No Jedi mind trick needed here.

I downloaded the free demo of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on Xbox LIVE the day of release because well, this game just looks cool. The trailers have nothing on the greatness of this game. Hurling Stormtroopers into one another is a feeling I just can't describe.

My only complaint about the game was the controls, but I can't fault the game for it. I'm just not as familiar and comfortable with the Xbox controller as I need to be, but I know that would come with time.

Well, I won't be learning those controls. I downloaded the demo on the PS3 to compare. The games graphics-wise are the exact same, so no big deal there. As I've played with a PlayStation controller for far longer than Xbox, I was far more comfortable with the controls on the PS3 demo. Shawn and I ended up fighting over who got to play the demo next. Needless to say, this game has ended up in the Want! list.

If you have an Xbox or a PS3 and have an ounce of Star Wars fandom, stop what you are doing and download the demo NOW. You will not be disappointed.

I've said since I started Crisis Core that the gameplay was a little... weird. The first downer was the eight page tutorial e-mail that Zack receives at the beginning the game. So I have to READ how to play? You aren't going to teach me? This is almost as bad as having to refer to the instruction manual. Not that I could have comprehended half of the things mentioned in the tutorial in the first read. It wasn't until I had logged a couple of hours that I finally understood what it all meant.

However, that isn't the most annoying aspect thus far.

When Zack enters into Combat Mode (you can't miss it... you hear a computer female voice say, "Activating Combat Mode" when you encounter an enemy), a little slot machine-like device in the top left hand corner starts to spin. They call this the DMW (Digital Mind Wave), but it's a glorified slot machine. You use SOLDIER points instead of coins to spin it. Instead of receiving coins when you match three in a row, you get limit breaks, summons, and leveling up. Yes, you read that correctly. You have ZERO control over when to use a limit break, summon, or even how you level up. It's ALL based on chance, baby. Granted, the more times you go into battle, the more chances you have in getting the DMW to spin you a level increase. So it's like earning experience... but not really.

The strange method of leveling up doesn't bother me half as much as the lack of control in summoning and limit breaks, especially when the enemy can summon or land limit breaks whenever they want to. They aren't at the whim of a DMW. As fate would have it for me, I never seem to get a limit break when I'm fighting a boss, only when I have wimpy enemies to fight. It feels like a complete waste of a limit break, when one more sword slice would do the trick. The DMW takes ALL strategy out of a fight, except for which materia and armor to equip for spellcasting and defense.

Am I going to finish it? Well, yes. Despite the fact that I'm at the mercy and whim of a slot machine, the game is absolutely beautiful and the story is intriguing.

I have not been able to put Lego Indy down. I had all the intentions in the world in making it plane entertainment for my flight next month, but a four hour road trip changed all that. So I played it all the way down to Houston and all the way back home. I played it yesterday when Shawn came home and relieved me of screaming baby duty.

My results: Secret guest unlocked, all parcels posted, all but three artifacts assembled, true adventurer status achieved on all levels, and two of the three hidden levels have been unlocked. To unlock the last one, I need to finish building three artifacts, but I've pretty much given up on those. I know where the remaining pieces are, but attempting to retrieve them has been quite frustrating. But I'm fine with that. It's time I let go of the Indy crack and get back to Crisis Core.

I can't comment too much on CC as I've only logged a few hours. I can say that the combat is hack n' slash rather than turn-based, but I haven't figured out the leveling up or limit break system. It's strange to say the least. More on it later.

My sister gave me back Professor Layton over the weekend, so now the pressure is on for me to finish it. I think it will be a good game to play during Gabe's naps or the times he plays in his gym mat. Yes, I'm actually going to attempt to play two games at once! Three, if I can't lay off the Lego Indy.

Yep, I beat the story mode for Lego Indy. Game clock at thirteen hours. Obviously I have a lot to do in Free Play mode, as the game claims I've completed only 58%. Hey, it's more than half. I'm somewhat happy. I've started to dabble in Free Play mode, and it's fun, although it feels a bit tedious since I've been through it before. Sure, it's fun to switch through many characters and unlock areas I couldn't before, but well... it's not enough to make me sit and do the whole thing all over again... right now. Oh I plan on finding all the artifact pieces and unlocking the hidden levels. Just not right now. Not when I have FF7:Crisis Core and The World End with You begging to be played. I do have an upcoming flight to Atlanta that will warrant plenty of Indy-artifact-hunting. So yes, I do love this game and do recommend it to any and all Indy fans and those with any sort of sense of humor. If you don't chuckle during the first cut-scene... I can't help you. I weep for you.

Now as for which game to play next, I believe a decision of this magnitude should fall within the realm and will of the coin-tossing-gods.