In October of last year, Valve announced their second project of 2011 would not be Half Life 2: Episode 3 or Half Life 3 or Just Release Another Half Life Game Already, Goddammit, but DotA 2. Much of the gaming world’s response amounted to a collective, “Wha…who…why would…really?”

Review by Jason Dobry Total War: Shogun 2 Developer Creative Assembly Publisher Sega Released March 15, 2011 Available for PC (Windows XP,  Vista, 7) Time Played  - 55 hours and counting Verdict:    5/5 Gold Star “CA learned from its mistakes and made a masterpiece of strategy gaming…Everything is better, and most importantly, not so much because it’s ‘bigger,’ but because …

I was playing through Aliens vs. Predator the other night when I saw my good friend and gaming insider Matt Sakey (a.k.a. Steerpike) on Steam. Ah, Steam. You allow me to intrude on my friends at my whim. I sent Sakey a one-sentence review of Metro 2033: “I’m punishing Metro 2033 for being a stupid, …

Review by Jason Dobry Amnesia: The Dark Descent Developer Frictional Games Publisher Frictional Games Released September 8, 2010 Available for PC (version played), Mac, Linux Time Played Finished in about 10 hours Verdict: 4/5 Thumbs Up “Amnesia differs from any horror game I’ve ever played. This isn’t just horror. This is dread, the stuff of …

Review by Jason Dobry Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty Developer Blizzard Publisher Activision/Blizzard Released June 27, 2010 Available for PC (version played), Macintosh Time Played Finished (single player) – about 30 hours Verdict: 3/5 Middlin’ “In the end, I liked the game, but I doubt I will ever play it again or buy the expansions or mini-sequels or whatever the hell they’re doing …

In joy, that is. As part of my wake-up ritual, I was slogging through the Internet when I bumbled onto a piece of news so exciting it caused me to call my wife into the room.  The conversation went something like this: JASON: OHMYGOD! COURTNEY (from the bathroom): What? JASON: Oh my God, Oh my …

The prognosis is dire, I’m afraid. It’s time for PC gaming to start a heavy drinking and smoking habit and to make a list of “Things I Want to Do Before The End.” It’s terminal cancer, and not the good kind either. It’s the kind that will most certainly kill it, but slowly and only after putting it through a protracted and agonizing battle with false cures, hopes, and pain. The cancer might even go into remission once or twice, but it will triumph in the end.

We’ve heard this prediction before, of course, and as a passionate PC gamer, I was always quick to dismiss it. PCs offered prettier and deeper games than their console brethren. After a month with my new PS3, however, I’ve decided that the end of the PC age finally approacheth, and right soon.

I don’t play massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMOs) anymore. I’ve tried Eve Online, Age of Conan, and of course Lord Creator World of Warcraft. I’ve watched my friends play and heard them discuss numerous others, and from what I can gather, they all involve two key elements that millions of people confuse with …

Review by Jason Dobry Killing Floor Developer Tripwire Interactive Publisher Tripwire Interactive Released May 14, 2009 Available for PC Verdict: 2/5 Rotten Egg “Tripwire Interactive recently released Killing Floor, an updated retail version of the 2005 mod by the same name for Unreal 2004.   I managed to secure it for only 15 bucks on Steam, …

Review by Jason Dobry Empire: Total War Developer The Creative Assembly Publisher SEGA Released March 1, 2009 Available for Windows XP/Vista Verdict  3/5 Middlin’ “Fans (like myself) of prior TW titles will appreciate the massive improvements to the turn-based campaign, but may be disappointed by the sleepytime AI in both the real-time and turn-based portions …