5 reasons why the PlayStation Conference Rocked

This is why you write about games. You write reviews, and walk-through to fill in the time, but the real reason that you write about gaming is so that you can tell the world what you think when something BIG happens. I saw the gaming community stand still. I saw Sony overload IGN, Machinima, and Youtube (their own live-stream didn't fare much better). I saw the official announcement of the PS-4.

So last night (i.e. 20th Feb 2013), Sony held a press conference in New York. Invites were sent out almost 20 days ago, mysteriously titled the Future Of PlayStation. No one was fooled however; everyone and their grandmother expected Sony to unveil the new Playstation. There were questions however, Sony had been known to shoot themselves in the foot before. What will the announcement be, will they change the controller, will they change the name. What games will come out, will we see any demos, why will the console be better, how will Sony sell their latest toy.

As it all went down, in hindsight it was fabulous. The live-stream began at 4 pm Eastern Time (or 11pm UK time) which meant it was 4:30 in the morning in India, and I had office the same day. I kept awake through the night however (a feat I have been ranting about, but have got no appreciation for), and watched in anticipation as Sony fired the first salvo in the 1st console war of this decade. Read on to find out why it was so good.

The official PS4 logo

1. They unveiled the PlayStation 4:

I was in 2 minds whether this shuould be my first or my last point. In hindsight, it seemed inevitable that Sony would announce anything else but. In anticipation however, with all that hype and all that pressure, I wouldn't have put it past them if they would have just put in a conference talking about next-gen and not actually announcing it. That would have been a sheer waste of hype and more importantly anticipation. I was so glad, it wasn't. It was not to push God Of War and Last Of Us, it wasn't to push the price drop in PS Vita, and it wasn't to push a new P.S.N.. True we did not get to see how the new console looked like, but perhaps the first time ever, Sony themeselves uttered the words "PlayStation 4", and just like that it was set in stone. There is a new console, its gonna come out in the holiday season this year, and its gonna be called "PlayStation 4".

The Dual Shock 4, Don't fix whats not broken

2. It's still Playstation:

I am so glad that it isn't called the "PlayStation Orbis" or whatever else that was doing the rounds on the internet. Its the next PlayStation, the PlayStation 4 or quite simply PS4. I am also glad that they haven't changed the Dual Shock Controller. Its still looks like the design that has served Sony so well, albeit with a few subtle changes (picture above). It just gives the feeling that Sony are confident and comfortable of the brand that they are extending. They have'nt thrown away years of accepted and recognised tradition for the sake of tailgating and hollow innovation. Anyone who has had a PlayStation before would be able to identify and feel familiar with it at once. It give the console a legacy, a history, a name to live up-to, and a consumer base too.

The button and the media, which will change the way we capture game-play

3. The Advent Of Sharing and Spectating:

When I first began writing game reviews, the first roadblock that I faced was that I didnt have actual footage to back me up. I had to rely on official trailers, or official gameplay video to complement my work, often unable to provide evidence of my experiences. If I wanted to do so, I needed to invest a bit extra, buy splitters, recording devices and what not to record my gameplay on my PC (not to mention I needed to find those parts first, which in India is a pain), all the while PC gamers were sneering their noses at me. Now all I need to do is press a button, and most recent of my gameplays will be uploaded to the internet in no time, I can even Live-Stream my games, and let others spectate me in real time. What this does is it takes the PC component out of the equation, you don't have to pause the game, or worry about video editing, all the tools are available at one central location, and there is no technical expertise you need to have.

The Holy Grail of RPG, Diablo finally hits the console

4. The Games:

It is easy to forget in the midst of the hop-hullah that no console becomes great without some great games. Sony opened the conference with KillZone: ShadowFall; the gameply footage of which they uploaded live during the event using the PS4; The game looked gorgeous. Watch_Dogs was on full display too, showing off the graphical might of the PS4 as it rendered Adam Pierce in drooling polygons. Bungie's new cross-platform project, Destiny was on display too, once again providing a sneak peek at Halo's creator next magnum opus. The game that took the cake for me however, was Blizzard's Diablo. From the moment Blizzard's name appeared on the screen, I started mumbling Diablo 3 repeatedly (it was scary, creepy and pathetic all at the same time). This for me was the wow moment of the conference, to get my all-time favorite franchise onto my all time favorite gaming brand was huge, even if no one in attendance made a sound, my heart just gave Sony and Blizzard a huge ovation. Find the complete list of the games announed for the PS4 below:

