A pride demon lies at my feet. Collecting his remains amongst the deep roads torn asunder by past foes, I remade him, and in his thanks offered me great riches. Let this twisted beast free I could not. And strike him down we did, my band of adventures. Bloodied in the dark, we moved deep into the deep.

Finding only battle around every corner, great spiders, twisted creatures, made powerful by the fade, no end to the hostility’s. We must be getting close now, Branka’s Journal has been left, she has moved on, questing for the anvil to remake the golem army’s.

A poor soul lost to the madness of the dark spawn, his mind twisted and bent. His mother desires to see him returned to his home, but not like this. A sorry site, his mind not right, I chose to end his suffering and not bring his sorry state to the one who loved him.

To the dark trenches we reached, the great Archdemon rises above his forces, marching to our doom.  A new blight is upon us, time is short.

The great Dwarf Legion of the Dead has held the Bridge, crossing the Trench, given up their lives, given up their families living only to fight the dark. Honorable they are, serving and suffering in the name of others safety. I find my own quest to taste bitterly in their wake, following fools and would be kings, doing there biddings. What honor is this? But headlong we must go; by any means this blight must be stopped.

Vicious beasts at every turn, black faces, black eyes, knowing neither surrender nor fear, hordes drop at our feet, cut apart, frozen and shattered by invocations. Their dark blood drips from my brow, and I move onward into darkness. We must be near, must be close to Paragon Branka, the deep goes ever on.

Runes and ancient texts, littered amongst the dead and the ruined. Tales of the heroism and suffering of the dwarfs, long have the bleed against the dark. When men lived in safety on the earth, here in these deep places the battle never ceases. There great city’s lost, abandoned to the taint. Pushed back to the breaking point, there very kind threated. Long have they suffered, long have my people suffered.

I have chosen sides, it was not an easy decision. Both men seem to have clam to the throne, but I sided with Lord Beheln as he is married to my sister and blood is thinker than wine.   Now I am doing his dirty work, doesn’t feel very good, I feel as if I am being used my this would be king.

Sent after the mob boss Jarvia, tracked her down to the underground tunnels were I was held during my youth. Found her and with my former cohort, betrayed again. The battle was long and hard fought, she was a worthy adversary. After much blood and most of my heath potions, she fell. Exhilarating battle, outnumbered and out matched. But my party fought through and in the end came through most intact.

Combat continues to improve, it feel just about perfect. Always challenging but rarely frustrating. Very visual, every swing has impact, it feels very powerful. Sounds great too, vicious strikes, and battle screams. Already want to start another character, definitely going to play a mage, so much diversity to spells and ability’s. So many new tactics. The melee is good and there is weight to the fighting, but the magic just feels so cool.

I venture into the deep roads tomorrow, wish me luck!

I have returned to my homeland, the great underground city of Orzammar. Born as a castless shunned by my people, I return as a Grey Warden seeking my peoples help in defeating the darkspawn. The King is dead, and the noble houses fight over his successor. I both respected as a hero and shunned as a castless, can’t help but wonder how this would play out differently if I had chosen a different origin story, were I a human noble or an elf would I be allowed into the closed city as easily?

As has been the case with every new local I arrived in, the look and feel of Orzammar is incredibly unique, carved out of stone, and intricately adorned with carvings and shapes. Every inch has been shaped and looks like nothing else in Ferelden. My codex is becoming quite full with historical notes and old tales of Dwarven kings and hero’s. There strange worship of the earth and the near genocide of their race at the hands of the darkspawn, told in journals and ancient scrolls. Texts of political dealings and cast rules, and yes even the occasional Nug recipe and children’s song. Bioware has not simply created a world here, they have written a history and culture with such care and detail. 30 hours in with so much more to explore, so much more to learn and experience. Oh and there is an army of unstoppable death marching to obliterate life, but first I must learn about the proper way to make Nug pancakes!

And don’t forget about F5, the mighty quick save how many times have you saved me. Continuing my quest I have grown to love my space bar, pausing the action and dispensing orders to my men is without question an essential tool.

Entering a great Holy temple carved into an ice cavern, seeking out the ashes of a fallen savior. A truly epic dungeon crawl it was, foes around every corner, Cultists and even Drakes. We fought hard and we fought long. A tactical challenge unlike anything played in years, sleeping targets, prioritizing heals, falling back to more favorable ground. Carefully monitoring health and stamina levels, reacting to enemy movements and ability’s. I am revitalized, ready for more, challenged but never frustrated. When I am defeated and contemplating surrender a new tactic springs to mind and the battle is won by the slightest of margins. Just as I began to feel powerful and unstoppable, a force strikes and humbles me, but fight with skill and care and the day is won.

