Review: Dragon Ball Z – Ultimate Tenkaichi (PS3)

Well, after a few months off from giving you the down and dirty of what is coming out on the PC each month, we are back.  And surprisingly, we are back with a good looking calendar of releases on the PC for a February, normally the dead part of the release calendar.

So sit back, relax and take a look at what you will want to be spending money on for the month of February.  Also, our case mod this month is a PC inside of a pizza box.  That is ingenuity, because someone managed not only to feed themselves on the pizza, but use the box for a case, making use of the entire meal.  I wonder if the CPU is grease cooled?

Burnout Paradise – Last year, right about this time, PS3 and Xbox 360 users were getting to know the new Burnout Paradise.  Now a year later, it is time for PC gamers to get a chance to take on the streets of Paradise City, and have their nerves grated by DJ Atomica.  So far, early shots of Burnout Paradise have looked great, and as long as they can find a way to scale the graphics for multiple types of machines, Critereon should have another hit on their hands.  This is the first time a Burnout game has come to the PC, so I hope that the PC gaming faithful will take it upon themselves to make a purchase instead of visiting their local Torrent site.  One has to wonder if they will have a way to make the online section of the game work as smoothly as it did on the PC side.   Look for Burnout Paradise on February 3rd.

FEAR 2 – FEAR hit the PC scene four years ago and brought about a new style of gaming on the PC.  Using horror and action together, along with a  freaky ass ghost of a girl that had it out for you, it was a game that really showed what a PC game could look like, as well as show you how creeped out you could be.  After a half-hearted expansion and sequel from Sierra, Monolith finally gained control of both the name and the intellectual property, and have made a true FEAR 2 sequel.  The demo that is currently available shows off an incredible array of graphics, as well as more of the chilling scares that made the first game so much fun to play.  Just think of this as the sequel to FEAR and not the Perseus Mandate game that came out early last year.  Look for FEAR 2 on February 10th.

X-Blades - Lets see, X-Blades has a lot going for it.  Young, anime drawn heroine, check.  Scantily clad heroine, check.  Mass carnage ensues with duel wielding swords, guns and spellcasting, check.  In all seriousness, X-Blades is really shaping into a great action/platformer type game, complete with a heavy emphasis on killing large amounts of bad guys.  Taking a not so unique storyline of being a treasure hunter, it does throw a curse into the mix, to which Ayumi has to find out how to rid herself of the curse before it consumes her.  There are a few question marks about the series still linger, especially with a new franchise like this.  How much gameplay will be in the box, and are Southpeak putting more focus on the design of the character than the actual gameplay.  Pretty girls are nice, but a fun game is worth oh so much more.  Look for X-Blades on February 10th.

Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II – The first Dawn of War brought lots of blood, guts and Space Marines to the RTS genre.  Solid graphics, and easy to grasp, but months to master style gameplay just added to the already excellent game.  Now the sequel is here and sports to new classes, new units and more importantly to those that care, achievements.  Yes, Dawn of War II supports the Games for Windows Live interface, including for its multiplayer matchups.  While the game is easy to master, those that have played it will definitely have a leg up on the competition, and that might thin out the pool of online players.  Also, for some GFW Live is a minus rather than a plus.  If you are on the fence for this title, take the demo for a test drive, but be warned that the game is as good as advertised.  Look for Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II on February 18th.

Well, what is there to say about The Sims 3.  Yes, the life simulator is back, with updated graphics, furniture and other items.  Apparently, you will get to spend more time with your Sims this time around, including work, which would be nice.  There are also rumors of mixing in some of the concepts that were suppose to be in Simsville.  While some may scoff at the fact that it is a casual type game, there is a lot of intricate play her for the hardcore gaming faithful.  The biggest problem with The Sims 3 is that the brand is bigger than the game itself.  The franchise has also become far too stingy with the initial content that comes in the box, instead relying on $20-30 add-on packs gouging the consumer for far more than their initial investment.  That said, I have this high on my list as a must buy, if only because it is a game me and my wife can play, and it looks like it will play far better than Spore.  Look for The Sims 3 on February 20th.

The Godfather II – The first Godfather game was surprisingly good for a licensed product.  It also took the movie it was based on and filled in the gaps that we did not see on screen.  This made the game feel fresh, and fleshed out most of the main events that happened in the movie.  It also helped that there were so many activities to do on top of the main story.  The Godfather II takes you to the streets of Miami, Cuba and New York.  You still perform the same type of third person action-adventure gameplay, but a new twist has been added this time around called The Don’s View.  Now you have a simple strategy/management type game that you perform, along with the street level action.  You are in charge of your area now, and whether you succeed as the Don or are overrun sits in your hands.  Look for The Godfather II on February 24th.

So there you have it, another great month of games.  A surprising month for games, considering this is suppose to be the beginning of the doledrums as far as game releases are concerned.  Look here at Aeropause each month for the best of every platform, including the beloved PC.