Oh, the world warriors!

Enough of this nonsense, on to the backlog!

Frankenstein's monster entices us with his modelling skills.

Aaron

I’ve been on a major Mass Effect 2 bender for the past week and a half. It was time for me to finally finish the review I started back in February, which was a humbler, simpler time. Ah, February of 2010…it feels so long ago. So if you haven’t read the review yet, and you’re into reading about games that are far removed from the normal news cycle, go look at it. Shameless self-promotion isn’t something I do often, so you should all feel privileged.

Outside of gallivanting across the universe with Shepard and Co. (sounds like a wonderful manufacturing company, doesn’t it?), I’ve had a wonderful time playing Splinter Cell: Conviction with my friend Matt. (He asked for a shout-out, so he gets one.) We completed the co-op story on realistic difficulty at 11:30 last night, and the process was extremely fast considering we’ve played a lot of the game lately. The cooperative experience is very satisfying in Conviction. I recommend it.

Nick and I also started Borderlands’ The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned this week. We played only two or so hours of it, but what I’ve seen was refreshing to say the least. As much as we liked Borderlands, we didn’t love it. Our review demonstrates that fact. So it pleases me to discover that Zombie Island has a radically different design palette than the core game because all of the original’s browns and grays are dull and uninteresting.

Oh, I also downloaded the trial for Guild Wars. I don’t know why. There’s a nine-hour limit on it. Aside from timed Xbox Live demos, I don’t think I’ve heard of such a short (read: pointless) length of time for a demo — MMOs generally do a week to 10 day free trial, which is much more fair to the experience.

And…and…a friend gave me a beta key for StarCraft II last night. I’ve installed the program, but have yet to run it. Sunday is when I’m supposed to partake in online combat alongside this friend. We’ll see how bad I suck in 2v2. Details to follow.

PES 2010 not only plays well on the pitch, but gets so many details right off of it.

Doug

Time is on my side this week. I’ve been able to get in a lot of PES 2010 this week — enough to start going through withdrawals whenever I can’t get a hit every four hours — and a bit of Forza Motorsport 3 as well.

I’ve finally wrapped my head around how to play really well in PES, and also how to find what I’m looking for in the menu structure. While I’m glad for the changes Konami’s made to the game, it took a while to dig through and translate things to my existing Winning Eleven/PES vocabulary. Many of the changes have been for the better — the new scouting format is thorough and a great extension of the way one would previously find new players for your team. As well, the creation of a “youth team” to filter regenerated players into your squad is much, much better than trying to look at a “new players” page in WE9. It retains the features PES’ Master League featured in the past, while adding new twists and a fresh coat of paint.

It’s hard to say that Forza 3 is an old friend, but it’s been around since October…which is and isn’t a long time in gaming. Jumping back in to Forza, I rediscovered both how fun the game engine is, how expansive and creative the paint editor allows you to be, and how much fun it can be to race online.

Speaking of racing online, the demo for Activision and Bizarre Creations’ Blur is out on Xbox Live, and it’s really, really damned fun. Think Bizarre’s previous series, Project Gotham Racing, mixed with Mario Kart’s frantic pace and use of weapons. The “boosts” in Blur are a bit less cartoony than the Nintendo series’ shells and banana peels, but just as effective; more importantly you can stock up three of them at once and switch between them at the fly. The game has real cars and glitzy circuits inspired by real locales, but — most importantly — has multiplayer modes hosting up to 10 players to race and talk shit and have fun. I played for an hour or so a couple nights ago with friends, and it was awesome.

Lastly, Nick and I headed in to downtown Portland to play at Ground Kontrol’s Rock Band Tuesday this week, but I think we’ll have more on that at a later time.

T. Hawk finally returns to the series, but it's not as though anyone really missed him. Dude's a jerk.

Nick

I can’t fathom why Blazers fans are still mourning their team’s loss in the first round of the playoffs. Sure, it’s a tragic ending for an underdog team with so much potential, but that’s in the past! Like, several-days-ago past! Everyone should be pumped to the bejesus because, as of this week, Street Fighter season is officially underway. And thanks to a stellar re-balanced reissue in Super Street Fighter IV, the series has never been in finer form. And all you holdouts and naysayers ought to listen up, because there’s never been a better time to dig into one of the deepest and most rewarding fighting games out there.