Title	Publisher/Developer
Deep Down (working title)	Capcom
Destiny	Bungie
Diablo III	Blizzard Entertainment
Driveclub	Evolution Studios
Final Fantasy (TBA)	Square Enix
Infamous: Second Son	Sucker Punch Productions
Killzone: Shadow Fall	Guerrilla Games
Knack	SCE Japan Studio
Watch Dogs	Ubisoft Montreal
The Witness	Jonathan Blow

The companies which are set to make games for the PS4

5. There was no bad news:

There was no price announced, and hence it gave no opportunity to people to haggle and complaint how over-priced the machine was. The console itself was not unveiled, perhaps saving it for the E3 later this year. This again saved the company from Troll Wars between early adopters and traditionalists. There were rumors that P.S.N. would be turning into a paid service, if that's true, it wasn't announced here. This conference was planned to create positive hype, and no controversy at all. Even the console's pitch wasn't that it was a new untethered powerful beast, rather it was pitched as a product developed after consulting deeply with the developer and the gaming community which aimed to please everyone with its simplicity and ease. In a nutshell, there was no damper, no pot-shots, and no controversial statements made during the 2 hours (except for the small mention that PS4 won't be backward compatible).

We might not know how the console looks like, but here is a peek at its interface

This is an exciting time to be a gamer, we are on the cusp of new console war. The PS4 is all set to go against the Wii U and Microsoft's next. There is also Valve's Piston (a super small computer to play games) and Ouva (the android based gaming console) over in the horizon. A lot of people are heralding the end of the console generation, with the rise of casual gaming and cheap PC hardware. In spite of all that, it seems like a throwback to the old 90s when there were plenty of consoles to choose from. What do you think of the new PS4, and gaming consoles in general, tell me more in the comments. For some more coverage of the PS4 conference check out my friends over at whatsyourtagblog and their view here and here.

Fable 3: A game for the in betweeners

First up a big thanks to all the surfers who made January a massive month for my blog. In the past seven months my site had just about 1000 visitors, all this was changed as the blog garnered an unprecedented 1600+ hits this month alone. I am over the moon, and really appreciate that both Google and people are taking my posts seriously. Now only if people would start commenting also, and this would be a dream come true.

Moving onto the business at hand, which today is Fable 3. I had never played Fable before, but ever since the first game out in 2004, I always wanted to try this new kind of R.P.G. (and for some reason I loved the name). Sadly however, as is the case with many of the games during that time, I neither had the proper system to run it nor the console to play it on. 7 years later and here I am finally able to put Fable 3 into my X-Box disc tray. It's been a long time coming, so how was it?

Fable 3 came out in 2010, so this review is almost 3 years late. But the fact that the game is still available for a dirt cheap price (along with many others), I guess letting the people know how good it is, make sense right!

The story of Fable 3 continues as Albion enters the Industrial Age, and follows the lives of Fable 2's hero 2 children. The older one is a ruler and is quickly turning into a dictator. The first part of the game is how you build up your forces against your brother and overthrow him as king/queen of Albion. The second is how you rule as a ruler yourself, and whether you decide to follow in your brother's footsteps or become a benevolent ruler. Straightforward with minimal twist, the story is both threadbare and enough to keep you going. Especially the part where you get to make decisions as a king is quite novel, and you hope that the game had more of that.

Story- 7/10

When I played the game for the first time, it gave me signs of a game meant for kids, or at max childish teenagers. The hero rarely speaks, and expressions such as hugging, dancing, tickling along with bullying, farting and beating people replace actual conversations (a part and parcel of R.P.Gs worldwide). Even the conversations that do happen are straightforward and quite understandable, giving you the impression that the game means to convey its message as clearly as possible with as less dialogue as possible. The violence too is quite clean and the tech/skill-tree is easy to understand and upgrade. The visual model, and even the script is written in a very kid friendly manner, and nothing rarely goes edgy in the game. You actually hold the hands of people you like or to get them somewhere (puppy love at its best). The sounds, the visuals, the complete design is harmonious and smooth, inciting a happy go luck feel to the entire game.

