I do try and update about once a month primarily so I don't lose any writing skills I may have, but I seem to have skipped a couple due to the usual lack of motivation and busyness.
I played the first few hours of Final Fantasy 13. Graphically it's the best-looking game out there. There's no polygonal breakup to be seen, and there's little differences (if any at all) between cinematics and in-game graphics. The story, combat, and characters don't make this my favourite Final Fantasy game by far, but I still find it enjoyable despite some of the mediocre reviews I've read. I think it's a game that you need to decide for yourself if you truly like or not, and I don't recommend taking anyone's word one way or another on it.
I also gave Dante's Inferno a try and immediately put it down. It was too repetitious and stale, even though the design work had a lot of meaning and symbolism behind it and the music was beautiful. From what I know of the actual literature off of which this game is meant to be based, I saw very little connection. I would rather have played God of War or Assassin's Creed.
I also played and beat Heavy Rain recently. I think that this game is the epitome of compelling story-telling and it was gorgeously interactive. This, for me, is proof that games can indeed be an art form. It was as if I were watching a movie or a series of episodes and choosing what I wanted to happen; I was compelled by each of the character's and their side of the story, and most importantly, I cared what was going to happen. More games need to be as well-written as this.
There's a long list of games coming out that I'm anticipating, but I'll save said list for another day.
As far as school goes, I was accepted into a special class outside of the normal roster. I'm currently helping a team of instructors and students create an entry for the Apps for Healthy Kids contest. It's a challenge, but I am learning a lot, and it's a great honour to have been invited to take part in this. Hopefully once it's finished, I can post a link to it. (:
