The Scoreboard takes over OXM Online

Well, maybe not, but my new column swings both ways!

That is *ahem* The Scoreboard, OXM's new bi-monthly feature, reviews Xbox 360 games from a totally original perspective: I only review the Achievements.

Check out the first edition now. Do it!

Wow, Tal

They don't make editors like they used to.

Cold drinks in Croatia

So we're here on the Adriatic Sea with Sony and an assortment of press peeps to check out the latest builds of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Ratchet & Clank Futures: Tools of Destruction.

Let me just tell you, I had no idea what Croatia was like but it is beautiful, the water is crystal clear and hotel is lamming (for a new, not-yet-opened hotel that we're the only guests in, boy are we making breaking them in).

Anyways, I'll have impressions of Uncharted tomorrow, I'm told we're going on a scavenger hunt. For now, here's some shots of the city and us roaming from bar to bar, that is until we found "Cold Drinks", a bar hanging on the side of a cliff. So epic.

Below is (pic 1, L to R) Jen Clarke from SCEA, TJ Shanks from Game Trailers, a local cat (the church we were sitting in front of was a haven for cats) Sheila Bryson SCEA, Howard Brown from PopCultureShock, Alyssa Cassella SCEA

(pic 2) The view from Cold Drinks

(pic 3) The Cold Drinks cat

(pic 4) The Cold Drinks sunset

Sony Gamers Day in Crotia, or what day and time is it?

So we're all landed, we've recovered our lost luggage and we're settling in for a 4 day visit to Croatia.

As of tonight, I'm jetlagged and spent from being held over at Gatwick in London for 4 hours (Daniel Kayser from Game Trailers endured the gauntlet together).

So it feels good to get unpacked and have an icy cold beverage.


More news to come.

Review: The Shins, or the Second Coming of Moz

Alternative Press picked up my review of The Shins new slab, here.

Don't tell Zach Braff how I scored the record, he'll delete me from his facebook.

Review: Guitar Hero II (Xbox 360), or how to unlock Achievements for a game you already played the crap out of on your PS2

Finally, GH II is out on 360. Thank the rock gods. I had a great time cobbling together a feature spread on GH II last year for AP (see attached pic), which resulted in having a character in the game named after me, among other things.

Review for the just released 360 version here. Now go, become one with your toy guitar controllers.

Review: The Elder Scrolls IV: The Shivering Isles

Oblivion, in all of it's time-sucking glory, was a deep, deep game. As deep as it was, Shivering Isles tries to be wide, with two new worlds and storylines on one thoroughly disturbing new isle. But is this Shivering place somewhere you should sink in another 20 or so hours after investing 100+ already? Hit the jump to find out.