There's no denying that the original "Left 4 Dead" hit the nail on the head with its fantastic blend of action, suspense, and co-operative play. And here we are just one short year later with a follow-up that Valve promises delivers much, much more: more locations, more weapons, more infected, and more variety is the name of the game in "Left 4 Dead 2." So does the core gameplay still shine with all the extra trimmings there hiding it from view?

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"Left 4 Dead 2" drops today and you may be one of many out there that's itching to grab a copy and jump online. Before I get to posting my review, I need to spend a bit more time with the game post-release to really see how the game handles with the countless servers running the whole zombie apocalypse show.

I only say this because this past weekend on Xbox Live I ran into an enemy more deadly and more terrifying than "Left 4 Dead 2's" own Witch or Tank infected. If you can't tell from the headline above, I'm talking about lag.

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"BioShock 2" has a lot to live up to. It's the eagerly anticipated sequel to one of the most critically acclaimed titles of the past two years and it's those very expectations of fans that run at odds with the title's chances of critical (though maybe not commercial) success. Earlier this month I spoke with Ken McClendon, the lead designer on "BioShock 2," about this very issue. Just how does one go about creating a sequel with fan expectations set to such a high bar -- especially when one considers that it was a well-crafted plot twist that cemented the first title's success in the first place?

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Earlier this month I sat down in front of a build of "BioShock 2" in room packed with journalists from the world over. Everyone seemed to be eagerly anticipating the first hands-on experience with the title and I was certainly no exception. But rather than give you all a run through of the hour-long section I played (a section of Rapture called Ryan's Amusements where children are educated of the evils of the outside world) or tell you how the game plays (like "BioShock"), I figured it would be worthwhile to note the differences between the original and this latest outing.

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I can't explain how disheartened I felt when I first read reviews for Spike Jonze's film adaptation of "Where the Wild Things Are." Like most people, the childrens' book was an essential piece of my childhood reading along with others like "Goodnight Moon" and any of the Dr. Seuss books. And with the unfortunate history lent to film-to-game adaptations, it's not surprising that I first approached "Where the Wild Things Are" (the game) with much trepidation. That said, the game actually manages to tread rather competent waters, delivering a solid experience despite a few taxing design choices.

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What makes a "Ratchet & Clank" game tick? The humor? The strange new worlds? Captain Qwark? While we'd certainly argue the latter, one would be hard-pressed to not mention the massive (and oftentimes hilarious) arsenal of gadgets and weapons at our Lombax hero's fingertips. We all have our favorite weapons, but I decided to ping the team at Insomniac to find out what new guns appearing in "A Crack in Time" are their personal picks. So what new destructive force took the cake?

Coming in at number 5… the Rift Inducer 5000.

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With the third and final installment of Ratchet & Clank’s "Future" series dropping on us in couple weeks, the team over at Insomniac thought they’d show off some of the of weapon customization with this trailer for the new "Constructo" branded weapons: The Constructo Bombglove, Shotgun, and Pistol. Not only can players switch ammo types, rate of fire, and other weapon attributes, they can also paint their guns pink! Well, any color really. But hey, pink!

My PSP and I? We get along fine… but we don’t really spend much time together anymore. In fact, I haven’t picked up a PSP game from a brick and mortar shop in over a year (and that may never change thanks to the increasing number of downloadable titles launching with the PSPgo). But there’s one game that’s looking to change that this fall, and that’s "SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3."

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Last night I swung by the Landmark Embarcadero Movie Theatre in San Francisco to bear witness to something with little precedent: a theatre full of attendees shouting, clapping, and sitting on the edge of their seats watching someone play a video game. The game? "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves." The Event? A showcase of never-before-seen sections of Nathan Drake’s single player campaign and a multiplayer tournament (with prizes!) open to all attendees.

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After the successful launch of the action/horror title “Dead Space” for the 360 & PS3 last year, Visceral Games (formerly EA Redwood Shores) has been hard at work on their next adventure surrounding the crew of the USG Ishimura and mysterious artifact called “the marker.” This Wii-exclusive entry in the franchise forgoes the 3rd-person action of the first title for a first-person “on rails” approach that may just set the standard for rail shooters to come.

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