With its robust matchmaking features and variety of online play modes, Super Street Fighter IV makes it easier than ever to hop online and get your ass thoroughly kicked within seconds. But thanks to a relatively simple moveset with untold layers of depth and a pretty good training mode, you’ll be picking up the nuances of combat after just a few matches. You’ll begin to learn how to read enemies and to get a sense for what moves counter which attacks. And most importantly, you’ll get a sense for what makes a decades-old fighting game still feel so fun and fresh — and if you’re like me, you’ll find the allure hard to resist.

So go grab a copy — it’s a mere $40, after all — and hop on Xbox Live so you and I can throw down on a match or two. Feel free to send any fight requests to whymog; I’m always eager for a match.

Well, it was fun while it lasted.

With December and its myriad holidays out of the way, everybody’s got something to keep them busy. Doug’s back to work on his master’s program, Aaron has transformed into a job-applying machine, and I’ve thankfully found a job once again. Unfortunately, that means we all have a whole lot less time to be playing games, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to turn a blind eye to our sacred obligation to Silicon Sasquatch. Don’t worry! We’ve got a couple great articles that are almost ready for publication, and we’re anticipating a full run of content next week.

In the meantime, here’s what we’ve been keeping ourselves busy with.

Aaron wouldn't say 'I ain't afraid of no ghosts': he has much less bravado toward specters than you might think.

Aaron:

Now, the game I actually have something say about is Ghostbusters: The Video Game. Maybe it’s because I only paid a meager $12.99 at GameFly’s used game store (with free shipping), but I can’t help but like what I’ve seen. I’m perhaps halfway though the story now, and while the camera and controls are a bit rough around the edges, Ghostbusters is pure fun for fans of the movies. It’s by no means perfect, and that’s fine. The humor is there, the attention to detail in the firehouse headquarters is there, the proton packs are spot-on and the thrill of catching a ghost in a trap still makes me giggle just like my 6-year-old self used to with my toy Nerf proton pack and authentic jumpsuit. Ghostbusters is simple fun layered over a strong IP, and I truly hope Atari gives Terminal Reality another shot in future sequel. Maybe when the third movie finally (maybe) sees release next year, a tie-in game could coincide with the film’s debut.

In case you'd like some added context, here's what's happening. Man on the left: "Colonel! What have you been hiding from me!?" Man in giant robot: "Snaaaaaaaaaaake!"

Doug:

Much like Aaron, I’m just going to list out most of what I played over our holiday break because, being a degenerate graduate student, I had almost nothing productive to do between Thanksgiving and this week, when classes re-started up in earnest. Because that means a lot of time to play games, I’m just going to cut the fat and go list-happy.

I finished Brütal Legend (which seemed like it lost its storytelling steam a bit at the very end) and am close to finishing Batman: Arkham Asylum (trap-laden gargoyles are my kryptonite right now). I almost have what the gentlemen at Giant Bomb would term an “S-rank” (or 1000/1000 achievement score) on Forza Motorsport 3, which I also did a lot of online racing on during the break. I was definitely happy to hit Level 50 in that game and get the last gifted car.

The only game really worth the meagre Xbox Live sale over the holiday break was Marvel vs. Capcom 2, which was marked down to almost 60 percent off the regular list price and is worth every penny. Better than arcade-perfect, with every character unlocked from the start and online multiplayer capable? Yes, please. I also received a kind gift in the form of Shadow Complex, which scratches my Metroid-vania itch in so many ways. Definitely one of the best Xbox 360-only games of last year.

