Minecraft Alpha

Developer: Markus Persson

Publisher: Markus Persson
Release Date: May 17, 2009 (Alpha)
System: PC
ESRB Rating: N/A
Official Web site

In a nutshell: I'm almost entirely sure I'm doing this wrong.

0:00 I've been hearing a lot of buzz for this quirky indie title, but not enough to really know what it’s about or how it works. Hopefully it'll be easy to dive into with no prior knowledge...

0:01 I decide to try the in-browser version rather than wasting time on a download. The game still spends a good minute downloading Java files, though.

0:02 No music, no fancy introduction, just the MINECRAFT title with a pulsing yellow “Woo, worldofminecraft” message on the top. “Play tutorial level” is grayed out, which is kind of unsettling. I guess I'm on my own...

0:03 I go with Normal difficulty rather than Peaceful, Easy or Hard. Peaceful does sound rather peaceful, though.

0:04 I start up a new single-player game and the game spends a few seconds generating a new world from scratch. I see that world from a first-person perspective. My environment is made up of a series of cubes arranged to resemble a snowy world with lots of tiered cliffs. To my right: a steep mountain. In front of me: an ocean with a far off island continent.

0:05 I have a targeting reticle and what looks like brown stick as a weapon. Clicking pushes the stick forward a bit lamely. The only sound is that of my footsteps crunching in the snow.

***-->CONTINUE READING<--***

***-->AT GAMERONI<-***

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Crackdown 2 (demo)

Developer: Ruffian Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Release Date: July 6, 2010
System: Xbox 360
ERRB Rating: M
Official Web site

In a nutshell: Grand Theft Auto minus the boring parts plus a lot of jumping = Crackdown 2

0:00 The original Crackdown was one of my first Games for Lunch and I liked it a lot despite some hardware reliability problems. I quit before collecting every single orb, but had tons of fun before I got to that point.

0:01 A hard-to-read on-screen message tells me I can earn "demo achievements" as I play. Of course, I only unlock the actual achievements once I play the actual game. There ain't nothing for free... even Gamerscore points.

0:03 The options screen has for stuff like Dynamic Range and HUD Opacity. Huzzah-wha?

0:04 I have no friends playing online, but there are a lot of people playing around America, Europe and Japan, according to the handy map. At least, I think those dots represent players...

0:05 Selectable difficulties are Fragile and Tough. It looks like there's a third option, but it's grayed out and so tin that I can't read it on this standard definition TV. Let's start with tough and move it down if/when things get to be too much.

***-->CONTINUE READING AT<--***
***-->JOYSTICK DIVISION<-***
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Red Dead Redemption

Developer: Rockstar San Diego

Publisher: Rockstar

Release Date: May 18, 2010

Systems: Xbox 360 (reviewed), PS3, PC

ESRB Rating: M

Official web site

In a nutshell: "Grand Theft Horse and Buggy" is too obvious. How about, "The politest bounty hunter in the old west"?

0:00 I'm not a big fan of open-world games in general, and Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto games in particular, but the beautifully vast vistas and horse-based gunolay action in this one impressed me at a PAX East demo.

0:01 I'm staying at my parents' place in Maryland, so I'm forced to use my sister's Xbox 360, which is hooked to a small, 20" standard definition TV. I'd almost forgotten what games looked like in SD. I'd also forgotten what a slob my sister is... this room is a pigsty!

0:02 "Playing the game may make you eligible for some prizes," says the fine print. Really? Anyway, an incredibly dull and silent title screen features a tree gently rustling in the wind.

0:03 Most of this minute is spent watching a scene titled "Exodus in America" loading.

0:05 A riverboat on a calm river. Light piano music. A bunch of people in proper period costumes step off, including one who looks a bit less proper than the rest. An old-timey car is loaded in by a winch. A newsie calls out "Extra Extra" to complete the cliche.

***-->CONTINUE READING AT<--***

***-->JOYSTICK DIVISION<-***

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