Zombies on a plane! Hahahaha!

Seriously though, this looks like a big dumb action thrill-ride and I'll almost certainly end up playing it.

Progress: Gave Up

My interest in this was pretty lukewarm, on the assumption that shoehorning the "True Crime" (whatever that means) out of the existing production would only exacerbate what Activision saw as quality issues. But as the hype train starts to roll up, it's becoming evident that this game is packed to the gills with the kinds of things I love from, maybe not Grand Theft Auto, but possibly Saints Row. Also, apparently the "True Crime" thing wasn't even, which is even more comforting, somehow.

Vampires, werewolves, whatever -- they had me at "Skyrim DLC."

While I had (and still have) an endless admiration for Lords of Shadow's production values, the game itself never really gripped me. Now I find myself questioning that -- because this sequel, in which you are apparently Vlad himself, looks way too fucking cool. Granted, the cinematic doesn't prove that playing as Dracula will actually be any fun, but how couldn't it be?

Tomb Raider is one of the last franchises I expected to be giving half a shit about (the surprisingly pleasant Guardian of Light spinoff notwithstanding). Naughty Dog made it clear that they had no problem carrying that torch for themselves. But the most recent media for Lara's new adventure shows plainly that her keepers have been watching Drake closely, and taking notes. Deep characterization, an immediately intriguing plot, and high-octane set pieces are all accounted for here. Hey, if this Tomb Raider can be as good as an Uncharted, that's plenty good enough.

Arkane Studios doesn't really have much of a track record, which makes the ambition and sheer cool-factor of Dishonored that much more amazing. If the game can really deliver on the kind of open-endedness that it intends, and if its world can maintain the visual richness and nuance of the trailers so far, these guys could really give Irrational a run for their money.

Do I want to hop between airborne missiles and slice up a combat helicopter? Yes, I absolutely do.

In Diablo II, the Nightmare and Hell difficulty levels were completely fucking retarded, with reduced (as in negative) magic resistance and sweeping enemy immunities -- designed explicitly to make you weak and totally helpless. Comparatively, Diablo III has much more approachable difficulties, especially since - at least in Nightmare - level-ups continue to scale fairly well. But it's still just unfair enough to feel frustrating.

New elite-monster modifications start to appear - like Arcane Enchanted, which turns a battle into a deadly Pink Floyd show, and Fire Chains, which seemed silly until two fast-moving imps ran jumpropes of fiery death around me - and certain combinations, like Jailer (rooting me in one place) and Plagued or Defiler (placing devastating but usually-avoidable damage sources in one place) just feel game-breaking. Meanwhile, while the equipment drops are generally better, they're not better enough to scale with the game difficulty, and there is an increasingly depressing sense of Blizzard driving me to the Auction House just to keep pace.

I had fun with each of the game's classes through Normal mode, and I'm sure that, as with StarCraft II, I'll be picking this back up every now and then to screw around with my buddies. But I think I'm done trying to climb the Nightmare/Hell/Inferno ladder.

Progress: Took a Monk to level 42 in Nightmare

I might jump back into this next time I'm stuck with no other games to play, but for now, interest: lost.

Progress: Gave Up -- Finished the Viking campaign

So Genkibowl VII was fun, if shallow, and Gangstas in Space was generally underwhelming. The Trouble with Clones has more in common with the latter than the former - wholly encapsulated in its mini-campaign, with scant replay value - but stands out for a pleasantly witty story (narrated by a comic book nerd), and a legitimately awesome play mechanic in the accelerated Saints Flow energy drink: it turns you into a superhero.

When you can run at the speed of traffic, punch enemies so hard they explode (complete with "BIFF" and "ZAM" starburst effects), and launch fireballs at freakin' helicopters, the second half of this DLC's mini-campaign feels like a hilarious and well-realized addition to Saints Row's established irreverence. But it's still disappointingly brief and throw-away, especially in that the resurrected, monstrous Johnny Gat doesn't have a bigger role.

Not really worth $7, but as part of its three-pack - itself at a substantial discount - not a bad deal.

Better than: Saints Row: The Third - Gangstas in Space
Not as good as: Saints Row: The Third - Genkibowl VII
So has Volition learned to make meaningful DLC yet?: definitely nope.

Progress: Finished the 'story'