REVIEW - FAR CRY 3: BLOOD DRAGON

The year is 2007...the not-so-distant future.  After we nuked Canada and invaded Australia, a former soldier gone rogue has seized control of a remote island and is threatening the world with weapons of mass destruction.  You are Sergeant Rex "Power" Colt, a Mark IV cyborg supersoldier and hero of the Vietnam War II.  Together with your hacker buddy Spider, you must stop Colonel Sloan and his cyborg Omega Force soldiers, liberate the nerds scientists, and save the world...AND AMERICA.

(Warning...this review, like this game, has a lot of profanity in it.  But in a good way...)

GAME MUSIC OF THE WEEK - 4/2/13

Today's Game Music Of The Week is one of those weird little songs that no one knows the lyrics to (there's actually heated debates as to whether it's even sung in a real language, or just nonsense), yet manages to get stuck in my head a lot.  It was actually a challenge, picking one track from Beyond Good & Evil, because the game has one of my favorite gaming soundtracks ever.  It's just so weird and wild and atmospheric.  Doesn't hurt that it's one of my favorite games of all time.

NPC AI, AN OFT-OVERLOOKED DETAIL

For the past week, I haven't so much been "playing" Far Cry 3, as much as "rabidly devouring".   I have barely touched the main questline, but I've already crafted everything possible, found over 60% of the collectables, done most of the side missions, and unlocked most of the map.  It's a freakin' great game, and I'd be lying if I said otherwise.   However, it has a lot of glaring flaws that I think almost stand out even more because the rest of the game is so well-crafted.  One flaw in particular has actually become something of a fatal flaw for a lot of modern video games, in my book.

The AI and dialogue for non-combat NPCs is dumb as shit.

AT A GLANCE - RAYMAN: ORIGINS

Ubisoft is trying to bring platforming back into the spotlight with a revival of their Playstation-era hero, Rayman.   The cartoony French mascot debuted in 1995 and enjoyed some popularity, he hasn't been seen in his own title almost a decade.   The Raving Rabbids series began as a Rayman game, but spun off into their own series, leaving Rayman behind.   Now he's back in a gorgeous retro-styled platformer that returns to the series' 2D roots.  It's been showered with accolades by reviewers and gamers alike since its release, becoming something of an underdog success story.  This week, Ubisoft put the game on sale for 50% off, and I decided to see what all the hype was about.