Like some girls, enjoying even the crappiest of video games can be done with enough alcohol in your system. Here is our quick and dirty guide to navigating your hard-earned beer money toward something better than a polished turd. Bottom's up!
Heavy Rain (PS3)Price: $59.99 | Official Site
What's It About: A "game" driven strickly by a dramatic story is rarely attempted as most fail for not delivering on impact. But, it's hard not to put in a strong recommendation for Quantic Dream's latest creation about four unrelated individuals and their unique stories tied together by the threats of a notorious criminal called The Origami Killer. This is definitely a niche offering with game play consisting mostly of detective work (think Myst) and quicktime button presses (think God of War/Mass Effect), but if you're in the market for an engrossing narrative effort that requires little more than some patience and attention, this game definitely fits the bill.
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 2
Last Rebellion (PS3)Price: $59.99 | Official Site
What's It About: There are some great Japanese role-playing games out there...and then there's this. Last Rebellion is a derivative-wannabe of the turn-based genre presented with sub-par visuals and a throwaway story. Unless you absolutely cannot wait a week or two for Final Fantasy XIII, we recommend playing through this game absolutely trashed (at least all the pretty colors would be entertaining) or not at all.
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 10
PLAY THIS GAME WITH YOUR GIRL
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC, DS)
Price: $29.99–$59.99 | Official Site
What's It About: Any gamer worth his salt knows that the Mario Kart series is the be-all, end-all of arcade racing on consoles. (See sales charts for evidence.) Sega's attempt to cash in on that fervor with All-Star Racing doesn't quite reach Kart level, but definitely comes close, at least for PS3 and 360 owners. Race through a healthy amount of environments taking out opponents with everything from mallets to heat-seeking fist rockets.
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 4
Heavy Rain (PS3)What's It About: A "game" driven strickly by a dramatic story is rarely attempted as most fail for not delivering on impact. But, it's hard not to put in a strong recommendation for Quantic Dream's latest creation about four unrelated individuals and their unique stories tied together by the threats of a notorious criminal called The Origami Killer. This is definitely a niche offering with game play consisting mostly of detective work (think Myst) and quicktime button presses (think God of War/Mass Effect), but if you're in the market for an engrossing narrative effort that requires little more than some patience and attention, this game definitely fits the bill.
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 2
Last Rebellion (PS3)What's It About: There are some great Japanese role-playing games out there...and then there's this. Last Rebellion is a derivative-wannabe of the turn-based genre presented with sub-par visuals and a throwaway story. Unless you absolutely cannot wait a week or two for Final Fantasy XIII, we recommend playing through this game absolutely trashed (at least all the pretty colors would be entertaining) or not at all.
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 10
PLAY THIS GAME WITH YOUR GIRL
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC, DS)Price: $29.99–$59.99 | Official Site
What's It About: Any gamer worth his salt knows that the Mario Kart series is the be-all, end-all of arcade racing on consoles. (See sales charts for evidence.) Sega's attempt to cash in on that fervor with All-Star Racing doesn't quite reach Kart level, but definitely comes close, at least for PS3 and 360 owners. Race through a healthy amount of environments taking out opponents with everything from mallets to heat-seeking fist rockets.
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 4