Odds are very good that you already know whether you like the brand of gameplay and storytelling prevalent in the Metal Gear series of games. I won’t review each of the five games included because it would make for a very long article, and what’s really important here is whether this omnibus of Metal Gear is worth the upgrade.
So is it? I think so. You’re getting Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, and the original MSX versions of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 for $10 less than any other new single console game will cost you. In terms of bang for your buck, the HD Collection is amazing. What isn’t so amazing is the glaring error: there should be six games present instead of five. READ MORE
The Hero of Time returns in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and we talk about where it takes the series with guest panelist Chris Ingersoll. We also catch up with November’s deluge of releases, including the ludicrous Saint’s Row The Third, the throwback Halo: Anniversary Edition and the better-with-time Super Mario 3D Land.
I love Legend of Zelda games. The exploration, the combat, and the reinvention of the cast at large that serve to suit the individual game rather than any grand over-arching story have made Zelda one of my favorite video game franchises. I loved pushing gravestones in the original, discovering the dark world in A Link to the Past, linking my adventures together in Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, directing the wind in Wind Waker and playing through the mansion in Twilight Princess.
I’m also a fan of traversing the larger games. Horse-riding in Ocarina of Time, train-riding in Spirit Tracks and especially sailing in Wind Waker were all great. Jumping from Skyloft and knowing that your bird will be there to catch you blows all of those things away. No matter how many times I did it, the sensation was wonderful. It throws you right into the Skyloft way of life, and really embodies who Link is and always has been: an adventurer who (if you play the way I do) has a gigantic grin on his face the majority of the time. READ MORE
Another system, another Mario game. This long-anticipated adventure brings back a favorite item from our past, the Tanooki Suit, the classic Fire Flower power-up and a new ability, the Boomerang Suit. I found myself liking both Super Mario Galaxy and New Super Mario Bros. and was hoping that Super Mario 3D Land would be a great middle ground between the two games.
Ever since those crazy Rabbids took over, the Rayman series has been pushed to the side as if it never mattered in the first place. With Rayman Origins, the limbless hero returns with his first 2D outing since the original Rayman back in 1995. Many of the elements that made that game stand out back then apply here; it’s whimsical, addictive, and very French. And trust me, that’s a very good thing. READ MORE
