Guitar Hero: Metallica

Yes, it's that time of year.  I didn't get to play every game this year, especially if it was on the PS3.  It's nothing against the platform, and from what I'm to understand, it had a GREAT year in terms of releases.  Unfortunately, I'm not going to list off Infamous or Demon's Souls or something if I didn't play it solely because of hype around those games.  I also haven't gotten to play Dragon Age Origins yet, despite the fact that I have an itch that I feel like that game will most certainly scratch...and probably drench in blood... 
 
Either way, in no particular order, here are my top 10 games of 2009.  You may agree or disagree, but these are the games that kept my attention throughout the entire year, and I feel like they are a strong representation of what 2009 had to contribute to the gaming industry.
   

Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II

  Publisher: THQ    Developer: Relic  
 
Real-time strategy games didn't have a huge year.  Despite the fact that many weren't released, it doesn't mean that 2009 wasn't a time of reinvention for the genre. Base-building is a thing of the past thanks to games like Dawn of War II and even the console-exclusive excellence of Halo Wars.  In the end, though, Dawn of War II was something that kept me coming back time and time again.  Finally, there was a Warhammer 40K game that was all about kicking ass rather than "oh, what's my build order going to be"...and I was more than willing to kick as much ass as possible.  There were a ton of improvements on the Company of Heroes engine that made this DoW2 both gorgeous to look at and incredibly in-depth to play.  Not only did this game offer gripping and visceral multiplayer matches, but the continued support from the developer (even adding a free survival mode into the game) really helped make this a premiere title for 2009 on your PC.
   

Batman: Arkham Asylum

 

Publisher: Eidos    Developer: Rocksteady 

  
When you put together an equation like Batman + Eidos + Rocksteady, the general assumption is that the end product just isn't going to be that great.  Rocksteady was known for one prior game, Eidos hadn't released a decent game in years, and Batman has always found a way to be the subject of lackluster, awful games.  Arkham Asylum finally changed that by melting together great voice acting, a captivating story that fits into the world of Batman incredibly well, and making you actually FEEL like the Batman.  During my time with Arkham Asylum, I couldn't help but compare it to another game:  007 Everything or Nothing, as that game made you feel like you were Bond, had you thinking like Bond.  Batman felt the same way here, and it was a sigh of relief.  Add on top of that gorgeous use of the Unreal Engine 3 (for once), excellent controls, and a camera that doesn't suck...and you've got the best superhero game ever created.  This deserves to not only be played, but also show us why we had confidence in Eidos for so long - because somewhere in there, they actually DO know how to make good games. 
   

'Splosion Man

Publisher: Twisted Pixel    Developer: Twisted Pixel 

 
A little company out of Austin, Texas provided us with two downloadable games this year, and while The Maw stands as an interesting little "puzzle" platformer, 'Splosion Man was the one that showed us that 2D side-scrolling was not only far from dead, but that ZANY was far from dead.  The fact that your only button option in this game was "Splode" makes it sound easy, but inside this bacon-wrapped game is a sadistic experience that helped us remember why we love games:  you don't have to have a massive multi-million dollar budget to make a great game with good graphics.  Also, let's not forget that it featured one of the best songs on any game this year (outside of Rogue Warrior and Borderlands' use of "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked").  EVERYBODY LOVES DONUTS!!!
   
 
 
 

(Tie) The Beatles: Rock Band/Guitar Hero: Metallica/DJ Hero/Guitar Hero 5

  Publisher: N/A    Developer: N/A 
 
Rock Band logoLet's get something straight right now - I love music!  Therefore, it was almost impossible for me to even TRY to ignore all the music/rhythm games this year.  I seriously kept trying to narrow down to just one for my list, but in the end, I realized that I loved at least four this year.  With The Beatles: Rock Band and Guitar Hero Metallica, both of the top M/R companies showed that love and dedication can produce great spin-off, band-specific titles.  Meanwhile, Guitar Hero 5 brought about a ton of great change and finally allowed Neversoft to make the game that they WANTED to make...and it's fantastic because of it.  DJ Hero showed how the M/R franchise can expand, and it's an experience that I would beg anyone to try...if not strictly for the freshness that the idea has in it.  Sure, we don't really NEED more plastic instruments in our homes, but frankly, 2009 gave us at least four great reasons to keep picking those peripherals up.
   

