PSP

Read All about It

HIGH Getting through an entire dungeon without taking a single hit.

LOW Accidentally missing one item and destroying my hopes of 100% completion.

WTF Is up with that clown?

The idea of a game world typically appears in the context of immersive games like Far Cry 2 or Grand Theft Auto IV. Games of this type use attractive graphics to imitate reality, making the idea of a virtual world a natural one.

There has been a significant amount of griping over video game review scores recently. Reviewers seem to be on the defensive to readers, publishers, and developers as they attempt to further justify a number that 1,000+ words apparently could not. Games with review scores less than an 80 average on Metacritic are presumed to be bad (or worse).

I recently started Fate/Extra for the PlayStation Portable. I know that it's based on an anime or some other related property, but I'm not familiar with the source material. In fact, my only other exposure to anything from the Fate series was the Fate/Unlimited Codes fighting game, also for PSP. (And really, that was pretty good!)

The Holy Grail of JRPGs Finally Comes to America

HIGH The game's story and characters are engaging and sure to hold players' interest.

LOW Battles can be very slow.

WTF How did they ever get away with calling the villain Joker? I guess no one told DC Comics...

Fable III isn't exactly challenging, as far as game play, story, or game design go.  And yet, it has challenged me in a most unexpected way.  I knew, offhandedly, before I started playing that this was considered a "mature RPG."  And yet I was surprised (pleasantly so, but still taken aback for a moment) to find that among the character attributes for nearly every adult NPC in the game, there is a sexual preference qualifier.

Microsoft should be pleased with moving another 308,000 Xbox 360 units, especially during a pretty dry month for new game releases. As I mention in the analysis piece, Microsoft will likely interpret this as a signal that a price drop isn't needed for at least the rest of 2011. That doesn't mean that the company won't be offering some interesting deals.

Writer Jeffrey Matulef joins us as we reminisce about our time at PAX Prime 2011. Not only did we get our hands on Lollipop Chainsaw, Aliens: Infestation, the PS Vita, and (of course) Borderlands 2, but you'll find out what happened when Brad let Richard interact with his son. No children were harmed in the production of this podcast. As far as we know. Featuring Brad Gallaway, Mike Bracken, Richard Naik, and Tim "Two Balls" Spaeth.

Download: Right click here and select "Save Target As..."
Subscribe: iTunes | Zune | RSS

Links:

• Brad's PAX Prime 2011 Report: Day One
• Brad's PAX Prime 2011 Report: Day Two
• Brad's PAX Prime 2011 Report: Day Three--PS Vita, Capcom
• Richard's PAX Prime 2011 Report: Day One
• Richard's PAX Prime 2011 Report: Day Two
• Richard's PAX Prime 2011 Report: Day Three
• PAX Prime 2011: Prototype 2 Preview

Please send feedback and mailbag questions to podcast (at) gamecritics (dot) com.

There have been a lot of advancements and positives for console gaming over the course of this console generation. Many games sport high-definition graphics and top-notch sound. Online play gives players the option to be social with friends all over the globe, if they so choose. The rapid rise of social media has put the industry and its fans closer together than ever before. Gradually, though, this generation's negatives and general anti-consumer trends have wiped out a lot of of those positives for me.

Sensationalist headlines could have casual observers running for hills when it comes to how this year's sales numbers compare with last year. Don't fall for this. Let's keep in mind that the newer Xbox 360 models—the Xbox 360 Slim—really flew off of store shelves last July. We're now a year removed from that and now YOY numbers will bump into that success.