Machinima or Machine Cinema is the use of realtime 3D engines, in the case of this post, computer games. Machinima has become increasingly popular as computer game graphics have evolved and is extremely popular in fisrt person games. These Machinima films are created through use of either screen capture filming programs or even through inbuilt video capture abilities within the games itself eg Halo3, World of Warcraft (Usually only on Macs, damn them to heck), Quake and various other games.

A few of the more popular Machinima series are Red Vs Blue which is made using the Halo series of Games and Oxhorns World of Warcraft films. Both of these series are comedy machinima and mostly satirically based around events and features within those games. There have also been a few feature length Machinima include a Star Trek themed movie created using the games Star Trek: Elite Force 2 and Starfleet Command 3.

With more games including the ability to capture video footage it is likely that these Machinima will become increasingly popular to watch and even to create.

Here is an example of Machinima made by Oxhorn using World of Warcraft footage. Enjoy!

Gears of War is set on a planet known as Sera, mankind has settled in and built up a civilisation, up until a few years ago that is. The game is set a few years after a race of creatures known as Locust (unpleasant creatures, some humanoid, others little winged terrors that are vulnerable to light) burst from beneath the planet's surface destroying the human cities on Sera, we follow Delta squad as they fight to preserve what human life is left on Sera.

The Main Character Marcus Fenix, is an ex-con pulled straight out of prison to fight for his life and that of all mankind. Thrown straight into the mix he soon realises that the world he knew is a lot worse of than before, and that the damage done by the Locust is far worse that could have been imagined.

The game is a first person shooter but requires far more than just an itchy trigger finger to be successful (though an itchy trigger finger does come in handy), in order to survive each fight with the Locust you will need to utilise terrain to take cover and gain an advantage over your enemy, you also need to know just what weapon is right for the job. The game can be quite fast paced with a few quiet moments which leave you wondering when something will jump in and scare the living daylights out of you.

The graphics within the game are amazing, with great, though mostly wrecked cities and buildings. The gameplay is almost seamless with the cutscenes and each area has its own challenges. I recommend this game for and Shoot Em Up type gamer but if you want a game to get you started in the FPS (First Person Shooter) Genre and scare the bejesus out of you at the same time, this is the game for you. I give it an 8/10.

Once again Nintendo have released the Mario Kart title onto a new console but this time with a few fun and interesting changes that make the game that bit more fun.

Mario Kart Wii is a fun racing game aimed at all ages, it involves numerous characters from the Mario Bros games who all have different racing styles so as to give the player a bit of choice.

The game has both Single Player and Multiplayer modes, both having the choice of straight out one race competitions, multi race point based competitions and battle mode where you smash it out with friends and family or join forces to beat the computer players.

Mario Kart Wii also has the great ability where if you have a Internet connection (Broadband is a requirement for this) you can connect online and race or battle with friends in other places or with complete strangers, we all know its fun to show a random person who is king of the Kart :).

Also with Nintendo Wii's motion sensitive controllers it takes Mario Kart to a whole new level, players can use their Wii Remote as a steering wheel, turning the Kart with a turn of the controller. Players can also use the Mario Kart Wii Remote holder which is basically a steering wheel with a slot for the Wii Remote, making it a bit easier to steer. The use of the motion sensitive Wii Remotes is a great feature and if you get a chance to glance at your friends while playing, is quite hilarious to watch...

I think this game is a must have if you have a Nintendo Wii as it will provide hours of fun and has great replayability and is a great title for all ages to play as it is easy and great fun.

I give this a 9/10 and I recommend if you don't have a Nintedo Wii, go out and buy one just for this game!!!

An oldie but a goodie, Final Fantasy VII was an RPG (Replaying Game) made back in 1997.

It revolves around a young man named Cloud Strife who basically works as a sword for hire after leaving the employ of a massive corporation named Shinra as one of their elite warriors "Soldier".

As the story unfolds you gradually learn about Cloud as he himself figures out the truth in his past. Along the way he meets up with friends both old and new who accompany him on his way to finding the truth about his past and eventually saving the world.

The game has a solid storyline which draws you in though due to his memory issues Cloud can be seen as a bit insensitive and cold. The game has hours and hours of playability and its replayability is great because there are so many things to discover that the you miss the first time around. The graphics in the game are very dated but heck, the game is massive and for 1997 it ain't half bad.

Recently a movie based after the games events was released, Final Fantasy VII : Advents Children. The movie has stunning CGI and even if you haven't played the game it is still quite watchable with great fight scenes and great characters.

I give this game a big 10/10 because it was the game that brought me into the RPG category. I recommend it to any gamer even though you will need to track it down. It is on PlayStation only but thankfully it is compatible on all their consoles.

I figured that I should start with the ultimate evil, to some, and the game which consumes a vast amount of my time (and numerous other people, including my fiance Alice who surprisingly plays more than I do XD ).

World of Warcraft is a MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) set in the vast world of Azeroth as well as in the Outland. Its time setting is very similar to around the medival era but with a few modernised touches (I'm pretty sure they didn't have flying machines in medival times but hey, I aint a historian so I may be wrong) and fictional races (Elves, Gnomes and Eskimoes)

Azeroth and Outlands are lands plagued by war, demons and....ZOMBIES!!!! Following from the previous 3 Warcraft games, World of Warcraft takes palce after the evil Lich King and his minions the Scourge have ravaged the world and killed and zombified many. You choose your race and faction, there are 10 races to chose from and 2 factions, Horde (Blood Elves, Orcs, Undead, Trolls and Tauren) and Alliance (Humans, Night Elves, Draenei, Gnomes and Dwarves). Choosing a faction means that the other faction is instantly your enemy so if you want to play with friends be sure you are on the same side. You also get to choose from a range of classes such as Warrior, Druid, Shaman etc...

The game is played with real time action and involves the use of numerous abilities, spells and other actions in order to survive each fight. You can fight alone or team up against A.I enemies or you can fight people from the opposing faction in Battlegrounds.

The game is fun for those who like a challenge, and has lots of diffent things to do within, such as quests, dungeons, professions such as alchemy, mining, jewelcrafting etc...It has great replayability due to the fact that you can restart as a different race, faction or class. It has a great online community with over 2 million players worldwide and most people are more than willing to lend a hand to new players if you ask nicely.

All in all it is a great game, the only downfall is you do require higher internet speeds and a decent computer for optimal playability.

I give it a 9 1/2 out of 10 and suggest it for anyone who is into RPGs (Roleplaying Game) and with the expansion Wrath of the Lich King coming soon there is no better reason to start playing so you can enjoy the new land of Northrend on Nov 13th.