Street Fighter IV 

Publisher: Capcom    Developer: Capcom

 
2D FIGHTING IS BACK, BABY!!!  The long-running king of fighting games finally saw a new iteration, and it was a doozy.  A completely reworked art design that featured great 3D character models on 2D planes, four new characters that are actually worth something, and a return to form for fighting games in general, Street Fighter IV just couldn't be stopped.  Moreover, the game helped to breathe life back into the 2D fighting genre, which was essentially crippling by for quite a while in the underground.  While the online options were generally poor, it wasn't unplayable by any means...and that is a great thing indeed.
   
 
 
 

Red Faction Guerrilla

Publisher: THQ    Developer: Volition

 
It should be no surprise to anyone that I would have RFG on this list.  I spent a good few months of my life drooling and slobbering over this game, and there were many long days with StarFoxA and Metroid545 pounding the competition on XBL.  Red Faction Guerrilla had a nice single player mode, so now that we've got that out of the way, let's get to the meat and bones here.  RFG has some of the best multiplayer to come out all year long.  Why this was surprising to me is something I can't explain, as the previous two games in the franchise also happened to have great multiplayer as well.  However, with the outright destruction that you are capable of creating thanks to GeoMod 2.0, as well as a unique backpack setup that offers you additional skills, RFG just had a superior experience to almost any other game in 2009...and I'll even put it up against Modern Warfare 2!  If you missed this game, you need to hunt it down and play it.
    

Left 4 Dead 2

Publisher: Valve    Developer: Valve
 
UK PC Box ArtYeah, there was a boycott.  Yeah, it fell apart.  Nonetheless, Valve happened to do the unthinkable:  create a bigger, better game that offered far more replayability than its predecessor.  There, I said it.  The modes we already knew are still there:  five long campaigns, a full Versus mode and Survival mode, but in the end, it's Scavenge mode that has me sold on the longevity of this game.  Aside from Red Faction Guerrilla, I don't think I've been this excited about multiplayer gaming in a while.  Scavenge mode offers quick 15-20 minute matches in an objective-based match type that I can already see everyone ripping off.  It's THAT good.  Add to that five Avatar awards for the Xbox 360 version, enhanced graphics and dismemberment features (which aren't super important, but they are nice nonetheless), and the awesomeness of Ellis and Coach...and man, have you got a good ol' time in the South.
     

Borderlands

Publisher: 2K Games    Developer: Gearbox

 
NA Box FrontSo Diablo and Call of Duty got drunk one night, and through miraculous process of intoxicated love-making, we were graced with one of the best original IPs of the year.  Borderlands did more than just offer a solid hybrid of two popular genres, but it also introduced us to a world that was as recognizable as its characters were memorable.  Moreover, there are few games that are as highly quotable as Borderlands.  As for the gameplay, the RPG elements never mar the experience, which is incredibly odd given the fast-paced nature of first-person shooters.  Regardless, there was a great balance that anyone can see Gearbox fine-tuned.  In short, this was an experiment that paid off greatly for 2K Games, and it also helped show that there is some confidence to be had in a company willing to take these kinds of risks.
    
 

Assassin's Creed II

Publisher: Ubisoft    Developer: Ubisoft

 
I wasn't a big fan of the first Assassin's Creed, which left a bad taste in my mouth thanks to its unnecessary repetition and general ease (seriously, you could assassinate most of your targets with a throwing knife...which is just bullshit).  With Assassin's Creed II, it's easy to tell just within the first 20 minutes of the game that Ubisoft took every single criticism of the first iteration to heart.  You won't find a boring and dull runaround in AC2.  Instead, you'll find a finely-tuned experience that does a great job at telling a compelling story, offering tight gameplay, and making everything you do feel like a major accomplishment.  The character of Ezio is far more interesting than Altair could've ever been, and even collecting 100 feathers didn't feel super tedious.  Everything has a purpose in this game, which is what made me smile.  There's no throwaway shit here, only prime rib.  Assassin's Creed II, above all other games this year, really made me feel like there was a company who actually LISTENED to the people who played their game and wanted to make something that was just spectacular in every way.  When you look at the fact that the game itself takes somewhere around 15-20 hours to complete, that alone should say something about the quality found in this package.  Hands down, Assassin's Creed II is my flat-out 2009 Game of the Year.
   

