Zgamer's Return and a Little Treat *Spoilers for those who haven't played the game*

Sorry for the absense. I was on a 4-day, 23-mile hike with my church group, my brother and my dad. It was fun, even if I ache and have several blisters on my feet. Still, it made me appreciate the many good things we have in society (like indoor plumbing and non-dehydrated food).

Anyways, I thought I would give you guys a treat by posting a video of what I feel one of the best segments of cutscenes in all gaming. I'm talking of course of the climatic moments of Jak III. Not only does it have some great dramatic moments, but it also has what I feel is one of the best (and funniest) plot twists in all gaming, with only KOTOR surpassing it for surprise value. Enjoy!

Mass Effect: Bioware's Newest Classic?

It's been two years since Bioware first announced their newest RPG at E3 2005. Since then, the company has been taking a middle ground with its marketing/publicity, by showing just enough trailers to get us interested but not tell us a whole lot.. They haven't released a major demo either, so to say. However, it looks like it could be a critical and commercial hit.

First let's examine the story. A sci-fi setting some hundreds of years into the future with Mankind taking its first steps into the galaxy. They struggle with a few of the species they meet, but in the end they make a name for themselves and help build the SPECTRE organization, kind of an intergalatic peace-keeping force. The game's story starts when a rogue SPECTRE agent rallies an army of machine monsters called the Geth to strike a blow to Mankind. The group send Commander Shepard to examine this deal, but they have no idea what this leads into as a plot unravels that may lead to a mass extinction of life on a galactic scale. While it seems familiar, Bioware is known for its great storytelling so I bet they can do a good job. To add to that, they have some good voice acting in their cutscenes as usual, so that should add a layer of depth and skill.

As for technical and gameplay aspects, it looks good so far. The graphics are detailed and artistic, the sound is interesting and the music has a nice blend of techno and sci-fi score. The cutscenes, however, seem to be the main draw here. Not only do they look good, but the way you interact with them looks awesome. They happen in real-time, the characters actually "act" by moving and giving expressions and your responses are quick and simple so you're not forced to read massive piles of text. Also, you can choose when to say your responses, which looks cool. The gameplay looks interesting, though it may be a bit tricky to implement tactical shooting and RPG elements together. Then again, that's what people thought when Bioware made Jade Empire and they did its gameplay very well. So I bet it will succeed there.

Now one quick side note, I have unfortunatly discovered that the game was slapped with an M rating for blood, sexual themes, partial nudity and violence. This obviously won't stop people from buying it, but it bugs me that a game I really wanted couldn't try to get a T rating so I would have no problem buying it. Now I have to sneak my way into a Hollywood Video to rent it, unless I can convince my folks. I just wished that the entertainment industry didn't have to always make every product mature and adult for the sake of trying to break content barriers. While I like that people try to take things seriously, just putting more adult content into a product doesn't make it better. Plus, think about the audience you limit by putting that kind of a barrier on a game that people want to play. It's the same deal I have with the R rating.

All complaints aside, Mass Effect looks to be the next big RPG of the year. With great visual effects, an interesting story, unique gameplay and the expert skills of Bioware, this may be one of the best new great francises to be.

Zgamer's Top Ten of E3

Now that the booth babes and unneeded glitz is dealt away with and the consoles are already established, E3 was able to flaunt what really makes the show: the games! And what games they showed. There are plenty of titles to cover, but I have limited to my top ten. They are:

10. Killzone 2- Finally, real gameplay. While it wasn't amazing, it did look really good and now makes me more anticipated. Now if only the developers can make the character more faster than a casual walk. It's a galactic war, not a leisure walk in the part.

9. Rock Band- Who doesn't love Guitar Hero? Now that they have a huge fan base, the creators can push the series further by including more instruments and vocals. How will it translate in real life? I can't wait to see.

8. Lair/ Turok- I couldn't decide between the games, so I picked both. Both have awesome graphics, interesting gameplay and feature nicely designed scaly monsters. Both get this spot for just being cool.

7. Crysis- Easily the best graphics in the competition (which is something considering there are a lot of great graphic powerhouses). It looks like an interesting title and I hope its good. I just wish I have a PC strong enough to play it.

6. Bioshock- Cryptic, unique and atmospheric. This looks like an interesting change of pace for the shooter game, with its mix of RPG gameplay and storytelling and shooter aspects.

5. Metal of Honor: Airborne- I was really surprised with this game. It looks great, the gameplay is unique and I love WWII (even if there's two million games made for it already). If this game can truly distinguish itself, this will be another great WWII hit to match the first two Call of Duty games.

4. Halo 3- I love Halo and this looks like it won't dissappoint. I wasn't wowed by its presentation at E3, which is why its not my top.

3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots- This is one of my favorite series of games. While its E3 presentation wasn't huge, I'm just happy to see that they released a trailer in English so I can understand what they're saying.

2. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare- Awesome. That's all I can say after watching the gameplay for this game. With great graphics, a new setting and awesome weapons, I am waiting eagerly to buy it this fall.

1. Assassins Creed- No game is more mysterious, cryptic or amazing than this title. With a unique time period, cool swordplay and a plot that may or not be just as awesomely insane as Metal Gear, this is one of my most anticipated games. Plus, the main character looks awesome, especially with his hand blade.

