5 reasons why Gears of War: Judgment will disappoint (and 5 reasons it won't)

Being one of the most storied franchises of this generation, Gears of War is the very definition of ambition. Having several books, their own toy-line, a devoted fan-base and three solid games with a fourth on the way, Epic Games' blockbuster series has achieved every bit of success it's deserved. However, as important as Gears is, it's not without its glaring faults. Being fanatical Gears junkies ourselves, we're not so sure about Gears of War: Judgment. To play our point in as fair of a way as possible, we've compiled a comprehensive list of five solid reasons why Judgment is a bad idea, but with five more reasons why it's helping the series. So what are you waiting for? Let's do this!

The top 5 games of summer 2012

Summer is at an end and with it the so called "gaming drought" the season is usually tagged as. I contest that claim this year, seeing as how the summer has been filled with incredible titles, some we'll all be talking about as potential game of the year material a few months from now. To celebrate the changing of the seasons and into the massive holiday season release schedule, we've compiled a list of the greatest games of the summer along with our own personal list. If you haven't played some of these games, you'd better get moving!

EA to add replacement officials to Madden 13

In a shocking yet perhaps unsurprising bit of news, EA has announced a future update for Madden 13 will add replacement officials to the game. This will NOT be a form of DLC and will instead be instituted via a mandatory update that cannot be avoided. We reached out to EA for more information on a move that will surely spark a wildfire of abhorrence. Whether the hate was focused more toward the actual replacement officials or EA is still up for speculation.

Mass Effect 3: Leviathan DLC review

For better or for worse, Mass Effect 3 is one of those games that's pretty difficult to forget. Despite garnering heavy criticism from its rabid fan-base for its questionable end, ME3 still retains one of the best narratives of the year. Leviathan, the game's first piece of paid DLC, not only expands upon an already riveting storyline, it contains information that will likely make die-hard fans explode in a cloud of gore and joy. That's a good thing.

Microsoft fails another loyal customer (transcript included)

I've been associated with Microsoft and their creation, the Xbox 360 since its release back in November of 2005. Despite all of its problems, red-rings and all, I've had a great time with it. However, I recently ran into an issue that came up back in 2011, where Xbox 360 consoles wouldn't play certain game discs. After consulting Microsoft on several occasions, they've basically told me that they don't care.

Spec Ops: The Line review (with video review)

If you're looking for a new game to sate your thirst for something seminal, you'd surely laugh at the notion of a third-person military shooter being pushed toward you - I know I would. Yager Development's Spec Ops: The Line is a game that looks and feels like the competition, but instead of following the safe and derivative path that's usually carved out for the genre, forges its own dark and gritty route that contemporary games hardly use. If, by year's end, people still aren't talking about the narrative this game yields, some of the magic of the gaming industry will have surely faded.

Double Dragon: Neon interview

Double Dragon has always been one of my most treasured vintage franchises. While never finding a successful way to extend its legendary reach this generation, Majesco and Way Forward might have finally discovered it. Combining everything Double Dragon with contemporary visuals, auditory style and bucket loads of exaggeration, Double Dragon: Neon is basically The Expendables of video games. With that said, if there's one arcade game you should be excited for, it's undoubtedly this one.

Dishonored interview

Sometimes, just before you witness something grand, you get that indescribable feeling that what you're about to experience is going to be incredible. That's what I felt when we were ushered into the Bethesda theater to watch the showcase on Dishonored, Arkane Studios' supernatural stealth-action adventure title. Easily stealing our game of the show award, Dishonored not only draws some of its strength from the magical titles of old, but it manages to be seminal in world plagued by derivative and hackneyed titles.

Aliens: Colonial Marines interview

Surprised as I was by many games at E3 this year, none surprised me more than the once thought canceled Aliens: Colonial Marines becoming a canonical sequel to the films. Having grown up on those movies and still possessing the old-school figurines, this news excites me beyond description. It also helps that the game is a blast to play, but we'll all have to wait until February of next year to get our hands nice and dirty with it.

Assassin's Creed 3 interview

Being one of the most prestigious franchises in contemporary gaming, you probably don't need me to tell you to get excited for Assassin's Creed III. While Ubisoft has been cranking these puppies out, ACIII will prove to be their greatest undertaking yet by exploring unfamiliar areas, even to the developers. New open world environments, a brand new combat system, naval battles, improved stealth elements, a half British half Native American protagonist, it's clear Ubisoft isn't trying to make this game good - they're making it unforgettable.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist interview

Being a guy who's been in and out of the Splinter Cell series, I found Splinter Cell: Blacklist to be one of the biggest surprises of E3. Not only does it appear to be bringing back the original style of the first few games, but it's making use of all the major mechanics that have made each title great. Ubisoft Toronto is literally fusing all of these elements into a sort of, ultimate Splinter Cell monstrosity and you need to see it to believe it.

