Video Gaming Blog

The newest addition to every Batman fan’s collection is Arkham Asylum. The video game, which was released on August 25th ’09, takes players deep within the Caped Crusader’s mind as he sets out to stop his nemesis, the Joker, once again. The setting for Batman’s latest adventure has a very dark atmosphere, not letting down the many insane criminals that live within it.

As the hero himself you will face many faces familiar to those who know their way around Batman’s story. The Joker plays the role of main antagonist, with Harley Quinn at his side. Other enemies such as Bane, Killer Croc, and Zsasz make an appearance opposite Batman. Against such an all-star cast of villains, you might think that Gotham’s favorite vigilante might be in over his head. Don’t fret, he still has all his gadgets and toys at his side.

Batman’s always got something to get him out of just about any situation. You have a wide array of tools available to help you around Arkham, like his trademark Batarangs or Batclaw. More and more content is waiting for people who like to pay close attention to detail, with many hidden challenges to complete and a similar number of interesting rewards. Since the game is free-roaming, there is little to stop you from doing what you want, so long as it is within the boundaries of the game itself.

The mechanics of the game are different from your average games nowadays. Arkham Asylum utilizes a “predator camera” that makes sleuthing all the more exciting. With that, Batman also has many takedown maneuvers which leaves every brawler wanting more. And speaking of brawling, the free-flow combat system makes it so you take the fighting at your own pace. Will you hide in the shadows or fight up front? Choose fast, because your enemies won’t wait forever.

Computer games run the gamut over almost every genre imaginable, but Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG for short), are among the most wide-scale and popular. Some MMORPG’S you may have heard of, namely World of Warcraft. However, an entire internet subculture revolves around these online worlds.

Whether you’re looking for a new way to interact with people across the web or just want to kill some time with a good game, the internet offers a great range of MMO’S to everyone. Many of these games are even available for free, although to enjoy the full experience most of them will require a fee. That may mean the game’s developers only make a trial version for free, or an expansion to the free version can be purchased.

An example of the latter is RuneScape. This MMORPG is set in a fantasy world named after the game itself, and hosts over 100 servers with nearly 100,000 people online at almost any time of day. A portion of the full game is available to anyone for free for as long as they want, but in order to experience the other three-fourths of the game you must pay a monthly fee of $5.99 US.

One feature present in almost every RPG is the requirement of classes. This means that players must choose a certain type of character (referred to as a class). Each class has its own set of skills and other features. RuneScape, however, does not include this in the game. This makes it a unique take on the genre and many players are drawn to the prospect. RuneScape is also web-based, meaning there is no additional software to purchase/download required to play.

Easily the most prominent MMO to-date is World of Warcraft. With over a million players immersed in its fantasy world and three expansions (so far), WoW has made a lasting impression on the computer gaming scene. Even with such a massive following the price continues to drive away potential gamers. Whether or not it is worth it I will leave up to you readers.

The software is purchasable at many outlets as well as online. Blizzard Entertainment (Warcraft’s developers) have a 10-day free trial of World of Warcraft available, however the full game (all expansions included) will run you a little over $100, and there is a monthly fee of $15, which decreases if you buy longer amounts of time at once.

In addition to these, there are countless other games just waiting to be discovered. Ragnarok: Online is a Norse mythology-based RPG developed by the Korean developers at Gravity. Adventure Quest is a Flash-based game with an abundance of spin-offs that are sure to keep you busy. It takes on a more humorous role in the computer gaming world and is more directed at children.

The only way for you to find out which game is worth your time and money is to go and try ‘em out yourself!