Shadow Complex

Publisher: Epic    Developer: Chair
 
Last but not least, we have Shadow Complex.  Oh, Shadow Complex, how you kept me awake for far too many nights until I literally was falling asleep with my controller in my hand, waking up and wondering why I was running into a wall.  Shadow Complex did something incredible in 2009:  it proved that you could offer a downright beautiful-looking 2D experience that hearkens back to the days of the Super Nintendo, mix in a well-told story, and create it all within a downloadable game space.  The light RPG elements also helped to keep me coming back for more, but it was the ability to carry over my levels and just generally be an outright badass that made me fall in love with this game.  Anyone who didn't spend the MSP to pick this one up was out of their goddamn mind this year, but don't worry - you still have a chance to fix that in 2010.

 Well after I had Xbox problems and school bogging me down I make my (somewhat) triumphant return to the Giant Bomb blogging scene. Also after I post my achievements please read what I have to say and give me an honest opinion on what you think of it. 
 
LATEST ACHIEVEMENTS:
THE BEATLES: ROCK BAND
310/1000 Points
21/50 Achievements



Name: The Love You Make
Points: 10
Description: Complete the Encore in Story.
Acquired: September 26, 2009


Name: Oh Yeah, All Right!
Points: 30
Description: Hit 100% of the notes in the solo of The End on Hard or Expert Guitar.
Acquired: September 26, 2009


Name: What I Got I'll Give to You
Points: 30
Description: Hit 100% of the notes in the solo of Can't Buy Me Love on Hard or Expert Guitar.
Acquired: September 26, 2009


Name: Authenticity
Points: 10
Description: Finish any song as a Bassist with Lefty Mode turned on, hitting at least 50% of the notes.
Acquired: September 26, 2009


Name: All You Need Is Love
Points: 30
Description: Five-star every song in The Beatles: Rock Band.
Acquired: September 26, 2009


Name: Mr. K Will Challenge the World
Points: 10
Description: Finish all 8 Chapter Challenges.
Acquired: September 19, 2009


Name: A Little Help From My Friends
Points: 10
Description: Start a Story with a four player band.
Acquired: September 18, 2009


Name: Don't Let Me Down
Points: 10
Description: You saved a bandmate from failing!
Acquired: September 18, 2009


Name: Passed the Audition
Points: 20
Description: "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and myself and I hope we passed the audition!"
Acquired: September 16, 2009

Name: Day Tripper
Points: 15
Description: Start a new Story save file and reach the credits within 24 hours.
Acquired: September 16, 2009


Name: In Penny Lane There is a Barber
Points: 10
Description: Get half of the Beatles Photos.
Acquired: September 16, 2009


Name: Shake it Up, Baby!
Points: 10
Description: Use Beatlemania at least 5 times in a single song using either Bass or Guitar.
Acquired: September 16, 2009


Name: Still My Guitar Gently Weeps
Points: 30
Description: Hit 100% of the notes in either of the solos in While My Guitar Gently Weeps on Expert Guitar.
Acquired: September 16, 2009


Name: Gear Guitarist
Points: 20
Description: Earn a Guitar Career score of 1,000,000.
Acquired: September 16, 2009


Name: In The Studio
Points: 10
Description: Play a song in Abbey Road, Studio 2 in Story.
Acquired: September 16, 2009


Name: The Final Tour
Points: 10
Description: Play a song in Budokan '66 in Story.
Acquired: September 16, 2009


Name: Stadium Superstars
Points: 10
Description: Play a song in Shea Stadium '65 in Story.
Acquired: September 16, 2009


Name: Really Big Show
Points: 10
Description: Play a song on The Ed Sullivan Show '64 in Story.
Acquired: September 16, 2009


Name: I Saw the Photograph
Points: 10
Description: Get your first Beatles Photo.
Acquired: September 16, 2009


Name: Liverpool Lads
Points: 10
Description: Play a song in The Cavern '63 in Story.
Acquired: September 16, 2009


