TheResplendent

[color=#4B0082]There was a little bit of a [/color][color=#4B0082]pep in Yuko's step even though it would have been apparent to anyone watching her that she didn't exactly exhibit the appropriate sense of urgency a student who was going to be late for her first day of school should. She carelessly bumped into other people in her way on the streets giving only insincere apologies that trailed off into the weak wind. She thought maybe she'd sneak into the girl's locker room to take a quick shower before reporting to home room since she was all but certain she was going to miss the opening speech. She made a quick right turn on the corner where Gozan's Arcade was located; there was only the bridge to cross now and Yokuboshi Academy would come into view. Yuko took a brief moment to look down at her phone for the time.[/color] [i][color=#4B0082]"Hm, I'm actually making pretty good time all things considered." [/color][/i] [color=#4B0082]Yuko tucked her phone back into her bag before her progress was abruptly halted by a strong impact that saw her collapse forward on top of another student. She instantly grabbed her head and began rubbing it vigorously while she rolled off and noticed some loose papers surrounding the collision scene. [/color] [color=#4B0082][b]"Ow, what the hell...I only looked away for a few seconds,"[/b] she muttered to herself as she gathered the papers up. She finally looked over at the person she had collided into and noticed he wore the same school uniform.[/color] [color=#4B0082][b]"Hey! You should really watch where you're going you know. People are trying to walk!"[/b] she scolded, feeling as if she had instantly alleviated herself of any of the blame for the accident. The boy just lifted himself up and wiped his uniform off, a bit of a pained look on his face but nothing too serious. He registered Yuko's voice in his head and even though he had just fully realized what had happened he couldn't help but feel like he was the one who was crashed into.[/color] [color=#4B0082][b]"Koizumi? Sorry...but you were going pretty fast yourself, don't you think?"[/b] the male student asked casually, reaching out his hand to help Yuko up. The girl just slapped his hand away and brought herself to her feet with the group of papers she had recovered from the ground.[/color] [b][color=#4B0082]"You got some nerve! You knock a lady to the ground and then blame it on her, really classy. Now i'm going to be late because of you!"[/color][/b] [color=#4B0082]She had intended on just running off there and leaving him behind but as she actually looked over the papers she realized that none of them belonged to her. She quickly turned to see that her bag was fully zipped and nothing could have spilled out from it. She re-focused her eyes to what was in her hand and noticed the name written in the greeting portion of what seemed to be a letter; it read "Kaneko Hiroki". She turned back and noticed the boy Hiroki picking up some more items that had fallen in the collision. It appeared as if he was intending on ignoring her last aggressive comment.[/color] [color=#4B0082][b]"Umm...hey. I think these are yours!" [/b]Yuko called out while stretching her hand out to hand them over. Hiroki went to grab them but Yuko quickly pulled them out of his reach upon noticing what the letter actually was.[/color] [color=#4B0082][b]"Whoa, hey...this is an acceptance letter from Shigome University! Isn't that the top rated med school in the region?" [/b]she asked, genuinely surprised to have read what she did.[/color] [color=#4B0082][b]"I need that back if you don't mind."[/b] Hiroki reached out for the papers again but Yuko continued her game of keep away.[/color] [b][color=#4B0082]"Hey, you're already getting acceptance letters? and from a school this important? That must mean you're some kind of genius right...?"[/color][/b] [color=#4B0082]Hiroki tried to answer her but Yuko continued on after only a mere fraction of a breath.[/color] [b][color=#4B0082]"...well of course it does, I mean i guess they don't let just any idiot into a top university like this. You sure this isn't a fake?"[/color][/b] [color=#4B0082]Hiroki finally succeeded in snatching the contents of Yuko's left hand away from her and fixing them back into order in the folder they were once in.[/color] [color=#4B0082][b]"If you must know, it is a real acceptance letter. I don't know if i'm attending or not yet...it's one of a few possibilities."[/b] he explained, a bit taken aback as to why he was actually that open about it. Though it wasn't like it was a complete stranger, Hiroki recognized Yuko almost instantly. She was a popular girl who most everyone in their year knew, especially the male students. Hiroki never really spoke to her before though, and didn't know much about her personality until they had bumped into one another. All he ever heard anyone talk about concerning Yuko had very little to do with her personality. He figured rudeness came with good looks and wasn't really at all surprised.[/color] [color=#4B0082][b]"Wow, one of a few huh? Your parents must be pretty proud of you aren't they?"[/b] she said in a slightly mocking tone. Hiroki didn't dignify that with an answer, he just made sure everything was in order before continuing his way to school. It was then Yuko suddenly remembered where she had seen Hiroki's name before. [/color] [b][color=#4B0082]"Hey, hold on a second! Hiroki Kaneko, weren't you in Ms. Hanaka's homeroom last year?"[/color][/b] [color=#4B0082]Hiroki stopped briefly and just turned his head back to Yuko, [b]"Yeah, and you were in Mr. Fujishi's homeroo..."[/b][/color] [color=#4B0082][b]"Yeah yeah, that doesn't matter. So maybe those letters ARE real, you always had the top exam grades right?"[/b] she quickly interrupted. In her mind she thought it maybe a stroke of good luck that she ran into Hiroki after all. She needed to shape her grades up this year otherwise she'd be kicked out of her clubs and be held back, and since a 100% attendance record sounded far too boring Yuko figured she could easily get Hiroki to help her out with whatever she wanted. The gears kept turning in her head as Hiroki just watched on with a confused look on his face. He sighed and looked down at his phone and nearly had a heart attack when he noticed the time.[/color] [color=#4B0082][b]"Wha...no way. I'm missing the speech! I've never been late like this before!"[/b] he exclaimed, stuffing the phone back into his pocket almost instantly. Yuko's ears perked up when she heard the urgency in Hiroki's voice.[/color] [b][color=#4B0082]"Oh crap, that's right. Well hey! Just walk into school with me, ok? I'm kind of an expert at this being late thing so i'll get you through it! The teachers will probably just blame me anyway."[/color][/b] [color=#4B0082]Before he could answer Yuko just grabbed him by the arm and tugged him with her.[/color]