Graphics+Sound- 7/10

All that is fine and dandy, but for condoms, the concept of sex, marriage and infidelity, and a particularly dark tone in later levels (especially during the quest 'Into The darkness'). There is sex, but the actual act is a black screen with noises. You have werewolves and dark shadows which are a far-cry from the initial bats and witty spirits that you have to fight off initially. There is a real edgy and dark quest, suddenly in the middle of the game (after you have played through the sunshine and rainbow quests before) and then its back to that "go there, get that, fancy little prince" affair.This leaves you wondering whether the game is to be enjoyed as a childish or adult comedy.

Mojo- 4/10

There are few innovations here. The game rarely takes you to a pause menu. Instead pressing 'START' takes you to 'Sanctuary' which is a room catering to your gaming needs (like changing weapons, costumes etc.). Most of the menus are represented as galleries and there is very little actual pause. There is also no Quit button, and you actually have to quit directly out to the X-box dashboard (which put me off a bit, I actually searched on the net if there was an option I was overlooking). The map while sucks at navigation, is a nice little tool for managing your finances and fast-travel. Your dog, is another innovative addition, tagging along everywhere and helping you locate treasures and other buried objects. There is also a selective mapping to your d-pad, which can act as a quick key to either the map, the 'road to rule', and your spouse's home, depending on the situation.

In the vein of making the game streamlined the combat is mapped to the 3 face buttons, and the combat is never that hard (you can easily complete a game without ever being knocked down). Range weapon and spell casting works fine, while adjusting to Melee block and attack (mapped onto the same button) can take some time. There are an adequate number of side quests and plenty to keep you involved. Play a flute, bake a pie, catch a thief, woo a girl/guy, or manage real estate. It is an surprising mixture of the conventional and the new, and while some work, the others not really.

Gameplay- 6/10

The game has some really novel and new concepts to show. It also has a very streamlined feel to its R.P.G. element. However, it really falters in its vision. In order to appeal to everyone and have everything, it is failing to cater to one age group. Most parents would not like their child to play a game, which encourages polygamy, while most adult gamers would be put off by all the other stuff meant for kids (even the sex and condom thing is really mild).

KABELLED SCORE- 6/10

Review Mashups and more

Some of the reviews I would be posting today are almost a decade too late. Two of these games are in their third iteration, the other too have already received millions of updates. But for the benefit of a poor soul, who doesn't own a cutting edge PC and a billionaire's bank balance (like me), these games are either free to play or would be available for dirt cheap prices, not to mention they won't shred your PC and console when they run.

Lately however, its been all physical sport for me. Was involved in a intro-corporate cricket tournament spread over 2 weeks. This meant that when I was not on the field, I was either at my desk or in my bed. All that sport, left no room for my X-Box though, as I was too tired to guide Commander Shepard after I was run ragged on the field daily. Anyways, all my labor bore fruit and we ended up as the eventual champions of the tournament; Check out the tournament and the celebrations in photos by clicking on the image below.

The Trophy that we won

When I did return to Mass-Effect, it was after 20 days (the longest gap I have ever had ever since I had bought the console). I didn't suffer from any gaming rust however, as I finished off the first play-through of the game, notching up 6 achievements along the way. I started my second play-through on Hardcore and have already notched up 2 more. The game achievement list is such that you have to play the game multiple times to get that elusive 1000. I am probably the most lazy gamer that you would see in this regard, I absolutely hate multiple play-throughs(with some notable exceptions; more on that below), Dead Space, Arkham City and Borderland never pinged the 1000 because of my taste (this btw extends to movies too, never seen a movie worth a second watch). Mercifully, Mas-Effect main story is quite short and quite frankly quite intriguing; the game-play is tight (shooting can be a pain sometimes, but expected from an old game), the graphics are neat and tight too, however the game does go through the motions when rendering textures. Then there is this small matter of 50-60 side quests that should be concluded with various team members for different achievements. I don't know if I have the patience for all that, especially since my laptop has been wooing me with MMOG recently. But I will say this, Mass-Effect's real punch is in its story, and if you are not a cheevo hunter like me, I would suggest you skip as many side quests as possible and jump into the story as soon and as deep as possible.