Name: Let's Get Some Levels
Points: 5
Description: Calibrate your system for the optimal experience.
Acquired: September 16, 2009



GUITAR HERO 5
50/1000 Points
6/49 Achievements



Name: Young Star
Points: 10
Description: Collected 25 Stars in Career
Acquired: September 30, 2009


Name: Senior Commander
Points: 10
Description: Did quite well
Acquired: September 30, 2009


Name: Above And Beyond
Points: 10
Description: Went the extra mile
Acquired: September 30, 2009


Name: Special Guest
Points: 10
Description: Introduced a special guest
Acquired: September 30, 2009


Name: Over 9000!
Points: 5
Description: Went super
Acquired: September 30, 2009


Name: Crowd Pleaser
Points: 5
Description: Topped out the rock
Acquired: September 30, 2009



GUITAR HERO: METALLICA
580/1000 Points
28/50 Achievements



Name: The Unforgiven III
Points: 10
Description: You won an online Pro Face-Off match by 25,000 points or more
Acquired: September 13, 2009


Name: Better Than You
Points: 10
Description: You won an online Pro Face-Off match
Acquired: September 13, 2009



HEXIC HD
25/200 Points
3/12 Achievements



Name: Star Gazer
Points: 5
Description: Bonus-Star Cluster
Acquired: September 12, 2009


Name: Flower Child
Points: 15
Description: Starflower
Acquired: September 12, 2009


Name: Cluster Buster
Points: 5
Description: 25 Total Combos
Acquired: September 12, 2009



CURRENT GAMERSCORE:
21,261 Points


So there's the return of Achievement Update. Now, as I mentioned before I have something to ask of you guys. My question is, should I start doing video blogs? I have my new Alienware notebook (by the way, this was the first blog done on it) and the webcam is such good quality I could do video blogs on it that are super clear. So should I? Do you guys want to see my ugly face talk about games? Please post your comments below and I will decide in the coming days with an answer on Monday whether or not I'm going to do it.

Thanks.

Until next time, yes I'm returning to my normal schedule on Monday.
-GamerGeek360

It's been a long time since I've written anything here. I'm scared to check how long exactly because it's probably almost a full year. Much of that time has been spent working a full time job - something I wasn't used to - and I've barely been managing to PLAY any games, let alone write about them. I took a week's holidays and have taken the opportunity to sit down and actually *gasp* finish some games.
 
In order:
 
Played through GH Metallica on Expert Drums.
 
It was the last instrument I needed to beat to get that 150 point achievement so that was nice. 175 points for something like an hour's work. This also marks the third drum kit I have rendered completely useless and with that I am officially resigning from music game drumming. They're so big and so expensive and they work for approximately one week before the pads all crack and they start extra hitting/not hitting. It's a shame, because I AM playing and passing most of the hard stuff on expert, but I'm getting a max combo of like 15 because the drum kit is so broken. I also managed to pull something the wrong way and wreck the connector of my $100 Destroyer pedal. Unless someone accidentally mails me an Ion kit for free I am never ever EVER playing drums in a music game again.
 
While I'm on the subject of being done with music games... I am done with music games. After the soul-crushingly easy Beatles Rock Band left me wondering "Why are we even here?" on my way to a Full Game Full Combo on the second day after release I wasn't TOO dissappointed because, hey, Guitar Hero 5 was out the next week. While the game is certainly a better experience than World Tour (not difficult) there are still enough things wrong with the menus that should have been fixed four games ago alongside a host of new problems (Why, for example, does it scroll right back to the top of the song list any time I do ANYTHING?) that it's just a really frustrating experience all around. Add to that the increasingly aggravating super easy difficulty of the entire setlist and the low quality of most of the songs chosen and it adds up to a game I'm unlikely to go back to very often from here on in - if at all. I used to fail songs. I had to learn how to play them. I LOVED that. Being forced to learn to gallop to 5 star The Trooper in GH2 is one of the most satisfying experiences of my gaming life. There just aren't any new tricks to learn any more. It's a really sad thing realising your favourite genre of game isn't fun any more. Band Hero and Lego Rock Band are both out on the same day in a couple of months and I flat out don't want them. Easier games and worse songs is NOT a step in the right direction for those franchises. Do I still want Van Halen? Probably. I'm not even sure, anymore. I will applaud ONE change in GH5 and that is that no one gets stuck playing the (usually) even easier bass part. Nine games worth of innovation, right there.
 
