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!
Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, Xbox 360)
Price: $59.99 | Official Site
What's It About: With an online-enabled 14th iteration already announced and in the works, Square Enix has gone ahead and localized their best-selling role-playing game for us Yankees. FFXIII is a mostly linear fantastical experience that pits your group of six freedom fighters against overwhelming odds to save their homeland and, in turn, their closest friends and family. The graphics have been amped up, the action is non-stop, and you haven't lived until you've heard a Leona Lewis song mixed with J-pop and strange gasping sounds. Yay?
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 2
Yakuza 3 (PS3)
Price: $59.99 | Official Site
What's It About: Another game that's been out in Japan for some time—this is us shaking our fist in the direction of the Orient—Yakuza 3 is the continuation of Kazuma Kiryu's post-Yakuza life which has landed him a managerial position at an Okinawan orphanage. (We guess Japan is allergic to background checks.) Under pressure by the local yakuza clan to sell his land, Kiryu and his closest acquaintances come under fire and, with the flair of a John Woo movie, must fight off a legion of shady underground agents to save the children.
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 3
Supreme Commander 2 (PC, Xbox 360)
Price: $39.99–$59.99 | Official Site
What's It About: If building up a virtual army and unleashing nukes on your enemies is more your speed, Gas Powered Games' update to their successful real-time strategy series will tide you over (at least until StarCraft II appears on store shelves). A revamped upgrade system and easier controls (similar to normal RTS key configurations) means less fumbling around for buttons and more turning your electronic friends into gigabytes of dust. However, avoid the single-player campaign unless you're in dire need of a refreshing nap.
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 5
Also Out This Week...
Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition (PS3, Xbox 360), Mega Man 10 (PSN), Calling (Wii), BioShock 2 DLC: Sinclair Solutions Test Pack (PSN, Xbox Live), and Blazblue: Calamity Trigger Portable (PSP).
Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, Xbox 360)Price: $59.99 | Official Site
What's It About: With an online-enabled 14th iteration already announced and in the works, Square Enix has gone ahead and localized their best-selling role-playing game for us Yankees. FFXIII is a mostly linear fantastical experience that pits your group of six freedom fighters against overwhelming odds to save their homeland and, in turn, their closest friends and family. The graphics have been amped up, the action is non-stop, and you haven't lived until you've heard a Leona Lewis song mixed with J-pop and strange gasping sounds. Yay?
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 2
Yakuza 3 (PS3)Price: $59.99 | Official Site
What's It About: Another game that's been out in Japan for some time—this is us shaking our fist in the direction of the Orient—Yakuza 3 is the continuation of Kazuma Kiryu's post-Yakuza life which has landed him a managerial position at an Okinawan orphanage. (We guess Japan is allergic to background checks.) Under pressure by the local yakuza clan to sell his land, Kiryu and his closest acquaintances come under fire and, with the flair of a John Woo movie, must fight off a legion of shady underground agents to save the children.
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 3
Supreme Commander 2 (PC, Xbox 360)Price: $39.99–$59.99 | Official Site
What's It About: If building up a virtual army and unleashing nukes on your enemies is more your speed, Gas Powered Games' update to their successful real-time strategy series will tide you over (at least until StarCraft II appears on store shelves). A revamped upgrade system and easier controls (similar to normal RTS key configurations) means less fumbling around for buttons and more turning your electronic friends into gigabytes of dust. However, avoid the single-player campaign unless you're in dire need of a refreshing nap.
No. of Beers Required for Enjoyment: 5
Also Out This Week...
Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition (PS3, Xbox 360), Mega Man 10 (PSN), Calling (Wii), BioShock 2 DLC: Sinclair Solutions Test Pack (PSN, Xbox Live), and Blazblue: Calamity Trigger Portable (PSP).