You'er going to laugh. Or at the very least, you're going to scoff and roll your eyes. But toward the end of last year, I'd had it. I had too many games to play, and they were too long, and I didn't have enough time, and I was tired of it.

Yes, I'm aware that this is a ridiculously good problem to have.

But I'm back this year, feeling refreshed, and ready to take on the plethora of games that will be coming PC World's way. There's loads to be excited about this year, so I thought I'd post a blog to talk about what I'm personally excited about.

Next generation console hardware

This one's a no-brainer. Microsoft and Sony both look set to release new consoles this year, and I can't wait to check them out and see what they can do. And with new console hardware - particularly from the big two - comes loads of new games from developers keen to get in at launch. I mean, hopefully. Unless you're hawking a handheld, or a platform that's going to be technologically irrelevant in a few months (I'm looking at you, Wii U).

SimCity

Okay, EA already has a problem with customer service and satisfaction. SimCity being "always online" is definitely not going to do the company's reputation any favours in that respect. But having played a little bit of the new SimCity, I can tell you now that most people aren't going to care. People will walk down to a retailer barefoot in the snow like their grandparents did if they have to, because it's great, and because everyone loves SimCity.

The Last of Us and Beyond

There are two awesome looking titles coming exclusively to PS3 this year - the first is a narrative-driven zombie action game called The Last of Us, and the other is (allegedly) an intensely emotional experience with acting my Ellen Page. Both look incredible - and it's amazing what developers can do with hardware from 2006.

Steambox

Move over, Project Shield - I'm convinced that Valve is the only company that can succeed in bringing PC gaming to the living room right now. A sort of semi-Steambox was unveiled at CES in January, supported by Valve, but I think the real thing is yet to come.

That's what I'm excited about this year - how about you? GTA V? The new Final Fantasy? (Yeah, right.)

Posted by Siobhan Keogh at 2:31 PM | Comments ( 0 )

We're always, always playing games. We thought we'd do a little piece on what we're working on but yet to beat. Commenters, let us know what you think so far of the games you're playing!

Sleeping Dogs - Harley

I was a huge fan of the top-down GTA games, and some of the early 3D titles. However, GTA: IV really lost me... I quickly grew tired of taking my cousin out for American hamburgers and strippers. Sleeping Dogs shows that you can achieve the kind of 'gritty realism' that GTA: IV seemed to be shooting for, without making your game a snore-fest.

Guns are rare, fist-fighting is the norm, and much of the game (in my first 15 hours or so) has been spent gleefully punching Hong Kong-Chinese dudes in the crotch. (Yeah, it's set in Hong Kong.) Combat is visceral and fluid, and not overly button-mashy.

Only one problem so far, and it's a doozy: I've got the PC version, and the keyboard/mouse controls are tacked on worse than I've ever seen. Playing with my Xbox 360 controller it's a right load of fun, until guns are involved - then it's back to the mouse, because the controller-based shooting controls are equally bad.

Still, better than shovelling hamburgers into my annoying digital cousin.

The Walking Dead - Siobhan

This game came completely out of left field for me when the first episode launched a couple of months ago. As a fan of the comics and TV show, I was interested in the game, but had no idea what I was really getting myself into. The post-apocalyptic zombie adventure game focuses less on zombie killin' and more on the difficult decisions you have to make when forced into a bad situation.

The third episode of The Walking Dead went live just last night on Steam, and the decisions were tougher than ever. Each decision has to be made on what seems like a very short timer, and not all of them are easy. Looking back on it, I regret at least one decision I made, not because of the consequences, but because I believe it was ethically the wrong choice. What are these feelings? Is that my conscience speaking?

Guild Wars 2 - Siobhan

The original Guild Wars was a massive hit, but I never played it. Truthfully, I'm not a big fan of high fantasy, but I've been enjoying MMOs more and more lately, so here I am, playing Guild Wars 2. And I'm enjoying it! Go figure. I'm not going to be reviewing Guild Wars 2 - a contributor who's familiar with the first game will be - and I'm only a few hours in.

I'm playing as a Charr Ranger; that is, a cat-creature who can tame animals and turn them into pets who fight alongside me. I have to admit that I'm so far finding the pets kind of frustrating, but I'm sure I just need to find a tankier pet and level him up a bit.

What I like about it so far is the sheer number of quests and events you complete, and the fact that not many of them are the epic, long missions that pop up in other MMOs. You go in, get something done, and move on. Meanwhile, the game is still telling you a cohesive story. It's just broken down into little chunks, so anytime you want to go and do something else, you can. There are also loads of collectibles and things to loot, which appeals to the part of me that genuinely wanted to collect all 151 Pokemon back in the day.

Diablo III - Zara

Okay, I admit it, I'm still playing Diablo III. I don't mean that it's not worth playing, more that it's a little revealing that I haven't yet moved onto something new despite having so many review games available.

