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I’ve been wanting to talk more about the games I play, so I thought it might be a nice idea to do a weekly post about what I’ve been up to. I have toyed with the idea of proper reviews but I’ve never get round to actually doing them, so just writing a few sentences about the things I’ve played seems like it might be a better compromise.

There won’t be any spoilers here today, but I think as the weeks go on I might start going into specifics about the things I’ve been up to. Rest assured that any spoilers will be clearly marked, so don’t worry about that!

This week (especially as I’ve played quite a lot), it will be a more general post but eventually I hope to talk at length about my thoughts on the games I play, looking at various aspects from the animation and visual style, through to the controls and gameplay/level design. Hope you enjoy it!

Oh and this list is just the fully-released games I’ve played this week. There’ll be a post a bit later about the various demos and trials I’ve finally got round to testing!

Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony (Xbox 360) – I finally got round to picking this up just before I went for the interview in Edinburgh. I’d been meaning to get it for ages, but figured I really HAD to at least make a start before going to chat to the guys at R*.

I have found it to be a fantastic DLC package. It’s difficult to sound unbiased, but I loved GTAIV and Episodes from Liberty City is no exception. The characters are as brilliant and colourful as always, although I must admit I haven’t connected with the characters in the same way as I did in IV, in particular the two leads. I know many don’t agree, but I loved Niko as a protagonist; perhaps it’s unrealistic of me to expect to experience the same level of connection with two characters that you don’t spend nearly as much time with over the course of the episodes.

Despite this, the mission design is brilliant and far more fantastical and bombastic than most of the missions from the original game; loads more “blockbuster” action than the grittier, slightly more ground experience of IV (the base-jumping in particular is great fun). New experiences, characters, weapons and missions for an already great game? What more could you ask for from GTA DLC?

Monkey Island 2: Special Edition (XBLA) – There’s not really much to say about this one. It was a brilliant game when I played it on the family’s 386 back in the day and it’s just as good now. The updated graphics are beautiful (it looks way better than The Secret of Monkey SE released not long ago incidentally), the voice acting is great and it’s a fantastic price to boot!

It took me a little while to get used to the new control scheme (there’s the default choice of directional control, where Guybrush’s movement is linked directly to the left stick or the updated point & click controls of MI1:SE), but overall it’s a better, slicker system that also makes inventory navigation much easier.

LIMBO (XBLA) – This game is brilliant. I don’t even want to say too much about, you really should just play it. A puzzle platformer with real style and grace. It’s a grim, bleak game that plays out like Braid’s darker, twisted brother. One of the stand-out things about it is just how good the game feels; the beautifully balanced controls, subtle animations and simple gameplay all work together to create a wonderfully tactile experience. Play it now!

Alan Wake (Xbox 360) - I’ve finally got round to starting this, having been quite excited by everything I’d seen in the (long, protracted) run up to release. My early impressions are very good. I’m only just into the third chapter, but so far it’s proved to be an enjoyable romp and the story is intriguing enough to keep you playing, despite little niggles (such as having to go into menus to listen to the manuscript extracts you find dotted around the world).

The combat mechanics are excellent and provide a great deal of tension and strategy as to how best to dispose of your attackers. Said enemies do have a habit of sneaking up on you though – they seem to have mastered the art of near-silent running!

I should make a quick mention of the graphics, which are excellent and the incredible atmosphere the team at Remedy have managed to create. I am finding it quite creepy at the moment, but I am a big wuss when it comes to scary films/games, so your mileage may vary.

I’m definitely going to be talking more about Alan Wake as I play more, so stay tuned!

Blur (Xbox 360) – I finished blur’s singleplayer game quite a while ago, but  I’ve still been diving into the multiplayer now and again. The races are fast and furious and the turnaround time between events short enough to make it incredibly compulsive; it’s very easy to have “just one more go”.