It was almost a year ago that I took the plunge and downloaded my first MMORPG on my Xbox One by way of Star Trek Online and holy cow, what a difference a year makes. I truly downloaded this game in the hopes of enjoying a casual Star Trek experience to get my Starfleet fix until Star Trek: Discovery arrived on the airwaves and as it turns out, a year later…this game turned out to become so much more for me.
 
Sure, it was instantly a fun and exciting jaunt through the Star Trek universe, where I was able to warp from system to system and explore strange new worlds and fight the epic space battles that any Trekkie or Trekker has spent a life time dreaming of. But my casual experience quickly came to a close after I first wrote my initial review of the game because something magical happened…this game sucked me in, in ways that I never expected by becoming a powerful personalized experience for the ages.
 
Because STO goes above and beyond merely putting you in the captain’s chair and allowing you fire phasers and photon torpedoes and kick some stellar butt along the way. It truly immerses you in the heart of this majestic franchise thanks to top notch writing and some incredibly immersive episodes and as you learn that thinking and speaking like a Starfleet Captain allows for you to progress quicker in the game…you find yourself focused on the ideals of the Federation and there’s a strange sense of pride that comes with earning your Captain’s pips and a sense of humility that comes with being promoted to Fleet Admiral.
 
But in addition to finding one’s self focused on saving and protecting this digital universe, the richness and respect that this game has for every iteration of the franchise, including the 2009 reboot is nothing short of breathtaking. Easter eggs are everywhere this game, and there’s something truly magical about being able to serve alongside legends from this saga or running into a particular place or character or object from one of your favorite episodes. 
 
All of this comes to mind, simply because of the fact that nearly a year after downloading this game…I’ve completed all available episodes and seasons and that gave me pause. Because when all is said and done…this is a dream come true for any hardcore fan. I finally got to command a starship in Starfleet, and play the hero and be a part of the universe I’ve admired through my television screen for as long as I can remember and it’s supremely satisfying to know that more adventures are on their way since Season 13.5 arrives soon and I cannot wait to see what new and exciting stories are waiting on the horizon…

August is a special time for us football fans. After all, the NFL Preseason gets underway, we get our football fix at last and in a few short weeks, the regular season begins and our team’s quest to hoist the Lombardi Trophy and enjoy the title of Super Bowl Champion begins. But for the hardcore fans of the sport, there’s another important event that also happens this time of year, the annual release of Madden.
 
This gaming tradition remains a staple for football fans simply because it truly allows for an immersive NFL experience. Sure, some folks see it as nothing more than a pricey roster update; but to so many this game means so much more. Madden as a whole almost represents an escape from the spoils of defeat, a place where fans can right the wrongs that happened on the field and relish in the wonder of the championship that they help guide their favorite team to and the time to bask in the magic of this game has come around once again and let me tell you now, Madden 18 is truly a sight to behold.
 
For this year’s edition of the game, the folks at EA Sports made use of the revolutionary Frostbite Engine and the results of this investment are utterly breathtaking. At times, it truly feels as though you’re watching the NFL on television with uniforms that pop off the screen and the realism is further enhanced by the little things you see on the screen, such as the divots I noticed on the field that appear later in the game as the players hammer the turf beneath them.
 
Not to mention, the wonderful commentary system has been further revamped to the point where it is the most dynamic system I’ve ever seen in a sports game. For the first time ever, Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis say far more than the usual canned responses you’d expect from games such as these, they’re able to speak to real time stats and they reference past week’s events in game as well and adding that kind of enhancement only sucks you into the game further.

​Of course, fans of this game expect more than just a wonderful presentation, the gameplay has to wow as well and once again EA Sports has added some wonderful enhancements to the action on the field to make Madden more accessible and more challenging as well. Take for example the three new game modes; Arcade, Simulation and Competitive. The first of that bunch allows for fans who enjoy shootouts and high scoring games to get what they crave while students of the game can receive an authentic NFL experience with Simulation mode and Competitive mode peppers in just enough of a challenge to keep those who love to be pushed, coming back for more.   
 
Plus, there’s the brand-new Targeting system for the passing game as well, which gives the player unprecedented control of where to place the ball when playing quarterback. As an added bonus, for those who have always wanted to play in the NFL, you can vicariously live that dream in Longshot mode, which features Madden’s first ever story mode system wherein you take control of a former college football star’s last shot at playing in the NFL. 
 
So, as you can see, this year’s edition of Madden is loaded to the gills with treat after treat for every football fan out there and I’m honestly having trouble putting the game down. I simply can’t get enough of the breathtaking graphics and immersive gameplay because this year’s iteration of Madden, is the finest the franchise has ever offered up and I highly encourage anyone who is a fan of the game to pick this one up as soon as they can and if you’ve ever been curious to try it, now would certainly be the perfect time, since Madden 18 is in stores now.