So, with consoles becoming completely kick-ass I started ignoring my PC.  I mean, not completely ignoring it.  I still use the internet... I'm not some savage.  I just mean I sort of stopped viewing it as a viable game system after I got the 360, PS3, and the Wii (which fuck you nintendo, that thing is a paperweight). 

However, about a week before Force Unleashed was set to "blow my mind", I got in the mood to Jedi a bit.  So, dug around and found my old copy of Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast.  I started playing, and damn I'd forgotten how bad-ass that game is.  I decided to get the original experience and not use codes to gain all my Force Powers and weapons immediately.  Either way would've been fun, but if you level up all your Force Powers you can just Pull everyone's blaster away and cut them down while they run around all panicky.  I know, it sounds fun, but only for a bit.  20 minutes of total domination and believe it or not, that gets old.  You start getting creative, trying to mix it up.  You start really aiming for certain appendages to cut off with your Saber.  Soon enough you imagine the AI Stormtroopers are worried about the guy who kills by only cutting off left hands.  Anyway, it's a much more rewarding game if you level up properly.   But if you're just looking for a quick fix of Jedi fun, then yeah use that code and unleash destruction on all those foolish enough to stand in your path... or just those AI Stormtroopers who really don't have a choice.  Either way, good times.

I'm not gonna get into too much detail about why I started playing Neverwinter Nights 2 again.  Suffice to say there was some D & D action taking place with Pen and Paper, and I got the itch to go virtual.  So, I found my NWN 2 discs and installed.  Man, I LOVE that game.  Like, it's a little unnatural, but I've got it under control... I think.  I'm playing through as a Wizard (which weird as this sounds I'd never done before), and I've just added the Druid chick to my party.  I put her in puppet mode so she'd stop turning into a bear, and I got a good look at her spell selection.  Shit, I wish I'd been a Druid (never played as one of those either).  They've got some kick ass spells and abilities.  I really want to abandon the wizard and start over as some kind of bad-ass Druid Ranger, but I've already got like 30 characters or something ridiculous created and abandoned.  I feel like I need to finish this game.  Plus I've already sunk quite a few hours into the Wizard.  So yeah, in addition to Lightsabering people to death, I'm also getting some Magic Missling done when I can.

I work with this guy who's playing Civ 3 and he won't shut up about it.  It doesn't really appeal to me because from what I've heard it's turn-based (which in and of itself isn't a bad thing), however, apparently you get a limited number of turns.  Like after 50 turns or something the game is over.  Fuck that.  So, to sate my love of strategy conquer the world type games I started playing Rise of Nations again.  That game is so choice, if you have the means I highly recommend picking it up.  It's real time, so there's no turn bullshit to deal with.  Plus, you can set up the game according to any rules you want.  You have so many rule setting options that it makes the replayability of the thing super high.  I like Spain, you get to start with the map open, but... all the civs have something cool like that so I jump around a lot.  Anyway, I like conquering the world.  I like to think I'd be a beneficent leader; probably not, though.  Power corrupts, or so I've heard.  I don't really have any first hand experience with power.

Finally, I keep seeing the Max Payne movie trailer.  I have mixed feelings about the trailer, but that's a topic for another blog.  The result of the multiple viewings, however, is that I installed Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne.  There have been other games (Stranglehold) that tried to capitalize on the whole bullet-time system, but none have done it as well as MP.  I just love diving through a doorway, blowing a guy away, spinning in mid-air and killing another guy behind me before i hit the ground.  Also, believe it or not I forgot the cool graphic novel storytelling cut scenes.  Being a fan of noir media anyway, it should come as no surprise that I want to make out with this game in the dark.  As a bonus, it's been so long since I played it that I've forgotten how the story unfolds.  I could do without his messed up dream sequences, but it's a small price to pay for such a great game.

So basically, I'm ignoring my consoles now, which is never a good idea.  My 360's blog is likely to get snippy soon.  That thing is so melodramatic.  I'll get some console action in where I can, but for now I'm falling in love with my PC all over again.