Kabelled Score- 7/10

Moving on, remember the MMOGs I mentioned above. I recently installed an unlimited Broadband connection into my house, and decided it was about time I gave my laptop a run for his money. Installed League Of Legends and played it like for 6-7 hours straight. I sucked at it, but at least I didn't suck at it longer than 45 minutes at a stretch. The game looks and feels like Warcraft, but is actually a hyper fast R.P.G. if you ask me. You and 3 others like you are asked to choose a character and are then pitted against either bots or more human players. Each team has castles, which you need to bring down, once that is done, you win. Simple and addictive with loads of layers. I would have played more, if I hadn't sucked less, or if my room-mate would not have left my X-Box alone. The games is simple in its pick and play appeal and amazingly addictive.

Kabelled Score- 8/10

Another MMOG that I recently picked up was D.C. Universe Online. The prospect of playing a super-hero in the DC universe is too much for a comic book buff like me, and as soon as I came to know that the game was now free to play on PC (yup I am a cheap Indian), I signed up for an account and got busy. Its too bad the game would probably never make it on a X-Box (its developed by Sony Entertainment), because my laptop is not really cutting edge. The game hung up a few times, and played with an absurd amount of lag sometimes. Visually, again limited by my computer's prowess, it didn't break any new ground. I only just played the opening tutorial mission to comment too much on the story, but whatever I have gathered from the opening sequence, and the trailers and videos on You-Tube, it looks nice and as convulsed as a DC story arc . The game also provides various option to customize your character and you can create your very own superhero or super-villain, with a wide range of powers. The inventory and your equipment is probably the most varied I have seen  in a while, though it kinds of contradicts the fact that you design your hero to look a certain way, and then it is over-ridden with what you equip yourself with in the actual game. Other multi-player options such as PvP are also available, but the game's biggest asset is the nostalgia of playing in the DC universe.

Kabelled Score- 7/10

Now to Diablo-2. Yup you heard me right, not 3 but 2. Just a few days ago, my brother (who is on a ship somewhere off the coast of middle East) called me up and asked me how to install Diablo-2 on to his laptop (he was bored and found the setup file lying around). Not completely sure, I did a dry run on my system and then helped him go through the motion on his machine. Once installed, I wanted to test if it was running fine, and so I fired it up. What was supposed to be a test run, ended up in a 4 hour run with me finishing up the first chapter. That's how addictive the game is. Its been almost 12 years since the game released, and I keep coming back to it after a gap of 3 years of so every time. This ancient dungeon crawler by Blizzard, kept me more involved than Shepard, LOL and DCNU could only hope for. If you haven't played it, do give this game a chance. Graphics wise, its 12 years behind the curve, but the beauty of the game is that its not driven by visuals but by the point and click game mechanics, which are a treat to play with. A varied character selection and millions of combinations available for everything from weapons to boots, Diablo-2 never becomes too hard or to easy to play. In a world where games are reviewed and dissected under a microscope, I am sure Diablo-2 would have made a perfect 10 everywhere it went. I am telling you if you haven't played it, find it and do.

Kabelled Score- 10/10

So that wraps up the most of last month. 4 games and a lot of cricket, is what it was all about. I am still trying to juggle between Diablo, Mass-Effect, LOL and DCNU and work and life, but as of now I am losing. That's why I tend to stick to one game at one time, not a multitasker I am. Each one of these games, have a cult following; and I would hate for you to miss out on any one of them. All of them are RPGs, but each one is inherently different from the other. I am gonna try buying Halo-4, or WWE-13 next, and try posting a proper relevant review next time. I am also planning to brush up on my Gears Of War, before judgement comes out next year, also I have this little itch to play Fable-3. May yours and my gaming wishes all come true this year or the next.

