For my upcoming birthday, I decided to fly out to Las Vegas to attend Gamestop Expo 2017. This is my second year going, but this time I decided to take notes on what I was playing. Now this is no E3, PAX, or Gamescom, so don't expect anything you haven't heard of. But despite that, I still got to play some games early, and I wanted to talk about them.

Before I begin, I have a few things to say. First, I wanted to say that this year was much better than last year. Despite waking up at three in the morning to get on a flight because the Mayweather McGregor fight made the rooms incredibly expensive, I found this year better because it was less crowded and thus I was able to play way more games. Also, I started listening to the GameInformer podcast relatively recently, so seeing Andy McNamara was pretty cool too. The second thing I wanted to say is that I took a picture of every booth I played a game at, but I will admit the pictures aren't that great. It was kind of a rush, so I took rushed photos. Third, this is in order of which games I played first, so don't think this is by favorites. Finally, despite not playing every game there, I still have quite a bit of games to talk about, so get comfy.

1. Raid: World War 2

The first game I got to play at the expo was Raid: World War 2. I recently put this at number two on my anticipated list, and I have been waiting to play this for a year, so I was definitely excited to play. For those who don't know, the game is about a secret military group called "RAID" that is tasked with fighting against the Nazis during World War 2. But what makes this unique is that the group is also allowed to make profit off of killing Nazis. That is as far as I know story wise, and for gameplay wise,it is essentially WW2 Payday 2. But I found that this game is a big improvement compared to its spiritual successor. The characters are better, as for they each offer a different class and ability, the missions have better and more meaningful objectives(but money is still on the mind), their are single missions and multi day missions, but the multi day ones can be revisited, the areas are bigger and more open,and the alternate World War 2 story is unique and is fun to be in. And even small things like lock picking instead of the drill and better driving is in the game. Also, it has John Cleese, so yeah. Despite that, the game isn't technically sound. The glitches were minor, as for at worst it was some slight stuttering audio and weird enemy animations, but still the game still needs some bug work. Despite that, I had a blast with the game, and I am now even more excited for the game than I was before.

2. Super Mario Odyssey

That's right, I got to play Super Mario Odyssey. The demo I played allowed me to choose between New Donk City or Tostarena(the frozen desert), and I decided the desert. For those who have seen this area before, I have nothing new to say about the level. But despite playing what everyone has already seen, I still wanted to talk about it. Overall, I would say that the gameplay reminds me of Super Mario Galaxy, with gave me a nostalgia trip without ruining those memories. The settings were vibrant and cheerful, the platforming was fun, the placement of the open world(which I didn't explore) is a great addition, and more. But there were some surprises for sure. The controls felt really good, which what surprised me is that it extended to the 2d parts and the motion controls. The motion controls, mainly, were really good. It wasn't long before I found myself using that instead of the buttons as the way to flick your hat and control its trajectory. It put faith back into motion controls for me, and I am excited to use them again. But one issue I found was that I couldn't really figure out how to control things. I kept trying to control a goomba, but I couldn't. But then whenever I threw my hat a Bullet Bill, I would transform instantly. I do hope the game explains how, but we will have to see. Overall, I would say this game has the charm and cheerfulness similar to other Mario games, and this game will prove to be a great addition to the Switch.

3. Skyrim for the Switch

Skyrim has been around for years, and it has seen constant re-releases, including the announcement of two new versions this year. But despite the fact that I don't really like playing Skyrim or Fallout anymore, I decided to try out this version on the Switch. Their really isn't much to say other than its Skyrim. I will say the game runs fine, the rumble feels good but a bit excessive, and not having motion controls be a requirement is nice. The controls I played with were weird, but I am sure that they can be changed when released. Their really isn't much to say other than that. I played it for less than a minute, told myself,"yeah, this is Skyrim alright," and moved on. Whether or not that is a good thing is up to you. Despite this, I keep telling myself to give it one more chance(even though that is what draws me away from the game), and ultimately I will probably get the game...at the right price.

4.Middle Earth: Shadow of War

ME:SW is the sequel to the first game(which I loved), and the fact that it is a sequel shows. The scale of the game is much larger than the first, which for the most part is good. In the demo, I was given an array of missions to choose from, but of course I chose the castle siege mode. It was this mission that really showed its upscale. The intro, from the beginning of the scene to the entry of the castle, was very cinematic. It was really cool watching as your guy runs up to the castle while all of your allies fall to poison arrows, while you remain unscathed. Once I entered, I was given the task to capture point, while hordes of enemies were thrown onto me. Another big difference is the types of enemies as well as the amount of important allies and enemies. This game had massive orcs and some other new ones, and their were around four important allies and enemies in the game. Needless to say, the gameplay got hectic, which is where the upscaling stutters. I found myself rolling more than attacking with the amount of enemies and the big guys blocking the screen, and the amount of game pauses to see the important guys speak or kill each other was too much. Despite that, I thought the castle mode was a lot of fun. Also, it was cool to see my allies rescue me right when an orc was going to do the finishing blow. I don't remember that happening in the first game, so to see that happen to me was definitely surprising and made me want to say "no way!"The game plays just like the first, but this game takes it to a whole new level while keeping the parts that made the game great. Any fans of the first game will find this game to be an improvement, but I fear that newcomers may find this game to be a bit overwhelming. Despite that, I have high hopes for this, and I will definitely keep my eye out for it.

