So I'm one week into MAG and I'm freaking obsessed.  The worst part is that the Raven faction, which my friends and I chose to play, seems to have the least skilled plaeyrs.  Therefore, we get our butts kicked around 60% of the time.  Yet, despite loss after loss, I find the game extremely fun.

My character is sitting at level 50 right now and only 10 levels away until I hit the max.  While they give you the option of switching factions once you reach 60, I'll probably decline.  Of course, that means I'll miss out on the Platinum trophy, which requires you to reach level 60 with each faction, but I still laugh at the notion of "trophies" at all.  Setting up the trophies that way seems contradictory to the idea of having "faction loyalty," which was something I thought was a major theme.  Regardless, I could do "Veteran" mode, which lets me start over from level 1 with Raven, but the only benefit is a shiny gold icon that tells everyone, "Hey, look how awesome I am!"

In the meantime, remember Aliens vs. Predator?  I sure do.  I also remember talking with my friends about how awesome it would be if there was an Aliens game that featured a co-op mode similar to Left 4 Dead.  In fact, I was waiting for someone to mod L4D and replace the zombies with Xenomorphs, but that hasn't happened.  But, that doesn't seem to be an issue now that Rebellion has put up a trailer showcasing AvP's Survival mode!

Finally, even if the single-player campaign isn't the greatest in the world, at least they are indulging one of my favorite fantasies... if defending waves of Xenomorph attacks with fellow marines could be called a fantasy.

Although, this does make me wonder what exactly holds for the future of Sega's OTHER game based on the popular movies, Aliens: Colonial Marines.  If AvP seems to be covering all the basics, what will the other title offer that is different?  Or, will it even come out at all?

So, while I wait for the opportunity to scream "Game over, man!  Game over!" and "Why don't you put her in charge!" I've starting putting time into the Bad Company 2 beta for the PC.  And, surprisingly, my impressions are mixed.

First, it seems that Bad Company 2 is a tad more difficult to run than most of my other games.  It requires a decent amount of hardware power.  This has more to do with my 2-year old equipment than the game itself, but games that remind me that I don't make enough money to keep my PC updated tend to leave me resentful.

With that said, the game does look really nice, especially running at 1920x1200.  Now, I played the PS3 beta of BC2, and I feel it is necessary to draw a comparison here.  The PS3 beta did seem... smoother, both visually and in the controls.  However, both could be the result of an aging PC.  After a little tweaking to the video settings, I was able to find a comfortable level of play.

I have only played an hour or two so far, but it is fun.  Again, only one map is available during the PC beta, but at least it is a different map from the one during the PS3 beta.  One thing I can say, Bad Company 2 (PC) is everything Modern Warfare 2 should have been and more, and this is coming from someone who has loved every Call of Duty since the original filled the void let by Medal of Honor: Allied Assault's fade into history.

I'll have more on all three of these game once I have them in my hands.