Finally.

After having Amazon dick around with shipping for my copy of the Limited Edition Halo: Reach, I finally canceled my order the moment I saw it for the same price at Best Buy.  Picked it up and now I've Halo: Reach and Alpha Protocol to play through.

Amazon.  We're still friends, but we're having a spat.  I'll call you next week when I'm less mad at you.

Yep.

What I've been doing.

Playing Professor Layton and the Curious Village on my pink (yes, it's pink) DS Lite.

Playing Killing Floor after the new update.  The mac10 makes me play firebug.  It's awesome.

WoW.  You don't want to hear about that.

Played the demo for Sol Survivor.  Unimpressed.  Just another tower defense game.  It looks OK but it was largely boring.

Played the demo for another game called Blade Kitten.  Dumb name aside, it's a total throw back to the 2d style action games.  Reminds me a lot of Strider.  I like it and I think I'm going to buy it.  I highly suggest you try the demo.

The Sacrifice review. *"The Passing" spoilers contained within*

  The Sacrifice.  The new Left 4 Dead campaign for both games.  I have to say that I was a little disappointed after playing this.  First of all, I didn't hear about this until the other night, and second of all, I did no research prior to playing it, not out laziness, but instead I had an opportunity to approach this with little to no knowledge of what the update actually entailed.  I think it put me in a unique position to have my expectations dashed by what I wanted this to be, and what it actually was.  When I heard that it was a campaign for both games, I had hoped that there would be two sides of this campaign that we could play.  One part in the first game where I could play as the original "Tango Mikes" as they were referred to in the online comic which I read between playing the campaign on L4D & L4D2 (which I'm not sure what it's supposed to mean because "Tango Mike" usually means Thanks Much but I must digress), and the second part a role for the new survivor's in the second game, however this was very much not the case.  It was the same campaign, for both games.  This appears to be Valve's try at supporting both games, and give those that bought the original but haven't picked up the second some of that extra content that Valve promised oh so long ago, but it has left a sour taste in my mouth, even though I have both.  I feel that it's not so much Valve supporting L4D1, but more that L4D1 is getting hand-me-downs from the real star of the show, L4D2.  It was the same exact campaign, but when I ran it on L4D2 it looked nicer, had more weapons, and of course had melee weapons.  Sadly overall this campaign, I feel, doesn't live up to the past campaigns that Valve has added to the L4D series, like Crash, or The Passing.  Granted Crash Course I don't recall adding anything to the series, The Passing gave us a chance to run into the original survivor's, revealed to us the death of Bill, gave us the Survivor zombie, and all new survivor dialogue.  A hard act to follow surely, and this could have been something great, but it's a one trick pony and anti climactic as we already know because of The Passing what has happened.  No new zombies, no new weapons, no new dialogue which I have to point out was the real annoyance while playing as Francis and trying to tell my teammates that there was a DeFib kit and all Francis would say was "Stop".  

I must say however, when that moment comes at the end of the campaign, the game play is very tense but ultimately left me unfulfilled. I can't suggest 360 owners buy this, unless you're absolutely starving for another map.  Spend your 560 MS points elsewhere.

Valve, I love you but I'm not impressed and that makes me sad.

The Dante redesign.

    Dante appeared on the scene in 2001 sporting the trench coat, white hair, and enough leather where it would be safe to assume he has a safe word.  However, the trench coat is is tried and true classic look has lent it's stylish look to such legendary character's as Neo of The Matrix, Rorschach of Watchmen, Humphrey Bogart's Rick Blaine of Casablanca, and Inspector Clouseau of the Pink Panther films just to name a few. It's flowing brilliant crimson beauty certainly helped gamers everywhere fall in love with the fearless private detective and part time mercenary as he flashed across the screen destroying demonic puppets, monsters and shadow creatures alike.  His smartass remarks, flowing combat styles, and fashion sense have certainly secured him a soft spot in my heart for years to come.

    Now Ninja Theory's redesign of the Japanese character that westerners have come to love has received a lot of flack for it's move to a more hipster/emo vibe.  I just want to say that the criticism, in my opinion, is well deserved.  They are throwing out a timeless look and replacing it with the current trends of the youth of today.  Imagine if you will, if Dante was wearing a tie dye t-shirt and bell bottoms, or a basketball jersey and pants sagging below his ass or any other number of ridiculous fashions the youth have come to wear over the years.  Maybe they can sell custom skins for Dante to better market the game to people of differing fashion styles.  Naruto head-band Dante for the Otaku.  Bullet proof vest, jeans and a baseball cap Dante, for the 50 cent fans.  Leopard costume Dante for the furries out there.   Last but not least, Aquaman Dante, for the DC comic fans out there with bad taste in comic book heroes.

    I can't say if this new look, will influence anyone to actually purchase DMC, but what I can tell you is that I wont be buying it.  Why?  Because this isn't Devil May Cry.  That character isn't Dante, and Ninja Theory isn't exactly the best studio for reviving a damaged series like Devil May Cry.  I am not saying it will be bad.  What I am saying is that the cards are stacked against them.  If I hear that the game is worth playing, I'll rent it.  However, I'll be voting against this new Dante redesign the only way game companies can hear me.  With my money.

   

Played Dead Rising.

I sat down and played the first Dead Rising for about an hour yesterday while out of town and staying with a friend.  I think I'm going to pick it up for cheap now.  Will post more later.