It’s that time of year once again, as game enthusiasts around the world look to Los Angeles for all the newest details and world exclusive reveals of their most coveted titles. One look at last year’s surprise reveals and announcements show that even with a laundry-list of flagship properties to show off, developers have just as many surprises in store. Not all of our E3 2011 dreams will come true, but we can certainly h

And then there was Skyrim . While we don’t know if for sure Elder Scrolls: Skyrim will make an appearance during a press conference, one would assume that given Bethesda’s previous success with launching Oblivion on the Xbox 360 console first, that Skyrim would be touted as more connected with Micros

It’s hard to pick a single creature from the Pokémon universe as greater than any other; since the games have seen no fewer than hundreds of the creatures pass through their midst. But even if every player who spends time simulating the career of an amateur Pokémon Trainer has their favorites, one has come to represent the franchise as wh

He may have begun his life as a small protector of Vance, but thanks to her additions and refinements, the towering pet is nearly invincible, not to mention fearless. But its his loyalty we most remember (and his car-throwi

Few Adventure games Online guide embody solitude like Team Ico ‘s epic Shadow of the Colossus , but paradoxically, the game possesses one of the most emotionally potent partnerships that its console generation ever witnessed (something the studio has proved particularly skilled

Way, way back in the early 2000s, while promoting the original Fable , designer Peter Molyneux famously proclaimed that the world of Fable would respond to player input like no other game before. He famously promised that players could knock acorns off of trees and that those acorns would eventually grow into acorns themselves. Now, Molyneux is famous for over-promising and has even apologized for doing

Without a doubt, Fable II is one of the most anticipated games of the year. Still, in the weeks leading up to its release, the feeling of dread was palpable. Many gamers remember the hype surrounding the original title, only to be disappointed when they received an experience that was great but not the classic they had felt they were promised.

E3 2011 is only one week away and fans are no doubt clambering for details on what to expect from their favorite developers and console manufacturers. We’ll be bringing our readers live coverage of all the high-profile E3 events and closed-door meetings — but, in the mean time, we thought we’d take a moment to summarize what we’re expecting to see at the upcoming keynote addresses — this time for Microso

One of the main reasons the story falls so flat is your character’s infinite silence. The only way to communicate with other characters is through a series of expressions that only really serve to illicit a base reaction from any NPC that sees them without any real discourse. Sure using the right expression will curry favor with the townspeople of Albion, and the wrong one will help to make them view you are boorish and rude, but it helps to illustrate the core issue with Fable II’s system. The game becomes about the choices you make, but not necessarily about the characters that those choices may alter. Due to the one-dimensional townspeople and lack of real interaction, scenes that should have some amount of emotional resonance fall significantly short. The only real feeling you have for any character is for your faithful canine companion, and even that is tenuous.

While many gamers have the press conferences for both Sony and Nintendo pretty well figured out, the big question mark in the room is the Microsoft conference. There are a few titles that most expect to see from the company, but there is a lot of mystery in the air, and a hope that some really huge surprises are lying in w

The daunting task of giving them classic they wanted was left up to Peter Molyneux and his team, and the task may have not have seemed that difficult for them. The original Fable presented an amazing amount of detail to the world, but it simply seemed to fall short on a few key areas. All they had to do this time around was expand on the good and improve on these problems and they would have a game etched into the upper echelon of the new generation.

After some assumed that the game had been quietly killed by LucasArts, only a year ago new evidence surfaced that led us to believe that while excitement may have died down, an announcement at last year’s E3 was possible. Alas, nothing was announced, and fans of large-scale combat with lightsabers tasted disappointment yet again (thanks, Force Unleashed

When you do eventually decide to stop snickering over the fact you have to purchase condoms in order to prevent a coinpurse-draining pregnancy in any of your wives (or to avoid nasty STDs from Albion’s ladies of the night), you will be happy to learn that the Quests in this game are varied and entertaining. Even the simplest quest will occasionally blindside you with a deeply profound choice. This is where the morality system really shines, but some would say it is unbalanced. To become a truly evil character you need not leave the first town you are set down in, but to actually max out as a good character will take you a significant amount of hours. To me, unlike the unbalanced economy, the ease of being an evil character and the difficulty of being a good character are as realistic as it can be. It is much easier to rob and steal than it is to take daunting quests and help improve the world you live in. It is up to you to decide whether you will take the instant gratification and ease of an evil character or the more rewarding and difficult path of a pillar of heroism in the society. The quests in Fable II embrace this fact and, while not giving you enough overtly good options, make the game incredibly replayable. You will never, ever be at a loss for something to kill time with in Albion.