There is some hope on the horizon. DJ Hero is out at the end of this month and I'm hoping that, as a completely new skill set to learn, it will bring back that same experience I used to love in GH. Either that or it'll be a total wash and I'll never play a music game again. I'll let you know which in about 4 weeks.

Played through the remaining levels of Wolfenstein.
 
It's a FPS, certainly. There's a big fight going on at the GameFAQs boards about a guy who claims to have beaten this game in 5 hours. Everyone there hates him and say they spent 15 hours or so on it. I beat the game in 4:21 and I am unlikely to return to it. It's not BAD but it's a very long way from being GOOD. The rifle was very nice once fully upgraded and the violence is just over the top enough to be interesting but that's basically all I can say for the game. The only time in recent memory I have cared less about a story in a game was in Mercs 2, where I actually just turned the sound right off for the whole game. I'm hearing pretty widespread reports of the game freezing once you collect most of the hidden items and there seems to be no patch in sight. I'm only mildly surprised by that after seeing the rest of the game. This is NOT as good as the reviews it is getting suggest and if it had been any longer than that 4:21 I might not have bothered.

Started and finished Mass Effect.
 
2007 was stunning. I managed to beat many of the big name releases of the year back then (Assassin's Creed, Bioshock, Halo 3, Uncharted etc.) but there will always be a few important ones that slip through the cracks. I loved Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect is a very impressive progression from that game. The graphics are outstanding for the most part, the most obvious flaw being those awful shadows on people's faces. The important part here is the speech between characters. The voice acting is uniformly some of the best to ever appear in a game and the conversation system is outstanding. The actual content of the conversations and the story itself are also some of the best gaming has on offer. The combat works incredibly well and it's a system that I'd like to see blatantly copied in a few more games. I am glad that I waited as long as I did to play it because it's now only a few months until the sequel and I may have gone insane waiting over two years for it.

I think that's everything I've gotten to the credits of in the last few days. I have Tomb Raider Underworld in the drive right now, ready to play with intent to complete. I think I'm halfway through or further already. Also in line to be played through are Prototype, Bionic Commando, Condemned 2, Dead Space and Super Mario Galaxy, all of which I have played maybe the first hour of. My current "Sound turned off, listening to a podcast" games are Dirt 2, Red Faction Guerilla and Trials HD. Dirt 2 is very good, though the shift in stye from the first game was a poor decision. Rewind is a lifesaver, though my "reset to track" button is sorely missed. More actual point to point rally races would have been nice. 3 lap circuit races are not something I am enjoying and if I ever have to race that Ensenada track again I'm going to stop playing. I am liking RF: G for the most part. If things reset when you died, it might be literally unplayable but hey, that's not the case. Knock over a building, it falls on you and kills you, you respawn and it's still knocked down. Genius. Seriously. Trials is fun when you're getting it right but seriously WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? One of the expert tracks I had to retry so many times that it actually kicked in a time limit I'd never seen before and restarted the level after about 250 attempts at a single obstacle. I guess what I mean is that the first three sets of levels are fun and the rest of the game is an ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE. I have gone through entire podcasts and still been stuck on the same level.
 
In non gaming news: The Boat That Rocked, Inglourious Basterds and Watchmen are the best three movies so far this year in that order. Here's hoping one or more of those sneak in to that new 10 slot Best Picture shortlist. Oh, and Up is garbage. It seems like everyone else has been watching a totally different movie than I saw.
 
Front runner for GOTY is still Resident Evil 5. The amount of fun I had with that game may come down to the fact that I have never played it in any way other than online co-op. Got the full 1000 in it, which included at LEAST three full playthroughs, maybe more.
 
According to my release schedule the next important release is Brutal Legend and Uncharted 2, both on October 15th. Basically that means that I am never going to play Brutal Legend. Sorry, Tim.
 
I'll be keeping this up to date from here on in. It's good to be back.