Spec Ops: The Line interview

Military shooters are a tough business. Not because they're hard to make or incredibly rare to find - it's quite the opposite. The conflict at hand is that there are so many it's difficult to become seminal in a largely derivative format. Spec Ops: The Line hopes to destroy that trend being a third-person military shooter with an emphasis on, wait for it... the narrative. Crazy as that might sound, Spec Ops is coming together beautifully and you'd do well to spend some time with it.

Skylanders Giants interview

Parents loathe them, companies love them and your child simply needs them. Welcome to Skylanders, Activision Blizzard's incredible marketing tool that has taken the gaming industry by the throat - in a loving way of course.

Being the sequel, Skylanders Giants is introducing brand new giant models to the fold along with an assortment of other goodies that will undoubtedly send the world into a state of frenzied shock this holiday season.

Prototype 2 review

The original Prototype was a divisive title, managing to impress while also to wholly annoy. It successfully made you feel the part of the anti-hero badass with your ample supply of treacherous mutations, but it progressively fell short in both the narrative and gameplay departments. Prototype 2 disposes of these issues and goes far beyond what Radical Entertainment gave us with the original game, almost three years ago.

Kotaku, Angry Joe, Gamefront and why we all owe BioWare an apology

Endings are a funny thing. Being the very last piece of the overall package, it's often this final bit will leave the longest lasting impression of your entire adventure. It's the one point where everything you've done, all the decisions you've made, the places you've gone, the relationships you established, the nations you spared, all coalesce into an emotional tidal wave that brings a sense of closure to your experience. For some, Mass Effect 3's ending defied these core principles and in doing so rendered itself incapable of bestowing an appropriate finale upon its fans. Should BioWare submit to those demanding for immediate change or is the ending fine the way that it is? We sound off within.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article contains massive spoilers for Mass Effect 3 as well as Half-Life 2. If you wish to preserve the integrity of the story for yourself, please do not read further. You have been warned.

Mass Effect 3 review

What do you consider the greatest game you've ever played? When this timeless question is asked, well-deserving titles like the original Super Mario Bros., Half-Life and The Legend of Zelda are often mentioned. It then, of course, sparks a perpetual debate about what sort of prerequisites must be met to be considered among gaming's most elite. However, sometimes an anomaly approaches with substance and quality that are simply unmatched in virtually every category of contemporary gaming. Sometimes a game just needs to be experienced to be fully understood and appreciated. That's the kind of game BioWare has delivered with Mass Effect 3.

Six reasons to be apathetic about Resident Evil 6

If Capcom has shown anything to be true, it's that Resident Evil is one of its favourite hallmark franchises.

Having debuted on the original PlayStation in 1996, the Resident Evil series has since released over 30 different games and, with it, garnered legions of fans from around the world, all willing to sacrifice anything to get their hands on the next entry in the series. That next iteration is right around the corner in the form of Resident Evil 6, and I've got six reasons why you might want to think twice about picking it up.

Kingdoms of Amalur and why it needs your help

Can you remember the last time that a brand new intellectual property got you excited? For me that was Demon's Souls, back in 2009. The truth is that every single year there's a plethora of new brands, like Demon's Souls, that appear on the market. Unfortunately, few truly make it, and even if some get that taste of success, oftentimes the game will soon after quietly fade into obscurity.

Kingdoms of Amalur is hoping to break this formula with its audacious attempt at melding several genres. What kind of fate awaits 38 Studios' first title? That's up to us. And I'm here to tell you why you need to care.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 review

 

At this point, most gamers know what to expect from a series like Modern Warfare; a competitive, multiplayer-driven experience with an explosive, albeit meteoric single-player campaign tied in. This formula hasn't changed with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, what would a holiday season be like without another Call of Duty game? I couldn't fathom it either.

Gears of War 3 review

 

Depending on who you are, Gears of War 3's release may or may not excite you. While it still retains the gritty, post-apocalyptic shooter attributes many have grown weary of, Gears 3 manages to scale these obstructions with surprising strength. There's still quite a bit of cover-mongering, macho-one-liners, bizarre story elements and an unyielding multiplayer element, but by the time you've finished you'll appreciate Epic's closure on the final title of the Gears trilogy.