Zgamer's Reviews and Top Ten for July 2007

After Earth: The Dark Side of the Sun- Was never a fan of the series and this doesn't help. Just too typical, plus it's filled with uneven casting and some noticable misspellings. C+

Audrey's Girls- Baity story and good cast/crew, but there's just a lack of interest. It's just a bit too typical and safe. B

The Banality of Evil- Great poster, but the story is a bit boring. Don't get me wrong, it's baity and has a nice cast, but there's very little excitement or interest. B

Batman: Scars of Tomorrow- Great poster, great cast, great story and overall great. Plus, a great poster to help. A

The Bluxomi Sisters- Yawn. Stupid story, bloated casting and a "been-there-done-it-better" feeling don't help this bait at all. D+

Border Man- Pat's probably the only author who isn't trying to venture into the unbaity and this bait is still able to succeed through it. A great B-list cast, an intriguing story and good, though safe, crew choices make this a contender. A-

Can't Stop the Press!- Lame story, lame cast, and just plain boring. D-

Conquistador- It's an interesting subject, but it's just too much like Apocalypto. Nice cast though. B-

Crimes Against A City- One part The Depated, one part Traffic, and mostly typical. Cast is alright though. B-

Dark Ages- Meh. I like Greek mythology, but this bait does it no justice with a bloated cast and too safe director choice. Plus, it's just boring. C

Dear Mr. President- A great poster and unique plot help this bait a lot. I am very sure this would cause a lot of controversy, but it seems like it could be good. It gets a few points off for a good but safe director choice, but it also gets some back for a good cast. B+

Devil On My Heels- Plot starts off promising, then winds down into a mess. Nice pres section though, and it's an ok cast. Not great, but ok. B-

Divine Poker- If it wasn't for the casting of Goldblum, I would say this bait was just totally lame. Now it's just ok. C

Dr. Death- A great polar opposite to Batman. It has a baity subject, spot on casting and a great poster should help this bait to Oscar glory, especially for O'Toole. A

Dwight-Wuthering Heights- Too long a plot, too short a press section and just boring. C-

Eleven Weeks to Steal November- An interesting idea that has poor execution, cliches and too many big cast members. C+

Final Fantasy X- There are good video game baits and there are bad ones. Sadly, this is the latter. Too many big names and the feeling that you just posted the game's original synopsis into the plot makes this a misfire. C-

Gathering Blue- A good cast and crew make up for the familiarity to The Giver. Like the poster too. B

Go Ask Alice- I am very glad you shortened it, but the bait is still too typical of a subject. Your grammar has improved, but you still need a little work to do. B-

Good Morning, Ladies- I like this bait. Despite my objection to the choice of Sophia Coppola as director, it has an interesting story and one of this month's best cast. Bonus points for the spot-on casting for Chenoweth. A-

In The Dead of Night- Nicely cast, but overall uninteresting. Is it just me, or is everybody using Ellen Page this month? Is she the new Gosling? C

Into Thin Air- A good story is hampered by a bloated cast and a so-so execution of the plot. It's a shame, cause I really wanted to like this. C+

Kosmopolis- An interesting idea and good poster, but it doesn't really satisfy. Plus, the cast is a little too large in star power. B

The Last Woman Standing- Beh. Typical and bloated. Not a great poster either. C

Life After Brenda- Ok. Nothing special. Nice cast though. C+

Listen and Hear- See above. C+

Mad Love- Good. Not the best of the month, but well done. It's pretty interesting. B+

The Madness of H.P. Lovecraft- Too long of a plot, but it's a good story overall. I like the Cage casting, but it needs something else in the plot to push it further. B

Madsen Family Matters- Geez, Page and Emile Hirsch seem to be in every bait. Eric Roth is a bad choice for writer, but it seems like its trying to be too much like a Little Miss Sunshine film. Like the cast though. B-

A New Agenda- Easily the best bait of the month. Great plot, great crew and the best cast of the month. Plus, this is the only bait I've read up to now that actually would work for the director. The best of the month hands down! A+

Night- The Pianist part two. It's just run of the mill copying. C

Other World- Started with potential then dived into typical plot points and familiar ideas. It's an ok cast too. B-

Our Father- Ugg, too long! It's good, but where's the press section? B

Paul Revere- I refuse to take this seriously. F

Pressure- It's an involving plot, but feels more like a PSA video than a movie. Just unsettling, both in a good and bad way. B

Rehab!: A Contemporary Musical- No comment

A Spoonful Of Sugar- WAY too long. Just doesn't feel like a bait either, more like a novel. C

Sunray: Story of a Superhero- I refuse to read such a needlessly long bait. Just shorten the dang plot or put some of the paragraphs into the press section (as in for balancing them out).

The Ultimate Oscar- Meh. That's all I can say. C

Under Fire- Typical director choice and the plot is a little predictable, but it's a pretty good film. Nice cast too. B

The Urge- Compelling, but it ends in an abrupt halt. Needs more meaning to it too. It just seemed like the film would last as long as the plot. B-

The Valley Of Ashes- No comment

Top Ten of the Month
1. A New Agenda
2. Batman: Scars of Tomorrow
3. Dr. Death
4. Border Man
5. Good Morning Ladies
6. Mad Love
7. Dear Mr. President
8. Gathering Blue
9. Under Fire
10. Audrey's Girls