Lastly, my sports game fix has come in two forms — first, as part of multiple trips to downtown Portland old-school arcade Ground Kontrol, I’ve fulfilled my basketball jones by playing a bunch of NBA Jam. Nick and I (and friend of the site Andrew) went to GK on New Year’s Eve, and besides crushing the X-Men 6-player arcade game, the most fun had was running the two-man game with the Blazers on NBA Jam. The other sports game I picked up was, finally, Pro Evo Soccer 2010…which definitely lives up to the expectations I had for it based off my playtime with the demo. It may not be as pretty as FIFA 10, but it provides a much more challenging and fulfilling soccer experience. Crank the difficulty all the way up and enjoy smart AI in a sports game for once.

The story of a witch, her hair, and gratuitous almost-nudity. This is gonna be awkward.

Nick:

As a test to see who’s interested in the blog, I offered up a vote on our Facebook page to ask people which game they’d rather see me purchase and review first: Demon’s Souls or Bayonetta. Although there was support for both, Bayonetta got the nod and I picked up a copy last night. While I’ve only had time to play about ten minutes of the game, those ten minutes were extraordinarily promising. I just hope the game’s rampant, bizarre sexuality doesn’t weird out my friends and loved ones.

The majority of my free time has been spent on — yeah, you guessed it — Dragon Age: Origins. I keep thinking I’m getting close to the end, and then another 15-hour sequence of quests pops up. I’m absolutely enamored with the game, so I think I won’t have any complaints if it turns out the game just never ends.

We were called back to life by the gods of Olympus to fight through a terrible side-scrolling action game "classic". Let death be quick and merciful.

Welcome back to the show, everyone! We’ve been absent for a couple months, but the whole gang is eager to start producing shows on a more regular basis.

Because we’ve been negligent in recording over such a critical period of time for major game releases, this episode features us playing catch-up on the infamous fourth quarter onslaught of top-tier blockbuster games — and it doesn’t even cover all the bases.

Initially, we’d planned on a show with three thirty-minute segments:

1. Reflections on the games of the past few months
2. A debrief on the controversies surrounding Modern Warfare 2 (“No Russian,” lack of dedicated server support on PC)
3. A look ahead at the major releases waiting in the first quarter of 2010

After more than two hours of discussion, we only made it through part two. That was when we decided it was best to call it a night and give people a chance to actually listen to this episode.

We’re hoping to get together and record the final portion of this discussion soon, but this hefty hunk of Sasquatch-y goodness ought to provide you plenty of entertainment and keep you warm at night. Let us know what you think, and thanks for listening!

Aaron:

Let’s get the praise out of the way: Borderlands is a monumental success, a title overflowing with charm, style, solid combat and addictive gameplay.

And now, the condemnation: Despite its quality, Borderlands’ longevity is questionable upon subsequent playthroughs. What was so impressive at first becomes a chore later on. If I were an economist I might call this a case of diminishing returns; however, numbers scare me.

It seems desperate to scan for criticisms after spending over 35 hours on one game. But in the end, Gearbox’s accomplishment in creating a polished loot-fest for consoles is a fleeting bit of impressive technical fancy.

That’s not to say Borderlands isn’t worth purchasing. You’ll enjoy it, and your money will have been well spent. Day after day, you’ll keep coming back to look for the next elusive upgrade. Maybe that Badass Brawler will drop a revolver with a 2.2x magnification scope that can rapid fire corrosive bullets in a fraction of the time your last gun took. Or you might pick up some chump change and a health pack. Don’t be alarmed by the game’s subtle insistence on gambling your time away: You’ll find yourself playing “just a little more” to find the next big cache. That’s the point.

Shootin' at the dock of the bay

Borderlands is unequivocal gun pornography — a sensory overload of randomized statistics packed into each computationally different piece of ballistic hardware. That’s what made Diablo so successful. That’s why, to this day, the press and the fans refer to any game containing random treasures and frantic mouse-click combat (or controller trigger depressions in the case of Borderlands) as being Diablo-like. Gearbox even added a reference to Blizzard’s franchise with an enemy named Rakkinishu, a fully modeled pun of a classic Diablo II enemy. Its loot: a cracked sash. If you don’t get the joke, Borderlands might be the most original game of the past 10 years for you. Just remember that PC gamers have been slaughtering hordes and filling relic coffers since 1996.