[color=#4B0082][i]â??Oh godâ?¦why is my head pounding so hard. Really thought Iâ??d be used to sleeping on a pile of blankets by now.â?[/i][/color] [color=#4B0082]Yuko took some time to gather her senses after what seemed like the worst night of sleep sheâ??s had in months. She had spent the night in her make-shift hideaway in the Port District which admittedly was considerably less comfortable than her bed, but she just couldnâ??t bring herself to go home last night. She wanted to enjoy her last night before the new school season, and being in that uptight atmosphere her mother called a home wasnâ??t the best way of doing that. She hadnâ??t counted on the odd dream she had in the middle of the night though. The details swam around her head between clear and hazy, if given more time to think about it she might have felt freaked out but she knew all too well she had to hurry. Still, it was unlike any other dream she's ever had. In fact she figured it was right on the border of being a nightmare.[/color] [color=#4B0082]She reached out blindly with her right arm hoping to come across her skirt. The narrow beam of sunshine coming through the small attic window of the warehouse and hitting her cheek hastened her pace to get dressed.[/color] [color=#4B0082][b]â??Well looks like Iâ??m going to be late. This will make three years in a rowâ?¦â?[/b] she spoke aloud, not terribly concerned with her situation.[/color] [color=#4B0082]After sliding her skirt up Yuko practically leapt into her shoes and kicked her blankets aside. She ran to the worn out and splintered ladder she used to get in and out of her secret spot. She climbed halfway down and jumped over the walkway near the open window she uses to sneak in. She climbed out and found herself on the lower roof of the warehouse which would then lead her to the broken shipping carton she would jump down to. It was a complicated enough process to get in and out of that place that she trusted it would be highly unlikely that anyone else would discover it.[/color] [color=#4B0082]She still had to rush back to her house in order to change into her school uniform. Sneaking into the window of her room was a much more challenging process in her eyes, primarily because of the chance of alerting her mother since she was always home until heading to her job at the Hyoma Resort and Spa in the afternoon. Halfway to the station the flashing lights of a few police cars caught her eye, they were pulling away from one of the warehouses on the opposite end of the Port. She just shrugged and kept running, figuring it was the usual disturbance call or some hooligans getting out of hand.[/color] [color=#4B0082]Only a half hour passed before she got home. The first thing that came to her mind as her house came into sight was how badly she wanted to take a shower. There wouldnâ??t be enough time though; Yuko figured sheâ??d just sneak one in the girls changing room at school. She had done that on more than one occasion even when it wasnâ??t following a tough session with her kickboxing club or the swim team. The opening speech hadnâ??t stated yet, but she knew it would be a photo finish with whether sheâ??d make it on time even if she left in the clothing she was currently wearing.[/color] [color=#4B0082]Yuko ran as quickly as she could toward the back of her house and stopped by the drain pipe next to her roomâ??s window. For some reason it seemed a little higher up than usual, probably because of how worked up she was about running late. She just sighed and thanked her lucky stars she was in as good of shape as she was otherwise her sneaking around would be significantly more difficult. She climbed her way up and forced her window open with her left hand. Shoving herself through the window and quickly donning her school uniform was practically a blur. Nagging thoughts in the back of her mind that she had made far too much noise in her actions were validated by her Mom entering her room just as sheâ??d finish putting her shoes back on.[/color] [color=#4B0082][b]â??Yuko! I canâ??t believe you stayed out all night again! We talked about thisâ?¦â?[/b] her motherâ??s voice was devoid of surprise despite her words. Yuko grabbed her bag off her bed and just rushed passed her mother as swiftly as she could.[/color] [color=#4B0082][b]â??Sorry mom, but Iâ??m going to be late! We can talk later!â?[/b] she yelled back as she almost stumbled toward the front door. Her mother tried to chase after her but Yuko was already gone by the time she had made it to the staircase. It was her typical method of avoidance when she was trapped with her mother in the same room, though she never had the intentions of sitting down and talking with either her or her new husband. Yuko wrestled with her backpack while in motion to get her cell phone out to check the time. She shoved passed a few people in her way after realizing that she had about five minutes left.[/color] [color=#4B0082][i]â??Third year in a row Iâ??ll be late on the first day of schoolâ?¦wonder if anyone will notice?â? [/i][/color]

