Here's the list titles I got in exchange for last weeks paycheck. I'm posting it since I just realized that some you may be wondering what I got and to state that no I did not blow over $350 on those four games. So without further adeu...

The List:

Tomb Raider Legend
Tomb Raider Anniversary
John Woo's Strangle Hold
Blue Dragon
Eternal Sonata
Prey
Enchanted Arms
Phantasy Star Universe
Virtua Fighter 5
Dead or Alive 4
Far Cry Instincts Predator
The Simpson's Game
Ace Combat 6
Forza 2

Slow day at work and me left unsupervised equals new blog update. HELLO GIANT BOMB!!!

Well I finished Tales of Vesparia a few days after my last post. The game falls pretty flat on it's face in the final act with the cliche'd events in the story and sloppy translation. Honestly that part of the game shows they were on a deadline and were just desperately trying to get it out the door. Overall I walked away from the experience very satisfied and still feel it is the best Tales game in the series and one of the best JRPG's ever.

I have also purchased a great many new games for very neglected Xbox 360, because Tales got me hooked on points and achievements. Actually, I purchased over $350 worth of 360 games... they are all the titles that came out these past four years that I missed while I was addicted to WOW. Among my aquisitions are Call of Duty 2, which I played through in 10 hours and liked, but was sad it offered nothing new, and Call of Duty 3, which is good overall, but very buggy and unpolished. Inifinity Ward didn't make CoD 3 and it shows. I don't know if I'll bother finishing it.

I also picked up Kameo, which is a flipping amazing game, but a little heavy on the kiddie side of things and super easy. In fact, despite how good it is I find it to be so easy that it's boring to play. This is another one that I am half way through and I don't know if I'll bother to finish.

The last title I got that I have played is King Kong: The Official Game to the movie to Peter Jacksons far to big and long and convoluted title. The game is both jaw droppingly gorgious and bad. It's an interesting combination. The visuals and events you see are simply beautiful. However, the game play consists of the same three or four puzzles over and over and over again, with a shitty chase level spliced inbetween where you get to play as Kong and fight with the games camera. Spear grub, throw near giant millipede, bat, scorpion, or spiders  to draw them into the open, shoot the bastards when they are out in the open, rinse and repeat. Or, do that while looking for fire, or looking for the fucking door levers. It's like Populus, but with nice graphics and all from a first person perspective. There are 500 levels and they are all the same.

I took King Kong back and exchanged it for Hitman Blood Money, which I am told is a much better game and hope to start by this weekend.

So I haven't been too active here the past few weeks, month, months.... and there is a perfectly good reason for this I assure you. I replaced my 360 finally and picked up Tales of Vesperia on a whim as I did it. The game has devoured my life and I love it to death. The graphics are beautiful! It's like playing an animated film. The cast, characterization, story and everything are totally top notch. I simply can't put it down. At nearly 60 hours I'm 2/3 of the way through an am loving every minute of it. I've played all of the Tales games and have to say this one is hands down the best in the series, and one of the best JRPG's ever made. I fully expect my play time to go up another 20-40 hours before I am done playing through it. Then the cycle will repeat again in the games New Game + mode. If you have a 360 and a thirst for this sort of thing, you have no excuse to not have this in your library.

I've also been playing the Warhammer Online beta. In a word, I am dissappointed. The game is buggier and much more restrictrive now than it was in preview weekend, and taking away the freedom takes away the fun. At least it does for me. In these online worlds that perport allowing you to go where ever and do whatever and be whatever I want to do just that. Not go where ever, be whatever, and do whatever so long as I stay on my limited side of the sandbox.

I also finally picked up Call of Duty 4 last night and beat it in a single sitting as my Xbox Live Profile can attest to. I gotta say that is one hell of a game and I am sorry I waited this long to pick it up. I waited, because after hearing that the single player is only 4 hours long I thought "no 4 hour game is worth $65." After all that is $13.75 per hour of entertainment. Oh how I was wrong! After beating the game I walked away nothing short of totally satisfied.

Hello Giant Bomb! My name is Cerza, no, no the pleasure is all mine I assure you. I have been gaming since the last days of the arcades. The first console I ever actually owned was the SNES, which I bought back on 2/22/1992 with the money I won by betting that the Redskins would beat the Bills in the Superbowl, and they did. GO WASHINGTON!!! Anywho, I bought the system because my cousins and friends said I couldn't mooch off theirs any longer. I am a writer and accrued accountant, and value games with a good script. I have had the pleasure of gaming on every system to date with the exception of the Jaguar. My main genre of choice is the RPG, and my main platform of choice is the PC. However, I am not a fanboy and do game on various consoles fairly regularly. Check out my collection to see a list of the titles I currently own. You will usually find me lurking about the forums, since that's where I like to be. Oh, one more thing. I am a crusty old gamer who values innovation, and people who do things differently. So don't get upset if you read that I am lashing out against "the next greatest thing," because chances are I've seen "the next greatest thing" before, and I've seen it done better. Feel free to add me if you want to. I accept all friend requests.

Like so many others on this site, I too hail from Gamespot, though I am also active at 1up and Honest Gamers as well. I left Gamespot in disgust when Jeff was let go and have been following him ever since, because Jeff is awesome. I found out about Giant Bomb from the blog Jeff had before Giant Bomb was up in blog form. I must say I am really impressed with the site so far and would like to give everyone working at Giant Bomb a huge virtual pat on the back. The site is awesome great job guys. I can't wait to see what comes next!