5. Biomutant

Biomutant is the ARPG announced at Gamescom that caught my attention. The game reminded me of Breath of the Wild, and seeing it made me want to play it, so I did. I can say now that this game is not like BOTW, but that's fine. Despite that, I still had some issues with the game. The game was very pixilated, but I could see a glimmer of hope with that. The environment still looked great, and I think cleaning that up would make the game look visually stunning. But my issues go beyond looks. I found the enemies easy to fight, as for they would just stand there.I would whack at them with my sword, and they just kinda took it.Also, I thought their were too many combo moves to remember. The combos were easy to do, as for the ones that the game told me were all just two buttons, but I still felt that their were too many. Despite those aspects, I still thought that this game had some great aspects as well. Despite the overabundance of combo moves in my opinion, I thought the moves were a lot of fun to do. Anything from diving sideways and shooting Max Payne style to throwing your guns out and having them spin in midair and shoot was really cool to watch and do. Kinda going along with that, the controls feel great, and the basic combat could prove to be fun, if the enemies were a bit harder. Finally, the character is completely customizable, from the appearance to the skills, and that could prove to be fun. This game has a long way to go, but I think it will be a good product when it reaches the end of the road. And one final thing to add; this was the only booth where someone took an active interest in the fact that I was taking notes and asked about how I felt about the game. I get that most of the people working the games are demo people, but the fact that their was still someone taking interest in the player's opinion is what makes the expo part of the game stand out from the rest.

6. Far Cry 5

Far Cry 5 was there, and me having the love for the Far Cry franchise made me stop what I was doing when I discovered the game was there. I played the same part that was demo'd at E3, but I think this one had more to it. The first part is the same: choosing your companion(I chose Boomer), sneaking you way into the town center and taking out the guys killing civilians, and saving the day. Despite it being seen by many, their is still some new things I discovered. For starters, capturing towns is way cooler than outposts in previous entries. It feels more impactful to capture a town, and after capturing it gives you a cool cutscene of people coming out of hiding and re-opening the town again. But I also noticed some not-so-good things to come out of that first area. The framerate was just low enough for me to notice and take note on, and the controls felt clunky. I found myself moving my body to aim my gun instead of moving my hands, but I eventually managed to kill the dudes and move on. Also, I couldn't get Boomer to give me enemy guns. It may have been the fact that I had a full weapon inventory, but it would have still been useful to rip guns out of enemy hands. Oh well. But this is where the game extends. I soon found myself talking to the bar owner who directs me to the airplane hangar to help out another person. After helping him out, he decided to give me the reigns on his flying machine, and it wasn't long before I found myself flying. I heard that the flying was poor, but trying out wasn't that bad. The flying was simple and the amount of weapons and exploration I had with the plane was fun. It got challenging when it came to fighting another plane, but more training in the plane will definitely help. In the end, I would say that this is Far Cry, but in a much cooler setting with a better antagonist group and better characters. It seems to be filled with more content than ever before, and is ultimately a game I am excited for, especially being a fan of the series.

7. Cuphead

I saw it, and I couldn't resist. It being number one on my anticipation list for September and it being something I have been waiting for got me so excited to try it out. I got to play a run n gun level that has already been demo'd before, but their are some things worth mentioning. The first thing to say about this game is how hard it is. It is really difficult. The enemies are relentless and the surprising amount of controls in the game caught me off guard and I found myself dying a lot. But it was a fun difficult, and I can find myself going until my fingers fall off, or I complete the level. Despite their being a wealth of controls, I still found them to be good, and they mixed well with the great platforming. Having multiple items was also good, as for it will vary up the gameplay. Having the different modes in the game will also make the gameplay varying. I played run n gun, but I also know of a plane mode and boss mode, and maybe more down the line. Either way, I bet they will be fun. Despite this stuff being very well known, I still want to praise the fact that it has local co-op and how much of a commitment to the 30s cartoon style their is. When it comes to the 30s style, I love that everything is hand drawn, the music is original, and more. That commitment bleeds into the gameplay, and makes it an experience I can't wait to get my hands on soon.

8. Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

This game was one of my most anticipated games that came out of E3 this year, so of course I had to try it out. I played and loved the previous new entries, and I had high hopes that this will be even better than before. After playing it, I can still say this will be better than previous entries. The cutscenes and the voice acting is still great, the writing is still surprisingly good for a shooter, the combat is great, playing on a wheelchair proved to be beyond vehicle combat and was a blast, having the great characters, good and bad, return is great, and the game still proves to be challenging yet fun with new difficulty modes. Some small issues did arise with the game though. First, I thought about the returning characters, and I think about the fact that most of them were on the brink of death, B.J. especially. That was a passive thought though, and having these characters back was still something I loved. The next issue was these weird pauses and filters between cutscenes. They would look way different from the game, which was something in the first game, but the strange pauses and cuts from what you were doing was also strange. Despite that, Wolfenstein 2 still proved to be a blast and I can't wait to kill more Nazis.

9. Strange Brigade

Strange Brigade was one of the games that caught my attention from E3, and seeing it on the show floor caught my attention. This was the other 30s game, but in a more Indiana Jones style. The gameplay is similar to Sniper Elite, but it sill had improvements. The controls felt tighter, the weapons were fun to use and were actually usable unlike the non-sniper rifles in the Sniper series. The combat was easy, but was balanced with its fast pace. The respawns were fast, the enemies and the characters had variety, the Indiana Jones setting is fun, and the environments are bright and vibrant. The game reminded me of the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, and having that feeling while playing the game made it a better experience. I will be looking forward to playing this game when it comes out in the near future.

I thought I could get through all sixteen games in one sitting, but I ran out of time, so I will be doing a part two for the remaining seven games. But from what I have played, I can say that the rest of 2017 and 2018 will be good years for video games, and I can't wait for these games to be released. Tune in for part two of my list in the coming days.

Last month I was too late, and now I am too early. But that's fine, because dates don't stop this list. I had to do this a bit earlier than I would have liked because I am busy all the way up to September. But, I will say that one of the reasons for putting this out early is something that I am excited for and I have been waiting to write about all year. But I will talk about it when I have done it, so tune in for that.

But back to business. Let's talk about the top five games I am looking forward to this September. I have decided to start using Metacritic as my source for upcoming games, but even Metacritic misses some games. So keep in my mind that I may have missed some games(though I have seen a lot more with Metacritic than with any other game list.)