I love stuff like this. I know it's kind of stupid but they're basically combining my two favorite things. Now if only there was a Metallica game besides the Guitar Hero one. I want a side scrolling platformer or something.
 
 
     
 
  
 
  
I don't have anything else to say.
 
The End.

AN ARTISTIC AND BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE OF THE HIGHEST REGARD!

Respect is easy to say but hard to demonstrate, one can say they respect a belief but showing that respect is a whole different matter. So when I finished experiencing the fourty-five strong setlist of The Beatles: Rock Band, I was left with a refreshing satisfaction that respect still shines brightly in the world of videogames. For Rock Band developers Harmonix Music Systems have shown nothing but absolute respect for everything the legendary fab four from Liverpool were about. The Beatles first ever adventure into videogames is more of an experience then anything any other music rhythm game as been, and sets a whole new standard for future band specific titles. 
 
Now it would only be right by stating one obvious point before I discuss the finer details of this latest Rock Band game, if you don't like The Beatles then you probably shouldn't be that interested in this review, because the simple fact is The Beatles: Rock Band is all about the legendary four who stormed the 1960's and inspired so many popular artists of today. In this Harmonix have created not just a fitting tribute, but a whole new platform for a whole new generation of potential Beatlemaniacs. While it doesn't offer the strumming madness of say Guitar Hero: Metallica, it does offer a setlist that is as wonderful to experience as they are to play.  
 
Which is the first important point to make, going into The Beatles: Rock Band. It's all to easy to jump the gun and expect the overall gameplay to be your common Rock Band experience and while in it rooted in the formula of Rock Band and Guitar Hero, it offers an almost uniquely personal and hypnotic enjoyment like no other game I've ever picked up a plastic guitar controller for. It's somewhat hard to explain in words, but once I finished the final song, I found myself both taken aback and chilled out by The Beatles music. I had a whole new respect for each member of the group, which is unique in it's own form.  
 
For you see, once you near the end of the story mode and have played through a number of the iconic arenas made famous by the group. You'll know the finer techniques and methods of each member, with the most striking being the varied (and most challenging) music of George Harrison. Harrison's musical talents are vastly different from that of Paul, John and Ringo. This is not just in lyric form, for just playing a few of his featured tracks that were written and performed by George shows a clear difference between the much carmer and simpler tunes of John Lennon. The fact that I'm even talking about such a thing clearly shows the wonderful work put in by the developers and certain family members of the group, it all comes together and offers an whole new generation the chance to fall in love with The Beatles. 
 
As a music rhythm game it's rather standard for the most part, it follows the same gameplay format of hitting coloured notes traveling down on a track matching the music being played. It's common to most gamers, but defiantly doesn't feel old or worn out when your strumming along to Hello Goodbye or Come Together. There is a quickplay mode which allows you to quickly setup setlists to play with friends or on your own, there as been a few user interface improvements in this department and develops on the Rock Band formula well. The story mode can be played both on your own or with friends offline and online, while there doesn't seem a lot of 'meat' to the game. You'll definatly find yourself returning again and again just so you can experience the wonderful songs found throughout and one cannot forget the future downloadable content being added to the game.
 
Everything as been treated with care and respect, I mentioned that word eariler and it stands true in every way. While we all thought Neversoft's Guitar Hero: Metallica was a fine tribute towards the rock legends, Harmonix have took band specific music rhythm games to an whole new level and while the music itself plays an important part, it's actually the new three-way harmonies that stand out as a worthy and exciting new feature for the genre as a whole. The Beatles were famous for harmonizing on many of their tracks, so the fact that the developers have created such a fine simulated feature that feels so great when it all comes together, is an extra little treat. Three-way harmonizing now means that up to three drunk friends can sing along to 'Yellow Submarine' whenever they want and not feel like fools. Which is a great thing in itself, especially when harmonzing is done well. 
 
