GamesCobra forums are live!

I just launched the forums of my new gaming website at GamesCobra.com/Forums 

We are looking to add the revolution of social media to the review of video games, so you do not have to read some lengthy corporate review. All of our reviews will be provided in a slick and easy fashion to be read and added to.

Come to the forums and start discussing what you like the most about video games.

A new venture for me

I have decided to head into a new venture. Everyone who knows me knows I love video games, or just games in general. This is probably the main motivation in me deciding to start my own gaming website. I have been searching through Flippa.com to find the right site for me, and I came across it.

GamesCobra

I am very excited about this new direction for me. I hope to be able to create a great site that all gamers will look to use.

If you or anyone you know would like to contribute to the site, let me know. We have a Facebook Fan Page and a Twitter account, and we would love to hear your suggestions on how to make it the best gaming website on the internet.

L.A. Noire

Thanks to my friend Zac, who you can follow at iwasa16bitboy.blogspot.com, I started to play L.A. Noire. The commercials for the game made it out to be almost a movie, as it contains some new facial graphics that really brings the characters to life.

You play Phelps, a seemingly clean cut LA Police Officer who served in the Marines during the Second World War. You start out as a beat cop, but this is merely to introduce you to the intricacies of the game. Phelps is destined for more than mere beat work, and soon becomes the new hotshot detective.

The detective work has the feel of old school point and click games, such as Monkey Island and Full Throttle. You use these clues to piece together the evidence needed to bust the suspect when you interrogate them. Interrogation is mainly focused on the new facial graphics engine, which is superb. From the persons actions and expressions, you must determine whether to believe them, press for more information, or straight accuse them of lying, if you are able to back it up with evidence. The let down at this point is that despite how you do, you will still eventually come to the conclusion the game wants you to.

The open world environment is detailed, but seems almost pointless as you hardly spend time roaming. Unlike GTA, where mindless violence and driving are almost meaningful to the game, in L.A. Noire you are a clean cut cop, and clean cut cops do not run civilians down. Sorry to break it to you.

The gameplay feels repetitive, especially as you really can't go that wrong. The graphics are at the forefront of this game. I highly recommend playing it, however, as I believe this represents a new step for gaming. If they could develop this into a more open ended game, with your actions have repercussions on the outcome of the game, you could be looking at a new standard for console gaming.

Plants vs Zombies - "Braaaaaains!"

Pop Cap have released some fantastic time sinks, I mean, games in the last few years. Bejeweled, from its humble beginnings on mobile phones has now become a Facebook addiction, and is now available on Xbox Live Arcade. One of the other Arcade games that they released is the hilarious Plants vs Zombies.

As you know, Sarah loves zombies, so this game is the mix of Bejeweled and zombies that Sarah was looking for. She considered downloading it, but then it showed up in her work, so she picked it right up. In a frightening role reversal, I was forced to watch her play the game for at least 5 hours yesterday as she ploughed through the various levels, with a vast array of plants, from the basic Peashooter, the Wall-Nut and Sun-flower (you need sun to grow plants) to the fun 'Little Shop of Horrors' rip, the Chomper, the Jalapeno and my personal favourite, the Squash. He squashes the zombies.

The zombies are not just run of the mill brain-nomming zombies. Sure you have garden-variety zombies who shamble, but it doesn't stop there. Some Zombies use traffic cones, screen doors or buckets to protect themselves, and then there are the more humorous ones, such as the Disco Zombie who summons back up dancers, and the Zomboni, which ices up a lane for a bobsled zombie team.

Situations change, sometimes the zombies attack during the day, when the sun is out. Other times they attack at night when there is no sun, so you will have to create it with you plants. If the front yard doesn't work, they attack the back right through your pool, meaning you have to prepare for aquatic zombies.

It is no surprise to see that P vs Z appears on the top 20 Arcade titles for Xbox Live on Major Nelsons blog (www.majornelson.com) when he posts the latest online activity. It is an ingenious, fun and exciting game, and shows that sometimes the best games have the simplest premises'. Zombies who want your BRAAAAAAAINS!

Plants vs Zombies Game of the Year Limited Edition