Signing Off,

Ayush 'Kabel' Chauhan

The Gaming New Year

When the E-3 came out earlier this year, and I started this blog, it was all about building up the hype for the biggest games that were going to hit the streets. That hype is over and its show time now. With the holiday season almost upon us, the gaming world is coming face to face with what was promised to them almost 6 months before. While the year end is still some weeks away, I believe its safe to say that the 'Gaming New Year' is upon us. And so in proper Christmas tradition, I make up a list: a list of games that have come out or are coming out this year, a list of games that I would fight tooth and nail to own, a list that should define your future weeks too if you are a gamer. Since I really can't put these games into any kind of ranking, I am just going to place them in alphabetical order. So with further ado, my Christmas sock for this year.

Assassin's Creed 3:

When Ubisoft created Assassin's Creed as a Prince Of Persia rip-off, nobody would have imagined it would grow into a flagship franchise for the company or one of the most celebrated games of all time. With 4 proper canonical games and host of spin-offs, Assassin's Creed 3 is the magnum-opus for the game's protagonist Desmond. The game set in the most expansive setting yet (that of the American Revolution) was touted as the biggest and the best Assassin's Creed yet. I had a taste of Brotherhood on a PC sometime before, and earlier this year I played and loved Assassin's Creed 2, so I know what to expect when I get my hands on it. Its always fun to free run and meet historical figures and feel that you are playing an unknown part in shaping the world's history. While it maybe quite some time before I get my hand on the title (what with my meager pocket change), all that I have seen of the game have been impressive. Meanwhile, the game released last month on the 30th of October, and is now out there for you to decide. And just in case you are into video reviews, check out IGN's review below:

Far Cry 3:

Anybody who was a part of E-3, knew how much buzz the game has created. I have never played far-cry before, but it has always been because I was never in the right place on the right time. With the game looking as beautiful as it is, and the game's antagonist Vaas making the right(read wrong) kind of noises; I don't think lighting would be striking the same place for the third time. The game comes out on the 2nd of December this year, and after postponing its release date twice, lets just hope this Ubisoft biggy hits its target this time. Coming back to Vaas, Ubisoft recently released some live action videos based and tying up into Far-Cry 3 revolving around the character. While the expectation from the series was quite low, it's doing a decent job, and needless to say Vaas entertains. Check out the first episode of the series below:

Halo 4:

Yes, if you own a X-Box, there is no way in hell you haven't heard about this game. Its all over the X-Box Dashboard, its all over the internet, and come today(6th Of November) it will be all over the marketplace. I played the original Halo, way back during a college break, it wasn't mind blowing but it was okay (keep in mind I played this 2 years after its release) and I was enamored by Master-Chief. Almost 3 years after that I ended up playing Halo Reach (so I have now played the first game and the last, but none of the ones in between) during June-July and it was awesome. There are games you know (God Of War, Counter-Strike), which you need to play just once and you are hooked. Reach was that kind of a game. Maybe I am just overrun by all the hype the game is building(and its probably building more hype than all the other games combined) but if you think I am gonna buy the game just for nostalgia, you are so wrong.
Check out IGN' review of Halo-4 below:



On a completely different Halo related note, Halo has its own Live-Action series doing the rounds on the internet. The series known as "Forward Unto Dawn" is a prequel to the Human-Covenant war and has for the first time 'Master Chief' in a non-animated form. If that's not incentive enough for you maybe that Hunger Games girl(yeah she is in the series too; no big deal) would make you change your mind. Still unconvinced, check out the trailer below and decide for yourself. The series updates with new episodes each Friday both on You-tube and Halo Way point on the X-box.

WWE'13:

Given a choice, I would probably buy a WWE game every time over any other game that I don't own. Year after year ever since Here Comes The Pain, I have played and owned every single iteration of the franchise as it evolved from Smack Down to Smack down Vs. Raw to it current WWE avatar. With CM Punk on the cover, and the attitude era in the spotlight, only a fool would overlook this game. I have already written enough about the game and you can check it out here and hence I won't waste much space here. The game came out on the 30th of October this year and is already making waves all over the world, check out the IGN review below:



 Oh just a footnote before I leave you. Finished Borderlands finally. Don't think I would touch the game again but it was fun while it lasted. Also my room-mate has gone back to his hometown in pursuit of happiness, so while I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors, it also means I am back to playing single-player. This brings me to Mass-Effect. Now I have never played this X-Box marquee franchise, so when I saw a deal on the same on a web portal, I thought to myself why not. Would post a review soon, though I am not sure why anyone would read a review about a game that's about 5 years old. So anyways, while my adventures on Pandora have ended, the ones as Commander Shepard are just beginning, wish me luck.