Reaching the Sacred site at the Temples core, I am faced with a series of challenges to prove myself worthy to enter. Examining my origin, abandoning my family to join the gray havens. Companions are tested as well there history’s and greatest regrets explored. The Temples test were of the physical and the mental, quizzing my understanding of Ferelden’s history with riddles. And a fantastically challenging puzzle. So stumped I was that I actually drew a small diagram on a scratch pad, but solve it I did.

Arriving at the sacred ashes, I was faced with a question about myself, was my Dwarf Warrior a believer? Do I dare taint this holy artifact for my own gain? Such a real life to not have simply Good vs. Evil choices, no Light Dark meter in my status screen. Only the choices I have made, all gray, the men and women I have killed for Faith, or for Gold, there blood on my hands.

Journeying in this holiest of sites provided great insight into my party members religious affiliation, one was pious and had faith. The other two, had non, and were not silent about this fact. Make cheap remarks, and pleading with me to make the responsible choice. But my little blood thirty Dwarf is not without faith, I have decided, he is a follower and defends the will of the Maker, at least in this instance. Every day is a choice, and I must live with the consequences.

I must return now, my quest is far from over.

 Won my first race in Dirt 2, came fourth on my rookie run. But on the restart some of the rust began to shake off. Was addicted to the first Dirt, still am was not quite done with it yet, so I should be able to relearn the old ways. Leveled up after the win, witch is a so cool. Driving RPG, now this I can get into. Dirt 1 had a lot of advancement and stat tracking but this is something new, unlocking liveries and little car accessorizes. Do'nt think I'm gonna be placing a lot of Hood ornaments but there are there if your so inclined.

Driving is as great as I remember, just the right amount of realism, feels just right. Cars roll and bend nicely, you can really feel the bumps. And the collision. Opposing drivers are all named and voice this time, my particular rough racing style may not sit well with them over the course of the tour. They even call me by name, well Dan, but close enough, very nice touch to have user selectable voice cues, much better than the old stand by player one.

Visuals are very impressive, everything is again destructible, by the end of my first, admittedly violent run. The little Subaru was hanging together with a hope and a prayer. Hitting the mud sprays your windscreen activating the wiper, obstructing my vision, nice touches all around. Dirty indeed.

Axellion, gonna get dirty again

 This game is exhausting, I may be starting to figure out the battle system, And have had some success. But It is punishing, every move must be careful and in the end I survive my the barest of margins. Haven't played a game like this in a long time.

In fact they don't make games like this anymore. It is something of a miracle, Bioware has taken everything good about the classic PC rpg, and brought it back. Classic quests and very deep dungeons, aggressive enemies by the horde, very little hand holding. All with a Next Gen shine.

Choice of the choices. I have made such decisions. I am not conformable with this much responsibility, people are dieing by my hand and my word. Innocent people, they have families and children. Every word I speak seems to mean something to someone, I feel like every action I take is have an impact on the world.

Venturing into the werewolves dungeon, I was faced with another question. Do I side with the Elven Lord who sent me to kill them? Or will they convince me of there humanity, and free them from there bond. The Sacrifices that were made on my word, the men send to die and freed by my hand, truly incredible to have this much pull on a world.

Bioware has outdone them self's, by looking at there own history, rediscovering there heritage. A remarkable game, I cant wait to explore more of it.

Axellion, heading back to Ferelden

 Finally beat InFAMOUS! After getting 70% thought when it was first released, then letting it slip by the way side, for one reason or another. Very happy that I could go back and finish it!

What a great game, and cool ending. The graphic novel story telling is awesome, really picks up at the end. Action is great as its the movement, just like sly coop it is so fluid and quick. One of the best games of the year. I cant wait for a sequel. Please Sony hear my call, Make a sequel.

Not done with this one, have to go back and play as evil. But when will I find the time, so many games still unplayed and a ton are gonna drop in the next few months. Heck Bayonneta is out next week! Mass effect 2 arrives in a few weeks, then Bio shock 2, Splinter cell, and Final Fantasy XII, God of war 3 and many others. Yikes, this is gonna be a busy winter.

Axellion, electrified 

 Dragon Age is such a compelling game, cat quite put my finger on it. On one had it is a very traditional rpg, almost and old game. Brought into the 21cetury, but not quite all the way. Everything is classic pc rpg. Can it ever get tough, very careful planing and tactics are required.

I think its the little things, the way your party will idly chat about them self's or each other. Small antidotes and little in jokes. Feels so impromptu and not at all forced. Different conversations some times little arguments based on who is in your party and how they feel about each other.

Visuals are nice and but again its the little things that stand out. The shine on plate mail, the dust in the air. And of course the spectacular blood splatter. Environments are full of small touches that fill out the world and make it feel real.

And the world, wow. So packed with details, an entire history of its people and places. Packed to the brim with notes and story's, myth and lore. The extent that Faith and Religion affect the world is fascinating. Everything seems to resolve around the beliefs in the Maker or Creator, or lack there of. One of the most fully realized game worlds ever.

Axellion, still covered in blood