Ex_Parte

Campaign--Must Play; Multiplayer--Maybe Skip. Recommendation: RENT. CAMPAIGN. The single-player story is great and requires more than a brain-dead trigger finger to keep up with. Knowing that the story was penned by real-life operators is actually a pretty cool experience: it infuses each set piece with significance beyond killing/surviving. It's a unique experience to think after a scene, "These people actually underwent and survived the situation I just played." Unfortunately, it's not a lot of replay value, and i feel bad not recommending a purchase, especially with actual servicemen penning the material. But it's DEFINITELY worth a play-through, as this is one of video gaming's only games based on specific actual experiences and not just generic historical fiction. MULTIPLAYER. Many have already summarized the multiplayer experience, so i won't belabor those points. But the key factor is that FPS multiplayer is an investment: of time and practice. In my opinion, this game is not enough to warrant the commitment that has been put into other multiplayer games, and it is not that engaging enough to make me say "I want to pump more time into this and will enjoy doing so." So again, definitely rent Warfighter and experience the story. I'm personally happy to have supported a game involving real veterans, but will likely be trading in my copy.

FEZ: a fun experience; a bad purchase. While not an original theme or gameplay premise, it can still be a fun game. However, due to repetition, lack of challenge, and technical issues, FEZ is more for nostalgia enthusiasts to experience than for average players to enjoy at the current price. Some negatives... This game has a number of technical issues that are inexcusable in a game so long in development. It may be retro-themed, but it is still held to the standards of a modern game release. "Old-fashioned" is only quaint if it's functional. Some positives... Conversely, originality is not the sole benchmark of a fun game. FEZ's premise still provides a fun spin on the platformer experience, and players should check out the free demo first to see if it suits their tastes. Final... "Retro" is only a theme, and it is only a good thing regarding nostalgia, not quality. The game may be different from a lot of other games, but the money out of pocket is the same. And it isn't worth $10. Wait for a **** go to a retro enthusiast's home to play it.

A RARE CONSOLE LOCAL CO-OP QUEST. When you whittle down the number of co-operative games to those playable (1) locally, (2) full co-op campaign and (3) drop in/drop out w persistent character upgrades, the list becomes quite short and consists mostly of shooters. Finally, there is a full-featured action-RPG that you can enjoy from beginning to end with friends. It also solves the problem of not being able to coordinate gaming time with friends with a simple loot swap system: if you're not sure when your buddy will be able to play with you again, just have her give you all her upgraded stuff and your character can then give it to whomever you play with next. Plus, loot in the game, instead of being just shared when one player picks it up, is re-spawned and tailored towards the other player's character for immediate pick-up. Speaking of loot, management of all your stuff is displayed simply enough that anyone can understand it after looking through it, yet just complex enough for the decision-making and swapping to be fun. The game is thoroughly enjoyable to play with a friend because it removes many of the headaches of coordinating a co-operative quest. I got it $15 off at Best Buy using this month's coupon, but it is not a serial game and will probably become more affordable sooner than other games. I always buy my games used and under $25, yet this one was unarguably worth the $45 i paid. The user score given is 9/10 because your AI character is stubbornly independent. That being said, it does at least automatically equip the best equipment and weapons it picks up/you give it, so you don't have to worry about carefully managing it and then being frustrated that it doesn't retain your configuration.

A GOOD MULTIPLAYER SHOOTER FOR REGULAR NON-"GAMERS". Not all of us are "gamers" (i'm an attorney in my late-20's). Those of us who play video games as light recreation and not "online careers" (e.g. rank, etc.) look at all the hype and wonder which games are critical/fan darlings and which are actually just fun. Well, Battlefield 3 for Xbox360 IS for us. It's like pick-up ball that's just competitive enough without being too serious for itself. As a consumer of average video game consumption, i've shopped through the most oft-recommended/advertised multiplayer shooter series on Xbox360: Gears of War, Halo, and Call of Duty. All were fun, but with major drawbacks. Gears had mech-like sluggish characters. Halo was like one long frenetic ninja duel. And Call of Duty had poor graphics and an unbearable amount of eerily over-committed...students of the game. Battlefield 3 hits the sweet spot: just realistic enough that your actions actually have an impact despite lacking some gaming trick, yet maintaining a good pace throughout. Most importantly, Battlefield 3's multiplayer makes, well, playing with multiple players fun. There's always someone to work in teams with. Your actions make a meaningful contribution to the team even if you're not individually a skilled killer. Other players are encouraging and, if you feel disheartened from dying many times, there is always someone on your team to deploy next to and follow their lead. There are fewer trash-talking cowards hiding behind their screen names here because--i'm guessing--they generally don't have the patience for a team effort. Personally, i believe you will enjoy this game: actually "enjoy", not just "appreciate". That is the best praise i have for a video game, and the only merit a video game truly earns to begin with. NOTE: I have only played the online mutiplayer, so i can only speak in that regard.