Pads & Panels

Best Video Games of 2011 – Honorable Mentions

 

Pads & Panels will soon be counting down its Top 10 Video Games of 2011, but before we get to that point, we’d like to pay mind to 10 other games that stood out as top contenders for the year. They were all part of our discussion and all deserve some recognition for their achievements in gaming, even if they didn’t quite make the cut of the illustrious Top 10. All 10 of these titles were games that earned our attention and respect in one way or another in 2011, the list of them effectively serving as our 11-20 choices, presented here in no particular order. (more…)

Best Games of 2010 – Honorable Mentions

Creating a Best of List for Pads & Panels is no easy task. It involves everyone putting in feedback, a get-together and copious amounts of drinking, when we argue our cases for what belongs where on the list. Inevitably, fantastic titles don’t make it to the top of the tower, and we’re left feeling bad for not honoring the enjoyment some of these games provided us throughout the year. So that’s where the Honorable Mentions come into play. These are the list of games that didn’t quite make our Top 10, but we think you should be playing them nonetheless. Plus, it’s always kind of fun to make our readers wonder, with titles this great on the honorable mentions list, what is going to make our Top 10. They are essentially our #11 through #20 picks, but are presented in no particular order. Enjoy! (more…)

Game of the Month – March

God of War III (PS3)

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment – Developer: Sony Santa Monica

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It may try just a little too hard at the end to give itself some artistic relevance, but God of War III is the perfection of the balls-to-the-wall action that has become the standard for the genre, emulated by countless others. The “final” installment of the trilogy is all killer, no filler, bigger and more badass than the series has ever been, and still Sony Santa Monica found the room to try some new ideas along the way. A great “conclusion” to the epic story of Kratos.

–Bill (more…)

Title: Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Platform: PS3 (360, PC)

ESRB: M

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: EA DICE

Rating:

Review By: Eric Stuckart

Throughout film and ultimately gaming history, it seems like the Russians have always been getting the shaft. No matter what the plot, it’s a safe bet that if the film or movie has some sort of terrorist plot, the Russians are somehow masterminding it. And even more stereotypically, it seems like nine times out of ten their henchmen are either of South American or Middle Eastern descent.

Things don’t change this paradigm in Battlefield: Bad Company 2. However, EA Digital Illusions CE (DICE for short) really fine-tuned things, set their sights on that other present day FPS, Modern Warfare, and in the process created a game can give that competition a run for its money. (more…)