Just went to JB Hi-Fi to buy Skyrim. I know I’m late on that gravy train, but that gravy train passed me by while I was looking the other way (see: Deus Ex).

Anyway, there were heaps of “Buy 2 games for $40″ buckets, so I naturally have just returned from the store with 5 games. Adding these to the pile I already have sitting under my desk, here, in somewhat chronological order, are the video game reviews you can expect in the future:

• Skyrim
• Crysis 2
• Prototype
• Dead Space
• Dead Space 2
• Mass Effect
• Mass Effect 2
• Far Cry 2
• Bioshock

So … I guess I’ll start playing Skyrim now. If you don’t hear from me for weeks, don’t worry.

The Top 10 Games I Played

10. Mighty Fin - iOS

A sort of underwater response to Tiny Wings (read on…), with playful upgrades and candy land. Can be frustrating at times, but it feels great when you get on a good run, with multipliers abound.

9. Madden NFL 12 - Xbox 360 (also available on PS3, Wii)

This game, while still in my top 10 for 2011, was a disappointment. I guess it’s only really here because I love the Madden franchise, and am one of the suckers who will continue to buy the games, year-in, year-out. But this game is frustrating at times, especially to newcomers. I think I still managed to get a lot out of it because I know the franchise well; but many were turned off by this year’s installment. Hopefully EA is hearing the masses, and will make some changes in the 2013 edition.

8. Tiny Wings - iOS

Every casual gamer’s indy-game experience of 2011. I’m not very good at it, though…

7. TETRIS - iOS

EA’s revamp of the arcade classic is the finest touch-screen edition I’ve played. I’ve always felt like this game wouldn’t work on a touch-screen device, but EA proved me wrong on this one. Then again, if they tried to rub it in, I’d probably just tell them to shut up and get back to work on the next Madden installment.

6. Dead Space 2 - Xbox 360 (also available on PS3, PC)

There is so much to love about this game. The graphics, the sound, the weapons, the gore.

But every time I play this game, I am terrified. I constantly try to convince myself that this is a good thing – the game is keeping me on the edge of my seat with it’s shocks and surprises. But I can’t escape the fact that I don’t actually enjoy being consistently terrified. Sure, suspense is enjoyable, and it is enthralling to play a game that can have this kind of effect on me. But constantly worrying about surprises around each and every corner isn’t enjoyable.

I feel like a pussy for saying it, but what needs to be understood is that I’m not “terrified” because they’re big scary zombie mutants coming to crush my skull. I’m “terrified” because I know shocks are just around the corner, and I don’t really like being shocked. So this game gets plus points for having such an effect on me, but loses points for relying too heavily on that shock value to do so.

5. Where’s My Water? - iOS

Where’s My Water? is a physics puzzle game designed by Disney, which I suppose means it’s meant to be for kids. But so are water parks, slip-n-slides, and bouncy balls. It’s fun to be a kid.

The aim of the game is to coerce water through the level to give your crocodile friend a shower. It starts off simple, but like all great physics puzzlers, it gets more and more complex as you go.

Every now and then they’ll release an update with new levels, so you’re guaranteed bang for your buck.

4. Tiny Tower - iOS

The first iOS game that, in my opinion, excellently utilizes the multi-tasking ability of a device. When I first played this game, I thought, “Gee, now I just have to wait for that to happen? What a load of crap!”

Then I came to the realization: this game doesn’t want you to sit there staring at the progress bars ticking down. It wants you to let the tower go on without you, interrupting you (pleasantly – I interject) with push notifications when action needs to be taken.

So it’s certainly not the kind of game you can just sit down and play – although there are always little things to do – but instead it’s one you start up and just keep checking on. It’s kind of like a Tamagotchi, but without the pooping.

3. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 - iOS

I bought this on my iPhone because it was on sale for just 99 cents, and it’s made me want to buy the Xbox version, too. I never would have thought a golf game could be so playable, but it’s the perfect game for train rides, flights, and otherwise. Chews through battery life, though what doesn’t?

2. Gears of War 3 - Xbox 360

I’ve loved the Gears of War series since I first played the original back in 2007, so this might be a biased opinion. Gears of War 3 is a welcome addition to the franchise. It doesn’t really offer anything new or ground-breaking, but it is certainly the most polished of all the releases, and all game modes are rewarding. It’s a must play, regardless of whether you’ve played the prequels.

1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Xbox 360 (also available on PC, PS3 and Mac OS)

I still haven’t played the original two games in the Deus Ex series (both were released early last decade), but by all accounts that doesn’t change the experience of Deus Ex: Human Revolution. This game is the best game I played in 2011, and (maybe outside of one or two of the games in the Grand Theft Auto franchise) it might be the best game I’ve ever played.

I’ve played a lot of games in my lifetime, probably more than my fair share. And as I think back over my 20 short years so far, a few games stand out as pillars of my lifetime gaming experience. In my formative years, it was Asteroids, SimTower and The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall (recognize the title?). Then, it was Age of Empires II: Age of Kings, Diablo II and The Sims. As I moved over to consoles, GTA: Vice City and the Madden franchise became my obsessions. Deus Ex: Human Revolution is the newest addition to that list.

For more on Deus Ex: Human Revolution, see my original review.

5 Games I Wish I’d Played, and Probably Will in the Future

• Batman: Arkham City - Metacritic’s game of the year received unanimous high scores, and unfortunately I had my head buried in the world of Deus Ex when it was released.
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - A lot of other people’s game of the year also came out at a busy time for me, and I missed this one too. Sounds like it needs a few bug fixes, anyway, so I’m not too upset.
• Portal 2 - I played Portal, but it didn’t encapsulate me as much as it did other people. So when the sequel came out, I thought I’d let others take a look at it first. Seems like they all enjoy it.
• Mass Effect 2 - I have this game, sitting in a pile under my desk, but I haven’t even opened it yet. Bitter.
• FIFA Soccer 12 - I enjoy the FIFA franchise almost as much as the Madden NFL one. So I kinda wish I’d bought FIFA this year, because it seemed to be a unanimous sports game of the year (apart from maybe NBA 2K12).

My 5 Most Anticipated 2012 Releases

• Tony Hawk HD - The Tony Hawk franchise is, obviously, a little dead. But the idea of producing an updated version of the original 2 classics in the series? Brilliant. Classic maps?  Yes. Classic skaters? You bet. Original soundtrack? Probably not.
• Bioshock: Infinite - The trailerfor this one is shot entirely from in-game footage. I’m excitied.
• Mass Effect 3 - Yeah, I haven’t played Mass Effect 2 yet. But millions of people can’t be wrong… right?
• Game of Thrones - Wait… what? Yeah, there’s a Game of Thrones RPG being advertised. And it could be terrible. But I love the show, so I’m kind of hoping this one is actually worth a look.
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Patriots - OK, this one’s not coming out ’til 2013. But my god, the trailer.

What did I miss? Let me know in the comments section.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is one of those games.

The Game

Set in 2027, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a prequel to the initial 2000 release, Deus Ex, which was followed in 2003 by a sequel, Deus Ex: Invisible War. It was developed by Eidos Montreal, and published by Square Enix, who own Eidos, and also produce the Final Fantasy series, the Hitman series and many other action titles.

You are Adam Jensen, head of security at human augmentation developer Sarif Industries. The revolution of human augmentation is in its infant stages, and 0n the eve of announcements that could dramatically advance Sarif’s technologies in a highly competitive market, the Detroit office is attacked by a private security force led by three ruthless mercenaries. The labs are destroyed, and many scientists are killed, including the lead developer of the new technology – and Jensen’s ex-girlfriend – Megan Reed.

Jensen is horrifically injured in the attack, but a clause in his contract allows David Sarif – head of Sarif Industries – to augment Jensen with the cutting-edge technology in order to save his life.

Six months later, mostly recovered from your life-saving operations, you return to Sarif Industries to respond to a break-in at one of Sarif’s production facilities. What you find puts you on the trail of the initial attackers, and a grand conspiracy begins to unravel.

What I Love About this Game

For so long there have been role-playing games (RPGs), and there have been first-person shooters. And recently, we have seen many clear attempts at combining both genres. Deus Ex: Human Revolution is, to me, the finest game so far produced in this new genre.

There is true depth of choice in this game. Throughout it, you can choose to utilise any combination of what the developers call the four “pillars” of gameplay: Combat, Stealth, Hacking and Social.

It is explained, early in the game, that as you are not yet fully recovered from your augmentation surgery, your augmentations are yet to be fully developed. They can be upgraded through Praxis points, which can be earned through experience points, which are gained through takedowns, kills, exploring new areas and other various methods. Some Praxis points are hidden in and around the environments, and, although costly, Praxis points can also be bought.

This cleverly-veiled player development system allows you to choose which of these “pillars” you want to use. A small progression in all four is necessary, but advanced development in any two of them should allow you to finish the game.

It also means that, just like I have, you can play through the game multiple times, and each time you will find a new experience.

The first time I played through the game I used all lethal weapons, and shot my way to and through all the objectives. The second time I played, I used stealth and non-lethal attacks to reach my goal. Both times I finished the game, and both times I felt great afterwards.

But the truly awesome moment was when I started it all over again (yes, this game is that good), and I combined my lethal and stealthy skillsets. This was the moment I realised how powerful Jensen could be. The power at your fingertips when you reach this moment is indescribable. And it’s why you need to play this game.