Ah, I was under the impression that they would only be summoned for attacking purposes like in the games, and then return back to the character's soul until manifested once more. I actually think it would be cool to take a sort of Nocturne feel where the Personas would be able to act outside of simply showing up for an attack or two. If that's what you meant. and Yay @ opening post *waits patiently*

Embarrassing admission - Didn't notice this thread here before I made my sign-up. lol Going to make a few edits to Yuko's sign up to be a little more coherent with the information you've provided. I feel bad not utilizing it simply because I overlooked the thread. Also, i can understand the reasoning behind why you'd nix the idea of social links. Unlike the main characters of previous Persona games our characters won't be venturing outside our respective Arcana's Personas I imagine. I would hope we wouldn't need some kind of system in place to encourage communication between our characters either. Also, I like the idea that our characters would be able to engage in rudimentary combat. In Persona 3 the group was much more coordinated battle wise, but I was thinking along the lines of 4 where it pretty much starts off like "Hey i got these weapons, um...which one do you want?". To show that we obviously never thought we'd need to learn to use weapons let alone fight anything, but be able to to adapt enough to know it would make sense to not be completely helpless without our Personas. I mean hell some of us could even use bokken weaponry in the beginning. Maybe this is me talking because Yuko has a strong interest in martial arts, maybe it isn't >.>....we'll never know...<.<. Whatever your decision will be fine though :)

