 360 [Owned]*, Playstation 3 [Owned], PC

I make it no secret that Resident Evil 5 is my favorite game of all time. The day I got it at midnight, I took off work the next day, and beat it sometime in the morning. The next day, my wife and I started a coop campaign that would last about a week - after that, I grinded through another playthrough to get some cash for extra weapons - I just couldn't get enough.

To put it simply, I think RE5 is the most fun game in the entire series. There's a campaign, tons of extra content, coop, and for the first time, there's coop Mercenaries - what more could you want? I literally played RE5 for months on end, and ate up all the DLC possible - I can't say enough good things about this game. For my 2012 playthrough, I'm either going to tackle the Playstation Move version of the game, or replay it with my wife.



Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles - Wii [Owned]*, Playstation 3

Darkside Chronicles is a considerable improvement upon Umbrella Chronicles. There's a new evade move and it offers a dynamic difficulty setting, along with an improved coop mode.

Like the other Light Gun games in the series, Darkside Chronicles is basically a love it or hate it kind of game. It doesn't really offer a whole lot more than most other on-rail shooters. If you're a Resident Evil fan however, you may want to put up with it just for the extra story bits.

Extended Thoughts:

Out of the two light-gun Wii titles, Darkside Chronicles is the better game; especially for two players. The developers make a much better effort to accommodate coop play, and the new mechanics make gameplay that much smoother. You also get crucial backstory on Leon and Krauser, which helps make Resident Evil 4's Krauser encounters that much more enjoyable. If you have to choose one of the two, make it "Darkside", but getting both isn't a bad idea.



Resident Evil: Deck Building Game - [Owned]*

If you haven't played a deck building game before, the concept is pretty simple. There are a bunch of stacks of static cards in the center of the play area. You have one giant deck, of which you draw five cards at a time from. With those five cards, you can perform a number of actions depending on what you randomly drew -- you can buy cards from the middle or perform actions to either draw more cards or modify your deck.

Resident Evil's deck building variant adds another new concept: fighting infected. On any given turn, you're allowed one buy, one action, and one "exploration" that allows you to take a door card and explore the Spencer Mansion. In the mansion you can find items or battle infected for trophies - depending on the gametype, the player with the most trophies (kills) wins.

I've played a number of deck building games before such as Dominion, but Resident Evil is one of my favorites. Each player gets assigned a unique character that changes your abilities, which helps add to the characterization and uniqueness of the game. Also, it's a delight to take down the Nemesis with a bunch of knife cards as Krauser.



Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D - 3DS [Owned]*

Mercenaries 3D is a very niche title. If you love the Mercenaries mini-games from other titles, you may like Mercs 3D. If you loathe them - well, that's kind of the entire game.

Mercs 3D made waves in the gaming community at release due to the inability to delete saves, and the incredibly short length of the game (it can be beaten in a few hours).

It also had a few other problems like the short draw distance, among other graphical glitches. Personally, I thought the game was acceptable, and played it for quite a while before putting it down. While it may seem like a cash grab at first, there are a decent amount of scenarios included, and Mercs fanatics will be sure to come back to it occasionally.



Resident Evil Revelations - 3DS [Owned]*

Did the mysteriously abandoned "Resident Evil-PSP" game end up as Revelations? Does it really matter at this point? Early previews are calling this "one of the best Resident Evils in a long time, and possibly the best Resident Evil ever".

The demo is great, the visuals are great, and there's really no reason to doubt this entry, despite the fact that it's on a portable. I plan on getting this game day one and ripping through it in a few days. I'll be sure and post my thoughts after completion.

Extended Thoughts:

As I mentioned in my review, I felt like the demo was a bait and switch of sorts. The fact of the matter is, without going into spoiler territory, at least half of the game is not the tight-knit claustrophobic experience the demo made it out to be.

A lot of Revelations will be spent with an AI partner clunking around, or in open areas fighting non-stop enemies in a full out action fest -- the switch between the Cruise Ship sections and everywhere else is jarring, and the story isn't the greatest to boot.

Thankfully, the game looked great, controlled great, and Raid Mode is pretty fun solo or with a friend. I hope that Capcom puts this new engine to good use, and expands upon a lot of concepts with Revelations. It's not one of my favorite Resident Evil games for sure, but it's not bad either.



Resident Evil Game Boy Color - Gameboy Color ROM [Owned]*

This previously unreleased title has finally been given to the public by an anonymous source.

While it evidently isn't possible to beat the game in its current state, I'll still attempt to complete the game as much as possible. Up until 2012, no one has had a chance to play this missing piece of history, so I'm pretty excited to see what we've been missing all these years.