Yet the Diablo parallels aren’t a negative trait. That pedigree, one valuing the pursuit of loot above all else (and the belief that all classes are created equal until skill points are allocated), is the strongest aspect of Borderlands. This game is a nod to the tradition of obsessive item collecting coupled with deep action-RPG elements. It works because the concept has always worked iteration after iteration, and it’s somehow fun every single time. Though to be fair, I can’t think of another FPS title that so perfectly incorporates the isometric stylings of the Diablo franchise into a shooter’s ground-level perspective.

How else can we dissect a title so obvious in its goals? If you can’t find joy in the slaughter of thousands of enemies and the endless hunt for better gear with a few friends, Borderlands isn’t for you.

The vehicles, while a bit awkward, certainly pack a punch

Nick:

Never underestimate the importance of a good ending. No matter the faults a game may have in structure or design, a great narrative escalation leading up to a satisfying conclusion can accommodate for any number of hiccups along the way.

Unfortunately, when an excellent game is tethered to a half-hearted final sequence with not even the slightest hint of closure — not to mention no sign of what’s to come in a sequel — the player is left with such a sour feeling that there’s no way in hell they’re returning to that same game environment.

Borderlands falls squarely in the second category. Despite its brilliantly calculated pacing, engaging variety of firearms and intense-but-rarely-unfair combat, the thirty or so hours it took me to arrive at the vault on Pandora felt entirely negated by the abortive conclusion. It’ll ruin nobody’s enjoyment of the game to explain that the final boss is located at the vault; you kill it, it drops some inconspicuous loot, and…that’s it. The mysterious windswept lady says you can go sell the vault key for some money and it’ll be openable again two hundred years down the line. There you go. Time to start a second playthrough, right?

Wrong. For such a brilliant Diablo-like game, Borderlands missed one crucial component: A gripping conclusion. It’s the part that tugs not just at your brain’s obsessive impulses but at its emotional receptors as well. Why did anyone go back and play through Diablo 1 on Nightmare or Hell after killing the prime evil himself? Because in order to truly defeat him, the hero had to take on his curse — and we all know that can’t last forever. It makes the prospect of a repeat playthrough exciting because a sequel is inevitable, and the ending (admittedly poor as it was in the first game) was enough compulsion to add purpose to a second venture into the abyss.

Skills = kills

Diablo II did an even better job with the betrayal of Marius at the hands of Baal. Even though Diablo was once again killed, his soulstone remained — allowing Baal to deceive Marius, murder him in cold blood, and begin his march toward Mount Arreat and the ominous Worldstone. With an expansion imminent, Diablo II offered plenty of reason to keep venturing back throughout the world of Sanctuary in search of better loot, more robust skills and more challenging duels. And it’s probably safe to say that its expansion, Lord of Destruction, wouldn’t still have the massive fanbase it holds today without a similarly compelling conclusion: Tyrael’s destruction of the World Stone and the unpredictable, dramatic future that would follow. While Diablo is undoubtedly the genre-defining series for hack ‘n slash RPGs, it very likely would have lost its place at the top to other admirable contenders (Titan Quest, Sacred, Torchlight) without having developed a solid purpose and alluring narrative within the world of Sanctuary.

They may look like great hosts, but bandits really aren't your friends

The thirty-odd hours I spent with Borderlands were an absolute blast. Whether going it solo or with a group of friends, the game scaled intelligently and always provided something fun to do or exciting to kill. But I realize now that I was only enjoying the raw design of the game, and not the Borderlands mythology itself. Even the world itself is devoid of character; while its sarcasm is deeply entrenched in the characters and missions themselves, and it certainly benefits the game, it’s no substitute for a real soul or purpose.

Gearbox demonstrated a first-class understanding of what makes gamers tick, and what makes playing a game with friends fun. They nailed the science — and the next time around, with any luck, they’ll discover the soul as well.

Borderlands is available for a suggested retail price of $59.99 on the Xbox 360 and PS3, and for $49.99 on the PC. The reviewers completed the story mode, and each began a second playthrough that adds different enemies and more difficult encounters. The multiplayer was tested throughout much of the game in varying numbers of two to four participants.

