So I have to admit that I really love playing games whenever I get the chance to. I play strategically and I’m extremely versatile to whatever pops up in my way when it comes to adventure games, FPS, simulation, fighting, etc. For some reason, I can’t seem to apply my skills to Pac-Man nor will I ever get a high score on Bejeweled Blitz. However, I will kick ass on the Resident Evil, Tekken, and Mortal Kombat games and such. I don’t play much because it’s really hard to find serious people to play with or co-op with. Either I have a dumbass to my right who keeps laughing at himself getting killed or I’m left as the one calling all the shots. And, I tend to play alone because I get really aggressive when I play.

I mean, playing a video game is one of the best and easiest ways to figure out a person’s character and how well they process, adapt, and recall.

I could go on, but you get the point. So with that said, I’m someone who takes things way too seriously, is a perfectionist, and moves at a very fast pace. I don’t go crazy and compulsively purchase video games since I have a lot more to do, but I do get to indulge once a year on something I REALLY like:

The Sims and American McGee’s Alice

I’ve been playing the Sims since the very first game to the latest expansion of The Sims 3 and I’m an all-around good player. I can build you the Chatsworth House or make a sim a jack of all trades in less than a day (without cheats!). I’ve played The Sims since I was twelve (got my extreme multi-tasking skills from this) and I’ve been hooked onto it ever since. I remember saving up all my money just for the new expansion pack and by the end of the day that I purchase it, I would’ve already burned through everything. Good times …

Well, there’s a new expansion coming out May 31st for as a pre-release and on June 2nd. It’s the Generations expansion pack and instead of just aging and breezing through the different life stages, each life stage will now have themes to them. Kids can do what kids like to do in tree-houses, playing pranks on others, playing make-believe and such while the elderly sims get to reminisce on their memories. Speaking of memories, sims will now have the ability to recall memories and specific moments in their lives, making the whole experience more personal. There are different stages/kinds of schools instead of the usual public/private schools we’re so used to. Teens have the option to go to a university (a shoot back to TS2) and children/teens can opt to attend art schools or military schools, too. Teens can finally go to prom as well as ask each other to prom to begin with. And instead of having your sim focus on family all his or her life, young adults and adults will most likely be more prone to building relationships and will try to create a family during those years, while they can! Senior citizens will stroll around in canes (I wonder if they’ll put wheelchairs and walkers in there, too!) in the new expansion pack. I’m super excited about this expansion because it actually changes the game play to something completely different as opposed to just adding an expansion to a new version of the game that we’ve already had a feel for (ex. The Sims 1 Pets and The Sims 2 Pets … not much of a difference).

The expansion is only $39.99 (standard pricing for most Sims expansion packs) for either a hard copy or the digital download and if you get it now, you’ll get the Outdoor Living Stuff Pack for free ( $20 in value), too! I like to buy my games from the EA Store because they have your back in case anything happens and in hard copy because The Sims’ signature registration codes have screwed me over a few times when I came to digital downloads so hard copy is a guarantee that your game will always install no matter what. So pre-order today and have fun!

The Sims 3 Generations Expansion Pack (with Outdoor Living Stuff pack)

http://eastore.ea.com/store/ea/en_US/pd/productID.219720800/sac.true

I picked up American McGee’s Alice in 2002 on the same day I got my HP Pavilion 760c (great pc back then and probably still is now, if I still had it). I was twelve and these were the times, when kids could play games with a mature-rating and no one would really care. Well, my mom just got it for me because it was my birthday present package. The story and plot of Alice holds true to what Lewis Carroll had envisioned, but of course, with some gory tweaks. The Cheshire Cat grins with all his bared teeth, but he’s not a fur ball of fat and consumption but more of a malnourished and starving hyena. Alice looks so much better as a brunette and it’s all the better when we get to witness her slice and dice the card soldiers and humongous insects with her vorpal blade.

I’ve waited almost ten years for an update and finally, Alice Madness Returns arrives June 14th. It’s an official sequel to the first game although Spicy Horse has taken over (used to be Rogue). I definitely wish the graphics were more up to par with today’s standards but hopefully, it won’t take away from the gameplay. Alice seems to be back in Wonderland after her first journey there eleven years ago. She still has a lot of pent-up issues within her since the fire that killed her parents and her stay in the asylum. The first trip to Wonderland proves to not have helped her much other than the fact that she’s out of the asylum now. Otherwise, she’s still trapped inside her own thoughts. This should be a very decent addition to any game you’d like to play this summer so give it a try at $49.99 where you get the Complete Collection (both the first and the second game) as available in direct download and as a hard copy. I admit, it’s pretty gory and bloody for a fantasy/adventure game but it’s well worth it. And if you actually like the feel of the game, look up Clive Barker’s Undying. It’s a great classic that sadly not too many people know about.

American McGee’s Alice Madness Returns (Complete Collection)

http://eastore.ea.com/store/ea/en_US/pd/productID.227290100/sac.true

Happy playing!