For players well-versed in modern video games, "BioShock Infinite" is a creative tour de force. But its outstanding story is occasionally undermined by trappings common to first-person shooters.
The PlayStation Network came up Saturday evening/early Sunday, depending on where you live. So have at it! If you're not catching up with old favorites, here's what else is looking good for this weekend.
Whether you're a titan of industry, a maverick social revolutionary or just a space Marine about to die, if you're a video game character in a modern action title, there's a good chance that at some point you sat down to dictate your innermost thoughts to a machine. Then you set the tape down somewhere, walked off and forgot about it.
Anyone who's watched TV this month can tell you that this week is for playing "Dead Space 2," which your mom hates, apparently. (Ugh.) If you're alienated by the "Dead Space 2" ad campaign, or just don't like games that try to scare the pants off you, Take-Two Interactive, parent company of Rockstar Games and 2K Games, has put a whole bunch of its downloadable games and add-ons on sale on Xbox Live.
Last week, I named "BioShock 2" my 2010 Game of the Year. "Mass Effect 2" leads a compelling crop of runners-up.
Even though it's my game of the year, and I've celebrated it as such, I can't close the book on "BioShock 2" without mentioning a few areas where I saw room for improvement.
"BioShock 2" overcame a number of potential red flags to deliver one of gaming's most memorable, stirring single-player narratives, making it my Game of the Year for 2010.
The second annual Umloud! fundraiser is set for Thursday night in San Francisco. If you're a "Rock Band" nut, or just like to see other people pretending to be rock stars, it's a great way to spend an evening. And you're likely to walk away with some cool, gaming-related swag to boot. (Update: Corrected and clarified raffle rules)
Have you heard? There's a new "Halo" game out. Also, Sony launches its Wii-style motion controller Move, and San Rafael-based Telltale Games is selling its episodic "Tales of Monkey Island" for just $5 this weekend, in honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day.