[color=#000000][font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]-Well, it's been quite a while before last gracing these parts but I love me some Persona. Looking forward to starting up.[color=#800000][font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif] [/font][/color]Let me know if everything is cool with the sign-up.[/font][/color] [color=#800000][font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif][size=5][size=3][b]Name[/b]: Yuko Koizumi [b]Age[/b]: 17 [b]Gender[/b]: Female [b]Arcana[/b]: Devil [b]Appearance[/b]: Yuko stands at 5'3 and weighs a lean and fit 115 llbs. She has chin length jet-black hair with emerald dyed tips (purposely done to match her eyes) with a drape of bangs covering her forehead. She keeps her body in shape working out for her kickboxing club often. Her chest is slightly top heavy in relation to the rest of her petite frame, but not dis-proportioned. Other notable features include a necklace with a small charm of a coiled black rose with thorns on the stem, and a tattoo on the top of her right foot of three stars in succession each one slightly larger than the last.[/size][/size][/font][/color] [color=#800000][font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif][size=5][size=3][b]EDIT - [/b]Found an image to better show Yuko's hairstyle, just imagine it all black with the dyed tips: [url="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b191/Bklynstyles/H1.jpg"]http://i19.photobuck...ynstyles/H1.jpg[/url][/size][/size][/font][/color] - [size=3][color=#800000]and also one of her tattoo:[/color] [url="http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b191/Bklynstyles/stars.jpg"]http://i19.photobuck...tyles/stars.jpg[/url][/size] [color=#800000][font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif][size=5][size=3][b]Personality[/b]: Yuko lives by one motto; if you want to do something then just do it. She is a generally fun-loving girl who likes physical activity, as she spends a lot of time with her kickboxing club and swimming when not occupied with the academic aspect of high school. She believes in remaining loyal to what you love to do, but never being rigid in life's pursuits. Keeping an open mind and trying anything once has allowed Yuko to gain valuable experience concerning human behavior. She might come off as care-free to those observing her, but she holds tight to her mindset of getting the most out of life, and never giving up on the goals that she sets no matter how likely or bleak a result may be. [b]Bio[/b]: Yuko's parents went through a prolonged divorce when she was just 5 years old. Her mother, who works as a masseuse at one of the top resorts in North Yokuboshi remarried when Yuko turned 10. She has never liked her stepfather, an executive salaryman for Junes's corporate office, despite never being mistreated by him outright. Yuko always showed a rebellious streak, disagreeing with her mother on a multitude of things; her preference toward more modern and revealing casual wear to traditional kimonos and her propensity for martial arts being at the top of the list. She is a popular girl at Yokuboshi Academy, mostly with male students but she considers very few people actual friends or worth associating with passed frivolous amusement. While hardly honor student material she is not completely apathetic to her academic responsibilities, but her focus is often elsewhere and tends to zone out during class. The unease Yuko feels around her stepfather and the constant pressure she receives from both parents about her impending entrance exams keep her from going home right away most of the time; some nights she doesn't come home at all which has gotten her in trouble many times. Her favorite place to camp out during these nights is the attic of an abandoned warehouse in the Port District which has a window overlooking the water. She enjoys the way the lights look reflecting off the water's surface and watching the ships come in. [b]Nickname[/b]: No nickname. Though she tends to refer to others by nicknames she creates on the spot.[/size][/size][/font][/color]

[font="Tahoma"]Currently playing [b]Call of Duty: Black Ops[/b] multi-player. Current goal is to maintain a 2.10 KDR and to hit 200 kills with the ballistic knife. On COD downtime I'll be playing [b]AC: Brotherhood[/b] single player and commanding my mighty army of assassins all around Europe (where else can you complete a mission in Russia and be back in Italy in 10 minutes). The third game I can be found playing is [b]SMT: Persona 3[/b] for the ol PS2. Busting shadows up with my Justice team; Power and Virtue and loving Mitsuru's summer casual outfit. After beating this i'll only have Persona 4 to play to have completed all the current Megaten games released. As much as I loved Nocturne, P3 is turning out to be my favorite of the series. On deck is [b]Dead Space 2[/b] come January. Can't wait to see how my dog reacts to the CE's plasma cutter, hehe.[/font]