The rules are the same as last time, but here are the rules for those who don't know: it has to be on at least one big system( PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch), it has to be a new game(no re-release, remaster, etc. But I will count games leaving early access), it has to be released in September(if the game has a multi-month release, then I count the earliest month the game is releasing), and I will not count DLC. I will sometimes put in some special games, but they will not count to the list. I will count games entering early access , but if I do I will not count the game when it exits early access. With all of that stuff out of the way, let's get into the meat of this blog.

5. City of Brass

City of Brass is a first-person rogue-lite game coming out September 18th and being developed by Uppercut Games. You play as a thief going through a mystical city in search of riches while racing against the sands of time in an Arabian Nights setting. Armed with a whip and a sword, you go around fighting the undead and traversing the level in search of some sweet fortune. Their are a lot of things that excite me for this game. I like the Arabian theme, the whip seems like a cool weapon to use and a good traversal tool, the levels look fun and are procedurally generated, the art style and the enemies look really cool, and more. Plus, some ex-Bioshock developers are working on this game, so that gives me hope that this will be a great game. I love the premise of rogue-like and having a near infinite level possibility, but I usually end up not sticking to a rogue-like game very long. I hope this game breaks my curse, but we will have to see if the game is any good when it comes out on the 18th.

4.Echo

Echo is a third person action stealth game coming out September 19th and being developed by Ultra Ultra. You play as a girl named En, who reaches A palace out of legend after a century of travel in space in stasis. You reach the castle and begin to explore, only to find out the castle isn't what it seems. It seems to track what you do, then sends clones of you called 'echoes' out to find and kill you with their newly acquired skills. What interests me the most, beyond the eerie yet amazing setting and story, is the gameplay mechanic. The fact that the worst enemy in the game is you, and everything you do has consequence. It's completely up to you how you play, but it's how you play that determines how difficult the game will be. To me, this idea is very cool, and can lead to strategic and thought-inducing gameplay. I think it will be one of the more fun stealth games out there, because the stealth will be at your levels. It is a great way of learning the consequences of using weapons in stealth, as for what goes around, comes around. We will have to wait and see if this game does well when the 19th rolls around.

3. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider

Dishonored: DOTO is a first person stealth action standalone Dishonored game coming out September 15th and is being made by Arkane studios. In this entry, you play as Billie Lurk, a killer-for-hire as she and her mentor Daud team up to take down the biggest baddie of them all; the supernatural power giving and wielding man known as the Outsider. I love Dishonored, whether it be the choices in how you go through each mission, the powers and weapons, or the story and setting. And this game seems to be more of that, which already has me on board. But what really has me on attention is the new cast of characters and the new story. I do love Corvo and Emily, but I feel that Daud and Billie are much more interesting characters. This game runs many parallels with Uncharted: Lost Legacy, but I want this standalone more than the other because I want more of this more than I want Uncharted. Another thing that I like about this game is the villain. I think that the Outsider is a really cool character, and for this crew to go against a man as powerful as him will be interesting. I don't know how they are going to take down him, but we will find out on the 15th.

2. Raid: World War 2

Raid: World War 2 is a first person co-op shooter coming out September 26th and is being made by Lion Game Lion. You play as one of four characters going around World War 2 Europe shooting Nazi and looting their gold. It's as simple as that, but this premise is surprisingly untouched. Their are plenty of World War 2 games, but what about ones where the primary objective is to rob? I love the fact that it takes a different approach to the WW2 FPS genre. Also, I am a huge fan of Payday, so more Payday but with shooting Nazis instead of the police will be a lot of fun for me. But this game seems to improve upon Payday, as for the missions seem to have more meaningful and fun objectives and the characters look better than the ones from its modern counterpart. I have been waiting for this game ever since its first trailer came out with the weird faces, and I cannot wait to play. I was close to giving this to the number one spot, but their is one game I have been waiting for longer. But waiting longer or not, expect a copy in my hands on the 26th.

1. Cuphead

Cuphead is a run-and-gun 2d game coming out September 29th and is being developed by Studio MDHR. You play as a cup, traversing through strange worlds fighting bosses in this 30s cartoon themed game. I have been waiting for this game for years, and I can't believe it's now coming out. I absolutely love the 30s theme. The music, graphics, gameplay style, and more makes this eye and ear candy. It reminds me so much of going to Disneyland and going into the 30s theater or going onto Splash Mountain. But it isn't just the looks or the sounds that draws me in. The gameplay looks like a lot of fun too. The bosses are unique, the game is challenging, and the gameplay is unique. The gameplay is said to be similar to Metal Slug, which got me even more hyped, as for I love Metal Slug. I love looking at this game, and playing the game will surely make that experience worth the wait and then some. I can't wait to really experience the hand-drawn art and go around in the overworld on the 29th.

Special: Ruiner and Tooth and Tail

I wanted to mention these two games, as for they are a very close 5th place. It took awhile for me to choose between these two and City Brass. Even though they didn't make the list, I thought these two games still deserve a shout out.

Anyways, there is my list. I open the mic to anyone else who wants to share their top September games. I got a lot of hope and anticipation riding on Cuphead, and I really hope it turns out great. But only time will tell as the month of September rolls on. Stay tuned for the October list.

On August 21st, 2007, Irrational Games and 2K Games released a game to the masses. They transported us to an underwater city that was meant to be a utopia for society elites, but instead turned into an underwater early 60s hell. We fought for our lives against iconic enemies such as the big daddy and used our superhuman abilities as well as normal weapons to do so. We have been asked if we are a man, or a slave as for "a man chooses, a slave obeys." We descended the lighthouse after a plane crash, but not all of us came out depending on the choices we made. And today, we celebrate ten years of experiences in the city of Rapture.

It started with a plane crash in the middle of the ocean. Surely it was an accident. Maybe plane turbulence, maybe lightning, who knows? You are the only survivor out in the middle of the ocean, but lucky for you the plane crash right next to a lighthouse. You enter this lighthouse and soon find that it isn't what you think it is. It's not long before you find yourself in a strange submarine going to this strange underwater city. But strange is Rapture's middle name, as for it isn't long before you meet strange demonic-looking little girls and are shooting lightning out of your hands. You fight to survive in this strange place as its crazy inhabitants try to kill you. The few sane people left in this hell try to guide you through Rapture, for better or for worse. But ultimately it is up to you to decide how you deal with the current situation. Or is it?

