A Return

Good day, dearest readers, and welcome back to the O&E. We apologize for our prolonged absence; things have been rough on all fronts for all of us. Oh and we've been incredibly and negligently lazy. So that didn't help things. But, rest assured that we are back, and in full force! We do hope you don't hate us very much as a result of our little hiatus, as that would be bad. In any case, we'll soon have Game of the Year posts up to make up for it. So there! :D From all of us here at the O&E, it's good to be ba...

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Game of the Year, According to El Jefe

And so another year draws to a close. As always, we take this time to reflect on the year bygone, set rather optimistic goals for the year to come, and drink lots of booze. I like to focus on the last of these three. Still, as a video game blogger, it's my duty (teehee) to look back on the games of 2011 to determine the best, the pretty cool, and the biggest letdowns this year. And drink lots of booze, of course. Can't forget about the booze. ...

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Mojang and LEGO bringing Minecraft to life.

Click this link, right now. Do it now! Click Support! That link will take you to LEGO's public idea project known as Cuusoo. Users can pitch set ideas, and if they gain enough support, LEGO will produce the set. Mojang has started this process to get a Minecraft LEGO set in production. ...

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Assassins Creed: Revelations Review

Guuuuuuuuuuuuys I am really tired of playing the same game!...

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Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Review

Two things, right off the bat: 1.) I have not beat the game yet, I wanted to get this out to y'all in case you were looking for something to do over the break, also it's pretty long. 2.) It's not OoT. Stop it...

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Skyrim 1.2 Update

Today, the latest patch for Skyrim has been released for PS3. It should be heading to the 360 and PC around Wednesday.Why does the PS3 get it early? Because it freaking needs it now. And I mean neeeeeeeeds it. After all, peoples' save files are essentially imploding upon themselves. The rest of us only have to wait a measly two days. So what updates can you expect? Here's a convenient list: Improved occasional performance issues resulting from long term play (PlayStation 3) Fixed issue where textures would not properly upgrade when installed to drive (Xbox 360) Fixed crash on startup when audio is set to sample rate other than 44100Hz (PC) Fixed...

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Modern Warfare 3 Review

GAMES! EVERYWHERE! ALL I WANT TO DO IS SKYRIM! So, I did manage some time before Skyrim's release, and little ( I mean.. a little) afterwards to get some serious downtime with MW3. Honestly, here is the thought process you should go through if you are debating getting MW3. Did you like MW? Did you like MW2? Rent it, at the very least. Do you play online, ideally with your friends? Did you enjoy playing online with your friends in MW and MW2? Buy it. You and your friends will probably have fun. There. review done right? Okkkaaayyyyyy So, really I don't have words for the campaign besides... more of the same. The story is fun, and there are...

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Two Mini Reviews: Uncharted 3 and Battlefield 3

Holy hell we have a lot on our plate this November. Sometimes we just can't keep up with it all. Luckily, we have a backup plan for when such an event occurs. It's called "half-assing". It's when we write a smaller, more compact review for a game that probably deserves a full-length one. I've delayed these long enough to let's get to gettin' BATTLEFIELD 3 I used to be addicted to the older Battlefield games. When 1942 came out I spent unknown hours missing people with a sniper rifle. A couple of expansions later Battlefield 2 came out and my computer couldn't play it very well. It told me I needed better everything almost, and better internet...

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Special Edition 3DS: Another reason you should have waited...

So Ambassador program, pretty cool. Nintendo: "Hey guys... we know you bought the 3DS on launch... we really appreciate your support and we are totally sorry for screwing you out of nearly $100... so here are some free games..." Special Edition 3DS' just a few short months later. Nintendo: "Right, 3DS sales... bad. We need marketing fancies! I got it! Let's release a super awesome system, bundled with the only great game we are currently selling, and release it for $50 cheaper than when it released!" uh huh... 'cause that isn't gonna piss me off... Could have been mine...   So, let's back track the months since the 3DS came out......

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Skyrim Review: Now Officially the Best Thing Since Jesus

Good day to those of you who could manage to pull yourselves away from the realm of Skyrim to read this review! I understand that it's difficult; why do you think it took me so long to write this for you? In any case, I do hope you find my review useful, and I promise to try to be fairly objective. But you must remember that this is the writer who has spent the better part of the year repeatedly and publicly proclaiming his excitement for a game he has compared to a certain religious figure. I said I'll try though...