While people have complained about a fourty-five song setlist, it's all to easy to forget that Guitar Hero: Metallica only featured twenty-five of the rock groups best songs with the rest being support groups to feature within the game. It's even tougher to complain when you consider that there is not one poor song within the whole game, all fourty-five songs just feel right especially if your a fan of the fab four. There not tough songs to play if you have experience in the genre, but that's not really the whole point. It's about an artistic and beautful experience both aurally and visually, it's one of the finest thrill rides in both videogaming and music. I haven't even touched upon the creative dreamscapes for The Beatles spell recording in Abbey Road, the unlockable wonders (including a simply wonderful Christmas sing-along with the group) and the fact that it features some of the finest virtual moustaches ever seen. 
 
It's colourful, it's bright and it's one of the best music games I've ever had the honour of putting in my console disc drive. If this is the only ever game that will feature the beautiful and timeless music from the lads from Liverpool, then I will be a happy man. It is more then a fitting tribute of what's good about the group, offering a tighter more developed experience that builds upon the Rock Band 2 formula. One can only hope that we eventually see some of these wise technical additions added to the standard franchise in an update of sorts. But from the hypnotic dreamscapes to an whole new appreciation for the music, it's an adventure like no other and offers an example of a uniquely personal sort of music rhythm game. 
 
One that isn't based around how tough a song is to play, but more about how you feel when your playing it. I found myself both satisfied and chilled after experiencing The Beatles: Rock Band. It won't be for everyone, if your looking for the next 'Through The Fire and Flames' then you better venture on and look elsewhere, but if your looking for a return to the original concept of the music rhythm game as a chance for you appreciate music in a different form, then you'll do well by picking up The Beatles: Rock Band. One of the games of the year so far!
 

SCORE: 5 STARS OUT OF 5!  

 
Thanks for Reading! 
Follow me on Twitter, that's if you want! (JosephBayliss). 
            

I'm sure that there's only one person on this site (me) who cares about this but Lich King (the greatest thrash metal band ever) has revealed their 3rd album.  
 
 
Like I said, I'm sure no one cares but I am so excited. This things gonna be fucking awesome. I'll actually have to buy the cd rather than purchase it off of iTunes because that artwork is so cool.
 
I know I made a blog about this band a long time ago but I think I deleted it, so in case anyone wants to hear how they sound I'll put some links to a few songs.
 
A Storm of Swords - This one is going to be on this third album. It's based off a series of books that I've never read by George R.R. Martin.
Thrash Resurgence
Lich King
Reavers - Probably my favorite song but it's really hard to choose since I like them all.
 
And in case you didn't see my previous blog about this band I guess I should mention they're a little less serious than most metal bands, which is nice. I can only handle so much seriousness. Here is a few examples of that.
 
Black Metal Sucks - If you like black metal than I suggest you don't listen.
Mascot War - Read the lyrics. It's a song about a war between cereal and metal mascots. Yeah.
Attack of the Wrath of the War of the Death of the Strike of the Sword of the Blood of the Beast - The name of this song is longer than the link. Again, read the lyrics.
 
If you want to hear some songs from the new album go to their myspace. It has the songs Lich King 3 (World Gone Dead), Act of War, Terror Consumes and A Storm of Swords which I believe will all be on the newest album.
 
Band description from their myspace:

The saga of Lich King  

Once upon a time, Thor and He-Man were fighting. He-Man swung his sword of power and Thor met it with Mjolnir, his mighty hammer. The resulting lightningstorm killed them both, but from the blood and ozone and blackened bits of bone a new band was born. This would be the greatest thrash metal band in history. This is their tale. Then they wrote some songs and stuff, casting their spell upon the altar of steel. Gary Holt took a listen and his ears burst into flame. Billy Milano began weeping as he listened, and he threw himself from a bridge in despair. Jeff Hanneman listened to BUT ONE Lich King song and shook his head, then broke his guitar over one knee. He walked into a Staples and began filling out an application. 
 
Sadly, the fans of Lich King are few, as the music is so ferocious and primal that it boils the brain and sends a potential listener to valhalla with but a few tasty riffs. The lesson to be learned is that listening to Lich King will kill you... so don't do it.

 I don't think I'm going to delete this blog (but I won't post it in the forums because I got enough shit last time) so maybe, just maybe Lich King will get a couple of more fans. 
 
And here is something I drew last night.
 

THE METAL GODS SMILE UPON US, FOR METALLICA ARE HERE!

