feminism . fangirlism . gaming

Ha ha, our Left 4 Dead 2 review went up a little while ago, and I'm posting it for you guys now before I head off to bed. It's the Xbox 360 version, if you haven't already heard, so keep that in mind. We should have a review for the PC version soon though.

Seriously, this game got way scarier with the sequel. Valve decided to toss in some creepy environments like pitch black sewers, a sugar mill INFESTED WITH WITCHES, a murky swamp with nasty Mudmen... Yeah, seriously, I need to play this with other people in the future.

Here's the obligatory excerpt from the article, followed by a link to the full review:

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Turns out the sequel isn’t just a rehash as so many still believe it to be. With a new cast of Survivors and Infected, more complex gameplay, and gorgeous environments, Left 4 Dead 2 takes the series further with one giant leap, something none of us could fully appreciate with

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EA likes to give out free stuff, apparently. Now this is nothing like the crazy Dragon Age: Origins press kit EA sent tekmosis / Jamie, but I thought these were pretty neat anyway:


I had already pre-ordered Left 4 Dead 2 off Steam a while ago, but EA sent the 360 version over for review. The game came with those cards, which you might recognize as the in-game campaign "posters." It'd be way cooler if these had been actual poster size, but I'm not complaining. Currently wondering how I should display these, or if I ought to just hide them away somewhere.

Kinda funny though; the Parish card was on top when they arrived, and it was covered in fingerprints, presumably belonging to whoever packed them into the envelop for shipping. I could tell they weren't mine because the prints were so much larger than my fingers -- I gots small hands.

The review itself is coming along. I had originally
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OKAY, seriously, I'm tired as hell. But here's the Modern Warfare 2 review I've been writin' for the last few days. Hey, there are worse jobs out there than reviewing hit games! It's the 360 version, so you won't find any bitching about how Activision shafted PC gamers (which they did, massively).

We do address the controversial terrorism segment of course, so have a read if you're interested. Next up, I'll be reviewing Left 4 Dead 2 for 360, though I've already pre-ordered the PC version. I did try both at E3, and the controls are quite fluid.

Anyway, here's an excerpt from the Modern Warfare 2 review, and you'll find the link below...

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Within the first 24 hours since launch, Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 had sold 4.7 million copies in North America and the UK alone. Its success was ensured by the popularity of its predecessor, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, a g

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Alright people, our Dragon Age: Origins review has been posted. Just in time for launch too! So if you've been eyeing this game, feel free to check out our review. We're pretty generous to it, since it's a pretty awesome game.

If you know BioWare's style, then you already have a good idea of what Dragon Age is about. Of course the outside is all different, but at the very core, the gameplay remains similar in most respects. It's a bit harder than most mainstream games out there today though, so RPG newbs should be wary. I would recommend it, just don't go in expecting to breeze on through.

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BioWare boasts a long-standing reputation as one of the most respected developers in the gaming industry, with numerous household titles and franchises. Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, and Jade Empire – all highly successful games produced within a single de

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Hey, Neo-nites. It's no secret that a huge chunk of the Neoseeker community are young'uns who really dig Nintendo and Pokemon. So it might interest many of you to learn that Nintendo has just announced a NEW handheld: the DSi LL.

Thanks to Dany for the tip and his Japanese skillz. Hey, I'm Asian but I do not speaketh the Nipponese. Anyway, we now know a few things about the new DSi LL, the most interesting fact imo being its heft; the LL will be heavier and bigger than the first DS -- you know, the thing that looked like an old Game Boy chopped in half then clued together at the edges. The DSi LL will, however, have a longer battery life than the original DSi, though it'll also take an extra half-hour to charge. Here's an excerpt from our front page news, translated off the official Japanese Nintendo DSi LL website:

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Japan's favorite manufacturer has just announced the DSi LL, a

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So we've been showing Nexon quite a bit of love in terms of reporting Dungeon Fighter Online happenings, like the initial closed beta recruiting stage. I think they once held a DFO press event a drive away from me, but I couldn't make it because I was going to be out of town at the time or something.

And remember when we got to interview DFO producer Herb Yang? That was pretty cool. The endless gushing I did on the front page over how badass and sexy the Priest class looks certainly helped. I remember one of the first things our PR contact Bob said to me when I met him at San Diego was, "So I know you really like the Priest." Well, something to that effect. It was hilarious and embarrassing.

So they offered some exclusive Priest gameplay footage from the game, meaning at least for now, it's only on Neoseeker. We're happy to have it, and we'd like to share it with you. As always, ju
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Today is Columbus Day in the United States and Thanksgiving in Canada, so the front page has been slow. I'm the only one writing today, along with our volunteer, Dany aka Reenee. But there's actually some neat vids released as well.

I posted them in our video section, and you can find them on the front page with a li'l background for each. The first is the opening cinematic for DJ Hero, that upcoming music game we've been hearing so much about -- with the turntable controller, Daft Punk, and some ongoing meet-Eminem-contest. It's pretty stylish, needless to say, and a bit on the obscure side; don't try to understand it, just sit back and enjoy.


LINK: DJ Hero opening cinematic released

More details at the link, including another link to another article about pre-order details. Retailers are really gunning for your money and offering some exclusive pre-order bonuses you might wanna thi
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Yeah yeah, the game came out mid-September, but hey, we're doing our best here. Good news is we think we've finally gotten Activision to stop sending us games so late. At the very least, Gabe is getting an earlier copy of Modern Warfare 2, so you dudes look forward to that.

For now, here's our review of Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. Read it, judge it, spread the word. Whether you've played the game or not, check out what we think (what I think, anyway). Solid game, deserves some time.

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Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 retains a certain familiarity, mostly because the basic formula is the same. Those familiar with the above mentioned games should fall comfortably into the latest installment. After an introduction stage, MUA2 enters full swing with the Marvel Civil War storyline, borrowed from the comics. Certain events lead the government to pass the Superhuman Registration Act (SRA), a

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I sent an email to Xbox LIVE's Major Nelson yesterday, with a link to the Sunday Musing about Avatar items: Three ways to improve the Avatar Marketplace on Xbox LIVE.

I'm not sure if the email goes directly to him or just through an assistant of some kind, but I assume the person on the other end was the Major (at worst, someone associated with him). There is some good news, that being we'll get more free Avatar updates in the future. Here was the response:

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Thanks. I’ll pass this along. Also, there will continue to be free items, so the first bullet point is not completely accurate.

Pretty cool, if you ask me. Now I'm hoping those updates come soon. I need to review Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. It came nearly two weeks late, but I still gotta take care of it.
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Been a while, but I finally got the chance to write a Sunday editorial today. The topic has been on my mind a while, so I thought it was about time I wrote about it. Would make more sense if you guys have Xbox LIVE, but I do go over the subject a bit before delving into the issue.

For those who do have Xbox LIVE and subscribe to Gold, you may be rather annoyed by Microsoft charging so much for the new Avatar merchandise. Of course, I have friends who don't care and throw away money on it. Oddly enough, I hear / read this excuse a lot: "I need something to waste my points on."

I think one issue is that many people don't realize these points cost money, and it really adds up after a while. Because they're called "points," we don't directly associate it with hard-earned cash. Thus, people are more willing to spend their points, forgetting they're actually spending real money. On top of
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