I didn't get the game the day it came out (I was too young), but I do remember the first time playing years ago. But the years do not deteriorate my memories of the playing the game. I still remember the first time watching the 'Welcome to Rapture' scene as your submarine goes over the rocks into the cities while Andrew Ryan describes the utopia he created and the escalating music that went with the scene. To this day, I still think that scene is one of the best scenes I have ever seen in any video game. I still remember shooting myself up with electro bolt the first time as you fall from the second floor platform to the first. I remember seeing my first big daddy drill up a splicer in a small theatre. I remember meeting Sander Cohen and the piano man forced to play music. I remember so much, and I cherished those memories. For the longest time, I said that this is my favorite game, and even though I decided not to have favorites anymore, I still say it is one of the greats.

Over the years, other Bioshock game have been released. We were re-introduced to the crazy world of Rapture, except through the eyes of a big daddy in Bioshock 2, and we found ourselves up in the clouds in a religious and gas fueled city of Colombia in Bioshock Infinite. I have loved the series for so long, but I have always thought that the first game was the best.

Today, we celebrate a masterpiece turning ten years old, and we celebrate the experiences we had with the game. Not everyone loved the game, but I know I did, and hearing this game turn ten impacted me more than any other game turning a milestone age. You asked if I would kindly, and I did, with fire in one hand, a gun in the other, and a smile on my face. I thank you for the experiences you have given me, and here is to another ten years.

Here is a ten year anniversary trailer made by 2K.

To say that the milestones Player Unknown's Battlegrounds is surpassing is impressive is an understatement. Even though it is an early access game that is only found on PC, PUBG has sold over seven million copies, has 600,000 concurrent players, has stayed number one on Steam top selling charts even through summer sale, and more. Well, the game has hit yet another one recently.

According to a Twitch viewership data center called GamoLoco, PUBG has had more views on Twitch than League of Legends between August 6-13. In that week, PUBG had a total hour viewership of around 16.9 million views, while LoL was at around 15 million hours viewed. Also in that week, Dota 2 was blazing the trail with around 30.6 million hours viewed from the annual Dota 2 International tournament. But why does that matter? What if I said PUBG did something that other big games like Overwatch, Battlefield, and Call of Duty haven't done? The creator of GamoLoco has said that in its three years of monitoring Twitch, no game has surpassed League of Legends in weekly viewing hours unless the game was in the middle of a top-tiered e-sports competition. As said by GamoLoco,"It’s key to understand here that no AAA industry blockbuster even came close to that kind of performance on Twitch.And no other 'top tier e-sports candidate,' including the highly-heralded Overwatch, got close either."

I don't watch Twitch normally, but I know how big it is and how big the audience is. I also don't play LoL, but I also know how big that game. So to see that a free to play game released eight years ago that at one point has 67 million active monthly players and is owned by one of the richest video game companies in the world gets surpassed on views from a five month old game in early access that costs money is shocking. Not even Overwatch? Or Call of Duty, Battlefield, GTA 5, or CS:GO?

I wanted to talk about this because I always like reading and writing about the unpredictable news. It's always fun to look at the news that makes you raise an eyebrow and say "Huh?" Whether it be the releasing of a good Sonic, the future release of video game icon Mario shooting Rabbids X-COM style, AMD making a graphics card with 2 TB of memory, or others. And sure, PUBG was going to pass LoL in views eventually. But that fast?

The other reason I wanted to talk about this is because of how much I love to see smaller games hit big. Seeing games like PUBG and Rocket League staying on top selling charts is really cool. But this can even be seen on the console level with the Nintendo Switch selling extremely well (selling beyond the Nintendo lover demographic.) With contenders like Sony and Microsoft wielding more power and popular multiplayer titles being beaten by the Switch, which wields first party games and indies.

But getting back to the main subject, I am happy to see PUBG doing well. When the game came out, I ignored the game because I didn't want to play another Arma mod game. I didn't want to deal with the technical issues and game complexities that game is known for. But I am happy that I gave it a chance, and I am happy to see so many other people giving the game a chance as well. I hope the game sees more success along the way, and I hope that the under dogs of games continue to do well.

The position for the 2024 Olympics was given on July 31st, 2017 to Paris after its contender Los Angeles decided to host the 2028 Olympics. Before that, Paris hosted the 1900 and the 1924 Olympics, in which this upcoming Olympics would make it the third time the Olympics have been in the same city, which is the second city to host the Olympics three times(the first city to host three times is London.)

But being the second city to host three times is not the thing making news. What is making news about the Paris Olympics is that the Paris Olympic bid committee is considering the inclusion of e-sports as a medal-earning event at the Olympics. The co-president of the committee has been talking to e-sports representatives “to better understand what the process is and why it is such a success.” He also talks about the inclusion as a way to tap into the youth and get them interested in the Olympics.

This isn't the first time the Olympics have dipped their toes into e-sports. The Rio Olympics in 2016 ran exhibition matches during the Olympics, in which eight teams battled it out over Super Smash Bros. Wii and Smite. Also, the Asian games(similar to the Olympics, but just for Asia) will have exhibition matches in the 2018 games and will be a medal event by the 2022 games.

As a person who plays a good amount of video games(enough to write about them,) I must say that I really hope the Olympics do not include e-sports. Even if it makes the IOC(International Olympic Committee) more money, I really hope that they don't do this.

The biggest reason why I think competitive gaming should not go to the Olympics is the simple fact that it isn't real. It's all fake, it's all on a screen. I don't deny that their is skill to competitive gaming, it's just more of a mental set of skills instead of physical ones. Now the question may come up "what about events like curling, shooting, and others?" While those events won't give its participants six packs any time soon, their is still some physical exertion being given out. For example, curling requires great balance and curlers could find themselves walking for miles considering matches last for hours. Ultimately, it's that e-sports isn't a sport, as for the first thing that comes up in the definition of a sport is physical exertion(no, moving fingers do not count.)

