I read that From Software’s Demon’s Souls was “tough, but fair”. I’d have to disagree. I’d say that it’s “tough and mostly fair”. I had the misconception of believing that Demon’s Souls was more like another “tough, but fair” game, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, but it doesn’t have nearly the consistency. I’d like to understand the rules of a game and see those rules upheld as I progress though the game. Unfortunately Demon’s Souls didn’t do that.

My deaths in Demon’s Souls can be categorized as follows:

• Due to recklessness
• Due to unforeseen circumstances
• Due to inconsistencies

Reckless deaths were my fault and mine alone. I either didn’t heed the warnings left by other travelers or I underestimated the relentlessness of the enemies. Sometimes I died without the warning from enemies or other players, so I attributed those uncommon deaths as “unforeseen circumstances”. That may seem frustrating, but it wasn’t for me — I considered it part of the learning process.

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How many months has it been since Heavy Rain was released? And I still haven’t had the game spoiled? That must be a record of some kind with all the GAF I subject myself to. Heavy Rain lives and dies by its surprises and if it were spoiled, I don’t think I would have enjoyed nearly as much as I did.

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Square Enix tried hard to define what a modern Final Fantasy game should be. They had their own definition and if your’s didn’t align with their’s, you may not be so receptive of Final Fantasy XIII. Fortunately for them, our definitions were very similar.

The worries about the lack of towns — where I can frolic and converse with townsfolk with — would have been an area of concern if Square Enix created worthwhile characters to converse with in the past. I treated their towns like a dungeon which housed walking treasure chests. I walk up to them press the X button a few times and hope for some morsel of valuable info — most of the time it was useless junk like that 100 HP potion I’d never use.

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After 63 hours of play time, my enjoyment of Bad Company 2‘s multiplayer has yet to diminish.

Playing with fellow GAF players results in numerous victories. My personal win/loss record is approaching 2:1 and it’s all thanks to competent teamwork. I’ve also begun playing more Rush games with the GAF squad and they’ve become a lot more bearable.

Since the last update, I’ve also obtained the Platinum Trophy for Bad Company 2. It wasn’t easy or enjoyable, but it did allow me to try “boosting” for the first time. The “Knife 5 friends” and “kill 20 people via Demolition 2.0″ Trophies were brutal. I don’t know why the designers thought these objectives were fun. Trying to obtain these in a “real game” would be detriment to everyone else who is playing.

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After investing so much time with “the only reason to pick up a Battlefield game”, I decided to take crack open the included single player campaign. My immediate reaction was: “It’s not bad.”. In fact, I think it could help players with the multiplayer aspect of the game, or at least give them a peek at what’s to come. It wasn’t as polished as other shooters and it certainly wasn’t an original scenario, but it had its charms.

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Just over the 20 hour mark with the multiplayer mode. I’m now level 16 and just obtained the Magnum Ammo and 12 Gauge Slugs perks. After using the Magnum Ammo for for a few hours, I finally feel that I’m on par with other high level players now. I totally understand how others can mow me down so quickly with the Magnum Ammo perk. That thing is magnificent.

I think DICE has their unlock system upside down. It doesn’t make sense to reward those who’ve invested more time with the shooting mechanics more powerful perks to increase their proficiency. The Magnum Ammo (or Stopping Power) should have been a base level perk like it was in Call of Duty 4 or Modern Warfare 2. Give those who have spent more time honing their skills the longevity perks such as additional ammo or explosives. What will a newcomer do with four additional clips of ammo when he’ll be taken down by a level 26 player with two bursts of the M16 equipped with Magnum Ammo with ease.

I’ve only just started playing as the Recon class simply because my Thompson is now competent weapon with Magnum Ammo. I refuse to sit back and use a sniper rifle when I could be throwing out motion sensors and helping out my team capture points.

I still primarily play Conquest mode. I’ve tried giving Rush mode more chances, but it’s just not a mode that works for me. I still feel it is a mode which highlights the weaknesses of the game design. Maybe I’ll revisit it after DICE makes some changes to it, but for now it’s all Conquest all the time.

In the “Making of God of War III” bonus video, game director Stig Asmussen stated that he wanted this game to be one of the games “define the generation”. Having finished the final chapter of Kratos’ epic tale, I’d say he and Santa Monica Studios succeeded. I thought the game was going to be God of War II with an extra coat of PlayStation 3 paint, but I was wrong. On the surface, it can be viewed as such, but under that gorgeous layer of HD graphics was an action game offering a level interactivity which was both familiar and liberating. From beginning to end, this game entertained and one that I want to revisit time and time again.

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