It's not like Diablo has sat still since its May 15 launch, I should point out. There have been several major patchs to fix bugs, balance game mechanics and skills and try to level the playing field between character builds.

Most recently, on August 27, Blizzard introduced a major patch, 1.0.4. If you've stopped playing D3, it may be worth stepping back in to sample the new patch.

With 1.0.4, Blizzard has introduced Paragon levels to Diablo III. What's a Paragon level? Well, once your character reaches level 60 - Diablo III's level cap - you start accumulating your experience towards Paragon levels instead. Each Paragon level you earn gives you an additional 3% gold find and 3% magic find. There are 100 paragon levels to acquire, meaning that you can get up to 300% gold find and 300% magic find by the end of it. Blizzard hopes that this will encourage players who have already reached the endgame to keep playing so that they earn better and better gear.

For me, it's gained a lot more fun again, despite playing on the difficult levels, and I'm hunting for cool items, rather than just heading straight for the auction house.

Posted by Siobhan Keogh at 1:53 PM | Comments ( 0 )

I've been sick since Sunday, and took Monday and Tuesday off to sleep in until 11am and hope for my cold to disappear. It hasn't disappeared, but during that time I had a lot of time to play EA and Funcom's new MMO, The Secret World.

I'm not a big player of MMOs - I've never played World of Warcraft (no, really) for fear of getting horribly addicted. I've seen it happen, and it's ugly. DC Universe Online is one of the few MMOs I've spent a significant amount of time on, but it's been quite a while since I played that, too. So when I logged into The Secret World, which is predominently PvE, I had forgotten that people who play MMOs are generally friendlier and more helpful than the average gamer. I play a lot of shooters, a lot of RPGs, a lot of adventure games, and the general attitude in The Secret World, comparatively, is actually a really nice change.

Read the rest of this blog

Posted by Siobhan Keogh at 2:34 PM | Comments ( 0 )

Last night, I did something that I hadn't done before: I played Team Fortress 2.

Team Fortress 2 is one of Valve's biggest games, and has legions of fans all over the world. The online multiplayer first-person shooter is so popular that Valve has stopped charging for it altogether, instead opting to make its money by selling hats for in-game characters. The funny thing is: it works. Almost everyone has a special hat.

Given that it's free, and I have a PC more than capable of running it, it seems almost criminal that I hadn't played anything more than the tutorial segment before last night. But it's just one of those games that I'd managed to miss. It's too bad, because in no time I was kicking ass and taking names, which made me annoyed at myself for missing out on something so good for so long.

There are other games that I haven't played yet which I know I should: Red Dead Redemption springs to mind, as well as free MMOs like League of Legends and Death of the Ancients. there's even a PS3 copy of Red Dead lying around at home, but I just haven't made the commitment and started the game.

What's strange about the fact that I've missed these games is that I usually give something a crack, even if I think I won't like it. The Elder Scrolls and Mass Effect are prime examples - I'm not a big fan of American RPGs, but I gave them a go. I didn't like them, and so I moved on, but I gave them a go nonetheless.

What are some big games you've missed out on? Any that you missed out on and regretted it when you finally played?

Posted by Siobhan Keogh at 12:26 PM | Comments ( 0 )

Remember all those games you loved in the 90s and early 00s? Well, now you're getting the chance to love them all over again. Many of the old titles that were originally conceived in standard definition are being remade for a new generation of high definition TV sets. But is it really necessary to remake every popular game that ever was, or should we be playing the original game in its purest form?

I received a surprise this morning when a copy of the Jak and Daxter trilogy, remade in HD, came across my desk. Up until that moment, I'd been unaware that such a remake was even in the works, but I wasn't exactly surprised. The list of HD remakes is getting long: Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Ico, various God of War games... I could go on.

The benefits of releasing HD remakes are obvious, both for the consumer and for the publisher. These games were popular, and as more and more people are gaming these days - over 80% of households have a gaming device - there are plenty of people who missed out on those classics. A remake gives people the opportunity to experience a game that they missed, and it gives fans a chance to play through one of their favourites again. The publisher, of course, gets to cash in on the nostalgia and cult status of the game.

But the consumer isn't really getting the original experience, for better or for worse. That game you remember playing as a kid and loved? It's not quite the same anymore. A lot of people react badly to that, regardless of how well a remake is done. On top of that, a lot of those gamers would rather the time and money was spent creating either a new IP or a new game in the franchise for them to sink their teeth into.

Perhaps the answer is to do exactly what the team at 343 Industries did for Halo: Combat Evolved. Not only did they do their best to not change a thing about the gameplay - including keeping all the original game's bugs - they also inserted a 'classic' mode that allowed you to play with the original game's graphics. There are also some minor camera changes and a handful of extra collectibles. People who are new to Halo get to play with a shiny new look, and those who are playing for nostalgia get to choose how they play.