Recommended for:

• White-knuckle, trigger-depressing action
• The lack of shame in being a total loot fest
• An initial sense of style and humor that separates Borderlands from other titles
• A drop-in/drop-out multiplayer mechanic that makes the concept look easy
• Those with a lot of friends

Not Recommended for:

• A lack of longevity — it’s great while it lasts, but who cares about getting to level 50? (Aside from me. – Aaron)
• The ending: a complete letdown that nearly ruins the earlier fun of getting there
• It’s almost there, but not quite — Gearbox showed a lot of potential here, but missteps in the tone and pacing of the game after a wonderful honeymoon period make for a bit of head-scratching

Read our policy on reviews here

Get it? Because the only two games that the three of us played were Borderlands and Forza Motorsport 3? And the Audi R8 is the cover model for Forza?

Oh, whatever. You try using Photoshop on an old laptop without a mouse, you jerk.

Claptrap: The face (and number one dancing sensation) of the Borderlands.

Aaron:

I…I finished Borderlands in two days and change. Final hour count? 33.

It’s been an extremely long time since I’ve powered through a game, in a short timespan, without any thought of my own health — social or otherwise (i.e., the whitening of my already milky skin). My last foray into the Basement Dweller’s lifestyle was freshman year of college. The saucy minx that caused me to neglect social responsibilities for 32 hours of my Friday through Sunday was a dame by the name of Knights of the Old Republic II.

Windows darkened by drawn blinds, a once-open dormitory door locked shut…a rationed supply of instant mac and cheese. The horrors that occurred in Decou 105 that weekend are still shared in tense whispers today. Or, more likely, they’re talking about the drug dealer who had an operation going on our third floor. Doug remembers!

Thanks to Borderlands’ co-operative nature, I played with a few different friends throughout my weekend gaming spree; I definitely don’t feel as much of a dweeb now. Sorta.

The game is addictive, well-tuned and a white-knuckle blast — right until the end. For the record, Borderlands’ ending is awful. Hours of gameplay and that is the payoff? But let me be clear: the game is entirely worth purchasing, and I still plan on a second playthrough (which adds harder enemies and better loot). Level 50 awaits.

I should probably go tan now.

Nick:

I hate moving. Spending hours scrubbing and cleaning and packing my life away isn’t exactly how I wanted to be spending the last week, but with everything but my Xbox packed away I haven’t really had much time for gaming. The exception to the rule? Borderlands, of course!

If Aaron’s anecdote wasn’t enough proselytizing for you, I might as well pitch in my two cents and agree with his sentiments. Borderlands is the most addictive game I’ve played in a very long time. It’s got the same engrossing world and cleverly interwoven quest lines of the best Bethesda has to offer, but with excellent, high-intensity combat in the spirit of Diablo II. It’s not perfect, but it’s still a hell of a game.

I also picked up a couple of iPhone games: the remastered adventure classic Beneath a Steel Sky and the mobile port of Rock Band. Both have some impressive strengths and serious handicaps, but I’ll reserve judgment on either until I’ve had more than a few minutes to sit down and play them.

Doug's last known whereabouts: Gleefully skidding past the competition, into the lead. No need to send for help.

Doug:

For fear of sounding like a rabid fanboy, I’ve caught myself on a couple of occasions this week almost physically craving Forza Motorsport 3. After picking it up on Tuesday after class, I haven’t had nearly enough time to dig in to the goodness on offer — a few hours here and there, but not nearly as much as I’d like.

Without skirting too far into the realm of a review: It’s great. It might not be as revolutionary as some would like (myself included in some regards), but you know what? It’s a lot of fun, it’s an improvement in almost every regard over Forza 2, and I want to keep playing it — that’s a lot more than I can say about many other games this year, sequels included, that I’ve purchased. And despite the absolute madness of the Limited Collectors Edition — with a total of three codes to insert (two exclusive to the LCE) along with the second disc of content to install through the game before you get started — it’s well worth the time investment.