[font="Tahoma"]Just want to say first of all that credit goes to Magus for the influence to put this up, since he mentioned in the IGN best of 2010 threat that we should do our own awards for the games we believe to be worthy of being honored this year. Though it also appears necessary to simplify things a bit to the most important categories, especially since IGN seemingly added particular categories for the sole purpose of honoring the winning game with no real competition. So i'll start things off with my choices: [b]Best Shooter[/b]: Call of Duty: Black Ops This is a no brainer for me, Black Ops is the best installment into the series thus far and adds a more satisfying sense of competition to the online play. The new wager mode is especially fun to play, particularly One in the Chamber. The single-player campaign is by far the most story focused in the COD franchise and has plenty of intense moments throughout. If anyone would like, they can read my official [url="http://www.gamesabyss.com/articles/2090-call-of-duty-black-ops-review"]Call of Duty: Black Ops Review[/url]. Pretty much encompasses why i feel the way I do. [b]Best Racing[/b]: Blur It was a year full of interesting attempts for innovative and satisfying racing gameplay, a movement that either fell short or had very brief stays in the spotlight. Regardless, if a winner must be picked here then i must give it to Blur for adding a more adult twist to kart racing chaos. Needless to say, this is most fun when played with other people. Kudos goes to [b]Modnation Racers[/b] for adding a decent creation mechanic to just about every aspect of the game, but the actual racing gameplay itself was less than stellar. [b]Best RPG[/b]: Mass Effect 2 ME2 in a word is phenomenal. Bioware has created by far the best RPG/shooter hybrid in terms of core gameplay, story progression, and player-controlled choice innovation. ME2 was an appropriate continuation and neither falls short or over-exceeds it's predecessor. Other honorable mentions goes go [b]Fallout: New Vegas[/b] and [b]Resonance of Fate[/b]. [b]Best Action/Adventure[/b]: God of War III If it was any of the two previous GOW games in question, I would have given this award to Bayonetta, which was easily one of the best overall games of the year, I explained why in the IGN best of thread. God of War III however proved why it remains the king of the genre. It is hard to snub Kratos here when you consider the expectations GOW3 had to build on, and the wild success that was realized providing challenging puzzles, fun and exhilarating boss battles, and keeping the same tried and true combat system fresh and enjoyable. Not to mention finally being able to get out hands on the gods themselves, this was easily the best cast of antagonists. Honorable mentions obviously goes to[b] Bayonetta[/b], as well as [b]Enslaved: Odyssey to the West[/b] and [b]Assassins Creed: Brotherhood. [/b] [b]Best Sci-Fi[/b]: Mass Effect 2 This one I don't feel really needs an explanation, everything this game does well does so in the name of the sci-fi story genre. Honorable mention goes to [b]Vanquish[/b] and [b]Singularity[/b]. [b]Best Rhythm[/b]: DJ Hero 2 This is a game I never thought i would actually play, let alone enjoy. I'm really not much of a music/rhythm game fan, but I had the opportunity to try this one out not too long ago and it's actually quite addictive. Good soundtrack and better enjoyed with a group of people. [b]Best Survival Horror[/b]: Alan Wake This category was practically locked up for me when Alan Wake was released. Unfairly receiving a bad rep due to coming out in the shadow of Red Dead Redemption, AW is a creepy and very well written story. The combat was a bit weak in comparison to the story, but is by no means terrible. It is no Resident Evil in terms of gunplay, but it does not necessarily have to be. It does take some patience to get through, especially if your an action junkie. Alan Wake does its job well, which is to chill your spine and keeps you wondering whats going to happen next. [b]Best Multi-Player[/b]: Call of Duty: Black Ops FPS is my number one competitive game genre, and COD is my favorite franchise in said genre. I have already explained my position on this game and for me remains the gold standard in multi-player overall, not just FPS. Honorable mention goes to[b] AC: Brotherhood[/b] for a different type of MP experience that surprisingly works quite well. [b]Best Character[/b]: John Marston This was a tough one for me, but Marston displays multiple emotions in a genuine and believable way. He is tough and gritty, yet does not appear completely unapproachable. He is reliable and wholly dedicated to his goal, and does not tire. You can tell that when John Marston runs into an obstacle, he will find away around it and not do so in the flawless manner of a superhero, yet a triumphant mix between work and will. He combines the