It’s been a while since I’ve done a Week in review, mainly because it have been a while since I’ve reviewed anything. I was, however, pretty sure that some of my missives had slipped out onto the intertubes without me making reference to them in this here column.

Let me just take a look.

It seems the last time I mentioned my reviews was back in June when I was more preoccupied with E3 than anything else. The last batch featured Metro: Last Light, Injustice: Gods Among Us (a game with the shittest non-inclusive DLC season pass ever) and the surprisingly good Call of Juarez: Gunslinger.

Since then I struggled to review EA and Insomniac’s Fuse, a game that that I just could get into. I’d play anything rather than that bloody game. I even returned to Far Cry 3 and cleaned up a few remaining missions. To avoid playing Fuse I then purchased the premium upgrade for Battlefield 3 and spent a fabulous week on DICE’s masterpiece (can’t wait for Battlefield 4).

In the end I had to face to music and return to Fuse. After slogging through the first third, I started to find the game actually fun to play. But that’s a long time to hate a game. Whilst, overall, I can’t say that I had a good time, Insomniac are definitely on to something  and I hope that they get the chance to have a second crack at it. I rated Fuse a 6.5/10 in my review for ShaneTheGamer.com, here.

I passed on reviewing Dynasty Warriors 8 as I’ve fucking hated those games since the days of the PS2. VicBStard.com regular, Grant on the other hand, loves the series and so I got him to review the game instead. Of course he loved it, the weirdo, and gave it 8/10. Take a look at his review over at ShaneTheGamer.com, here.

The first of the seasonal triple-A titles, Splinter Cell: Blacklist came my way the other week. It’s a fantastic game, expertly blending stealth gameplay with fun, something that the early games is the series just didn’t get right, if you ask me. The attention to detail and top-class level design provides players with these amazing environment that can be infiltrated many different ways. No matter how crazy my strategy the game accommodated me, never once breaking the immersion. I had a blast with it and gave it a 9/10. My only quibble was the new vice of Sam Fisher, which I didn’t like much. Check my review over at ShaneTheGamer.com here.

Right at the moment I’m taking The Bureau: XCOM Declassified out for a spin. Apart from the gorgeous 1960 art-style, I’m not convinced. The AI guys seem to try their best to get themselves killed unless you hold their hands all the time. Love the way everyone is smoking cigarettes, though. I have to say it’s making me want to play the far superior XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

I’m also putting Total War: Rome 2 through its paces. Like its predecessor and many of the the other Total War games, Rome 2 has resulted in many late nights. It is an amazingly deep, but still very accessible, turn-based/Real time strategy game. I’m not sure if it is the low-tech or the brutality of the games’ particular historic setting, but it just seems so much more fun than the recent Total War games.  Another plus is just how robust the game has been at launch; I’ve usually had terrible stability issues with Total War game in the past, resulting in them being unplayable for months after launch until the patches/drivers have sorted things out. This time, with Rome 2, the game runs like stink and looks bloody fantastic. A review will be forthcoming.

I’ve had a bit of a bash on the PC version of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Apart from the strangely mute characters (their lips move but nothing comes out), the game looks amazing. I only wish that I had the time to get right into. Thankfully, Jude Cheetham has stepped up to the plate and is putting together a review of the PS3 version as I write.

The next few months a going to be a gaming roller-coaster ride. In only a week or so we’ve got Grand Theft Auto V, a game that I personally can’t wait to get my hands on. In the following month we’ve got more Assassin’s Creed, more Batman, those two new consoles (can’t remember what they are called), and loads of next-gen titles. 4th October sees the EB Expo open it’s doors in Sydney Olympic park, where I’ll be in attendance and reporting on all the great stuff on show.

Well that’s it for this time. See ya.