But the depth of RPG-style choice in this game isn’t the only reason this game is so good. It also delivers from a first-person shooter standpoint.

All the weapons look great, sound great to fire, are as effective and ineffective as advertised, and can be upgraded and personalised. Ammunition is scarcer than perhaps it is in other shooters, but not frustratingly so. The lethal melees are brutal and perfectly executed, and a two-man-takedown upgrade only makes them more incredible.

This is a game that keeps on giving. There are literally endless possibilities when you play this game, and I’m sure I will play it again and again in the years to come.

What I Don’t Love About this Game

Not much. This game is about as perfect a game as I have played. There are some flaws though – although they are few and far between, so I will bullet point them:

• Loading times. It just seems sometimes that the game takes a little too long to load. Sometimes when you die and try to reload the last checkpoint, it’ll take just as long to reload as any other, even if you’re not changing environment.
• Dialogue. Video game dialogue has still got a long way to go before it’s up to the same standards as television and films, but this game is pretty good script and acting-wise. Sometimes, though, it seems a little dry and stagnant. Not a major, isolated problem, though.

The Scores:

Presentation: 8

The interface is smooth, clever and well integrated with the content. The load times are a little frustrating, though.

Graphics: 8.5

This game doesn’t really take any giant graphical steps technologically, but the art itself is gorgeous. Don’t expect incredible vistas – the game doesn’t really take place in any massive expanses – but do expect a fantastically detailed and diverse graphical experience.

Sound: 8

All other reviews will tell you this game’s soundtrack is fantastic. I thought it was good – and maybe I play games slightly differently to others – but I don’t really recall the soundtrack being too extraordinary. Not that it was bad; I just don’t really recall noticing it to much of an extent. The dialogue is a little tacky, but all other sounds are excellent. The effects are crisp and realistic, and the A.I. dialogue is generally relevant.

Gameplay: 9.5

There is so much choice in this game, and any way you choose to play it, you’ll have fun. When you work out the augmentations that best suit your play style, you will have a great time.

Lasting Appeal: 10

No game I have ever played in the action genre has such ongoing playability. I’m sure after I finish my next game review, I’ll take another swing at Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

Final score: 44/50

Buy this game. Borrow this game. Steal this game*. I don’t care how you do it, but PLAY THIS GAME.

*I do not condone stealing games.

• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 shot coffee
• 2/3 cup steamed milk

Steps:

1. Pour boiling shot of coffee into mug.
2. Mix in sugar until dissolved.
3. Add steamed milk, mix and allow to cool to desired temperature.

From Wikipedia:

Traditional Cuban-style espresso is made by adding demerara sugar to the container into which the espresso will drip, allowing the espresso to mix with the sugar as it is brewed … Some people believe that this results in a smooth, sweet espresso.

My version doesn’t use demerara sugar necessarily… don’t really know what that is. But this is my take on it, and it’s quite splendid.

• 1/2 teaspoon of hot chocolate powder
• 1 shot coffee
• 2/3 cup steamed milk

(note: hot chocolate powder can be substituted with 50% cocoa, 50% sugar/sweetener)

Steps:

1. Put hot chocolate powder in bottom of mug, add boiling coffee shot and stir until combined.
2. Add steaming milk and stir lightly, allowing to slowly combine and cool to desired temperature.

This is my favourite way to make a mocha, which is essentially a latte with some addition of chocolate. Some use cocoa or hot chocolate powder, while others use chocolate syrup or even melted cooking chocolate. This variation isn’t quite as chocolatey as most.

So without further adieu, here are my Top 10 scenes from Judd Apatow flicks. This is of course a subjective list – everyone will have their own opinions and I welcome those in the comments section!

10. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) – It’s So Damn Hot

“Milk was a bad choice.”

9. Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (2004) – Brick’s Lunch

“I got it out of the food basket at the end of the lunch line.”

8. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) – Sex Stories

“You know when you grab a woman’s breast… and it feels like a bag of sand.”

7. Superbad (2007) – Soccer Field

“Seth, momma’s making a pubee salad, and I need some Seth’s Own dressing.”

6. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) – With The Beatles

“With meditation there’s no limit to what we can… imagine.”

5. Get Him to The Greek (2010) – Aaron Tries Not to Sneeze

“If you sneeze it is very important that you clench at the same time.”

(Aaron has a parcel of Aldis’ drugs “in his bottom”.)

4. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) – Prayer to Baby Jesus

“I like to imagine baby Jesus wearing a tuxedo t-shirt.”

3. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) – Diversity Chat

“Loud noises!”

2. Pineapple Express (2008) – Fight Scene

“What we do in this life echoes an eternity!”

1. Step Brothers (2008) – Bunk Beds

“So many activities!”

My attempt: