Games Galore!

Hey all.
I posted recently about playing RDR and finally, over a long-stretched-out play spanning 20-something hours, I've finished the story. I'm not one for spoilers, but I'll tell you this: it made me cry a bit ^_^ *giggles* I love any medium that has the capacity to do that to me. Just to sum up some of the stuff I really loved (and continue to love) about it:
Graphics: textures are superb, the particle effects really help to capture both the desert and snowy mountain areas. The water effects are excellent, and the faces are realistic, convincing and emotional. Weather effects are awesome.
Gameplay: Combat is fluid thanks to Rockstar's quick-lock-on kinda system thing, and a whole lot of fun. Horses are awesome, as is going out hunting, and all the cool side and main missions. Just going to say, I didn't really like the minigames... especially horseshoes x.X
Soundtrack: Awesome ambience relative to the area of the world you're in, and at certain key points in the story a piece of real music will come in, and these are all fantastic IMO. Also the fight music really gets the adrenaline pumping with it's fast but steady beat.
Sound effects: Awesome ricochets and gunshots help bring all the battles to life. Weather sounds add to the atmosphere and make events like thunderstorms vivid and shockingly cool. Animal noises are very real too (hearing mountain lions and bears still makes me quake in my spurred boots)
Voice Acting: Unceasingly realistic, clever and emotional. Awesome all the way through with all the characters.
Story: Well written, well executed, and pretty much an emotional roller-coaster. As I said, I cried as it came to the end T.T
The only things that let it down in any area for me were the occasional glitches; for example at one point there were two of a certain character (avoiding the slightest of spoilers) and said character's voice didn't work in the next scene. Little things like this are all that prevent this game being perfect for me... aside from the online, but I haven't played enough of that to properly judge it yet.
Basically what I'm saying is: buy RDR if you haven't already. It's a fucking work of genius. And it has.... *drumroll* gay mexicans!
Ima buy the soundtrack too I think ^_^

In other video game news: E3 is upon us! I've spent many an hour now checking out live stage demos and trailers, and here are some that have really piqued my interest:
Halo: Reach - 2 words: space battles.
Gears of War 3 - 2 words: lambent beserker.
Assassins Creed Brotherhood - 2 words: It's-a me!
Crysis 2 - Death by Cryengine 3... sorry, Cryengine 3D O.o What do y'all think? Do we really need 3D gaming just yet?
Brink - continuing to look awesome
Crackdown 2 - gliding suits, magnetic grenades, and zombies... pure mayhem
Kinect - not interested
COD Black Ops - oooh helicopters! Still not that interested...
New Xbox - looks cool. Shame I'm poor and like the save files I have already. Awesome to hear that Xbox no longer has to sound like a harrier jet though haha

Turning away from Xbox (yes, I'm the Xbox guy. M is the PS3 guy. J... haha is the... haha... Wii man *giggles*... sorry, it's just so funny thinking of it as a games console XD)

Twisted Metal - now that's a surprise. An awesome surprise... but a surprise
Killzone 3 - jetpacks! Wait a second... *looks up at Halo: Reach* I spy a trend!
Star Wars tOR - check out the Hope trailer. Awe inspiring stuff, my friends
SOCOM 4 - With the Move: cool, I guess... not really my thing.
Without the Move: uninteresting shooter
Anything on the Wii - LOL

That's about all I got at the moment. So, to all my/our adoring fans, I bid thee farewell.
Until next time,
C
xxx <3