Unfortunately, the busy student life that’s kept me from playing much Forza has also kept me from playing anything else — however, I have to take time to point out something on the avatar marketplace. Sasquatch contributor Tyler Martin pointed out that NCAA college-themed gear has made its way onto the avatar marketplace…which is great. But no University of Oregon gear? Booooooooo! Hopefully that’s rectified soon so I can adorn my rotund digital self in Oregon gear, so that art can imitate life more perfectly.

Mmm, Backlog-y

What legends of game-playing intrigue do we, the stewards of Silicon Sasquatch, bring you this week?

There’s more of the same (Titan Quest) with a nice lime twist of newness (Borderlands); there’s the late-to-the-party-but-enjoying-it-anyway epic (Brütal Legend); and then there’s the dreaded blackness of managing grad school responsibilities (Portland State University — rated “M” for mature).

There ain't no rest for the wicked

Nick:

If you’d asked me two months ago whether I was excited for Borderlands, I’d have scoffed. Sure, Gearbox made a couple Half-Life expansions I enjoyed and delivered a real overlooked gem of a game in Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30, but they haven’t come up with many surprises in the past few years.

As PAX 2009 was drawing to a close, I wandered over to the Gearbox booth to get a ten-minute hands-on demonstration with Borderlands. In that brief span of time, my apathy transformed into elation — this was the first-person shooter/ role-playing game hybrid I’d been yearning for all these years. I walked away from the booth convinced the game would be worth owning, and I waited out the next month and a half as patiently as I could.

Now that it’s here, I’m pleased to say Borderlands is everything I had hoped it would be. It’s full of wit, style, and finely tuned action-RPG mechanics that, while a bit unoriginal, are executed with quality. It’s almost enough to wash the sour taste of the disastrous Hellgate: London out of my mouth.

You know something's really interesting when people are opting to not stare at the giant wings of the demonic Eddie Riggs

Doug:

Along with playing “Oh god I’m halfway through my first term of grad school,” I’ve spent time alternating between shaking my fist at and being thankful for the Europeans who got Forza 3 this week — it’s validating my pre-order decision many times over. Foreign coverage hasn’t influenced me this much since Gran Turismo 4.

Also, I played a bit more NCAA 10 and Brütal Legend. But, mostly, I’m trying to survive my classes.

Lucky you — here's a bonus Borderlands screenshot

Aaron:

I’m still playing Titan Quest. Yeah, I know. Best $5 I’ve ever spent though — on a videogame.

But this week’s titles of actual interest didn’t find their way into my disc drive until the tail end: Brütal Legend and Borderlands. Slowly, but surely, I’m scratching away the surface layers of each game with dilligence and child-like excitement. What’s going on, 2009? You’ve produced almost too many surprisingly great games so far.

Should I accept each game’s hype without taking that grain of salt everyone always warns me about?

Yes, I think it’ll be OK.

There’s not much else to say yet, unfortunately. Installing Windows 7 took away some of my PC gaming time this week due to reinstalling and optimizing, so finishing TQ and getting to know Champions Online were put on the back burner.

You’ll have to excuse me, but it’s time to go giggle at Brütal Legend and cause severe eyestrain from grinding away in Borderlands.

Let there be rock.

Oh, snap.

Another week, another flood of good games — some of the biggest, most anticipated titles of the fall have hit store shelves, and the Silicon Sasquatch crew are digging in. Brütal Legend, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Champions Online, and more are taking over our attention this week, and though it might seem overwhelming, it’s not necessarily a “bad” overwhelming.

The Guardian of Metal compels you to play Brütal Legend.

Nick:

You know what they say about too much of a good thing? It’s true. I’m being pelted left and right by amazing games, and instead of feeling overjoyed I’m left gasping for breath and wringing my aching hands.

I picked up Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Brütal Legend on Tuesday — both among my most anticipated games this year — but I’ve only managed to play through Brütal Legend so far. Although it has garnered a relatively wide range of reviews, I couldn’t be more thrilled with how it turned out — I’m still exploring every nook and cranny of the game’s wildly imaginative metal-inspired open world, and the multiplayer stage battles have hooked me.