Regardless of your feelings on HD remakes, there are plenty more on the way. This year, you can look forward to remakes of the Abe's Odyssey games, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection for the Vita (it's already out for PS3 and 360), and two Zone of the Enders games, amongst others. Are there any you would purchase?

Posted by Siobhan Keogh at 2:12 PM | Comments ( 0 )

Sony-owned game developer Naughty Dog - the guys behind Crash Bandicoot, Jak & Daxter and Uncharted - announced an entirely new franchise at the VGAs, and what we've seen so far looks amazing.

The company showed off a trailer for The Last of Us, which Naughty Dog says a character-driven, story-based zombie game. Keep in mind that this game - and these graphics - are exclusive to PS3.

But there's a twist - it seems Naughty Dog is hinting that the zombification is caused by a fungus like the fungus Cordyceps, which essentially controls the minds of ants and makes them become cannibals. We'd guess it's a similar fungus that can affect humans, but not the same one.

Here's a teaser from the company, which has taken the clip from the BBC's Planet Earth segment about Cordyceps.

The game, which will be single-player only, revolves around two characters, Joel and teenage Ellie, a duo who've been on the run for so long, just surviving, that Ellie can't remember normal life. The two will journey across the United States in the game.

Ordinarily when there's very little information about a game other than a cinematic trailer (albeit one that was created using in-game graphics), I try not to get too excited. After all, the DC Universe Online trailer was by far the best part of that game, and Dead Island was a crushing disappointment. But Naughty Dog is a fantastic company, and (at least so far) doesn't deal in bad games. If you've been waiting for a great zombie game that's really story driven - like we all thought Dead Island was going to be - then The Last of Us could be it.

To be honest, like many people I've gotten a bit of zombie fatigue. But I'm willing to make an exception for a game like this one, if Naughty Dog gets it right.

Posted by Siobhan Keogh at 11:05 AM | Comments ( 0 )

New Zealand developer Luxaloffle has launched the alpha of a little indie title called Voxatron. The game itself will cost US$15 when it officially launches, but right now it's available on a pay-what-you-want basis through a cool system called the Humble Bundle.

So far, Luxaloffle has sold 96,109 copies of Voxatron, and that number is rising by the minute. The total payments made currently add up to more than US$427,000 - and this is only a day after the deal went live.

Voxatron is a platform shooter, with interesting, retro-but-not-retro graphics and super retro music. Check out the video below:

Anyone who buys Voxatron through Humble Bundle will receive all the patches and updates for free, and they can divide what they pay - however much it is - between the game developer, the Humble Bundle website, and charities.

Interestingly, the website has some stats that show what people using each operating system - PC, Mac or Linux - were willing to pay. As it turns out, Windows users are cheaper than Mac or Linux users - on average, Windows users spend around $4. Mac users sit in the middle, paying around $5.70, and Linux users are happy to pay an average of $7.30.

If your curiosity is piqued, you can check out the game, pay for it and download it at http://www.humblebundle.com/

Posted by Siobhan Keogh at 4:45 PM | Comments ( 1 )

Not every game developer will take the time to say thank you to fans of the publications that review their games. Cliff Bleszinski, design director for Epic Games' Gears of War series, is obviously not every game dev. He's recorded shout-outs to Stuff.co.nz, Gameplanet, NZ Gamer and, well, us! That's a top bloke. Thanks Cliff!

Check out the video:

Posted by Siobhan Keogh at 2:04 PM | Comments ( 0 )

If you're into games, podcasts, or both, check out the Well Played podcast on iTunes. We're a bunch of local game journalists - there's yours truly, plus Aylon Herbet from NZGamer, Gerard Campbell aka 'Game Junkie' from Stuff/The Press, Julie Gray from Game Culture, and Chris Leggett, freelancer and previous editor of Game Console. We talk about games, game journalism and the gaming industry at large, and in the episode linked below - the most recent - we talk the Resistance 3 multiplayer beta, our hands-on with Dead Island, and GamesCom.

If you're interested, download from iTunes here: http://itunes.apple.com/nz/podcast/well-played/id453388114

We're quite a few episodes in now - we've been doing it for the last 12 weeks - so if you feel like going back and listening to previous episodes they're all there. If you have feedback, you can review us on iTunes or join our Facebook group here.

Posted by Siobhan Keogh at 12:46 PM | Comments ( 1 )

Ubisoft showed off Assassin's Creed: Revelations at E3 today, and my, does it look epic!

More E3 trailers are incoming, but I just couldn't wait to get this one up on the blog for you guys!

Posted by Siobhan Keogh at 3:42 PM | Comments ( 0 )