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Sonic Generations Review

So, it seems we here at TheO&E are following a biased review pattern. To be fair, I was absolutely ready for this game to suck. After all, I have had so many good Sonic games in the last couple years. (durrrrr) So gorgeous. So with that being said, it in fact did not suck. I first played the game at Chris' deciding on whether or not I wanted to shell out the $50 for it. As soon as I fired up the first Act I was blown away. The environments look beautiful, and the game, in fundamentals, plays flawlessly. I immediately bought it. The game follows two main styles of play. Each Stage (and each Challenge Stage) has two acts (duh)....

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Newsflash: PETA Whines About Battlefield 3

Oh, PETA. Your ridiculousness never ceases to amaze me. For those of you who don't know, and I don't know how you wouldn't, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) tends to get mad about every little thing that involves animals being hurt. Now, normally, I would champion this cause. The ASPCA have been doing this beautifully for years.  The difference between those two organizations is simple: PETA is insane. Seriously, just watch the Penn and Teller Bullshit episode about PETA. It'll tell you everything you need to know. But let us move on to the point of this article. Now, the reason PETA, specifically the German branch, is...

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BioWare teases new project.

From classic favorites, to most anticipated releases, BioWare knows how to treat us right, so so right.. with the sweet tender touch of brilliant video games........mmmm Oh right, ummm this thing. ...

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Devil May Cry HD Collection Trailer

Devil May Cry is still awesome. Now it's awesome and pretty. Play DMC 1-3 and remember how good 1 and 3 were, and try to convice yourself that 2 was a good game. At least it looks good(er)! Blah blah blah commentary. Too much write. I probably will buy th...

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Rayman Origins, Demo

So. Much. News. Rayman Origins, it looks really good. Play it on November 9th. Also, watch this silly video. Excitement in me abounds...

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Rainbow Six: Patriots. 'Target Gameplay' trailer

The announcement of R6 Patriots has been one surrounded by rumor and speculation. Apparently, even after announcing the game themselves, Ubisoft was still concerned about leaks in their ranks. So, instead of letting the leak speak for the game, they decided to take charge, and bring us their vision of R6 themselves. I'm pretty stroked. It's a very good trailer, and makes for a very exciting concept. The idea is that the True Patriots are attacking Wallstreet, pissed at the richest Americans. The concept is frighteningly appropriate, and makes for a really appealing story. The trailer is obviously not direct gameplay, but it's what the game...

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Mass Effect 3, big time Beta leak.

Due to what I can only assume was a ridiculously massive lack of foresight by BioWare and/or Microsoft, those who were participating in the testing for the Xbox360's new dashboard got a first look at the ME3 Beta. Commence internet leak. The leak is posted here on NeoGAF, and consists of screenshots and some videos that were immediately taken off youtube. BioWare made an announcement concerning the leak, making sure fans are very aware that the features and mechanics in the leak are way early in development. What you see in these screenshots is just a taste of the game we will see in March. Here is what Jesse Houston (ME3 producer)...

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What I Like This Week: Nuka Break

My very good friend David Hagan pointed me to this week's bit of awesomeness. It comes from the brilliant folks at Wayside Creations, a small, independent film making outfit from Los Angeles, California. They've created Fallout: Nuka Break, a YouTube series set in the Fallout universe that is, to say the least, freakin' great. Check out the beginning of the series here, and check out the rest of the series at their YouTube channel...

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Batman: Arkham City Review

In respect to "journalistic" integrity, I probably shouldn't be the one to write this review. I've already outed myself as a Batman nerd on several occasions, and that might make me a tad biased. In my defense, I did my damnedest to not let my love for the character (no homo) influence my opinion. It is worth noting, though, that fans of the comics or the animated series WILL take more away from this. There's simply so much there for fans to appreciate. But worry not the rest of you. The gameplay is perfection. The main problem here is that I really don't want to spoil anything. Not even the very beginning. All I will say is that it takes...

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So, are we back?

I don't know what pictures to post... Hey guys n' gals, I thought I would give you guys a few random updates about the exploits of the Oand...

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Grand Theft Auto V Teaser Trailer

Welcome back to San Andreas! Once again Rockstar puts out a trailer that skyrockets to one of my most anticipated games. They know their audience well....

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Some Clarification... Forgive and Forget

Hey kiddos, The Elitist here to clear some of the air. You may (or may not... in which case... just ignore this) that The Outlaw's Gears review was reported to have been stolen based on the comment from xxadverbxx. Upon investigation we found that the report was true. This was my face all day when this happened. An article from Daily Gaming Network was quite...