And in case you missed it, I donned my thick-framed glasses and turtleneck sweater and got mad philosophical with an unassuming little iPhone game called Canabalt.

This weekend I’m hoping to pick up Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II on Steam for a paltry $19.99. Aaron’s raved about it for months, so I’m eager to see what I’ve been missing.

Oh, and if you see me playing Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard on Xbox Live…it’s for an experiment. Don’t judge me!

Champions Online has arrived, and Aaron's sinking his teeth into the game – including character creation.

Aaron:

Unfortunately, I’m not one of the cool kids. No, I haven’t purchased Brutal Legend, and I can’t play Uncharted 2 because I’m sans PS3. It’s been a big week for gaming, and instead I’ve spent my time with Titan Quest, Burnout Paradise and, as of yesterday, Champions Online.

Champions was one of my most-anticipated titles of 2009, yet I skipped its release date. Another tragic case of too many games to play with not enough funds available — let alone the fact that MMOs are notoriously unstable at launch. However, another fantastic Amazon deal ($15.98!) forced my hand to purchase a second game in two weeks that I was previously iffy about.

Champions is, with only a few hours played, instantly gratifying. The character customization is much better than what was in Cryptic’s first superhero MMO, City of Heroes, and I’ve created a lighthearted character in “Energene”: a force-blast powered, mild-mannered janitor who worked in a lab, and had a mishap with a radioactive mop. His name’s Gene…in case you didn’t catch the pun.

Next week is Borderlands, a game Nick and I have been anticipating for quite awhile. Look for another groundbreaking co-op review of ours later this month.

Whether it's a Mini or a Ferrari, Forza 3's physics – at least according to the demo – make you feel the speed.

Doug:

After finishing off The Beatles: Rock Band (which is brilliant), I turned some of my attention last weekend to the Forza Motorsport 3 demo again to spend a little more quality time with that.

For gamers with an Xbox Live account that’s signed into the Internet, it’s easy to access a free-run time trial mode that allows you to run as many laps as you want on the demo’s track with any of the five cars available. It’s a great opportunity to judge the changes made to the physics engine for this game, and also to put some fast times on the leaderboards.

Something that stands out related to the physics is how flexible the engine feels. The cars in the demo range from a stock Mini Cooper S to a racing-spec Porsche 911, and all of them feel connected to the road in their own separate way — but never underwhelming at all, which was a trap the Gran Turismo games have been known to fall into.

The other game I put some time into this week is Brütal Legend (rock dots absolutely necessary). It’s easy to say it’s living up to the expectations. Everything from the menu presentation to the voice acting to the game design is great, and despite some minor issues it’s still a very enjoyable experience. I’m struggling a touch to come to grips with some of the game design choices — some puzzles seem a bit obtuse from time to time — but otherwise it’s a labor of love, and it shows.

How’s everybody? Are we all still here?

There’s no way around it: We’re all a little light in the pocketbooks, and October’s only just arrived. None of us were prepared for some of the year’s biggest hits to hit us in a deluge throughout August and September, but with games like Batman: Arkham Asylum, The Beatles: Rock Band and Halo 3: ODST hitting shelves before the fourth quarter of the year, it’s hard to hold fast with one’s spending — even with surefire hits like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Brütal Legend arriving just next week.

To prepare for the next volley of big-name releases, the Silicon Sasquatch team has been busy wrapping up some recent blockbusters.

By diverging from the tried-and-true formula of its predecessors, Halo 3: ODST delivers a refreshing experience with memorable characters — arguably a first for the franchise.

Aaron:

A lot of games found their way into my PC and Xbox 360′s disc drives this week, but let me highlight which one left a lasting impression on me: Halo 3: ODST.