Another reason I have for not including gaming into the Olympics is that it would taint the Olympics. Winning gold is quite a feat, but saying that someone won the gold from playing Hearthstone just doesn't feel right. Having video games in the Olympics opens the idea of adding other events and turns the Olympic gold from something only the best could get to something anyone could get. If we add gaming to the Olympics, then why stop there? Why not add board games, card games, cooking, and other everyday activities? To me, adding gaming to the Olympics is like adding Youtube videos to the Academy Awards.

The final reason I believe this shouldn't happen is because their are too many questions. What game would you choose? It seems that any game nowadays that has competitive multiplayer could be considered an option for e-sports. How do you choose? And what about speed racing? Do you include sports games considering the sport being played is most likely being played in real life at the Olympics? Do you reward the player the award or the character? And what about the games you don't choose? Do you cycle the games, keep the games with no new additions, or keep the games with additions? All of these questions could be answered if this thing rolls out, but I feel that their is no right answer to the questions I have or have not stated.

Since the 8th B.C., the Olympics have been a test of physicality and spirit for your region, and I think that losing reality to virtuality deters that belief.The Olympics have been a source of culture and tradition, and I believe that it shouldn't be broken from video games. I love video games, but I also have a level of respect for the Olympics and the people who participate in them. Do I believe new events should be added? Yes. I rock climb as an exercise, and seeing climbing as a new event in 2020 is really cool. Do I believe there should be a video game Olympics? Yes. Their are enough different games to be played competitively to make its own Olympics. Competitive gaming is challenging, and watching that competition like watching the Olympics could prove to be entertaining. But do I believe that video games should be in the Olympics? No. their are too many differences between the two, and just because it looks good on paper doesn't mean its good in practice. Just imagine being a soccer player who has trained countless years and has stayed in top physical shape, winning the gold, and learning that someone else also won the gold while playing soccer, but didn't have to lift is butt off of the chair to win that cherished prize.

Despite having over seventy-five hours into Breath of the Wild, I knew I was nowhere near completion of the game. So I have been wanting to get the guide book for this game and find out what I have been missing. It wasn't until yesterday that I picked up the book, so I decided to talk about it and go over some aspects of the book.

One of the first things I want to talk about is the general information of the book. The official guide book is about the size of a textbook with over 367 pages inside it. The book includes a table of contents messages from the producer and director of the game, guides and information on the game(duh,) a list of easter eggs and secrets in the game, some concept art, an index, and the credits. The book also includes a large two-sided poster which both sides are of the map. One sides shows where all of the korok seeds and locations are, and the other side shows where all of the shrines, towers, tech labs, stables, cities, and important locations are located. The cover is minimal, as for the front has no words and consists of Link climbing a cliff with a bridge, a river, a sky tower, and some mountain ranges in the background. The cliff side and Link have gloss on them, while the rest of the front doesn't. The back side of the book is a continuation of the scenery from the front, with the volcano, another sky tower, Hyrule Tower, and the Great Plateau making showcase. The spine is only place on the cover of the book where you find words, stating the title as well as "The complete official guide collector's edition." And just like the Microsoft E3 2017 press conference, I leave the price at the end, which is at forty USD from Barnes and Noble.

Going over the general information only, I am mixed on the book. The good side of this book is that the poster is informative, the cover is beautiful, the book seems filled with a ton of information, and the concept art is fun to look at. But the bad side of the book is the heavy price of forty dollars, which was a really big hurdle to jump over and kept me from getting this book for all of this time. But people don't buy books just for the cover(hopefully,) they buy it for what's inside the cover. And it's the pages inside this cover that determines whether those forty dollars is a good investment or a waste of money.

The information of the book doesn't start until page ten, but even in the pages before their is information to learn about the book. The first two pages are blank, page three is the table of contents, pages four and five are the notes from the director and producer, pages six and seven are a guide to how to use the guide book, pages eight and nine are chapter intro pages, and page ten is where the fun begins. The book is split into seven chapters: primer(the basics,) walkthrough(the main missions,) shrines, side quests, inventory, bestiary, and extras. The extras include completion rate, mini bosses, dragons, mini games, fairy fountains, and more.

I quickly went through primer and walkthrough, as for I already know all of that information. But anyone new coming to this game could find the information useful, as for the game doesn't explain that well what you can do. Also, the walkthrough could prove to be a great help in getting past difficult levels. But if you have already completed the main quests and know all of the basics, then these two sections won't be very helpful. The next chapter is about the shrines, and that is where this book really begins for me, as for I have not done every single shrine yet. The shrines are divided up by what region they are in, and include guides on how to get in, how to complete the shrine, how to get the chest that is inside the shrine, and how to get the quest if the shrine is tied with a shrine quest. Every two pages show around two to three shrine guides, as well as a map of where the shrines are and how close they are to the region sky tower. I thought the information they portrayed was excellent, as for it was very detailed on how to complete a shrine as well as how close it is to a tower so you can para glide to it. I tried completing one of the shrines with the book, and it worked out very well. It was easily explained and straight to the point, helped me get the chest, and even told me of a shortcut on how to complete it faster. Overall, I would say the shrine guide was great. The side quests section was very similar to the shrine section, but had one difference. The quests were shown by region like the shrines, but this one didn't have a map on each page. Instead, it showed the whole region and numbered off all of the areas on where to find the quests on the front of each region section. On the map at the front of each region section, it would show the map, the numbers on the map, and a legend of the quest named matched to each number as well as the page number on where the guide for that quest is. Again, the information they have on each quest is short, sweet, and to the point.

