Vote for the MLB 13 The Show Cover

For the 2013 edition of MLB The Show, fans can vote for who graces the cover. The candidates are Bryce Harper, CC Sabathia, Andrew McCutchen, Matt Kemp, Ryan Braun, Buster Posey, and Miguel Cabrera. Fan voting begins on January 7th and ends on January 11th at MLB.com. MLB 13 The Show will be available March 5th on the PS3 and Vita.

The Walking Dead: Episode 5 “No Time Left” Review

Going into the finale of the Walking Dead game, there were a lot of questions that needed to be answered. Will Lee survive after being bit by a zombie at the end of episode 4? Will Lee rescue Clementine from the mysterious man that took her?  And who is this mysterious man that took her? “No Time Left” is a phenomenal final episode that concludes this captivating story. Be warned, spoilers ahead.

 

The Walking Dead game confronts players with many difficult and game changing choices in each episode. Player decisions helps to influence the story and creates a “tailored” experience.  Episode 5 has many key choices that you have to make.

 

Within the episode’s first ten minutes, my jaw dropped. I was faced with a difficult decision right form the get go of whether or not to cut Lee’s hand off after the zombie bite. I ended up choosing to cut it off, thinking that it could increase Lee’s chance of survival. I also recalled a character from The Walking Dead TV show that had his foot cut off after a zombie bite and he survived. This kind of decision is what makes the game’s replay value so high. I kept wondering what differences there would be throughout the episode if I decided to not cut off the hand.

 

I don’t remember being so emotionally invested in a game’s story and characters than the Walking Dead. So many memorable characters and storylines came from this game. The game also had one of the saddest video game endings I have played. There is a cliff hanger epilogue after the credits, so I am very excited for season two.

 

9.5/10

PS3 News and Links From Around the Web

BioShock 2 Free on PS Plus

PS3 Is Most Popular Netflix Streaming Device

It was just announced by Netflix and Sony that the PlayStation 3 is most popular Netflix streaming device. Netflix says it even passed the PC in hours of Netflix viewing at certain times. Now that Netflix is also on the Vita, users can start watching something on the handheld and pick up on the PS3, or vice versa.

 

YouTube for PS Vita: Update to Version 2

The YouTube for PS Vita app has been updated to version 2.00. After the update, the app looks a lot more like the PS3 version. Included in the update are subscriptions, channels, improved controls, playlist settings, closed captions, continuous playback, PS Vita buttons, Share option, and improved search. I am very excited about this new update as the previous version was not up to par and I hated how I couldn’t view subscriptions or channels.

 

 BioShock 2 joins US Instant Game Collection

Gamers with a PS Plus subscription can now add BioShock 2 to their Instant Game Collection. Unfortunately, this is a needless update to me since I already own the game, but wanted to share the news since it’s a great game. I enjoyed it and didn’t really agree with some of the negative reviews it received. For those PS3 gamers who were interested in the upcoming BioShock Infinite, you can also get the first BioShock free with purchase.

 

Call of Duty Black Ops 2: Emblem Tutorials

Thought I would share this Call of Duty: Black Ops II emblem tutorial website. There are a lot of awesome emblems on there that you can look at the tutorial for to make your own. I’ve already made a Captain America shield emblem and will attempt to do the Iron Man and Batman ones, too.

PlayStation Vita: End of Year Reflection

I received my PlayStation Vita as a birthday gift at the end of March. Now that we’re in December, I’d say that I am overall satisfied with it. Of the games that I have played for the Vita, I have liked them all. Uncharted: Golden Abyss was a console seller for me. It was as close to the “console like experience” that the Vita was advertised for.

 

Now that the Vita has PS Plus support, it now has an Instant Game Collection which includes Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Jet Set Radio HD, WipEout 2048, Gravity Rush, and Tales From Space: Mutant Blobs Attack!, as well as the PSP game Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions. That is a great line up and features some of the best Vita games available. The 2.00 system software update also added an improved web browser, an e-mail application, and PS Plus Online Storage.

 

There is a new Vita bundle that has the 3G Wi-Fi system, 1-year membership to PS Plus, a Unit 13 game voucher and a 4 GB Memory Card for only $299.99. That is probably the best deal for the Vita right now for those who missed the awesome $199.99 or $179.99 deals during Back Friday weekend. Although the 4 GB Memory Card that is included with it is laughable considering it could only fit about two of those games advertised. I currently have an 8 GB memory card and I was able to download Gravity Rush, but none of the others because I didn’t have enough memory. The 16 GB memory card sells for $50 and the 32 GB for $100, but has been as low as $80 when on sale. 

 

I was really looking forward to the new Vita releases, Call of Duty: Declassified and Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation. Unfortunately, I decided to pass on buying Declassified because of the awful reviews it was getting from almost every game review website. Liberation received decent reviews, but it seems it isn’t on par with the console versions. Looking ahead to 2013, I am looking forward to MLB 13: The Show, Killzone: Mercenary, and Soul Sacrifice, which all look like top notch Vita games so far.