When I first fired up Battlefield 2 on my PC way back in 2005, I was instantly pulled into it and began playing with no question. There were bugs and other issues sure, but it was a great game for its time which I spent a decent amount of time playing. Since then, The Call of Duty series has really taken hold of FPS shooting, at least for me.

With the exception of any Treyarch developed Call of Duty game that preceded Black Ops, I am one of many who unquestionably purchase the new Call of Duty game, fire it up, and proceed to multiplayer and the occasional single player. The games are always solid with great graphics, game types, control and map selection.

Anytime I get into match in one of these CoD games, never once did I question how the game felt or whether or not I would spend hours upon hours with friends shooting countless enemies. Maybe I didn't like a map or maybe that guy is using a lag switch, but never a question of the game, graphics, feel, or mechanics.

Enter the Battlefield 3 Beta which was recently open to many FPS hungry gamers this past week. Upon firing up this hotly anticipated sequel (even more so because it has been over 6 years since its official predecessor), I began to ask questions about the game. It didn't feel right. It's not the easiest thing to explain but moving around and shooting just did not feel natural.

It is a shame too, because I was hoping to purchase and play Battlefield 3 at least until Modern Warfare 3 came out and even quite possibly play it more. I am always more than willing happy to root for the underdog (in this case the underdog is EA, which is weird). During a casual conversation with a friend who had a similar reaction, we agreed that the game just was missing a certain feel. This feel was never questioned in the Call of Duty series. It was not questioned in Battlefield 2 either. My friend proceeded to cancel his pre-order and I proceeded to remove the game from my Gamefly Q. And no, one cannot judge an entire game by one map in beta, but the reality is, the way the game FEELS is not going to change between now and release.

So it leaves me with this conclusion: Once I begin questioning the feel of a game that is intended to be played for hours upon hours in a multiplayer setting with lag and skill always working against me, chances are, this is not the game for me. I am disappointed, but the good thing is, a game like Gears of War 3 is so good that it can easily keep me busy well into November.

As I made my way through Act III in Gears of War 3 last night with a friend in co-op mode, we were treated to an awesome moment in video gaming.

Without spoiling anything, it was a key moment in the story marked by a slightly more cinematic cut scene than the rest complete with the instrumental of a song that is very fitting and beyond effective for the cut scene.

This scene was very well done and it was even moving, just like a movie. And we say that a lot. Video games are like movies. But after this cut scene, I realized not every game brings an effecting story every time. Gears of War 3 definitely stepped it up here. Video game stories can be good, but this was a treat.

If the rest of what Gears of War 3 offers is not reason enough to warrant a purchase, I must say, if you like story modes, this part of the game would be well worth the price of admission. It also is interesting experiencing this with 1-3 other players. There was an understood silence as my friend and I watched, and as soon as it was done, I immediately asked my friend what he thought, then throwing out a few reactions like "Wow that was good" and "Great use of music".

Ultimately, this is a great example that co-op is a mode that is all too often overlooked. We need more co-op, namely on consoles.

Moments like these are the ones we remember in video games and it's even better if you can share it with a friend or a loved one. Here's to hoping that more games bring it all together with great voice acting, co-op play, and great story telling.

I am excited for the end cinematic. The bar has been set a little higher.

Some iPhone games are cool now, but I'll care more when iPhone games become deeper and more robust. When the line between cell phone games and console games gets more narrow, basically. It WILL happen, it's just going to take some time. The miniturization of powerful graphics processing is only a matter of time.