The next two chapters are pure info dumps on items and monsters. Chapter five goes over inventory, which includes armor, weapons, shields, bows and arrows, materials, foods, elixirs, and important items. All of these include other information that tie into these items such as added effects to food, bonuses to weapons, etc. Each of these lists also details selling price, durability, damage, availability, effects, and so much more. The information was handy for me on what materials I need to level up armor and where to find materials, but that was it. But this information is still handy for those who also cook foods and want to know the stats of weapons. Unfortunately, the information on all of these items were not in order, which made finding the info harder. The next chapter tackles the enemies in the game. Each page shows the stats of each type of enemy, including the different names and colors, rank, health, locations, items dropped, and extras like useful fighting tips and how the enemy fights. It also has a couple of pages for the bosses in the game, but that information is more useful in the walkthrough section. As someone who has already played the game a lot, I didn't find this information very helpful. But the information could prove helpful to new comers who need help learning how the enemies progress and learning their fighting styles.

The final chapter is all about the extras, which include talking about completion rate, fairy fountains, mini bosses, korok seeds(which that page refers you to the poster map,) mini games, Kilton the night trader, dragons, the compendium, secrets and easter eggs, and the concept art. There is a lot of information in this last section, and even the korok section still shows all of the different types of korok seed puzzles and how to complete them. I found this section to be the most informative, as for it showed me new aspects of the game I still didn't even know about. This section is the best for people who have already played the game, as for their is content in that section that will have the best chance of being new to previous players compared to all of the other sections. Overall, I found the information to be very detailed and to the point, as it should be. One thing I would have included though is a master checklist of everything to collect and upgrade.

But the big question is how useful is it? Will I be using it all the time or will it just collect dust? One of the biggest hurdles this book faces is the internet. There is no doubt all of this information can be found online. But despite this and the fact that the internet is generally easier to use than books, I found the book to be a bit more accessible. I am not going to lug around the book everywhere I go, but if I am playing the game at home, then I will use the book. It portrays more info, better info, and has guides that are faster for me to use than Youtube or any forum. I would say to use the book at home, then use the internet for when you play anywhere else and for any extra info like DLC.

So should you buy the book? It depends on how willing you are to spend forty dollars. I personally think it was a good buy because of its accessibility and its content that was unknown to me before. With the internet, it almost feels like you have to know what you are looking up to find what you are looking for. For example, I discovered that their are sixteen mini games in Breath of the Wild, and I would have never found out about those games without the book because I would have never looked up these mini games because I didn't know they existed. The book lays out all of the info right in front of you, whereas online only lays out the info you looked up. In the end, I would say this book is more helpful for new comers, but is better for non new comers. Me finding new info in the game from the book made the game slightly better, as for it shows just how dense and big the game is. Me being over seventy-five hours in and just discovering you can do tricks while surfing on my shield is crazy to me, and I love it. Their is good info for the new, maybe new info for the old, and slightly better accessibility for all. I found this plus a companion app to check off my progression good for me. But this isn't for everyone, and the biggest question you have to ask yourself is whether or not you want to put money down for this book and how much longer are you willing to play Breath of the Wild.

I decided to start a new series where I look over five games of the upcoming month that I am the most excited about. From now on I will do this list before the said month starts. I know I am a little late to do this now, but I will include games that have already released from the date I wrote this(August 4th) for this list. I will be putting this into blog form and not into list form unless requested. I will be referring to this list of releases here: https://www.vg247.com/2017/06/22/video-game-release-dates-2017/. Not all video game release lists are the same, so if you have a more accurate or better list, please put a link into the comments section and I will definitely consider using that list.

Here are the rules for this list: the game has to be released on at least one big system(PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch,) it has to be a new game(no re-release, remaster, etc.But I will count games coming out of early access,) the game has to be released in the said month(obviously,) and I will not be counting DLC. Occasionally, I might do a special item for various reasons. It will not count as part of the list, but is still something I wanted to say about the game. With the rules out of the way, let's get into the list.

5.LawBreakers

LawBreakers is an FPS action arena-based shooter made by Boss Key production and Cliff Bleszinski of Epic Games fame(though if you ask me, it's a hero-based shooter.) You play as one of multiple different characters as either the law or the breakers as you and the other team battle it out in the arena to prove which team is the best. It just so happens that the arena has some gravity problems on its hands, and soon you will find yourself floating around in a low-gravity area in the middle of the map. I got the chance to play the open beta, and I can say that this game is a good deal of fun. From the fun of low-gravity and the twists on classic game modes to the smallest of details like the ball in the blitzball mode having its own little personality and having different characters of the same class on different teams, LawBreakers could prove to be a successful multiplayer game. Sadly, I do not think this game will stand against giants like Player Unknown's Battlegrounds,Rocket League, and other popular multiplayer games because of its similarities to Overwatch. I'm not saying that comparisons to Overwatch is a bad thing, it's just that I personally don't think the different modes, characters, and gravity can be enough to get people who are done with Overwatch or are still playing Overwatch into the game.

4. Absolver

Absolver is a martial arts action game developed by Sloclap. You play as a Prospect who wants to join a group called the Absolvers. To become an Absolver, you must wander the world while fighting others and learn different fighting techniques and become powerful enough to join. From what I have seen, Absolver seems to be For Honor mixed with martial arts and put into an open world setting. But there is more to it than that. The world is full of NPCs as well as online people to fight, but you never know which one is which. But you can also have a co-op partner with you as well as you fight bad guys real and fake in the world or in dungeons for search of better loot. Also, you can do PvP arenas against another person or friend if you just want that experience. But what is most impressive is the amount of moves. The character can choose between four different stances and 180 different attack moves, which will all be put into an attack deck. This game has a lot of interesting and promising ideas, and hopefully can extract the good elements of For Honor to make this a great fighting game. But I also have a fear of bad elements of For Honor in this game as well such as vastly unfair fights if one side as more allies than the other. But the best way of finding out is waiting until August 29th and finding out if this game is any good.

