Top 5 Games from Scandinavia

Scandinavia – land of the midnight sun and free college tuition; home to Vikings, IKEA, and Legos.  This region of Northern Europe (including Denmark, Norway, Sweden and sometimes Finland and Iceland) is often omitted from the itinerary of world travelers visiting Europe, though it is rich in cultural and history. I find that when I talk to Americans about Sweden, they often forget the name ... more.

Third person shooters have such engaging gameplay as it is that not much else is necessary to make these games a hit.  After all, how can you beat gunning down man after man, monster after monster, zombie after zombie?  The upcoming game Inversion takes third person shooters one step farther by throwing zero gravity and vector changes into the mix. Shifting gravity in a third person shooter �... more.

Too bad this wasn’t out in time for the holidays.  The Silent Hill Collection consists of Silent Hill 2 and 3 with new voiceovers and high-definition graphics.  Not long to wait now – just two weeks before the collection is released (January 24th in the US and January 27th in Europe and Australia). Silent Hill 2 was released in Fall 2001 for the PS2 and Xbox and Silent Hill 3 in Summer 20... more.

How many video game music downloads are on your iPod?  The music from video games is so addictive, you sometimes can’t get enough of it from just playing the game.  Not only have symphonic renditions of music appeared in video games, but video game music has appeared in symphony halls around the world. I spent much of my life going to classical concerts – symphony performances, the opera ... more.

What do zombies have to do with Planet Earth?  Everything! – according to game developers for The Last of Us. A segment of Planet Earth featured a parasitic fungus that takes over the brains of ants, protruding grotesquely from their heads.  Sounds plenty sci-fi to me!  Apparently there are thousands of these kinds of fungi, each of which can take over the brains of different species.  And t... more.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 has hit stores in Japan!  Lucky gamers…It’s times like these I wish I knew Japanese and had a boatload of dough to ship the game back to the States.  Remember the super special PlayStation 3 slim console that came out in Japan? – entirely white with a large pink image of Lightning spread across the console.  If you had an issue with all that pink, there is now a Final... more.

Modest details have been released about GTA V, although the game is expected to hit stores sometime next year (around summer). Of course few concrete facts inevitably lead to an influx of rumors about many aspects of the game. One article highlighted rumors regarding the appearance of GTA V at the Video Game Awards and possibility of GTA going exclusive with the PS3. Another speculated about Walma... more.

Final Fantasy – what a series.  From the 1987 launch of the very first game amid near bankruptcy to now fourteen games in the main series, the franchise’s success has been incredible.  It is one of the top selling video game series, having hit the mark for 100 million units shipped back in June 2011.  While very few of the games have direct sequels, there are certain elements that remain co... more.

The Video Game Awards opened with host Zachary Levi (star of Chuck) appearing in videos of many top video games.  At the conclusion of the video, he said, “I’m a gamer.  Gamers never quit.”  He then flew onto the stage through a portal with the portal gun.  He reviewed the games we would get a sneak peak at and thanked all of the developers.  Zac then warned people to keep their accepta... more.

It’s a bold declaration to call someone a war criminal, but the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) could very well be changing the scope of war video games forever, since all of us gamers are technically war criminals!  Ever shoot an unarmed person (POW)?  Ever inflict unnecessary injury?  Attack a church or mosque?  Torture, degrade, or otherwise treat a prisoner inhumanely?  ... more.