everyman with the fruition of resolve. Throw a respectable job of voice acting onto all of that, and a nifty cowboy hat, and you have a character who is worthy of praise and admiration. Honorable mentions go to [b]Ezio Auditore de Firienza[/b] and [b]Snow Villiers[/b] (the best character in FFXIII by leaps and bounds). [b]Best Art Design[/b]: Bayonetta I gave Action/Adventure to GOW3, I will give this to Bayonetta because this is one category where I believe it exceeds. This is mostly shown in the designs of the enemies and bosses I feel, but it is a travesty to not take notice of the world around you when playing through. So much action goes on at every turn in this game, it is easy to take the stage design for granted. Not to mention, who doesn't love the hair outfit? Honorable mentions go to [b]God of War III, Mass Effect 2[/b], and[b] Vanquish[/b]. [b]Most Underrated Game[/b]: Tie - Enslaved: Odyssey to the West / Dante's Inferno Enslaved as I've already explained is a surprise hit and really stands out in what was meant to be a stacked October. The combat may not be the most varied, but is very smooth. The story is an interesting twist on a very established classic, and the character interaction between Monkey and Trip is never boring and surprisingly realistic for two people in their position. Real bonds are formed and you feel this mutual sense of sympathy for both at certain points in the game. Dante's Inferno however is just a victim of being outdone by bigger and meaner games of the same genre. Coming out one month before GOW3 especially was anything but a boon. The truth of it though is that Dante's Inferno is a good game that starts off like a juggernaut and simply slows its roll as it progresses. The lack of consistency is a weakness, but it hurts even more when you have so many gaming titans to compare it to. The first three stages alone were better than most anything in a Devil May Cry game. Honorable mentions go to [b]Singularity[/b] and [b]Alan Wake[/b]. [b]Most Overrated Game[/b]: Halo: Reach I understand the kind of following Halo has, but the franchise stopped being interesting to me after Halo 2. The games all seem far too similar, and the multi-player is so much less intense than Call of Duty's and at times very unstable. I appreciate a good sci-fi story and memorable characters, Halo: Reach really only accomplishes both about half-way. There is fun co-op here, but this game has just earned too many accolades that i feel it just simply didn't earn on its own. The legacy of Halo played too much of a factor in this game's success. [b]Most Disappointing Game[/b]: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Fable 3 was very close to winning this one. Both games fell ridiculously short of the hype generated around them, as well as failing to live up to the stock in their respective namesakes. Fable 3 is easily the better game of the two, and while is disappointing it is not necessarily terrible. Castlevania on the other hand, is terrible. Incredibly drab soundtrack, glitchy graphic anomalies, boring and scattered combat system, empty and dilapidated stage design, laughably easy difficulty, and no epic aspirations whatsoever. Even the all-star voice acting was stripped by the infuriating scripting. I hope Robert Carlyle received VERY ample compensation for being on this project. [b]Xbox 360 GOTY[/b]: Mass Effect 2 Hope I don't have to explain this by now. [b]Playstation 3 GOTY[/b]: Red Dead Redemption The definition of overrated is receiving praise too high than what is actually deserved. It is possible however that something that is a 9 out of 10, can be rated a 10 out of 10 by too many sources, and still be considered superior from an objective point of view. Red Dead does not need the unnecessary nudges in order to be considered a GOTY candidate, and since Mass Effect 2 is not capable of hindering these honors here, Rockstar SD has done a hell of a job with their open world heavyweight. [b]Nintendo Wii GOTY[/b]: N/A The only Wii games I have played this year are Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M. That is not enough for me to make an objective decision with other games generally believed to be in contention (i.e Epic Mickey). From a purely subjective POV out of the two i have played I actually enjoyed Metroid. [b]Game of the Year[/b]: Mass Effect 2 Surprise surprise! [b]Most Anticipated Game of 2011[/b]: 3-way tie - Mass Effect 3 / Elder Scrolls: Skyrim / Batman: Arkham City Here's the category you can only answer by being totally subjective! The last installment in all three of these games were my personal overall GOTY winners, and all three's premiere trailers look stunning. I cannot see either of these failing in any way to deliver more greatness, but in the video game industry anything is possible. For now though, quarter 3 of 2011 is on the fight track to stripping my bank account.[/font]