Extended Thoughts:



Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City - Xbox 360*, Playstation 3, PC

I honestly have no idea what to expect from Raccoon City. I'm not the biggest fan of Slant Six, and I'm not too keen on the possible idea of shooting down Resident Evil's heroes and heroines. Additionally, based on rumors, the game may not have a split-screen mode, which would hinder my ability to play with my wife.

Regardless, I'll be picking up Raccoon City this year on my 360, and I'm eager to see what it can offer to the series.

Extended Thoughts:

Raccoon City is somewhat of a disappointment. While fun, the game has a heap of issues, from online stability, to numerous gamebreaking glitches. Players have been known to fall through the floor, turn into ghosts, and all sorts of other mishaps. It's a shame, because for Resident Evil fans, the game is a fun little romp through the events of Resident Evil 2 and 3.

You get to see pretty much every major monster from the series (Nemesis included!), and some familiar faces like Birkin, Leon, and Hunk. If done correctly, and possibly as canon, this could have been a really worthwhile entry into the franchise. As it stands, it's a hard recommendation



Resident Evil 6 - Xbox 360*, Playstation 3, PC

I could not be more excited for Resident Evil 6. From the rumors offered so far, it looks to have a full Mercenaries mode with multiplayer, story mode coop, and a single player campaign without an AI partner. In short, it apparently offers more content than RE5.

I'm excited for the new setting, and hopefully the story will be interesting this time around without Wesker (presumably, provided he isn't cloned). Although the series is decidedly more action oriented, there are also rumors of more claustrophobic areas and slower moving zombies having a part in RE6 - if they can do it right, I say bring it on.

Extended Thoughts:

[I've gotten a few requests to share my Dark Souls post with the community - so here goes! I completed the game at Soul Level 77, after 37 hours and 10 minutes of play - for reference, I beat Demon's Souls at Level 76, at 22 hours and 30 minutes of play. Dark Souls is a considerably longer, and harder game. If you have any questions, feel free to ask below and I'll do my best to answer them! <3 you guys]

That’s right, the supposed “too hard for school” action-RPG Dark Souls has officially hit retailers, and I have no doubt that many people will play it for a few hours, and promptly give up.

But that’s a shame. Despite how hard the game may seem, there’s always (repeat: always) a solution to your problem. Dark Souls was masterfully crafted to the point where once you figure it out: you become God, and engage in one of the most rewarding gaming experiences of all time. I’m going to provide some very brief tips for you, in hopes that you’ll have that eureka moment just like myself.

Here is a typical Dark Souls first session:

0:05 – Oh wow! Easy training monsters! Have at you, fiends!
0:15 – FFFFUUUUUUUU I died in a hit?!
0:20 – Ok…no town…where do I buy anything…
0:35 – FFFFUUUUUUUU this game is impossible I quit.

Tame non-story spoilers incoming. I’d recommend saving this article if you get stuck, and need a quick reference:

Basic Tips:

*Your starting class doesn’t necessarily matter, unless you want the Thief’s Master Key without having to waste a gift, or you want to start as a Pyromancer to allocate as many stats as possible at an early level. After the first 6-8 hours all classes start to blend, and everyone can use anything they have the stats for. Every gift outside of the master key can be obtained in the game.

*I’ve heard a lot of things about the master key – about how it’s not good, because it will only confuse you after you unlock secret pathways to very late-game areas. This is partially true, but I still urge you to take it if you trust your instincts. You can get some pretty amazing suicide loot by way of the master key shorcuts (suicide loot, like Demon’s Souls, is obtained when you run, usually naked, through a really hard area in search of drops and items).

*If you beat the first tutorial boss without running through the door to the left, you’ll earn a special weapon (it takes a TON of strength to use however) – if you take the black firebombs gift, you can take him down pretty easily.

*The first merchant is right near the start of the Undead Burg – go up two flights of stairs – then look right – see the two lance skeletons? Break those boxes and head through the outside door there. You can most notably buy firebombs and arrows, which will help with the next two boss encounters.

*If you want to cheap-out the Tauros boss [the first real boss], grab around 10 Firebombs and just chuck them at him at a safe range – he’ll go down easy. You can also get him to jump off the area, or you can climb the ladder and do a falling strike.

*You will need to grind in Dark Souls. The first grind spot is above the Undead Burg bonfire, right where the dragon appears. Simply go up the ladder you kicked down after the Tauros boss, walk up the stairs, then quickly walk back down – repeat for an easy 300 souls per run.

