A lot of games that need to be played, nay, experienced , are out right now.
Games that I am currently playing:
Sins of a Solar Empire (PC). I’ve had some time with the beta, and still exploring the tweaks. Need to find people for some multiplayer action. The multiplayer in Sins is hard to encapsulate, but I’ll attempt to. Sins combat is cinematic, the action building from your small scouting fleet to small border skirmishes to contest planets into a final crescendo into armada versus armada warfare. Spreading word of mouth of this game to all my strategy-loving brethren.
AudioSurf (PC). Easily the best ROI (return on investment for those who lack corporatese training) of ten measly American dollars I have seen for a game. Also, on of the coolest things you can do with your music collection. I’ll supply the rundown in detail later, but the short version is this: grab a track, choose a “rider” and then ride through the song while making clusters of beats. I like this game better than other rhythm games because there is a lot of strategy embedded in the gameplay. It’s not just rhythmic execution. Really fun game.
Soul Calibur IV (XBOX 360). The Soul Calibur series has never been a “desert island” fighting game for me, but a friend brought it over and we were having a blast. I had the supreme misfortune of picking for my main character one of the harder characters in the game to use in Setsuka. Her best moves require precision timing (”Just Frames”) to execute, and her arsenal of long range moves are unimpressive. Still, I like a challenge, and have pulled some fun wins off with her while playing online.
Games I want to be playing:
Braid (XBOX 360). You have heard so much about this game already. I know I have. But I still want to play, bottom line. Normally platformers are a genre that I use to instead of sheep-counting to put my hyperactive head to rest, but everything I’ve seen and read points to this being amazing.
Wartech: Senko no Ronde (XBOX 360). I have had no time to play this awesome, awesome game. Camisuke has even provided me with a great set of strategies, expounding upon the original set of games we were playing. Time is not something I’m blessed with a lot of these days, but if possible I’ll double back.
Civilization: Revolution (XBOX 360). I’m a sucker for strategy games. Especially strategy games that can resolve in a timely matter so I can get lots of games in. It looks like they speed Civ up for the 360, so I’ll spend some time with it in the near future.
Street Fighter 4 (XBOX 360). Just get here already. There’s no arcade near me that’s going to have this, so it just needs to be on the 360 so I can salivate all over the CD and play it forever and ever.
Stumble it!