Signing Off,

Ayush "Kabel" Chauhan

Why WWE'13 is a step back

So The revolution is coming, but is it here to stay.

From the time I saw Shawn Michaels Vs. Bret Hart in an iron-man match in 1996, I fell in love with wrestling. As a kid I was mesmerized by these flashy gladiators(Hulk Hogan, Doink, Papa Shango, Undertaker) as a teenager I was smitten by the bold ladies(Lita, Trish and Torrie) and the brash gentlemen(DX, The Rock, Chris Jericho), and as a young adult its a sport that I enjoy not limited by the names but by the art itself (AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, CM Punk, Jeff Hardy). I didn't know it then, but what I watched growing up was the Attitude era, a timeline in the wrestling world punctuated by the spunky new grit that became the signature of my generation. Today as the WWE tries to garner to a totally new generation of kids with what they call the PG-era(John Cena, Rey Mysterio), it tries to relive that time (and potentially cash in on it) by bringing the Attitude Era to the latest iteration the WWE gaming franchise in WWE'13.

Check out the awesome Punk in the awesome release trailer below:


For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, each WWE game has a season mode or in recent years Road to Wrestle-Mania mode as it was called. This season mode was basically a story mode to play out using a given wrestler. Over the years, the story has had its background in the time of its creation, so if you played Smack-Down: Here Comes The Pain, Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle would feature heavily because they dominated that particular time in the wrestling industry. This time however, WWE and THQ have decided to throw that chain of thought out the window and replace it with the settings of the 90's when Austin 3:16 was born, Mick Foley started putting bums on the seats, and The Rock became the people's champion. WWE '13 will allow you to control the superstars of those times (Austin, Rock, Mankind, Brothers Of Destruction, DX and Bret Hart have been announced so far) taking part in the greatest and iconic matches and events of that time. Its great right, for people like us (who grew up watching it) with the technology like today (Xbox-360 and PS-3), this is the best way to actually witness those legendary, epic, and awesome moments again, and again and again (and be a part of them), then why do I feel its a step back rather than forward.

By the way below is the Rock inspired WWE'13 trailer, tell me what you feel about this:


So while the whole world goes gaga (me included) over the attitude era coming back, I sit back and look at the big picture for once. I love everything about this (including the fact that CM Punk is on its cover, which is awesome), but for one small itsy-bitsy question. And that question is: "What after the Attitude Era Mode?". Sure the game will come out, and sell like hot cakes, everyone will buy it, play it and love it. It may even become the watershed that Here Comes The Pain once proved to be. But what happens when WWE'14 comes around. Would it be another Attitude era mode? Will the Road To Wrestle-Mania return? Or will they try to relieve another part of WWE history?

While you ponder over that, here is the DX inspired WWE'13 trailer:


The truth is Attitude Era mode is a stop-gap measure. WWE'12 was a huge improvement on its predecessor's game-play (if we ignore the collision-detection), but it took a lot of flack for its Road To Wrestle-Mania. A lot of people didn't like it, they wanted something better, something more interesting and realistic than Sheamus winning every single Championship that WWE has to offer simultaneously. THQ wanted something that could stick this year, and with their financial problems, a poorly received game is the last thing they want on their list. Ditto with WWE (though they are not under impending threats of being dissolved), CM Punk and his pipe-bomb apart, WWE is struggling with its ratings. Their PG appeal is not sitting down with most Wrestling lovers, and in today's connected world, these lovers make sure that they are heard. More than a few, are asking for the return of the Attitude times. This game is an attempt to satiate those appetites.

