Not quite halfway in and Zelda: Skyward Sword is already trending as one of my favorite Zeldas ever. Depending on how it pans out — and I’m definitelly in it to win it — I’d rank it on par with A Link to the Past, Ocarina, Wind Waker, and Minish Cap—my current favs. It’s certainly more inventive and better than Twilight Princess, which I lost interest in after 18-20 hours.

A big reason for that is the dungeons of Skyward Sword. Not only are they more closely integrated with overworlds, they’re massive caverns filled with delightful puzzles. And unlike other Zeldas, there’s little to no backtracking because the dungeons aren’t overly “mazey” or complex in their layouts. Just wide open spaces with clever obstructions you need solve before proceeding to the next area.

Great game for those looking to get lost in one.

Zelda: Skyward Sword drops Nov. 20 for Wii.

Quick! Google “Do a barrel roll” then hit enter. Fun!

It’s in Japanese, but there are some nice visual effects. I totally want to jump in that water fountain.

I still haven’t been able to pick this up, so I’m planning on making it a holiday purchase.

Aliens: Infestation is one of the few games that makes player death mean something. There are a finite amount of marines in the game, and once one dies, he or she is gone forever. You can reload the game at a previous save point, but those are few and far between, especially in the earlier sections of the game. The marines in the game all have the same abilities and share weapon upgrades, but they look and act differently in the story sections. You’ll like some more than others, which means you may want to protect one marine and send another to fight a boss or make it through a long session between save points. Being low on health can be terrifying, especially when your motion sensor shows you a screen filled with enemies.

For those who have already played it, what do you think?

See also: Critical reviews