It was only going to be a matter of time until the legendary heavy metal band Metallica was given their own Guitar Hero game, and for good reason. The popular American rockers have produced some of the most beloved rock music of the past two decades, tracks that feature many iconic guitar rifts and unforgettable lyrics. Guitar Hero developers Neversoft were given the tough job of recreating a game worthy of the band heavy metal image, afterall Metallica's music makes it a must buy for anyone who as ever had respect for their music. But overall, Neversoft have learnt from past mistakes and created a Guitar Hero game that stands out in this crowded genre. 
 
It's a mistake to enter Guitar Hero: Metallica expecting it to change the Guitar Hero formula forever, though there are a few extra new features that go along way to make it a worthy and enjoyable time spent with your plastic instruments. It's not worth going over the fundamentals of the now classic Guitar Hero gameplay in any great details, generally you will be using a plastic instrument to hit coloured symbols that will flow down from a track that matches the music being played. While now some years old, your enjoyment of the Guitar Hero games depends on what music your playing and thankfully Metallica's tracks are as legendary and enjoyable to play as anything we've seen from the genre as a whole.   
 
Guitar Hero: Metallica is built upon the foundations of Neversoft's previous franchise entry, Guitar Hero: World Tour and includes almost all of the available modes. This means you'll be able rock with friends as a full band of four players, play online with Metallica fans around the world and also create your very own rock avatar using the same creation tools found in World Tour. Music Studio and downloadable content are can also be found which means that extra content is never far away, it's a clear improvement over Neversoft's past band specific music rhythm game Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. 
 
A band specific Guitar Hero game must offer enough features and interesting extras to make it a worthy purchase for fans, especially to those who don't play videogames and Guitar Hero: Metallica goes out of it's way to offer fans almost everything they could only of dream of. These extras include behind the scenes videos showing the development of the game and mo-cap with the four band members, videos showing live performances of the heavy metal legends most celebrated tracks, lyrics for each and every song found within the 49 song setlist not to mention information on all of Metallica's tracks. That's not all, fans can unlock exclusive photos and many other smartly chosen bonuses that one could only expect from a dedicated fan club.  
 
Like all music rhythm games, much depends upon the overall setlist and Guitar Hero: Metallica offers one of the most unique yet. Featuring 28 songs from Metallica themselves, picking from some of their most successful tracks and even a few of their less known tunes. Not to mention 21 songs from special guest bands such as Queen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Slayer and Judas Priest. While some of the guest tracks are better then other, it's definatly an interesting setlist with a few standout tracks. But it's Metallica's music that stand tall, and you probably don't need to even be a Metallica fan to have a bash playing many of their tracks within the game. Guitar Hero: Metallica also features a new Expert+ mode for Drums which takes difficulty to a whole new level. Though this will be a whole extra new dimension of challenge to those experienced with drums.
 
Guitar Hero: Metallica isn't a huge step forward visually speaking from some of the most recent additions in the franchise, but menus are more visually pleasing and more responsive then World Tour. Metallica have themselves spent time mo-capping their on stage actions and it helps add a whole new presence when your playing their songs, you'll see trademark actions and animations of all four members. It definatly brings an extra something to the game's visual offerings, especially when the Guitar Hero games are in danger of looking a little to alike. There is new additional clothing for Metallica fans to cloth their own rock avatars with, unlockable extra guitars and a surprise song or two. Overall there is almost everything you'd ask for if your a fan of the legendary rockers. 
 
Neversoft have understandably learnt from past mistakes to create a band specific Guitar Hero game worthy of the rockers it's named after, Metallica's music goes a long way to spice up the now run-of-the-mill Guitar Hero gameplay by being both a challenge and a perfect example of why the Guitar Hero name become famous in the first place. It's definatly one of the most recommendable Guitar Hero games released over these past few years, especially if your a fan or have the slightest bit of interest in the famous American Heavy Metal rockers. It suffers from many of the franchises flaws and the band's virtual representations will turn some fans off, but it's rather unconventional setlist, unlockables and overall fan dedicated service makes Guitar Hero: Metallica a thoroughly enjoyable entry to the franchise.  
 

SCORE: 4 STARS OUT OF 5! 

 
Thanks for Reading! 
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