[quote name='Pumpkin' date='15 December 2010 - 10:16 PM' timestamp='1292469405' post='702792'] [font="Arial Narrow"]I froth at the mouth and mumble uncontrollably and talk to my imaginary friend. Mr. Cuddlewinkins. Doesnt everybody? ;] [/font][size="2"][/size][color="#000080"][/color] [/quote] [font="Tahoma"]My Mr. Cuddlewinkins died in a tragic snowboard jousting accident 5 years ago...but thank you for bringing up those horribly painful memories again [/font]

[font="Tahoma"] [color="green"]Xbox 360[/color]: I definitely agree with most of the awards Mass Effect 2 has won, especially GOTY and Best Story. It was a fantastic continuation of what remains one of gaming's finest original franchises. While the game had many great characters, I'm not sure I would have chosen either Thane or Mordin to represent the "best of" category over more prominent choices such as John Marston from RDR, Ezio from AC, Lightning or Snow from FFXIII, or even Garrus from ME2. Darksiders winning ANYTHING is just sad. It was by far one of the worst releases of the year for anything aside from art design. It is especially odd being in contention with a phenomenal game like Bayonetta, which definitely deserves recognition for pulling out some of the best combat, art, and boss battles the action/adventure or fantasy genre has ever seen. Not to mention the fact that the project started out as more of a joke game. Black Ops not winning competitive multi-player is tragic. To make it worse it lost out to a racing game, and not exactly the best one of the year either (an honor i believe goes to Blur). As fun as these types of games used to be, in terms of innovation and lasting appeal it is a bit of a dying genre. It's hard to argue with actual licensed music for a soundtrack category, but i really enjoyed Mass Effect 2 and RDR's soundtracks. Just thought i'd throw that out there. I'm happy to see Enslaved getting some kind of attention for something because it truly was one of October's brightest gems. This was mostly due to having no actual expectations games like Fable 3 did in order to fall short of them. Therefore Enslaved served as a pleasant surprise. [color="navy]PS3[/color]: Heavy Rain was one of the most original games for the PS3 but as for calling it GOTY, i'm not sure i would have honored it over Read Dead Redemption. I don't fall into the category of people who believe RDR is the best thing since sliced bread, it is a great game though a tad overrated. There just isn't enough substance outside of the main story progression to fulfill the scale of the world map. When comparing RDR to the other nominees IGN provides though it offers the best soundtrack, the most dynamic characters, the most tactful and smooth gameplay mechanics, decent replay value and is arguably the longest (Fallout:NV also in consideration for length). I love AC: Brotherhood but the fact of the matter is it is an established legacy which has easily showcased its best installment this year, where as Red Dead did not derive from a formula as instantly successful. The level of improvement between predecessor and sequel is far more impressive. Heavy Rain is better suited to win such categories as most original and best story (so in other words, I would reverse best story and GOTY). Winning best horror too i don't quite consider HR your typical horror candidate of course, but considering the PS3 saw significantly less candidates for this than the 360 I suppose overall atmosphere and tension was taken in consideration. Because personally, I don't view Dead Rising 2 enough as horror as opposed to comedy. Undead Nightmare is a DLC and therefore automatically out of contention in my standards. Dead Nation is the next closest, but is nowhere near good eonugh in any aspect of gaming to see any kind of award nomination. Marston winning best character leads me to believe he would have won for 360 as well barring any of the ME2 characters, so I do agree with this one. Castlevania also deserves to win absolutely nothing, with the exception of biggest disappointment of the year. If they were going to nominate a game like Vanquish for this category the least they could have done was give it the win. Though, that is coming from a sci-fi nerd. So naturally i also agree with its Sci-fi honors. Wii: Don't give a crap. [/font]

