It’s been awhile since my last blog post. Some things have happened to me since that time. A lot of games have been played, completed, and put down. I have discovered time travel and used it for selfish reasons. I went back in time to slap my past self in the face with a can of tuna in a sock at the exact time I was in the checkout line purchasing The Sims Online. There’s nothing funnier than your past self’s face after you hit him with a can of tuna in a sock. If you’re wondering how I discovered time travel, it’s a closely guarded secret that only a dog named Charlie and I know.

I also recently became a PS3 owner, to a certain extent, since only exclusives are going to be bought for it. Heavy Rain and Uncharted, of course, were the first games I bought. The minute I held the games in my hand as I was leaving the store, I remembered a sad memory I had when I didn’t have a PS3. I was waiting in line to purchase a game at my local store. There was another person in front of me buying one for the PS3. The clerk asked, “Is there anything you want to pre-order for the PS3?” In my head I was thinking, “The only game I want for the PS3 would be Heavy Rain, because that game looks fantastic.” The clerk, as if he were reading my mind, said to the guy buying the game, “Heavy Rain is coming out soon, and if you pre-order you get a code to download the first episode for free.” My non-PS3 heart filled with sadness. The customer said he didn’t care for the game and it wasn’t his type. I really wanted to shake him and yell at him for not being a good PS3 owner. My heart filled with more sadness. I looked away and thought to myself, while looking at a video game poster on the wall, “One day Patrick…one day.” I finished Heavy Rain and it was everything I thought it would be and more, except for the voice actor for Ethan Mars, one of the main characters in the game, who was absolutely terrible. The next step was to share my experience with a video game-playing co-worker and let him borrow it.

One of the greatest things to happen so far this year is something fantastic. That fantastic thing is none other than Dead Space 2. This game caught my attention at E3 last year, and I quickly gobbled up the first game, only to wait with excitement for the sequel’s release. Dead Space 2 with surround-sound headphones, all the lights off, and a clean pair of underwear truly make a horror game rollercoaster thrill ride. I haven’t been scared by a video game since the first Resident Evil was released. The sound makes the game an enjoyable experience; I stand up and clap for the sound design. I want anyone who is on the fence to start playing the Dead Space series right now. Here is some quick advice: stop reading, go buy a pair of surround-sound headphones, and start playing.

Probably the biggest disappointment of the year so far for me is Bulletstorm. It was the game I was most excited to play coming out of E3. Not to mention that they gave out free burgers right outside of the entrance. I must have hyped it up to myself too much, because the game just didn’t do it for me; I wouldn’t have played so much of it if I didn’t have to play it for the .5 podcast. It had an OK story, but the humor got old after 10 minutes. This really big disappointment needed to be shared.

The last gaming moment I would like to share is my new love for the PC, in the newly released MMORPG Rift. The game is the perfect fix until The Old Republic comes out. Even in the shadow of another popular MMORPG, Rift is a fresh new game that just fits. From the global events to the quests, it just has something that I love about it. I know people who play the other popular MMORPG say Rift is terrible, it won’t last, and nothing can compare to the other game, but I just give a crap. I love it and that’s all that matters, because my parents say I’m special.