Hellgate London is predictably a BEAST

Ok this is just a short post to warn any of you addicts out there craving a fix. Hellgate London is a ride that only the experienced gamer should be taking. Do not take this warning lightly. It will test the limits of your system, especially if you don't have a brand spankin new graphics card that supports Active X 10. On top of that they have really gone for a recreation of the Diablo and Diablo 2 realms so that they can keep you collecting, upgrading and crafting for ALL ETERNITY!

On the plus side I have a really cool rocket launcher and I'm only level 10 :)

But seriously folks, don't plug in unless your ready to face the time stealing, hot poker eyes from your girlfriend, parents wondering what happened to you for the last few months, unshakable "I need a fix" feeling that emanates from the Hellgate.

I am the incarnation of Aunt Flow

Once a month isn't that bad for a blog, .. or is it? I guess if it's something you dread, that changes your life irrevocably (like dear old Aunt Flow) then once a month might be considered too often.

Regardless we're here with a couple little tidbits for you dear reader.

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BIOSHOCK

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Recently I had the pleasure of playing this years premier first person shooter. I hesitate to call it just a first person shooter because it contained so much more than that. A lot of players and writers agree that the simple dedication illustrated in the art, style and story of Bioshock have made it a next_gen game.

From the moment the curtains open on a mysterious flight and a convoluted main character you are teased and coaxed into a world that is definitely not your own, or is it? Memories, or ghost sightings, friends or enemies, little children or horrible monsters? You are left to decide what is real and what is malleable. You can choose some of the outcome of the game, and even though it's a small choice the moral weight it carries lifts this game into a realm of great interactive storytelling.

Now as difficult as it is to put aside the fantastic plot, with its twists and seeming dead ends, to do justice we must look at the mechanics of the game as well. I don't want this to turn into some formal process, but the choice of weapons (which go back to the surreal 40's 50's style armaments) are key. Having the ability to upgrade these weapons for different effects, and also use different kinds of ammunition, adds so much to the game mechanics. On top of that, you have your Plasmids, which are tied very closely to the storyline. They may appear to be just another form of magic, but the science fiction that draws you into the story proves that ADAM is more than myth and magic. If that doesn't make sense to you, then take my explanation as just another attempt to make you go out and buy BIOSHOCK. You won't be disappointed.

2kGames Bioshock Website