[font="Tahoma"]I'm honestly still amazed that a character like Sagat has never been integrated into the Versus games. [/font]

[font="Tahoma"]I don't really mind where it's taking place, i'm just happy the game is finally being made. Oblivion is a game I still put into my 360 from time to time and still really haven't done every single thing available to do between 4 different characters. I hope that character models see a big update and that there is more variety in creation as well. I'm also thankful that Dragon Age 2 is coming out first, seeing as how I probably wouldn't get to it if Skyrim were to be released first, lol.[/font]

[quote name='Treble' date='13 December 2010 - 11:28 AM' timestamp='1292257684' post='702716'] I think Catwoman is going to be the other playable character based on that Gameinformer cover. I loved the first one and can't wait to see what they do with this one. [center][IMG]http://imgur.com/Q2snL.jpg[/IMG][/center] [/quote] [font="Tahoma"]Catwoman seems to make sense, another option might be Robin. I can see Catwoman being an integral part to the actual story though, kind of a similar role to Black Cat in Spiderman 2. Robin on the other hand i'd much rather only be a co-op selectable if he must be put in the game.[/font]

[font="Tahoma"]Been looking forward to this one since beating Arkham Asylum, which in my eyes was GOTY for 2009. The VGA premiere was very impressive, and I love the choice of putting Hugo Strange front and center. The game looks like it has the potential to boast a much more intense atmosphere, even though it will take a very convincing performance to outdo The Joker as antagonist front man. Putting Batman's identity on the line seemed the obvious way to go, but it's a good formula for a successful storyline. As for other villains i'm also hoping Prometheus makes an appearance. I have to say i'm not big on the option of co-op for this particular project, i'm sure it will work out well but I feel that single player campaigns/playthroughs are becoming a dying breed. Certain game franchises simply do not need a form of multiplayer, competitive or co-op to truly shine. Bioshock, Metal Gear Solid, Mass Effect just to name a few in addition to Batman. We all know open world has been done to death as well, but the great thing about that mechanic is the infinite amount of potential for variety and expansion. I feel Arkham City will run with the torch as the new standard of open world gaming if the structure from the first game remains with a heavily focused story throughout all the free roam.[/font]

[quote name='Magus' date='12 December 2010 - 01:40 AM' timestamp='1292136018' post='702668'] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqSbrNOsYSY[/media] I still haven't played Street Fighter 4 or Super Street Fighter 4 but C.Viper looks like she can be a beast here. [/quote] [font="Tahoma"]She's a bit of a one trick pony in SSF4, I would have chosen Juri before Viper because she's a bit newer and still has room for character construction. Plus seeing how she registers with the Versus game/fans would help them decide on the future for the character since she has only been in one SF game ever. Somebody like that is a more interesting addition to me because what to expect isn't as clear.[/font]

[font="Tahoma"]I pull out my Evo and continue what I was doing. Lot of wi-fi around where I am. I might even go outside...or try but then realize that i'm too lazy to put my jeans on [/font]