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Resident Evil Chronicles HD to PS Move

Wii exclusive Resident Evil Chronicles HD remake has been announced to release for PS3 with Move support. No price or launch data has been announced With the Move being so similar to Wii in mechanics, it seems third party developers who wanted to utilize the Wii's unique style are now deciding to use PS's similar product, taking advantage of Sony's more powerful console. The game itself is composed of Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles and Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. Between them each, the player will experience events based around Resident Evil 0 - 4 and Code Veronica, as well as play as the characters in each story:...

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What I Like This Week: Minecraft Halloween

Good day, dear readers of the best blog in the galaxy! This week I've found a brilliant combination of video games and Halloween in the form of a contest being held by the people at worth1000.com. Their Minecraft Halloween contest features nineteen spooky Minecraft creations which, in my opinion, are pretty dang impressive. Here are a few of my favourites...

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Huh? I..Write... Things? (Random Castlevania DLC Opinion..thingy...)

What is this... why am I here? This place... these things... so familiar... yet so distant... So yeah, hey guys, apologies. School. Anyway, I recently re acquired Castlevania Lord of Shadows (courtesy of Gamefly) with the intent of finally playing through the DLC hoping it would shed some light on the rather controversial ending of the game itself. While it did, with brilliant story telling and dialogue, I might have been happier just watching videos of the DLC.... The story telling, the dialogue, the background and the overall plot were pretty interesting. I was awesome to see  Gabriel change from the noble warrior for good,...

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Grand Theft Auto V Announced

And by announced I mean we got this logo with the promise of a trailer coming out next week. Nevertheless, this is still exciting as it means we might start seeing more come out about it slowly. Of course, knowing Rockstar it'll be a slow trickle. There's also the fun of watching all the internet speculation. That "V" and "FIVE" are indicative of United States currency! It'll be about... money! Here's hoping the trailer will reveal a lot more! Let the rumor mill start a' churni...

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What I Like This Week: Bricks of War

This week's find comes from an outfit named Kooberz Studios. It's an awesome animation entitled "Bricks of War" in which Gears of War 3 is represented in LEGO form. Yeah. Freakin' awesome. Of course, my favourite part is where Marcus chainsaws some hapless locust, cos, well, I bloody love chainsawing things. Anything. Anyway, this is an extremely well-made production including a Corpser, the Hammer of Dawn, grenades, and great sound effects from the game. I love it, and we here at the O&E commend Kooberz Studios for their work. We hope to see more from them, maybe a LEGO Skyrim or something along those lines. We can only...

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Back from the Dead, it's El Jefe

Hello and good day to you, dearest reader of the greatest blog in the galaxy! I know it's been quite some time since I've had any contact with you, and for that, I apologise. Things have been rough lately on nearly all fronts (luckily the Eastern Front seems to be holding, though I fear a Cossack breakthrough at any moment), and I've been remiss in being able to sit in front of a computer and coherently do anything besides churn out history papers. It's a curse. I'm serious. If you are an exorcist or some sort of person with any experience in the occult, I'd really like your help with this. Anyway, a lot has happened since I disappeared...

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Here is a picture for for you.

Whilst practicing drawing expressions with my new nib for my tablet, I happened to draw that dashing dwarven rogue, Varric Tethras. And then I spent two hours on it. Oops. Well at least I have something to post here now (for once)! Enjoy and whatnot. Creepy Varric is creep...

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Is the Jak and Daxter Series Getting an HD Release?

I, for one, certainly hope this rumor is true. It is very rare that a series can go through a semi gritty reboot and still turn out fun as hell. Sure, I'm still a little freaked out by the fact that Jak's first words in the series, after a colorful and playful romp in Jak and Daxter, were "I'm gunna kill Praxis." But Jak II and III were just so... fun! The guns, the alternate forms; it made the transition worth it. I'm looking at you Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. At present time this is just a rumor, albeit a promising one. In addition to the fact that we've seen several of these re-releases, South African retailer BT Games has listed...

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Gears of War 3 Review

 The reason this is late is because this was supposed to be a joint review. Unfortunately, stuff. Yes, that is the official explanation. Anyway, I have taken it upon myself to do everything, because why the hell not. Let's start with the campaign, shall we? Oh, the campaign. What an exciting romp through gore a drama. Before you begin this endeavor I would suggest you crank the difficulty up. Normal is, by and large, too easy. Your AI partners will do all the work for you while you sit back and sip iced tea, or whatever it is you do. I sip scotch because I have a problem. Anyway, once you take on the challenge of a higher difficulty you...

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