3. Uncharted: Lost Legacy

Uncharted: Lost Legacy is an action-adventure game made by Naughty Dog and is a standalone spinoff game from the main Uncharted franchise. In this game, you play as Chloe from Uncharted 2, who is in search of the Tusk of Ganesh with Nadine Ross from Uncharted 4. Despite their rocky relationship, Chloe and Nadine work together against a warlord named Asav in search of this treasure. Despite being a spinoff, the game promises an adventure just as long as the main games and will include the survival mode and multiplayer mode from Uncharted 4. Despite the plot being the same as before, the choice of Chloe and Nadine was excellent, as for both are strong characters who are leaders more than followers. This conflict of similar traits will create tension between the two, and watching the game unfurl as they try to live with each other and a bond grow between the two, even if a reluctant one, will make the story and the characters just as good if not better then the main Uncharted titles. But what keeps this game from being first on this list is Uncharted 4. Personally, I thought Uncharted 4 ended the game well and it felt like a great way to wrap up both the story of Nathan Drake and the franchise as a whole. We will see if I am right or wrong on whether or not Uncharted should've been finished after 4 when Lost Legacy comes out on August 22nd.

2. Agents of Mayhem

Agents of Mayhem is a futuristic open world action game developed by Voalition. This game follows a group called M.A.Y.H.E.M.(Multinational AgencY for Hunting Evil Masterminds,) who are the spawn of the Saints and the Ultor Corporation from the Saints Row franchise are in a futuristic Seoul fighting the L.E.G.I.O.N.(League of Evil Gentlemen Intent on Obliterating Nations.) Agents of Mayhem seems to look like Saints Row but with improvements on the game its own . Much of the vulgarity is dropped, which I prefer as for it gets old after awhile. But this game isn't just set on making a better Saints Row. To me, it looks like it's trying to do something new and exciting with its future setting, large cast of playable characters, quick three swap character mechanic, easier traversal around the map, and making the protagonists be a somewhat hero in this game. Agents of Mayhem looks to be a lot of fun and takes on the hero shooter with its own single player Saints Row twist. Despite being really close to first place, the lack of co-op in this game is rather disappointing, considering it would work well in this game and the previous games have had co-op. But that won't hopefully deter the experience of the game for players as well as for me when it comes out August 15th.

1. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a turned-based tactical RPG developed by Ubisoft. The Rabbids have entered the Mushroom Kingdom, and it is up to Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, and four Rabbids dressed as the former stated characters to take back the kingdom and send those crazy rabbits back to wherever they came from. To say this is the weirdest and least expected game to come out of E3 2017 is an understatement in my opinion. I mean Mario, with Rabbids, in an XCOM-style game?! But in that weirdness is beauty, and Mario Rabbids may prove to be one of the better Switch games this year. Turned-based combat with cool mechanics to it like boosting characters with other characters and degrading cover, exploration around the kingdom, and co-op battle are a few things that get me excited for this game. I have little doubt that this game will turn out poorly, but we will have to see. It's so weird for me to see Luigi as a well-trained sniper, but that weirdness is something that makes me smile. I can't wait to kill Rabbids as Mario with a gun on August 29th.

Special: Slime Rancher

I didn't put this game on my list because I have already been playing it since late 2016, but Slime Rancher came out of early access on August 1st. This is a first person farming/exploration made by Monomi Park in which you play as a rancher named Beatrix Lebeau who travels a thousand light years away from Earth to the 'Far, Far Range,' which is a world full of slimes. Their, she makes a living wrangling slimes, exploring the land, and more. This game made me lose time unlike any other, as for one hour turned into five. This game gives you plenty to do, but everything you do is more of a personal quest than a given one, which is refreshing. The constant amount of things to do, fun places to explore, and simple management of slimes, all wrapped up in a cute art style makes this a fun and happy game to play.

There is my list of anticipated games for this month. Just like any Youtube list maker, I pass on the mic to anyone who disagrees with my list or has their own in the comments section. We'll see if these games turn out for the better as the month rolls on, but only time will tell.

While looking through the steam store, I saw that Lawbreakers was on the store and was running an open beta. So I decided to peek my head into the game to see how the game was. After 75 minutes of gameplay, here are some bullet points I have to say about the game.

-The biggest thing I noticed about the game was the similarities to Overwatch. The game essentially felt like a fast-paced Overwatch with low gravity. From the different classes to the way you unlock cosmetics and earn currency to the simple controls and active and ultimate abilities, this game screamed Overwatch.

-There are a total of nine different classes in the game, ranging from an assassin with a blade to an enforcer with an assault rifle. Each character felt unique, yet I didn't feel the need to build a proper team. I didn't feel like the team needed one health, support, etc. to win the game. Fortunately, I didn't feel that one character was vastly overpowered to any other characters, but I will probably soon be wrong on that. I think a sniper class would be a great addition to the game, as for some of the maps feel pretty big and having the low gravity with snipers could prove to be a lot of fun. Each character has a different sprint ability, side ability(like a grenade, trap, etc.) and ultimate ability similar to Overwatch.

- The map layouts and sizes are varied and fun to traverse, but all have one thing in common: a low gravity center with normal gravity on each side of the map(there are other small similarities like health stations and whatnot.)

-Their are four different game modes as of now: uplink, blitzball, turf war, and overcharge. Uplink involves bringing an uplink to your base and defending it until it reaches 100%. Overcharge is very similar to Uplink except if the battery is stolen, whatever percentage charge it is at stays at that charge and can be used against you. Blitzball is about bringing a ball from the middle of the map to the enemy base. Turf war was the only mode that felt different to me and was my favorite. It is domination but with a twist. When you capture a point, the point is yours and is locked, so no one can capture. Once all of the points are captured, they all reset and you do the same thing.

-The leveling up in the game is very similar to Overwatch. When you level up, you get a loot crate, which contains cosmetic items. These include a profile picture, stickers for your gun, a boot print for if you kill someone with a kick, skins for your character and gun, and others.

-Miscellaneous:

-I like how every class has two characters: one for each team. It would feel a little weird playing the same character as both the law man and the law breaker.

-The ball in blitzball actually talks and is kinda charming.

-While I think shooting behind your back is cool, the chances of you even thinking about using that as an effective tool of killing is slim.