*Once you make it to the Red Dragon, grab a bow and ~100 arrows – head to the bridge below him and aim for his tail – keep shooting – after some time, you’ll earn the Drake Sword – one of the best starting weapons in the entire game. Note that it doesn’t scale with your strength/dexterity statistics, so you will want a plan B.

*Your first order of business is to ring the two bells of awakening. One is in the Undead Parish, in the church past the iron boar mini-boss. The other is in Blighttown – a really hard area that you should tackle second – you can get into Blighttown from the Sewers, or the cave in the Valley of Drakes.
If you get cursed, head to the top of the belltower at the Undead Parish – the NPC there will sell a cure for 3,000 souls each (post day one curse patch).

*Personally, I like to save my humanity pickups for special occasions. What I do is accumulate them, and when I’m at a bonfire with a boss fight I know I can beat, but need more Estus Flasks for, I use two humanity at the fire to kindle it and get that little extra boost.

*Press Circle (PS3) or B (360) to slide down ladders (shoutout to GameFAQs for that one).



The easiest way to blow through the first few hours (new character guide):

*Start a Pyromancer – pick the master key.

*Use fireball repeatedly on the Asylum boss after completing the tutorial to easily take him down.
Start heading for Undead Burg – level up vitality twice to help against the Tauros boss just in case you get hit.

*Buy 5-6 Firebombs from the merchant to use on Tauros.

*Run from the first Undead Burg bonfire all the way to the Tauros spirit door – you can make it without getting hit. Clear the two archers on top of the tower.

*Use the firebombs and your fireball spell (you should have full charges) on the Tauros demon – run away, throw/cast, run away, throw/cast, repeat. Kindle the fire using two humanity if you need 10 flasks to beat the Tauros demon.

*Run over the Dragon’s bridge, found after the Tauros demon- go down the first flight of stairs you see to the right – kick down the ladder and use the dragon grinding method above to level up to 12 dexterity, buy the 1,000 soul bow from the merchant, and buy around 75 arrows (you can also buy these earlier if you’re worried about losing your souls due to death).

*Go up the ladder near the bonfire, and go under the dragon – clear the two skeletons out just in case. Aim at the Dragon’s tail – wait for him to stop throwing a tantrum, and repeat – eventually you will get the Drake sword (it will pop into your inventory automatically).

*Grind strength using the dragon grinding method until you can wield the Drake sword at 16 strength. You should be able to breeze through the next few areas with it. In fact, after upgrading it, I beat the final boss of the game while two handing it.



Massive Spoilers incoming – only read if you need help completing the game

Advanced Tips:

*Need to grind even further than 300 souls per run? How about 7000? First you need to purchase the forest key from the blacksmith below the Undead Parish for 20,000 souls (it’s a good idea to buy this after a boss fight). Then, head to the forest using the entrance next to him; keep going straight until you pass 4 tree monsters, and get to the magically sealed door. Open it, and note the very small pathway near the cliff. Run over to the left and gather the four enemies (the sorceror, the templar, the clear thief, and the warrior) – corral those enemies back to the entrance, and head to the utmost point of that path near the cliff – all the enemies will run up the ledge, and dive over you to their doom. You may need to bait them a bit, but it works.

*After you ring the two bells, if you’re lost, keep reading: head over to Sen’s Fortress – it’s the place where the Onion Knight was sitting at, near the Undead Parish blacksmith. Complete the fortress and kill the Iron Golem. That will lead you to Anor Londo – the next area.

*Once you’re in Anor Londo, head to the middle area, and take the first beam on the bottom floor into the cracked window. Make your way around the building catwalks to the main castle, and enter in from the right side. Once you’re there, you can open up a few shorcuts, grab some amazing loot, then head in for one of the most challenging boss fights in the game.

*After completing Anor Londo’s main castle, you will obtain the Soul Vessel – this is a story item that will allow you to complete the game by stealing four Lord souls, which unlocks the final boss fight (for the standard ending). The location of the four Lords (un-named, to prevent spoilers) are as follows:
One is on the side path of Anor Londo – go straight as soon as you head into the area by way of the gargoyles, and head all the way down that path.

*One is in the Tomb of Giants – past the Catacombs, after Pinwheel.

*One is in the Old Londo Ruins, after you drain the water (you need the abyss ring from the Wolf Sif to fight this boss).

*One is past the Demon Ruins, after Queelag in Blighttown – beat the Ceasless Discharge and two more bosses, then fight it.