And to satisfy the hunger for trailers, below is the Austin 3:16 inspired WWE'13 trailer:


From WWE's point of view, the game provides novelty to the fans of that time(remember a lot of those kids who watched wrestling then, are young gamers today), and bases its game on the most popular names of its company rather than the popular names today. And if you don't believe that's a solid strategy, just play WWE'12 online. The community is filled with created classic wrestlers, and the lobby is full of Eddies, and Rockys and even Batistas. The fact is, that what WWE had yesterday still outshines what it has today, so it has decided to cash in on it while it can.While I don't hate the move, I realize the short-sightedness of this. How will the people back Drew McIntyre if WWE doesn't. How will Kofi Kingston get his place in the sun, if WWE doesn't give him the opportunity. Dolph Ziggler and Wade Barrett are knocking on the doors, the video game at-least could have acted as their catalyst. Even CM-Punk who is on the high tide of his career, would miss out being a central part of the game (an opportunity that might not ever come again, remember Goldberg was a part of just one installment) even when he is on its cover (gives more heat to CM Punk's view of being overshadowed every time doesn't it). What this is, is a feeble attempt to satisfy the hundreds out there who want a more 90s WWE, if you can't give them Television, at-least give them the video game.

Breaking The Ring. Another new and awesome thing you can do in the game

Coming to THQ, as I said they have problems of their own.With the company almost in ruins with their self-destruct investment in U-Draw, they have been having a hard time maintaining finances. Though times have improved with the encouraging sales of Saints Row 3 and Darksiders 2, THQ still need to run a tight ship. They can't afford another ill-reviewed game (in any aspect), and god-forbid a low selling game may put them back where they came from.So they pulled up their boots, buckled up and produced whats looking like the most improved wrestling game till now. While the game-play and other things would come under the scanner soon, its the Attitude mode that's under the spotlight currently. As I said earlier, this is a defense mechanism from THQ, pulling out the RTWM mode and replacing it with a sure thing, but in the long run this is more harmful than helpful. What THQ should have done is pay more attention to the season mode, make it more like Day Of Reckoning (probably the only wrestling game that was known for its story line), allow for players to carry forward their created characters and provide a smooth flowing storyline, which I assure you is more easier to implement in the WWE than in Mass Effect or Dragon Age. While this would have been a more subtle change, but it would have allowed for user loyalty over a longer period of time instead of this one shot of adrenaline.

Before I forget the Attitude mode is not the only highlight of the game. Don't believe me check out this video below:


If the WWE and THQ were so keen on building an Attitude inspired game, they could have made it as a one-off offering. Something like WWE ALL Stars, and the upcoming WWE Brawl. This would have allowed even more in-depth coverage of that iconic time. They wouldn't have had the pressure of adding all the current superstars, and thus have a little more muscle to flex budget-wise. They could have then fleshed out the current 1 year into the real Monday Night Wars that it was. Add to this the fact that WWE today owns the rights for WCW as well, just imagine how awesome it would be to play both sides of the fence. Iconic matches that made or broke both the promotions, Goldberg Vs. Hogan, Macho Man Vs. DDP alongside Austin Vs. McMahon and Rock Vs. Mankind. Yes that would be the true return of those dangerous times. At max this could have been a freak hit, and at minimum this would have been a history lesson to the young who still don't know why that time was so cool (sounding old at 25 am I?).

King Of The Ring returns

And So Does the I-Quit Match

THQ and WWE are still going to achieve those goals mind you, and I sincerely believe that this game would be a major improvement in the franchise. But alas, it would be overshadowed with the Attitude logo, rather than its technical advancement. Something that WWE has been all too familiar with. What is done is done however, and in a few weeks time we will see WWE '13 hit stores. With all that I have written about this game, I would be the first one to buy it (just like I have bought every installment since Here Comes The Pain), because even though its a dirty tactic, I won't get my principle get in the way of me having fun. I just hope that the kids watching wrestling today don't get treated to a PG Era mode in 20 years time from now.

Before we say bye, here is the latest release trailer, once again featuring our very own CM Punk:

The opening cover is from this awesome website that houses Wresting Wallpapers called kupyWrestlingWallpapers, check them out here.

All the other videos are from tha actual WWE'13 home page, where you can find even more videos, screenshots and news, once you click here.

Before I say goodbye, I would like to say:

"In Punk We Trust"

Signing off,

Ayush "Kabel" Chauhan