-Did I mention this is like Overwatch? Because this is definitely like Overwatch.

Is Lawbreakers fun? Yes, I have enjoyed the time I have had with it. Its fast-paced action keeps you on your toes and its low gravity puts an interesting twist on the game. But the strong feeling on Overwatch will most likely cut my time short with the game. I have already played a good amount of Overwatch, and even I was done with that game after a certain amount of time, so the chances of me continually playing this game are small. But if this game adds more interesting modes, maps, and characters, then I could see myself picking up a copy and enjoying the game, even if it is for a short amount of time.

For those who don't know, "Ready Player One" is a book written by Ernest Cline that is being adapted into a movie. The book is about a future where the world is being neglected and everyone is using a vr system called 'The Oasis.' The creator of the vr system died and has left an easter egg in the game in which unraveling it will reward the solver the entirety of his company and all of his wealth. Also, the creator loved the 80s, so crazy amounts of 80s nostalgia litters the book. The book follows a teen boy who has cracked the first part of the easter egg five years after the announcement of it and is on the quest of completing the easter egg before an evil corporation gets to it first.

Personally, I thought the book was great. Despite some cheesy dialogue that made the characters feel like the stereotype of video games from people who don't play video games, the book had good characters, a fun story, and a fantastic setting both virtual and realistic. It's a fun read and I would recommend picking up a copy.

But back to business. And that business being what I meant by "this is it." The trailer for a "Ready Player One" movie was released recently, and watching it put a question into mind. Is this it? Is this going to be the first good video game movie?

Now before I begin, I know this isn't technically a video game movie. This is a book movie. But the constant references to real video games as well as the heavy emphasis of video games in the book almost makes it a video game movie. So for the sake of this blog, I am going to refer to this movie as a video game movie.

I loved the trailer to "Ready Player One." I totally thought this book would be impossible to pull off as a movie, but this trailer says otherwise. With its impressive visuals, great action, tonal change from serious to light-hearted (as the book does,) the cool characters, the music, and of course, the loads of 80s culture, this trailer was meant to amaze. Now I did see some inaccuracies with the trailer compared to the book. This is all based off memory, so I could be wrong, but I didn't remember there being a race, and I know for sure he didn't live in the stacks in Columbus. But the Columbus part should hopefully be fixed and at worst be something minor in the story. As for the race, well if it is as good as it looks, then I would happily turn a blind eye to the book for that. But other than that, I can't wait for this movie to come out.

Despite it being a video game movie(for the sake of this blog,) and that the few big actors in the movie are put into smaller roles that I personally don't believe fit them, I honestly believe this movie has hopes of being good. It's got THE Steven Spielberg as the director and it even has the writer of the book Ernest Cline as a writer. With a mixture of the story and setting of the book, the directing power of Spielberg, and Cline to keep the movie in line, "Ready Player One" just may be the video game movie to end the bad-video-game-movie curse.

It's kinda sad to see the closest chance we may have to a good video game movie is actually based off of a book, but by now it's whatever we can get. I really hope "Ready Player One" is a great film not just for video game movies, but for the book as well. Sadly, we will have to wait until March 30, 2018 to find the answer, but if more time means a better movie, then so be it. This story is no easy feat to make into a movie, but with Spielberg and Cline behind, I believe their just may be a chance.

For those who don't know, "Ready Player One" is a book written by Ernest Cline that is being adapted into a movie. The book is about a future where the world is being neglected and everyone is using a vr system called 'The Oasis.' The creator of the vr system died and has left an easter egg in the game in which unraveling it will reward the solver the entirety of his company and all of his wealth. Also, the creator loved the 80s, so crazy amounts of 80s nostalgia litters the book. The book follows a teen boy who has cracked the first part of the easter egg five years after the announcement of it and is on the quest of completing the easter egg before an evil corporation gets to it first.

Personally, I thought the book was great. Despite some cheesy dialogue that made the characters feel like the stereotype of video games from people who don't play video games, the book had good characters, a fun story, and a fantastic setting both virtual and realistic. It's a fun read and I would recommend picking up a copy.

But back to business. And that business being what I meant by "this is it." The trailer for a "Ready Player One" movie was released recently, and watching it put a question into mind. Is this it? Is this going to be the first good video game movie?

Now before I begin, I know this isn't technically a video game movie. This is a book movie. But the constant references to real video games as well as the heavy emphasis of video games in the book almost makes it a video game movie. So for the sake of this blog, I am going to refer to this movie as a video game movie.

I loved the trailer to "Ready Player One." I totally thought this book would be impossible to pull off as a movie, but this trailer says otherwise. With its impressive visuals, great action, tonal change from serious to light-hearted (as the book does,) the cool characters, the music, and of course, the loads of 80s culture, this trailer was meant to amaze. Now I did see some inaccuracies with the trailer compared to the book. This is all based off memory, so I could be wrong, but I didn't remember there being a race, and I know for sure he didn't live in the stacks in Columbus. But the Columbus part should hopefully be fixed and at worst be something minor in the story. As for the race, well if it is as good as it looks, then I would happily turn a blind eye to the book for that. But other than that, I can't wait for this movie to come out.

Despite it being a video game movie(for the sake of this blog,) and that the few big actors in the movie are put into smaller roles that I personally don't believe fit them, I honestly believe this movie has hopes of being good. It's got THE Steven Spielberg as the director and it even has the writer of the book Ernest Cline as a writer. With a mixture of the story and setting of the book, the directing power of Spielberg, and Cline to keep the movie in line, "Ready Player One" just may be the video game movie to end the bad-video-game-movie curse.

It's kinda sad to see the closest chance we may have to a good video game movie is actually based off of a book, but by now it's whatever we can get. I really hope "Ready Player One" is a great film not just for video game movies, but for the book as well. Sadly, we will have to wait until March 30, 2018 to find the answer, but if more time means a better movie, then so be it. This story is no easy feat to make into a movie, but with Spielberg and Cline behind, I believe their just may be a chance.