I’ll be the first to confess that I’ve purchased every console iteration of the series, from Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo Wars. This type of customer devotion doesn’t stem from blind fanboy love or “Xbot” ignorance; honestly, when it comes down to it I think Halo is solidly decent at best, boring and uninspired at worst. I more or less have purchased the various games to play with friends online, and to not miss out on the experience. So why would I purchase ODST when the other games have generally made me say “lol meh” more times than a thread on NeoGAF? Two words: price point.

I procured a copy for around $44 dollars through Amazon, as was mentioned in last week’s backlog. This particular entry price forced me to give the series another shot, and while the cheapness certainly eased the process of reaching for my credit card, I never expected to like the game more than “kinda.” But even four chapters in, this is the best Halo-branded title I’ve ever played.

It might look the same and feel the same, but the tone and story are much more humanized than the faceless, stalwart Master Chief’s adventures ever were. The ODSTs are soldiers you can care about thanks to wonderful voice acting and animations. Halo 3: ODST may be born of the Halo pedigree, but it’s an overall smarter experience that stands apart from the shadow of its big brother. If this is the direction the series takes in lieu of a direct sequel, Bungie deserves a hefty pat on the over shield.

Sit back and let the evening go!

Doug:

So I finally rented The Beatles: Rock Band. I know it seems like forever since it was released, but it was just a month — the gaming industry just moves quickly, and things become passé within a week.

The rental was completely worth it. I blitzed through the story mode in just under four hours — I wanted that “Day Tripper” achievement and dammit, I got it — but it was an absolutely amazing experience from start to finish. Without encroaching too much on what a review of the game would be (check back next week! — Ed.), I think it was the most complete guitar/band game I’ve played so far, with excellent note charts, songs, and aesthetic throughout. I’m going to own this game, and it’s just a matter of “when,” not “if.”

Otherwise I’ve continued to put time in on EA Sports’ two football video games, NCAA Football 10 and Madden NFL 10. I’ve noticed a difference between defense in the two; namely, that in NCAA it’s just a nice suggestion, but in Madden it can be truly effective. Playing with an average to mediocre defense in NCAA is a battle of futility — many times, especially with strong offensive teams, you’re just trying to slow the opponent down instead of truly stop them. I get that same sensation playing against the CPU as well.

Compared to Madden, though, it’s almost 100% different. Defense in Madden is worth playing — and it seems somehow fairer than defenses in NCAA. Sure, the CPU might go into banzai EA Sports rubber-band mode and decide you are just NOT winning a game in both titles, but in Madden it feels like your defense at least has the chance to do that, too. Not to mention that, much like in the real NFL, there’s a much higher chance of forcing a punt than in college football.

I’ve also been inspired by Eat-Sleep-Game.com‘s RebelFM Game Club, which is currently focusing on Half-Life 2 and its two extra episodes. I’ve started Half-Life 2 before but never completed it, never mind the episodes, and I’m getting the trigger finger itch again…so I might have to sit down with my copy of The Orange Box soon and give it another go.

Bustin' like it's 1991.

Nick:

Call it devotion, obsession or foolishness, but I’m planning on picking up two brand-new games next Tuesday: Brütal Legend and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. That means I’ve only got three more days to tie up any loose ends with the games I’ve picked up over the last few months, because games like Borderlands, Modern Warfare 2 and New Super Mario Bros. Wii are just a few weeks away.

I wrapped up a few games this week:

1. Red Faction: Guerilla‘s single-player expansion, Demons of the Badlands: If this summer’s taught me anything, it’s that any excuse to demolish buildings on Mars is a worthwhile reason. Unfortunately, Demons’ biggest fault is its pricing: $10 for a measly two hours of more of the same.
2. Ghostbusters: The Video Game – I know it’s weird, but I only just saw Ghostbusters for the first time this summer. Even without sharing in the rest of my generation’s adoration for the movies, I found there was plenty to love in this carefully crafted videogame adaptation. Despite only lasting four or five hours, it’s well worth the price of a rental.
3. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts – Don’t be fooled by the game’s vehicle-driven gameplay: This is Rare at its finest. Focusing on its trademark wry humor and a very well-designed vehicle construction system, Nuts and Bolts is one of the most criminally overlooked hits on the Xbox 360.