*Another special enemy is in the painting, in the Anor Londo building with the white ninjas – to enter the painting you need the peculiar doll – obtain the doll by re-visiting the tutorial area using the crow’s nest in Firelink Shrine.

If you own Dark Souls and have any tips for newcomers, feel free to leave them below.

Since the Catherine demo is finally out, I know a lot of you will probably be scratching your heads in regards to how to make a Japanese PSN account. Well, scratch no more!

Note: each break is used for a new menu, so the guide is easy to follow.

Step 1 - Create a gmail account in anticipation of the PSN account

You should have a valid email to register for the PSN Store, because it makes things a lot easier. Make something related to Japanese culture (for easy reference) on Gmail.

Step 2 - Create a username

This is your PS3's unofficial username. Go to the far left side of the XMB, and hit "create new user". My suggestion is to name it something simple, like "Japanese PSN". You can always change this later, if you aren't happy with your name. Additionally, I suggest slapping a Japanese themed wallpaper on the account so you don't get confused, if you decide to make an EU/Taiwan account down the road.

Step 3- Get onto the JP PSN

Once you're ready to start accessing the Japanese storefront, simply go to the Playstation Network part of the XMB, and hit "Playstation Store". You'll immediately be required to register.

Set your Country/Region of Residence to "Japan", and put your real birthday, as it may help recovering your account if you forget your information. The language has to be Japanese. Hit ok.

Now you're able to "look, but not touch" the PSN. Browse around and feel free to find some interesting icons. When you're ready to download anything (which is done the same way as the US store, by clicking an item, and selecting the second option), click the shopping cart on the top of the screen (or download a demo), and you'll be required to register.

Step 4 - Officially sign up for the PSN

You'll see some advertisements for Playstation Home and the like. Ignore these and hit "Create New Account (New Users)". Hit ok.

The next screen is the same Birthday and language screen as before, except it's in Japanese. Do not change the first two boxes. Keep your birthday the same, and click the bottom right menu option (OK).

Next, you'll have to agree to the Terms of Service. Scroll all the way to the bottom and hit the bottom right menu option (OK).

After that, you have to plug in your gmail account first. Then, you have to plug in a password, and CONFIRM your password again (like most internet forms) - note that the password has to be at least eight characters, and you should probably put a few numbers in there to make sure you aren't denied. The last two boxes are your secret question and the answer. Put gibberish, as you have to use kanji. Click OK on the bottom right.

Now you have to make a username. I tend to make my JP accounts have something to do with Japan - for instance - "shibuyadrifter82". It's easy to remember, and it associates myself with that particular national account. For EU, "teabeatscrumpets82" would be spot on. If you get a friendly message, and the OK bottom on the bottom lights up, you're good to go. If not, the name is taken or blocked, and you need to try again.

This next part can be tricky. As the Home symbol denotes, this is your address. For the first part, fill in random numbers all the way up until you've exhausted them, and hit X. Select anything from the next drop down menu. Then, fill in random letters for the next box, and the "address 1" box. You can skip "address 2", and make sure you fill in the bottom. It may take you a few tries to do it, but I used "7809652144", and it worked, for the top entry, and the second drop down choice for the next box.

After this, you'll recieve a confirmation page. Make sure you check the box, and then select OK at the bottom right.

This next page is a summary of everything. Make sure you write down your username (ie shibuyadrifter82) AND your email associated with this account. If your account is lost, it's the only way to get it back. Go to the bottom right and hit ok. Congratulations! You've just made an account.

Step 5 - Peruse

Feel free to peruse the store. Your information is saved. Make sure save password is on so you can always easily connect.

When you're in the store, these are what the tabs are, on the left.

Tab 1 - Popular Categories.

Tab 2 - New Releases.

Tab 3 - Alphabetical list of games.

Tab 4 - Developer catalogs (really useful, as most of these are in English, and allow you to find some unexpected releases from your favorite team).

Tab 5 - Categories. Here you'll find new full PSN games, addons (controller with a plus), demos (this is the meat of your experience - it doesn't require any payment - it's denoted by the controller icon that's fourth from the left) and more.

Tab 6 - As advertised, the PSP has it's own section of the PSN. Pretty sweet!

Tab 7 - PSN Classics

Tab 8 - PS Plus

Don't worry - you can switch back to your regular US account and still download your files in the background. Enjoy your new account!

Click Tab 2, and find the Catherine demo as one of the first choices. Or, if you're checking this out late, go to Tab 4 and click Atlus. You'll find it.

If you want some impressions on Catherine, check out my Twitter account on the sidebar, as I'm not big on shamelessly promoting on other websites!