Aaron BouldingWebsite

Aaron Boulding began writing about the video game industry as a founding editor at IGN. Since then he’s ridden in helicopters, driven race cars and lost a professional curling match all under the auspices of covering video games. Before he learned to properly use words like “auspices” at UC Berkeley’s journalism school, Boulding began his still-active streak of always reaching the second level of every arcade video game he’s ever played on the first quarter. Find him on Twitter @aboulding

Aliens: Colonial Marines Gameplay Clips Will Creep and Amaze You (VIDEO)

By Aaron Boulding | February 11, 2013 @ 2:39 pm

This is a lot easier with a pulse rifle

Shooting up slobbery slithery aliens, especially the ones with acid blood and multiple snapping jaws, will never not be fun in video games. At least that's the operating theory behind Aliens: Colonial Marines. The sound effects and the damage effects of space marine weaponry that we know from the Aliens film is what's at play here in this pair of pure gameplay videos. This is what the game will look, sound and feel like when you get it in your grubby little hands. Read More » »

Tomb Raider Goes Way Down in the Jungle Deep with New Walkthrough (VIDEO)

By Aaron Boulding | February 11, 2013 @ 9:38 am

Lara Croft is everything but sexy in Tomb Raider

We haven't seen much beyond the early portions of Tomb Raider as the folks promoting the game have insisted on focusing all of your attention on the fact that Lara Croft is, in fact, a survivalist-explorer now and absolutely is NOT a sex symbol. So all we get to know right now is that she's marooned, separated from her fellow travelers and severely wounded through her abdomen. Throw all of that out because this 10 minute+ walkthrough from deeper in the game shows a much more badass Lara Croft who can actually do stuff with cool gear and refined skill. Read More » »

Injustice Gods Among Us Offers Full Batman vs Bane Battle and More (VIDEO)

By Aaron Boulding | February 8, 2013 @ 1:45 pm

It's like this but without Wonder Woman

If you've been wanting to see the raw version of what combat in Injustice: Gods Among Us is going to be like, unfiltered and lightly edited, you've come to the right place. Well, one many right places. But we've got better fringe benefits. The battle in the clip above is between Bane and Batman and it totally doesn't look like the movie from last summer. Bane is bigger and better irrigated like the comic book version and not all whimsical like a deranged Mary Poppins like in the movie. Batman is still a bad ass. Read More » »

The Walking Dead: Surival Instinct Flashes New Gameplay Ahead of New TV Season (VIDEO)

By Aaron Boulding | February 8, 2013 @ 1:32 pm

Merle and Daryl at their best

Put me in the category of people who don't care about how AMC decides to roll out episodes of its hit shows. An 8-episode run of season three of The Walking Dead, backed up with another 8-episode run for season four doesn't bother me anymore than taking a mid-season "hiatus." The shows get here when they get her and it's all good. So ahead of the latest batch of episodes premiering Feb 10, it seems like this was the perfect time to give us another look at The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct.

Merle and Daryl were together again at the end of the last "batch of episodes" even though the details of how the two of them reunited were not revealed. I'll bet my Aunt Fanny's four gold teeth we're going to get a hell of a flashback in the premiere episode showcasing the Dixon boys seeing each other again. As far as Survival Instinct is concerned let's just say this: it looks better in this trailer than it did in previous gameplay clips and the game still comes out in March. We'll leave it at that.

Dead Space 3 Completes Journey Into Terror Series. We Celebrate. Not Really (VIDEO)

By Aaron Boulding | February 8, 2013 @ 11:39 am

The journey continues....already

A promotional video series for a video game that's widely available? Okaaaay, but that sounds awfully familiar. The "Journey Into Terror" series concludes just in time for you to finally get yourself together and get your hands on the latest installment of the Dead Space franchise. Dead Space 3 is just as terrifying with extremely motivated necromorphs who will continue to chase you down even when you've shot off the limbs they use to do that chasing. Missing legs and arms and other limbs is one of the hallmarks of the franchise and the gift that keeps on giving. Throw in co-operative gameplay with you and a buddy, plus new weapon customization and you've got a lot of top notch survival horror on your hands.

Tomb Raider is About Exploration Not Just Survival Apparently (VIDEO)

By Aaron Boulding | February 7, 2013 @ 1:07 pm

Finding your way around will always be important

Lara Croft is anything EVERYTHING but a sex symbol in the upcoming reboot of Tomb Raider. Don't look at her that way and, in the name of Suzanne Somers, don't think of her that way. Lara is all about survival this time. Survival and exploration, actually. Sex symbols are not about surviving --for a rough comparison here's a list of dead centerfolds-- and they damn sure don't do exploration --you ever seen a Bond girl ask for directions? Read More » »

Splinter Cell: Blacklist Showcases More Stealth and Action in Latest Gameplay Clips (VIDEO)

By Aaron Boulding | February 7, 2013 @ 12:30 pm

This won't hurt a bit

Splinter Cell: Blacklist

Even more sneaking around and assassinating. Read More »

The bottom line is this: you'll be taking down terrorists one at a time in Splinter Cell: Blacklist and the game is supporting your ability to do this in so many ways. The Ghost, Panther and Assault playing styles come with their own gear, their own tactics and their own rewards. You just have to decide how you want to run your anti-terrorist campaign. And don't think you have to choose one style and stick with it. The game is segmented in such a way that you can do one part of a mission as, say, a Ghost --staying undetected, knocking out enemies instead of killing them and hiding bodies-- and then follow up on the next segment in more of an Assault style --you make sure the enemies see you and you smoke them all with superior firepower and explosives. Read More » »